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Unknown Apprentice by Apache119
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Unknown Apprentice
Date: 23 June 2003, 7:39 PM
Unknown Apprentice
By J.W. Train
Chapter 1
Running
The year 2234, January 27, 4:52 P.M
Evan crept quietly through the half opened doorway on the second floor, towards the man crouching on his bedroom floor. He had seen this man before at a park in New Churchhill. The man had seemed friendly enough then. That was until he broke into Evan's house and ransacked through all of Evans belongings. There were two things that Evan could do. First, he could blindside the man and throw him to the floor, or he could ask the man who he was and why he was there. Before Evan could decide, the man saw him. Evan was so startled that he instinctively kicked the man in the chin, nearly shoving it through his skull. Evan turned and ran, not thinking of the condition of the man he had just injured or how he was going to get away, but what the man wanted and why he would risk getting caught by an ex-Special Forces just to get it.
You see, Evan was a lot more than just an ex-Special Forces, he was a failed Bio-Soldier, the next breed of genetically enhanced super soldiers. Of course, not many people knew this. This project was a highly classified attempt to strengthen the USA's defenses against radical terrorist groups. Evan became too genetically modified to even be useful in battle. He broke out of his modification laboratory and took up a new alias as a Richard Cooper. This was enough to fool the everyday public but not the highly trained military. They were after him the day he broke out.
Chapter 2
Secret Information
Evan new he was in danger of being captured. He just didn't think they would be looking for him this quickly. After all, he was a failed experiment. How important could he be? Evan already knew the answer to this question. On January 12, when Evan had broken out, he had taken some very valuable information from the database of the main security outpost. It had something to do with another out of control human associated with an augmenting experiment. Evan didn't quite understand it all but the one part he did understand mentioned something about how the human was designed to correct another fatal mistake.
Evan wondered what this mistake was and if it had anything to do with him. Evan also was an augmented human. If the other super soldier had found out some more undisclosed information though, Evan thought he might like to meet him. Evan exited the P.D.A. that contained the info and continued to head back to his house hoping to find an identity chip imbedded somewhere in the robbers body. That was the way it was in Evans time. Everybody had to know who you were. You couldn't trust anybody. Not even your own mom.
There had been a few cases of identity theft involving women that disposed of the real mother and took care of the child. The court had no tolerance for this. Thus requiring everyone to conceal an identity chip somewhere on his or her body. Evan ascended the stairs that led to the second floor. He hoped that he had permanently paralyzed or injured the man so he wouldn't have to deal with him again.
Chapter 3
Missing
The body wasn't there. Evan couldn't believe his eyes. Usually one punch in the stomach from Evan would kill a man. This guy had survived a swift kick in the chin. The only kind of person who could survive that kind of a beating would of had to have the same super strength as Evan. Was this guy genetically altered also? If so, Evan knew he would have to be a lot more careful because his kind of people were out looking for him. Evan rounded up all of his important belongings. He was preparing for a long trip away from the safe city of Bavrasher. While Evan was on the street, he called for a taxi to take him to the Old Nevada City, which is where Evan thought was the location of his underground modification laboratory. He was going to find out a little bit more on the mysterious man that invaded his house.
Chapter 4
Unexpected Arrival
January 28, 2234
Evan expected to get out of the cab quite a ways away from the lab. The taxi driver thought Evan was crazy for getting out in the middle of nowhere. He didn't know anything about where Evan was going or who he was, so he kindly took his pay and drove of into Nevada City.
Evan slumped low in the bushes half-expecting to see a military helicopter deploying troops to his location. There was no such thing in sight. Evan gave a sigh of relief as he crawled on his knees toward the underground entrance to the laboratory. This was going to be a lot easier than he'd thought.
Evan quickly darted toward the partially hidden tunnel and slid open the air locked gate with a quick push of his arm. ''Looks like they weren't expecting someone with so much strength'', Evan murmured to himself as he slid down the piercing white hall cautiously on the look out for cameras or armed personnel. As if in the blink of an eye a door opened and a senior looking officer with an M-16 assault rifle stepped into the hall not expecting the welcome he was about to receive. In pure instinct Evan slid his hand around the officers neck and twisted. The body fell limp in his massive hands. He quietly slid the body into an empty room under an unoccupied desk. Evan knew that he could overtake this place with pure strength. He didn't take the gun. ''Don't go telling anybody about me''. Evan said in a sarcastic tone as he exited the room.
