ACCESSING PANDORA’S BOX

-Search Query: “PRE-COLLAPSE”

55234 RESULTS

-KEYWORD SEARCH: “HECKETT”

9698 RESULTS

-FILTER YEAR: 2000-2100

3560

-REFINE BY CATEGORY: “AUDIO LOGS”

2255 RESULTS

ACCESSING FOLDER: “DISASTER PLANNING”

AUDIO RECORDING FILE 1 OF 2255

NOW PLAYING FILE 30 of 2255..

“We are talking about the extinction of our entire species! There won't be anyone left to judge our actions if we don’t go through with this. No one! Do you understand?! Any! And every! Alternative is preferable than the complete eradication of our species. You’ve seen the numbers, we all have. Billions will die, but at least with this… with this, we give humanity a fighting chance. May God...May God have mercy on our souls.”- U.S President Tayana Heckett to the World Council discussing Operation Enduring Spark. Circa 2055

REF/PC-TH1/2055

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Present

Jack woke up screaming in a panic resulting in him rolling out of bed and falling to the floor with an audible thud. It's just a dream! Jack reassured himself, as he laid face down on the carpet, trying to get his breathing under control.

After a few minutes for constant internal screaming, Jack’s racing heartbeat began to settle, taking a deep breath, he composing himself just enough to roll himself out of the blankets and onto his back to get a look at the clock that was duct taped to his ceiling.

“Ugh. c’mon, seriously? It's literally 2 minutes before I’m supposed to wake up,” Jack groaned, eyeballing the four-fifty-eight that showed on the clock. Jack sat up and stretched his arms, scratching his back in the process of getting off the ground. It had been nearly twelve years since the Elysium massacre, where Jack lost his home, parents, and child-like innocence.

The incident had scarred him. Jack often suffered from recurring nightmares of the incident much like today, therapy didn't seem to do much to help nor did the medications as the nightmares seemed to get worse with each passing year. But; He was fortunate to be alive, thanks to dumb luck and Mr. Crosby’s tenacity. Jack was spared a gruesome death. Compared to the hundreds massacred, he managed to come out relatively unscathed. At least physically, the trauma still plagued him to this day.

With a yawn, Jack walked over to one side of his bedroom to turn off a nightlight, before approaching his wardrobe to get ready for work. The rose-colored wooden panels of the wardrobe creaked as they parted ways to reveal a full body mirror. “Really need to find some oil for those” Jack muttered as he stood in front of the mirror.

Jack was a half Asian man, five feet and eleven inches, about one-hundred and thirty pounds, with black hair, and brown eyes that had a tint of gold to them. He was scrawny for his age and height, but this didn't bother him, as Jack looked at his reflection, he began to flex. Curling his skinny arm and grinning to himself before making a Hercules pose. A loud banging sound on Jack’s bedroom door suddenly interrupted his posing, causing Jack to flinch in surprise and quickly begin to take off his Dungeons & Demons Pajamas to get his work uniform on.

“Jack!” a voice yelled from the other side of the wooden door. “Get yer ass up kiddo. You got work, and I got a hot date to attend to , so get up before I leave without you!” Mike yelled, his voice getting further and further away with each word as the man descended the stairs past Jack’s room.

“I’m almost ready!” Jack yelled back in response, while struggling to get the hand-knitted sweater embroidered with Wong’s Greenery that was a size too small over his head.

Jack stumbled around. Accidentally bumping into his bedroom door, before pulling the sweater over his head and stepping out into the hallway where he was blinded upon exited. Artificial sunlight from the sky roof beamed almost directly into Jack’s eyes, causing him to flinch at the sudden brightness.

“Argh natural light!” Jack yelled as he fumbled for the handrails to the stairs.

“Oh my fuck, shut up! You say this every day.” Angelica suddenly hollered from behind as she shouldered Jack to the side.

“Hey!” Jack exclaimed, clutching his shoulder and making his best wounded expression.

“Deal with it, ya lil sissy.” Angelica spat in response, sick of Jack's antics.

Angelica was Jack’s older sister, or well, Mike’s youngest daughter, the two becoming siblings after Mike adopted him. She was 5’7 with short, dirty blonde hair and a muscular frame hidden by the crisp green camouflaged Guardsman uniform she was putting on over her tanktop.

“Mike! Angelica is being an asshole again!” Jack complained as the duo approached the bottom of the stairs.

“Play nice with your brother Angie,” Mike's voice called out from the kitchen.

“This loser isn’t my brother, dad.” Angelica yelled back. Looking directly at Jack, Angelica mouthed the word snitch, to which Jack responded with a middle finger causing her to scoff.

The duo walked down to where Mike’s voice had called out. Entering the commons area, they could see Mike lounging at the table in front of a fresh cup of steaming hot coffee that read Best Dad. Mike was a balding short man, with a handlebar mustache; sitting in the middle of the room in tan cargo shorts and a button-up shirt that depicted palm trees. He was reading from a tablet in one hand, while his other hand made audible mechanical noises as it rapped impatiently on the table.

