Stranger Times

Last Portal Out (Smackdown Qualifier)

Qualifying entry for the Wattpad Sci-fi short story smack-down contest.

"This portal behind me is the last one out." Frank replies. He set his hand on the butt of his pistol, and gave Dave a cold, humourless grin.

"Frank? What the hell are you on? Our portal doesn't pop for another three weeks." Dave replied. His tone was calm and level, but Frank could see the creeping fear seeping into the other man's stance.

"Right. Because the elite few that we're saving includes you. You've always had your head in the clouds, Dave." Frank said, and for emphasis, popped open the safety clip that held his gun to his holster.

"Us genociders don't get a free ride into paradise. No one wants to saddle our fresh start with that sin." Frank adds.

"What?" Dave asks. He's angry, almost raging, but Frank watches with almost amused indifference, waiting for the other man to reach for his weapon. "They won't take me?"

"Of course not. Monsters like you and I should be thankful that we're going to be forgotten." Frank said, as he waited for Dave to get angry enough to reach for his gun.

"Then what have I been killing people for?" Dave asked, screaming the question into the air. "Do you know how many people I lead through one of these? Through wormholes that lead into nowhere? How many kids I wished 'good luck' to, knowing that they'd die in the vacuum of deep space? Do you know how many people were rated non-essential and tossed out like garbage? Do you know what I did?"

Frank nodded, and smiled grimly. "Seven billion, with tens of millions as a rounding error."

"That's right! That rounding error alone makes me the worst mass murderer in human history And you're telling me I haven't earned a berth on our fresh start?" Dave asked, and he finally reached for his gun.

Frank shot him, centre mass, just the way his training and decades of experience taught him. Dave dropped to the ground limply, groaning.

Frank stepped over him. "Our fresh start is better off without people like us. No one who made that call gets a pass."

David groaned, but managed to ask "Even you?"

"Even me." Frank replied.

Frank turned away, holstered his weapon, and turned on the radio. "Genesis one, this is portal control. Everyone's through."

"Portal control, what about you?" The radio blared in response.

"I have a promise to keep. Shut it down." Frank replied.

There was a long pause, before someone said "Good luck. And thank you. This fresh start wouldn't have happened without you!"

Frank watched as the Portal slowly faded out of existence. "You don't know how right you are, Genesis one. Which is the entire point."

Frank crouched down next to Dave, and set his fingers on his friend's neck, checking for a pulse.