Evan resumed his search for the main security outpost, the same one he previously barrowed some info from. He peeked his head around a corner and concluded that the hallway was clear. With deafening steps he strolled down the hall not caring what officers might notice a very large strong man walking defiantly down their walkway. Almost on queue a platoon of heavily armed marines turned the corner and saw their target.
Evan dodged around a nearby corner as a few bullets nearly missed his head. ''That was close''. He said to himself. Then came the platoons reply. ''Sir, come out now. You are the property of the United States Government. You will not be penalized for your actions if you desist of the killing and injuring of the United State's citizens and come back into our custody.'' Evan didn't even give a second thought to these remarks. He could sense them moving closer to the corner where he lay shielded from their bullets. He knew that little speech was just a distraction. He decided that he would take them by surprise. Evan jumped out from behind the corner and made a swift uppercut into the nose of the first and bravest officer. The marine's body fell silently to the ground as his M-16 glided into the arms of Evan.
The hall erupted in a spray of armor piercing bullets. Most found their targets and some whizzed by the heads of the soldiers. The M-16 ran out of bullets and slowly dropped to the ground. Even before the gun left Evans hand he was up and ready to create more destruction. He watched the remaining soldiers bleed to death from wounds that were no longer healable. They were all going to die. Evan was surprised that this facility was using obsolete weaponry. They really should have kept up with the times. Evan had eliminated the first challenge of infiltrating the modification laboratory, and that was to dispose of any major threats to the operation.
Chapter 5
Finding Answers
The door unlocked with a pressurized hiss as Evan stepped into the main security outpost. This room consisted of one main plasma-projecting screen and a holographic image bank, along with many state of the art information specialization computers. These were specifically designed to hold vast amounts of data and nothing else.
Evan picked the nearest one and got to work on hacking the mainframe. The best thing about being genetically altered is that they download all there is to know about the world into you cortical stack, which is a device implanted in your head that can store great amounts of information. One thing that happened to be downloaded into Evans brain is how to hack a computer. That certainly came in handy.
Evan searched all of the encryptions for any hint about another human augmentation program taking place in this facility. And there it was. It was called project cipher and there was something Evan noticed about its purpose. It was designed to destroy Richard cooper, or Evan himself. It all came together now in Evans mind. The man was not in his house to find something important; he was simply waiting for a good chance to take out Evan. No wonder he didn't die when Evan delivered that devastating kick to his jaw. No normal human could have survived that. The man was a created assassin designed for one purpose. That purpose was to search and destroy.
Chapter 6
Getting Out
By the time that Evan infiltrated the facility and completed his task, the security level was risen to the absolute highest. There were platoons just like the one Evan fought stationed on the surface around the perimeter of the complex. Ensuring that no imposter would exit the facility outside of a body bag. That might have worked for a normal human but for Evan, it would be a piece of cake.
The modification lab echoed with sounds of pain and suffering as Evan picked of the rest of the soldiers that were not informed of the great threat lurking in their complex. After the building was empty from any life at all, Evan made his way to the main door through which he came through in the beginning. He peeked his head through to see if the door was being guarded. He couldn't believe his eyes. There were at least ten greatly numbered squadrons of soldiers of all types, some with heavy artillery like S2-47 Rocket Projectile Launchers. Those would take a while to get by. Evan had to find an alternate mode of escape. With one swift motion Evan closed the door for good, jamming the hinges to an inoperable position. He wanted to make sure they didn't sneak up from behind him.
Evan darted down the hall looking for the transportation corridor. When he found it he kicked the door in. It fell to the neatly polished tile floor with a deafening thud. He made his way to the aircraft, and made a slight grin to what lay before his eyes. There were helicopters, fighter jets, and the newest addition to the military combat force, the 47-K delta Strike Fighter, which was a vertical take of plan that was equipped with two Daisy Cutters, the smaller equivalent too 127,000 pounds of plastic explosives, and two 50 caliber chain guns with explosive rounds. Evan thought he should always give the new things a try so he hopped in the cockpit and strapped himself in for an exciting thrill ride.
Private First Class Chris Sabian
Outside The Nevada Modification Laboratory
"Sir, Request permission to patrol the upper transportation bay. He might be trying to fly out of here. '' Permission granted Sabian. Now get a move on it.'' ''Yes sir, will do sir.'' Chris Sabian walked down the side of the perimeter that was outlined for him and the rest of the platoons to guard against the attacks of the invader.
