15. The First Recruit

25/5/G19 17:34

“What the hell?!” Elle shouted as she stumbled backwards and fell into the snow. The blue-tinted hand let go of her ankle and rose up from under its white blanket. It was followed by the body of a middle-aged man, who began clearing the snow off his extremities.

“Who are you and why'd you grab my leg you creep?!” Elle screamed, more angry then startled now.

“I...I don't...where am I? How'd I get here?” The man asked, climbing to his feet.

“How the hell should I know?!” Elle could now see that should the man before her choose to, he could kill her in a second. He towered over her at more than six foot and his long unkempt black hair only complemented his threatening appearance. However, he just seemed very confused and docile to her so she assumed she was in no danger, a school of thought most in Glaze would strive to avoid.

Look at the state of you, even your clothes are barely intact! “If I had to guess I would say you lived in a cave! When's the last time you changed your clothes?! Or washed for that matter?!”

“Wha...what?”

“Urgh. Nevermind. What's your name?”

“I'm not...sure...back at the, ur...they call me 204.”

“204 huh? Not your real name I guess. So 204, you don't know where you

are and I'm assuming that means you don't know where you're going. But as it turns out, I need all the help from guys of your, well, type, as I can get. I'll make you a deal; protect me and I'll lead you to Lidz. From there I can sort you-

“I'll do it!” 204 interrupted.

“Really, um, great. Why so keen?”

“I...don't know.”

“You can call me Elle, soon to be commander Elle of the Adina Elite.”

“Adina Elite?”

“The highest class of soldier the Adina have. They're the most skilled, intelligent and revered soldiers in all of Glaze.”

“I see...”

Elle began walking back to her trike with 204 following close behind, trying desperately to find his footing.

“They refuse to acknowledge my usefulness you see. So I am forced to open their eyes.”

“...How so?” 204 asked, stumbling over a concealed rock.

“I plan on capturing, or if they resist, killing the three most wanted criminals in Glaze.”

“Isn't that...a bit...dangerous?”

“Yes, but where others have failed I will succeed. I've dedicated the last five years of my life to learning as much as I possibly could about forgotten tech.”

“'Forgotten tech'?”

“Wow, you really are clueless aren't you? Forgotten tech is any technology invented before the world became Glaze. It's incredible how much of it is lying around that people consider 'junk', that can be used to build useful devices. I will use it to build traps and weapons to catch those three villainous cretins.”

“I...see.”

Is this guy capable of replies consisting of more than two or three words? How can he not know where he was or how he got there. “What do you remember? What was your last image before lying in the snow and freaking me out?”

“Er...there was a...room...I...it's not very clear-”

“OK, what about skills?” Elle cut him off. “Can you handle a sword? Or a dagger?”

“I...er-”

“Oh come on! You must remember something?! Anything at all?!”

“...I had glimpses of my family.”

“Well that's something. Do you remember where they live? I'll take you to them once you've held up your end of the deal.”

“...No, I only saw their faces...”

Elle sat on the back seat of her trike. “Maybe in time you will, 204. Now, you cycle, I’ll guide.”

He stared at the floor in silence as he contemplated the thought of finding his family.

“It's getting dark, we should find some shelter. Elden Heights shouldn't be far from here, it's on the way to Lidz. Let's get a move on,” Elle said as 204 started cycling.

I hope Elden Heights isn't far from here, I'm only guessing from what I remember of the maps I studied...

The sky turned crimson as dusk settled in and Elle and 204 arrived at Elden Heights. They were both silent as they took in the surroundings of the sparsely populated town, only Elle hid her interest because she hoped to appear an experienced traveller. She could not show 204 weakness. An Adina Elite doesn't know the meaning of the word.

“We need to find an unoccupied house that's still standing,” Elle pointed out.

Elden Heights wasn't very big, not compared to Valhalla anyway. The Adina had no presence here, there was no point. Elle could see smoke from various places around the town which she knew were signs of life. She had to assume that there were very few people on the streets for good

reason.

She directed 204 off the main road that they were travelling down onto a sidestreet. She had no reason to do this other than that her gut told her to. There were a few promising houses down this street and the lack of fires and sounds suggested they would be alone here. She had 204 park the trike outside the house at the end of the street and approached the door with 204 a little behind her. With a knife in one hand and a torch in the other she kicked the door open and quickly checked the room for signs of life. Happy there was nobody in the immediate vicinity she handed 204 the torch.

“Have a look around, I doubt there's anybody here but best check anyway,” she ordered him.

“...You want me to check the place? You've got the knife...”

“That was the deal remember? Surely your memory isn't that short? What've you got to fear anyway? You're pretty much a giant!”

“...”

“And use the torch sparingly!”

204 did as he was told with Elle following close behind, almost using him as a shield. The house had three rooms on the ground floor, all of them had been cleared of anything useful leaving the memorabilia of the initial tenants. However, given the it must have been vacant, it was remarkably clean. Elle picked up a photo that was placed on the fireplace, upon seeing the family pictured in it she began to feel homesick. Mother, father and teenage daughter. She wondered if the shortcomings of her family were

present in others. Did this father give the attention to his wife and daughter that they deserved? Dud this mother understand her daughter preventing any ill-feelings arising between them? Just because Elle hated her mother didn't mean she didn't miss her.

“There's nobody here,” 204 said.

“Let's check upstairs, we need to be sure we're alone,” Elle replied.

They climbed the creaking stairs in single file, 204 leading at Elle's command. Further photos of the family decorated the beige walls. A decayed flower sat in a dusty red vase on the top of the beach bannister. Out of the three doors one was shut, this one 204 investigated first. 204 opened the door and entered the room so Elle could follow him in. The floor was covered in junk, berry pips, various tins and wrappers, as well as various mucky sheets.

“Damn, do you think whoev-” Elle was cut off as someone jumped on her back and began pummelling her head. Acting on instinct she fell onto her back crushing her attacker, turned over knife in hand and stabbed. 204 pointed the torch at the young girl who was slowly bleeding to death, Elle’s knife deeply impaled in her stomach.

No...no, no, no, what have I done!

This frozen world lies in ruin, betrayed by all who grace her.

Glaze awaits, to be ours once more…

Written by Tom Davies and Alec Davis, 2011.

© The River Versus: The World At Large.