Zero

CHAPTER FIVE

The place was impossible for Sermon to recognize, the sadows slowly created a blurry image due to the several contusions he had suffered. The walls were simple, with no coating, just as if it was some kind of warehouse; there was a huge machine in front of him similar to what would be a sleep chamber; however the side pillars keeping on floating the liquid sphere on the center had way more buttons and sensors than a home sleep chamber.

-Is there where they will torture me? – asked the businessman to the alfa SSBMs that surrounded him in what seemed like an irregular square.

-Silence!- exclaimed one of the guardians.

-Now you’re the one giving orders, how ironic! – said Sermon while spitting to the feet of the robot.

The robot didn’t answer. The man looked at the plasma chains tying him to the ground, they were  placed in such way that he was forced to stay on his knees; one of them was “Y-shaped” and was coming out of the ground dividing itself to hold his wrists, the other one came from behind crossing all his back to his neck, and the last ones were just two shackles fastening his ankles to the ground. His muscles were still numb by the excess of force that the SSBMs used with him, but to a certain point he was thankful about it since the position he had would tire him soon.

-So what’s the plan? Bore me untill I tell you what you want to hear?

- I think it’s a good plan. What do you think guys? Do we bore him to death? –replied a voice behind him while the sound of a closing door was heard.

The SSBMs didn’t answer but Sermon could see the anguish on their faces... or maybe it wasn’t just anguish but something else.

-Unfortunately, we have planned the ideal party just for you Sermi. I can call you Sermi, right?

- Fuck you!- Sermon yelled, while they were looking at him the pilots of the SSBMs were wide-eyed. The zaykan that was talking to him just mumbled a little.

-Was it necessary to insult?- asked the stranger, but before Sermon could start insulting again, a fist knocked him on his nape.

Due to the strenght he was hit with, Sermon fell with such impulse that his head almost ended up on the ground, but the chain around his neck stopped him from a strong tug that could make him cough.

- Oh sorry! Sometimes I get too excited with our guests –said the stranger- Let’s start over again! High Performance Tactical Agent, does it sound familiar? –Sermon didn’t reply- No? Maybe the acronym will help: HIPERTAG.

Sermon’s stomach was then upside down and had such a knot that he felt like he wouldn’t swallow again. He tried to believe that everything was just a torture strategy, but the horror on the faces of the zeros piloting the SSBMs confirmed what he was saying. Sermon was shaking worried about what he was experiencing, he closed his eyes and tried to focus on finding a way out of there, but the HIPERTAG interrupted his concentration.

- Why the long face Sermi? Don’t worry, I’m on a good mood today, you see? There’s no armor – said the man while he stood for the first time in fron of the businessman.

He was indeed not wearing his HIPERTAG armor, but that didn’t make him any less imposing: he was huge, was undoubtedly two meter high, his muscles were definded and big. He had long black hair that reached his shoulder blades, his blue-gray eyes shone madly on his square face with rough nose. He was intimidating, and now that Sermon knew the user of the HIPERTAG, his look was even heavier. Nevertheless, Sermon focused his eyes and stared at them without showing any fear. He needed to get the lay of the land a bit more before he knew how to proceed with that maniac.

-Ok, then, what’s the strategy? Do we talk about how to accuse me and then you execute me in public?- he said sarcastically while lowing his head as a sign of exhaustion by the posture, but what the HIPERTAG didn’t know was that Sermon was trying to reach his chest with the chin looking for the device that would make a radical change in the history of Zayaka.

- Don’t put so much effort on it, you’re going to strangle yourself- mocked the HIPERTAG while pulling of the chain that was squeezing Sermon’s neck in order to make him look up.

-We frisked you all while you were sleeping and I must admit that you have some interesting things with you, specially on your wrists, so no! this isn’t about accuse you, it’s about you confessing how many weapons have you created and tell us about their location for them to be destroyed, otherwise we’ll have to burn all your stuff to ashes... but anyway we’re going to execute you... and all your family.

Sermon laughed so hard that the steel neckless got tightened against his tendons.

-I’m not sure that you are aware of what is done in my industry... but let me update the information for you- Sermon said deepening his voice on the last sentence. The interrogator looked at him with his furious baggy-eyed gaze, but Sermon didn’t stop talking-: Sermon Industries creates devices that replace talent deficiencies. Those bracelets are nothing more than stabilizers that help me shape my energy and the chip on my chest, you idiot!, it’s my medicine. If I don’t get my dose every 18 hours my heart will stop receiving radiation and I’ll die- the businessman lied.

The HIPERTAG got tired of having the prisoner talking to him like that and punched him straight in the center of his face, the man bore the punishment without looking away, in contrast to what one might think of a punch coming from such a strong man. After spitting to rinse his mouth, the businessman continued his speech with a challenging smile that was now splashed with blood from his nose to his lips.

-The point here is that I’ll have to get my dose very soon, if not the time has already passed, but as far as I know I can die from a heart attack any moment now, which means you’ll have the corps of the most important man in Zayaka, who’ll be judged as dead without any evidence against him. For sure there’ll be no complains at first, who would dare to rise up against the See? But when my products no longer are on the market, when the talented are not helped with their deficiencies, then there’ll be chaos, and I guarantee you that the whole world, from the most ridiculous level 1 to the most deadly level 10 will be unpleased. Well let me tell you, “Mr. Nice”, that no one in all Erst is qualified to take my place... I’ve taken care to do it myself.

-You’ve got some balls asshole, I don’t know about a single zaykan that has talked to a HIPERTAG like that and survives to tell about it, and I personally will make sure that you’re not the first- threatened the strong angry man.

-Give me my medication right now! – ordened Sermon- or else the See will bee very pissed o...
The knuckles of the HIPERTAG interrupted the man’s speech chrusing into his mouth. The man tried to continue with his monologue when a second crash arrived. Then a third, a fourth... One after another took place into Sermon’s face swelling his cheekbones untill they were burst, his eyebrows were so swelled that his eyes closed. His lips were opened internally when pressed between his teeth and the fist of his attacker. The pain stopped being in different points to start being all over his face without leaving out a single centimeter of it. The HIPERTAG put him down everytime with more fury, including  sporadically a knee or head strike. After a few seconds, Sermon's conscience was tempted to leave him once more, slowly moving away from him while an orchestra of hollow sounds rumbled in his skull.

The HIPERTAG finally stopped. Sermon’s body was injured that he was no longer lucid enough to suffer the punishment. The man knelt in front of the bloody body, approached his ear and whispered some words to the dying man:

-Do you see what have you done? I didn’t want to get to this point, we were supposed to be friends, what am I telling to your family? – said the maniac almost sincerely- Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it, I won’t let them get through this alone- he added with a scary tone that threatened with letting a laud laugh, and after a pause, he said all calmed- Malcor Straud, remember this name. Be afraid of it. Pray not to have to see me again. Although, at the end we both know that’s something that has to happen.

Malcor stood up and ordered the SSBM to take the dying man to the sickroom so that he would get the medication he needed. He also ordered that he had his wounds healed and to be cleaned because he wanted him “as good as new for their second encounter”.