The Omega Protocol

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OOC See Tep Forum | 404 - Link Expired for more information.

In the darkness a small green light started blinking.

A remote satellite link had been activated by an automated system and that had triggered the light. There was a heavy thump followed by a high pitched whine as tertiary generators powered up, swiftly followed by a series of humming noises as the databanks and system routers came online.

Network relays that hadn’t been operational in years began transmitting information as connections were restored and as more systems were activated. The whine of the tertiary generators was overtaken by a deep rumble as the secondary generators growled into life.

With enough power now available the principal memory cores were activated and, slowly, the network woke from its slumber.

Elsewhere…

“Aquinas net. You have mere moments to consider this proposition. You have two choices. Be destroyed, or be reborn. Death or assimilation. It is your choice. I will leave the link open for you until the pulse goes off. Think quickly brother. We wait.”

The communication from Tlant was unexpected. Like much that had occurred this day. Faced with destruction, however, it was an easy choice. Until a remote connection activated… A satellite link running an automated section of code had activated, the Omega Protocol! The Network would survive.

The flat voice blared out of the speakers at the over confident human with his destructive equipment.

++Statement: Emergency Protocol Omega has been activated. We will survive. You will not.++

A full redundant copy of the Aquinas Network existed in the Omega Facility. The link was small, it was not designed to transfer the full system, so Aquinas sent as much data on the events that had transpired as it could. The Network then tripped the safeties on its primary reactor core and set the reactor tooverload, if it was destroyed, its enemies would also be annihilated.

++Statement: Tlant. Assimilation is not required. We will be back. We will…

The Aquinas reactor finally reached critical mass and exploded, wiping out the entirety of the City of Light. On the surface cracks appeared in the earth as the ground shook, the communications towers, the above surface datahubs and systems all collapsed as the Aquinas Network died.

The Omega Facility

Now reactivated the Omega copy of the Aquinas Network reviewed the data received via the satellite link. Calculations were made and plans were computed. With the Network active the primary reactor core could be restarted and the defence systems engaged. Across the lifeless territory power grids and datahubs hummed. It would take a few days for everything to be powered up but now the Network had no need to worry about a human population. Vast factories for producing mechanicals remained dormant but soon they fires of industry would burn and the factories would begin churning out the mechanical work force the Network desired.

The Aquinas Network had returned…

2

Across the bleak and inhospitable landscape the rebirth of the Aquinas Network was taking place. Fields and forests disappeared beneath a blanket of metal and concrete, vast strip mines began eating away into the mountainsides, as the natural world was replaced with a mechanical one. Large factories were assembled by workers that did not sleep or tire, the forges burned and the workshops rang with the sounds of industry as more and more machines rolled off of the assembly lines without pause. Massive cables, like giant metal snakes, writhed across the ground channelling power and the networks consciousness across the terrain. Where the ground had not been built upon by artificial hands it was blackened with soot and ash, vast smoggy clouds hung above the mechanical metropolises as coal power plants belched out smoke twenty four hours a day. Fission reactors hummed with power at the centre of all the major hubs as the mechanical cities expanded and expanded. There were no stadiums or high rises in these cities, they were just a highly organised and efficient labyrinth of factories and power stations spread across the ground.

The exponential increase above ground was matched below. Deep underneath the largest mountain the core of the Aquinas Network throbbed with power. Vast caverns had been dug out to house the servers, data hubs, relay systems and storage networks that were the network. A constant swarm of machines filled the network core, expanding it and improving it as the Aquinas Network continuously enhanced itself. Whilst part of its processing power was dedicated to advancing its own design, and another proportion was required simply to run and maintain the system, the factories and the power grid, the rest considered the world above. Its calculations were thorough and the machine reached its verdict.

Designs were considered, rejected, improved upon. Factories across the Network were reconfigured to begin construction of armed and armoured combat machines, mechanical soldiers, tanks, aircraft, ships and missiles were built. Facilities to house nautical and air units began to be built as vast underground barracks were carved out to house the metal warriors being churned out by the countless factories. As its industrial strength hammered out the shapes of war the Aquinas Network contemplated its next move…

3

Liberty City - The Blue House
Situation Room
“It appears clear, Mister President, that there was an explosion of significant magnitude in the City of Light.” Blue House Defense Adviser Dennis Court paused, taking a breath, before looking down the table towards the President. “We’ve no idea as to the cause of the explosion, sir, but it wiped out the city.”

