Tales of City 17
City Protection
Reginald was a commander of Civil Protection in Section 17-6. His job was to watch the train tracks in that sector and neutralize any threats coming from that area.
At the moment, he was sitting in the gunner's seat of their only APC, gunning down the hordes of zombies that streamed in from city 65, where some rebels had taken over, and been promptly shelled.
He and his men were ridiculously underpaid, and under supplied for their job. Posted far away from the populated part of the city, in the barely populated outskirts, they also had to brave the Antlion swarms to get to their supply drops from passing trains.
Every 6 weeks or so, they would be replaced by another group of CPs, and then they would be able to get back to base for some well deserved R and R, before being sent back.
They had 2 weeks left, but the trains had stopped. Radio reported that there was a resistance movement that had started today, so no trains would be inside the city limits.
They had no more ammo for their AR2s, and their SMG ammo was on its last legs. More and more zombies and headcrabs were following the smell of human from the trains, and Antlions were in breeding season.
CP officer 5 interrupted his session of headcrab bursting, waving him down fromm his lofty position.
" State it, 5."
"Sir, we've gained a dropship supply of ammo. In addition, we have two elite Overwatch officers. One is a commander. She will be taking control now, or so she says."
"Dammit! What are those fools thinking of? I have far more experience with this than them.."
"Sir, Fast Ones!"
Reginald turned to see dozens of fast zombies jumping over the baricaded houses. He got into the gunner seat again, and opened fire, while officer 5 opened fire with the shotgun.
One after another, they fell, but the gunshots attracted a large group of more zombies. The two officers fired shot after shot, and casings littered the ground. Officer 5 ran out of shells, and was cornered by the monsters. His suit was ripped open by the mutated claws, and the zombies fed on his insides, while The zombies continued to gather around the APC, rocking it back and forth.
Just as the situation looked its bleakest, two lines of blue light appeared, and rifles cracked again and again, taking the headcrabs off their hosts.
"This is Civil Protection elites Alpha and Beta. We now have complete control of this situation."
"This is former commander Reginald 1. Are you Overwatch, or are you human."
"We are unaltered Civil Protection. Report to us like you would an Overwatch agent."
"Affirmative, CP Alpha and Beta"
And with that, Reginald was left to drive the APC back to base, leaving behind the fallen body of his comrade.
Two days later....
Reginald was now working with Alpha, and two other Officers, clearing out the area surrounding their HQ.
They moved from house to house, taking down the zombies that followed them. Reginald 1s pulse rifle went off in bursts, while Alpha revealed something only special officers could use. A .375 revolver. She moved from room to room, sending headcrabs flying into walls. The rest of the squad could only watch as she became a force of nature.
Suddenly, her revolver clicked once, and she grunted "Dammit! I'm out"
Reginald 1 knew her revolver ammo was rare to find, so he said to her
"Alpha, I can take point now, instead of you."
"Okay, Sub-Commander 1. We only have one room left. The basement."
Reginald headed the squad as he kicked open a door, letting a energy ball vaporize a poison zombie.
He pulsed his AR2 at the remaining headcrabs, and shouted
"Move up!"
The squad moved through the basement, then turned to shout
"Clear!"
But they were wrong. One poison headcrab was waiting under the stairs, and when it jumped out, it got Alpha, right in the back.
The squad all cursed and fired at the headcrab. It disappeared in a hail of gunfire.
Alpha said to the squad "CP Reginald has first aid clearance, cover us so we can get back to HQ. Good Job, soldiers. Lets get home."
So Reginald 1 took Alpha into his arms, and carried Alpha's failing body to the HQ.
When they arrived, he and Beta went to the operating room, and laid Alpha on a table, gingerly taking her helmet off, revealing her long, blonde hair that was plastered to her skin, and her pale white skin, almost too pale. He and Beta gingerly peeled the armor off of her, leaving her only in a thin, rubbery suit.
Reginald one prepped the antidote, and jabbed the syringe with it into Alpha's arm, bypassing the suit's electronic lock and sending a stream of anti-venom into her, along with a few other goodies meant for the poisoned.
Alpha's head sank back, and her body temperature lowered, as the sedatives took affect.
"Thank you... Reginald", she said, and then fell into a sleep.
The computer on one of the walls flickered, and Dr Breens head appeared on the screen.
As the man talked on and on in an address to Overwatch, Reginald looked at the sleeping form of Alpha. She looked less harmful while she was asleep, he thought. Her chest rose and fell as she slept, and she looked so peaceful, you would'nt believe it was Alpha without prior knowledge.
But Reginald had things to do, and looking at the serene agent was not on his ever-growing list. As he closed the door behind him, he made sure to activate the turrets.
Number one on the list.... check on automated defenses...
Number two: oversee morale.
Number Three...Survive the day.
He and three other officers cruised around he perimeter defenses, checking Autoguns and resupplying turrets. His mind kept drifting off to the sleeping princess...
