x
"Syncing failed. System corrupted. Syncing failed. System corrupted. Syncing failed. System..."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAQJvoK8YBt5
Through distorted vision, I was just about able to make out the hand that pulled the needle from my own hand. It was his.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAdBUFO9Bcl0
Alarms blared out of the machine a following his decision, jolting me to action. As small as it was, it had the loudest speakers. Probably Beats by Dr Dre.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAbytXkhfaXN
"Syncing failed. System corrupted. Synching failed. System corrupted..."
496Please respect copyright.PENANA2MEkUXTXmf
Oh my God, shut up.
496Please respect copyright.PENANALrWdbM4sAU
The time showed 4am... And then I realised, it wasn't the alarms that awoke me. Swift as mercury, electrical impulses, sprinted up my neck. Remember how I felt the Titanic was balanced on top of my head? The best way to describe how I felt when the clock struck 4am was it felt like watching Titanic on rewind.
496Please respect copyright.PENANATfTyjbaUaW
Spontaneously, my mind replayed some of Director's mumbled words from about two minutes ago. Something about 4am...
496Please respect copyright.PENANARtdXemssN9
"4am...weakest...th fusion must...wears... ff."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAK7fdoU2ZB9
The drug wears off at 4am!
496Please respect copyright.PENANAhvCvvvRp7r
Ha! I wasn't going to die today! But do you know who was going to die? Director who betrayed me! And Anne who betrayed me too! And the Front who also betrayed me! And Everest who I didn't trust in the first place to be betrayed by anyway...
496Please respect copyright.PENANAAc2KD8LypB
But then it hit me. The only reason I was still standing was because he corrupted the process. But that made no sense. Why-
496Please respect copyright.PENANAxBLoQS5fsh
A hand grabbed my wrist and tugged me forward. Instinctively, I followed.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAJb0KCiVM1c
With a few pushes of a few buttons, Everest turned off the evil machine. And then that was left was silence and my confused thoughts.
496Please respect copyright.PENANACCRuwB5onV
It was only a duration of a heartbeat before he threw the door of room HCT001 open and we sprinted down the hallway at about fifty miles an hour or so. No metaphor intended.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAJXnFS3KHDq
But why? There was no need for a 'we'. This was strictly an 'I' situation. I am the one they wanted to terminate. He's the one who is supposed to do the termination. Things are happening quite so oppositely if you ask me. Not that I'm complaining.
496Please respect copyright.PENANARj7Xi67z4C
Being this perplexed of his motives was almost as bad as nearly dying. But since I first met this glacial Everest, it's been nothing but almost with him.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAkbUHdAX7KM
I almost beat him in our first dual in Director's office - before he, of course, cheated using that iniquitous drug. I almost choked the life out of him, when after I awoke from but ubiquitous drug the first time. And he almost killed me,the prospect was right at his fingertips. Then, why didn't he?
496Please respect copyright.PENANA5JabsKylLE
Now running through the hallways of what I thought of as a home, I glanced at the iron grip on my wrist, that just a few seconds ago, had the power to end my life, but now turned out to be my liberation.
496Please respect copyright.PENANABsJcgyCiE0
He's so weird.
496Please respect copyright.PENANA7ljWVRp2p4
It was when I saw some natural light and some green when I realised we were heading towards the exit. We were getting out of the Front! Still didn't know why, but I went along with it.
496Please respect copyright.PENANA8MbmiRpwQq
What if he's planning to finish the deed outside? What, don't blame me for being suspicious, I nearly died some time ago.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAJEJnlVJdOV
Clearing all the cynical conspiracies out of my mind, I grasped the handle that belonged to one of several back doors of this building, ones that I'd been in and out of a million times, and pulled. It didn't budge.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAeE5syW2eDc
"It's locked!"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAY36XetJDjO
Everest wrapped his hand around the handle just as I did and pushed. With a click, it opened.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAlkGioW50Gh
Of course.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAxVHdWw6JBl
"I was going to do that," I commented awkwardly. "You just didn't let me."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAYzlFkmiWmf
I slid out of the door before the security were on our feet. Judging by the quantity of surveillance cameras that inhabited the precise area where we stood, I was surprised they weren't already at our feet. Lazy people.
