The Awakening

By John Canton

After taking part in a science experiment that should have only lasted hours, Alex wakes to a world very different from the one he left behind. Everyone he's ever known is gone, and what's left of America lies in ruin, but those are the least of his worries. Relentlessly pursued by powerful forces wielding advanced technology, and forced to contend with the dangerous inhabitants of this new land, Alex must do everything he can to survive. At least he won't be facing these challenges alone, but his new friends be enough to protect him from what the future holds?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514492109

John Canton

Growing up near Kingston, Ontario, John Canton has always had a keen interest in science fiction. Despite living in the country and traveling far and wide, nothing took him farther from home than his imagination. A lover of history and a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, he happily blends his lived experience and knowledge into his writings, including his latest book, The Awakening.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

I felt . . . numb . . . My body was shivering. I tried to open my eyes, but they were frozen shut. I took in a deep, strenuous breath. My body ached as my chest expanded. I heard movement around me, voices, but I couldn't make out any words, just sounds, faint sounds. Gradually, feeling began to return. The room was warm---damp but warm. Voices around me grew louder, clearer. My jaw and chest were sore. I tried clenching my fists, but it was difficult, the slow strain on muscles that had been solid ice moments before. My memory began to return as well. Ah yes, the professor, science experiment, money---it all came back in a flash. I had no idea it would feel like this, however. If I did, I would never have agreed. Cryo-something, freezing the body, and I hated the cold, but when you're broke and someone throws you a lifeline . . . So many tough decisions.

So the sounds were them, Dr. Edwards and his student helpers . . . Had it only been one hour? To be honest, when I got in the machine, I had a sickly feeling I would never leave. It felt good to be alive and, most importantly, out! The slight frost broke as I opened my eyes. I looked out at the world, but saw nothing but darkness. I blinked, once, twice, three times. Finally, light started to appear, and then shapes, and gradually, a blurry world came into focus. I was lying facedown, staring at the warm concrete floor. Was it warm? It felt so against my skin. I could feel the frost melting on my extremities. What of the assistants? Those voices that once felt so close had now disappeared. Hadn't they noticed me? Were they going to check on someone else? How many of us did they decide to unfreeze all at once? Why did they just leave me here? I began to feel my strength returning. Slowly, I shifted my head to the right, trying to get more of a glimpse of the laboratory. I looked out across the floor covered in broken glass and saw another face staring back at me. I squinted to get a better view. It was quite close, but my eyes were still far from normal.

Another test subject? His hair was, crispy . . . smoking . . . and his face charred, cracked skin, blood trickling down onto the floor beneath him. I exhaled quickly, but the raspy noise I made was barely audible. I shut my eyes in a hurry and shifted my head back so that I was again facing the floor. What the hell is this? My breathing increased rapidly, as did my pulse. There was no way it was real. I'd just turn again to see what was no doubt a gag, some prank done by the friends I came with. I looked again, and my empty stomach heaved. It was obviously not a gag. I stared at the corpse, still oozing, a singed eye slowly descending out of the socket. I faced the floor again, glad that the professor had told us not to eat for several hours in advance. Wait, why was I glad for that? This was his fault! That bastard! I turned to the left, hoping what was there would be something less horrible. It wasn't. There was a half-frozen women. Her skull had cracked upon impact with the floor. Little bits of hair and flesh had smashed off and were slowly melting. Had they just let her fall? I turned away again and breathed in deeply though my nose. Oddly there was no stench in the air.