He knew that him and the rest of the soldiers weren't allowed to know anything else except for their mission objectives, But This mission really bugged him, and he wanted to know more. "How did he get past our forces on the inside? There must have been at least 20 or 30 soldiers in their!'' He muttered to himself as he moved on along the specified area. Then he noticed something strange. It was like the humming sound that a hummingbird makes during flight. How could there be a hummingbird in the middle of nowhere. Just as he pondered that thought a small stealth aircraft equipped with heavy artillery rose into the stale thick air, and at the controls was Evan.
Chapter 7
Backlash
Chris Sabian was ripped to shreds as millions of explosive rounds detonated within the vicinity of his frail, powerless body. '' First resistance terminated.'' Evan was satisfied at the result of this short burst of ammunition.'' The stealth fighter pushed onward past the putrid remains of Private First Class Chris Sabian. '' Jenkins, What the hell just happened over there. Send a squadron to check it out on the double. Move!'' '' Yes sir. Will do sir. Soldiers! get ready to role!'' the ground rumbled as a squadron of soldiers walked closer than ever to their demise. Their only defense was the S2-K7 Rocket projectile launchers strapped to the artillery specialist's sides.
Evans hands couldn't be pulled of the trigger even if he wanted to. He wanted to take full revenge against the monsters that did this to his body. Evan wanted his old life back. At least, He wished he could remember it. Countless soldiers dropped to the ground, decapitated as they lay. Evan wanted to take out the heavy artillery before they got their chance to let loose some explosive projectiles.
'' Pablo! Set cover over the ridge. Take him out!'' Pablo was one of the artillery specialists. He knew exactly what to do with whatever they gave him. He was going to take this guy out if it was the last thing he did.
Pablo set up cover over the ridge where he would have a minimal amount of shielding from the vicious onslaught of the man in the jet. He though a little cover was better than no cover. He readied the rocket launcher on his shoulder and slid a highly explosive projectile down the front shaft of the gun.
From what Evan could see, the squadron of soldiers must have been eliminated. ''Time to pull out''. Evan gripped the controls and eased the jet forward.
''Fire!'' Pablo let loose one of the missiles and watched it glide swiftly past the left wing of the stealth fighter, Clipping the wing as it flew.
''Crap, What the hell was that. The left stabilizer is out, I'm going to have to take this thing down.'' Evan wasn't done with his mission yet. He armed the daisy cutters, pressed the red button, and reaped havoc on the experimental modification laboratory. The pressure packed ground imploded as mass amounts of explosives detonated underground, brought there by the pure weight of the bombs that were let loose by the fighter.
Unknown Apprentice Part 2
Date: 23 July 2003, 7:24 PM
Authors Note: This is a continuation of my first story called unknown apprentice. you need to read the first part to understand this. It picks up right where the first one left off. Enjoy! I did not want to indent. Just wanted to make that clear.
The destruction from the bombs was unimaginable. This land would not be inhabitable for many years to come. Evan had not used heavy artillery to take out an enemy before, just brute force. This weapon had worked very well and Evan was hooked on destruction.
''The jet is useless. I will have to go out the way I came in''. Evan hoped earlier that he would be able to keep the jet. After all, it was a very useful weapon in his strive for revenge. Evan lowered the jet to the ground, grabbed his bags, and calmly strode towards the distant road where he had been dropped of by a taxi merely an hour before. Evan took out his cell phone and called the taxi company. He was glad that he had swiped it and put it in his bag as he ran out of his house towards the taxicab. The taxi was on its way and Evan sat on the ground waiting for his calm escape.
He was going to Nevada City where Evan suspected that the man that was in his house was in hiding. After all, Nevada in these times was far away from any main outlet of civilization. Evan had to get rid of him, just to tie up loose ends and to see if he was still in any danger. The taxi crawled to a stop in front of the closest Nevada hotel. Evan would start his search in the morning. First he had to get some rest.
Chapter 8
The Search
"Sir, wake up, it is time to start your day.'' The alarm clocks automated AI's generated voice swept the room looking for Evan. ''I'm up. I'm up ok. Leave me alone." ''Stop saying that." Evan rose from the bed and went strait for the shower. He stepped away from the hot cascading water and wrapped a towel around his waist. The hotels AI would sense that he was no longer in the shower and automatically turn off the water. Evan put on the clothes that were left in his suitcase. He found himself wearing a black T-shirt and camouflaged pants, a nice combination for somewhat stealth work.
