'The Pit: Hell Frozen Over' - Arc 3, Chapter 3: 'The One Truth' (Closed, Started)

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"Something's off about this place..."

"Yeah, no kidding." Yu remarked, pointing out the faded insignia on the wall. Even after dusting off the sand that had been kicked up by the VTOL's down-draft, it was barely visible. However, next to the insignia's on their own suits, the comparison was clear.

It was the logo of Venture Horizon.

"Selena," Yu spoke once more into his radio. "Are there any records of Venture Horizon facilities in this sector?"

"None." Selena's reply was certain. "Not in over 60 years anyway. There's nothing here worth the cost of digging up. No coal, and no oil. There's no logical reason for this to be here."

"Maybe that's the point..." Yu said "Who's ever going to look in a place where there's nothing to find?"

"Well, whatever it is. It was considered important enough to be kept off any official records past any security level I'm aware of. How Colonel Lee even got these co-ordinates, I'm not sure I want to know."

"Come on." Yu said to Lewis "These people look like they've been out of the loop for years, but they still might have contacted someone on the outside when they saw us coming. We sweep these buildings, see if there's any radio or satellite equipment still functioning. We might even find out a bit more about what the purpose of this camp was."

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"What is it?"

Squatting down beside Neil, Chen busied himself with cleaning his pistols. The silence resumed for a few moments more, before he replied.

"What was it like, working for Lieutenant Cornelius?" he asked, turning his head to gauge the other man's reaction. "Relax. I'm not gonna give you a hard time. You're past proving yourself, and besides I'm no saint myself. I'm just... curious."

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"Now then, kid. What's up?"

Felix furrowed his brow a little at being called "kid". He was easily as large as the man before him. Nevertheless, he let it pass, and cleared his throat.

"I know we've already fought side by side more than once these past days, but I thought we should probably introduce ourselves a little more formally. If I am to kill today, I should like to know who I am killing for... and if I am to die, I want to know who will bear witness to my last acts."

 

[The Funslinger]

"I know we've already fought side by side more than once these past days, but I thought we should probably introduce ourselves a little more formally. If I am to kill today, I should like to know who I am killing for... and if I am to die, I want to know who will bear witness to my last acts."

Wickers shrugged. "Well, I like long walks on the beach, gettin' wrecked, wreckin' other people, and learnin' new recipes. I do three things well. Fightin', fucken and cookin', which is generally the order I prefer ta do 'em in. My mother was a rigid homeopath who died when I was twelve literally tryin' ta pluck the hair o' the dog that bit her."

 

[Rufio's Ghost]

"Damn, he works fast"

Judah followed Lucia's gaze and rested her eyes on Jara and Acolyte. Jara was twirling her hair between her slender fingers and smiling her big dumb grin. She was really hamming it up. The young girl looked away quickly, not allowing her gaze to linger.

"People get up to a lot of mischief like that around here? 'Make love, not war' and all that?"

"Some more than others..." she said sardonically. After a moment she added in a matter of fact tone, "You may want to tell your friend to visit the med building again tomorrow. I know he's been up there for some treatment already, but he may have a few more 'medical problems' in the morning."

She topped the comment off with a smirk, trying make her bitter comment seem like a joke.

Her smile spread across her face as her eyes narrowed, "Why are ya' askin' anyway? That the kinda mischief you're lookin' to get into?"

 

[Dogmatic99]

"You wanted to talk..." he continued, as the two travelled through the corridors of the cell block. "Talk."

"We are drowning out here, Ham." Barrows grunted, glancing at the larger officer out of the corner of his eye. His usual sarky bullshit had faded away on the frigid air of this stinking hell hole. "You know it, I know it, the beaten bint in that cell knows it.Venture's main lady is out and I'll bet my left tit she's run off to get help from whatever guns they've hired. No way would they not have a backup plan in mind. Why, I don't know, same as I don't know why you and Talon want this place so bad." None of it had made sense from the start, he figured they were going to take it and show off to the world all the twisted shit Venture had gotten up to up here. Take away a big chunk of their income and get the public all outraged at them along with it, maybe even inspire a fresh run of fanatics for Hammond and his mother bird. This though, this made no sense to Barrows. The prison had become one big loss now, if Hammond was thinking right he'd cut and run. Even if the big ape could be stubborn.

"And here we are with our damn thumbs up our damn arses! Why are we still here? We got a bunch of murderers ready to rush out of here and fuck things up however we like, you can even whip 'em in line and play toy soldiers some more with them if you like. Maybe it's not all you wanted but we don't 'ave to leave empty handed. So why are we still here, why haven't we torched this place and moved on? If nothing else it beats making the target of ourselves we have been.... and maybe, just, fuckin' shock horror! It flushes out the ninjas we're looking for." Not exactly a grand strategy but Barrows was getting sick of waiting around for... he didn't know what. He just had to be doing something, he'd been caged up here too long, wasting his time on nothings and playing nice with the wannabe commandos that made this unit.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Hammond waited patiently for Barrows to air his feelings. It was going some way to cheering him up.

