Long Beach, CA

February 2, 1994

RMS Queen Mary

The cool sea air blew gently through the upper decks of the Queen Mary, the smell of the salt air made some of the tourists a little nauseous while others felt that it made the experience of being on board a famous cruise ship more exciting, although the ship had not been active in the past 27 years. Though it was not hard to imagine what the ship was like during its heyday. The people who have been aboard the ship ranged from famous heroes of the 2nd World War like former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill who had helped draw up the plans to D-Day on board this ship; To some of Hollywood greatest actors and actress like Frank Sinatra, Bette Davis, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball.

Today, it was a hotel for those tourists who could not really afford to spend the money to take a cruise out into the Pacific or travel on the Queen's successor the QE 2 and take the voyage from New York or Southampton. In place of the luxurious rooms that once filled this giant hull were empty reminders of its heyday, offices and rooms were now either gutted or turned into small shops with the little trinkets that people would take as souvenirs of their time on board.

That didn't really matter to Colonel Shadam since he could care less about the history of this ship. Although he was enjoying the cool crisp breeze that was blowing through the deck, he personally felt that the Queen Mary was nothing more than a floating barge that should have been scuttled a long time ago. He sat alone on one of the deck chairs watching the people interacting with each other. He noticed the looks that people were giving him as they walked by; some of them thought that he might be some Japanese business man celebrating some kind of business deal he brokered. Others thought he might have been some movie star or something along those lines.

In reality, Shadam was the commander of a group called the Gorma. A tribe of humans that have lived for countless millennia in what modern man now calls China. In his time he was known for his brutality on the field but in more recent times he has been known by other names, Genghis Khan and Hideki Tojo were just two of his more familiar names. He lived through out time changing his appearance and involving himself in different wars, to help him improve his tactics to adapt to an ever changing world. He continued to watch the people looking at him and slightly envied how these people were so blind to what was going on around them, while the part of him that was a soldier felt like they were just cannon fodder. If he had a choice on how he could act he would choose neither and continue on his way, but unfortunately that was not on the agenda.

He moved his hand under his rugged face and rubbed it softly, looking out at the city but where some would have seen the beauty in the skyscrapers and the boats floating in the bay, he saw it as a battlefield and there was an enemy out there waiting for him. Yet, like all games of strategy all he could do was stay silent until his opponent made their move.

"It's sad isn't it?" Shadam said looking out at the city, "It's sad that these people are totally unaware of what's going on."

Another man, dressed in a leather jacket, black shirt, and leather pants stood silently behind Shadam, his resemblance reminded some of an Asian version of the Terminator, especially given the cold blank look that was on his face and the pair of Ray Ban sunglasses that he wore on his face. The man was known as Zydos, and considered to be the Colonel's 3rd in command.

"It is their own fault for ignoring what is around them." Zydos said looking out into nowhere, "Isn't that right, Gara?"

To the right of Zydos stood Lt. Colonel Gara, Shadam's 2nd in command. She playfully moved her hair from the front of her face, revealing her beautiful yet dangerous features that hid behind her brown eyes. She was an attractive young woman that was one of the fiercest soldiers that was ever known. She looked on at the city her own thoughts focused on something more distant than the musings of her commander, but was brought back to the present when she heard her name coming out of his mouth.

"I am just ready for the next move, it has been too long since I have fought." Gara said whispering into Shadam's ear.

"That is the difference between you and me." Shadam answered looking at the beer, "You look forward to the fight, while I would like to know what exactly our enemy is capable of."

"But these creatures can't be considered a real threat to us." Gara said, showing a hint of her own arrogance.

"That was what I thought when I fought against the Americans 50 years ago." Shadam started, "Granted these people are so barbaric that they still have petty wars; but when they come together when their nation is threatened."

"They are also the same people who corralled a group of people and put them into concentration camps just because they looked like their enemy." Gara retorted.

"Let's not forget that they were capable of creating a weapon that laid waste to two cities." Shadam said thinking back to the horrible destruction he saw at Hiroshima and Nagasaki; he could still see the people suffering from the wounds they received from the blast. "Humanity likes to think that they are so advanced and civilized when it comes to their society and technological advances when in fact they are still nothing more than the murderous animals that they have been since antiquity.

Let's take a long look at America, a land of people who escaped from Europe because of religious persecution, personal beliefs, and a chance at a new life. Yet when the locals helped the white person they were eventually repaid with death, famine, and relocated to land that was not even suitable for them. Or that these 'enlightened people' also sent people from Africa over in boats only to become slaves and brutally butchered them if they even thought of escape.

Even though these people fought for their freedom it took those same people over 80 years to abolish slavery; but they still had ways to control the people by dressing up in white sheets and burning crosses. These 'free' people still fight over the color of people's skin, property and sometimes even kill because of the type of shoes a person wears. These people may be strong but they are so full of contradictions."

"Yet you still have some sympathy for them?" Zydos asked wondering why his commander was talking like this.

"These people maybe nothing but animals." Shadam answered thoughtfully before he took a sip of a bottle of beer, letting the bitter after taste fill his mouth before he took a quick swallow and continued with his answer, "But there are those among them that do seem to want more than their barbaric urges. I've seen some things that are worth fighting for, but it is still not my place to question what I have been ordered to do."

"Nor is it mine, sir." Answered a young Japanese adolescent with a bowl shaped hair cut that stopped right above his eyebrows; his eyes were covered with a huge pair of eyeglasses that looked straight out of a manga. His outfit was even more outdated as he wore a Japanese school uniform from the 1940's. He nodded slowly in recognition and respect before he continued on towards Shadam and his companions.

"Dansaku." Gara answered looking at the young man, "It has been a very long time."

The young man Dansaku looked at Gara and answered, "That it has, but I was surprised when you asked me to come out here to America."

"The powers that be wanted to start the fight out here in the New World." Shadam said not paying Dansaku any mind, "A world that has not been touched by our hand, and I know that you have been waiting a long time for the chance to fight again."

"Yes, I have." Dansaku said looking out at the Downtown skyline, "Yet even I have my reservations about starting this fight here."

Shadam sat up from his chair and walked over towards the young man, eyeing him very carefully, "You know I could kill you for saying that to me; but I know you are just voicing a similar concern that I have as well. Just do your job and the sooner it is done, the sooner we can get out of this place."

Dansaku did not continue to ask more questions, but instead stood straight like a soldier standing at attention, "You will have my undying loyalty as always."

"Good." Shadam answered, "Then you know what you must do."