Chapter 12 – Protracted Pentagon Protection

Author’s Note: I’ve added a view of the Pentagon in the spoiler below. The northern section jutting out with the “H” (Helipad) is the roof of the underground warehouse where the Chinese have infiltrated.

Pentagon for reference

Spoiler :

There are a lot of relative location names in the chapter. For reference, the Corridors of the Pentagon are (clockwise from top): Northern, Northeastern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western. The Sections of these Corridors are: Outer, Outer-Central, Central, Inner-Central and Inner radiating inwards. There are different names for these in real life, but they are pointlessly more difficult to remember so I’m not using them.

Another thing to note is that all Chinese names here are first name – last name (like Western ones). I know it’s not technically correct, but it makes more sense given the setting (The System is translating the names to make them easier to understand by the characters which are Westerners).

Enjoy!

Northern Corridor, Outer Section, 1st Floor, the Pentagon, Washington D.C., the Game

Perspective – Alex Cheng – Offensive Team

“Enemy in the stairwell!” Alex yelled.

“Take them out!” the Sergeant ordered.

Garry, Alex and the U.S. soldiers opened fire. Most of the shots missed, but two made their mark, hitting center-mass into one of the soldiers. Two spurts of blood flew from the wounds before he collapsed, being pulled back by his teammates from beyond their fields of view. A moment later, a bright flash could be seen and then sparkly dust made their way up from the corridor before dispersing into nothing.

Defeated Fang Tián, Level 61 Earth Coalition Rebel (Chinese People’s Liberation Army Ground Forces Private)425 Exp

“Pull back,” the Sergeant ordered. He made a few signs to the soldier on his left who took out a grenade and threw it down the stairs.

The quickly ran down back into the Pentagon’s Norther Corridor. Moments later, the grenade exploded. A few yells could be heard but there were no fatality notifications.

“Man, this is really…” Alex muttered. “This might be a game, but everything still hurts. I just shot a man and he… Trust me, when I woke up after flipping that Humvee, I actually had a broken spine. That’s not a good feeling. This Game doesn’t hold back.”

“I know what you mean; you think I enjoyed being mauled by a bear, even if it was just for a moment?” Garry empathised. “Luckily it was quick. That’s all we can do: make it quick. They knew what they signed up for… and I guess we’re starting to figure out what we signed up for.”

“Cut the chatter!” the Sergeant yelled. “You might be civilians, but while you are in this outfit you’re under my command. So shut up or do something useful; we have a job to do!”

The two immediately shut up. Alex instead got on the radio, saying, “Bradley this is Alex, we have enemies in the Northern Warehouse stairwell, we’ll need you to be ready with your packages.”

“Alright, I’ll do what I can, but you’ll need to speak through Farida instead, she has the map,” Bradley replied over the radio.

“Will do.”

Southeastern Corridor, Inner Section, 2nd Floor, the Pentagon, Washington D.C., the Game

Perspective – Farida Sharma – Explosive Team

Bradley and Farida of the Explosive Team as well as the four members of the Barricade Team sat in a small room as far away from most of the action as possible. The Southern corridors were the best defended due to the massive parking lots which gave any invading force zero cover against the entrenched Pentagon positions. The inner section, likewise, had enough protection from the other sections to be safe from stray missiles or tank fire. From this position, they could safely coordinate the building of defenses and the demolition of explosives.

The Barricade Team sat and listened to the communication traffic of the soldiers and went to assist them in whatever fortifications they needed to the new defensive lines as the Chinese moved forward. The Explosive Team, then, spoke directly with the Offensive Team and activated any traps to hinder the Chinese advance.

It did not go as smoothly as they planned. They were swamped.

“We have Chinese moving down the Northern Corridor!” a female voice on the radio cried out. The sound of bullets could be heard in the background. “So something!”

“Where are they exactly,” Farida replied as calmly as she could in the tense situation. “What room are you next to, how far away are they, what direction are they coming from?”

“How the hell do you expect me to-” an explosion cut her off. For a few moments, there was only the sound of guns firing their ammunition. “Argh! Damn it! Can’t you just do something?!”

“If we don’t know where you and the enemies are, we could accidentally kill you!” Farida yelled, her patience wearing thin. ‘Alright, don’t get angry at them; it isn’t their fault. Still… can’t they just think things through a bit more? Actually, I guess they can’t…’

“Right,” the voice muttered. A few more shots rang out in the background before she spoke up again. “We’re at the intersection of Corridor 4 and Uh… Block 500B moving to the um… main corridor. They are out towards the heliport.”

