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

my shoulder, startling me, and when I look back, I see Dr. Cicca. She has sweat running down her face, but I don’t see any fear.

“Get through the doors!” she yells at me.

“Atom!” Cal shouts from behind me.

I turn just as he pushes me out of the way, and a bullet hits him in the stomach. He falls limp to the ground in front of me.

“Cal!” I scream. I look to where the shot came from and see 13 kneeling with a sniper rifle. He’s resetting his aim at me, but before he can shoot again, a group of scientists and drones get in his way.

I stand and grab Cal by his arms. As I pull him through the door, he leaves a trail of blood on the ground. The door shuts once we are completely through.

“Somebody help!” I yell. I put Cal’s arms down and check his vitals. “He’s not breathing, and I can’t feel a pulse!”

Hydro, Al, and Ev run to my side.

“Wake up, Cal!” Al grabs Cal’s arm.

“Get him in one of the Flyz,” I hear Rene shout from behind me.

I turn to look and already see Mag and Ox in theirs. Titan and Sodi are climbing into theirs.

“Help me carry him,” I tell Al.

We pick him up and carry him to the Fly, where K is waiting.

“The rest of you get into your Flyz!” Rene shouts.

I look and see Hawk helping Sil into his Fly. I’m surprised to see him. I could have sworn he would be on the other side. Al and Hydro run to their vessel, just as the ceiling above us begins to open and the Fly carrying Ox and Mag takes off.

I run with Ev to ours as two more Flyz take off. Rene stands waiting outside our Fly. I don’t recognize the pilot.

“Where is Fe?” I ask Rene as Ev climbs in.

“She hasn’t come,” he says bluntly.

I turn back toward the door and see that all but two of the Flyz have taken off. Sil is alone in one, and Ev sits in the one behind me.

“We have to go, Atom!” Ev yells from inside.

I look back at Ev, and Rene grabs my arm. He looks me in the eye. “Don’t.”

I pull my arm away from him, reach into the Fly and pull Ev out. With all my strength, I carry her to Fe’s Fly, where Sil and Hawk sit, waiting.

“Put me down!” Ev kicks. “What are you doing?”

I put her in Sil’s Fly, right next to Sil. I grab his hand and put it on her arm. “Sil, don’t let her off. Go, Hawk!”

“Atom!” Ev screams, tears running down her face. “It’s supposed to be you and me!”

Hawk lifts the Fly into the air, pulling Ev away from me. She needs to be safe. She needs to be away from here. I look at her, tears in my own eyes. “I’m sorry!”

The last look I see on her face is worse than pain. It’s betrayal. The Fly leaves the compound.

CHAPTER XIX

“We have to go, Atom!” Rene yells at me.

I look back at him as I run toward the doors leading to the rollpods hangar. “I have to find Fe!”

I pull the doors open and run out before he can say anything else. Scientists and drones on our side have regained control of the hangar, mainly because the majority of the outsiders and the other attackers have retreated back outside. I’m guessing it’s because the Flyz have already taken off.

“What are you doing?” A hand grabs me. I turn to see Dr. Cicca standing before me.

“Fe is missing. I’m not leaving without her!” I pull away from her and run to the opposite side of the hangar. A few shots fly by me, but none close enough to stop my momentum.

I reach the hallway that leads to the weapons cache, and I stop right at the corner. I can hear a couple of voices. When I peek around, I see a couple of outsiders and a Mutineer. Carefully, I steady my rifle and shoot each one before they have time to react.

After waiting a couple of seconds to make sure that no one else comes out of the weapons cache, I run down the hallway.

“Fe!” I yell as I turn the corner. I continue to shout her name as I run down each hallway.

I reach the surveillance room and am met by gunfire. The bullets hit the wall to my right, and I back up around the corner. I aim my gun down the hallway and see a barrel of a rifle poking out of the surveillance room.

“Atom!” the voice in the surveillance room calls out.

“Who’s there?” I yell back.

“It’s 80. I’m stepping out,” 80 shouts as he steps out.

“Are you alone?” I call back.

“Yes,” he says, placing his rifle on the ground and holding his hands up.

I walk down the hall with my gun pointed right at his head. “If you move, I’ll shoot.”

“Got it,” he says.

So many questions run through my head. Anger is behind every one of them as I step closer to him. “Why? Why did you do this?”

He takes a deep breath. “You taught me what it was like to live. You taught me the value of life, and I didn’t want to lose it. I told every drone I could what I had learned, and one by one, we realized how wrong this extermination by the scientists is. It’s not their place to decide the fate of others.”

My mind spins in circles. I’m to blame for this betrayal. I planted the seeds, and now I have to reap what I sowed. The anger I have toward 80 right now should be equally directed at myself. The worst part is that he is right. It’s just too late.

I reach him, and in an instant, my right fist connects with his jaw. He stumbles against the wall.

“I guess I deserve that.” He wipes the blood from his lip.

“I was your friend!” I yell