(Fox POV)
It was dark on Mars. Dr. Anders sat at the table with a bear in his hand. Gauss covered his forehead and nose. One of his eyes were now rendered useless from the broken glass and explosion from the day before. It was clear it bothered him. I peered in between the blinds and scanned the horizon. The towns people were still working on repairs after the scuffle I had with those shoulders. I touched my new blade. It felt as cold as ice. In the right corner of the room Eva snored loudly and in the left sat Weston puffing on a pipe. I sighed and backed away from the window. He walked across the room and placed his rifle next to the door. I really need to quit. With a loud creak Weston got up from his chair and slowly shuffled his way towards me.
" I would like to thank you again." He began "Those KSF would have torn this town to shreds. I looked at him with a puzzled look.
"KSF?" I asked.
"You don't know who those people were. You obviously could tell from the mark on their speeder. Right? You okay up the there?" He asked gesturing towards his head. He seemed like a nice man. I might as well tell him.
"No not really. I seem to be having some memory issues." Weston raised an eyebrow at this. " Could you fill me in?"
"A man with a raspy ass voice and amnesia? What do you know." Dr. Anders butted in. "Pretty sketch of you ask me." I glared at him. "Woah now I didn't mean anything by it. The KSF is the Kajiu Strike Force. They are a privatized military group formed by our 'great' leader for the sole task of destroying Kaiju and anyone he deems Kaiju sympathizers or supporters."
"Speaking of being sketchy, why were they chasing you two?" Weston asked.
"Well umm." The doctor started to become very nervous. "I might be trying to speak with Kaiju."
"You are fucking kidding me right!" Weston spat. His mustache twitching a little bit. I put a hand through my face feeling my rough facial hair. " What do you think Fox?"
"Why? Are not the Kaijus are enemies. They destroyed earth." I stared into the doctors single good eye.
"That's what they tell us." He snorted. " I was working on a top secret and maybe illegal project to find the bridge for communication between man and Kaiju but dip shit in the throne did not approve at all." Who the hell is this leader they keep talking about?
"What are you going to do now?"
" Before I left RDKI (Research and Development for Kaiju Inttellegnce, Program discontinued.) I was able to swipe some information about some ancient weapons used during the Kaiju wars. I believe one of these will be the key to speak to Kaiju."
" huh not my problem." Weston said from the corner of the room. He was applying new bandages to Eva's wounds. All she did was snore louder. An awkward moment of silence followed. The dim light from the latter flickered. Dr. Anders finally spoke.
"It is. I don't think the KSF appreciates that you butted into their affairs." Weston froze. He mumbled something under his breath as he flung himself back onto his wooden chair. I moved over to the edge of the room and peered through the blinds again. " I was able to swipe a few of the locations of these ancient weapons but we don't have much time before the KSF realize what's going on. I suggest we all go as soon as possible." Another pause, longer this time. "If we stay, your friends and family most likely will be executed."
"In that case it's time to say goodbye to home." Weston sighed. " I will go repair the speeder." As he walked outside I could have sworn I saw a single tear run down his left cheek. I felt empty. I felt sorry for Weston. I knew what it felt like to have nothing. I turned to Anders.
"You said you would hire me? How much will you pay?" I asked. Eva's snoring paused for just about a second.
"Well since I am out of a job... How about help with your amnesia?"
"Good enough Doctor Anders."
"Call me Clay." Another pause. Eva's snoring returned. "Well we should get some sleep." He stood up and laid himself next to his sister's cot and used his backpack as a pillow. "Weston should be done the repairs by afternoon tomorrow. We didn't get hit to hard luckily. Goodnight...Fox." There was something clearly bothering him. Something about me.
"Night." I sat down leaning against the door frame and closed my eyes. My scar that crosses my face tingled. It does that when something marvelous or horrible is about to happen.
(Unknown location)
"Sir the weapon is showing signs of activity."
"Again? Alright go dark." He stared through the glass to the large black metal object. "We will crack you. You metal dragon son of a bitch." Two lines of red flickered across the black mass then went dark again. The object one again disappeared into the night.