“Alright,” Farida replied, she turned to the map, running her fingers along the path. Nodding, she turned to Bradley saying, “Can you activate traps C11-C21?”

“Will do,” Bradley replied, going deep into thought.

‘I honestly don’t know how he could keep track of all those traps with just some numbers,’ she thought. ‘It must translate to some computer code or something. ‘A’ traps are grenades attached to some sort of electric-wire-circuit-thing that blows up without us doing anything. ‘B’ traps are claymore mines we can blow up from the comfort of our desks here. 'C' bombs stand for C4 and are strapped to the Pentagon’s major supports; we’ll only use those if things get really bad since it could bring down whole sections of the building. Honestly, if I didn’t know him before the Tutorial, I would have thought Bradley was some sort of undercover spy. As it turns out, circuits, some technical knowledge and a room full of military explosives are all you need to make really deadly traps.’

Multiple faint explosions could be heard.

Bombs you have helped set up have detonated, killing multiple enemies.NameLevelPositionWei Zhào48Chinese PLA Ground Forces PrivateMin Xú35Chinese PLA Ground Forces SergeantYáng Sun66Chinese PLA Ground Forces PrivateLì Zhào64Chinese PLA Ground Forces Private+594 Exp (of 1342 Total Exp Shared)

You are now Level 23.+5 Ability Points

‘It doesn’t make me feel good that we’re apparently so effective at killing,’ Farida thought somberly. ‘Still, I can’t really feel sorry for them,’ she added darkly. ‘They were the ones who attacked us for no reason. So while I don’t like it, I don’t feel guilty about it… even if I am forced to read the names of everyone I’ve helped kill…’ She shook her head. ‘Damn it! None of this is real! Once they’re dead, they won’t even feel the pain anymore. What am I even doing worrying about it? Why can't I just get over myself already!’

“Hey, this is Offensive Team 3, is anyone there?” the radio called out, coming back to life in Farida’s hands.

“This is Farida of the Explosive Team,” she replied confidently. “How can I help?”

Chinese Forward Operating Base, Shirley Park Shopping Center, Washington D.C., the Game

Perspective – Master Sergeant Jun Chéng

“Sergeant Jun Chéng, it looks like we will need to move you and your team to the attack at the Pentagon,” Senior Colonel Lóng concluded, having finally read the most recent reports on his desk.

“We already have over twenty dead after the initial successful attack,” the Chinese Colonel continued. “These deaths weren't caused by American soldiers, but rather from explosive devices hidden throughout the building. They seem to have some ‘centralized authority’ the enemy are radioing in to activate the explosives. Unfortunately, because the soldiers respawning from these bombs were not allowed to speak about how they died, it took far longer to get this information than expected. Apparently, such information constitutes ‘aiding’ the battle. Anyway, I want your team to find the source of whoever is controlling these bombs and take them out. If we cannot force the Americans to divert resources from the Airport to defend their ‘Control Point’, we will not have a chance of interfering with the Alien negotiations.”

“Sir, how am I going to get into the building?” the Sergeant asked. “If I go the same way as the others in the North, I’ll be facing the same stiff resistance as the others.”

“Do not worry about that, with our recent ‘acquisitions’ and your skills, I have a perfect plan,” he began. “You see…”

Forward Operating Base, Terminal A Lobby, Ronald Reagan National Airport, Washington D.C., the Game

An Hour and a Half Later

Perspective – Colonel Christopher Evans

The Ronald Reagan National Airport could be called many things; unlike the Pentagon however, ‘defensible’ was not one of them.

*BOOM*

James Michael (United States Marine Corps Private) has diedAllies Remaining:828

A rocket hit the Gate 1-9 Rotunda, causing pieces of glass and reinforced concrete to spill onto the tarmac below. The explosion caused the building to shake and one of the windows near the Forward Operating Base cracked from the strain. A medical team scrambled to get to the scene.

*TH-TH-TH-TH-THUD*

In the distance, the dull sound of tanks firing their main guns in unison could be heard. Enemy positions in the Commercial buildings to the south were being annihilated; the metal, glass and concrete structures could not take the blunt of the 120mm shells.