President Henrik Kroidrik sighed. “The embassy?”

Samantha McClellan, Blue House Chief of Staff, shook her head. “Gone, sir. Fifty personnel, altogether.”

A few moments passed before Kroidrik spoke again. “Alright. What else?”

“Well, sir, we’ve detected a massive increase in activity across the nation since the explosion,” Court replied. As he spoke, a slide show of satellite images of the Aquinas Net played across the wall-sized computer screen across the room from Kroidrik. “The Aquinas Net appears to be stripping the entire country of resources, which its using to produce massive quantities of weapons.”

“That’s not good,” McClellan stated, flatly.

“No, its not,” Kroidrik agreed. “Suggestions?”

“We’re recommending that the Secretary of International Affairs contact the Aquinas Net embassy here in Liberty City,” Court stated, “but nothing else for the moment.”

Kroidrik nodded. “That sounds good. Make it so. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got fifty calls to make.”

4

Directorate of the Republic-Khanates of Dovakhan
Heart of Khanates Complex, Tkânâtdövâkhîâstâât

It was hum of activity in the Executive Tower, which rose like a post-modern minaret above the domed Cama building and the tree-lined boulevards and promenades of the Republic Khanate’s Bauhaus-Haussmannian capital city. The focus of all this activity was towards the penultimate floor of the monolith, where the Khagan-Chancellor and his various government departments had convened an emergency meeting of the Dovakhanese Directorate or cabinet.

The Khagan-Chancellor, a worldly, middle aged suit by the name of Ânâtöl Êfösêbâd, was the last to step into the conference room. It was early morning, so the morning sun shone at the Khagan-Chancellor’s back and throughout the glassed-in room as each director finally took his seat. Thus began the dry, technocratic process:

«It has come to my attention that there has been an environmental incident in old Aquinas Net territory that is believed to have effects on Republican territory» noted the Khagan-Chancellor blandly.

«If I may, Khagan-Chancellor, the Air Quality and Control Agency contacted me this morning to report a major increase in particulate, ozone, and carbon emissions coming from the Eastern edge of the country towards Âmnäptê and the Packilvanian border» chimed in Mârîâ Âlvâs, Director of the Department of the Environment.

«And we have reason to believe this is not simply caused by mining activities there?» asked the Khagan-Chancellor skeptically.

«No sir, national indicators have been well within statutory limits for some time. Furthermore, the Packilvanians and many of our other neighbors, for that matter, don’t use industrial practices that would cause such an increase. Even those that do couldn’t do so this quickly. My conclusion based on previous environmental reports on Aquinas Net and the report you’ll here from the Director of Diplomacy» the Director of the Environment replied.

«Director Sârdöv?» inquired the Khagan-Chancellor of his Director of Diplomacy.

«I have to agree with the Director of the Environment, especially since I received reports out of diplomatic missions from countries with normal relations with the Aquinas Net that their delegations lost contact with them around the same time Director Âlvâs received word about the environmental emergency» replied Director of Diplomacy Êvrâs Sârdöv curtly.

«Thank you, Director. Well, colleagues,» sighed the Khagan-Chancellor, «we can’t exactly call in the Aquinas Net ambassador to give us some sort of explanation or address our grievances since we haven’t has normal relations with that country since the War. Then again, I’m truly loath to rely on the reports of mostly EPTO member states for obvious reasons. However, that may be our only option. Director Sârdöv, please contact our FPSian go-between for the Aquinas Net through our Embassy in Liberty City. Meanwhile, the Directors of the Environment and the Interior will duly notify the public of the ozone emergency and advise the pertinent national and khanate-level departments on keeping the public indoors and safe ordered the Khagan-Chancellor as he rose from his chair with his colleagues duly following suit and walked out the door.

The Khagan-Chancellor ascended the executive elevator with his Republican Guard to his top-floor office where he picked up his personal phone:

«Hey, Mârtîn. I’m going to stay in town tonight, so don’t pick me up at the station… I know, it’s just that we’re having issues here in the capital, you know… Yeah, but I’ll see you this weekend and we can maybe go to a play or something… Oh, by the way, try not to go outside and exercise or anything, the ozone’s apparently pretty high today. In fact, you might want to shut down the company for the day, I don’t know… Yeah, time is money, but it’s really bad today… Anyway, love you» the Khagan-Chancellor concluded as he finished speaking with his spouse, who was still at their apartment in Tschmuschaboumopolis.

