June 5th, 2034 - 17:53:15, after giving a demonstration on the Federation Space Force, Mother Wolf gives Rorke, Aurelio and Leonor a briefing on the ODIN. As well as their plan to hijack it and use it against the United States.
Mother Wolf: Okay, despite the confusion caused by The Nuclear Bombings Of The Middle East, it still took a lot of effort and manpower to steal the ODIN's plans from the U.S. Space Force's headquarters. Going through the Guardians and their mainframe was easy. Escaping the country with their National Guard and Marine Reserve backup on our asses was more difficult than we expected. Novikov almost lost his life and all of his teammates died protecting him back there. But the hard work and regrettable losses shall not be wasted. We now have a way to give America a taste of their own overwhelming firepower and make our invasion a cakewalk. All we have to do is repaint our space shuttle to make it look like just another one of their transports and let our elite boarding party take care of the rest. The United States Space Force may have pioneered space combat, but we have perfected it. U.N. spy satellites show that the dumb Americans protecting their precious superweapon are lazier and stupider than we thought. Thanks to us, our Latin brothers in space will have a fighting chance tomorrow.
Gen. Almagro: Excellent. I have been waiting a long time for this moment.
Adm. Almagro: We all have, no?
Mother Wolf: *smiles*
June 6th, 2034 - 14:30:03, San Diego, California, seeing that the only thing Logan can think about is his mother, and Private David Walker, nicknamed 'Hesh', is with him all the way in trying to comfort him, Colonel Elias Walker (Captain Elias Walker in the original) takes them on a hike to help them get their mind off of the depressing situation. After settling in the wilderness, he starts talking about Operation Sand Viper like it is an urban legend, not using any specifics in order to maintain secrecy.
Elias: It was a different time, a different enemy. 60 men from Tier 1 teams were sent to face down a force of 500 enemy fighters. Their objective: To force the enemy back from a civilian hospital, and keep its occupants alive. For three days, they held their ground. But the enemy's numbers were too great. The 60 were cut down to 15. They wouldn't last another night, and the enemy knew it. Under the cover of darkness, they evacuated the hospital, sending only one of their own to lead the way. The rest returned to the line, and took up positions beneath the bodies of their fallen brothers. As they lay and wait, the blood from the dead poured over them. The sand stuck to their skin like a shroud. Changing them. Anointing them. When the enemy drew near, the remaining 14 rose out of the desert sand. They were like hunters that couldn't be seen, using stealth their enemies couldn't defend against. When the men ran dry of ammunition, they used their blades... and when the blades ran dull, they used their hands. When the dust and sand had settled, only one of the enemy had survived. He was picked up in the desert, wandering aimlessly, traumatized. He expressed warnings to others of a force so menacing and unbeatable, it could only be described as supernatural. He called them... "Ghosts".
After the tale, Logan and Hesh express their thoughts and reactions.
Logan: Whoever made that tactical decision in the beginning of the op is a dick to soldiers. And they should've evacuated the hospital earlier, with all 60 of their own leading the way. Don't you think?
Elias: *sighs*
Hesh: And this really happened?
Elias: So the legend goes.
Hesh: Come on, Dad. You don't honestly believe that story is true?
Elias: Yeah, I do.
Logan: I wouldn't disregard it so easily, David. When it comes to Dad, nothing happens by accident.
Elias: *smiles* C'mon, let's head back to the house. Shake a leg.
--
Ghost Stories
June 6th, 2034 - 14:40:06
Logan Walker
San Diego, CA, United States of America
--
While heading home, Logan, Elias and Hesh start feeling tremors and moderate winds all of a sudden. Upon getting to the suburbs, they find out that what they are experiencing are not acts of nature.
Hesh: Dad, what's happening?!
boom*
Elias: ODIN. It's ODIN!
Logan: The fuck?!
Elias: To the house, boys! Now!
With chaos all over the place, the Walker men sprint to the house for shelter and a getaway.
car horns honking*
Logan: Whoa!
