RAVEN FYRE

Chapter 1

"Virtually no impact. No change." The operations room was cold and so was her artificial voice.

The reddish glow radiating from the screen was like an old nemesis, one that Raven gave up fighting long ago. Instead, it had become an annoying roommate she'd learned to tolerate. World statistics and data pertinent to their missions and goals displayed on the giant holo-screen that took up the entire wall. She watched it with tired eyes as she swirled a cup of wine in hand. "What's the point anymore?"

"You didn't think that stopping the apocalypse and destroying a single major, tyrannical, oppressive corporation would be enough to save this world, did you?" Natural as it sounded, a robotic hint lingered behind each of her words.

Raven sat back in her chair, eyeing the glass in hand. "I suppose that would make me a fool for thinking so." Her british accent echoed off the smooth concrete walls. "I thought it would at least be worth something."

"Worth something?" E-VA, their sub-A.I Virtual Assistant, paused for a moment. "Worth some." Another second went by. "Investor confidence in many major corporations linked to The Board have taken quite a nose-dive. However, the numbers aren't much lower when compared to other major world disasters on record."

Raven let out a long sigh and brushed the straight, jet black hair from her face to make room for the cup. Her deep blue eyes fixed themselves on the liquid at the bottom of the glass. "I guess it would make me a goddamned idiot for thinking that the Sun Ray Corporation and The Board were the cause of our problems."

"They were the cause of some problems." E-VA displayed data on the parasites, the Sun Ray satellites and the probability maps for global conflict arising from its use coupled with the numbers and growth rate from the support of a totally controlled population. She then switched back to the current status of things.

"Has Massacre seen these numbers?"

"Mike doesn't seem to care," it replied.

"What do you mean?"

"After accomplishing the near-impossible task of separating The Queen from WarFairy, stopping the SRC and sealing off the Oubliettes Of The Apocalypse--" E-va paused again. "Speak of the devil."

A short rumble shook her ear. WarFairy came through on Ravens earpiece. "Looks like I'm gonna need your help, Rae. Can you come down here for a sec?"

"Can't."

She huffed, half expecting to be brushed off. "C'mon."

"You know I need to be manning the comms chair."

"Please?"

Please? Pretty rare to hear that word coming from her. Must be important. Raven thought.

"I'll make it worth your while," she sang just after.

"Better be important." Raven gulped down the rest of her wine. "I'll be right down."

As soon as She arrived on the 3rd floor, Raven was hit with the familiar and always nauseating scent of motor oil, gunpowder and gasoline. This level was home to Research and Development, the Gear Room - which housed tactical mission equipment, a gun range and a garage. The idea was that soldiers who got called out could grab everything they needed in one level and head straight out. They could even conduct rapid testing of firearms at the range. It was always hot down there. Exhaust and heat from various machines and equipment made it so.

Haven't been to the range in a while. She thought as she walked past the cheaply printed title-sign that was haphazardly taped over the door.