[b][u]
00110001, Homeworld of The One
Gateway, FRA Diplomatic Vessel [i]Revere[/i]
[/u][/b]
[sub]A collab between [@Sigma] and [@TimeMaster][/sub]
 
The [i]Revere[/i] jolted out from the gateway, approaching the eerie-looking world that sat in the void, thick black fog enveloping the entire planet. From the observation, Tristan Marius, the newest diplomatic envoy given the honour to lead the mission to this new world, felt a sense of unease, his military escort, a squad of Republican Guard, were in agreement. “I don’t like this.” One of the Guardsmen commented.
 
“This place doesn't look natural, not one bit.” Another said.
 
“I know the appearance may be…unsettling.” Tristan said as he stood up to face his escort. “But looks can be deceiving! And this is our fellow man! We must reach out to them and welcome them to this new galactic community!”
 
“Regardless, we’ll keep our guard up.” The Squad Sergeant, a young woman by the name of Talia Grinston said. “Last thing we want is a dead envoy.”
 
“Mmm, uh, yes.” Tristan mumbled, the thought never occurred to him…and now the appearance of the planet frightens him a bit. The old primal fear of the dark, or rather, the fear of what lurks in the darkness. The ship processed forward, a small amount of time passing as the ship pushed through the atmosphere, and it was at that moment that any hopes for a smooth sailing were quickly dashed. As soon as the [i]Revere[/i] passed through the thick fog, its systems began to go haywire as shipboard alarms were sounding off. Tristan jolted up from his seat from the shock. “Are we under attack?!?” He yelped in a panic.
 
Sergeant Grinston shook her head. “Engine failure.” she replied, maintaining her cool. “We’ll help the pilots in an emergency landing.” She motioned the rest of her squad to move out, every hand would be needed to keep the [i]Revere[/i] in a good enough shape to actually get them offworld. Turning her attention back to the envoy. “You sit tight and hold onto something.” Tristan simply nodded as he quickly assumed position.

The [i]Revere[/i] tumbled downward towards the planet, covered in darkness from the thick fog, with any luck, there was soft enough ground waiting for them, however, they were in for yet another surprise. The ship shot out from the darkness as it was greeted by a massive city, towers reaching as high as they can get, the city itself in a state of ruin. “Sweet Jesus!” One of the pilots exclaimed. “This is gonna be a [i]reeeeal[/i] rough landing.”
 
“Shit!” Grinston cursed as she rushed to the ship intercom. “No time to explain! Brace for heavy impact!” Within moments, the [i]Revere[/i]’s forward thrusters blazed to life as the crew tried to soften the landing, although they still were diving too fast, and slide through the alien street corners, sparks lighting up as the ship’s hull screamed and screeched from the descent, momentum would soon die down as the ship finally came to a halt, seemingly stuck in a pitch black, dead city.


It was a normal day for the One. Williams were dying by the millions, Jamess were hunting their undying prey while trying to survive or exploring ancient, long destroyed buildings that were, strangely, absent of bodies. The Grants had a different job, every James group had a Grant "leader" which acted as the memory keeper, they'd collect the implants of the fallen Ones and when they went back, they'd record the memories into the cloning vats for new Ones to have. A constant cycle of death, rebirth and knowledge.

Of course, the One was unaware of their new visitors and the plight that would soon befall them. Obvious of their selfless act that they'll perform. If one can call it like that.

As the Revere approached the planet, the black gas that stopped all the light of the blue giant sun, soon enveloped them. The gas, unbeknownst to the One or anyone else, was called Tenebrium and it was an artificial construct made by the Immortalis aeons ago to protect their planet from the burning sun. It was made out of highly concentrated particles of platinum and a few other elements not found on the periodic table.

Tenebrium was, like most of the Immortalis's technology, made to absorb ambient electricity from the air or anything else that passes through it then pass it onto to the power plants that kept the defences online even after aeons.

Another thing about Tenebrium is that it was extremely dense, dense enough to break many systems on the [i]Revere[/i] as it descended if left unprotected. The fact that the first ship of the One managed to even pass through

Two things happened almost at once as the ship crashed. The first thing, closer to them, was the appearance of a few Snatchers from the sky. Making a weird metallic noise and flashing green and red lights which lit up their surroundings briefly before plunging it in darkness once more, they started to make their way towards the [i]Revere[/i]. But these wouldn't be the last ones to arrive, soon, more advanced models would. Better armed and heavily armoured.

As the ship pierced through the atmosphere, a cacophony of war cries and signals erupted across the One civilization. Swiftly, a well-coordinated plan was devised. The nearest groups of One sprang into action, their mission clear – to reach the crash site swiftly and, if feasible, rescue the ship's occupants. If not, they were determined to salvage whatever remained of the vessel and return it to the safety of One territory.

An army of hundreds of Jamess, clad in bone-armour and armed with bows, spears, swords, shields, and torches, set off with great urgency. Their hope was to arrive before the robots could exterminate any potential survivors.

The Guardsmens were the first to exit the ship, greeted by the strange flashing drones in the sky. “Scouts maybe?” One of them commented.

“Either way, weapons ready. “Grinston commanded, locking and checking her rifle, the other guardsmen following her lead. She turned to the central entrance of the [i]Revere[/i] to one of the pilots. “We’ll need every hand, get yourself and others armed. The pilot nodded as he retreated back into the ship momentarily. Meanwhile the rest of the squad scanned their surroundings, “Flashlights on.” Grinston ordered as she flipped the switch on her rifle. The city was empty, alien, and ancient, no way human hands built this place that’s for sure, nor did it look like Yulzan. In addition to the eerie silence, the city, no, the whole planet was covered in shadow, with very little sources of light of note, other than the flashlights from the guardsmen.

The dead city was quiet for a few moments. No sounds. No lights. It seemed as if time itself stopped. The Snatchers stopped in midair, just hovering above ground scanning the area for biologicals…and biologicals they found in the form of two FRA soldiers which stepped outside the ship and walked a bit further away from the main group. Immediately, weird metallic sounds similar to a [i]hiss[/i] could be heard from all over the immediate area.

Two of the Snatchers dived from the sky with a grace that seemed impossible to be achieved for such robots. The moment they "spotted" the first soldier their tentacles lit and stood up as if to catch him in their deadly embrace.

