Hello again!

I am back with another chapter! Granted this one is a little shorter than the previous, but what ever.

Also guess what? We are more than halfway through this rewrite! Woooooh!

That's right. Soon you're going to be getting brand new never-before-seen chapters! Is that not exciting!

Right now I am working on chapter 14/20. But some of these will be combined, so I would guess we have about 4-5 chapters left before we are all caught up with the rewrite.

I really do hope you're all enjoying this. It is a lot of work and honestly pretty tough to do. So I hope the work is paying off with a much better story.

A big thank you to the new followers and favourites this week, and as always, feel free to leave reviews with your thoughts on the story.

Hope you're all having a good time, and as always, enjoy the chapter.

Cheers

Friday, May 17th 2024

Journal Entry 419:

Well. Today proved to have been a complete and utter waste of time.

I got literally nothing. That's right. Absolutely nothing.

It seems that no one, and I do mean no one, is willing to share any new information with me.

And yes. I am serious about that. Not Lisa, not the lab rats, not Lock, and definitely not the Commander.

Though honestly, the only person who surprised me with their silence was Lock.

I mean for one, Lisa is just a pilot. Sure, she flies one of the fastest jets this side of the pacific, with a level of accuracy scarcely seen outside of top-gun training programs, but that doesn't change the fact she is still just a pilot. It makes perfect sense that she wouldn't know much about XCOM outside of her own briefings, which are confidential in and of themselves, and her plane, which is apparently named Reyna.

Her words. Not mine.

Now the lab rats on the other hand don't have that excuse. They all must know a lot about XCOM, and they definitely know a lot about the procedure I'm going to be undergoing. However, I would wager they have either been specifically told not to tell me anything that may compromise the upcoming operation, or they had to sign confidentiality clauses before working here.

Either way, they are tighter lipped than nun on Easter Sunday. Any information I do get from them is either incomplete, or flat-out false, and that's only when they are feeling nice and actually talk to me. Most of the time they just brush me off and go about their work. Cold shouldered jerks they are.

And as for the Commander? Well, even when I asked him straight up how the operation was completed, all he ended up doing was continuing to ramble on about patriotic duty, and how I would be helping mankind. Of course, he also made sure to never actually answer or address any of my questions directly, but that's to be expected from him, the slippery bastard he is.

But Lock is a different matter. She and I have been getting along better and better these days. So I figured over breakfast this morning I would pick her brain on the subject and finally figure out for myself what exactly is going on.

Fat lot of good that did. She clammed up tighter than a seized screw the instant the words left my mouth. Flat out told me to "Only worry about my own well-being, and not to concern myself with the technical side of this stuff." Apparently it's for my own good that I don't know anything else, lest the mission may be compromised in anyway.

Again, her words not mine.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not entirely surprised she shut me down. This is Lockdown we are talking about, after all.

I was expecting her to be a bit hesitant to talk with me about the procedure, especially with her having gone through it multiple times already and all. But to be flat out shut down like that? That's just cold.

And that worries me more than anything she could have possibly told me. Well, maybe not anything, but you get the idea.

Anyways, I'm going to have to continue to see if I can piece anything else together. I may only have a few weeks left before doomsday, but that's more time than I usually have.

Shit.

Sorry to cut this short, but I have to run now. Lock's knocking and you never keep her waiting.

Hope you're both doing well.

Cheers

Wednesday, August, 7th, 2024

800 Hours

Journal Entry 425:

Hey guys. How are you doing today?

Drew? What the hell are you still doing here? Isn't today the big day? The day you become the man you always dreamed of being?

First off: Fuck you. Second off: I'm currently in my room, waiting for them to come and get me.

Why you ask? Because for some reason they still had a metric shit-ton of work to get done before the procedure started. And standing around waiting is boring as all hell.

So I figured, what the hell. Why not come write to you guys? You know, just in case something happens to me during the procedure.

But Drew. You said there was no risk. What's with the sudden worry?

Honestly, I don't know. It's just a feeling I have right now. Deep down in my gut, something feels very wrong.

Probably has something to do with the fact that Lock has been getting more and more anxious with each passing day.

That for me is always the biggest indicator that something is amiss. I mean, come on. If someone as indomitable as Lock is worried, then I feel like everyone in the entire base should be as well.

Now she's already gone thought this procedure several times and lived to tell the tale. So she knows exactly what's about to happen. Hell, she's been preparing me for this since day one.

So if she's worried, then it really begs the question of what exactly it is she's not telling me...

Because it's very clear she knows something, but for whatever reason she still won't tell me. Which either means it's really inconsequential and not worth mentioning, something she is not ready to open up to me about, or she's been ordered not to tell me.

And with the Commanders reputation, I am beginning to guess that it's the latter of the three.

