The Last Bastion: Bunker Chicago The Coalition Debriefing: Gabriel

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Nilum

The Wanderer Returned
Benefactor
The Coalition Debriefing: Gabriel
(( @Rain of the Night & @Nilum ))​

Gabriel arrives home and watches The Old Guard soldiers file away from The Coalition’s own soldiers almost as soon as they arrived. A beaten, tired feeling permeates the air from most of The Coalition’s soldiers as the crowds make way for them to arrive at the entrance of the Bunker. There, they see Carolyn handing a wounded Jenive to a medical team. Carolyn looks at each of The Coalition’s soldiers, a look of distrust and disappointment in her eyes. It was clear from that one look alone that whatever good will they may have once had, it was long, long gone. One person in particular is singled out, as Carolyn passes by Gabriel, she mutters one word under her breath.

“Traitor.”

Once inside, they are each searched and admitted inside one by one. He reaches their turn to be debriefed, and starts walking down a few tight, small corridors. They reach the interrogation room from earlier, and... Pass it by. Instead, he reaches an elevator just beyond it, and is taken deeper into the Bunker. Past level 1, past level 2... Wait. Gabriel looks at the wall and realizes that they were going deeper than the elevator map’s plans showed. There was no level 5, and yet, here they were. There was no level 5 button on the control panel, and yet, there they were. Once they reach the bottom, they see Adrik standing there—arms crossed behind his back. “Come with me.”

Gabriel walks with them, down a long, dimly lit hallway. At the end was a single door, leading into a large, dark room. The door was made out of a strange metal. It reflected light, but nothing else. It was certainly not naturally made.

Inside, the area is left in darkness, though a few steps confirmed metal plating underneath his feet. Adrik stays outside and closes the door behind him. A single light hangs from the ceiling, giving just enough light to show a beautiful, ornate wooden desk. Behind it stood a man in a suit, holding an empty wine glass. Behind him, a large monitor, that was attached to a metal pole that stretched out into the darkness. There were hints of hydraulic lines on it—it could possibly be moved. The man’s face is obscured in darkness, though his distinctively smooth voice gives him away. “It’s nice to see you... Perhaps you have met me, perhaps not. I am Ryan Dufont.”

The monitor lights up suddenly, and the entire room is bathed in a dark blue light. Though it takes a moment for Gabriel’s eyes to recover, he is able to discern that the room is circular in construction. All around are a myriad of sensors and drones—machines serving various purposes, here and there—technologies that, even for advanced Pilots, were borderline incomprehensible. “I think it is time that your trust in our rational ways was rewarded... I think it is time for you to learn some truths. We already know what all of you have done—we were watching, from above. What I am about to tell you is classified to the highest degree. If you don’t approve of this, leave, now. The door is unlocked. If you stay, understand that if you tell anyone what you have learned here today? The empty shell we leave behind that may have once held your will and mind will say whatever we want it to... There are some fates worse than death. Understand?”
 
Gabriel had just enough of this day. Everything that happened was just beyond the measure of his logic right now. Thankfully, it had not finished with guns going ablaze with each other’s blood spilled on the ground. All he wanted now was to walk away, get back to his family and maybe consider the losses of losing that helicopter and see what they could salvage or deal with for the loss.

However, it couldn’t just end there. No; he instead met the eyes of the Old Guard woman who had taken the actions of turning against TC after their initial fight. He could see it; the disappointment. It wasn’t the first time he was faced which such a stare; the last time also almost cost him his life. He could only look away now, knowing this wasn’t going to go over well with the ones he used to work with. Worse yet; when she walked by, that word slipped out of her mouth like a poison tipped dagger. It hurt… more than Gabriel thought it would.

He turned to look towards the woman walking away, both angry and displeased. He was about to speak about “traitors”, the vile act that was committed back there… But nothing came out. He remained silent, just staring at her walk away. Adding fuel to the fire wasn’t going to make things better, Gabriel thought. He’d have a talk with her someday again… But it certainly wouldn’t be now.

