Coastal Cage

The metal cuffs snapped around my wrists with a cold, heavy click.

They didn't use standard steel chains. The biometric restraints locked into place with a small digital beep, the tight bands emitting a low, steady pulse that sent a faint numbness through my fingers to prevent any sudden kinetic movement.

The two soldiers grabbed my upper arms, their grip firm and entirely professional as they hauled me up the rear cargo ramp of the twin-rotor transport.

"I saved the district," I said, my teeth grinding together as they forced me down onto a cold iron bench inside the aircraft's holding bay. "The automated valves were ten minutes from a global dispersal. If Garrison hadn't blown the core, your coastal sector would be dead by now."

The lead soldier didn't look at me. He buckled the canvas harness across my chest, securing me to the steel frame of the bulkhead.

"We don't write the briefs, Medic Kane. We just collect the packages. The Commander of the Fleet wants a direct debriefing on the pathogen's mutation timeline, and you are the only biological witness left from the central sector."

The hydraulic ramp lifted with a deep whine, sealing out the mountain garage, the rubble pile, and the ghost of my family.

The transport jolted violently as the rotors picked up pitch, launching us into the sky above the volcanic ridge.

Through the tiny, reinforced porthole across from my bench, I watched the mountain recede into the grey morning clouds. The summit was dark, a faint plume of normal steam rising from the collapsed vents where Depot One used to sit.

Garrison was down there, buried beneath millions of tons of granite, along with the secrets of Thorne's weapon program.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded, looking at the soldier standing guard by the cockpit door.

"The San Luis Maritime Sector," the guard replied, his visor remaining fixed on my hands. "The only quarantine zone with a functioning deep-water harbor. The civilian population was evacuated to the cruise liners two days ago. The main facility is strictly military now."

The flight lasted nearly two hours, the constant vibration of the twin rotors numbing the back of my skull.

The air inside the cabin was cold, smelling of aviation fuel and the sharp, chemical tang of the military-grade air scrubbers.

Finally, the transport tilted sharply to the left, the engine pitch dropping as we began our descent.

I leaned forward against the harness, looking through the porthole.

Below us stretched a massive, gray concrete fortress built directly onto a jagged rocky peninsula. The ocean waves slammed against the outer breakwalls, throwing white foam twenty feet into the air.

In the center of the harbor sat three massive grey warships, their decks lined with automated anti-aircraft turrets and missile bays.

The transport touched down on the fortress pad with a heavy thud.

The rear ramp dropped instantly, the blinding glare of the coastal sun hitting my eyes after hours of darkness.

The air smelled of salt water, decaying seaweed, and the faint, sweet scent of diesel exhaust.

The guards unbuckled my harness, lifting me off the bench by my elbows. They marched me down the ramp onto the concrete pad, where an older woman dressed in a clean, dark blue naval uniform stood waiting.

Her gray hair was pulled back into a tight, severe bun, her eyes as sharp and cold as the ocean below.

Admiral Sarah Hudson.

"Welcome to the edge of the world, Medic Kane," the Admiral said, her hands crossed behind her back as she looked down at my dirt-stained clothes and bruised face. "I understand you have a lot of explanations to give regarding the failure of my district security details."

"Your details didn't fail, Admiral," I said, stepping forward until the biometric cuffs beeped a warning pulse against my wrists. "They turned on each other. Your General Vance tried to buy his way into immortality with an unverified serum."

Admiral Hudson's jaw tightened, a small flash of anger crossing her cold features before she turned on her heel.

"Follow me, Valerie. Let's see what your blood has to say about that.”