He went to the counter and checked out for the day. If something went wrong, he wouldn't have to keep paying the hotel. Evan walked down the streets to the Nevada Express Subway. He wanted to make a little headway. There were at least 23 subway stops in this city alone. Evan didn't want to waste his time walking to each one of them. He ordered a ticket for a round trip around town and found a Gel-Form seat next to the window in the subway car.
''Driver, I want out here.'' "Will do. Stop number 14. Your toll is Exactly $15.97, when I factor in the mileage and your weight related to the fuel usage. Have a nice day." There wasn't really a human driver. It was an AI. A very smart AI. " Whatever just let me out. You can withdrawal the money from my DNA accessed bank account. See, here is some of my blood. Evan placed his finger on the ID scanner and felt a tiny prick as a micro needle withdrew one red blood cell from the other billions. This would be sufficient enough to have a confirmation of his ID and safe monitored access into his savings account. If a greater amount than $15.97 was withdrawn, the AI would be decommissioned and reprogrammed for another use.
Evan stepped of the subway and slowly made his way up the stairs. Before he fully ascended them, someone caught his eye. It was the man from his apartment. He must have been tracking Evan from the hotel. Now Evan was a sitting duck, Unaware of the enemy. Evan crawled down into his favorite defense position. One hand in front of the other temptingly making a bring it on motion. They both made their moves at the exact same time. This was going to get good.
Evan was the first to make contact. His hand forced itself deep into the belly of his assassin, almost penetrating the outer layer of skin. The man fell with agonizing pain yet he managed to stagger to his feet, as strong as before. This time it was his turn. ''I'm gonna to kill you!" The assassin's foot elevated itself to Evans jawbone, and then it struck titanium bone. Evans skull rang with an intense pain. It didn't hurt but it was a nuisance.
Evan struck back with a series of right and left hooks. Reducing the man in front of him to pulp. The job wasn't done yet. Evan had to make sure that this time the assassin wouldn't come back to life as he had done in the apartment. Before Evan could do this,
the mans eyes opened with a rage beyond conceivability. He had a mission to get done too.
The man threw Evan down to the tracks of the subway and within seconds of Evan hitting the tracks, the man was on him. Blow after blow of rage caused hits ran out in sequence on Evans face. Blood sprayed the walls of the subway and small chunks of mutilated skin bounced of the walls. They both could here the sound of the subway train making its way down the tracks toward them. Both of them were nearly invisible to any human or AI eye. Evan and the assassin both had on dark clothing. The train wasn't going to stop for them.
Victory Scenarios raced through both of their minds. Evan struggled to find the strength to complete his. The train would not be more than 30 seconds to their location. Evan had to act fast. His face hurt like hell. The assassin got up off the tracks to the safety of the passenger drop off area. Evan moved his hands to the tracks and pulled upwards while simultaneously moving them towards the man on the platform. The train was no more than five seconds away now. If Evans angles were correct the train would pass directly over him onto the platform and into the man. The Train seemed to fly upwards as it rose into the air while still connected to the tracks. It cascaded over the concrete and made a slight dive into the assassin's skull, destroying both the man and his cortical stack. His body would not be redeemable nor would his life.
Evan got up and shrugged of the pain. When you are augmented, you learn to deal with mass amounts of pain. For Evan this fight was the equivalent of a crash on a bike when going 20 miles an hour. It was nothing, just a few minor bruises and scrapes. It would take about a days time to fully heal due to the rapid healing accelerator that is imbedded in the augmented persons body so they can be used again after a day of fighting. Evan just wanted to be back in his house back in Zephina. That was the only place he called home. For now he would have to made do with the hotel he previously stayed in. "looks like nothing bad happened after all." Evan said to himself as he stepped up onto the platform and walked up the stairs, away from the carnage and shocked bystanders that he now left behind.
Chapter 9
Invisible, not really
The best thing for Evan to do now was lay low till he was invisible, till no won could remember him, then he would make his move. That's exactly what he did.
He bought a house in an abandoned town close to Washington. Evan thought that the remaining Cascade Mountains would give him good cover from anyone who was searching for him. The rest of the cascades were destroyed to make room for more apartments and houses. Back then the world was overpopulated. Now most people have made their way to outer space to colonize planets like Mars. Of course there is still some civilian activity in the demilitarized zones. The new government called BASE now rules most of the earth. Its actions go on without the slightest care from any non-military person. BASE has underground and aboveground facilities on every continent. They can do whatever they please like augment humans and create new devastating weapons like the plane that even previously hijacked. These actions would have never seen the light of day if it were not for the drastically small amount of humans left on Earth. BASE outreaches to the farthest planets including Pluto and Jupiter now made habitable by the process called Terraformation, which uses technology to create a livable space on the foulest of planets.
