Paranoia

Chapter VIII �" Paranoia

 

„You know.. I've always wondered.. What is the meaning of this.. What are they trying to accomplish.. With all this.. This broken Utopian world.. Atlas.. They call it.. Heaven.. Paradise.. A place where humanity can truly prosper.. Evolve into something more.. And live on without anyone holding them back.. Governments.. Racial inpurity.. A place where censorship doesn't exist.. Where the artist can create whatever they desire.. Where a doctor can heal and improve however they feel right.. Where a innovator can truly innovate and look into the future.. This massive monolithical metropolis.. These giant buildings bleached out by the sorrow and despair of these so called „Utopians“.. These citizens of this giant cage .. Imprisoned like animals.. They call this perfection.. A perfect world.. Cannot last without perfect population.. Humanity.. Is not perfect.. Far from it..Perfection is born from purity.. And we shall wipe the corruption of this world.. We don't have to try.. They just need a little push.. And chaos is born.. They will be destroyed..

End them all...“

 

„Vincent..“

Karla Nethremayer said calmly but determinatively.

 

„Now that the wind has settled..What our cause needs now, from you, Is a distraction. Something to make brother feel insecure and doubtful about his utopia...“

Vincent said while looking at the moon.

 

 

„I understand...“

Karla said and picked up his coat, he left the room with a dead twitching shock trooper in front of the door.

 

 

„Cmon..Cmon.. Pick up..“

 

„Atlas Military Import service.. Jane Conway speaking.. How may I help you..?“

A service constantly showered with calls, someone actually picked up.

 

„Hello.. Alright.. Conway.. Listen to me carefully.. If you do not do exactly as I say.. There's gonna be a bloodbath..! This is Brigadier Colonel Jason H. Kruger! Identification code Alpha-9-Echo..!             I've received word an Atlas Star Cruiser collected some sensitive cargo, specifically an escape pod on the way back from expedition!“

Kruger said while driving with his other hand, Fridays were always crowded days everywhere. But this day, rain could not stop pouring, and heavy wind was present throught the entire day.

 

„Um.. Sir.. Im going to have to ask you to calm down.. Now.. Your ID code does check out.. And erm.. Yes sir, the cargo is being unloaded from the craft on docking bay 6 as we speak..“

The woman said checking the time on her arm watch.

 

„NO! Do not open that pod! Keep it intact until my arrival to the location and dispatch aditional security forces to that location! This is a direct order!! I promise you this can affect the overall homeland  security of Atlas!“

Kruger said nervously yelling at the phone and hung up, the roads were dangerous and slippery. Kruger parked in front of the starship docks and entered.

 

„Stanoyowski!!“

Kruger yelled at the admiral standing with ten soldiers around him.

 

„Jason!! What is the meaning of this!? Phone's ringing all over the place about some BIG Atlas security breach!! Orders to dispatch several f*****g platoons to the docking bay!! Are you crazy!! This is not your Goddamn line of work!! I handle security! So STOP meddling with other people's work!! No.. This is unnacceptable.. Apprehend him!“

Stanoyowski said and four soldiers pointed weapons at him, while two of them tied his hands and grabbed him under the arms.

 

„Sorry...Hash..“

One of them said sadly. Kruger looked at him under the eye.

 

„Orders are orders mate... Take it easy..“

Kruger said and looked at the ground with remorse.

 

„Don't you show sympathy, you dog.. The only thing you've ever gave a s**t about was yourself and your kid.. And now you're wobbling around other people's f*****g business..!  Ordering my troops around for nothing..!! Talking about the downfall of Atlas..! You're not right in the head...! Pathetic..“

Stanoyowski said with resentment in his voice, he turned around but Kruger stopped him.

 

„Your troops eh..? These men have seen more action and been up in their s**t more than you have in your entire lifetime.. You're such a coward.. You order good people to do your dirty work when you just don't have the guts to do it yourself..“

Kruger said calmly, he was holding Stanoyowski by his arm with a tight grip.

 

„Get off me..! Troy! If this man moves the slightest! Shoot him!!“

Stanoyowski said and went to speak to admiral Pollock, the assistant commander of the Atlas starfleet. The calm atmosphere in the lobby was interrupted by a mechanism opening and a familiar scream.

 

„Christa!!“

Kruger said and ran into the dock area, several ships were preparing to leave the bay and commence shockspace.

 

„I thought I told you to shoot him ih he moved!!!“

Stanoyowski said angrily to Corporal Troy Baker, grabbing him by the uniform.

 

„Im sorry.. Sir.. He saved my family..“

Troy said proudly and held his head up. Stanoyowski emmited a loud angry sigh, released Troy and went into the docking area.

 

„What happened!?“

Kruger shouted at the security forces placed around the craft, the escape pod was opened with white shattered bones and ashes on the ground in front of it.

 

„Well.. We've opened the cargo.. And a bunch of something just dropped out of it.. It startled me..“

Nethremayer Christina said nervously.

 

„Oh poor you.. Crew! Did you open the pod beforehand.“

Kruger asked leaning over the pile of ashes.