Why wasn't anyone helping me? Did they think I was dead too? Did they just leave me to die? I had to move. I couldn't just wait here and rot away like the other two. I had people who loved me, needed me. Surely they'd be searching. They had to be! Slowly, gently, I moved my arms up until my palms were beside my shoulders and then tried to push myself up. It didn't work at first, but the second time, I managed to raise myself off the ground. Staggering to my feet, I was wobbly and uncoordinated. Glass was covering the floor, and I noticed I had several small cuts on my chest. Brushing myself off, I looked around again. The place was well-lit, a solid line of bright covered lights ran down the center of the ceiling. Facing me was a cement wall. To my left and right were corridors. The covered lights stretched from end to end, and at the far side, I could see them turn around a corner. Behind me were strange cryogenic pods, much like the one I had entered earlier in the day. Well, similar at least, but there were many more of them. Rather like rectangular coffins with see-through, gently rounded glass covers, and they spanned all the way down the corridor, one every four feet, give or take. Shattered glass covered the floor, but most notably were the bodies. In front of each cryogenic pod was a body, dozens in total, each a few feet ahead of their pod, and each one mangled to a similar degree as the two beside me. They had just left us all where we fell? Were they that apathetic to our well-being? Strange, egg-shaped blue devices were scattered around the corpses. This was definitely not the place I had been frozen in. I must have been moved, and if so, why? Was he a serial killer? A loud thud echoed down from my right, and numerous voices ensued. The professor and maybe an accomplice?

Increase the temperature by 2.5 percent for the next one, a voice commanded.

We can't do this all day. It's not working. Someone's going to have to tell that thing, and it's not going to be me! another voice responded. Neither of them sounded like the professor. Maybe police or something? A small argument ensued, and I began slowly making my way toward them. Might not have been the smartest idea, but they must at least know what was going on, and answers were something I wanted badly. Careful not to step on shattered glass or shattered people, I finally reached the end of the corridor and gently peered around the corner to see what was happening. It was another corridor, identical to the one I had come from, except for two men in strange clothing who were moving a massive machine in front of one of the pods. My hopes of discovering police officers were crushed in an instant.

Their outfits were teal in color, full body, covering even their head, slim fitting, like something a scuba diver would wear. They had darker teal belts with various gadgets I didn't recognize, teal gloves identical in color to their clothing, and large, thick-soled black boots. Their faces were covered by a reflective mask of some sort, gently curving around their face, stopping around the hairline, ear, and chin respectively. I pressed myself closer to the wall, and took another step closer, trying to get a better glimpse of the machine. It was large, to say the least, almost touching the ceiling, had to be at least nine feet high. It had wheels for mobility and a thick base, riddled with wires and pipes. Further up was a see-through cylindrical glass cover, which housed two strange panels separate from each other and nearly touching the glass. They had strange luminescent panels facing inward. Above and below them were similar parts. Was that what they were unfreezing us with? It looked nothing like what the professor had shown us! And those outfits, how long had I been in there for? My family must be worried sick! Well, most of them.

Okay, one more, and then we'll call it quits for today, the nearest man said. Load up the next one, the other grunted and, detaching a small device from his belt, placed it gently on the glass cover of the pod. Playing with the back of the small dark instrument a little larger than a blackberry, the front sealed onto the glass cover, and began emitting a high-pitched noise. After a second or two, the noise increased sharply, and the machine vibrated and then stopped. This vibration caused the glass to crack, and the second man removed the device, placed it back on his belt, and then began bashing away at the glass with his gloved hand. Once enough glass was clear, the man began lifting out the test subject, and the second man began operating some dials on the far side of the machine. The glass exterior split in half, the side nearest to the pods gently moved forward and then slid around behind the rear section. At this point, the first man began helping the second, and they both stabilized the test subject in the center of the machine, seeming to strap the test subject's feet to the bottom. They then pulled a leather harness down from the top of the inside of the machine and strapped it to his head. Once they had fixed him in between the two panels, they resealed the glass. I lost focus just looking at him, his skin was a light-blue color, hair and eyes covered in white frost, his exposed flesh looked more like glass than human skin. To think, not too long ago, I was like that too.

Remember to make the adjustments, the first reminded the second.

Yeah, yeah, I know, he responded and began fiddling with the base of the machine before finally activating it. It hummed gently, gradually growing louder. The panels began to glow faintly before rotating along the edges of the machine in a counterclockwise manner, circling the person. Their speed increased rapidly, and the faint glow grew brighter until it was blinding. After a few seconds, the light faded once again, and the panels slowed and returned to their original position. It had completely defrosted the man! He slumped forward, and were it not for the strap on his head, he would have fallen flat against the glass. So these guys were the ones unfreezing everybody. Well, trying.