Evans house was nothing special, the usual two bedrooms and bathrooms with a kitchen and an outstanding view. Evans house was placed atop a gaping hill with no people for at least a hundred miles. He had enough food to last him for two or three months. Evan was just going to lay back and enjoy the scenery. Or so he thought.
Commander Alaster
En route to Richard Coopers A.K.A 'Evans' house
"Were going to take him by storm. Bravos one and two will enter through the front and back doors and there will be a helicopter insertion team through the roof, they will be the follow-through. You will make your entry at precisely 2400 hours, for you jackasses that's 12 PM. I want you to sweep the building silently and kill him clean. Synchronize your watches. Remember he is stronger than you are so don't wake him up. If that order fails, call in the Hellijumpers and retreat. I will be there just in case so lets this done right. I am willing to sacrifice every one of you to kill this man. If you can't do it, I will."
The radios metallic shaft fell from Commander Alaster's hand as the transmission to the soldiers was ended. They were the best of the best. He had handpicked them himself for many missions. The soldiers each had their own specialties but they were all good at killing. And that's what he liked. Alaster was a member of the BASE Military Program, and he was very good at what he did. Alaster had seen the making of many Augmented soldiers, and Evan was one of them. It was a shame that Evan failed. He would of been useful. One of the augments that was designed to kill Evan had failed drastically at his mission in some subway accident. Alaster didn't quite know the details but he had a feeling that Evan took him out. Now there was still one augment remaining but he was not quite ready for his mission. He was still an augmentation in progress. The soldier still had to learn a lot more. If the second one failed Alaster would have no choice but to augment himself. Hopefully these soldiers would get the mission done now instead of wasting another augment.
The pine wood door slid open without the slightest noise. All the radios were in silence and the soldiers were ready for the unexpected. They were packing silenced M-24 Automatic machine guns with a grenade launcher, a combat knife, and a target finding red sight and scope built right in. These guns were the updated version of the M-16. It was almost impossible to miss a target with this weapon. They could see in pure darkness with their thermal and night vision goggles. The soldiers swept the bathrooms and the kitchen for any living target and came up empty. The made their way down the hall towards the master bedroom where Evan lay awake waiting for them.
Evan had been waiting for them since they had opened the door. He noticed the slight change in the air as nearly six times the amount of carbon dioxide was deposited into it. Evan had augmented hearing and smelling capabilities. He could also sense the slightest changes in the area around him. Now Evan sat up in bed with his fists clenched in front of him. It would be a matter of seconds before they were in his room. There were more outside that was for sure. Evan made his way behind the door and waited for his chance to sneak behind them. Evan was in no mood to fight. He knew he was probably going to have to.
The soldiers pushed open the unlocked door and set up a silent perimeter around the bedroom. They could still see their targets heat signature entwined in the bedding. There was no chance that he had gone out the window because it was still locked. He was in the room somewhere. Alaster had stayed outside in the hall equipped with 34-S Tank Destroyer, just in case something went wrong.
Evan Moved with great speed into the closest soldier, crushing his ribs and killing him on impact. The others caught site of this and called in the Hellijumpers just before their deaths. Evan threw them through the window headfirst and looked through just to see if they were dead. The roof collapsed in pieces from the aftermath of a percussion grenade being dropped out of a helicopter and exploding. Two ropes dropped through the rubble and dispensed Eight heavily armed Special Ops commandos. The air around Evans head exploded with shards of spent ammunition casings and bullets. He couldn't stay idle much longer they were surrounding him. Evan had to get out of there. With all of his strength he jumped onto the remaining pieces of ceiling and ran to the direction of the trucks. Tank destroyer shells were whizzing by Evans head as he made a long jump onto the hood of one of the vehicles. The soldiers were bursting out of the house racing after Evan. In the crowd was commander Alaster with his Tank Destroyer. Alaster dropped to one knee and prepared to take aim at the Humvee regardless of the soldier in the drivers seat. These soldiers were expendable at all costs, now one of them was in the way of the mission.
Evan punched through the glass and threw the soldier in the back of the truck, breaking his spine as he hit the flat bed. Evan pressed the gas and turned the wheel for a sharp right turn. The Tank Destroying shell that was deployed from commander Alaster's weapon made direct contact with the flatbed of the Humvee as it made its turn sending it spinning in a 360 as it tore of the rear of the truck. The Humvee came to a sudden stop facing away from the house. "Perfect" Evan pressed the gas to its full extent and sent the truck careening down hill out of control but at the hands of a super soldier. It was far away from the soldiers but not out of sight. The helicopter was on his tail.
