Gabatrix: The Warrior of Silence

It always seems that we are drawn to this world over and over again like a pendulum swing. Our journey starts here, goes to other worlds, and then it ultimately circumvents right back to here again. Even the great pioneer of the human race once said something similar to this. The realm of exploration is one that seems commonplace in many species throughout the universe. At least…..ones that are similar enough to the human race.

Why is that? Why in all the exploration do we find ourselves coming right back to the original home? A home provides a sense of comfort for many species. It is a sense of familiarity and a place of refuge. Only in time can a species eventually learn to escape and call new places their home, but do they take careful notes once it is done? It truly depends on society, civilization, nature, the environment, and individuals in preserving that information. Not doing so invites interpretation and perhaps grief of who is correct or incorrect about their own history.

I see you have grown curious about your guide as the past story was started by someone else. It seems that in my absence that there was another that spoke in my place. Perhaps she is correct on the dinosaurs and their origins. Maybe she is right about the origins and civilizations that pervaded long before the human race. But, of course, there is always more to that. Dreams and ambitions reside in the future, and the past is riddled with mysteries if things are not written down so carefully. It is nobody’s fault as things can become lost in time. History can be rewritten, and there can be a time where even the past is not important enough to keep safe from the ravages of nature. Even we only know so much about our deepest of origins. Who am I exactly? The Itreans called us the “Kiline.” It is a most interesting name…..but I am more than that, just as much as you have become and what you will be in the far future. In time, I will tell you more about me, but right now, it is a distraction from what is happening.

Instead, we continue to focus on Earth. This single world that resides in a yellow dwarf star system is the harbinger of life for many civilizations.  Sadly, not many of these civilizations have been carefully recorded. That interpretation starts to become a prime factor in the new developing societies. Word of mouth is not enough as the individual naturally tells the tale differently over and over again with each passing generation. Eventually, the truth is lost, and new ways have to be uncovered in order to learn about a person’s past.

The deepest known surviving history of the human race can go back as far as the ancient Mesopotamian civilization of over five thousand years ago. The people that were known as the Sumerians carried a language that resided with surviving artifacts, language, and history. We spin the globe of the world as the continent of Asia comes into view. Tucked between the pathway of Europe and Africa, the Sumer people come from an area that is located near the Persian Gulf. Despite the heat, the area was a little bit cooler than it was today and provided a fertile enough place for a human settlement to occur. The environment also provides a site that can preserve many of these artifacts. Does this mean that the Sumer was the only known civilization to happen in this period? Far from it as there were indications of cultures that existed in the Indus Valley, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient lands before China ever existed.

So this does bring us to evaluate the human race’s past further. Where did humanity come from? We spin the globe of the planet. We see the continents in all of their glory. There is so much land and possibilities in this world alone that we can marvel at how this one particular race has managed to make it this far. Earth has never been the most ideal of habitable planets, with some having far more or far less than what the other worlds have to offer.

A profound idea of the origins of the beginning of humanity was the search for Eden. This concept exists even today among the human race that there was a single mother and father that birthed all. Now whether you choose to believe in such an idea is your choice, but some felt that there had to be more to that story. Was there an “Adam and Eve,” and was there ever an idea such as “Eden?”

This question resided in something many considered in the late 20th century and early 21st century. In the desire to search for the answers, the human race had started to do a deep study through the knowledge of DNA. The building blocks of some species in the universe, DNA carried important clues in how to go into the history of how humans evolved to become what it was today. It was a most curious endeavor and one that provided many surprising discoveries. In the DNA blocks, there lined a genetic tag. This would serve as a beacon to help trace the source that would lead to the previous generation and so forth. Random individuals all around the world had samples taken. The DNA carried the answers that they were looking for.

What made things curious was that the tag served as a way to trace where humanity went. In the United States, the population showed where the people came from, whether it was Europe, Asia, South America, North America, Africa, or Oceania. When the populations were tested, the route began to develop. Those with pale complexions had a more singular road that went to Europe but traveled along to somewhere else. Those from South America seemed to travel a route that went upward towards North America. Those that came from Oceania traveled towards Asia.

Those with the darkest of complexions, however, showed a myriad of different location traces. It was what actually helped encourage the very projects, to begin with, as those that descended from Africa had no other routes of where it came from. Then, like hitting a brick wall, it showed that those descended from Africa came from nowhere else on Earth. Meanwhile, those that came from Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Oceania were converging towards one location. It was a stunning find as we spin the Earth towards the great continent. Finally, the scientists had put the pieces of the puzzle together.

The continent of Africa comes into view. It is shaped like a giant hammer with the island of Madagascar near the lower right tip. All of this was the source of a large variety of ecosystems and wildlife. From North Africa resides the great Sahara desert in its reflection of orange and yellow. In Central Africa, it consists of a vast array of forests, including the Congo River Basin and Great Rift Valley with its great shades of green. In South Africa resides the Kalahari and Namib Deserts.

All the routes of the Non-African populations trace back to this very continent. The news shocked many of the humans. It was believed that in hundreds of thousands of years, the populations of humans that moved from Africa would evolve in their new lands. In Europe, where sunlight is generally less, the people slowly began to have a paler complexion to maximize the Vitamin D given by the sun. In Asia and Oceania, the people adapted to their environments with different facial features, pigmentation, and abilities. In the end, for some, it was apparent that Adam and Eve might not have had such a pale complexion as the famous artworks may have foretold.

Africa……despite such news, the continent had been plagued by its own history. People from inside and outside had played a role in reducing its value upon the rest of the world. Greed is a shared existence in humanity, and it reflected itself on the continent. Slavery had been a source of cheap labor, and it was a common practice to the population. It is believed that early prototype steam engines such as the Aeolipile had been developed as far back as over two thousand years ago. What revolutionized the human race in the 19th century so well had existed back then. Some believe that because slavery was so commonplace, that the engine was never fully developed. Later on, other empires and nations would utilize slavery to fulfill their own means. It was simply cheaper to buy another individual and use a disposable person than create something that would help propel humanity to the stars. Even as far as 2050, slavery still existed in the pockets of the continent. Colonialism and Post Colonialism would further define the lineage of developing and sometimes failed governments throughout the land. Sometimes the worst violence in history was located here.

This isn’t to say that Africa has nothing but a history of abuse, strife, and failure. Far from it. If anything, the continent has had some success. A rising issue throughout the 21st century was the spread of desertification. With rising global temperatures and deforestation, a massively successful campaign had been waged. A manufactured bacteria was introduced to harden the sands to convert them into massive livable landscapes. It was a prideful example of terraforming that would prove beneficial to everyone then and even to this very day. Cleaner energy sources such as solar power farms were introduced. Efforts to stem the tide of poverty and war, improved governments, awareness, and a United African government would help usher Africa to rise up in recognition to the rest of the world.

Sadly, even with all of this, humanity’s time on Earth was running out. Greed ultimately won the great war on itself. We watch Africa as time shifts forward. Year by year goes by each second. The continent is to go through significant changes. Desertification continues to spread southward. The rising global temperatures are taking their toll as the white clouds slowly turn into a thicker gray color. The polar icecaps have melted, and rising sea levels began to leach onto the land. Second by second, the green is becoming less and less. Coastal cities are abandoned, and the population moves further inland.