"Well now..." he said, stopping mid-stride to face the other man "I never thought I'd see you rattled, Mr. Barrows, and I have to admit it's refreshing. Perhaps Lee's attack-dogs hit you a little harder than we thought, for you to lose your nerve."

He let that hang for a moment, savouring the expression on his subordinates face.

"Ms. Hernandez' escape was unfortunate, yes, but she's no threat to us. If she's as intelligent as we should credit her with, she'll no that she has no sure friends to turn to in the outside world. Her only chance to throw a wrench in our plans is to unravel the mess of secrets left by her own organisation. They will not allow it, and in any case she doesn't have enough time. As for the rest of it, you would have us turn tail and run now, after we embarrassed the most powerful empire this world has ever known? After we stole their crown jewel, from the most accomplished tactical commander they had, and made it look easy all in the bargain? Oh no, this is not the time that we retreat, to slink away back into the shadows. Every day we sit upon their throne, we prove something to the world. We prove that for all their might, Venture Horizon and all those like them are weak. They are soft, and cumbersome, and it is their hubris and internal strife that allowed this to happen; and in their rush to compensate for that, to save themselves from losing face, they will lose so much more..."

Hammond began to walk again, the look in his eyes wistful, as if recalling a good dream.

"I'll admit, their counter-attack should have begun days ago, and the waiting is getting tedious. We can thank the Colonel's faithful for that, attempting to cover up deceit with more deceit. Their success so far proves we underestimated them, but at their core exist the same weaknesses as our enemies without. They cannot accept the loss of this place. They can't afford to just leave it or its people behind. They must risk everything, at every turn, to prove that they're keeping the fight alive; and this time, their luck is going to run out."

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"My mother was a rigid homeopath who died when I was twelve literally tryin' ta pluck the hair o' the dog that bit her."

"I... see." replied Felix, the expression on his face saying quite the opposite, before turning to Tucker. "And yourself, sir?"

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After Selena's radio conversation ended, she studied the gathering crowd a bit closer. Dressed in standard issue fatigues, rather than the advanced suits of her comrades, she didn't have night-vision at her disposal. However, in some ways the dark made the contrasts that much easier to spot. Most of these people were certainly not locals (or whatever passed for 'local' so far from civilisation). She saw members of every race present. Judging by their average age and the general state of them, they had clearly been living apart from any Venture Horizon contact for years. Their clothes, for example, were makeshift collections of old rags, patched up, and almost artistically modified, with woven grasses... and yet here and there, Selena spotted fading whites.

"Moore," she said, turning to her escort. "Is it just me, or are some of these people wearing lab coats?"

 

[Dogmatic99]

Barrows had to stop himself from vomiting aggressively all over Hammond's pristine, steamed, buttons. Oh Hammy, how he loved his grandstanding. He'd have made such a wonderful Uncle Sam if only the yanks hadn't kicked him out for shitting out one too many eagles. Trust him to act like he was winning at a time like this. They hadn't even gone through a plan to handle any real counterattacks! Or an exit plan if it went tits up.

Barrows watched the man leave, sauntering like he owned the place. The honour of which there was a lot of competition. Who was he kidding? Showing the world they could take and hold The Pit. Thanks to whatever magic these shinobi inmate dick 'eads were playing they couldn't get the word out to a soul. Even if they could they were all made up like one of the other corporations making this look like a business hit. Why would they even bother with the outfits (which he was still wearing for lack of warmer clothes!) if the Songbirds were just going to try and take credit later? Or was it misdirection they wanted. Hammond had left an unusually large hole in his plan then, none of them knew enough to pass as enemy soldiers if they got caught. Hell, barrows had even forgotten the name of the company he was supposed to be fighting for! Usually Tal and Ham were thorough enough and their men fanatical enough to cover that kind of thing. This wasn't like them, none of it was.

"Hang on..." Barrows muttered to himself. "I knew it, I knew something here was sideways." That was it! Time for a fresh line of investigation. Barrows set down the corridor with fresh purpose in his stride. He had to find those damn rebels.

 

[The Funslinger]

"Why are ya' askin' anyway? That the kinda mischief you're lookin' to get into?"

"What mischief's this, then?" Samuel asked as he and Jara came within earshot of Lucia and Judah. "You crazy kids gonna go out and spray graffiti tags or some shit?"

Jara gave Lucia a dazzling grin. "Hey Sammy, you didn't tell me your lady friend was so beautiful!"

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"And yourself, sir?"

"Well unlike the shady Scotsman over here, I'm actually sane," Tucker replied. "Shit, where to start... Uh, I grew up on the east coast of America, back before they abolished national service to stop people migrating west. Dad was in it, and when he got back, he started a private security firm. I did my tour and joined the business when I got back. We weren't rolling in it, but we made ends meet. Then mom got sick, and the drugs to help her were fuckin' expensive. Joined on with Venture Horizon for the pay, and here I am. Didn't expect to get anything good out of it until I met Fiona."

