The Awakening
January 14th, 2270, 03:13
Undisclosed Location
Damn it's cold out here. Ray thought as he broke out of his stasis tube. Shattered glass and green liquid spilled all across the white tiling of the room. As he began to breathe the crisp, cool air, he deduced from the amount of stasis fluid left that he must've been in the glass capsule for at least a month. At first, he thought the room was an endless white abyss. After examining it closer though, he realized that there were indeed walls, and they had some white plating system covering them.
This place is enough to make a person go insane…bright lights, white walls, I probably am insane.
Ray began to dress himself with a pair of white sweat pants that had been left in the corner of the room, and as he pulled them up he began to recall the battle he was in. He put the thoughts aside for a moment and walked over to the mirror on the other side of the room. While admiring the goatee he had spawned while inside his synthetic sleep, a puzzled look stared back at him though the mirror.
Humans are supposed to have temporary amnesia, a side effect of the stasis fluids, but I can still vividly recall that battle. How is that possible? I can still hear the rattle of gunfire, and that massive explosion…
Ray was a middle-aged man. Torn by war and revolutions, he was a veteran on and off the battlefield. Standing at about 6 feet, he was about as tall as most Earth natives. As for the Martians, because of the lack of gravity compared to Earth, it was not uncommon for most of them to exceed 7 feet. Ray "Ghost" Monterro was Italian. His jet-black hair was anything but neatly kept, and his rather large nose was yet another addition to the stereotypes he had attained from his heritage.
He then began to worry; questions started to well up inside of him as emotions would in a teenage girl, not knowing which ones to answer first. He slapped himself, leaving a red mark on his face. While rubbing his cheek, he thought.
First things first, I need to figure out where I am, and why I'm here. Think Ray, think.
He began to sniff the air
The air… it's flat. It smells different than the air on Earth and its rather cold… odds are I'm on some sort of space cruiser. But for what side? Where am I headed, and why am I in a room with a stasis tube?
He realized where the thoughts were leading. He was dead, sort of. The TMS (Terran Military Syndicate) had developed a system of stasis trials that had the ability to repair the body through robotic implants, laser surgery, and sustained time in a newly developed synthetic fluid capable of resurrecting the brain and other vital organs. On all of the machines was a familiar quote to most Terrans, "Arise my soldier, for you shall serve a more noble cause than death." General Stukovf said that to the first successful patient of the stasis trials. The individual had been dead for 2 weeks. Although the trials main function was militaristic, it also revolutionized the judicial system as well as many other things. Capital punishment was handed out much more generously, given the fact that if an innocent person was executed, he could be resuscitated if needed. Murders were no longer as devastating, and life, could continue on for hundreds of years.
He then looked at his chest; it had several scars, each roughly the size of a golf balls. They started from his shoulder and extended down to his hip in a diagonal fashion.
Well based on this room, my current condition, and the fact that this room has no obvious exit, I must've been plucked out of that alley I died in, drugged beyond comprehension, and pickled inside that hellish jar. But why? Genetic experiments? Possibly brainwashing? No, it doesn't matter why you're here, Ray, you'll have plenty of time to figure that out later. It only matters how you're going to escape.
Ray looked around the room and started to feel the walls, looking for an exit he began to knock on the walls, hoping to hear a hollow noise, telling him where the door was. A hollow clank filled the silent room.
Bingo. Now figure out how to open it.
Ray felt around. His fingers found a white panel, which blended in with the rest of the room, making it hard to see. He began to punch in numbers. Realizing the guards would probably figure out what he was doing before he happened to stumble upon the right code; Ray ripped off the covering and fiddled around with the wires. A few sparks and beeps let Ray know that he had done something, for better or for worse. The blast door opened vertically.
