AT THE CROSS

Two sturdy wooden frames were driven into the ground. They were St. Andrew’s Crosses- Giant X’s. Strapped to one X was a human, arms and legs strapped spread out to the X. Next to him a TU’COn was tied in place. Both were naked.

Carmen had her back to them. She was cradling a double barrel shotgun. Off to the side, Angie stood there watching. Her rifle was sling over her shoulder. Southaven stood next to her. After Southaven and Mike had extracted the memory chip from XMAN’s armour, he had come over to tell her. The chance hadn’t presented itself yet, so he just stood with her. Thank God, she thought, I’m glad he’s here. She didn’t need a man, she needed moral support. Heather would have done just fine. Just a friendly face in a sea of hostility.

Surrounding the clearing, Carmen’s troopers were milling about. Some of them watched what was happening. Others cleaned weapons or ate. A few of them stood guard close to the X’s and prisoners. Nobody stood between Carmen and the prisoners or even next to them. Nearby was close enough.

“What has he done?” Carmen was answering the question Angie asked a few seconds ago. “Asesino de bebé. A heartless killer, hired and sent here to kill my people, and me.” She turned towards him and spat at the ground. She wasn’t close enough to spit on him. Something she rectified as she walked closer. Abruptly, she veered to the TU’COn.

“Another bastard that came here to kill me and my people.” This time when she spit, it landed on the TU’COn.

The TU’COn snarled and cursed. Next to him, the human was trying to swear. The gag in his mouth kept him from saying anything intelligible.

“Are you going to execute them?”

“Maybe. Nothing so easy as a firing squad though.” She waved the shotgun. “My friend here wants to chat with them. Sometimes I show mercy and load one barrel of my friend here with a slug. A solid piece of metal that can shoot a leg off.”

She smiled as the men struggled. “Sometimes I load it with bird shot. Tiny little shot. Even clothes can stop my tiny shot if I am too far away. But if I am too close? It hurts. It hurts bad.” Her smile was vicious. “I don’t want them to die too quick.”

Carmen walked towards one of her soldiers. This soldier was eating a handful of small seeds. Then she held out the free hand. The soldier poured some of the seed into her hand. “What to do, what to do?” She turned dramatically to Angie and Southhaven. “Seeds. Do you think a shotgun blast of seeds would kill a TU’COn?” Carmen was about 10 feet away from the TU’COn.

BOOM. One barrel of the shotgun fired. The TU’COn yelled in pain. The part of his body that was blasted turned an ugly shade of red. Not much blood oozed out of him but the skin was a horrible color.

She looked back to Angie. “See, it doesn’t kill him. But it hurts, oh it hurts.” She turns back to the TU’COn. “Does it not hurt, puta de guerra?” The TU’COn was in agony. Carmen laughed.

Her troopers smiled and laughed. Nobody had any sympathy for the TU’COn. Even Angie wouldn’t be upset with his death. Torture though? She kept her face neutral.

“Come,” Carmen said. Angie and Southaven stepped forward. They all approached the human that was strapped to the X next to the TU’COn. “Don’t feel bad for this bastardo either.” Carmen tossed the shotgun to one of her soldiers, a woman. Carmen drew her knife. A big knife with a serrated edge on one side. It was an ugly looking blade- you never wanted to be on the wrong side of this knife. The human struggled. He knew he was on the wrong side of the knife.

“This bastardo wanted to catch and rape me.” She turned to the prisoner. He made noises. Denials? “You even tried to rape Mearesa, didn’t you.” He was silent now. She grabbed his chin to force him to look at her. “Didn’t you!”

She forced him to look at one of the soldiers. A woman. The woman who was now holding the shotgun. They shared a smile. The same kind of smile a man hungry for bacon has when he looks at a pig.

Southaven wasn’t watching the women. He was looking at the man.

[Do you see his tatoo?]

Angie received his message through the team chat. This was one of the best uses for team chat. Secret communications invisible to NPCs and enemies and even other players who weren't on your team. The trick was keeping your eyes from focusing exclusively on the message. People could see your eyes glaze and know something was up.

Angie took two steps to the side of the prisoner, There it was. On his arm. It would have been readily visible if his arm wasn’t tied up and out. Is that a unit tat?

[Recognize it?]

[Yes, no, I’m not sure.]

Carmen was in front of the prisoner. Her knife trailed down his body. She used the flat edge of the blade so it didn’t cut him. Based on his reaction and unsuccessful attempts to pull away, he knew what could come, what would happen if she turned the blade so the sharp edge, or even the point, made contact with his skin.

