Verba De Amentibus (Chapter 2)

Ferra's vitals in my HUD vanished and I knew in an instant that I had no chance. I could feel fear and grief reaching their cold hands down my throat. I could hear the noise around me returning as the effects of the strange driver's word expired. Who was breathing so heavily? I looked down at the unconscious driver by my feet. Their breath was steady, chest rising and falling gently, no signs of the previous exertion visible in their relaxed (albeit unconscious) form. Searching for the source of the breathing, I quickly realized I was the source of the sound. My throat was raw from my screams and I could feel cold sweat and tears clinging to my face.

I had to leave immediately or at least find a place to hide. I hoisted the unconscious driver over my shoulder and strenuously made my way back to the stairwell. I was not gonna leave this mission empty-handed. My boot brushed against the lifeless companion of the person I was carrying. Her previously undisturbed body lay pooling blood, brain matter speckling the ground around her. For what was probably the thousandth time, I mentally cursed the surge.

I glanced back out the shattered window as I clumsily hurried past overturned desks and filing cabinets. The mysterious driver stood triumphantly over the body of Ferra, seeming to revel in their victory. Before the automatic shutdown of her SIM could kick in, I heard them laugh. It was a high cruel laugh, one that would embed itself into my memory for weeks after that. As I looked back, I could see their shoulders shaking violently, even from my vantage point hundreds of feet away.

Under my SIM, I could feel my face contort in rage. Although we'd been partners for just a few months, Ferra had been one of the few drivers or even just people that I had been close to.

"Looks like it's just you and me," I said darkly.

I began my slow descent to the bottom floor. With every sound I stopped, my free hand holding my pistol at the ready. The odds of a lone ghost besting a driver were slim, and I knew that with my current encumbrance my chances were less than zero. In addition, there was something… wrong… about this driver. My mind returned to the memory of the dead ghost in the lobby, plant matter tearing its way through his chest. I refused to let that become me.

Just before I reached the bottom of the stairs, a corner of my HUD lit up.

[Extraction in 30 minutes.]

Took them long enough, I thought somewhat bitterly.

"SIM, open a communication to my mission lead," I grunted, letting the driver's body slump against the wall. An electronic chirp greeted my ears to signal the channel was active.

"Major. Operator Lex is KIA, I am en route to the evacuation point with a captive. I have a hostile still in the vicinity, last known location is at operator Lex's last SIM location"

"Understood specialist Swan."

Then after a brief moment.

"Did she suffer?"

I couldn't bring myself to answer as I felt my teeth digging into my lower lip drawing blood. There was no way I could know, all I could do was hope. But even as I tried to grow that comforting thought, my mind's eye returned to flesh and sinew tearing away from her body. Once again I could feel tears prickle my eyes. I said nothing.

"I'm sorry Aryth. I know you two were close."

"I'll be fine. Just get me out of here."

A green dot appeared on my screen, the evac zone. Located a few blocks north, I was grateful to realize I would be steering clear of our enemy. I took a minute to rest before once again heaving my unwilling cargo onto my shoulder, I began to ready myself to step back outside into the fray. I examined my comatose companion, and through the transparent SIM they wore, I was able to discern some more identifying features about them. Although androgynous, they could easily be described as handsome. They had sharp features and light hair cut short to fit within the helmet. As I readied myself, I began to recall the details of my encounter with the strange driver. How had they influenced Ferra and I while our SIMs were functioning? If it was an error with our SIM's scramble code then that could be fixed, but what bothered me more was the possibility of a driver powerful enough to overcome the SIM. I dismissed the thought, as I realized that even with the words of power, the words still shouldn't affect the SIM's function. How would we deal with that cloud of metal?

I began my task of making my way towards the evac point. As my eyes swept my surroundings, my gaze caught on the pile of cement blocks I had been examining prior while I was searching for my partner's soon to be murderer. A glint of moonlight winked at me as I moved closer to the pile of blocks. I reached out and carefully picked up the razor-sharp fragment of metal. I cursed my foolishness, realizing the full weight of this small piece's presence. If only- I stopped myself. What-ifs were a soldier's doom. As I trudged forward I looked over my shoulder, glancing at the retreating parking structure in the distance. There was no sign of the mysterious driver, although, at this distance, I probably wouldn't be able to see anything. I put the shard of metal in one of my suit pockets and began to laboriously move towards the evac point.

A sudden blow to the side of my head caused me to stagger, dropping my cargo as we passed beneath an old overpass. The formerly unconscious driver shakily found their feet, watching me warily. I could see their blue eyes narrow as they sized me up, their slight frame tensed as they prepared for a fight. However, in those eyes, I could see that they knew the outcome.

