GuNNhead

With the deal accepted and her mother’s encouragement, the rest of the family packed up and followed Andrea’s golden opportunity to the Inner City. Before she was even able to fully unpack with everyone in their new home, further augments were requested by her wealthy benefactor. He wanted his future bodyguard to be top-of-the-line. As such, no expense was spared. With all charges covered for the accommodation that was provided up front, she felt indebted and thus couldn’t refuse. She spent the next few weeks undergoing surgeries and then recovering the bare minimum before heading back in for more. This repeated until she had all new sensory and movement enhancements along with inhuman reaction and processing speeds.

When they were done tinkering with her – for now, at least – she could finally take the time getting accustomed to the mid-class district and settle in with her family. It wasn’t as peaceful of an environment as she needed. Arguments sprouted amongst her cousins about abandoning the home and community that they had built. Andrea didn’t think to point out how hypocritical that was. With the barrier going up, there wasn’t much they could do. Being on this side of the fence, they were inclined to agree it was for the best. It didn’t stop them from just wanting to voice their anger though…

The rumors began to circulate upwards from the forsaken Outer City. There was widespread outrage and some small protests already brewing. Her heart clenched when she heard in passing the names of her old friends amongst a list of known agitators. They had stood up against this nonsensical division and were front and center in leading pushbacks against this definitive disunion. The unrest was still in its early days, but she feared what conflict her erstwhile friends would soon end up involved in. Those who were willing to give an answer to those demanding one, simply said the division was what needed to be done for the benefit and security of all. That was only the opinion of those who truly benefitted from it, of course. Instead of finishing the Outer district, the Executives decided that resources needed to be allocated to researching the spaceship and developing an adequate defense should its owner return. 

On the night before the shield was to go up, Duun Strutts arrived with his entourage to the residence of Andrea and her family. He stated clearly that it was time for more augments, emanating an aura that allowed no space in the room for any follow-ups. Duun wasn’t a man who liked to be questioned. She followed him to his vehicle, but was left pondering what more they could do to her body. Wasn’t she already more augment than human at this point? Her unease only grew as they did not elaborate about its details. Unbeknownst to her, this would be the most drastic change of her life.

This operation differed from the previous ones. They weren’t enhancing muscle power or tweaking nerves and receptors. This one was far simpler in comparison. A single chip, no larger than a fingernail, was inserted into Andrea’s brain. Its goal was one to throw away ethics: to erase all human emotions. Tears, laughter, and anger. A mental overhaul. She would respond emotionlessly to commands, no matter the moral questionability. Her reactions – which were already superhuman – would no longer be delayed by conscious hesitancy. 

Duun Strutts admired his masterpiece once she came out of the operating theatre. Though nothing had changed about her physically this time, there was a clear change to her demeanor. He smiled in sadistic satisfaction at seeing the lifeless sheen that glossed over her eyes. She would be perfect for his intended purposes – to crush anyone who dared to rise up against him and his regime without a hint of remorse or doubt.

Naturally, on the night of the shield’s activation, there were violet and tumultuous riots forming around the Barrier Pillars. Impromptu bonfires lit up the grim faces of an already poverty-stricken population. The full force of both the ICSF and OCSF was on the scene, all led by Andrea. Her troops weren’t aware of the controlling chip in her and were left clueless about her new, cold attitude. Without a hint of emotion, she informed them of what she had been told earlier. The use of lethal force had been authorized. 

She rallied officers who dawdled with uncertainty. A few threats later and she had them moving with her as they met the resistance at the Barrier. Not a single warning was given to those attempting to breach into the Inner City. She opened fire. Only a few followed suit, and nobody stopped her. As she quelled the crowd with force, a sense of familiarity caused her vision to linger on the faces of her old friends. Some part of her true self remained and clearly recognized them, but her body didn’t respond to seeing their initially determined and then harrowed expressions. She watched their bodies become riddled with bullets shot by her hand. The sound of the gunfire was louder than their cries. Even when they fell to the ground, she made sure they would never again get back to their feet. She had to defeat the retaliation. She fired until she ran out of bullets. It was a massacre of familiar faces. She felt no guilt and shed no tears.

