Chapter One
Angel Pine. One of the smallest towns in the state of San Andreas. Located just South of Mount Chilliad and in the County of Whetstone it was one of the few towns that is barely touched by the outside world. Isolation. Austin Crittenden drove his pick up truck blasting K-Rose through the dark, 12 o' clock night. The streets were empty for it was so late. No one went outside that late unless they had good reason to.
Austin quietly sang the lyrics to the Patsy Cline song that he loved so dearly, as he pasted the trailer park to the south of the road that led into Angel Pine. He gave a few weezy coughs as soon as the song ended and turned into the main part of town and stopped at a Red Light at the intersection. He looked in all directs, no cars were coming. Of course. The radio began to get staticky. "Come on!" Shouted Austin in a redneck accent as he slamed his fist on the dashboard. The stactic strengthened until it was just complete and total white noise. Then out of no where the static stopped and was instantly replaced by a high pitch, mono toned sound. "What the devil?" Austin looked at his radio as if it had three heads. Suddenly his head jerked up in response to a sound in the distance. It was a sound he had never heard before. But it was getting louder and louder. It was coming from the skies. He stepped out of his car and looked up into the darkness. The noise countinued to get louder and louder. It sounded as if something super fast was ripping through the air, disturbing the peace. But not just one, it sounded like there were dozens of them. People began to step out of their houses in their pajamas looking up into the sky as dogs jumped and barked excitedly. Then there was an explosion...
Jack Miller sat behind his desk in his office, messaging his temples. He had worked as head of Field Ops for NSA San Fierro for quite a while now. As cool as it sounds, it was actually kind of a boring job. The most that ever happened is they would find a huge barge carrying illegal immigrants or drugs. But even then the FBI would take control of it.
Jack looked good for 42. He had short and trim dirty blonde hair, that was beginning to recede a little bit. He had one of those bodies, that you can tell used to be in shape but just recently gained a tiny bit of fat. But overall he was a good looking guy. Can't say the same for his personality. He was a pretty quiet man, that mostly kept to himself. He was always very polite when people talked to him, but would never hold up a conversation. He barely let anyone get close to him. Anyone. And saying he had a short fuse is an understatement, if you piss him off, he will destroy, but only for good reason. There were only a few people that got to see what he was really like.
The NSA HQ was a very nice building on the south border of the Down Town district in San Fierro. It consisted of four buildings that sat behind the "Zombie" building, which the government also owned. Just down the road to the south was a construction site and an abandoned gas station. And just to the south at the docks was where the military marine base was located. It in fact had an Air Craft Carrier stationed in it at the time. The NSA main quarters was stationed in the smallest of the four buildings. This was nice though because it lead straight to the underground parking. The interior of NSA current affairs floor was very nice and high tech looking. It was very large and open, except in the center was a glass room, named the "situation room" On the ground floors were mostly just computer stations, where techies received info on random things that could possibly be a "threat". Then there were stairs that led to a balcony that went around the entire perimeter of the large room. This balcony led to private offices to prestigious titles including Jack.
Jack looked out through the glass wall of his office down at the people working at their stations below. So busy. Working to prevent threats that probably weren't even real. There was a beep from Jack's phone on his desk. He hit the line one button. It was his personal computer assistant, Mel. She wasn't the most pleasant person to work with. No one ever saw her smile and she was always dark and sarcastic. But only when she had to. In other words, she didn't take crap from anyone. Her job was to sort and organize any files that came Jack's way and then forwarded them to his computer.
"Jack?" Mel said over the phone.
"Yeah, Mel, what is it?" Jack asked. The phone was on speaker so he just sat back in his chair.
"It's Mike Roarke, he wants to speak with you in his office,"
"Okay. Thanks, Mel."
"And Jack?"
"What is it Mel?"
"Tell Mike that I'm your computer assistant. Not your secretary." Mel said in an annoyed voice. Jack smirked, "Sure Mel."
Mike Roarke was an older man. Earlier fifties, possible late forties. He was director of NSA San Fierro. Nothing happened without him knowing about it. He was also a good friend of Jack's. There was a knock at his door. Jack entered.
"You wanted to see me, Mike?"
"Take a seat, Jack," Mike said from behind his desk.
"You know I would rather stand." Jack answered smiling.
"Sorry, of course you would."
"What's this about?" Jack asked trying to get to the point. Just then there was another knock at the door.
"Come in," Mike shouted. "Jack this is Vanessa Johnson, she is another field agent that deals with unexplained attacks involved with high power weapons" She was a very stern looking woman. She had dark hair that was loosely held in a bun. Two thick strands of hair came down over her face. She wore a black blazer and a dark skirt. Her heels clicked across the floor as she entered. "Jack there is something Vanessa has found that is very, very interesting."
"Well what is it?" Jack asked Vanessa.
"I think it would be better if I showed you."