It was going to be nearly impossible to stay out of sight from the helicopter. It was armed with two Night Passer Searchlights and night vision/thermal imaging. That was not all that it was packing. The chopper also had two mini guns fastened to each wing. To top it all of, it had a hell of a lot of missiles. This chopper could wage a one aircraft war for at least two hours. The bad part was that the pilot was an expert in using all this. Like I told you, nearly impossible.
Evan made a series of right and left turns to try and shake the chopper but his attempts failed with no improvement. The Humvee was beginning to fall apart after the aftermath of the tank destroying shell. The engine would cut out every few seconds, which is enough time for the helicopter to catch up within touching distance of the Humvee. Evan could not keep this chase up much longer. He Humvee was rolling down the hill towards a BASE facility. There was going to be any number of soldiers there from ten to twenty. Evan had to get away.
With one jab of his wrist Evan sent the drivers door flying into the darkness behind him. Evans plan was to ditch the truck and continue sideways on foot. Hopefully he would find some thick brush or a cave to hide out at, whatever he found would hopefully b enough to deflect the light and the night vision/thermal imaging. With all of his power in his legs, Evan jumped out the drivers side and continued to roll down hill until he could get some firm footing. Right about when Evan jumped the helicopter started to fire. Explosive rounds ripped through the trunks of trees reducing them to nothing more than sawdust. They fell like toothpicks thrown from a two story building. The Humvees gas pedal was broken thus it continued towards the BASE outlet. From what evan could tell the helicopter still thought that evan was in the truck. All of its fire was directed towards it. This was a definite help for Evan.
Evan come to a rolling stop just outside the military facility. The Humvee proceeded with crashing into a ball of fire at the main gate, alerting everyone that
There was a matter outside that needed their attention. Every barracks door opened in the facility and out rushed ten soldiers each. Evan had to act fast. He got up and sprinted towards the nearest tree. From there he continued to find cover as he moved uphill towards his house to salvage what was left. Hopefully the soldiers were gone in an attempt to follow the chopper.
When Evan was about a mile away from his house he went in to stealth mode. The only sound audible was the rustling of the bushes and grass. Evan crept up his front lawn and was relieved at the sight of no military personnel whatsoever. He opened his front door and quietly walked to the master bedroom. That's when Evan noticed that he was not alone in his house. "I here your on the run. Trying to hide. You of all people should know that you can't hide from us." Alasters voice rang through the empty hall. " I was just trying to lay low. Regain my strength. I was going to create a new alias. You screwed all that up. If you don't leave soon, you wont be leaving alive. Alasters gun barrel rose silently in the air. "You should have been more careful. I would of though you had an alarm system." "My alarm system is my senses. I think you forgot that being that you created me to be who I am today." Evan could hear the safety click suddenly of Alasters gun. "Don't push it Evan, You're in a real mess. I was just trying to help you." " By killing me! That's not how you help someone. That's enough. Your going down!"
A projectile from Alasters gun passed directly by Evan on his right side. "Don't move or I will shoot you. How about we make a deal. You let me live and I kill some other day. Does that sound fair?" " Sure. Just leave immediately or Ill kill you before that's set in effect." "Oh, that's no problem. My rides just outside." A black velvet rope ladder pierced the night air and came to a rest at Alasters side. Evan could hear the distant sound of chopper blades cutting the air. This guy was smooth. He had this all planned. Alaster turned and started to climb, his gun still pointed at evan. When he was about 3/4 of the way up. A cold metal object fell from his left hand and came to a rest on Evans floor. It was a percussion grenade and it was set to go off in Five seconds. The helicopter sped away and evan made a last attempt to get away. He dodged into his bedroom and shielded himself in his bedding.
The Impact from the grenade brought down the remaining pieces of ceiling and wall within a radius of five yards. Sharp pieces of shrapnel pierced the blankets and cut deep into Evans face and legs. Blood sprayed the bedding and Evan fell out of bed, struggling for air to breath. The shrapnel was lodged in Evans Knee deep within the bone. Evan reached inside and felt a sharp edge cut his finger. He had found the shrapnel. Evan made a slight jerk and the shrapnel came free. Evan could already feel the healing process taking place in his leg. Microscopic pieces of titanium bone were being replaced with a stronger type of metal called Titanium X The metal equivalent of a pounds worth of Kevlar. By now most of Evans bones were this new metal from all of the injuries he had sustained in the past. His bones were one extra defense he had against enemies. He was nothing like a normal human.