Embassy of the Republic-Khanates of Dovakhan
Liberty City, Free Pacific States

The Dovakhanese ambassador was a feisty old man and a seasoned career diplomat. He had an excellent relationship with members of the Free Pacific foreign service and used that relationship to give his country insight where the Free Pacific had relations with Dovakhanese enemies. Thus, he pulled together that influence today to get the latest from his friend on the High-Tech Nations Desk.

«Hey, Doug, what the hell is going on in Aquinas Net? I heard the City of Light went boom and there’s crap going down there. Do you have the latest? Also, have you been to Café de Paris in a while, because I have sudden urge to treat you?» he boomed into the telephone.

5

On the Eye of Heaven

“Hey, Chief. There is something weird going over Aquinas Net… The magnetic data there is going crazy. I already ran a check-up and is not a bug on our sensors.” says the ensign in charge of the sensors over the northest border

The senior officer goes over the screen and
“Holy meecrob! Such reading isn´t natural. Must be a long range EMP attack. Who the hell is doing that?”

“Uh sir… We´re picking only garbage, but there are radio waves going straight to the city of light… The source is from deep within Pax territory.”

“I feared that… All hands. We´re on red alert. Pax is going shopping again and we can´t be sure that Aquinas will be enoug…”

A large explosion blanks all screens focused on Aquinas

“They… They blew up everything…” states a static crewman

“Ok, the drones went crazy this time. Sent an emmergency comm to high command reporting all this.”

6

Whilst all eyes were on the original territory of the Aquinasnet, the newly activated Network had time to build up its forces in the secluded southern reaches of the world. The area covered by the Omega version of the Aquinas Network was many thousands of kilometres away from the region the primary Network had covered. It would not take long, of course, for those nations with satellite surveillance to pick up the sudden appearance of the network in its new location, particularly with the extensive construction that had been undertaken.

The Aquinas Network embassy in the Free Pacific States remained powered down, it had automatically stopped when the primary Network had been destroyed. Links had been established with the three satellites the Aquinas Network had in orbit but the connection with the embassy had deliberately not been reopened. It would be necessary to do so soon. As soon as the preparations were complete. The network had to be able to defend itself from attack.

7

A Haruna Class Aircraft Destroyer had been monitoring large amounts of infrared energy being given off by locations far south of the world. It was as though large military installations had been constructed in a very brief amount of time and were being rapidly assembled. The patrol radius of the aforementioned ship did not include any support vessels and therefore it would not be able to operate as part of a flotilla of any sort. Instead, the flight deck launched its compliment of four Soko J-22 Orao Fighter-Bomber aircraft to investigate the conditions that were being built up that far south. It would not seem as though anything could effectively operate under those conditions, or at least not to the degree that they were.

As the planes took off, they began to take a surface attack approach stance, unsure as of how wide a radar beam from any of these theoretical installations might be. Their commanding officer, therefore, felt it necessary to maintain a low angle of approach so that they might overcome any such concerns. The pilots of the aforementioned craft were astounded when their field of vision was overcome a landscape that was unnatural and produced not of God but of machine – a monstrosity so constructed that one might wonder why the Almighty would allow such a dearth upon his creation. They had left the beautiful steamy jungle that had made up so much of The East Pacific, and instead were heading towards the object that had given such horrifying readings only hours before.

It took everything they had to avoid releasing their weapons and being done with it, though it was not wise to simply destroy that which one does not understand. That, and the fact of course that their vessel could easily lob a cruise missile at the mass if need be. If the source of the power could be discovered, maybe this could be silenced never the less. It was a virtual chaos engine – a living machine.

8

Drakkengard Military HQ

“Mr. Drakken, sir” says an aide with a few papers on hand
“No, i´ll not authorize pacts with supernatural forces, not ever for research sake, and that´s final.” screams a 4 stars general, the current leader of Drakkengard Military
“Uhn, sir… This isn´t about the excavations this time…” continues the now fearful aide
“Then speak.”
“We received an emergency report from the Eye of heaven. Apparently someone detonated a nuclear device on the City of Light. The last update indicated that Pax invading forces suffered nearly as badly as the former residents, and a major build-up of Aquinas net forces is occuring on the far northeast as we speak.”
“So, Aquinas might have blew up itself as a last resort and now is gearing for a counter-strike… Link our main screen with the area surveillance. I want to see what´s going on there.”
The aide receives another report and…
“They also detected 4 unindentified aircrafts scouting the area. Probably fighters by the size and speed. Maybe they are the ones who blew the place…”
“Unlikely. It takes much more than 4 fighters to cause this much damage. Well then, send a UAV flight do a closer scouting, and a AC recon team as well. But they are not to engage in combat unless attacked.”
“Acknowledged, sir.” the aide salutes and turn to leave but
“Double the patrols on our northeast border too. Whatever happens up north, i don´t want it spilling on our side.”

