Storymania - Project S.T.A.R. by Loki

Project S.T.A.R. (4)
Loki

Simon: Today will be a grave day for Antopolis. Many innocents will die. And I won't mourn for any of them. Not even all the children who will suffer. At a quarter past noon, I will make my way to the Antopolis Water Plant. The Water Plant connects to over 200 million residents of Antopolis. People get their bath water, drink water, washing water from there. But I have a more sinister plan. You see this? [Simon holds up vial filled with greenish-gray liquid]

Man: Yes.

Simon: This vial is filled with a terrible virus. In the middle ages, a virus like this one caused inexplicable death in Europe. This is its successor...Bubonic Plague II. Once I pour this in the water system, the death toll will be over 200 million. Wonderful, Isn't it! [Simon cackles]

Man: Sir, with all due respect, don't you think that's a bit harsh?

Simon: Not at all. They all had it coming eventually.

Man: Well sir, I shall have nothing to do with this.

Simon: I see. Do you trust me?

Man: Why yes sir. I trust you.

Simon: Then we have a problem, because I don't trust you at all. [Simon pulls out a silenced pistol and shoots the other person 5 times.] No more setbacks.

We all stared at the screen in awe. In just a couple of minutes, Simon had just killed a man, revealed a super bio-virus, and hatched a plan so evil, it had taken us off totally off guard. Seriously, I didn't know what to do. It was now 11:30am. In less than an hour, over 200 million people could decide that they were thirsty for water. Then....the results were too brutal to imagine. "What do we do?" someone asked Ray. Seems like someone forgot that I was squad leader now. "Ask your real leader." He scoffed at me as he turned away. Ray is putting me on the stand because he doesn't want to be responsible for the deaths of 200 million people if we fail. I thought with envy. I could only come up with one genuine idea. "I've got an idea. Someone can stay out here in the Black Storm and be a lookout while the others go inside and take Simon out." I said. The others agreed with me, for once. "But wait! Look outside everyone!" cried Tim. As I looked down below I could see hordes of squad cars and army Hummers rolling through town. Oh yeah. The FBI and Army said they were going to crack up on us Anthrax agents. "So basically if we just strut down there, we are going to be up to our asses with the Feds." Said a restless Alex. I nodded. "There is one more way. But it will require at least two people." I spoke. They all watched me with anticipation. "Well, one of us will go down on the streets and create a diversion. Just to get the soldiers off our backs. Someone else will drop on top of the building and proceed to go on a search and destroy mission for Simon." I ended. It was a brilliant plan. But it had a lot of flaws. Many things could go wrong. I waited for someone to disagree with me but no one did. It was the only way. "How will we figure out who goes?" recited a scared Alex. "Let's just vote. Pick someone out of the group that you want to go up in the building." I said. Why did I find it funny that everyone voted that I go up in the building? Because that was the most dangerous part of the mission. They all want me dead. I figured. "Okay....I need someone to buy me some time on ground." I waited. "Anyone?" Taylor stood up. "Guys, this is just stupid. Felix, I'm putting aside our differences for the sake of the mission. I'll play cat and mouse with the Feds." She said. "Thanks Taylor." I said privately to her.

Five minutes later, Taylor zipped like a bullet on the super-cycle in front of the federal agents. They were on her like white on rice. But Taylor was a great driver, and she soon pulled away from the feds. The Black Storm hovered silently over the building. I was nervous. Very. "If anything goes wrong, meet me in that empty lot down the block." I told Tim. When I dropped out of the Black Storm, I would become visible. Vulnerable also. I took a deep breath and launched myself into the air.

