Grimjar

The walls of reality bulge as the sky pours down whispers of death from above. Red sky, red clouds, red death. 

Little forms scurry about; man.. animal..? They seem familiar to a distant part of the consciousness but in a strange way they seem foreign as well. I look each of them over to gauge if they are the ones responsible for summoning me.

Zaxxle: "There now.. isn't this better..?"

The intrusive thought comes from everywhere and nowhere all at once to reverberate around in the confines of my skull.

I grunt in agreement peering out into the distance. 

~Yes.. yes, this is better.~

Tak lay broken and helpless in the grass with Dirk197 tending to his wounds. The half man half machine took an electric tusk to the gut by the frenzied sweep of a rampaging Thunderboar. A problematic D-bee nicknamed Grimjar by some of the nomadic locals. 

Massive and wild, the boar stands 15ft tall at the shoulders. It's covered in brown bristled fur with truck sized tusks that put off a subtle glow of power. 

Tak and the boar's quick and somewhat spectacular embrace ended up ripping a hole from his gut all the way up into his ribcage, clear through to the outer edge of his back. 

On a drift and milling about, I'm on the lookout for a fluctuation within the red.

The quiet part of myself which is reduced to an afterthought, hopes that neither one of my friends will make any sudden moves to attract the worst of my attention. The powerful part? The part that has been called forth to eliminate a still lurking threat..? That part doesn't care so much.

Lightning arcs across the sky in an unnatural red vein. Peering out in its melancholy glow, I try to find the form of the beast but all traces of its whereabouts are gone.

Zaxxle: "Hhhhhhh…." He exhales.

"Hhhhhhh…" I follow suit.

The coms inside my helmet chirp to life and the static sound of the team leader's voice fills the air. 

"He's retreating. Sensor Suite shows that it's heading to a Rift two clicks out. Get ready to move. Hopefully we can catch it on this side of the portal."

Something registers with the words he's saying but I don't want to let it go. Not yet..

Zaxxle: "He's right Campion.. we need to come down."

An unintelligible sound escapes my throat.

The thought that is Zaxxle grates against the nerve but something deep within can see that he is right. Unwilling to do so or perhaps reluctant is a better word, I start to rein it in to try and gain a modicum of self-control.

Looking out at the blood soaked landscape, I release the grip on my will all at once and come crashing back down to reality. The effect feels like the sharp twang accompanying the snap of an elastic band.

Releasing my hold like that never settles me into a good headspace. You would think that I would have learned my lesson by now when collecting myself together but pride and longing and outright being a stubborn ass are stronger sometimes more than they appear.

Down in a more normal plane of existence; things look bleak like some of the color has drained out of the world. The trees are a mottle of green and brown and the sky has returned once more to the night time's navy blue but it feels like it has lost some of its luster. Even the stars don't glisten and shine in the way they should have.

The weight of depression crushes down, covering my consciousness with a weighted blanket too heavy to lift and too cumbersome to hold. Just like when in the red, a mental fog dims everything around me, I am now filled with a resigned kind of macabre stoicism that nothing ever again is going to go quite the way I expect it to. 

The good thing is that it doesn't last very long this time. Within a few minutes the fog of depression lifts and I am more or less back to myself.

Walking back to the ATV to load up my bike, I notice Bastion. He's our Glitterboy and team leader and currently he's digging his heels into the mud trying to put the upturned ATV right side up again. His mech suit creaks and groans, grinding out bits of trampled Earth with the effort.

There's a slight scratch on the front of his suit where I paid a tattoo artist to graffiti a portrait of myself in a pin-up girl pose modeling a bikini on the back of a nuclear warhead. I'm going to have to get that touched up again after we get out of here.

Bastion on coms: "What the..? Griz, I lost the location of the target.

Griz on coms: "Yeah I did too. I think the magnetic fields are beginning to fluctuate as the D-bee gets closer to the portal. The fact that it can generate electricity from its tusks might have something to do with it. For now, head southwest until I can lock on to its signature again."

Bastion on coms: "10-4. You heard him men, bug out."

The terrain is difficult to march. I could ride my bike but it would be more hazardous slipping and sliding everywhere trying to avoid hitting the trees. The closer we get to the target, the wetter and slicker it gets. 

Depression can last hours or even days when I come out from leaving the place I call the red. The place where reason and all rational instinct depart. The place where I'm free..

Nanotechnology has advanced to the point where if you install the proper augmentations, you can increase your abilities with superhuman capability. Strength, speed, endurance, not to mention the dramatic increase in healing. I've come back from death's door more than a few times. All perks included only for a little trade off.

