Signal Origin Unknown

Author: Unknown

Original post: https://forums.eveonline.com/t/yc-122-necwc-signal-origin-unknown/225838

Entry for YC122 New Eden Capsuleer’s Writing Contest in the Prose category.

“You can’t kill us.“

The hand wavered, bloody fingers just on the edge of pulling the trigger. The owner of said blood stood hunched forward, leaning against a alley wall. A hand held his stomach, dark pools of red dripping down his shirt to his pants and the bloody floor below.

The speaker sat leaning against the wall, wheezing breath coming from it’s nose. It’s eyes were open, blinking. It’s skin didnt look alive. It had an almost translucent white coloring to it.

It didn’t even bleed. The only blood it had on it’s hand was the blood of the Brutor that had just won the little scuffle.

“I don’t need to kill you to survive.“ The Brutor coughed. His tongue tasted metallic. It was getting harder to breath.

“To survive?“ A choked laugh came from the sitting figure. “There is no leaving this place. Join or die. Simple. Easy. “

The sounds from outside the alley grew louder. The occasional scream of women and children, and the sharp report of gun fire. There was always a thundering reply. It was getting much closer.

The brutor glanced away from his target. His weapon followed his gaze. Sudden movement from the sitting target forced him to look back and fired. He had missed the sitting man by inches, a lightly glowing crater in the wall to the left of what should have been an ear. It just grinned.

“You are dying.“ There was no denying it. “That pain? The agony? Swept away… Leaf on the wind.“ The figure began to slowly stand. Even after the several shots to its middle, it still somehow was able to move. “ All you need do is-” The weapon in the Brutors hand fire more times until it was empty. The figure slumped back towards it’s siting position, looking somehow even more life less.

“For…Nation.“

The young brutor stared at the corpse, waiting for it to move. He limped his way over, kicking at the nearest foot. Nothing. A crowd of people began running past the opening to the street. The weapon reports were nearly upon him.

Turning deeper into the alley the Brutor limped his way further into the darkness. Leaving behind his family, his friends… His everything.