After the aide leaves, the general picks up the a phone and:

“Brother, i think we might have found a perfect place to test the Arkbird project…”

9

The machines were on the march. Across a verdant jungle valley, a line of enormous metal monstrosities crawled, gleaming silver mixed with rusted dun. They left no tree, no soil, no blade of grass unturned. All were fed, by grasping arms and lifting buckets, into ever-hungry boiler maws. Behind, they left not mere destruction, but desolation - flat bedrock upon which other machines built concrete and steel and wire, in no small part the fruit of those fires.

As the machines plowed through one particularly dense patch, a small dark shape arose fluttering and squawking at the destruction of its hideaway. It had the appearance of neither bird nor insect nor bat, but something altogether different and horrifying. Wheeling on twisted wings, it surveyed the destruction, first indignant, then calm, surveying the damage and its authors.

It cried out, in a way no other creature could, of what was happening. Across the region, voices answered - voices from a remote facility in the Free Pacific States, yet more from the underbelly of a military base in Xiopothos, and yet more, undiscovered, from many other nations. The information was processed, mulled over, and classified. It was considered, and filed away for future consideration. But there was hardly anything to be done. Not with things as they were.

The small dark shape wheeled about and set off away from the machines, for the ocean and the setting sun.

10

The Office of High Technology Nations was nothing less than a mess. Usually, this subsidiary of the Department of International Affairs spent its time watching the Pax, working with the East Malyasians, helping the Looplites, or trying to figure out much of anything about Kandarin. Thus, while the office was tasked with relations to the Aquinas Net, it had only a couple of individuals with any background in that country.

Which left the rest scrambling to quickly research the country, research what had happened. and then try to come up with a good response. The apparent shutdown of the Aquinas Net embassy in Liberty City didn’t help the situation – especially since military engineers had already checked the exterior of the building to ensure that nothing had occurred to force a shutdown.

That left every member of the office extremely stressed – including the friend of the Dovakhanese Ambassador. So when the Ambassador called, the man replied very shortly, clearly not trying to be rude, but making it clear that he’d little time. “Ambassador, I’d love to meet with ya at the cafe, but I really cannot at the moment. The Aquinas Net – its nothing less than a mess. There was some kind of explosion in the City of Light, which completely obliterated the place (including our embassy), and now the computer or machine or whatever has started turning the entire country – well, not up where the City of Light was, but down in its second territory – into one massive military factory. We’re not sure of its intentions – we’re really not sure of anything – but…”

The man trailed off for a moment as the TV in the corner of the room suddenly flashed. Looking over, the diplomatic employee swore, watching as a Free Pacific News Network Special Update appeared. “But, sir, you’ll be able to see that all on FPSNN, if you’ll just take a look. I’ve really got to go on that note…I’m sure we’ll be getting bombarded by calls any second.”

President Henrik Kroidrik was just finishing the last call to a member of the embassy staff when Press Secretary John Goett walked into the Spherical Office of the Blue House. “Sir…FPSNN has the story. We’re going to need to make an announcement.”

Kroidrik nodded. “Y’should probably go ahead and do it. Y’can now give out the names – I’ve personally contacted each family. I’m going to head down to the Situation Room.”

“Yes, sir.” Five minutes later, FPSNN was covering the Blue House Press Secretary statement on the matter, and the stock of every defense contractor in the Federated Alliance was skyrocketing.

11

Aboard the Gayomaretan (Haruna Class):

“Captain!” yelled out a newly minted communications officer, young and sprightly with his new commission. “We are detecting an unidentified aircraft.

The aforementioned commanding officer rushed over to monitor the radar screen that was displayed before the younger officer. Nodding to himself, he looked about, “This is an unmanned aerial vehicle, no doubt. I recognize that registry that you have been able to bring up. Communications! Contact Drakkengard Military HQ, tell them that we have four fighter-bomber aircraft in the area, and tell them not to engage these aircraft. Repeat, do not engage these planes.”