Open it, said the first, and he positioned himself at the rear of the machine. The glass opened, but in the reverse, the rear side moved outward before sliding around behind. He unhooked the binding on the man's feet and then his head. The test subject fell, and the man caught him, removing his glove and feeling his neck. Then he stuck a finger into the test subjects' open mouth.

He's too cold. His skin is fine, but his internal temperature is way off, we need to start doing what we did on the first twelve. He dropped the test subject, who landed with a thud, facedown, just like all the rest. They might not be operating with much finesse, but at least they were trying to help.

Well, that one in section A turned out all right, we could bring him to the boss and see if there is anything salvageable, the second suggested cautiously. We're not frozen pieces of meat! We're people!

It wants a live one, and that one was dead. Couldn't get a pulse. He paused, contemplating his next move. He casually looked down the corridor at the numerous additional pods and then at the floor at their most recent attempt at what I assume to be revival. We're done for today. I'll inform the commander. Call the mercs and get them to clean this place up.

It won't like that. The other chuckled. Then they both set to work cleaning up their equipment. Should I say something? I was still cold, but the frost that once covered me was now completely melted. Water dripped off my chin and fingertips. I didn't feel well. Was it hunger, confusion, my still-bleeding injuries, or was it fear that these potential saviors would not be friendly? The first three reasons alone would be enough to rush to them for aid, but the term anything salvageable stuck in the back of my mind. No, no other choice, I had to present myself. I wasn't in any condition to sneak behind them anyway. I cleared my throat, which seemed to alert the two men, for they both froze in place. Cautiously stepping away from the wall, I raised my voice as loud as I could to address them.

Hey . . ., I squeaked. It sounded so soft. My lips were still too cold to articulate anything more. The two men did hear me, however, and both quickly turned to face me. The first gently placed the tool he had picked up back on the floor and slowly moved toward me, arms rising out in front of him, hands open, palms facing me, showing me that he was carrying nothing.

Hey there, he said calmly, continuing to approach, we didn't think anyone was alive, but we are glad to be mistaken! He sounded quite pleased, perhaps because he no longer had to report a failure to his commander.

Wh-what . . . is . . . I stammered. I really should have thought of what to say, but even if I had, every word was a struggle.

This place? A storage facility for people in cryostasis, people like you. You've been asleep a long time. How long? Had these people been searching for us? Had my family been searching? All of you have. We're here to save you. How are your injuries? Are you cold? he continued forward, crushing bits of glass under his boots. I felt weak. Perhaps I had lost more blood than I had thought. I peered down at my chest, which was completely soaked in blood. The capillaries in the skin must have been frozen shut, reducing the amount of blood loss; but as I began to heat up, more blood began to flow and consequently left my body.

It's okay. We're going to help you fix those wounds, fill you in---he paused, tilting his head slightly---and . . . get you some clothes. Clothes . . . Why didn't I notice that sooner? My body began giving out beneath me. Slumping against the nearby wall, vision blurring, and as I fell to the floor, I heard the man say one last thing: Welcome to the future.

CHAPTER 2

When I woke up, I was in a bed, wrapped in a warm, thick blanket. I felt a cool, soothing sensation on my chest; and as I pushed back the blanket, I saw a strange, mercury-colored liquid covering my wounds. I gently reached and touched it. It was thick, like syrup but didn't stick to my finger. In fact, it moved away! The hell? Well, the fact that I felt fine meant it probably wasn't dangerous. Hesitantly, I touched it again; and this time, it coiled gently over my fingers, tickling and cooling them at the same time. I kept playing with the liquid as I peered around the room. It was small, more concrete walls, with a huge ominous steel door in front of me. The bed I was lying on took up most of it; beside me to my left was a small table with a bulky machine set atop. It appeared to be some form of intravenous setup, humming gently, with a long clear tube leading from the top of the machine into the center of my forearm, surrounded by more of the liquid. It was injecting what I hoped were nutrients into my bloodstream, although there was no way to be sure. This room as well was brightly lit, tidy, although it had little in terms of comfort. Besides the bed, the table supporting the IV machine, the IV machine itself, and a small bright lamp at the foot of the bed, the room was empty.