Ironically, most of the world feels more of an impact on the global rising sea levels than Africa itself. While most of Egypt, Mauritius, Seychelles, portions of North Africa, and a portion of North West Africa are swallowed up by the ocean, much of the continent is high ground. Africa does its best, but millions are displaced. Refuge is offered to the flooded island nations in the Pacific Ocean, but the United African Government has little money to spare. Regardless, things could have been worse for the continent, and unfortunately, it would only continue to travel this route.

We watch as the atmosphere becomes grayer and grayer. Pollution is rampant and out of control. Even with clean energy sources, it’s too late. Released from the confines of the melted ice caps, a new menace appears and rears its ugly head. The bacteria that the humans called “The Orange Muck” have emerged and spread like a virus. The darkening oceans start to turn orange and red as pollution becomes a food source. The toxic water becomes a byproduct that kills billions. The land begins to turn yellow and brown as the green fades away. The toxic orange sludge permeates the water supply and gets everywhere. Nothing is safe from it, as every living organism is drinking and bathing in poison.

Nothing was far more dramatic than this singular event. Even the eruption of Yellowstone National park never reached the catastrophic disaster that the Orange Muck brought forth. Sadly, the worst to be affected by this was Africa. With a population that was struggling to have the same resources as every other nation, even by the 22nd century, the continent had little to combat the toxic spread. Poverty-stricken areas had little to no choice, and there was nowhere to escape it. Billions would die throughout Earth in the first year, and it is believed that 85% of the African population would perish from the Orange Muck. A collective outcry for mercy had been declared. A rallying call had been made, and the choice was to flee to Mars. African populations were along for the ride as the surviving billions of the world made the great exodus to the red planet. The continent remains as a shell of its former glory. The cradle of all life is no more as we stare at it in the year 2350.

Of course, you do know most of this story by now as we begin to pan away from Earth slowly. You already know of the famed Gabatrix experiment that would allow the human race to span beyond its solar system. Earth is now Itrea as the T’rintar clan of the Itrean people has reclaimed their lost home world. It is up to the descendants that were once called dinosaurs to clean up the mess. It will be a long grueling process as you can see one of the ancient green cylindrical dreadnoughts preparing to deploy a new volley of atmospheric cleaning probes to clear out the polluted air and oceans. The Itreans have long learned to be patient while they struggle with the shock of finding the world that gave homage to them.

We start to zoom away at a tremendous rate. Earth or Itrea shrinks in size as we get further and further away from it. We once again say goodbye to this world so we can go to the place that we need to be. Luna becomes a dot as we can only see Sol in the vast distance. As we continue to gain speed, it starts to shrink down more and more. Jupiter suddenly appears and disappears as we leave the solar system. Your head then turns to look at the vast array of stars. Each twinkling star in the blackness of space is just like Sol, albeit bigger or smaller. Their distance, color, and mass are the only indications of what they might be.

Gabatrix’s great experiment was the saving grace for the human race. The gift of folding space would allow many populations to find new worlds to call home. It is the destiny of every intelligent race to discover new worlds. The road to Species Transgression Victory is one that can be achieved if the correct actions are taken. Cebravis, Batrice, and New Olympia were among the first worlds to be colonized outside of the solar system. There was one other world, though, that would be among the first, and it was no sheer surprise on that part.

We start to move at a faster and faster rate as the stars begin to zip past us. We don’t have to go far, however. You see, amongst the cluster of stars is one of the Constellation Pictor. It isn’t a massive star cluster as it is tucked between the Constellations, Columba, Carina, Puppis, and Dorado. As we get closer and closer to it, the great star of Canopus comes into view. Even if it is hundreds of lights years away from our intended target, it helps serve as a guide post to our destination.

Instead, we start to close in on the star system known as HD 40307. Located over 42 light-years from Earth, the star is slightly smaller than Sol with a slight tinge of orange. It is a K-Type star that is expected to last longer than Sol in its age expectancy. In 2008, astronomers had found that this star had three planets orbiting it. In the later years, three additional planets were discovered. As the Gabatrix experiment proved to be a viable success, the need to explore new habitable worlds became a priority.

When the other close stars leave your sight, you can see the solar system come into view. Indeed, it is as expected. The probes that traveled here almost a hundred years ago confirm the presence of several exoplanets. Unfortunately, most of these planets are too close to the star, with HD 40307b doing a complete orbit in four Earth days. As a result, it is scorched as the intense heat pummels its surface. HD 40307c and d don’t fare much better with c being tidally compressed and heated repeatedly. It is almost as if the closest five planets enjoy their star too much. It doesn’t want to leave it and prefers the intense heat that the star gives off. HD 40307d is even comparable to a larger version of Venus back in Sol.

It is believed that all the planets in this solar system were slowly drawn in closer to its star in the last several hundreds of millions of years ago. Thus, if there were any life on these worlds that were similar to Earth, then it is long gone by now. There is one exception to this, however, and it is closer to our true destination.

Our trip brings us closer and closer to a vast planet that lies in the outermost solar system. It is the furthest planet that follows an almost elliptical orbit. Residing in the habitable zone, this exoplanet is more prominent than Earth. We end up seeing the wondrous world that is covered almost entirely with water. The shades of blue and white are all but apparent. Several small moons orbit this world, but they are smaller than Luna.

This is the world of Oshun, and it leads to the current closing tale of what had happened to the former population of Africa. Established in 2268, the colony of Oshun was not as well celebrated as the founding of Cebravis despite it not being that far off in times of its settlement. We close in enough to remark upon the features of this planet. Despite it being bigger than Earth, there are many similar and remarkable details of this world. The world almost spins perfectly on its Y-Axis. Despite this, the planet receives a fair amount of heat that is circulated into predictable weather patterns. It was once believed that this world was almost incased in ice. Unlike Palora, however, the planet has wandered closer to the star over millions of years. Over time, the ice had completely melted and flooded the entire globe. There is more water in this place than Earth ever had. Essentially, there are no separate oceans but one singular one that virtually engulfs the planet.

Such a planet is more than capable of sustaining life adequately, but it is pretty obvious that a vast amount of it has adapted to living in the water. There is marine life that can breathe carbon dioxide and oxygen above the surface, similar to Earth. However, ocean levels are much deeper and can put areas such as the former Marianas Trench to absolute shame. A world that revolves on its poles almost perfectly causes a natural circulation of air that appears on the equator. Another notable feature is the “Great White,” as the native Oshunians call it. This massive moving cyclone spins and revolves around below the equator. Much like the the “Great Red Spot” of Jupiter, it is continuous and never-ending. It carries the most potent wind speeds, rain, and weather disturbances that dares get in its path. Thankfully, it only seems to travel in a straight direction making regular trips around and around the planet. Its goal is to regulate the hot temperatures of the water while transferring it to new locations. Meanwhile, rain and precipitation are sent northward.

We got closer to the point that we can see the moon of Orsa. The largest moon serves as a military base and construction yard for the UHN. In orbit, we can see the circular gate array named Fort Kajuru tethered to the planet's surface. A series of small gray cylindrical objects start to appear. The variety of patrolling warships and commercial vessels travel in various directions or remain locked in orbit. This planet is streaming with human-made activity. In the northern hemisphere, we start to see at least two huge islands. While significant, they are still dwarfed by the endless ocean. It is obvious now that the highest peaks of land are still capable of having populations settle on it.

