((READ THIS OOC POST FIRST))
They had left the colony earlier than The Coalition, or The Old Guard. They left with part of a food convoy, then diverged away from the convoy in a large truck and headed straight for the fog. Eve was driving, while Lillian sat beside her, somewhat amazed by the level of control she had over the strange metal box she sat in. To Eve, however, it was second hand nature—remained second hand nature to drive a manual transmission. Yet, her face was troubled for the entire trip. Her normally overwhelming aura of comfort was dimmed, almost seemingly consumed by her own internal thoughts. Though Ezekiel was not with them, Eve could still feel his presence among the The Old Guard. Through his presence, and Kiku’s presence, she could feel where The Old Guard forces were—wherever they may be. Though Kiku wasn’t strong enough, Ezekiel was still able to communicate to them all—through Eve. He could be their eyes and ears on everything The Old Guard was planning. It was also possible for her to communicate with Ezekiel, and leave them all out of it.
Once they arrived at the hole, a single glance down into it would prove their suspicions correct. Lillian glances back to the rest of the group. She, too, now looked troubled—it was as though she expected it all to be false. She speaks in their mind, as they normally did. “This could have only been made by Graveyard. Graveyard would only listen to Eve, or one of us, one of the original children... Michael must have done this.” Ezekiel, on the other hand, seemed far less surprised. “Of course he did. He wants to prove to his mother that he isn’t damaged. That he’s just as capable as you or I, in spite of being filled with hate, and fear.” Lillian glares at him, her attitude cooling. “Don’t talk about Michael like that, he’s one of us! He deserves our sympathy, not--”
“Enough.” Eve states. That simple reply was enough to make both Ezekiel and Lillian stop—Ezekiel in reverence, and Lillian in fear. Eve doesn’t turn back to face any of the others. They had about one hour before The Old Guard and The Coalition would arrive. She examines the structures surrounding the area. As she does so, Lillian looks around at the snow falling down. She reaches out her hand, and touches a few pieces that fall onto it. She seemed somewhat curious about it, but kept her mind on other topics. “Mother, your power, it is... Amazing. To be able to speak to Ezekiel, in spite of how far he is... Could I ever... Have this power?” Eve shakes her head. “I hope not in the near future. Perhaps, in the distant future. Part of the reason Michael is so unstable is because he has grown faster than you or Ezekiel. He has gained too much, in too little time. Be patient... It will come to you, in time.” Lillian goes silent then, simply staring at the snow falling onto her hand for a few more moments, before clenching her hand and crushing the snow that had built up in it.
“I do not think the children are so casually ready to enter the garden. So let us hide in that structure,” Eve points to an abandoned convenience store. Though it looked to be crumbling, the old concrete structure continued to stand, its windows long since shattered, and shelves long since looted. “When The Old Guard and The Coalition arrive, we will use our shapeshifting to follow them. I do not want to be caught between two potential threats at once.”
“Two?” Lillian openly questions, with Ezekiel sighing. Nonetheless, he replies. “I was with Michael before attempting to leave the fog to reach you and Eve. He kidnapped a politically prominent figure among the Children of Sodom. The very same Children of Sodom that he warned not to return, or to interfere with our affairs, and they so far have adhered with the exception of myself. He is not acting rationally. He needs Eve’s help.”
Lillian pauses, and her usually fierce eyes fall toward the ground on contemplation, and confusion. “But he was so strong...” Eve, finally, turns and looks back at her. “Strength, with anger, can make even the most intelligent into fools.” She motions everyone into the convenience store, where they wait for their next move.
It was a bitterly cold evening. For the first time in the year, snow was starting to fall from the sky. It was a heavy snowfall, cold and wet, persisting on the streets of the colony. Children ran out and played in it as adults glared at it in frustration—it meant the beginning of the months where they would have to clean the streets and stalls of snow. Still, the cold meant throwing on additional layers—grabbing whatever was available—and moving on with their business. In the case of most, that meant shovelling snow as best as they could, and breaking the recently established curfew to do it.
At 1800 hours, a mixed force of Coalition and Old Guard forces moved out toward the colony. Among The Old Guard forces, a handful of Red Star’s forces slipped in, remaining inside a troop carrier—out of view of The Coalition.
