“In the unlikely event of an antithesis incursion, visitors of the Neu Düsseldorf Gedenkpark Rheinwiesen are kindly provided public shelters at each entrance to the park. This was done in collaboration with the Nachtwächternetzwerk, as well as the city of Neu Düsseldorf. The placement of these shelters was done in accordance to all relevant regulations, to ensure that all visitors will have ample time to reach them in case of emergency. To ensure timely arrival, we advise all visitors to follow the basic guidelines to shelters that are provided at the entrance. Should you have questions or concerns, you can reach us…”
* Sign in front of Neu Düsseldorf Gedenkpark Rheinwiesen’s antithesis shelters, 2050
With my gaze fixed on the chaos above me, time seemed to slow, my mind going into overdrive, trying to come up with a plan.
Zuri and I were a good bit away from the nearest shelter. It was near the entrance of the park, a walk of at least fifteen minutes, ten if we rushed it. We also had others with us, others that would be entirely left to their own devices. Others who couldn’t fight, probably never held a weapon in their entire life.
Despite the fact that it had been four years since I last had to fight, my training came back to me instantly. My body relaxed, my stance shifted. Memories ran through my mind, every lesson I ever learned, every slight movement I had perfected over the course of my life. Every last little detail on what to do and how to act. It all came back to me in less than a moment.
It was as if the four years I spent living a calm and normal life hadn’t even existed.
I stood, my senses sharp. Ignoring the chaos that broke out around me, I focused every last bit of attention on the alien mass coming towards us, and any potential escape routes. My right hand went to my belt, looking for a weapon that was not there. That was a problem.
Despite my lack of weapons, I felt surprisingly calm. After the unabiding restlessness that had been my constant companion over the last couple of years, I almost felt at home in this situation. It worried me a little, but it wasn’t something that I could afford to think about right now.
Okay, I need a plan. What are my options?
My first priority would be to find a weapon. That was my biggest problem at the moment. Of course, I wasn’t entirely without tools. The silverware on the table, the table itself, or even the chairs, could all do the job in a pinch. Improvised weapons had never been my forte, but I could use them if needed. Given the situation, though, I wanted something more suitable.
Once I had that, I needed to figure out where the antithesis would land. Without proper weapons, I wasn’t all too confident in killing them, which meant that I had to plan around avoiding them as much as I could. Oh, I’d be able to fight them off sufficiently if I was on my own. But with Zuri to keep an eye on, and all the chaos the antithesis always brought with them, that just wasn’t something I was willing to risk with only a couple of forks and furniture at my disposal.
That meant that open combat was not an option. Antithesis physiology was different from that of a human, and without the right tool for the job, killing them before they could hurt someone would be tricky. Really, the only reliable method I had available to me in an open brawl would be blunt force trauma. Crack their skull open and kill them that way, but that was easier said than done. These things were surprisingly tough.
My best shot would be an ambush. If I could get the drop on them, killing them would be much easier. The most common antithesis model was the model Three. They had a three-jawed face and two eyes, stacked on top of each other. Through those you could reach what passed for their brain. A long, sturdy knife would be enough to kill one, as long as you could guarantee the hit. And therein lies the trick. The best way to ensure that would be a surprise attack.
Zuri’s safety was my highest priority. I had sworn to myself to keep her, and the rest of her family safe. My family, I reminded myself. The question was, how I could manage that, and what I should do with the others.
They very likely weren’t prepared for any of this, and while in the past I wouldn’t hesitate to leave them behind, to sacrifice them… I couldn’t do that. I’ve killed too many innocent people already, I didn’t need more blood on my hands.
Not to mention that Zuri would never forgive me. She had saved me, she had found me when I had a barrel in my mouth and the finger on the trigger. She was the only reason I was even here. Zuri had done so much for me, even convincing her parents to adopt me when I had no home to return to.
I could not repay all she had done for me with betrayal. And leaving them behind, or worse, sacrificing them to ensure our safety, that would be a betrayal in her eyes.
Stop thinking like this, Yurei! Get your bloody act together! How can you get them all out without anyone dying?
Mentally going over the map I had memorised, I thought about all the different routes I had available to me. From the trajectory of the antithesis pods, I was sure that the majority of them would miss this part of town. Probably even the park entirely. But there was at least one that would land a lot closer, and from my current vantage point it was impossible to guess where exactly they’d come down. Antithesis would spread out fast, they never stopped, never slept.
Their scouts were quick and ruthless. Even on their own they were able to pose a significant threat to anyone without any training. And once they got a group together, they’d simply drown you in bodies. I might be able to kill them one on one, but the others certainly wouldn’t.
Luckily the shelter wasn’t too far, even if it wasn’t as close as I would have liked. We couldn’t afford to waste even a moment. Four routes were available to get the whole group to the shelter. It wasn’t much in terms of a plan. Really, it barely reached the bare minimum of what I considered a hasty retreat. But with my decision to try and save the others, I couldn’t use my normal backup plans, nor did I have time to go into further detail.
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By the time my internal dialogue finally ran down, a tentative plan made, the others had just begun to scream in panic. Keeping myself calm, I glanced over at Zuri. She was staring at me with wide eyes, panic and worry obvious. Yet, underneath all of that, I also found a plea for help. I nodded minutely, letting her know that I’d keep her safe. Keep them all safe.
Turning to the others, I found them much like Zuri.
“Up. Now,” I ordered, voice calm and brooking no argument.
I didn’t like dealing with people. I was no leader, I was a pawn, a tool. A weapon. My purpose was to kill those that I was told to, to not ask questions, to not disobey. I had a job, and I had to do it well.
But none of them would have any idea what to do on a battlefield. It was up to me to deal with this mess.
