Prologue: The Ultimate Price
The Forsaken Warrior
Prologue:
The Ultimate Price
‘ ‘ - emphasis or telepathy
“ “ - speech
italics - thoughts
* * - gestures or noises
~~~~~ - beginning, break, or transition in story such as flashbacks or change in point of views.
First story, wohoo!!! Well actually this is just a prologue but its something.
Before you go on with the story, allow me to give you a picture of the main character. It's the REALLY big guy in the picture. Ignore the other little guys on the side and the writing up top.
This was the only good picture I could get of the armor. If you haven't read my disclaimer in my description, please do so. I don't own Too Human, just borrowing a design I like. I wanted him to have a unique armor instead of the standard Arm of Orion suit to make him stand out a bit.
~~~~~
“It’s getting harder to form thoughts.”
“The Orion is undergoing the evacuation plans, Scar. The gateway is taking time to open but it should be ready soon enough.”
“I…I…know Liana. I have time till it opens.”
“Scar, your mind is deteriorating faster than expected. You need to focus till the gateway opens.”
“Just let me make this audio log. I can do it Liana.”
“Scar…this isn’t safe.”
“I need too. *sigh* It’s getting worse. I can feel it. I don’t want to do this. This is my home… and hers as well. I ne-- Liana is right. I should--
It doesn’t matter. They are still alive, they are still breathing! The debt has NOT BEEN PAID!!!!! I’ve done everything for them, and they’ve taken everything away from me! Her death is in their hands. They shed her blood without any thoughts. They will pay the price…all of them!!! I--
B...but this isn’t the way. I’m not a monster. She always kept telling me that. The promise I made her-- I need to do something. I don’t know what. It’s something about getting away. I remember now! A trans-dimensional portal I’ve been working on. I need to go before it’s too late.”
“Scar! It’s open! You need to go!”
“This isn’t who I am. Their deaths are deserving, but it doesn’t seem right. I don’t know why. Why I am so conflicted? They deserve it! I shouldn’t spare them like this…….Mercy. Yes I know. I need to leave before its too late. I can already feel myself slipping away.”
“Scar!!!”
“I...what was I going to do again? I can't remember.……………” End audio log 922
'Warning: Mental stability has been compromised; transferring AI.'
~~~~~
AOSS Olympus Mons, Command Bridge:
“P.E.S.A. AI codenamed, Liana. There’s a message for you from the former commander. Would you like me to play it?” a voice came from the overhead speakers.
Her transparent, blue face cringed at her acronym. She hated being called that, but she knew it was just out of formality.
“Yes. Thank you.” Liana said as she folded her arms, staring out into the darkness of space.
“Playing: 'I’m sorry…’ End of message. Is their anything else I can do for you commander?” the voice inquired.
“No. that’ll be all. Actually, wait. There’s something else I need you to do."
"Awaiting orders commander." the AI responded faithfully.
"I need you open the emergency connections to Scar.”
“I’m not sure if I can comply with that order commander, even if you are serving as the new leader. As you know, this is a class 3 violation punishable by-”
“I’m am aware of the consequences Sophia. Just do it.”
The on-board AI hesistated before speaking again.
“Yes commander. Overriding safety protocols. Establishing emergency connections to former commander, Dragrim Scar. Commander, the connection is too unstable for safe transfer. I advise you to reconsider. If unsuccessfu-”
“Just let me through Sophia. Order the fleet to proceed through the wormhole once the transfer is done.”
“Yes commander. Best of luck."
Liana disappeared in a split second leaving the bridge empty. A few seconds passed by before a broadcast was sent out to all the ships.
"ATTENTION ALL PERSONAL. OPERATION EXODUS IS A GO. I REPEAT, OPERATION EXODUS IS A GO. ALL SHIPS ENGAGE LOCKDOWN AND PROCEED WITH CURRENT COURSE. EMP BLAST ENGAGING IN T-MINUS 2 MINUTES.”