The world of Oshun has never reached the same popularity as Cebravis, but it is far from ignored either. Over 500 million people now live on it today. Its history of former Africa resides in its people that pass along the fabled stories of the discarded “Planet of Lost Cause.” The great oceans harbor an enormous amount of fish-like stocks, food, and tourism. We can note one of the great luxury liner spaceships that have come through the gate array. Having a somewhat similar profile to the great cruise liners of the 21st century, the gray winged hulls radiate that of vacationers and party-goers. The rich often enjoy coming to this planet as another variant world of Cebravis. The fabulous beaches of the islands house enjoyment and helps fulfill the struggling economy. The former African Union has had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief when they first saw this world. Even with little land, it was home, and it would do its best not to repeat humanity's past mistakes.

However, Oshun has had its struggles that last to this day. Establishing a new government didn’t happen so easily, and even an economy on tourism is not enough to handle the influx of so many people. Even as the third most populated world of the United Worlds’ Alliance, politics continually eyes this place. Much like the ancient history of some African nations, corruption, bribery, and crime is on the rise in government and its population. There is too little land that debate rages on settling on the southern islands where the Great White sweeps over continuously. Vast ranges of underwater cities permeate the beaches of some areas, and an ongoing threatening war with an alien race hasn’t helped at all.

All is not lost, however. If anything, Oshun has hopes in its ongoing struggle with itself. It is less than a year since the planet successfully repelled a Shal’rein clan fleet. Before the grand alliance with the T’rintar clan, a successful defense mounted by a UHN fleet and Oshun assets successfully destroyed and halted the attacking shark-like subspecies. Even as we continue to get closer and closer to the world, we can actually spot very tiny debris that flies past our side. Most likely, these are the remains of an Itrean ship that was closing in on the planet. If one ship managed to deploy its troops, the semi-aquatic race would have had a significant advantage against a people that preferred to live on land. It was a costly victory, but the Battle of Oshun underlines the resolve of Oshun in repelling future Itrean attacks. It was one of three major colonial victories against the Shal’rein clan before the alliance and be the best remembered above all. With the alliance, Oshun is all but safe from the next assault. The rows of ancient leased T’rintar clan battleships are manned and ready for battle.

We have done enough observation from orbit. Our journey nears its end to begin a new one. We both slip away as we start to fall into the atmosphere of the blue planet. It is mid-day as we feel the gravity pull us down. Even as the friction bounces harmlessly off of you, you can already feel the temptation. It is the highest dive most can ever enjoy into the salty ocean. Never had a people ever had so much water. We are near one of the two major island nations of Oshun. The small continent of Girinhi Kinshasha houses the more pristine tourist side of the world, but we are not headed there. Instead, we are heading to Beureum Lagos, the more industrial-heavy area of the planet. From high above, it does not look like much. There were no significant natural forests, and only a singular mountain range resides in the center. The rest of the area around it houses the single great metropolis of Bandari Kubwa.

The location is little more than a donut-shaped port that encircles around the small mountain range. As we get closer and closer, the small continent starts to get bigger and bigger. The color of light and dark blue with hints of light purple from the bright orange sunlight fills your eyesight. Bandari Kubwa is an active location. Even if tourism is more dominant on the other island, a few cruise liners still make regular trips near the area. In addition, 24th-century human-made surface vessels are making frequent trips back and forth from continent to continent. The advanced fishing vessels carefully tap the endless amount of aquatic life that dot the surrounding area.

We begin to see the large amounts of beaches as we close in on the more heavily populated section of the continent. We are so close that we can see several skyscrapers stretch as high as they can. Multiple factories, warehouses, and sky-rise apartments cover the area. Even in broad daylight, these buildings' construction quality is only slightly better than late 21st century structures. While a few of the facilities do have certain aesthetic qualities, most are generic and dull. It was as if there was great effort to make some of the early buildings look pretty, but the later ones constructed dropped the concept to allow the full utilization of short space available. Advanced floating airships popularly display advertisements while you can see the electric cars drive down the grid-like streets.

We have finally reached the street level. We are nearly two kilometers from the great ocean. Scores of people walk the side paths getting from location to location. Behind you is one of the roads that lead to a tunnel that supposedly goes down one of the underwater cities. Most of these locations are not that deep and only try to take advantage of the little land available. The skyscrapers tower above you like giants.

Most of the population shares different shades of natural dark complexions with varieties of facial features reminiscent of their past ancestry. Of course, this is the 24th century, and not everyone comes from Oshun. A few individuals walk amongst the crowds that have pale and mixed complexions that are native people, visitors, tourists, or those that moved from other planets and colonies. The clothing tends to reflect long fashionable dresses of different colors that most women and men wear. With this place being near the beach, it is not surprising to see some individuals dressed in swimwear. Families escorting their children seem to be coming or going.

It isn’t the only thing that can be seen. Among the absolute, few are those that are not human at all. By now, the human population had grown accustomed to their T’rintar clan allies. The sight of a walking alien amongst the crowd does not seem to stir any alarms or worry in public. Most of these few aliens consist of the Yutilian variety. Their small stature makes them shorter than most humans. They walk on digitigrade legs, have a tail to keep balanced on, feathers that protrude from their heads, arms, and tails, and wear similar clothing to the rest of the population. The generally greenish scaled women seemed amalgamated with everyone. They are little more than bipedal anthro dinosaurs proven by the DNA tests and famed surviving artifact from Earth. A few of these reptilian women are walking together, with one eyeing one of the human men. A look of lust and desire on her face can be clearly seen, and no one can blame her. To her left is one of her friends or associates that are clearly pregnant.

And of the absolute few of the population are those of the Shal’rein of the T’rintar clan. The shark-like subspecies families that live amongst this clan swear their allegiance to them. They are a towering sight to behold. But, unlike the Yutilians, these women don’t seem to mind modesty as much. A pair walks by with a human male in the center. One is wearing skimpy swimwear that is just barely enough to cover her gray-like soft scales. The other one is topless, wearing purple denim shorts and letting her large breasts happily bounce around as she swings her large fin-like tail around—the water calls to them. The man seems to have a look of happiness as the two women are escorting them to the beaches like two giant guards protecting their boss or catch.

Of course, most people are living their day-to-day lives. It is a typical day near the end of the human calendar of September. Most of the men and women are dressed in work clothes. Despite the luxurious and pristine environment of partygoers and vacationers, it was near the end of the work shifts and workday. Most people are trying to get home. In fact, the people in the happy environment tend to disguise something that your eyes see when you look at one of the buildings. As you get closer to inspect it, you can see indented words written on its sides. It is as if someone had taken a sharp edge and etched the words “It’s a lie” in a slanted text. Another one is written in Chinese that translates to “Shal’rein go home!”

Individuals barely noticed these signs. It is such a busy place and written so small that people hardly see it. The company advertisements quickly grab your attention away from it far more than anything else. Finally, there is one last thing that catches your eye.

As you look towards the mountain range that extends in the opposite direction of the beaches, you can see a series of flashing lights. It is several blocks away, and nobody is coming from that area. It has been safely barred off. We quickly head to this area to see a small row of electric vehicles. The flashing red and blue lights are indicative of human police cars. Oshun police are responding to an emergency. They seemed focused on one of the large apartment buildings. Onlookers caught in the event stare helplessly at the transpiring scene.

Most of the police are dressed in red, black, and blue. They wear the Mclevar bulletproof vests and are armed with varieties of pacification gear and caseless pistols. Some wear black berets. One is even armed with a rifle that he has at the ready.