Hesh: Careful!
Elias: It's not an earthquake!
Hesh: What are you talking about?!
Elias: You boys get to the house and stay there! I'm going for the truck!
Logan: Can we just take Mom's car?!
Hesh: But Dad—
Elias: Just do it, son!
Logan waves off the incoming people*
Logan: Everyone, get out of the open! Stay indoors! Stay indoors!
Hesh: C'mon, Logan!
civilians screaming and yelping*
boom*
Logan: SHIT! Oh, shit, shit!
Hesh: Get inside!
After entering their home through the back door, they start wondering what Elias was talking about and coming up with an escape strategy if the place comes apart.
Hesh: What the hell was Dad talking about?! What's ODIN?!
Logan: You can find out later! We should think about how to get outta here if—
crash*
Hesh: This place isn't gonna take much more of that!
Logan: We ain't dying here! Through the front door! Go!
Hesh: It's jammed!
Logan: We gotta pull it with everything we've got!
Hesh: Okay! Three, two, one, PULL!
15 Minutes Earlier
14:25:40, ODIN Control Station, Low Earth Orbit, the control crew of the ODIN conducts a weapons check on their premier superweapon. Not knowing of what is to come next.
Outside of the floating outpost, U.S. Space Force Guardians Technical Sergeant Terry Baker (Specialist Baker in the original) and Sergeant Kyra Mosley (Specialist Kyra Mosley in the original) oversee the drill.
Kyra: ODIN Control, this is Starlight 1-2. The orbital weapon's got a successful test-fire ping, over.
ODIN Control: Roger, 1-2. Tracking weapon dry-fire signal, over.
As a Space Shuttle Star Sky OV-106 (fictional) passes by, Kyra and Terry expect it as their lift back home.
Kyra: Hey Baker, here's our ride. Let's head in.
Terry: After you.
--
Ghost Stories
June 6th, 2034 - 14:25:50
TSgt. Terry Baker
U.S.S.F. Space Delta 9
ODIN Control Station, Low Earth Orbit
--
ODIN Control: Payload 0-1, this is ODIN Control. Ready to receive, over.
Terry: ODIN Control, this is Starlight 1-1. We're heading back to debrief the new Guardians, over.
ODIN Control: Roger. We're prepping Airlock C. Shuttle is in final docking sequence, over. Payload, ten yards. Begin rotate. Five yards, Payload. Two yards. Zero your rotation delta, Payload. 1-1, 1-2, Airlock C is ready for arrival, over.
Payload 0-1: Capturing. Talk back is palpable. Begin retract.
ODIN Control: Roger, Payload.
In Airlock C, Terry and Kyra have some small talk while sealing the door the came from. Then they proceed to help Specialist 4 Sopchak and his team with the unload of everything and everyone in Payload 0-1.
Kyra: Pressurizing airlock. Oh, really looking forward to going home. What's it been? Three months?
Terry: That's right. Say, I'm going to this nice but plentiful restaurant near Schriever Space Force Base when we get back, if you're wondering about my plans.
Kyra: Sounds great. Can I join you?
Terry: Yeah, of course. First round's on me, Kyra.
Kyra: Appreciate it. Hey, if I drink with you, can you promise me to pronounce my name with two e's and not E-Y-E?
Terry: Sure, whatever you say... Kyra. *chuckles*
beep*
Terry: Good lock. Let's go.
Kyra: Yeah, laugh it up, Terrence. See what happens.
Spc4. Sopchak: Hey Baker, give me a hand with the unload.
Terry: Comin—
Federation Astronaut: (Spanish) Move it!
Terry: Gun! GET DOWN!
bang bang*
3-Round burst rifle fire*
All of a sudden, Latin American Federation Combat Astronauts come out of Payload 0-1 and open fire on the Airlock C team. The moment he saw the unknowns pointing rifles at him and his battle buddies, Terry draws, aims and fires his white SIG Sauer M17 pistol w/ 21-Round extended mags at them.