He stepped out into the hallway. The walls were black and shaped in a hexagonal fashion, in contrast with his cell. There were a plethora of red and blue lines running horizontally across the hallway. Bright phosphorescent lights beamed down and reflected off the heavy steel grating that covered the floors. At the end of it was an adjacent hallway, constructed in a similar fashion. Noticing many other cell doors, Ray concluded that he was in the holding wing. While checking the other cells, he spotted a guard and slipped into the closest alcove that contained a cell door. He could hear the guard's feet clanking loudly on the grates, the sound crescendo as the guard got closer. When Ray saw the guard come into view, he jumped the officer and wrapped his arm around the man's neck, and pulled the guard's pistol from his holster.
"Where am I!"
"The holding wing."
Ray tightened his grip on the man's neck.
"Ugh…the lower…sector of…" The strangled voice began to say, but stopped as he elbowed Ray in the stomach. The force of the blow made Ray lose his grip, which allowed the guard to escape his hold. As the guard ran down the hall, he screamed, "Patient 0467 has escaped, alert all…"
The shot from Ray's pistol concluded the silence-shattering wail. The guard collapsed to the ground.
Ray checked the man for keys and opened the closest cell. He drug the body into the room. He took the guard's clothes and spare ammo clips. As he pulled back the hammer of the pistol, the click triggered a flashback of a previous espionage operation. The operation that was the reason he was stuck on the ship in the first place.
December 20th, 2269, 20:02
Terran Military Base:
20km outside Wellington, New Zealand
After the Terran government had betrayed Ray, he joined the Martian Intelligence and Espionage Agency (MIEA). Ray was ordered to infiltrate a Terran R&D plant, and seek out blueprints for a new weapon, the latest type of battle cruiser. The new B-Class ship would be equipped with an Anti-matter drive, making it possible for it to reach speeds of up to 2 the speed of light. Being able to reach such high speeds would mean practically being able to appear and disappear in a matter of seconds Moreover, having a quick acceleration time would make it the fastest weapon in the solar system, creating a large threat to the Martian Fleet. If it was completed and launched into space, it would redefine stealth warfare. It was known only as Operation Xythos.
On his way into the facility, Ray encountered several guards. Posing as a researcher, he made it past them easily; he just showed them the fake I.D. and they allowed him to pass through. The compound was booming with life; researchers were walking from room to room, carrying papers, briefcases, and small test tubes.
Ray had managed to make it into the crowded, low security area. He walked into the nearest bathroom and pulled out the photos of the researchers that would have access to the high security areas. After memorizing their faces, he stepped out of the bathroom and looked around. One of the targets exited a lab and had a bad look on his face. He stepped aside as the constipated man made a dash for the bathroom. In his hurry, he dropped a few documents. Ray picked up the stray memoirs and read them.
Due to new security standards, the code for the safe room is now being changed on a 3 day basis, a Key card is now required for entry, and will be issued ASAP. The new code is typed in as the following puzzle----Leo's sol is hellish. Please heed to this new system. Thank you.
Ray thought of the puzzle as he entered the bathroom.
Leo's sol is hellish...Leo's sol is hellish...What could it mean?
Ray looked under the stalls for feet, finding a pair on the end. He pulled his silenced 10mm and fired through the doorBlood spooled out from under the stall, as Ray kicked open the door and took the scientist's clothes and keycard. He closed the door as best he could, and walked out of the bathroom. Upon entering the crowded hall once again, he headed towards the scientist's office. Ray kept a low profile as he opened the door to the office. Once inside he began to search the desk and drawers for information regarding Xythos.
May 30th, 2268
From the Office of Dr. Tolstoy
Dear James,
As requested, here is an update of the recent accomplishments of Xythos.
---The Anti-matter Drive is nearing its final stages of completion.
---We need Robentainium for the heating chamber; it is the best-known metal capable of sustaining the necessary temperatures needed for the anti-matter reaction core.
---Finally, we need a Weapons Grade Thermonuclear Reactor to start the generator up to attain the required high temperatures.
I promise you will be more than satisfied with the results if you can supply these items.
