1. The Omicron Incident

 It’s all lies. 

People say your life flashes before your eyes right before you die, but how could anyone find that out?  The world once believed the world was flat.  Now scientists tell you that Earth is an insignificant sphere around a tiny star, far from the centre of the universe.  Mothers tell their children that babies come from storks.  Politicians say they do things for the good of the country.  They said I was your enemy.  They said I was dead.

I’m the only one who’s going to tell you the truth.

It’s all lies.

***

Part One:  The Omicron Incident

Spring 2004

A figure raced across a city rooftop, the stars lighting his way like icy candles.  His heart fired like a racecar’s engine in his chest, propelling him forward at phenomenal speed.  The sweat on his brow came, not from exertion, but from knowing it was not enough.  He could not outrun them.

            SWOOSH!  The quick one knocked him over, a hurtling blur of speed at the corner of his eye.  He rolled on the hard surface of the roof, feeling the air leave his lungs.  It wasn’t helpful that the speedy assailant delivered a dozen swift kicks to his ribs, either.

            “Kicking a man when he’s down, that’s just not proper.”  He grunted, rising to his knees, finding his breath and his sense of humour.

            WHACK!  He got a kick to the head for his efforts, spilling him onto his backside like a trapped turtle.  He heard the soft hum of their chopper, designed for clandestine operations and invisible to radar.  Dark figures dropped down onto the roof.  It seemed that they had deployed some of the big guns.  A compliment, really.

            “Nice work, Boost,” boomed a large silhouette.  In the dim starlight, he could make out the gleam on the armoured suit.  One of the SABREs, then:  Strategic Armoured Brigade for Response to Emergencies.  A mercy, for he had feared that they would despatch the Scorpions instead.  But it was still bad.

            A really big one heaved him to his feet by the scruff of his neck like he was just a toy.  He’d never felt such strength.  He knew struggling wouldn’t do him any good.  A few moments later, he’d wish that he had fought.

            “You’ve caused quite a bit of trouble in a very short amount of time.”  The first big one said, standing in front of him.  The helmet distorted his voice.  The leader, he supposed.

            “I figured I had to do the best I could with the time I had.”  He answered snidely.

            “Well, they’re displeased.  Now they have to start over.  Bring her down.”  This last remark was said to the side, as he activated his helmet radio.

            The chopper circled back, almost landing.  Two more armoured thugs got out and helped someone down, like they were valets.  This one was in restraints, head covered by some kind of heavy helmet.  They led this figure forward.  The strong one pushed him to his knees, holding him as they approached.  The lumbering hulk’s fingers were like steel grips on his shoulders.  As they approached, he started to shake.  It seemed that they had risked bringing a Scorpion after all.

            The leader held up a remote control and pushed a button.  It glowed, and so did a display on the restrained figure’s helmet.  The light went from red to green in a blink, and the restraints fell to the ground, taking the helmet with them.  He could see that the hand restraints had been connected to the helmet by draping cords down behind the figure they imprisoned.

            “Ahhhhh!”  The lithe, sensuous figure sighed, stretching like a cat.  “Much better.”

            She was wearing an outlandish costume consisting of thigh high boots and leather.  Her dark, curly hair framed a face equally beautiful and cruel.  She grinned, and her eyes sparkled violet in the darkness, glowing.

            He shivered as a matching glow emanated from her fingertips.  A purple whip manifested in the dark, a tangled tendril of energy, sparkling like a lightning bolt.  He gulped, knowing what was coming.

            “My, my, my.  What have we here?  Someone’s been a naughty boy!”  She chided, circling him like a cat playing with its food.

            “Make it quick, Leash.”  The leader snapped.  “You have your orders.”

            She laughed.  It was a sound lacking in kindness or humour, but laced with deadly amusement and disdain.  She knew that they feared her.  However, she also knew whom they worked for.

            “Very well.” She shrugged.  “All work and no play.”

            She snapped her wrist with a vicious grin, and the whip struck out.  He could feel the crackling energy approach.  It was a split second, but in the last nanoseconds of the time it took for her to move and the whip to approach his throat, he gathered his will and resisted.  The result was remarkable and completely unexpected.

            He felt the whip coil around his neck, physically choking him even as he felt her presence in his mind, choking his thoughts, taking over.  And then his eyes were filled with blue fire and she was screaming…  There was a bright flash, and then everything was gone.

            Just gone.