The Flare.
596 Words
The explosion wasn't sound; it was pure, blinding light.
Cameron threw his arm over his eyes as a wave of heat slammed into the Ferals. The alley lit up like a second sun had been born in the middle of the slums. The mutants screamed, their sensitive, dark-adapted eyes burning in their sockets. They scrambled back into the darkness, howling in agony as the radiation scorched their skin.
When the light faded, Cameron blinked away the purple spots dancing in his vision. Brittany was standing in the centre of the alley, her chest heaving, her skin still humming with a dull, amber glow. She looked exhausted, her legs shaking as she tried to keep her balance.
"You okay?" Cameron asked, reaching out to steady her.
"I told you," she panted, her voice barely a whisper. "I’m dangerous. You should have left me in the box."
"Yeah, well, I’ve always had a problem with following instructions," Cameron said, his eyes scanning the rooftops. "But you just signalled every drone in a five-mile radius with that stunt. We need to move. Now."
"Wait! Look up!" she pointed a trembling finger toward the sky.
A silver transport, sleek and silent as a predatory bird, descended from the clouds. It didn't have landing lights; it didn't need them. It blocked the end of the alley, its thrusters kicking up a cloud of toxic dust.
The side door slid open with a hiss of pressurised air. A man in a pristine silver suit stepped out, his face obscured by a sleek, black visor that reflected the neon signs of the district. He held a small, black remote in his gloved hand.
"Brittany," the man said, his voice smooth and cold, like a knife sliding across ice. "The Architect is very disappointed. You were supposed to stay in the vault until the Purge was prepared."
"The Purge?" Cameron asked, his grip tightening on Brittany’s arm. "What are you talking about?"
Commander Vane stepped forward, the light from the transport catching the sharp edges of his armour. "The Shallows are a failed experiment, Mr Ellis. Overcrowded, filthy, and full of… parasites like you. The Architect decided it was time to clear the board and start fresh. Brittany was supposed to be the catalyst."
"I'm not a catalyst!" Brittany shouted, her eyes glowing gold again. "I'm a human being!"
"Are you?" Vane asked, tilting his head. "A human being doesn't have a core that can level a city block. A human being doesn't have a timer in their chest."
Cameron felt Brittany’s pulse quicken under his hand. "What timer?"
"The Architect knew someone might try to steal his prize," Vane said, his thumb hovering over a button on the remote. "So he installed a failsafe. If she isn't back in her pod within the hour, the core goes critical. Everything within ten blocks becomes a crater. Including you, scavenger."
"He’s lying," Cameron hissed to Brittany. "It’s a scare tactic."
"Am I?" Vane smiled, a thin, cruel line visible beneath the visor. "Brittany, check your internal rhythm. Tell the boy what you hear."
Brittany went deathly pale. She pressed her hand to the centre of her chest, her eyes widening in realisation. "It’s… It’s ticking. Cameron, I can hear it. A high-pitched whine… It’s getting faster."
"Give her to me, Ellis," Vane said, reaching out his hand. "And I might let you run far enough to survive the blast. Otherwise, you’re just standing on ground zero."
- Writer