I landed and rolled on the ground, making myself level with the floor. I looked up and saw nothing. The Black Storm's holographic technology was still up. I creped towards the door of the building. I downloaded the interface of the building into my microchip, so I knew how many floors to go down until I got to Simon, which was 10. I opened the door with care and prepared to go down the stairs until I got to Disease archives. I could hear voices from the offices and rooms. Once I found the door leading to the archives, it required a key card to open it. Shit, why didn't we think of that? I thought. Someone was coming! I sunk behind the enclove in the hallway. Two pairs of scientists, a man and a woman, walked towards the archives. I needed a key card. I pulled out my tranquilizer and prepared to incacipate them. I jumped right in front of them. While they were staring at me in shock, I grabbed the woman and put my hand over her mouth. I fired the dart in the man's chest! Pheewt! I then turned the gun around and fired the struggling woman. Pheewt! I laid them down in the enclove and frisked both of them. I found a key card on the woman. I slid it in the slot and the door slid open. "Open back weaponry." I commanded my microchip. A second later the back of my suit opened to reveal a black PP7 with a silencer. I crept low to the ground as I entered a lab used for extracting all dangerous diseases. I didn't know then that I was being watched.

Just then an intercom in the room sounded, "Warning! Warning! Dangerous substances being released! Activating enclosing mechanisms!" I looked around in fear and watched as three steel doors from the ceiling slammed down, blocking all exits. What's going on?! I fearfully thought. "High there." Came a voice from a hidden speaker in the room. I looked around frantically. "If you would just look around to the far corner of this room you will see a video camera. Good! I see you're listening! Now, we are going to play a game. It's called "How Long". As you can see, the steel doors have made it impossible to escape. In a minute a nasty toxin that I invented myself is going to start pumping into the room. Your skin will reject it and start to peel away while your internal organs will pulse and burst. Very violent. So, "How Long" can you survive! Hahahahaha!" I knew who it was. Simon. Then small pipes appeared from the ceiling and started pumping out the gas. It was a thick beige gas that had a very high stench. Even through my protective suit, I could feel small effects from the gas. My muscles would spasm unexpectedly. I cried out as I fell to the floor coughing. No way out! This is going to kill me! I thought frantically. I looked around for anything that could help me out. My vision got hazy and twisted. Then I noticed the window. The only problem was that it was about 5 inches thick. With my remaining physical and mental strength I called on the computer. "Com...Computer! Open side-arms. NOW!" I screamed in agony. My throat was tightening and suddenly throbbing. My stomach convulsed over and over. I had to hold myself from throwing up. I grabbed my guns and fired towards the glass. BLAM! BLAM! BLAMBLAMBLAM! Then I took a wobbly running rush towards the glass. KER-CRAAAAASH! The ventilators of my helmet surged with fresh air. I could feel the effects of the deadly virus leave me soon as I was out of the gas. I ran through the hallway, searching for that rat Simon. I swiftly opened the door and ran through the disease archives, looking for Simon. I opened another door that lead to an office. This is the same office from earlier. I thought. But just then there was someone with their back to me watching t. v. "Simon! Let's make it simple. I'm going to kill you before you can use your nasty virus on everyone." I said to him. I reached his chair and turned him around so I could see his face. Oh my God. I thought with fear. The person was not Simon. It was the guy he had killed earlier. He had 5 bullet holes in his chest but that was not the most disgusting part. His face was totally ripped off, revealing nothing but hollowed out skull. I turned and ran for the exit when, WHIRRR! WHIRRR! WHIRRR! WHIRRR! The security alarm blared to life. It's gonna be a long day. I thought as I pulled out my machine gun from my back compartment.

"Alex, Ray, Tim, anyone! If you can hear me, take the Dark Storm to the alley! Hurry!" I screamed as I ran down the long hallway for the freight elevator. But then....Ping! The elevator opened and about 20 armed-to-the-teeth guards rushed out of the wide elevator and aimed their automatic weapons at me. My suit could take a beating, but with all that firepower, the suit would become overwhelmed and explode. I slid to a stop and ran the other way. BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! They guns blazed. The bullets ricocheted all around me. I jumped towards the office section and ran towards a cubicle and hid. Stomp,stomp,stomp. I could hear their heavy boots advancing towards the door. I crawled on my hands and knees and tried to find a way out of the maze. The exit! Just a few cubicles down. Boom! The guards had circled around and were now coming through my escape route! And they saw me! "There he is!" one of them yelled. I didn't want to have to do this. I said as I rose up and fired. BLAMBLAMBLAM! I caught the guards by surprise, hitting the first one in the chest area. As he fell against the other guys, I ran backwards towards the other guards, which were positioned to fire at me on the other end of the room. "Computer, Grenade." I accessed my microchip. From my wrist compartments, a grenade dropped onto my hand. The guards expected me to throw it at them but I did the opposite. I threw it on the ground 5 feet in front of me. Then....BLOOOOM! Guards close to the explosion were thrown away. Desks and chairs flew threw the air. A large hole had opened in the ground, leading to a lower floor. Just my idea. I thought as I jumped into the gap and ran, looking for an exit.