About halfway to their destination, amidst the heavy snow, a few of The Old Guard’s soldiers point to the sky, at the three Coalition helicopters. They were turning back toward the colony. Suddenly, a radio conversation erupts out on group channels—both Old Guard and Coalition forces could hear it. By extension, Red Star could hear it thanks to Wisdom tapping into the channels for them while she could.
“Jenive, just what the fuck are you doing now?”
“I’m pulling back Carolyn. Bunker Chicago is about to come under attack by U-ARM forces.”
“WHAT?!”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll take care of it, we’ll protect Bunker Chicago. Get in there and get Mouse back... You don’t have to act so tough around me anymore, you know.”
“Why do this? Isn’t this going to cost you your mission objectives?”
“It’s the right thing to do. The majority of the squad agrees with me on this. We’re turning back and saving Bunker Chicago from those bastards. You did something for me... You told me the truth. Even if nobody will ever believe me, it’s at least something. Consider this repayment.”
“Jenive... Watch your back out there, alright?”
“And you watch yours, Carolyn. Get Mouse back, and when you do, bury that place in rubble. There’s nothing but a dead nation’s lies in there. Lies that could destroy us both.”
“Or truths, that your masters don’t want illuminated.”
“Regardless, consider us even now. I don’t have time to argue, our signal strength is already getting weak enough as is thanks to this damn storm. Take care, Carolyn.”
As The Coalition turns away, Red Star forces sit quietly, with Morai baffled by the revelation. Wisdom then adds a final note: That the storm was interfering with her transmissions too, and that by the time they reached their mission area, she would be cut off. There would be no help from Wisdom for the entire mission.
They follow the trail that Mouse took, until they were approximately five hundred meters away from the edge of the orange fog. In the distance they could see it, swirling away. It had been growing, slowly, every day. Staring at it gave Kiku an odd sense of warmth, and loneliness. She could hear the very slightest hint of whispers every time she looked at it, beckoning her in. Beckoning her home.
Nonetheless, the attention of most would be drawn to the ground. A hole had been dug into it, at a forty five degree angle. It dug into the sewer system, the walls of which were lined with a pink-reddish substance, veiny in nature—like it was being terraformed. As the troop carrier containing Red Star forces opened and unloaded them, Morai took one look at it, and went onto group channels. The Old Guard forces knew who they were, but didn’t breath a word of it to The Coalition—who were out to slaughter them all.
“This is Morai. I recognize this material. It’s a trap. Wherever it lines the walls, they use it to talk to you. Whispers, from behind you, in front of you, from above or below—they use it to disorient you, and mask the approach of their stealth killers. Ignore the whispers, or they will guide you to your doom. We have found dead men partially consumed by it, much like fungus. Much like the very plants they have completely wiped out in this area.” Morai looks around, and indeed, there were no signs of plant life left. The plants that used to overrun structure were all gone—all, presumably, consumed, and converted to feed the approaching fog. It was all grey. Yet, the listeners in the area could feel a welcome sense from the Orange Fog. Almost as though it were trying to lull them in. A sense they hadn’t felt from it before. Something had changed about it. Like an angry presence was missing... Or a peaceful one had entered it.
“Something’s wrong about this.” Carolyn states, simply, as she hops out of her tank to examine the hole. Ezekiel follows her out of the tank, remaining oddly silent, with a grave expression on his face. It was thirty feet wide, and thirty feet tall. “First, where did they take all the dirt, rocks, and concrete they moved? Why isn’t it here? Second, why make the tunnel this big, and why start on the surface? They must have known we would be coming for Mouse... Is this an invitation, I wonder?”
Morai shrugs. “Whatever it is, we should use it.”
“Stay hidden.” Eve whispers telepathically to her children in the convenience store across the street. Kiku and Ezekiel both are the only ones to overhear this, clearly, with the rest of the non-awakened listeners feeling a powerful presence nearby. Moments later, Eve steps out of the convenience store, and speaks loudly to them all. “Indeed, you should use it.” All of The Old Guard’s soldiers respond by aiming at her. Carolyn, too, pulls out her revolver and aims it at Eve’s head. Eve comes to a stop.
A split second moment. A decision to be made. What will everyone do now?
“He silences the lips of trusted advisers and takes away the discernment of elders. He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty. He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.”