After that night, her benefactor changed his mind about simply allowing her to serve the ICSF Tech Squad. Instead, being so impressed with her performance, he appointed her as his personal bodyguard. He had invested so much in her after all. He didn’t even let her return to her family after the mission. Not that he cared, but it was for the best. His true intentions for her were finally revealed. After a few years and a close call, he felt particularly inspired, ordering a complete overhaul of Andrea. Under the knife she went for a complete spinal replacement and the removal of her augmented arms and legs. Fitted in their place were insanely strong mechanical limbs. She was kitted out to be more of a weapon than the bodyguard Duun claimed her to be.

Through the constant violence of her assignments and his insistent tweaking of her ‘design’, her once innocent and beautiful face soon became a mess of scar tissue and stitches. Her stunning, friendly blue eyes were replaced with bionic ones that were as unwelcoming and hollow to look at as the rest of her. Golden locks were hacked off and shaved down for convenience. A super soldier couldn’t afford to be slowed down by hair getting in her eyes, after all.

Eventually, the man grew bored of his little pet project. He wanted bigger, better and more outrageous. So he got creative. The next big change was an even more drastic one. He ordered giant bird-like talons for all appendages and a single large wing which protruded from her spine. It was perfect to scratch that itch to create something so powerful and never seen before. Unfortunately, she was now no longer aesthetically pleasing enough to accompany him as a daily bodyguard. She was altered beyond any other being, something barely capable of being labelled a human anymore. Andrea was a husk of her old self with nothing left to identify her by.

So Duun, wanting to keep up his own image, decided to seal her away in Strutts’ Tower – the tallest structure in the city that was topped by The Spire, a spiral extension that protruded into the sky and defined the Barrier. If he ever needed her services though, she was only a push of a button away. He had a remote that sent a signal directly to her brain, allowing him to keep Andrea at his beck and call. Only he could enter and exit the part of the tower she was locked in by its main door. As such, Andrea’s only exit was a hatch on the side of the building, only opening by the push of the same button that activated her. Witnesses of her leaping from the side of the ominous structure, swooping down at insane speeds to her master in his office just above, would barely believe their eyes. 

Some days Duun Stutts’ orders were bloody – as to be expected of the corporate assassinations. Others, the man simply wanted to show off and gloat over his monstrous creation, taunting underlings before their demise or flaunting over other wealthy aristocrats who couldn’t compare to his outlandish invention.

It took Duun Stutts some time to get used to the surprise that came with his personal bodyguard slash assassin when she appeared before him, only moments after summoning her. He would hear a faint screech which would be loud and piecing to anyone nearby. Then a wind-shifting flap of her wing and finally, CRASH. She would land mere feet away, either impaling her target or standing to attention, depending only on the way the button was pressed. Soon enough, he became almost as unphased by the murders that happened in front of him as Andrea was. Something she lacked though, was his immense sense of pride at the killing machine, but also the underlying fear that came with knowing exactly what she was capable of. 

Andrea’s decision to join the OCSF was a source of immense pride for her family. However, her close friends were less thrilled. For years they’d been the type to hang around in the sewers, spending their time scavenging the unfinished Outer City. They had always derided the Inner City’s leadership and lamented about all of them being an afterthought, a group to either ignore or oppress. The mentality held by the majority in the Outer City was “us against them”. It was no different for Andrea’s friendship group. They strongly believed the Inner Citizens were undeserving resource hoarders, whereas the hard-working Outer Citizens had been left with next to nothing. 

What was once idle complaining between disgruntled teens eventually developed into plans of action as they matured into hardened, indignant young adults. But when she told them about the opportunities her career could provide, her friends didn’t see joining the Inner City’s “Olive Branch” OCSF as an acceptable answer. They knew in their hearts that the only way to get the resources to continue building the Outer City was to take them – by protest if necessary and not exclusively peaceful. And so, on the day of Andrea’s acceptance into the security forces, she was no longer able to call most of those she had spent her youth with friends. They ostracized her for siding with “the enemy”. 

