Battle for Some Actual Peace and Quiet for Once

Episode 30 - Soldier on the Battlefield

Life as a soldier, outside of the whole combat shtick, was usually rather uneventful.

If one doesn't think all too much about it. One may think of life in a military base as being akin to being in a summer camp. A whole bunch of people get stuck in a cramped area in the middle of nowhere, and they spend most of their time socializing and improving their physical strength and skills. Such an analogy sounds incredibly dumb, and it is, but it was just one of those things the soldiers in the island base kept in mind whenever they had to do their daily exercises in order to keep up morale. When it seems like your base is right on the front lines of a battle beyond anything you've ever seen before, it was good to keep your spirits up, even if it meant getting a little silly at times. After having just been attacked in one of the strangest battles in the history of warfare, one where they might have been fighting each other for a time, morale was more important than ever. Supplies and reinforcements still arrived in their usual schedule. In fact, they came even more frequently to come to their aid. They had spent most of their time rebuilding all that was destroyed in the fighting, which was quite a lot of stuff. An entire section of the base was just obliterated, and needed to be replaced fully. Although they were given no orders to do so, since all their leadership had just disappeared all of a sudden, they felt like it was what they were going to be ordered to do anyway. After all, any military installation is a priceless defense against whatever enemy dated to attack them.

In the midst of all this commotion was a single soldier, a soldier that was far more... Peculiar than the others. He still did all the things he was ordered to, and he very much did them well, but outside of that, when it came to his personal day-to-day activities, he differed more than most. Above all else was that he constantly brought up a specific person in his life, one he only referred to as his 'friend'. One may have to wonder how such a person could be one's friend, considering that he couldn't even remember their name, but who were they to question a loyal soldier? He usually brought up how they are such good friends, how they became quite a leading figure in the area in the final moments before the old world was burned to the ground, and how he vowed to return to them, regardless of what happened. He told those who bothered to listen to his story that it was his friend that motivated him to keep on living to this very day, in the hopes that they'd eventually reunite. They generally stopped listening shortly afterwards, however. That's just how life was in the base. The soldiers, despite the fact that they all looked nearly identical, all had lives both before and during the Event, before they were suddenly thrown into this island. But that didn't matter now. It didn't matter how much they desired to be back with friends, or family, or other loved ones. They were here now, and it didn't seem like that was going to change for the foreseeable future. Despite the situation, they hold out hope, knowing that even though they were far away from them, all that they do here will indirectly help them out. After all, an enemy that a soldier kills in the battlefield is an enemy a civilian no longer has to deal with.

-

The soldier was busy doing his usual stuff during his break: resting and remembering his dear friend. He had just finished with a long day of training and repairs on the base, and so he just wanted to lie down and be well-rested enough to face the tasks of the next day. As he usually did, he thought about what his friend could possibly be doing now: where they were, what they were up to, and if they still thought of him. A single tear rolled down his cheek, promising to keep his vow that he would one day return to them. He was going to find them, no matter where they were, and they were going to start a new life out in this new world. A life free from the horrors of political bickering, free from the pain of losing yet more loved ones. He promised all that and more such a long time ago, but he still wanted to fulfill that promise. It was his task. His obligation. His *duty*.

It seemed that now wasn't the time to think about all that, however. An announcement was quickly broadcast throughout the base using its extensive speaker system, indicating that something big was about to happen.

"Attention, all soldiers: please head to Hangar 5B to be briefed on your new mission."

The soldier quickly got up from his slumber and began making his way there. A good soldier always followed orders, of course. He stumbled a bit at first, as he had been doing nothing for a couple hours or so by then, and so his legs had gotten used to doing a whole load of nothing. Eventually, however, he was back to his usual walking pace, wanting to quickly make his way over to the hangar. As he made his way there, he began seeing other soldiers going there as well. It seemed as if all the soldiers that were stationed were heading to this briefing. If even the soldiers who procrastinated on their patrol duties were bothering to attend, he reckoned, it must be quite important. He eventually made it to the hangar, entering it through one of the doors not meant for planes. The hangar was already quite filled with soldiers. It had been emptied of all aircraft inside in order to fit them all. He estimated them to number a few hundred or so, an increase from its usual number, probably due to the ongoing repairs. He worried that he was late, mainly due to how many people were already there, but considering that everyone was talking over each other, he probably hadn't. He decided to join in on the conversation and talked to a nearby soldier. "Hey, what's going on?" He asked. "Didn't you hear the announcement?" The other soldier replied. "We're getting briefed." The soldier scoffed. "I knew that. I was asking why so many people bothered to attend. It often gets relayed, you know." "Oh, that." The other soldier replied. "Apparently, our leader has appeared for the first time since the battle. Naturally, everyone's curious about the nature of his disappearance, so they showed up to see for themselves." The soldier nodded. "Ah, alright."