Meanwhile, the One was dealing with their fair share of problems. The first group to arrive in the area was composed of a few thousands One running straight towards the crash site, defly avoiding debris and dead bodies in different stages of decomposition…remnants of an older exploration team.

And they were not alone. Swarmers started to come out from the underground, crawling down the side of buildings and on a few occasions from inside a few of the bodies.

A fight soon followed as they descended upon the One army which retaliated with what they knew best, oil bombs and spears to keep the swarmers away. They went into a circle with the Grants of the group in the middle and proceeded to go forward as many of their own cried in pain and death as the occasional swarmer would maul a James or William to death.

Bombs were thrown scalding the whole area in lights that revealed just how many Swarmers there were. Too many to count. Thousands if not more. An ever danger of exploring the city. Not that it stopped the One. Day after day they sent teams. Day after day…they didn't come back. Occasionally, a Grant would come back with a bunch of implants taken from their dead.

The soldier panicked as he pulled the trigger, his rifle shots echoing through the empty streets as he fired at one of the drones that snatched around his partner. Blood pushing out from the other man’s pours as the robots squeeze the life out of him. The Guardsman was able to dispatch the two drones, but was too late to save his squadmate, the man’s body crushed beyond help. “Fuck man….” He mumbled, before hearing his comm device blared to life. “All teams! Return to the [i]Revere[/i]! We got activity in the city!” Grinston ordered. The soldier needn’t ask why, the void that filled the city was empty enough that he could hear the distant sounds of battle waging somewhere, faint echoes of screams, mechanical screeches and explosions, but what direction it came from was his best guess.


Or so it seemed. The Snatcher in fact simply squeezed the soldier a bit before flying away with him for a few seconds while the other Snatcher tried to pursue the soldier that retreated but couldn't reach him in time.

The snatched-soldier soon was put on the ground, their face contorted in what seemed like unimaginable pain as he slowly shuffled back towards his allies. His skin radiating briefly a blue-ish tint. Moaning something. If one would pay attention to him, they could see the dead-look in his eyes, obviously broken arms and the cuts in the uniform and lack of blood pouring from the wounds.

Closer to the [i]Revere[/i] multiple things started to happen. Red dots activated above the ship as the soldiers moved themselves into positions and many green dots started to pour out of the buildings, Swarmers. Small spider-like robots roughly 1.2 metres tall that were fast and deadly but with little to no armour.

The One was making good progress as they kept beating the Swarmers back. Arrows with heads made of metal or rocks would occasionally pierce a "soft" spot on them or a spear would punch a hole in them. 'Alas, the One knew very well that this was the start of the onslaught. They won't stop. The Swarmers will come and come and come until everyone was dead.

Grinston placed two fingers over her ear. “Activate the defence turrets, we got company.” Within moments, the [i]Revere[/i]’s Point Defense Guns whirled to life, immediately firing upon any target the ship deemed hostile. First contact was already off to a terrible start, the Guardsmen and a few armed pilots formed a makeshift defensive perimeter around the central entry point of the [i]Revere[/i] as gun fire illuminated the darkened street corner.``Ha! Takes me back to Mojave!” One of the older guardsmen said, the machine's tactics and attack patterns were not too dissimilar to the Yulzan’s cybernetic attack dogs, the Condemned. “

Stay focused!” Grinston cried out, as she pulled the trigger, letting loose a volley of bullets, not letting go till she exhausted her magazine. “Reloading!” Grinston ducked down as she pulled another mag, however, the situation would escalate as more heavy variants were on fast approach, and did not intend to stop. “Oh shit!” One of the guardsmen cursed. “Scatter!” Within moments, the Swarmer-robots rammed through the barricade, the squad scattered around, the fight erupting into utter chaos of screams and gunfire.

Time seemed to slow down for Grinston as she saw even more machines emerging from the darkness, several of her men and one of the pilots being ripped apart by these mechanical beasts. Cut off from Americana, seemingly stranded on a dead and hostile world infested with killer robots, it seemed hopeless at the moment.

The One army couldn't have chosen a better moment to arrive. From atop of a nearby building a few Williams jumped to their deaths on the streets below as the oil-bombs that were strapped to them all ignited at the same time. The area around the ship almost burst into flames and starting heat.

Jamess soon joined in the fight too as they punched hole after hole in the Swarmers.  Arrows, javelins and bombs were being thrown in almost every direction as the One army advanced. At this point, the Swarmers started to pull back. Retreating for minutes before restarting their assault.

The Grants shared a look between themselves and shook their heads. Robots retreating meant only one thing. Something stronger was needed to finish the job. Something deadlier. Far more deadlier.

The Grants stepped forward as the Swarmers and Snatchers retreated, raising their voice loud enough for the FRA to hear them, while the Jamess and Williams quickly setup a perimeter to keep a watch on things.

"[Color=gray]Welcome to the Circle of One. Hope you're enjoying your stay soldiers. If you'd like to continue breathing, we suggest you gather your survivors and follow us. The Swarmers only retreat when the big boys are coming, and we'll soon be all dead in very unpleasant ways for you. We're the One and this is our planet. [/color]" said the Grants, each saying a different sentence or word of a sentence with perfect synchronisation between each other. As soon as they stopped talking, they removed their helmets that obstructed the view of their faces until now.

“What the hell…?” Grinston muttered to herself at what she saw. It all happened so fast, from the edge of death, to being saved by…an army of identical men clad in what appears to be armour made of bone. Regardless of the strange events, Grinston shook her head as she snapped back to reality, rallying what remained of her squad, the ship crew, and the ambassador himself to follow the strangers out of danger, far from the killer machines.

With a quick whistle, the One army was ready to move. Whatever remained of it. The One seemed impressed by the discipline of the FRA and it reminded them of the militaries of the past. Letting out another whistle, the One army formed up in a circle with the FRA and the Grants in the middle.

"[color=gray]You may call us Grant for ease of talk. We take it you're in charge? These robots are what we've been dealing with everyday for the past 300 something years. They don't play nice as you might've seen. Killed a few billion of us until now. [/color]" said one of the Grants while another shouted loudly: "[Color=gray]Everyone on the double. If you care about your lives, I suggest you keep up with us and if one of you falls, let them. Don't play hero, you [i]won't[/i] survive it. Agreed?[/color]" shouted the Grant as they started to move away from the ship.

