Gene. Sys. by Aaron Denius (best ereader for comics txt) 📕

She steps up to me. “I couldn’t find her. No one knows where she is.”

I do my best to hold my composure. We will find her, but right now, I need to get everyone here ready. “Everyone listen up. This is it. We are about to be attacked, and Rene is going to start the sequence to set off the Ragnarok.”

I look around at their faces. They all are scared. “We have to get to the other side of the compound, where Rene has six Flyz waiting for us. Al and Hydro, you are in one. Ox and Mag in two. Titan and Sodi, you’re in three. Cal and K in four.

“Sil and Fe in five.” A knot in my stomach tightens. We will find her. I look at Ev. “You and I in six.”

A small smile graces Ev’s face, and it makes me wonder if she had anything to do with the pairings.

Suddenly a loud boom resonates above our heads, and the room around us shakes. A few screams escape from some of the Genesys. Another boom causes more shaking. The attacks have started.

“What do we do?” Ev shouts over the shaking.

“Everyone grab a close-range and a long-range weapon,” I yell.

“Those are non-lethal,” Sodi says. “They won’t do much damage.”

“It’s better than no weapons,” Cal answers for me.

We all scamper to the weapons cache and grab our choice weapons. I pick up my chain and fling it around my shoulder. When I look over, I see that Mag is still on the ground in the middle of the simulation room. Dr. Metzger is by her side.

Ox steps up next to me and grabs his ax. “We had to pull her out prematurely, and she hasn’t healed completely. Dr. Metzger also said that forcing her out of that induced dream state might affect her brain.”

“We’ll get her there safely,” I comfort him.

After a few more moments, all of the Genesys are geared up. I even give Dr. Metzger a rifle. The booms over our heads are happening more frequently, and the room’s shaking has become so consistent that it no longer startles us.

“Let’s go!” I shout.

We head to the elevator as one big group. Ox picks mag up and carries her in his arms. We all cram tightly into the elevator and ride it up.

Just before we get to the top, I hand my rifle to Titan. “This one is real. Switch with me. You’re a better shot than I am.”

Titan smiles, and we exchange rifles. His eyes show a focus I have never seen in them before. “Thanks.”

The elevator door opens, and we pour out into the hallway. The distinct smell of burning fills the air. The booms that were muffled before are deafening. There isn’t much activity in our area, which makes sense since most of this section was already destroyed. All that remains in this area is the library and the simulation room, hardly a threat to the attackers.

I motion for the Genesys to follow me down the hallway. We move together and quietly as a group, making our way past the boys’ rooms and then the girls’ rooms. As we walk, I am careful to check my surroundings for any threats and for any signs of Fe.

Just as we reach the hallway that leads to the scientists’ quarters, shots fire to our right. I raise my hand to get the Genesys to stop, and I look around the edge of the fallen wall. Drones are firing on other drones. This means that some are fighting to protect us, but when I look, I can’t tell which ones are which. A bit behind them, closer to the compound’s exterior wall, I see outsiders attacking drones.

I turn back to the Genesys and signal for them to move forward. Suddenly, a bullet flies by my head. I look up and notice Titan aiming the rifle I gave him at my head. A noise behind me gets me to turn, and I see a drone fall to the ground. Blood seeps out from his forehead.

I look back at Titan, and he winks at me. I smile back and motion for him to check around the corner for any more. He steps past me and peeks around. I grab Sodi by the shoulder and point for her to get the fallen drone’s rifle. She slides down and switches the drone’s gun for her simulation gun.

When Titan and Sodi return to the group, I huddle everyone together.

“There are four more at the end of the hallway. They are checking each room,” Titan says under his breath.

“Okay. It looks like some drones are still trying to protect us.” I look at the Genesys and then make a tough decision in my head. “If you have even the slightest doubt as to what side someone is fighting on, shoot them.”

Ev looks at me, surprised.

I look her in the eye. “We don’t have the time for a conscience.”

I pat Titan and Sodi on their shoulders, and they walk over to the corner of the hallways. Sodi crouches down, and Titan remains standing. They both peek around the corner and take two shots each. After a few seconds, Titan looks back at me and waves us over.

We quickly walk to him and then make our way down the hallway to the door to the scientists’ quarters. Ev, Cal, Sil, and K grab the rifles from the ground. We push through slowly and enter an empty hallway. Just as Ox passes through the door, carrying Mag, I see a scientist run around the corner and head straight for us. Titan raises his gun.

“No!” Dr. Metzger shouts.

I put my hand on Titan’s rifle and force him to lower it.

“Marco. What’s up there?” Dr. Metzger asks as the scientist reaches us.

“They’re coming!” Marco says, hiding behind the group.

Titan and Sodi raise their guns. The rest of us do the same. They don’t know that most of these guns will only leave a