WAIT!Princess?Sleeping Princess? Where did that come from?
No.
There is no princess. No magic. Only the dragon. This time, the dragon slayed the Prince.
No Love.
That' s what simulations are for.
No need for those feelings.
Physical needs are taken care Suffices.
Firelit home. Children by the fire. Man takes book, reads a story.
It's about a princess, cursed by a witch.
She sleeps on and on
The end.
Wait.
Princes are rare.
How do you know you're not it?
Im not. Resistance is futile. The princes are in city 17. I'm the dragon's fire.
No. You kill the monsters. You are a prince.
Monsters created by the Dragon.
You fight the dragon every day.
No.
I know you are.
Father gives you a hug, then leaves. There are monsters in the desert.
Daddy is a Knight.
Daddy was a knight. Now he is a Martyr.
Shadows.
The Princess. Wake her. You are the Prince.
Where did you get this idea. I serve Overwatch.
The Combine.
The Dragon.
You fool.
They killed the knights.
They will kill the Princes.
Why would I want to be one?
The Princess needs the Prince.
The Princess is the Dragon.
The car stops. Technical Officer 1 jumps out and starts tinkering with the joints of the autogun.
Reginald is driving. He has stopped. He thinks. He remembers his ..
What if you did?
What? Did what?
Kissed the Princess.
This is ridiculous. The "Princess" as you call her is an agent of the "Dragon" Overwatch. The Combine. You spoony idjit. Get a mind, not an done dealing with you.
Reginald fades back into alertness.
Reginald spoke to officer 9.
"Who's up for some simulations. Treat from the good Doctor Breen."
The officers all responded like the kids they were, saying lines from the old shows of before the take over.
"Boo-Yah!"
"Scooby-Dooby-something?"
"What the heck is that supposed to mean?"
"Forget it. Yea!"
Just like the children they were.
While the officers were in their special sim tubes, Reginald visited Alpha, who was too weakened by the venom to really do anything.
"Where is everyone?", Alpha asked.
"They're all in Simulation", Reginald responded.
"Everyone?"
"Yes. gave them a free use. For morale of course."
Alpha's eyes lit up. She obviously enjoyed the simulations like any other officer, female or not.
Reginald noticed a mischievous glint in her eye while she asked "Why aren't you in simulation?"
"I am the only available commander of the Civil Protection in this area. I may ask why you are not in simulation?"
"My muscles are weakened from the venom. I can't move, no matter how much I wish to go to the pods. Humph"
She put on an expression so childishly annoyed, that Reginald couldn't help but laugh.
He let out a few, smuffled snorts, which sounded so funny they both actually laughed as hard as they could.
When the cloud of humor vanished, they awkwardly glanced from each other out of the sides of their eyes and came to a break in conversation.
" So..."
"Yeah..."
"Do you want me to carry you to the simulation?"
"You would?"
"Yes."
"Well, I don't really feel like it. Can you find something for me to do?"
Reginald was taken aback. The last statement had a little hint of something...Something Coequettish.
Love?
The Princess is not the Dragon?
Is simulation the same for female operatives?
Does she know...?
"Are you sure, Alpha?"
"Something fun maybe? The automated defenses are doing good. We can both do an activity we will enjoy?"
Reginald knew, from this last that his dreams might come true.
The form fitting suit wasn't really designed for females, and every single body feature would be outlined if anyone wore one.
Reginald sighed, knowing that the camera was watching, as well as the security devices. He would have to put on an unmoved face until he could deactivate all of the recorders.
"Excuse me, ma'am, but the neurotoxins must be disrupting your brain patterns. Please hold while I disrupt sensory input."
Reginald flicked a switch, and the cameras, the turrets, the lights, even, all went out.
"Alpha?"
"My name is... Was... Sarah. Call me Sarah."
And with that, she kissed Reginald, and Reginald felt himself falling, but in a good way. The world rushed around him and the moment would forever remain in their memories.
"You know...We know... that what we want only happens inside simulation."
"I know."
"Then, Why?"
"Because I want you to remember me later, when we meet again, and everything has changed, and we can be together again."
And with that, she flicked the switch, and pretended that she had been trying to get up, instead of embracing Reginald passionately.
"Too late, Reginald one, and "Sarah" as well. The camera's are never off. You are headed straight for Nova Prospekt. Enjoy your Stalker car, lovebirds."
The voice was Dr. Breen.
"Damn IT!", Yelled Reginald.
Elite Overwatch in white suits came and busted the window, and the flash of a stunstick was the last thing Reginald consciously saw.
When he woke up, he found himself being pulled out of a metal contraption. The outer shell of a stalker pod.
He was in a blue jumpsuit, and surrounding him were people in combat gear.
Rebels?
Get them. You serve Overwatch.
Not since they shoved me into a train headed to Nova Prospekt.
Reginald decided to make a new start, and said.
"Thank god someone rescued me."