Immunity (2)

His foe stood there, silent and unmoving.

It’s now or never, Jack decided, as he took aim with his NO-2000. His Nitric Oxide Blaster was the newest model in the area, a fact he was extremely proud of. An enhanced version of the previous NO-1000, it had many distinct improvements over its predecessor. It fired more quickly, was five times more toxic and potent, oh, if you just gave him the time, he could name all the wonderful specifications of the weapon. It had beaten the HP4 handgun at last week’s Oxide Challenge competition, to clinch the title of best free-radical weapon in the system. The inferior hydrogen peroxide rounds used by the HP4 were powerless to stop the Staph gang in the GI fight that was splashed all over the news some time back. Reports claimed that the gang had developed some new ‘catalase’ shield prototype that was effective against HP4 rounds, another silly rumor which he believed would be dispelled eventually. However, it seemed the System wasn’t taking any chances, so they are now issuing NO Blasters to complement the standard issue HP4 handguns.

Just in case. That’s what everyone says. Just in case. Just in case I screw up, Jack thought nervously.

He was sure he had checked his NOSynthase Battery Cartridge that morning, making sure that the arginine and oxygen levels were full. He flicked the switch and primed his weapon.

And fired.

A flash of light exploded from the barrel as the Nitric Oxide rushed out. The bacteria dodged it easily, as the brilliant flash of atoms and electrons flew wide at the target. He fired again and again, but his enemy seemed to be well aware of where his shots would be, and dodged them easily.

Jack tensed up, and began to fire incessant shots in fervor. Why was this happening? His opponent was round and would make an excellent target, but how was he able to sidestep the shots so effortlessly?

Just then, the round figure in front of him fired. The shot hit Jack squarely in the side, and threw him off balance. Jack didn’t even notice the stranger wielded a weapon, and in that instant, that caught him by surprise. Sprawled on the floor, Jack was startled by the sudden blow.

‘I’m so screwed,’ the thought flashed past in his mind, as he gazed up in horror to face his impending doom.

(to be continued..)