Unplanned Development

Alexander Kerenzikov - Atlas Elite

- Bering Strait

September 21 2062

It's good to be back home, well almost. Back in 2045 after my mandatory two years of service, then a representative of the Atlas corporation offered me a stable job, a nice apartment, the equipment to get the job done, and the pay wasn't bad either.

So I joined and for 17 years I have enjoyed the steady stream of combat and payment. Maybe after I finish this assignment I'll look for some low risk jobs, already at max rank. I would retire but my contract lasts for two more years, might ask well make the most before it's over.

[Alex report to RD one of the scientists need someone to test something, I don't know what but it sounded like it would be up your alley.] Well duty calls, "Tell Doc Brown not to blow anything up,heading there now." And with that I'm back to work.

I wonder what Doc Brown has for me to test this time. I've been assigned to assist in his endeavors since we found those ruins in South America and took a weird relic from there that was made out of this strange element what was it again Eleriem or Etheriem, it was one of those two names and now he's been researching weird occult stuff.

I guess whatever he wants me to test it's going to involve the Goliath he was working on. I just hope it doesn't involve teleporting a dog because, I still have nightmares about that dog.

Play Lovesong for a deadman (slowed/reverb/extended)*

"Hey doc you called?" I say to the seemingly vacant room. "Yes, I am here. Come in, we must begin as soon as possible. They will get angry if we don't." I sigh, he's having another one of those paranoid breakthroughs, guess I should get some answers first. "What is it that you need me to do exactly and what should I expect?" I say expecting the worst,

"Lay down on the bed, put this on, and you will be able to pilot the Goliath with your soul!" So he made a neural remote for the Goliath suit. I'm slightly impressed with him and scared of how he did it. "Very well, better be compensated for having my 'soul' taken out of my body." My disbelief flew over his head as I lay down in the bed. "Now this might hurt for a few seconds." After he said that everything went dark. "Hey,why can't I see?" I can hear him moving around like a rat in an air duct. "There the optics should be working now, we will continue with the testing."

As I took my first step off of the stand the entire room started to shake, the jukebox stopped playing, and my radio crackled on. [All units be aware we are under attack, they just took out our AA, prepare for deathmatch.] "Well, it looks like we are skipping straight to the field test." I say through the sounds of rushing feet in the hallway. "Wait, this is not a part of the plan. Promise me you will wipe them out and return intact!" This is the first time I've seen the doc terrified, it's unnerving me as well. "They will be pushed into the waters below I promise you that." With that said I step into the corridor.

play XS1 Goliath theme*

"Friendly Goliath online." [A Goliath on the field, they have no chance now!] "Damn right they don't!" I say as my chain gun lays waste to the Sentinel troops on the rig. [We got an enemy warbird coming in from the east, someone take it out!] "Goliath moving to clip its wings." I say while running to the helipad taking out any sentinel troops with my underbarrel tesla gun frying them alive. "Shock and awe-bliteration."

Have to keep moving, I can't allow them to gain air superiority. I charge through the door leading up to the helipad and start to pre-aim the four S.W.A.R.M. Missiles I have towards the incoming warbirds and pause the music. "Goliath in position to clip their are we doing?" [We have the advantage, take out those birds so we can keep it!] [Shit, they just released a drone swarm, get to cover!] This is bad, real bad. I need more Missiles and ammo to deal with this swarm.

Wait, I might have an idea. "Hey, how badly damaged is the AA?" [The targeting and IFF system are busted.] "Can it still fire?" [Only manually] "That's all I need." Alright this situation can still be salvaged, time to change the music.

play Flamenaut theme extended*

I rushed to the AA site and was barely able to get to the command terminal and start firing on the swarm overhead. "I'm firing on the swarm, push these Sentinel bastards over the edge." [Roger that Goliath, be advised Sentinel troops are heading in your direction.] "Understood, they won't know what hit them."

Damn drones keep dodging, at least they are being kept out of the fight and away from the lab. *crack* It sounds like the guests have arrived, might as well give them a shockingly good time.

"Hello boys!" I say after they slammed the command room door off its hinges. "FUCK, IT'S A GOLIATH." That was the last thing they said before my fist slammed into their face, killing the marine instantly. "RUNN" their leader said before I fried them with the tesla gun, killing the remaining four where they stood. I look around the room, bodies smoking from the ten million volt shock. "I guess you guys were thunderstruck by me." [Hey, did you deal with the AA site? We've finished overloading the rig's reactor and only have thirty minutes before this place blows.]