 

[Fappy]

"What was it like, working for Lieutenant Cornelius?"

Neil chuckled, sadly. He hadn't expected that.

"Relax. I'm not gonna give you a hard time. You're past proving yourself, and besides I'm no saint myself. I'm just... curious."

"Easiest job I ever had," Neil said, plainly. "Would have been a helluva lot harder if I had been lucid for more than an hour at a time. He kept me doped up pretty good. Now though? Now I'm sober all the time. Now I can't get those memories out of my head. The stuff he did. Made others do for him... what he made me do..."

Neil sighed. "When you join a military operation like this you don't expect it to be easy. Hard orders can test you. Make or break you. Sticks didn't give difficult commands. He convinced you they were simple--black and white... he was smooth like that." He was quite for a long while before continuing. "It wasn't until after he died that I regretted the atrocities we committed together. I think that's the worst part."

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"You crazy kids gonna go out and spray graffiti tags or some shit?"

Lucia rolled her eyes.

And just when things were getting good.

"Hey Sammy, you didn't tell me your lady friend was so beautiful!"

The Greek beauty blushed. "Well, I..." she grinned bashfully, and turned to look at Judah. "I think I need more booze."

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"I feel like I've aged visibly since I last saw you."

Nahla smiled. "Nonsense," she whispered just before their lips met. She was hesitant at first, hoping only for a peck, but then something insider her pressed on. She grabbed a tuft of his hair and pressed her body against his. She bit her bottom lip as they parted--eyes locked. "I'm sorry, I've been busy. You know how it is."

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"I think I need more booze."

"Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear!" Called the voice of Dr. Elewa, as he swaggered into the scene, with a warmly inebriated look in his eyes and a full pitcher in his arms.

"Evening rounds just finished a hour ago." he told them, as he began to top up everyone's drinks, regardless of whether or not they had asked. "Christa got one hell of a party started without me, so now I'm catching up!"

Filling up his own cup, he raised it high in a silent toast, before downing it and proceeding to fill it up once more.

"Nice to see you're enjoying yourself, Sam." he remarked, grinning in Jara's direction "I see you've been introduced to our most hospitable ambassador."

The doctor had swapped out his lab coat for a Hawaiian shirt a few sizes too big for his lean frame, with the top three buttons open. It was a look that suited him better than his work clothes.

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"I think that's the worst part."

Chen mimed raising an invisible glass.

"To being a subordinate!" he announced, before grinning and shaking his head.

"When you ask most people, they'll give you some bullshit about respect for the chain of command, just following orders and such..." he said "Truth is though, I never really wanted to be the one making the decisions about my life. Whenever I stopped long enough to think about it, all I could figure out was, whatever I did, I never wanted to think about the consequences. When we were kids, Yu was always the brains of the operation, and he spent almost all the brains he had keeping me out of trouble. Then, when we joined the Tigers it was Lee running the show... He ever tell you anything about what happened back then?"

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Back in Lee's office, General Hammond didn't have to wait long for his next appointment.

"It's good to see you up and about so soon, Travis." he said.

The Dragon didn't respond with anything except a hungry look in his eye. The wires holding his jaw together would be making speech difficult for a while.

"We underestimated the enemy contingent the first time around." Hammond continued "I apologise that you ended up taking the brunt of the sucker-punch they gave us. However, you'll get your chance for payback soon enough, and this time we won't be the ones caught napping."

Travis seemed to saturate his grunt of a response with as much eager blood-lust as he could.

"That's the spirit!" Hammond smiled. "Our enemies may know your face, but in it's current... condition, I highly doubt they'll be able to pick you out of a crowd, especially if their attention is fixed elsewhere. You know this place. You know how to blend in. Do well for us today, and your reward will more than compensate for your suffering, I guarantee it."

 

[The Funslinger]

"I see you've been introduced to our most hospitable ambassador."

Jara put her hand to her mouth as she giggled. "Oh, stop it. You make it sound like I go around on the arms of all our new guests like this!"

Samuel grinned over the top of his drink. "Just the select few, then?"

"Oh no, you're certainly the exception to the rule," she replied, smiling coyly. "What the good doctor is talking about is that... well, we don't get new arrivals every day, but more often than you might think. Christa started asking me to keep an eye on some such people and help them feel at home." She shrugged. "I suppose it stuck."

As Samuel started dragging up more chairs for the three of them to sit down, Jara turned to Lucia. "So tell me, how're you finding the celebrations?"

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Nahla's passion caught Riley by surprise, but he returned it happily enough.

"I'm sorry, I've been busy. You know how it is."

"Well now we've got settled again, I'm hoping we get some peace and quiet. Y'know, at least for a little bit."

As they wandered away from the truck, he squeezed her hand. "So, I brought down a gazelle yesterday," he said. "Got all the grim 'cutting it up' type stuff out the way. I thought I'd cook up something a bit nicer than the same old field rations tonight, if you wanna join me."

