SO you have wished it, so it shall be!
Chapter II: Freedom’s call
“I humanity a breath of life who lives in harmony with planet, or a vile cancer that must be exercised?â€ÂÂ
Lady Dierdre Sky, Sid Myer’s Alpha Centauri
A name is a powerful thing. It reminds us of who we are. Most are given by parents, not mine, because I have none. Mine is Mako.
I sat on the cheap, white bench, in the massive living quarters of about sixty of my kind, we are as the humans call us: Mutants. We have also been called freaks, monsters and even atrocities. It was then that I saw him, the human behind the mirrored glass overlooking our little world. A bright, illuminated silo wet, amidst four other silo wets. He was staring at me, and I stared right back.
“There he is†I growled.
“Who?†Asked my companion, he too was a mutant. An orca, strongly built, a little over seven feet tall, plus a four foot tail. His name is Chinook.
“The general who is supposed to “evaluate†us†I answered scornfully.
“Oh, him†Said my other comrade, this one a dolphin, leaner than Chinook, and a little shorter. His name was Darwin.
Suddenly, a loud voice over an intercom system called: “Mako report to the meeting chamber immediately.â€ÂÂ
“Try not to loose it this time.†Joked Chinook.
As I walked through our world of cheap furniture and even cheaper food I contemplated my existence. Just over seven years ago, I broke out of that glass prison, the first to survive. I was dumped here, in this white washed world. For the first week or so, I was just like they wanted me, docile and obedient. Then they made another, black and white instead of my blue and white. At first, we didn’t know what to do, we simply went about what little there was to do. And then another, light blue and white, slightly skinnier than me or my black and white compatriot.
Then they crossed the line, they made a female, blue and white like me. A younger one to, where we had been born almost fully grown (10 or so) She was only seven. It was then that we made a pact. We would give ourselves names, to remind us of who we were, and how we were created. Mako, Chinook, Darwin and Magenta, the first four aquatics.
Now Chinook, Darwin and I are sixteen, Magenta is fourteen, and there is about sixty of us. The humans have pretty much stopped making more of us and are now focusing on regaining their lost control over us. But today I was going to strike a blow for us.
As I stepped into the meeting chamber, I saw my adversary for the first time. Like all humans, he was startled at my appearance up close. Apparently from his high vantage point of the control room, he had underestimated my height. Understandable since I stood at least seven feet high, and that wasn’t counting the five foot tail with its sickle shaped fin that swished behind me.
“So†he began “your this Mako I’ve been told about.â€ÂÂ
“That’s right.â€ÂÂ
“Do you know why you were created Mako?â€ÂÂ
“Yes, to fight your petty little wars, which I won’t doâ€ÂÂ
“That’s right, now why won’t you help us?â€ÂÂ
He talked to me like I was a three year old! This is starting to get on my nerves! “Because what you did was wrong, and we are just as entitled to rights as you are.â€ÂÂ
“Wrong. You are not entitled to rights, those only apply to humans.â€ÂÂ
“And why should that be?†I retorted.
“Because we created you.â€ÂÂ
It was my turn to smile “Wrong, it is because we scare you. Humans are inherently scared of what is different, and we are very different indeed.†I shifted my position so I could reach the little metal lip under the plexan shield, there was something I needed.
“That you are!†shouted general Marchank. I also found what I needed, two shards of aluminum blind, the cheap kind they used to cover the plexan when they didn’t want us to see what they were doing.
“You are scared of what you created general, but we are most certainly not scared of you.†I slipped the two shards into the pocket of my prisoner's uniform. “Goodbye†I turned and walked out of the meeting chamber.
“Hold it you! We aren’t finished†Shouted Marchank, but I had already gone.
Marchank turned to Dr. Strom, who had loitered behind him during the whole meeting. “Well!†The general demanded.
“That was almost cheerful for Mako.†Said Dr. Strom.
“Why is it that he is so disobedient? I thought you bread them to follow orders!â€ÂÂ
“There is no way to do that general. They either follow or they decide not to.â€ÂÂ
“Well maybe you should have thought about that before conducting this experiment†Bellowed Marchank.
“You don’t think I’ve considered the consequences?†Spat Strom. “If a breeding pair of these things escaped, we could be looking at the dawn of a new species. One that could quickly take over humanity as the dominant species of this planet.â€ÂÂ
Marchank had no come back for that argument.
“So, how’d it go?†Asked Chinook, with more than a little grin on his rounded, black and white muzzle.
“Disgusting as always†I replied. “But I got it, all I need now is a diversion.â€ÂÂ
“A diversion? What’s that supposed to mean?†Asked Darwin. I smiled evilly at him.
“Why are you two looking at me like that?†He asked.
Suddenly, Chinook stood up and declared in a voice that anyone with two grey cells to rub together could tell was acting: “Darwin, this is all your fault.†Before strait arming him in the chest and knocking him out of his seat.