496Please respect copyright.PENANARRuIjnpqZh
Just as I thought this, I heard several footsteps approaching.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAMWOanw9EpN
Shoot! I just jinxed myself!
496Please respect copyright.PENANAL39WKpNFaG
Oh well, if I had broken into a run now, they wouldn't have been able to catch me. So I did.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAVI8G23Kn5V
The early morning air brushing across my face was the first hint that indicated my near freedom. Soon Everest was running beside me, and although my head screamed why, I pushed the questions aside for now, schemingly making my way round to the entrance.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAaXuMJdM9Fx
At this point, more prominent issues lay ahead, such as getting past those huge gates. You know, like the ones every muliti billionaire company's headquarters had.
496Please respect copyright.PENANA794CkMFwdn
Sixteen-feet-high-and-four-inches-thick-worth of titanium awaited us at the front of the Front.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAuKh6sUqWMc
"Can you climb?" Everest asked.
496Please respect copyright.PENANABWxdjrjjZv
"Can I lift heavy loads thrice my size?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANA1a1uEaOnYm
He stared.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAZG72cWcHXM
I sighed. "Yes. Come on." Latching onto one of the bars, I began scaling the metal mass. Once I reached the top, I jumped to the ground on the other side, without hesitation. A few seconds later, Everest jumped down beside me.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAEL3nK9xxuB
We were no longer inside the Front's premises. I couldn't help it. "Freedom, baby!" I hollered.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAlIxmK9vfo6
For this, I received a piercing glare from Everest. It probably was not the best idea to scream that, regarding there was only a gate separating us from an empire size of a security team. Sixteen-feet-tall-and-four-inches-thick-worth-of-titanium gates, sucker!
496Please respect copyright.PENANAjvKzjyaHh2
"Come," He commanded, and we sprinted the opposite direction of the building, before I tested my luck any further.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAwiMvNqwjja
***
496Please respect copyright.PENANA01Cab7OiDf
The Front being surrounded by a forest put is at an immediate advantage. It was simple, really; I was an excellent climber, and there were many trees in this area. This particular forest enveloped the Front in a circular formation, with the Front in the centre. The radius from the Front to the end of the circumference of the forest was about seventy-seven miles. If I'd travelled strictly north from where I was, I could have taken a train from Harrogate station and go as far from this place as possible. Easy.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAwKOdNsxyUW
Except, it struck me again that this wasn't exactly an "I" situation anymore; it was a "we" situation.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAxDUDRNvu7N
Ugh.
496Please respect copyright.PENANA03KU9dgqyD
It had been a few minutes since we entered the forest. Having the fascinating ability to run at over 78 km/h, it was decided that continuously running at this point would be a waste of effort, as we would have already lost them. And judging by the fact that there were now hundreds of trees blanketing us, locating a five-foot-seven girl and a six-foot guy would have been quite a challenge. Hence, it felt safe to decelerate into a walk.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAulMGNgkqje
After walking for a few more minutes in complete silence, I'd had enough. All the unanswered questions made my head feel as if it were about to explode any second.
496Please respect copyright.PENANA0rrFp8lvVZ
Abruptly, I stopped in front of him. "I don't mean to give you a life story, but when I was seven, those people at the Front would give me a set questions to answer in all sorts of fields: physics, maths, government... you name it. And they weren't the typical one times one equals one questions either. Some were questions were for college students, others went as far as Masters. They wanted to test the 'growing knowledge of 202'. And not to boastful by any means, but frankly none of those questions posed a challenge to me," I paused. "And then you come along."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAGfblIzSbIn
His eyes narrowed a fraction.