“Roger Bravo, we are firing for effect. Be advised again, you are danger close, over.”

“Alright, I’ve got a Bradley headed your way, sit tight, over and out.”

“I can’t hear you Charlie Actual, say again, over!”

“I’ll relay that to the commander; let me know if the situation develops, over and out.”

A little over two dozen administrative staff frantically worked the communications equipment. The Game project had enlisted the services of a little fewer than one thousand enlisted men with a comparatively small number of officers and other specialists. The project had never considered the idea of the people within the Game needing to take part in a battlefield scenario and so had not considered that when choosing who would participate in the Game.

Without the necessary personnel, the command structure was very ‘bottom-heavy’. Without the officers and radio operators to manage the four army companies and the flight of aircraft in real time, the radios were all tied up by too much information. As a result, the Colonel had reorganized the entire thing to a more de-centralized approach. The HQ would take requests for reinforcement, artillery and air-support only. Updating them on changes in plans, enemy sightings and coordinating supplies would all be done by the few lieutenants they had at the company-level.

The lack of control left Colonel Evans very frustrated.

“Where are they coming from, where are they based, and how many are there? That’s all I want to know,” the Colonel demanded.

“We can only tell that they are coming from the west, sir, South of Pentagon City most likely. That’s where the resistance is heaviest. Also, there have been no reports of any activity by our scouts around the Capitol or the Mall, so there is little chance of any attacks from the north or west,” his second-in-command, Lieutenant Smith, replied. “We also have no reports of their numbers, but I would estimate there are at least five-hundred; likely more.”

“How are the defenses here holding up, then? Have there been any new reports from Captain Garcia?” the Colonel asked.

“Everything is holding strong here, Colonel,” he replied. “It appears that the splitting the forces 60:40 in favor of the airport was a good idea. The positions here in the terminal are shaky and we are taking a lot of casualties, but despite constant firefights in the National Aeronautic Association Building we are overwhelming them at the moment. Our ground forces on the tarmac are keeping the enemy from gaining any foothold beyond the Memorial Parkway except for a few Chinese held up in the Office Buildings to the south.”

“What about our scouts?”

“Most of the teams are either suppressed, withdrawn or have not reported in, sir. Another scouting party found a destroyed Alpha 12's APC just off of Glebe Road. It is like what we confirmed a few weeks ago during the joint mock battles: the Game does not give us information about any allied fatalities we cannot immediately verify for ourselves. In Alpha 12's case, Without any bodies they are still MIA, but likely KIA at this time.”

“What about the Pentagon? How is Captain Moore handling the enemy infiltration from the North?”

“They are holding strong at this time thanks to their fortified position there. It seems the civilians have banded together and set up traps which are slowing them down. At the rate they are holding the Chinese back; it will take the enemy well over eight hours to take over the Pentagon; assuming they can keep their attack going that long.”

“That’s more than enough time,” the Colonel nodded in agreement. “With our air-superiority destroying enemy positions in the city, they will only be able to keep this up for two hours at best before we can begin a firm counter-attack. If that’s the case, how are our reinforcements to-?”

“Lieutenant Smith, sir!” a voice came from across the room. One of the radio operators ran towards them, lugging one of the portable radios with him. “It’s Captain Moore on the line. There’s been an attack on the Pentagon, sir!”

Before the lieutenant could take the radio, the Colonel grabbed it instead. “Moore, this is Colonel Evans. What’s the sitrep, over?”

Southern Parking Entrance, the Pentagon, Washington D.C., the Game

One Hour Earlier

Perspective – Master Sergeant Jun Chéng

*BOOOOOOM*

*RAT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT-AT*

*BOOOOOOM*

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle at the front entrance of the Pentagon exploded moments after a 120mm Anti-Tank warhead collided. A second BFV tried to attack but was also swiftly silenced.

The U.S. M1 Abrams Tanks which fired the shells did not do so because of friendly fire. The tanks were captured by the Chinese before the outset of the conflict while they were still on patrol. The appropriated Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF) Systems on board were still updating the U.S. systems that the tanks were allies; an unintended consequence of Colonel Evans' reorganization and the lack of coordination and administration at the higher levels. As such, the tanks could drive right towards the front of the Pentagon without fear of aerial bombardment or aggression. This combined with Sergeant Jun's team's training in tank use of all types for infiltration purposes, the Bradleys defending the Pentagon stood no chance.

