“Welcome to Project HAVOC gentlemen. As you all know by now there is pressure
on our fresh water supplies. We won’t be able to continue expansion of Light City
without rationing the daily water available to citizens, and even if we do it
temporarily, it will eventually inhibit future growth. The closest fresh water
source is in the jungle. Arial footage shows a giant spring relatively close to the
jungle border.” A map of the terrain appears in front of us and the giant spring is
highlighted as the target.
“As you can see there is open terrain around the spring. We suspect that the
infected gather in this area, but problems with satellite imaging has provided no
proof yet. If we can set up base there we believe that we will be able to hold back
attacks for long enough to connect the water source to the underground pumping
system. But the vegetation between the border and the source is dense and we
can’t see what’s going on underneath it, so besides having a shitload of ground to
cover, you will be going in blind. What we have seen indicates that the infected
have become well adapted to their habitat and have infested the entire terrain.
They might even have developed a social structure. Squads have been patrolling
the borders since containment of The Urge and any attempts to excavate the
jungle have shown major losses. They have captured thousands of soldiers and
none of the men have been seen again.”
“Are they man eaters, sir?” a guy asks from the back.
“We suspect cannibalism, but that’s where the Logbots come into play. The bots
will keep you safe and get you through the vegetation without being captured.
The Loggers will be accompanied by a collection platform that will collect and
transport logs and other resources to base camp. The Gunners need to be on high
alert as the infected aren’t the mindless walking dead depicted by the media.
Don’t take them lightly and prevent capture at all costs. We are the Light. Kill on
site” the general says and activates the platforms in front of each team.
A holographic miniature like the one that appeared in my living room appears on
each platform. “For the old-timers in the group, you might be seeing some of your
ex-girlfriends among the infected, so I hope you’ve prepared a break-up speech”
the general breaks the ice and everyone laughs.
“Most of you are experienced Aquabot captains and the rest of you are new
recruits. The Logbots work on the same hemisphere synchronization technology
that was used in the Aquabots, but they have been adapted for land resource
acquisition for the jungle terrain. If you haven’t assessed the new robots yet, take
some time to get accustomed to the new parts and features” he turns the bot in
front of him as he walks past it.
“Weaponry and navigation is controlled by the right hemisphere and located on
the left limb” he touches the right hemisphere and it activates the left arm.
“The harvester is on the right and operated from the left hemisphere” he does
the same on the other side.
“The cross-eyed viewing increases scope and synchronicity between hemispheres
and the rotating limbs and tail enable effective maneuverability through the
jungle.”
“It looks like a monkey sir” I comment.
The class laughs. “The design was based on primates. This is why…” he plays a
recording from an eyegram. The guy is walking through the jungle and comes to a
standstill. You can hear something rustling in the bushes. He scans the canopy,
then there’s a tussle and the feed cuts off. He plays a few recordings and all of
them end the same. “As you can see the infected use ambush to attack and the
Palmers are cut off immediately, so we can’t track them down” the general points
out.
“Have any zombies been captured yet, sir?” Colin asks.
“No, none have been captured. These ‘jungle zombies’ aren’t the brainless
barbarians they’d have you believe. They are fast and cunning, and their sheer
numbers give them a tremendous upper hand in the jungle terrain. They seem to
be patrolling the jungle and have discovered and unarmed every base except
Alpha Base which is an hour’s run with the bots from the base to the jungle
border. The bots and each one of you are an asset to Light City. If a fellow soldier
is captured, don’t be a hero. Get the bot out and get back to base. We are the
light. Kill on site.” the general emphasizes our purpose again.
Is The Urge infectious, sir?” someone asks.
“We all are potentially infected if the proper prevention isn’t used. Therefore,
Nigredo levels will be check regularly due to increased exposure to the infected
areas which seem to affect Nigredo levels even without direct contact, and bots
will be sterilized on return to base. Code names have been assigned to each team
and everything has been updated onto your Palmer profile. Take time to update
yourselves on the terrain and the harvesting protocol before you commence to
the training stations” the general ends off.
The others start interacting with the model bots. I gesture towards the exit. Colin
smiles and we get up and head for the door. We scan our Palmers and the door
slides open. The general makes eye contact, but doesn’t say anything. We make
our way through the transparent tunnel that looks out onto the training area. The
jungle has been recreated inside a dome structure. Colin cups his hands around
his eyes and presses against the glass to get a better look. We scan again and
Nigredo is checked as protocol. “Unstable Nigredo levels, dosage adjusted
accordingly” the warming pops up as I scan my hand.
“Is the drug still messing with your Nigredo levels?” Colin asks concerned.
