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Sven’s story
I refused to sing.
As the Unity escape pod rocketed towards Chiron, the brainwashed faithful strapped into their deceleration harnesses were singing “Onward Christian Soldiers” at the tops of their voices. “Morons” I inwardly snorted. How had I become embroiled with this bunch of loonies?
I had been recruited as a mercenary on earth by the smooth talking Colonel Santiago, but in the confusion of the hustle to the escape pods I had become detached from my platoon and wound up being swept along to the wrong escape pod. I was now apparently part of “The Believers” faction, under the leadership of a religious fanatic styling herself Sister Miriam Godwinson. “Ah well,” I thought, “as long as the pay’s the same it won’t be so bad. And there are some nice looking women in this crowd.” But I still refused to sing.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Sister Miriam interviewed me shortly after planetfall. In her own way she was impressive, slight of stature, almost matronly at first glance. But those eyes….piercing, and the deepest blue that I have ever seen in a person’s eyes. With a stare that seemed to be looking right into my soul. Her mellifluous voice was captivating – the kind of voice that commanded attention just by its tone and inflection.
I admit, she unnerved me.
“Sven”, she began, fixing me with that all-knowing stare, “you are The Lord’s gift to us, a symbol from Him that our cause is just and that we shall prevail in the conquest of this harsh planet.” I shuddered. “I want you to take command of our defensive forces, and mold these eager recruits into a force without equal on this planet – God’s Army”. Her voice rose “I shall provide the spiritual leadership and vision, and the open arms of salvation to welcome the ungodly , and you, Sven Alfredsson, will be my right hand, God’s fist of compulsion.”
“Ma’am”, I said, “I work alone”. She glared at me. “What do you mean?” she queried, hackles rising.
“Look at me Ma’am. We mercs are a breed apart. I’m half human, half cyborg, a self-contained fighting and killing machine”.
This was true, and the evidence was before her very eyes in the form of my 215 cm. 150 kilo frame.
When I was conceived in 2040, my parents had wanted a merc. They were all the rage as the old world order was collapsing, and having one in the family represented a degree of comfort and security as no-one tangled with a merc. Selective genetic engineering had given me long legs, for fast ground covering, a huge torso, and an ability to withstand extremes of heat and cold. My muscular implants boosted both endurance and strength, so hefting the increasingly cumbersome weaponry was no problem. Retinal implants boosted sight, both telescopically and across the infra-red spectrum. Sensor nodes on my scull interacted with neural implants to give me 360 degree vision and the ability to operate in total darkness without loss of operational efficiency, as well as the ability to distinguish within the ultrasound ranges. I had also been fitted with analgesic dampers that allowed me to flood my system with pain blockers on command.
My forearms were massive, for they contained within each an arsenal of necessary equipment that could be deployed through neural commands. From within each I could slot into my hand both conventional pincers and laser cutters, fletch darts that could immobilize an enemy, nervegas projectile launchers (though I didn’t think that the technology to produce nervegas was available yet on Planet) as well as the usual implanted array of useful tools. Within an abdominal sac had been implanted a small nuclear device which I could again activate on neural command, the “Kamikazi” option, which would destroy me and my stored memories and reports completely.
Truly I was an awesome fighting machine.
She stood back appraising me speculatively. “Then you shall work alone,” she said.
“You will form part of our scout command, but you shall be Independent, reporting directly to me.”
I nodded my assent.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
I approached cautiously, with enhanced senses flared. It lay there, in the patch of fungus, ominously black, and my sensor readouts gave no clue. It looked like one of the Unity pods that I had helped load before the flight, but there was something subtly different about the material. I flexed my wrist and willed the laser cutter into my hand. Carefully I opened the pod and leapt back in amazement. This was nothing like I had ever seen before.
I raked it with my sensors, searching for any clue as to its origin or purpose. I collapsed to the ground in agony as my sensor readings went through the roof. Triggering my neural and analgesic blocks, I recovered and moved away. The artifact followed, hovering just above the surface. I must take this back to our research scientists, I thought to myself and headed back the few clicks to New Jerusalem.
The journey back was different, as I wanted to avoid the patches of fungus – which slowed my movement somewhat (but seemed to have no effect on the artifact). I saw another pod nearby, similar to the first. Without hesitation I opened it and was unsurprised to see another, similar, artifact.
The small populace of New Jerusalem stood and gaped as I entered the base like a pied piper with rats in tow. The Artifacts caused some s******s and guffaws as they resembled a cross between the old R2D2 robot of the old Earth movie and a fire hydrant I recalled from the slum area of my native city.
The scientists were abuzz with curiosity and with the thrill of discovery. Hustling them to their labs, they began their inspection, linking probes and sensors into every orifice the artifact possessed. Suddenly a shout erupted, and the lead scientist rushed into Sister Miriam’s offices where I was reporting to her.
“Sister”, he gasped breathlessly, “guess what?”
She fixed that steely stare on him, one eyebrow raised interrogatively.
“We have completed the special project we were working on, and have built The Merchant Exchange, thanks to the two artifacts that Sven delivered to us.”
Sister Miriam glanced over at me “You have done well”, she said
…..to be continued.