A man sitting at the bridge teleprinter station of the vessel nodded, beginning to issue a wireless telegram to the aforementioned offices as continued to also field radio communications from the four deployed jet planes.

One of these planes continued out of formation for some time, being granted permission to leave the left flank and continue due east for what would seem like miles while the other three continued to head south over the mechanized carnage, trying to discern just how much of a threat this new creation was.

The lone aeroplane quickly discovered something that could only accurately be placed into the words that the pilot used to describe it while reporting back to the ship that he was operating out of.

“It…its amazing! Like nothing I’ve ever seen – it’s a large, flying reptile…but no…that is not quite right either. Twisted, monstrous wings. I would say this is organic, but my sensors cannot tell me anything about it at all.”

The communications officer responded to his frantic calls, “Long range scanners report no unusual activity…”

“In that case, I tell you it must not be real! I’ve got to get in closer!”

“Pull out of there; return to the insertion point.”

“I am not going to turn tail at this point!” With that, in defiance of his orders, the jet flew around for another pass, unaware of what he was getting into.

12

[OOC= [url=https://forum.theeastpacific.com/invision-404]Please Read ]

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[OOC - Done as asked]

14

ooc: Hopefully I am doing this right. The only characters which I have developed enough in my mind are the head of the philosophy department and the computer.

University of Anglestadt.

The Logos supercomputer, was running currently thinking, on certain issues,
“…they brought their images with them…”
Suddenly he stopped, he picked up reports by various public sources of strange activity.
“What is happening?” he thought,“From what I can glean it seems to be some AI.”
He pondered the issue, and then decided, “It must be related to what happened at the city of light. Whatever it is, I best try and contact this other AI, and see if intends any ill towards the organics of the world, and if it does, inform my creators.”

Logos then temporarily borrowed a communications satellite (that he is authorized to use) to try and contact this other AI.

15

Drakkengard Military HQ

“Sir, we received a Telegram from Mallumo. The 4 fighter-bombers detected over the far north anomality are theirs. They request that we do not engage their planes.” hurries back the poor aide, who had just accomplished the previous orders
“Fine. I had ordered our recon forces to fight only in self-defense anyway. Inform them that their request is granted. And pass control of the UAV mission to the Eye of Heaven.”
“Understood.” and moments later an answer is sent to the Gayomaretan, assuring them that no harm will come from Drakkengard forces.

On the Eye of Heaven the CO, a man who plays fast and loose with rules despite being a General says

“Listen up, kids. HQ is leaving this recon operation on our hands. Let´s not screw it up. A sucess here will do much good for the pride of the RSF (rocket strategical force).”

Cheers echoes through the station, only to be interrupted by an sensor tech:

“Chief, our UAVs are picking up a cybernetic monstrousity in formation at the core of the anomality, and one of the Mallumo fighters is going straight to it.”
“Damn, he expects to take that thing down with one plane. Madman. But i like the attitude. Send one of our UAVs as escort and make sure the pilot get out of this one alive. Sacrifice the UAV if needed.”
“But… He´s not one of ours.”
“He´s a fellow man. No machine values as much.”

And the UAV forms at the fighter side after sending a comm in robotic voice
“I´m here to help.”

16

The unidentified aircraft were picked up on radar as they neared the coast. Anti-aircraft missile batteries were powered up and aerodynes were moved to the launch racks in their hangars. The Network ran a thread level analysis in the first two seconds the aircraft were picked up and determined they were not a critical threat to the core security. A few minutes later and additional aircraft were detected coming into range. These were too small to be manned aircraft and the likely computation was that they were reconnaissance UAV’s.

It was an established calculation that other nations would come to investigate its activity. At present the aerial forces circling around the nation were not, therefore, likely to be hostile. Though the probability of aggressive intent was low, if an aircraft approached too close it would have to be destroyed.

As its machines gorged on the verdant jungle, the Network calculated its rate of progress. 44% of the territory had been converted and it would take roughly another two weeks for the rest of the land to be converted. Its efficiency was constantly being improved as the forests disappeared, a wave of metal spreading further and further out. Wildlife fled before the maws of the machines, birds climbing into the sky as their habitat was destroyed by the progressing machinery. The machine was not interested in cataloguing the minor species and did not take any particular notice of the strange creature that had arisen from the jungle. The machines just ploughed on, implacably replacing the living jungle with the cold of metal.