 

„Negative sir.. It was intact until the time of withdrawal.. 2-3 said to salvage the cargo..“

The ship's navigator said and stood back from the escape pod.

 

„Are you absolutely sure? This cargo could've been potentially critical for our security and well being, I want you to file a full report to homeland security.. Where is your captain?“

Kruger said while looking around the pod's encriptions.

 

„Sir..I.. I don't know.. I've just asked that before you came in.. He was acting a bit strange actually.. Just err.. After we loaded the cargo.. He uhh.. He went to his quarters and didn't want to be disturbed until we arrived at bay.. I haven't seen him since..“

The navigator said and opened his terminal to review the cargo codes.

 

„Is that so.. And which ship hosted this pod..?“

Kruger asked directly.

 

„Err.. It was some old can.. According to the transfer data.. It.. Was some old Aven military cruiser called the.. A.I.S. Rinder..“

The navigator said calmly, he was scrolling around the file database.

 

„The A.I.S. Rinder..? Could you double check that for me..?“

Kruger asked disturbingly and anxiously.

 

„Well.. Sure..“

The navigator opened it up and showed it to Kruger, the ship the escape pod originated from was called the Aven Interstellar Starcruiser Rinder. Kruger closed his terminal in disbelief.

 

„You mind if I take a look around inside?“

Kruger asked and though, something must be wrong here, what's an escape pod doing floating around the moon in the course of an Atlas starcruiser. It was unlikely that they picked up the Roanoke escape pod aswell, finding it after 15 years floating around seemed close to impossible. And after the crew loaded the pod inside, their captain decides not to be bothered until they arrive home. No one's seen him since.

 

„No one's going anywhere!“

Stanoyowski caught up to him with two security officers.

 

„Go drink your Merlot..“

Kruger said and continued walking to the starship entry.

 

„Alright..! That's enough!! Im ordering you to get back here now!“

Stanoyowski said with anger from Kruger's disobedience. Kruger kept walking not minding his yelling.

„Disobeying a direct order from an admiral! Hudgens!  Fire!“

Stanoywski said to the guard next to him. The guard stood frozen in submission.

 

„Doesn't anyone here have the balls to fire a weapon!? Isn't that why you're here Goddamnit!!?“

Stanoyowski shouted and took the rifle out of Hudgens' arms he set it on his shoulder and fired, right beforehand, a person pulled his rifle to face the ground.

 

„Ahhhhggghhaaa...!!“

Stanoyowski screamed in pain, there was blood going out of his foot, he turned his head to the left. There was standing Supreme Admiral Milius, commander of the Atlas starfleet.

 

„Why hello there Stanoyowski.. Why all the shouting.. We wouldn't want to damage your beautiful pre-pubescent voice would we now..? Stop playing with armaments and stop being a nuisance! Now stand down and let the Colonel investigate! Someone get him a towel for God's sake!“

Milius said and left annoyed. Kruger was already looking around the inside of the A.I.S. Honor, everything seemed ordinary, he went into the Captain's quarters, in there he saw his dog, and discovered a foul smell.

 

„God.. What is..“

He looked around the room, and spotted blood on the floor next to the bed. Seeing a body laying on the bed, he pulled the sheet over and saw Captain Lake lying there.

 

„Lake.. Are you?“

Kruger asked disturbingly and realized. He ran back to the entrance and yelled.

 

„GET A MEDICAL TEAM IN HERE NOW!! HE'S NOT BREATHING!!“

Kruger shouted in awe and went out the craft, an Atlas Medicinal Response team entered the craft, they returned in three minutes, with the body of Lake in the hands of a medic.

 

„We're sorry sir.. He was dead before the craft even docked.. Estimated time is around a few hours ago..“

The medic said sadly and started loading Lake's body into an ambulance. Kruger sighed heavily, he turned his sight around the place and grunted angrily.

 

„Get this f*****g pile of s**t to the DNA scanners..!“

Kruger said and pointed to the shattered bones that dropped out of the escape pod.

„My God..Im sorry.. I knew, you and Lake were close.. But what.. What did you see in there..“

Nethremayer asked with remorse placing her hand on his shoulder.

„Ahh.. Nothing.. Just uhh.. His things, ahh.. His dog.. And erm.. Blood around the bed.. And then I.. Well I saw him..“

Kruger said in sorrow.

 

„Hmm.. What did you just say?“

Milius approached him unexpectedly.

 

„Sir.. I.. Uhh.. I said.. Well I saw all his things in there, his pet dog.. And there was a blood next to his bed..“

Kruger said trying to stay calm by the loss of a friend.

 

„His dog?“

Milius replied confusingly.

 

„Yeah..“

Kruger said sadly.

 

„Captain Brandon Lake doesn't have a dog..“

 

„What!?“

Kruger said nervously and ran back into Lake's room as fast as he could, he nervously looked around the room. The dog wasn't there!

 

All he saw on the ground were dog bloodsoaked footprints, followed by human footprints. Leading through a hatch, outside the starship.

Right after it happened, a massive frequency sound covered Atlas.

 

„WARNING! ATLAS INTEGRITY BREACH DETECTED! POPULATION COUNT EQUALS 30,002 INDIVIDUALS! WARNING!!!“