The Host - Rogue Seeker

Chapter Five - Conversation with a Human

I came in low and delivered a quick series of jabs with my fist into his side. He spun away from me panting but bringing up his own fists ready to strike, I danced away from him just as he delivered a punch into the place where my face had been a moment earlier. Like me he was dressed in tight fitting black vest and shorts, also like me he was sweating hard, his clothes had patches of wetness around the chest and back. I was eighteen now and he was twenty two, he had dark skin, a shaved head and was very handsome. He looked at me smiling and I barely suppressed my own smile as I came at him again.This time I rushed at him, feinted to one side before leaping to the other. I came around behind him and leapt onto his back, I wrapped my arms under and around his arms while using my weight and momentum to drive him face first into the training mat. He struggled for a moment before tapping the mat three times to signal that he was done. I released him, got up and held out a hand to help him up.'That was a good fight.' He said and I was a little taken aback by his use of words.'Fight?' I asked and got to work tying my hair that had gotten loose during sparing back into a bun.'Well the more accurate term would be sparing session though there was a time humans used to fight like this as a form of sport and entertainment.' He said.I looked at him horrified and then I remembered reading books about gladiators who were forced to fight to the death in arena's for the entertainment of others. The thought made me shudder and he noticed the horrified expression on my face.'I hope I did not offend you with my choice of words.' He said and I shook my head.'No seeker I am not offended.' I said as we left the sparing area and headed out into corridor outside.We were about to split up, each one heading towards our own changing rooms when I spotted a familiar face at the end of the corridor. Blazing Star was running towards us with a tablet in her hands, she had grown up too and was now a beautiful tall woman of nineteen years old. She reached me panting and handed me the tablet.'That case you've been working on, the doctor. We've spotted him.' She said handing me the tablet.I took it and tapped the screen to play the image. It showed a recording from a CCTV camera, there was a man in his late fifties wearing a leather jacket, he had messy long salt and pepper hair while he sported a short cropped beard. I watched as he snuck down an alleyway, he constantly cast about for any signs of anyone before reaching a back door, using a crow bar and a hammer he broke the lock before entering the building.'He's breaking into a healing facility, no doubt to steal medicines.' She said.'How old is this footage?' I asked and Blazing Star grinned at me.'Five minuets.' She said.I beamed at her, we'd been working on the Doctor case for months now and this was exactly the break we needed.'Seeker Omari I'm sorry but I have to go.' I said before turning and leaving.Fifteen minuets later we were arriving at the healing facility in one of three black helicopters. It was night time now and beams of light swept over the city from the helicopters as we approached. I had changed along the way into my black suit and I had a pistol holstered at my hip. Opposite me was Blazing Star who reviewed the data on the tablet, this was an idle habit of hers and I had found out years ago that it was her way of filling time before a mission began, she'd once said it was a lot better than sitting there worrying about what was to come. I reached out a hand and squeezed her leg.'You ok?' I asked and she nodded.'Yes its just that the Doctor is a big case. They say he could be linked to at least fifty other humans. Just imagine once we get him we could be bringing in fifty new humans, that's fifty less people we need to worry about attacking souls.' She said.'Yeah I just hope this goes as planned.' I said looking out of the window as we circled the building before coming to a halt in the air.'We're ready to deploy seekers.' The pilot said.I nodded him my thanks before I slid open the door, at once the sound of the propellers and the rushing of wind filled the compartment. I pulled the rope ladder free, it unfurled below us, then without hesitation I gripped the rope ladder and began to descend. I remembered the first time I did this I was terrified but now doing so didn't give me a pause in the slightest.I reached the street below, I drew my side arm and flash light, I held them close together as I approached the building in a crouch. Behind me the other twelve seekers descended and quickly made their way after me. I reached a short wall that ringed the medical building and a moment later Blazing Star along with the others fell into formation around me, each one had their pistols raised.'What do you think. Formation