One of the police is a clean-shaven officer. He carries a gold insignia and has a tablet that he is busy talking into. His face shows a sense of fear, mild agitation, and bewilderment. At times, he is simply scratching his head while he overhears the man's orders that are talking through the tablet’s 3D projection.

Not far from this person is a man with a pale complexion. Unlike the other police, this man is dressed differently and sticks out amongst the law enforcement. He is seemingly taller, being over six feet in height. His bulging muscles are reminiscent of a bodybuilder that is only partly disguised by the red shirt, Mclevar bulletproof vest, and dark blue denim pants. His rugged black boots clunked the cement and coarse dirt as he moved back and forth. On his right hip was a holster that showed a particularly large pistol that easily dwarfed the pistols used by the other Oshunian police. The top of his head consisted of short dyed gray hair, almost as if he was trying to make himself look older, but it wasn’t that far from the truth. His facial features made him appear to be a man that was born in North America on former Earth, but he had a grizzled look. His lip curled as he paced back and forth in the most agitated of states. The vest had the person’s name written as “Stone” and had a UHN Marine insignia of Master Sergeant tucked next to it.

Despite his pacing, the other officers tended to avoid him. This “Stone” apparently seemed to cause people to avoid him naturally. No….they were intimidated by him. His size and height alone almost made him represent the great height of the Shal’rein. His face grimaced and only showed signs of annoyance.

“Chief, I don’t know what to do,” the police officer with the tablet said in the familiar Oshunian accent. “I continue to call upon the hostage-taker, and he refuses to talk. He is irate and refuses our calls.”

“He will call us and let us know his demands,” the police chief replied in an even broader accent. “You have been trained to do this, Lieutenant Lekan. I know that you are capable of doing this.”

The supposed pale individual stammered in his walk as he tried to bite his lip. It was as if he strongly disagreed with the comment that he overheard from the chief. He did his best to remain reserved but continued with his pacing.

“Is Stone with you?” the Chief called out. “I can see him from here.”

“Yes……Stone is here,” Lekan replied.

“Stone!” the chief called out. “Follow his orders!”

Finally, the towering man looked at the tablet. His head turned up to look at one of the windows where the hostage situation had taken place. A crime was in progress that seemed to put the veteran in an agitated position. He only gave an evil eye at the tablet and resumed his pacing.

“Ugh….” The chief commented to both of them. “I expect you to get the woman to safety.”

“Don’t give in to his demands…..” Stone finally said. His voice was deep and raspy and didn’t carry the Oshunian accent to it.

“I will get the woman out, Chief,” Lekan said with a slight sense of worried pride. However, Stone could already tell that he was over his head and unprepared for this situation.

“Keep me updated,” the chief said. With that, the tablet projection shut off. Lekan tried to keep a composed look to him as Stone ignored him. It was as if he completely ignored him and overlooked him.

“You heard what the Chief said, marine,” Lekan said. “Let me handle this.”

“A man takes his wife hostage,” Stone said. “It is just after working hours. I already know where this is going.”

“You…..you think that this is just a regular lover’s quarrel gone wrong?” Lekan mentioned as he crossed his arms.

“I don’t care what it is,” Stone finally stopped and looked at the Lieutenant square in the eye. “He can clearly see us from the window and is watching us. He doesn’t know what to do.”

“You can see him? Of course….that augmented eye of yours.”

Lekan had forgotten that Stone had an augmented right eye. While it looked the same as his other eye, the similarities ended there. With technology as it was, Stone had a significant advantage in eyesight as he turned his head to look at the window where the hostage situation had taken place. While there was clearly a wall that was in the way, the augmented eye would continually zoom in and alter the spectrum for the marine to see. He could clearly see a man on the second floor that was walking back and forth in his room. The rough red silhouette would increase from the tainted window that very few others could ever see. In the man’s hand was a pistol similar to the police but more pocket-sized. The hostage-taker was looking at something or somebody else, but it was too far for Stone to clearly mark.

“Right now, the man is sizing us out,” Stone told the Lieutenant. “I can tell that he is just looking at the police and then probably to his wife. You have a chance to send a team up there and rescue her before he kills her.”

“Send a team?” Lekan argued back. “He will just go and shoot his wife when he sees them.”

“He is going to kill her!” Stone snapped back at him and briefly pointed at the window. “I can already tell his pacing. He can’t make up his mind right now. Judging from this, he is cornered and didn’t think this clearly. He was most likely told some bad news, got in a spat with his wife, and is now taking it out on her. He has two choices he is going to make. One is that he will kill her and most likely himself, or he is going to give up. We don’t let him make up his mind. We go in and get his wife out now.”

“Let me talk him down…..I took up years in negotiation at the university. I…..”

“Years, my ass…….” Stone cut him off. “You couldn’t convince one of the Yutilian’s to give you a handjob in a brothel.”

“Hey! What the hell?”

Stone turned his head at the building behind Lekan. He briefly looked up as his augmented eye zoomed in on the sniper of the police team. The Oshunian rifle was equipped with a deployable scope from the top of the gun for the woman to look through. She was in a comfortable sitting position as the gun was resting on the top balcony edge.

“This is Officer Leredi,” a female voice called through on the Lieutenant’s tablet. “I am in position and have a partial vantage point to the target. He is currently walking back and forth from the window. I can barely see the hostage, but he is brandishing a pistol.”

“Good,” Lekan replied. “Remain in position but hold your fire.”

The marine briefly looked around. The other police had adequately closed off the street. However, there were only so many available as this only left a small armed team of three police officers and Lekan that was ready to storm the building. He recognized that two of them were armed with the OSG-5 shotgun fitted with stun rounds and stun grenades. The other had cutting tools and a pistol.

While viable, it didn’t seem to please Stone. He turned to look up at the window. His hands would clench back and forth as he showed a state of aggravation and unease. His eye could see a different angle of the hostage-taker. The red outline depicted a person that would walk up the window. Finally, he stopped his pacing. The perpetrator looked at his gun, away from the window, and then stepped up to the windowsill.

Stone crossed his arms as the man pressed a button. The window slid open enough for the perpetrator to show himself. Lekan turned his head away from his tablet as he looked up and saw the man holding his wife hostage.

The hostage-taker appeared to be a man in his mid-thirties. He was well dressed in fine office clothes that Stone took note of. This was not an impoverished area of the continent, but Stone had seen enough to indicate what was a ghetto area or not on Oshun. The dark complexion was commonplace, but the man was almost bald. His eyelids showed strain and exhaustion that Stone could clearly see.

“Hey!” the man yelled out of the window.

“Baraka!” Lekan called out. “Are you Baraka?”

“Yeah…….” The man called out as he brandished his pistol. “Don’t you dare come up here!”

“Baraka, we are here because we have heard the disturbance that happened in your apartment. Is it just you and your wife?”

“Yeah…..” the man replied with some hesitation. He was looking at the scene and was shaking his head.

“Is your wife hurt? Does she need medical attention?”

“No!” he snapped at him. He pulled his pistol as Stone could see the red outline of the gun being aimed inside the home. “She will be, though. The bitch won’t stop yelling at me.”

Lekan was ascertaining the situation to the best of his abilities. Even the marine was carefully noting everything. It appeared to him that Baraka was irate.

“We are here to have your wife released,” Lekan said.

“Fuck no! I can handle this……..I can handle this until you showed up!”

