Colony Wars 1: War Never Ends

Chapter Three - The Evil Awakening

20th February 2076 – 1st Galactic Step

Somewhere deep underground

Asia

Earth

Solar System

Under a dark stormy sky and beneath an ash-stained, snow-capped mountain, power began to surge. An ancient generator gurgled and spluttered to life. Cogs and gears started to twirl and spin as oil gushed over them. Swishing, chuffing noises filled the underground cavern, and the sweet smell of petrol filled the air.

Lights flickered and buzzed, illuminating the dark sinister caverns in a dull orangey light. The walls of the cave were perfectly smooth and along one side was the depiction of an old samurai warrior with a flaming katana. Japanese writing was scrawled in thick red paint under the picture. It read, "Hail to the Emperor, squash all who oppose you."

The huge underground engine picked up steam and the roaring cacophony of noise began to make the whole cave vibrate. Then a series of massive steel blast doors whooshed open to reveal another long dark corridor. More lights flashed on brightly and glittering red illuminations began to rush along the floor of the corridor.

The underground complex was massive, but it was also completely deserted. The only sounds were the distant rumblings of the generator, along with the popping and sizzling electrical currents. There were also very few signs of life under the mountain, only a few discarded items of clothing and half-cocked rifles signified that people had once lived within the caves.

The flashing red lights led to another giant doorway, which grumbled open, and clouds of cold mist spilled out into the tunnel. The blackened room began to stir as power flooded in and began to bring the computers to life. Blue, red and green lights started to pulse in the darkness and eventually long fluorescent tube lights blinked on.

The room was filled on all four sides with shiny metallic instruments that beeped and trilled erratically. In the centre of the room was a massive glass tank that was filled with water, which had begun to bubble and boil. A chute opened at the bottom of the murky purple-blue tank and a body floated up into the chamber.

Microchips and cables covered the mysterious body. The person was wearing a thick rubber diving suit. Many of the wires cut into the suits skin and went straight into the human carcass. The medicinal tubes started to throb as drugs and other chemicals were pumped into the lifeless body. The figure convulsed suddenly, and a surge of electricity zapped into the tank to try to resuscitate the stranger.

Claxons suddenly sounded and red spinning lights flashed around ominously. The bodies frantic convulsing slowed slightly and then another rush of artificial lightning coursed through the body, but again life failed to take hold of the inanimate person. The body pulsed repeatedly, but each time the body refused to respond, and the claxons somehow seemed to get more desperate.

"Regeneration phase one unsuccessful," warbled a thick Asian voice from an overhead public announcement speaker. "Beginning alternative operation."

The shifting red lights changed to a deep blue colour and another opening appeared in the floor to reveal the top of a large canister. The cyro-tube rose slowly out of the ground, puffs of dry ice filled the room with a faint fog as more blue lights clicked on down the side of the cylindrical object.

A new burst of mist rushed out from the tube as the door opened, to let its occupier out. A faintly blue-skinned Asian man was inside. His hair was white and frozen in a higgledy heap upon his oval head. He was wearing a thick padded costume, with various other pipes and catheters attached to it.