Ray continued to rummage through the desk, but didn't find anything important. He decided to leave the office. As Ray stepped out the door his foot caught a young, female scientist. As she was falling, she grabbed onto Ray's white lab jacket, tearing it as she it the floor, revealing Ray's Martian military gear. He drew his pistol and shot out the alarm controls mounted on the nearest wall.
"Everyone! Into this room, NOW!" He ordered as he pointed his pistol towards the office he had just been in. They all began to walk in, when one of them, feeling rebellious, ran the other direction. Ray ended the runaway's demonstration with a shot from his gun. Ray tossed a gas grenade in the very crowded room before closing the door.
Would've had to take care of them anyway. They know too much, and their existence prolongs the idea of a new Terran Battle Cruiser.
Ray started his way down to the top-secret area, where the blueprints and the beginning parts of Xythoswould most likely be stored. The halls of the facility were an off white, a rather common color for R&D plants. The ceilings were high, to allow for better air circulation. Ray had gained access to the area only after finding a directory for directions. On his way down he continued to think about the puzzle.
The amount of researchers became less and less as Ray walked further underground. As he came closer to the safe hold, the number of guards increased drastically. Continually having to lean out of corners to see the guards before killing them, Ray had remained mostly undetected, and thus brought his total kill count somewhere near 35. He finally came to the doorway he was looking for. He examined the panel to access the room, and it hit him like a ton of bricks.
Leo's Sol Is Hellish, it's a numeric password, just upside down!
He slashed his card through the reader by the door and punched in the code on the numeric panel.
4517734517055037 Enter.
A soft hiss broke the constant humming of machines as the airtight door slid open. As Ray walked inside the room the door slid shut behind him. The room became completely silent, aside from the muffled sound his boots made as he landed to the ground from walking. He was startled by the clank the door made as it closed. The room was a long, pale hall, with a computer and keypad at the end of white void. He began to walk towards what he figured was the safe. As he came to it, he couldn't find a way to open the door and obtain its contents. He needed to improvise. He pulled out his laser cutter and put it to work. It would take roughly one minute for the beam to cut completely through the reinforced safe before he could reap the benefits of his work.
43 seconds…35 seconds…21 seconds...
January 14th, 2270, 03:15
Terran Battle Cruiser, Lima:
Undisclosed Location
Ray was shaken out of his reminiscence by a sudden shift in the ground.
Shit, the cruiser must've taken a hit by something. Just my luck, I'm trying to escape, and I get stuck in the middle of an interstellar battle. Great.
Ray walked out of the cell and leaned against a wall. He saw a small platoon of men, about 7 or 8, run past the hallway he was in. He immediately ran to the intersection, peered around the corner, and went the opposite direction of the mob. The hallways slowly began to fill with a white haze as he continued down the corridor.
If I remember the layout of the Terran Battle Cruisers as well as I remember my sadistic past, then the emergency Suits should be in the Landing Deck.
Ray was slowly starting to remember more and more about his past. The stasis fluids ended up havingan effect on his memory; it seemed as if the liquid may have even triggered the flashback in the first place. As he walked into a large room with hundreds of computers and mainframes, he had another flashback. This time he recollected his experiences with the Terrans.
March 4th, 2264, 03:13
15km above Hellas Planitia
"We're flying over the Hellas Planitia," the pilot said to Ray, "ETA five minutes."
Man, this mission is going to be a piece of cake. Parachute in, find out what's going on with the Martian arms trade, eliminate any signs of rebellion supporting supplies, and assassinate the head of the operation. Ray thought as he swung his sniper rifle over his shoulder and sheathed his knife across his belt buckle.
Ray got up and began to walk around the cargo area of the plane. He found a weapons crate on the ground and opened it, checking over its contents. Along with the jeep the Terrans had packed him, he was also given quite the arsenal of weapons---bombs, anti-vehicle sniper rifles, rockets, grenades, and many other destructive items. He was also assigned a small platoon of men, 15 to be exact. He walked to where they were all sitting, in the passenger area. They were lined up against the wall, all wearing parachutes, holding their rifles, ready jump at any moment's notice.