Everything inside the room was either a shade of gray or gray camouflage. Perhaps it was an army group that had picked me up? But those outfits didn't look like any military I'd ever seen. And what good was camouflaged equipment if their suits were freaking teal! The IV machine beside me beeped. The strange liquid on my forearm expanded, slowly pushing the tube and pulling the needle out of my arm. I reached over and grabbed the tube, folding it back over the machine. The colorless nutrients gently dripped out of the needle's tip. I sat up and noticed a small pile of teal clothing on the end of the bed. Better than nothing, I suppose. Slowly withdrawing the covers, I got up and started dressing myself; the strange liquid clung to me, pressing itself closer to my skin. The clothes left for me were identical to the outfits worn by the two men who found me. They even gave me their cool-looking reflective mask! It had small black lines of various lengths and sizes in the top-right corner and a teal hood attached to the back. The clothes were pretty standard, underwear, socks, T-shirt, trousers, gloves, black boots, and a large long-sleeved turtleneck. The different components seemed to be made of a thick, plasticlike material. As I dressed myself, I thought back to what the man said, Welcome to the future.

Christ, how long have I been out for . . ., I wondered aloud, pulling the final part of the uniform over my head. After putting on everything but the mask, something weird happened. The uniform slowly began tightening, what was once loose and baggy was now slim-fitting and quite comfortable.

Interesting . . ., I said cautiously. What the hell was with all this? Mask in hand, I slowly approached the door, trying to keep my mind from jumping to conclusions. Suddenly, the room shook, with a sound like distant thunder coming from above. I sprawled myself on the floor. That's what you do in a cave-in right? Was this a cave-in? The thunder and tremors continued, one after another. Were they explosions? The room seemed to be holding up, no cracks were forming in the walls or ceiling, so I guess that was good. The light flickered with every shake, but aside from that, the room was unaffected. I got up and sat down on the bed, wondering what to do next. I could try to leave and see what's going on. Although if there were explosions, do I really want to be going closer to them? More explosions continued. But there was another noise in addition to the deep rumbling, like a pipe banging on the ground, just outside the steel door. I raced to the door and pressed my ear against it. More cold, bringing back memories of earlier . . . Ignoring my thoughts and the background noise, I listened to whatever was outside. More steady clanking. And a single voice talking quickly about something, and it was very close. The handle twisted, and the door pushed back against me. Very close indeed! I followed the door around until my back was to the wall and the door pressed gently against me. I held my breath and waited.

He was right here . . ., the voice said. He sounded very concerned. The clanking had stopped. I listened to the man walk into the room. More footsteps. The door suddenly tore away from me, revealing a man in an outfit identical to the others before, except his was in gravel camouflage. That and he was holding a large strange rifle. I raised the mask and held it like a baseball bat, preparing to swing if the man came any closer. He nodded toward the mask. Really? I paused and looked down at his gun. Yeah, the mask was a stupid idea. I dropped it. He's in here, was just hiding or something. Who was he talking too? The clanking started again. Of course, footsteps! The man moved to the side as a huge figure came into view. Pressing even closer to the wall, mouth open, I just stared at him. About eight feet tall and almost as wide as the door, he was really something to look at. Head to toe was all metal. Armor. His suit was old, very old. At one time, it must have covered him completely, an impenetrable suit of steel; but now there were holes, dents, and cracks all over. Despite this, it was still a very imposing sight. Through the cracks in the armor, I could see gears and pistons moving along with circuit boards and wires, and other components. This thing wasn't human. Bits of his gauntlets were coming apart as well, revealing steel replicas of human anatomy.

Steel wire for tendons, hydraulics for muscles, and plain metal for bones. Well, almost a replica. The hands had six fingers, and were equally placed around the ball like palm. That and the feet more closely resembled a bird. Three giant talons in front, one protruding out the back. It supported its entire weight on those four talons. There was also the same liquid mercury, washing over these opening areas, cleaning them or lubricating them. Probably cleaning them. On its hands and feet were gratuitous amounts of blood. At the joints, the armor split into smaller pieces packed closely together but could shift and slide under one another for mobility while at the same time sacrificing nothing in defense. In some places, the liquid mercury covered for missing steel. More of the liquid mercury covered where its mouth would be. Its head looked like the helmet of some old knight, perched between its massive shoulders. It gently curved back like a tear, forming a point in the rear. Two sunken black holes rested evenly in the center. Through them, it peered down at me, and I could see camera lens eyes, expanding and contracting as they focused on me.

