'Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Fuck!' I cursed repeatedly in my mind as I sprinted through a dense forest.
Trees blurred by as I jumped over broken tree trunks, dashing through thick shrubbery and crossed over a shallow stream. I glanced back only to see a red line zip past my face, the heat from it causing me to wince, and embedded itself into a tree.
"Fuck!" I cursed softly as I fell on my side, just on the other side of the creek.
Looking up, I saw a freshly made hole inside of a thick tree, its edges burned as smoke rose from it. I looked back, watching as bulky figures stepped out from the treeline across the creek. There was 5 of them, each wearing menacing black armor over their alien bodies. Black helmets looking like a mix between a human skull and a gas mask over their heads.
Each of them held a strange rifle like weapon in their hands, advance alien technology that fired super heated plasma beams. My heart raced through my chest as I pushed myself up and dashed further into the forest. Tree limbs and thorny bushes scraping against my green combat armor.
I did my best to keep myself out of direct line of sight from my pursuers. The reinforced alice pack on my back helped me keep my balance but I held a metal box attached to my chest piece with a grav-anchor, making it hard to stay stable. My old war AK rested against the right side of my alice pack with the sling wrapped around my body.
I cursed myself inwardly for thinking I wouldn't need much ammunition, finding myself in this situation with a gun but no ammo. Red lines of death zipped by at my sides, the enemy barely missing me as they took pop shots at me through the trees. While the enemy may be slower than me, they aren't slow enough for me to escape them.
Several times did I get close to being hit by enemy fire but that only served to push more adrenaline through my body as I kept fleeing. After gaining a bit of distance from them, I quickly hid behind a large rock that protruded from the ground. I tried to calm down, panting from exhaustion. I've been on the run for the last 6 hours straight, after all.
I looked down at the box attached to my chest and gritted my teeth. I was such an idiot, thinking that I could snag a piece of alien tech and get away. All I know is that inside the box is some kind of syringe with a strange white liquid. I pulled the box off my chest after deactivating the grav-anchor and opened it up. Looking at the long cylinder syringe that had a button on one end, I considered a desperate choice.
'Mom, dad, my sisters. I'm sorry if I don't make it.' I silently gave an apology that will never be heard again before grabbing the syringe.
Tilting my head, I lifted my hand up and pointed the needle at the exposed area of my neck. If I was going to die, I'd do so by my own choice and with a gamble of the unkown. I slammed the syringe down and pressed the button. As the syringe injected the liquid into my body, I couldn't help but remember how this all began.
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( A Little Over Half A Week Ago)
[Sub-Level Fort, Fort Illyad, Residential District 7. Quarters of the Losman Family.]
Making sure my forest green armor was strapped on well, I threw on my alice pack and grabbed my old war AK. The AK was a more modernized variant with a holographic sight, a custom made intergrated silenced long barrel, a foregrip with an unfoldable bipod mount and an adjustable stock. It even had a heartbeat sensor and a inferred laser sight to use with night vision.
A gift from dad for my 18th birthday. A little over two years ago now. This weapon has been my best friend and a companion in many battles that could have claimed my life. Using its sling, I slung the rifle over my body. I walked over to a metal cabinet and opened it up. Inside was a few more different weapons, some older models and some newer models.
I reached in, grabbing four 30-round magazines and slotted them into the mag holsters at my sides. I place two on each hip with room for two more. I thought about grabbing another four magazines but decided against it as I didn't plan to be out for long. Closing the metal gun cabinet, I glanced over at the wall of my bedroom. There was a large map of the united states, a year date at the top.
2101
The map was 29 years old but I never changed it out for a reason. 2101 was the year that an alien race called the Daviirn invaded earth after years of war with the race. Humanity, lacking in terms of war technology, was quickly pushed back. Now, they live over earth's ruins like oppressive overlords. Our planet would have been destroyed if not for a war AI being unleashed and creating a safety net over our solar system.
Because of that war AI, any ship bigger than a Star Carrier Cruiser will be hacked and forced to self-destruct. The man who created it was killed in the last surface city raid, leaving us incapable of building more defensive measures like it. It's blueprints had been destroyed but once it was unleashed, there was no return from it. To destroy it means blowing up the planet, making it a defensive system that was impenetrable.
Over the map, I had marked four locations with a red dot. Each of those were sub-level Forts, the last ones in the remains of the united states. There were also seven black dots. Those were the known locations of Daviirn militant cities. While the Daviirn can't destroy earth, they keep a stable presence to keep the humans on their home planet from rising again or leaving the atmosphere.
My father, Colonel Kurt Losman, told me stories about how those on earth would always fight their own battle against the Daviirn. How there are other planets with human colonies that succeeded on defending themselves from the Daviirn. Sadly, earth was too far from any assistance and the war AI targets friendly ships as well. So, the humans on earth are born as warriors, fight as warriors and die as warriors.