Who really knows though. Maybe if I'm lucky and survive this, she will open up to me a little more. She did promise to tell me about her plan after this procedure is done after all. So I guess that's something to look forwards to isn't it? That, and finally knowing what the hell they are about to do to me.

Enough of this depressing shit though. I just wanted to write this just in case something happens.

I mean, I highly doubt that I will die, but all the same, I wanted to write at least one more time just in case.

Oh and one last thing.

I miss you guys.

A lot.

It's hard to believe that it's been almost two years since the... since the incident...

Each and every day is that much harder to face without you guys at my side. Each challenge that much harder to deal with.

But I want you to know that I will keep fighting till my last breath. I won't give up and just lay down. Not this time.

The day will come when we will be reunited, but until that day comes, I will continue to toast to your sacrifice, and push forwards to fulfill the promise I made to you.

Hopefully I'll write again soon, but sadly there can be no guarantees this time.

This is good ol, normal Drew, signing off for the last time.

Chee...

Knock Knock

"Drew. You in there?" Locks voice echoed softly throughout my room as she rapped on the door.

A resigned sigh escaped my lips as the pen slowly dropped from my hands onto the pages below.

It was time.

"Yah, I'm here." I grunted, swiftly removing myself from the desk chair and making my way to the door.

Taking a deep breath to help calm my shaking nerves, I walked out the door to greet Lock.

"I'm guessing they are ready for me?" I asked quickly, carefully closing the door behind me as I exited.

"You guessed correct." She nodded, ushering me to follow her as she turned and began to make her way deeper into the base; slowly but steadily heading towards our destination.

Lab 2-A of the Bioengineering division.

I watched Lock carefully out of the corner of my eye as we walked, noting her rapid blinking and tense muscles. Both were clear signs of anxiety and stress. She was very worried, that much was clear. Of what, I couldn't be sure.

Though I had my suspicions I would be finding out why very soon. Or maybe I was just being overly paranoid. Who really knows these days.

For the life of me though, I couldn't help but feel she was planning something.

Sure enough, just before we hit the lab, she sharply turned and quickly ushered me off to one of the darker side hallways. Beckoning me in further and further until I could barely see her or anything around me.

It was curious choice of actions, but I followed behind her nonetheless. After all, if Lock of all people had a reason to deviate from the scheduled, then it was probably a damn good one.

Though it did make me a hell of a lot more anxious about the current situation.

"Yo...you ok Lock?" I muttered tentatively, my own hands beginning to shake from the nervous energy that was building up inside me.

A deep sigh from her confirmed my suspicions. "No," she replyed truthfully, turning to face me directly. "I'm not. However there is nothing you can do about it right now, so don't stress yourself any more than you have already."

I nodded slowly, looking around in a last ditch attempt to figure out why she brought me here.

"Look," she explained, forcing me to look her straight in the eye. "Before you do this, I wanted to tell you two things."

The sheer intensity of her gaze caught me completely off guard. One look made it very clear this was not a time to joke around, nor the time to question. I hadn't seen her this serious since our spat on the training floor.

"Ok." I nodded quickly, averting my eyes slightly to lessen the impact.

"Firstly," she began. "And I really need you to trust me on this one, partner. Firstly: Do. Not. Break."

I blinked a couple times as confusion rushed through my brain. Just what the hell was she telling me this for? Don't break? Me? Did she really think I was that weak? Also, what was with her calling me partner? I had never told her about that. Ever. So how on earth did she know to say that?

"It will be tough as hell," She continued. "And trust me, I know that better than anyone. But whatever happens, do not let yourself break. It will be the end for you if you do. I'm sorry I can't explain what exactly I mean by that, but I just had to say it all the same."

I gave a very confused nod in response. The way she was speaking, I may as well have been on death row and walking to my own grave. But all the doctors I had gotten to talk to, and even the Commander himself, they had all stated that no one had ever died from the procedure. So I should have nothing to worry about. Right?

"The second thing," she continued taking a deep breath to seemingly calm herself. "Is to help keep you grounded. As well to hopefully, give you something to focus on when you're in the tank."

I felt my eyes narrow at her words. Deep in my gut, a ball of panic was beginning to form.

"I told you a while back that a girls got to have some secrets," she stated calmly her gaze never wavering from my own. "Well, this is one secret I think you have earned the right to."

I felt my eyes narrow at her words. "Look Lock, maybe right now isn't the best ti..."

"It's Abby," she cut in softly. "My name. It's Abby."

A cold sweat broke out over my skin as her words washed over me. She spoke those words like they were foreign to her. Like they may well be her last words to me.

"Ok" I whirled on her. "Just what the hell is this all abou-"

"Lockdown!"