Good, the giant said in a low growl. His voice was very plain, no emotion to it at all. More are coming. The liquid mercury vibrated as he spoke. Proceed to the rendezvous site. He then turned and walked out the door, clanking on the way. The other man watched him leave before turning back to me.

Well, what are you waiting for? he asked, pointing with his rifle toward the door. Come on then. He waited patiently as the clanking faded.

Wh-What do you people want with me? What is this place? What's going on? This was all way too surreal---giants in armor, men in outfits I've never seen before, strange, living liquid . . . This was nothing like the world I had left behind! The man peered out the door after his associate; the clanking had already faded away.

Well, at least it'll clear the way for us . . . All right, fine, I'll explain on the way. Now come on! Hurry! He again nudged toward the door. I wasn't overly anxious to leave the room, but it didn't look like he was giving me much choice. Skirting past him and out of the room, I entered another corridor. More pods faced me, these ones untouched, frozen faces stared back at me. Chilling. Left, the man said, coming up behind me. We proceeded down the corridor in silence. More and more thunderous booms proceeded as we went, getting successively louder. Were we going closer?

Hey, I called back to the man as we ran, where are we going exactly?

The exit, of course. We have to get out of here, he said coldly. Perhaps he wasn't going to tell me anything after all . . .

Toward those . . . explosions? I asked meekly. He chuckled before responding.

What those guys are using is nothing compared to what we rigged this place with. Well, that's comforting.

You rigged this place to explode! I shouted at him. Farther ahead of us was automatic weapons fire and . . . screaming.

The potential value of what we've found here. We turned a corner, and toward the end of the long hall was a fire exit. It's far too valuable to risk it falling into the hands of monsters. That's why as soon as you're out and we're all safe, we're destroying it. Did he just say monsters? We stopped in front of the exit. Large red doors loomed over us, heavily dented from when the metal guy went through. Kicking them open, we came upon what could only be described as a massacre. The floor was the same color as the door, and there were . . . pieces . . . of people everywhere. That's the Column for you. They don't mess around, the man said, chuckling as he kicked a piece of a leg out of his way. So that thing did all this? Should we really be following it? No, it was on our side, and either way, we couldn't stay here. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. All right, no need to freak out. Nothing I haven't seen before. I opened my eyes just enough to catch a glimpse of a mangled face, eyes still looking around . . . All right, eyes off the floor, simple enough. There was a large concrete staircase ahead of us covered with more blood and body parts. The man walked ahead. Let's go slowly. The stairs might be a little, well, slippery. I slowly followed behind, keeping my eyes firmly fixed at the least bloody part of the staircase. One foot after the other, simple enough. That and just pretend the slight elevations in terrain were rocks. Squishy rocks. What a mess, he said as I reached him, and we kept going.

Couldn't your friend have just shot them? I asked. It would have been much easier, not to mention less disgusting.

They try not to use their advanced guns in case they get captured and reverse engineered. That was a silly reason. What could possibly capture a thing like that? We reached the next level, but rather than going through the identical set of red doors in front of us, the man turned and started heading up another flight of stairs. Assuming they could kill it and also assuming they were smart enough to understand plasma. To be honest, it's a wonder how the war lasted so long. What the hell was he talking about?

Last war? I asked cautiously. Like in the Middle East?

Oh right, I forgot how old you are. We reached the top, and the man pushed ahead through the red doors. Following close behind him, we came face-to-face with the giant. His arms and clawed feet were covered in blood. One arm was raised in the air, clenching the head of a man between its massive metal fingers. What's the word, 'monsters?' he asked it.

Negative. Northern Alliance. The liquid mercury vibrated as it spoke in its low growl.

I am so lost . . ., I said. They both ignored me. This wasn't another corridor; it was a massive room in a state of severe disrepair. One of the walls had been completely destroyed, and dirt and rubble covered the ground. Bright sunlight filled the room, and for some reason, it felt quite comforting. In the distance were more automatic weapons fire, in sporadic bursts, but there hadn't been an explosion in a while. So what's the plan? I asked. The man looked over at me.

