Post by Orin on May 11, 2012 15:30:53 GMT
Shards of the Past 2-3-1
Autopilot guided the smuggler's ship, the Sunfighter, down through the atmosphere of Earth-2; for the first time, the clerk, Jason, saw the city of New Chicago. It loomed, big and beautiful, below the ship as he viewed the cityscape from a port window. The main headquarters of the city stood strong and mighty above the rest of the city. Powerful defenses were armed and military craft glided across the early morning sky toward their destinations, but it all seemed so peaceful. In short, the city was nothing like the rest of the APM said it was. They said the AU were losing; they said were on their heels, reeling. The APM said the war would be over soon and that the most humane of methods were being used to stop the "rebels". They lied.
That realization hit Jason hard. He realized how small he was; how small everyone was. Seeing that city beneath him made him realize that he was being lied to, that he was on the wrong side, and that he was more than naïve. Here he was content to live his life while people, literally a world away, were being fought because they wanted freedom. That's it. They just wanted freedom. Freedom to stay in Arcia; something that the APM were doing anyway. The war wasn't about the APM bringing the AU forces down and protecting people from unknown threats in the Arcian system. No, it was about more control. To what end, it did not matter. It only mattered that the AU refused to be subjugated to that control, and that is why there was war. Further, Jason realized that the city, in it's current state, warranted the obvious conclusion that the APM were not winning the war, but that the tide was turning. That city now quickly approaching below him was a symbol of not only hope for the AU, but of the APM's mortality. And, every person in that city had a part in the war because they all wanted freedom.
Orin walked up next to Jason, "It is beautiful, isn't it?" Jason paused, "It is, but you can't see..." "I can hear it, and it sounds beautiful. It sounds like an awesome sight to behold. All I need is that sound, and at this point in the war, it sounds nothing like Apothos." Orin said. "Right." Jason was quiet now as the taller buildings now begin to near the ship; soon, they would be in the hangar of the AU headquarters. He would be meeting the General of the AU forces. Questions flooded his mind: What was he like? Was he humble? Proud? What was his real motivation? All those questions could or could not be answered. But, it really did not matter; for the first time in his life, Jason felt as if he really had direction, purpose. Even though he was no longer on the "safest" side of the war, he still felt better than ever.
There was a slight jolt through the ship; they had landed.
Orin turned to Jason, "Stay with Frank; they will probably be taking him to an infirmary with better equipment than what's on this ship. I know you don't know hardly anything about the layout of this city, so just stick with Frank and stay wherever they take him--for the time being." "Got it." Jason nodded once in approval. Orin left his weapons on the ship, save for his machete, and took a step off of the Sunfighter. There was no welcoming party which was not a big surprise; no one was even supposed to know about his mission. So-naturally-instead of standing about looking confused and conspicuous, Orin made a bee line for General Harrison's office. The elevator ride to the near top of the facility was a long one; it was made longer by the fact that the autopilot had taken the Sunfighter to the second lowest landing deck on the AU headquarters. Yet, Orin did not think about that; instead, he was focused on how he was going to summarize all that he had done on Apothos to General Harrison.
The elevator doors opened, and Orin presented himself to the guards outside General Harrison's office. They relieved him of his machete, and he entered the large room. Harrison looked up from his desk, "So...you made it." "That I did." Orin replied. "Well?" General Harrison looked at him inquisitively, "What happened over there, Orin?" "May I take a seat, general?" Orin said respectfully. "Absolutely." The General said, "Please, continue." Orin began slowly, "General Harrison, the AU may be on a hot streak with these last few battles, but I would not be so sure that the APM do not have a few aces up their sleeves." "Spit it out, son." Harrison said somewhat impatiently. "Right. Sir, while I was on Apothos, the entire planet was in a heightened state of defense. Further, while I was attempting to carry out a strategy to apprehend the commander..." Orin was interrupted by a slight chuckle from Harrison, who obviously thought that Orin's attempt to locate and defeat an APM commander was humorously suicidal.