"[color=gray]They won't care about your ship. We'll send another team to drag it back to our territory later. [/color]" quickly added another Grant.

Grinston was lost at the moment; she was still in shock from her current predicament. Giving simple replies to each question, until she registered the “billions” bit, her eyes widened. “Excuse me? Billions?!” She yelped. That certainly wasn’t a casualty number to scoff at.
 
Tristan walked forward, hoping to speak with his rescuers. “There’s so many questions!” He said, with a hint of excitement, that or the adrenaline from danger and action was still kicking in. “First of all, how did [i]this[/i] happen?” He motioned to all the other Grants in the group. “And what were those machines that attacked us? And What is with the fog?”

The Grants chuckled at Grinston's shock and nodded.

"[color=gray]Aye, billions. We've been at this for a long, long time and fighting them without bullets, rockets, tanks and all that made it a bit hard to take them down. It doesn't help that they keep on coming. There's no real way of stopping them unless you kill the area's controller unit and that usually takes hundreds of thousands of us to take it down, loads of planning too. IF...we're lucky. We've attempted to take control of this area for the past 50 years and as you can see, we haven't found the controller unit. [/color]"

Another Grant studied Tristan, determining that he wasn't a soldier but something akin to one. Maybe a diplomat of sorts.

"[color=gray]By [i]this[/i] you mean us? Cloning machines. Our colony ship was taken down by those spheres you must've passed by when you flew through the Gateway. EMP charge. We weren't prepared for it at all. The ship was damaged and most of our food stores were lost. Nothing can grow in the city besides a mushroom we've found 174 years ago, 11 months, 2 weeks and 5 days ago. Human nature ran its course afterwards. We killed each other, ate each other, fucked each other. Whatever kept us alive, until only One remained. Us. You'd be surprised how long the human body can survive without much food or water if you're stubborn enough not to die. The aliens of this planet made the cloning machines for whatever reason, we're not sure. [/color]" replied the Grant before removing from their back what seemed to be a trophy in the shape of a swarmer head, held it out towards Tristan and approached the torch they were carrying. The metal shined under the light, making it seem more terrifying that it actually was.

"[color=gray]These? We call them swarmers. They don't shoot at you but they can break your bones with ease. The other ones that were flying are Snatchers. They take you away, inject your body full of something. Suddenly, all you want is to kill biological creatures. Ain't a nice death, let us tell you that. The pain is everywhere at once. If you mean the robots in general, we've got no clue. Defence system? Experiment gone wrong? Whatever they are, they stay in their zone and kill anything that goes into them. As for the fog...no answers there either. Keeps things dark is all we can say. We haven't seen a sun since we first crashed here. Yourselves? You look well trained, soldiers, and ship. Got any luckier than us?[/color]"

The city went silent. Somewhere close, something stirred. Movement. Debris falling. Whatever it was, the quiet wouldn't last much longer.

“Compared to this? We had found paradise.” Tristan replied. “We had found a system with two lush worlds that could serve as the new homes of humanity. We named the sisters Columbia and Roseau. Columbia was our first home for centuries, but we lost Columbia to invading aliens, the Yulzan. They came as refugees, seeking a new home, and we foolishly took them in, only to be stabbed in the back. “Tristan paused, taking a deep breath. “For decades we’ve been at war, fighting for our freedom and for our very survival. The war is at a stalemate.”

"[color=gray]Your aliens are alive and kicking. [i]Nice[/i] to hear that we ain't the only ones that are dealing with aliens. Well, technically in our case, we're the aliens. But, we're glad to hear that other humans survived. Are there more colonies? We remember the ads back when Earth was still around. Hundreds of ships. Nations, companies, entrepreneurs...everyone was sending ships out through the Gateways. At least you tried to negoti--[/color]" started the Grants to reply before a sharp whistle was let out by one of the outer Jamess before a [i]thum, thum, thum[/i] sound could be heard and green energy lit up the area before the James fell on the ground, burnt to a crisp.

"[color=gray]On the double. RUN! We ain't got the numbers to deal with the Immortalis themselves. Group 1 and 2. You'll be remembered.[/color]" shouted the Grants before a good part of One army broke off from the main group. As the main group ran, they could hear the sounds of fighting, screams and lights being extinguished behind them.

“You heard the man! MOVE!” Grinston shouted out as her group followed the main One group. She had no idea what was chasing, but she and what remained of the FRA group, were sure as hell were not planning to find out. The sound of fighting grew more and more distant as they all fled across the darkened landscape, for the Americanans, it was almost like running blind, thankfully better sets of eyes were guiding them through.

Silence followed for a few minutes and then the shooting from afar began again, 'alas, no human sounds could be heard anymore.

"[color=gray]Group 1 and 2 are dead. They've bought us enough time. [/color]" said one of the Grants with a grim expression while pointing at something up, in front of them.

"[Color=gray]A few more metres. Prepare to jump forward when we tell you and keep your body low. Can't guarantee you'll live otherwise. [/color]" said the Grants as they passed under a bridge that connected two tall buildings between one another.

One step. Two steps. The shooting started to be accurate as more Williams fell down and the occasional FRA soldier. Three steps...

"[color=gray]JUMP![/color]" shouted the Grants as they jumped forward and a loud explosion followed. The bridge stood still for a second before it came crashing down in a burst of dust and debris, closing down the street behind them.

The smoke cleared, all the Americanans present coughing their lungs out from the dust, followed by moans from fall injuries. “This is more than enough excitement I can have in a lifetime…” Tristan said as he got up with the ground, dusting off his clothes. “How much farther till we safe from those things?”

With a laugh, the Grants answered. "[color=gray]Safe? This planet ain't safe, mate. But this should keep them busy until they go around. More than enough time for us to get back to a safe zone. [/color]"

Helping out with the wounded, the One carried on and on. The occasional Swarmer or Snatcher would appear but was quickly shot down. Weapons made a massive difference in fighting the robots.