(Weston's cabin)
I opened my eyes only to see darkness again. I blinked a couple of times. I put my hand on my forehand. The palm of my hand was cool. I stood up and shuffled across the room. As I stumbled through the dark my foot hit something. Something hard and cold. I took out my lighter and used its small flame as light. I looked to see what I had stumbled on. I froze in. I was staring into a dead face. A large gash traversed his face. A long deep cut that found its way to the bone. I was staring into death. I was staring into me. A backed away from my mutilated body. I began to make for the door. My boots began to make sloshing sounds. The room now had a foot of blood drowning the floor. I kept trudging through the blood feeling small baseball sized chunks brushed my leg. I finally made my way to the door. I pushed it open and stumbled into a meadow. The blood rushed out of the cabin. As the blood thinned across the grass human body parts now become visible. In the sky was a planet covered in shades blue, green, white, and brown. Earth? I looked up into the tress and saw Clay, Eva, and Weston's bodies hanging from the trees. Blood dripping from where their legs used to be. Their were others there to that I did not recognize. I heard a large metallic roar. I turned around to see a giant outline of a huge creature. I Kaiju? Then a white flash appeared and blinded me. It was followed by a scorching heat that began to burn away my flesh. I tried to scream but my lungs filled with fire. Then there was nothing.
I jolted up in a complete sweat. I ran my hand across the scar on my face. I closed my eyes and tried to control my breathing. I opened my eyes once more to see that the first rays of sunlight making their way through the cabin. I turned towards the table to see Clay staring at me. His green eyes reflected the light coming through the window. He looked like he had seen a ghost.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah... Just a nightmare." I replied back against the door frame.
"Like this one wasn't bad enough." He sighed and took a swig from a bottle of brandy.
"You really think you should be drinking that much?"
"You really think you should smoke that much." He was right. I do need to quit.
A few hours have passed since my nightmare. It's about 9. I think. Outside it looked like a sandstorm was coming so we needed to hurry. Eva is still sleeping (and snoring.) and Weston is still working on the repairs. Looking at Eva I remembered the hard hit she took the day before. She looked fine as if she had not been hit at all. She must be sturdier then she looks. Clay was scribbling something in his notebook. He pulled out a small tablet and held it in the dim sunlight. It was clear liquid. He looked at it puzzled at first then satisfied and slipped it back into his bag with his notebook. I sat at the table across from him.
"So where are we going?" I asked. He pulled out a box of playing cards from his bag. He took the cards out and began to shuffle them. He glanced at me and asked if I wanted to play bullshit.
"Sure but answer my question first."
" First we have to get to my ship" he began "we have to get out of this dustbowl and travel to Akira. There we have to search the city for one of the weapons. I have heard rumors that a military project named DT is being conducted there. The rumors also say that it is a weapon from our ancestors that could open up black holes or tear space and time and link us to alternate dimensions. Those are just rumors though." He placed down 3 cards to the pile. "Three twos."
"Two threes." I placed my cards down. " What does DT stand for?"
"No idea." Our game continued with no conversation.
"Two kings." I placed my cards down. "So you can help me with my amnesia, right?"
"Three aces. Yeah. I think so but not knowing who you are, your original name, or having no one that can recognize who you are it might be hard."
"Bullshit."
"What." He paused and looked confused.
"Bullshit."
"Oh right." He nervously laughed. He knew something. Did he know who I am and is afraid to tell me. I will ask him another time. The storm is getting closer and there is not a whole lot of time before the KSF find there way here. I stood up and made for the door.
" I am going to go help Weston. Alright?"
" Yeah. I am fine... Just fine." He voice seemed shaky. He slouched low into his chair. I noticed there was a card still in my hand. I looked at it to see a ace of spades. I shoved into my jacket pocket over the left side of my chest over my heart.
This was the first time I could see Weston's property clearly. It wasn't small but definitely not large. There were three main structures to the plot of land. A small cabin, a barn, and a small area for farming. I heard the sound of a drill and grinding metal coming from the barn. As I made my way over there I stepped on something and there was a small crack. I looked down to see a plastic soldier staring up at me with his legs snapped off. His face permanently set in a war cry or a death wail. I stood there staring at the soldier. Something about seeing the mangled green man made me feel empty inside. I reached into my jacket pocket for my cigars only to find seams and dust. I was out of luck and cigars. Just my day.
