Shattered Worlds - All that was old, is new.
===CHAPTER II=============================
1100 Hours, July 01, 3612 (Military Calendar) /
Local Cluster, Sol System, Planet Earth, New Eden.
It
has been roughly three months since his team and he has seen or heard
anything of them. Jin figured though that they would possibly still
in space touring so they were okay; because if they came back they
would surely be here beating him up or something of the like. Jin was
on duty as a cook as his punishment for not meeting up with the other
marines for the tour departure, and though this was his task to carry
out for nearly another month and about a week after he was doing a
damn good job at it to. Word had gotten around that Jin was a
excellent cook which surprised most due to him being the way he is –
so most would have never known him to be so good at it. There has
even been times when President Izanami would personally request a
meal or two as most chefs here do not really know how to make exotic
Japanese cuisine such as he does - an art he learned from the best
chefs in Neo Tokyo while he was in a rock band with an old friend.
Jin
knocks out another order, while he listened to those in the back
cooking where he is speak to one another – Jin himself is not much
of a socialiser, unless he really knows the person or is too drunk to
actually care about why he does not socialize; the last of these too
getting him in more trouble than the first of course. He
can hear two other chefs talking about a ship called Trinity, a
experimental ship being built that they heard of from five people
who worked on and still working on it for some time now. Jin recalls
a thought from listening in on them. President Izanami mentioned
something to him about an open position on a ship that was being
built down in Singapore’s base. It would need a head chef for the
crew and she thought he should apply for the position. Though Jin has
not done it yet because he is waiting for the marine unit to come
back so he could see his friends one last time before doing so –
and that is if he gets the position.
It would be nice to see
the stars again, it has been a while since Jin has been up in space;
back in times he tries not to think so much of any more.
“Hey Jin your off earlier today for a job well done!...” Jin nods
his head and walks off out of the kitchen areas and the dinning
sectors entirely now making his way towards the barracks where he
enters into the marine quarters where he resides. The sudden image of
Terran troops entering in and then walking out with belongings that
were not theirs catches him off guard. He grabs one of the troopers
arm causing him to halt.
“Hey where are you going with
Taymer’s stuff!?...” Jin questions, his face serious yet his
voice calm.
“Taking to send to his mourning family...”
The trooper says pulling his arm free of Jin’s grip. The sudden
shock of finding out about the death of a good comrade and friend
nearly causes him to go completely weak. He enters into the quarters
and sees everyone’s belongs gone... expect the female marine.
Jin
makes haste to head towards the medical sectors, if they have not
taken her belongings then that must mean she is still alive –
surviving whatever had happened up in space while they were all on
tour. Five minutes go by and Jin was in the medical sectors, he began
to ask questions of what happened to private teams that went up on
tour roughly about three months ago. The first nurse he seen and
asked gave him directions to the bay that the remaining marines were
being medically taken care for. He sees the female marine and two
others he does not know at all, but they are definitely Terran
marines. By the looks of it the female marine was sleeping – she
was okay, but as for the others they both called comrades fate had
taken its toll once again on the lives of people he was just getting
to know, on people who looked at him as a person and not a celebrity,
on people who were good and did not deserve to lose their lives.
Jin
places a hand gently onto her cheek and closes his eyes, he could
feel her pulse, her heartbeat, and somewhat see her thoughts –
though he does not bother to look as he was just checking to make
sure she would not pass a way in her sleep, he even goes out of his
way to give to her a little strength from himself to put her on a
faster, healthier recovery. He opens his eyes and removes his hand,
then letting it gently run through her hair only for a moment. A
nurse enters in letting out a sigh. If he was there he surely knew
the outcome would have been different, sure he would have been
exposed for having inhuman abilities... but Taymer would be alive
still and so would the others.
“Sad isn’t it... their
entire unit was wiped out by some large worm, reinforcements came to
the rescue but these three were all that is left of the unit. You her
boy friend or brother?...”