As things couldn’t get any worse in Gabriel’s mind, he was pulled away from the groups and inside a building. For what he knew, this would be another debriefing like the one before; being seated in a dark room, intimidated, interrogated. The stress was already building up.

Once within the elevator, he waited, leaning against the wall. He watched as he went down to levels, thinking this might be a bad idea… And those thoughts continued as he saw the numbers go down beyond the number of levels written. He wasn’t sure if this was a glitch, since he still felt the elevator moving down. He went to see if he could call it back up or something, but he had already reached the fifth floor, or so it said.

What awaited him was Adrik; a familiar face that he wasn’t sure he was pleased to see. The man didn’t seem to be hostile though; something he could come to appreciate right now. A simple demand was asked of him, and so, he followed without really asking about anything. Was there a point?

Once faced with the odd door, he walked in, nervous, not sure what to expect. He looked around into the darkness, seeing nothing but the light, the figure and the monitor. Clearly, there was much more to this room than it showed. Gabriel walked with caution towards the figure, fingers jittering to the prospect of the next few minutes.

The man spoke, and immediately, he knew the name. He remembered it being that of the man representing the Coalition in the Bunker. It’s been a man he never imagined meeting under any circumstances… Yet, there he stood. This started to make Gabriel question the motives of being brought to this place.

The room light up, and Gabriel thought it would be his death… Yet, the pain, the darkness he imagined that came after death… Nothing. Instead, he adjusted and looked around in awe and serious disbelief, right before he faced the man who spoke to him.

He was given a choice… One which had him hesitating. He could walk out now; leave before any of this unfolds deeper. He could potentially try and remain but a business within the Bunker. Yet… It was a rare opportunity. From the way this was being presented, he’s been given an once-in-a-lifetime deal. If he backed off now, he would never know. Plus, it was the truth; something that Gabriel couldn’t spit on.

So, he swallowed his saliva tediously before he answered the question. “I understand.” He did not move for the door. Instead, he stayed, waiting for a reply.
 
"Do you?" Ryan asks bluntly as he places the empty wine glass on the desk. "Do you really understand?" He sits, calmly, at his desk. The only source of light came from the monitor behind him--making it difficult to make out details on his face, though his tone implied that he was concerned. "You have lived in this place for all of your life. Understand that picking our side will make you a pariah among your old friends, even among most of your family I would imagine. You would be like Jenive. Are you certain you can live with this?" Ryan waits, patiently. It seemed he would wait to read Gabriel's response.
 
Receiving that answer wasn’t what Gabriel would expect after he stated that he understood. It was almost insulting, initially, Gabriel some form of surprise and shock. Though, the man went on about what this choice could cause, some options he didn’t really reconsider since the talk with Adrik before the last mission. The hatred of other original members of the Bunker wasn’t much of a problem for him, considering he had little friends outside of his family… But then, that was the thought that created hesitation. If he chose the Coalition, a group Gabriel had initially grown to hate, just as his family seemed to have done, what would they think of him?

There was hesitation again, about to speak words, but fell silent in those realizations. Would the family really be that disappointed in him? They had been here a few generations, said to have been there since the start, building their business and the Bunker with the others… Was this change really going to had him be the black sheep of the family? Change was needed; without the Coalition’s help, the Bunker wouldn’t be where it is right now.

I…” A single word uttered, but nothing followed. The thought finally caught up to him, his brash actions coming to get him. “… I can’t believe my family will disown me for making a choice I think is right.” He stated, still a little unsure. “… Might take some convincing, but I think it’s time to move on from the old ways.” The family was innovators, after all; improving upon the helicopter designs of old and adjusting to new developments. “If I can show them that this decision will change things for the best, then I have nothing to worry about.” It was a hard task, and he HOPED that his family would understand. “It’s like every time I get into that helicopter with new equipment or major changes, I have to take a risk… And I think this one is worth it.”