I refused to sing.
As the Unity escape pod rocketed towards Chiron, the brainwashed faithful strapped into their deceleration harnesses were singing “Onward Christian Soldiers” at the tops of their voices. “Morons” I inwardly snorted. How had I become embroiled with this bunch of loonies?
I had been recruited as a mercenary on earth by the smooth talking Colonel Santiago, but in the confusion of the hustle to the escape pods I had become detached from my platoon and wound up being swept along to the wrong escape pod. I was now apparently part of “The Believers” faction, under the leadership of a religious fanatic styling herself Sister Miriam Godwinson. “Ah well,” I thought, “as long as the pay’s the same it won’t be so bad. And there are some nice looking women in this crowd.” But I still refused to sing.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Sister Miriam interviewed me shortly after planetfall. In her own way she was impressive, slight of stature, almost matronly at first glance. But those eyes….piercing, and the deepest blue that I have ever seen in a person’s eyes. With a stare that seemed to be looking right into my soul. Her mellifluous voice was captivating – the kind of voice that commanded attention just by its tone and inflection.
I admit, she unnerved me.
“Sven”, she began, fixing me with that all-knowing stare, “you are The Lord’s gift to us, a symbol from Him that our cause is just and that we shall prevail in the conquest of this harsh planet.” I shuddered. “I want you to take command of our defensive forces, and mold these eager recruits into a force without equal on this planet – God’s Army”. Her voice rose “I shall provide the spiritual leadership and vision, and the open arms of salvation to welcome the ungodly , and you, Sven Alfredsson, will be my right hand, God’s fist of compulsion.”
“Ma’am”, I said, “I work alone”. She glared at me. “What do you mean?” she queried, hackles rising.
“Look at me Ma’am. We mercs are a breed apart. I’m half human, half cyborg, a self-contained fighting and killing machine”.
This was true, and the evidence was before her very eyes in the form of my 215 cm. 150 kilo frame.
When I was conceived in 2040, my parents had wanted a merc. They were all the rage as the old world order was collapsing, and having one in the family represented a degree of comfort and security as no-one tangled with a merc. Selective genetic engineering had given me long legs, for fast ground covering, a huge torso, and an ability to withstand extremes of heat and cold. My muscular implants boosted both endurance and strength, so hefting the increasingly cumbersome weaponry was no problem. Retinal implants boosted sight, both telescopically and across the infra-red spectrum. Sensor nodes on my scull interacted with neural implants to give me 360 degree vision and the ability to operate in total darkness without loss of operational efficiency, as well as the ability to distinguish within the ultrasound ranges. I had also been fitted with analgesic dampers that allowed me to flood my system with pain blockers on command.
My forearms were massive, for they contained within each an arsenal of necessary equipment that could be deployed through neural commands. From within each I could slot into my hand both conventional pincers and laser cutters, fletch darts that could immobilize an enemy, nervegas projectile launchers (though I didn’t think that the technology to produce nervegas was available yet on Planet) as well as the usual implanted array of useful tools. Within an abdominal sac had been implanted a small nuclear device which I could again activate on neural command, the “Kamikazi” option, which would destroy me and my stored memories and reports completely.
Truly I was an awesome fighting machine.
She stood back appraising me speculatively. “Then you shall work alone,” she said.
“You will form part of our scout command, but you shall be Independent, reporting directly to me.”
I nodded my assent.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
I approached cautiously, with enhanced senses flared. It lay there, in the patch of fungus, ominously black, and my sensor readouts gave no clue. It looked like one of the Unity pods that I had helped load before the flight, but there was something subtly different about the material. I flexed my wrist and willed the laser cutter into my hand. Carefully I opened the pod and leapt back in amazement. This was nothing like I had ever seen before.
I raked it with my sensors, searching for any clue as to its origin or purpose. I collapsed to the ground in agony as my sensor readings went through the roof. Triggering my neural and analgesic blocks, I recovered and moved away. The artifact followed, hovering just above the surface. I must take this back to our research scientists, I thought to myself and headed back the few clicks to New Jerusalem.
The journey back was different, as I wanted to avoid the patches of fungus – which slowed my movement somewhat (but seemed to have no effect on the artifact). I saw another pod nearby, similar to the first. Without hesitation I opened it and was unsurprised to see another, similar, artifact.
The small populace of New Jerusalem stood and gaped as I entered the base like a pied piper with rats in tow. The Artifacts caused some s******s and guffaws as they resembled a cross between the old R2D2 robot of the old Earth movie and a fire hydrant I recalled from the slum area of my native city.
The scientists were abuzz with curiosity and with the thrill of discovery. Hustling them to their labs, they began their inspection, linking probes and sensors into every orifice the artifact possessed. Suddenly a shout erupted, and the lead scientist rushed into Sister Miriam’s offices where I was reporting to her.
“Sister”, he gasped breathlessly, “guess what?”
She fixed that steely stare on him, one eyebrow raised interrogatively.
“We have completed the special project we were working on, and have built The Merchant Exchange, thanks to the two artifacts that Sven delivered to us.”
Sister Miriam glanced over at me “You have done well”, she said
…..to be continued.