As Chinook bent down and grabbed the dolphin by the neck, Darwin looked up at him and hissed “What the hell do you think your doing?â€ÂÂ
Chinook smiled as though this was completely obvious “I’m creating a diversion, I suggest you fight back.â€ÂÂ
It didn’t take long for the other aquatics to catch on and join in the fray, but the real pandemonium didn’t start until six human guards armed with tazers charged in and started trying to break up the mock fight. Only to have the target shift from Darwin, to them. Meanwhile I slithered off under the tables and chairs towards the electrified door that led into the main corridor.
Once there, I began to hack away at the dry wall on the right hand side with the shorter of the two aluminum shards. Finally making a hole through which I could fit my hand, ah yes, there it was, quite large and insulated. The electricity main for this level of the complex. I sliced back the rubber insulation and placed it to one side. After that I bent the longer aluminum shard into a rough “U†shape, wrapped the insulation around the middle and leant forward until the ends made contact with both the power main, and the electrified door.
There was an explosion of sparks, and every light on the deck wend out. There was sheer chaos, and I slipped down the hall, my sensitive eyes adjusting to the dark.
I found what I wanted, an air vent. Tearing back the thin metal grill, I began to slither up the vent. Finally coming the a vertical shaft with a spindly ladder on one wall. It was the main vent shaft that ran from the reactor core, all the way up to the surface of the ocean. But, I didn’t need to go that far, next to me was a small plate which read: LEVEL 17-19: Lab complex. I climbed down the ladder until I reached the plate that read: LEVEL 20-22: Storage.
“How convenient of them to put the armory just below the lab.†I muttered to myself as I crawled into the adjacent vent and crawled to the grill. After a quick look to make sure there were no guards in the armory, I tore off the grill and proceeded to lock the door from the inside so as I would not be disturbed. I began to look over the multitude of twenty first century weapons lining the walls. I would take only the best.
First, I changed out of my prisoners uniform into a skin tight, neoprene combat wetsuit. And took a bullet proof, combat vest equipped with all sorts of gadgets.
A pair of VE-360 vision enhancement goggles, not that I needed them for much, but some of the features could be useful in the near future.
One MS-1000 Metal storm assault rifle. This boxy weapon had nine barrels arranged in a square and enclosed in a single metal housing with a high tech, blue laser pointer fitted to it. Metal storm weapons don’t use traditional moving parts to fire their bullets. Instead, they use sequential electric charges to fire, allowing them a firing rate of twenty rounds a second. I placed it into a shoulder holster and slung it across my back.
Two MR-200 Mag-Rail shotguns in thigh mounted holsters. These used magnetic pulses to fire rails of depleted uranium, capable of ramming through two feet of solid steel.
A hologrid belt, which looked like a four point harness, like the kind NASCAR drivers wear. This was designed to allow aquatics to move, undetected through human settlements.
Finally, the crown jewel of the US army weapons labs. The Pheonix laser riffle. This weapon uses the most powerful military grade laser that can still be carried by an individual.
My arsenal now complete, I crawled back up the vent, slightly difficult due to the large amount of equipment I was now carrying. I climbed until I found the plate marked: LEVEL 5-15: Subpen. I tore back the grill and dove into the brightly lit room, Much to the surprise of the three technicians in the control bunker. I glanced around, and then my eyes fell on it. The Manti Mark two subfighter still sitting at the main dock. It was my ticket out of here.
Meanwhile, in the enclosure, Marchank had joined the humans along with another six, armed guards. He was shouting about finding the originator of this fight when one of the guards shouted in absolute terror.
“Hey! Where’s the ring leader?â€ÂÂ
Marchanks eyes hurtled around the scene: from the carnage left from the brawl, the hole punched in the dry wall, the still fizzeling electricity main and the wrenched open door.
His eyes fell on the crowd of aquatics. One in the front, a younger shark named Aniken, around thirteen, now nursing a cracked tooth smiled demonically. “Suckers.†He stated, still holding his tooth that would fall out soon and be replaced by another, that’s one of the plus sides of being a shark, no dentist for us.
“Oh my god.†Hissed Marchank in an almost animal fury. “That cunning little fish, he put one over on us. OH MY GOD! Security teams, meet me in the subpen! We can’t let him out!
The elevator carrying the assault team of around a dozen guards and Marchank halted in the subpen and the doors slid open. Marchanks eyes opened in horror, to late.
My subfighter was already tearing itself free of its moorings and roaring off into the main pool.
“Holy crap!†He exclaimed as he saw what I was going for, the secondary bay doors. The three techies also saw it and dove into the elevator. Just as Marchank hit a random button on the console.
Meanwhile in the two seater cockpit of the subfighter, I punched the twin triggers on my control bars. Twin trails of vapor appeared from my sleek nose as two micro torpedoes launched. They impacted with crushing force, splintering the steel doors like matchwood. The massive wall of water seemed to hang in mid air for a split second, and then it came crashing in. Just as my subfighter blasted out into the open sea.
You may ask why I'm staggering the releases of the chapters, long story short I found that people usualy didn't read it when I posted it all at once (no wonder, this story is L-O-N-G) Plus, it's not quight finished.
Till next time, Chinook
Topic: Project Ocean Blue Chapters I & II (moved) (Read 2768 times)