Harrison gathered himself, "Go on." Orin shrugged off the slight insult and continued, "As I was saying--while I was attempting to locate and apprehend this 'commander,' I was attacked in different intervals by a total of six hunters. Sir, let me be very clear and very blunt, had it not been for the help of Frank and some incredible luck, I should have been dead from only one of these soldiers. I believe they are christened to be 'Skull Hunters'." At this point, Orin tossed the coin that he had acquired from one of the Skull Hunters onto General Harrison's desk. As Harrison examined the coin, he said, "How does this affect the war?" "Well," Orin continued, "I believe there is some sort of program in place to train these troops in relatively high quantities--maybe fifty at a time. Believe me, sir, when I say that fifty would be enough to change the tide of any battle." "Hmm," General Harrison thought for a moment, "Seems to me like we need to find this program and stop it." "Unfortunately, sir, this is all the information I can give you on the topic." Orin's thoughts flashed back to Brandon.
"Well, good job Orin. Turns out, your suicide mission wasn't so ridiculous after all, and it wasn't a suicide mission." General Harrison stood from his desk, shuffling some files around on its surface. "Sir," Orin said getting Harrison's attention, "There is one other thing." "Yes?" General Harrison looked hard at Orin. "I can't really tell you why I have reason to suspect this; nor can I tell you who would have informed me of this. However, I have reason to believe the APM have some sort of strategy, like a fall back plan, that might end the war rather quickly." Orin said hesitantly. "You have my attention. Would they win?" General Harrison said. "No, sir. I think that it would be a lose-lose situation; do you catch my meaning?" "Hmm, I think I do. I will have my spies keep an eye out for anything major. Dismissed." With that Orin left Harrison's office and, after retrieving his machete from the guards, got back in the elevator.
Orin felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He no longer had the burden of information; a burden which had bound him to tell all he knew. But, he still had plans of his own, and it seemed that General Harrison and the AU would have little use for him for the time being. Orin was still a little shocked by his experience back on Apothos, but it gave him a new purpose. It gave him something to go for, a new goal. He had to find out more about Brandon, who was in fact more mysterious than he at first thought a smuggler could be. More importantly, Orin no longer new if Brandon was really even smuggler, or if that was just a guise. He figured his best bet at finding more information about Brandon would be to go to his home, where he used to live. However, that would be a task in and of itself. Maybe, just maybe, Frank would know. But, the pilot would be unconscious for the next few days, so after he came to, Orin would have to be there to ask him more about Brandon.
Autopilot guided the smuggler's ship, the Sunfighter, down through the atmosphere of Earth-2; for the first time, the clerk, Jason, saw the city of New Chicago. It loomed, big and beautiful, below the ship as he viewed the cityscape from a port window. The main headquarters of the city stood strong and mighty above the rest of the city. Powerful defenses were armed and military craft glided across the early morning sky toward their destinations, but it all seemed so peaceful. In short, the city was nothing like the rest of the APM said it was. They said the AU were losing; they said were on their heels, reeling. The APM said the war would be over soon and that the most humane of methods were being used to stop the "rebels". They lied.
That realization hit Jason hard. He realized how small he was; how small everyone was. Seeing that city beneath him made him realize that he was being lied to, that he was on the wrong side, and that he was more than naïve. Here he was content to live his life while people, literally a world away, were being fought because they wanted freedom. That's it. They just wanted freedom. Freedom to stay in Arcia; something that the APM were doing anyway. The war wasn't about the APM bringing the AU forces down and protecting people from unknown threats in the Arcian system. No, it was about more control. To what end, it did not matter. It only mattered that the AU refused to be subjugated to that control, and that is why there was war. Further, Jason realized that the city, in it's current state, warranted the obvious conclusion that the APM were not winning the war, but that the tide was turning. That city now quickly approaching below him was a symbol of not only hope for the AU, but of the APM's mortality. And, every person in that city had a part in the war because they all wanted freedom.
Orin walked up next to Jason, "It is beautiful, isn't it?" Jason paused, "It is, but you can't see..." "I can hear it, and it sounds beautiful. It sounds like an awesome sight to behold. All I need is that sound, and at this point in the war, it sounds nothing like Apothos." Orin said. "Right." Jason was quiet now as the taller buildings now begin to near the ship; soon, they would be in the hangar of the AU headquarters. He would be meeting the General of the AU forces. Questions flooded his mind: What was he like? Was he humble? Proud? What was his real motivation? All those questions could or could not be answered. But, it really did not matter; for the first time in his life, Jason felt as if he really had direction, purpose. Even though he was no longer on the "safest" side of the war, he still felt better than ever.