-Job 12: 20-22.
-Job 12: 20-22.
Children of Eve – Truthseeking
They had left the colony earlier than The Coalition, or The Old Guard. They left with part of a food convoy, then diverged away from the convoy in a large truck and headed straight for the fog. Eve was driving, while Lillian sat beside her, somewhat amazed by the level of control she had over the strange metal box she sat in. To Eve, however, it was second hand nature—remained second hand nature to drive a manual transmission. Yet, her face was troubled for the entire trip. Her normally overwhelming aura of comfort was dimmed, almost seemingly consumed by her own internal thoughts. Though Ezekiel was not with them, Eve could still feel his presence among the The Old Guard. Through his presence, and Kiku’s presence, she could feel where The Old Guard forces were—wherever they may be. Though Kiku wasn’t strong enough, Ezekiel was still able to communicate to them all—through Eve. He could be their eyes and ears on everything The Old Guard was planning. It was also possible for her to communicate with Ezekiel, and leave them all out of it.
Once they arrived at the hole, a single glance down into it would prove their suspicions correct. Lillian glances back to the rest of the group. She, too, now looked troubled—it was as though she expected it all to be false. She speaks in their mind, as they normally did. “This could have only been made by Graveyard. Graveyard would only listen to Eve, or one of us, one of the original children... Michael must have done this.” Ezekiel, on the other hand, seemed far less surprised. “Of course he did. He wants to prove to his mother that he isn’t damaged. That he’s just as capable as you or I, in spite of being filled with hate, and fear.” Lillian glares at him, her attitude cooling. “Don’t talk about Michael like that, he’s one of us! He deserves our sympathy, not--”
“Enough.” Eve states. That simple reply was enough to make both Ezekiel and Lillian stop—Ezekiel in reverence, and Lillian in fear. Eve doesn’t turn back to face any of the others. They had about one hour before The Old Guard and The Coalition would arrive. She examines the structures surrounding the area. As she does so, Lillian looks around at the snow falling down. She reaches out her hand, and touches a few pieces that fall onto it. She seemed somewhat curious about it, but kept her mind on other topics. “Mother, your power, it is... Amazing. To be able to speak to Ezekiel, in spite of how far he is... Could I ever... Have this power?” Eve shakes her head. “I hope not in the near future. Perhaps, in the distant future. Part of the reason Michael is so unstable is because he has grown faster than you or Ezekiel. He has gained too much, in too little time. Be patient... It will come to you, in time.” Lillian goes silent then, simply staring at the snow falling onto her hand for a few more moments, before clenching her hand and crushing the snow that had built up in it.
“I do not think the children are so casually ready to enter the garden. So let us hide in that structure,” Eve points to an abandoned convenience store. Though it looked to be crumbling, the old concrete structure continued to stand, its windows long since shattered, and shelves long since looted. “When The Old Guard and The Coalition arrive, we will use our shapeshifting to follow them. I do not want to be caught between two potential threats at once.”
“Two?” Lillian openly questions, with Ezekiel sighing. Nonetheless, he replies. “I was with Michael before attempting to leave the fog to reach you and Eve. He kidnapped a politically prominent figure among the Children of Sodom. The very same Children of Sodom that he warned not to return, or to interfere with our affairs, and they so far have adhered with the exception of myself. He is not acting rationally. He needs Eve’s help.”
Lillian pauses, and her usually fierce eyes fall toward the ground on contemplation, and confusion. “But he was so strong...” Eve, finally, turns and looks back at her. “Strength, with anger, can make even the most intelligent into fools.” She motions everyone into the convenience store, where they wait for their next move.
The Old Guard & Red Star – Preparations
It was a bitterly cold evening. For the first time in the year, snow was starting to fall from the sky. It was a heavy snowfall, cold and wet, persisting on the streets of the colony. Children ran out and played in it as adults glared at it in frustration—it meant the beginning of the months where they would have to clean the streets and stalls of snow. Still, the cold meant throwing on additional layers—grabbing whatever was available—and moving on with their business. In the case of most, that meant shovelling snow as best as they could, and breaking the recently established curfew to do it.
At 1800 hours, a mixed force of Coalition and Old Guard forces moved out toward the colony. Among The Old Guard forces, a handful of Red Star’s forces slipped in, remaining inside a troop carrier—out of view of The Coalition.
