Location: The Bunker

Henry walked the halls of the Bunker, getting lunch, partaking in recreational activities, such as various video games or gambling. His job currently consisted of fixing systems that didn't survive two hundred years with no maintenance. It was a nice, normal life, and that's what felt so uneasy and unnatural.

The world had ended, so why did everything feel so normal to him? It was uncomfortably comfortable. He had pretty decent food, he never had to worry about if he was going to eat, and he had a roof over his head. He did have to give credit to those who designed and built the Bunker, it made everyday feel like the average day in life of a middle class urbanite.

It just felt wrong, two hundred years in stasis, and yea sure the sentient bugs, and vast swaths of desolate wasteland were sure as hell different. However that just didn't affect him, he was safe and secure in the Bunker, those bugs were out there, and he was in here.

Henry was pulled from his thoughts when his watch beeped, yet another section of the long range comms system needed repairs.

"Why is it always the comms?" Henry thought out loud.

This bunker wasn't the only bunker made, there were many scattered across the former United States. It is hoped that contact could be made with them, so that through cooperation, repopulation of the wasteland could be more efficient. Until then though, Henry would continue to do his job day after day.

"Hey Henry" A voice said from behind him.

Henry turned around to see Izabelle walking up to him. Izabelle had quickly become on of Henry's workplace friends. They would talk as they worked on repairing various electrical systems that conked out after two centuries of inactivity.

It was idle chat mostly, sometimes they would go to the bar and see if any of the cheap newly distilled booz was any good. It wasn't but that didn't stop them from drinking it, and getting a little tipsy. They would occasionally play Hearts of Iron 5 in their free time, sometimes together in the Axis or Allies, or opposing.

"Hey Izabelle, how is everything"

"Same old, same old, time not being kind to some poor electrical system, and me needing to patch it up" She said

"Let me guess, comms system again?" Henry asked

"What else? Seriously four out of five of the repairs I do are for the comms, Lord knows the comm officers are getting impatient"

"Heh, where are you headed anyway?" Henry asked.

"Going to fix another dish on the surface. You?"

"I need to do a pre-flight maintenance check on a monarch helicopter, apparently they are going out and an expedition."

"I'll see you later than" Izabelle said.

"You too" Said Henry

Jackson was in a changing room, putting on his environmental suit. The green lighting of this expedition still confused him. While he was all for retrieving research from anywhere they could get it from, but still, why green light the retrieval of research for a project that you haven't greenlit.

Jackson finally managed to get the suit on, save for the helmet, which he carried in his hand. He walked out of the changing room, and stretched, muscles making cracking sounds as he did so. He walked the path down to the Bunker's hangar bays, they were very large, they had to be in order to accommodate the three large helicopters they stored.

When Jackson got there, he found that the ten regulars that had been assigned to him were already there, Allen was there as well, standing in front of them. They stood at attention, 6 foot 5 inch figures standing as still as statues. Their uniform was quite a bit different than scouts.

Their head piece was an armored airtight helmet with a rebreather system, and had an inbuilt targeting system. Their clothing had actual armor on it, and was lined with a layer of graphene, and had a powered exoskeleton to increase carrying capacity and travel distance on foot. their weapons were better too. Instead of being armed with pistols and light magnetic assault rifles, regulars were kitted with M5 Gauss rifles, Glock mag pistols, thermobaric grenades, and various other pieces of kit.

Jackson regarded the augmented soldiers before him before Allen spoke up.

"Alright you bastards, the mission you are going on is a long distance from the Bunker, and any back up. It has been confirmed that bug kingdoms have set up shop very close by, and if they could pop up here, they can pop up anywhere. Do not fire unless hostility is shown, we can't afford to be picking fights, but do not hesitate to put the insects down if it comes to it."

"Sir yes, sir!" The regulars responded back in unison.

Allen turned to Jackson, a look of calm professionalism covered his visage.

"I trust that you won't do anything stupid at this 'black site' of yours" Allen said coldly

"Not planning on it" Jackson said.

"Good, i'll let you get to it then" Allen said briskly before exiting the Hangar.

Jackson walked towards the monarch's back ramp, the regulars following him in. As the expedition group buckled in, the jet black helicopter began closing its ramp. A slight jolst could be felt as the vehicular elevator began lifting the monarch towards the surface.

Another jolt was felt signifying that the elevator had finished rising. The pilot of the craft chimed in over the comm system.

"Alright, beginning take off"

Jackson could hear the sound of the motors extending the crafts wings out. The Whirring sound soon followed, and Jackson could feel himself be pressed against the seat as the monarch rose from the ground.

The monarch continued gaining altitude, then its two large fans pointed forwards. The black craft disappeared into the distance at great speeds, moving towards a place long forgotten by time.