Jack and Vanessa climbed into Jack's Fortune.
"So how long have you been with NSA," Jack asked as he started up the car.
"Six years," Vanessa answered buckling her seat belt in the passenger's seat. "We will be taking the highway that goes through Foster Valley, past Mount Chilliad."
"So I guess this is going to take a while?" Jack asked as they pulled out of the underground parking.
"Yes," Answered Vanessa back.
Jack never was a talkative person. But Jack was like a blabber mouth compared to Vanessa. She did not speak what so ever unless Jack asked her something. They mostly just discussed work. But after that it became eerily quiet. They were headed south on the highway through Foster Valley that ran along the river.
"So how did you get your start in the NSA?" Vanessa finally asked her own question.
"Well after college I joined the army. I flew up the ranks and joined a special ops team. Once I turned thirty five though, they kicked me out. I was then offered the job after I came back to San Andreas."
"You grew up here?"
"A small town called Palamino Creek. It's just across the river from Las Venturas." Jack said pulling out his cell phone.
"What are you doing?" Vanessa asked, "That's very dangerous."
"We're on a straight away." Jack answered as he put the phone to his ear keeping one hand on the wheel.
Kate and Shane stepped out of their car from school. There used to be barely any schools in San Andreas but then in 1995 a bill was passed and literally hundreds were built all over the state. Kate and Shane were both sixteen, and looked nothing alike. If you saw them walking down the street together, you would have thought they were dating. But that would be very strange if they were seeing as how they are brother and sister. Shane got his looks from his father's side with dirty blonde hair and grey eyes. He was tall and a bit slim, but ripped. Kate on the other hand had shoulder length brown hair and big green eyes, from her mother. Although they were twins, they looked nothing alike. That was the whole joke with them in their town of Bayside.
Bayside was the perfect little town. It was just across the bay from San Fierro. It even had the perfect view of Gant Bridge that was just above the town. It was the one of the few small towns that weren't overrun by rednecks.
"Kate, please don't tell me you have a crush on him!" Shane asked as they walked up the pathway to their very nice, white house on the Western side of town. Just below Gant Bridge. Kate had just made a compliment about a guy that Shane wasn't a big fan of.
"Kate that kid is white trash! He even lives in the trailer park in town!" Shane argued with Kate as they pushed through the front door.
"So what! That doesn't mean he is white trash!" Kate answered defending Ian Lenard, who had made a comment about her good looks the previous day. Shane grabbed Kate just as she was about to go up the stairs. "Kate, he was on the football team last year. You know what he did? He sold pot to like, half the team! That's what you call white trash, Kate!" Kate rolled her eyes at her brother who was unnecessarily concerned. "Oh and like you haven't experimented with it?" Asked Kate sarcastically.
"There is a big difference between experimenting and selling to half the school body!" Shane shouted. Kate stared at him in a "and your point is" kind of look Shane let go of Kate and stomped up the steps. "Whatever, I don't care, get laid by who ever the fuck you want." He said as he closed the door to his room. He instantly went across the room to his desk and turned on his laptop. He began to fiddle with the camera on the top for a little bit until he got it to center on himself. He then clicked on a program and made a few more clicks until a window popped up showing a young, cute girl's face.
"Hey, handsome!" Said the girl through the mic on her own computer.
"Hey, Cassidy, can you hear me okay?" Shane asked adjusting the mic in front of him.
"Yeah, it's fine. So what's up? How's school?" Asked Cassidy.
"You are looking at the newest first stringer quarterback for the Bayside Sharks!" Smiled Shane proudly.
"Woo – Hoo! That's great!" She shouted through the computer excitedly. For a second the connection was almost lost, but came back.
"So how is, Fort Carson?" Asked Shane.
"Ugg. It sucks, I really want to be back at Bayside so badly right now!"
"So when are you going to come back to visit?" Shane asked.
"I don't know but I promise soon." The girl answered. "God it is so hot here!" She laughed.
"Maybe I will drive over there this weekend or something!" Shane suggested.
"Yeah, we can-"
"Wait" Shane interrupted. "Crap I promised my dad we would go fishing this weekend, I'm sorry." Cassidy looked down in disappointment. She shook her head slowly and then looked back up into the computer screen.
"Are you sure we can make this work?"
"I promise you! Once football season is over, I will come up every weekend to visit. A lot of people have long distance relationships. We're going to be okay." The girl nodded. You could then hear someone call her name in the distance.
"Crap, Shane, I have to go. I'll meet you back online at eight thirty okay?"
"Yeah," Shane paused. "I love you, Cassidy." Cassidy smiled. "I love you too." And then she signed off, leaving Shane staring at his computer screen.