“Yeah, but I’m fine” I say bluntly. I don’t tell him about what happened on the
skybridge.
“They are going to pick it up…” he starts, but the doors slide open onto the bot
stations and distracts him.
“Holy fucking shit!” I interrupt him out of excitement. I try to contain myself, but
the bots look like giant robotic jungle apes with huge heads. Each holding a saw
and a gun. I laugh aloud.
“Fucking hell” Colin looks at me in disbelief and we both start laughing. I check my
Palmer for our bot ID.
“Jungle Monkey’” I read aloud, and the bot lights up as we come closer.
“Original” Colin says sarcastically. We step onto the boarding platforms and the
bot lowers itself into a squatting position. The hemispheres slide open and we
race to get in first.
“Hello baby girl, good to see you again” Colin greets the bot.
I move my fingers to activate the controls. The lights form around my hands and
the hemisphere activates.
“Good morning Captain Rovell. Good morning Captain Orgo” the bot welcomes us
in a male voice.
“Looks like our lady stayed in the dark?” I joke ignoring the fact that they used my
family name.
“Synchronization update in process, please follow the instructions” the bot
instructs. We move around as directed to update any changes.
“Update completed. Significant changes picked up in the left hemisphere. The
necessary alterations have been made” the stats pop up in front of us.
“That’s a first” Colin frowns, and looks at me with that concerned look again. It’s
best to keep quiet in the bot since they monitor everything. But I can tell he
thinks that it has something to do with last night.
“Lower limb synchronization commencing” the bot notifies.
“Looks like we’re learning to walk again?” I say trying to act unfazed.
We detach from the stabilizers and try to stand upright. I still need to get a grip of
the tail. The extra weight makes us tilt backwards. A collection platform picks up
on the imbalance and slides beneath us. We hit the platform and burst out with
laughter, unaware of the general who has just walked in with the other teams. He
taps into our headspace to communicate with us from the outside.
“You see gentlemen, if Jet was aware that his tail could stabilize him and thrust
him forward, he wouldn’t be sitting on his ass right now” the general says trying
to maintain a straight face. Everybody laughs. I do as instructed and manage to
push us up with the tail. The bot gets up and I remove my hands from the steering
sensors. My hemisphere opens. Colin’s a few seconds ahead of me and is already
standing at attention when I stumble to find my footing and raise my hand to my
head.
“At ease boys” the general says and we lower our hands. Colin clears his throat
like he is about to apologize, but the general interrupts him with a laugh “Get
back in there so I can show the rest of the men what not to do.”
“Sir, yes sir” we say simultaneously. We get back in and the hemispheres close.
The general scans his palm and opens the giant sliding doors that lead onto the
training terrain. Synthetic trees underneath a dome with bright lighting. “Try not
to fall on your face this time” he mocks as he directs us forward.
“Don’t rush a professional, sir” I laugh. He laughs and explains the control updates
that we already completed on activation to the rest of the teams.
“What happened to the blonde girl?” I ask while waiting for the general to finish.
Colin smiles. I take a second to remember the three espressos. “You
motherfucker! I almost liked her!”
“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t. She was programmed for you to like her” he
laughs.
“She was programmed?” I frown. “You mean I fucked a robot?” It felt so real.
“I fucked two” he grins arrogantly.
“So, they were the professional party escorts?” I ask.
“Yeah, well worth it in the end, they made me feel like a king, but I can’t say the
same for you though” he smirks.
“Who fucked how many bots?” the general interrupts, overhearing our
conversation.
“You got to play the hand you’re dealt, sir” Colin shrugs.
“You will do well in The Harvest, Captain Rovell” the general compliments his
opportunism and indicates for us to move closer to the trees. We enter the
habitat recreation area and the hemispheres polarize.
“The platform you sat on is actually for log collection” he continues. The collectors
are independent from the bots, so you can focus on your job of either cutting
through the dense vegetation or navigation and defense. As we have seen, the tail
can be used for stabilizing the bot during combat, navigation through the jungle,
and thrust in case you capsize. The spherical body makes it roll easily and the legs
can rotate to stabilize from any angle. The hemispheres remain stable even when
the body spins.
We walk towards the trees and the collector follows us, but keeps a safe distance.
“It probably already updated us as a hazard” Colin jokes.
“Captain Jet will now harvest the tree and transfer it to the platform” the general
instructs. I open my right hand and the saw clamp opens on the right limb. The
blade starts spinning automatically when I open my fingers and attach the clamp
to the tree. I move my thumb to my index finger to slide the blade through the
trunk, and open my hand to release the log onto the collection platform.
