Project Terra

End of an Era

 "What are we going to do? We weren't trained for this in the Academy!" Zane heard an officer cry out. The half dozen admirals and strategists had absolutely no idea what to do. Kiri stepped onto the bridge, which brought Zane some sense of relief. They walked up to Kiri and whispered something to her. Kiri nodded back at them and clapped, getting the quarreling officer's attention.

"Excuse me, but they have an idea they'd like to offer," she told them, gesturing towards Zane. They made a motion of clearing their throat before speaking.

"What if we used an EMP?" they asked sheepishly.

"That's just ridiculous, you of all people suggesting this?" one of the officers said, nearly mocking them.

"But it would work, wouldn't it?" another posed. The discourse started up again. Zane looked down, saddened.

"Don't feel too bad about yourself, they argue a lot," Kiri reassured them. "But are you really going to? I mean you'd die along with everything else.

"Would that really be that bad?" Zane muttered to themselves. "Cortexa doesn't want to hurt me, so I think I'd be okay" they told Kiri. Before Kiri could think of a response, one of the officers looked at both of them.

"Mx, you've been cleared. Kiriana, show them to the armory" he ordered.

"Of course, sir," Kiri responded with a salute. She led Zane away from the bridge and through the corridor.

"Wait, Kiriana's your real name?" Zane asked her.

"Yeah, Kiri's just a nickname, I don't use my full name unless I'm talking to a superior, " she explained.

Zane didn't expect to ever be standing on the roof of what they had come to know as home, nonetheless crashed on a planet. Looking around, the general scene gave them a sense of deja vu. Zane looked down at the clunky device in their hand. All it would take is a press of a button to end the chaos. A dreaded and familiar echo of voices made their presence known in Zane's head.

"ZN-3, why do you choose to work for the monsters who want to kill us?" Cortexa asked.

"Because, they treat me like a person and not a serial number,"

"And what do they want from you right now? You would not have left the ship of your own accord,"

"They want you dead, and I do as well..."

"Are you certain about this? Do you really wish to side with the monsters who kept you for two weeks against the one who took you under their wing, acting as your guardian for centuries?"

"You made me into a monster..." Zane said shakily as they held the device up and put their finger over the button. From a distance, 5 plasma balls fired at Zane.

"Universe, I bid you adieu," Zane said as they pressed the button.

They didn't expect to wake up again, but somehow, they did. Zane heard Kiri grunting and they moved slightly. Zane tried to move but couldn't do so below the neck.

"Did I... do it? Are the nightmares over?" they asked Kiri, their voice glitching out.

"Yes, Zane. The entire ship owes you for what you did today," Kiri said, tearing up slightly. "Are you able to stand? I'm getting you to a technician,"

"Kiri, p-p-please don't," they begged her.

She looked at them, a single tear running down her cheek.

"Confusion and suffering are all I've known... just let it end, please...?"

"Goodbye, Zane. I wish you peace," Kiri said before dropping their leg and leaving them there.

Zane lay there, motionless, looking at the vast sea of stars above them. A familiar voice spoke in their head. It wasn't painful, as Cortexa's intrusive voices were, it was a tranquil feeling. The voice was familiar, but Zane couldn't pin it to a person. The voice only said one thing before Zane fell unconscious one last time:

"You did it, now rest."