Ch.15: Alma meets the President

A.N.:

Geez, I have so much work to do. I apologize for taking so long to write this. I hope it was worth the wait. To everyone patiently waiting for my updates, I am grateful and humbled by you. I have listed some translations/explanations for some of the lingo used in the chapter. Just a heads up, a lemon may be present in the next chapter. I will update again as soon as I can. I would like to reemphasize that I want to assure everyone that I am working on this whenever I get free time. So, do not get discouraged if it takes me a while to update. It is going to happen and this will be completed.

De Oppresso Liber is Latin for Liberate the Oppressed. It is last line in the Special Forces Creed.

ROE-Rules of Engagement.

Old lady-sometimes used as a nickname for a soldier's rifle.

Sea Pup- Navy recruit. Mainly used by a higher-ranking individual when he or she addresses a recruit but can also be used to insult someone of less experience. Similar to FNG or Fucking New Guy.

"We should name ourselves the Spartans." Morales said through the com link. I sighed as I kneeled down in front of the main breaker box that I was working on. The Origin Explosion had damaged the electrical grid for the harbor area and the sporadic power outages were becoming a nuisance. It turned out that the Replicas were trained for more than combat. They were all exceptional at fixing various mundane things like the sewage, electrical, and communication systems. If all the breaker replacements that I found were functional, then the electrical system for the entire port section of the city would work now.

I stepped back from the huge panel and spoke into my com link, "Manny, why would we name ourselves after a Greek city-state that was dedicated to absolutely nothing but war? Also, go ahead and flip the switch."

He replied from where he was at the city power plant, "Exactly, we are basically our own country that is inside of a larger country and we are all elite soldiers. Okay, here it comes." I exhaled in relief when the lights lit up and stayed lit.

I said into my com link, "Miss Kwon, the main electrical line is repaired. Go ahead and take the command room off the generators."

She replied, "Copy that Becket."

I said to Morales, "Manny, the Spartans killed the newborns that they believed to be weak by having their mothers throw them off a cliff. Plus, their decisions we made by a group of elders using the advice given to them by the Oracle of Delphi."

He replied, "Again exactly! Alma and you lead the Replicas. What do call her?"

I closed my eyes and rubbed them with my gloved left hand as I replied, "Fine…since you won't stop pestering me about it, we will call our little shithole Sparta. Happy? Also, it worked. Come on back."

He eagerly said, "Yes! Awesome! Alright, I am headed back."

I dropped my hand and opened my eyes. I was startled as Alma's haunting and beautiful face appeared inched in front of me as I opened my eyes.

She smiled and remarked, "Aw…did I scare you?"

After I calmed myself, I replied, "No. I was just startled. There is a difference." She giggled as her body morphed back into her child form. I still had to get used to her little hide and seek games.

As I walked out of the service area, from beside me, Alpha 1 asked, "What is Sparta sir?"

As we walked, I explained, "Sparta was a Greek city-state that is remembered because of how disciplined and dangerous their army was. During a war with Persia, they immortalized their place in history with a stand by a small group of around three hundred of their hoplite infantry led by Leonidas and a couple thousand soldiers from other city-states. The Persian army had around eighty thousand troops but Leonidas and his Spartans held them off at a narrow area of land called the Thermopylae Pass for two days. On the third day, Leonidas and his men plus around fifteen hundred other Greek soldiers made a fatal stand in the pass so the rest of the Greek forces could retreat. A fellow Greek betrayed them by informing the Persian king of a small path that led around the Spartans. The path was supposed to be still guarded at this time by a group of soldiers from one of the city-states. However, those soldiers panicked and abandoned their post. The Persian army attacked the small force from all sides. This is what history remembers as the Final Stand of the Three Hundred Spartans. Early in the battle, Leonidas was killed and his men fought fiercely to prevent his body being defiled by the Persians. While it is unknown if the other Greek soldiers surrendered at this point in the stand, it is well known that the remaining Spartans were defiant until the end and they regrouped around the body of Leonidas for one final stand. The Persian king ordered his archers to kill them. The Spartans viewed archery as something that only cowards practiced so they had no way to return fire as the Persian archers fired upon them. All the three hundred Spartans were killed. Their sacrifice inspired the rest of the Greek forces and they eventually defeated the much larger invading Persian army. Greece was saved and Leonidas and his Spartans were immortalized into history."

By that time, we had left the service area and had to pause to let a formation of Replicas march past us as they saluted in unison. We saluted back. As he watched his brethren march away, Alpha 1 commented in a distant and longing tone, "I like that…being defiant until the end." He laughed slightly before he turned back to look at me as he asked, "So I guess we are the Spartans now?"

I groaned in an irritated manner as I replied, "It appears so."

I changed the subject as I walked towards the tower. I said, "Speaking of a small force, we need more soldiers. The few hundred that we have now are great for this city but now that we are going after Armacham in other areas of the world, we need more manpower. If we don't, we are going to overextend our forces and leave ourselves vulnerable."

He questioned, "Sir, since ATC had the facilities that created my brethren here, why don't we just create more?"