“You have demands then? Let us try to talk it out. What is it?”

Stone looked at the team. They were holding positions, but they were too far in the open. Any movement that they made and the husband may simply gun down his wife. Stone, however, was a little bit closer to the front entrance of the apartments. He was bidding his time carefully while he continued to clench his hands to his muscled arm.

“I want all of you to disburse now!” Baraka yelled out. “I….just got in an argument with my wife. It is just a simple stupid argument.” An internal commotion was coming through inside the place that caused the man to divert his attention away from Lekan. He screamed at her to shut up.

“We can’t leave, and you know that,” Lekan explained as he lifted up his hands. “We can try to listen to your demands and try to help you out.”

“Shut up!” Baraka screamed at his wife as he aimed the pistol and pulled the trigger. A gunshot could be heard as Stone could hear more screaming inside. The red outline briefly showed a gun going off. His augmented vision allowed him to track the activity.

“Lieutenant,” the sniper called out on his tablet. “I was able to see enough of it from here. The suspect fired his pistol, but it wasn’t aimed at the hostage.”

“Can you see the hostage now?” Lekan asked her.

“Just barely. My scope can briefly track her heat signature from this angle.”

“Listen here!” Stone yelled out at the window. The voice was enough to pull Lekan away from his tablet. The hostage-taker turned his head to look directly at the marine.

“Stone!” Lekan’s eye went wide. “I have this! Shut your mouth.”

“Baraka!” Stone ignored the Lieutenant and pointed his finger at the suspect above him. “Lay down your gun and walk away from this. We have you surrounded. Surrender the hostage and yourself, and we promise a fair trial.”

Lekan was not too pleased that Stone was taking over on this part. His lip curled as he tried to let the scene pass. The suspect, however, was not budging.

“I don’t want to go to jail!” Baraka replied. “I’m not going to jail over this.”

“You know that can’t be stopped,” the master sergeant continued. “It is the responsibility of the police to protect and restore order.”

“What are your demands?” Lekan asked, almost blurting out at Stone. He was doing his best to salvage the discussion.

“I want my job back!” Baraka exclaimed. “I want my fucking job back. Call my boss at Ulrex Industries. Tell him that he made a mistake.”

“When did you lose your job?”

“Today……Fucking……today,” Baraka tried to say as he pressed the handgrip of his pistol to his forehead. “I didn’t……I was going to be promoted, and instead, they laid me off! I can’t afford to lose this job. I don’t…..” he shook his head, unable to finish the sentence.

Stone was well aware of the situation. It was a familiar story and one that could lead to this. Those that didn’t work in the tourist industry in this city had few alternatives. The industrial complex that wasn’t oriented towards war could barely sustain its growing population. Layoffs and mismanagement happened more and more in the following years. A simple petty dispute with a loved one could set a person off. Even with that said, the marine seemed to show little care. He wasn’t thinking about the suspect and was thinking about the hostage. She was simply too buried in the apartment for him to see her present state. He needed to be closer.

“Would us contacting your boss make you feel better?” Lekan tried to appease the suspect.

“Ye…..yes,” Baraka replied. “I want to have my job again. That was all that I want. It is all that I had left to support…….”

Lekan nodded his head. “I am doing a favor for you. In turn, can you release your wife into our custody?”

Stone already knew the answer as he briefly shook his head. This was not a typical petty dispute. While he might have met what he said, he already pulled the trigger of his pistol twice. The marine could track something in the faint outline of his augmented eye. The suspect, while he had his gun in hand, picked something up. Most likely, he was near a table. His fingers were holding onto something small. There was a pause in his movements as if he was completely distracted from everything in the known world. Baraka then placed the small thing back down before he got closer to the window.

“Yes……yes……I…..need to hear it from my boss, though,” the suspect explained. “If I get my job back, then I will let my wife go.”

“Alright….” Lekan said as he began to tap his tablet.

“This is pointless,” Stone angrily explained to the Lieutenant. He kept his words low to ensure that Baraka couldn’t hear. “Even if you get a hold of his boss, he knows he will still go to jail.”

“What do you propose?”

“One, you take the shot and take him out right now. The sniper has a good enough vantage point. It might be possible even to shoot his own gun.”

“What’s stopping him from having another gun, Stone?”

“He could have another gun, but we throw in the stun grenades and storm the location anyway.”

“I can do it, sir,” the sniper replied in the comms of the tablet. “Next time, he walks up to the window.”

Lekan was unimpressed. “No…..we can’t risk it.”

“Fucking idiot….” Stone remarked.

“What was that?”

“I said you were a fucking idiot. The suspect is clearly distraught right now. He has discharged his firearm twice on two separate occasions. This is a combination of him losing a job and petty squabble that has broken out. Right now, he is making up his mind and at the end of his road. His movements are even suggesting a murder-suicide. If he doesn’t get his job back, then he is going to kill her and then himself.”

“You are out of line, marine,” Lekan finally snapped back at him. “You can’t keep your anger issues in check, and it is endangering the life of that woman up there.”

“You are going to fucking complain to me right now? Do it after this shit. Right now, your options were extremely limited from the very start. We go in right now, and I put him down. I will do it. Just give me the word.”

Lekan looked up at the open window. He could see that Baraka had a look of fear and anger mixed on his face. Even for a man with a dark complexion, it was as if his skin was going to become pale from the emotions that poured out of him. He was no longer emotionally stable.

The Lieutenant, in his heart and mind, almost seemed convinced of the marine’s words. He was ready to contact the manager of Ulrex Industries. The news of the company was one that even spilled out on the local media. It was threatening to become bankrupt and was on the verge of doing mass layoffs. Before his finger pressed the call button, his finger hesitated. He knew that everything was going to be a lie from that point forward. Baraka was never going to get his job back and was going to face jail time and psychiatric treatment.

“Baraka!” Lekan called out to him. “I’ve called your manager. I….let him know of your situation. He says that it was a misunderstanding and that he wants you to come back. Oshun is promising a stimulus package to help support your company. They are rehiring its workers.”

It was a lie that was partially effective but not delivered with the best tone. Stone himself did his best not to shake his head in disbelief. Perhaps a bluff was the only way for him to let his wife go, but if it didn’t seem convincing enough for him, then it might have been the same for the suspect.

“You did?” Baraka replied as he paused for a little bit. “You managed to get a hold of Kagiso? He told you that I could have my job back?”

“Yes, now will you release your wife for me?”

Baraka’s face contorted in anger. “You fucking lied to me! That isn’t my manager’s name. You made it all up!”

Lekan’s bluff failed immediately. The risky rouse of his was utterly dashed, and Stone himself could see it. Caught in a lie, it completely discredited him as the lead negotiator and put him in a weak vantage point against Baraka.

“Listen here!” Stone jumped in as he pointed his finger at the suspect. “I know what it is that you are afraid of, and I put it all up to you right now. You kill your wife, and it will only guarantee that you will go to Dragon’s Eye for all of this. You have no hope of winning this. Surrender now, and we will make sure you get the proper help you need.”

“No……no……I can’t,” Baraka explained back to him.

“You are completely outmatched right now. Think of what it is that you are doing and what we have to do in response. You wanted a job to take care of your wife. You care for her, but it can’t work out that way if you kill her or yourself.”

“It’s too late……It’s……”

Stone could see that Lekan was angry at him but at a loss as well. He didn’t care about the Lieutenant’s feelings as he remained focused on the suspect. His attention was instead diverted to the problem at hand.

