"AGH!" a bone chilling scream riddles through the halls of a mysterious facility. Clamped to a chair, subject J-1267 struggles to get free as the skin on his face burns and melts from his face. His skull warps out of shape, growths pulsating, spreading and fusing together. "I believe that is enough for today." says Dr. Broker. A small team of assistance begins to turn off the machine that is hooked up to their subject. J-1267 sit in his chair, slumped over and gasping for air. Broker walks over to the chair and grabs him by his head and lifts it up. "Young man remember this, acting like you have a backbone will only make things worse for you." With the little strength he has left, J-1267 looks him in the eye and spits at him. Hitting Broker just under the shoulder. Broker looks at and scoffs, "It's a shame that your not actually brave, otherwise I would respect you enough not to do this." Suddenly and with great force Broker strikes J-1267 across the face and he slowly slips out of consciousness feeling nothing but cold pain and fear.
Date: 12/17/269 IG
Location: Unknown
Time: Unknown
MrDevus aims the rifle at Broker's head but it sways unsteadily as he is stricken with fear. "I see that nothing has changed." says Broker, "You desperately clawed your way out of enslavement," He begins to approach MrDevus, "You create an empire and a protect yourself with guards," He now stands at point blank from the rifle's barrel, "But take all that away and your still just a coward hiding behind a mask of courage, unable to soil your hands with the blood of a man." MrDevus speaks back, "No! You're wrong!" Broker laughs, "You say that yet you haven't even taken a shot at me. Even when you were escaping you refused to kill your guard." Broker grabs the rifle and rips it from MrDevus's hands. He then swings it like a bat striking MrDevus and sending him flying several feet across the deck. "You had a chance to save yourself," Shouted Broker, "But you're too scared to take the life of another, no matter how much hate you hold for them." He takes the rifle and aims it at MrDevus who struggles to stand. "I've always enjoyed weeding out the weak, but this I will relish." Just as he is about to pull the trigger Iron Mouse suddenly jumps onto his back and has him in a choke hold. "What are you doing here!?!" yelled MrDevus, stunned at her appearance. "Saving your dumb-ass! why would I let you come here alone? I'll keep him busy as long as I can get what we came for!" MrDevus, remembering the task at hand, hurried over and jumped into the window and started rummaging through the room. During the struggle between Dr. Broker and Iron Mouse, Broker reached back, grabbed her cloak and threw her forward. He then reached for the rifle but just after picking it up, Iron Mouse rushed at him again trying to wrestle the rifle from him.
MrDevus finally pulls open a draw with an intact hard drive. He puts it in his pocket and as he gets up to leave he sees Iron Mouse being shoved off of Broker and to the ground. MrDevus quickly looks for something within reach to help. Broker aims the rifle at Iron Mouse, "With you too out of the way, the reich will return humanity to its former glory.'' Suddenly something flies out of the room breaking through the glass, striking Broker in the side of the head, instantly killing him. As his now dead body fell to the ground it became clear that still stuck in his skull was a fire axe. MrDevus stood at the edge of the broken window. "I swear, I thought I was just gonna knock him off balance."
Date: 12/17/269 IG
Location: Rose, Capital of the Astronian-Devlorian Empire; The Bastion,8th floor lobby
Time: 3:00 pm
Astronia and Astronomus are taking a break in the 8th floor lobby. The layout has several couches with a balcony in the center of the room surrounded by 4 pillars. It also has a clear view down to the 4th floor where the base of the pillars rest. Astronia is sitting on the lobby's couch staring out at a nearby window. Astronomus approaches with two mugs of hot coffee. "Here you go." He said. She smiled and took it carefully. As Astronomus sat down she asked, "Why do you think they are doing this?" "I beg your pardon?" asks Astronomus, taken off guard by the question.
"I mean why do you think these terrorists, do what they do?" without hesitation he responds, "To instill fear among the populs and make a statement towards the government inorder to achieve a goal, but if you're asking me what I think their goal is, I would have to guess that they want to change the way we run things." The elevator to the lobby dings and opens, Zentreya walks out and looks around the lobby eventually spotting Astronomus and Astronia.
She goes over to them and begins to speak to them, "Hey guys, sorry for interrupting but Astronomus, I have an update on the ship's flight path and um," She hesitates for a moment, "You're not going to like where it leads." Astronomus sets down his mug on a coffee table. "Show me." he demands. Before they can leave the room a commotion is heard from downstairs. The group hurries to the balcony to check it out. On the 4th floor Markus stands with a dead man's trigger shouting at the surrounding staff and civilians. "Stay Back! Any closer and I'll blow this place to hell!" Astronomus turns to Zentreya. "Whatever it is it'll have to wait, we need to keep these people safe. I need you to identify the location and types of any explosives on all floors, notify me once you've found them." Zentreya nodded and ran to the nearest admin console. "What about me?" asked Astronia.
"Evacuate the upper floors, have the guard bring up ships and hover cars to get them out. If the bombs go off those people won't survive." said Astronomus, "I will keep him busy, maybe even get him to call off the bombs." Astronomus leaps over the balcony and uses his jet pack to slow his descent. Once He lands he calls Markus. "Hey!" Markus turns to face him. "Don't come any closer man!" Astronomus raises his hands "It's Okay. I'm not gonna move from where I stand, alright?" Markus shows no signs of calming down. "I know you're scared. I'm responsible for that. But we are trying to find someone who is missing. That someone is important to us. Based on the info you've given us you have no charges to be placed against you. As far as we can tell you're only a witness. So there is no need for this." Markus stands silent, the trigger still in hand. "Astronomus…" Zentreya calls to him through his headset, "... I found the bombs, They are incendiary and demolition. They are attached to the main supporting pillars of floors 4,5 and 6 but there's a big problem." "What's wrong?" Astronomus asks. "The bombs...they aren't remotely detonated...they're time bombs."