A/N: This is my first story, so go easy on me, please. I took a few names from books and games. SCRIN belongs to C & C 3: Tiberium Wars. The Forsworn belongs to Christopher Paolini. Auto Mail is property of Fullmetal Alchemsit's author, whose name escapes me at the moment.

CHAPTER 1

The plane, a big passenger one, hit by a missile, spiraled down, missing a wing and smoking. The one passenger not screaming was staring out the jagged hole, looking at the surroundings. Right before the plane struck the ground, he noted buildings and a large airfield about three miles off. "Good," he thought, "At least there'll be people to rescue us." Then, the plane screamed into the ground, tearing huge trees out of their roots as easily as if they were weeds in a garden.

He slowly cracked his eyelids open, feeling as if he had slept for a long time. He opened them fully, and saw that he was in a huge room, with a tall, vaulted, ceiling, and vast windows looking out onto the oddest garden he had ever seen. Right next to dandelions that looked so yellow they could pop out of the ground were huge redwoods, also looking tremendously saturated with color. It was the same story for every other plant he could see.

Next, he scanned the room, only slightly hindered by the fact that he was lying on his chest. He was following one of his father's many proverbs: If you wake up in a strange place, keep your mouth shut until you know where every exit is, and who's in there. He saw that there was one door, and a large desk, with many papers and a few computer monitors atop it. Seated in its accompanying chair was a tall woman, apparently engrossed in an immense file.

She turned around, staring right into his eyes. "You can stop the act. I knew you were up even before you knew it. Nice, though. Taking in all of your surroundings before you even considered speaking to me."

"Huh? How did you know?" he asked, confused.

"Your heart rate and your vitals your brain starts processing information even before your body knows that it's time to start noticing things. Your heart starts beating more when you're awake, and it really started working when you realized that you weren't where you expected to be," said the woman, matter-of-factly.

"Where am I?"

"Clichéd question. However, I'll tell you anyway. You are in SCRIN Laboratories, on the eastern edge of Dromon, right near the border. Aroe does not mess with us because they are too scared to try. Oh, and we are about three miles from where your plane crashed. The wreckage has cleaned up now, and all the refugees, except you, are being escorted back to Dromon."

"Jeez lady, you really like to talk," he said, struggling to get up.

"I wouldn't try to do that. You're not strong enough, and even if you managed to turn over, you'll just put yourself in more pain."

He collapsed, gasping, "Hey, lady."

"What?"

"Shut. Up." And then he fell asleep.

A day later, under a cold winter moon, the woman, who's name was Nauri, entered the large room, having just gotten off break. She discovered him sitting up on the edge his bed, staring at his legs, and crying.

"So, Shay! You've finally managed to sit up! That's good!" then, "Oh, you found out."

"What happened?" asked Shay, "Why?"

"They were burned off when we found you, apparently there was a large amount of fuel in the air, and some got soaked into your clothes. It probably got ignited, and we had no choice but to replace them," replied Nauri, keeping it short.

"And I also have to come to terms with these?" said Shay defensively.

"Oh! So you discovered those too? It was only a matter of time, I suppose."

"Why me?" asked Shay, looking to Nauri.

"You were there, abandoned, and looking a little in need of medical attention," she said, "So we gave it to you. You should be grateful, you know."

Shay looked stunned, "I apologize. I didn't realize what I was saying."

~Six Years Later~

Shay strode through the ruins, head sweeping from side to side, obviously looking for something. In the six years previous, it was obvious that he had been trained extensively, his gait was smooth, despite the auto-mail legs that had replaced his own when they were burned off.

A slight motion, which anyone else would have dismissed as wildlife, attracted his full attention. He knew that there was no life smaller than a car in this area of the ruins.

"Come out, I know you're there!" he shouted toward the bushes, which rustled in reply. "I'm giving you three seconds to show yourselves, before I blow you and your bush to kingdom come! Three! Two! On---"

He was interrupted by a shrill voice. "Okay, okay! I'm coming!"

A tall girl, about sixteen, stepped out of the bush. She was blonde haired, blue-eyed, lanky, with a pointy face, much like Shay's own, and shockingly pretty. All of these, except the last, registered in Shay's mind, slotting it in with the other millions of details filed away.

"Hello," said Shay, feigning politeness. "Why don't you tell your friend on the cliffs to come join us?"

She looked confused, a classic evasion sign. Then she called, "All right! Come on out, this guy doesn't look like much of a threat!"

Seemingly melting out of the cliff face, a boy, looking about fifteen, stepped out. He had short, brown hair, green eyes, and a sun-tanned face.

Shay smiled. I don't look like much of a threat, eh? That's funny. Really funny. He thought. Still smiling, he reached up to his neck, pressing a button on a collar there. "Oi, Kira! Would you come down here a sec, I have some Code 1 intruders. Better bring Orin with you."

A voice, crystal clear came through Shay's earpeice. "Will do, Boss."

After minutes of silence, staring at each other, Shay's eyes flicking back and forth between the two, otherwise perfectly still. Finally, the girl broke the silence, "Who are you?"

"Seeing as you're about to die, and there's no escaping it, I'll tell you," said Shay, looking around. Kira and Orin should be in position by now, but there was no harm in delaying a few seconds longer. "I am Shay Minutsaka, leader of the Forsworn."

"Impossible. He's dead," spat the girl, "I would know, for I am his sister."

Shay reeled. What? She's my sister? I barely remember my life before SCRIN.

"What could I do to prove that I am Shay Minutsaka?"

"Tell me what the first words my parents said to him."

That was easy, for it resided in his file. "Welcome, son, to this world."

Now it was the girl's turn to reel. "Shay. You're alive."

"And so are you, obviously," said Shay, "After leaving me for dead!"

"You disappeared, we looked and looked. The authorities pulled Dad out of the plane just as it finally exploded. Even then, we searched the wreckage, but you were gone. We had to leave."