{Burn's POV}
{Somewhere in omnicron}
After hours of toiling and nigh countless clashes with the negrons, we finally made our way to the checkpoint where the orb was being guarded.
I signaled the rest of my team to stop behind me as we scanned the outpost from a safe distance.
It was built like a fort of some kind much similar to the old structures in the early modern era back on Earth. A massive wall that extended up to twenty feet with a wide base to provide support for the structure, a dome like structure sat at the top of the fort with a medium sized searchlight planted on top of it.
There were negrons patrolling the environment and they moved in a distinct pattern, never too close to the fort and never too far away, back and forth endlessly.
As for details of what was inside the building, I could not account for that and was not willing to risk sending any of my teammates or myself in order to find out, especially not in our weakened state.
"We'll retreat, for now" I signaled, turning to see the look of relief on the faces of most of them. It was a sign I had made the right call as a leader.
Now that we had secured the location of the base, it would be easier to locate by the next team that would be sent, who hopefully, would succeed in clearing the entire fort completely.
We spent the remaining time of the day resting our sore limbs and compiling our report for when we returned and after a day of travel, we were able to make it back to Earth, safely.
*******
Days rolled into weeks, and weeks into a month since the first reconnaissance mission that the government had set out, returned and although details were hidden, there were various speculations online about how the mission turned out.
The appearances of the strange entities that the government had tagged 'negrons' kept on increasing in numbers everytime it occurred.
After another month of combating the increasingly vast amount of negrons that spurned out of the exotic gate, the government finally decided to set up a special tasks force in accordance with the suggestions of the special advisor to the president, Hamsdale.
The president had protested against the idea when it was first suggested on a live conference, but later gave in after deeming the situation of the country at large, a very daring one.
Entrance into the task force however, was treated with remarkable scrutiny as per the usual protocol surrounding civilian protection, so as not to send 'inexperienced' and 'unrefined' civilians to the battlefield in vain.
"Applicants must possess some form of basic education, possibly up to high school level.
Applicants must have served in the army or received combats training or any form of self defense training.
Applicants must go through a one month compulsory training program to better prep them about every details both inclusive and exclusive.
Applicants must sign a NDA after completion of the special program..." Rukius voiced trailed with the wind as he read through the requirements on the list that went on and on until it finally came to a stop.
I was qualified for enlisting but for some reason I didn't want to. I simply wanted to enjoy the freedom of a jobless civilian with the monthly bonuses that the government sent to everyone.
This was the life I had dreamed of, free of routine and work with plenty of time to myself and my thoughts while receiving a fat bonus for simply existing.
"I'm enlisting" Rukius affirmed, gripping his red sweatshirt in the chest region.
He was already on his feet, a determined look on his face like someone who was about to risk his life for the greater good of the world.
Inasmuch as I wanted to just laugh at his claim, I couldn't because he was dead serious.
"Huh, really??" I asked sarcastically, my eyes stretching in mischief.
"Why do you seem so surprised"
'Was that even supposed to be a question?'
The lazy, nonchalant, high and mighty rukius, enlisting himself into some secretive program with no guarantee for his safety. It sounded so unbelievable and I couldn't help but just chuckle where I sat.
"Well, if that's what you wanna do then I guess I can't really convince you otherwise.... Hehehehe" I chuckled maniacally, stroking my chin as I stared at the device in hand.
"What's with that laugh" There was an odd condescending look on his face as he spoke, staring at me and giving me shivers
" Nothing... Nothing at all" I shrugged, resuming my surfing.
I still thought he was joking until he came back the following day, form in hand and his face brimming with a supposed sense of self confidence. He was to begin the special one month training program the following week and wasn't allowed to share info about any of it to even me his roomate.
*******
At night, we lit up a bonfire close to our neighbor's house, where almost everyone in our community gathered as they shared meals together and laughed all night long. I simply sat at a secluded spot, carefully observing everyone, living their lives in this very moment. Without a care of what was happening in our country, and even if it was just for this night it all seemed to feel right to them.
"Why are you alone, sir" A voice echoed in the open space, jolting me back to reality.
I looked up from where I was sitting, and peered into the eyes of the fourteen year old girl that stood right in front of me. She seemed very shy and respectful, and the fact that she called me sir, confirmed that she was not very good at socializing.
Her mom must have put her up to this and seeing as to how she would not fit in with the children playing around the fire, she decided that I was the best option since I was alone.
I knew all this because I was once her age, and I knew how it felt to be the only weird one in the crowd, the laughing and endless bullying that came with it. My case was different however, in that I always fought back but still remained the same. Even at twenty-one, I was still a backyard snob to the rest of the society.
"It's Nezro, not sir" I said smiling at her as I watched her hide her face in embarrassment, before offering her to sit next to me.
She squinted at the fire, adjusting her glasses while trying to fight back the curiosity she felt. Her bleak dressing didn't do well to compliment her beauty but her fair skin and silky black hair could more than compensate for that.
Her golden eyes shone as she stared at the flames as if they were of one colour, perfectly illuminating her stare. She had a common habit of constantly tugging at her glasses, pushing them above her nose each time they slipped.
"What? I asked, trying to trace the reason for her intense stare and better understand this teenager in hopes of understanding myself in the process.
"Why are you all alone, sir?" She spoke, peering even closely into my eyes.
I looked at her and tilted my head to one side before she made to correct herself.
"Sorry, Nezro" she corrected, casting her gaze back at the flames.
"What's your name?" I inquired, forgetting my manners a bit as I stared deeply and the open sky.
"Anita" She answered, disinterested by the question I had posed.
She beared the name of one of my aunts that I was not so fond of and I simply just chuckled quietly at the coincidence. It wasn't a rare name at all, but the chances of someone you knew bearing it were very slim.
"Well Anita sometimes when you sit alone, you get to see the world from a different point of view"
I Instantly felt like retracting my statement, for fear that she would not be able to fully grasp the meaning of those words and would obviously want to pry me open with questions. But it was too late, she was already curious and demanded answers.
"A different point of view?" She repeated.
"Yes, a different view. When you look at the bonfire what do see?"
"Flames.....?"
"Ok, what else beyond the flames?"
"People trying to run from their reality"
This time her reply was laced with certainty and disgust, and I wondered what she might've been going through at her age to already detest happiness.
"Good, what do you think the people at the other end of the flames will see?"
"Two lonely, disinterested people talking. And flames"
"Hahahahaha" I laughed, this time out loud without a care.
I liked the way she thought and it felt weird to actually vibe with someone who thought like me for the first time, and even weirder because she was a teenager.
"What's funny?"
"Nothing, just the way you phrased it made it seem like you were a grown up.... Pfft...."
"Well I'm not a kid" She protested, pouting as she started scribbling gibberish on the ground.
"And I didn't say you were"
I knew she didn't want to be treated as a kid that knew nothing so I didn't, I simply talked with her all through the event until people started retiring to their homes so as to not break the curfew the government had put in place.
" You know what Nezro?"
"What?"
"You're actually very interesting to talk to"
"And so are you Anita, go to your parents before they leave"
"Oh, I didn't come with them. I snuck out!"
She winked at me as she ran past the flames hopefully to her house, giggling all the way. There was something about her that reminded me of someone I must have known before but at the moment I couldn't just put a finger to who that was.
'Sneaky girl, I hope we meet again sometime when the world's not a mess'.