Joel Adrian - A Shattered Future

“Where’s the Requiem? And the activator?” Mona asked.

Bravon pointed at a guard behind them. “One of my transport guards has it stowed away in a briefcase. You’ll be given it at the activation site, and then we’ll begin.”

“It’s going to take at least ten minutes for me to get it set up and programmed. While we’re transitioning, I need absolute protection. If we’re attacked mid-transition, well, some bad things will happen.”

Catalina raised her hand. “Sergeant-man, you said we were goin’ to end up before this… apocalypse, right?” Catalina asked, extending a finger at Bravon. “Will we see ourselves?”

Mona squinted, her expression becoming downcast. “Well, you all shouldn’t. You weren’t anywhere near Idaho.”

“And you?” Emersyn asked, looking at her counterpart.

Mona turned to face Emersyn, forcing a smile. “Let’s just say I shouldn’t see myself… at any cost.”

“Are these prisoners going to be armed, sir?” Naomi asked. She glanced over the two convicts.

Bravon turned to face Catalina and Joey. “You two will be armed with batons and pistol that fire rubber bullets. You’re under no means necessary to fire these weapons, reveal them, or even acknowledge they exist unless you’re given a direct order from me. Understood?”

“Understood, Sergeant Commander,” Catalina said, her voice shaking.

“Yeah, yeah, guy.” Joey eyed Bravon, his expression not wavering.

Bravon let his stare linger on Joey for another few moments, then turned back to the rest of them. “This is not a mission we’re anticipating violence in. We’ll all have side-arms, except for Emersyn. Don’t reveal them, don’t acknowledge them. Our goal is to be in and out.”

The team of six was dismissed, and Emersyn felt disconnected from her body as she made her way back into the scorching heat. She’d felt determined like she needed to make the best of the situation when she arrived. Now, the familiar worry and uncertainty had taken hold again. She wasn’t sure if she could make it through this.

She leaned against the tent and lowered down, rest her hands on her thighs. She was okay with everything for a while, then a storm of shock and worry overcame her like a shotgun blast. It was a vicious cycle. Focusing was out of the question, despite how hard she tried to rid herself of the worry.

Emersyn turned and puked onto the ground.

She spat the taste out of her mouth, trying to rid herself of it. The acidic bile tainted her tongue, making her feel like she was going to get sick again.

A hand clamped down on Emersyn’s shoulder. She spun around. Mona stood behind her, biting her lip. “You alright there?”

Emersyn exhaled and closed her eyes. “Trying to be, anyway.” She noticed Mona wasn’t wearing any ankle or wrist restraints. “They letting you walk free now?”

Mona reached up and brushed a handful of black-gray hair from her face. “Your Sergeant Pearson and I get on pretty well. He convinced the president I wasn’t a threat, that I was here to help. Imagine that.”

Emersyn turned away from the pile of throw-up, the smell making her feel sick again. She started back into the tent, but Mona stuck an arm out and stopped her.

“Listen, ah, I know you’re not used to being a soldier, but we have to complete this mission, even if it means I don’t come back. Okay?”

Emersyn saw the concern on Mona’s face. “I’m not leaving you behind.”

Mona grimaced, her stare locked onto her younger self. She shook her head. “Please. I know deep down in there somewhere, you’re me. You have to see the bigger picture. If I don’t make it, it doesn’t matter. World’s gone to hell anyway. But you have to make it back here, you have to show them. Your word carries that weight because you’re me.”

“I won’t let you die.” Emersyn glanced over Mona and made her way back into the tent, trying to calm her anxieties.

Night came quick. The crew showered, ate, and prepared themselves for the mission. Emersyn saw everyone reacting to the stipulations differently. Tanner seemed excited, Naomi couldn’t be more indifferent, Joey couldn’t care less, Mona and Catalina were anxious, and Bravon was quiet and confident, keeping to himself.

They were called to board the plane around 7 P.M. Emersyn had meant to text Ollie a more understandable response, but it’d slipped her mind during the day and she didn’t have time as the crew headed for the plane.

Bravon, Tanner, Naomi, and Mona were all dressed in fatigues. Joey and Catalina wore casual clothes. Emersyn had on a long-sleeved black shirt and a pair of jeans. She hoped they didn’t segregate them based on apparel: the two convicts weren’t the ideal partners.

Once they were all inside and strapped into their seats, the engines of the plane roared to life. Most everyone was quiet, save for Tanner cracking the occasional one-liner to try and lighten the mood. As much as she hated it, she laughed at a couple of them. It helped ease her into what was coming next.

One of the guards on the ship came around offering sedatives for the plane journey. Nearly everyone took one, except for Mona and Emersyn.

“Some things don’t change,” Emersyn noted.

Mona cracked a smile. “Just sick of sleeping. It’s the same thing I’ve been doing for almost all my time at that base.”

Once everyone else had fallen asleep, it was just them, plus two guards who were awake. The distant hum of the engines was the only thing they could hear in the background.

“What did you do after the bombs dropped?” Emersyn asked, turning her head to face her older self.

Mona leaned her head back and closed her eyes as if trying to recall. “For me, it’s been so long. Feels like a lifetime ago. They destroyed everything while I was on base. The world went to shit. I only got to experience three week of it, but it was bad. Looters and raiders popped up all over the east coast. It was horrific. I saw New York in ruins, and my group of soldiers and I managed to get to Washington, but it was… annihilated.” Her words still held shock in them. “Seeing the Pentagon completely blown apart… President Quinn was killed. It was…” She shook her head.

Emersyn watched her with a profound interest, trying to picture herself in the same scenario. She couldn’t imagine how horrific it would be. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she said as she regained her composure. “I’m here to stop it. To make sure that everything’s right. At least, right in this world, in this timeline.”

The rest of the trip was quiet. Emersyn and Mona talked casually, but Emersyn stayed away from the heavy topics. The last thing she wanted to do is upset the only person who knew how to work the Requiem, and how to save them.

The plane eventually sat down, and out a window, Emersyn made out the dark, rocky terrain of nighttime Idaho. The airport they arrived at was large but inactive. The long, wide corridors felt strange as the team traversed through them alone. She’d flown a few times before, but the airports had always been bustling.

“Civilian airport?” Naomi asked from the back.

“We’re not trying to raise suspicion,” Bravon replied. “Anyone gets wind of what we’re doing, and my ass is toast. I’m not kissing my retirement goodbye.”

Emersyn recalled Bravon talking to her about his daughter, Tracey. She wondered how the Sergeant Major must feel now that the mission was in progress. He’d never reveal his fear or uncertainty to the crew, but it was hard to be optimistic when they knew nothing of this concept they’d been introduced to.

After they passed through the barren airport, Emersyn spotted a large, black SUV outside. They all piled into it, and the driver started the driving portion of the journey. Impatience was gnawing at her innards, the anxious pit in her stomach doubling in size.