Chapter 4: Disturbing Clues

It has to be the back door, Fox thought.

Slippy had his driver drop Fox off at the back entrance of BioCorp's headquarters. The security there was surprisingly lax with only two guards guarding a heavy steel door. Before going in, Fox rechecked his loadout and made sure his weapons and equipments were in working order.

"Blaster looks good, got three flash grenades and two distraction grenades with me, energy sword at full charge…" Fox murmured. "Yep, so far so good," he said with a satisfied nod. He reached for the Ghost Skin's activation unit and pressed it. He heard a soft hum emit from the unit and the suit's light-bending system came online. Fox brought up his hands in front of him and saw that they were cloaked. Other than the faint shimmer, the stealth was nearly perfect. "Ghost Skin in working order," he added.

"Fox, can you read me?" Fox heard Slippy's voice through his ear piece.

"Loud and clear, Slippy," Fox affirmed.

"Good, then we're all set. I'll be keeping track of your progress from my car. Since we don't have a layout of the building, I can't provide you with a minimap. I can, however, help you by hacking locked doors remotely. For a relatively young and strong company, BioCorp has really neglected their security. Hacking into their computers is easy peasey," said Slippy with a chuckle.

"That's good news. Security at the back door is lax too. I can get in no problem," Fox said confidently.

Slippy was silent for a few moments before he said, "Really? That's…oddly suspicious. I have a feeling that they're expecting us. Call me paranoid but security seemed a little bit too negligent."

"Negligent or not, I'll make sure to remain alert for suspicious activities."

"Alright Fox…please be careful."

"Will do," Fox said. He peeked over the corner of the wall and spied on the two guards.

One of them was having a cigarette break while the other was leaned against the wall, his head lowered and his eyes closed. Light in the alleyway was minimal and the Ghost Skin's shimmer was nearly masked by the darkness. Making sure not to run, Fox inched his way towards the two guards. Fox had stepped on several puddles of water in the process but the smoking guard paid no heed. He reached for an extendable baton, walked up to the smoking guard, and brought the baton down on the guard's head. The blunt force knocked the guard unconscious and he fell backwards onto the grimy ground. His cigarette rolled out from his mouth and extinguished when it rolled into a water puddle.

Fox was thankful the ground was heated and the snow melted because if there was snow, he would've made footprints that could arouse suspicion. The sleeping guard had not stirred from his sleep. He only snored a bit louder. Fox's Ghost Skin had deactivated but he did not wait for it to re-cloak. Immediately, he grabbed the head of the sleeping guard and knocked it against the wall. The guard never knew what hit him and he never had the chance to open his eyes to see who grabbed him before he found himself unable to wake up, his senses numbed by total unconsciousness.

With the two guards disposed off, Fox searched the guards for anything useful. He found a keycard on the first guard and kept it. He also took the spare energy cells they carried in case he needed to use his blaster. Fox swiped the keycard in the scanner and the door swung open. Fox entered the building and closed the door behind him.

"Slippy, I'm inside. Any idea where I should start looking for the blueprints?"

"The blueprints should be in the CEO's office. You may want to be mindful of the security systems in the building too. Whatever you do, do not cross laser tripwires. Just because you're invisible doesn't mean you're not there. Laser tripwires can still detect you. You can, however, sneak past security cameras as long as your Ghost Suit does not deactivate in front of them."

"Roger that."

"Also, I'm uploading a monitoring software into your eye piece. That should help you keep track of your status. Don't worry, you can thank me later," Slippy joked.

The holographic eye piece that Fox wore over his left eye came to life. His health condition, armor condition, ammo counter, and crosshair flickered on and data scrolled across the eye piece.

"Thanks," Fox said softly.

Fox entered an empty hallway which was well lit. He looked left and right and saw no signs of any security camera or laser tripwire. Confident that no danger was present in the immediate area, he took the left hallway down to the main lobby of the building. He walked so quietly that even he can't hear his own footsteps on the cold marble floor. The lobby was not crowded and there were only a few employees walking about. Fox methodically moved from one hiding spot to the other without raising an alarm. He brushed past a wolf but he was too busy flirting with the receptionist to feel a slight brush across his leg.

There was an obsidian statue of the company's logo in the middle of the lobby. Fox had found a keypad on it and he found it rather suspicious and out of place. He decided not to touch it because he had no access code for it and there were people in the lobby. Who knows what the keypad might activate. There was nothing interesting in the lobby so Fox went towards the entrance of the emergency stairwell. He decided that taking the elevator was not the best idea.

The stairwell was dimly lit but it was bright enough so that Fox could see what was ahead. The floor was littered with rubbish and some parts of the stairwell were so dirty that there were cockroaches and rats gathered in the rubbish pile. Despite the unsightly environment, Fox was thankful for one thing: the place was totally empty. The place was dirty to the point that employees refused to use it. This allowed Fox to move unhindered though he remained cautious about deactivating his Ghost Skin suit.