If only...the robots would've been the only danger. If only...After a few turns or going inside a building only to get out on the other side, the lead Grants looked around and shook their heads.

"[color=gray]Shit. This ain't good. We had to make a detour to bring the Immortalis to the bridge and now we're in an area we don't know anything about. Keep your guard up and follow our orders, this ain't gonna be a picnic. [/color]"

Shit. One of the Grants stepped forward and looked at the ground.

"[Color=gray]None of you move. Stop, stop, STOP. [/color]" they shouted as they pointed at a symbol on the ground…dried blood and a skeletron. The symbol was of the wicked, crazy smile of the Joker from old Earth. A favourite character of the One turned into a warning.

"[Color=gray]Please tell me that you see what we're seeing. [/color]" they said in a scared tone as they pointed forward to a shape that wasn't there before.

The shape in question was a deer made out of green light and it seemed to eat something invisible off the ground. Oblivious of the group staring at it.

“Where did the glowing deer come from…?” One of Americanans asked. The sight of a glowing deer was…something for sure, last everyone recalled, there was no animal life to speak of on this world, especially for an Earth animal that’s been extinct for over three centuries, at least in this part of the galaxy.

“I’m afraid to even ask….” Grinston said, unsettled by the Grants reaction to the anomaly.

The one FRA soldier that stared and asked about the deer took a few steps towards it. As he walked towards the deer, it stopped its grazing and looked straight at him.

Underneath the soldier a hole appeared and he fell into it. As he fell, his greatest fears came to life to attack him, tear him apart and then even as he lost limbs…they appeared back again as he fell into infinity.

At least that's what he saw. From everyone else's perspective, the soldier just dropped to the ground before taking out his handgun and unloading it upon himself.

The FRA group all screamed in utter shock of what had just occurred. Unprepared for the man's sudden suicide. "Jesus chirst!" Grinston cried out.

"[Color=gray]Shit. That's what happens if you piss that thing off. It looks like light but it's far from that. We call them altered reality pockets. Only one of us survived them and we've had to put them down. Lost their minds. But what we know, we know from them. They fuck up with your mind but how, we've got no clue. We've been afraid to take the memories of those that were lost. Even the robots avoid them. Shit. If you believe in any gods, start praying to them. Chances are, we'll be dead by the end of the day. [/color]" said the lead Grant as the deer suddenly stood up and walked into a wall, disappearing from view.

"[color=gray]We can't go back, the robots will be waiting at the edge. We've got to keep going. Keep close. Don't think. Trust us.[/color]" said one of the Grants, their tone shook.

The day keeps getting worse and worse, in addition to the various hostile alien technologies that seem hellbent on the death of humans, now there was anomalous entities that drove you to madness to the point of death. This world truly is “hell on earth” for a lack of a better term. “If I survive this…I’m taking a looong vacation…” Grinston said, the planet slowly draining her.

As Grinston thought about being drained, she started feeling weaker. Slowly but surely, she would die and she knew that. The only way she'd be able to survive was to get out of the APR (altered reality pocket). Her skin started to lose color and her face became pale.

Noticing the change in Grinston, one of the Grants turned towards and something between a shout and yell came out of their mouth: "[color=gray]WHAT DID WE SAY? WHAT DID WE SAAAY? STOP. THINKING. It knows what you know. Don't think about what you're afraid of, don't think about your loved ones, don't think of anything that can be used against you. [/color]"

As the group started walking forward, the street they were on...changed. It went up, at a 90 degrees angle. Looking around, it seemed that there were no other ways to go but up or where they came from...only that a wall appeared from where they came.

"[color=gray]Shit. Anyone afraid of heights? 'Cause the APR just heard you.[/color]" seethed one of the Grants.

“Oh dear…oh dear..” Tristan started to panic about the sudden shift of the landscape for a brief moment before he decided to take charge, the sergeant clearly not in any condition to lead.  “Y-you heard him! Run and don’t think! For once in your lives, don’t think about anything!” Tristan cried out as the group ran to…whatever direction they could to get the hell away from the APR, scaling up the hill that stood in their way. This truly felt like some bad fever dream.

The group started the climb and at first it went well, until suddenly, the street returned back to its original state. Leaving the group in midair and almost certainly, ready to fall to their deaths.

The FRA group let out frantic screams of terror as they seemingly plunged into their deaths. “I just wanna go home, damn it!!” One of the surviving guardsmen cried out.

[I][u]Meanwhile…In the real world[/u][/i]

The FRA and the One were sitting down on their knees, their eyes blank but with a face of horror. Some, the ones that fell and died, had blood pouring out of their eyes and ears.

A figure atop a building looked at the scene with disgust. The figure was clad in black metallic armour and had some sort of black cannon-like weapon stopped to their back. In their right hand, the figure had a metallic spear while in the left one a bag that seemed to be made out of leather. Their head was fully covered by a helmet made out of a different material than the rest of the armour.

They were spying on the group from the beginning of their fight up until they entered the pocket and they were ignored by the flying Snatchers, Swarmers and what came afterwards.

Deciding to spare the newcomers of the horror that befell them, the figure took a deep breath and jumped from on top of the building, 20 stories down. As they descended, a harpoon was shot from their spear to the side of another other building and then pulled towards it. After a few more graceful movements in the air, the person approached the group and took out something akin to a syringe from the bag.

Locating the first person, Grinston, that wasn't the One that looked more in charge than the others, the figure plunged the syringe in the person's neck and released whatever it was inside. Grinston would wake up in seconds after the syringe's contents entered her blood.

"[Color=#5a5a5a]Use it on others. The puppets can di–[/color]" he stopped himself and let out a long breath before continuing "[color=gray]--no, save them too. Even they don't deserve this...haven't earned it. 'Count yourself lucky. You've survived the unsurvivable.[/color]" said the male voice of the person as he dropped the bag on the floor and then took off by using his harpoon to pull themselves away.

“W-wha?” Was all Grinston could muster at the moment as she awoke from her trance, the absurdity going around her was hard to believe at all. She nodded at the stranger before taking the bag, and administering whatever the hell was in those needles. One by one, each person who awoke helped the sergeant cure the others of their affliction. A moment passes once everyone is brought back from the brink. “I don’t even have words…” Tristan said, plopping himself on the ground, the whole day was a lot for the ambassador.