When I had reached the stairs I yanked the door open. But it didn't budge. I pulled and yanked but it didn't move. A sophisticated locking mechanism. They don't want me to get away. I thought desperately. I didn't care where Simon was, I was worried about my own ass right then. When I rounded the corner I was met by two guards, weapons drawn. I didn't have time to fire, so I attacked them. I kicked the gun out of the first guards hands and grabbed him while the other prepared to shoot me. I used the first guard as a human shield. The second guard hesitated to fire. I pushed the guards into each other and snagged the gun out of the air. Then I lit them both up. BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! Phit! Phit! Phit! They lurched and slopped over each other on the ground, dead. As I turned the ground I noticed a squad of even more guards. I decided to run. BLAMBLAMBLAM! Ting! One of the bullets hit me in my back. Good thing I was armored. When I rounded the corner again, the door burst open with more guards! Someone must have re-activated it so it would open for the guards! I was trapped once again. Then I noticed yet another office building. But this one had a window leading outside. It was a crazy, stupid idea. Never stopped me before though. I ran into the office as the guards kept firing at me. 20 feet, 15 feet, 10 feet. Bullets hit my legs, arms, even my ass but I didn't feel a thing. When I neared the window. I put my hands over my head and jumped into the air. KER-CRAAAAAAASH! I had just jumped out of a 174 floor building and was now falling very fast into the Antopolis district.

"AHHHHHHH! AHHH! AHHH! AHHHHHHH!" I screamed over and over again. The ground was getting bigger and bigger every second now. There! A group of canopy tents posted on the window sills! I twisted my body in their direction and crashed through the first one. RIIIIIIIP! The second one! RIIIIIP! Third! RIIIIIIIP! Fourth! RIIIIIIIP! WHAAAAAM! CRUNCH! After I fell through the fourth one I slammed into a group of tables posted beside the entrance of the building. The tents slowed my fall, but the impact of the ground still knocked me silly. Startled people around me yelled and backed away. "Police! Police!" A woman screamed frantically. I looked groggily and saw a group of Feds and soldiers jump out of Hummers and start to chase after me! Oh yeah, the FBI wanted to crack down on us "rogues". I jumped up and started to run for the alley, which was about four blocks away. "Felix, about 3 minutes ago, Simon jumped into a black BMW and sped away for the water plant! Alex and Ray are chasing him right now! " Said Tim in my head. "Tim, leave my super-cycle in the alleyway and locate Taylor! Hurry!" I yelled as I ran madly into the streets that were now pouring with traffic. Whoosh! Swish! Honk! HonkhonkHONK! The cars sped in and around me with their horns blazing. The Feds ran through the traffic also. But one of them was not so lucky with dodging traffic. "Ahhhhh!" Blam! Whump-a-thump! A semi slammed into him, blocking off the Feds. I ran through the crowd of people, pushing and shoving them aside. Too many of them! I pointed my gun in the air and shot. BLAM! Everyone dropped like flies to the ground. I ran out in the street again and jumped on a moving Coca-cola truck. The Feds were back on the chase now, but this time shooting! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Tink, tack, thock! The bullets punctured the sodas and they started to pour in the street. The van a few feet away from the alley. I jumped off and ran into the alley, finding my super-cycle there for the taking. As I jumped on, my microchip corresponded with the cycle's computer. It automatically cranked up. Vroom! VRRROOOOOOOM! I tore down the alley at breakneck speed. As I neared the end of the alley, the Feds turned the corner to ambush me! I braked the cycle hard, making the back wheel stand up. With my momentum, I slung the back wheel into the Feds, slamming into to one of their heads. VROOOOOOOM! VROOOOM! I raced away. BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! They were still shooting! "AHHHHHHH!" An innocent bystander was hit with a fatal headshot! I couldn't do anything about it. I needed to find Simon, quick.

