THE SIEGE
941 Words
The helicopters appeared at dawn.
Elliot was in the courtyard, drinking coffee, watching the sun rise over the mountains. The sound of rotors grew louder, closer. Then the helicopters crested the ridge—three of them, black, military.
Frank ran out of the command center, his rifle raised. "We've got company."
Elliot set down his coffee. "The colonel?"
"Or someone worse."
The helicopters circled the base once, then landed in the field to the north. Soldiers poured out—dozens of them, armed and armored. A figure climbed out of the lead helicopter. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a shaved head.
Colonel Vance.
Elliot walked to the gate. "You're not welcome here."
The colonel smiled. "I don't need an invitation."
"This is private property."
"This is a military operation." The colonel stepped forward. "You have something that belongs to the government."
"The copies don't belong to anyone."
"They were created using government funding. Government facilities. Government resources."
Elliot's hands curled into fists. "They're people."
The colonel's smile faded. "Give them back. Or we take them by force."
The copies gathered in the common room.
Fear was thick in the air. Children cried. Adults whispered.
Elliot stood at the front of the room. "The military is here for the copies from the base. They say we stole government property."
David spoke. "What are we going to do?"
"We're going to fight. If we have to."
Maria shook her head. "We can't fight the military. They have tanks. Helicopters. Weapons."
"We have something they don't."
"What?"
"Right."
Frank walked into the room. "The colonel is giving us one hour to surrender the copies."
"Or what?"
"Or he'll storm the base."
Elliot looked at the copies. At the children. At the people he had promised to protect.
"We need a plan."
Adam pulled up satellite images on the command center screen.
"The colonel has fifty soldiers. Three helicopters. Two armored vehicles."
"We have a hundred copies who know how to fight," Frank said.
"Against trained soldiers?"
"Against people who are fighting for their lives."
Elliot studied the map. "The base is defensible. Mountains on three sides. Only one road in."
"If they come up the road, we can hold them."
"And if they come from the air?"
Adam shook his head. "We have no anti-aircraft weapons."
"Then we need to ground the helicopters."
Zoe spoke from the corner. "I can jam their communications. Disable their navigation systems."
"For how long?"
"Ten minutes. Maybe fifteen."
"Then we use those minutes."
The colonel's voice boomed through a loudspeaker.
"You have thirty minutes."
Elliot stood on the wall, watching the soldiers prepare.
Frank stood beside him. "We can still surrender."
"And let them take the copies?"
"We can fight another day."
"Some of those copies won't survive another day."
Frank was silent.
The minutes crawled.
At twenty minutes, the children started to cry.
Hope found Elliot on the wall. "Are we going to die?"
"No."
"Leo says we are."
"Leo worries too much."
Hope looked at the soldiers. At the helicopters. "I'm scared."
Elliot knelt beside her. "So am I. But we're going to get through this. Together."
Hope hugged him.
At ten minutes, the copies took their positions.
David led a team to the north ridge. Maria led a team to the south. Marcus held the center.
Elliot stood at the gate, his rifle raised.
Frank checked his watch. "Five minutes."
"Adam, are you ready?"
"Jammers are active."
"On my signal."
The colonel's voice boomed. "Time's up."
Elliot raised his hand.
"Now."
The jammers activated. The helicopters' rotors slowed. Their lights flickered.
"Go."
Elliot ran.
The battle was chaos.
Soldiers poured up the road. Frank fired, dropping two. Marcus engaged from the center.
Elliot reached the first helicopter. He climbed onto the skid and pulled open the door.
The pilot was unconscious—the jammers had knocked him out.
Elliot dragged him out and climbed into the cockpit.
"Adam, can you fly?"
"I can try."
The rotors spun. The helicopter lifted.
The second helicopter was trying to take off.
Elliot aimed the nose at its tail. The rotors clashed. Metal screamed.
The second helicopter crashed to the ground.
Soldiers scattered.
Elliot landed the helicopter in the field. He climbed out, his rifle raised.
The colonel stood in the middle of the chaos, his face red.
"This isn't over," the colonel shouted.
"Yes, it is."
Elliot raised his rifle.
The colonel raised his hands.
"Cease fire."
The soldiers stopped.
The colonel was taken into custody.
Elliot stood in the courtyard, watching the soldiers load into their trucks.
Frank walked up beside him. "You saved us."
"We saved us."
"What now?"
"Now we rebuild. Again."
Frank smiled. "We're getting good at that."
The copies celebrated that night.
Music played. Food was shared. Stories were told.
Elliot stood by the window, watching the stars.
Daphne joined him. "You're thinking again."
"I'm always thinking."
"About what?"
"About the future. What comes next."
"The same thing that's always come next. More fights. More rescues. More rebuilding."
Elliot shook his head. "I'm tired."
"I know."
"But I can't stop."
"Then don't. But let us help you carry the burden."
Elliot looked at the copies in the common room. At the faces of the people he had saved.
"I will."
That night, Elliot dreamed of the garden.
Echo was there, sitting on the bench beneath the tree.
"You fought well," Echo said.
"We survived."
"That's what matters."
Elliot sat beside him. "Will it ever end?"
"No. But that's okay."
"Why?"
"Because you're not alone anymore."
Echo put a hand on his shoulder. "You have them."
Elliot looked at the flowers. At the sky.
"I know."
- Writer