The deep rumble of the Commanders voice echoed straight down the hallway. Shaking me violently to the very core, and damn well nearly stealing the very breath from within me.

"Get his ass in there. Now!"

Snapping my head around, I came face to face with the one man I had hoped wouldn't find us.

I had never seen the Commander pissed off until now. And to say he was intimidating does not invoke the right sense of dread that came in that moment. Seeing him in this state was like staring death straight in the face. Immensely, soul crushingly, terrifying.

This man before me could crush us both with a single hand and not even blink. No remorse. No mercy. And no forgiveness.

Now I understood perfectly, why Lock did not wish to earn his ire. It wasn't a matter of following orders. It was a matter of survival.

Lock of course instantly snapped to. "Yes sir." She barked out, before quickly grabbing my arm, and leading me back towards the lab doors once more with not even a hint of hesitation. Clearly I was not the only one who did not wish to stay in his presence any longer.

Silence enveloped us as we marched. Neither of us dared to speak a word for fear of the consequences. Hell, I don't think I even breathed until we were past the doors of the lab, and into the bustling room itself.

Both of us letting out a relived sigh before making our way further into the room.

Everything seemed to be ready now, though I could scarcely believe just how much work they had completed in the short time I was away.

Massive monitors now hung intricately all over the place. Wires running every which way gave me the impression that they had been set up not too long ago.

Each screen displayed some sort of program, ranging from basic bio-metrics to things I couldn't even fathom. Each station was now manned, and much to my surprise, one of the largest screens near the centre held my own 3D medical scan. Doctors and lab rats bustled around it, making minute changes here and there.

Just how much of this was set up today?

"Alright, you know the drill by now," came the cold voice of my favourite doctor, as he frantically typed away on his own computer a few feet away, while barely pausing to look at me when we entered before returning to his no-doubt "important" work.

"Sure thing, Doc," I responded gruffly, my hands beginning to involuntarily shake one again as the nerves set back in.

Stripping quickly out of all my clothes, I was lead shamelessly by one of the lab rats to the centre of the room, and to a large, empty, open topped, glass tank that dominated most of the area.

There was no door on the tank either. Only a small ladder which, upon instruction, I used to climbed up, and lowered myself down into the confines of the tank.

Once inside, I followed the scientist's instructions and carefully sat myself down onto the moulded chair shaped supports that rested on the bottom of the tank.

Once correctly seated, he then lowered an oxygen mask down to me, which I quickly strapped on, taking a few breath to make sure it was fully functioning, before leaning my head back onto the support chair, and attempted to get as comfortable as possible, while the lab rats no doubt finished their preparations.

Clink Clink Clink

Fast as lightning, metal restrains snapped up from the supports and locked up around my ankles, wrists, and neck. Each one tightening down quickly to match the size of my limbs before I could even react.

"What the fuck?!" I barked out rattling the restraints as I tried to sit back up. The words sounding muffled due to the mask I still wore.

"Doc? What the fuck are these for?" I called out to Matt who I could still see parked at his desk. Though if he heard me he didn't respond. Fucking prick. What the hell was going on?

Trying again and again I rattled to restraints. But no matter how much I tried to wiggle, the restraints kept me from moving all but a fraction of an inch in any direction.

It's ok Drew. The restraints are simply a precaution. Just calm down. This is all normal stuff for the procedure. Just breathe.

I felt my body involuntarily relax at the voices command. My heartrate slowed considerably as what I can only describe as a wave of calm energy rushed through me.

I turned my head as much as possible this way and that to try and locate the source of the voice, The sharp biting of metal on skin was ignored as I craned my neck more and more to see either side.

To little or no avail though. I couldn't for the life of me see anyone talking directly to me. Maybe there was some sort of communication device in the mask then.

They are about to start. Good luck in there, Drew.

That voice again. Where the fuck was it coming from? It didn't sound like it was coming from the mask. Maybe a loudspeaker then?

The sound of liquid bubbling up beneath me quickly snapped my attention away from the restraints and voice. Glancing down, I took note of a strange orange liquid that had started to submerge the bottom of the tank.

I watched nervously as more and more of it bubbled up from the bottom, slowly filling the tank and inching up towards me.

My mind, free of whatever spell that voice had cast quickly went straight into a full blown panic, thrashing my limbs harder and harder against the restraints. Ignoring the feeling of cold metal biting into my skin again and again as I thrashed more and more, attempting to free myself before this liquid touched me.

Every so slowly, I felt my body becoming completely submerged beneath the strange liquid.

"Subject is in contact," I heard someone yell. "Beginning low voltage current in three. Two. One. Engage."

I felt the low buzz of the electricity as it arced into the tank and into the liquid around me.

Then the pain began.