After the fall of the Director from Project Freelancer, everything seemed to return to normal. Well, normal for a group of simulation soldiers who kept getting dragged into some unusual adventures that involve Freelancers and computer programs known as A.I. Upon arriving in their new canyon, the Blue Team and Red Team went their separate ways. Even knowing that the war they had been fighting with each other wasn't real, they still found comfort in being two teams and pretending to hate each other because of the different colour armour the other side wore. Sadly, one of the Blues, known as Church, disappeared along with an ex-Freelancer named Carolina.

The three soldiers who belonged to Blue Team, which in their own shade of blue armour, approached their new Blue Base. The base had been built into the side of the cliff of the canyon with the main entrance with no door for some reason. A couple of blue flags hung from the side of the base, most likely from the last group who lived in the base. A soldier, in cobalt colour armour with a yellow trim, stood upon a small hill and glared at the base. He could hear the other soldiers in his team having a conversation behind him but promptly ignored them. Something just didn't feel right. It felt like it was on the top of his tongue but he couldn't put his finger of what it.

He suddenly noticed movement of the corner his eye. A soldier dressed in teal armour had walked up beside him and stopped about a step away. Attached to the soldier's leg was energy sword that the soldier had acquired years ago while he held a standard issued SMG. There was now movement on the other side. A soldier in dark blue armour took up the spot on the other side but also a step away. No one said anything. It could have been because that we were trying to work out what was wrong with the base or they couldn't believe this was their new home.

"You know what?" asked the teal soldier, breaking the silences between the soldiers.
"Hm? What? What is it, Tucker?" he replied, sounding hopefully that the one called Tucker noticed what was wrong with the base.
"I could totally pick up chicks with this base." replied Tucker, sounding very excited at his newest revelation. "Possibly two or three chicks a flag, what do you think, Wash?"
Washington let out a long sigh. He had expected Tucker to say something like that.
"Hey, hey Washingtub." echoed a voice from the soldier in dark blue armour.
"Yes, Caboose. What is it?" replied Wash, trying not to sound too hopefully with Caboose was about ask him.
"Does Tucker get his own room? Oh! Oh! Do you get your own room? If not, you can share with me... I don't bite hard. Ask Tucker."
Tucker suddenly turned and faced Caboose who kept staring at the base.
"If you fucking bite me again, my sword isn't going to go where the sun don't shine." replied Tucker.

Washington had expected Caboose to say something stupid, it was Caboose after all. The same Caboose who killed a soldier from the same team as him, believes the same soldier thinks that he is Caboose's best friend and believes that the world they live is in fact a video game. Yea, Caboose was stupid and annoying but there was something about him that Washington couldn't put his finger on. Something about Caboose that made him feel at ease.

Tucker was being the same as always as well. From the moment Washington joined the Blue Team, he could tell what type of man Tucker was. It wasn't hard to miss. The way Tucker talked about ladies and what he wanted to do with them would make Washington feel a little uncomfortable. I mean, the only women Washington really had contacted with in the past were other Freelancers like South, Carolina, Tex and C.T. and he had never thought of them like that. They would have most likely beat the crap out of him if he did anyway. While Washington had retreated into his thoughts, he had forgotten of the conversation that Caboose and Tucker were having around him. When he finally returned to reality, Caboose had started jogging off towards the base with Tucker shouting to him.

"Do not touch anything, Caboose!" he shouted angrily.
"Okay!" Caboose shouted back in reply as he disappeared into the base, leaving Tucker and Washington on the small hill outside.
"Sometimes I wonder how you guys ever could work as a team." Washington said randomly. "
Work? Nah, we're too lazy to work." Tucker replied. "That's why we never get anything done."
"Well, whatever you call it, it seems to be working." Washington said as he started walking towards the base.

Tucker nodded and followed Washington. Tucker had gotten use to having an ex-Freelancer on their team. Wash had a couple of habits that he needed to get rid of from Project Freelancer. Things like sleeping with a gun under his pillow and a gun beside his pillow (Yes, he ever had to check) and making things a bit more formal then they should be. Yes, Washington is a properly trained soldier compared to anyone in this canyon. He had seen things that would haunt any normal soldier and his mind seemed a little messed up from having a crazy A.I. in his mind but other than that, Washington was ok. He just needed to loosen up a bit. A thought suddenly hit Tucker and he stopped dead in his tracks. No longer hearing Tucker's footsteps behind, Washington stopped and turned towards Tucker. He stood there silently, like he was thinking about something.

"What's wrong, Tucker?" Washington asked with caution, unsure what to actually say or ask him.
"I didn't actually realize this till now." Tucker replied, sounding unsure of to say.
"Yea, I had that feeling too. Something about this base is off but I can't put my finger on it."
"No, it's not that."
If Washington's face was visible through his visor, Tucker would see a confused expression suddenly appear on his face. They stared which other in silences for a moment before Tucker finally moved. He slowly turned around and stared at odd rock formations in the centre of the canyon.
"Wash?"
"Yes, Tucker?"
"Where is Church?"

The question had caught Washington off guard. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it when he realized he didn't have the answer. Instead, he looked over at the rock formation that Tucker was looking at. Church, also known as Epsilon, had disappeared shortly after they had arrived in the canyon. He knew Carolina, another ex-Freelancer who Washington use to work with in Project Freelancer, must have had something to do with Church's disappearances because she had also disappeared.

"Don't worry." Washington suddenly said as he turned his attention back to Tucker. "He's not gone, he didn't say goodbye. You know what he's like."
Tucker's head sunk to ground slowly and stared at the dirt. A couple of seconds later, his head sprung up and turned around cheerfully.
"Nyeh, whatever. Do we have any food?" Tucker suddenly said as he trotted pass Washington and towards the base.

Washington stood silently. Trying to let what just happen sink in. He let out a long sigh and he turned on his heels and begun walking towards the base with his head down low. When he finally looked up, Tucker had disappeared into the base, leaving Washington on a lonely walk. Washington retreated to his thoughts once more as he slowly walked. An old memory had surfaced in his mind, something that he had thought he had forgotten about long ago. He remembered when he had first met Church and how he thought how much he acted like the Director. He didn't know at the time but Church was really a fragment of A.I. known as Alpha who shared a similar personality to the Director of Project Freelancer. Epsilon was his name. Epsilon was meant to be Washington's A.I. till something had gone wrong. He wasn't too sure on the details on what had happened but he saw a face. It was the face of a women and she was starting directly at him. Her voice echoed in his mind.

"Don't say goodbye, I hate goodbyes." She said softly, like she was taking to someone close. He voice had stayed in his head for weeks afterwards but he couldn't shake that feeling like he knew her when he had never met her. It wasn't till after the fall of Project Freelancer and truth had come out. He had remembered Tex saying something similar but he never pieced the two together. Maybe Church had disappeared with Carolina to go find Tex or do something about what was left of Project Freelancer, who knows. All that Washington knew was that Church never said goodbye.

"'Never say goodbye. If you don't say goodbye then you aren't really gone... you just aren't here right now." Washington said out loud as he stopped in the doorway of the main entrance to the base. "Church, you better come back. You still owe us a cheesy, forgiveness speech after all..." He chuckled to himself before a loud crashing sound echoed through the base.
"I told you now to touch anything!" shouted Tucker angrily.
"Tucker did it." Caboose said
"I'm right here! Don't blame me!"