Tag: speed run

2/3rds done, and that’s the problem. This is supposed to be only 1500 words.

I wasn’t running because I was afraid. I was running because I didn’t want to die. Understand this.

Dr. Methuselah’s secret lair looked different, away from the main rooms and promenades and shark tanks. It was all corridors with bulkheads, metal doors, and four-way intersections, and when I tried doors at random I could’t get them open. Maybe I could have busted through one, but there was a lunatic with one of the enemy’s zappers right behind me, and if I spent too long in one place, I was dead. If I tried to close the distance with him, I’d be dead. If I ran into one of Dr. Methuselah’s minions, geez, I figure I was dead then, too.

Yeah, it was just like a nightmare. Thanks for noticing!

The horrible part was, all I needed was somewhere to hole up and get a chance to ambush the lunatic behind me. Did I think it would work? Nope. Was it better than getting shot in the back? Damn straight I thought so.

Good news was, I’m in great shape, so I wasn’t winded. The bad news, so was Sarge. The worst news of all was, I wasn’t sure who was faster. Strike that: I knew the zapper was faster than both of us, which is why I needed a better option than all of those identical doors — wait! One of them wasn’t identical; the light above it was blinking. My fingers were pulling at the latch before I could even worry if it was a trap, and the door opened easily. It closed easily, too, with a reassuring clunk.

The old version wasn’t working, so I revamped it.

POP.

Well, no. It was more like SUDDEN STILLBORN AGONY THAT CREATED A CAPACITY FOR PAIN I HAD NEVER KNOWN BEFORE. That’s not right, either, so we might as well go with “Pop.” At least it’s short.

The pain as my head bounced off the floor, though? That was absolutely “Ow.” I knew what it was like to unbalance, windmill, and fall face-first to the ground. I’d done it before, so no surprises there! Nothing was broken, either, which was good. I’d broken a finger, once, and I never wanted to do that again.

You broke a finger? I blinked, mostly at the sudden, intrusive thought. When?

Before I could think about it more, I was pulled to my feet by… why, that was Sgt. Louis, obviously. Head of my squad, tough as nails, I’d follow him anywhere. I was worried he’d say something, but he just gave me a brusque look-over before checking over my squad-mates. They all looked fine, but maybe I had too before I fell down. Squad Gamma of Platoon Red of 3rd Company was a crack group, I knew. The best the UN Peace Force could field.

We’d need to be, I knew. Our Final Assault on Dr. Methuselah’s secret base was still waiting on the signal; a coordinated attack was our only hope against the doctor’s fanatical minions. Even then, our only options were success, or death. The fate of the world depended on what we’d do here today — 

A buzzer intruded on my thoughts. It was time to go. Time to fight, and die, but never retreat. This was the Final Assault. The fate of the world depended on what we’d do here today.