Even his words lacked a certain confidence; his hands were constantly moving out of nervousness and probably fear of the outcome. Never would he put aside his family… But what will the family do with him. Right now, it seemed like Gabriel wasn’t exactly thrilled with his choice, but he believed it was the right one. “So… yes, I understand. It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
 
"Then truly, you pay a high price for us. I will not forget this." He quietly grabs the empty wine glass, and looks into it. The reflection of light from the monitor behind him shows a hint of wine at the base of the glass--it had been filled previously, and he seemed to be biding his time before taking his next drink. "The threat you face is unlike anything you may have faced before. Evelyn, and those who follow her, they are... Old. Older than you, older than me. Evelyn herself, is older than even The Coalition. From what records of the Old World we have managed to salvage, we have found her name in a few of them. We can only conclude that our enemy has existed since the fall of the old world, and it has waited a long time to enact its plans."

Finally, he leans down and retrieves a wine bottle. He pours himself a glass, and then returns the wine bottle to its prior home. He picks up the wine glass once more, and swirls the red liquid around in the thin layer of glass that kept it contained--not spilling a drop. His eyes, still sharp, follow a few drones as they come together to form a holographic image of Evelyn in front of Gabriel.

"I will try to keep this brief for you: She is comprised entirely of mutagens. She has no internal organs, no blood, no need to breath any air, no need to eat. She gains her sustenance by consuming organic materials and converting them into mutagens. She is, in fact, comprised of millions--if not billions--of these cells. They are, in fact, an extremely intricate network of single celled organisms, all in constant contact with one another, all capable of rewriting themselves at a chemical level to conform to whatever the host body requires of it. They can form skin, or armour. Hands, or blades. Their method of communication is also beyond that of our primitive nervous system, these mutagens enable their hosts to have a form of telepathy they can use to talk to each other, and to others who have mutagens in their blood. Others, like... You, for instance."

His eyes fall away as he sips his glass of wine.

"They have the capacity to overwrite the mutagens present in everyone's blood, to mimic their own. To turn others into beings like themselves. We have calculated through our listener programs at the local laboratory that approximately one third of the population of Bunker Chicago is comprised of those with mutagens--whether active, or not. One third of the population is vulnerable to being turned into one of them, having their flesh ripped apart, their organs consumed, their minds wired to believe whatever it is they wish them to. That makes us a ripe target..."

The wine glass shatters in his hand, wine spilling onto the floor. Ryan glances at his hand, seeing it shake with anger, he lowers it. "That makes anyone around you, your friends, your neighbours, your family... Any of them, into potential targets for conversion. Conversion to a group of beings who exist by consuming all organic life as we know it. Mutagens were created by the old world governments, Gabriel. It is possibly what caused the end of the Old World. If we don't stop them here, there will be nobody left who can prevent them from spreading their toxic fog across the entire continent. That's the price if we fail, Gabriel. Understand that, and I can start to tell you more, over time... As the Council allows me to do so."
 
All through these explanations, Gabriel only seemed to be able to express horror in the stories he was hearing. If it wasn’t for the heavy atmosphere, he certainly would have called bullshit on this ridiculous story. Gabriel, however, had seen the absurdities of the strange fog and all that surrounds this. The projection of the woman, something he had not seen in the battlefield, just seem to make this all the more unbelievable.

He remained speechless, even after Ryan had stopped talking. Gabriel had paled, not sure what to think of this whole ordeal. Just hours ago, he was in the middle of a political conflict, with lives being put in danger for positioning in the Bunker, while THIS was happening. Now, more than ever, Gabriel believed the politics happening were nothing to this threat. He turned his head to Ryan, who had been more than generous enough to share this knowledge.

I… This…” Clearly, the man was baffled to this whole ordeal, not sure what was real or not. He reached up nervously to swipe his hand through his hair. “…Where… How…” His mind was racing, trying to make sense of everything. “I think… I need to go make sense of this.” He finally said, fingers rolling nervously. “I… If you need me for any of this, I’ll help in any means necessary. We can’t t let this happen…” Now, he was worried; worried someone in his family was going to succumb to these… things. These creatures? Not even. “I… need to go see my family.” He said, and hurriedly made his way to the door. "I’ll… I won’t talk about what I saw here.” He added.
 
"See to it that you don't." Ryan replies cryptically, as the door opens for Gabriel, allowing him to leave.
 
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