A few minutes passed, and everyone would finally fall silent as someone new walked to the front (relatively speaking) of the hanger. The soldier strained to see them from the crowd of other soldiers, but he managed to barely see them by standing on tiptoes. The first thing he immediately noticed was that it wasn't the person he was expecting it to be. When people talked about 'the leader' around these parts, they usually meant that quirky little red triangle, the one that was formerly the CEO of GD Inc before the Event, but now was just a general of an army of people who were aligned with the company before its... Unexpected dissolution. This person wasn't him, however. It was that strange person that the triangle had brought along with him and made commander of the base while he was gone. Absolutely no one knew who that guy was, nor did anyone see him before the Event, but given what Triangle had said about him, as well as the fact that his name was GD, he must have been someone important. After a few moments of silence had passed, all the soldiers in the front would quickly salute at him, which caused a chain reaction leading to everyone saluting. "At ease!" GD shouted, in a booming voice far beyond what should be possible. Everyone immediately stopped saluting. GD took a deep breath. "Good afternoon, gentlemen." "Good afternoon, sir!" The soldiers all replied in a deafening chorus. GD nodded. "Now, I'm sure you all have questions regarding what has happened to us and the base after the attack, but all of that will be answered in due time." He took a moment to breathe. "For now, I'm here to tell you all that another threat is on the horizon."

GD continued. "As you probably know, the base was attacked some time ago. We sustained heavy damage, and there were many casualties." There was a moment of silence to remember the fallen. "It was most certainly a great tragedy, one where many people died needlessly in a futile battle. I dread remembering that day as much as you all do." The soldiers nodded. "I'm here to tell you all that the people behind this terrible attack are preparing once more to assault the base, to cause more damage upon us and the legacy of our company." A round of gasps ensued. They could very much remember all that had happened in the battle as clear as day. The fact that all of that was going to happen *again* was certainly worrying. "You see, within this base lies something that the enemy wants to get rid of: in this base lies the spirit of the company, the will to persevere, despite the odds." As he continued talking, the soldier noticed how he was speaking in the usual manner people speak in when wanting to make a dramatic speech, filled with all sorts of words. He groaned slightly as he continued listening. "Although we may have thought the war had ended when the bombs fell, it still continues, only in a new form." GD took a moment to breathe. "That is what I am here to remind you of. We will never surrender, despite the odds, and despite who may come against us." He took a deep breath. "I urge you all to begin preparing for this terrible battle as quickly as possible, to use what you learned in the previous battle to outsmart them, and to prevent more blood from being shed. That is all I ask of you people." He sighed. "I know that you people do not know who I am, and don't know why they should listen to me, but... But I assure you that this is what Triangle wants from you all: to stay strong."

A moment of awkward silence then followed. GD sighed. "That is all. You may return to your posts." The soldiers then quickly left to do whatever they were doing before the briefing, not expecting any more information regarding what had happened. Within a few minutes, the hangar was as empty as it was half an hour ago. GD was just about to leave when the soldier ran up to him, anxious to see him. He grabbed him by the arm, taking GD by surprise. He raised an eyebrow. "Have you come to kill me? I assure you-" "No." The soldier interrupted. "It's me, sir." GD was puzzled. "It's... Who?" He asked. "The one you found at the Oran facility." The soldier replied. "Ah." GD nodded. "I swear, you soldiers should get something that differentiates you from the others..." The soldier nodded in agreement. He continued. "Any word yet on my friend?" He asked. GD thought about it for a moment, clearly hesitating to reveal something to him. He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I assure you that we've been searching, but it just isn't our top priority." The soldier frowned. "You're hiding something from me." He replied. "Aren't you?" GD shook his head. "No, I'm not. Even if I was, I wouldn't tell you anyway." He began walking away again. "I'll have someone relay our findings to you, if we discover anything." The soldier watched as GD exited the hangar, confused. He said that he had no secrets, but if he did have secrets, he wouldn't say he did. That's just... Dumb. The soldier quickly rushed to catch up to him as soon as he disappeared from sight, but when he got there, he was already gone. It was as if he never was at all.