~~~~~
“ *sigh* She better come back with him. That’s all I gotta say.” A lone officer said as the blast shields covered the view from the command bridge.
The doors to the bridge opened and a private quickly made his way in. He promptly saluted before speaking.
“Lieutenant Maxwell, sir. Lockdown is in process here in sector 5. We need leave immediately.”
Maxwell saluted back, “At ease soldier. I need to make some final preparations here before I go. Wait for me outside.”
“Yes sir!” The private promptly left, leaving the lieutenant to himself again.
Maxwell stared at the small gape giving a glimpse of the earth. The surface was darkening quickly and visible cracks of volcanic activity was spreading everywhere. He took off his helmet and bowed his head as if paying his respects to someone before walking out.
“Let’s go soldier.”
The lieutenant sat sitting quietly in his quarters as the flagship made its way into the wormhole. The lights went out suddenly as the emp blast was set off. He sat in silence for minutes till the ship flickered back to life. Disabling all electronics in the fleet with an emp blast rather than shutting it off manually was a preferred method they used when traveling via wormhole.
The ships we're built with resistance to any sort of emp device, so most of the times a rather large discharge is required to disable a ship until it made its way in; even more so to affect an entire fleet. Wormholes tended to wreak havoc on any electrical devices active when passing through. They've learned the hard way with the AOSS Ironclad.
A lot of mystery surrounds it though. Some myths say a ghost managed to get aboard and totaled the engines coolants. Others say the commander went berserk and tore the ship apart. Either way The cruiser left the wormhole in pieces. Only the commander and Omega Squad came out alive.
“All ships accounted for. Estimated travel time is 3 days.” The speakers announced overhead.
The lieutenant put his helmet back on and tapped the side of it to activate his HUD.
“Sophia. Do you still have visual on the planet earth?”
“I am still in the process in reestablishing connection to the S.O.T.S satellites in the solar system, Lieutenant Maxwell.”
He gave her a few seconds before speaking again, “Anything yet?”
“I’m getting a lot of interference from the wormhole but I’ve managed to get through. Sir, I don’t think you’re going to believe me on this.”
“What is it Sophia?”
“I’m not seeing any signs of earth whatsoever. Though I’m picking up a large spike of unknown energy. I can’t successfully categorize sir. The most I can say it’s seems similar to that of a wormhole being opened.”
He stared at the wall, deep in thought. A small smile crept up on his face as he made his way out.
“I guess those damn myths are true. The son of a bitch can’t die.” He said to himself.
~~~~~
His head was fuzzy. He could hear some voices but couldn’t quite make them out. He felt different. He felt like he was in control again, but something was off.
The last thing he can remember was passing through some portal then undergoing reentry. His vision came back to him slowly. All he could see was blackness. His suit must of deactivated as a precaution he built into the system. He could hear the voices more clearly now.
“Princess, I advise you stay away from the creature.”
“Come now. What sort of being can survive this? I have never seen armor like the one it wears before. Do you think you can move it?”
“No your highness. We can barely get its arm to even budge.”
He felt something kick his helmet.
“The damage he inadvertently caused is…substantial to say the least. Luckily nopony lives near this part of Equestria. Guard him till for now. If there’s a chance this life is sentient, I would like speak to it personally if it's still alive. If it awakes, notify me immediately.”
“As you wish, Princess.”
He heard wings flapping shortly after she finished speaking to the guard.
Equestria…where’ve I heard that before?
"Alright, you heard her. Form a perimeter! I want 3rd and 5th battalion to patrol the crater. What are you standing around for? I said move!" a feminine voice shouted.
This isn't good. Interface isn't responding, and the armor appears to be locked up.
He mulled his options briefly, 'Command code 35:'
'Error, system failure. Auto-lock is engage.' the on-board computer reverbated in his head.
'Override, priority Omega, Command 619:'
'Error, system failur-- processing....override accepted. Activating HUD. Warning: Siphons are unresponsive. Requires manual jumpstart to reengage.'