The blade reached his pants. A deft move with the knife and his belt and pants were cut. A savage tug tore them away from his hips. The ruined pants hung up on his thighs, but his private parts were exposed. He had shriveled up out of fear, but his penis was still there. She tapped it with the knife.

“Aren’t you excited to see Maresa again?” She left the knife on the base of his penis. She forcefully turned his head to look at Maresa again. “She is only 19. Did you know that? She looks younger. Where you hoping she was a child?” Heshook his head no. He tried to say no.

“You wanted to rape a child.” He tried to turn his head. She didn’t let him. “Look away and I cut you. Swear to God, I will.”

I can’t believe I am watching this. Did he try to rape her? Was he looking for a child or a teenager to rape? What the hell does it matter? It’s a program. It probably didn’t happen. And its just code anyway. But the tat? What is it? What unit?

“Look at her breasts. Do you like them? They are firm and young.” She yanked his head so he was looking at her. “Mine are too, yes?” He grunted something unintelligible. She shoved his face. “But hers are bigger.”

Maresa laughed. “And firmer.”

“It’s the truth. I hate it. It make me mad.” She tapped the knife against him. “Don’t flinch. I would hate to hurt you accidentally. I plan on hurting you purposely.” Carmen took a deep satisfaction at the fear in his eyes. “If you look away….” She looked at Angie. “Can you hold this?”

What the hell? Why not play along?” Angie nodded silently. “I don’t like rapists.” Angie took the knife from Carmen. She hovered it near him, but didn’t make contact with his skin. Angie looked back at Maresa and Carmen.

Carmen brushed some of Maresa’s hair back. “Did you see her striking eyes?” Her hand traced down Maresa’s face. Maresa smiled contentedly and pressed her head into Carmen’s hand like a cat pushes into somebody who is petting them. “Even out here her complexion, God I would kill for her skin. I hate that I need such a beauty to carry a gun. But I need her to fight putas de guerra like you.”

The soldier started to turn his head away. Angie moved the wicked knife up under his chin. He got the message and looked back at Carmen and Maresa.

What the hell am I doing here? I just want to build stuff, not be in some programmer’s torture lesbian fantasy!

[keep going.] it was a message from Southhaven.

Carmen spun Maresa around. She slapped her ass. “Stunning, isn’t it?” Maresa smiled over her shoulder. Maybe she was smiling at the soldier, maybe at Angie. I don’t think she’s smiling at Southhaven.

“She is a very sexy cat, isn’t she?” Carmen walked back towards the prisoner. Instead of talking to him, she went to Angie. She put her hand on Angie’s hand- the hand that was holding the knife. She just held her hand while they locked eyes. Then Carmen took the knife back and sheathed it. She led Angie away.

After a second Carmen looked back at Southhaven. “You should come too. The sexy cat has claws.”

The shot gun boomed. The man screamed through his gag. It was a horrible sound. Angie refused to look. The shotgun blast was aimed at his groin. The horrified look on Southhaven’s face told her all she need to know about what happened.

“Angie, Mission accomplished!” Mark’s voice through the radio was a welcome interruption.

“Say again,” Angie responded. There was relief in her voice. She had something else to focus on. It was also an excuse to walk away from the screaming, crying man. She still refused to look and see what the damage actually was. Program, this is a game, that is an AI program. This is sick.

“The control room is secure. We can bring down the automated systems whenever you want.”

“Se supuso que usted nos decía cuando usted está en la posición, no sólo atacan. Puta estúpida!” Carmen was yelling. Angie didn’t know what she was saying, but it was easy enough to guess.

She must have gotten the same message, Angie thought. Through the radio she said “You were supposed to wait before taking out the control room.”

“Yeah, well, some stuff happened.”

Carmen was yelling. “Let’s go. My Puta estúpida sister messed up.” Engines roaring, trucks drove up. There was no time for stealth. “Fifteen minutes if we go top speed.”

As they boarded the trucks, a thought struck Angie. I wonder what they’re going to do with...” She turned to look at the prisoners and got their answer. Maresa had just slashed the TU’CON’s throat. Blood dripped down the knife. Then she slashed the human prisoner. It wasn’t his throat that got cut.

Which is more terrible, the bloody knife or the grin on her face?

Mike and Heather came running up to the truck. He didn’t say anything, instead he texted.

[we did it. We broke the encryption.]

[I can play the video.] Heather.

[Let me know what…] Angie responded

[Let me see who killed XMAN.] Southhaven.

[You’ll be the first to know.]