The First Strike

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**The First Strike** is the 2nd episode of *gen:LOCK* Season 2. It premiered on November 11, 2021, for Rooster Teeth FIRST members.

## Summary

A flashback about the Battle of New York City involving Union is shown. Seeing the chaos and panic from her living room window, Roberta and Driana try and escape as nanotechnology starts to surround the city slaughtering fleeing civilians at no avail. While trying to flee the encroaching monstrosity, Roberta pulls out her Union card which protects them from the nanotechnology. Astounded by the fact that her mother has a Union card, Roberta claims there's a lot she doesn't understand. Two Polity fighter jets then fly above their heads and Driana comments on how Julian is up there fighting them. A fighter jet then crash lands near them and the two then take shelter in a nearby church partially covered by nanotechnology.

In the year 2068, the Union now fully occupies New York City. Within the same church that both Driana and Roberta took shelter in on the day of the battle from years ago, a priest performs a ritual of the sort that sacrifices six zealots to some white nanotechnology. Witnessing this, Driana curses the practice and abruptly leaves the place as Roberta follows her and tries to stop her. However, Driana bluntly tells her mother that she can no longer spend her Sundays idly watching people kill themselves for the Union. That night, Driana tries to leave their apartment and is once again stopped by her mother who tries to dissuade Driana from leaving, asking her to give the Omnifaith a chance. Once again, however, Driana refuses to follow her mother's influence claiming her brother died fighting the Union. This Roberta prompts to slap Driana in the face and defend her beliefs with the Union, but Driana refuses to continue listening and leaves. Alone in her apartment, Roberta with a Union Rosary prays in front of an old picture of her family to protect her last remaining child.

Two years later, at the Union Capital of Babylon, Brother Tate shows Roberta her son Julian. Elated to see his mother, he tries to hug her, but is unable due to being a hologram. Starting to bug out, Brother Tate reassures Julian that he's safe. Two years earlier, at the same location, Brother Tate gives a sermon to a bunch of people noting about the nanotechnology they worship. Also attending the sermon are Yasamin and her two parents. Yasamin is notably unimpressed by the sermon as she's heard it many times. Brother Tate continues his sermon noting the time of Twilight and once he finishes it, he calls upon six zealots who sacrifice themselves to the Flow. Witnessing this, Yasamin is notably astonished by this. Back in 2070, Roberta meets with Julian, they briefly talk until Julian starts to bug out and then disappear. Afterward, Brother Tate talks with Roberta concerning Julian's condition, although Roberta is distraught over Julian's unstableness, Brother Tate reassures her that he's got a solution for him. Switching back to 2068 again, at Yasamin's family home, she argues with her malaised father about the authenticity of the Omnifaith. Yasamin's mother sides with her father and claims that the "Ascension" will free him and she wishes to follow him. However, due to Yasamin's lack of faith, they cannot ascend which because of Yasamin's unwillingness to accept the Omnifaith, she's causing her father undue pain. Upset by this, Yasamin runs upstairs into her room. On her bed, Yasamin watches a video of Omnifaith Resistance, where its leader named Meshach gives a speech about how he'll put an end to the Union's ways and sets aflame a doll of a Union zealot. With a Union card in hand, Yasamin seemingly intends to leave her home and join the resistance.

Once again in 2070, Roberta visits Julian and the two go for a walk outside and Roberta talks to Julian about his father and what he was like before he died. Eventually, the two rides on a boat heading toward a small island where a giant Flow nanotechnology ball was stationed at. Roberta explains that once a great monument stood there, but it was destroyed by terrorists. Hence, Flow rebuilt it, however, the Polity once again destroyed them. Brother Tate with Mr. Cook in his arms appears before the two and greets Julian who suffers another bugging out. In pain and noting his inability to tolerate his current existence, Julian is reassured by Brother Tate who elaborates on his backstory of how he rose to power. Although Julian states his unstable nature and his pains and fear mostly from him watching himself disappear, Brother Tate claims that Julian could gain ascension through his suffering. Roberta then chimes in and claims that the Union has the technology to allow Julian to ascend the way he is. Despite his fear of ascending as he's died twice, Roberta claims that ascending will allow him to live eternally pain-free. Inside the church, Roberta goes through the ascension process, and after watching her mother go through it, Julian is proselytized by the experience. Pleased by this, Brother Tate informs that Julian will have his own biological "body" the next day.

Again in 2068, Yasamin accompanied by Meshach, a man named Narong and a woman named Alejandra, plan on bombing the Kabaa. They ride a boat to their destination, however, before they reach their destination, Polity fighter jets bomb the Kabaa and then fly toward the capital. Using a light orb that shoots lasers set atop the main building of the capital, it shots down all of the fighter jets. Their boat back on land, a single Union soldier grabs Yasamin, but Narong frees her by punching him. The resistance members then flee the scene.

At the Anvil, Raquel Marin is given a status report from Able on their surprise attack. Meanwhile, Brother Tate cradling Mr. Cook and with two zealots each standing on his left and right sides, watch the scene of the now ruined Kabaa. One of the zealots then states that their afterlife is gone, but at that moment, a giant Flow orb emerges from the rubble of the scene and Brother Tate cries tears of joy. He then states of little faith is his zealot is. Later, Brother Tate meets with one of the other 11 Athenians who shows Brother Tate that the Polity has a copy of Julian in their possession along with new Gen:Lock recruits. Furthermore, the Polity now has the ability to copy souls as well, this will allow them to create a legion of holon. In light of this, Brother Tate vows to do what he must, but the Athenian corrects him saying they must do what they must together.

The following day, the resistance hides someplace as a hologram of Brother Tate gives an announcement concerning the recent attack on the Kabaa. In that announcement, Brother Tate claims that the Flow no longer needs the Kabaa and sequentially calls out the Union terrorists otherwise known as the resistance members. It's also shown that Yasamin's parents went through the ascension process. Just then Union soldiers raid the hideout of the resistance and only Meshach and Yasamin managing to escape while the other two were executed by black nanotech. During their escape, Yasamin is shot multiple times and falls into the Euphrates right by a waterfall below.

In his private chambers in 2070, Brother Tate, confesses to the Athenian about the Flow needing power from an external source. Not only that, the Polity has the technology to make their holons impervious to their nanotech. Furthermore, he laments on having to break a promise to Julian whom he mentions indirectly in order to combat the Polity. The Athenian notes that it's ironic that Brother Tate spoke so condescendingly as "Spartans" are known for their great strength. Eventually, Julian is betrayed by Brother Tate who claimed that Julian will go through his ascension into his new body, but in reality, was made into the holon Nemesis.

## Characters

Heroes

* Julian Chase
* Yasamin Madrani

Villains

* Brother Tate
* Nemesis

Others

* Roberta Chase
* Driana Chase
* Meshach (Debut)
* Mr. Cook
* Narong (Debut)
* Able
* Raquel Marin
* Alejandra (Debut)
* Sister Nyokabi (Debut)