Chapter 1: Horizon
All i saw that day on T.V were propaganda commercials about the war, i didn't know much about it, but my parents spoke strongly for its need "Stimulate the population" They said, what bullshit i thought to myself. The commercials showed a young fit male, with the united frontworld flag on it, i flipped the channel to the news, a pretty young blonde jutted out from the blackness
"Death toll rises today, as an attack leaves an estimated 1,500 dead..." I turned the T.V off with a sigh, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.
My eyes opened instantly hearing my mom enter the room, the light from the room had all but seeped from it, leaving my mom a sepia tone, as the sun set over the densely populated colony.
"No word from your father" She said with a sigh I looked up at her, she looked a lot older than before dad left, but i knew why.
She looked back at me " Have you thought about it?...The letter I mean, its what he would have wanted." She broke the gaze to look back out the glossy window at the setting sun, the glass pane immediately adjusted to the light amount, getting a bit lighter as the sun dipped below the skyline with each passing minute. I looked at her and nodded, I had made my decision a long time ago. I wanted to go to the outer rim.
It had been nearly a month since we heard from my father last, my mom was looking more and more worried, the woman who has once supported war, was now but gone, she sat at the holoterminal watching anti war propaganda. She feared that my father had died in the war, and since there was not a line of communication established with the outerworlds, nobody would really know unless they enlisted. I had signed the papers a few days ago, and my mom hadn't really spoken to me since, she missed my father, and so did I.
My departure date was rapidly approaching, and the estimated death toll was rising according to mom, she said "Hopefully this means that you wont arrive into combat, maybe we have pushed them off for now." I just nodded at this, i didnt know, and she was just telling herself this to feel better.
The house had transformed from a few pieces of furniture that had a 2025 esque look to them, to what seemed to be a memorial to my father, I didnt even know we had this many images of him, you learn something new every day I laughed a little to myself as i packed my standard issue Frontworld Military bag. I was leaving tonight and i knew that my mom was hysterical but she didn't really show it, The bus had arrived.
I had hopped on board the huge bus, we were going to the spacedock, I had never been offworld, And i have to admit, I'm slightly excited. After we had made the rounds, the bus was about half full, and we pulled up to the entrance to the dock's and the senior officer was listing names, once your name was read you were to exit the bus and give the attendant your bag, "you wouldn't be needing it" He said, i found this strange.
"Jake furregson....Jim Noir.....Brent Williams" I immediately stood from my seat and did as he instructed, i was one of the last to exit, and there was a commander shouting
"You will receive training once you arrive at the outer rim , there you will be sorted by your mental type into a job that fits you best" His shout was ear piercing "Once your on the shuttle, take a seat, and strap in, its a bit uneasy the first time you use the system, but you will have to adjust"
And just like that we were whisked away onto the shuttle, it looked almost like a disc, the center was hollow and there was a huge obelisk extending as far as the eye could see, the guy next to me turned his head "Wonder how this thing works?" He said, inquisitively with a semi smile, he was frightened, we all were, but he was the only who spoke.
After a short safety speech, they initiated the shuttle. The subsequent noise was like nothing i have ever experienced, I closed my eyes in anticipation of departure, the noise was so intense, i could feel it vibrating my entire body, i just wanted it to be over, i swore i heard somebody scream, and before i knew it it felt like we drifted to a halt, we had reached the outerworld in a matter of minutes, I knew it was possible, but it was still amazing. A door at the corner of the shuttle opened slowly, the new air seeped into the shuttle, it smelled sterile it was abrasive to the senses, an officer stepped into the shuttle, he was wearing entirely white, an older gentlemen who didn't look like he belonged in a war zone
"Welcome to the outerworld's"
The elder gentlemen made himself known to the group after we were whisked into a long hall, that looked like it belonged on the inside of a hospital on the frontworlds. After we were all lined on the inside of the hall he made his presence known "I am lieutenant. Maximilian Fisher You will address me as sir as long as you wander my halls"
He went quiet the group answered out of instinct "Yes sir!"
The sound died in here, the walls looked padded, he spoke again "I am in charge of processing recruits such as yourself and administering your first and only splicing treatment, this treatment it to enhance our soldier, to reduce the chances of a burner having to turn his torch onto you, is that clear?"
The group replied with a "Yes sir" again.
"Soon you will each be escorted into a room where you will be strapped into a chair and administered the splicing treatment, if you do not comply with these terms you will be sent back to the frontworld." this worried me, could splicing really be that bad, i mean they intend to reverse us once they are done, right?
I waited in the wings for about 20 minutes before i was escorted to the room, there was no sound it seemed in the entire facility, the doors to the room slid open and there was a large chair, leaned back, it had several restraints on it and the staff assured me this was for my safety and for those around me, I'm beginning to think that i might become a superhero or something, wouldn't that be seriously bad a**? As much as i wanted to be the next peter parker I was scared what this would really do to me, and i masked that with amusement. After i sat down i was securely strapped into the white chair, the entire room was white, and the wall's looked padded.
After a few seconds i heard the computer say "Commencing the injections into subject TZ45890."
And once that phrase was over, i felt needles sticking into my back, neck, arms, legs, pretty much everywhere. I thought the shuttle was the worst of it, this is by far the worst, the pain was extremely intense, and i closed my eyes, i could feel every bone in my entire body snapping and re-configuring themselves, was this splicing? I pulled hard against the tough restraints the entire time, but my attempts to stop the procedure were all but futile.
After 10 or so minutes of my pitiful screams the agony stopped and the computer said "Subject TZ45890 splicing complete"
I was breathing very hard, but it didn't seem normal to me, and i didn't realize why, I could hear men talking but the exact details were a mystery. The needles retracted back into the chair and became invisible once more, awaiting their next victim.
My body ached everywhere, and i sat there in the chair, under a small light that only illuminated a few feet around me. After a minute or so of catching my breath, the door opened and another staff member came in and the restraints simultaneously snapped from my various extremity's. I fell to the ground and the staff member through my arm over her shoulder and assisted me in walking from the room, we walked down the long hall there was nobody there but myself and the medical staff member, the doors as the end of the long hall opened, to reveal a glass arch the you could see the outworld jungle on the outside of the compound, it was dark, but i could still make out a few trees in the distance. This was really the outerworld, I had finally made it.
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