S2, 06 There may be hope yet! (GC) (June 29, 2015)

Corresponding text underneath each picture.

**1st June 2095: Present Day**

Tank: “Right, let’s get out of here.” I muttered aloud to Tracks and we turned to head back out.

But no sooner had I said that than out of thin air, several Collective mages appeared. Both Tracks and I froze as they materialised, all of them prepared for battle and with their weapons trained on us.

Collective mage #1: “Fool. You thought it would be that easy?”

I didn’t reply. I was too busy frantically trying to figure out an outcome to this situation which involved us living. I gripped the datapad tightly as I tried to work out what to do.

Collective mage #2: “Tell us, boy, why is this device so important? Your superiors have clearly put a lot of effort into getting this back and granted, you did very well to get so far, however, there was of course no chance of your success.”

So they didn’t know what was on the datapad! That was good, that at least game me some sort of leverage, something to use to keep me alive. And in fact… the datapad! That gave me an idea…

Tank: “And why should I tell you? As soon as I do, you’ll have no use for me and will kill me.”

Collective mage #1: “Mmm, very good. However, have you considered the fact that you are merely a pawn in a much larger game? If you die, your superiors will simply send another in your place to do, or rather, *attempt* to do what you failed to.”

I had never really thought of it like that, however I knew what he said to be true.

Tank: “Maybe, but you still wouldn’t know why this is so important.”

Collective mage #1: “No, but if you do not tell us, we will simply extract the answers we seek from whoever comes in your place once you are dead.” He stated.

Tank: “Well, I hate to inform you of this, but nobody else is coming.”

Collective mage #3: “And why not?”

Tank: “Because they already know what was on here.” I held up the datapad and showed them the green “SENT” message currently displayed on the screen.

There was a general gasp of realisation from the mages surrounding me as they figured out that I’d been playing for time.

Collective mage #1: “You shall pay, boy!” he shouted and raised his staff. I just hoped to God that Colonel had been paying attention and was ready like he had said he would be!

The mage chanted something, however, before he could strike me down, there was a distant *boom* and moments later a wave of blue seemingly light, blasted over us with enough force to knock us all off of our feet and then vanished as it continued expanding outwards.

But I had been expecting it and recovered quickly. I shot the mage who seemed to be in charge before he could even get up and Tracks dealt with another two. We leapt for the exit with the recovering mages all shouting curses and phrases in other languages after us, however, curious, I paused outside of the door to see if anything actually happened or whether the Ossillium shield had done it’s work.

The chanting stopped and there were general sounds of confusion from inside as nothing happened. I grinned and couldn’t help but return to the doorway and look in at them so they could see my smugness.

They spotted me and all charged at me, but without their powers, they weren’t nearly as impressive and, laughing, I turned and ran with Tracks back the way we had come through the passageways that made up the encampment beneath the Shard.

We met several more mages along the way, however after discovering that their ‘magic’ such as it was, no longer worked after being exposed to the Ossillium, they were quick to either retreat or be dispatched.

Tracks and I burst back out of the narrow entranceway, mowing down another two mages and three guards as we went and continued to sprint back across no-man’s land towards the Imperium and Aurelii lines. As we ran, I noticed that the sky was an unnatural blue and I realised that we were still within the dome of the shield as it continued expanding outwards.

We didn’t bother to be stealthy this time. The Collective had no powers any more; they could not sense us. Even though their soldiers still had guns, it was clear as we charged back towards safety that the tide of the battle had turned. The Imperium and Aurellian forces who had been pinned down not that long ago, were now pushing forwards and the powerless Collective were struggling to hold them off.

Tracks gunned down a couple more Collective soldiers as we ran over the churned-up terrain and very soon we had made it back to the safety of our own lines.

Lieutenant Williams was where we had last seen him, not far away, giving orders into a comlink. We made our way over to him. He finished giving out instructions and clipped the device back onto his belt.

Williams: “We can’t thank you enough!” he told us with a beaming smile. “The Imperium owes you a big debt of thanks!”

Now those were words I didn’t think I’d ever hear!

Williams: You should return to the command centre. I’m sure the Colonel will be very grateful and that you will be handsomely rewarded for your efforts here.”

Tank: “Thank you.” I nodded my appreciation.

Together, Tracks and I headed back away from the trenches, towards the building that was serving as the command centre, filled with all the hope that promises of rewards brings.

However, by the time we had reached the floor that the command centre was situated on, it became apparent that something was not right. People were rushing about everywhere and there was an air of panic and confusion in the room.

The Colonel was in the middle of it, slamming his fist onto a holo-map in frustration.

Tank: “Colonel?” I asked as I headed over to him.

The Imperial either ignored me or more likely didn’t hear me.

Cosor: “What the hell is going on?!” he demanded, striding around aimlessly, waiting for an answer.

Just then, a transmission came through from somewhere out on the battlefront. It was a terrible-quality hologram and both the image and audio kept flickering.