Fox found a partially ruined map of the building in one of the rubbish piles. How it got there was a mystery but it was important to him. He removed the cockroaches that were on the map and unfolded it. The building was about thirty stories high with two levels of underground parking. By the looks of the map, it seemed like BioCorp's claim of having no research lab and manufacturing facility held true. There was nothing on the map that points to any sort of research lab or manufacturing facility. Most of the building composed of offices and server rooms.

"There's a warehouse in the left wing though," Fox muttered. "I wonder what they're keeping in there."

He made a mental note to check out the warehouse after retrieving the blueprints from the CEO's office. Keeping the map in his pocket, Fox continued walking up the stairs. It was tiring to climb thirty stories and Fox's lack of exercise did not help the situation. Still, he pushed on without complaint. Each step he took sent soft echoes through the entire stairwell. Nobody came to check on the sound though. Ten minutes later, Fox reached the top floor.

Bill Grey huffed impatiently.

He was forced to wait at the helipad while the marines launched their assault on a fortress. The atmosphere on Venom was highly toxic so the marines had to conduct their operation in a full hazardous environment combat suit. Bill Grey's ATG (Assault/Transport Gunship) cockpit was fully sealed and filtered so he did not need a hazardous environment suit. Still, he wore one in case there was a leak in the filters.

The job of transporting troops from one place to another was not what he signed up for many years ago. He wanted to be a fighter pilot. He got that job but after the Anglar Blitz, there was no need for a large fleet of fighter pilots. Alto had dismissed many pilots and Bill Grey was one of the unlucky ones. Still, his career as a pilot and longtime flight experience earned him a second lease in his military career. The Board of Generals had assigned him to become a transport pilot and he was assigned to fly one of Corneria's elite marine groups. The group's codename was Echo and they were part of the 301st Space Assault Task Force.

It was indignity to Bill. He was a decorated pilot-turned-glorified transport pilot. He was always in the thick of action but never participating unless one of the marines called for close air support. The ATG's quad chin-mounted turbo blasters were more than enough to shred infantry and light armor while its stub-wings carried four rocket pods and several anti-tank missile launchers. The heavy composite plating on the ATG ensured the gunship's survival in heavy flak. In short, the assault-transport gunship was a tough customer in battle, something the marines on the ground needed to ensure their safety.

The marines were going into a building this time and there was nothing Bill could do but wait to extract them once they complete their mission. He looked outside and saw bolts of lightning striking down from the heavens. The cockpit's instruments malfunctioned and his compass went wild. It was an ion storm and Bill quickly shut off the engines to prevent the circuits and electronics from being fried. The ion storm was something recent because before the last war ended, there were no ion storms. Bill suspected that the remnants of the Anglars or the Venomian Army were purposely generating ion storms to thwart attempts by Corneria to spy on them.

Bill alternated his attention between the storm outside and the team's status monitor that showed up on his helmet's holographic display. The displays broke into static rather often because of the storm but Bill was surprised it didn't dissolve into static completely. There was no way to tune into their squad frequency but their heartbeats told Bill what he needed to know. Even in the face of uncertainty, the marines maintained a steady heartbeat. Their hearts raced a bit once in a while and he could only assume that something startled them.

Deep inside the darkened fortress, Echo was led by Captain Henry "Frosty" Jansen. He had been a marine since the marine corps was founded two years after Alto became president. Henry was but a young soldier during the Aparoid Invasion but he was a fine leader. That was what made him climb up the ranks fast. The 43 year-old terrier always kept calm in a tense situation but he usually fought on worlds controlled by Corneria. It was his first time fighting on Venom. Still, he managed to stay calm.

"Eyes sharp, team. The Venomians could still be in the fortress," Henry said. "There're eight of us. I want to split us into four fireteams. Alia, you're with me. Duke, you pair up with Nova. Locke, you're with Smith. Grayson and Shin, you're a pair. We head out and search for the disruptor that's been disrupting the communications signal of our ships. Maintain radio contact at all times and NEVER let your teammate out of your sight. If you're in trouble, do not panic. Hoorah?"

"Hoorah!" the other marines responded.

"Alright, let's move out and eliminate that disruptor."

The fortress was divided into four sectors. Henry took the northern sector while the others took the remaining sectors. Most of the fortress was powered down and the marines had to rely on their flashlights to illuminate the path ahead. Henry and Alia went into a room full of computers and it seemed like they were used quite recently. He placed his hand on a computer and felt that they were warm.

"Somebody's been here," Alia muttered.

"Can't those Venomians just give up? They've been causing us nothing but trouble," Henry remarked.

"For them, it's easier said than done. Their allegiance lies with some ape who'se long dead."

Henry nodded his head. He checked the oxygen meter on his helmet-mounted display and saw that he had two hours worth of oxygen left.