“We are giving you one chance and only one chance to think this through,” Stone sternly told him. “You have a hostage. Surrender yourself right now, and we promise that you will live, your wife will be taken care of, and you won’t go to Dragon’s Eye.”

The marine was different in how he spoke when compared to Lekan. His words had a more direct and even threatening visage to them. It conveyed the message perfectly to him. Even Baraka was the type of man who could see Stone's sheer muscle and strength from above him. If this man came barreling at you, then it meant that you were in deep trouble. He looked like he could rip a tree in half or even arm wrestle a Shal’rein on almost equal ground.

“Stone….” Lekan whispered to him. “This is above me. You are going to get the hostage killed….”

Stone ignored him as the other police officers looked at Lekan and Stone. The intimidation and persona that the marine established were enough to cause a vast majority of officers to look helplessly at the Lieutenant. It was as if Stone was drawing the leadership directly from him. Meanwhile, the marine would simply watch the suspect above.

From his eye, Stone could see that Baraka was withdrawing from the window. He once again put the handgrip of his gun to his temples while cringing. He tapped the button as the window closed behind him and then walked up to his table. He could see the faint red outline as if he was looking at something that was more important than anybody there.

“You just fucked this all up,” Lekan mouthed off to Stone.

“Sir, I am still tracking our suspect,” the sniper from the opposite roof called on the tablet. “He’s stepped away from the window and isn’t looking down at you. He is confused and seems to be pacing again. Still can’t see his wife.”

“Do you have a clear shot?”

“Negative.”

“Rifle round is too weak to punch through the wall anyway,” Stone countered. “Even a valued trained police officer such as you should know that. He needs to be back at the window if she is going to take him down.”

“Alright….” Lekan tried to reassert himself. “In that case, tell the team to get ready and head in. We already have officer Delu and Gero ready at the apartment door. We will get the rest of the team to go and storm in. If we are fast enough, we can save the wife.”

“No…..” the marine replied as he shook his head. “There is only one way to resolve this. Officer Leredi, if the suspect walks to the window, take the shot and at your discretion.”

With that, Stone proceeded to walk into the building. Lekan clenched his fists in anger as he watched the marine continue forth like a one-man army. He called out Stone’s name once, but the marine ignored him.

Stone was moving at a hurried pace. He couldn’t afford to have Baraka turn to see him missing or heading into the building. The quicker he got this done, the sooner this would be resolved. The main entrance of the apartment slid open. He ran in to see a receptionist that had kept herself hidden in her office. The main lobby was antiquated but pretty, consisting of two large couches. There was a set of stairs and four elevators ready to operate. One of the elevators was wide open as the master sergeant walked into it.

“Second floor,” Stone called out to the elevator. Suddenly, the doors of the small lift closed as it began to rise. There was barely any feel to it as his tablet made a gentle beep and vibrated. He knew that the Lieutenant was trying to get a hold of him. A slight elevator song of former Africa and a happy melodic tune accompanied it as it began to rise.

Stone ignored the phone call and instead looked at his holster. The heavy-duty pistol was quite large, even though it looked like an ordinary handgun. Stone was so big that it actually made the gun look smaller than it appeared. He knew that the gun’s magazine was full and ready to be used at a moment’s notice. He checked his left pocket and made sure that his switchblade survival knife was ready to go if he somehow needed it. He then went and fished out of his pockets two small auditory devices. He proceeded to put the hearing protection snuggly into his ears as he could feel the elevator come to a stop. The slight tug underneath his legs and feet indicated that he reached the floor. He had to ensure that the hearing protection was put on appropriately. This was going to be very loud.

“Fucking civies don’t know how to get shit done…..” Stone said to himself as the doors opened up. He stepped out to a clean hallway. Multiple entries lined the entire area with a black and blue carpet on the floor. He knew exactly where to go, and it was pretty easy to tell what his destination was.

As he stepped out, he could see the two officers that were by one of the doors. Both of these two he already seemed to know. One named Gero was decked with gear, a police shield, and a pistol. He had his helmet on and was in position. The one behind him was a woman named Delu, a rookie cop that had a pair of plasma cutters, grenades, and shotgun holstered behind her back. Both of them looked at Stone as he approached them.

“Stone….” Delu called out in a whisper.

“Ensure that you have your hearing protection on,” Stone responded to both of them.

Almost as soon as they heard that, Gero began to tap his ears. He already had a set of headphones on but was making sure that it was correctly set. Delu gave a confused look but could see what Gero was indicating with his hands. She slapped the cutting tools to her side and was prepared to put her gloved hands to her ears.

“What are you trying to do?” Delu asked him, but Stone walked around them.

The marine was looking at the door and then stepped to the side. His augmented eye activated as the lens was rotating and zooming in on the wall itself. His vision was so incredible that it provided a vague colorless outline of the interior. Stone was looking inside of the apartment where the hostage situation was taking place.

He ignored Delu and simply turned his head slightly. Even with this vision, there were natural obstructions that were in the way. It appeared that denser materials made it hard to see inside exactly. Heavy-duty metal struts between the hallway and the apartment would completely block out the outline, but as he turned his head, he could see it. There were gaps between these struts where Stone observed a red silhouette of a man. Compared to outside, it was much closer and more accessible to see Baraka. He was still brandishing his pistol. At the moment, he was not pointing at her, but he was simply looking at the woman. Stone also spotted the hostage. The woman’s heat signature was much easier to track at this range. She was in the corner of the kitchen. She had her arms wrapped around her legs as she was huddled in fear.

There was one bullet hole that Stone could track that was near the woman. It was clear that Baraka was deranged. He would continue to wave his pistol around, aiming the barrel in her vicinity. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be both the man's and woman’s mouths that were moving. They were clearly arguing with each other.

“When I shoot, Delu, you will cut the door. Gero will storm in and secure the hostage,” Stone quietly ordered her.

“Aye…….,” Delu quietly replied with slight trepidation.

“Ready….” Gero replied as well.

She unlocked the two extensive tools from her hip. Gero was taking a deep breath as he was lifting the shield up. The robust metal slab with a see-through window looked like it could deflect most things shot into it with ease.

Stone unholstered his magnum and lifted it to the wall. He took careful aim at the suspect. The red outline would move but remain stable. Unfortunately, he could see that the pistol was moving around too much. Technically, the marine’s gun was aimed directly at the wall. However, the master sergeant was calculating in his head the density of the wall combined with the power that his sidearm had. It didn’t take him much to come up with the conclusion that it would be accurate.

There was no hesitation in the marine’s face. Cold and calculating, Stone went and aimed the sights of his gun at Baraka’s forehead. There were no struts that would absorb the round when it would discharge. He disengaged the safety, and his finger found its way to the trigger. He would only need one shot if this were done correctly.

Suddenly, a powerful explosion occurred from the end of the barrel the moment that he pulled the trigger. The blast of the discharge was insanely loud that echoed through the entire hallway. Even the hearing protection was barely enough to protect Stone’s ears from ringing. The recoil was heavy but easily contained by Stone’s immense grip and strength. A 50-caliber caseless penetrating AE magnum round was expelled as it quickly punched through the wall.

Baraka never stood a chance. Stone watched as the bullet was slowed down but only by so much. The round was so powerful that it went clean through and straight into the suspect’s forehead. It was a direct hit, and the augmented eye showed a red outline of a man’s head being torn open. The suspect crumbled to the ground dead before even hitting the ground.