The soldier then returned back to where he was, realizing that there was nothing to gain by trying to pursue him. Perhaps he'll learn something some other time.

Perhaps.

-

The soldier returned to his house after yet another long shift.

He looked around the house, remaining as barren as it had been ever since his friend had gone to that facility. Feeling nostalgic that day, he decided to deviate from his usual routine and take a moment to sit down on the couch and watch TV. He grabbed the remote and turned it on. It was tuned to the news channel, having been unchanged since his friend changed it to that channel. It was early in the morning by then, so it was either reporting on stuff halfway around the world, or was repeating what had been reported earlier. He sighed as the headlines appeared one by one, each one being much more of a downer than the last. It had been a while since the war between GD Inc and the world had begun. He already had a taste of the conflict, as there had been a few attacks by the local civilian and militia forces from Oran, wanting to push them out of the city. It certainly could be worse, though. In GD Incs home in New Yoyleland, a brutal war was raging, with millions already being killed, and many more wounded. The new weapon that they had been boasting about hadn't been ready before then, and so victory was more distant than they previously anticipated. If anything... Defeat was far closer than victory. Millions and millions of global forces were, and still are, pouring onto every major GD Inc facility throughout the world, and it probably wasn't long until they were next. The world was simply far too large of an enemy to win against. It's like if an ant tried to fight a human, or if a single human tried to fight a company. Given enough time, the larger force would win. And it would always win.

Not wanting to be in a more depressing mood than he already was, the soldier decided to go to his computer and boot it up. It had been quite a while since he'd done so, and he remembered that he had some good games in there. As if started up, he remembered how his friend used to want to use this old thing. They were probably using a computer every hour of the day now, he reckoned. He logged into his account, and everything in his computer appeared, just as he had left it some months ago. Nothing had changed, and yet things still seemed different. Perhaps it was just the different atmospheres between now and the last time he turned the thing on. Times were most certainly changing. It had been a while since he checked his emails, and so he decided to go do that first. Most of it was just the usual GD Inc newsletters, but the more recent ones were... Different. Emails from the Oran facility regarding how his friend was doing, followed by messages of praise for having brought such talent to the facility. There was even an email from the CEO, stating that even he was impressed. He felt rather embarrassed from having ignored it for so long, and he felt like replying back. He decided not to, however. There were emails from other people within GD Inc, also praising him for his efforts. He'd heard all of it before. Some time after Teardrops abilities were found, there was a surprise shipment of a certificate of exceptional behavior, among other rewards, that was given to him for it. That crate was still somewhere in his garage, gathering dust.

What intrigued him the most, however, was the most recent email. It was sent by an email address from the Oran facility, but it was far more formal than all the other ones sent from that area. In fact, the title was simply just 'Hey'. Three letters, one word. Not even a period to cap it off. He clicked on it, intrigued, and was immediately hit by a wave of all sorts of emotions. It was... His friend's email. He didn't expect them to write to him, considering that they probably had other things to do, but they somehow found the time to catch them up with what was going on in the facility. It was quite the heartwarming email to read. They told them about the recent developments regarding experimentation of their abilities, and that they were missing and worrying about them. It was rather short and simple, but it was all that was needed in order for the soldier to start tearing up. He had spent quite a long time without someone he could consider a friend, having been working 20-hour work days and having barely any time for himself. But now, even though they were somewhat far apart, he felt like he had an actual friend. Someone who actually cared for his life, and would actually mourn if he ended up dying. It was a feeling that most soldiers didn't get to have, considering the current state of the world. Considering that it had only been a few hours since the email was sent, he decided to spend time writing back, since, well, it was only fair. His friend was mute, and so this was the only way they could actually communicate. He didn't want to waste this opportunity now, since it may be a long time before they could ever talk like this again.

And so, he began to write.

"Dear Teardrop,

I'm quite surprised you actually managed to spare some time to write to me! I know you have more important things to do, and so I'd just like to say that if you don't want to, then you don't have to. Considering you're mute, you probably don't want to share your thoughts. It's fine.

