Project Maelstrom - Interactive

An Introduction

(Play ^ [OneRepublic - Tyrant] as you read. Sets the mood well.)

~ capris 'chasseur' von ~

     I take a deep breath, steadying my weapon. It had lightly snowed earlier today, but I'd seen that one last snowstorm would blow through soon to end off the season. The glimmer of the white snow shined straight into my eyes, making me focus even more into my scope than usual.

     Then, a moose comes into view. Its hooves hit ever so softly into the snow, and I line up my shot. My crosshairs land over its head, hoping to avoid the animal suffering. My finger pulls down onto the trigger, and I slowly pull back. I was so experienced with my hunting rifle that I knew the exact point that the hammer would strike. It was an airsoft gun compared to my real sniper, but I'd had this for 15 years now. Never had I found a more trusty machine in my life.

     Sure enough, a miniature explosion occurs and the moose is on the ground. I stand up, dusting the thin coating of snow off of my jacket. The wind blows through my hair as I approach the carcass, hauling it to my ATV and turning it on. I engage my differential lock and buzz through to my cabin just outside Kenora.

     I finally reach my cabin, a mid-sized wooden structure with a two-vehicle garage off to the side. I haul the moose off to my cleaning shop and begin the process.

     "Hey, Capris," I hear behind me, an overly familiar voice with a slight American accent I was always happy to hear. My wife, Maria, stood there with her light parka on. "Scored big today?"

     "Yeah," I say. "Won't have to buy a cow this year. We can dine like royals for a bit."

     "Sounds good with me," she says, and my watch begins to vibrate incessantly. I look down, and see who was calling. Fuck. "Who's that?" she asks, concern in her eyes.

     "Raleigh," I mutter, setting the knife down and wiping it down. I open a nearby drawer, pulling out my earpiece and placing it in. "You know, my boss?"

     "I get it," she states with a sigh. "I'll give you some privacy, yeah?"

     "Thanks," I respond. She hated that she didn't know what these calls were about, and I could understand the feeling to an extent. I answer the call, and the ringing in my ear stops.

     "Commandant Operative Von," The voice says strongly, with a deep and raspy undertone. "I'm getting some bad reports from the George Site."

     Maria leaves, closing the door behind her. I tap the button on my watch, and the lock icon pops up. The windows of the wooden structure seal shut with metal, and the TV set slides out of the wall for debriefing. This place looked like a neat wooden shed but was state of the art. "Line's encrypted. What's the status?" I say, adjusting the volume so I didn't blast my eardrums out.

...

     On April 6th, 2020, a mass death, consisting of explosions and fire rocked a chilly spring morning in the city of Prince George, British Columbia. An entire city was decimated by unidentified forces, resulting in a current count of 65,000 people dead or missing. The city's total population was 78,000.

     The fateful day saw brave organizations going to the site to rescue people. Main Street became a hospital for the injured, much like the bloodiest battles in history. One thing, however, remained unclear - the cause.