Taking out both BFVs with the Abrams’ main guns and taking out other defenders with their small arms, the Chinese infiltrators disguised as U.S. soldiers ran into the building. Master Sergeant Jun Chéng made a few hand signs to the six PLA Special Forces with him and they all moved into position at the stairwell.

As they did so, a low-flying F-16 took care of their abandoned tanks, removing their chance of a clean getaway.

“Damn! It appears they managed to call in air support before we wiped them out,” one of the Special Forces members pointed out. Sergeant Jun only nodded his head, putting a hand to his lips to indicate silence.

‘Darn, those tanks would have helped, but it is a small loss. We needed to abandon them to the enemy anyway. Still, we don’t have any room for error,’ he thought grimly. ‘This must be a quick and silent op or China might lose this battle. If we do, the United States could gain more control over alien relations. The stakes are too high.’

Clenching his right hand into a fist over his head, the team moved in unison up the stairs just as reinforcements began to make their way to the entrance. Two American soldiers also came down the stairs and met the PLA task force half-way. The Chinese fired silenced shots from their Type 05 submachineguns into the men center-mass. The U.S. soldiers wore shocked expressions as they were gunned down by soldiers wearing their uniform. They fell down the stairs, but were quickly caught by the operatives to avoid them making any noise. Two silenced rounds from the Sergeant's Type 06 pistol to their heads killed them outright and they disappeared into dust.

Defeated Jerome Kinslow, Level 49 Earth Coalition Confederate (United States Army Private)495 Exp

Defeated Taylor McDevitt, Level 41 Earth Coalition Confederate (United States Army Private)450 Exp

You are now level 66.+5 Ability Points

With another hand sign they were on the move again.

Southeastern Corridor, Inner Section, 2nd Floor, the Pentagon, Washington D.C., the Game

Perspective – Bradley Cooper – Explosive Team

“Two of our own tanks just turned on us and attacked the front of the Pentagon!” Farida yelled, breaking the group of civilians out of their reverie.

Everything had been going well for their side until this point. The Chinese were either held back or in full retreat. With this attack, however, the south side had been flung open and the soldiers defending the Pentagon were now at risk of an exposed flank and being encircled. What's worse, Bradley did not have time to set as many traps on the southern side since it seemed to be the best defended.

“What happened?” Bradley demanded. The anxiety and stress of the situation had been getting to him for a while now. Unlike the people on the ground, Bradley knew that every position was falling back. The bigger picture did not look good and a surprise attack would only make it worse. “Did anyone break through? Have reinforcements arrived to hold the attackers off, what?!”

“Calm down, just give me a sec,” Farida muttered, forwarding the questions to the people on the radio. “…right… okay. They don’t know all the details, but apparently two of our own tanks just attacked us out of nowhere! The defenders called in air support to take them out and the tanks were destroyed… and that’s it.”

“That can’t be it,” one of the other civilians on the defending team denied. “That sounds too easy. If the enemy could get a hold of two of our tanks and sneak their way here, they wouldn’t be dumb enough to get taken out so easily.”

Farida nodded. “Yeah, the soldiers are saying the same thing over the radio,” she agreed.

“Well, there isn’t much we can do,” Bradley muttered, wiping his face with his hands and trying to settle down. “Farida, can you tell them to let us know if they’ve found them? Once we have their positions, I can take them out with explosives from here.”

“Will do-” Farida started before being cut off by the sound of the door to the hallway being kicked in.

Seven armed men rushed the civilians. Silenced automatic weapons fired, taking most of them out in the first volley.

Bloodstains smeared the walls as the others disappeared in explosions of dust. With the only exit sealed, several of them tried to dive for cover but were too slow. The methodical nature of their work and the precision of their weapons belied experience well beyond Bradley's or any of their capacity of dealing with. When one of the cilivians tried to rush a soldier, he was beaten over the head with a gun before riddled with silenced ammunition. In front of Bradley, Farida did not put up a fight and so was simply shot in the head before slumping down at her desk. Her wide eyes looked at him and slowly became dim and unseeing before she too disappeared. Amidst all this chaos, Bradley stood stock-still. Fear, panic and shock all mixed, causing his mind to shut down.

Before he could react, one of the soldiers lifted a gun over his head and struck Bradley heavily with the stock. He went unconscious before hitting the ground.

