The Pulse Emission Uniform was a war machine built to wipe out armies. Although ancient, it lived up to its reputation no matter the era. Hordes of missiles obliterated nearby buildings, some even pursuing Gabriel as he ran up the side of a building.

Breaking through the window did little good as it was like the missiles had minds of their own and made the turn right along with him.

Gabriel's supernatural agility was fully displayed in the worker-less office; he flipped over desks and slipped by exploding shrapnel.

His exit was just within reach when suddenly the very floor shifted. 120mm caliber bullets had hammered the walls.

The floor collapsed under Gabriel, and the building caved in on itself.

 

*****E V*****

 

Nothing about Diolay was recognizable. Metal beams stuck out of piles of rubble. Smoke ascended into the heavens. With every slowly step the Pulse Emission Uniform took, it was like an earthquake. Even the hydraulics in its legs was thunderous. Scanners couldn't detect Gabriel's heat signature, but the microphone picked up the sounds of his breathing.

The machine's claws dug into the debris and scooped out Gabriel. He was alive, unconscious.

One of the surviving generals limped over and gloated. "Take him to Fort Catall," he said to the driver who was concealed in the cockpit.

Nothing was said through the Pule Emission Uniform's speaker. Panels around the machine opened and boosters popped out. The propulsion system was powerful enough to pop eardrums, and gusts of wind sent rubble rolling.

 

*****E V*****

 

The Pulse Emission Uniform maintained speeds of 480 mph. Its destination was less than two hours away. With the machine on auto-pilot, the driver was in a deep sleep undisturbed by the turbulence. It was impossible to tell if the driver was a man or a woman. The helmet's visor was deeply tinted. The synthetic suit was fire-proof with cables plugged into the arms and spine.

Gabriel woke to wind overpowering his face. He had never been that high up without being in the safe confines of a plane. Thousands of feet below, scorched lands stretched out for miles. Gabriel wasn't sure if he would survive a fall, but he had no choice. He pried open one of the steel fingers just enough to slip through an opening.

The sensors went off in the cockpit, awakening the driver. One of the screens showed a schematic of the Pulse Emission Uniform's hand and the malfunctioned part. Another screen was a surveillance cam that showed an empty claw.

While freefalling, a loud roar drew Gabriel's attention--the Pulse Emission Uniform was closing in at mach speed.

Inside, the driver ignored warning alarms, pushing up the thrust lever and increasing speeds. Gabriel's falling body had gotten bigger in one of the monitors. But, suddenly the g-forces proved too much, and the driver lost consciousness.

The Pulse Emission Uniform spiraled out of control and fell past Gabriel like a meteor. When it plummeted into the Grid below, a mushroom cloud erupted, which swallowed Gabriel.

The young Eon Viant was blinded by smoke and narrowly escaped the building debris that was jettisoned. He touched a concrete slab, creating a scimitar.

Gabriel jammed the blade into the side of a still-standing skyscraper that had its windows blown out. Driving the scimitar as deep as possible slowed his descent.

 

*****E V*****

 

Grids were rotten shells of once great cities. It wasn’t just the deteriorating buildings, it was a lack of order and the crime and corruptionthat affected the one type of citizen who couldn’t escape: the poor kind.

Looking around Grid 8391, Gabriel realized how it was in worse shape than 0047. Buildings were missing rooftops even before the gigantic machine crashed, and the road was overrun with greenery. The suffocating dust clouds made it worse.

A few corpses were in an alley. They had to have been there for days, the maggots were still fresh. He removed a poncho from a corpse and dusted it off.

Concealed, Gabriel hurried through what he assumed was once the downtown area. There was not a soul around. Commercial buildings had cobwebs and broken signs. Fires had scorched the handful of cars down to their chassis.

When the familiar roar returned, Gabriel took refuge in a bank. It was a mess inside: glass everywhere, tile floors ripped up. Mold covered the walls. Any money had been taken long ago. There was not a single quarter left. The young Eon Viant secured himself in the vault as the Pulse Emission Uniform hovered overhead.

Sensors, microphones, the driver used everything in the search for Gabriel. Because the driver's suit was connected to the machine's operating mechanisms, electric shocks were administered to awaken the driver from unconsciousness.

The Dust Riders were a gang who got around on horseback. They neglected modern technology. It was easy when technology was a rarity. Composed of different ages, the few leaders were all in their early 20s and stayed back at base while the soldiers, 17 or younger, did the hard work. They were draped with scarves and wore goggles to protect their eyes from the relentless sand.

The Dust Riders took positions all along the streets, armed with rocket launchers.

A volley of rockets targeted the Pulse Emission Uniform, but the majority was intercepted. With surveillance down, the driver was blinded to what was happening below. A second wave of rockets caused substantial damage. Having no other options, the driver retreated.

Gabriel exited the bank and was surrounded on all sides. The young gangsters had their firearms drawn.

