Final Excerpt- I Have To Go Back
#23 of Surface: Doomed Planet
It started with what I was sure would be a simple bounty job. Show up, kill a creature, get paid, go be lazy. What I got instead was a lab full of the most dangerous mutants I'd ever seen, a crazy scientist hell bent on genetic superiority, stranded on some unknown jungle planet and stuck in a race against the clock to beat one of the most deadly biological agents ever designed.
I thought I wanted it to be over, I wanted everything to end. I was certain I just wanted to go home and forget everything ever happened. I wanted to assume the throne, tie the knot with Chy and raise a family, this was what I wanted, I was sure of it.
But I couldn't bring myself to agree with my own thoughts.
Ryu didn't stand a chance against Agent 41 by himself, without the cure in hand, the virus would chew up his army and spit it out, no matter how well organized, equipped and trained they were. I told Chy what was on my mind, she agreed with me, so did my entire team. But what could we do now? It was impossible to turn a Dreadnought around in hyperspace, the force would tear it apart, and the entire population of Bespin, according to Aegean, was waiting for me to come back and assume the throne from him, which left me in a very tight spot. It ate me up the entire way home and on the Royal Airstrip as I stepped off the ship and was greeted by more than a million people, fireworks and a display from two Y35 Gunships, it only made me feel so much more guilty that I had left Ryu to face the horrors on Ania alone. The next six hours was nothing but a party that I didn't enjoy at all, neither did any of my friends, we were all exchanging that same glance, that look that said, "we have to go back."
At sunset, I was crowned king of Bespin. As I walked the thick red carpet, down the long mahogany room with mother of pearl columns and ruby trim and eventually sat on the throne, I finally voiced my concerns.
"Aegean", I said, "call the senate to an immediate meeting, I have matters we must resolve as soon as possible. Everyone except Chy, James, Mike, Sarah, Jacob, Tyler, Alcatraz,Matt, Magellan, Allen and Rebecca, leave my presence immediately."
Aegean did what he was asked and the others vacated the court room, leaving me alone with my friends. I stood up and set the crown on the throne as I stepped off the raised platform.
"Guys, after everything we've been through together, I have no right to ask what I'm about to ask, but I'm going to do it anyway", I said.
"What do you need?", Mike asked.
"I'm going back to Ania to spread Sarah's cure to as many people as I can", I said, "I will never beable to live with myself if we leave Ryu to fight Agent 41, it will win against him in the end. I want you all with me."
"I'm in", Mike said, "on the sole condition I get to wear a Bespinite Marine uniform."
"Me too", Alcatraz said.
"I'm with you Skyline", James said slinging his AA-12 over his shoulder.
"You'll need me to adapt the cure to different strains of the virus as we go along", Sarah smiled.
"I go wherever you go, so of course I'm in", Magellan smiled.
"These freaks will need me when their software glitches", Tyler said motioning to Alcatraz, Matt and Magellan.
"Oh fuck you Tyler", Matt said, "you better not keep that shit up through the entire campaign or I'll kill you myself."
"Shuddup Matt", Alcatraz said, "save that shit for the zombies."
"I think you'll need a good machinist", Jacob smiling, "plus I still owe you for that shit I pulled in the lab."
"Chy?", I asked turning to her.
She smiled, "I go wherever my King goes, I'm in this till the end."
I smiled as we all came in for a group hug, "thanks guys, now, let's get to the senate."