A Cold Reclamation(Closed)

[Mokastana]

We make up horrors to distract us from the real ones.

Unnamed Island, Sea of Moka
78 Kilometers off the coast of Florida del Moka

Death is an eventually. Logically, this is a fact that we all know. Everybody dies, no matter how strong, how rich or how influential. Death will always find you in the end. Most picture it in a warm bed many years from now, as some event so far away they don't bother even planning for it. But there is a difference between conceptually knowing you'll die someday, and the harrowing reality of knowing a violent, painful, death is only minutes away, and there is nothing you can do to avoid it. Senior Associate Charles Nelson locked the door to the lab's control room, knowing it would buy him no time if he was found. When he had started working on this project, the standard issue .45 caliber pistol had felt like unnecessary weight to carry with him at all times. Now, he wondered if it would be enough. The occasional echoes of 50 caliber rounds reverberating through the underground complex did little to satisfy his concern.

He didn't bother touching the phone on the desk, the fact he couldn't make a call five minutes ago is what tipped him off to something not being right. Contact with the surface was gone. The computers were equally useless, not only was it a closed network, but whatever had taken down the phones had taken down the computers first. Luckily, not all emergency communication devices in this complex were on the same network. In the very back of this office was a yellow plastic case mounted to the wall, The Emergency Phone Line System, but contact with the surface could wait, it had to.

There were bigger concerns to be addressed. Just behind the many layers of bullet resistant glass of the control room, were the blast door to the biological weapons lab. He could hear the banging on the walls as something inside tried to get out, pounding away harder than any human had the right to. Even if what was on the other side of that mass of steel was still human, there were too many pathogens, to many dangers that could escape containment by hitching a ride on a single survivor. Working quickly, he input the instructions to burn the lab. The concept was similar to a fuel air bomb. The air in the Iab would fill with flammable liquid droplets, then ignite, stealing all the oxygen and killing all biological matter in the area. He didn't look at the security cameras of the lab to verify the lab had been overran, the black and white screens already revealed deep dark streaks across the lab walls in his peripheral. With the final warning popping up, informing him of a failed evacuation check, Charles reached as far as he could between the two keys and turned them simultaneously. Technically this procedure wasn't supposed to be done by one person, but he had both keys now, partly thanks to a Field Officer’s sacrifice to buy Charles time. The security cameras turned to static as the dull thud of an explosion hit the blast door, and the knocking ceased. No one would know what he went through to keep those viruses at bay, but he saved countless lives in this soon to be forgotten act. Potentially murdering a few survivors who may or may not have been alive in the lab just a moment ago was a small price to pay.

Fighting the urge to puke at the thought, he turned his attention back to the Emergency Phone. He popped the plastic case and spun the mechanical handle as fast as he could until the charged indicator turned green. Hopefully that meant someone on the surface had been sent an alert. A passcode glowed faintly on a small screen underneath a set of instructions. Picking up the receiver he waited for the rings to finish, praying someone would pick it up as he skimmed the directions.

“SETOM, main entrance, Emergency line.”

Charles read the passcode on the tiny screen quickly: “Command code incoming: Delta one foxtrot, victory one zeta. This is The Tomb, Emergency. Emergency. Project Servitor has gone rogue. Seal the tomb. I repeat, a project is killing everyone down here. Seal it now!” the cool in his voice fell apart as he spoke. It was his last order, his last duty to fulfill.

“Code is clear, copy that. Sealing the Tomb. Is containment a possibility?”

Behind Charles the control room's door smash open, death had found him.

“No, just seal it!” It was all Charles could muster before turning to the door and aiming his pistol. The last thing the Security Officer heard on the line was gunshots, a scream, the tearing of flesh, and then the line went dead.

---

The Security Officer turned to his partner who was already activating the controls to seal the Tomb. Both turned their keys simultaneously and the blast door outside of their office began lowering. An alert was sent to base command two floors above them. Full unit mobilization would no doubt be broadcasted across all channels soon, but the reality of what was going on slowly began to dawn on the two guards as they scrambled for their heavy body armor and rifles.