I'm glad that your abilities are being looked into. I knew from the start that you were bound for greatness, and look at you now: going above and beyond what I could possibly do. Being able to contribute to the military is a great honor, and I could only ever dream of becoming like you. You're doing the company proud, keep it up!

I've been doing fine, really. I'm just as busy as I was before. If you could recall, I didn't come by as often in the past as well. Perhaps you only think that more time has passed because you've been working more. Oh well. I've certainly been feeling the uptick in attacks. The enemy is most certainly restless. Thankfully, they don't seem to know about your facility, and so as long as you remain there, we'll probably see each other again.

I hope you're doing well also. Again, if you can't write back, you don't have to. I probably won't have the time to read your response, anyway. I'll wait until it's safe to move again, and I'll immediately come to see you again.

Stay safe as well,
Soldier 27008963-BA"

-

Like all wars do, the war continued on.

Days turned to weeks, and then into months. Casualties continued counting up into the hundreds of millions. Entire regions of the world now laid desolate and uninhabited. The line between soldier and civilian became blurred as everyone had some part in the war. Even in an area as remote as Oran, trouble was still definitely afoot. The attackers on the base grew in number as more and more people joined the cause against GD Inc. The company's technological superiority still allowed them to triumph over them, but it was clear that things were going to get a lot worse before they could get any better. As time went on, their weapons grew more sophisticated. As the number of factions supplying the resistance grew larger and larger, they went from merely wielding guns and grenades to having full-blown body armor and armored vehicles. The militias started looking more like a professional military force as everyone gave their all to rid the place of the terror that was GD Inc. But of course, the company fought back. The assaults on the base grew far deadlier, and so did its defense. What had been a quick and easy steamroll through enemy forces started causing casualties, first in the single-digits, and then dozens. Whenever an attack was mounted, they began to actually fear for their lives, as they worried that each incoming battle could be their last. Battles stretched on, first for hours, then days, as the two forces gradually became equals. Eventually, however, one would outnumber the other, and it wasn't going to be GD Inc. They knew this, but they didn't want to face it. It was a truth that hurt far more than the injuries they were sustaining in the battle.

The soldier had just returned from a little excursion, one of few which he dared to do as the war escalated. He had been accompanied by several dozen soldiers and an armed convoy in a mission to bring over the remaining stuff from their houses over to the base. He had managed to bring his computer along, despite how heavy it weighed, justifying it by saying it could be a backup communications node. It was placed in one of the base's storage areas, where it was stored along with other devices and gadgets. As soon as it was all set up, the soldier quickly booted it up and read Teardrops emails. There had been quite a lot since the last time, and he hadn't gotten to reading them due to... You know. Each one carried a worsening tone of fear and worrying as she continued receiving word of the worsening situation, though she'd also inform him of the progress of the project. According to her last report, they had managed to create a batch of specimens that were to undergo training to become a fighting force in the war. At the end of the later ones, she berated herself for having not done enough to speed up the project's development. She feared that he had already died, and that she was planning on coming to the base to check ASAP. After reading the most recent one, dating to a few days ago, the soldier sighed. He must've caused her to worry so much due to the lack of a response. He decided to spend this brief break between attacks to assure her that he was fine, and that she shouldn't worry so much. He looked around, making sure that no one was going to ask him if he was going to spill confidential information, and began to type.

"Dear Teardrop,

I am deeply sorry that I wasn't able to write a response sooner. As you said, the war has gotten worse, and so I'm no longer able to return to my home frequently. We are essentially stuck here until the war blows over. I hate it as much as you do, but we have to deal with it.

I'm managing to reply to you now since we went on a mission to retrieve our stuff. I convinced them to take my computer along, since I really wanted to get back to you. I wanted to assure you that I was fine, and that we're all doing well. Please do not be so worried. Your life and wellbeing is far more important than mine.

The base's defenses have held up fine so far, but the attacks against us have only increased in strength. Just recently, the enemy managed to set off a bomb in the base's perimeter, almost causing a breach in our defenses. We managed to patch it up before the next attack, however. All is well now.

You should focus on developing the project, and nothing else. Even if I die, what you are working on is bound to turn the tide of the war. The situation seems hopeless, but all situations are until you face them. Please, I beg of you to stop worrying and start working. If not for you, then for me.

Stay safe,
Soldier 27008963-BA"

"Dear TD,

We've given up entirely in defending the entirety of the base. It's simply far too much area to defend with what we have. We're currently working on constructing a new fence around the most crucial areas.

