Dawn. The Commander's office at the outpost.
Noah was trapped in a nightmare. He tossed and turned, a cold sweat beading on his forehead as pained groans escaped his lips.
Nightmare
"Sergeant Noah! They're coming from the left!" a squadmate yelled.
"Hold the flank! If they break through, we're all dead!" Noah roared back.
"More on the right! Three Lord-class Raptures spotted!" another shouted.
"Medic, what's Ramirez's status?" Noah demanded.
"He needs immediate evac! I've stopped the bleeding!" the medic replied.
In the heart of the battlefield, Noah and his team were isolated, caught in a Rapture ambush. They were holding their ground, waiting for an evac chopper that felt like it would never arrive. Of the ten soldiers who had started the operation, four were already dead. One, Ramirez, was critically wounded, and the rest, including Noah, had sustained minor injuries. The medic was focused entirely on Ramirez, but he remained unconscious.
"Sergeant! We can't hold out much longer!" a third squadmate cried out.
"Comms, what's the ETA on that chopper?!" Noah yelled.
"They're en route! Five minutes out—"
The comms officer's words were cut short as a hail of bullets ripped through him, turning his body into a bloody sieve.
"Dammit!" Noah cursed.
"Aargh!"
"Mitchell is down! Our anti-tank is down!"
"Incoming!"
A moment later, the Raptures unleashed a coordinated barrage of artillery. The world dissolved into fire and thunder. Noah was thrown by the blast, and his consciousness faded to black…
Present Day
"Hah… hah… hah…"
Noah shot upright in bed, the phantom sensation of the explosion wrenching him from the nightmare. He sat there, gasping for air, his heart hammering against his ribs as he forced himself to take in his surroundings.
"This dream again…" he muttered.
It wasn't the first time. The nightmare was a relentless visitor, one he desperately wished to be free of, but it was never that easy. No matter how much time passed, the memory of that day refused to fade.
Noah swung his legs out of bed and walked to the small refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of water. He poured a glass, his hand trembling slightly.
"How long do I have to keep seeing this?"
He drank the water in slow, deliberate sips, the coolness calming his frayed nerves. He pulled back the curtain and looked out at the nascent outpost. The view was a chaotic landscape of construction materials and idle machinery. The skeletons of half-finished buildings stood silhouetted against the pale morning light.
What am I supposed to do now? he thought to himself.
.
.
.
Mess Hall
Noah was in the kitchen, personally preparing breakfast. The outpost was still so new that it lacked a dedicated cook, so the duty fell to him each morning. Nikkes consumed food, but only for the sake of their mental stability; even so, Noah made enough for them as well. The clatter of pans and the sizzle of cooking soon drew Rapi into the dining area.
"Commander. Did you sleep well?" she asked.
"Hey. You?" Noah replied, not looking up from the stove.
"You seem to be up quite early," Rapi observed.
"Ah… yeah, woke up a bit early. Force of habit, I guess."
Rapi watched him work. She had told him before that he didn't need to cook for them, that preparing his own portion was enough. But Noah had simply insisted that it was better for everyone to eat together, and she hadn't pressed the issue since.
"Did you always do this?" Rapi asked.
"Yeah. A good breakfast gives you the energy you need to start the day right."
The breakfast Noah prepared was simple, made from supplies provided by the Ark: eggs, toast with butter and jam, and sausages. They were processed goods, of course, but they were manufactured to taste just like food from the surface.
"Yaaaawn~" Anis shuffled in, followed by a still-drowsy Neon.
"Ah… so sleepy…" Neon mumbled.
"Morning, you two," Noah said with a smile.
"Hey, Commander! Good morning!" Anis chirped, instantly more alert.
"Did you sleep well?" Neon asked.
"Everyone take a seat. Let's eat."
Rapi, moving with familiar efficiency, placed four mugs of instant Americano on the table. Anis sat down and started sipping from a bottle of sparkling water she'd brought with her. Neon moved to help Noah bring the food to the table.
"So, do we have a mission today?" Anis asked.
"We do," Rapi answered. "Yesterday we scouted the area with the construction equipment. Today, we need to find materials to actually build up the outpost."
"Isn't the Ark supposed to supply us?" Anis wondered aloud.
Noah and Neon arrived with plates of food, and Noah answered her question. "The Ark has its own share of construction and repair projects. They don't have the resources to spare for an outpost this far out."
"What a charming place," Anis said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"So where are we headed?" Neon asked, ignoring her.
Noah activated his portable holographic display, bringing up a map of the area. "There's a sawmill about twenty kilometers from here. We're going to secure a supply of lumber. Recon drones confirmed that there's still a good amount of processed wood left on site. That's our destination for today."
