Reactivation in progress...
Failed to disengage pod locks...Attempting to troubleshoot...
FAILED...
Pod requires manual unlock...
Scanning for pod management or pod security personnel...
Life signs=0...
Widening scan for closest human...
Human found...location...pod...
Initiate protocol Z-X71
Disengaging cryosleep...
Warning, inhabitant not yet fully recovered...
Administering small amounts of anesthesia...
Human consciousness levels rising...
Logan P.O.V.
Small amounts of light seep into my eyes as I open them. My energy slowly comes back to me as my eyes finally open all the way. I notice that the screen on the inside of the tube is frozen as well. Was that normal? I'll ask Zeke, see if he knows anything. I scraped off the ice with my fingers and checked systems. "Manual unlock required"? Great, the lab boys broke something again. Not wasting any time, I grabbed the lever over my head and pushed it outwards. Once that was in place I pushed on the glass and the tube opened with a bit of effort. Once I was out of the pod, I fell to my knees instantly. I guess not using your legs for a while isn't healthy. I got back up on my feet again and looked around...I could tell that something was different. The room was dim, the lights were out. Not out as in turned off, they were broken. Ignoring that, I walked towards the door to the main medical facility. It didn't open for me. I had to use the strength I had to force it open. Now I'm suspicious. I made my way through the empty and dusty halls and finally arrived at the observation post. It was supposed to overlook the main research facility. It was originally meant for tourists but we got so few of them, we just made it into a command post. I entered the room and got closer to the window. I couldn't believe what I saw. Pretty much everything in sight was destroyed. The only building that was left standing apart from the one I was in was the hanger.
-"What happened to this place...what happened to everyone else?" I asked myself.
The next thing I noticed were more than a dozen broken, frozen warships half beached. I used the still functional telescope and got a closer look.
-"That isn't Planeptunian armor...what's that symbol?" I asked as I noticed it. I zoomed in even more to get a closer look.
I knew that symbol by heart. It was the one that made my pupils shrink.
Leanbox...they were here! They must have caused this! They're the ones who-
...
My head felt like it was splitting open. It all replayed in my mind; the screams, the terror...everything. I fell onto my knees, clinging my head with both hands, trying to rid my brain of the memory, but I couldn't. It kept replaying.
-"Get out of there Marcus!"
The sounds kept repeating themselves in my head. I remember the exact sound of my guns firing and that of their flak shredding our squad apart. I opened my eyes and looked back outside. I didn't know if what I was seeing was real, but I saw the warship's frozen rotor start turning again. A vision, mirage? Or something else? Either way, my primal instinct kicked in. I grabbed the closest gun I could find and started firing at nothing. In midair, my bullets seemed to turn into cannon rounds. That's when I knew I was hallucinating. I stopped soon after realizing that.
-"I'm so stupid..." I said, throwing the broken gun to the floor.
I had to remain calm if I was going to survive. I looked to the hangar again. Could there be anything I could use to get home there? Then I remembered something...oh god...
-"Zeke!? Zeke! Where are you!?" I yelled, running down corridors. I eventually made it back to my cryo chamber once again.
I noticed there was a small piece of paper right in front of the pod I was in. Am I really that blind? I picked up the paper and starting reading.
ʟᴏɢᴀɴ,
ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ɢᴏɴɴᴀ ᴡᴀᴋᴇ ᴜᴘ ʙᴜᴛ, ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ꜱᴏᴏɴ. ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ʟᴏɴᴇʟʏ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴀ. ᴀɴʏᴡᴀʏ, ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ, ɪ ʟᴇꜰᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ɢɪꜰᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀɴɢᴀʀ. ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴡᴀɴᴛɪɴ' ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ꜱᴏᴏɴ. ꜰɪɢᴜʀᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴏᴡ. ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴡᴇ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ, ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ.
ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴏᴏᴛ ᴄᴀᴍᴘ ʙᴜᴅᴅʏ, ᴢᴇᴋᴇ.
There was a key taped onto the back of the note along with the date he wrote this. Holy shit, that's almost 5 years ago...I put the key in my pocket for now. Wait, I don't have pockets! What the hell? Oh yeah...I'm still in the operating clothes. Better change that. I took my uniform and went to the locker room. I got undressed, put on everything except my shirt and then noticed something.
...