“Ya know, as a loving father. I just wish my two kids would stop fighting all the time, and spend more of that time learning how to be on time,” Mike said as he got up from the metal table, picking up the scolding cup of coffee with his prosthetic hand in the process, completely ignoring the heat emitting from the cup.

“Is that too much to ask for?” Mike continued, as he poured the contents of the cup into a thermos.

“We’re both adults now, dad, or well, at least one of us is,” Angelica retorted, murmuring the last part; as she walked past her father and grabbed her holster off a nearby chair.

Mike turned to Angelica just as she began snapping the duty belt into place.

“Also, what did I tell you about leaving your gear not stowed?” he asked her.

“Not to,” she mumbled, chastised.

“And yet, why do you still do it?”

“Because you love me, and I’m lazy,” Angelic said with a smile as she planted a kiss on Mike’s cheek.

“Well, at least one of those things is true,” Mike said with a smirk before gesturing with the thermos towards Jack, and then towards the stack of MREs in the opened pantry.

“Make sure to eat today, Jack,” Mike said, changing his attention over to his son.

“Yea, I will.” Jack replied as he grabbed a bag labeled BEEF STEW from the pantry shelf.

Mike looked down to check the watch that was held to his wrist by a few threads that had several colorful beads looped in between them. He furrowed his brow, clearly unsatisfied with the time.

“Alright Kiddos, let's go, let's go!” Mike exclaimed, banging his prosthetic hand onto the thermos to make a clanging sound to indicate urgency. Hurriedly, the trio made their way from the commons room towards the door, with Mike in tow as he kept shooing them towards the door.

Mike fished out a keycard and placed it next to the console that sat on the wall next to the door. As it read the keycard, the door made a series of audible beeps before a loud sound of machinery turning indicated that the door was unlocked.

“Have a good day Mr. Crosby,” the door chirped as Mike turned the handle and proceeded to walk outside with Jack and Angelica in tow. Jack was the last one out of the building. When he stepped past the door frame, the door shut automatically behind him with an audible mechanical noise; before flashing red on the outer console, indicating it was locked.

“There's a tram that leaves in about thirty minutes to the merchant’s district. I’ll drive you to Benson’s station, but you’ll have to run to catch the tram,” Mike said to Jack as they approached the driveway where a blue four wheeled armored car with the words Peacekeeper stenciled on it’s sides sat.

The car was a luxury, only afforded to the military peacekeepers, or the insanely rich who could afford the mana upkeep and maintenance for their vehicles. As Jack walked over to the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door, he was halted by an arm grabbing his shoulder and pulling him away from the vehicle.

“Back seat is reserved for losers, plus I got dibs anyway,” Angelica said as she moved by Jack and sat down in the passengers seat, slamming the door shut before he could formulate a complaint.

“Whatever.” Jack muttered as he moved over and opened the backseat door and begrudgingly sat down on the hard plastic interior. Mike got in shortly after, setting his thermos down in the cup holder as he turned the ignition and the vehicle hummed to life. As the vehicle pulled out of the driveway, Jack turned to look at the sky above. Or well, lack of.

The Crosbys lived in a housing district on B-Two of New Eden, the second floor of a massive underground housing district. It was centrally located, close enough to the central tram system that ran up and down New Eden but also close to the access shafts that lead to the entertainment and business district sections on B-One, making the location a premium area.

Unfortunately for most of the population, only the middle class and wealthy could afford to live here. Which didn't make up a sizable chunk of New Eden’s population. Fortunately, Mike’s military retirement payout, coupled with his peacekeeper work, helped to afford the sublevel housing. It's a nice place, but it just doesn’t beat the view of the actual sky. Jack thought as his view of the highrise apartments and skylane trams was cut off as they entered a service tunnel designated only for vehicles.

“So.. a big day is coming up. Are you excited?” Mike asked inquisitively taking a sip from his thermos.

“Not really, it’s just another birthday, and even If I awaken, they’ll just make me fight and if I don’t.. Well I can just live at home and play games forever once I get my inheritance,” Jack said dismissively as he leaned on the car door to try and catch a quick nap.

“Argh! Seriously! This is why you suck!” Angelica suddenly cried, as she turned to face Jack in the backseat with scorn clearly visible on her face. This caused Jack to look away and pretend to stare out the window to avoid her gaze that felt as if it was boring a hole in the side of his head.

“Hey! It's too early for this again kiddo," Mike interjected while trying to keep the car straight. "It's his decision to choose what he wants to do, Angelica, you should respect that.” Mike continued, looking over and placing a hand Angelica's shoulder to get her to sit back down in her seat.

Angelica let out a groan of annoyance before looking at Mike and yelling, “No! I don’t dad, this is why he’s never going to go anywhere in life, because you won’t stop coddling him like he’s a baby!”

“Jack is going to make his own choices, he’s got special circum-” Mike began but was quickly interrupted by Angelica.

“No, he doesn't have anything special! This is why-”

Uninterested, Jack slowly began to doze off as the conversation in front faded into the background, the two began to argue with each other as they usually did. Letting his mind wander off, Jack let out a yawn, slowly closing his eyes until he drifted off to sleep.