Deadman Sequence

Scene 18: Red Horizon

A microfiction series by *Lucas g. McIntire*

This scene concludes my Deadman Sequence microfiction series. Daven, Twila, and Damian face seemingly impossible odds. Could a sequel be in the future? Time will tell. For now, enjoy the final scene: Red Horizon

Daven and Damian burst out of the facility into a barrage of red targeting beams. Armored jeeps, drones, even a turret tank — an entire platoon waiting.

From above — through the shattered second-story window Daven had crashed through earlier — gunfire rained down on the arsenal. Then, “Damian! Catch!” Twila shouted, hurling Lisette’s tablet at him.

Damian snatched the tablet as rockets tore into the wall, forcing Twila back inside. Without hesitation, Damian’s fingers flew across the screen. “Got it!” he barked. Then the Drones turned on the platoon and launched an attack under Damian’s control.

With the enemy distracted by the attacking drones, Daven charged the nearest jeep. Bullets stung against his nanotech shell as he ripped through doors and hurled soldiers aside. Another vehicle swiveled toward Damian. Seeing his friend in the crosshairs, Daven heaved the jeep like scrap iron — metal screeched as it crashed into the second vehicle, igniting in flames.

The tank’s turret locked on. Damian tackled Daven just as the shell roared past, both tumbling into the dirt. “Bullets are one thing,” Damian hissed. “But, you’re still a quarter flesh and blood.”

Daven grunted. “Right. Dually noted.”

Above, the reprogrammed drones swarmed, strafing enemy lines. Daven and Damian stormed another jeep — he tore off the doors, and Damian slid into the driver’s seat. Twila burst outside but was quickly driven back by gunfire. Damian spun the vehicle around to shield her, and she vaulted up, manning the mounted gun.

A helicopter thundered overhead, cannons spitting fire. Twila returned blasts while Damian weaved through chaos. Daven sprinted, nanotech flaring, launching himself onto the chopper. Tendrils lashed out, anchoring him like steel cables as rotors screamed overhead, and he tore into the chopper’s hull.

On the ground, Damian’s shoulder erupted with blood — his jeep skidding to a halt. Twila leapt down to help, but a hand snatched her mid-descent, slamming her to the concrete. Bruised and bleeding, she turned and saw a pistol aimed at her, and holding it was Lisette. “Parasite. I should’ve erased you long ago,” she snarled.

The gunshot cracked. Twila flinched, instinctively bracing for pain — but it never came. She looked back up at Lisette’s frozen pose. Then blood oozed from her mouth before she collapsed. Behind her, Damian sat slumped in the jeep, one hand on his wound, the other holding a smoking pistol.

Twila’s lips curved faintly. “Hard to tell,” Damian remarked. “But she was the worst boss ever.”

Despite the chaos, Damian gave a broken laugh.

In the distance, a fireball lit the horizon, drawing Twila and Damian’s attention. Out of the blaze, Daven strode forward, charred nanotech flickering like embers. Twila rushed to him, embracing him hard. Damian coughed from the jeep. “You two need a ride?”

They climbed in, speeding away as fire and smoke swallowed the base. “Now that we just wiped out the national defense’s tech development agency, where are we disappearing to? I hear Fiji’s nice, all year ‘round,” Damian jabbed.

From the back seat, Twila held out a thumb drive in front of them. “Disappearing’s not an option. I’m sure some senator is going to want to see this.”

Thanks for reading Scene 18, the final scene of the Deadman Sequence microfiction series. If you haven’t read the previous scenes, you can read them here. I hope you enjoyed following Daven, Twila, and Damian through the twists and turns. If you like it, leave me a note. Make sure to follow me to receive notifications for future stories. Most of all, thanks for reading.