??????, the Pentagon, Washington D.C., the Game

Perspective – Bradley Cooper

Bradley woke up in a dark room with a small lamp pointing at his face. He could not see where he was, but he recognized the style of the room and could tell he had not been brought out of the Pentagon. He struggled to move, but found himself bound and gagged to a chair.

‘Not this shit again,’ he groaned. ‘I thought it would be at least another week before I found myself tied to a chair again.’

“I think the prisoner is awake, sir,” a voice said from the shadows.

Bradley tried to squint and see who had spoken, but the light in his face made everything around him except for a few minor details completely shrouded in darkness.

“You are the one in charge of the bomb traps inside the Pentagon, correct?” another voice said, pulling the gag from out of Bradley’s mouth.

Bradley did not respond. Figuring that keeping silent would be the best way through this situation.

“No ‘name-rank-serial number’? Interesting,” the voice replied. “You wear a military uniform, but you are not military. Unfortunately for you, that will only make your situation worse. You are going to tell me the method to detonating the traps set throughout the building.”

‘If I tell them that we'll lose!’ Bradley thought with panic. ‘With the amount of bombs I have, they could blow up half the Pentagon! If that happens, the U.S. loses the Pentagon, which allows the Chinese to respawn here, which means we lose the fight and the aliens leave or fight back. At best, I lose probably the only chance I have at seeing a new world, at worst, humanity loses it’s only ally and we’re doomed. This isn’t good.’

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied. “I just took care of some radio stuff. I had nothing to do with-ARGH!”

-11 HP

Before he could finish the sentence, a gloved hand flew into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. As he felt a rib crack, Bradley vomited on the floor. The pain he felt was unbearable. ‘How the hell is he so strong!’ Bradley thought through the literal gut-wrenching pain.

You have received crippling injuries to your midsection. Temporary penalties have been applied.-1 Endurance, -4 Agility

“We overheard you before we entered the room, dumbass; we know you are in charge of the bombs. You will tell us everything you know,” the voice clarified. He took out a knife, the blade shined like the sun against the darkness. Moving the blade up, he cut Bradley’s face a little. The pain actually served as a good distraction against the pain he still felt at his stomach.

“I-I c-can’t,” Bradley got out. “It will take too long… there are too many. I-It… please, just let me go.”

“Why? There is no need for us to do that. You can just logout, can’t you?” the voice helpfully informed.

‘O-Of course! Why didn’t I t-think of that sooner!’ Bradley thought. ‘God damn it, I could have avoided all this paint the whole time! System: Logout!’

Unlike what he had expected however, the System did not immediately log him out. Instead, a message appeared:

Logout NotificationYou are currently being tortured by the People’s Liberation Army for information pertaining to the demolitions at your disposal. Logging out now would unfairly bypass their ability to extract such information. To resolve this issue, a detailed map containing all positions, composition and activation codes for all explosives will be given to your torturers and the standard death penalty will be applied upon logging out.

Knowing this, will you logout?LogoutDecline

‘What?! Damn it, that’s right! I think the Administrator mentioned something like this before too… what do I do?’ Bradley thought.

“I can tell by your hopeless expression that you understand the consequences of logging out now. However, it appears that you did not listen to my advice. Let me help your decision,” the voice added.

The knife slammed down on Bradley’s hand, embedding itself through the middle of his palm. “ARGH!” he screamed for a moment until his voice went hoarse.

-17 HP

“You will logout, or we will keep this up all day,” the voice promised with an indifferent tone. “I know precisely what the Game Window told you; the PLA—myself especially—have spent months trying various torture methods to ensure the quick collection of information. Don’t misinterpret though; your military will not find you here. We had as long as we want to torture you and we will keep doing so until you logout. There are no reinforcements coming to save you. Why do you think we let you scream like that without a gag? It's music to my ears.”

The voice took out the map that Farida had been using and put it in Bradley’s face. “We have the map; we know where the bombs are, but not how to use them. Tell us what the numbers mean and the location of the detonators and we will leave you here just as you are. You will not even need to die.”

‘Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! There really is no escape isn’t there?’ Bradley thought. ‘Is this it? I have the opportunity to see the Universe, meet new alien civilizations, discover new technologies and make a name for myself; only to have it all taken away?!’