"[color=gray]And [i]he[/i] intervenes again. [/color]" said the One as they woke up.

"[color=gray]We'll have time to chat after we get out of here. Whatever was in the syringes might not last for long or it'll kill us all. Anything is possible when it comes to that person. [/color]" said the Grants before letting out a whistle and the group started walking again.

As they walked, their torches started to go out, the oil no longer burning as bright as it did. "[color=gray]We're running out of oil but look ahead. Home. [/color]" said the Grants before pointing towards what seemed like a portal to hell from where they stood. Amidst the darkness of the city, the One's areas looked out-of-place.

Before they could even get too close, a few whistles could be heard from nearby buildings which were swiftly replied to, by the rest of the group.

A procession of thousands of One, in various states of dressing, some naked, some with very minimal clothing, awaited them as they stepped through the two massive torches that marked the entrance to the One territory.

"[color=gray]Hi boys! We're back and we survived an ARP! [/color]"

The sight was still unreal, a city made up of a near countless number of identical men. What remained of the FRA diplomatic mission. Despite the rather traumatic day he just had, Tristan stepped forever, this was pretty much the moment he was brought here for, he certainly had the audience for it now.

 “Greetings from the Americana System!” Tristan said to…well everyone it seems, at least those who would listen. “I am Ambassador Tristan Marius, here on behalf of the Free Republic of Americana to greet you all to the new galactic community.” He paused as the realities of the day mounted on him. “I’ve had a long day….and experienced only a small taste of what you people endure on the daily. Know this, I will share what I’ve experienced with my leaders, and I promise you that we will help you in any way we can!”

Slowly, the group of One that was with the FRA was replaced by others as they went to record the memories for next generations. Only one Grant remained behind.

"[color=gray]Welcome to the Circle of One, Ambassador Tristan. We're sorry for the loss of your men, we'll launch an assault on that area in the following days to recover their bodies and your ship. It'll take us a day or two to gather all the required materials to launch an attack on that scale. Gonna have to redirect our forces from the south side to here but that won't be a problem. As you can see, the planet is quite big. We walked for hours and barely crossed one area without dying. [/color]" as the lead Grant spoke, Williams came forward with cups made out of carved skulls. Inside, there was a blue-ish drink. James came as well with well cooked meat and mushrooms. While another group brought some tables and chairs.

"[color=gray]The tea is a bit bitter but won't kill you, the mushrooms are nice when cooked. If you wish to eat some of [i]our[/i] meat, you're welcome to try. It's...an acquired taste. [/color]" said the lead Grant as they took a sip of their tea and took a big bite out of a piece of meat.

"[color=gray]Feel free to ask us any questions now that we're outside of any immediate danger. You're going to spend some time with us, might as well get to know each other. [/color]"

As they took their seats, members of the FRA group couldn’t help but salivate at the sight of cooked meat, however, Tristan, Talia, and the rest of the survivors knew better. As recalled previously earlier, there were no animals to speak of on this world, so the meat could’ve only been from one source ... .and the thought terrifies them all to no end. “We’ll just eat the mushrooms and have tea if that’s alright with you. “Tristan said, speaking for the survivors with no objections.

The One group laughed out loud at the obvious rejection of their meat and continued to pass it between one another.

"[color=gray]Don't worry about it, we would've been very surprised if you tasted the meat and enjoyed it. Took us a while until we learned we can't survive on mushrooms alone. [/color]" replied one of the Ones.

As the survivors and Grants rested, drank, and ate, one question soon followed. “Were we the first to visit your world? Or have others come?” Tristan asked.

"[color=gray]You're the first and thus the most unlucky yet or if others arrived, we don't have any memories of their arrival. [/color]" the lead Grant stopped for a minute and realised they never explained one thing to the FRA.

"[color=gray]Apologies, we just realised it must be weird for you to hear us speaking in multiples and about memories like we do. The cloning machines we're using put something in our brains, an implant. It stores our memories, gives us total access to them. We remember everything that happened to us since the moment we were born. Our mother's breast milk's taste, our father's kind smile. The first alcohol that passed our lips. Our first death...and the billion other deaths that came after. So, while there are many of us, we are One. In life, death and everything in between. [/color]"

“Wait so, you have memories that stretch back to the Exodus?” Tristan asked, the shared memory bit certainly caught his attention. “So, you remember everything about Old Earth?” This was quite the opportunity, a chance to get a glimpse into the past, to see Earth as it once was before she was lost to humanity forever, before becoming the lifeless rock she has been now reduced to.

"[color=gray]Aye, that's what we said. We remember the wonders of Earth. You're calling Old Earth, we called it home for a while. About 36 years to be precise. Our colony ship left before Earth went to shit. 'You been there recently? It is still blue or did we destroy whatever was left of it before the last colony ship left? Feel free to ask whatever you want...it's been a while since we talked with someone else that ain't us or that doesn't want to eat us.  [/color]"

“I’m sorry to say…but Earth Is long gone..” Tristan said in a sombre tone. “She still stands, but is now a lifeless rock compared to what you remember.”

"[Color=gray]Expected...tho' it's sad to hear that they managed to destroy it. The companies were fighting non-stop for control over territories. Wars left and right. Earth wasn't as beautiful as you make it, Tristan. With all our technological advances, we still didn't overcome basic human nature. Greed. Trust us, we've been in a good part of the wars. Worked as mercenaries for a while. [/color]"

“That’s…. rather unfortunate to hear.” Tristan said, the illusion and myth of a dying, yet serene Earth shattered. Even though Earth was on her dying days, he, and countless others across the galaxy, believed there was still a sense of beauty to this slow death, even as Mankind fought for what little remained, Earth was still that picture perfect world, despite what was being done to her that would eventually lead to total destruction. “Unfortunately, after all this time, we haven’t overcome our darker natures” He paused as he drank some tea. “War being a constant in our collective history.”

"[Color=gray]We guess you're not being taught about the bad shit that happened on Earth. Slavery, murder, rapes, deranged dictators...it had it all. We thought that would be gone when we got here. It wasn't gone. For you see...[b][i]HUNGER[/i][/b] does wonders on a person's mind. It will revert you to your basic state. Earth was a child's playground in comparison to what we've seen here.[/color]" replied the Grant with a mad glint in their eyes as they said "hunger".