"Let's double-time before our oxygen runs low," Henry said.

"Captain, I'm picking up high energy emissions coming from the battle bunker. It's…unusual," Duke reported in.

"How so?"

"It's…not the sort of energy emission you'd expect from disruptors. I – I can't explain it. I can see readings on my reader spiking but it looks like the energy source is…moving around."

"Mobile disruptors perhaps?"

"I dunno but –"

Static covered the channel before Duke finished his sentence. Suddenly, Henry saw Duke's status monitor go dark and his heartbeat flatlined. His companion, Nova, was still alive and her heartbeat was still steady as if nothing had happened. Something was very wrong. Henry glanced at Alia and she was rooted. Her helmet covered her face but the way she shifted her body uncomfortably told Henry that she was feeling uneasy.

"We just lost Duke and Nova's still alive and well," Alia said in a calm voice.

"Nova, what happened to Duke? Where's he?" Henry said after opening a comm channel to her.

There was no answer although Henry thought he heard the sound of a shotgun being pumped. It worried him because Nova was carrying a shotgun as her primary weapon for this operation.

"Corporal Nova, did you just frag your teammate?!"

No answer.

"Corporal Nova, I'm asking you a question!" Henry said angrily but still received no reply. "Damn it, she's gone rogue. All teams form up on me now. Watch out for Nova and if you see her, stay away from her."

The teams met up at the fortress's central chamber. Everyone was fine and Henry was relieved to see that.

"Did anyone pick up Duke's transmission?" Henry asked.

"I think we all did," Grayson said on behalf of the team. "What's wrong with Nova? Did she hit her head or something? Maybe someone convinced her that she's Venomian?"

"Maybe you did it, idiot," Locke sneered. "Nova's a marine through and through. She wouldn't attack her own teammates."

"Didn't Duke say that there was some sort of unusual energy emission?" Alia asked. "Maybe it's the energy emission that's affecting Nova."

Locke looked at Alia. "Are you suggesting…mind control? That's absurd."

"Hey, these are Andross's belongings we're talking about. If that galoot can turn himself into a floating head of doom, you think he can't invent something that does mind control?" Alia shot back.

Locke wanted to argue but Henry stopped him. "Alia's got a point. Andross's technologies aren't supposed to be taken lightly. If he can accomplish something like modifying his body into something far beyond what we're capable of, then I can safely say that mind control is a possibility. We have to find out who or what is responsible."

"Are they responsible for the communications disruption too?" Grayson asked.

"It's possible but we won't know for sure until we find out. Stick close and watch each other's backs. If anyone points a gun at you, do not shoot back. Disarm and restrain."

Fox was lucky to have avoided most of the building's security measures by taking the stairway but he saw that the CEO was in his office. He managed to catch a glimpse of the name plate that was on the office door.

"Mr. Corral eh. I think you're needed elsewhere," Fox said softly as he plucked a distraction grenade from his utility belt.

The distraction grenade was a non-lethal utility device which came in two variants: the "ghost voice" variant and the "simulated gunfire" variant. The ghost voice variant had a digital recorder to record voices so it could use the recorded voices to distract others. There was an employee on the same floor who had the same surname as the CEO so Fox waited for an opportunity to record someone who called for the employee. He got that chance when one of the employee's colleagues called out his name.

With the voice recording ready, Fox planted the distraction grenade in a flower pot outside of the CEO's office. He knocked on the office door and activated the grenade at the same time.

"Mr. Corral, can I see you for a moment?"

Fox waited next to a box of paperwork. A few seconds later, the CEO emerged from his office and looked around to see who had called him.

"Jenny," the ape said, "where the hell are you? What is it that's so important?"

As he went to look for Jenny, Fox slipped into his office soundlessly. When he entered the office, he immediately went straight for the computer. His fingers worked quickly as he opened one folder after the other. There were hundreds of documents in the computer but none were particularly important. He did come across several transaction slips which were made with other major companies, Beltino Ballistics included. It was puzzling so Fox decided to download them all into a portable data storage drive.

There was still no sign of a copy of the building's blueprints and Fox had little time to rummage through all the data. However, he was able to download several memos that point to the possible existence of a hidden lab beneath the building. That was all he got before the CEO returned to his office.

"Playing a prank on me, did they? Wait 'till I dock their paychecks. Then we'll see who has the last laugh," Fox heard the CEO mutter.

The office door opened and the CEO came into the room just as Fox removed the storage drive from the computer. He did it quietly enough so that the ape did not hear it. The door was slowly closing and Fox walked as quickly as he could to the door. He managed to fit through the closing gap but the door clamped on the tail of his Ghost Skin suit. Fox felt his heart miss a beat but he quickly found a solution. He tore off the tail and left it there. Without power, the metamaterial fabric became visible. Fox grabbed the distraction grenade, deactivated it, and went on his way.