 

[Dogmatic99]

Just when Barrows had thought he'd seen the worse parts the pit had to offer it could throw even darker depths at him. he'd made his way into the belly of the prison in his hunt for the small band of renegade convicts that were cutting them off from the rest of the world. the closest thing they had to a basement. It wasn't actually that bad, it was just boring, which to Barrows' mind was even worse. If he had to choose then he'd say the actual worst was that gang of gimps he found on sub-level five. And they weren't even the clean, latex covered, kind. Just dirty rags and scavenged leather. Sure they said they were a white supremacist crew but Barrows had already made up his mind on them. Bunch of self loathing gimp bastards. Acting like they didn't love it when he hurt them.

They did squeal up some good info though. Something about a 'Reaper' or a Neil passing through this area. He wasn't quite sure. A lot of the reports Barrows could get his hands on seemed to conflict. Times like this he felt like he was stuck ten steps behind a bunch of ghosts. At least it was some kind of progress though, without the other shitbag songbirds slowing him down Barrows actually felt like he was getting somewhere.

What kind of name for a reaper was Neil anyway? This place made no sense!

It was just getting to a point when Barrows was about to call it quits for the day, what with really missing the sun, when he rounded a corner and saw the familiar colours the Songbirds had taken to wearing during their occupation. There was a small group of them all scattered about and looking very interested in the walls and beams.

"What the hell are you lot up to?" He called over, nearing the motley crew. Of course they were all sporting properly maintained military gear and buzz cuts. Getting a better look at them he was pretty sure he remembered seeing them with Hammond on a regular basis. They must have been some of his favorites, proper little soldier boys.

They didn't look too pleased to see him. Barrows heard the tell tale whispers of: "Oh shit."
"Did you know he was here?"
"What do we do about him."

'Welp, looks like I've arrived late to another prison sex party. What is it about this place and doing that to men's minds? It's mixed sex and all!'

"What are you doing here, Barrows?" Their captain asked, stepping right into Barrows' personal bubble.

He could tell he was the captain from the uniform he was wearing... for the army he wasn't in. Fuck sake.

"I'm doing my job and looking for the folks who've got you lot chasing your tails." Barrows sneered. "What do you think you're doing here, in the arse end of the crater?"

That was something he actually was curious about. They looked guiltier than the blighters that'd actually gotten locked up in here for some reason. Barrows leaned around the captain and looked past him to the squad's work. He didn't need them to give their answer. Placed around them was a metric crap ton of explosives and wires linked to remote detonators. Barrows had been in the international terrorism game long enough to know them and what type they were at little more than a glance.

These were C4... it looked... he assumed... it was dark!

Anyway he was getting serious and so were the fuck nuggets in front of him. "This doesn't look like a good trap site for that counterattack we're all expecting." He looked at the captain like he was about to tell teacher on him. "You looking for secret prison gold?"

"Why don't you just move on Barrows? Gotta be something you haven't put your dick in round here yet." The captain growled, patting Barrows in the chest, pushing him back a step.

Barrows looked around the squad as they closed in like wolves, then back to the smug prick who touched him. "First. There's no need to be personal. Second. No one shoves me..."

"What are you gunna do?" One of them jeered.

"Get out of here before I call Captain Ali." Their lesser captain was trying to keep things professional. Poorly but he was trying to stem the rising tension in the air.

"And how 'bout I tell Hammond you've been stealing supplies? Bet he'd like that. Helping yourselves to his stuff and trying to blow up mean...ing...less..." Barrows looked back at the mass of explosives, or more the area it occupied. Then it clicked. "awsonofabitchit'saloadbearerisn'tit?" He had a habit of rambling out words when he did some serious thinking.

That combined with his accent meant it took his not-friends a second to realise what he said. not all of them managed it. "The fuck did you just say?"

Then Barrows headbutted their captain right in the face. That'd teach him to get so close. The others were all taken aback, just long enough for Barrows to pull his pistol and fire off a couple shots into the nearest part of the man's body that wasn't protected by kevlar. Again, his face. It wasn't his face's day. That got the others reaching for their guns and trying to splatter Barrows' brains on the wall. Bullets wizzed by, nipping at his limbs, leaving cuts and streaks of red over his arms and shoulders. That wouldn't be good for his tattoos but it would have been worse if Barrows hadn't ducked behind the cap's limp corpse and held it up as an armoured bullet sponge. He charged the nearest soldiers but they were too on the ball to let him get close enough to go melee or grab their larger guns. The magazine in his pistol quickly ran out and Barrows was left with seconds to think of something to do.

Lucky for him his new dead friend had a frag on his belt. That'd do! He pulled the pin and booted the corpse at its old comrades as hard as he could before fucking legging it in the other direction. Earning a shot in the back for his trouble. His vest took the worst but Barrows was left to grit his teeth and stumble on as he tried to stay upright. There was a loud bang and lots of screaming behind him but he didn't stop to admire his handwork. He was still alive so it hadn't set off the bombs that much was sure. Barrows kept running, taking every corner and side passage he could, just to make sure he lost any tails, until he came to a slow stop, panting for breath and slumped against a wall. His body begging for rest.

