GLITCH

“Missy seemed to grow more nervous with every second that passed. "OK, OK, I'm coming!" Jeff quickly put on his boots and slipped into a jacket. What time was it? He had no idea, but it was still pitch dark outside and sure as hell freezing cold. Missy let out a loud bark as if she wanted to tell him to hurry up. What was going on with her? She never behaved like that. Feeling increasingly uneasy with every second, Jeff grabbed his rifle and alarm device before he opened the door. Just in case. When he left the small house that he shared with his dog, he at first couldn't see anything. The night was extremely dark, and a cold wind blew into his scarred face.”
― Anna Mocikat, Behind Blue Eyes

“Heavy turbulence shook the aircraft, yet it held course toward its destination. Its powerful engines barely produced any noise, and the black hull made it almost invisible against the darkness. Three more of the same type of aircraft followed it, traveling in formation, like silent birds of prey hiding in the shadows of the night. The passengers inside weren't bothered by the shaky ride. Highly focused and ready for anything, they sat there in silence, secured with safety bars into long rows of seats facing each other. All wore the same tight black combat suits and gloves, firearms were strapped to their thighs, and everyone had a rucksack on their back. Matching, tight-fitting helmets covered their heads, cheeks, and upper necks. Only a small part of their faces was visible, and their eyes. All of them had identical neon-blue eyes. Their stares were somewhat chilling and disturbing; the unnatural eyes and their unmoving faces made them look like an army of living dolls, waiting to spring into action.”
― Anna Mocikat, Behind Blue Eyes

“Prepare drones," Metatron commanded. Nephilim grabbed her backpack and put it on the ground beside her feet. She opened it and revealed a black metallic cube. It made a soft click as it came to life. Within seconds it enfolded itself and turned into a flying drone—slightly resembling a black firefly—that was about the size of a small eagle. It hovered next to Nephilim's head, humming softly. Each one of the soldiers had unique drones, directly linked to their neural system. Some drones had flying capabilities, others resembled ground predators in the form of insects or mammals. To be able to simultaneously, mentally control a drone during actual combat was difficult, required years of practice, and brought the term multi-tasking to a whole new level. However, once mastered, it was an incredibly effective combat tool. Nephilim held still and waited for the commander to order the assault. She wasn't excited or scared that she was about to go into battle. Her artificially augmented heart didn't beat faster. Her lungs, securely sealed through a silicate membrane from any kind of poison or chemical warfare attack, didn't enhance their pace. Her mind was focused and clear. So were her ice-cold, artificially blue eyes, studying the target area. She came here to do her job, her duty. What she had been created for. The righteous thing. Furthermore, it was something she was very good at. Adriel had stated, prior to leaving Olympias, that they should be back by breakfast. The target area ahead was in shabby condition. Shacks and makeshift houses built in and around the ruins of old, overgrown”
― Anna Mocikat, Behind Blue Eyes

“feeling that something wasn't right. A second later, he knew what had woken him. He felt Missy's wet nose on his cheek as she poked him with her muzzle, then ran to the door hectically. Jeff sighed. "Is it that urgent, old girl?" The big, shaggy shepherd dog usually slept through the night, but Jeff understood that she needed to go outside. Missy now whimpered and started scratching at the rusty door of his hut. The old bed creaked when Jeff got up, his neck hurt badly, as it did every morning. The scar, where the augmentation implants had been removed, would never really heal, and he knew that. They had fucked it up during the removing procedure. But he would still rather endure the pain for the rest of his life than have that thing remaining inside him.”
― Anna Mocikat, Behind Blue Eyes