Bioshock is property of 2K Boston/2K Australia.
Casey Strider is the property of Delta Operator (DeltaSniper on DA)
Miles 'Tails' Prower is property of Sega.
Nullspace, the NSC and Matt are mine. (insert optional insane laugh here)
CPS Chronicles: In Too Deep
Chapter-1
Nullspace//Quadrant-A, Sector-A
NSC Central Command
Office of Special Operations
/ Incoming message from NSC field agent Karl Jerome...
\ Subject: Emergency SITREP
\ Playing message...
\ This is field ag...Jerome, sir this is the fir...ti... weeks that
I've managed to get my comm...work so I'll be brief . The...oper...has gone south...hostiles are swar...all over the city and Vince and Bendetti...een killed and I've lost con...with mer...Lynch several days ago. I'm cut off fr...labs but Lynch has...to whatever has afflicted everyone down...the idiot...himself wrong. Anyway, get me a ride...time it gets here I should...samples. Just hur...OH SHIT, STAY TH...BACK, I'M WARNING...YOU Blam blam blam GAAA... /Transmission terminated
Agent Collins turned off the recording when it ended in static, he pushed his sunglasses back up his nose and looked to the ensign who brought him the recording.
"This was their last transmission?" Collins asked the communications officer in front of him who was shaking nervously. Who could blame him? He was head of special operations and had a way of making people who upset him vanish.
"Yes sir. At 0700 hours, their time. Because of the nature of the transmission a reconnaissance drone has been sent in as per protocol." The ensign stated with barely controlled fear. Collins simply nodded and said. "Good, patch it's surveillance feeds to my PC, you're dismissed."
The ensign opened his mouth to say that this was against protocol but then remembered who he was speaking to. He saluted smartly and was out the door in 2 seconds. Collins tapped icon on his desks touch screen and a holographic computer screen appeared above his desk. He waited patiently until a picture of a vast underwater metropolis that would not look out of place in an H G Wells book appeared on the screen.
Data from the recon drone was already being sent to his PC and he found the collected information to be far worse than what he expected when he heard the report from the late field agent Jerome. There were four passport-type photos above the picture, the EKG monitors next to three of them had flat lined. The fourth pulsed gently, a heartbeat.
Collins clicked on the picture, enlarging a picture of a Caucasian Human with askew black hair and green eyes. "I hired you personally. I guess you're tougher then you look." He said, looking at a feed from a bugged security cam within the city, showing three people wearing masquerade masks, beating a fourth to death. He toyed with leaving the survivor there; he could talk after all but decided against it. C.P.S, who employed the mercenary, would ask questions, the sort that couldn't be bribed or blackmailed away.
He opened a new program and called up a list of private security contractors that were aboard Central Station at the moment. One name pulsed gently, Casey Strider. "He'll do." Collins muttered before looking back at the feeds from the metropolis. Its name was in gold text at the bottom of the screen: Rapture.
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Outside some random eatery he had found, Casey reclined back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest, he was beat. One of the Comanche's engines had blown an electromagnetic coil and he had spent the last 36 hours trying to fix it, even with Tails help the engine had to be replaced. Long hours of work down the drain and all he got in return was a headache, a very sleepy self, and a smaller credit total in his account. Tails on the other hand wasn't really affected by the lack of sleep and was busily drawing out a blueprint of something while munch on his chilidog. Too tired for lunch himself, Casey resigned to try to get some sleep.
Just when he closed his eyes, Tails voice pierced the haze around his mind.
"Mr. Strider, a word if you please." Said a deep voice.
Casey opened his eyes and saw two men across the table from his one of them was holding Tails up by the back of his shirt collar, the 5 year old looked terrified. "Let go of me, you jerk!"
Casey quickly rose and reached into his jacket and pulled out his M6C pistol from his side holster. He aimed for the man holding Tails but before he could decide to either blow the guys brains out or threaten him into releasing Tails, he felt the weapon ripped from his hand and it soared into the other man's hand.
"There's no need for violence Mr. Strider, we're just here to negotiate a contract. Sit." The man pushed Casey back in his seat with what he assumed was the Force; the man sat down across from him in Tails seat and placed the M6C on the table top.
"What the hell is this all about?" Casey demanded. Maybe he could grab his M6C and planet a few rounds in the men and get off the station with Tails, he didn't like his chances though since the man seemed adept in the Force.
The man cocked his head slightly and gave a small smile. "That would be unadvisable Mr. Strider...and I'm as adept at the Force as you are so you don't have to worry about that."
