Author Games: Brave New World

Semifinals: Lucia Paula Fernandez

It wasn't her first time to fire a gun.

However, she'd hoped that it would've been her last.

Yet, here Lucia was once more, hiking through the thick grasses of the meadow where she had shot and murdered a creature with her sister's face. Her dark irises could not help but sweep the earth for any signs of what she had done, of stray crimson splatters or most importantly, a body. The mere thought of discovering the pale, broken corpse of Maria made her heart clench painfully in her chest, reminding the girl of her past crimes. Even though her pistol now rested safely in her holster, Lucia couldn't erase the memory of that day out of her mind.

The smoothness of the trigger, so polished and cold.

The thunderous bang of the bullet that still echoed in her ears.

The sharp cry of pain from a little girl's lips, followed by a spurt of sticky red, then a thud of a body hitting the ground.

Then there had been gasps. From her. Followed by weeping, crying, repeated mantras of useless apologies. Bitter resentment for both herself and the stars that began eating away at her heart, tearing out a portion of her soul every passing day. The breaking point for Lucia had been in the quarantine tent. The possibility of losing Sydney was too much, and even though the Australian astronomer had been given the thumbs-up and released, Lucia was not an idiot. She was not naïve. She'd heard stories from other colonists that whispered in hushed tones about her best friend's condition, how Sydney had nearly lost her life.

It had been a close call, and Lucia was intent on making sure that such an occurrence never happened again.

However, once again, she was not able to keep her promise. Again, she had let a loved one down. For here they were, the surviving colonists from Governor Chen's camp in Eden, ready to do battle with those from Doctor Moriz's colony in Parthenos for the sake of retrieving the alien flowers at the edge of the rainforest. The flower, the miracle flower – the only known cure to the Iágrima virus. Yes, everything had been explicitly explained to her before Governor Chen had sent her – along with Sydney and some other colonists from Eden – on their mission.

"Get as much as the cure as possible. Eliminate anyone who poses as a threat."

Was that what she had done with the alien? Eliminated a threat? "Does that make you sleep better at night?" In Lucia's mind, she began to picture a conversation – a conversation between herself and Governor Chen, if she had the guts to do so. "Changing words, switching terms. By justifying murder by regarding any life as a threat, a meaningless expression made out of syllables and letters?"

Does it?

Did it?

Night was falling, but Lucia Paula Fernandez did not look up at the stars when the first warning cry slashed through the icy air and pierced her ears. In the far distance, the border between the rainforest of Parthenos and the meadow of Eden was becoming more and more distinct to the eye as the scraggly battalion increased their pace, hurrying towards the blurred boundary where a mass of pink-and-violet flowers was scattered on the earth sporadically. The stars were not a part of her anymore. They no longer acted as a cage, a cave, to trap her in and limit her thinking, leading her down the road to ruin where they would watch her crash and burn with glee.

She liked to think that she had escaped her intended end, but had she?

Had she?

There was a shriek of "Get down!" from somewhere in front of her, followed by a flash of white, an explosion of red, and ashes of black that floated down from the sky. The earth rocked and Lucia fell, palms scraping against the hard earth below her body. Lifting her head, she saw flames hungrily devouring the fresh green grasses of the field, producing smoky grey dust with every bite. A few feet in front of her, the charred body of a female colonist – most likely the one who had yelled the warning – lay strewn across the ground, a trial of blood trickling down her forehead. Her breathing hitched as her fingers entwined around her gun, tugging it out of her holster before turning off the safety with shaking, sweating fingers. Her eyes never left the body of the woman as she did so, letting her irises rest on the new corpse and her mind sort through all the possibilities of the victim.

Who she was.

What she did.

Why she was selected for the mission.

Her hopes, her dreams, her loves, her life – all gone in one tiny second.

It could've been Sydney, she thought, scrambling to her knees and advancing through the smoke, watching out for any grenades to come soaring through the skies like the one before. Her grip tightened on the pistol as she leapt over a burning log, ignoring the way the heat seared her legs, despite the protective gear she was wearing. Before her, the miracle flowers lay, but instead of dropping to her knees to gather up the plants, Lucia stood erect with her weapon held high, eyes darting to and fro in-between trees for any signs of danger. Any threats. Any threats to be eliminated. In the corner of her eye she saw a flash of blonde go by – the coughing form of Sydney Morristan as she yanked the flowers from their roots and shoving them down her duffle bag. The other woman appeared to not have seen her, but this could not be said for Lucia. The janitor-turned-First Officer-turned-soldier stared as her friend made a speedy escape through the smoke a few minutes later, disappearing from sight completely soon after.

It could've been Sydney, she thought again. Something moved in the bushes, and in a flash she had whipped towards the source of the sound, only for her eyes to set upon the trembling form of a young woman cowering against the tree behind her. It did not take Lucia long to figure out that, much like herself, this colonist was untrained in the field of combat. A wavy lob of chestnut framed her pale, terrified face, as her lips parted in a silent plea of release, of mercy. "Don't kill me," the words tumbled out of her mouth desperately as she began to back away, only prompting Lucia to move in forward. "Oh god, please don't kill me. Please."

She should've felt guilt, but she did not. She should've let the woman go, but she did not. She should've done what she knew was right, but she did not. Instead, the colonist's body Lucia had seen before was seared into her mind – blank blue eyes, smoking skin, bloodied face. So young, so much life. So quickly taken.

"Get as much as the cure as possible. Eliminate anyone who poses as a threat."

Lucia stepped forward.

It could've been Sydney.

Maria's face flashed before her eyes again – the evil Maria, the one who had taken on the appearance of her beloved sister and then had attempted to kill her, only to be killed instead. There had been a bang; there had been blood and a body. Just like the one who had killed the dead colonist, she had brutally taken a life from a living being.

Could she do it again?

Could she?

"Please," the woman before her begged, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Please."

It could've been me.

It could've been me.

It wasn't her first time to fire a gun.

However, sometimes, pulling the trigger was necessary.