Gamma of Bita?' Blazing Star asked.I glanced over the wall at the building, it was made from white stone and all the lights were off, I could see a flashlight moving around on the second floor.'Delta, I'll go around the back while you take the front.' I said.Blazing Star gave me an appraising look, she had a barely suppressed smile on her face and I found it odd that in a dangerous situation like this she was so happy.'What?' I asked.'I'll tell you later.' She said and turned to the others.'You heard Emily. Move out.' Blazing Star ordered and nodded for me to head around back.I turned and sprinted away from the others, I made my way to the back the building where I quickly found the broken back door. I entered and switched my flashlight on but kept it low to illuminate the steps as I began to ascend. I quickly made my way to the second floor and had to duck back down the stairs as a beam of light washed in my direction. I crouched there, switched off my flashlight and pocketed it in one smooth motion.Then I heard the floor boards creek as he approached me, I closed my eyes and listened.CRACK!The door in the front of the building was blown inwards, a moment later the other seekers charged up the steps. I heard the human curse and run over to grab a bag, I heard bottles fall from a table and smash against the floor before the other seekers ran up the stairs in the front of the building.'Shit!' The human exclaimed and ran towards me.I stepped out from the cover of the staircase and pointed my pistol into his face.'Please don't resist.' I said and with my free hand I slid my flashlight out of the belt holster and shone it into his face.He stood there wide eyed, a bag in one hand and a shotgun with a flashlight strapped to the end in the other hand. He froze there wide eyed while behind him the other seekers burst into the room, each one aiming pistols at him, he glanced at them and knew that he was completely cut off.'You'll never take me.' He said and leveled his shotgun at his own head but before he could pull the trigger I had moved.In a flash I grabbed his shotgun arm, pushed it upwards just as he fired. The loud shot reverberated across the room and made everyone flinch. In the same motion I drove my pistol into his chest and fired. He shuddered as the tazer round struck him and he visibly convulsed as he fell over backwards. I gripped the shotgun hard and yanked it out of his hand before he hit the floor.'I am sorry that it came to this. I did not want to hurt you.' I said.He looked at me while still trembling, he moved his mouth as though wanting to say something and I saw tears in his eyes before he passed out. It gave me no pleasure to have done this, in truth I hated causing pain, I hated suffering and above all else I hated the look of betrayal in their eyes when we brought them in. I know that hate is a strong word and you need to understand that I only use this word because of how deep my feelings are regarding this matter. You need to understand that I only do this because it is the right thing to do and despite everything that followed, despite all the terrible events that would unfold in my life. You must understand that despite hating these things I did, at the time I honestly thought I was right to do so.I watched as other seekers bound him and carried him away. Blazing Star aproached me and patted me on the shoulder.'Good job.' She said.I regarded her unsure what to think or even say. That look he'd given me before passing out had affected me, like the looks humans always gave me affected me. She seemed to notice this and she shifted slightly, she reached into her jacket pocket and removed a lolly pop.'Here.' She said.I took the hard candy, removed the wrapper and placed it in my mouth.'You said you'd tell me once this is over. What was it that you wanted to say?' I asked.She popped a lolly in her own mouth before wrapping an arm around my shoulder.'You would do well as team leader. Normally I'm team leader but see the way you took charge here has convinced me that you should take the roll.' She said as we left.I stopped, the implication of what she said were dire.'You're leaving?' I asked and she nodded.'There are probably millions of humans out there hidden all across the world. I've been offered a post in Kolkata but I didn't want to leave unless I knew my people were in good hands. Now I see that they will be.' She said.Without thinking I found myself embracing her, I squeezed her tightly and my eyes threatened to well with tears.'I'll miss you.' I said.She smiled at me and removed the lolly from her mouth before waving it at me.'Remember me when you have one of these ok.' She said.We left together and headed back to the seeker headquarters. As usual the human was asked a few questions before being processed for soul implantation. I made my way down to the room that housed the human, I walked