Casey realized he was dealing with a Telepath and immediately put up a mental shield of whatever he could think of to keep the man out of his head.
The man cupped his hands on the table. "Mr. Strider I'm not here to invade your mind, but to negotiate a contract like I mentioned before. My associate is just going to keep your partner...in check to assure your cooperation."
Casey nodded, while strongly thinking of stuffing a grenade down the Man's throat.
The man chuckled. "Amusing, however I'm not here to see myself get blown up." The man became serious. "Mr. Strider, the head of the NSC's Special Operations Division has lost contact with a few VIP's in a colony in AC-005a, the job is for you and your partner to go to that colony and locate the VIP's and the colonies research data and to determine the reason for the loss of contact with the colony. The job pay is 50000 credits and a blank criminal record."
"If had just asked me nicely I might have considered accepting, but if you look into my head you'll know that I don't deal with NSC assholes. You'll also know that I have no criminal record." Casey stated, looking at Tails who was furiously struggling against his captors grip.
"I know Mr. Strider, that's why I took these steps." He waved a hand towards his partner who held Tails. "I also have 2 other incentives for you to accept. If you don't accept then your little furball of a partner right there gets deported back to his dimension with his mind wiped clean of ever knowing you, and you get a criminal record overflowing with every heinous crime there is and then you'll be sent to a prison station like Kryos to be executed."
Casey stood up, his face red with anger. "You can't do this, why don't you leave us alone and find someone else?"
The man pushed Casey back into his seat. "Actually I can and I have been for years. And the head of NSC Special Operations wants you and not some other ship jockey with a gun; it's my job to make sure that you accept. And I suggest that you accept because deporting someone and executing another means an awful lot of paper work so to make it easier on us all, you can either accept or I destroy your and your partners minds."
Casey gave the man a long hard look. "Fine, I'll do it."
The man nodded. "Good." He turned to the other. "Release him."
The other man dropped Tails on the ground, Tails landed on his can with a 'oomph' and jumped up ran behind Casey.
The man stood up and Casey did the same. "Mr. Strider you're expected in hanger bay 13 half an hour from now, you're to provide your own gear and are to obey every command the mission leader gives you. Good luck Mr. Strider, you're going to need it."
The man and his partner started to walk away; Casey snatched up his M6C and aimed for the back of their heads. But the weapon fell to pieces from the action and the parts fell to the table, in the back of his mind he heard someone snigger. He flipped the man the bird and the sniggering turned to a laugh.
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Hanger 13
Central Station
Captain Devrine and his 3 man squad stood at ease in the vast hanger, the only ship present was an old NSC Piranha class sub-shuttle. "When's the specialist getting here?" complained Private Austin, checking his pulse shotgun for the fifth time.
The sergeant of the squad, called Ardins sniggered "Wonder who it'll be?" "Bet it's another of the Sy-Yong five." She said.
"No, it isn't." said the cool voice of the third member and only non-human member of the squad, Tal-bih, A splitter from the Athens-II colony and a low level Telepath. He was the team's equilivent of an early warning system. "There are two, ¦a Human, an extremely angry one at that, and a Mobian."
Austin shook his head. "Not even you're that good." He stopped as the hatchway closest to them opened to admit a Human decked out in UNSC Marine standard issue armor and packing more explosives than Austin considered healthy. Just behind him was a Mobian Fox, probably 5 or 6 years old, wearing a modified combat helmet, a bandolier various grenades, a stun baton and a Jackal plasma shield along with sneakers, cargo pants and a red t-shirt. He looked at Tal-bih who was wearing a reptilian smirk.
"Show-off." He said.
Devrine saluted more out of habit. "Good evening. I'm presuming you two are our specialists. I'm Captain Marcus Devrine. NSC Special forces and mission leader. This is my team. We're here to handle anything you can't." he said, his eyes wandered over all the grenades on Casey's bandolier and the satchel of C7 canisters hanging off his belt and added "Though I doubt that's likely."
Casey nodded at the rest of the squad who all mimicked with nods of their own. He looked up at the tear drop shape of the Piranha and at the rust covering some parts of it. "We're going out in that rusting tin can?" he said, staring at the old ship.
Austin patted him on the back. "She'll get us there. Hope you brought your swim shorts." He said, Casey and Tails to exchanged glances, they didn't like the sound of that since neither of them could swim very well.
