Niko Okada stared at the woman as she stumbled out of the bushes. Her helmet was scarred, combat fatigues crusted with dry blood. Her face was a death-mask: one eye buried by a swollen, yellow-black bruise, the skin gray and stretched tight over her cheekbones.
‘Come on,’ he yelled. ‘Ten meters to go, that’s all. You’ve got time. Do it. Do it!’
But the woman had stopped. She stood, swaying.
Shouts filled the air, urging her on. She stared at the spectators for a moment, then sank to her knees.
‘Sorry, folks,’ she croaked. ‘I can’t—’
As she crumpled onto her face, Niko started forward.
Janna grabbed his arm.
‘Don’t be stupid, Niko!’ she snapped. ‘You know the Road’s rules. You’re through the gate, for chrissakes. You can’t help her. Just one touch and the death drones will kill you both.’
‘This is an abomination,’ Niko whispered. ‘It has to stop.’
Genre: Science Fiction
‘Come on,’ he yelled. ‘Ten meters to go, that’s all. You’ve got time. Do it. Do it!’
But the woman had stopped. She stood, swaying.
Shouts filled the air, urging her on. She stared at the spectators for a moment, then sank to her knees.
‘Sorry, folks,’ she croaked. ‘I can’t—’
As she crumpled onto her face, Niko started forward.
Janna grabbed his arm.
‘Don’t be stupid, Niko!’ she snapped. ‘You know the Road’s rules. You’re through the gate, for chrissakes. You can’t help her. Just one touch and the death drones will kill you both.’
‘This is an abomination,’ Niko whispered. ‘It has to stop.’
Genre: Science Fiction
Used availability for Graham Sharp Paul's The Road of Bloody Death