Rattled

Jake screams again, knowing how futile the guttural roar is with the end just moments away. Legs and arms have become fully depleted after pushing the poly-nanocarbon batteries harder than ever before. Titanium body armor shredded from rail guns, the warrior stands ready to die. A diamond-tipped spear thrusts upwards, splitting the cracked armor. The tip pierces metal, slices flesh and, cleaves bone. Plowing through the soft tissue between the Pulmonary trunk and Aorta, it finally exits between the C7-T1 vertebrates. Blood drips to the ground revealing the heart-shaped locket impaled on the tip. As the spear is wretched free, the locket falls in the blood-streaked snow.

The holo field collapses as the Admiral stands to address the children.

“Jake was brave; he did all that he could to reach the pole. Hale the fallen.”

The children stand at attention to commune with the fallen.

“On high, the fallen stand, send us now the strength to join you.”

Some whoop and holler for the fallen as others weep and wail. One slumps forward. Her knees hit the floor, then her forehead, as if prostrating to an old and dead god. While maybe not dead, the old god didn’t seem to hear the laments of the oppressed; while the new gods are definitely present, they must be obeyed. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. The girl, whose locket now lay in the snow, was pregnant at just 15. Though a sin punishable by death, if she could keep it hidden for a week longer and not be selected, she would be sixteen. Sixteen was old enough. Just one more lucky roll of the dice and Jake’s lineage would continue, that is, if the snake's eyes would remain closed. The Admiral noticed Elly slumped over and ordered her to stand.

Once a week, each camp made its offering to the new gods of the world. One child, not a day older than 15, was to be delivered to the capital. There were thousands of camps, each with its own selection method; most used some randomized process. At the capital, they would receive injections of various concoctions of nano-particles and some rudimentary training. After the protracted training, the children were released onto the playing field, formerly known as Canada, to compete. Not only were they competing against each other, but the gods would allow their most faithful members the chance to hunt any one of the competitors. While the goal was to reach the New-North Pole, located just 5 miles from the former town of Alert Canada, simply living another day was all the reward anyone could expect.

It wasn’t long ago that AmalgCorp gained control of the governments one by one. When you have more money than the world and wield the power of a god, anything is possible. The Nonbey rose up against this new false idol, but AmalgCorp had nanotech that blended with the human body. This allowed for the first users to be able to withstand the attacks from the Nonbey. Soldiers armed with nanotech soon began to crush all resistance. Villages and towns became dust. Cities were brought to ruin in just a matter of days. Years later, the Nonbey still fight the good fight, but their numbers are dwindling. Many camps have turned their backs, knowing that the repercussions would be swift and severe if they discovered they were aiding the rebels. The Admiral in each town saw to that, and most reigned over their fiefdom with an iron fist.

Elly stood up slowly, with legs shaking. No sooner did she regain her footing did the Admiral speak, “Ah, I bet you really loved him, didn’t you?”.

She could hear the rattle, a coiled snake full of threat, in his voice. “Would you like to join him?”

“Sir, the fallen have been honored, but I also mourn this loss,” Elly managed to choke out.

“That didn’t answer my question. Did you really love him?” the Admiral bellowed.

“Yes, I did love him. His death saddens me greatly,” Elly said, regaining her voice just a little more. She could feel this snake was about to strike.

“And do you want to join him?” the Admiral pushed.

“NO! No, I don’t want to join him”, Elly cried out.

“Is it you that doesn’t want to join him, or your unborn child that you think I don’t know about?”, The Admrial snapped back.

Elly was awestruck. The snake's eyes had opened. The bite had come after all. But how could he have known? It just did not make sense. None of this made any sense; Jake’s selection, just a week before his 16th birthday, as well as his rapid demise at the hands of a hunter, could not be a random chance. The Admiral must have known all along. With her mouth still agape, the Admiral drew out his pistol, placing the red targeting laser not on her head or her heart but on her belly.

“You have two options. You can join your mate, or you can be relieved of this burden you carry. Decide! Right now! Which will it be? All for the one, or the one for all?”