Moments later, a James approached from behind and tapped the Grant gently on the shoulder. The Grant stood up and left without saying a word while the James sat down in their place.

"[Color=gray]We went to update our memory. Now, you were saying something before about a war with these"Yulzan ". What are they? Humanoid? Robots? Genetic experiments? And their tech. What can it do? You understand, we need to know in case they decide to try their luck with us or if we decide to give you a few hands of help. [/color]"

Truth to be told, the One all but decided to assist the newcomers with their alien war. It wasn't a hard choice,  strategically, it made sense. They'd gain one or more allies, access to even more alien technology, weapons. It wasn’t as if the One had anything to lose. They'd probably lose a few millions of themselves, it didn't matter in the end. More would be made.

“From what the Yulzan themselves told us themselves during the first contact years.” Tristan began, this was a long one, but he’ll try to abridge it as much as he can. “They’re more machines now than living beings. Committing all matter of genetic and cybernetic augments on themselves to the point they no longer resemble the original Yulzan.” He paused for a drink. “Personally, I feel this to be real tragic thing in a way, what they did to themselves is pretty horrific, they can’t eat properly, all the augments have rendered them infertile, all in the name of long life and "godhood" as they call it.”


The Ones are the tables all stopped and listened closely to the Yulzan. Even if they didn't hear everything, it didn't matter, they'd all have the memories soon enough. When Tristan spole about the history of the Yulzan many of the One shook their heads and nodded from time to time.

"[color=gray]The question is not if it's horrific. The question is, did they have to do it? Did they need to do all that to survive or was it in search of power? What started it and how it ended up are two different things. If they started this pursuit of long life for survival, we understand them but if they wished only for power for the sake of power, they deserve their deaths. [/color]" replied some of the Ones at the table before one more stood up from further down "[color=gray]Horrific or not, it doesn't matter. Just look at us. Look where we live. The things we've done and experienced in the name of survival...it would make you hurl. The pain, the deaths, the torture. But you do what you have to do. We don't see it as horrific, just necessary. [/color]" they said before sitting down, others nodding around them.

Talia interjected on the technology department. “Regarding their tech, it’s pretty nasty stuff.” Talia said. “I was on the frontlines for a short while before becoming a Guardsmen. They have what you’d imagine aliens like them had: Direct Energy weapons that either slice you clean or burn you to ashes, an army of drones equipped with said weapons, dealing horrific damage to our side. Cloaking tech that is damn near difficult to detect.” She paused as she took a chunk out of a mushroom. “And lastly is their cybernetics and genetic tech, made horrible monsters out of people. Either growing supersoldiers in vats or turning the average joe into a cyborg abomination.”


"[color=gray]Direct Energy weapons. If it wasn't so dark, you would've seen the Immortalis are using them too. Drones, plenty of those around here. Cloaking tech. Meh. The trick in fighting something you don't see is to [i]not[/i] see. Use your ears. Learn the movements of your enemy, copy them if you can, use them against them. If not, just listen. As for cybernetics and genetics...we haven't seen any since Earth-time. If they're anything like Earth's tech level, they'll be fun to tackle. We once killed a dude with his own cybernetical arms. The look on his face when we shot them off with AP rounds and then picked the arms up and started punching him with them...that was a fun day. [/color]" another One replied as others laughed at the memory.

Talia let out a slight chuckle. “You make it sound like you intend to fight them yourself.” She said with a grin, sipping more tea. “And if you do? Welcome to the club. Suits in the higher levels have been organising a coalition with the other colonies for years, but had to stall a bit due to a nasty affair from elsewhere. Not sure when but looks like we’re gonna strike back soon, we could use more bodies.”

One of the Grants stood up from the table and raised a cup up in the air.

"[Color=gray]Ya heard that boys? They're prepping up for another war outside of this hellhole. What say you? On to war again? Want to show those alien blasters what happens when you fuck with the One? Want to steal some tech off 'em and use it to beat the Immortalis's asses? WHO WANTS WAAAAAAR?[/color]" shouted the Grant that stood up and almost immediately shouts of approval rang across the area, only to be echoed down throughout the city.

“Well, seems like first contact went swimmingly.” Tristan noted with a smile, although the landing itself was rough, and losses were made, at least the deaths of the brave souls were not in vain. “I’m sure our leaders will be more than happy to know you support our cause from the get-go. Once we return home, I will try my best to encourage peacekeeping operations on your world, it’s only fair we help you in exchange. Once we properly understand the "environmental hazards" that is."

Talia and the few surviving Guardsmen toasted alongside The One, letting out a battle cry. “When the time comes, go give ‘em hell.” Talia said to The One.

"[Color=gray]We don't necessarily support your cause. Don't take it the wrong way, but it's for our own survival too. IF these Yulzan are as bad as you make'em, imagine what they'd do with the Immortalis's technology. What we've uncovered is a droplet and that's only due to our limited resources. Now if there would be someone with real resources...and as for your proposal of "peacekeeping", there's no need. We're more than capable of mastering our own world. In exchange for help with your Yulzan, we'll request only material help and a trade. Weapons, armour, building supplies. We'll provide you with our numbers, expertise and data from what we uncovered on Immortalis tech. We trust the price is right.[/color]"

“A fair trade I would say.” Tristan said, standing up. “Once I return, I’ll speak to my superiors in arranging a supply line, ships will bring you all materials needed to win your own war. And with your guidance and assistance, we’ll arrange offworld transport for your troops.” He paused as he extended his hand. “I look forward to further cooperation with your people. Maybe one day this world will be made a paradise with our help.”

"[Color=gray]Very well then. We shall start by apologising. We've lied when we said we need a few days to recover your ship. The plan was to learn as much as we can from you if you proved...unfriendly. That's not the case. You can join us as we take the area from the Immortalis or...stay and enjoy more of our mushrooms and teas. Unfortunately, our alchool ran out ages ago. [/color]"

Almost as if on queue, explosions echoed through the city and once more the yellow flames lit up the darkness.

