Alpha Project: Genesis

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Time: November 30, 2017.

The flame-colored leaves of the fall trickled down more quickly than before. They gathered together in large clumps in the streets, making way for the December evergreen. The skies, too, began to make their regular change from November white and blue to the drab December grey. Every so quietly, small amounts of snow began to trickle down from the sky, sliding down the towering skyscrapers. The orange and golden light from the sun was now shrouded by clouds. Now, those buildings cast a silver shade upon the city of Utopia.

And while the trees lost their leaves, and the sunlight became blanketed by the clouds, and the snow began to trickle down the city's silver giants, the people moved. Some frantically paced in front of their TV's, playing the footage over and over, and trying to comprehend what they had just seen. Others went out and bought guns, and hid their children behind locked closet doors. And even more got into their cars and rode off to the city gates.

But, a special few simply went onto their porches or their roofs, and waited. They waited for an answer, a PSA message, an emergency broadcast, something that would give them even the slightest inclination of what was going to happen. They waited to hear if it had been an accident or an attack.

They waited for the world to respond, and then act.

Kazuhiro Akiyama was one of those people. He stood alone, looking out across the great expanse of city that was Utopia, as the snow trickled down his hair. He searched the snowy sky, whose shade replicated that of his own eyes.

As Kazuhiro stood there, he did not wait for the world to answer. He instead waited for his parents to come, and to tell him that it was going to be alright. He waited for them to tell him that he was not going to die today, and that instead he would live a happy life with them.

Kazuhiro knew that that could never happen.

But he also knew that he could not stop fighting now, when the world was so close to the brink of chaos. Kazuhiro knew that the burning rage inside him had to be used to save the world, not to be its demise. He would fight, as he had decided long ago.

And someday, he hoped, he would meet with his parents again.

From the snowy, grey skies, a hum drifted into Kazuhiro's ears. He looked up, and saw something astounding.

A fleet of silver ships descended from the sky, hovering over Utopia. Their engines hummed ominously, and their cockpits were colored a shadowy black. Green lights blinked on the tips of the wings, indicating that they were going to land soon. The grand fleet, once grouped together, then began to separate into smaller groups. The general hum increased, and the ships flew off to the far edges of the city.

Kazuhiro's grim, grey stare caught the image of a blue Genesis Labs symbol on the side of the largest craft.

Immediately after the ships flew off, Kazuhiro activated the headset in his left ear. He waited for a moment, and then a voice spoke, "Roland here. What's the situation, Tempest?"

"The Unity troops have arrived, and they are heading to the city gates." he replied.

"Ok. Keep me posted while I talk to the team."

"Understood. Tempest out." Kazuhiro turned off the earpiece, then adjusted his crimson coat. Tempest breathed in the chilly air, and looked out across the city for what he felt could be one last time. He then jumped off of the skyscraper and shot off into the distance.

Aaron Moore's left hand twitched as he began to concentrate. The strain on his arm gradually increased, and he could start to see his nerves. But his firm grip remained, and his focus was unwavering. To do this, he had to remove all other thoughts and focus on the task at hand.