I twisted and turned my way throughout traffic. "Computer! Access detailed map of Antopolis, Wall Street Centre division!" Map accessed. A transparent map of the Wall Street Centre appeared on my screen. "Guide me to the Antopolis Water Plant! Accessed. You are 10.2 miles from the plant. There has to be a faster way to the plant! I screamed inside my head. I looked on the map and noticed a fast shortcut to the plant. But I would have to ride through the abandoned section of Antopolis. The area that was known as New Jersey to some humans a hundred years ago. BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! The Feds were chasing me in cars, still shooting! I turned sharply and flew through the wooden barriers and entered the abandoned area. They were still on my track, flooring it. There was no traffic or people in this area so it was open season on all dangerous weapons. The army guys started shooting at me with assault rifles and grenades. BOOM! RATT-A-TATT-TATT! I was extremely out numbered. I flew down a steep hill and turned a sharp right into the abandoned freeway area. VROOOOOOOOOM! I floored the engine. My speed increased from 80 mph to a staggering 200 in a mere 8 seconds. They can't keep up with this kind of speed! I though giddily. But something could. When I looked back, I saw something that scared me shitless. Three bazookas pointing from the Hummer. Their target: me.

TSEEEEEEER! TSEEEEEEEER! TSEEEEEEER! They all fired simultaneously. I was about 1,000 feet away from them, tearing down the abandoned freeway. The rockets could cover that distance in seconds. I turned around to see the rockets bearing down on me at stupendous speed! This is going to hurt! I thought as I gripped the brake while twisting the super-cycle to the left. The result was a dangerous sliding motion. I slid violently on the asphalt at about 150 mph. I looked up and the rockets shot past me, missing me just by a couple of feet. They flew on until slamming into an overpass half a mile down the freeway. But the Feds were still behind me, and it looked like they were going through their arsenal looking for more rockets. I pulled myself back up and roared away from them. VROOOOOM! BLAMBLAMBLAMBLAM! They wouldn't let up! I was almost to the Water Plant now, but the wrecked overpass now blocked me and the Feds were behind me. Then I had a great idea! "Computer! Access super-cycle's missiles! Accessed. Select missile. A list appeared with an impressive selection of missiles. I was on edge, so I selected one that had not been fully tested yet. "Select mind-control missile!" I yelled. The overpass was just a couple ten hundred feet away now. The mind-control missile was a new weapon made by Anthrax. I had never used it, but it also had a microchip inside it that was linked to the agent's microchip. Therefore, whoever shot the missile they could control its direction with their microchip. Like a remote controlled car, only you brain is the controller. The ramp was about 600 feet away. I had to act quickly. "Computer, ingage weapon! Prepare to fire!" Weapon ingaged. "FIRE!" I screamed. The missile immediately shot from the super-cycle and when it did, I could see from the missile's perspective and control the thing. I made the missile accelerate upwards into the sky, then piloting it so it would fly into a big arch. The Feds were now adjusting and aiming more bazookas! The overpass looming fast! My missile now completing it's circle and appeared behind the Feds Hummer! They never noticed the missile at all. BOOOOOOOOM! The Hummer exploded and was propelled into the air. CRUNCH! CRASH! "Yes! Hell ye....No! Hell no!" my expression changed very quickly. One of the guys managed to get a shot off with the bazooka! Now it was about 50 feet behind me! But the overpass was just in front of me. VROOOOOOOOM! I floored up over the broken overpass towards the top and jumped from the overpass just as the bazooka blew it up. BOOOOOOOM!