We have our own nemesis different from the rest of the human race and it is a blood fued that seems never ending. With my fathers help, I was able to get genetic modifications done but only to a certain degree as my civil status wasn't that great. Most in Fort Illyad either become soldiers, peace keepers, workers or scavengers. My father chose the life of a soldier. My mother chose that of a peace keeper.
My two older sisters became peace keepers and my little sister became a soldier. I, on the otherhand, decided to become a scavenger. I yearned for exploration and small skirmishes without being duty bound to the Fort. It was the only option I had. While the rest of my family has level 4 or up civil statuses, I am very lucky to have a level 2 civil status.
It allows me to live with my parents and receive a bit of aid from them. Legally. If my status was lower, I'd be on my own completely. This was made with a deal in mind, however. If I found any alien military tech then I had to sell it to my father. Regardless of how big or small of a find it was. I also had to record the movements of any Daviirn that I came across and relay the information to him.
The more info and tech I brought, the more benefits I could get. In the last two years, I've been successful enough to have deep pockets of credits, sit on a sizable ammo reserve, have a collection of working weapons, getting myself a reliable set of armor and getting special treatment like the genetic modifications. I was doing good for myself.
I gave the map one good long look before double checking my equipment one last time. Just as I turned to my bedroom door, I saw my mother standing there. She was staring at me with a complex gaze with her arms crossed underneath her large chest. Evelynn Losman, leader of the 1st Precinct peace keepers, was a stern woman but a wonderful mother.
It was hard to not be a hardened person in todays world but what was impressive was how mom had never been cruel to her kids. That cruelty wasn't seen as bad parenting but as a necessary trait to keep the next generation alive. Mom's short black hair rested underneath a blue army cap and her clear hazel eyes looked at me with worry.
Her blue and white peace keeper suit fitted well with her image but could never hide her feminine curves. Dad had married quite the steal of a woman in my own opinion. The best mother I could have ask for inside this god forsaken world. However, my heart clenched with the look she was giving me now.
"How long will you be gone this time?" Mom asked with poorly hidden worry.
"About a week and a half, give or take. I plan to scavenge the western sectors and gather information on enemy movements. Cause a little ruckus if I can and draw their attention from the eastern sectors." I shrugged and explain with a smile, the smile turning a bit smug afterwards.
"You don't hav-" Mom began with an annoyed expression but I cut her off.
"I know that but if it gives the army a chance to steal more of their technology with fewer casualties, then I'll do it. I may not be a soldier mom but Anna is. Dad will be a part of that operation as well." I spoke with determination but my smile never left.
"... At least tell me you have a plan then?" Mom hesitated with a reluctant expression before asking helplessly.
"I do. I'm taking a DC4 charge with me and I plan to hit the enemy com tower I found a month ago. That'll make them panic and think there will be an attack there, diverting their forces in preparation." I nodded and pointed at my pack with a thumb.
"Are you serious!?" Mom asked me with outrage, a look of unacceptance on her face.
"It'll take me about half a week to get there, a day or two to blow the tower and another week to come back. Along the way, I'll loot a few new places while gathering intel." I nodded, becoming more firm in my resolve.
"I can't let you do that, Jack! That is too dangerous to do on your own!" Mom firmly denied.
"But if I take anyone with me and fail, you all will suffer the consequences. I have to do it alone. That way, if I fail, you can just say I went rogue." I grimly shook my head and gave her the perfect excuse with a wry smirk.
"That won't happen because your not going, Jack." Mom squinted her eyes at me angrily.
"I will and I am. The mission already has a high threat level and the army needs a diversion. As a scavenger, I have the right to help out in any way that I can." I firmly held my ground, looking mom in her eyes as I spoke with determination.
"If you go, then you will need to look for your own place if, no, when you come back. So help me if you dare die out there!" With an ultimatum filled with worry, mom stormed off.
I sighed and grabbed my helmet. I had to do this and it seems like I'll need to move out. I was only fine with it because I had more than enough credits. The front door slammed as I got my helmet on and I could only give a silent apology to mom. By the time I left our family quarters and made it down to the garage, I saw that mom's cruiser was already gone.
I winced. If mom was so angry that she went to work, then it meant I had really pissed her off. She would rather do anything than mind numbing paperwork and deal with her higher-ups. I got onto my Krix, basically a 4 wheeled motorcycle with a medium sized cargo container attached to it. It was a scavengers ideal top-side transport. It started with a low hum and made little to no sound as I turned the throttle.
Pulling out of the garage, I steeled my heart and determination as I headed for the nearby Fort entrance. It was time to go top-side!
'It won't be that bad... right?' I thought to myself, feeling a bit of unease but I shrugged it off.