John Preston watched as the squad of Sweepers formed a perimeter around the building that he was fixing to enter. On the other side of the building he knew that his partner Partridge was waiting to enter from the back. John Preston was a Cleric and this was his first sense offender raid since graduating from the monastery. He had trained for years for this but…….
….no. I am a cleric. I am trained for this.
Preston heard the Commander give the go and as he burst through the door into an entry way he spotted two men to the right in which he quickly took down, then another three were to the left. Preston turned and took them down as he somersaulted into the room ahead. He could hear gunfire from the other side. His partner he presumed. This room was empty with another door on the right side of the room. The schematics showed the entry hallway, this room, the room to the right and two in the back in which his partner was to take care of. Reports had been that these men were selling outlawed items to people in the area, which means they were sense offenders spreading it to others. The worse kind Preston thought to himself.
Preston breathed in and ran towards the door. He lunged his foot forward kicking the door open and somersaulting in one motion. He spotted five..no six…men as he leaped upward firing his guns outward to the left and right.
One, two, three down.
He landed and took one out immediately in front of him and then turned to take down the last two.
Preston looked up to see his partner and mentor watching him. Partridge was everything that Preston strived to be in the Grammaton Clerics.
"Well done John," said Partridge. "Well done indeed. You move very fast, maybe the fastest I've ever seen."
"You're being modest Cleric. Everyone knows you are the fastest on the move and on the draw. Besides this is my first time out since graduation I think it is a bit to early to evaluate my skills compared to yours."
"Yes John but I'm getting old, you are the new blood of the Clerics. Trained since you were what….one year old. Your whole life to be a Cleric. Faster and better at what we do. We will rid this world of the things we have deemed unnecessary and it will be because of the work of Clerics like you John."
"Yes we will. It is what we are trained to do."
As the car approached Cleric Headquarters in the heart of Libria, the city in which the Father lived, Preston thought of his first outing. He felt nothing about what had happened. He was not satisfied that it was successful, he was not happy or feeling guilty that he killed eight men. He was thinking about the work that awaited tomorrow when they had to process the well over 100 items rated EC-10 that were found in the storage room of the building they raided. All items that were deemed offensive to society by Father and all would eventually be destroyed. His thoughts then turned to his wife at home. Would she be awake to wait for him this time of night? Preston could not even answer this question because he realized that it did not matter.
"Something troubling you John?" asked Partridge.
"No of course not why do you ask?"
"Well I've been in your shoes, I know what you are feeling."
"Feeling sir?"
"Thinking, I meant to say, I know what you are thinking."
"Well I was thinking about….well nothing really because I feel nothing over what we did tonight but yet I want to do it again soon. To stop sense offenders is what we are trained for."
"Well said John. And we will soon."
Then the bells of the city rang letting people know it was time for their daily dose of Prozium. Preston and Partridge took out their satchels, filled their injectors, and injected the drug into their necks. It was so routine they could do it with their eyes closed. The car was pulling up to headquarters as they finished their injections. Their work was done for today but tomorrow there is more to be done.
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Preston awoke, took his morning dose of Prozium, and went into the kitchen to find his wife eating breakfast.
"You're going to be late John."
"No I don't have to be there quite as early anymore now that I am a Cleric. In training that was required but now I get a bit more sleep than before. Are you going to the doctor today?"
"Yes I am, but I am ok. But when you're pregnant you have to have normal check ups I guess."
"If it is necessary then we must do it. It is what is best for us. Plus this is our first child so we must be safe with it. Well I must go now you have a nice day."
"Good bye John. Be safe out there."
John drove to work thinking about his pregnant wife at home. He knew that he cared about her and wanted to see her again, or did he care? Emotions are outlawed so is it really caring or is it just his place in society. Yes that is it, it was simply his place in society. He was a Grammaton Cleric, uncompromised but with a wife and child on the way because it was necessary for society to do so. That was it but he could think about it more later, for now there was work to be done.
"Cleric John Preston?"
"Yes."
"Sir, Commander Vaughn wants you in his office right away sir."
"Thank you."
Preston walked into the Commander's office to see Cleric Partridge waiting as well.
"Good morning Preston."
"Good morning sir. Good morning Partridge."
"That was quite impressive work from what I hear yesterday. The Father offers his gratitude to you I can assure you."
"Just doing what I am trained to do sir."