When I jumped, I had moved back into the Antopolis district. Back to traffic. I fell fast and landed on top of a cab. BRAASH! The windows shattered on my impact. I landed uneasily but I regained my balance and raced down the street leading to the waterway. As I floored around the corner, So did Ray and Alex from around the other corner. SKEEEEEEEEEER! Burning rubber on asphalt. We sped together to the entrance of the harbor that lead to the waterway. "Hey, where have you been?!" said Ray. "Busy. Where's Simon?" I asked. "He rode into the harbor, trying to catch a boat to the plant!" replied Alex. "Guys! Guys! Simon has just taken off in a blue and red colored fishing boat. The bad thing is, two other identical boats have also taken off! Only one of them is really Simon! Find the right one before he reaches the plant!" said Tim from overhead in the Black Storm. This was hard. "Okay Alex, Ray, convert to jet-ski and pick a boat and stick with it! Don't let it dock at the water plant at all costs!" I screamed. We drove our cycles straight at the river. As we were launched into the air, we each accessed our computer. "Computer! Access jet-ski configuration!" Accessed. Suddenly our super-cycles transformed into bad ass Anthrax style jet-skis! VROOOOOM! I picked my target and chased after it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ray roar next to his boat. Ray jumped from the jet-ski to the boat. "Guys I don't see anything!" He responded as he disappeared into the boat's cabin. "What?" I asked. "I don't see anything! The boat is propped with a rod! And there's this clock ticking down....OH SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!" screamed a terrified Ray. "Get out of there!" I screamed. But it was too late. BOOOOOOOOOOM! Ray's ship exploded into a fiery deathtrap. Damn. I thought madly. "Alex! Watch out! The boat may be rigged!" I yelled. Alex was now closing in on his target. Alex nodded and raced up behind the boat. But then, a silver baton was thrown from the boat and it hit Alex in the face. Before Alex could throw it aside, it burst apart, spilling a yellow gas. "COUGH! COUGH! Can't breath..or move. COUGH! COUGH!" Alex said. Then he started to have a violent seizure on his jet-ski. He lost control and plowed into the western dock at about 40 knots. It threw him clean threw the dockside restaurant front window. Crash! That's the one! Simon is on that boat! I thought as I re-directed myself towards Alex's boat. The boat I was chasing could've had some explosives on it also. My boat ran into a docked luxury yacht. Hopefully no one was on it. BOOOOOOOOOOOM! Debris filled the river. Simon was now nearing the Water Plant! Before I could take out my weapon, he started throwing more of his concoctions out at me. I dodged and twisted my way through them, but it slowed me down. "Computer, access smart bombs!" Accessed. Two smart bombs opened from my palms. Simon had his own plans though. A large, garbage can type thing fell into the water from his boat. What the hell...I thought. Then it hit me! It was a fucking depth charge! I took time to throw my smart bombs at his boat, then I tried to turn away from the charge but then it exploded underwater. FWOOOOOOOOSH! The shockwave tossed me off of my jet-ski and through the air like a rag doll. I was falling fast for the high windows of the water plant. "AHHHHHHH!" CRAAASH! I slammed through the plate glass window and fell into one of the water purifiers in the plant. PLANG! I fell to the ground in a battered heap. I crawled up slowly and accessed the computer for my gun. I pounded open the door that lead into the water system that linked 200 million people of Antopolis. Then I saw Simon, slowly two stories up towards the system pump. "FREEZE Simon!" I yelled, aiming my gun at him. He turned around to reveal that he had a plant worker in a headlock. "Don't make a move rogue. If so, then I would love to demonstrate what my Bubonic Plague II would do to this innocent worker." He said, dangling a vial over the man's head. "You can do two things. 