I explained, "We don't have the logistics to gear and arm the number of Replica soldiers that we will need."

Alpha 1 replied, "I thought our boss can warp reality. Who needs logistics when you have her?"

Before I could reply, Alma materialized next to me as she commented, "Reality is my bitch. I can create anything Michael. What do we need?"

I said, "Yes, but when you create things, they end up being…well…twisted and feral. Like those dog things. We need Replicas that are unaltered and completely normal. Err…normal for a Replica anyway. Thanks for the offer, but we need to find some other way to create more soldiers." We had arrived at the tower and Gamma 3 saluted before he opened the door.

Several days later, I was cleaning my pistol when Morales walked up to me. I looked up at him to see that he had a stunned look on his face. Concerned, I asked, "What? What happened?"

He said in a strange tone, "Come up to the observation deck. Alma has something to show you." I looked over at Alpha 1, who was cleaning his newly acquired automatic shotgun, but he shrugged in response to my implied question. I stood and followed Manny up to the observation deck.

When I arrived, Stokes was waiting on the inside of the door. She had a similar look of disbelief on her attractive face. She motioned towards Alma who was smirking at me from where she stood against the ornate rail. I noticed that the rest of the Delta Force operatives and F.E.A.R. operatives were on the deck as well. As I walked past them and up to Alma, I asked her, "Okay, what is so important that you got everyone?" She continued to smirk as she ignored me. Finally, after I reached her, she turned around and pointed downwards. I looked from her down to the main road in the harbor. As I saw what her big surprise was, I stammered, "Holy shit…"

The main road was completely filled from the tower to the harbor entrance with Replica soldiers. They were standing at attention in formation and when I walked up to the rail, they all simultaneously saluted me. I saluted them back before I yelled, "At ease!" The thunderous roar of thousands of boots hitting the paved surface at exactly the same time rocked the harbor as the new Replicas shifted to stand at ease. I turned and looked at my goddess.

With an alarming amount of insecurity in her eyes, she asked timidly, "Did I do alright?"

Taken aback by her question, I replied, "Y-Yes. Why?" I suddenly remembered what I had said about her tendencies with the things she created with her mind. I pulled her close as I apologized, "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry. This is amazing. You are amazing."

She smiled before she pushed me away so she could look at the new Replicas that she had created. I asked, "How long did that take?"

She replied, "I had to materialize them one at a time to prevent any issues. It took me all day yesterday. I had a patient model though."

I asked, "Model? Who...?"

Foxtrot 813 interrupted me from where he stood behind Alpha 1 when he said, "I volunteered sir. It was the least I could do after all the trouble I caused."

I stared at him for a moment before I said, "Thank you soldier." He nodded in response.

Beside me, Alpha 1 informed me, "Their commanders have reported in. Fifteen thousand soldiers sir…exactly."

I nodded as thirty Hind gunships appeared. In perfect synchronicity, the helicopters moved to hover above the new soldiers. Overhead, twenty flights of F-22 Raptors roared past us and above them, I saw ten AC-130s flying above the harbor in formation.

Alpha 1 said, "I will inform the service teams at the hidden runways to prepare for the new arrivals and have the Engineering Corps start constructing more barracks."

I nodded before I asked Alma, "You created all of this in a single day?"

She shrugged as she explained, "It would not have taken that long normally but I did not want to make a mistake."

I laughed at her humility before I said, "Yes because I too can create thousands of highly trained and heavily armed super soldiers out of thin fucking air." She snorted before she started giggling. I turned back to the new Replica soldiers. Projecting my voice, I yelled, "Spartans…De Oppresso Liber!"

The harbor was filled with the deafening sound of fifteen thousand Replicas simultaneously yelling, "Yes sir!"

After I reeled in the power trip I was having, I turned and addressed the crowd on the deck, "Okay, show's over. Get back to work."

The next day, as I was reading the new roster of the forces under my command, Morales barged into my makeshift office. Before I could ask what the problem was, he grabbed me by my vest and dragged me out of the room. We ended up in the command room and I noticed that the main monitor had news coverage on it. Morales let go as he motioned towards the monitor. I looked at the screen and watched the report.

A middle-aged Asian woman in a causal business suite was standing in front of what appeared to be a group of U.S. troops that were piling up bodies of civilians as she was saying in a distressed tone, "…leaving hundreds dead in the streets. This is only the most recent event in the escalating violence between the U.S. Military and ATC's private army. Hours ago, ATC seized control of a base containing ICBM silos. However, the crisis on everyone's mind is the kidnapping of the president only hours ago by a group of ATC soldiers during a press conference. So far, no demands have been made and no one knows where he was taken."

Looking away, I said aloud, "Fuck…that is going to be a problem. The president has access codes to the ICBMs. If they get him to tell them the codes, we are fucked. Any ideas where they took him?"

Jin said from where she was sitting in front of a monitor, "Alice."

Confused, I asked, "Who is she?"

Jin shook her head and explained, "No, Alice is an oceangoing cruise liner owned by Armacham. They used her to transport their VIPs in luxury. She is just off the eastern seaboard in international water. I would bet they took him there."

