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Post by Jett Tsar on Nov 14, 2009 21:49:23 GMT -5
[Closed] Jett tossed his ragged blanket off of himself and stumbled across the small dark cell to his door, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands. The commotion outside had grabbed him by his leg and ripped him out of his pleasant dream, startling the young man awake with a surprised yelp. The crackle of burning could be heard, as well as people's voices. It had been a woman's scream that had woken him. Hesitantly pulling the door open, Jett first peeked outside before stepping into the cool night air. It was about twelve o'clock in the morning, that time where everything the moon didn't touch was pitch black and ominous. A large bon fire roared a few feet away from the doors of Jett's row of cell blocks. A good sized crowd stood around, large eyes flickering between each other. Jett ran a hand through his hair as he pushed through the crowd, turning left and right to ask what was going on. No one paid any attention to him. Frustrated, Jett reached the tight group gathered around the fire. He stood on his toes, trying to peer over their heads, but to no avail. After a failed attempt at sliding in between people to have a peek, he decided to force his way through. Taking a tall man off guard, Jett elbowed the guy in the ribs and scurried by. When his eyes met the fire he stopped everything he'd been doing. Including breathing. In the center of the fire's largest flame was a pole stuck into the ground. Tied to it was the burned and mangled corpse of a woman, her charred flesh still in the process of separating from the bone and withering. Jett caught his breath and fell to his knees, puking before the fire and the crowd. |
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Post by Manisha on Nov 14, 2009 23:44:38 GMT -5
Manisha's patrol had been a normal one until she'd noticed people heading for the Cell Blocks in droves. It was abnormal for so many to gather unless they had some purpose. Deciding that whatever these people were gathering for might be dangerous Manisha followed the crowds. The acrid smell of burnt flesh was what first clued her in to the fact that her suspicions had been correct. Manisha assumed that they had built a bonfire to rid themselves of some of their dead.
A scream proved her horribly wrong. Manisha's carefully measured walk broke into a run that had been honed by her years of Army service. She shoved people out of her way, not even stopping when an acid mutant melted away part of her fatigues. When she finally came to the center of the congregation Manisha's control was put to the test. The charred corpse was fairly high on the list of horrible things that the First Lieutenant had seen.
It was fairly obvious to Manisha what had occurred. She'd heard of the illness spreading through the camp. It was hard not to. The poor woman at the stake had probably contracted the disease and the panic stricken crowds had reacted by burning her to protect themselves. With no water about Manisha knew she could do nothing to stop the fire but she could at least attempt to disperse the crowd.
"Civilians! Disperse immediately!" |
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Post by Jett Tsar on Nov 15, 2009 14:50:09 GMT -5
Jett choked on his vomit and sputtered as he coughed. He hadn't eaten much of anything that day, so what did come out was mostly water. Kneeling there on all fours, he couldn't bring himself to look up at the woman again. He couldn't bring himself to move. He couldn't bring himself to care.
A controlling voice broke through the hushed murmurs, ordering the mutants away. It might have been a guard. The woman certainly sounded as if she had the authority of one. Jett tilted his head to the side to peer up at her. His face was flushed and sickly.
Wiping his mouth with his hand, he pushed himself onto wobbly legs, stumbling backwards into the retreating crowd. The man he'd elbowed earlier took his revenge. From behind large hands grabbed a firm hold of Jett's shirt, powerfully shoving him forward, directly into the woman at the fire. Unless she moved, the impact would be enough to bring them both down. If she did happen to step aside, well, the fire was more than willing to catch the vaulting man.
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Post by Manisha on Nov 15, 2009 20:08:29 GMT -5
As the crowd dispersed Manisha finally noticed the acid corroding her fatigues. With a grumble she shrugged off her jacket and tossed it into the fire behind her. At least that was the only part of it that had been hit. The t-shirt beneath and the pants seemed untouched. She made a mental note to see Madam Weaver about a new jacket. Now that the crowds were starting to disperse as she'd ordered Manisha began to turn and look at the corpse again.
She froze mid movement when she spotted one of the crowd members shove a young man toward her. He obviously wouldn't be able to stop his motion in time and if she dodged he'd head straight into the fire. Manisha had just enough time to turn back toward him and brace herself for the impact. She was driven back by the force to the point that the flames were licking the heels of her boots. Manisha moved forward just slightly and proceeded to simultaneously steady the young man that had been roughly thrown into her and scan the crowd for the one responsible. Unfortunately he seemed to have disappeared with the rest of the retreating crowd.
"Are you alright, civilian?"
