Part VII

The boomers came closer in fits and starts, almost as if they were having seconds thoughts or were being forced forward. The slowness of their advance only served to worsen the nerves of Slyia and Linna who waited with the poles in their hands across their shoulder ready to swing. Behind them the other two women cowered on the floor against the window.

Sylia could only spare one glance to them. There was nothing she could do, no attention she could spare. If the boomers got past either Linna or herself she could only hope that it would be quick for them. Better yet none would get past. On the road outside the ADP were lined up like they never had been before. Rescue was here but would it be fast enough? Sylia well knew the capacity of the ADP, so called Advanced police, when they were really just an excuse for the excesses of Genom to make the population feel as if there was a watchdog for boomer rampages. But they were her only hope. She could almost imagine the testosterone filled faces jittering behind squad cars, the heavy armoured K suits – pathetic imitations of her own design Knights and no match for even humanoid sized rogue boomers – and the two detectives Leon and Daley that somehow managed to arrive too late all the time.

"C'mon you bastards!"

The ADP or the boomers, Sylia didn't know who she spoke about.

The first one came at Sylia's summons with jerking motions and both Linna and Slyia swung for it. The poles crashed into its head and shoulder tearing a gash that leaked fluid and pushing it back. The women struck again and the boomer fell over, its customer satisfying smile not leaving its pleasing expression.

"Why don't you try this on for size?" Sylia heard from her left. Her eyes widened as a clawed hand and red nails flashed towards her. A boomer had snuck up without her knowing. She doged the blow but it forced her back into Linna.

"Back you bitch!" Sylia growled and shoved the end of the pole into the boomer's stomach, stopping its advance. The boomer smiled sweetly back at her, others crowding behind.

"It's a perfect fit –"

"You have such fine skin –"

"I want to wear it."

"Red suits your eyes –"

"Let's cover you in blood."

"Your friends are so tiny –"

"They will scream for hours."

"Noooo! Nooo!" Sylia screamed. The taunting was too much, the graphic images flashed cyclically by over and over. She jabbed and the boomer doubled over. There were more behind and they lashed out at her repeating their threats and bloodthirsty desires. It drove her mad.

Things grabbed at her. Nails racked her skin and drew blood. Something grabbed her ankle and she stomped down on it. A spray of green covered the side of her face. She screamed and screamed swinging without stop. There was pain, her body knew it, her mind ignored it. "Sylia, Sylia!" her named was called from somewhere in the distance.

She spat blood into demonic eyes. The end of the pole crushed plastic skull releasing sparks and wires. A uniformed body collapsed at her feet. "Sale on now," it said.

There were tears of rage, impotency and above all hatred. Hatred of what boomers represented and how her father had been their creator. How she had been the vessel that had spawned them.

They all had to die.

She was on her knees. A hand jerked her head back, nails digging into her scalp. Sylia looked up at the shop assistant boomer, no different from any of the others, but that changed suddenly and she saw familiarity in the machine's eyes, a thing from an age ago that was better left deep in the recesses where frightening things lay.

A nightmare escaped.

Then the boomer was falling away slowly, too slowly for reality and its eyes had gone blank. When it hit the ground time returned to normal.

Sound came back.

Realisation came back.

Pain filled her.

"Sylia, stay down!" Nene shouted pulling at the back of her jacket.

There were cracks and the boomers around Sylia jerked and fell away. She scampered back into Nene and Jenny.

"Linna?"

Linna was surrounded. The ADP were not shooting at the boomers around her afraid that they would hit her instead. For her to be torn apart by infected machines legally safer than one of their own bullets ending her life swiftly.

Nene's face was covered in tears.

Linna strugged. The boomers crushed in against her obscenely. Others hung back from the window near to cover avoiding the ADP gunfire.

There was nothing Sylia could do. No strength remained to lift her off the ground and go to her friends rescue. Linna could not even see her try. All she could do was sit there, limp, and watch.

It was not high it was suppose to be. The Knight Sabers were not meant to be defeated again. Everything had been done to improve the suits. The right candidates had been found to wear them.

They weren't in the suits now.

"Oh god, help…" Sylia heard Linna croak. How she wished she could close her eyes and not see; close her ears she so could not hear. There was no strength left in her even to say Linna's name.

Nene and Jenny were pressed up against her back. They were both crying. Sylia could not even do that. Linna had turned around and was looking back at her between two boomer heads. Blood ran down her face and lip, she didn't stop fighting.

Sylia stared at her, all she were able to do. Linna stared back, not breaking the connection no matter how she was buffeted or attacked.

Sylia wished she could break way and closer her eyes. She didn't want to watch Linna die. She didn't want to be responsible again.

The roaring sound of the ocean brought her back to her childhood…