Kate sat back into her bed. She leaned against the head board and put her knees up her chest. She pushed her hair behind her ear and then slowly bought her upper arm close to her face. The stupid scars. All over her wrist. They were disappearing, and the vitamin E was helping, but they were still there, reminding her. She lightly banged her head against the head board and sighed. Her fucking mother. She hated the bitch. She was the reason she cut herself five months ago. When she just up and left her, her brother, and her father. Without saying anything. One day she is there, the next day she and all of herself, and her and her brother's college savings are being spent on luxurious hotels in Las Venturas.
As annoyed as Kate would get at her brother, he was the reason she got help. He found out about the cutting and confronted her about it. She said that if he told anyone she would runaway or would kill herself. This destroyed her brother. He was completely torn. Finally he went to his football coach he trusted a lot. She remembered the day clearly. She was called down to the guidance office. Inside was the vice principal, her guidance councilor, and Shane on the verge of tears sitting a chair, with his coach behind him his hand on his shoulder. It was a fucking intervention.
The phone rang pulling Kate from her thoughts. She jumped up and picked up the phone that was in her room.
"Hello?" She asked.
"Hey, sweetie," Her father answered. It was Jack, calling from the car.
"Hi, dad" Kate answered, "What's up?"
"Listen, I am going to be running a little late today, I don't think I will be able to make it home for dinner."
"Okay," Kate answered. She had been used to her father working late.
"Could you put Shane on the phone?" Jack asked still having one hand on the wheel.
"Sure, one sec," Kate said as she walked across the hall and into Shane's room.
"What?" Shane asked looking up from the desk he was still stationed behind.
"It's dad, he wants to talk to you." Kate tossed him the phone and walked back to her room.
"Yo dad, what's up?" Shane asked leaning back in his chair from behind his desk.
"Nothing, listen I am going to be a bit late, okay? I need you to hold the fort down while I'm gone. Make sure Kate doesn't sneak out, okay?"
"Sure, dad. No problem."
"Great, how was school?"
"I made first string for quarter back!" Shane had been dying to tell him.
"Way to go, son. I am really proud of you! Listen, Shane, I have to go. I love you, and tell that to Kate too."
Shane scoffed "Yeah I'll tell her that when I also give her a hug too." Shane joked.
"Alright, see you late." Jack laughed.
"Bye."
Jack turned off the phone, as they approached a fork in the road.
"Turn right," Vanessa said. He turned and drove over a bridge and past a junk yard. In the distance he could see large pillars of smoke rising.
"I guess we are headed towards them?" Jack asked.
"You bet," Just before they could see where the smoke was coming from, they were stopped by a military barricade. A soldier in front motioned park the car to the side of the road where a few other cars were parked. Jack and Vanessa stepped out of the car. Vanessa and Jack both pulled out their identification as the soldier approached them. "Vanessa Johnson, that's Jack Miller, we are from NSA. I was told to bring Mr. Miller here, down to ground zero." She told the guard. The guard nodded and turned to have the two follow him. "Ground zero?" Jack asked curiously. "You'll see Vanessa said." They walked up to the top of the hill and that's when Jack saw it. It was horrific. Terrifying. It was a town, that was in complete rumble. There were still a few half standing buildings, but most of them were on fire. Even the roads were completely torn up. There was nothing left.
"What happened here!?" Jack said, completely shocked.
"We don't know," Vanessa said in a stern voice. "But what we do know is that this happened sometime last night around midnight. It wasn't just one explosion, it was multiple. And from the angles of how the explosions were made, say that they came from the sky. But low. Maybe only a hundred feet in the air."
"Any survivors talking?" Jack asked.
"There were barely any survivors Jack. Most of them are unconscious. The ones who aren't, are either insane, or don't remember anything. But there is one. His name is Austin Crittenden."
"What did he say," Jack said still not taking his eyes off the destruction.
"He said right before the explosions his radio went stacticky and then a monotone sound took over. Then there was a loud noise coming from the sky. Then chaos."
"Why do you think this town was destroyed? What's it called?"
"Angel Pine. Very small town obviously. Sparse population. My guess why it was attacked, is because it was a test."
"What do you mean a test?" Jack asked looking at Vanessa.
"It was destroyed because whatever attacked it knew it wouldn't fight back much. I think they choose this place to try out their weapons. To see how well the worked, so they would know what they are up against when the go against a much larger target."
"You mean like a city?"
"It's the only thing they could attack that would seem plausible."
"Who are "they"?" Asked Jack.
"I was hoping you could find out." Answered Vanessa.
Shane and Kate were out next to the bay on the walkway that went the entire length of the West part of town. It gave a great view of Gant Bridge. Shane and Kate were told specifically not to go out, but they were sixteen, and had no supervision so…
There were five of them all together. Hanging out on the walkway. Underneath the stars. They were mostly just joking and fooling around. Passing around a few bottles of beer that someone had swiped from home, but Shane didn't take any, but Kate on the other hand was already half way done with her second.
