Part Ranger: Chapter 5

I first met this man at a display screen store. Display screens are how we receive news and communicate with others. He seemed nice to me, unlike the others who wanted to only use my female parts for having babies. I clearly was mistaken now that I think about it.

He helped me find what I needed and drove me home after my car broke down. Then he mentioned that I was needed with him for a way to "save humanity." What a load of bullshit that was. 

 

 

It’s the day before our battle with Arthromian squad. Matt advised our supervisor to go through a few things about our strategy again. We went through a few mock battles over and over again. The officer never gave us his name. only his job description. He watches over his assigned squad, trains them for battle and makes sure no one dies.

“You’re minds need to be ready for them! If you can’t manipulate their commander, then you have no chance of winning.” Giving everyone optimism about this, aren’t we. “Have the commander stopped by messing with his head and the rest will go down like flies.” He looked over at me. My role in our plan was the most important. “Someone understands my words.”

We didn’t go to classes that day since squad members asked for a day of practice before their upcoming battle. I went into the trainee room and talked to Charles. Everyone there was excited for tomorrow. They wanted us, Mind Soldiers, to win. It seemed safer in there, like I belonged inside that room.

“Show them how strong trainees are,” on person said. “Win!” That king of cheering was heard every time one of them walked by us.

“Will you still be the same if The Mind Soldiers win?” I looked puzzled at him. He returned the look with a serious feeling exhaling out of his face. “Will you still be the Ranger I know even if you actually beat them?” I laughed.

“What do you mean ‘will I still be the same’? I’m going to be Ranger until I die!” He leaned back on his bed.

“I hope so, for our sake.” Two girls walked over and sat on the mattress of his bed. They seemed very familiar. I met them before coming to the station. “Come to give Ranger ‘special’ support?” Charles retorted.

They both giggled. I never knew their names because I left when we first met. “If it will help them win…” One of them leaned closer to me, intimately. The other one rested her head next to Charles’.

“I don’t believe we formally introduced each other last time. I’m-”

“Ranger. We know who you are.” The dark haired girl said. She kept getting closer and closer. “I’m Aurora.”

The lighter haired girl looked away from Charles to me. “I’m Madilyn. Don’t mind her, she can get attached to the first person she talks to in new places.”

When I left the room, Matt was waiting for me. He led me to our usual meeting spot. I rested my head against his shoulder. “Does she speak to you more?” He was talking about the voice.

“Yeah. She taught me about home and what it use to be like.” It wasn’t often that I had a conversation with her.

“Hopefully you practiced getting into human minds and reading their thoughts manually.” I haven’t. “That skill will help you succeed if you can implant a thought inside him during battle.” He led me back to The Mind Soldier room and left. 

The day of the battle was here! Matt came in disguise with the flag material and a scanner to make our squad flag. We made one since the other squads had their own. The copies were placed on opposite sides of the hallway wherever an Arthromian flag was placed.

Darren would look up at the clock every 20 minutes. It turned to 800 when I heard, “Alright boys! Time to get suited up! The battle starts in an hour.” Darren yelled. Everyone ran around to their beds and got ready. Charles waited outside for me to come out.

Everyone followed us to a big door. On our right side, The Mind Soldier flags were plastered on both sides of the hallway. On the left side, Arthromian flags were plastered on every inch of the hallway. Charles left us and joined the other trainees inside.

Darren was leading us to the right towards the flags. “The first step is our most valuable asset we need to work if you want us to win.” He said as we walked. A big door separated us now.

Faintly, I could hear cheering going on beyond our barrier. My body began to shake slightly. One of the other boys behind me grabbed my shoulder and nodded. “Okay! It’s time to prove my worth.” I said to myself.

The door began to slide open. Everyone’s cheering grew louder at the same time. Charles and the girls were in the back row, middle seats and to my left, or my current left.

“You mind losers know what you do in this, right? Everyone got through that part of training I hope. NOT!” The Arthromians began to laugh at us. Their commander was thinking taunts will make us worse. How do I know that? Matt helped me out! Don’t tell Charles please.