1) Kill me, causing me to kill this man also. Or 2) cooperate and we can work out a compromise." He said blankly. I shifted my gun. "If you put your gun down, I will leave this man alone. I will also maybe reconsider what I am going to do. I have debated if I should kill over 200 million people but that would be too much guilt hanging over even my head. I don't want to be responsible for something as evil as that." He said almost sincerely. Decisions, decisions. I thought. "Pour it all out first, then I will trust you." I said to him. Without a hesitation, he turned the vial upside down and poured it onto the metal grating. After that, he threw the vial until it shattered into the wall. "Now fulfill your end of the bargain." He said. I slowly lowered my gun to the floor. The worker breathed a sigh of relief. Simon patted him on the back. "There you go my son. You may now go." He said to the man. As the man walked away, Simon, as quick as lightening, whipped another vial from his chest! Before the man could react, Simon threw the vial against the man's chest. The plague instantly started to take place. First the man's skin turned an unhealthy olive color. After that his eyeballs burst, spilling hot vitreous humor all over the place. The man coughed up strange, chunky blood. The chunks were pieces of the man's insides, which were now being torn and ripped from their position. All of his muscles suddenly enlarged and burst in loud wet popping sounds. The worst thing, he was alive to witness it all. Watching all this carnage took all my attention off of Simon, who had now opened the water pump and prepared to dump the plague in the water! I grabbed my gun, but even if I killed him, it probably would've been too late. "Goodbye sick, sick people of this damned planet!" he said insanely as he prepared to pour. Then...BLAM! BLAM! Two shots rang out from the ceiling. "GAAAAAH!" Simon's wrist had been completely torn apart from the bullets. The vial flew through the air and crashed on the wall. I looked up towards the ceiling to see a smoky battered Taylor, still aiming her gun at Simon. She fired, CLICK, CLICK! I fired! CLICK, CLICK, CLICK! God dammit! I thought. Simon had fell on the floor, just a few feet away from the pump. "Taylor, grab a hold of the pulley and jump to the floor!" I said as I grabbed the chain. Taylor grabbed it and jumped to the ground. I was pulled up to Simon's position. Once there, I dropped from the chain and prepared to put an end to his escapade. "You're still too late!" He said, ripping away his buttoned lab coat to reveal that he had about 20 extra vials strapped to his chest. I was too far away to catch him as he prepared to throw all of them in the pump. So I used my resources around me. I grabbed a buzz saw from the bench and flung it at him with great accuracy. Simon tried to throw the plague into the pump with his one good hand, but the saw showed no mercy. Simon screamed in agony as the saw chopped his hand clean off. All the vials were still wrapped into his chopped hand. Taylor positioned herself right under the vials and caught them. I walked slowly up to Simon. He stood up and tried to attack me! A man with no hands trying to fight! I easily blocked his stumps and punched him across his chin. Smack! I was going to make sure he didn't get away from everything he had done. Whump! I kneed him in the stomach. "Simon, time for a swim." I said as I kneed him in the face. I then brought my elbow straight into his chin, causing an impressive elbow styled uppercut. Simon teetered and fell, straight for the water pump. "AHH! AHH! AHHHHH! " SPLASH! Those were his last screams as he was tossed away in the water pump. There his body would be crushed and compressed until nothing was left but pure water. In about an hour or two, he would be drank by over 200 million people. Whoever said dreams never come true? I thought.

Our little adventure had taken its' toll on Antopolis. About 15 people had been killed. That consisted of the Feds, the guy in the science building, water worker, and Simon himself. After it all, I helped Taylor and called Tim to our position. We were just pulling away from the scene in the Black Storm just as a small army of Feds and soldiers arrived. Inside the jet were Ray and Alex, lying on the emergency cots. They were beaten, but ok. Thirty minutes later we were all on our way back to Anthrax headquarters aboard the underground Tram. Everyone just sat down and reflected on the day. It was one of our most challenging missions yet, and we completed it. With some small assistance by their new squad leader. I thought as I smiled to myself. The others didn't look at me mad or angry anymore. It was just a look of appreciation, from all of them. Even Ray. I was finally earning the respect that I had been looking for from them for so long.

Go to part: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11