Judging by his pallid complexion and the vomit nearby Manisha surmised that this was something rather shocking to the young man in front of her. That was to be expected of someone that hadn't seen combat. Even thought there were no major wars going on Manisha had seen plenty of covert action that put the corpse behind her to shame. That didn't make it any less horrifying. It only made it easier to deal with. |
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Post by Jett Tsar on Nov 15, 2009 20:34:48 GMT -5
Jett held onto the woman for dear life, keeping a firm hold of her arm in order to remain upright. The world spiraled away from him, taking its sweet time in going black. Blinking madly made the solidity of the darkness fade away, first becoming black splotches and then grey puddles, and then he could see again.
"I'm okay." Jett's voice was weak and disconnected. His pupils grew and shrank as if they weren't sure whether or not it was light outside. A ringing echoed through Jett's head.
"What is this? What's going on?" His South African accent slurred, making his speech barely understandable. "That's a body. Why is there a body...?"
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Post by Manisha on Nov 15, 2009 20:57:53 GMT -5
He most definitely wasn't alright. The emotional shock of the sight was taking quite a toll on him. Manisha had seen it plenty of times before in her unit. Perhaps if she had an inkling as to how to handle other people's emotions she might try to lead him away and then explain. As it was she merely fixed the guy with a blank look.
"There is a body because that crowd burnt a woman alive out of fear."
The line was delivered without a hint of emotion. No sadness or anger tainted her voice. Not even joy, though that might perhaps have been worse. No, Manisha merely stated fact in a cool voice as she allowed the civilian to hang onto her until he felt well enough to stand on his own. Her own emotions about the event were buried deep within her mind. Past the thick armor that her training and service had provided she was furious and disgusted that these people would have even contemplated this act. And beneath that she felt as though she'd failed. If Manisha had been patrolling this area she could have stopped this before it came to this tragic conclusion.
She focused her attention back to the civilian. Manisha wondered at his sensitivity to this event. Surely he'd seen worse? He was a mutant after all. Mutants did seem to collect bad experiences as a matter of course. Perhaps this was his first? It hadn't occurred to her but maybe he was just beginning his collection of horrible experiences. Whatever the reason, Manisha was glad she didn't share his weakness. |
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Post by Jett Tsar on Nov 18, 2009 17:12:15 GMT -5
Jett's eyes widened on the woman who so easily relayed the events which had taken place concerning the death. She said it as if she didn't give a second thought on the matter. Jett couldn't fathom that. How could death be taken to lightly here? Was it an American practice to be so stiff, or was that something mutants dealt with? Of course he faced death in South Africa, but they were mostly natural or accidents. But this abomination was intentional.
Unable to comprehend her coldness, Jett released his hold of the woman and stepped away, almost as if her insensitivity would contaminate his skin. The movement caught his foot on uneven ground, dumping him onto his rear. His dark eyes stared at the ground, seemingly unaware of having fallen.
"What cursed land is this that death's hand is not feared?" Jett murmured.
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Post by Manisha on Nov 18, 2009 17:32:14 GMT -5
Manisha watched the reaction impassively. It was one she'd seen before. Anyone unaccustomed to death had that reaction when she spoke of it. It was worse when she mentioned her missions and everything she'd done on them. The First Lieutenant was used to being treated like a monster by those out of uniform and even some of those in uniform. Still it hurt a little, though she wouldn't admit that. No, she merely kept her impassive gaze on him.
"When you've seen and done all the things that I have horrors like this are a normal part of life. It is a shame that they couldn't keep their cool but if everyone panicked about it then there would be more chaos and more death. Maybe I'm a monster but I'm a necessary one."
Manisha moved and sat down on the ground, left knee up and left arm draped across it. Until she could be sure that he wouldn't do something foolish and that he would go someplace safe to recover from the shock it was her duty to keep an eye on the overly sensitive civilian in front of her. It wasn't a duty she relished, due mainly to the way civilians generally treated her, but she'd perform it none the less. |
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Post by Jett Tsar on Nov 19, 2009 18:20:11 GMT -5
Whether she had put emotion into her words or not, Jett thought he heard a hint of sadness underlying what she said. Knowing she had seen terrible things in the past certainly made her uncanny easiness more understandable, but Jett was convinced that even if he had experienced all she had, what remained in him that was still human would still feel pity and sympathy. Then again, he actually had no idea who she was or what she'd done.
"You aren't a monster." He told her gently, showing in his eyes that he regret having made her feel like one, if he had. It was not his intention to judge or convict others. "I'm just not accustomed to this, is all.
"I don't understand what they would be keeping their cool about. I didn't know anything was wrong here. This land seems so peaceful and serene," it was obvious he hadn't been out and about, "it's almost like a fantasy world. I feel a warm sensation of acceptance unlike I've ever experienced." He massaged his right temple with nimble fingers, staring absently at the fire as he spoke. "Much better than America."
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Post by Manisha on Nov 19, 2009 19:02:24 GMT -5
There was pity there. She saw it, she could recognize it, but didn't know how to handle being pitied. The men of the unit had pitied her too at times but them she could just order around. He was a civilian. Manisha's normal manner of responding wouldn't work. So she decided to ignore it and the odd feeling it inspired that she couldn't name. Instead she concentrated on his second series of statements.