I'm glad to hear that the training of the subjects is doing well. They certainly seem to be capable of taking out the enemy. Ensuring their loyalty may be the greater problem, however. The propaganda of the enemy is certainly convincing. They must learn to resist it.

Stay safe,
Soldier 27008963-BA"

"dear td

arm was heavily injured during last battle
have to wear cast
will be fine however

enemy now bringing over artillery
reinforcements now less frequent due to increased attacks

glad to hear project doing well
have to go
arm hurting

stay safe
soldier"

"Dear TD,

They're doing the unthinkable. Just a few hours ago, they launched chemical weapons at the base. Most of the base is under quarantine.

I'm currently accompanied by several armed guards. Confidentiality of information has become a priority due to the situation. Can't say much.

Glad to hear the facility is still unaffected. Hopefully those scouts do not find it. Please proceed to the next phase of training ASAP.

Stay safe,
Soldier 27008963-BA"

"Dear TD

THEY LIED

GD Inc stated that reinforcements were coming. it has been A WEEK

Attacks on base have been deadly. Can no longer replace casualties.

Good to hear the next stage of training has begun. We need them about now.

Stay safe,
Soldier 27008963-BA"

"CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP

SUDDEN BOMBING RUN ON OUR BASE, DEFENSES BREACHED

HAVE TO DEFEND BASE ASAP, WILL WRITE LATER

STAY SAFE"

"gd inc are COWARDS

THIS PEACE TREATY IS GARBAGE, WE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE ALL SACRIFICED OUR LIVES

don't give the order to surrender, they're yet to find you all, KEEP UP THE FIGHT

NEVER SURRENDER"

"training is almost over, finally

base is barely a base anymore, all commanders are dead

please, release us from this misery"

"i cant deal with this anymore

i was never able to understand why you were so reluctant to fight for gd inc, only now do i see why

me and several others have been hiding in the bunkers, last safe place in this darn terrible city

i cant take this anymore, i cant i cant i cant i cant i cant i cant"

"Dear Teardrop,

I've decided that the cause is no longer worth fighting for. It's been two months now since the peace treaty was signed. Attacks on the base have stopped, but we still fear to poke our heads out, fearing that we'll be executed as soon as we step outside.

I'm happy to hear that the subjects are finally down to the Final Three, but it's too late now. We needed their help several weeks ago. I suggest just releasing them into the world as soon as they're finished, and wish them good luck. They'll need it.

I'm no longer fighting for a cause that's dead. Once the remaining soldiers finally let me, I'll make my way over to you. Please, stay where you are. You're all I have left. GD Inc is dead, all my motivation is gone, and I only live to see you again. There's nothing else I want other than to see your face again.

With love,
Soldier 27008963-BA"

-

The day was eerily quiet.

There was usually the sound of footsteps and vehicles roaming up above, 'enemy' forces continuing to do patrols in case there may still be pockets of resistance. But there was somehow nothing today. There was nothing stirring above the surface, and even the bunker was devoid of any active movement. The other soldiers had given up at this point. They knew that the war was over, and that they were done for as soon as they stepped out. All that was left to do, it seemed, was to wait until the rust got to them, and they could finally die.

The soldier was wandering about the bunker, looking for the exit. They had barricaded it during their hasty evacuation, and so it should be easy to spot. However, the bunker was somewhat large, built to hold a population around twenty times the current size. After a few minutes of looking around, he finally found it: boarded up by whatever stray metal panels and wooden boards they could find, and further reinforced by non-essential items being piled up on it. He looked around, looking for anyone that may stop him, but there was no one. It seemed as if, if he forgot about them, there was no one in the bunker but him. He began digging his way through the pile of junk, looking for the control panel to open the door. Despite how much noise he was making, no one bothered to stop him. It was his problem, they reckoned. They shouldn't risk death in trying to stop him from escaping. Eventually, he managed to find the panel. With a single push of the button, the gears began turning for the first time in quite a while, slowly opening the bunkers door. He pushed aside the remaining pile of junk in order to slip his way through, entering the dark tunnel leading out. He thought about finding the light switch, but he just didn't bother. He made his way through the dark corridor, hastily making his way up the stairs, until eventually getting to the single hatch which connected the bunker to the outside world. After entering a code and opening the hatch with a bit of force, he was blinded by sunlight.