"Well Preston, the Father and I think very highly of you and because of this we are giving you and Cleric Partridge a priority mission. The raid you two made yesterday was actually part of a much larger one that we have been after. This man you see on the vid screen is Sean Davidson."
"Cleric Sean Davidson sir?"
"Yes the same man. Your Commanding Officer for two years of your training."
"I don't understand sir."
"Well Preston as you and Partridge know to be a Cleric or even a citizen today you have to be uncompromised in your living and in your thinking. Everything we do is for the greater good of society right?"
"Yes absolutely sir."
"Well if a Cleric was to ever be compromised, is emotions uncontrolled, it could mean the possible end of things as we know it. Sean Davidson has been compromised. Luckily he has not chosen to make a move but we cannot wait any longer. 48 hours ago he went rouge on the night of your graduation. He took off into the city and when we raided his apartment we found everything we suspected. He has been smuggling EC-10 items into Libria and hiding them. He did a great job of covering it up because we we're not sure about him until around 72 hours ago. Obviously he knew we we're onto him because he took off running. Your job Clerics is to bring him back, dead or alive, but gain information in the process if possible. We think he may have others aiding him. We believe he is in District 1138 of the Nethers. We found his vehicle just outside it's border this morning and there is substantial movement in the area. So Clerics are you ready?"
"Of course sir", they responded in unison.
"Well then Clerics, go get him."
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"Clerics we are approaching District 1138."
"Ok pull up and stop just up ahead", said Partridge.
The vehicles came to a stop and the Sweepers filed out of the trucks and began falling in line to await orders. Since this mission was rated Class 10 the orders would come directly from the Clerics themselves. Usually the Sweeper squads were given orders from their own commanding officers but in some cases, such as this, an exception is made. Preston began to give the orders.
"All right as your Squad Commander told you in the briefing we do not know what awaits us ahead. We do know that former Cleric Sean Davidson is somewhere in this vicinity and he is obviously considered armed and extremely dangerous. District 1138 is a smaller district and there are only four building that are still structurally sound. Our intel says that Davidson and whomever he has with him are in an old dance club two blocks from here so it's not a very big building. Two teams of Sweepers will approach from both sides and form a perimeter. When the building is secure Cleric Partridge and I will enter and confront Cleric Davidson our selves. You have ten minutes get moving."
While the Sweeper squads moved into position Preston and Partridge went over to the weapons utility vehicle. Preston had his two regular issue guns plus the back ups tucked in his sleeves but he figured he may need more for this mission. He selected a small automatic machine gun that was lightweight and he could carry over one shoulder. For the other shoulder he chose a katana. Last but not least a belt carrying extra bullet clips. Partridge grabbed an additional machine gun and an extra clip belt. There was not a weapon a Cleric did not know how to use. From birth they are trained in combat and weaponry to be as efficient as any man could be. They are the last lines of defense. "All right Clerics we've surrounded the building. Would you like us to smoke the building sir?"
"No that won't be necessary Lieutenant."
"But with all due respect Cleric we have no idea how many men are in there."
"It's all right Commander, we are trained for this, and something tells me he is alone or we would have met with resistance by now. Tell your men to stand by and await further orders."
"You think he is alone Preston?" asked his partner.
"Yes. I just can sense it for some reason."
"I've heard about some of the newer Clerics being intuitive. Maybe you…"
"Perhaps. It is time to move Cleric. Let's go."
Preston and Partridge approached the building guns ready, body and mind ready. The front was the only way in or out because the back door was blocked by debris.
Go.
The Clerics entered the building in a running roll and came up with guns outward as their eyes scanned the room.
Nothing.
This was the lobby of the club so the room was small but there was no where for anyone to hide. Then they heard gunfire from outside.
Two shots fired.
Preston moved towards the door at the back of the lobby. Partridge waited as Preston checked out the room.
Three more shots fired.
Preston entered to find the large room which was the dance club itself. Nothing in here either as he again scanned the room quickly and efficiently.
"Partridge!" yelled Preston. "The room is secure!" But Partridge did not answer.
More gun fire outside. Louder and continuos this time.
What was going on Preston thought? The room was clear. Time to return outside Preston considered as more gunfire came, closer this time.
"John Preston!"
Preston turned to see his former Commander standing with a katana in his hands on the other end of the room.
"Davidson your are to be placed under arrest for the crime of possession of items rated EC-10 and for abandoning your post in the Grammaton Clerics."