He panicked, but his mind survival ability allowed him to push through it. ‘Wait… did he say he wanted the location of the detonators?' he thought with a glimmer of hope. 'If he’s looking for a detonator, which means he doesn’t know that I’m using my Connect ability to activate them! Yes, that makes sense. Only the civilians the System selected would have the number of implants needed to get that ability. They may not even know the ability exists. That means…’

[table=grey]GSM ProtocolCCCH Channel, Downlink, P-GSM 900 BandDTAP RR System Info Type 4Cellular Default, MCC=United States, MNC=1, LAC=202DTAP RR Immediate AssignmentDefault Paging, Priority Channel, Increased ARFCN AllocationDTAP RR Paging RequestAllocate Channel, Initiate SetupDTAP CC SetupParty BCD Number={C.I.C. Macro: A1 Phone#}, ENICM EnabledDTAP CC ConnectDTAP CC Connect AcknowledgedDTAP CC DisconnectDTAP CC Release[/table]

He tried pinging one of the cellphone detonators and got a response. ‘Yes, I can still communicate! They didn’t block it, but how does that help me… I don’t even know where I am… wait. If I do it like that…’ he thought. His mind raced. Despite the pain he felt, he could feel his mind working through the problem faster than he thought possible. His Cybernetic Focus and Mind Survival worked in tandem, flying though the calculations and communication commands.

[table=grey]GSM Setup Complete, Connected to {Cellphone C15}DataHash {Bradley | C15} = 0x73256aebdb301c30Call Dropped[/table]

Bradley waited for a moment, but he could not hear or feel an explosion.

‘Nothing?! Come on, I know that should have worked! Argh damn it! This pain is as bad as when I broke my leg cycling a few years ago… What if I try something on the other side like bomb C82…’ he thought.

[table=grey]GSM Setup Complete, Connected to {Cellphone C82}DataHash {Bradley | C82} = 0xa6b89260d2213323Call Dropped[/table]

A rumble like a small earthquake shook the room.

“Without your bombs, our forces sound like they are breezing through the Pentagon now,” one of the voices smugly spoke. “It seems that we need to speed this process up or we might not even be needed.”

This time, the gloved arm stabbed the knife directly into Bradley’s leg.

-19 HP

“ARRRGGGHHa-ha-haa…” Bradley yelled, his voice trailing off to a sobbing whimper. ‘I-I can’t take th-this anymore! It hurts so much!’ he thought. ‘I d-don’t have time to fool around!’

[table=grey]GSM Setup Complete, Connected to {Cellphone C141}DataHash {Bradley | C141} = 0xb4e457ff57f966bfCall Dropped[/table]

James Marshall has died (Level 66 U.S. Army Private 1st Class)You have killed an ally but are not suspected to have done the action. Unless you are caught, you will not face any repercussions for this act.+10 Ruthlessness, +610 Exp

You are now Level 35+5 Ability Points

A rumble could be felt in the distance. ‘Crap! I didn't mean to do that!’ Bradley thought, biting back a grimace at the death of an ally. ‘No, I can't think about the moral dilemmas now; at least his death was painless… unlike what I’m going through right now. If this plan doesn't work, these guys will kill everybody anyway!’

[table=grey]GSM Setup Complete, Connected to {Cellphone C6}DataHash {Bradley | C6} = 0xc63cb1ad46e5d1e1Call Dropped[/table]

No sound could be heard. ‘Damn it, that’s too far away!’

[table=grey]GSM Setup Complete, Connected to {Cellphone C42}DataHash {Bradley | C42} = 0xf3b2512384509767Call Dropped[/table]

The ground shook as dust filled the air around the light like a fine mist. ‘That’s it, that’s the-’ he thought.

The knife was pulled out and stabbed into his other leg. Bradley screamed. He shook so much with pain that he fell onto the floor.

“Enough of this!” the voice yelled. “That clearly wasn’t one of ours, it came from below! Someone is still using the detonator!” The voice pulled out the knife again. Bradley groaned and sobbed as blood oozed from the leg. The bloody knife was placed in his face. “I’ll give you five seconds to tell us what we need to know or I’m going to start cutting your fingers off and flaying you alive! If you don’t logout now, your life will be a living hell!”

‘Shit! I-I can barely think as it is. The p-pain… I’ll have to logout at this rate… No, there’s still a chance! I know I’m in the Central Southeastern Section now! But this hurts so much! I-I c-c-can’t think… I c-can’t use my C-Connect Ability a-and-’

“Five,” the voice counted.

