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STARCRAFT: EVOLUTIONS
PROLOGUE
1812 Zulu, Solarian Standard Time (SST)
Geneva, Switzerland, Earth
Sol System
A lamenting wind swirled plumes of dust and pillars of oil thick smoke as it blew through the city's blackened burghs. The heat distorted air raged with multiple fires throughout the gutted ruins of the shattered skyscrapers overwhelmingly suffused with the scent of burning metal and rubber The bloated sun began to descend on the late autumn day, the moon gaining prominence in the sky and casting its silver light on the hills of asphalt slabs and muddy craters. Purple and red clouds were barely visible through the haze of ash and smoke nearly hiding a beautiful sunset. As natural darkness began to cast its veil across the deepening night people began to stir in the streets as they emerged from basements and shelters, their faces covered with grime and sweat as they struggled beyond piles of blood and ash coated corpses and rubble. As their numbers swelled, they began to cast their attention to the once tallest building in the city, the ruin of its many spires clawing skyward like the jagged teeth of a dragon. Fitful coughing was the only sound that contended with the moaning wind as they began to shuffle toward the building, their red rimmed eyes locked on the building with the tattered flag of the United Earth Directorate hanging limply despite the low wind's attempt to give it life. At first it seemed to shudder, the flag shifting on its pole as it began to slowly drop down, the silhouettes of several people milling about its base barely visible through the swirling smoke. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the flag disappeared from view, an afterimage of it casting itself in everyone's mind's eye as if trying to return to life. In its place, another flag was being hoisted, a new and bright flag of red, white, blue and gold. There were alternating red and white stripes with a blue rectangle on its upper left side with a white and gold symbol centered on the blue. Though it was difficult to make out through the haze, it appeared to be a stylized representation of the solar system in white surrounded by a golden laurel wreath and a circle of stars. As the flag rose into prominence above the building, a low rumbling seemed to come from everywhere at once, reverberating down the streets and around each building. It rose in a crescendo until the definite sounds of jubilant cheering could be heard from the war torn survivors. A young man and woman, gripping each others hands so tightly their knuckles had turned white, turned to each other, their tears coursing clean lines down their grease stained faces as they smiled with unabashed joy, their white teeth contrasting sharply with their ash covered clothes and faces.
"We've done it," The woman exclaimed breathlessly, "we've won."
The man's smile deepened as he replied, "We're free."