Donnie was a cheery, wide-eyed 14 year-old. His friendliness made Gabriel all the more cautious.

"Who are you guys?" Gabriel asked.

"We're Dust Riders," Donnie said.

"You're scavengers," Gabriel replied.

One of the leaders interjected. His name was Dominic, the oldest of the leaders at 23. "We're nothing like scavengers. We just protect what's ours."

Dominic carefully studied Gabriel who made an effort to keep himself covered with the poncho. "You know it's like 90 degrees out here. What are you hiding under that?"

Dominic signaled the young soldiers to restrain the Eon Viant. Upon the poncho's removal, his undergarments were revealed.

"Come with us," Donnie said. "Who knows when that machine will be back?"

Attacking the Dust Riders was a foolish strategy. Gabriel was still weakened from his defeat at Diolay, so he had to play along to buy himself enough time to regain his durability. If he didn't leave his armor back in the bank vault, he would have already failed.

 

*****E V*****

 

With a name like Dust Riders, no one would've suspected that they lived in the sewers. When the Dust Riders went out, there were those who stayed behind, either because they were too young, or disabled. Still, they found work to do, salvaging communications equipment or any relics washed down from the surface.

Gabriel changed in a dirty bathroom. It was barely held together with walls hollow enough to make out conversations in the next room. With a wet cloth, he wiped the smudges of dirt from his face.

He was given clean clothes. The t-shirt and pants were old, torn, and had a few holes.

Gabriel scarfed down food in the cafeteria. His plate was composed of candy bars, barbeque chips, and everything kids thought nutritious. It took minutes for him to make up for the many days he went without breakfast. 

"I can't believe you guys live in a sewer," Gabriel said. 

"It's not so bad," Donnie said, seated across from Gabriel. "You'll get used to it. You're home now."

Anyone given shelter in their sewers was considered part of the Dust Riders family. That especially was the rule for capable young men.

"Stick with me," Donnie said. "I'll show you the ropes."

"What ropes?" Gabriel asked, agitated. "What are you talking about? You guys kidnap people?!"

"We don't kidnap people," Donnie said, assuredly. "We save them. We saved you."

"Well, later on, I'll be breaking out," Gabriel said. 

"If you leave, you're going to miss out on the party," Donnie said with a mischievous grin.

It had been a while since Gabriel spent time with a girl. He had been living on Oliath's lonely island for so long, with Oliath beating over his head everyday that he was a weapon.

"Tell me about this party," Gabriel said.

 

*****E V*****

 

There wasn't enough food at the hideout to feed everyone at dinner. Dominic took Gabriel, Donnie, and a few other boys hunting. Rifles in hand, they made the trek deep in the sewer system. It was an intricate labyrinth that seemed endless. Flashlights fastened to their backpack straps lit their path, and the rats that scurried about. The stench of vomit-inducing raw sewage with a hint of foul-smelling eggs was in the air.

"When Dominic said we were going hunting, I thought he meant the fields," Gabriel said.

"There's nothing near the Grid good enough to hunt," Donnie said. "Deer have been extinct for a while. Now, we hunt gator!"

One of the boys used a fishing rod to dangle road kill over the water. The group sat on a mixture of chemicals and thick sludge, waiting for something to bite. Their scarves covered their noses to block out the rotten smell.

"Hey, check this out," Donnie whispered to Gabriel.

Donnie showed the tattoos in the middle of his sternum and on the back of his neck. They were like painted-on gemstones.

"Pretty cool, right?" Donnie asked. "Just like an Eon Viant."

It had been so long since Gabriel heard a human say anything decent about Eon Viants. It warmed his heart.

"There's nothing cool about Eon Viants!" Dominic said. "My friend lost family because of them. A lot of people did."

A shadow moved underwater. As it got closer to the road kill, an armored spine emerged. "It's here!" the boy with the fishing rod said.

A monster emerged from the water. Its head was twice the size of a normal gator, and it had jagged teeth. 

The group surrounded the reptile. Somehow, they had the confidence to face death head on. Altogether, they jammed their rods into the monster. Electrical arcs raged out. 

The gator spun, its tail knocking the scavengers down. One was flung against the walls, another two into the water.

Donnie could see his reflection in the reptile's eyes. As big as the alligator was, it charged like a speedy canine. Jaws opened, it nearly enveloped Donnie until Gabriel tackled him aside.

The scavengers regrouped around the alligator. It didn't make sense how a piece of the railing was lodged in its ribs when the alligator was nowhere near railing.

Meanwhile, Gabriel checked on Donnie. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Donnie was shocked and amazed. "You saved me!"

Gabriel was quick to put on his backpack. Part of his shirt was clawed, and the gemstone embedded in his back was exposed.

Only Eon Viants bore those kinds of gemstones, and, for the briefest of seconds, Dominic had seen all he needed to see.