Only her two closest friends kept in contact with her. The two were opposites in size but equal in loyalty to their friend. They came to her graduation party, one giving her a tight hug around her waist, the other lifting her off the ground with a huge bear hug. When it was time to say goodbye, she watched them walk off. She knew things would be different, but was blissfully unaware that this would be the final time she would ever see them through her own eyes…

Working in security was everything she hoped it would be. But there was always more she thought she could do. And that meant she needed a promotion. Ascending the ranks in the force was not as straightforward as she had imagined, and justice often took a different shape than her compassionate nature would have liked. But rise she did. Once she reached High Officer, it became more difficult to keep up with her peers. The more authority she gained, the less respect she received from her new peer group. Then there was the calibre of criminal she was expected to go up against. 

In the field, it was all too common to augment the self with cybernetics. Though Andrea was initially trepidatious, the benefits quickly became tempting. They’d definitely prove useful when ambushing whole criminal syndicates by herself. Simple arm and leg enhancements were all she felt she needed, and she was correct, soon becoming an Elite Officer.

Though she was making good money, her family depended on her financial support. From schooling costs to medical bills, every credit earned when into their care. This meant she could not afford the further augments required to qualify for the highest role one from the Outer City could achieve; Tech Squad. 

For her, management was never the goal. She preferred to be out on the streets, interacting with the people she was actively helping and seeing the situations they were in firsthand. It was important to her to have a personal connection with those she was assisting. Andrea didn’t want to forget where she came from. Though that wasn’t hard. Every day was a constant reminder that she had to live behind a blockade of class. Walking a fine financial balance was a constant stress. She couldn’t both provide for her family and simultaneously get enough enhancements to get promoted to the role she wanted to become. It was an unfortunate and unpleasant conundrum. 

Her languishing did not last long, however, for whispers began of something that was about to change the lives of everyone in both the Inner and Outer City districts: A barrier would be activated in the coming weeks, one that would forever divide both regions. Andrea probed her commanding officers to find out what that meant exactly. Those that had connections to the barrier construction teams informed her that it would completely restrict travel and what little supplies were being sent to the unfinished zone.

This meant many things. The Outer City would be completely abandoned, left to fend for themselves. There would be uproar, riots, and a whole lot more work for her. Would Andrea be able to keep up with her minimal augmentations? That was only the start of her long list of troubles to come.

On one of the following days, a powerful Executive from the Inner City by the name of Duun Strutts, took a tour of the local security station, looking to bolster his personal security detail. The brass of the station ordered all officers who resided in the Outer City to line up for inspection. When the tycoon laid eyes on Andrea, he stopped in his tracks and immediately approached her. She felt her skin crawl as he complimented its alabaster nature and pushed a lock of her shock-blonde hair out of her face. She had the good sense not to flinch away from the unwanted touch despite her innate desire to. He stared into her azure eyes and commented to her Chief and Commissioner that “it would be a waste to let one as beautiful as this” be locked out of the Inner zone. 

The new position would require her to relocate to the Inner City and join the conglomerated City Security Force. She knew there was no way to turn down this offer without dire consequences. In that moment, all eyes on her, she had no one to turn to. She felt hope sink out of her as they continued to explain the position. Panic struck her knowing she would have to abandon her family outside the gate, leaving them to fend for themselves. Despite knowing it was a death wish, for the sake of her family, she had to refuse the offer. However, before she could get a single word out, as if reading her mind, the Executive guaranteed to bring her family along with her, as well as finance her augments that would place her far above Tech Squad. He had done his homework. Now there was neither true choice nor option. In what would become the biggest regret of her life, she agreed then and there.

“We are the first generation on a new planet. One swarming with danger. We are not children of explorers but of evacuees. Our parents’ planet was under attack, and while our city had a purpose, it was incomplete when it was launched. Millions rushed to it. Billions more did not make it. No one knows exactly how we made it through an anomalous force of density around this solar system, but none could follow us, and we had no way of ever leaving again. The City settled upon a seemingly perfect world, and we were told it was once called Loameria; named after its fertile soil. Many of our parents were working in The City at the time as scientists or construction workers – roles deemed valuable. But others, like mine, were merely passengers. Like many born of this city – descendants of the evacuees – we are from two worlds.