Unknown Apprentice Part 3
Date: 15 September 2003, 12:51 AM
Evan got up, shrugged off the pain and proceeded to get ready for a long trip away from home. This fight was getting personal. The BASE government had tried to assassinate Evan three times. Once in his house in Zaphina, another time in the subway, and the last time at his present house in Washington. Evan had let the anger inside of him build up to a bursting point. Now he wanted to kill them all. What Evan he didn't know is that later on, somebody else would do that for him.
Some information had leaked to the outer space colonies about the augmenting program on Earth but many people didn't take a second look. They figured that if it had nothing to do with them, they would let it slide. Well, that's what most people thought. Some Human protection groups had paid close attention to the program to make sure that it didn't get out of hand. Once the number of augmented humans reached a point of 4, they were going to take extreme and decisive action. The groups knew that if they didn't, somebody evil would rise up and lead the augments to victory against every won and everything.
On the day of April 1st, 2232 there was a bad feeling about everything floating in the air. Every soldier was told to set up countless perimeters and to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. They somehow knew that something big was going to happen on that day. All I can say is that they were right.
March 26th, 2232
"Hello? Who is this?" Evan did not like anonymous callers. "Hello Evan. Were old friends. Used to be buddies way back, at least before they got you. You tried to kill me once. It's a shame. You used to be ok." "Were is this going. Tell me who you are." "What would be the fun in that Evan? You of all people should know me well enough to figure out who I am. Its time for me to go. You don't need to know more. We will meet later, if your not dead by then."
"Are you there?" "Damn, who was that? What does 'if your not dead by then' mean. I better keep my eyes open." Evan slid the cell phone into its protective casing at his belt. It was 2:00 in the morning. He had not been able to sleep that night. His dreams were filled with fear and anger. They kept him awake. Evan sat up in his bed and remembered that he had checked into a hotel near Rhode Island, said to be the headquarters of BASE Operations. Evan knew that at this enhanced alert status, Alaster had to be close. He was Evans main target. If he had to go through to whole BASE armada, he would.
It had been a long night for Evan, filled with constant driving and falling asleep at the wheel. All of this fighting was finally starting to catch up wit Evan. In his exhausted state, Evan would be easy to take down. A couple of shots to the legs would do it. Now was the time for recuperation for Evan. He called the main desk and set a wake up call for three days from now. He settled down in the blankets and slid into a deep, uninterrupted sleep.
Three days after
Evan awoke to gunfire all around him. Not directed at him but still a very harsh alarm clock. He looked out the window and saw hundreds of BASE soldiers scouring the streets for any living civilian. They were on a murderous rampage to make earth itself the BASE headquarters. Evan wasn't built for helping people but one flaw in the whole project is that augments have a mind of their own.
The doors to the hotels closet fell apart as Evan hurriedly gathered his weapons and ammunition. He didn't have to put on clothes because he had slept with them on. Even if he hadn't, he wouldn't have time to put them on anyway. Evan quickly ran down the stairs and into the main lobby. Somehow the remaining people in the hotel understood that he was going to help them. They gave him a sign of good luck and strength. Evan opened the double doors and began a battle that would never be forgotten.
Commander Alaster was standing just outside the Rhode Island headquarters. He knew what was happening, in fact, he had ordered it. Alaster didn't like civilians. They were clumsy and expendable. He would kill them all if he had to, even if that meant the deaths of many of his soldiers.
"What the hell is going on over there private? Are we being attacked?" military bodies were soaring through the air just down the street. All Alaster could see was a very tall figure sweeping people off their feet and then 10 feet into the air. "Oh my god, he's here. Is it both of them?" "I don't know sir but I suggest putting you in heavy guard under this facility." Alaster didn't have time to answer. The Privates body was crushed to the ground as another augmented human came down on top of him. This guy wasn't Evan.
" I see you've joined the party Ethan. Did you have fun killing my soldiers?" Alaster was not scared of this guy. Besides they didn't know his secret. Ethan replied, "Not as much fun as it's going to be killing you." " You do know Ethan, there's another augment heading this way. His names Evan. He's much weaker than you are. You are a newer model. I don't think you've met. Do you think you could take him." Ethan didn't have time for this. He wanted to finish this now. " I'm not here to kill somebody else. I'm here to kill you."
