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

“Thank you!” I yell back at the drones.

As I make my way up, I see that Fe has fallen unconscious. She must have lost a lot of blood. “Stay with me, Fe. We are almost there.”

When I’m a floor away from the top, I see the door being held open by a scientist. I slow down, unsure of who it is. Suddenly it clicks. It’s the scientist who was in the pilot seat of the Fly Ev and I were supposed to take.

“Hurry!” he yells down at me. “The Ragnarok has started, and nuclear weapons are detonating. We only have a few minutes before the one here goes off.”

Fear fills my heart. I get to the top, and the scientist helps me carry Fe to the Fly. When we get there, I see Rene sitting in the front passenger seat.

“Glad to see you,” he says with an immense sense of relief.

“How did you find us?” I ask as I strap Fe into her seat. The scientist climbs into the pilot’s seat and starts the engines.

“We flew into the city, saw the rollpods, and then saw a steady stream of outsiders running into this building. It made the most sense.” He turns his attention to the scientist. “Get us going, Jose!”

I buckle in as the Fly lifts off. A few bullets hit the side of the Fly, and I see that outsiders and drones have made it to the roof. They are shooting at us. After a couple of moments, the shooting stops.

I look out Fe’s side of the aircraft and see the pyramid as we rise higher.

“It’s beautiful,” Fe whispers.

“Yes, it is.” I take her hand. “Get some rest.”

Her grip tightens for a second and then loosens again when she falls back to sleep. I’m glad that she’s okay.

As we fly past the compound, I take one last look at where I came to be. Where I was created. It is the complete opposite of the peaceful place I once knew. Gunfire continues between the two sides in an area that is now more rubble than standing structures.

“Brace yourselves!” Jose shouts.

I look out the side and see a giant missile making its way toward the city we just left. A few seconds later, the sky around us gets brighter and is soon followed by an enormous boom. I try to look back, but the rear of the Fly blocks my view.

Without warning, the Fly tilts forward and shakes. I see a giant wave of energy race past us. As quick as these aircraft are, the wave was much faster. Luckily, Jose seems to be an expert pilot, and he maneuvers us through the turbulence. After a couple of shaky minutes, we are back on a smooth path.

“Where are we going?” I tap Rene on the shoulder.

“Johannesburg, South Africa,” he says without looking back at me. I remember reading about South Africa. It’s supposed to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It’s also on the opposite end of the continent from Egypt.

“We’ll be there in about an hour,” Jose adds.

“Get us there faster,” Rene demands.

I sit quietly and look out my window for the next forty-five minutes. My mind thinks about 80 and what he did. I also think about how I set 80’s actions in motion by showing him the value of life. I’m not sure if I regret telling him or not. I think about all the drones and scientists who gave their lives for us to succeed. I think about the other Genesys. Did they all reach their bunkers?

My stomach churns, and my heart aches as I remember what happened to Cal. Did he survive? I want to know, but I will have no way of finding out until after the two years we have to spend in the bunker.

Finally, I think about Ev. She must hate me. I betrayed her to go save Fe. She and I were in this from the beginning; we were the first created, and we were supposed to be in the same bunker. Instead, she will now have to spend the next two years in a bunker with Sil—if they even make it there safely. My heart yearns for her, and I find myself missing her.

“Go! Go! Go!” Rene yells, scaring me out of my thoughts.

“What is it?” I look around and see the cloud trail of a nuclear missile coming toward us. When I look down, I see a city with lush green foliage surrounding many glass and steel buildings. From up here, the city seems to be in great shape. A direct contrast to the city we just left.

“Get us down! Fast!” Rene shouts at Jose.

Jose changes the course of the Fly to the ground. He keeps the craft going at its top speed. “Buckle up and hold on tight. This will not be a smooth landing.”

The ground gets closer and closer. We are heading toward an open field that ends at a small mountain. I do my best to hold myself in my seat and use one of my hands to secure Fe even more.

My body gets thrown forward as the Fly hits the ground. The vessel bounces a few times and then begins to spin as we quickly approach the mountain. Parts of the Fly rip off, and a small fire starts on the control panel. A few moments later, it comes to a stop. We are a few hundred feet from the mountain, and I can see the outline of a steel door.

“Get out!” Rene yells back. His face is covered in blood.

I unbuckle Fe and do as he says. I pull Fe out and quickly check her vitals. She’s breathing, and her heart is still beating. Somehow, she stayed unconscious throughout the crash.

“What about Jose?” I say as I pick Fe up in my arms.

Rene runs over to me. “He’s gone.”

We look back at the city and see that the nuclear missile is making