The base was... No longer a base, to say the least. It was now just piles of rubble, devastated by constant conflict for such a long time. After getting used to seeing sunlight for the first time in ages, he wandered about the ruins of the base, seeing if even a shadow of this place still stood. It had already been vandalized by people in the short time since the war ended, with graffiti further tarnishing the memory of GD Inc. The place had been cleared with bodies, with the exception of the ones of the soldiers, it seemed. Anything of value that remained in the base had either been looted or taken apart to sell its parts. Simply put, it was truly a terrible sight, especially for someone who had blindly followed the people who ordered the construction of this base for such a long time. Of course it was. The base was a monument to their resilience to opposition. It was a message to the world that, despite the action taken against them, they still stood, actively resisting against the world who wanted to take them down. The problem, however, was that its message was no longer as powerful when its creators had fallen, completely defeating its purpose. He continued to wander around the base, still looking for a semblance of the world he used to live in. A world where GD Inc still lived. Even though he searched for it, however, he also knew that it no longer existed. He had come to terms with that fact. No matter how much he mourned, grieved, or otherwise protested against his loss, the world wouldn't care for his woes. As much as he wanted the world to end for all the terrible things that had happened to it, the world will continue to spin, the sun will continue to rise, and people will still be people. The world doesn't care for the needs of its people. It never has, and never will be.

As he continued to explore the base, however, sirens began to blare. Somehow, the emergency alert system of the base, despite how much damage it had sustained, was still up and running. It wasn't quite a surprise, actually. It had been built specifically to withstand the harshest of attacks, so that even if only the bunkers remained, they could be informed of a... Possible nuclear strike in the area. The soldier looked up, and saw streaks of white making its way across the sky. There were several going up to meet them, but he knew it was already too late. He looked away just in time, just before a large explosion occurred above the city of Oran, devastating the city and probably killing most of its inhabitants within moments. Several seconds later, and the shock wave would arrive, sending the soldier flying into a concrete wall, rendering him unconscious for the remainder of his unfortunate flight.

-

When the soldier first saw the Oran facility, he thought at first that he was dreaming.

It had been quite a while since the Event had happened. The soldier, despite the injuries he had sustained, had managed to get up and live another day. He was hurled a few miles or so, but he was still fine. On the day he got up, he looked around and saw the ruined skyline of Oran in front of him, and the desolate wastes behind him. He considered heading out to the facility immediately, but then he decided to go treat his injuries first. Despite how it seemed, soldiers weren't exactly invincible. His first stop was the base, where he was surprised to see that the remaining soldiers had set up a makeshift tent city in the ruins, becoming a safe haven for the exceptional few that were still sympathetic to the cause. It was there where he got his injuries taken care of. One of the medics remarked that it was quite a peculiar sight. They looked as if they had already healed, and yet the soldier still winced in pain whenever someone touched them. They gave him a few bandages and told him that he was now fine. Despite the fact that he still wasn't fine, he decided to just stick around and help the little community stay strong against the few remaining pockets of civilization within the city, which somehow still wanted to get rid of them, despite how terrible the state of the world is. It definitely seemed like cooperation was the more logical thing to do in this scenario, but people will still be people. That's just how the world is.

He spent the next... Well, they couldn't quite tell how much time had passed. All the clocks had stopped working, and all the calendars had somehow disappeared. It was safe to say that he spent several years in the base, however. He spent the next few years in the base, helping it grow and defend itself against the enemy, which continued to persist as a terrible enemy. It managed to somewhat thrive in this new world, mostly because it had the most knowledge on how to use weapons. They mainly spent their days hauling weapons over and fixing them up, ensuring that they'd remain in that spot. As they gradually built up their military power, people would naturally want to join in order to be safe from the terror that was the rest of the world. As such, people flocked to join the growing community, and they'd also help out with expanding and helping others. They'd also rebrand themselves, going from a mere GD Inc remnant to an independent survivor community that embraced all, including people that were on the other side of the war. Old habits die hard, however, and hatred of GD Inc was a *really* old habit. Eventually, the soldier had to leave the community, but not voluntarily. Some time later, there was an uprising to overthrow the community's leadership, which consisted of the former GD Inc soldiers. Being one of them, the soldier was forced to grab his things and flee the city, as they began hunting for those who survived the purge.