The explosion was the queue for Delu to use the two pointed laser tools. She immediately started with both ends as she activated them. The cutting tools emitted a bright light as they began to slice into the material of the door. Using both tools, she did a large circular sweep of the locked door. They cut quickly.

Stone was watching the scene through his unique eye. He could clearly see that Baraka was dead. The woman was shaking in fear from the sudden shock of the blast. She was heading over to the direction of the door to get away from the room she was in. There was nobody else in the space of interest as Stone reengaged the safety on his gun and holstered it.

“Target is incapacitated, Gero,” Stone told him. “The hostage is safe when you get that door open.”

“Roger……damn, that was fucking loud,” Gero replied.

“Almost got the door,” Delu said as there were clear signs of slits drilled through the door. She was going in an upward pattern.

In less than twenty seconds, the door was cut clean through. Delu disengaged her tool as she stepped to the side and slammed her fist to the busted door. It crumpled to the floor, leaving a burnt orange color on the edges. It quickly cooled down when it was exposed to the air.

“Moving!” Gero called out as he stepped in with his shield. He stepped into the living room to see the former hostage waiting to be rescued. “One person, unarmed in the living room. Moving into the next room.”

Delu snapped her tools into place as she stepped into the breached door. She pulled the shotgun from her back and marched in.

“Oh, thank god,” the wife replied upon seeing the police. Her accent was very thick and somewhat hard to understand, even if she was speaking English.

“We are here for you, ma’am,” Delu replied to her.

“Thank you…..he……my husband…..he went crazy……God…..”

Stone stepped into the door next and very briefly looked at the woman. He didn’t even know what her name was, and it didn’t matter in the end. She had a yellow dress on, but there were signs of blood. It had to have come from her now-deceased husband. There were no signs that she had been shot.

“Room is clear. Suspect is down,” Gero answered. It caused Stone to follow the sound.

Upon stepping into what was the kitchen, there was a particularly grizzly scene. The bullet that was discharged from Stone’s gun went quite far. If the wall didn’t slow it down, it would have clearly gone straight through him and out the other side of his head. Instead, blood pooled out from the front left side of his head. The tile floor was becoming covered in solid red that even Gero was trying to avoid walking on.

“Damn, sarge,” Gero replied in a sarcastic tone. “I think you got him.”

“Hmph…..” Stone responded. He didn’t say anything else as he was looking around the room.

The kitchen did have the table where Baraka originally stood. It was a clean table except for one thing that was on it. Not far was the window where he was initially looking at everyone below.

Stone’s curiosity was getting the best of him. He stepped over the body as some of the blood and possibly brains splattered against the end of his boot. He had no care as he approached the table. He could see something that was on it.

The metal table had a single card that was on it. Stone stepped up to the window as he looked through. He could see that Leredi was looking at him from the opposite rooftop. He gave a simple nod to her. The sniper gave a nod in response as she lifted the rifle and disengaged her scope. The hostage crisis was over, but Stone’s focus was diverted to the table.

His fingers struggled to pick up the card. It was shaped like a business card as he finally lifted it and looked at it closely. On the object, it had but a single icon. This was the object that Baraka was looking at over and over again before his subsequent death. It was something that Stone knew was of grave importance.

A small drop of blood from Bakara’s gunshot wound was on the card. An icon on the card showed that of a drawn picture. It had three slashing red marks that marked the background. In addition, there was a blue circular dot with a red reptilian eye in the center. Stone’s face grimaced. It was as if he had seen this image before. Without further thought or regard, he went and stuffed the card into his pocket and proceeded to leave the room…..

The sounds echoed with that of typing and talking beyond his location. The precinct was busy as ever. Paperwork was the never-ending progress throughout the day. Most staff members and other workers simply walked past the cubicle, knowing to avoid disturbing the overbearing marine carefully.

Stone was a man that seemed to barely fit in his own cubicle due to his mass. Music was being played for his own benefit. The odd combination of Aphadus music was played at low volume, almost as if to serve as auditory background noise. The colony world’s music consisted of several different genres. Stone was listening to that of swamp rock that had singers of former India combined into it. Occasionally, there would even be full-blown singing and Indian instrumentals added along with the rock music.

From his chair, the marine was looking at the projection screen with due diligence. Numerous three-dimensional images would show up depicting gangs, gang signs, iconography, pictures of arrested individuals, and their accompanying reports.

The screen’s lights were recording every single detail of the card. The computer core was working overtime trying to piece things together but warranted no results.

“Come on…..” Stone said under his breath. “Second time I have seen this one.”

He ran an image on the first card that he uncovered recently in the past. Found before the day’s incident, the card was damaged by the constant footprints that landed on it. However, unlike the first one, this card was in far better shape, even with the bloodstain that accompanied it.

“No results found,” the computer responded in text on the screen.

“Damn it….” Stone said under his breath. His whisper hinted at the voice of pure aggravation. “Got to be something there.”

He shook his head as his hand scratched his chin. He was in deep thought as he considered everything. He had to pause as the day was getting away from him. It was near 1500. His work shift was nearly over, and even the day’s events were chipping away at his mind. His lip almost curled in on itself as he went and took the card and stuck it back into his pocket.

“Probably just some new fucking gang anyway….,” he tried to tell himself. It failed to calm down his agitation, though.

Instead, Stone went and checked the final report he submitted of the day’s incident ten minutes ago. Nothing would be hidden from the truth. He was reviewing everything with due diligence to make sure that nothing was missed. He was mainly focused on the explanation report. The events flashed through his mind of the man that he shot dead and the wife that was rescued. He did realize that he missed something that caused him to audit the file report. As the box highlighted, he began to type a new sentence.

“Bakara’s widowed spouse Penina reported that he was of sane mind before he tried to take her hostage,” he quietly read to himself. “Admits that he snapped at her due to an argument exchanged with one another. Former spouse lost job three hours prior to returning home. Long-term stress, sudden changes of the individual's employment, and argument are blamed for the cause of the incident.”

Finally, he decided to tap the audit button to add additional comments.

“It is under my personal belief that there were other causes of the now-deceased suspect to take his wife hostage, but lack of evidence prevents further disclosure of information. Penina reports that she commemorates police officer actions on her rescue. She holds no remorse for the death of her husband. I believe that further psychological evaluation is needed for her benefit to help explore this incident further.”

He clicked the send button. More information of details was there, but he was feeling the exhaustion hitting him. Even for one that was physically fit as he was. His mental fatigue was apparent.

A beeping sound erupted near the projection screen. Somebody was trying to call him, and he knew who it was going to be. An audio-only channel was trying to be established as Stone’s finger hit the respond and talk switch.

“Master Sergeant, Stone,” the chief’s voice echoed in his cubicle. “I need you to report to my office now.”

“On my way,” Stone replied. He closed the call as he went and stood up from his seat. He started to walk down the long line of cubicles to his intended destination. The marine held no fear or apprehension of what was going to happen. If anything, he was almost expecting this call. He could only imagine what the chief was going to complain about. To him, it was a waste of energy.

“Sarge…..” a woman with a dark complexion waved and saluted with one of her fingers to her head. He recognized it as the sniper Leredi with her short buzz cut curly hair.

“Hmph…..” Stone replied gruffly. It was enough for Leredi to smile back at him as she almost brushed up against him. But, for her, it was naturally difficult to avoid the towering behemoth.