Hologram: “…ey! We…. un… tack!” a soldier screamed amid the sound of heavy gunfire and explosions.

Cosor: “Soldier! SOLDIER!” he bellowed at the hologram. “Repeat!”

I scowled, trying to understand what the garbled audio was trying to tell us.

Hologram: “…ack! … lective…. powers… BACK!” he screamed but then the transmission cut off suddenly and I felt my eyes widen in horror, fearing what I had thought the poor soldier had been trying to say.

Cosor’s face dropped as he guessed the same.

Cosor: “Give me eyes out there God-dammit!” he demanded and strode over to the window.

Soldier: “Sir!” a soldier briskly walked up and handed his superior a pair of macronoculars, which Cosor took and raised to his eyes.

Cosor: “My God…” he sighed and half of the room, including myself, joined him at the window looking out over the battlefront.

The blue dome of light that had been the shield had vanished and a sphere of intense orange light was steadily growing larger near the entrance to the Collective’s camp.

Tank: “What the?....” I muttered.

Cosor lowered his macronoculars in complete silence and just stared on in disbelief. Without saying a word, I took them from him and raised them to my own eyes.

There, where Tracks and I had been less than half an hour ago, outside the encampment, was a semi-circle of Collective mages. They all had their staffs raised and they were clearly chanting in unison. It was from their staffs that the still-growing orange sphere was emerging.

Their powers were back.

The shield hadn’t worked.

As we stood there in silence, watching on, flashes of brilliantly orange light burst out of the glowing sphere, like fireballs leaping out of a volcano, and just like fireballs, they crashed down with devastating impacts into the Imperial lines.

The energy blasts rained down unpredictably, obliterating anything that they landed on. The GI and Aurellian forces didn’t stand a chance.

Cosor: “Order a retreat.” He quietly commanded.

Officer: “Yessir.” An officer replied in an equally subdued tone and left the window to carry out the action.

Officer #2: “**INCOMING**!” another officer suddenly shouted, breaking the trance-like state that we had all been stuck in, watching the devastation. One of the energy blasts was heading towards the tower and as we watched on, it struck the ground just meters from the foot of the building and blew the ground floor widows out, as well as taking a huge chunk out of the road.

That blast was swiftly followed by another which landed atop a nearby car, destroying it in a fireball. Then a third struck the building next to us and at that point we realised that the bombardment wasn’t going to stop. In fact, the longer we watched, the more intense the attacks became.

It soon became apparent that as well as attacking the troops on the front lines, the Collective had now stepped up their game and were deliberately attacking further afield. They knew our command post was back here somewhere, all they had to do was find it.

Cosor: “Everybody get ready to move out!” he commanded and there was a flurry of activity as everybody began packing up equipment and getting ready to evacuate. Tracks and I helped as best we could without getting in the way and pretty soon we were ready to leave. Some took the stairs while others with the heavier equipment took turns using the elevators and we all regrouped in the lobby.

Cosor: “Ready?” he checked. “Let’s go!” he shouted before waiting for a reply. I was only a few men behind the Colonel and we began filing out of the door, however just seconds after I had got outside a volley of energy blasts blitzed the road in front of us.

Everybody screamed and shouted out as the blasts blew everybody off of their feet and sent the boxes of equipment tumbling. A chunk of the building next door came crashing down into the road and I coughed as the dust plume washed over us.

Cosor: “Get inside!” I heard the colonel’s voice shouting from somewhere in the dust and, once they had recovered, people started scrambling back into the lobby.

I staggered back through the doors, Tracks only a step or two behind me and I coughed into my sleeve, trying to clear my burning throat. I watched as Cosor, his face plastered in blood from where he’d been caught in the initial blasts, made it through the doorway.

He stood there for a moment, panting and surveying the scene before him – the coughing, spluttering array of officers and soldiers, standing, kneeling and laying injured on the lobby floor, surrounded by assorted boxes and crates of equipment.

Cosor: “Get down to the basement.” He ordered calmly as the building around us shook from another nearby blast and an injured female officer whimpered in fear.

Five minutes later and Cosor had kicked open the basement door and we carefully made our way inside. Somebody turned on the lighting, but the bulbs were old and didn’t give off much light. The basement was a large enough space, mostly filled with cardboard boxes and old junk, a storage room, but it would suit our needs.

The last of our party made it inside and the door was closed after them. I slumped down against a cold, concrete pillar and looked over at Cosor who, once again, was surveying the scene.

After a few moments he spoke.

Cosor: “We wait it out.” He said simply, and with that, he lowered his head and trudged away.

**BONUS PICTURES:**

The Shard interior set.

An alternative image of Tank with Cosor looking out the window.

The basement set.

As my series is going to be jumping around though time, I will include a date on each episode and add it to the timeline at the end of each episode so that you can follow it.

TIMELINE