The Tag Bearer

Chapter 17 - Utopia

Silence.

Utter ambiguous silence.

My throat tightened as my eyes transfixed on Sergeant Hill. He meditated with such unnerving calmness I wondered if he was even human. How could he be so calm? He'd just captured me. His new, greatest enemy for some unknown reason I couldn't put my finger on, and he wasn't the slightest bit excited? He wasn't jumping out of his seat proclaiming his victory, he was fucking meditating! My life was cupped in his hands and he had the audacity to sit here all uptight and pretty like the world was perfect. How dare he!

The veins in my neck began thumping as my cheeks turned a flushed red. The more I stared at him, the more tempted I was to lash out and strike him. But this wasn't the time nor the place to do the deed. I clenched my fists, my knuckles turning white. He was going to die whether he liked it or not! Somehow, I had to find a way to kill him before he killed me.

My purpose was clear now - it wasn't to tag bodies; it was to kill the person who wanted me to tag bodies. The very Devil himself, all high on his horse. He was the person who didn't care about the needless deaths or innocent lives placed upon his unburdened hands. He was a self-centred prick.

And power was his weakness.

I gritted my teeth. How could I kill a man so powerful? He was the face of the government, surrounded by Officers and Drones, and somehow destiny wanted him dead? This didn't make any sense. No, it definitely didn't make any sense.

I glanced up at Hill, a smile crossing his lips, his eyes still sealed shut in serenity. "We're here, Ellie. Look out the window."

My eyebrows furrowed as I found myself staring out a window in the hovercraft. The sight of an ever-increasing large bordered city came into view. To one side of the wall, the murky brown colour of the sea lay writhing in a slight breeze, mud waves crashing against the wall and breaking in a yellow foam. I leaned forward, frowning. To another side lay a vast, dry desert, washed out by the war to reveal a harsh redness. The sand swirled up, creating little whirlwinds that joined to become furious tornadoes.

I glanced at the dome, encompassed in glass. The high walls protected a thriving city, one filled with greenery. The thick grey concrete was covered in moss and vines trickled their way up the walls, drinking in the nutrients from the dome as they tried to reach the sun. I sat up the best I could, and watched through the window, now to my right.

The tall shell casings of a bustling city worked its way out below. It was an untouched utopia. A perfect place for those loyal to the New Government to thrive. Greenery layered every building, and there were people. Hundreds and thousands of people going about their day as though nothing had ever happened.

"Welcome to New Atlanta," Hill said over my shoulder.

I jumped, unaware that he had crept up on me. He gestured towards the city below and I returned my gaze to it, my heart still thumping loudly in my chest.

"New Atlanta," I whispered under my breath. I liked it. Michigan was so mundane and was a wasteland the last time I had seen it, but this vastly contrasted everything I once knew. It was beautiful. A true masterpiece.

"She is the product of the clean-up mission. As you can see, by the harbour we are just about to finish rebuilding the last of the skyscrapers. We hope we can expand the city further, but right now we are quite happy with our progress. This is the type of utopia we are going to build across the entire country when we finish. It's a safe haven, but as you can see, it takes some work to build up an empire again."

The smile in his voice was evident as he gazed lovingly at his city, his empire.

"And the people?" I asked.