I got back to being a normal student. Changed my appearance every time I reached a blind spot. Managed to find one replacement piece through the note I posted – and had no funds for it. Considered trading in the elegant phone, but its value was much greater than that of a single part.

Occasionally caught sight of limping forms running around the school grounds. Day and night. Not since yesterday though. Somehow I didn’t think they were benevolently given a break.

Just when I started to relax into a new routine and think that perhaps things would be alright, a flash of a bald head from under an equally eye-catching red hat on my floor made my heart sink. I backed away from the wildly gawking Kalantan soldier.

Perhaps he carried some benign message of truce?

Yeah, right! The man wasn’t dressed in fatigues nor an armour, so I got a firm impression of a scout. I’ve never even seen the Kalantans out of uniform. That said, they seriously needed to work on blending in. However, it was understandable. Those people spent every waking moment trying to intimidate and stand out in any given environment. The opposite had to be next to impossible. I scratched at the patchy beard. After all, seamless guises were a lifestyle too.

He hadn’t forgiven nor forgotten.

I had observed the branded soldier’s exile from afar. It had been scrutinised by an unnecessarily large group. Raktkalis’s men took shifts alongside the security. That should have been my clue. Quite naïve of me to expect anything else. Luckily, I hadn’t. I’ve been preparing for the worst case as well.

This barricading left me with the climb over the heavily safeguarded walls. The perimeter was established to shield the city against the aggressive fauna, flora and even the sympathising humans. A dangerous way through, which was acceptable as the very last resort.

My hands had scabbed over and could take the strain again. If anything, I was thankful the pesky lordling took this long to seek me out.

However, before my grand escape I had some things to take care off. A retaliation was required, for one.

Left the dorm and went around it. Standing below my window, pulled on the thin wire and had my essential items smack me in the face. I could probably have retrieved like a normal person, but the location has been, or was about to be, compromised. They would be expecting a window escape too, so I just wasn’t going to put myself in that situation. Contrary to appearances, I didn’t particularly enjoy such exits.

I started with the optional endeavour and stole the replacement motherboard off the tech hoarder. He had connections as well as money, and this would be yet another heel I step on in my quest for a basic survival. But again - I had little choice. It was the perfect fit. It would takes ages to find another one like it. I had little to lose but a lot to gain.

For my main errand I set out to retrieve the hidden recorder from Raktkalis’s office.

Warming up my throwing arm, I re-examined the distance to the roof. Scaling the wall all the up there may prove to be harder than anticipated. Slight unruliness of marred fingers aside, the left elbow had felt off ever since. Should probably save the scraps of my mobility for the perimeter wall. To make that decision final, I spied the soldiers patrolling the surroundings even at this late hour.

I should have expected this. Repercussions encouraged to not repeat the lacklustre performance. Their lives were on the line.

As the front entrance had two bodybuilders lounging nearby, I entered through a trusty window. Who did they think this was fooling? Men weren’t in uniforms, but the Kalantans were unmistakable. Have no idea if this was self-inflicted or directed. Either way, it added inconvenience. Not much else though – not at this capacity.

Quietly slipped towards an elevator and ran headfirst into another pair. The baldies moved, letting me in. The partition shut behind me. I swallowed, but my mouth was way too dry for that.

Watchful eyes scrutinised a long-haired, thinly-bristled guy in front of them. Could these veterans of the wastes recognise alien growths masquerading as human hair? Soldiers didn’t seem suspicious. However, they might have been ordered to let strange people get their head in this noose as far as it went.

“Where you going?” croaky baritone asked and I gesticulated upstairs with a thumb. As if there was any other way. I clicked the button below their barracks.

“Hadn’t seen you before,” brute resumed the casual chat. This just wasn’t a face of small-talker. Interrogation, then. They’ve been screening speech.

I shrugged, holding my breath and waiting for the sleeping gas to take effect. It was slow going on the massive bodies. Or… oh no. Could it be, they were conditioned to be immune to chemical warfare?!

One fighter leaned and marginally slumped. The other immediately reached for my neck. His moves weren’t precise and it gave me a slightest edge. Kicked him in the groin and then tapped the jaw so hard, my own bones have dislodged. It was warranted. Musclehead barely felt it. The hit failed to knock him out, but added to disorientation and gave me some room.