I made my way into the dim atmosphere of the barn. Weston was working on the repairs for the speeder. I scanned the walls and saw a picture of a women with two young children. They looked sad. Who are they? Weston's family? Weston paused his work and turned to face me. I was staring back into my reflection off of the glass of his welding mask. I looked like shit.
"Wha' ya want?" Weston asked.
"Nothing just came here to help the clumsy giant." I replied sarcastically.
" Actually I just finished you ungrateful bum. Thanks for asking though peg leg." He lifted his mask to reveal his grease covered face. I wouldn't have been able to recognize him if it were not for his hazel eyes and bushy mustache. A loud compression of air let loose followed by a large clank of medal. A sizable chunk had fallen off the exhaust. He let out a sigh and let out a deep chuckle. It always surprised me how deep his voice was. " Mind fixing that for me?"
"Yeah no problem." I picked up a protective mask and slid it onto my face. I grabbed the piece that had fallen off and picked up the welder. I activated its blue flames and started longing into it. Then I stared back at the photo on the wall. Weston could probably tell what I was looking at.
"That was my wife and my two sons." He pulled out a bottle of a very strong liquor. The smell burned my nostrils. " I used to be part of the KSF a long time ago. A very long time ago." I began welding the piece on trying to show no reaction to what he was saying afraid he would stop. " I used to live in the big city and work with the police and military as a mechanic. After a few years of that I met her." He closed his eyes and paused for a short while. He took a sip from his glass. His mustache twitched as the liquid poured sown his throat. " She was a farmer working with her father. This is there old farm here. It used to be much larger but... Well I convinced her to stay with me in the city. I was happy. We bought a home, had some kids, and we were safe. I felt safe for once. Her father passed away, so she returned to the farm. I promised her I would join her as soon as I quit my job working for the KSF. I left the organization before the shit got bad." His eyes began to water. " A revolution broke out within the city led by a formal general, general Ghid. His cue was successful. He made himself the new leader and took control of Mars. He placed himself at the head of the KSF. The once respectable KSF died off that day and was replaced by an army of cold hearted goons. Ghid sent out death squads to search for those who might oppose him. One death squadron came to this town and started to question and harass the people. Destroying shops, burning crops, you name it. My wife was brave and was not afraid of anything. She spoke out against them. They took her and my kids and had them hanged right in the middle of town. I had just fulfilled my promise of returning to farm only to see my family shifting in the wind from the only tree in town." I was not shocked by his story but only felt a heavy weight in my gut. This world could be so cruel. I finished welding the piece back on.
" I am sorry." I said.
"Don't be." With that he took the rest of his drink and walked outside. I stood up and followed him. He walked out to the small farm. He began pouring his drink over the fruits and vegetables. He pulled a matchbox out of his pocket and struck it. He started into the flame on the small stick. He flung it into the garden. FWOOSH. A small hellfire spread through the garden. " Goodbye... My one and only. Till death unites us again. " he turned to me " It's time to go." He walked away from the smoldering produce. I stared into the flame. It looked exactly like the white flash that had engulfed me in my dream. My good legged twitched. Time to go.
Weston sat in the driver seat as I rode shotgun. Eva and Clay were in the recreational area. Weston started up the vehicle. It sounded terrible but at least it worked. We pulled out of the town. We began moving across the barren desert. Eva finally woke up.
"Who the hell are you two?" She asked in a groggy fashion. She fell back and began to snore again. Clay laughed.
"She sure does sleep a lot." He joked. A cold silence followed. I looked at Weston to figure out what he was thinking but all I saw was an emotionless slate. I was staring into my face again but this time it wasn't a reflection. I looked away and stared into the rear view mirror so to see the town engulfed by a sandstorm and then disappear over the horizon.
(Thanks for reading! Please leave reviews and what you think about the story so far!)