The gravity was turned off and the boy jumped forward. Darren pushed me toward him and I jumped higher. We were required to shake hands before the officers would start the battle. It didn’t make sense because school taught that conflicts weren’t scheduled to begin when everyone was prepared. They started whenever someone decided to attack first.

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to a battle unlike any we have seen before! We have the UNDEFEATED Arthromians and the NEWLY created Mind Soldiers!” The noise grew louder. People must be really excited for this. “If our new team happens to win, they will be #1 on the board. As you know the board ranks are based on how many wins to losses a squad has.”

All of the soldiers on the battlefield stood in the open. No one could move until the officers said. “ARE YOU READY?” The cheering and yelling were reaching their maximum volume. Everyone looked up at our current ceiling. “3…2…1…” The noise lowered in anticipation. My squad quickly glanced at the Arthromians. “GO!” the crowd cheered.

Our plan? Scatter and hide until I got the opposing commander stooped. Matt and I helped them learn to stalk their prey. Everyone was able to sense where movement was based on the amount of noise their target made. Their brains had sonar radars implanted into them basically.

I was alone in one of the small corridors. It was silent as the crowd’s cheering and yelling came to a stop. No one wanted to miss the chance to learn about the way we work.

“I GOT YOU!” The boy who tried to harass me a month ago appeared. He was hiding behind a corner directly in my only path. “You can’t sneak around this field while I’m here, Ranger. I trained myself to know every hiding spot and secret paths since I got here.”

Did I know his name yet? No… Here goes nothing. “What did you say your name was?” I asked. “I would like to know who is out for revenge.”

“It’s Andrew Gibult.” His grip went tighter around the gun. His mind was unlocked to enter, exactly how I wanted him.

“Why do you hate me again? Did I mess with you some way? Did I kill your parents before you  left them behind? It it because of what happened last month?” No one moved from their spot. I grew a grin looking inside.

“You embarrassed me in front of my servants! They laugh behind my back about it every day.” His brain showed me images of the humiliation he went through. The feelings he felt were flowing through me. Matt warned me about this, but what child listens to those?

He started running towards me. Anger fueling every step that came. His gun arm was on my right and my gun was there too. “Got’cha!” He started to pull the trigger. I shot him from the gun holster and froze his arm. “How did you-”

“How did I beat you? You fell into my game like the rest. If you allow me, I can enter your mind and end you.” He was flustered. His frustration showed as a head shot froze him altogether. Now I just had to deal with him.

The gravity was turned off again. Everyone on the main field didn’t move. I jumped upwards and onto a block, looking above the Arthromian entrance. “I finally get to see your face up close again!” My voice echoed around him like I was everywhere. His eyes were looking for their hunter.

“If you want to see my face, show yourself!” He yelled around towards the corridors. There was no lighting up here. He couldn’t see in the darkness above.

“But that would be boring! We need to make a show of this moment.” Fear shivered down his spine. The gun in his hands shook. We were located in front of their entrance.

“Do you think The Mind Soldiers are bad now? One of your soldiers is already stopped due to not following an order of yours. We don’t allow such actions here.”

“Was it that Gibult kid they gave me? He never paid attention to practice when I call it.”

“You should have taught him better! Maybe he needed to be given more attention since he was newer.” Everyone is waiting for me to return. How can this objective fail this far in? But he stopped shaking. He was smiling.

“Trying to get into my head, right? Was that what Officer Benjamin told you to do?” How did he know?” “You just failed your mission too, Ranger! It seems like distracting me with you games can’t stop the best of the best.” He looked up at me with his gun aimed.

The gravity turned on just as he squeezed the trigger. There is only one thing I can do from here. Darren will hate me for this, but we think similarly. Below me was a four story drop and my mission goal.

Charles told me it was the stupidest fail-safe he heard of when I mentioned it the other day. Soram was crouched next to Darren behind our squad’s barricade. As long as he didn’t move, my new plan would succeed. All I had to do was shoot my two targets and jump.