"Command said they'd send a transport helicopter for the materials once we secure them," Rapi added.
"Guess we'd better get ready for a long day, then," Anis sighed.
"We don't know if this will take one day or several," Noah said. "Pack your gear accordingly. We move out after we eat."
Over breakfast and coffee, they planned their route, mapping out paths to take and areas to avoid. They chose a route that seemed the safest and least likely to have Rapture contact, but they all knew that situations on the surface could change in an instant. They would have to be prepared for anything.
"Alright, route's set. Time to gear up," Anis said, pushing her chair back.
"Master, how many rations should I pack?" Neon asked.
"Let's pack for two days. Combat rations only," Noah instructed.
"It's not like we have anything else," Anis grumbled. "Did they send up any other supplies?"
"I put in a request, but I wouldn't count on it. For now, let's just get ready."
After they finished eating, Rapi took care of the simple task of washing the dishes. Anis and Neon went to shower with Noah's permission, while he packed his field bag with a compact cooking set, a sleeping bag, and rations. Afterwards, he headed to the armory. He selected an AR-15 rifle, attaching a scope, laser sight, and foregrip. He slapped in a magazine loaded with heavy-caliber .458 SOCOM rounds. While he sometimes used standard 5.56mm armor-piercing rounds, Noah had always preferred the undeniable stopping power of a larger bullet.
"Whew~ Thanks, Commander!" Anis said, emerging fresh from her shower.
"Go get your gear. I'm all packed," Noah told her.
"Yep, on it!"
After Anis left, Noah took his turn in the shower. Once he was dressed and had his gear on, he met the Nikkes on the ground floor.
"Ready to go!" Anis announced.
"I am also ready," Neon added.
"Commander, let's move out," Rapi said, her expression serious.
"Right."
The four of them stepped into the elevator that would take them to the surface. The ascent was always tense. There were rumors—stories of squads who were ambushed and annihilated by Raptures waiting for the doors to open.
"Commander, when the elevator opens, we will exit first," Rapi stated.
"Understood," Noah replied.
"Almost there," Anis said, her hand resting on her weapon.
The elevator shuddered to a halt. The heavy blast doors slid open, revealing the inside of a derelict building. Rapi, Anis, and Neon moved out immediately, weapons raised, scanning for threats.
"Clear," Anis called out.
"You can exit, Commander," said Rapi.
As soon as Noah stepped out, the elevator doors closed behind them and began their descent back into the Ark. Rapi peered through a collapsed section of a window, surveying the outside. For now, there were no Raptures in sight.
"Exterior looks clear," she reported.
"For now," Anis added under her breath.
With the immediate area secured, Noah raised his radio. "Shifty, this is Noah. We're on the surface."
[Loud and clear, Commander,] Shifty's voice crackled through the comms. [I've confirmed there are no Raptures in your immediate vicinity. However, a scan of the route Rapi uploaded shows what appear to be several Rapture patrols active in the area.]
"Got it. We'll proceed with caution," Noah replied.
Counters Squad stepped out of the building into the ruins of a dead city. It was a desolate wasteland of collapsed skyscrapers and rubble-strewn streets, a place no human could survive. Noah had seen it countless times, but the sight never failed to stagger him.
"I'll never get used to this," he said quietly.
"It is our duty as Nikkes to reclaim the surface, Commander. And we will," Rapi stated, her voice filled with conviction.
"Yeah," Noah said, shaking off the melancholy. "Alright. Let's move."
They fell into formation—Rapi in the lead, followed by Anis, then Noah, with Neon taking the rear—and began to make their way down the road toward the sawmill. Noah used his high-powered scope to scan their surroundings, watching for any sign of approaching Raptures. They avoided open spaces, sticking to the relative cover of alleyways and the shadows of ruined buildings.
"Rapi, I think we're taking the long way around," Noah observed.
"I am aware, Commander. The priority is to avoid contact with the enemy," she replied.
"We're gonna have to fight them eventually," Anis muttered. "Why not just get it over with?"
"She's right! We can just overwhelm them with firepower!" Neon added enthusiastically.
"I'd love to, but let's save that for later," Noah said.
As they were passing under an overpass, Raptures appeared up ahead. Shifty's voice immediately came over the radio.
[Raptures spotted, dead ahead.]
Rapi raised a hand, signaling the squad to halt.
"Multiple Raptures, forward position," she reported in a low voice.
Noah ordered them into combat positions. Anis and Neon took cover behind a wrecked car and a pile of debris, respectively. Rapi and Noah concealed themselves behind a large container truck, carefully observing the Raptures' movements.
"They aren't moving from their position," Rapi noted.