496Please respect copyright.PENANACsCYQkJflL
"Mr Mysterious with a thousand questions that seem to only increase at a rate that makes my head spin; Mr Bipolar, who plots to kill one second, and save the next; Mr... how did Director put it? Oh! 'Has Been at the Front Longer Than You, 202'," I spoke, dropping my voice down an octave for imitation's sake.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAeDBAolLJVU
"I fail to see where you are getting at."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAa0PwWRYGtW
"Answers!" I spat, stepping dangerously close to him. This charmer was one unanswered question away from choking on the poison ivy that was sitting just a few feet away from where we stood.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAz7DV6TlPqQ
Are you sure you want to do that, Emerald? Even after he saved your life? Shut up! He was prepared to kill me before that as well!
496Please respect copyright.PENANAQaEVQLX6Aw
"It's the only thing I wanted since I met you! What do you want me to do? Beg?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAL3jDqMmcU5
"As amusing as that would be—"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAxhun49lWKY
"I'll give you amusing!" I took another - threatening - step forward.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAZona9rRuGg
"—you did not specify what questions you want answered at this current moment." He finished, taking a step back.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAuWxs1Z1hIX
"You want me to specify? Fine, I will specify! Where shall we begin? How about why the Front wants me dead? And don't feed me the 'Everest has higher capabilities than you' crap, because I know there's more to the story than that. And whilst, we're on the subject, what exactly makes you better than me? How do you know so much about me? Why do I not know anything about you? Why save me when you were specifically ordered to 'terminate' me? And if you were going to not kill me anyway, what was the point of going through it until the last second? Like literally."
496Please respect copyright.PENANArk3Cjxy33q
He took a step back towards me. At this rate, we could have been holding hands, waltzing through the middle of the forests.
496Please respect copyright.PENANARGfMrm37dK
"I can't answer that," his eyes penetrated into mine. "As for the second question, I can't answer you that either," another step. "Number three, I only know about you as much as you know about me," another step, prompted me to step an equivalent step back. "Number four, this one you'd have to answer me; what did the Front do to make you forget?" He took yet step forward, and another step back on my part. Five, if I had not saved you, I would have allowed worse things to happen." When he had taken the fifth step forward, my attempt step aback was prevented by the tree behind me.
496Please respect copyright.PENANADPr6hhOTNg
Stupid tree! Which idiot put a tree here?
496Please respect copyright.PENANAOnRX7XRdj8
Now, fully towering over me, he finished. "And six, I had to do what had to be done, if you were ever going to get out of there." Half a step was all his was able to take if he didn't want to completely sandwich me between a tree.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAPTRxHxrcF7
I closed my eyes.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAmqtEzQTGrW
Hydrogen, 1; helium 4; lithium, 6.9, beryllium, 9; boron 10.8— screw this!
496Please respect copyright.PENANAkCxS468BrJ
My eyes flashed open. "You didn't even answer anything!" I screamed, out of pure rage. And more importantly how good was this guy's memory? "And what the hell does that last part mean?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAorTuou6Mng
"I can't answer that."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAwY5sszfoEx
I sighed. A moment later my hand pushed at his chest. Was it surprise to me a this point that his ribs didn't crush? Not anymore, no. "Please move, you're blocking my pathway to that poison ivy there. I was planning on shoving it down your throat but I think I'll shove it down my own throat now."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAv9hQ3D38Mq
He said nothing and did nothing.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAvul6mOSAZc
That's when I snapped - and not just the tree trunk behind me. "Fine! I'll beg! Please tell me things! Anything!need to know! I want to know! I would go down on my knees, but that's a bit hard to do in this stupid dress! But you get the point. Please tell me you get the point! Why can't you tell me anything? We're not even with the Front anymore! I'll sell you my soul!" Okay, wasn't really considering the last part. I think.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAISBslHQtxq
"I can. But I don't want to."
496Please respect copyright.PENANA4cXdMlfNGB
This is ridiculous!