past several seekers watching through a one way mirror into the room where the human sat hand cuffed to a table while opposite him sat Seeker Omari who had since changed into a black suit.'Seeker Emily we are almost done here.' A female seeker said as I approached the room.'I just have a few questions if that is alright?' I asked and the three seekers observing nodded.'Of course he is all yours.' One of them said before knocking on the two way mirror.Seeker Omari got up and left the room, he stopped when he saw me and hung his head.'He isn't giving anything up and he seems quite belligerent I doubt he will make a good host.' Omari said.'Let me see what I can get out of him.' I said and patted his shoulder before heading inside.The human man looked at me in shock as I stepped through the door, I closed the door behind me and walked over to the chair before sitting down. He looked at me wide eyes and horrified as I sat there. Yet in truth I was far more afraid of him then he was of me, my heart was racing and I fought hard to keep the flood of emotions churning within me from reaching my face.'Hello.' I said.'You're a child. What are you sixteen or seventeen?' He asked.'My host body is eighteen years old though my soul body is twelve years old.' I said.He looked even more alarmed by the second fact.'If you are twelve years old then you shouldn't be brought into this. You're the one who took me down but you are a child. This war is not one children should be fighting in.' He said.I cocked my head to one side unsure what he meant by war.'War? This word means conflict, disaster, death right?' I asked.I let out a deep breath before shaking his head.'What?' I asked.'You call yourselves souls, the word soul is supposed to inspire the sense of majesty, beuty and divinity. Yet all you bring is misery.' He said.'Misery? Where is the misery? Since the occupation the murder rate across the planet has become zero, crime rate has become zero, poverty has become zero. We have removed conflict, discord and brought peace to planet earth. For the first time humanity works together, united in the pursuit of a greater good. Isn't this better than the earth you had before our occupation? You humans polluted the atmosphere, caused the extinction of countless species and worse you murdered each other for resources which in truth were never as limited as you had tricked yourselves into believing. I have read your histories and I know what this world was like before we came, it is a lot better now.' I said.He looked at me for a very long time before speaking.'You would hold us responsible for decisions of our leaders? It was politicians, kings and corrupt CEO's who made humanity suffer. If you know our history so well than you will know humans begged for change, we fought for it and yet the billionaires and elite of the world were the ones who caused every woe you talk about. You act like we are responsible for the actions of a few.' He said.'We are each responsible for our own actions. Humans failed themselves and their planet, so we souls made it better. We fixed what you broke.' I said.He sighed and shook his head.'Its like talking to a machine. So tell me machine what will you do to me now?' He asked.'We will place a soul with strong will inside you. We will find out everything you know and bring the other humans you are affiliated with into soul society. Once you have joined us you will want no more for food, medicine and never know strife again.' I said giving him a warm smile.'At what cost?' He asked.'Cost? We have no means of gains and losses.' I asked.'You claim to be benevolent and I even heard one of you speak once about your philosophy of experiences. That you are here to experience our lives yet you don't realise the cost. We humans built everything, every convenience you take for granted, the beds, chairs and even this table. Every food you enjoy and every sport you watch on tv. Those are things we invented. You seek to be just like us yet you have taken the humans out of a human world and the planet is a worse place for it.' He said.As I sat there it struck me.'You are not pleading for your life? Why? Other humans always plead but you don't.' I asked.He looked at me, his eyes grave.'I am pleading for your life! You are a child and I am trying to save you! Please don't do this for me but do it for your own soul. Your true soul, not that thing in your head but the infallible, eternal soul that lives within you. You don't have to bare whiteness to this tragedy.' He said.At once I stood up and staggered away from him. The idea that a human was pleading for me shocked me to my very core and I was sure my shock was written across my face because looked at me with a look of understanding.'It's not too late. You can be saved.' He said.I turned and left the room.'You can be saved!' He shouted as I slammed the door shut and walked away.