Ray then heard another plane engine, definitely not his.
That sound, jet propulsion-probably twin Valkyries, only used for interceptors.
Ray grabbed a parachute off the floor and ran to the door. As the small fighter planes flew around, one of his squad mates popped a question.
"Are we supposed to expect an escort, sir?" There was an explosion in the left wing as Ray shook his head. The plane began to shake and lose altitude; the room's pressure became unstable. As smoke began to fill the large plane, Ray yelled for his friends to jump out. Ray quickly ran for the cargo area and pushed out the boxes of ammunition and jumped inside the jeep. He started it up and drove out into the sky.
The interceptors came around for another strike. Ray saw only one soldier make it out of the plane alive. He closed his eyes as his plane went up in a cloud of fire.
Ray opened the parachute attached to the jeep and began to float to the ground. He looked over at his last surviving soldier, whose parachute was malfunctioning. Ray watched as the man plummeted to his death. After Ray had landed, he began to wonder.
Those interceptors, they were Terran planes. But why…why would they attack their own cargo plane, at the expense of some of the most highly trained soldiers they had?
Ray shook his head and began cutting the parachute off of the Jeep. As he tried starting up the car, it made a wheezing noise. He checked the fuel case, and saw that it was empty.
Shit, of all things to happen...First my plane get shot down by my own government, my whole squad is eliminated, and now I have no way of transporting my arsenal to the Rebellion stronghold because my military intelligence can't afford a couple of fuel cells! Now I have to walk kilometers to a rebellion outpost in this hellish desert!
Reddish dirt covered the ground and hills of the area. There were some small plants, but mostly just red as far as you could see. A cold breeze swept past Ray, and whirled up dust that was on the red earth.
By the looks of the clouds, a sandstorm was going to start up, and I'm going to be stuck in it.
Ray took a deep breath of the Martian air, and started to walk west, the direction of his mission.
A couple of hours later he came upon a complex that resembled the one he was shown in the mission briefing. They called the place "Gemini" because of its two identical main buildings. The facility appeared mostly deserted, except for a couple guards in outposts and patrolling the grounds. The compound itself was an age-worn structure, the walls were concrete, but the original color was gone; eroded away and replaced by a rust color from countless harsh sandstorms.
Ray crept closer to the entrance and stood up against the front wall. As the guard in the outpost turned around, Ray fired his pistol at the man. The silencer muffled the bullet sound. Ray walked into the concrete booth, and climbed up through the roof. From there he saw two guards talking by a truck. He rolled out of their view and jumped over to the truck. He didn't make the jump over, and was hanging on to the top part of the cargo hold. He pulled himself up and surveyed the area with his thermal goggles.
Ray unsheathed his knife from his belt and held it in his right hand, keeping the silenced pistol in his left. He waited for one guard to expose a vital body part, and seized the first opportunity. The guard lifted his head up in laughter and Ray immediately threw the razor sharp knife into the man's throat while simultaneously landing a shot in the other's head. Both the guards fell to the ground instantly in synchronization. Ray pulled out his sniper rifle from his shoulder holster. The sandstorm lowered visibility greatly, masking Ray's position very well. He peered through the thermal scope and saw a man patrolling back and forth on a raised bridge that connected the outside parts of the two facilities. He picked the man off and shot out the search light next to him.
Ray got off the truck and liberated his blade from the expired guard's neck. He proceeded to walk through the gate under the bridge. Hearing footsteps, he flattened up against the wall. After the guard passed his position, he ran over to what he figured was the fuel center for the facility.
Just for insurance incase I die. I'll set it for 20 minutes.
He placed an explosive on the large, steel tank and ran to the best entrance to the facility.
Shit, it's locked by an electric security device. One I can't hack into.
Ray turned around and raised his rifle. He peered through the scope and shot a patrolling guard. He began to walk down the valley of concrete and steel, looking for a high voltage sign posted somewhere on a wall. He eventually found one, and it was pointing to his left. Ray headed in that direction.