496Please respect copyright.PENANAG9BUw03Kkh
"This is ridiculous! That's it? Because you don't want to?" The frustration was getting to the tear ducts of my eyes and the tree behind me was about to experience my wrath.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAG9VXza6mUF
"It's for the best."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAYoCh1NTRIq
"Oh, come off it. Whoever told you ambiguity is a good trait is a bigger liar than you are."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAsIrCgXwkUv
"It isn't a lie."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAAzEXOtWab5
"It isn't? Go on then, dazzle me with your truthfulness!"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAUGx7aTIx2A
"I can't."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAhRBjBtvDqO
"Why not?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANApK7Xz60cGh
He sent me an indecipherable look. Silence took over until he spoke again after what felt like eternity. "Because I'm almost certain that the truth will break you. And believe me, no one is going pat your back when it does."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAcpefyHIOQ6
I chuckled.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAaWHwSsKmVm
I actually did that. And it wasn't even a mocking chuckle; it was a genuine laugh. And believe me when I say, I tried, with all my will, not to. But really, how could I not laugh at that?
496Please respect copyright.PENANA4W0nAdaPHT
Why was I laughing? Surely, someone who almost just died shouldn't be laughing. I was going mad.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAHgzIw9Z33i
"That was a joke, right?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAaZOTQFPDvO
"I don't joke."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAoEYAJe9wzY
"Well, now I feel bad for laughing," I said through my continuous laugh, ignoring his cold stare. "I mean, not to be boastful but have you met me?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAlynn8R5qnD
"You say "not to be boastful" before a highly boastful thing follows."
496Please respect copyright.PENANARNYICTq9Tv
I shrugged. "If the truth sounds boastful, then I'm sorry that it can't be helped. Realism over judgemental-ism, right?
496Please respect copyright.PENANAivtkSwn2xo
"That isn't even a word."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAt5o32nuPeP
"You're drifting away from the subject. My point is, nothing breaks Emerald. Literally, you can't break a diamond." I always found myself wondering if I was deliberately named that.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAZ3kuiLISpG
"Sometimes they can be," He replied.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAHRdq5RZkp0
"Then, you're going to need something really good up your sleeve,"
496Please respect copyright.PENANA3RG5S7lAMl
"A diamond can be broken under high pressure."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAgGLTRGwbZf
I raised an eyebrow. "Are we doing that thing where two people are speaking about each other, using an inanimate object as a metaphor?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANA6lXgItwIFw
"Are we?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANA3dknTrWdcN
"I think you're just trying to sway away from the real question."
496Please respect copyright.PENANASsgKGddMLZ
"I care little about what you think."
496Please respect copyright.PENANA01mXTz0Xks
"Tell me," I persisted.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAFbm1WYXXL2
"No."
496Please respect copyright.PENANA5jT5tXFZkc
"Tell me."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAXj5KjR6Coe
"We need to move."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAuoCaaUIHJP
"I don't care."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAiwmOW1Sey2
"You are going to get us both–"
496Please respect copyright.PENANADHSscOeIwl
"Tell me!"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAAokxbpPqpa
A twig snapped behind Everest. "-killed."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAhS1bKia9Xh
I was really hoping that it was a squirrel, however the sound of a gunshot that followed, proved otherwise.
496Please respect copyright.PENANA5s5tewideX
My hand shot out close to the back of Everest's head and wrapped it around seemingly thin air. When I brought it back, a silver bullet lay in my palm.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAmW9xCOdcGu
Oh, you didn't know I can catch bullets? Come on, how uncool would I be, if I couldn't?
496Please respect copyright.PENANAe5FIf5eqOn
"Move!" I exclaimed, in a hushed whisper, although the whole hushed whisper thing seemed pointless, because judging by the accuracy of the bullet, whoever shot it, had already seen us.
496Please respect copyright.PENANA6o7046Hr0V
I bolted into a run. Many more bullets went off, only to be deflected by the trunks of the trees –our only source of defence.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAWO5oZoprhV
An idea shot into my mind.
496Please respect copyright.PENANApwgurlCysC
The trees!
496Please respect copyright.PENANAP1d1KMbCo5
Spotting half a dozen huge rocks sitting astray, I leapt behind them, and began to consult a genius of a plan. "The average Deciduous Tree in this forest has an average height of 98 feet," I thought aloud. "If one were to be tipped over..."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAdoQ8xWpkm5
"That would be 98 feet of land, blocked." Everest finished, dropping down beside me. Well finally, we were on the same page.