At the same time, Kyra saves Terry's life by closing the Delivery Bay's airlock.
Terry: Specialist! Get a gun and get th—
3-Round burst rifle fire*
Terry: NOOO!
Kyra: Terry, we can't save them now! We gotta go, please!
Terry: Okay! Okay! Stay behind me!
ODIN Control: Enemy astronauts in Payload 0-1! We have armed hostiles in ODIN Control!
Houston Command: ODIN Control, say again your last, over.
ODIN Control: Houston, armed hostile astronauts are coming out of Payload 0-1! We have an enemy foothold in ODIN Control, over!
ODIN Guardian: All Space Delta 9 teams! We are getting overwhelmed! They're gonna breach the Control Room! They'r—
static*
With all Hell breaking loose, Terry and Krya arm themselves with enemy IWI X95-R bullpup rifles w/ Holographic Sights and try to get to the Control Room. Identifying the enemy as Latin American Federation along the way.
Terry: Hold there.
Federation Astronaut: No—
bang*
Terry: Here, take his mags too. I knew it. Houston, this is Starlight 1-1! The boarding party is Latin American Federation! Say again, our attackers are Latin American Federation! They've broken The Truce, over!
Houston Command: Roger, Starlight 1-1! Control, ODIN's Kinetic Ballistic Rods are readying for launch! This is not a simulation! Say again, this is not a simulation! Control! Control?!
static*
Kyra: ODIN Control, come in, over!
static*
Kyra: Shit, they've wiped out our teams! Houston, Starlight 1-2! You need to lock the Kinetic Rod controls down NOW, over!
pistol fire*
Terry: We're clear! Keep moving up!
Kyra: Don't forget to rifle up.
Houston Command: ODIN Control, they've locked us out of the Kinetic Ballistic Rods! Negative access from our end! I say— No, ODIN Satellite 1 uploading.
Because the Federation Space Force have locked Houston Command out of the ODIN's Kinetic Ballistic Rod controls, all they can do is see what ODIN Satellite 1 is targeting. With Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Houston, Miami and 27 million lives on the brink of annihilation, ODIN Control and Houston Command have no choice but to scuttle the entire station to stop the Latin American Federation from obliterating more people and cities.
Kyra: Oh, shit! ODIN's firing!
Terry: Ahh, shit! Shit! SHIT!
Kyra: They're uploading more targets to Satellites 2, 3 and 4! Houston, what do we do, over?!
Houston Command: ODIN Control, we have no choice. We're scuttling the station. I'm sorry, Starlights.
Terry: Understood, Houston. Alright, if we're going down, let's make sure none of these Feds make it outta here alive!
Kyra: Let's do it!
Seeing no way to escape the scuttling process alive, Terry and Kyra agree to start killing as many Latin American Federation Combat Astronauts as they can find. Doing so becomes easier as the self-destruct sequence breaks the ODIN Control Station into pieces and every living soul inside gets sucked into the vacuum of space.
Kyra: Houston, it's Mosley. Baker and I are still here. Holy shit. I see a lot of 'em out there, still moving.
Terry: Move, shoot, check your surroundings and use your booster to keep going forward. No survivors.
Kyra: Copy.
After finishing off what remains of the Federation Space Force boarding party in less than 30 seconds, Houston Command tells them that the targeting of ODIN Satellites 3 and 4 have been aborted. But Satellite 2 is still sequencing and preparing to fire on Denver, Kansas City, Chicago and Washington D.C.
And with the technicians in Houston Command having lost control of the superweapon's RCS (Reaction Control System) during the scuttle sequence, the only way to stop it is for the last two Guardians of the ODIN Control Station to blow it up internally with their guns.
Terry: Well, we're not finished yet. Let's get to this thing and stop it from killing anyone else down there.
Kyra: I'm with you, Terry. Just let me know one thing. We're not making it home, are we?
Terry: Afraid not, Kyra. God, I hate suicide missions.
Kyra: *sighs* You and me both.