It couldn't be what he thought it was. That they were setting up to take down the supports. Hammond had never mentioned a plan, no exit, no way of fighting back. Just bluffs and disguises. Was this his plan, had the meat head lost his mind? 'He wants the world to see this place, but not deal with the mess.' Maybe he even planned on going down with the ship. There were always Songbirds who were more on the fanatical side.

But Barrows wasn't one of them. He had to get to the bottom of this, now more than ever. He hadn't killed all that team, they'd be spreading word of what he'd done quick enough. He'd fucked himself royally and ended up on the bad books of both sides. Just like his old quarry. 'Well they're doing it okay...' he had to find Reaper Neil and the ninjas, now more than ever.

 

[Fappy]

"So tell me, how're you finding the celebrations?"

"Reminds me of home, actually," Lucia said, smiling sadly. "We used to party under the stars like this all the time. Bonfires, booze, the whole nine yards. Even the weather's the same." Looking down at the small girl beside her, Lucia shook her shoulder lightly and frowned. "I'm sorry about the grown-up talk. I'll make it up to you. We can cause some trouble for some poor fuck later!"

*********************************************************************************************************************************************

"He ever tell you anything about what happened back then?"

Neil shook his head. "No, nothing specific," he said. "We're all some kind of evil down here. Whatever crimes you and your brother committed... at least know they're nothing compared to most."

*********************************************************************************************************************************************

"Got all the grim 'cutting it up' type stuff out the way. I thought I'd cook up something a bit nicer than the same old field rations tonight, if you wanna join me."

Nahla smiled sweetly. "Of course," she chirped. "I have to admit though... I'm a bit disappointed you carved it without me. What, you don't think I can stomach something like that? I've scalped people before!"

Whether she'd admit it or not, Nahla was completely smitten with the man. One small kiss was all it had taken for her to forget her mission. The words of her master were a muffled whisper in the back of her mind.

She'd keep it that way for as long as she could.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"Whatever crimes you and your brother committed... at least know they're nothing compared to most."

Chen had to laugh at that, though it was a cynical laugh.

"Dude, I'm sorry but where the hell did you come from?! You think half the sick fuckheads in here would have lasted five minutes in Arabia? I'll give you an example, just for free: Back when the Tigers were advancing through North Africa, we had POW camps set up all along the Gulf. If a man tried to escape, we'd let him... after we cut off his legs below the knee, just to see how far he could drag himself before the desert baked him alive. We used to bet on how far they could go, like snail races!"

The laughter turned bitter in his throat, and he spat.

"We committed genocide, and a long, long list of just about every other crime you can think of. Some of us thought we were honouring our country by exterminating a lesser race. Some of us didn't care so long as we were getting paid, and some of us just enjoyed it. The only innocent people in that war left in body bags, and just because nobody ever put me on trial for any of that shit, doesn't mean I don't deserve everything I'm getting now..."

He looked at Neil again and shook his head.

"Sticks thought he'd written the book on being a son of a *****. He didn't have a clue. It was never a question of Lee coming down to his level. Lee was already out of his league."

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"Even the weather's the same."

"I dunno." Dr. Elewa interjected "I always thought the heat was a little dryer back home, much more pleasant... then again, I didn't live by the sea."

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"Didn't expect to get anything good out of it until I met Fiona."

"Ah." Felix said, smiling a little sadly. "Yes, It's good to know that even in a place like this, the human heart can still find something to hold on to."

He sighed, relaxing slightly as he leaned against the icy wall.

"I have people on the outside waiting for me, a family of sorts. But... the longer I stay here, the more unreal the feeling of returning to them seems. We had a vision to banish evil from this place, but now I think we may have had the wrong idea. This isn't a world that needs heroes to slay monsters. What we put in to the world matters more than what we take out of it, and it is those who choose their better natures, even in the harshest of places, that keep hope alive."

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"May I?" came a voice from behind Nikolai. He turned, and immediately felt a sharp sting at the back of his skull that forced him to flinch, and turn away. Deliberately or not, Christa took this as a sign of permission, and came to sit down beside him. Together, they kept watch of the flames.

"I have been speaking to some of your friends..." she said.

Nikolai answered with a shrug, still not taking his eyes off the fire.

"Between them, they speak over eight different languages, hailing from all corners of the globe." She continued "Their crimes, or lack of them, are as varied as their levels of repentance..."

Nikolai glanced briefly in her direction. What was she getting at?

"Men, women, of many different colours and creeds. All in all, I see very little common denominators to hold them together... except, of course, for you. I doubt you have received much kindness from anyone outside of your own group in a very long time, and so I wanted you to know that, from a outsiders perspective, how well you have done."

Nikolai frowned. They sat in silence for a short while, before he replied.

"There were many more once." he told her "They didn't make it."

"Yes." Christa replied sadly "I have heard of them as well. The world has a way of chipping away at us, through the people we love, until we don't recognise who we are any more, but I wouldn't want you thinking that any of this was your fault."

