S1, 01 Political Prisoner (January 29, 2014)

Faction: Marauders

Current location: Earth

A Galactic Imperium operative sat in his office overlooking the towers of the city when the intercom rang.

“He's ready for you, sir.”

“Send him in.”

Two guards entered, one of them more machine than man, escorting a man shackled and with a bag over his head.

“Do you know who I am?” asked the man behind the desk.

“Well, considering I can't see a thing, I'd say you must be the Wizard of Oz.”

The cyborg hit the prisoner with the butt of his gun, sending the man to his knees.

“Sarcasm is not tolerated.” He pointed the barrel of his gun to the prisoner's head.

“Kraj, please. The doctor is our guest. Remove his hood.”

Kraj yanked the bag from the prisoner's head.

“If I'm a guest, then I'd like to complain about my accommodations.”

Kraj's eye filled with anger and he raised his hand to strike again, but was stopped by a motion from the suited man. The man picked up a tablet from his desk and read aloud.

“Dr. Devlin Gadera. Age 32. Son of Frank and Eileen Gadera. Graduated with honors from the Science Academy. Recruited by the Galactic Imperium at age 26. Made head of Research and Development within 2 years. Fours years ago, you were one of our best and brightest. But then, you began a downward spiral. Relieved of your duties for mental instability..”

“That's a lie,” Devlin interrupted.

“Relieved of your duties,” the man behind the desk continued. “You started to work with a terrorist Marauder group, where you were arrested for illegal technological research. I've read the file on this research and that is why you are here now.”

“My research was no secret. I worked on it here, but when your bosses wouldn't listen to reason I left to pursue it elsewhere.”

“Reason?”

Devlin stared at the ground. “The Shift. I..I knew it was coming.”

“How?”

Devlin looked up.
“There's no way that someone could move something as massive as an entire planet on the first run. There were signs that the shift was coming. Almost like ramp up experiments. People disappearing. Small buildings and landmarks going missing.”

“Someone? Then you don't believe the Shift was a natural event?”

“No, sir. It couldn't be. And that's why I had to continue my research, even after GI dismissed me.”

“But, with terrorists?”

“Marauders. And they were the only ones to listen. They were the only ones who prepared. They were the only ones to ask the right question.”

The man behind the desk leaned forward.

“And what is the right question?”

“Why. The question is why. If the Shift was caused by someone here on Earth, then they are far more dangerous than Marauders, or Aurelians, or even the Imperium. And if it was someone not from Earth, then our new neighbors have more planned for us than simply making alliances and trading goods.”

The man behind the desk smiled. “I couldn't agree more.”

He stood up and walked to the window.

“Look outside. You haven't seen the city in over two years, but I see it every day. Men, women, children. All trying to make a living. All trying to survive. But there's a shadow coming.”

He turned back to Devlin “A war is coming. And I need to know whether our alien alliances will hold, or if it's a ruse to insure the destruction of all those people out there.”

Dr. Gadera stood shocked at what he heard coming from an operative of the organization that had hunted him down and imprisoned him for so long.

“What do you want me to do?” he finally asked.

“I want you to find out how the Shift happened, and who's responsible. Kraj, please show the doctor to his lab.”

The cyborg stepped forward and escorted Gadera from the office.

Bonus Pics:

The whole build

Figless

Lightbrick desk.

View from the window.

Micro skyline.

Mini figs.