Evolution from the ashes of extinction

How they became friends

It was day two of the sub being in the current, Pure and Alisha Were helping with the computers and engines. Horatio and Jack were on the bridge having a beer and talking.

Horatio: still hurting from that payback with Alisha?

Jack: Yeah, doctor said I'll be ok in a few weeks but, god that woman is crazy.

Horatio: Yeah, crazy like pure.

Jack: Speaking of which, how did you meet him.

Horatio: ok get ready for this because I was not always like this piloting a ship and can be able to give orders like this.

Jack: No, Really?

Horatio: Yeah, it all started years ago when I was kid and playing online games, strategy was my forte but was not really good at it until someone took pity on me and decided to help.

Jack: Pure.

He was the captain of a guild second in command of the U.W.O. The Unified World Organization, they were in the top ranks of the leader board and could hold their own against anyone. He took me under his wing and started to train me, he showed me where to get the right stuff, how to get it, how to fend for myself. Then an invite was open for the guild for me.

Jack: You accepted?

Horatio: Of course I did! I accepted without hesitation and joined the guild everyone welcomed me and Pure continued to teach me until one day he disappeared, I asked around, then the leader told me of his conditions and where to find him. Once I did he told me everything and I felt sorry for him he told me to pilot while he was gone but I was nervous of handling all of his big shot weapons, but he calmed me and said it was ok if I lost to learn from mistakes and press forward, he sent me maneuvers of what he does and I studied them to the letter and I got good, really good. Then I got as good as him, even got better than him sometimes. Then I knew I could do anything so I went to the army with the maneuvers I had learned and they said I could captain one of their ships with my skills.

Jack: I thought the army doesn't let game players in.

Horatio: They had a convention of seeing who had the best skills and I got the top 3 in winning. Then they approached us and asked if we wanted to join the army. The other two refused but I said to keep the offer open since I was uneasy about it at first but I talked to pure again. It meant I would explore but I would have to stop gaming then be under strict training. He told me to follow my heart and it chose the army, he knew after this that we couldn't talk much anymore but we kept in contact and I sent pictures of where I went and the sites of my tours, and managed to sneak in a quick game too, until he vanished.

Jack: And here he is 24 years later, picking him up from the mountains and had been experimented on.

Horatio: Yeah, not how I pictured seeing him after all that time after he went dark, speaking of dark how did you and Alisha start your little brawl with each other?

Jack: Oh you're not going to like this but I was actually her school bully.

Horatio: -laughs hard- what!!?

Jack: Yeah, hard to believe though.

Horatio: But, I saw those reports everything was destroyed and everyone died, except Alisha.
Jack: Try a juvenile hall 4 states over, I could take on anyone in the prison even who was top ranked. I had solitary confinement more times than I can count. But I controlled who had what and even who got out of there since I had contacts.

Horatio: Wait, how did you end up in there!?

Jack: Gun possession charges, drug possession the works.

Horatio: - spits the beer going down his throat back up- Forget I asked about that part, continue.

Jack: Ok, after I turned 18 I had a lot on my rap sheet and it wouldn't get me a job, so I went back to the drugs and weapons until eventually I got caught and thrown back in prison. Then the judge gave me a choice; work off my time in the military or be in solitary for the rest of my life. So I chose the army, when I got to the base they knew what I did and I got my ass whooped for it and was put on the roughest, toughest squad possible, the mad dogs.

Horatio: Ok I steer clear of that group and what it does.

Jack: And for good reason, they do the hardest missions possible and come out with some of our men dying in the line of duty which is why they need fresh meat every now and then so they put me in with them. I see their men come and go but somehow I managed to stay alive after all that time.

Horatio: So where does Alisha come into all of this?

Jack: Both our teams joined together for one mission to take back our home turf. We both came in same direction and got ambushed we took cover and started returning fire. We were nearing their HQ then out of nowhere some RPGs started firing on us taking out our cover and pinning us down. I had to call in air support to take it out but couldn't get a clear shot on it. Alisha took the smoke marker from me and threw it but that didn't come without a cost, one of their snipers hit her and it nearly hit her heart. But it's as if she knew she would pull through and told me that I owe her for that.

Horatio: And then she collected, a couple years later helping pure get out of that hellhole and beating the living shit out of you.

Jack: I probably deserve it after what I put her though.

Horatio: well you still got some pain to take-points behind the both of them to find Alisha. -

Jack: I'm dead.

Horatio: I hope you got Pure or Alisha luck because you are going to need it.

Jack: I know.