Jin turned his head to look back
to the nurse, her reaction being ecstatic when she see it is Jin from
Shattered Tourniquet and Last FALLEN; she nearly dropped her
medical sheets from her hand. Jin sighs closing his eyes and slightly
shaking his head.
“I am her comrade...”
“Oh
my god yo-your”
“Jin Darkfrye...”
“Oh-I am
sorry for your loss...”
“It’s all right... When she
wakes, can you tell her I said I am sorry... please?...”
“Ye-Yes sir! I mean Jin! I mean uhh-“
“Thank you...”
“Your welcome! <3”
The nurse was literally in
heaven to speak to Jin – however he was in hell... he felt like he
lost yet more people who were becoming close to him, and it was yet
again thanks to fate; what will it take to change fate’s ways?...
As he left a well known doctor enters in passing Jin without even a
glance – though knowing good and well who he was. Doctor Julia
Hairt walked towards the nurse that had just been star struck.
“So what is the verdict nurse, she gonna live or die on us?”
“Hehehe- Oh... uh what?...” Julia sighs, the girlish actions
of this nurse was a little... annoying at the moment. Rather than
responding she examines the female marine herself. When checking
everything seemed to be all right, no irregular breathing, heartbeat
at a normal rate and she did not seem to suffer from any serious
bruises.
“Okay, she is fine – just a little more rest and she should
wake up.” Julia says about to exit until the nurse spoke.
“Really?... strange moments ago I checker her and her breathing
seemed heavy, and her heartbeat sounded under the normal beat rate .
I was going to tell you so you can check it out and decide what to
do. Are you sure everything is fine?” Julia listens to the nurse
before speaking.
“Positive...”
“Wow, seems
like magic to me.”
“What?...” Julia’s tone of voice
becomes more interested at the mention of magic.
“Well...
I checked her before Darkfr- I mean Jin came in and was at her side.
He had his hand on her face then was caressing her hair, maybe his
touch heals like his music does – all magical like hehe <3”
The nurse says giggling too herself as her mind slips into a very
perverted place, Julia just looks to her oddly; true this nurse could
be a little nutty but she was one of the ones who was good at her
work – what if she was right on this odd theory that Jin was
magical?...
Julia shakes her head from the childish thought as
she exits out, and heads back to her office. Though in the back of
her head she could not stop thinking about the chances that this Jin
“Darkfrye” Amisak could indeed know something about her lifelong
hunt; about magic. Jin made his way toward the positions centre and
filled out the position for head chef on the Trinity. Jin was just
going on a assumable whim that this was the ship Kari was telling him
to fill out a position for, why now though? Jin had already seen what
was left of his team... he no longer was needed to stay here with the
pain and hurt – at least this way he could go out into space with
people he did not know and start a new... maybe he’ll even find his
album’s last track out there somewhere.
After it being
filled out Jin walks off, heading back to the barracks where he can
play his guitar – for a soothing melody, and a painful sonata.
Whenever he leaves for chef duty he’d leave his infamous guitar out
laying up against the foot of the bed, waiting for him to come back
to it when he was done. The position sheet had on it his name,
private/soldier number, which ship he’d like to be the crew of,
which position on the ship he would like to hold. In the extra notes
section of the paper he puts:
“If
you need to find me you can look in the empty quarters of the wolf
unit down at the barrack of sector – If I am not there then go to
the dinning sectors and I’ll be there; I’ll wait for you there...
like a stone.”
1700 Hours, July 14, 3612 (Military Calendar) /
Exodus Cluster, Asgard System, Planet Gaia, TAC-ECIN.
“Final death toll for Gateway is... One-thousand, seven-hundred and seventy-three.” The Human ambassador says, placing a data pad down on the pedestal in front of him. Six years ago when this beautiful twin of Earth was found, planet Gaia, Humanity vowed its natural beauty would not be lost as it was on Earth. It would become a new beacon for a new start. In the forests below stands this single monument, the TEC-ECIN – Terran Alliance Council, Enforcement, Customs, Investigation and Networking headquarters where the ambassadors of six allied species convene.