The office was located not far from the reception area of the front entrance. The front lobby was not an entirely busy section, but random people would show up to bring in reports, file new ones, take care of issues and problems, and possibly haul in the few troublemakers that persisted in the streets. While Stone was perfectly aware of his location, he knew that he stood out amongst the other police officers. Even his clothing was just different and didn’t follow the traditional red, black, and blue police uniforms that the staff wore. He was the foreigner amongst the people that had full knowledge of their home and terrain. His nonchalant attitude even reflected that in how he viewed everyone.

The enclosed door had the words “Police Chief Zuri, Johnson, Oshun Police Precinct 8,” written in both English and Chinese. The marine touched the side panel to notify the chief inside that he was ready to enter.

The thin door separated between both locations. One of the two receptionist staff members sitting by their desks turned his head to see that Stone was heading into the chief’s office. A deep sigh could be seen on his face as the receptionist looked at the other one.

The chief’s door slid open as Stone walked inside. The moment that it closed, the receptionist whispered to the other.

“I bet three mard that it ends in a screaming match again,” one of the two men said.

“Make it two, and you’re on,” the other receptionist happily said.

Inside the chief’s office was a place that was lavish but decadent at the same time. It consisted of primarily blue colors from the carpet and chairs. Each chair was hardened metal that seemed like it hadn’t been clean in ages. The cushions were flattened and never replaced. Several displays showed the layout of the police station, with one on the local Oshun news channel. Several awards adorned the location dedicated to the precinct, but even Stone knew that these were just commemoration certificates and nothing more. There was a bookshelf with actually written books. However, most of them were covered with dust like they hadn’t been touched in a while.

The police chief was dressed like the rest of the Oshun officers sitting comfortably behind his wooden desk. Much like many of the individuals, he had a fairly dark complexion, but he was also quite fat. He had his hands perched behind his head like he was too relaxed. There was a fanciful picture display that Stone saw that depicted the chief. This showed the chief as much younger in a former glory shot holding his carbine after stopping one of the few gang wars in this precinct. He was also much thinner in appearance. The medal that he received for it was on a display gathering dust on the very desk. A large smile developed on the chief’s face as he gestured his hand to the marine.

“Ah,” chief Zuri happily said in a thick Oshunian accent. “Master Sergeant Stone, have a seat. We have much to discuss.”

“What is it?” Stone replied with annoyance as he sat down on one of the chairs. “I don’t have all day.”

“Ha, ha,” the chief laughed. “As always, the rough and tumble marine makes his way to me. Why is that? Why are you always here? Why do I have to call you to my office every time an event occurs?”

Despite the joviality in the chief’s voice, there were clear hints of annoyance in his voice. Even his hands momentarily left the back of his head as he spoke. Stone’s reply was to simply fold his arms up while he dominantly stared at the chief.

The chief briefly lowered his head beneath the desk. His eyes befell Stone’s boots. He was looking at the dried blood that was caked on them before the chief nodded. He took a deep breath and resumed his comfortable position.

“I finished the report,” Stone replied dryly.

“Yes, I read the report and everything that happened,” Zuri happily said. “I just read the update you added to it too. It doesn’t take much for someone like me to notice everything that happened just now. You…..are on the news.”

“If you are here to scold me, then get it over with. I don’t care what’s on the news.”

“Scolding?” he chuckled. “You are like this every time. You expect the worst every…..time.” He stood up from his chair to look down upon him as he rested his hands on his desk. “Why did I expect this to happen today? Why did I expect a bloodbath?”

“I would hardly call killing one man as a bloodbath…..” Stone sternly replied.

“Of course…..and the fact that you ignored Lieutenant Lekan and his orders? And…..I expected that to happen. Why did I expect that to happen?”

“He holds no jurisdiction over me.”

“Technically, that is true, but I still hold some control over you. That is why I told you to follow his orders.”

“Which he failed to accomplish.”

“Which answers the question of why you are here,” Zuri said as he made a deep sigh. He began to walk around his desk. “Stone, why did I bother having you as a part of the team when you don’t follow my orders?”

“Because, if I followed Lekan, then there would be a dead woman today.”

“A dead woman, maybe. Yet, there might have been no need to kill the husband either. He would be treated and taken care of, instead of being…..dead.”

“Then what would you expect me to do?” Stone’s voice picked up. “Walk into the room and sing happy songs till he stopped?”

“If it means seeing you do that and ending a hostage situation, I would pay a lot of money to see that.”

“Hmph…..”

Zuri laughed a little bit as he slowly walked around the marine. “Do you know that I managed to stop a gang war?”

“Yes, too much.”

“I shot two men in that picture before they gave me a medal. You know what? I never killed anyone that day either. No stun rounds……live bullets. I shot their legs and made them kneel to each other. Nobody had to die. Unlike…..you, Stone.”

“I ended a hostage situation. Nothing more needs to be said.”

“Hmmm…..and I expect to hear more filed complaints from Lekan in the meantime? Stone, let me tell you something. You know how many times that I filled a complaint about you to the UHN Oshun command here? None. You know how many times that I hear complaints from the others you scuff here? Too many…..and you realize that I continue to never file a complaint.”

“That’s their problem, not mine,” Stone defiantly replied.

“Yet, I have you here. Everybody that is here is part of my family, but you are a stubborn little child. If that door never opened, you would simply walk through it. I have known you for three years since the UHN assigned you here. Most of the sailors and marines barely come to this portion of the precinct, and yet…..they still needed a Master of Arms marine to help enforce their rules in case their sailors and marines got out of hand.”

Zuri continued to walk around his desk at a slow pace. His jovial personality had shown a severe tone more than ever. Stone simply kept a slight scowl as if he was trying to keep his emotions in check.

“Stone,” the chief continued. “You do your job very well. I tolerate you because you do your work better than anyone else. I ignore the complaints because you get the job done. If I need to have a warehouse of armed aliens to be wiped out, I know that you can do it, but we are not fellow marines, and you are not fighting invaders. We are civilians trying to live a life like mine. I…..want to be fat. I….want to be happy. I want to go home and be with my wife thinking of good things before coming back to work and hearing about something else that you did that angered somebody else. I know you and my people so well that I know they are probably making bets on us right now.”

“So does this mean that I’m not joining with the officers the next time there is another non-related UHN crime taking place?”

“If there is going to be another big one, then you will be there, but I will have to reconsider those complaints when they continue to come……and I know that they will continue. Even I still hold some weight to you, even if you are officially working for the UHN. I would not have you reassigned because I dislike you, but because I would encourage your command to find help for you. Maybe a nice retirement. Anyways…..you can’t use a hammer to fix a glass window.”

“No…..but sometimes you need to use a hammer to break a few toes.”

“Ugh…..Stone……,” the chief said as he walked back to his chair. He stood over him again as he gestured his arms wide open. “Stone……Stone……in a way, you are closer to me than any person here at this police station. You are my age, and at the same time, you try to make people think you are older than me with that….gray hair of yours.”

“I am only two years older, and what I choose to dye my hair gray is none of your business.”

“One day, I will see you smile, and when it does, I will pass out from the shock alone……I know though that it will happen even if it takes years to do so.”

“Like the typical Oshunian…..” Stone remarked as he shook his head. “You take things so comfortably. You pretend that everything is great and swell when the others have nothing.”