He began to hear a loud humming sound as he came closer the power generators.
Ray pulled out his pistol and aimed for where the power lines connected with the transformers. And, as though it were a switch, he pulled the trigger and all of the humming stopped. Sparks and electric bolts streamed in every direction as the floodlights of the facility lit up. Ray sprinted like crazy to the previously locked gate, but managed to run into some resistance.
Ray rolled behind some barrels and holstered his sniper rifle on his back. He drew his pistol and pulled back on the slide. As he rode it forward he took a deep breath, and leaned out from behind the barrels, only to be met with a barrage of bullets.
Shit, they're going to shoot me to death if I lean out again and its suicide to try and escape.
Ray pulled a flash grenade and chucked it over the crates; he covered his ears as the grenade exploded. He took the opportunity of the guards' temporary demise to give them a permanent one. He rolled out from behind the crates and unloaded his pistol clip into the blinded men.
Ray continued his way into the underground area, where the headman of the rebellion should be.
As he went further and further down into the Martian crust, guards and security was less and less. An occasional guard here and there, but for the most part, nothing.
It's odd how scarcely guarded this place is. It's almost like something isn't right.
Ray had a bad feeling as he came to the end of the foreboding series of halls and stairs. He opened the door, and was greeted by someone he would never had expected to see, and a gun pressed against the side if his head.
"I didn't expect you to make it this far Ray." A deep voice said. The owner of the voice stepped out of the shadows and revealed his face. The face was rough; a pair of sunglasses covered the eyes.
"Markinson, I should've known it was you. Only you would turn on your own partner."
Markinson was Ray's partner all of his life while he was in the Espionage and Intelligence area of the Terran government. He was also Ray's his most trusted friend, although apparently corrupt now.
"Trust is a fickle thing. Something humans created to make them feel safe and warm at night. The only things you can trust in this world are your gun and the mission."
"Trust can stand alone; it is error that needs the support of the government." Ray snapped back. The comment resulted in a more forceful press against his head
"So tell me, why did you do this? What was the point of faking this arms deal just to get me out here?"
"You know too much Ray, plain and simple. Your existence threatens my secret exploits. You have to stick your nose in everyone's business, and because of that, many want you dead. You were always the better of us, Ray. When it came to who should get the promotions, I got them because of bribes and blackmail. It was always you that was better."
"Clever cover up Markinson, what dirt did you have to dig up on Langford to make him approve this vendetta? Or did you pay your way through like everything else?"
"It's amazing really, how much someone is willing to bend for you when you have their arm twisted a little bit. It was simply tricking the general into hearing what he wanted to hear, as always."
"You dirty son of a bitch."
And in one smooth motion, Ray ducked his head, unsheathed his knife, and brought it around to his right, slashing Markinson across the stomach.
As blood seeped out of his stomach, Markinson yelped "No! It's not supposed to end this way, my money, my knowledge, where are you now?"
"You won't need them where you're going." Ray justified as Markinson fell to the floor.
Ray found a nearby elevator that led to the Communication Tower. He took it and there was a small, one-man helicopter there. He got in it.
And as fate will have it, there are no keys.
Ray ran back to the elevator, and pressed the down button, realizing it would save him time to sprint down the stairs and take the elevator up. After he descended the seemingly endless long flight of stairs, he ran back to where Markinson was laying...
Common Ray, only one more minute and this place blows.
He searched through the cadaver and finally came across a key.
Markinson, I swear, if this isn't the right one...
He sprinted to the elevator and pressed the up button. As the elevator was going up; he counted down the seconds he had to live.
32, 31, 30, 29.
He made it to the roof; he jumped inside the helicopter, inserted the key and turned it clockwise. The slowly accelerating rotor blades informed Ray he had found the right key.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
The blast created a massive amount of turbulence as Ray took off. The small, one-man helicopter began to shake uncontrollably.
I'm not gonna make it, I'm not gonna make it, I'm not gonna make it!