‘C-crap! Focus!’ Bradley yelled in his mind. He felt his mind suddenly calm as he frantically searching his head for the right command. ‘It’s C class in the Southeastern part so…’

[table=grey]GSM Setup Complete[/table]

“Four”

‘Damnit! Outer middle contains the-’ Bradley continued thinking frantically.

“Three”

‘-40-50 series so that would be-’ Bradley thought, ignoring the countdown.

[table=grey]GSM Setup Complete, Connected to {Cellphone C40-C50}[/table]

“Two”

‘-and if I want the corridor then-’ he continued, blinking a bead of sweat from his eye.

[table=grey]GSM Setup Complete, Connected to {Cellphone A130-A145, B85-B90, C40-50}[/table]

“One”

‘-the activation code is set so change call to simultaneous and-’

[table=grey]GSM Setup Complete, Connected to {Cellphone A130-A145, B85-B90, C40-50}Configuration to Multi-Endpoint CompleteDataHashList {Bradley | A130-A145, B85-B90, C40-50} =0x6428b66bb64434dc

0x874d2d1239b354de

0x15474db74d06491c

0x440d305e12499f3e

0x390c7e87153c12db

0x2ea6bb31eb26e941

0xbb5af16df116495f

0x90695272ae2cd63d

0x6c4ae1678418be48

…[/table]

“Time’s up!” the voice concluded. The knife once again fell down on Bradley’s hand, but this time it missed, embedding itself in the chair he sat on. A sudden shift in the room had thrown off its aim. “Huh-”

[table=grey]Call DroppedCall DroppedCall DroppedCall DroppedCall DroppedCall Dropped…[/table]

A little less than fifty pounds of plastic explosive and a dozen claymores and grenades simultaneously detonated two floors below them. With Farida’s architectural knowledge, they were well placed. The explosions tore large chunks out of the structural pillars which caused the lower floors to cease being able to hold what was above them. The ground shook and walls cracked as the furniture in the room toppled over. The lamp that had faced Bradley fell on the floor, causing him to get his first glimpse at the people in the room. The seven shadowy forms of the soldiers could barely keep their balance as the floor finally gave way.

Bradley’s chair toppled down a freshly made hole in the floor and rolled down the now slanted floor into the room below. The wooden legs of the chair broke on impact; Bradley’s own legs did not fare much better. He squinted his eyes and yelped in pain as he felt his already injured legs burn from the impact. Facing the ceiling now, he opened his eyes and quickly realized he would not have to worry about the pain for much longer. A half-ton piece of reinforced concrete broke away from the ceiling and landing straight on his head.

You have died.15080 Exp points lostAdministrator Penalty Reduction Applied (15080 Exp reduced to 1508 Exp)You are now Level 34-5 Ability Points

Airport FOB, Terminal A Lobby, Ronald Reagan National Airport, Washington D.C., the Game

Perspective – Colonel Christopher Evans

“…and the Southeastern Section has just been all but demolished by an explosion of unknown origin,” Captain Moore concluded over the radio. “We’re still holding, but just barely. We’re going to need ground and air support soon or I don’t know if we’ll hold; especially if the enemy senses weakness and diverts their attack over to us.”

“I understand,” the Colonel replied. “Sit tight, reinforcements are on the way. I’ll divert all our air support to your area immediately, but the ground coordination will take more time. Prepare for an ETA of one hour. Over and out.”

----Status Window----

Spoiler :

Status WindowName:Bradley CooperSpecies:Human (Earth)Level:34Experience:1632/3000Class:Cybernetic ScavengerAlignment:Ruthless (+8) / Order (+1)[/tr]Age:26Gender:MaleRenown:Unranked (10)Notoriety:Unranked (0)----Regenerative Attributes----Health:0/280Health Regen:22.85/hrPsionic Energy:1/1Psionic Regen:0.82/hrShield Energy:N/AShield Regen:N/AStamina:0/95Stamina Regen:839.14/hr----Attributes----Strength:10+20Agility:12+20Intelligence:80+20Willpower:38+20Charisma:21+20Perception:36+20Endurance:14+20Luck:32+20----Resistances----Physical:5.0%Mental:16.0%Psionic:2.1%----Career----Titles:NoneOccupation:Earth Coalition – Civilian Employee – RecruitCurrent Quest:The Earth Coalition 1st Civil War (Defeated)----Currency----Currently Held:0 CreditsCurrently Owed:0 CreditsMarks:0P, 0D, 0GAbility Points:670----Faction Standings----Earth Coalition:EmployeeEarth Coalition Rebels:HostileHaxlards:Friendly*Administrators:Privileged*Pirates:Vilified*Revenant:Known*

