Arlene
The object descending from the sky looks like a missile. I realize it's a person flailing their arms and legs. And I'm pretty sure falling to their death.
"What the hell?" I murmur, squinting at the indigo sky and setting sun.
I'm sitting astride my motorcycle at the edge of a field. Deep in the wastelands.
I got a cryptic message three days ago. Asking me to come out here at this time on this exact day.
The screaming boy surprises me by springing a parachute at the dying minute. This slows his fall fractionally until he's entangled in the branches of a large tree in the middle of the field.
I've never seen anything like this before. So of course I have to investigate. I kick the stand of my bike down, and move slowly, crouching in the grass. My olive tank top and black combats aren't the best camouflage but I manage to blend in.
I approach the tree and make myself visible after scanning the perimeter.
The boy is cursing and kicking his legs wildly while swinging helplessly from the tree. He pauses for a second when he sees me.
He's dressed in a long sleeve thermal black sweater and black combat trousers tucked into boots.
On top his head is a black mop of messy curls, his face is lean and chiseled, with hollow cheeks, deep set eyes and dark skin.
His features scrunch up like he's trying to place something but can't remember.
"You're supposed to be blonde," He blurts out.
I blink a few times
"What?" My hand strays to my head consciously. I dyed my honey blonde hair black since I officially started living like a fugitive a year ago, but how the hell does he know that?
"I don't…I thought you were blonde," He shakes his head,
I stare up at him wondering if he hit his head on the way down or his brain is delirious from inhaling too much purple smog.
My neural link pulses gently, as I switch my gauntlets to weapons mode. He could be a droid. No human would be caught dead out in the wastelands. Not unless they were armed to the teeth or on a suicide mission.
"Hey help me out will you?" The boy calls,
I cross my arms and give him a serious look,
"Who are you?"
He deliberates this for a while.
"I'm Zyon,"
That name doesn't ring any bells to me,
"I feel like I'm supposed to know you," The boy adds,
The corners of my lips curl downward. No Droid would be this clumsy. But where did he come from?
He doesn't look any younger than me, and I'm 18 years old.
I bite my cheek to prevent myself from asking if he's with the resistance. Maybe a faction from East Salem? The message I got was really vague. But it promised me answers.
A resigned exhale escapes from my mouth.
I make a split second decision, and raise my right arm where my shooters are perched. I take aim. Zyon's eyes turn into wide saucers and he starts to kick frantically causing him to swing even more,
"Stay still!" I snap,
"Why are you pointing those things at me?" His voice is slightly hysteric,
I roll my eyes, he's definitely human. A pulse of blue beam shoots out from my micro shooters. It cuts through one of the straps holding him up. Six more blasts and he comes tumbling to the ground.
I move to stand over him and keep my shooters pointed at his head, keeping my voice sharp,
"Where are you from?"
His hands are raised up in surrender, he speaks slowly, "Look I don't know where I am. Someone pushed me off a plane,"
He's crossed eyed because he's staring at the nozzles of my bracelet.
"Then how'd you get here? And why did you say I was supposed to be blonde?"
"I don't know okay." He babbles, "I just woke up and someone said some stuff to me and then pushed me off a plane,"
He glares at me suspiciously like I had something to do with that. His story makes zero sense to me.
Before I can open my mouth to speak, I notice a glint of metal catching the fading sunlight among the grass.
An ominous low creaking sound reaches my ears. The creatures emitting the sounds form a semicircle.
They approach us crouched on all fours. Their bodies are like experiments from Frankenstein's lab. A gross mixture of bio form and machinery crudely coupled together.
"Shit," I hiss,
Zyon follows the direction of my gaze and a very tiny squeak escapes from him, "What are those things?!"
I stare at him in amazement, has he been living under a rock for the past five years? Still I find myself explaining to him.
"Those are animatrons. Experiments gone wrong. Wild animals don't do well with brain chips, and they mostly turned rabid,"
While talking I count them. They number about half a dozen. The only hope of getting away is my motorbike which happens to be on the other side of the field behind us.
This isn't looking good.
"We're going to have to make a run for it." I say as a crazy plan starts to form in my head,
Zyon is skeptical. He's still sprawled on the floor with his neck turned to watch them, "Can we outrun those things?"
I shrug and reach into the pockets on my left pant leg, "If we have enough of a head start," I murmur.
The animatrons growl and the creaking increases, they're getting ready to attack. I bring out the flare that I save for emergencies and a timer grenade that emits loud noises just before it explodes.
I heft both, say a quick prayer and toss them in opposite directions. The objects attract the animatrons and they scatter, going for the projectiles,
I pump my fist mentally and drag Zyon by the neck of his shirt,
"Come on," I say,
He stumbles a little but quickly recovers and we run together.
Our breaths come out in short pants as we cut through the waist high grass, a few seconds later the grenade explodes, and bits of debris land around us.
"Don't look back!" I warn Zyon,
"What's your name?" He wheezes,
We're close to my motorbike now,
"Arlene," I respond.
"Where are we Arlene?"
I take a moment to think before answering him,
"We're in the wastelands just outside of Salem."
"Salem? I've never heard of-"
Something knocks into me before I hear the rest of his sentence. I stumble forward, and use my hand to break my fall as I crash to the ground.
I spin quickly with my gauntlet raised. I fire off a blast, but I'm disoriented and my aim is off.
My assaulter is a chimpanzee with a metal maw, teeth and arms. It creaks and bares its fangs. It must have ignored my bait and come straight for me and Zyon.
"Arlene!" Zyon cries out,
The creature lunges at me, I shield my face and try to power up my gauntlet for a super punch.
But Zyon throws himself in front of me. He punches the animatron straight in its chest. It flies back a few feet and lands loudly on the ground.
It rises, shakes its head and comes at him again. Crying in a frenzy of rage and blood lust.
Zyon waits calmly, the muscles of his shoulders and back tensed under his shirt.
When it gets close enough to swipe at him, he dances back, grabs hold of its wrist, and pulls it close while cocking back his arm with his hand made into a tight fist.
With a fierce look on his face he punches straight through the thing's chest, twists his arm and rips out its core, leaving a gaping hole in its sternum.
I stare at him in amazement, there's not a single scratch on him, and all traces of the clumsy awkward boy are gone temporarily.
Zyon is staring at his hands with a shocked expression, I already know we're not going to make it to my bike in time. The creatures are too fast.
I struggle to my feet my face rigid with anger. It's sad that I came out here for nothing. Because after this, I'm going to have to kill Zyon now that I know what he is.