A startled Tristan yelped from the sudden explosions, turning to face the lead Grant.  “First of all, I thank you for being up front, as for your offer.” He looked to the other survivors, he could easily tell by their expressions that they were ready to fight to take back the ship from the Immortalis, they certainly had an advantage with the few firearms they had in hand, and the sooner they were offworld, the better. “We’ll join you in the fight. It's the least we can do.”

"[Color=gray]Follow us but keep your distance. If we die, nothing changes. If you die, you stay dead. There's only one condition, if we fight a Controller, you run. Run back here or wherever there's one of us but before you do that, you'll have to recover an implant from our brains. We'd be dead anyway. Either the implant or the head works. [/color]"

The FRA survivors all nodded in agreement, checking their weapons as they were ready to charge out. The Ambassador handed a pistol just in case. Talia stepped forward as she took command. “Understood, we’ll act as support and let you take the lead.”

"[Color=gray]If you don't mind, we'd like the Ambassador to stay behind. We'll offer him a tour of our parts of the city. He'll be perfectly safe. [/color]"

“That seems fair.” Tristan said he wasn’t exactly ready to charge out and possibly die. “I’m not much of a fighter anyway, lead on.”

“For security reasons, sir.” Talia began. “Best keep the pistol, just in case.” The Ambassador nodded, hiding the weapon underneath his coat. “


By the time the FRA group arrived bodies of thousands littered the ground. Most were crushed but as the group advanced, the bodies started to be burned to a crisp. While others were cut into pieces, body parts all over the streets. Blood, guts and everything else. But not only that. Carcasses of Swarmers and Snatchers were everywhere.

As they walked, the group collected the weapons from the FRA soldiers they found and promised they'll be back for the bodies but that wasn't the problem. It was the fact that the whole battlefield seemed off, different than usual. Very different, there shouldn't have been this many robots.

"[Color=gray]We suggest you get ready. The fighting is closer now. It'll get dangerous fast from here.[/color]" the One group said as they reloaded their weapons and got their javelins ready.

“Roger that.” Talia said, turning to the rest of the group. “Weapons ready, things about to get hot real fast.” The others nodded, checking their ammo count and some setting safety settings off. “We’re good to go.” The older guardsmen said.

“Alright, we move in slowly, follow the clones, they’re the experts here.” With that said, the squad followed closely with their One allies, ready to confront whatever the Immortalis threw at them.

[I]BOOOM[/I] [i]Fllluuusssh[/i] [i]BOOOM[/I]

Explosions rang all around them as flying Snatchers were brought down by One archers from a building. Even aiming at something in the dark was hard, hitting them was a different thing altogether...yet the One was doing exactly that.

"[Color=gray]GET DOWN![/color]" shouted a James at the FRA group as they went in a protective circle around them. With their guns up they started shooting at what seemed to be nothing but then the tell-tale red lights of the Snatchers could be seen.

Arrows flew from the sky soon after from an unknown location. Screams of One dying all around could be heard. The whole area became a war zone and hundreds were dying by the second.

An energy blast hit in the middle of the group and while it didn't kill anyone, they were all pushed by the shockwave that it produced.

The world became blurred and muted, the blast a killer on the ear drums, at least for a brief moment before Talia regains awareness of her surroundings, chaos erupting as gun shots and explosions rang out in the air. A Snatcher diving towards Talia, close enough for her to pull the trigger, downing the machine within moments as she unloaded lead in the thing.

The Snatcher got battered by bullets but it didn't seem to stop it from approaching Talia. Tentacles came out of it and just as they were about to catch her, a Grant pushed Talia away, getting caught themselves in the tentacles.  

"[Color=gray]Shoot us in the head. [/color]" screamed the Grant as they were struggling to keep themselves away from the body of the Snatcher.

In a panic, Talia pulled the trigger, a single bullet hitting the Grant right in the forehead, the body going limp.

Meanwhile, the fighting went on. Swarmers [i]swarmed[/i] from every direction pouring out of buildings even as some parts of them would explode from oil bombs and destroyed robots.

But the cause of the energy blast would soon be revealed to the group soon enough. From above the first floor of a nearby building, bodies started to drop. Human at first and then 3 [url=https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/955867395325571143/1122094874779463720/Screenshot_20230624_102357_Chrome.jpg]Immortalis[/url] themselves.

Immediately they jumped towards the group but didn't make it too far. Spears, swords and a few bullets to the head from both the FRA and the One brought them down.

"[Color=gray]Scatter. These guys explode after they die. [/color]" shouted a One as they began pulling people away.

The FRA soldiers followed as instructed, and scattered as soon signs of detonation were detected. “Shit! Get clear!” One of the guardsmen cried out as they all jumped away, the Immortalis exploding into a bright flash. Talia rushed to one of the Grants taking cover in nearby rubble. “How much further to the [i]Revere[/I]?” She asked one of them.

"[color=gray]We passed by it about 1 km ago. Had to go around. We're planning to piss them off enough until they send out the Controller. When that thing's around...your ship we've assumed it's well armed. It should be able to punch a few holes in it. If not to bring it down, enough to ground it. Once on the ground, we'll take care of it. "[/color]" shouted the Grant as they stood up from their covering place to shoot at incoming Swarmers.

Reinforcements soon arrived from the way they came and while it didn't do much, it was enough to allow the group to move and move they did.

"[color=gray]There. That's your ship. [/color]" shouted a One as they threw a swarmer on the group and punched a hole through its head.

“Alright people! You know what to do!” Talia shouted out, the FRA soldiers rushing for the [i]Revere[/i], shooting like mad men at incoming swarmers as they advanced towards and eventually entered the ship. “We’re down to a lot of people, so do whatever you can to bring her back up.” The FRA survivors went into frantic work to revive the ship, and to ready her defence systems just in case this “controller” shows up.

"[color=gray]Let us help. Use us. [/color]" pleaded the One as the city started to rumble. What seemed to be an earthquake, proved to be anything but that as a 20 meter tall [url=https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/044/439/573/large/athavan-ananthakanesamoorthy-dicetale-games-devourer-athsart.jpg?1673840665]Controller[/url] burst out from beneath the ground, leveling a few buildings as it did. The whole area was soon bathed in red light from the Controller's body. Illuminating the extent of the damage. Hundreds of thousands of dead bodies everywhere. Blood, guts and gore.