The helicopter lasted long enough to withstand the explosion, Ray had made it, and he had survived his betrayal and lived to see another day.
Damn you Markinson, damn you Langford, damn you Terrans, damn all of you.
January 14th, 2270, 03:19
Terran Battle Cruiser, Lima:
Undisclosed Location
"Damn you, damn you to hell!" Ray said as he smashed the computer counsel in the room. He looked up, and realized he was back from his precedent. He then heard a voice come over the intercom.
"INTRUDER ALERT, INTRUDER ALERT"
Damn it, they know I escaped…
Ray went through the door with the word "Exit" on it. He continued down a hallway, the letters and numbers painted on the walls in a white stencil fashion told him he was heading towards the loading deck. He saw a guard coming. Ray drew his weapon hid behind corner. Not wanting to draw any more attention to him then there already was; he hit the man in the back of the head with the butt of the gun. Pausing only to grab the guard's spare clips and sidearm, he broke back into his dead sprint hoping to reach the end of the hall without being caught.
"Freeze!" The words Ray wanted to hear the least at that moment pierced the annoying ring of the sirens. He stopped and slowly turned around. He faced the guard who had his weapon drawn and aimed right at Ray's chest.
Ray slowly knelt to the ground and put down his pistol.
"Your safety is still on!"
The guard checked his safety and before he could look back up, Ray landed a shot into the man's head.
He continued down the hall and was stopped by a blast door with the letter "D" on it.
Finally, the door to freedom.
Ray then had another recollection.
December 20th, 2269, 20:18
Terran Military Base:
20km outside Wellington, New Zealand
11 seconds… 6 seconds…done.
The loud clank of the metal safe door hitting the ground was a reassuring sound, and repercussions of the sound echoing through the expansive hallway let Ray know he had made it.
The safe was very large, a walk-in safe to be exact. The safe's inner walls were lined with many smaller safes-little tiny boxes, each one with a little number on it and a few lights.
Great. There has to be at least 500 boxes in here. How am I to know which one contains the blueprints for Xythos?
Ray pulled out his pistol and started blasting away at the locks, checking each one and hoping it contained the blueprints. It was then he realized the alarm was going off, and it would be a matter of seconds before the guards found out where he was. He checked one last safe. Nothing. He looked a little closer. It actually contained a few microchips. He grabbed them and dropped them into a small capsule. After inserting the container into his pocket, he pulled a C-5 explosive from his pocket. Placing it into the safe and closing it, he hoped to destroy something, if not the Xythos plans, at least something important. He sprinted out of the walk-in safe, out of the long corridor, and into the main room. Bullets flew past him as he ran to freedom. Finally an auto-rifle's bullets hit him. The rounds formed seven gaping holes in his chest extending from the shoulder to his hip. He managed to jump out of a window and came crashing into an alley a few floors below. Then the explosion came. There was a blinding light, and then a loud hammer as the bomb exploded.
Good. The facility has disappeared, and I hope any plans for the Xythos Cruiser with it.
Then he blacked out.
January 14th, 2270, 03:21
Terran Battle Cruiser, Lima:
Undisclosed Location
Ray returned to loud sirens and voices that were reality and opened the final blast door that kept him from escaping into the void of space. Given a couple of days at the most, he could hook up with a Martian cruiser and be home in no time at all.
I can lie down, take a nice long vacation, and maybe go to Athens. Heck, I might even write a book.
His grin quickly fell off his face as the door opened. He dropped his weapon and knelt on the ground. Several officers and guards, all of them pointing their weapons at Ray, quickly surrounded him. One of them piped up.
"Any last words, spy…?"
The sentence was cut short by the sound of an auto cannon; it was a familiar sound to Ray. It was the sound of a Martian Dredge Suit's trademark weapon. The guards all crumpled to the floor, revealing behind them three dark silhouettes. They were Ray's fellow soldiers, more likely than not. They had found out where he was and had come to rescue him. Ray was saved.