Instinctively my right hand went to my left forearm, feeling for the familiar scars hidden beneath my shirt. Remnants of my life before Zuri had found me, a record of all I had done wrong. Thirteen tally marks were etched into my skin, cut into my flesh by my own blade.
I had killed a lot of people in my time, more than I could count. And many of them had deserved their fate. But some hadn’t. Thirteen souls had been victims at my hand, killed for no other reason than the orders of the Clan. They hadn’t deserved to die, yet I had killed them regardless. Those thirteen lives were my sins. I would not allow any more marks to be added to this collection.
I didn’t like it, but I would have to take charge here. If I didn’t, more would die. And it would be my responsibility.
“Zuri”, I said, my voice sounding alien, even to me, “Collect the others, organise them. We need to move and we need to move fast. Get everyone ready to head back to the shelter.”
Turning to Cori, I gave her a glance. The woman was looking at me with wide eyes, her skin as pale as snow. “Cori, you’re responsible for communications. Try to get into touch with anyone, no matter who. Tell them to head to the shelter, and to make it fast.”
I didn’t wait for any questions. With quick, but precise, steps I made my way towards the restaurant, dodging and weaving around the panicking masses. I doubted anyone here had a gun or a knife that I could use, so my best bet would be the kitchen.
While I walked, I kept a close eye on the situation. Zuri was the first to respond, and she took my words to heart, immediately getting to work. I dismissed the chaos from my mind, focusing on the next steps. I needed a weapon, and then I needed to check where the pods landed.
A few of them had hit the ground already, although none in our immediate vicinity. It would only take a few more moments longer, though.
Arriving at the kitchen, I weaved past a group of terrified cooks and kitchen staff, slipping past them with an almost casual ease. Even from here I had a good view outside, although not good enough to keep perfect track of the antithesis drop pods. I would’ve loved to stay outside and watch them, but I didn’t have the time.
Finding an array of kitchen knives in all shapes and sizes, I took a moment to go through them. I found two, neither perfect, but they would be sufficient. It had to be enough.
A small rumble went through the ground, and I could hear an impact from outside. Not close, but also not far enough for me to be comfortable. The aliens probably had just landed. Hopefully we would still have a clear path, otherwise I’d have to make one.
Someone was screaming at me, although I didn’t pay attention. Not looking at the irate man, I dodged past him, making my way outside again. If my mental count was correct, less than a minute had passed since the warning. Zuri had managed to wrangle most of those present to group up, although it was clear that it was not an easy task.
One of the older men in the establishment joined her, trying to get some order into the chaos. Between the two of them it seemed to work well enough. I just hoped that they’d remain calm enough until we reached the shelter.
The air outside had changed slightly. There was no smell of blood yet, but the scent of freshly cut grass was sharply increasing in intensity by the moment. As I had thought, one of the pods had to have come down relatively close, a couple hundred meters at most. Debris was still raining down, dust and dirt being blown up by the impact.
In the distance I could hear gunfire, which wasn’t too surprising. The city had a few AA turrets installed all around, a number of PMC’s always on standby. It was standard procedure these days, although it was never enough to stop an incursion entirely. That was the job of Samurai, and we didn’t have any of those with us right now.
I grimaced. This job wouldn’t be easy, but I had to do my best.
Screams and shouts alerted me, and my head snapped towards the direction it was coming from. There was a group of people coming towards us from deeper within the park. They were loud and panicked, and it took only a glance for me to identify Leon and his pack. As if the day couldn’t get any worse.
With a scowl I hid myself behind the corner of the restaurant, unwilling to engage with them in any capacity. Instead, I focused back on the pod that had impacted further away. It cut off three of the four routes I had prepared, and even the last one would be a gamble. But I didn’t have other options. The only other shelter was on the opposite side of the park, and that was far too long a trek. Even if they didn’t have an antithesis pod come down nearby, the aliens would certainly spread out too fast for us to get there in time.
Leon and his crew ran inside, shouting all the way. The moment they crossed the threshold, I made my way over the row of bushes surrounding the place, careful to stay downwind. From here I had a slightly better view, but nothing that helped me see what the aliens were up to. They were there, I could hear them in the distance. Strangely silent, all I could make out was the clacking of their claws on the bricks, but it was enough.
I couldn’t be quite sure what direction they were taking, there was far too much chaos for that. All I could do was hope that they’d keep away from us long enough to sneak past.
A minute or so later, footsteps approached me. I didn’t have to turn to know it was Zuri, I would recognise her pace any day. Giving her a glance, I found her looking quite pale, although she did put on a tough front. She always did.
“We’re ready… I think.” Her voice was a soft whisper, a light tremble audible.
“Good. I’ll send you a route, follow it closely. Keep to the path and don’t deviate unless necessary. We can’t afford to take a more direct path, not with the antithesis this close by.”
My sister nodded, her hands shaking ever so slightly. She was just about to say something, when I heard movement coming from the bushes, and my head snapped toward it. That didn’t sound like people. And the growing scent of freshly cut grass only supported that theory.
Damn… They were too close. We wouldn’t be able to get everyone out of here without them noticing. I took a small breath, knowing exactly what I had to do.
“Get them moving, now. I’ll distract the aliens, then follow after,” I told her in a hushed tone.
“Yurei…” Zuri’s voice was just short of breaking.
“We don’t have time, Zuri, move!” Maybe I was a bit too aggressive, but I just didn’t have the time to discuss it.
She hesitated for only a moment, before I could hear her hurrying away. Again, I took a breath, preparing myself. This wasn’t going to be easy, but I didn’t have much of a choice.
Getting up from behind the bushes, I gripped the two knives.
I’ve done a lot of bad in my life. Maybe today I had the chance to do some good.