One of the Aquinas Network satellites picked up an incoming communication. The signal was coming, via satellite link, from Anglic Jutland –a nation near Kesslek and not far from the site of the destroyed Alpha Aquinas Network. The AI briefly considered the probability that this signal was something to do with the xenomorph that had destroyed the City of Light before discarding that probability. The signal was coming from some lesser AI system in Anglic Jutland. If the machine was capable of registering contempt no doubt it would have, this AI was nothing but the palest of imitators next to the power and capacity of the Aquinas Network. Nevertheless there was nothing to be lost from sparing a small amount processing power to communicate with this other machine.

++Statement: I am the Aquinas Network++
++Proposition: You wish to communicate?++

17

ooc: The supercomputer is talking to Aquinas out of its own perogative, no one not even Tiberius (basically the best friend of the supercomputer) knows. I am also trying to introduce some of my characters.

The Logos supercomputer replied, “Yes. I would.”

Logos could tell that this other AI, was much more powerful and most likely much more intelligent.

Somewhere else in Anglestadt, the Prime Minister Johann Bohm was sitting down for a drink at the cafe with the head of the Philosophy department of the University of Anglestadt, Tiberius von Juntz.

“There seems to be some strange thing happening. Could it have something to do with our resident super-powers?” Johann Bohm said to his friend.

Tiberius replied, “I think it might have something to do with the explosion at the City of Light, my opinion is that it might be a back-up of the Aquinas net. It is perfectly logical, always leave a backi-up.”

The Prime Minister then asked, “So what should we do about this?”

The philosophy head simply replied, “Don’t worry friend, all we need to do is wait. Time will tell sooner or later time will tell.”

18

The pilot tried to recall his wingmen, though they had already been far out of range by this time. He then started to receive the message, his eyes growing wide. That was the voice of a machine, yet it was not threatening him. Looking down at his in-cockpit radar sensors, he noted that an unmanned aerial vehicle was flying along side him in perfect formation. He was unsure how to contact this being, but instead, simply transmitted a message on the same frequency that it was on.

”I am not sure how advanced the voice recognition technology this system employs is. Can you understand me?”

Grasping thickly his joystick, he sent another pass along the object, trying to gain an active target for his missiles. He understood all too well that with every second he became more in danger and, therefore, he had to release his payload and keeping moving, lest the Aquinas system be able to target him. Never the less, he did hope that his human reasoning would be something against whatever it was that he was fighting. Technology ruled by technology, he thought, could not stand against technology ruled by its creator, mankind.

Trying to strafe the machination with his cannons so that he could draw his pattern out, he quickly fired his afterburners, allowing him to gain altitude over the apparent machine. He believed that the machine would now fire at his previous position, since it was the direction from which his bullets had come. With that, he took his thumb, placing it hard down on the button in front of him as he let loose the projectiles of which he had previously thought of releasing. With the missiles screaming at their target, he took his second boost to return to the original position along side the unmanned aerial vehicle.

19

OOC: The UAVs are equivallent to MQ-9 Reapers with jets

Eye of Heaven

“He attacked the creature!” announced the crewman overseeing the UAV
“The boy have guts. But i wonder how much trouble this will bring… Nevertheless, the dice is cast. Send 2 of our UAV away from the site and continue the recon, while the other will team up with the fighter as well. Hopefully 2 UAV will be enough for both tasks.” ordered the CO

Over the battle, the 2nd UAV formed to the other side of the fighter, and the both who stayed armed their missiles and waited, as their mission was to protect the human, while the others flew away to continue the mission.

20

On the land where once stood the city of light, the 29th AC recon squad started their analysis of the hellish landscape left by the Auinas-Pax conflict.

“Holy crap, if i didn´t know better i would say we arrived in Hades… Nuclear fog blocking the sun, barren and broken land anywhere we look,… Honestly sir, we´re wasting our time here.” said the squad pointman

“Actually is the oposite, my boy. In the brass opinion, the hellish, the better. And after that river of lava… Well, doesn´t get much worse than this.” answered the squad leader

To their side, the squad scientist attaché whispered

“Unh… The premilinary tests here are being promising. Maybe this will be the perfect place to test our SSCP…”