Well, I'm not really sure. He admitted before turning back to the robot. Are we joining together with anyone or heading off alone? he asked. It dropped the corpse, which landed with a sickening thud.

Proceed ahead. I will assist here. It then turned and began sprinting toward the opening.

Not much of a talker, I said to the man as we started chasing after it.

It talks more than most. We passed by a lot of old ruined desks and chairs, most tipped over. A lot of people used to work in this building. We're going to follow him through the main camp before parting ways. Don't get too close to him, though. They may be after Tarik, but in a fight, it'll be the target of pretty much everyone. Even if I wanted to, it wasn't going to happen. Its strides were huge, having already reached the opening and disappearing from view. The weapons fire picked up, and a series of loud bangs ensued. Antipersonnel grenades. The most they'll do to our friend is scratch its armor, the man said as we reached the opening.

What about us? I asked him as we crouched behind a large piece of rubble. Was it possible these outfits were super-protective?

Just . . . keep your head down. Guess not . . . Looks like we'll be relying on stealth. I looked down at my outfit and then over at his. He blended in a lot better. Noticing my concern, he tried to comfort me. Relax, you're dressed as a civilian. At the very least, they'll shoot at you last. Didn't do a good job. Peering from behind the rubble, I looked out onto the landscape. We were in a city. A ruined city. Collapsed skyscrapers and buildings surrounded us. Where the hell was I? This was definitely not the world I had left! There was no way, no way that this was North America . . . Was it? Directly in front was a large parking lot with numerous damaged vehicles. I didn't recognize any, but they all looked very old. There were several corpses scattered about the parking lot. Most were in one piece, so they had probably been shot. Some were wearing the same thing as the man beside me, but others were wearing much less formal attire. Torn jeans and leather jackets were very common. All right, when I say go, we sprint down to the left there. He pointed to the outside corner of the building where another building had collapsed, forming a small passage between the two. We'll go into that hole. I nodded, sights fixed on the spot he had detailed. Yeah, big problems first, get out of the battlefield and then figure out where I am. And as soon as we hit the other side, just . . . Another grenade went off in the distance, and I couldn't hear the last order.

Sorry, what? I asked as I began pumping myself up. Suddenly, something hit my back. The man! I collapsed forward, face hitting the hard rubble. Ouch! What the hell was that for? I asked as he jokingly mumbled. What an asshole. I got up and turned to him, but he just slumped down face-first into the dirt. Blood covered the back of his neck and was beginning to form around the sides of his mask. The arm that had pushed me was reaching out to me as if begging me to aid him. Holy shit! I yelled, stumbling backward. He wasn't mumbling, he was drowning! I . . . I had to help him! Was it a piece of shrapnel? I scanned over his neck for any debris but couldn't see any. Just as I bent down for a closer inspection, there was a loud bang, and a piece of the wall to my side exploded outward. Bits of concrete peppered my face fiercely. Shit, he had been shot, and I couldn't even tell where it was coming from! Shit, I need to get out of here! I turned as fast as I could and sprinted toward the hole in the wall, leaving the man to his fate, diving into it just as another bullet burrowed into the wall behind me. Coughing from the dust, I got up and started running toward the light at the end of the tunnel. It's not like I was abandoning him. I just couldn't help him. Just like those teal men thought they couldn't help me. More gunfire was coming from up ahead. Right, bigger problems first. There were numerous scrape marks in the wall beside me, leading all the way down. The machine had definitely come this way. The sound of fighting got louder the closer I got, but I didn't really have another choice.

Keeping concealed within the relative darkness of the tunnel, I peered out at my new surroundings. Thankfully, there was much less open ground on this side. Pathways were etched out between segments of collapsed buildings. Giant claw prints led away to my left. The man said we'd be going on our own. I started off to the right, still debating if it would be a better idea to try and regroup with the machine. This did seem to be the safest route, though. As I walked, I heard almost no gunfire ahead of me and a steady escalation of gunfire behind. Despite this, I tried to keep as concealed as possible, keeping in the shadow of old buildings where I could or behind run-down cars or walls. Despite the lack of current activity, even here, there were a few blast craters and sporadic bullet holes. Had the people who saved me been pushed back? If so, wouldn't this make me behind enemy lines? Still walking, I turned back toward where I came. Had I made the right choice? Should I have followed the machine? Should I have helped that man? My ponderings were interrupted by a large object striking my heel. Maybe I should have been watching where I was going . . . Not having time to brace myself, I struck the dirt. Sharp jolts of pain went through me but subsided.