Drivers were, in truth, quite weak. Most spent their time studying the words of power and the psychology involved with breaking the mind. As a result, often the average driver would only receive the bare bones military training that was required to keep them alive. Without the amplifier collar, drivers were little more than a civilian who could maybe give you a minor headache. In contrast, ghosts like myself were actually soldiers. Trained specifically to counter drivers, a ghost placed against an unarmed driver had the overwhelming advantage.

A moment passed between us before the driver's shoulders slumped resignedly. They said something in their language and offered out their hands.

"It looks like you understand the situation," I said, slightly annoyed. If they were just going to give up, why go through the trouble of kneeing me in the side of the head?

"Yes..." The driver said. Their accent was thick, almost seeming to play with the syllables as if they were speaking them for the first time.

And this time, I could hear a distinctly female timbre within her voice, however, it sounded as if she were pushing her voice as low as it could go.

"Another girl? What's with these people?" I muttered to myself. I mentally kicked myself for my fairly misogynistic statement. The driver seemed to tense a bit at my words.

"No..." She said, I could see her brows knit as she struggled to form the words that could convey the meaning she intended.

"I guess it doesn't matter as of right now." I said coldly. "You are going to be coming with me either way."

I zip-tied her hands together and motioned for her to follow me. The overpass was overgrown with ivy and similar flora as well as littered with urban wreckage. The smell of urban decay and gunpowder was ever-present in the air. As we circumvented various piles of rubble and debris, I could hear the explosions and gunshots in the distance begin to peeter out.

"I wonder who won.." I pondered.

There was no reply from my companion. Not that I had expected one truthfully. A question began to form in my mind which I voiced.

"Why were you there? Even for two drivers, a battlefield isn't really a safe place for anyone to set up camp."

My companion stopped for a moment, seeming to form their thoughts. She began walking again, she spoke slowly;

"My friend… me… hide..." She struggled through the words, still attempting to maintain her low timbre. This time, I could make out the distinct accent of the European Federations constructed common. As a mix of Slavic and Romance languages, there was a tendency to overemphasize vowels and roll r sounds that one normally might not.

"Why were you hiding? You could've gotten help from your friend with the creepy voice? " I said rather scathingly.

The driver looked back toward the parking structure, now less than a spec against the skyline. I could see her trying to formulate the correct words for a response. I didn't want to hear it. Not then at least. Rays of light began to light our path as the sun began to rise over the ruined cityscape. I once again motioned for her to follow me.

We began to approach the location outlined within my SIM. There was a problem, however. Our designated evac point seemed to be an old government office or something similar and as a result, was reminiscent of a fortress. Set upon a low pyramid of steps, and encircled by low offices and former residences. Ironically, our main obstacle would be the distinct lack of cover between us and our escape. With no connecting structures and a solid hundred feet between us and the door, we would almost literally be fish in a barrel.

Of course, as I had this thought, I saw a familiar glint from the third story of the nearest building. I found myself grateful for the dim sunrise that had been accompanying us for the past half hour or so.

"DOWN NOW!" I bellowed and pulled my companion to the ground

Flagstone fragments and dust flew from behind us as a bullet passed through the air where our heads had been. Milliseconds later I heard the report of the rifle.

"Move!" I grunted as I dove towards the base of a large statue that guarded the steps. I felt my "friend" brush up beside me as she took the same action. It was silent again, eerily similar to the moments before Ferra's death.

"SIM, can you calculate the location from the bullet's contact point?"

"[Not enough data, approximate location: third floor]"

"Yea, though so..."

I hesitated a second, then removed my combat knife from my belt and cut the zip tie. She nodded gratefully. I couldn't waste any more time and it looked like that our aggressor didn't care if their comrade was harmed in the process.

"Do you know how to use a gun?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"Don't make me regret this..."

I handed her my sidearm. She took the gun and exhaled slowly. Under my SIM I grimaced in sympathy. Welcome to my world, I thought. Then the thought clicked. I could feel my stomach drop. My eyes darted from window to window, searching. It was on a window of the first floor of an adjacent building that my eyes fell. The telltale teal glow. Judging by the brightness, I only had seconds. I loosed a shot at the window. A startled shout signalled that I had temporarily interrupted the driver's chants. I could only count on my luck as I dashed towards the shattered window. Glass crunched beneath my boots as bullets whizzed past my head. Several reports from my borrowed pistol signalled my companions exchange with the ghost. I jumped through the window and let several shots fly in the direction of the glow. I saw blood blossom from the chest of the driver.

One down.