The human ambassador, Jack Marachi looks over the others in the tower, each of them qt the individual pedestal in a circle around the room.
“Why didn't you tell us about these things?!” Jack asks in an annoyed tone, directing his question to a hologram of the Selbinian ambassador; Anraies. Anraies himself, as usual, was away from Gaia, but was communicating with the rest of the council in real time.
“Apologies.” Anraies speaks, his voice disembodied. “We did not think the creatures had spread as far as the Serpent Nebula.”
“Are you telling us they're space worthy?” the Heilios ambassador, Jah'nik asks.
“No. They were unsuccessfully tested a beasts of war by our ancestors, however many rogue Selbinian parties continued to set them loose on their enemies, allowing the beasts to consume entire planets civilizations.”
“So how did this one end up on W-080-13?” Jack asks.
“Gateway has been under construction for five years. We need to consider the possibility this was a planned Union attack.” The Narubian ambassador, Zien says.
“You're jumping to conclusions. This creature could have been present on the planet for years before the Humans arrived.” The Asi'en ambassador, Shi'ria says dismissively.
“That is unlikely.” Anraies picks up. “The Maw would have detected the construction of the colony from great distances. Even if it were on the other side of the planet, the sudden activity would have attracted it as a source of sustenance.”
“Still, to assume the Union is responsible. It could have been pirates for all we know.” Shi'ria says.
Jack places both of his hands on his pedestal and leans over it slightly, looking down at the text scrolling across his blue data pad as he speaks.
“There was nothing of any real value on the planet. Besides the only faction even remotely close would be the Yaki, and this certainly isn't their style. The Yaki are doing well to lay low right now, they don't have the resources to risk an open war with the Alliance. It does seem likely the reason for this attack was to disrupt the relay project. Shi'ria is right however... We don't know anything for certain. For now I'm declaring W-080-13 a no fly zone. We'll begin searching for a new location to construct the Gateway. Any updates on the other projects, Anraies?” Jack asks.
“With this news we will be forced to again delay the relay project. Estimations are good however, the concept is sound. If the technology succeeds it will cut the time of travel between Selbina and Earth in half. The stargate project is not as optimistic I'm afraid. You Humans are able to draw concepts we would not even consider, but I'm afraid this one may be beyond even our technology to create...”
“General Marachi?” A young woman says as she enters the council chambers. “There's a priority message coming in from Eden.” Jack nods as he presses some buttons on his pedestal. The lights in the room dim and blinds shut over the glass dome. A second hologram flickers to life in the centre of the room, depicting an elegant woman wearing a high class old Japanese dress.
“General.” The woman says as she adresses him.
“President Izanami.”
“I'm afraid I must be the barer of bad news. The Alpha Cetus system has fallen dark. The last images from the satellites around Janaus 9 show a fleet on approach. A fleet of Human construction. This message was sent directly to Sol twenty minutes ago.;”
The image of Kari is replaced by a sphere, inside showing a figure wearing a black mask, only his eyes visible and voice digitally distorted as he speaks.
“Did you really think this organisation would die along with a mere handful of its thousands of members? The Allied Industrial Union was merely the tip of the iceberg! Izanami you have warped and betrayed your family name and everything it stood for. You took the entire galaxy and striped it of order, now you lead it to ruin. You have no idea how deep we run, how strong our resolve is. Mark this day as the day the Union returned, returned to claim what is rightfully ours!”
The image flickers out to static, fades away and finally returns to the full figure of Kari standing with her arms behind her back.
"You cannot deny what is right before your eyes.” Zien says.
Jack narrows his eyes. He was sure the Union was silenced. He spent five years hunting down its last leader to make sure of it.
“Prepare the fleet.” Kari says. “Sol will be their eventual target, it must be defended at all costs.”