"There is an illness about that has been killing the inmates of this facility at a very rapid pace. The woman had probably caught it and they killed her to avoid being contaminated herself. Of course by the time they noticed it was probably too late. I'd be willing to bet they'll all be in the infirmary within the week."
Manisha glanced over at the fire and crackling remains upon it. How many times had she seen or caused this? She couldn't rightly remember.
"You're probably one of the few civilians here to see it that way. Many of the people here were torn from their lives and families and now feel as if they have no chance at return. They are bitter and act as such. It is those sentiments that the group known as the Rebellion feeds upon." |
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Post by Jett Tsar on Nov 19, 2009 19:41:58 GMT -5
Jett nodded as she spoke. He could understand, but he wasn't sure he comprehended. Even if a woman was sick, that was no justification for murder. They were willing to sacrifice one to save many, and yet had only sacrificed one to save none, if what this woman before him said was true.
A spike of fear shot up his spine as he registered exactly what she had said. Did that mean...? Jett's head snapped up and his eyes swiveled to the backs of the few remaining mutants who avoided looking this way. Him and the woman were almost completely alone, but one or two others still conversed as they took their time in heading back to their cells. They could be infected? He wondered, leaning away from them. Diseases and viruses were fearsome things to behold. They were beyond his control. To be a victim of what he could not touch or feel or manipulate was a frightening thought.
"Is there no cure?" Jett inquired as he returned his attention to the woman. He looked at her for a moment, studying her features, and then suddenly it was as if he'd only just now seen her. "What is your name?"
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Post by Manisha on Nov 19, 2009 19:56:52 GMT -5
"First Lieutenant Manisha Lina Kapoor. They are working on some form of a cure for it but I don't know how close they are."
Manisha laid down on the ground and looked up. It was an unfair thing for these people to be assaulted in this way. As far as Manisha could tell this had all the makings of an attack. However that didn't excuse their actions here. Her hand clenched into a fist, if only she'd been quicker! There was no excuse for failure. That's why Manisha hadn't given a reason in her report for her last mission. She gave facts but no reasons or excuses. She was a soldier and she failed. That was all there was to it. |
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Post by Jett Tsar on Nov 21, 2009 21:04:19 GMT -5
Jett started at the Lieutenant. He suddenly felt disgraced to be in her presence, what with his unkempt bed hair and wrinkled clothes. No wonder there was an air of superiority about her. She was used to being in charge of people. She didn't want and hope people obeyed her, she expected them to. Jett made an oath never to cross her path in violence. Not that he was a violent man to begin with.
"Lieutenant of what, may I ask?" He could assume not of the Guard who patrolled the camp. They wouldn't dare to put one of their own men among what they considered monsters. No doubt, however, that is what some suspected of her. He willed her authoritative stance to not be her downfall.
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Post by Manisha on Nov 21, 2009 21:20:31 GMT -5
"The United States Army."
If she were one for such things the statement would have been filled with a tone that made it clear that such a thing should be obvious. It was a very good thing she was not one for such things. Manisha glanced over at the fire, it wasn't likely to go out anytime soon. Once it had burned to ash she would collect some of the ashes and fashion a grave for the woman. It would not be done otherwise. The remains would most likely be left to sit out as a grisly reminder of what these people had done. At least in death the woman deserved some peace.
This incident proved to Manisha that there was more need for patrol in this area at this time. Even now the excited mob could be striking again. With such thoughts in her mind, and the obviousness that the fire was far from dead, Manisha glanced at the civilian and stood. If he wanted to accompany her on a quick round of the area she would not prevent him.
"I'm going to patrol this area. You may come if you like." |
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Post by Jett Tsar on Nov 21, 2009 21:57:55 GMT -5
Jett replied with a short oh and turned his face to the ground in thought. Feigned thought, that is. He had nothing more to consider on the subject of her status. What else could he think of? It was strange she was a woman and had such a high standing. It was a waste of such beauty to only adorn it in the blood of her enemies. It was daunting to think she was stronger and had seen more than him. And that was all. Jett didn't know what else to say.
His body jumped as she stood, his heart speeding in a race against his breath, trying to outwit it. His lungs were quick to catch up. He found himself breathing heavily, watching the woman walk away. Placing a hand on his chest, Jett clambered clumsily to his feet. He didn't want to be alone this night.
Following two feet behind, he racked his brain for something to say. He'd always had quite a way with women but this one didn't have the clockwork of most of them, that much was obvious. He didn't want to further perturb her no doubt already marred view of him, but neither did he enjoy remaining as he was.
On a whim, Jett broke his silence by commenting,
"Your hair reminds me of a starless sky." It was delivered in a most ungraceful manner. He at least had the decency to blush, and was thankful for the darkness. Jett, you blathering fool.
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