Festering Evil: Shattered Past Book 4

The Stage is Set

James and Cameron sped off back towards the Cosmodrome. Cameron was looking out the window concernedly as they flew through the thick clouds of the Russian sky. James looked over to her in a similar fashion. "You okay Cam?" He asked her softly. 

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." She replied glancing at her husband for a brief moment then looking back out the window. "I was just thinking about David and the way that Saladin was treating him earlier. It seemed...out of character for him." She said in response to James' inquiry. "Why do you think that is?" 

James looked at her for a moment then back to the front of the cockpit. "I don't know." He replied thoughtfully. "I'd have thought he'd be a bit more scornful of his presence." 

"Exactly, he hates weaker guardians. That's why most aren't able to enter the Iron Banner tournaments." Cameron replied turning to face the front. "Anyway, how far are we from our destination?" 

"Not far, only a few minutes more," James replied still focusing on the front of his ship. Cameron looked over at him curiously. She wondered how the message that Upgrade had sent them earlier was affecting him. He hated Upgrade, but it was the use of the word Uncle that had to have bothered him more than anything. Inside, James was immensely bothered by this. Uncle? Why did he say, Uncle? James thought to himself. However, before he could question himself any further, there was a beeping on the dashboard that signaled they were there. "Alright, we're here."

"Okay, Captain, bring us down," Cameron said to the onboard AI of the ship. 

"Gotcha boss ma'am." He replied transmatting the pair down to the surface of Earth. There was a dense snowfall ahead of them as they began venturing forward. The snow was incredibly thick in some areas on the ground, to the point where they were shin deep in it. The area was familiar to James, he started walking over towards a cliff side with several rusted vehicles parked up there. Cameron followed slowly as he walked in that direction. 

"James...are you okay?" Cameron asked him cautiously as he stopped. He sat down at the spot looking down at the snow. 

"Yeah...I'm fine." He cooed to his wife. 

"Is there something special about this place James?" Cameron questioned kneeling next to him. 

"Yes...this was where my life ended, and my new life began." He said as he gently dusted the snow with his fingertips. He reflected on that day nearly fourteen years ago, how incredibly clueless he was about the world around him. He thought back about how he'd changed since then, how powerful and knowledgeable he'd become. He glanced over to Cameron, then back to the location. "Sorry, I'm just reflecting." 

"It's okay James, I'm ready to go when you are," Cameron told him as he stood up from the snow. He turned back to face her. 

"Remind me to kiss you when this is done." He said stroking the side of her helmet.

"Will do Romeodroid." She replied playfully. The pair then looked in the direction of the wall of the Cosmodrome, and Cameron's eyes went wide. "Well, when they said there were breaches they weren't kidding." She remarked jokingly at the large holes in the wall. "The thing looks like a piece of swiss cheese." 

"You're right, let's get moving," James said drawing his rifle from his back and Cameron doing the same. The pair headed into a doorway that lead to the interior of the wall, the place was originally a shade of rust covered in faded and cracked paint on the walls. However, the blizzard gave more character to their surroundings. Now there was snow, ice, and icicles that made the region more lively and hopeful. 

The group didn't sprint through this area, odds were high that black ice surrounded it and they could slip and fall if they weren't careful enough. The pair then approached a clearing in the wall, where the ceiling was mysteriously absent. "James, was it like this when you were here last?" Cameron asked as they entered the clearing looking up towards the sky.