496Please respect copyright.PENANA5tNKk3cAsc
"That one!" I exclaimed, picking out a tree nearby.
496Please respect copyright.PENANA7iYwNfzgjg
Without hesitation, Everest leapt over to the tree and pushed and soon I came came to his aid. A few efforts later, the roots gave in, and the tree quaked. It really wasn't hard considering the strength of both of us combined.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAV2y5zrgk7m
Snap! Snap! Snap!
496Please respect copyright.PENANAurg1woP2NY
"Hold on," Everest stopped me. "Due to it's height, if excess force is applied to the tree when it falls—"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAyylWpfS2fu
"It's momentum can take out another tree along with it!" I exclaimed. "And that tree will take out another, and that tree will take out another and that tree will take out another..." my sentence faded away when I saw how his eyes were piercing aggregately into mine. "Sorry... It will be like a domino effect!" My eyes glistered.
496Please respect copyright.PENANA399caoGyFy
"You might not be as dumb as you act." He commented.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAVDMreNQYqS
"Shut up and push!"
496Please respect copyright.PENANA6CREoe6iHC
With the tree almost down on the neighboring tree, all that was needed was one last push to stimulate the domino effect...
496Please respect copyright.PENANAQhkWXixdB7
One after another, they collapsed onto one and other, provoking poor hundreds of poor birds out of their nests. The ground trembled at every fall, as though a giant were prodding at the surface of the Earth with its finger.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAPSfFspulqQ
The sight marveled me. There now stood a barrier, constructed of colossal trees, between the Front and ourselves. It obviously wasn't a permanent blockade, but it definitely offered us valuable time to get ahead of them.
496Please respect copyright.PENANACCpEFtUvpe
"How long do you think it would hold them off?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAzKUlISJMMK
"They would have to go around it. By vehicle, about an hour."
496Please respect copyright.PENANA7wshgJh8zh
"By vehicle would be equivalent to us on foot. So we would always be an hour ahead of them?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAHMpUhoElnX
"Correct."
496Please respect copyright.PENANABATMitNRfU
"But, that's not enough."
496Please respect copyright.PENANA3NaSt6x99D
"Correct."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAVRNv0WPkLp
"So we're going to get caught eventually."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAdmlJgBfDsX
"Incorrect." Ah, finally something different.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAFmp3ImCyko
"What do you mean?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAyCZTVU2Bmn
"They would still have to locate us."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAdw8i2MjlFw
I smiled. "So we need to make that as hard as possible."
496Please respect copyright.PENANA6tyyX0pqk5
"Correct."
496Please respect copyright.PENANATIgHYutg9A
"But first we need to move, instead of wasting time playing yes or no games?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAvuNi5WKxL8
"Correct."
496Please respect copyright.PENANAD14VdavjOv
"And whilst we're walking, you can answer some of my burning questions?"
496Please respect copyright.PENANAFu1WA5A4Sc
"Incorrect," He stated, walking off.
496Please respect copyright.PENANADNV5xOelug
Shoot!
496Please respect copyright.PENANABYKbJafqh7
He was going to be solid one to crack.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAM1uDDqd2iV
Perhaps he's the diamond, after all.
____________________________________________________________________________
496Please respect copyright.PENANA2XHXzqHa5J
Author's note:
496Please respect copyright.PENANAh0uUYLMNON
Stubborn little &*%$!, ain't he? Emerald definitely thinks so. But fear not! She will get around to him... eventually.. possibly... anyway, swiftly moving on...
496Please respect copyright.PENANAQxt20UEfq6
There are still a lot more questions to be answered! A lot more than the six questions Emerald listed earlier on in this chapter - in fact, Emerald doesn't even know what she doesn't know (kind of like me in maths).
496Please respect copyright.PENANAXRdSSIOcsH
So stay tuned for future chapters if you also wish not to remain as confused as our poor super human.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAxbBMPapRu6
Please vote, comment, and share.
496Please respect copyright.PENANAQgS5JBxbos
Byeeee! And scene.
ns 172.71.255.13da2