I had a huge scar on my back. Probably the biggest I've ever seen. It went from my right shoulder all the way down to my waist. Did I always have this? Whatever, it's not bleeding so it doesn't matter yet. I suited up in my winter soldier gear and went to the main gates. Outside leads to every other facility here...and the around -60°C climate. To my surprise, once I pulled the opening lever, it started opening. I guess this place isn't entirely out of power. I went up closer to the opening gate and watched. It stopped as it was rising though, jammed by something in the gears. It didn't matter though, I could still crouch under it. Once I stepped outside, the wind was the most noticeable factor. I had goggles, but the wind would still seep into the thin fabric covering the rest of my face. My best chance of getting out of here is getting to that hangar and seeing what Zeke left for me. After a short walk through freezing temperatures, I arrived at the hangar. I flicked off my hood and removed my goggles. It was pitch black in here! Using my flashlight, I managed to find the light switch except...it was covered by a small glass encasing. There was a key slot next to it. I took the chance and put the key I had been given in. It turned without trouble. The glass case popped off revealing a big red button.
-"Here goes nothing." I said as I pressed the button.
The huge hangar doors started opening, letting small amounts of light in. Once my eyes adjusted, I saw the "surprise" Zeke had left for me. Wow, thanks buddy. I'll be able to get home with this for sure.
I was about to walk over to my chariot until I noticed the TV beside me had a sort of message playing on it.
-"What do you have to say my technological friend?" I said.
I started meddling with the receiver antenna for a bit until I got a somewhat stable connection. It was a live news broadcast. A male reporter was talking about this base. I listened in for a while.
-"*static* --as speculation still comes around about the seemingly abandoned Planeptune research facility set in the southern polar ice cap. Planeptune's leader, Purple Heart, has stated that she is planning for a demolition or possibly even a reconstruction of the facility. But seeing as that statement was made almost five years ago, doubts start to rise about doing anything with it. Many explorers and scientists have attempted to reach the facility on their own but so far, it's believed that all of them were consumed by the cold seeing as they never returned. Other nations have tried to step in before, sending drones and taking satellite scans. But even after these scans, it seems the facility is of very little importance to anyone. No nation has tried to send a search party to the facility so far and it is believed that it will stay that way. In fact, we recently discovered that all nations, intentionally or not, have completely wiped the facility from their databases. Although no CPU nor CPU candidate has given us an exact explanation as to why they have ignored it, it's still believed that it will be left to rot until the cruelty of the cold eventually buries it under snow and ice." The reporter ended with that.
-"My...god...no one even knows I'm here anymore." I said.
I noticed an old yet small disc on top of the TV. The words "THE TRUTH" were written on it with marker. I blew off the dust and inserted it into the CD drive. It seemed to be a recorded news flash from a long time ago. I listened to it as well.
-"*static* --eaking news! The naval forces of Leanbox have invaded the research facility in the southern ice cap controlled by Planeptune! Lady Purple Heart has not yet made any statement nor has the Planeptunian army attempted a retaliation against Leanbox in an attempt to retake the facility. The story starts earlier this morning as a routine air patrol failed to respond to a communications check. The base was sent on alert mere moments before volleys of shells coming from the sea started to pummel the facility. What exactly happened to the patrol is unknown but military intelligence assume they were shot down by the enemy fleet that had attacked them later. It's said that the scouting squadron were all rookies lead by an ace pilot. But even with him with them, there's no way they would stand a chance against a fleet of Leanbox warships. It's worth mentioning as well that Leanbox has a reputation for seeming to master naval warfare. Long range artillery shells hit the research facility's medical station first. What happened afterwards is a mystery. But, seeing as not a single soldier or security officer has managed to make radio contact, it's expected that there were no survivors. A theory already exists on how both the warships and the research facility disappeared. The theory is that the warships hit the ice foundation too hard and broke through it, sinking the facility along with themselves into the cold depths. Leanbox leader, Green Heart has not yet made any statements or claims on a secret takeover mission yet. But what does this mean for Gamindustri? Could this mean the beginning of another console war? Only time will reveal that. All we know for certain is that the truth is unknown and it probably will be forever." The disc ejected after he was done talking.
It's funny, how fast you become a legend of the past. Either way, I need to get home. I don't care if I have to tell the truth or not, I just want to make sure that my family is still safe. I'm coming guys...don't worry. I walked out towards my plane, got clearance from the now destroyed tower and took off. Final stop...Planeptune Military Airbase.