I replied, "Excellent work Miss Kwon. Get me all the information can you on her."

I looked at Alpha 1 and said, "Get the men ready."

As he nodded, I looked at Morales and said, "Manny, get everyone else rounded up."

Alpha 1 asked, "How are we getting to her sir?"

I thought for a moment before I mused aloud, "A stealth approach would be the best. Too bad we don't have a…"

Alma finished beside me, "Submarine?" I looked at her with a questioning look. She raised her arms up and said in an unsure tone, "What is the expression…tadda?"

My com link activated and one of the Replica snipers said, "Sir, an unidentified submarine just surfaced in the harbor. What are your orders?"

Looking at Alma, who had lowered her arms and cocked her head to the left, I replied, "Stand down. It is a friendly."

Morales's expression lit up as he said, "Submarine? Becket, you remember our deal right?"

Groaning, I said, "Yes, I remember that I said hijack."

He smiled before he said, "Don't do me like that man. Come on…"

I laughed slightly before I replied, "I am kidding man. She is all yours." Morales suddenly rushed past me and scooped up Alma.

As he twirled her around in the air while he held her child form with his hands, he said, "Yes, my own submarine! O thank you sweetie!" She giggled as if they were playing a game. When he finally lowered her back to the ground, my paramour ran over to me and hugged my left leg as she eyed my excited friend with concern. I laughed at the sight before I placed my left hand on her head.

She looked up at me and mockingly threatened, "I told you about my hair." I feigned innocence and gave her the shy smile that I used to give her when I was a child. Recognizing the look, she gave me the wispy smile that she gave me when she would watch me eat the lunches that she gave me every day. I moved my hand down to caress her right cheek.

Her smile increased before she asked through our bond with a knowing tone, "Son?"

I replied back, "Mommy."

Several hours later, I stood against the watertight bulkhead of the docked mini submersible as we neared the ATC cruise liner. Persephone, as Morales had named the submarine after the Greek goddess, was cruising beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean to intercept Alice. Around me in the cramped space were Stokes, Alpha 1, Gamma 3, Holiday, Point Man, Juggernaut, and Foxtrot 813. Morales was in the control room of Persephone and Jin was in the radio room so she could rely information to me.

Finally, Morales informed me, "Becket, wake up. We are three hundred yards off her starboard. I have ordered for an all stop just as a precaution. These ships may be as silent as a ghost but one of the Replicas may fart and alert them that we are here."

I smirked as I replied, "Cute…copy that." I looked at Stokes and said, "We are up on her. Give us what you got." She stood and walked over to me.

When she reached me, she reached above her head to reveal a retractable monitor that powered on to display a blueprint of the ATC vessel. After she kneeled, she addressed everyone in the compartment, "The ship we are infiltrating is the Alice. She is a cruise liner about the size of an aircraft carrier. Her layout is similar to a typical ship of her class but on a more ornate scale. Our best guess is that ATC has the President of the United States of America somewhere in the aft-section of the ship but he could be anywhere. The level of resistance and number of hostiles we expect to encounter is unknown. We will infiltrate the vessel in three teams. Team one, comprised of Point Man and Holiday, will search the fore section of the vessel. Team two, comprised of Gamma 3, Juggernaut, and myself, will search the mid-section of the vessel. Team three, comprised of Foxtrot 813, Alpha 1, and Becket, will search the aft-section of the vessel. Our primary mission objective is to prevent ATC from getting those codes."

The monitor's image changed to a picture of the president. Stokes continued, "We have a strong reason to believe that ATC is planning to force him to give them the codes to the ICBMs located at the base that they took over. If they get those codes before we can stop them, they will likely launch them at Fairpo…I mean Sparta." She returned the monitor to its mount before she sat back down.

I added, "Our goal here is to protect Sparta and Sparta only. I know there may be some sentiment for the president, but remember what you are fighting for. He is to be taken into protective custody so we can safely return him to his country only as secondary objective. If, when located, his silence is deemed to be necessary to protect Sparta from nuclear annihilation, you are authorized to terminate him with lethal force. That is only a worst-case scenario. We need to keep a good image in the eyes of the American public as much as we can. However, remember why we are here. He is not your leader anymore nor are we here for the United States. We are here for our own interests. Good luck to everyone."

I spoke into my com link, "Manny, detachment will commence shortly. Black her out."

As we took our places for the detachment from Persephone, Morales informed me, "Her throat has been slit. She is not squawking even if she wanted too. Good luck man."

As the mini-submersible silently ejected from her parent vessel under the remote control of Jin, I replied, "Copy that. Maintain position until further orders."

He responded, "Roger." I could hear the ocean's siren songs as we quietly approached the Alice. In a way, my goddess was like the ocean. She could give someone great bounty if her favor had been won, but she was also cruel, unpredictable, and murderous.

I heard her say in my mind, "Being poetic again?" I smirked briefly in response.

Before we could converse further, Jin said, "Becket, stand by for breach."

I replied, "Just do it." There was a soft metallic thud as our vehicle's specialized entry hatch connected with the vessel's hull. Using highly focused laser beams, Jin sliced into the vessel. Just as the lasers cut out a perfect match to our vehicle's hatch, the exterior pressure door extended and sealed the opening. After a moment, the pressures were equalized and I was able to open the hatch.