Nikolai could tell that there was more to this conversation than just his own side, but he didn't want to ask questions. Not that he'd admit it, but something about Christa intimidated him.

"All I have left now, are the people in this sanctuary." she said, putting a hand on his massive shoulder. Nikolai tried his best not to brush it away. "I put them first, always. You should do the same with your people. No matter what happens, always think of them first."

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"Ah, Commander." General Hammond greeted his second visitor a little stiffly. "We're almost ready to begin. Is everything ready?"

"My men are prepared, General." Commander Ali responded, equally stiffly.

"Then to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"It's about Warden Nyte, General..."

"I see." Hammond leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes. "Go on."

"If I may, General... what are you planning to do with her after today exactly?" Ali asked.

"She being taken to her execution, Commander." Hammond answered impatiently "I don't believe she has any plans tomorrow."

"General with respect..." Ali raised his voice a little "The whole point is for the execution to be interrupted. Assuming all goes according to plan, what happens to her then?"

"Then?" Hammond smiled a cruel smile "Assuming he does his job, I believe The Dragon will have earned a reward."

A muscle in the Commander's haw twitched.

"Something else." he said through gritted teeth.

"Commander..." Hammond fixed his subordinate with a dangerous glare "She betrayed us. She is our enemy. You have never before given me any reason to doubt your loyalty, but now if you're telling me-"

"With respect, General..." Ali interrupted him, his voice icy cold "I understand that her crimes must not go unpunished, but just because we need to use people like that... man, doesn't mean we should be enabling him. She doesn't deserve that."

"And what does she deserve?" Hammond asked, rising out of his seat. "She must die. Are you telling me that, when it comes to it, you would rather do what needs to be done yourself, to save her from a more gruesome fate?"

Ali remained silent for a few seconds.

"Yes General. I would."

"Then feel free." Hammond said dismissively. "I have larger concerns now than Abigail Nyte. I suspect we will have no more use for Travis after today anyway. If he objects, do whatever you see fit."

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The Talon was relaxing on the veranda, classical music quietly adding to the backdrop from the old record player through the French doors, when she was disturbed by the electronic tone of the sat-phone beside her. Her brief look of annoyance briefly turned into a smile, as she picked up the phone and accepted the call.

"They have arrived." was all the voice on the other end told her, and wordlessly, she hung up.

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Yu and Lewis had cleared three buildings, before coming across something strange.

"Hold up." Yu ordered, as he stopped to examine the contraption on the desk. "Is that what I..."

It was an old telegram machine.

"Well shit." Yu said "No wonder we didn't detect any radio signatures."

He opened his radio.

"Hernandez, Moore, stay frosty! We have a problem..."

========================================================================================================

"Shit!" Selena exclaimed as she heard Yu's warning. Beside her, Aggie levelled her weapon at the crowd, and panic started to grow.

"Who speaks for you?" Selena shouted over their murmurs "I want to know who you told of our arrival. Speak!"

"We aren't allowed to say her name."

The greying Caucasian man was the only one still wearing a full lab-coat, though it was badly stained and torn. His hair and beard were patchy, and the vacant, traumatised look in his eyes could almost have convinced Selena that he was sleepwalking.

"I'm sorry?" she asked him.

"We have no right." the man continued "She took her name from us. Now it is hers... now we are hers."

If Selena didn't have a bad feeling about all this before now...

"You are a Venture Horizon employee." she said to him "I am their representative here, and I want you to tell me what happened."

"We don't answer to them, not for a long time." The man responded blankly "However, we mean you no harm. She always said someone would come, before the Dawn. You seek salvation through truth. She spared us for this purpose."

'These people...' Selena thought, as she looked around at all of them. 'They've been conditioned.'

"What happened here?" she asked again.

"It is... not for me to say." the man said "I am just a guide. She tasked me to show you to where it all began. The answers are there."

"Where is that?" Selena pressed. She wasn't going anywhere without some clue of what she was walking into. "Where what began?"

The old man had turned away from her, and now paused mid-stride.

"Where we made the end of the world." he said softly "Down. Into The Pit."

 

[The Funslinger]

"I'm sorry about the grown-up talk. I'll make it up to you. We can cause some trouble for some poor fuck later!"

Jara laughed. "Oh, that's Judah's strong suit, alright. When she was eight, I taught her how to make an itching powder out of nutshell and tree sap. I've no idea how, but she managed to get it in just about everyone's laundry by the end of the next day. Christa was walking funny for days after that!"

Samuel snorted into his drink. "Damn, I thought you guys were pacifists. That's pretty sadistic!"

================================================================

"I have to admit though... I'm a bit disappointed you carved it without me. What, you don't think I can stomach something like that? I've scalped people before!"

Riley grinned, twining his arms around her waist. "Well I figured if I got all the busywork out of the way, we'd have more time to relax."

 

[Rufio's Ghost]

Judah held her finger to lips,"Shushhh... Christa is right over there."