General Ability Window

Spoiler :

General Ability WindowAbility Name:Ability Rank:Ability Proficiency:Ability Rarity:Explosives UseGEGThe ability to set, wire and detonate explosives in effective ways without killing yourself in the process. A higher rank indicates greater lethality through the proper implementation of: environment, directionality, defensive bypass, and explosive composition.Ability Name:Ability Rank:Ability Proficiency:Ability Rarity:Mind SurvivalGEGThe ability of the mind to persist through overwhelming mental trauma. Provides resistance against abilities which damage the mind.Ability Name:Ability Rank:Ability Proficiency:Ability Rarity:Pistol ShootingGGGThis ability maps the progress of firing a pistol. A higher rank indicates a greater lethality.Ability Name:Ability Rank:Ability Proficiency:Ability Rarity:Rifle ShootingGGGThis ability maps the progress of firing a rifle. A higher rank indicates a greater lethality.Ability Name:Ability Rank:Ability Proficiency:Ability Rarity:StrategyFFGThis ability maps the progress for making plans. A higher rank indicates greater plans which: achieve goals sooner, with fewer losses, and with less required resources.Ability Name:Ability Rank:Ability Proficiency:Ability Rarity:Trap MakingGFGThe ability to create traps which kill or otherwise hinder your adversaries. A higher rank indicates the design of more effective traps which: are more difficult to detect, are harder to disarm, and can cause more efficient damage to the enemy.

----Cybernetic Ability Window----

Spoiler :

Cybernetic Ability WindowAbility Name:Ability Rank:Ability Proficiency:Ability Rarity:Cybernetic FocusFGDWhen performing tasks that are trivial for a digital computer, some of the work is offloaded to the Cybernetic Interface Chip, heightening focus and simplifying the task.Ability Name:Ability Rank:Ability Proficiency:Ability Rarity:Connect (Basic)GGDAllows communication of single integer numbers, characters and regulatory tags to devices. Does so using the Cybernetic Interface Chip’s Regulatory Identification and Human-Computer Interface’s Wireless Perception abilities.Ability Name:Ability Rank:Ability Proficiency:Ability Rarity:Machine Language ComprehensionGGDThe ability to communicate with sapient machines.Languages Known:Revenant StandardAbility Name:Ability Rank:Ability Proficiency:Ability Rarity:Regulatory IdentificationGGEThe Cybernetic Interface Chip’s ability to identify the regulatory standards, encoding, decoding and commands used by a device to communicate.Wireless Perception (Basic)GGDThe ability to perceive wireless communications actively searching for connection. To avoid oversaturation, the Human-Computer Interface does not transmit secure communication or ordinary electromagnetic waves to the Cybernetic Interface Chip.

----Scavenger Ability Window----

Spoiler :

Scavenger Ability WindowAbility Name:Ability Rank:Ability Proficiency:Ability Rarity:Intrinsic Evaluation (Basic)GEDThe ability to intrinsically know the value of an object. Whether an object will work correctly, for how long, and how much it is worth.

----Implant List Window----

Spoiler :

Implant List----Biological Implants----Implant Name:Implant Rank:Implant Proficiency:General Status EnhancerDN/AProvides a boost of 20 points to all attributes.----Mechanical Implants----Implant Name:Implant Rank:Implant Proficiency:Cybernetic Interface ChipD+FConnected directly to the brain, when interfaced directly with a computer, implant, or memory module, this chip converts thought into the intended electromagnetic input expected by the device. Higher ranks improve the data rate, allowable frequency range, and provide higher levels of security. A Revenant Firmware Upgrade allows it to parse Sapient Machine Language. Has been enhanced by the Cybernetic subclass.Implant Name:Implant Rank:Implant Proficiency:Human-Computer InterfaceD+GAllows direct cognitive access to a computer system via wireless communication, allowing the brain to issue commands directly to the device. Can only guarantee a proper interface with devices of equal or lower rank. Has been enhanced by the Cybernetic subclass.Implant Name:Implant Rank:Implant Proficiency:OpenN/AN/A