Other Legion members.. heck the population in general call my type Crazies. Those of us who choose to get the M.O.M. implants.

After about twenty minutes of marching, we arrive at one of the strangest looking portals I've ever seen. The rift itself looks normal if not a bit large. It stands at 25ft tall and 20ft wide. A pale violet ribbon of light marks the tear in reality, cutting around the edges leaving an open doorway from our dimension into the next. It's what's coming out of the rift that's not the same.

Massive gnarled roots lay across the opening covered in thorns. They look more like tentacles from an octopus than actual tree roots but they pour out from one world and bury themselves into the next like they are trying to suck the life out of it.

On coms: "What are those things? Are they mobile?"

Griz on coms: "I don't think so. The ATV sensors classify them as a type of briar with nonpoisonous thorns. Just because they don't have poison doesn't mean they won't hurt you though. Anything can happen on a D-bee planet. Watch your backs guys."

Bastion on coms: "Roger that. I'll go in first, Campion you come in next. Give me cover if the Thunderboar detects our presence. Griz, bring up the rear with the ATV. By the way, how’s Tak doing?"

Dirk197 on coms: "All good Captain. I was able to stabilize the wound until his nanotech could kick in and finish the job. He'll be back to normal in no time."

Bastion on coms: "Great. I'm moving in. Maintain radio silence until the enemy is spotted. Campion watch my six."

On coms: "On it Cap."

Zaxxle: "I can feel your reservations about entering the rift. Are you really going in there after what happened to Aquila?"

"Of course I am. Stop talking. I need to concentrate."

Zaxxle: "Hmh.. You know what happens if you get trapped in there, right..? You'll have all of eternity to spend the rest of your days with me.."

"I don't need this right now, quiet please.."

Heart already pounding at the thought of traveling through to another dimension, that intrusive turd is the last thing I need right now to give me the creeps.

I stare at the thorny vines reaching out and immediately see a tentacle wrap around my sister's torso. It's the same image I've played over and over again in my mind's eye through the years. She stares back at me like a fish out of water as her body goes limp.

The sharp barb on the D-bee's tentacle, the thorns on the vine, the blue ring on the tentacles hide, the round open maw of the cavernous lair..

I sniffle and feel a wave of concern emanate from Zaxxle.

"What..?" I say.

Reaching up, I wipe a tear from my eye.

Zaxxle: "Your probably going to die in there. 

"So.."

Zaxxle: "Look at the bright side.. If you die, I die.."

I let out a quick bark of laughter and sob combined.

Zaxxle: "I knew I could cheer you up.."

"So what do I do now?"

Zaxxle: "For one thing you can stop talking out loud, you know I can read your thoughts, right?"

~You bastard.~ I float the thought to the front of my mind.

Zaxxle, obviously smiling: "See.. isn't that better..?"

"After all this time, you just let me speak out loud, talking to you like I'm some kind of a loon..?"

Zaxxle: "But you are, aren't you..? Crazy.. That's what the others call you. It makes no sense to me though, you are the most intelligent and sane person I know.."

I chortle again, wiping another tear from my eye.

Zaxxle: "Now put your big girl panties on and pull yourself together. If we are going to die, I won't have anyone saying that you are scared or weak, do you understand me..? I can help you or I can destroy you and right now I'm in a helping mood because I don't want you to die. If you die, I die and I'm not ready to go yet. It's as simple as that. Now can you please find your backbone and put it back into place? The bot over in the back of the ATV is showing more promise than you are and he was recently pulverized.."

Nodding, I suck it up and get ready for war.

—------------

The storm rages on for two more hours. Even in this other dimension it hasn't let up. I'm starting to think the bad weather follows wherever the boar goes, just like the nomadic tribe had said. 

The tracks we've been chasing so far lead to a rocky slope. There's a good clearing here at the bottom that looks good enough to set up camp for the night. Still the sensors are picking up no sign of the beast.

Bastion on coms: "All right team, let's set up camp for the night. I need a volunteer for first watch."

On coms: "I got it Cap. I don't need as much rest as the others, you know that."

Bastion on coms: "Thanks Campion. Just speak out if you see anything."

While everyone takes their rest, I call out to the bugs of the night, asking them to light my way. Within seconds, thousands upon thousands of dull blue fireflies come in from all directions landing just out of sight behind the ferns, leaves and brambles of the forest floor. Everything is bathed in dull blue light.

I don't know if it's from the augmentations or the nanobots or if it has anything to do with psionic abilities but ever since I got the M.O.M implants I've been able to summon them. 

No one else seems to see them but I don't care. They come for me when I call and that's all that matters.

