Chronicle of Nautilus

Chapter 7: A New Friend

  After a week of hospitalization, Usher was free to go.  It was the longest week of his life.  He was not allowed to read, he was not allowed to watch news, nor was he permitted to have visitors. All he could do was to stare at white walls of his room  and try to remember. Glen spent hours trying to remove the fog that was put in his memories, he sat all day, thinking, until his head was about to explode, he would make a break and try again, but to no avail. Two months of his life had disappeared.

 Worst thing caused by the ‘accident’ was that he had disappointed the first citizen. He has even forgotten the task he was given. It will take some time before Tom is going to give him a 'real' assignment again, he said that Glen should ‘rest’ for a while, but Glen knew he couldn‘t, there was no way he could. Glen believed in his own methods, he had never failed before, what could have gone wrong this time?

 During his time in the hospital he started dreaming again, he had not dreamt since his childhood. The dream was always the same - he is on a planet, looking at the sky, two moons are shining in the night, the beautiful moment is disturbed by loud roaring sound which comes from behind the horizon. He understands, this is the end - fire breaks out from the ground, earth starts to shake, a column of light beams down and starts moving towards him, it is accompanied by bizarre screams. He can’t move, can’t escape, when column reaches him, the dream ends. Each night Glen woke up covered in cold sweat. Images were so mesmerizing that they haunted him even when he was awake.

*****

 After stepping outside, Glen took a deep breath and tried to enjoy the moment. Glen did not feel as great as he thought he would. He was troubled, he could not imagine life without action, without suspense, he enjoyed being a legal predator and praying on the weak.

‘The Walker’ was just a few blocks away. Glen was walking slowly, thinking of ways to redeem himself.  Should he call Landau and ask for debriefing on the assignment? No, it would be a sign of weakness. Better to sit tight. Perhaps it was time to check some rumors and …

 **SNAP!!!**

 Incredible pain pierced him, it started in his spine and resonated through the entire body. He felt his head getting dizzy, he struggled to keep balance.

‘What the hell was that? Usher looked around, there was no one suspicious, but still, no matter to which direction he turned, he felt a strong presence behind him. The feeling was similar to the sixth sense you get when you are being stared at, only more paranoid. Was he being followed?

 Glen wanted for this moment of weakness to go away, he wanted to forget his failure, forget it all, he wanted his life to return to the old tracks as soon as possible. He rushed to the office and went through his old notes. Glen wanted his confidence back, and what better way there was than to go break some weakling, to feel alive again. He was bred to be a soldier. There was no way for him to stay calm. After a week of doing nothing, his fists were burning for action.

 He scrolled through the notes and there it was – a man who loves to use physical force on his family members. This man, this man will do well for a warm up. It was time someone taught that violent bastard some manners. Likes to pick on small kids, eh? Let’s see how he feels when someone stronger is picking on him.

*****

Glen walked a dark street, shadowed by tall apartment buildings. In the distance anti-gravity elevators, going down from the first circle above the ground level, brought people back from their work places. Farmers, Glen thought and stopped in front of a house, no different from others. He picked out a comms device, touched it with a finger, lifted it up and looked at its projected hologram that quickly captured the contours of the building in front of him. An apartment blinked on the sixth floor in red. 

 Glen entered the building and ran up the stairs. He was anxious feel the thrill again. He had to stomp something today, even if it was only an insect. Just when he was about to put his foot on the sixth floor, the piercing pain hit him again. His knees bent, he fell down. The pain was much greater than before, it resonated through his limbs and went away much slower, now, the presence of someone following him was immense. Glen used his hand to push himself up from the ground, the hand felt as if it was not his own.

 Usher’s body was much stronger than that of a normal person. These seizures of weakness should be impossible. Glen felt frustrated beyond imagination.

 He slowly stood up and moved forward. The apartment was finally in front of him, he knocked loudly.

After more than a half of a minute an ugly man opened the door, he reeked of alcohol. Glen could tell from wrinkles in particular places of man’s face that he was of violent nature. This alcoholic had long forgotten all positive emotions.

 “Yes,” the man wobbled.

 “Yes.” Glen’s word was followed by a punch thrown so hard that the man landed a couple of meters away from where he was standing. Glen walked into the room and closed the door.

 “Be careful he has a gun,” someone whispered.

 What? Glen thought, he turned around and scanned the room, but there was no one else besides him and the ugly bastard in here.

 “Look he is reaching for it.”

 The voice was right. The man was reaching for something behind his back. Glen did not hesitate. He jumped forward, bent his left leg by the knee and pushed his foot to the face of the bastard. Blood spilled down from his nose, tears came to his eyes, but that did not stop him from pulling out the gun.

Must have gripped it before the kick. Glen figured, no problem.

 As the man was stretching his arm to shoot, Glen swung his right foot from the side and kicked the gun out. The force of the hit was so powerful that the arm shattered. The man writhed in pain. Glen felt no remorse, he lifted the man up and locked his wrist behind his back, breaking a finger bone or two during the procedure, just ‘cause he could.

 “Sir, you are accused of domestic violence, assault of a security agent and possession of an illegal weapon.”

 When the perpetrator was being escorted out of the building, he started whining. Glen made a call for an extraction.

“What about my boy?” the man asked.

“What about him? He is going to be fine, it will take only a few days. You do have a wife, don't you?”

“I don't.”

“I see. I will ask someone to check on him every day.”

“I am sorry, I am so sorry.”

“You should be.”

After a minute the cab arrived. People would rarely see these ‘cars’ on the streets, they were not available for civilians, everyone had to use their feet as the means of transportation. The cab was unmanned craft used only by the security and hospitals. Visually the cab was no different from a car, it was levitating on four anti-gravity pads and could achieve great speeds in short amount of time. You could travel from any point of the city to another in less than a minute.

Glen put the man into the vehicle and sat near him.

“The security headquarters,” Glen told to the computer.

“Why did you punch me without saying a word?” the man asked.

“I knew who you are.”

“What if I was innocent?”

“You were not, I know people.”

Glen looked outside the window, it was getting dark, rivers of people continued flowing towards the living districts from the outskirts, elevator platforms and the center. More and more lights were lit inside the living houses. 

“See, we make a great pair,” the voice spoke inside his head.

Glen was startled. Was his imagination playing tricks on him?

‘Who are you?” Glen asked. His heart rate increased rapidly.

“A friend,” the voice replied softly before fading away.