"Slippy, I haven't found any blueprints but I have some files that you might be interested in," Fox contacted Slippy when he entered the stairwell.

"That's ok, Fox, I think you've done your best. We'll be waiting at Grand Street. It's just behind BioCorp," said Slippy.

"Roger that but I think I'd like to stick around for a while. There's something I need to look at," Fox said.

"What'd you mean?"

"I found a map of the building and I noticed that there's a warehouse. If BioCorp's headquarters doesn't have any sort of manufacturing capabilities, why'd they need a warehouse for? I don't think they'd need it for storing mops and brooms."

"It's possible that the headquarters acts as a gathering point for their products that were manufactured elsewhere but if you wanna look into it, please be careful."

"I always am," Fox said in a confident manner.

"Pilot…read…trouble…overrun…"

"Captain? Captain Henry, are you there?" Bill asked.

"Extraction…danger…coming!"

The radio was filled with static and the intensifying ion storm was not helping the situation. Bill was in a dilemma. He was probably being asked to prepare for extraction but if he turned on the engines, the electronics would be fried and he won't be able to take off at all.

"Captain, I can't take off. The ion storm's gonna fry the ATG," Bill said.

He waited for a response but the captain never replied and Bill was greeted by a flood of loud static. Sensing danger, Bill put on his helmet and reached for his sidearm before disembarking from the aircraft. Just as he did that, a lightning bolt struck the ATG and hit the cockpit. Had he stayed in there, he could've been killed. The ATG did not explode but Bill had no doubt the controls were fried. They were not going anywhere now.

"Damn…how am I supposed to contact the fleet?" Bill said to himself.

There was no other choice than to enter the fortress for cover. It was probably the safer inside than exposing himself to the fury of the ion storm. Even though Bill was a seasoned pilot, he was not the best soldier. However, he was confident of his own shooting skills. Besides, the hyperblaster allowed him to mow down enemies with its rapid rate of fire. It looks like he would be stranded down here for a while so he went back to the ATG to retrieve some batteries for the suit's rebreather unit. Each fusion battery should last at least five days of constant use so oxygen should not be an issue but the lack food and water would be a problem.

Bill found a cache of energy bars but it was pointless because the moment his helmet comes off, he would suffocate. He could still drink water because there was a liquid transfer tube in the helmet which could be used to transfer drinkable liquids from outside of the suit to the wearer's mouth. There were only two one-liter water bottles though. That won't last them for a day and if they ran out, they would be in big trouble.

His only hope now is that the storm would clear enough so he could send a S.O.S. signal to the fleet orbiting Venom.

Glossary

Assault/Transport Gunship: The ATG is a sub-orbital vertical take-off and landing aircraft built to ferry troops around the battlefield as well as providing close air support for ground troops. The hardiness of the ATG allows it to operate in almost all hostile environments but it lacks protection from charged particles.

Distraction Grenade: It is a non-lethal weapon designed for distraction purposes. Variant One grenades have speakers and a recorder so it could replay recorded voices. Variant Two emits loud bangs and flashes to simulate explosions and gunfire.

Energy Sword: The energy sword is a prototype weapon made by Beltino Ballistics. It utilizes an experimental compact G-Diffuser unit to provide the energy sword unlimited energy. Preliminary tests showed the sword's potential as a counter against forcefield barriers.

Ion Storm: By releasing charged particles into the atmosphere, the Venomians can create localized ion storms. Communications do not function within the area of effect and the storm shuts down all electronic systems. G-Diffusers are particularly vulnerable to them.

Hazardous Environment Suit: These suits are specially designed for use in hostile environments such as Venom's surface. The suit is built over an exoskeleton powered by a compact fusion battery pack. It is able to withstand laser fire as well as traditional gunpowder projectiles.

301st Space Assault Task Force: With Venomian terror tactics growing more and more complex and dangerous, Corneria's Marine Corps formed the 301st Space Assault Task Force to combat the Venomian threat. They can operate in all environments ranging from planetside battles to space combat.

Heavy Composite Plating: They are the next generation of protective plating manufactured to rectify the Landmaster's problem of having too light an armor. Utilizing multiple layers of different alloys and reflective materials sandwiched into a plate, the HCP provides ample protection against heavy lasers and high explosive rounds. They are light enough to be fitted on heavy aircrafts.

Turbo Blasters: The Arwing laser cannon was an effective weapon but the military decided to add more variety to the current cache. The first new laser cannon in line is the turbo blaster, a non-chargeable laser cannon with a very high rate of fire. Turbo blasters could easily shred infantry and lightly armored vehicles but they do no good against tanks and heavy vehicles.

A/N: I want to thank those who commented for the comments. Whatever questions you asked, I will answer them in later chapters (hopefully without loopholes). Do keep the reviews coming.