40 minutes ago, command had began 10 minute check ins, instead of the normal hourly ones. That meant someone had failed a check in. Normally it was just a radio issue, but patrols dropping off the radar was a serious concern. Not that command would share the details until they knew exactly what was going on. Plus, this morning someone mentioned a communications issue with Juventud Island, something about the underwater cables. Without them, then the Island base was solely relying on radio and satellite communication with Headquarters. It was true that occasionally sea life would damaged the cable, but there were too many coincidences. With the walking corpses of the tomb turning on their masters, it was beginning to look like a plan coming together.

It was impossible for radio signals to get to the Tomb unless the broadcast was incredibly close and powerful, but those would be detected with ease. Unless, something had picked up a signal and brought it back into the Tomb with it. The Security Officer turned to his partner, her eyes betraying just a hint of concern, before she could speak, the loudspeakers klaxons to life:

“ALL UNITS, ALL UNITS, COMBAT STATIONS, THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT. COMBAT STATIONS, NOT A DRILL!”

A dull vibration shook the rock walls of the underground complex, this time coming from above instead of below. The Kraven Reich had found their missing property, and intended to take it back.

[Mokastana]

Unnamed Island, Sea of Moka
78 Kilometers off the coast of Florida del Moka

Of the hundreds of islands that belonged to the Federation, many held secrets, from long forgotten pirate camps to nuclear armed military installations. Would be explorers and treasure hunters were always a problem, as many islands had been repurposed by the Island Defense Grid into effectively floating fortresses that defended Mokastana. Often treasure hunters would be arrested, detained, interrogated and, if they were safe enough, released back on the mainland after a few days. It was a rare but routine way to ensure Island Defenses were on duty. Of course, some islands held more secrets than others.
In this case, Island 15-G was “officially” home of a Island Defenses Grid supply depot consisting of a small stockpile of small arms and cruise missiles. From the air, if one wasn't shot down flying over, one could probably make out earthen bunkers and a few buildings in the middle of the island that were the home of the 200 ish man garrison. There was also a small port complete with supply ships and two patrol boats. A couple helipads and radio antennas dotted the remainder of the island.

However, there was far more than what was seen under the satellite's eye. Under jungle canopy and civilian looking structures were missile sites; a couple of 61 cell VLS launchers had been buried in the island, loaded with anti ship missiles. Boxed launchers also dotted the beaches, but those were common sites in the islands if you knew where to look.

Still, that was not the end of the secrets hidden on this Island. In the 6th earthen supply bunker, while others ramped down to go further into the ground, the 6th merely led to a military checkpoint and an elevator. A full squadron of guards remained in this bunker at all times, with rifles, 14mm heavy machine guns, and even Anti Tank rockets. These eight men would rotate with other soldiers coming up from the elevator. This led to the beginning of the Tomb, known as the Hall, a long 50 meter tunnel with blast doors on either end, electronic 14mm turrets pointed down the hall inside the blast doors, one pair at each end. A small guard room with two guards sat at both ends, outside of the blast doors.

At the end of the tunnel, another elevator led to the Tomb Proper, a Bureau of Secret Action research facility. Perhaps one of the oldest in the country. Here they did research on biological weapons and technology beyond their current known levels, often times without pesky morals in their way. Many a prisoner sentenced to Forfeiture of Body had been flown in here and taken down these halls only to end up on an exam table.

It was here the Bureau studied the Kraven Capital Police technology and tried to learn their secrets. Patterns were found, and theories behind signal jammers were suggested. However, first they created their own version, trying to replicate the horrors of the Reich. Once that version was working, they flew them out to a training facility to test their combat skills. They excelled at everything thrown at them, but unfortunately, a time bomb existed in the software.

One unit was used to attempt a back door connection to the Kraven network, a spy in the machine. To the researchers, it seemed like the firewalls had held, and they packed up the unit and sent it back to the Tomb. Unknown to them, the unit had connected, and received new orders: install an hidden override in it’s programming, spread the override to all Kraven tech in the area, and await further orders. For months the units stayed in their bunker, waiting for a decision from the Kraven Network what to do. It wasn’t until one unit was brought out for demonstration for Military higher ups did it get the attack order. On a particular day, the Kraken devices would activate and kill their captives, while Wolf Brigade attempted to destroy all research information. It would be a terrible day, unknown to the Generals and Officers watching the unit perform exceptionally, that this unit would turn on it’s captive and kill everyone it could.