Rather than getting up, I just rolled over and stared up at the cloudy blue sky. What a beautiful day. I thought back to all the death and violence. What a shitty day. I looked around at my surroundings. What a confusing day. Giant machines, secret facilities, magic mercury healing liquid. Watching the clouds roll by, I tried to picture all the people I had left behind. I wonder how old they were now. The thought of seeing my younger brother as a grown man was rather disturbing. I rubbed my chest, feeling the liquid beneath. Wonder how long it took people to make this stuff? Maybe this technology had just a few years away? Hopefully. Somewhere to my side was a faint tch noise. Looking over between two large buildings, there was a dark alleyway covered in rubble. Something stood out, something glittering in the darkness, about twenty feet away from me.

I sat up, waiting for my eyes to adjust. What was it? Still unable to see, I got up and slowly approached. After stepping into the darkness of the alley, my eyes adjusted much better. A sleek silver barrel. I froze. The object was a gun, pointed right at me. As my eyes continued to adapt to the darkness, I could make out more of the previously hidden individual. He was lying on his side, one hand clutching his gut. A cloak of some sort was covering him, making him almost invisible. Was I going to die? My heart was beating through my chest. It was so loud, but there was no way he could hear the steady bump-bump. I was even holding my breath in a pathetic attempt to become invisible or something. Not like it would help. Quietly I hoped the liquid mercury would expand into some form of bulletproof vest, but it just stayed stuck to my chest. The man raised his red hand from his gut and slowly turned his head to look at it. As he did so, his grip on the gun faltered, and it fell to the ground.

Your lucky day, he said in a soft, feminine, yet cold voice before collapsing face-first into the dirt. Without hesitation, I turned and sprinted out of the alleyway as fast as I could.

Haha! I yelled, happy to be alive as I fled the scene. My heart was beating even faster than it was before. Hoho! Another brush with death avoided. I bit my tongue to keep from laughing again. Why was I so happy? That guy had let me go. I slowed down and looked back toward the alley. Was that guy all right? Of course he is, I said aloud, turning away and continuing off to wherever I was walking. But he did drop his gun. And the whole hand-on-his-side thing . . . I turned back again. That poor guy was probably shot! None of my business. The second the words left my mouth, I thought back to my masked friend. Left to die just as I had been. Just as this person was going to be. The giddy pleasure and adrenaline of avoiding death had worn off, replaced by the somberness of my current thoughts. What if I hadn't gained the strength to walk when I was unfrozen? They had left me, those strange teal men. What if there had been more who were unable to move? Such a fate was almost cruel. He had probably been shot, so I might not even be that much help, but the least I can do is try . . . Sighing, I began to walk back toward the alleyway, half convinced I'd be shot as soon as I turned the corner but determined to do the right thing. The world might have changed, but human goodness and compassion hadn't!

I stopped in the same spot I was in when the man was pointing his gun at me. No signs of movement. Waiting for my eyes to adjust yet again, I listened quietly. Only the sounds of labored breathing and distant gunshots. He was lying in the exact same spot as I had last seen him. Face still in the dirt. I quickly went to his side. He was barely moving, his ribcage flexing ever so slightly as he breathed. That was enough. Putting my hands on his shoulder and hip, I gently rolled him onto his back. Removing my gloves, I gently pressed on his stomach; and through the wet fabric, I felt warm blood. I recoiled my hand immediately and tried to look at the wound, to no avail. I looked up at the cloudy sky. Not enough light . . ., I said more to myself than the patient. I'm going to move you, all right? The man softly mumbled something about jabbing a piece of rebar through my neck. Ignoring him, I repositioned myself behind his head, and, lifting him up gently, grabbed the back of his shirt. He moaned