"So how's it feel to be captain of the football team?" Asked one of Shane's friends.
"It feels fucking awesome," Shane laughed.
"Come on man you need to celebrate, take a beer man," Said his friend offering a him a beer.
"Nah, man, not tonight."
Kate sat back on a bench with two of her friends. "No, he would never want to upset daddy," Kate made fun of him.
"Shut up, bitch," Sneered Shane.
Jack and Vanessa were five minutes away from the NSA building. It had become dark out and Jack was zooming back. Jack's phone suddenly beeped. He quickly picked it up.
"Tell me something good Mel!" Jack said holding the phone up to his ear with his shoulder.
"Jack, your man was telling the truth. I made a few call to San Fierro Radio Broadcasting. They said they lost contact with the Whetstone area around midnight."
"Anything else?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, I checked up on satelight images last night, they show…" Static interrupted the line. Jack slowly took the phone away from his ear. He then quickly turned on the car radio. "What! What is it?" Asked Vanessa sensing something wrong.
"Shhh! Listen." Jack said as the static from the radio filled the car. Then slowly a mono tone pitch took over the speakers.
"Oh my god," Said Vanessa in a shaky scared voice.
The Fortune swerved into the underground parking but stopped at the guards booth. Jack quickly rolled down his window eagerly waiting for the guard to come out so Jack could show him identification. "Come on, come on," He whispered under his breath as the guard took his time stepping out of the booth. "Could I see some ID?" asked the guard. Jack already had it out. The guard nodded and went back into the booth. "Jack, listen!" Vanessa said in a terrified voice. In the distance they could hear a terrible screeching sound coming from the distance. As soon as they pole lifted Jack peeled down the ramp and into the parking garage. Instead of finding a parking spot, he slammed the brakes right in front of the elevator. They rushed out of the car as Jack slipped his clearance card and the doors opened. They quickly walked in and Jack punched in the button for the main level.
As soon as the doors opened Jack ran through the halls until he came to the main floor. The floor was in complete chaos. People were rushing around and all of the computers were flashing the same window. He saw Mel at her computer station. "Mel, call the mayor, we are putting this city in lock down!" He shouted as he ran across to Mike's office. "We can't all the phones are dead and we we're taken offline!" She said rushing up behind Jack along with Vanessa. Jack burst through Mike's door. His office was empty. "Where the hell is, Mike!" Yelled Jack angrily. "He took off twenty minutes ago, Jack!" Mel shouted. She didn't understand why Jack was so agitated. Suddenly everyone stopped doing what they were doing. They could now all hear the loud noise coming from outside. Then the ground began to vibrate a little bit. "Get to the stairs," Jack said quietly. "Now!" The three of them rushed from the office, across the floor to the emergency staircase. BOOM! The far wall collapsed as flames poured through. People screamed and ran in panic. People were pushed and toppled over desks knocking over computers. They all rushed for the elevators. Bits of the ceiling began to fall and crush whatever was beneath. The three of them rushed through the door into the concrete stair case. Just as the door closed they saw a second explosion hit the floor, killing nearly everyone who was there. Jack lifted Mel and Vanessa by their arms and continued down the stairs as it shook tremendously.
Kate and Shane looked in horror across the Bay at the city skyline. The city skyline that was being obliterated. Flames and explosions were completely demolishing buildings in seconds.
"What the hell?" Asked one of Kate's friends in fear and awe. More and more buildings kept collapsing, more and more explosions kept on erupting.
"Dad!" Shouted Kate nearly in tears. "Dad's over there! Shane!" Shane grabbed the panicked Kate and held her to him. He breathed hard in fear and amazement. "My god" He whispered.
"Keep going!" Shouted Jack as they reached the underground parking. Bits and pieces of the ceiling were collapsing. They had to get out before the building collapsed into itself.
"We're almost there!" Shouted Jack as they ran up the slope to the exit. Just then the three of them were violently thrown to the ground from a large shake. A huge crack ran through the ceiling. Bits of concrete began to fall. "Go! Go!" Jack shouted as they crawled up the slope. ERRRRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKK. The ceiling fell in.
Shane and Kate looked on in horror at the terrible site. All three of their friend had already bolted. Shane was still holding Kate. Suddenly there were a few flashes of white light closer to them. It was Gant Bridge. The bases were being blown up into a million pieces. The bridge began to moan and groan as it shook. The cars on it swerved and came to a stop. It then finally gave a large screech as it plummeted the hundreds off feet into water below. The ground that Shane and Kate stood on shook. A huge wave was created from the from the displace. The huge wave gushed towards Bayside.
"Come on! Run!" Shouted Shane as they bolted for the stair case that was on the far West side of the walkway. "Go, Go!" Shouted Shane as the wave splashed up over the wall and flooded the walkway. But still as soon as Shane and Kate got to higher ground, they watch the city their father was it, get destroyed.