They all boarded the shuttle and took off from the station. They would use a HyperDrive to reach the wormhole and the travel from the station to the wormhole and to the mission area would be a few hours. Casey leaned back in his seat and the shades built into his helmet slid down over his eyes, maybe he'd get some sleep after all. Meanwhile, Tails kept busy by wandering around the ship and making little repairs on the aging shuttle.
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AC-005a
Mid-Atlantic, 1960AD
Casey woke up to see the Splitter and Devrine talking.
"You think he has been fully briefed?" said Tal-bih.
Devrine answered "I don't like it any more then you, but if that asswipe, Collins chose to keep him in the dark then that's nothing to do with us." Devrine noticed Casey awake. "Shit, we're almost there. You may wanna strap in." Tails, who had sat down from fixing the ships systems, was looking out a window.
The ocean stretched out as far as could be seen, white dots appearing as waves broke on the surface. What was out of place was a large lighthouse, surrounded by what looked like wreckage. "That's no NSC ship." Casey said to Tails as the ship circled the lighthouse and burning debris.
Tails nodded. "It looks like we're going there though."
Austin's voice sounded from the cockpit. "Hold on to your lunch, here we go." The ship suddenly lurched as it sharply dipped forward and nosedived into the ocean. Bubbles filled the window before clearing. Devrine stomped by and he could be heard shouting at Austin.
A glow could be seen over a rise. "What the hell?" said Casey and fell silent as the ship cleared the rise and a vast city came into view. Glass tunnels connected the various skyscraper-like structures, complete with lit signs advertising places like 'Fort Frolic' or 'Ryan Industries'.
"This is a colony?" Ardins spoke from behind them. "Looks like a full blown city to me."
Then they all saw someone…or something in one of the connecting tunnels. It looked like a really big man in an old diving suit…except a sickly green glow came from the face visors. Tails hid behind Casey as the sub went over the tunnel and headed for what was presumably a dock.
Austin looked at the scan. "Bugger. There's a bathysphere in the bay. We'll have to do a breaching manoeuvre." He said.
Devrine nodded and went back. "Ok, here we go. We dunno what happened here so we go in hot. Shoot anything that isn't the guys we're here to find. The only confirmed survivors a guy named Lynch." There was a clang as the sub connected to the side of the bathysphere dock and Devrine finished "Now move out."
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Rapture
Main Bathysphere dock
The dock was deserted, the only light came from a odd looking glass tank in the corner and from the sparking cables in the trashed bathysphere. Suddenly a new light flared in the dark. A bead appeared and etched a glowing line in the hardened steel with ease before with a hiss, it fell forward. Devrine and his team went first, NSC pulse rifles up and ready to fire. "All clear." He called after scanning for any human life forms. Casey and Tails stepped out into the bleak dock. Tails walked over to the strange booth where green lightning crackled, fascinated while Casey looked around the darkened port "Looks worse then my room on the Comanche." He said. Abandoned luggage lay in vast piles around the dock and placards with creepy messages like 'Let it end, let us ascend.' or 'Ryan doesn't own us.' lay scattered.
A shout got everyone's attention. "I got blood here." Said Austin, he pointed his guns light at a bloodstain on the floor near the bathysphere hatch.
Devrine waved over Tal-bih who looked at it and recoiled. "The poor…he was terrified…more then terrified. The thing that killed him was merciless…let him die slowly…" he stopped, and looked around "Its still here." He said, fear obvious in his voice.
Casey released the safety on his MA5B and Tails clicked on his stun baton. Tal-bih's fear was almost infectious, which was true since he was unintentionally broadcasting it to everyone. Tails shook with fear and took hold of Casey's pants leg.
Austin was sceptical. "Look dude, I know you're a Telepath an all, I get it, but I scanned for life. There's nobody here but us..." He never finished because at that point, a blood covered woman dressed in an old fashioned dress and a weird mask and wielding two bloody meat hooks fell from above, buried a hook in the side of Austin's head and ripped it from his shoulders in one smooth motion.
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Rapture
Bathysphere Docking Chamber.
Casey opened fire along with the three remaining troopers, riddling the crazed woman with bullets and lasers and knocking her into the water with an ear splitting shriek. Scraping and ticking sounds from the ceiling made everyone look up.