With my rifle at the ready, I proceeded through the entry point. The compartment we had breached into appeared to be used for storage of janitorial items. The ship rose and fell with the turbulent waters of the Atlantic storm raging outside. I motioned the all clear and was joined by the rest of my team. I proceeded to the door and opened it. The hallway was dead silent save for the thunder from outside. I said, "Move out."

We all formed into our assigned teams before we proceeded further into the vessel. As I led Alpha 1 and Foxtrot 813 towards the aft section, I noted that Stokes was not exaggerating on how ornate the ship was. With the highly waxed hardwood floors and furniture, gold-leaf trim, and marble columns, the ship's interior reminded me of the interior of the HMS Titanic. No expenses had been spared in her construction. Considering her name, I wondered if Alma's sister actually did had a tainted relationship with their father as I had suggested when I taunted her.

I had no time to mull on that thought however because as we neared the corridor that led to the service staircase that led to the bridge, I heard an unidentified man moaning. The three of us moved in a synchronized manner as we cautiously approached the sound. I saw a blood trail leading into one the rooms. Gripping my rifle tighter, I proceeded into the room. It was pitch black inside so I had to switch on my flashlight. The blood trail led to a man dressed in ATC mercenary attire leaning against a locker at the back of the room. The man was covered in his own blood and behind him on the wall, I saw the hallmark scribbles and messages written in the man's blood. I cursed before I said into my com link, "Heads up everyone. I have encountered evidence of cultists. Watch your ass."

Stokes replied, "Copy that Becket."

Holiday replied, "Got it." I looked back at the man to see Alma studying the writing on the wall.

I asked her, "Alma, why are your friends here?"

She replied, "Perhaps they were still sane when ATC brought them on board." I nodded as I turned and proceeded back out into the hallway. As I left the room, my com link activated as the image of Sergeant Holiday entered my HUD.

Holiday informed me, "Becket, we have encountered hostile cultists. Continuing our search."

I responded, "Copy that."

Movement from down the corridor instantly had me at alert. As I scanned my surroundings, I ordered, "Alpha 1, get high. Foxtrot 813, cover our six. We move together in close ranks." The two Replicas assumed their positions and we spaced ourselves only inches apart. I crouched down to give Alpha 1 a clear line of fire with his scattergun. Together, we proceeded towards the staircase. As we reached it, a cannibal leaped up the staircase as it headed towards the bridge. He was too fast for me to engage before he disappeared. Steeling myself, I pressed onwards.

I had to decide whether to search the upper decks or below decks. If the president was indeed onboard, I could not imagine that he would have been held in the upper decks. If he was here, he would be below decks. The white painted steel staircase was narrow so we would have to proceed one at a time. I took point and proceeded down the vertical death trap. Despite my caution, around the middle of the ladder, a cultist tackled me.

The deranged individual threw his whole body against me and we flew together. I activated my reflexes in mid-flight. They saved my life because as we fell, I saw that we were headed for a shrine that had a large kitchen knife sticking upwards. In the seconds I had, I grasped the man, pressed my feet against the man's chest, and then kicked off him to propel myself just to the left of the shrine. As I landed on the blood-covered floor, I used my momentum to roll back onto my feet. As the treads of my boots gained traction, I raised my rifle and fired a burst at the recovering cultist. My shots hit their mark and the cultist was dead.

Deactivating my reflexes, I looked back at the staircase to see Alpha 1 charging down the narrow path with Foxtrot 813 close behind. I called out, "I am alright."

When Alpha 1 reached me, he said, "I am going first for now on."

Before I could argue, Morales informed me, "Shit…umm…Becket, we have a problem."

I questioned, "What? ATC have reinforcements?"

He replied, "No…the SEALs are here."

Alarmed, I asked, "What? Fucking SEALs? Where?"

He informed me, "They are being deployed from a submarine on the opposite side of the vessel and are headed towards you in combat rubber raiding crafts. I can't see them so I am going off their communication traffic."

I said aloud, "Son of a fucking bitch!" After I calmed myself, I said into my com link, "People, we have SEALs inbound. Standby for the ROE. Miss Kwon…"

She interrupted me, "Already patched you in sergeant."

I spoke into my com link, "SEAL Team, this is 1st SFOD-D Sergeant Becket. Please respond, over."

After a moment, a middle-aged man's voice replied, "Shit…Sergeant Becket, this is Lieutenant Cross. What are you doing here freak?"

I explained, "Protecting my country. You?"

He replied, "Same."

I questioned him, "So we have the same objective. Perhaps a joint-ops is in order?"

The man replied with a gruff voice, "Not a chance traitor. Go worship your Alma or whatever and stay out of our way."

Losing my temper, I said, "Listen…bilge rat…lose the attitude because I am trying to keep you from getting your dumbass self killed. This ship is overrun with cannibals and you have no idea what you are playing with. Let my people handle this. I will even personally deliver the president to you."