He squinted his eyes as the HUD activated, giving view of his surroundings. He was in the center of a crater surrounded by some strange beings. He was lying on his side and it appeared a portion of his body was imbedded into the ground. He silently looked around, being careful not to move.
Spears and swords? Am I in the Medieval Age of this world? he thought to himself.
He turned onto his back and breathed a sigh of relief. He could hear the guards being alerted to his presence, but ignored them as he slowly stood. His head was still fuzzy and he stumbled a bit when taking a few steps to look around. All of the guards seemed like some sort of anthropomorphized equines. They looked more like ponies though.
What he found strange was the color of their fur and manes. All of the guards...we're female? They all seemed to have unusually large mammaries but not too out of proportion. Their 'armor' was questionable to say the least and if anything, served to give them an erotic look.
He had a look of disgust as he thought about it. They reminded him too much of the valkyries. The surrounding guards raised their weapons at him when he tried to walk away.
"No so fast shrimp. You're no going anywhere" one of them said.
He looked at her briefly before looking over himself. He was head and shoulders above all of them. On average, they we're at least 6' 4".
He pulled out a pistol and his combat knife and aimed at an adjacent guard who flinched at seeing the weird device being pointed at her. Before he could pull the trigger, he was pushed back slightly by a bolt of lightning.The ground crumbled slightly as he changed stance to keep his balance.
"Don't try it shrimp. You're outnumbered." it was that same guard with the horn that spoke. It seemed to be glowing with some yellow energy. She raised her hand and shot another bolt at him. He blocked it with his forearm and aimed at her.
'Siphons online. Reactivating primary functions.'
His armor hummed slightly as the power was restored. A transparent blue lighting flickered across the surface as the shields charged up.
"He's trying to use magic! Put him down!" the captain hollered.
The guards hesitated and looked at each other before one went in and swung her sword at him.
He turned his head at the guard and swiped at the sword, cutting it in half. He stabbed and tripped her bringing her towards the ground. Before she could react, he smashed her head with his fist and pulled out his knife from her corpse. The others took a few steps back and leveled their weapons at him.
He sheathed his knife and threw a grenade behind his back before unloading into the guards in front of him. The explosion sent various body parts flying and grounded the survivors who were struggling to recover. Blood splattered over his back armor before sliding off from the shields.
A guard tried to attack him from behind but he quickly spun around and and shot her in the head. He plunged his hand into her and ripped out her spine and stabbed another attacking guard in the head with it. He aimed his left hand in the air and a mortar barrel popped from the side of his forarm. He fired a round and another one to the side at the battalions that we're closing in.
The mortars mutilated the guards as the incendiary properties quickly ate away at the survivors. Agonizing screams could be heard as the pungent smell of burning flesh filled the air.
The guard with the horn dropped her sword and swiftly made her way out of the crater. She could see him walking around and shooting the wounded guards, passing through the fire unharmed. The smell made her gaged as she breathed it in.
The black, encrusted ground layering the crater extended for at least a half a mile in diameter.
Just a little bit further she thought to herself.
Without warning, a grenade exploded behind her, causing her stumble and fall. She flipped and propped herself up only to stare back at a thick cloud of smoke.
She concentrated and her horn began glowing. Soon she was enveloped in a flash that teleported her far away from the site.
Beads of sweat fell from her fear stricken face as she stared at the dried blood that covered her. She looked around to see if the armored being was anywhere nearby only to find grass and a nearby forest.
"Ok, I've lost that bucking monster." she said between breaths.
"I'll be safe from it in the forest. By the moon, Why the hay did I have to call him 'shrimp'?"
She turned and headed for the nearby forest.
Her plans of escape, however, we're crushed as the armored being landed in front of her, causing the ground beneath him to crack.
He grabbed her by the horn and lifted her off the ground. Tears we're streaming down her cheeks as he shoved the barrel of the gun into her mouth. She stared at him, waiting for her death like the rest.
For what seemed like hours, he suddenly pulled the gun out and dropped her. She fell to the ground and looked up only to see a fist coming at her before everything went blank.