 

*****E V*****

 

Under the full moon, parties and raves were held around the city. The Dust Riders had chosen a tower with suites once worth millions. The loud bass shook the city. Teens danced and played volleyball in about half a dozen pools. Food was brought by teens partygoers: mainly poorly-imitated copies of once famous dishes and junk food. 

Gabriel's mind was distracted. Oliath taught him--tried to teach him--that human lives were expendable to Eon Viants. Yet, he saved Donnie without hesitation. Gabriel watched teens being teens. It felt like forever since he had experienced fun. He wondered, after all of the chaos and murder, was it too late to be a teen again.

Dominic weaved through the crowd until he found Gabriel.

"There you are!" Dominic said. "Great party, ain't it?"

"Uh, yeah," Gabriel said, taken aback. 

"Thanks for saving Donnie back there," Dominic responded. 

Dominic had called over Tina. She was 14, slender, piercings running along her ear lobes. "Gabriel, this is Tina. Tina, this is the boy I was telling you about."

Gabriel couldn't take his eyes off her smile. His jaw had dropped, and he wasn't sure if he was drooling or not.

"When you open your mouth, it might be better if words came out," Dominic said.

"Don't make this awkward, Dominic," Tina said.

The two were left alone with the music drowning out their conversation.

 

*****E V*****

 

Nearby was a movie theater. In one of theater rooms, a hole was blown out of the ceiling, creating a skylight. It had been years since anyone was in there, but the seats still had indentations. Gabriel and Tina had a lot in common. When they were younger, they each spent time in their Grid's abandoned movie theaters, imagining what movie could have been playing.

"So, what movie are you imagining?" Tina asked.

"I always liked action movies," Gabriel responded. His earliest memories were sitting at the table watching an edited movie on television. 

"I always had a thing for horror," Tina said.

Tina was like him: no family, she worked at a junkyard and was from a Grid, in her case, 5384. Last time Gabriel was at 5384 was at the start of his campaign, and he had wiped out his first military base.

"I also like murder mysteries," Tina said, disgust oozing through her playful façade. "That's what I'm looking at now."

"What's happening?" Gabriel asked.

"You just killed a lot of people, and the authorities are after you," Tina said.

"...So I'm in the movie?" Gabriel asked. "That's cool, I guess."

Tina's demeanor had grown cold. "So, why do you do it? Why do you kill people?"

Gabriel wasn't sure how to respond. Hundreds of possible answers caused him to hesitate.

"Eon Viants have that little weird thing in their chests," Tina continued. "Take off your shirt right now and prove to me you're not an Eon Viant."

"I don't have to prove anything," Gabriel said.

"Yes, you do," Dominic said, coming out of the doorway. By his side were other Dust Riders, all armed.

In Gabriel's distraction, Tina managed to rip his shirt. A stone with a radiant core was sealed in his sternum.

Tina let the tears fly. "When Dominic described you, I was unsure at first. I had to see you myself. But it's you. I was there when you killed my brother! You killed all of those people!"

It wasn't unusual for Gabriel's assault on army bases to spread to nearby towns like wildfire. But Tina was just another soul he burned. 

Fully revitalized, Gabriel summoned daggers out of the tile floor. If he wanted the Dust Riders dead, he could've deemed it so. When he destroyed their guns, he sent them flying like ragdolls.

Exits had been sealed off by debris. In Tina's desperation, she fled to the rooftop, hid behind an exhaust fan and loaded one of the undamaged guns. The fan's motor had deafened her from hearing footsteps, but she saw Gabriel searching.

When the Eon Viant's back was turned, Tina peeked around the fan, steadied the barrel. 

"I don't want to hurt you, Tina," Gabriel said, keeping his back turned to her.

"You don't want to hurt me? You already did!" Tina yelled.

Even if Gabriel didn't defend himself, it wasn't in his power to give her the satisfaction of vengeance. 

In an instant, a familiar wrecking ball flattened Tina along with the exhaust fan.

"Oliath!" Gabriel exclaimed as the veteran warrior dropped down, his weight shaking the roof.

Unable to feel any part of her body, her lungs crushed, Tina hyperventilated with what air she had left.

"Do not mourn her," Oliath said. "Did she not make an attempt on your life?"

"You don't understand," Gabriel continued. "She did nothing to me. I hurt her!"

"Their lives are nothing more than puppets on our strings," Oliath said. "You are an Eon Viant. It is your right to control human lives."

Gabriel had executed many combatants but never a civilian, intentionally. Tina had the same look as all of them before they died...fear. 

Oliath marched past him and dropped through the hole. Gabriel overheard the cries and pleas of Dominic and the other Dust Riders. Oliath wasn't in the mood for mercy. He never was. He was just a weapon fulfilling his purpose.

Gabriel got his answer. It was too late to be normal again. He was a weapon, an Eon Viant.