"I had never seen Christa so angry... especially after rumors spread about WHY she was walkin' funny," the girl added with a small, cruel chuckle, "But that was all Jara's doin'."

Judah looked slyly over her shoulder to see if Christa was listening. Looked like she was in the clear, whatever Christa was talking about with brutish man seemed to be absorbing all of her attention. Maybe this would be a good time to sneak some drinks...

'I need to get pissed'

"Lucia, you look like you need another drink?" she said with a sweet smile.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"especially after rumors spread about WHY she was walkin' funny,"

"Yes, and I had to go down into town and barter for about 20 tubes of rash cream after that stunt." Dr. Elewa scolded, just about concealing his smile. "Do you know how much pirates make you pay for that stuff? You still owe me a pig Jara, for the cream, and for my silence!"

"Lucia, you look like you need another drink?"

"Actually, Lucia and I need to talk for a bit." the young doctor interjected "I'll take care of the drinks. Any other orders?"

 

[The Funslinger]

"I'll take care of the drinks. Any other orders?"

"As much beer as you can carry," Samuel replied. "I've only had one beer in the last eight years. I've got some serious catching up to do!"

Jara giggled before putting her mouth to Samuel's ear. "Now now, don't get too drunk or the fun will be over before it starts."

"Well I'll watch myself, then," Samuel replied. 'Oh man. Speaking of shit I haven't done in eight years...'

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Their journey into the jungle had taken them into the early hours of the morning, but none of the dawn's light penetrated through the thick canopy. Down in the undergrowth, the gloom was as clinging as the humid air. Yu, Lewis, and Aggie had night vision built into their suits, but Selena had to walk with her arm on Lewis' shoulder, relying on him to call out vines and tree roots so she wouldn't trip. Not being able to see heightened her sense of sound, and she had to struggle not to start at every rustles of leaves, or chirping of some insect.

Their guide couldn't have been able to see any more than her, and yet he walked the path instinctively. It really was as if he was sleepwalking, and any effort Selena made to get further details out of him was rebuked. Whatever he knew, he was clearly waiting for some signal that only he was aware of, before he would divulge it. Up front, Yu was 'escorting' him, regularly hovering up into the canopy, watching for signs of trouble ahead. Finally, Aggie watched the back of their convoy, her heavy armour and powered joints pushing aside all the obstacles the others had to clamber around.

"Do you think this is a trap?" Lewis asked her, grimly.

Selena considered for a second.

"What would be the point?" she answered "They already have us right where they want us. We're in the middle of nowhere, and the VTOL leaves if we're not back before midday. I think if they wanted us dead, we already would be by now."

Lewis simply nodded.

"Still..." Selena said "Keep your guard up."

Lewis nodded again, and the two slipped into an awkward silence for a while, waiting for some sign from the old man that they were nearing their destination. Surely at some point they'd reach some kind of security cordon, any clue to a human presence in the heart of this jungle, if his assertion had been true?

"Selena, can I ask you something?" Lewis spoke up.

"What is it?"

"What the man said, before, about the Pit... you didn't seem surprised."

Selena sighed, it had been to much to hope she could avoid this conversation. Not that she had anything to hide herself, but it was still her job to keep Venture's secrets, those that she knew. Besides, she had been hoping against hope all this time that her guesses were wrong.

However, Lewis and the others were her only protection now, the only resources she had to try and stop whatever was coming for them, and she needed them to trust her.

"Venture Horizon currently operates five active RACDI facilities around the world." she told him "Alpha; Beta; Delta; Gamma; and Omega. Alpha is the oldest, having been operational for over one hundred and twenty years. However, between then and now, many more facilities had been planned. Most fail. The resource return for a viable facility has to be massive, before Venture will spend the money required to build, operate, and defend one. It's the reason this part of the world is deserted. Over seventy years ago a Venture prospecting operation here fell though. It was an embarrassing failure that lost them tens of millions, and after that, no one else wanted to try..."

"If they had tried to secure the area, everyone would have wanted to know what was worth digging for." The old man interrupted from ahead. Selena didn't even know he had been listening. "We told them there was nothing to find, and so no-one came looking. It was the perfect cover, right up to the financial embarrassment. Venture really did spend millions here, but none of it went to waste."

Selena swallowed awkwardly. Everything the old man said made her more apprehensive for what was to come next.

"Colonel Lee must have known about the story too." Yu interjected. "When he found the co-ordinates that lead us here, he must have put two and two together. Don't know how he went from that to predicting a World War, but the man was always thinking three steps ahead..."

"We are here." The old man said, kneeling down in the undergrowth and scrabbling with his hands. Beneath the thick, tropical soil was a trapdoor, old, wooden, and rotting. Yu bent down and wrenched it open. It was even locked.

"Down." the old man ordered.

