Speculative Flash Fiction - Text and Audio
The Wallby Erin M. Kinch
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The first time Hannah risked a glance into Chaos, she glimpsed purple and green leaves dancing on the breeze. That was right before she reached Station 22.
Hover jets whirred as she pushed her cart down the Wall delivering lunch to hungry guards. Citizens of Orlon knew the Chaos wanted nothing more than to seduce them and steal their souls. The Wall and the Azure Guards were Orlon’s last line of defense. The unknown tormented Hannah as she walked — shapes frolicking in the edges of her vision — but Hannah refused to turn her head again.
At Station 24, the guards took sandwiches and water pods into their small control room before waving her on. When she was out of their sight, she couldn’t resist any longer.
The edge of the Wall stood tall enough that she had to stand on her tiptoes to peer over the concrete barrier. Colorful vegetation spread over a verdant river valley 200 meters below. The delicate aroma of flowers tantalized her nose — a sharp contrast to the filtered air in the buildings on the other side where she’d spent her whole life. Though she searched for long moments, Hannah saw no beast or phantasm lurking amongst the trees slavering for her soul. Finally, she resumed her trek.
A guard raised his visor when Hannah approached at Station 25. He stood 6 feet tall, easily able to look over the side of the Wall, and wore bright blue flex-armor that molded to his body. He contemplated her with serious green eyes.
“First day?” he asked.
She nodded, tucking a strand of blonde hair back under her broad-brimmed hat. “I’m Hannah.”
“Geoff.”
Hannah pushed a button and the cart lid retracted, allowing the pungent aromas of mustard and pickles to escape.
“Any ham?” Geoff peered into the cart.
She unearthed a lone ham sandwich hiding at the bottom. “Last one.”
As he selected a sandwich for his partner, he said, “Wait, and I’ll escort you to the next station.”
Azure guards were the most sought after men in Orlon, so Hannah didn’t protest. He returned quickly, his laser cannon holstered at his side. At first, they walked in silence, but after a few meters Geoff asked, “Why did you take this job?”
She blushed. “The M.A.P. test sorted me into the service industry, and working on the Wall pays the most. I’m saving to open my own restaurant.”
Geoff nodded. “It takes a strong mind to work up here day in and day out.” Hannah grimaced, remembering the battery of psychiatric tests she’d undergone.
“Just last week,” Geoff continued, “a breakfast girl allowed the Chaos to seduce her, and medtechs took her for rehabilitation.”
Hannah shivered. Six months ago, medtechs took her best friend Val for rehabilitation after she cheated on her M.A.P. test. The blank look in Val’s eyes when they returned her had yet to fade.
“How did the Chaos seduce the breakfast girl?” Hannah asked.
“Chaos is insidious.” Geoff’s nostrils flared. “It takes the form necessary to steal your soul.”
Her eyes widened, recognizing the voice of experience. “What form did it take for you?”
“Beauty.” Geoff gazed down on Orlon. Rows of white homes and beige businesses spread beneath them, broken at regular intervals by pristine, hedge-lined streets. “Now I know order is true beauty.”
A lilting melody drew their attention. On the edge of the Wall, perched a white bird, its song like nothing Hannah had ever heard. Intelligent black eyes contemplated its audience. Mesmerized by the opalescent feathers and throaty music, Hannah reached toward the creature.
A bolt of energy sizzled from Geoff’s laser cannon, vaporizing the bird where it sat. Hannah choked back a sob. The comm unit in Geoff’s helmet crackled. “Guard 25A, report.”
“Enemy scout neutralized. Dispatch a team to Station 26 for debriefing A.S.A.P.” Geoff grabbed Hannah’s arm, tugging her forward. Hannah stumbled, trying to match his pace while maneuvering the long cart.
As they approached Station 26, Hannah spotted three medtechs in familiar gray jackets. The guards watched, safely behind glass and concrete. Hannah recoiled, but Geoff shoved her forward.
“We saw you on the monitors.” His harsh voice grated against her tender emotions. “You looked directly into the Chaos, and your response to its messenger indicates contamination. You must be debriefed and rehabilitated.”
“I’m not contaminated, I swear!” Hannah whimpered. Val’s corpse-like face floated before Hannah’s eyes, slowly morphing into her own.
One medtech brandished a straightjacket. Hannah shoved the cart forward, ignoring the pain and blood when the corner sliced her hand. The medtech moved, but not fast enough. Her cart careened into him, knocking him into one of the others, and sending them sprawling. Hannah turned the cart sideways and wedged it between her and the station, blocking their path for a crucial few moments. Geoff grabbed for her, but Hannah pelted him with a water pod that exploded in his face, soaking the electronics on the inside of his helmet. He yanked off his helmet and tossed it to the side.
Nothing but more guards waited the way Hannah had come, so she clambered up onto the edge of the Wall. Trees swayed, blocking her view of the ground far below, but the air smelled sweet. A hand clamped around her ankle.
“I’m saving you whether you like it or not,” Geoff grunted. Hannah twisted and slapped his face. He recoiled, her blood staining his cheek.
Hannah didn’t wait; she took the plunge. It didn’t feel like falling — warm, fragrant air cocooned her like a lover’s arms and, in the distance, she could hear a chorus of the compelling music. Her last sight of Orlon was a medtech yanking the straightjacket over Geoff’s flex-armor. Below, rainbow leaves waved, welcoming Hannah home.
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Erin M. Kinch lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband of eight years and a rambunctious golden retriever. Her short fiction has appeared in print and other online venues such as Every Day Fiction, A Thousand Faces and Allegory. See a list of her stories in her blog: erinmkinch.com.
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