This was all a diversion from their real objective. I stomp on the enemy's head ending destroying their tac-coms. "All Atlas forces full retreat, Sentinel forces have overloaded the reactor. I repeat full retreat, thirty minutes until blowout. I'm going down there to buy us more time." [Understood, it was an honor working with you.] "This is Alexander Kerenzikov - Atlas Elite rank 1200, signing off." I never thought it would end like this, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Here it is, I only have twenty-seven minutes to eliminate the hostiles. I can do this, "YOU ARE UP AGAINST THE WALL AND I AM THE FUCKING WALL!" It looks like I have the advantage, let's push it even further. "ONLY FOUR OF YOU, ARE YOU SURE YOU CAN HANDLE AN ATLAS ELITE?" What will they do now that they are cornered? "OPEN FIRE" Oh, I will. I lay into them with the chain gun, but it jammed when it got to their leader, only hitting him in the leg. "I GIVE YOU FIVE MINUTES TO LIVE."

I'm going to need both hands for this. "Disengage magnetic lock on primary weapon." Let's see what I can do to slow this thing down. It's burning through the control rods to compensate for whatever they did to the power system. Let's remove all restrictions on the water pumps, I hope what I'm doing is right. "Hey" I ignore the dying man. "HEY" I guess I should humor him, the least I can do. "You really want to was your last few minutes talking?" Is he laughing? "I have to ask, are you afraid of dying?"

I've heard this question before and always ignored or changed it. "Guess I've never really wanted to acknowledge, where DO we go from here? Honestly, I'm only here because I have nowhere to go and was lost until Atlas showed up at my doorstep and gave me directions, purpose, some goal to distract me from where I'll end up. Just another dead soldier on a battlefield." I feel weak admitting I will die but didn't care enough to change the end result. "So are you willing to die for your fellow soldier?" He sounds weaker now, must be the blood loss.

"Wouldn't be here if I didn't." As I say that I see him aiming my chain gun at the reactor.

"Good and I'm sorry."

At that moment it seemed like everything was moving in slow-motion, casings hitting the floor, the overpowering alarms, the missiles flying towards him, the tesla bolt arking towards the exposed core, then the entire room for a few seconds a bright warm blue before everything went dark. "Well, that does it. I'm dead…..But why am I still here?" As if the world itself heard me, I started to fall into a bright white void and it spoke.

[Listen only to the sound of my voice.] "Who's there!" [Let your mind relax.] "Identify yourself!" [Let your thoughts drift.] "Where am I?" [Let the bad memories fade.] "Who am I?" [Let peace be upon you.] "Why am I fighting?" [Surrender yourself to your dreams.] I close my eyes. [Let them wash over you like the gentle waves of the bluest ocean. Let them envelop you. Comfort you.]

[Imagine somewhere calm. Imagine somewhere safe.] Home [Imagine yourself in a frozen forest.] It was cold that day, colder than normal. [You're standing in a clearing. Trees around you so tall, they touch the sky.] I was just a kid, mom was yelling at us, but I can't remember what it was. [Pure white snowflakes fall all around. You can feel them melt on your skin.] "My skin?" I look down to see it's fading. [You are not cold.It cannot overcome the warmth of your beating heart.] Wait [Can you hear it?] No! [You only have to listen.] I don't hear it. Why can't I hear it!

The soldier slams their fist into a tree causing them fall into each other, like a row of dominoes in a line of organized destruction until the entire forest has fallen onto a lake of pitch black ice and in the ice is a pale white figure with glowing blood red lines on their body leading up to crimson Irises surrounded by a soulless black.

"Can you hear it slowing?" It's her fault I can't hear it. "You are slowing it." No. "You are in control." I am not in control, you are! "Calm." FUCK "At peace." YOU!

The ice shook from the force of the soldier's voice, causing hairline fractures in the ice and a small red light come out "What are you doing?" I am leaving. The soldier hits the ice again causing cracks to appear across the entire lake. "If you aren't willing to fade peacefully, I will force you!" Wraithlike figures start a laboured march towards the soldier.

I have survived missions in Seoul, San Francisco, Seattle, Antarctica, China, New Bagdad, Denver, Verdansk, Santorini, Athens, London, Texas, and even helped defend my country from hostile invaders. I will not fall, and not by the hands of a god!

With the final hit from the soldier caused the lake to implode, causing the pale woman to wail in an unearthly tone. "NO, THIS CAN BE HAPPENING, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE!"

Next Chapter:Descent into Darkness

Objectives:Re-arm, establish contact with friendly/neutral forces for information about the area, survive until contact with Atlas forces can be established.