Read All Light Will Fall for Free Online Page B

everything
down!”
    I leapt from the cage. The humans were everywhere, running
and screaming. I inhaled. That sound of terror was liberating.
    “Prepare to fire!”
    I looked to the left. A line of men held me at gun point.
    “Hold your fire!” the doctor shouted. I was before him in
milliseconds, lifting him from the floor. My fingers were around his throat,
the pulse of his blood stirring a feral thirst within me.
    I sunk my teeth into his neck and ripped the flesh away. The
man screamed. He bucked forward, and I dropped his body to the floor.
    The guards were quick to attack. It was futile. The hot
beads of energy pierced my skin, but there was no pain.
    From the entrance, a squad of men rushed into the room.
Before they could attack, I was in front of them.
    Humans—they were weak. I was above them. I was all-powerful,
and I would exercise that power.
    A weapon laid in a pool of blood on the floor. I picked it
up and aimed at the glass cage. I fired, unleashing my fury on the machine. It
ignited, and as it burned, I was satisfied.
    Something moved suddenly. I turned, aiming the weapon. A
woman huddled against the wall of the control booth. She held up her hands in
surrender. “Don’t kill me,” she pleaded. “Please don’t shoot ...” I pressed the
barrel of the gun against her temple. She screamed. I grabbed her, dragging her
by the face all the way to the exit. I tossed the weapon aside and ripped the
door open.
    Out in the hall, sirens rang through the building. I heard
shouting. Sixty armed men advanced from the end of the hall. Most were human,
but some were not. They stood tall over the men, moving like human machines.
Still, I had no fear of them.
    “Stand down recruit!”
    I was being threatened. “Release the hostage and stand
down!” I held firm to the woman. Who were they to command me? These humans, they
had far too much pride.
    The woman struggled, trying to escape. “Release the hostage,
and stand down!” I loosened my grip. She was almost free. She thought so too,
and as she was ready to slip away, I tightened my grasp and crushed the bones
of her face. Then she was silent.
    The men dispersed, delivering a hostile attack. I charged at
the nearest guard, breaking the bone of his forearm. I threw him aside then
downed the remaining guards in quick, calculated movements.
    I came to a still as five dozen security squads blocked my
path. They were surrounded by a fleet of militarized aircrafts. “Recruit 2102,
stand down or we will be forced to eradicate you!” a voice ordered. “This is
your last warning. Stand down!”
    I raised a weapon, firing at one of the aircrafts. “Fire!”
    I attacked, but it wasn’t quick enough. Five streams of
energy shot out from the aircrafts and took me hostage. “Subject 2102
sustained.” I wrestled against the chains of energy. They were strong. I
couldn’t free myself.
    The humans circled around me, staring down at me in awe.
They looked pleased, and I despised them. I wanted their blood. I wanted their
screams.
    “Out of the way!” a voice cried. A woman pushed through the
crowd. There was something in her hand. “I’m putting this subject down.”
    I looked up, gnashing my teeth at her.
    “No!”
    The man came from nowhere. He was quick, but the action was
slow in my eyes. He took the weapon from a nearby guard and fired.
    The syringe vibrated against the floor. It sounded like a
bell. Everything was quiet as the woman fell face down to the ground. Blood
pooled beneath her, saturating the lab coat she wore. Her dead eyes stared at
me. She looked beautiful in death. Her body was twisted, but had fallen with
grace. Her skin was beautiful too, warm and soft looking.
    I looked to her killer. He looked wild, his breaths going in
and out.
    “Let this be a warning,” he bellowed. “No one deletes 2102!”
The guards were silent.
    “You may think I’m cruel gentleman, but if 2102 is deleted,
the overseers