Houston Command: Baker, Mosley, you need to bring Satellite 2 down yourselves. Our remote RCS controls are not responding.
Kyra: Alright, we'll dump that tub in the ocean.
Terry: I got the left side. You take the right.
Terry and Kyra remove the cover of Satellite 2's RCS.
Kyra: Cover's off, Houston!
Houston Command: Ignite those RCS fuel lines!
Terry: Got it! OPEN FIRE!
silent 3-Round burst rifle fire*
The propulsion system silently explodes and the flaming boosters try to shoot the Guardians away from Satellite 2. But Kyra grabs onto a cable attached to it and catches Terry, thus helping him finish the mission.
Kyra: I got you, Terry! Just keep shooting! BRING IT DOWN!
silent M17 fire*
silent secondary explosion*
As it turns out, while Terry and Kyra are destroying Satellite 2, the superweapon was pulling both of them into Earth's atmosphere. Now falling into a fireball, Terry catches Kyra, who is floating around uncontrollably.
Only to see her gone, killed by loss of oxygen via shattered helmet. So he closes her eyes, holds onto her, gives Houston Control one last SITREP and faces his impending death without fear.
Houston Command: Sergeant Mosley! Tech Sergeant Baker!
Terry: Houston, Starlight 1-2 is gone. So am I. We're being pulled into Earth's atmosphere in a blaze now. It's been an honor. Semper Supra. Starlight 1-1, out.
Houston Command: It has been an honor indeed, Starlights. Godspeed. We have confirmed LOS with the crew of ODIN Control. I say again, confirmed loss of signal with the ODIN Control Station.
Back in San Diego, Logan and Hesh escape their collapsing house and are forced to find Elias in the middle of danger. After hopping over massive cracks, climbing up risen roads, running through decimated houses and dodging large flying debris, they get stopped in their tracks, launched up three feet in the air and knocked back by a falling, exploding oil tanker.
While recovering from the blast, Logan helps Hesh back on his feet, and together, they find Elias in his truck and get on board. Now driving to safety, the Walker men see the rest of city get annihilated by the ODIN.
Logan: Oh, God. OH, GOD! MOM! MO— Oh... right. *covers face in disappointment* I'm sorry we couldn't save you, even at least for a bit longer. *breath trembling* God welcome her in Heaven. Allow her to finally *sniffs* meet Frost. Your pain is over now, Mom. Goodbye. I love you. *crying*
All throughout the years the United States has been at war with the Latin American Federation, the country's media outlets have been covering the same yet horrifying and depressing news.
Fox News: We now have complete, undisputed confirmation that over 80 million American lives have been lost in the now called "Federation ODIN Attack On The United States".
Activision
CNN: Hundreds of millions of American citizens have lined up to enlist in the U.S. Military. With the majority of them having been turned down because of insufficient weapons, equipment and supplies. Many of those rejected are now claiming that they are being left by the military to fend for themselves.
Infinity Ward
2039
NBC: The United Nations has been spotted celebrating the Latin American Federation's intercontinental holiday, Federation Day, with the South-Central American coalition itself. A U.N. spokesperson announces in a press conference that "The United Nations is proud of supporting the Rise of the Latin American Federation, and the Fall of the United States of America, coming soon."
Neversoft
ABC: Thousands of reports are now coming in that involve disappearances of numerous average American citizens trying to live in their war-torn homes. Some say it is the work of the Latin American Federation, who is working hard on delivering high-quality propaganda to share to the world. Others say the U.S. Government is back to its secret, treacherous self, brewing up more sinister schemes despite the crisis.
Raven
2044
Newsmax: The Latin American Federation, the United Nations and the rest of the world may believe that the United States of America will fall eventually, like the many empires before it. But despite running and hiding, scared and desperate, broken and needy, the American people believe that they can continue to fight on, continue to survive. And that the United States of America will find a way out of these dark times. To become a strong symbol of truth, justice and freedom again. For her true citizens. For her true friends. For God. Despite all odds. Regardless of who stands in her way.
Call of Duty: Ghosts