He then spent quite a while just wandering the wasteland, heading in the general direction towards the facility. He still remembered where it was, despite all he had sustained, and he reckoned that it was remote enough that he could call it his new home. As he made his way there, he thought about what it was going to be like after all this time. Was anyone still going to be around? Were they still going strong? Most importantly of all, was *she* still there? Those questions allowed him to cling on to the hope that there was still a place for him in this accursed world, and that he could still live happily. It took him a while to actually find it, however. He had a lot of area to search through, and since the war drastically changed the landscape, he couldn't exactly use a map. He eventually entered the forest, so he knew that he was *at least* going in the right direction. It still took him about a year to finally find the facility, however. When he first saw the fenced-off perimeter still perfectly intact, he got down on his knees and wept until he couldn't anymore, for his search was finally over. After regaining his strength, he climbed over the fence and began searching through the facility. The more he looked, the more he realized that the world wasn't going to hand everything to him *that* easily. Of course it wouldn't. It would rather play a cruel joke on him than give him a happy ending. The facility was indeed still intact, yes but it was devoid of any life, having been evacuated prior to the Event. He was so close to his friend, and yet so far as well.

The soldier considered breaking down and crying once again, but he already knew that got him nowhere. All that time he spent crying by the fence taught him that. He then spent the next few days mapping out the facility, looking for the one part of it that mattered to him: the communications area. GD Inc facilities such as these were obviously built to withstand the worst of the worst, nuclear strikes and EMPs included. As such, there was a chance that it was still able to communicate with other (desolate) facilities of its kind. All he had to do was find a way to access the underground, make his way to the communications room, and broadcast a distress signal. He thoroughly searched the entire facility, looking for something that would allow him to enter the underground. He considered just finding something to break the door open, but gave up on that as quickly as the idea came to him. Again, these faculties were built to *last*. Eventually, however, he managed to find just what he was looking for. There was just a keycard on the floor, presumably left by its owner when they hastily left the facility. The soldier immediately picked it up as soon as he found it, and he quickly rushed to the underground, wanting to get this done as soon as possible. He made his way down the stairs, through the corridor, and slid the keycard through the slot by the locked door. The sound of it opening caused him to smile with such glee that he hadn't felt in quite a while.

As soon as he went inside, he quickly turned on the backup generators and headed into the communications area. The lights in the ceiling flickered on, allowing him to see everything clearly. Quickly going through his decades of studying the intricate mechanisms of GD Inc technology, he went through the process required to broadcast a distress signal. He'd press one final big button, and the signal would be sent out to all the bases that could hear it. To his surprise, he'd manage to find that several facilities in remote regions of the world were still capable of at least receiving those signals. To make sure that there were people hearing those signals, however, he'd have to talk to them. The soldier reached for the microphone, cleared his throat, and spoke those few, hopeful words.

"This is Research Facility Oran, currently broadcasting a distress signal. Does anyone copy?"

Silence. He'd wait for a few seconds to pass until he repeated it. Shortly after reiterating it, however, a voice would respond.

"We hear you loud and clear, boy."

The soldier was immediately startled. He turned around and saw Triangle, the CEO, and... Some unknown person, standing behind him. *Of course* he was dreaming. Finding this place couldn't have been *that* easy. He'd instinctively pinch himself to wake himself up, only for him to... *Not* wake up. He blinked, hoping that he was hallucinating, but the two continued to stand in front of him. Triangle raised an eyebrow. "...Isn't this what you wanted?" He asked. "You *did* ask to be rescued, no?" The soldier remained stunned, silent and confused. The other person turned to Triangle. "I told you we shouldn't have appeared on the spot. Freaks the *heck* out of them." "Yeah!" The soldier shouted. "Uh... I agree with him!" The man turned to him and nodded. "See?" Triangle sighed. "Alright. We won't do it the next time, alright?" He replied. The man then turned back to the soldier. "Please remain calm. I know how you feel right now, and that's understandable. GD Inc has arrived to take you back in." "G-GD Inc?" The soldier became further confused. "You cowards surrendered ages ago! How dare you say those sorts of things?" The man sighed. "This entrance could've been done a lot better." He muttered to himself. He looked back at the soldier. "Look. All will be explained in due time. Just come with us." He then grabbed Triangles hand, and they'd both come towards the soldier. "GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU-" The man then quickly seized his arm.

With a snap of his fingers, all three of them were gone.