"Save me the speech Cleric. I've heard it already. And don't look behind me for help from your partner. or the Sweepers. He's taking a nap right now"
"If you killed him the sentence will be even more severe."
"No he's alive I ran out of bullets taking out the Sweepers so I just knocked him out. Figured I could deal with you and then him. Even I can't take two Clerics on at once."
"We don't have to do this the hard way Sean."
"You just don't understand John what they have taken from us. What it means to be free and to feel? Unfortunately like I said, I used the last of my bullets and those blasted Sweeper weapons are fingerprint coded, but I found this sword outside though. It will have to do."
Davidson ran towards Preston, sword at the ready. Preston waited patiently and just as Davidson swept the sword forward, Preston sidestepped to the left at just the right moment avoiding the blade, and with his right arm he threw Davidson to the ground belly first. Then in another quick movement Preston jumped onto Davidson's back knocking the sword from his hands and pinning his former training officer. But as quickly as Preston moved Davidson's own defense kicked in and he quickly threw Preston from his back and regained his weapon.
Preston stood up and drew his katana. Davidson slashed forward as Preston's steal met with his blocking the blow. Davidson swiped downward but again Preston blocked.
"You're very fast with the sword Cleric," said Davidson as he took another swipe, this time upward at Preston's head but again blocked with ease by his own blade. "Why not just listen to me John? I have seen the world in a different way than you have. A world without Prozium or the Father feeding us lies."
"You are mistaken Sean. We do what is necessary for the good of Libria. It is life."
"No you are the one who is sadly mistaken. Perhaps one day you will understand. You see, no matter what happens in the next few minutes here between you and I, it has already begun. The first steps towards a new revolution, a resistance against Libria. It may take a year, it may take ten, but in time things will change but you will not live to see it John."
Davidson began to back up towards the where Preston and his partner had entered. Then after a few steps he turned and ran.
Preston followed in pursuit but when he made it outside Davidson was gone. As Preston scanned the area his eyes met the dead Sweeper squads around him. All killed in a matter of minutes by the man he was chasing. He also saw Partridge out cold but beginning to come to. This has gone on long enough he thought to himself. Preston dropped the sword and drew his guns. It was time to end this.
"Partridge! Wake up!"
"Did you get him yet Preston?"
"No. I'm not sure where he is. Go check the right side of the building. I'll check the left."
Preston walked to the left of the building to take a look in the alley. Nothing it seemed but more dead Sweepers. In the distance he could hear a chopper approaching. One of the men must have gotten a call off in time for help.
The Clerics met again in the middle.
"Nothing Preston. Where could he have gone?"
Preston pointed up.
"The roof?" whispered Partridge.
Preston nodded and said quietly, "There must be a ladder on the back side. Wait here and I'll go around and check it out."
Preston began to walk around the building when the chopper he had heard came flying by and stopped over the roof of the club.
"Clerics, he is on the roof", a voice from the chopper's intercom yelled. "I repeat he is on the roof and headed your way!"
Then the Clerics looked up as Davidson came leaping off the building but instead of a sword, he was raising a gun. In reflex the Clerics arms came forward firing both weapons. As the assailant came flying at them they unloaded the entire clips from both of their pistols into the chest of the former Cleric. He hit the ground with a thud as they quickly reloaded in case it wasn't over. But it was. Former Cleric Sean Davidson was taken care of.
"Are you all right Cleric?" asked Preston.
"Yeah I'm fine. He hit me from behind as soon as you left the lobby."
The chopper landed and Commander Vaughn got out.
"Well done Clerics. Did you speak with him? Find out anything from him."
"Davidson was saying something about how a resistance has begun. That it didn't matter what happened to him that it would happen one day. We need to have this area swept to see if there are other sense offenders in the district."
"A resistance you say? Davidson was compromised Preston. He had been affected by things we no longer see fit, you know that."
"You're right sir. But…"
"Don't worry about it Preston. We will bring a Sweeper team in and cover the entire district to make sure it is clean. Any influence Davidson may have had will be gone soon. Let's return to Libria shall we."
The Clerics followed Commander Vaughn into the chopper as a ground unit arrived to clean the city and to take the trucks and weapons vehicle back into the city. Preston's thoughts swayed to the events just minutes ago.
A resistance? Maybe I will look into this….no that won't be necessary. Davidson had been compromised. He was filled with lies and deceit.
"What are you thinking about Preston?" asked Partridge.
"Nothing Cleric. Nothing at all. Just a bit tired."