He responded, "Hey Delta Boy, why don't you go bang two rocks together? You have the "specialized skills" to do that right? Just stay out of our way and let the real professionals handle this."

I said, "Damn it, listen! You have no idea what you are up against." I received no response.

I advised everyone, "The SEALs are going to get themselves killed. Let them. Continue your search."

Stokes asked, "Becket?"

I sighed before I said, "Keira…they are not our responsibility. The mission is all that matters."

She replied with noticeable reluctance, "Copy. Continuing search." I looked around the room and located the passageway that led into the bowls of the aft-section.

As I walked towards it, I heard a distant high-pitched female scream emanate from somewhere on the deck. Red wax candles illuminated the corridors and more of the cultist ramblings covered the walls. The whole deck seemed to be some kind of converted church for the cultists' devotion to Alma. My HUD continuously flickered and the air was vibrating as if it was charged with energy. I periodically addressed the two Replicas, "Easy. Just decorations. Maintain focus." Finally, we reached what appeared to have once been the food court. At the center of the room, a podium sat atop a raised platform.

A middle-aged woman in a bloodied straight jacket with disheveled red hair stood behind the podium. When she noticed us, she gasped before she said, "The Holy Mother…forgive us for we did not recognize your angels. The blasphemer riled up the faithful despite my best attempts to maintain faith in your answering of our prayers. Please forgive us: your servants." As we proceeded closer, I noticed the cultists surrounding us in the shadows.

I said, "Hold your fire. There are too many."

When we reached the podium, the woman walked around the podium and bowed before Alma. Our goddess gently touched the top of the woman's head with her right hand as she addressed the cult leader in a gentle motherly voice, "Child, you are forgiven. Where is this blasphemer?"

The woman replied, "Subdued in purgatory awaiting your final judgment."

Alpha 1 and I slowly looked at each other in a mutual feeling of disbelief in the situation. I heard Foxtrot 813 quietly comment, "And one flew over the cuckoo's nest…" I had to suppress my laughter at his reference.

Alma ordered, "Take us to him." The woman nodded and stood. I was finally able to get a closer look at her. After a quick study of her face, I realized who she was.

I addressed her, "Dr. Green?" The former ATC employee looked at me as she recognized her name. For a moment, she seemed unsure of what she was doing or where she was but the manic expression soon returned.

She spoke to me in a broken voice, "Saint Michael, shepherd of the messiah and the holy mother's horseman of death…you honor us with your presence."

I heard Alpha 1 snicker behind me but I ignored him as I replied, "The honor is mine ma'am. So, the blasphemer…? Dr. Green nodded before she started stepped down off the podium and made her way over to the service elevator that the employees used to access the maintenance decks. We followed her, hoping that the blasphemer that the cultists were referring to was the President.

On the walls surrounding the elevator, their graffiti gave the illusion that the elevator was some kind of portal. The flickering of my HUD intensified as we neared the elevator. Dr. Green pressed the call button and the elevator doors opened. I stifled my cry of shock as there was indeed an entrance to one of my paramour's hallucinations.

I had learned what to look for when she was hunting me. That shimmering orange mass had allowed her to either manifest before me or allowed her to show me her twisted memories of her life in an attempt to win my sympathy. The soldier inside of me smirked at the memory of her pathetic attempts to distract me from my orders. I sighed before I asked, "Let me guess, we have to go into that hallucination to get to purgatory?" The red haired woman nodded in confirmation.

Sighing again, I walked into the mass. My surroundings morphed into the control room of some kind of high tech facility. Through the large glass window in front of me, I saw a large spherical device that had immense amounts of psionic shielding. I said aloud in a quiet voice, "The Vault. Purgatory…it makes sense now." I activated the console in front of me and turned to look at where the president would likely appear.

Alpha 1 asked me, "So…what do you think sir?"

I looked over to where he was to my left before I replied, "Protective custody. ATC never got the chance to interrogate him." He nodded and we waited a few moments for the president. Alma materialized against my right leg in her child form except I noticed that her normally bloodied appearance was replaced by a clean, innocent appearance. Her normal frost grey skin was now a healthy and natural looking cream color.

I commented, "Oh, I see…so you get dressed up for the president but not for me…that's cool. That's not…you know…eh, forget it."

She gazed up at me as she teased, "Because I know what you like. For example, that thing you have for my feet. My little bloody feet that left those tracks for you to follow…I see you staring at them when we walk together. My dirty…bloody…soft…little…feet. You like to watch me leave those bloody footprints and have to suppress the urge to grab me, place me on my back, and play with them. Don't think I don't know about all of your little…fascinations with my body my love. You especially seem to enjoy the fact that I have no gag reflex." My body stiffened and my member twitched briefly before I collected myself. I heard the door open and looked up to see the President himself standing before us.

I said, "Hello sir. My name is Sergeant Becket. The one in the cracked helmet is Alpha 1 and the other one is Foxtrot 813." He looked at the Replicas and me for a moment before his eyes were drawn to the little girl by my right leg. Alma left my side and stalked towards the politician with her trademark intimidating pace until she stopped a few inches in front of him. Not making a sound, she studied him with her blank emotionless expression. Understandably, he was clearly unnerved by her mannerisms and appearance. She was playing her mind games with him for her own amusement. I smirked before I said, "Mr. President, meet the one and only Alma Wade."

