Prologue: Rapid Eye Movement
I thought I was awake but I was wrong. It was one of those dreams again. The kind I only have before a new battle campaign begins. They begin with only darkness and deep, unnatural voices. I'm told they're waiting for the right time to escape and consume all that I've ever known. Opening my eyes, I see the same city I've seen in all the other dreams. It felt familiar and I knew it was a hive on my home planet, but I can't remember any names. I notice something about this particular dream that was different than the others.
In all the other visions, or whatever the hell these things are, I'm floating. I have no hands, feet, or even a nose. I was just two floating eyes. The things I saw through those eyes were terrible. In every dream people left and right, citizens I assume, were tearing each other apart in front of a gated Imperial building. The Planetary Defense Force was trying quell them, like it was a riot, but it was too chaotic. Bolts rang out and holes formed in the most vigorous of the crowd. Blood stained everything and blinded anyone in the vicinity.
I couldn't do anything in those dreams but in this one I could actually feel the air. I had a body that was younger and thinner. I run my hands through my black hair feeling how long it is. I feel a shirt, a vest, and trousers drenched in sweat cling to my body. I look around taking in how dark it is to the point in which I know I had to be in a hive. I'm standing in a vacant street with trails of blood and a burning cargo truck on its side. While deciding whether to inspect the truck a I hear a man's voice mutter something.
"Help me," says the voice in a pained tone a second time.
I begin walking slowly down the way lit by street lights, hoping I can find where voice came from. Once I see the shape of a body on the ground a little ways away I blink. In that split second, as if in fast forward, I fly to a spot next to the body. It is a PDF Trooper who is lying face down in the middle of the road. A light shows over him. A pool of blood is slowly growing from his stomach, staining his blue uniform. I crouch down and turn him over and to my surprise his eyes open immediately.
"Zander…it's…..you," he mutters struggling to breath from his pale, dry mouth.
"Sergeant Walker," I say, confused on how I know his name, yet recognizing the middle aged face. "We need to stop the bleeding."
"Medical…bag…dropped a few meters…back there, " Walker says motioning to a direction with his exhausted eyes. "Bastard…..stabbed me…while I was…"
"Stop Walker you need to save your strength," I command while standing up.
As I turn to search for the medical bag I'm warned to be careful. After walking for what felt like several minutes, the street being nearly pitch black, I spot the bag in front of a fire lit alleyway. A shadow takes shape on a wall of the alley as I draw closer. It forms the silhouette of a little girl of nine or ten. For a reason completely unknown I feel the urge to call the girl's name and leave the medical bag.
"Angelica," I call out in the form of a question.
I turn the corner into the alley and find it empty. A sound shrieks out and the little girl named Angelica in a torn uniform flies from the darkest part of the alley rolling onto her back. I run to her and kneel to help Angelica, a name that sparks deep emotion within me. I gently lift her head which makes the girl open her eyes.
"NO," Angelica shouts looking past me.
I look up and catch a quick glimpse of a scarfaced man covered in symbols freshly carved into his skin. The rusty wrench he is holding comes down directly into my face. I awake abnormally by slamming my head into something hard. Only when white light stings my eyes making them focus do I understand where I am. My teammate stares with a smirk on his face while the other two get dressed.
"I hate metal bunk beds," I grumble as I settle into a sitting position.