I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AFRAID OF WHO I MIGHT BECOME AFTER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO ME, I AM TERRIFIED I WILL PULL THE TRIGGER AGAIN.
BOOK ONE OF THE PLANETARY CHRONICLES
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Safety was a word that Vida felt like she didn't recognize anymore. After losing her home during the War, she didn't have protection, and losing her family to sickness meant that she couldn't have emotional support. Vida wasn't safe here, she felt like a child in the middle of a chaotic war that didn't seem to come to an end, and all she wanted was to feel safe even if it meant having a roof over her head.
The twenty-year-old walked through the streets of Germany hugging her body while her eyes searched for any piece of clothing or if she was lucky enough for a piece of food someone had thrown away. It has already been two weeks since her last meal and her body was already showing the signs of malnourishment.
There was a loud commotion that caught her attention, a few screams from a kid got Vida running towards the sound, her eyes could only see the horrendous image of a group of guys beating a small girl for food.
"Hey, leave her alone you idiots." Vida screamed out, she could see the advantage the guys had, they were older and bigger than the girl who looked about the ages of nine or ten. "Mess with someone your own size, you guys are being idiots for stepping with a girl who clearly can't defend herself."
The teenagers chuckled as they looked down on her, one was brave enough to stand in front of her, his smirk on his lips was driving Vida insane with anger, it was annoying to hear how he found this fun.
"Leave us alone sweet pea, this isn't about you, don't act like the hero." He said, the thick German accent sticking out of his voice.
"I'll leave until she's safe with me." Vida looked behind the four guys. "Come on, let's go." She stretched her hand out waiting for the small blonde to follow her but even from her, the child was terrified. "I am not going to hurt you."
"She doesn't wanna go with you, leave her alone." The guys pushed her back, Vida's eyes widened by the act and she didn't think her actions through. In a matter of seconds, she had a piece of wood that once belonged to a building in her hand and the guy's head was bleeding.
The next thing Vida could remember was running with fear away from the teenagers, and then, an old man standing in front of her protecting the child.
"Enough is enough kids, you are smart to know the consequences of fighting in these crucial times. You must find your way back home, hide, be safe." Vida hid behind the man's body, she was confused by the sudden act of kindness but also was thankful for it.
The teenagers walked away, giving Vida an ugly look. Vida might be an adult now, but she felt like a child in fear again, she was scared that they could've harmed her.
"Are you okay?" The old man turned around looking at Vida with kind eyes.
"Yes, thank you." With that said Vida turned around ready to walk away, stopped briefly by the man's voice.
"You know that the streets aren't safe right now child." Vida nodded her head, turning around again to look at the man.
"Yes, but I am not a child sir, thank you for your help, but you are a stranger to me, and I know I should not talk to strangers, have a good day." Vida waved goodbye before walking away again, towards nowhere, she had no place to sleep and the weather has started to lower, the shivering of her body starting.
"I mean this in the safest way child, but I work at the hospital, you can stay there tonight where there's a warm bed and food, I can help you even." The man's voice spoke again, Vida didn't know how to react really when she noticed he was following her, or at least that is what it felt like. "The hospital is over there, the only building that seemed to be respected in this town. The name's Dr. Erksine, you can trust me to cure your wounds, and when that happens you are free to go."
"I was taught to never talk to strangers, I can't trust you even if you told me your name." Vida looked around noticing people coming in and out of the hospital, he just said he "worked" in. Vida thought about it for a moment, she didn't have to listen to this man, she didn't know this man at all, but, she had nothing to lose anymore. "Fine, only so I can have my wounds heal."
The older man nodded his head at Vida, he walked beside her letting the young woman see his movements, and showed her the way inside the hospital building. Vida could've fallen apart right there, the images of families breaking down in tears, children screaming in pain, parents looking for their children. Vida wanted to help them all, but she couldn't, she was just a child.
"This is scary, isn't it?" Vida nodded her head, looking straightforward, ignoring the sting in her eyes from the tears forming in. "We are going to help them you know?"
"How so?" Vida questioned the man, curious about what he said with confidence.
"We are going to make a super soldier, someone who looks out for the little one, and put a stop to this war." Dr. Erksine opened a door to an office filled with medical equipment. "We just need the right person for the job, we can't have someone who shows kindness and in reality, is looking for trouble in the street to cause menace."
"What if I suggest to make me the one for this job." Vida stopped moving, she just looked at Dr. Erksine, she was curious if she could do it, she didn't want to, that meant she could be a lab rat and she didn't like needles, but boy how she wanted all this war to end.
"I don't know if that could be possible, I mean, thank you for wanting to do this, but I wouldn't want to put you in danger." Dr. Erksine smiled at the young woman, his hands grabbing cloths and alcohol to clean the wounds she had on her arms.
"Is not like I have something else to lose you know, and I think I want to do this, you said it yourself, protect the little one." Vida chuckled at the idea, she was right on one thing, she didn't have much to lose, her parents and siblings were dead, she didn't have a home and barely any life in her system. "At least I can do something right for someone else."
Dr. Erksine looked down at her brown eyes, he could see how broken she was and that power to do the right thing, but he couldn't just take her word for it, he didn't want to make another mistake with this delicate serum.
"I would have to run some tests if you are willingly comfortable to take it, it isn't going to be easy, but if this works, you will be saving lives."
"I am here willing to try this, like I said, what else do I have to lose?"
Vida Richter signed the form, she didn't look back at her choice, if she wasn't going to survive, she would leave knowing she tried to make a change. But if she did and she became the first female super soldier to stop the war and bring peace, she would be so happy, she knew her family would be proud of her too.
If you asked her how the serum felt, she would've said it stung like a bee and a scorpion at the same time. She would tell you how claustrophobic it felt to be contained and secured while she felt her blood boil. Vida would say it was instant, it didn't feel like it took ages but instead it were seconds. But the power she felt, that was different.