He managed to say to my companion, "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance Miss Wade."

I corrected him, "Don't use her last name…trust me. Just call her Alma."

He said, "Alma…so you are the one from Project Origin?" She gave him a slight nod in response.

He was about to continue but I interrupted, "Look, we can have a nice chat some other time. We need to get out of here." I looked down at Alma and said, "Alma…" She nodded and our surroundings changed back to the elevator.

I spoke into my com link, "All teams, team three has located the VIP and is headed back to the mini-submersible."

Stokes responded, "Good work Becket. I have located the bodies of the SEAL teams. I could not find Lieutenant Cross. Should we try to find him?"

I answered, "Negative. All teams, regroup at the mini-submersible."

Holiday commented, "About damn time. I am tired of this ghost ship bullshit."

Stokes said, "Roger that Becket, regrouping." I motioned for everyone to follow me as I headed back to the staircase on the other side of the deck.

I noticed that the cultists were strangely absent from the room. Even Dr. Green was gone. Alarm bells went off in my mind. I stopped and turned to look at the president. I said, "Actually, sir there is something we need to discuss real quick." He walked closer until he was half a foot in front of me. He waited for me expectantly. As Alpha 1 quietly walked up behind the man, I calmly said, "It occurs to me that I forgot to apologize for the inconvenience and the headache."

Confused he asked, "What headac…?"

Before he could finish, Alpha 1 stuck the back of his head with the butt of his automatic shotgun. The politician never felt the impact and was unconscious before he collapsed onto the floor. I answered, "That headache." I ordered Foxtrot 813, "Get him to the mini-submersible. We will cover you." He tossed me his assault rifle as he walked up to the president. I caught it with my left hand and repositioned my hands so I would be dual wielding the two Patten PK470 assault rifles. Foxtrot 813 kneeled before standing as he slung the president over his right shoulder. He moved as fast as he could towards the staircase. Alpha 1 and I started to leave the room but a soft metallic sound caused me to stop and look back towards the elevator.

I had no time to dodge the massive hand that struck me and sent me flying against the hardwood wall. Shaking off my disorientation, I retracted from the crater that I had created in the wall. I looked up just in time to see a massive, skinny foot step on the podium as the creature revealed its identity to me. I addressed the disgusting abomination with my voice full of spite, "Harlan Wade…I see you found your way out through the portal. About time you showed your ugly face. Now I can have the pleasure of being the one who finally sends you to Hell."

The pale humanoid shrieked menacingly. As its mouth was open, I fired both assault rifles at the opening. To my left, Alpha 1 joined in with The Hammer. The volley of lead caused the apparition to wail in pain. It fell backwards onto the opposite wall. The impact caused major structural damage to the wall and the entire ship shook. Cautiously, we started to approach the downed monster. However, we stopped and retreated back as the humanoid returned to its feet with another screech. It convulsed violently as it grew in size. We dodged a swing by its left hand. The hand effortlessly ripped into the wall behind us. It gouged out a huge gash in the side of the vessel.

Seawater poured through the opening and I yelled, "Get to the staircase!" As we ran down the candle lit corridors, I said into my com link, "All teams, an apparition is tearing the ship apart. Get out now!" Before I could get a response, one of the monster's hands smashed through the wall beside us. I was thrown against the opposite wall as debris showered us. I fired my assault rifles at the hand to drive it back. It finally relented and disappeared through the hole.

When I stood, I noticed that my HUD was gone. I looked around only to find my glasses crushed beneath a chunk of marble. Not wasting time, we ran towards the staircase. Just as it was within eyesight, the ceiling of the corridor just in front of us collapsed. We paused at the mass of steel and wood. We quickly decided that there was not enough time to clear the path because the water was already deep enough to reach our knees. Studying my surroundings closer, I noticed that I could see the deck above us through the collapsed ceiling.

I motioned at the partially accessible opening as I said, "Alpha…"

He interrupted, "On it sir."

He holstered his shotgun before he retrieved his C4 charges. After placing my rifles on the floor, I stood beneath the opening with my hands cupped in front of me. Alpha 1 rushed forward and I lifted him up high enough to place the charges in the opening. He jumped back down before I lost my grip. I retrieved my rifles as we retreated to a safe distance. He detonated the charges and the explosion was sufficient to increase the opening. It was barely large enough for us to fit through but we did not have time to place another charge because the water was now at our waist. I kneeled beneath the opening.

Alpha 1 climbed on top of me so he could stand on my shoulders. With adrenaline pumping through my system, I was able to stand enough for him to jump and grasp the jagged metal on the edges of the opening. He hauled himself up through the improvised escape route. The water was at the middle of my chest when he extended his arms though the opening to catch me. Though hindered by the water, I was somehow able to jump high enough for the Replica to catch me. I dropped my rifles in the jump so he could use both arms to pull me through the opening. There were a few moments of panic as he lost his grip slightly but finally, he was able to deadlift me high enough to grasp a section of the hole with my left hand. I lifted myself through the opening and collapsed upon the floor.

