ADDICTION AND DEATH
BOOK ONE: BEGINNING

CHAPTER 2: SECRETS

Shade sighed as he heard the knock on his apartment door, looking over at the television seeing the news broadcast a message about some sort of A.I. going rogue in one of the poorly designed Blackwater laboratories “Idiots, Mantel is probably going to destroy you…” he knew Blackwater was a rival PMC to Mantel, it had been around longer but it was quickly toppled by the global giant. He shook his head as he turned the television off with the remote walking over to the door and unlocking it before opening it as he let Whitney inside…who was wearing something that confirmed his suspicions “I knew it.” he said in a stern tone.

“Indeed you did, I really should’ve talked more about my job shouldn’t I?” she giggled after speaking in a somewhat sarcastic tone as she walked inside with a large black duffle bag strapped over her shoulder with the mantel logo on both sides, she wore a yellow button up work shirt with a white tie and black pants with black leather heels, and a Mantel Global Industries ID pinned on her right breast. “Whitney R. Mercury, Mantel Military Lieutenant of the six five seven Absolution.” she pronounced in a proud tone as she adjusted her glasses.

“I see it now, you never talked about your job more than just your ‘job’ you moved away from your brother as soon as you turned eighteen and joined Mantel shortly after didn’t you? So you’ve been with them for about four or six years haven’t you?” Shade announced aloud in a questionable tone as he put a hand to his chin thinking. He wondered why the woman had the bag with her as well, not understanding what she was going to do “Lastly, what’s with the overfilled duffle ba-”

“Ah, the bag. You’re rather perceptive aren’t you, Shade? Though you were a little off I’ve been with Mantel for three years not four. I’m twenty one, signed up at age nineteen.” Whitney placed the bag down on Shade’s small bed  slowly running the zipper to the right opening it and revealing the items hidden “As a lieutenant I have the privilege of picking people for Mantel to check out as recruits, should you comply I could sign you on as recruits for the Mantel Military. I did some digging…you have a forged background-”

Shade quickly reacted to the phrase ‘forged background’ by pulling out a knife from his pocket and placing it against her throat, inches away from slitting it as he dropped his cup-o-ramen which splattered the chicken flavoring, noodles, and the spork on the floor “Who told you?!” his tone was harsh and rather angry, breaking his almost unshakable calm.

Whitney put her hands up in the air as if she was being held at gun point “Come now, you didn’t really expect someone with my resources and position to NOT be able to find out who-or rather ‘what’ you are.” her giggle turned to a small chuckle before she cooled off as Shade lowered the knife with a loud sigh. She quickly sat down on the two-sided couch with one leg crossed and her hands cupped together resting on top of them in an intellectual sitting position, adjusting her glasses momentarily before speaking once more “I suggest you look in the bag.”

Shade grudgingly walked over to the mantel military duffle bag he peered inside taking off his glasses revealing luminous yellow cat like eyes “I suppose I can take off this stuffy head mask since you know.” he said in an neutral tone as the head dress slowly unwrapped revealing his raven black short hair, pale complexioned skin, dark yellow scar running over his nose, and pointed ears. His slightly glowing eyes widened inside the dark room at the site of what was inside the bag “what’s with the armor and weaponry?” he asked confused as he held an SK3 hand grenade in one hand flipping open the flap to reveal the dead man’s switch and held the standard mantel assault helmet that all regulars wore in the other “You assumed I’d accept?”

Whitney giggled as her ‘friend’ held the grenade and helmet, she simply nodded pressing her finger in the middle of her glasses as her lips motioned a response “Originally I was just going to bring my suit as proof, however I thought since this would prove I’m with Mantel and I want you and a few others on board.” her hand cupped a small ceramic vase that had an odd black and red design about it “This was a gift from your queen?” she asked in a serious tone as her mischievous smile faded.