[Commander, the units you're seeing are likely a patrol,] Shifty informed them. [Central Command has issued a standing order to eliminate all patrols on sight.]
"Well, they all look like grunt-level Raptures. This should be manageable," Anis commented, a grin spreading across her face.
"Shifty, are there any other Raptures in the area that could move to support them?" Noah asked.
[Negative. They appear to be isolated.]
Noah looked through his scope, sizing up the enemy before issuing his orders. "Anis, lay down grenade fire in the center of their formation, do as much damage as you can. Neon, you take care of any that get close. Rapi and I will provide long-range support."
"Commander, I am aware of your combat experience, but I must request that you refrain from engaging directly," Rapi said, her tone laced with concern.
Noah sighed. "Don't worry about me."
Ignoring Rapi's worried glance, Noah readied his rifle. She never wanted him to fight alongside them, but she also knew she couldn't change his mind.
"Target acquired. In position!" Anis declared.
"Engage!" Noah commanded.
Anis's grenade launcher coughed six times in rapid succession, sending a volley of explosives into the heart of the Rapture patrol. The surprise attack sent the machines scattering, but one of them took a direct hit from multiple grenades. Its core ruptured, and it collapsed in a shower of sparks. The remaining Raptures returned fire, their machine guns and cannons spitting death at the squad's positions. Anis began to reload as Noah and Rapi opened fire.
"Rapi, you take the left!" Noah ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
"Small Raptures, closing in!" Neon shouted.
Neon stood and fired her DD-12 shotgun, unleashing a wide spread of pellets. The ammunition Nikkes used was specifically designed to damage or penetrate Rapture armor, and for the smaller models, a shotgun blast was more than enough.
"My firepower is sufficient!" Neon announced proudly.
"Grenades reloaded!" Anis yelled.
"Anis, suppress the right flank!" Noah commanded.
Noah fired in semi-auto until his magazine ran dry, then immediately dropped for cover to reload.
"Reloading!"
A split-second later, a stream of heavy machine-gun fire tore through the air where his head had just been. Pinned down, Noah couldn't get back up to fire. Seeing his predicament, Anis fired three grenades at the Rapture suppressing him, providing covering fire. The explosions forced the Rapture to reposition and gave its overheated machine gun a moment to cool. That was all the opening Rapi needed. A single, precise shot from her rifle struck the machine's core, causing it to detonate from within.
"Target eliminated!" Rapi called out.
"Thanks, Anis!" Noah shouted.
"More Raptures approaching!" Neon warned.
"Neon, lay down suppressive fire! Rapi, prep a missile!" Noah ordered.
While Neon, Anis, and Noah provided cover, Rapi loaded a small missile into the launcher mounted beneath her rifle. She took aim.
"Missile away!"
The projectile streaked through the air and slammed into the leg of an advancing Rapture. Its leg buckled, and the machine lost its balance, crashing into the Rapture next to it and sending both of them tumbling off the overpass. Noah, meanwhile, was trying to line up a shot on another Rapture's core, but it was proving difficult.
"Dammit! Hold still!" he cursed.
"I'll take care of it!" Rapi said.
With a few well-aimed shots, Rapi finished off the Rapture Noah had been targeting.
"Thanks," he said.
"You had already softened it up, Commander! That's why I was able to land the final blow!" she replied.
"They're still coming!" Anis yelled.
"I need to reload!" Neon shouted.
As Neon ducked behind cover, another Rapture locked onto her position, the tell-tale red gleam of a targeting laser appearing on her chest.
"Neon, move!" Anis screamed.
Neon reacted instantly, diving behind a different truck just as a powerful laser beam sliced through the air, melting a hole straight through her previous cover.
"Neon, reload! Rapi, cover her!" Noah commanded.
"All the small ones are down!" Anis reported, ejecting spent grenade casings.
Noah and Rapi focused their fire, drawing the attention of the remaining Raptures. Their numbers were dwindling. Only two were left. Noah swapped to a fresh magazine with practiced speed, and Rapi did the same. A moment later, a combined volley of fire from Rapi and Anis tore one of the last machines apart. The final Rapture was destroyed under the concentrated fire of the entire squad.
"Situation clear," Rapi announced, lowering her weapon.
"Shifty, what's the status?" Noah asked into his comms.
[All clear, Commander. No more hostiles detected.]
"Not a bad way to start the day," Anis said with a smirk. "And no casualties."
Noah and Rapi stood up and surveyed the battlefield. Neon and Anis, having finished reloading, joined them.
"We still have a long way to go," Rapi said. "We should keep moving."
"Agreed. Let's go, Counters," Noah said.
And together, they continued their journey.