About halfway to their destination, amidst the heavy snow, a few of The Old Guard’s soldiers point to the sky, at the three Coalition helicopters. They were turning back toward the colony. Suddenly, a radio conversation erupts out on group channels—both Old Guard and Coalition forces could hear it. By extension, Red Star could hear it thanks to Wisdom tapping into the channels for them while she could.
“Jenive, just what the fuck are you doing now?”
“I’m pulling back Carolyn. Bunker Chicago is about to come under attack by U-ARM forces.”
“WHAT?!”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll take care of it, we’ll protect Bunker Chicago. Get in there and get Mouse back... You don’t have to act so tough around me anymore, you know.”
“Why do this? Isn’t this going to cost you your mission objectives?”
“It’s the right thing to do. The majority of the squad agrees with me on this. We’re turning back and saving Bunker Chicago from those bastards. You did something for me... You told me the truth. Even if nobody will ever believe me, it’s at least something. Consider this repayment.”
“Jenive... Watch your back out there, alright?”
“And you watch yours, Carolyn. Get Mouse back, and when you do, bury that place in rubble. There’s nothing but a dead nation’s lies in there. Lies that could destroy us both.”
“Or truths, that your masters don’t want illuminated.”
“Regardless, consider us even now. I don’t have time to argue, our signal strength is already getting weak enough as is thanks to this damn storm. Take care, Carolyn.”
As The Coalition turns away, Red Star forces sit quietly, with Morai baffled by the revelation. Wisdom then adds a final note: That the storm was interfering with her transmissions too, and that by the time they reached their mission area, she would be cut off. There would be no help from Wisdom for the entire mission.
They follow the trail that Mouse took, until they were approximately five hundred meters away from the edge of the orange fog. In the distance they could see it, swirling away. It had been growing, slowly, every day. Staring at it gave Kiku an odd sense of warmth, and loneliness. She could hear the very slightest hint of whispers every time she looked at it, beckoning her in. Beckoning her home.
Nonetheless, the attention of most would be drawn to the ground. A hole had been dug into it, at a forty five degree angle. It dug into the sewer system, the walls of which were lined with a pink-reddish substance, veiny in nature—like it was being terraformed. As the troop carrier containing Red Star forces opened and unloaded them, Morai took one look at it, and went onto group channels. The Old Guard forces knew who they were, but didn’t breath a word of it to The Coalition—who were out to slaughter them all.
“This is Morai. I recognize this material. It’s a trap. Wherever it lines the walls, they use it to talk to you. Whispers, from behind you, in front of you, from above or below—they use it to disorient you, and mask the approach of their stealth killers. Ignore the whispers, or they will guide you to your doom. We have found dead men partially consumed by it, much like fungus. Much like the very plants they have completely wiped out in this area.” Morai looks around, and indeed, there were no signs of plant life left. The plants that used to overrun structure were all gone—all, presumably, consumed, and converted to feed the approaching fog. It was all grey. Yet, the listeners in the area could feel a welcome sense from the Orange Fog. Almost as though it were trying to lull them in. A sense they hadn’t felt from it before. Something had changed about it. Like an angry presence was missing... Or a peaceful one had entered it.
“Something’s wrong about this.” Carolyn states, simply, as she hops out of her tank to examine the hole. Ezekiel follows her out of the tank, remaining oddly silent, with a grave expression on his face. It was thirty feet wide, and thirty feet tall. “First, where did they take all the dirt, rocks, and concrete they moved? Why isn’t it here? Second, why make the tunnel this big, and why start on the surface? They must have known we would be coming for Mouse... Is this an invitation, I wonder?”
Morai shrugs. “Whatever it is, we should use it.”
“Stay hidden.” Eve whispers telepathically to her children in the convenience store across the street. Kiku and Ezekiel both are the only ones to overhear this, clearly, with the rest of the non-awakened listeners feeling a powerful presence nearby. Moments later, Eve steps out of the convenience store, and speaks loudly to them all. “Indeed, you should use it.” All of The Old Guard’s soldiers respond by aiming at her. Carolyn, too, pulls out her revolver and aims it at Eve’s head. Eve comes to a stop.
A split second moment. A decision to be made. What will everyone do now?