"[color=gray]That's it. Talia! The head. Put a few holes in it. As many as you've got. If that thing gets fully out of the ground, one ship won't make much a difference. [/color]" shouted the last Grant that was with the group.

From the bridge of the ship, Talia stared in awe at what was emerging from the ground. “We’re dealing with giant fucking worms now?!!” She cried out in frustration, she looked down at the command console, frantically searching for that magic button. “Aha! There we go.” She said as she slammed the button, within moments the defence guns emerged from the ship’s hull, all aimed at the Controller’s head. She wanted to say something witty, but the shear stress of the fight had left her speechless. The miniguns whirled up to life and unleashed a volley of bullets upon the serpent’s heads.

"[Color=gray]Only a worm when in the ground, Talia. Once it's out, it'll start floating. Flying. We believe these things are meant to be able to go into space if needed. [/color]" said the Grant as they watched bullets being shot from the miniguns.

Initially it seemed to go well, only for the Controller to turn around towards the Revere. A fly annoying a giant. Ready to be squished.

"[Color=gray]You got its attention now. Aim rockets right as it opens its mouth to swallow us. It has to be close otherwise its armour will protect it. That's how we've taken it down in the past...from inside. [/color]" said the Grant as the Controller started to move towards them, killing and destroying everything in its path.

“Got to recognize the armaments.” Talia said as she pressed down a few more buttons, the sole missile tube on the [i]Revere[/i] opening up. She was soon in control of the targeting systems, aiming square for the beast’s gapping maw. “Fire!” She shouted, pulling the trigger as a missile jolted out from the ship, heading straight for the beast.

The missile flew in a bright light towards the Controller's mouth and for a second it seemed that it would just move away but it didn't. For once, luck was on their side. It flew right in then...nothing. For a few more seconds, everyone waited with bated breaths for what was about to come.

[center][h3][color=red][b]BOOOOOOOOM[/b][/color][/h3][/center]

The missile exploded inside and it seemed like multiple things happened at the same time. Snatchers fell from the sky, swarmers stopped moving and started to explode all over the area, bathing it in tiny explosions that could be seen from above quite clearly.

The Controller's light flickered a few times before its head fell too in an awesome display of dust and rubble flying in every direction as it hit the ground.

The Grant grinned at the sight and put a hand on Talia's shoulder. "[color=gray]We thank you for this. The Controller's not dead yet but disabled. Your job is done. The rest of our forces will kill it. We suggest retreating for now, 'lest when it explodes it'll take the ship down with it. [/color]" said the Grant as they watched the others making their way towards the Controller. No longer having to fight off swarmers and snatchers, it wouldn't take them long to reach it.

Talia nodded as she connected to the ship intercom. “Hostiles are done, but we gotta bug out. “ She announced. “The big one is not down yet, but if it goes off, there goes our way back home. We gotta get the ship air and space worthy before that happens.” With that said, efforts were doubled as the survivors, along with any One left along to assist, all worked like there was no tomorrow in getting the ship at tip top shape. Miraculously, the ship was barely damaged in the fall, the preemptive emergency landing helped in that regard. Within moments, the ship lifted up towards the sky, making way for The One city.

Just as the ship was above the One city and began its descent, an explosion similar to a nuke went off from behind them. The shockwave brought down even more buildings in its path. It was clear that the One managed to kill the Controller but that everyone in the area was dead now.

"[Color=gray]Brace! The thing is dead. The area is ours. Next time you'll be here, Talia, we'll have settled in our new area. Hopefully clean all the bodies too. [/color]" said the Grant as they held onto something.

Talia held on to the command console as the ship shook from the shockwave. “With all due respect.” Talia began. “I think I won’t be back for a while. After what I’ve been thinking, I need a break…Although I’ll keep an eye out for you folks when you visit Americana.” The doors of the ship slid open, the boarding ramp lowered as massive crowds of One formed around the vessel, the occupants walking out victorious. Ambassador Marius was among the crowd, forming a wide grin, looks like he was going home after all


"[color=gray]We don't blame you for not wanting to come back but you're buying us a drink or 50 when we visit your planet. [/color]" laughed the Grant with a grin on their face. It was a good day. Less losses than usual, less resources spent, new allies. A good day.

The lead Grant stepped out of the ship and raised a fist in the air.

"[color=gray]We've won.[/color]" they said before going straight towards the ambassador.

"[color=gray]Thank you for the win, Ambassador. Your ship made our lives easier and saved lots of us, it wouldn't have mattered but it's good not to count the dead by the millions. Now, we think it's time for you to go back home but before that...will you allow us to join you? A few of us to replenish your crew and see the world outside of this place. We're prepared to bring some Immortalis artefacts with us to sweeten the deal. [/color]"

The Ambassador nodded. “We’ll be more than happy to have you along to help us. “He said. “And I can imagine members of our science community will be very pleased with the artefacts, and if you’re willing, we can bring a few more of you, we will no doubt need to establish an embassy for you for a proper introduction into the galactic community.”

"[Color=gray]We don't know if the artefacts have any material worth or if they're dangerous if tampered with but we're sure that after what you've seen here...you're going to let your people know that the Immortalis aren't playing nice. [/color]" replied the Grant before turning around and looking at the first groups of survivors coming from the battlefield.

"[Color=gray]Aye, we'll send you 20 of us. [/color]" they added before putting their hand out for a handshake. Tristan firmly shook the Grants hand. “It was an...interesting visit, and hopefully our peoples can help each other in the future.” He said.  


[hr][hr]

[Center][h3][color=gray]Zone 47 - City Centre[/color][/h3][/center]

A figure dressed in metallic armour stood atop a massive spire shooting skyward. One of the few that still stood. Snatchers flew around the figure, swarming around it in a flurry of bright blue lights.

The figure raised the weapon they held, a long spear high into the sky and electrical discharges from the Snatchers hit the tip of the spear. The blue lightning swirled around the spear's tip and then with a swift motion of the figure's arm, it hit the ground in an awesome display of electricity.

Then [i]he[/i] laughed. Loud and raw. Unhinged.

"[Color=gray]I'll find it. Soon. Just a few more. [/color]"