"Holy shit, they're everywhere." Ardin shouted, she raised her gun to fire but stopped halfway, a splicer hook embedded in her chest where it had been thrown. The splicers were indeed everywhere, almost blocking the glass ceiling. Worse they were in control, as any fire would shatter the ceiling and drown everyone. "Fall back into the city, lets go." Devrine shouted. Tal-bih didn't need telling and began running but a meat hook buried itself in his back with a meaty thunk. His body dissolved into dust before he hit the deck. Devrine swore and ran the same way, kicking a crazed man wielding a pipe into the water after he tried to hit him.
Casey and tails followed close behind, several splicers in pursuit, yelling nonsense at the fleeing boys. They turned the corner to see Devrine swearing loudly and slashing at something with his knife as he was pulled up into a ceiling vent.
"Damn it." Casey said as more crazed people ran at them from the way they came. He knelt down and fired several bursts into the oncoming horde and Tails threw a sonic grenade into the group, scattering them. One of the crazies did something unexpected though, aiming his hand at the grenade, making it levitate and launching it back.
Casey swore. "Great, more Telepaths." Casey moved to avoid the grenade but it blew in midair, a bone wrenching sonic boom hit Casey in the chest and sent him sprawling into a stack of suitcases. Tails blocked the sonic boom with his shield but got knocked on his can by the force. The boom gave Casey a strong feeling of vertigo and he couldn't get back up and he lost all sense of direction. The remaining crazies and the telepath walked forward.
"Let's see if the little fuzzy one has any Adam." One of the splicers stated eagerly as they advanced on Tails. Tails backed up against a hatchway with his shield and stun baton. One splicer lunged, tripped, and landed on Tails plasma shield. Tails whacked the crazed man in the face with his stun baton, sending a strong burst of electricity into his head which threw him back a few feet. Some of his fellows laughed. Another swung his pipe, it hit Tails shield but the blow was forceful enough to knock the boy on his can again. The crazed woman slammed her foot down on the shield and pinned Tails under it.
"Now fuzzy, we're just going to have a little talk." The woman said with a sick smile, Tails squirmed to free himself.
Suddenly, with a beep, the hatchway opened, causing Tails to fall backwards into the tunnel. The surprised woman looked up into the barrel of a revolver which went off, making the woman do a few cartwheels in the air before landing in a dead heap. Several more booms from the revolver followed the first, giving a similar fate to the remaining crazies. The holder of the revolver was wearing dirty camouflage fatigues and had a crossbow and a shotgun strapped onto his back. He was also wearing an old NSC recon helmet that covered his face.
He bent down and helped Tails back to his feet. "You alright, mate?"
Tails nodded. "Yeah, thanks for the help."
A loud crash got their attention; both of them looked to the source and saw Casey slumped over a baggage cart and trying to crawl over it. "Urgh, I think I'm going to be sick." He slurred.
Tails and the new guy rushed over.
"Casey!" Tails shook Casey by the shoulder. "Are you okay?"
The new guy held up 2 fingers in Casey's face. "How many fingers am I holding up?
Casey looked at the fingers, gave the new guy a disorientated looked and flipped him the bird. "Fuck you too, man."
The new guy shook his head and looked at Tails. "He'll be okay."
"Who are you?" Tails asked, he now held Casey's MA5B.
Distant screams got everyone's attention. "Talk later, leave now." The new guy said. He turned Tails around who was trying to aim the weapon in the direction of the screaming. "Give me a hand." He said helping Casey up.
Between the two of them, they pulled Casey through the hatchway just as some crazed people arrived. The newcomer dropped Casey to the floor and fired a few shots and stuck the revolver his belt when it clicked empty. He pulled out a syringe full of blue stuff out of his tattered vest and injected himself.
"What are you…" Tails started to ask but jumped in surprise when a lightning bolt leapt from the newcomers hand and into the ankle deep water that most of the crazed people were in, electrocuting them.
The new guy pulled out a C7 canister out of Casey's belt satchel, Casey was still out of it and didn't notice.
"What are you doing? That's C7 foaming high explosive you messing with." Tails warned as he tugged Casey away from the door.
"Almost forgot to close the door." The new guy said, he tossed explosive through the hatchway just as the pressure door came down. There was a loud explosion and the door pressed inward from the blast but held and the shockwave shook the section they were in and knocked them down. The new guy's helmet fell off and the face under it was of a guy of about 19-20. His eyes though looked older…like he'd already seen creepy things that shouldn't be spoken of. His face however had been plastered all over the Nullspace infonet. Captain Matthew Lynch, leader of the Sy-Yong five.
End of Chapter 1
There we go…Chapter one is up and running.
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