There was a slight jolt through the ship; they had landed.
Orin turned to Jason, "Stay with Frank; they will probably be taking him to an infirmary with better equipment than what's on this ship. I know you don't know hardly anything about the layout of this city, so just stick with Frank and stay wherever they take him--for the time being." "Got it." Jason nodded once in approval. Orin left his weapons on the ship, save for his machete, and took a step off of the Sunfighter. There was no welcoming party which was not a big surprise; no one was even supposed to know about his mission. So-naturally-instead of standing about looking confused and conspicuous, Orin made a bee line for General Harrison's office. The elevator ride to the near top of the facility was a long one; it was made longer by the fact that the autopilot had taken the Sunfighter to the second lowest landing deck on the AU headquarters. Yet, Orin did not think about that; instead, he was focused on how he was going to summarize all that he had done on Apothos to General Harrison.
The elevator doors opened, and Orin presented himself to the guards outside General Harrison's office. They relieved him of his machete, and he entered the large room. Harrison looked up from his desk, "So...you made it." "That I did." Orin replied. "Well?" General Harrison looked at him inquisitively, "What happened over there, Orin?" "May I take a seat, general?" Orin said respectfully. "Absolutely." The General said, "Please, continue." Orin began slowly, "General Harrison, the AU may be on a hot streak with these last few battles, but I would not be so sure that the APM do not have a few aces up their sleeves." "Spit it out, son." Harrison said somewhat impatiently. "Right. Sir, while I was on Apothos, the entire planet was in a heightened state of defense. Further, while I was attempting to carry out a strategy to apprehend the commander..." Orin was interrupted by a slight chuckle from Harrison, who obviously thought that Orin's attempt to locate and defeat an APM commander was humorously suicidal.
Harrison gathered himself, "Go on." Orin shrugged off the slight insult and continued, "As I was saying--while I was attempting to locate and apprehend this 'commander,' I was attacked in different intervals by a total of six hunters. Sir, let me be very clear and very blunt, had it not been for the help of Frank and some incredible luck, I should have been dead from only one of these soldiers. I believe they are christened to be 'Skull Hunters'." At this point, Orin tossed the coin that he had acquired from one of the Skull Hunters onto General Harrison's desk. As Harrison examined the coin, he said, "How does this affect the war?" "Well," Orin continued, "I believe there is some sort of program in place to train these troops in relatively high quantities--maybe fifty at a time. Believe me, sir, when I say that fifty would be enough to change the tide of any battle." "Hmm," General Harrison thought for a moment, "Seems to me like we need to find this program and stop it." "Unfortunately, sir, this is all the information I can give you on the topic." Orin's thoughts flashed back to Brandon.
"Well, good job Orin. Turns out, your suicide mission wasn't so ridiculous after all, and it wasn't a suicide mission." General Harrison stood from his desk, shuffling some files around on its surface. "Sir," Orin said getting Harrison's attention, "There is one other thing." "Yes?" General Harrison looked hard at Orin. "I can't really tell you why I have reason to suspect this; nor can I tell you who would have informed me of this. However, I have reason to believe the APM have some sort of strategy, like a fall back plan, that might end the war rather quickly." Orin said hesitantly. "You have my attention. Would they win?" General Harrison said. "No, sir. I think that it would be a lose-lose situation; do you catch my meaning?" "Hmm, I think I do. I will have my spies keep an eye out for anything major. Dismissed." With that Orin left Harrison's office and, after retrieving his machete from the guards, got back in the elevator.
Orin felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He no longer had the burden of information; a burden which had bound him to tell all he knew. But, he still had plans of his own, and it seemed that General Harrison and the AU would have little use for him for the time being. Orin was still a little shocked by his experience back on Apothos, but it gave him a new purpose. It gave him something to go for, a new goal. He had to find out more about Brandon, who was in fact more mysterious than he at first thought a smuggler could be. More importantly, Orin no longer new if Brandon was really even smuggler, or if that was just a guise. He figured his best bet at finding more information about Brandon would be to go to his home, where he used to live. However, that would be a task in and of itself. Maybe, just maybe, Frank would know. But, the pilot would be unconscious for the next few days, so after he came to, Orin would have to be there to ask him more about Brandon.