“Don’t touch that…” Shade responded coldly looking over his shoulder at Whitney “To answer your question, yes it was, inside it is a computer that uses the water filled inside the vase to display images and messages, we have yet to work audio into our designs.” he said closing his eyes as he placed the helmet on. With a simple press of the button the HUD flashed on displaying his vitals, the amount of nectar in his bloodstream, how much ammunition he had, and how many grenades and extra devices he had “Remarkable.” he said as his head was covered by the full face helmet, he looked around beneath the nectar yellow visor soon activating the zoom function which activated a hexagonal sight that zoomed in x3 with a ring around it displaying the distance between him and the target and using and four white lines intersecting in it displaying the exact spot he was aiming “hmm, quite a technological marvel.”

“I’m glad you like it, so have you decided yet?” she said sternly deactivating the helmet with another press as she confronted him, taking it off as part of the visor slid up revealing his face. She tossed the grenade and helmet back into the bag atop a BSW-72 assault rifle and the back of the regulars uniform laying atop the administer and polymer steel armor “You’ll have to undergo training for several months, maybe even a year.” she crossed her arms staring into Shade’s eyes with a ‘are you up to this’ gaze with a raised eyebrow and a small frown.

“Considering I have a damn good reason to, the fact I was going to, and you not touching the vase after I asked not to-I’ll have to say I have no reason not to join.” he said with a small salute which was returned as he eased his stance looking at his ‘superior officer’. He picked up the BSW-72 assault rifle, D6 pistol, three SK3 hand grenades, the I.D. he needed to have filled out, a white mantel jumpsuit with black decorations over the legs, shoulders, chest, and back and yellow markings with the mantel logo on the shoulders and left breast “The nearest academy, ‘sir’.” he said as he continued checking his supplies before placing them back in the bag and zipping it up stringing it over his shoulder.

“Don’t worry about that, I have an escort waiting outside for us in about-now.” her smirk grew wide as she let out a giggle at the sounds of propellers and jets landing in the parking lot of the apartment complex, this startled Shade but Whitney simply patted him on the shoulder and told him to “Come on, recruit, we need to get in before the sun comes up.” Shade simply fallowed her lead or rather was directed to the origin of the news.

His sight as soon as he started his casual walk from down the flights of stairs was a black, yellow, and white Mrs. Mantel drop ship it’s landing gear deployed on the two wing fixations and the body of the ship itself “Whoa…” is all that escaped his lips while his feet gently treaded down the stairs seeing four mantel regular troopers sealing off the area after they ship had landed putting up ‘MANTEL EMPLOYEES ONLY’ yellow do-not cross tape, but a sight for sore eyes laid in the ship as about five other people were in the ship, three of which he didn’t know “Gavin? Jacob?” he asked looking back at Whitney who nodded.

“Gavin’s coming for personal reasons, most likely to get back with me or to make sure you two don’t get in trouble. Jacob’s coming for-well you already know his level of vanity so I don’t expect him to last long, you two however actually have potential.” Whitney said in a confident tone with her hands behind her back, Shade quickly dashed onboard the ship high-fiving Gavin and Jacob trying to figure out why they were there, Whitney simply whistled for everyone to get on the ship except for one trooper who would serve to guard the area.

“So this is how it begins…” Shade said with a sigh as he watched the mantel troopers get on board, looking at there hexagonal yellow glowing shoulders pads, he saw the doors clamp shut on both sides electronically sliding shut with a compressed hiss. The ship shook slightly as Whitney gave the order to take off, taking a hold of one of the handles from the ceiling. The troopers conversed to each other about the mission being boring waving there BlackSaws around. Shade looked at the other recruits who had duffle bags like him, Gavin was already in the white, black, and yellow mantel recruit fatigues, Jacob was asleep laying his head on the duffle bag and curled up, the other recruits looked like the many Caucasians who called Last Haven, a new state of America there home…

The only sounds that could be inside from there on were talking, some heavy metal music playing, and occasionally a music video displayed on one of the screens, Shade simply stared at the large mantel logo on the floor the whole trip ignoring the few rockings of the drop ship that occurred in the weather…

END CHAPTER 2