It's close to about midnight when the wind and rain start to pick up again. Great drops of water the size of a quarter splash against my helmet's visor. 

At the other end of the clearing, I hear a snap and a grunt then see the great mass of the Thunderboar closing the gap. Its tusks are a glow with static electricity sparking back and forth against one another. It is heading once again straight for the ATV.

On coms: "INCOMING!"

~Come for me you dirty D-bee.~ 

Aquila's open mouthed face swims across my vision as the tentacle reaches in from the rift. 

~Not this time dirt bag.~

I take off running as fast as I can. Charging with all my might, I scream to get the boar to change from its current course but it ignores me. Knowing that I will need more help to dissuade this thing, I pull out my vibro longsword, ready to rally with intent.

~I'm faster now Aquila.. I'M FASTER..!~

With a banshee's battlescream, I get into the direct pathway of the charging boar and continue running forward until our paths cross.

Its momentum carries it at a reckless pace and it's much too large to face in a head on collision. At the last second, I slide down to my knees bending backward and lift the tip of the sword.

Its hide is much thicker than I expected as the cur tramples over the top of me. I don't even draw a bead of blood, much less do any harm. Quickly I roll to get out of the way of the oncoming hooves.

There's a loud bang as it smashes its tusks into the side of the ATV toppling it over once again. I can only hope that those inside are alright.

The juggernaut that is Bastion comes down hard to the back of the creature with his chainsword. It kicks and bucks, letting out a terrific squeal but otherwise it seems unaffected.

Tak and Dirk197 crawl out the side of the upturned ATV getting into position. Griz comes crawling out after. 

As the boar kicks and bobs in a frenzied pace, I pick up on something that I never really noticed before. Along the sides of the beast are old scars, arrows and spears still dangling or broken off in its flesh. They sit nestled sparsely in between the heavy bristles of fur. This thing must be ancient.

The fight ensues with no real damage being done to either side. Tak and Griz get off a few shots, which the thick hide seems to absorb. Dirk197 fears the thing, sending frightening mental images to its mind but still, it's not enough.

Thinking that something else has to be done, I switch tactics and pull out my Fireburst plasma rifle. 

The Thunderboar squeals and shakes as green plasma drips down, melting the flesh from its nose. In a rampage it jerks its attention to me, hitting me in the side and knocking me back to land in a heap. It was a bad hit, more of a push over than anything else.

Bastion on coms: "It didn't like that Camp, you've got its attention now, run!"

Before he's even finished yelling it out, I see the Captain's intentions as his laser tipped pylons dig deep into the earth. Glitterboy is going to use his boom gun!

A thrill fills the air as I make it back to my feet. The boar paws at the ground with short angry grunts, glowering as I move. I feel the pull of the red, begging me to stay and fight.

Without looking back, I run. I put everything I have into speed and sprint at a remarkable rate. Inhuman, superhuman.. no one should be able to move this fast.

It must have worked because when I get about a football field's length away, I'm thrown forward from the concussion blast of the team leader's boom gun. The sonic shock wave the weapon sends out spreads in a 360 degree angle. It carries along with it rocks, small trees, bramble and various other bits of debris in all directions.

The wet splash of something warm splatters across my back. A moment later comes an incomprehensible thud. Before I even realize what I'm doing, sound and color bleach away from the world leaving behind an empty canvas. All red, with only outlines of shapes.

Zaxxle: "What are you doing? Campion, it's over.."

A distant, much weaker version of myself winces when the team lets out a celebratory cry. I turn to see who is making the noise but am unable to make heads or tails of what it's all about.

The red mound in front of me lay massive with the smells of burning hair and charred flesh.

~No one else to fight?~

I try to concentrate and stay away from the team as much as I can. With me like this and no one to fight, those are the makings for a bad situation. Snapping the band again, this time I don't come out so good.

Not only does depression come in quivering waves but depression brings along his friends, stress and hallucination.

Tears are streaming down my face mixed with rain and all I can think about is how alone I feel.

~They're talking about you Camp.~

"Shut up Zaxxle!" I retort.

`Zaxxle:` "That wasn't me…"

Scared that another personality might be trying to make its way to the surface, I let out a sob.

Bunnies with large eyes and sharp fangs bite at one another leaving purple splotches of blood as they trample each other running in the direction of the rift. 

This is the most wildlife I have seen in a while. Hundreds of pale albino rabbits, brown foxes and even turtles are all migrating in the same direction. I don't look down to see if I step on any of them.

Zaxxle: Campion, you need to hurry dear, the portal is closing. 

Confused, scared and depressed, I make my way back to the ATV.