Life was not easy. Growing up here was always a backdrop of dread, we were all just waiting for the axe to fall. It was kept hidden from us when we were young, but by grade school’s end, every child knew that the horror our parents feared was real. A spaceship was discovered not far from where we landed. It belonged to the sole original denizen of this planet. But where were they now? No one knew. But that didn’t stop the rumours. One day, it was theorized, they would return and reduce all of us to nothingness. The executives, those in charge, studied the ship. Not long after the discovery, work was diverted from the completion of the Outer City to build a research facility. For the protection of everyone. Once it was built, no updates came from it, and construction of the Outer City did not recommence.

Most citizens simply continued to push forward. To work. What other choice did they have? There was little point in being afraid of existential threats, a ticking clock without numbers. It made no difference if the end of the world was tomorrow or 100 years from now. 

Time passed, and I grew up tough from my time living in the unfinished zone. There, we were a community, a close nit one. But I had higher aspirations than the cobbled-together streets I called home. I had always looked to bigger and better things. And one day I decided to strive to become a top member of the security forces for the Inner City…“

Even as a child, Andrea rarely looked up at the stars. Instead, she was consumed by the enormity of her existence in the vast universe. The reality of her situation constantly sat upon her brow. As such, she had always set her sights forward, only towards things within reach. Her focus grew as the things she believed she could change grew. The world right in front of her was filled with hopelessness and despair that was greater than her. But by doing small personable deeds, helping out here and there in her local area, she saw the difference just one person could make. That was how it started. 

Andrea’s home life was a bustling one, with her mother, aunt and several cousins often vying for space and attention. It was safe to say they didn’t all share her driven nature and a strong sense of justice. While her cousins were commonly derisive, insulting her kind nature, her mother supported and encouraged her altruistic tendencies. To her, she was her little angel. She was friendly with most residents of the Outer City, getting to know them through her good deeds. They also saw her as a godsend – the spritely, benevolent teen who helped grow crops, look after the neighborhood’s kids and even help with constructing shelters for the many who’d been abandoned by the Inner City. 

As she matured, Andrea continued to be a beacon of hope for her community. She wondered how else she could improve the lives of the people around her. After much consideration, she realized a career in Security was calling to her. Though it was organized by the Inner City, and many believed they had no right to a presence in the Outer City after abandoning development, she knew that she could make a difference in people’s way of life with the resources at their disposal. So, as soon as she was old enough, she applied. Her unwavering commitment to fitness and academic excellence proved to be key assets in her new role. And so, she was subsequently accepted into the Outer City Security Force.

“Ahahahaha! You’re far too reactive, you dumb animal, have you ever even wondered why your blood boils? Or examined it? It’s primordial ooze!”

I reform my arms and fire a Gravity Sphere at him, but he simply catches and dissipates it with one outstretched arm, then points his fingers towards me.

“My turn again, yes? PSYCHO BULLETS!” his hand begins to spin rapidly, releasing a gatling fire of energy blasts. I run and dodge them until the building obscures his vision. Jumping to the floor below him, I reach through it, grab his legs and drag him down, smashing him into the stone of the floor below. He pushes me away and holds me suspended in the air, crushing me. It’s taking all of my strength to not be turned into paste.

“All the power in the universe, and you hit me against a floor? We can crush a starship in orbit, destroy galaxies! Well, I can. You have been limited by your own idiocy. A super-condense field around a solar system? So no harm could come to your special little planet? You could be ruling the universe! Instead you’re stuck here, cut off from billions of galaxies of power, mingling with these common castaways. You believe you are immortal, but I wish to test this theory, by pulling you apart atom by atom and ridding every last iota of you from this universe. Then I will finally be able to leave this wretched planet and assume my destiny!”

“Just shut up and do it.” With that, he makes good on his promise, life as I know it stops instantaneously and every molecule in my body explodes at the speed of light.