“Nice job captain, now we can move on to target training and defense. Captain
Rovell will be able to shoot ammunition or ignite the flame thrower depending on
the situation and the number of attackers” the general instruct Colin to use both
techniques with holographic attackers in different situations.
That night I wake up soaked and just lay there unable to sleep. My mind racing
and my teeth clenching. What is wrong with me?
The training continues for a few days and we synchronize tail stabilization and
defense combinations and reestablish perfect synchronicity. My Nigredo levels
keep fluctuating and the night sweats and insomnia make me act paranoid and
agitated during the day. I keep administering Nigredo at regular intervals to
suppress the symptoms, but it keeps getting worse. What the fuck is happening to
me?
After the last day of training I spot the general looking out onto the desert
surroundings from the cafeteria windows.
“Thank you for the training, sir” I say and look at the view with him.
“We finished the dam just in time. The river started running slower and
completely dried up shortly after” he says and turns to face me. “It’s good to be
prepared for anything” he says and looks at me intently. I try to maintain eye
contact but look away. “Get some rest, the first squad is being sent out tomorrow
and you and Captain Rovell are in command” he says as he’s about to leave.
“Thank you, sir” I feel slightly relieved as he leaves, but what did he mean by “It’s
good to be prepared for anything?” Is he referring to my Nigredo levels? I’m sure
their tracking our vitals, but maybe I’m just being paranoid? I need to get more
information.
I have access to classified files while I’m at the training facility, so I go back to my
room for some privacy. “Search for information on the Purple Pulse” I command
my Palmer. “The Purple Pulse…” I pause and select private audio and resume the
reading “…was reported as the purple illumination of the atmosphere resembling
that of the northern lights or aureoles borealis.
Aurora borealis is produced by photons generated from the collision of ionized
nitrogen and oxygen atoms with solar wind particles swept up in the earth’s
magnetic field. At the time of the reports the El Niño effect created toxic algal
blooms which played its part in whipping out the remaining aquatic life and
releasing large quantities of nitrogen into the atmosphere along with the influx of
chemical nutrients from fertilizers from agricultural runoff which created
conditions that could lead to the aurora borealis effect on a planetary scale, that
would fit the description of the Purple-Pulse.
The Purple Pulse occurred prior to the outbreak of The Urge and the shifting
global temperatures. People who experienced the Purple Pulse reported pressure
in their chest area, rapid metal imaging and a purple glow emanating from their
bodies. All the events occurred at the time of the rapid increase in the earth’s
electromagnetic frequency, but the increase in frequency has proven to be too
minor to significantly affect large organisms.”
“Get information on The Urge” I command. “Undefined Resistance to Growth and
Evolution (URGE) is a neurological viral infection that causes the disintegration of
neural networks inside the brains of human beings. Signs and symptoms typically
start between two days and three weeks after contracting the virus with initial
symptoms of restlessness, insomnia, night sweats, vivid dreams, muscular pain,
headaches and emotional instability. Left untreated it leads to complete
emotional detachment and disregard for societal norms, loss of memory and
identity, withdrawal from reality and eventual revert to carnal state.
Within controlled conditions subjects show animal-like behavior, becoming more
aggressive towards themselves and healthcare professionals. The symptoms
gradually intensifying until victims exhibit suicidal tendencies and when restrained
eventually die of cardiac arrest.
The first reports of The Urge coincided with the shift in climatic conditions. The
rapid change in temperatures and unprecedented weather conditions wiped out
most large life forms and pushed all the remaining life forms to near extinction,
with only small pockets of vegetation remaining. To date there is no known cure
for the virus as it mutates faster than treatments are developed, but prevention is
available through the daily administering of Nigredo which has successfully kept
the virus contained for the last twenty-seven years.”
“What do they do with the infected?” I ask.
“Infected are placed in quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus.” There is a
video link available. I play the video.
I watch a girl in a holding cell chewing through her own wrists and guards rushing
in to restrain her. Her wrists are sown shut and all the while she is screaming and
moving around erratically to try and stop them. I watch another guy repeatedly
run into the wall to knock himself unconscious and a woman pulling out all her
hair and scratching herself until she has open wounds all over her body. I feel sick.
I can’t watch any more of this.
I should probably ask Colin about the Purple Pulse and The Urge seeing as he
survived it, but I don’t want to cause unnecessary suspicion especially not in the
training facility.
That night I’m running through the jungle. I feel afraid. I’m running away from
something. I turn and see a fire coming towards me. I run deeper into the jungle
until I reach a bridge. I want to cross it but on the other side are purple zombies.
I’m stuck. I watch the ground crumble at my feet. I wake up soaked. It was a
dream…