I scrambled to pull out a filter from the pocket and eagerly bit down on it. Pulled in a lungful. Conscious Kalantan got back on his feet and successfully crushed my throat this time. Now neither I nor he could breathe anymore and both were turning shades of red. His massive physique crushed me into a corner and I couldn’t do much to resist. I slammed more buttons to keep the door closed just as we neared the destination.

Soldier’s grip lessened and I shook the deadweight off.

Even without the steel clamp around the neck, my breathing hardly improved. I struggled to pull in the life-giving air. Something felt wrong. Head wasn’t delighted to turn sideways. I will have to visit some sort of specialist for all the things that got banged up during this misadventure. Hopefully that’s tomorrow.

Stepped on the shoulders of fallen giants to get to the maintenance hatch and kept on climbing up the service ladder until popping out on the roof.

I had little time. Minutes, at best. I had been lucky to not fall out into a lobby full of soldiers, but they’d soon realise something’s off anyway. It would take just another moment for them to reach Raktkalis, who’d order some hellfire protocol. There would be some minor delay, as he was preoccupied elsewhere at this time.  

Belatedly, I was having second thoughts.

I had no solid reason to be taking this risk. I could be halfway out already. I said I wouldn’t do this anymore. Overconfidence and these half-baked plans will be the death of me.

Even panicking, I didn’t waste a single moment for inaction. That way was a certain death. I was on a path and there was just one exit.

Found the wire I had just tossed up and slid down to the window I had previously finagled with. Defect hadn’t been noticed. I jumped into the office and stood still, stupefied.

So perhaps they hadn’t found the second recorder. I did tuck it away in a prime undetectable location. However, solution has been found regardless. Everything from floor to ceiling has been renewed. Furniture, light fixtures, paint and the panels.

I screamed out in exasperation but my crushed throat just gave a fizz. And then I heard a response to it. Growling. Well, my job here was done anyhow. I turned to go but a door handle bent. Dogs spilled into the room.

Dogs.

Dogs?

They weren’t dogs.

These are not even local animals! This sick fuck kept invasive fauna as pets?! Who does that? The general-to-be was supposed to be first in line to exterminate them!

Toothy grins from ear to ear kept me rooted in place. The animals had been examining me the exact same way. They had human eyes. Everything below that had been removed and turned into a horrifying maws of countless needles. Neat scar lines joined the different kinds of flesh. These creatures might not even be naturally mutated. They’ve been surgically turned into this. They had walked on two feet once!

From yips, yaps and gargles it didn’t seem like mental facilities had remained intact. Deterioration had to be a blessing. Great adaptation to bear existence in this grotesque form. One of the specimen carried a large bone in its gaping face. This probably explained where some of the Raktkalis’s staff has gone.

What a terrible final thought to have.

Whilst the animals bickered amongst themselves on who’d get the first bite, I undid another vial with gas. I didn’t have a slightest inkling if their alien anatomy was susceptible to common poisons, but that was worth a shot. The only shot.

One after the other, the strange abominations laid down and closed their repulsively familiar eyes. I couldn’t stop shivering. The sight was a lot to take in, even if I had previous exposure to similar beasts. That was outside, never within cities. It was supposed to be safe here.

They were the very antithesis to civilisation. Especially within this region. I couldn’t comprehend why a general’s relative would have them around. Military’s sole goal was to exterminate strange animals.

At the same time, tension within me has reached its peak. Of all things, this had been the tipping point. Not only was I hunted, hurt - but also forced to endure the inhuman terrors too?!

He will pay for this.

Damage of valuable property will do nothing to the entitled twat. This needed to get personal. Kill his pets? Comically, this wouldn’t even count as murder. Not even in the campus. Invasive life-forms didn’t have rights.

Couldn’t bring myself to. I’ve disposed of many for far less, but there was a strange kinship with these people. After all, my ears weren’t human either.

Infuriated over all the inconveniences in my path, I determined to make him pay in the pettiest way possible. I had a pouch of dust which caused reduction of motor and brain functions when inhaled. And an awful skin irritation when not. It came from a plant that dazed, then digested its still conscious prey. I liberally sprinkled tidy stacks in the closet, along with some furniture. Coincidentally, substance was black too. He wouldn’t know what hit him.

Considered grabbing several firearms from a room over, but mobility was more important. Leaving empty-handed this time, zipped down the wire and immediately ran off at full speed. There had been sentinels, but their backs were turned away to scan for an incoming threat. Nobody followed.

After all that, shorting out the grid to climb over some inconsequential razor wires seemed like a well-deserved vacation.