Bolts of electricity fire across the unfinished site and I feel the first firing of synapses as my consciousness comes back into being. Psychoflexor is nowhere to be seen, until he comes crashing through the floor above. A shadow passes the hole he made, and I see the telltale shine of The Angelguard. She bellows from above.

“I was designed to handle the Gravity Surge, did you think I’d not be able to thrash your pale imitation, Doctor? You practically burnt your core out destroying them, and now it is my turn for revenge. You took my mind, made me kill my friends. Today is the day you pay for the life you’ve lived.” Before either of us can react, an onslaught of missiles takes out the structure, bringing it down on top of us. We crawl out of the debris at the same time, but I see him first, and activate my Gravity Blades, attacking in a flurry. He is able to parry all of my blows, but with his damage he’s definitely on the backfoot.

“You dim-witted wretch! Immortal, returned from absolute nothingness, and yet your first act is to engage me in hand to hand combat! I hate everything that you are! I will–” A golden wing pierces through his body, slicing him nearly in half. His right side slides off as the remainder collapses. The Angelguard gently lands.

“I thought for a while there that he might have actually killed you, thanks for distracting him, with his mind focused on fighting you, his defenses were nonexistent.”

“Did he… really have my powers?”

“Somewhat, but nowhere near as integrated. As you can see, he still had organs. Although no amount of electrical current running through any material was going to cancel out a fundamental property of the universe, manipulation of the forces of nature isn’t exactly difficult to do for advanced enough science. Mainly, he tapped into your ship’s power from his laboratory deep within the bowels of the city. We have a crew down in the substructure now turning his lab upside down. But that brings us to a much larger concern…”

I step out from the alley into the morning light of the sunrise. Loameria’s suns. As the warmth covers me, I, for the first time, consider that once again Loameria is full of life. I begin to simply walk the streets towards the tower. There are so many people around, living their lives. The majority are from another world, but so many were born here, would they not be Loamerians? Perhaps it does not matter to me if they stay. My desire to kill them all feels somewhat muted. Then, as I pass a park, I hear the laughter of joyous life, and comprehend that my drive to annihilate life will never waver. I ascend above it all, but before I can take off back the Krokodoplis Labs, I am contacted by those at the tower at what is now re-named Gravity Square. There is a villain in the Outer City that Security cannot handle, they’ve locked down a newly opened construction zone and are specifically requesting me by name.

I float down to the unfinished building covered by a translucent purple pyramid forcefield. I ask those on the scene why I should care about some loser and a barely began structure. They point to a flattened pile of rubble next door, and explain that that was once a comparable site. I walk toward the pyramid, and it opens for me. I am then greeted by what appears to be a mechanically replicated version of my original suit, though with inverted colors, triangular theming.

“Gravity Surge! It was so long ago that you first destroyed my life, my mentor’s beautiful chimerical creations on a planet of ice and snow. But that was not enough, no no no, you couldn’t stop there, you went after my home world, destroying my beloved Protectrobot at the same time! Then, finally, you take my mentor’s life and destroy all of our hard work against you! Decades down the drain! Co-opting this research station, acquiring your skull from Celdrdrrun, setting up a planetary-wide attack just to come to this backwater shithole of a planet to set our trap, the spire, all of it, just to be foiled in a matter of days.”

“Is that all?”

“Far from it, you, you damnable thing! You’re nothing but a tornado in a humanoid suit, too stupid to realize you’re piloting a corpse! A cosmic mistake that I alone will correct. “Gravity,” -tt-! You couldn’t even name yourself properly. The control you hold over the very forces of nature… all of it is limited by your stupid little puppet’s brain. So reductive… Now that I, too, can bend those forces to my will with but a thought, I will destroy you with my psychoflexitive powers! PSYCHO SPHERE!”

Lulled into boredom by whatever they were saying, I am caught unprepared. I place both my arms in front of my chest, attempt to guard against it, push back against it with all my might, but it’s not enough, both my arms explode trying to stop the attack. The stumps bleed out onto the ground as I focus on repair.