My body wanted to rest but inside my mind, the soldier demanded, "Get up. Get up old man!" Groaning, I managed to stand. The tilt of the deck informed that the ship was going down aft first. A horrifying thought occurred to me. I informed Alpha 1 as I helped him to his feet, "We have to get to the front of the ship before she breaks in half." He nodded and we started running towards the front of the ship. Behind us, a massive hand punched through the deck as the monster continued his pursuit.

We ran through seemingly endless ornate dining rooms, art galleries, and dimly lit hallways. Behind us, the twisted apparition of Harlan Wade destroyed everything in its path as it chased us with the single-minded goal of killing us. As we reached a ballroom that I can only assume was in the general area of the middle of the ship, I saw a man in black combat gear attempting to revive another man in similar attire with the Heimlich maneuver. As we moved closer, he raised his Patten PK470 assault rifle that was modified with a suppressor, an extended magazine, and an attached heartbeat sensor at us briefly before he realized that we were not cultists.

He lowered his rifle as he said, "Oh just fucking perfect. Now I have to babysit a fuckboy grunt and his boyfriend. You leave your old lady at your mama's house Delta Boy?"

As I continued my pace, I replied, "Piss off Sea Pup. While you guys were busy dying, I located and evacuated your president. I suggest that you follow us if you want to live."

I stopped long enough to retrieve the fallen SEAL's assault rifle before I proceeded out towards the ship rocked violently and we were all forced onto our hands and knees. The tilt of the deck suddenly increased drastically as the flooding of the aft section accelerated. I scrambled to my feet as the sound of overstressed metal filled the room. The floor and ceiling in the middle of the room began to buckle as the weight of the waterlogged stern caused a complete structural failure along the ship's entire length. I yelled over the shearing metal, "Get to the front!"

Cross and Alpha 1 had no sooner reached where I was than the back half of the ship tore away from the front. As it pulled away from our part of the ship, we could see the honeycomb compartments off the doomed vessel. It was one of those once in lifetime events where for a second, time stops and you can see something that people want to see but never do. I had to tear my eyes away from the sight because the front would be underwater before we ever got to it if I lingered. As I reached the door, a screech behind us caused me to look back briefly. Like a worm exiting a piece of fruit, the pale humanoid tore out of the center of the rapidly sinking stern.

Cross yelled, "What the Hell is that?"

As we ran through the rapidly inclining corridors, I yelled back, "Long story. Just move your ass."

Finally, as the incline of the floor reached almost ninety degrees, we crawled out of the passageway that led to the front deck. As we finally managed to stand on the pitching, slippery white face of the superstructure, the abomination emerged out of the forward steering room. As we fired our weapons, he descended upon us.

Before I activated my reflexes, Alma appeared in her malnourished form in front of us. I heard her mumble unintelligible statements as the humanoid suddenly froze in his tracks. I smiled briefly as I reflected on how much she had changed since the last appearance of this twisted version of her father. Fear no longer held any power over her. The railing along the ship's deck ripped away from its mounting at her bidding and wrapped around the creature's body.

Suddenly, Point Man appeared at my side. I asked, "Our knight in shining armor is here. Where is Holiday?" The mute soldier pointed towards the turbulent waters surrounding the vessel. I nodded as I understood his gesture. Point Man must have stayed behind to look for Alpha 1 and me when the rest of my team evacuated. I laughed aloud as I commented, "Okay, let's see if an operative from F.E.A.R., Army Delta Force, Navy SEAL, and ATC Replica are enough to kill this fuck!" The men around me, except for Point Man, of course, laughed at my comment. The humanoid managed to break free from the railing.

As it opened its mouth, it roared, "Becket…you have always been a disappointment!"

Firing a burst into the open orifice, I replied calmly, "I don't care."

For several minutes, we all strafed the disgusting creature. I started to get worried because I was down to my last two clips and I was certain that everyone else was running low in ammunition as well. Compounding the problem was the fact that we were running out of time as the water flooded the fractured and gutted cruise liner. We needed more firepower and we needed it now. Alma continued her psychic assault on her own personal demon and I suspected that she was the one doing the most damage and all we were doing was annoying the creature.

I knew it was time to use the weapon I had been carrying around since before the amplifier but only used in extreme emergencies. Stopping, I glared at my enemy as I threw away my rifle. Alpha 1 stopped beside me and asked, "Sir, what are you doing?" Not answering, I retrieved the Armacham Type-12 Pulse Weapon that Halford had given me just before the assassin had decapitated him right in front of me.

Aiming the prototype, I fired it a blast at the superstructure at just the right angle to cause the blast to ricochet into the creature's mouth. As the slow moving pulse moved towards the superstructure, I yelled at the humanoid, "Hey Harlan! I fuck your daughter! We are having a daughter too! I guess she will be the first child that Alma will have that you were not the father of!"

My target roared with fury just as the blast ricocheted off the superstructure and entered his mouth. I had timed the path just right and the pulse exploded inside its mouth. Its left jaw exploded off its bizarre face and showered us in its blood. It reared back in misery and landed back against the far side of the superstructure.