In her Behemoth battle suit, Aggie could barely fit into the shaft that lay beyond the trapdoor, and the rusted rungs on the ladder screeched in protest with every step down she took. Eventually, however, they all made it down to the bottom of the passage. For the first time, they had light. A string of naked wires, stapled to the ceiling, lit rows of halogen lights, not unlike the smugglers passage that they had used to get out of RACDI-Alpha. They continued on, silently, following in the old man's wake, before the came across it...

The Atrium was a cavernous space, blasted out of the underground rock. Above them, roots from the giant trees above them had snaked their way through to poke themselves out into the cave, and the space was filled with the sound of dripping water. Despite the overgrowth, the service elevators , clinging the the sides of the concrete cylinder that lead down into the darkness below appeared to be in working order. This place had to be at least half a century old, and yet, those left behind here had been driven to maintain it, to watch over it, all of this time. For who?

"Welcome to RACDI-Sigma" the old man said.

====================================================================================================================================

"What's got you looking so glum?"

Nikolai was wrenched from his thoughts with a sharp jolt of surprise. How was she always able to sneak up on him?

Natalia, of course, already knew full well what was bothering him. She put a hand on his shoulder, and stared into the fire alongside him.

"Let's find somewhere quieter." she said "Everyone else can manage without you for one night."

 

[Fappy]

"Well I figured if I got all the busywork out of the way, we'd have more time to relax."

Nahla laughed, sadly. "Relax?" she echoed. "I don't think I'm capable of such a feat--not anymore, anyway." Stopping in her tracks, Nahla rubbed her arm, diverting her gaze from her lover. "How... how have you been sleeping lately? Any more nightmares since... you know..."

*************************************************************************************************************************************************

"Actually, Lucia and I need to talk for a bit. I'll take care of the drinks. Any other orders?"

"We do?" Lucia asked, rather surprised. "Okay." Looking to Judah, she mouthed 'I'm sorry', and frowned.

Hopefully the doctor was taking her away to flirt or something. She couldn't handle another Samuel discussion right now. It was already taking an enormous effort to act happy as it was and cancer-talk would totally kill the mood.

************************************************************************************************************************************************

"Sticks thought he'd written the book on being a son of a *****. He didn't have a clue. It was never a question of Lee coming down to his level. Lee was already out of his league."

Neil rolled his eyes. "If you want to get in a dick-measuring contest about who had the most fucked up boss, find someone else to reminisce with," he said. "I regret the man I was... the man I still am. And quite frankly, I don't give a flying fuck if you think you've done worse. We've both been in the shit--both smelled the same blood--we've both seen enough to know that none of this shit really matters. People die, good or bad, it makes no difference. We don't get what we deserve... only what fate decrees."

"I try to forget 'cause there's no point in remembering," he whispered. "Redemption's just a bullshit excuse for sinners to feel better about themselves--when in reality, guilt serves no other purpose but to weigh us down. Being down here for as long as we have, I think you'd agree: survival is everything. If that's not your priority, you may as well be dead. That's the world we live in now, and straying from that reality only brings pain and suffering."

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"Aw hey now." Chen mocked "You keep talking like that and you're gonna hurt my feelings."

"survival is everything. If that's not your priority, you may as well be dead. That's the world we live in now, and straying from that reality only brings pain and suffering."

"Actually, this is the trouble I've been having..." he replied "When you say stuff like that, you don't sound like you mean it. The point of that little story I told you was that you're talking to someone who knows you're full of shit, and that Lee did too. He gave the Kill Switch to you because you were the only one here who wasn't going to find it easy to run away and hide, and if you could do it anyway then he'd made the right call."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed

"I learned two things out in the desert: I learned how easily we die, and how hard. Cut any one of a dozen threads and we all drop like rag dolls, but then again a stubborn enough person can survive just about anything. If all you're fighting for is survival, then you're not fighting for anything worth surviving for. I followed that man, whatever else he was, from Bahrain to this frozen shit pile because he believed in something bigger than any uniform he wore, and there was no obstacle blocking our way that he was gonna turn his back on. I'm not half the man he was. Hell, I'm still waiting for someone to come along and tell me what to do, but it's up to me now to believe in something."

Chen lifted his head and looked up at the icy passage around them. He could see his distorted reflection in the ceiling.

"I don't believe in this place, and to be honest I don't care about the people in it. Even if I did, between Hammond and Venture there probably won't be anybody left by the time this is over. But... I believe we can be better than this." He said, gesturing with his arms around them "We should be better than this, and it's about time someone got mad about it. So stop moping, and start getting mad, and we'll see where that takes us. We're gonna ice that mother-fucker Hammond, we're gonna get out of here before Venture decides to shut us up, and then we're gonna take it to whoever's out there asking for some. That's the best plan I can come up with. It's not much, but I reckon it beats feeling sorry for yourself."

Chen stood up, stretching his arms and neck, loosening himself up.

"It's time." He called out to the others "Let's hustle."

====================================================================================================================================

"Okay."

"Great!" the doctor beamed, as he led Lucia away to a drinks table.

"My name's Azim, by the way..." he said to her "So, where'd you serve? I know a fellow medic when I see one."