Chapter 2: Liberty
It was my first real mission for U.N.A.T.C.O; a fairly basic combat assignment. The Northern Secessionist Forces had occupied the Statue of Liberty, and I was to take out their leader. Ideally, I would also free Gunther Hermann, a UNATCO agent held captive in the statue basement, but the leader was the top priority. I was to rendezvous with Paul, my brother, at the UNATCO-held docks, and then proceed into the statue.
I remember – vividly – the feeling when I jumped off the transport boat. The murky wood of the docks under my boots, the smell of the sea and the sound of the roaring wind and the clattering of the security bots, all heightened by the biomods; the millions of nanites swarming through my blood vessels, enhancing my senses and abilities. Most prominently, I remember the feeling of holding a gun in my hand, and knowing that today might be the day of my first kill. Considering all that has happened since then, I suppose I ought to express regret at my actions on that day and those that followed it, and yet somehow, I cannot blame myself for what I did, for I would certainly do it again, given the same parameters; indeed, my later involvement in this game of conspiracies has in much been uncannily similar to the missions that marked the start of it.
Gun in hand, wind in my ears and wood under my feet, I surveyed the docks for Paul Denton.
Finding my brother wasn't hard. I had barely started walking towards the ramp leading to the island itself, when out of the shadows stepped a big man in a trench coat. His blue eyes – eyes that I shared, beneath my sunglasses – peered at me, and – though I might be adjusting my memories to fit better with what I know now – I believe I saw a tinge of worry, mingled with regret, in the bright, artificial glow.
Still, it was good to see my brother; I had thought that his mission in Hong Kong would prevent him from being present at my first assignment. Our meeting was brief, professional, and ultimately inconsequential – I knew what my orders were and he knew that I knew. I do not remember the words we said, save for one part at the end of the conversation. He had asked me what kind of arms I would require, and I had replied that a sniper rifle would be useful, given the large courtyards surrounding the statue, courtyards that would undoubtedly be swarming with NSF. Being able to take them out from a distance would give me a prominent advantage. Paul gave me a strange look, and handed me the rifle along with a warning. "This isn't a training exercise, JC", he said, still giving me that somewhat disappointed look. "Your targets will be human beings. Keep that in mind".
I could tell probably retell every moment of that night. How killed my first man – an NSF sentry – mere seconds after entering the main island. How I took out some of the terrorists from afar with the rifle, then hacked into the NSF computer grid to turn their automated attack turrets against them. I knew my orders included saving Gunther Hermann, if possible, but upon finding that the section of the statue where he was imprisoned was protected by laser beams that could trigger an alarm and bring the whole island down upon me, I instead proceeded up the stairs, towards the top, and the NSF commander.
He was alone, which probably saved his life; I had fought my way through a small army of his underlings, and I was wary of an ambush. Should he have had a companion, it is quite possible that I would have opened fire, opting for the safe approach, and perhaps then later events would have gone differently. As it was, he just raised his arms and surrendered. UNATCO troops soon came in behind me to take him into custody, and that was my first mission.
Something that has stuck with from that night, as the unlikely events of the past few weeks have unfolded around me, was something the commander said as the troops brought him away. He looked back at me in defiance as he was being escorted down the stairs, and said, over the roaring of the wind: "You can't fight ideas with bullets".
I knew as he said it that it was standard terrorist rhetoric - every special forces-team in the world is trained to resist persuasion and mind games - , and yet, later, as I strolled into UNATCO HQ, my enthusiastic sense of pride was somewhat dampened by his words echoing in my head.
Soon, however, another voice monopolized my headspace. Alex Jacobson, the UNATCO security technician, had been backing me throughout the mission, chipping in advice here and there through some kind of communications device embedded in my skull. The appearance of a disembodied voice, apparently speaking right out of my head, unnerved me somewhat, but it wasn't like I could shut it out somehow anyways.
"Remember that Manderley wants to see you.", it said right now "Level two. His secretary, Janice Reed, has your login and password"
Putting aside my considerations, went to meet Joseph Manderley, the commander of UNATCO.