The weight caused the vessel to lurch and tilt towards the side that the humanoid had landed. We all fell forwards but I caught myself by grasping an open porthole with my left hand. I heard a cry for help behind me and I turned just in time to see Cross slide towards me as he tried to find something to grab. Without hesitating, I dropped the Pulse Weapon as I transferred my right hand to grasp the porthole. As Cross passed me, I reached out and grabbed him by his black vest with my gloved left hand.

The tilt of the deck increased enough to cause Cross to turn and grab onto my hand with both of his. Luckily, the creature righted itself and the ship returned to its original tilt. We regrouped as the icy Atlantic water began to slosh onto the superstructure's surface. The situation was grim. We had little or no ammunition left and the ship was only minutes away from sinking.

I froze at the sound of Alma's cry. I looked to see her crumpled on her right side before the twisted version of her father. It must have scored a lucky hit on her. Panic and anger filled my mind as I saw the thing move to absorb her. I rushed forward as my body emitted a red aura while primal fury replaced my rational mind. As the humanoid's mangled mouth descended to swallow up the two reasons I had to live, I roared in a demonic voice, "Hey asshole!"

It looked, or at least I thought it looked, in my direction just in time for my glowing right hand to grasp its remaining right jaw. With little effort, I ripped the jaw off, turned it, and then shoved it back up into the monster's mouth, causing torrents of blood to impact my body. Before the apparition could make a sound, I sent a powerful punch into its neck with my left fist. As the stunned humanoid collapsed, I sent my right fist into its chest. I grasped its beating heart, which I almost laughed at since it was an apparition and therefore not technically alive, and ripped the still pumping organ from the abomination's skinny body.

I looked at the black organ as it pumped disgusting and vile smelling liquid. As I held it, it dissolved into a cloud of ash. I rushed to Alma's side and helped her to her feet. I asked her with concern in my voice, "Are you okay?" She shifted into her child form before me as she nodded.

Before we could continue conversing, Cross walked up behind me and asked, "Did I have a stroke or something? What the fuck is going on?!"

Alpha 1 cut in by saying, "Nothing that you need to know." He stood beside me as he asked, "Sir, are you two alright?"

I replied, "We are alright." I heard moaning and looked to see a lab coated older Harlan trying to get to his feet. I walked over to him. Using my right boot, I forced him back onto the superstructure's surface by his left shoulder. As he looked up at me through the heavy rain, I said simply, "No."

Noticing that Alpha 1, Cross, and Point Man had joined me, I drew my sidearm. Looking at them, I said, "Gentlemen…" They nodded and drew their own sidearm. As we surrounded the old man, we aimed our secondary and fired their entire clip pointblank into the apparition's head.

Our shots tore into its head, ripping out chunks at a time. When we were done, no skull remained. Decapitated, the body dissolved into ash. That was the end of Harlan Wade's memory. As I reflect upon the whole matter all these years later, I find it as pointless and unnecessary as it was a random boss fight. Holstering my sidearm, I remarked, "Well, now that the drama is over, we need to find a way off this tub." They nodded in agreement.

However, before we needed to decide how to accomplish that feat, a Replica voice said, "Sir, over here!" I looked to see Persephone's sleek surfaced hull alongside the vessel. A group of Replica soldiers assisted us as we left the cruise ship's now underwater superstructure. Only minutes later, the entire ship slipped beneath the surface of the ocean.

As I watched the bubbling surface where it went down from the submarine's tower, Alma stood beside me and said, "Everyone made it. I made sure of that while you distracted that thing."

I replied, "Yeah, I wondered where you went. Thank you."

She hugged me with her tiny child form's arms so I wrapped my left arm around her.

Behind us, the President said, "I suppose I should express my gratitude for being rescued."

Without moving, I replied, "Save it. I did not rescue you because I care. I was looking after my own interests. There is something you can do for me to make us square though."

He asked, "Yes?"

I smirked before I replied, "I need you to do something for me."

"…which U.S. forces recaptured earlier today after a fierce battle with ATC mercenaries. The ICBM silos were reportedly undamaged during the occupation. In breaking news, the president was rescued from Armacham forces in an operation by Navy SEALs. Though we do not yet know specific details, reports indicate that he is unharmed and has returned to office. In unrelated news, the president has announced that the area of Fairport will now be known as Sparta and is outside of U.S. control or influence. More on that tonight at eleven. In sports…"

I switched off the small flat screen in my office and closed my eyes as I laid back into my chair. I heard giggling so I opened my eyes. I saw Alma in child form sitting on the edge of my desk with her legs dangling over the side. I looked at her with a curious expression as I tried to decipher what she found so funny. I got my answer when she raised her legs up and placed her bloody feet in my lap. I groaned, "Oh how I hate you." She smiled innocently as she enjoyed teasing me. I was not sexually aroused by her feet. They just captivated me like her eyes. She knew that I was embarrassed by my fascination so she teased me about it occasionally.

As she watched me caress her feet with my gloved hands, she said, "I love you too."