As Ethan said that three decapitated bodies flew by his head and came to a rest a meter from his feet. Evan circled around alaster and came to a stop on his left side. Ethan was on his right.
Unknown Apprentice, Rewritten
Date: 27 September 2003, 10:58 PM
authors note: this story has changed alot since my last posting of it. I wanted to submit an updated version. It tells more about Evans situation and how it all got started. I even added another chapter. Enjoy!
Unknown Apprentice
By J.W. Train
Chapter 1
Running
The year 2234, January 27, 4:52 P.M
Evan crept quietly through the half opened doorway on the second floor of his house, towards the man crouching on his bedroom floor. He had seen this man before at a park in New Churchill. The man had seemed friendly enough then. That was until he broke into Evan's house and ransacked through all of Evans belongings. There were two things that Evan could do. First, he could blindside the man and throw him to the floor, or he could ask the man who he was and why he was there. Before Evan could decide, the man saw him. Evan was so startled that he instinctively kicked the man in the chin, nearly shoving it through his skull. Evan turned and ran, not thinking of the condition of the man he had just injured or how he was going to get away, but what the man wanted and why he would risk getting caught by an ex-Special Forces just to get it.
You see, Evan was a lot more than just an ex-Special Forces, he was a failed Bio-Soldier, the next breed of genetically enhanced super soldiers. Of course, not many people knew this. This project was a highly classified attempt to strengthen the USA's defenses against radical terrorist groups. With many factors compiled together, the government decided that Evan would not be useful in battle. Unfortunately, Evans body did not accept the chemical modifications. The government, code named BASE sent him to a rehabilitation outlet on Whidbey Island, Washington with hopes of Evans body finally accepting the changes. While Evan was there, scientists ran many extensive tests and came up with a cure for his incompatibility. The scientists did not tell BASE that he was fixed. The scientists at Whidbey Island were not in favor of genetically changing humans. They hoped for Evan to turn on the government. The scientist sent Evan back to his modification laboratory in Nevada. When they found out that he had broken out, they compiled all of Evans background history and test readings in one very secure location deep within the Whidbey Island outlet.
Nevada was the sight of Evans creation. He was kidnapped at the age of 17. His parents were murdered the same year. He was then subjected to rigorous tests of physical and mental capabilities. At the time of the tests, Evan was the perfect match for the task at hand. He was admitted to the Human Augmentation program. For the next ten years, Evan lived alone in countless labs. Test after test reeked havoc on Evans mental status. He slowly withered away into a useless soldier. What Evan needed was freedom. He broke out of his modification laboratory on the day of January 23 and took up a new alias as a Richard Cooper. This was enough to fool the everyday public but not the highly trained military. They were after him the day he broke out.
Chapter 2
Secret Information
Evan new he was in danger of being captured. He just didn't think they would be looking for him this quickly. After all, he was a failed experiment. How important could he be? Evan already knew the answer to this question. On January 23, when Evan had broken out, he had taken some very valuable information from the database of the main security outpost. It had something to do with another out of control human associated with an augmenting experiment. Evan didn't quite understand it all but the one part he did understand mentioned something about how the human was designed to correct another fatal mistake.
Evan wondered what this mistake was and if it had anything to do with him. Evan also was an augmented human. If the other super soldier had found out some more undisclosed information though, Evan thought he might like to meet him. Evan turned around and headed back to his house hoping to find an identity chip embedded somewhere in the robbers body. That was the way it was in Evans time. Everybody had to know who you were. You couldn't trust anybody. Not even your own mom.
There had been a few cases of identity theft involving women that disposed of the real mother and took care of the child. The court had no tolerance for this. Thus requiring everyone to conceal an identity chip somewhere on his or her body. Evan ascended the stairs that led to the second floor. He hoped that he had permanently paralyzed or injured the man so he wouldn't have to deal with him again.
The body wasn't there. Evan couldn't believe his eyes. Usually one punch in the stomach from Evan would kill a man. This guy had survived a swift kick in the chin. The only kind of person who could survive that kind of a beating would of had to have the same super strength as Evan. Was this guy Biogenetically altered also? If so, Evan knew he would have to be a lot more careful because his kind of people were out looking for him. Evan rounded up all of his important belongings. He was preparing for a long trip away from the safe city of Zaphina. While Evan was on the street, he called for a taxi to take him to the Old Nevada City, which is where Evan thought was the location of his underground modification laboratory. He was going to find out a little bit more on the mysterious man that invaded his house.
Chapter 3
Unexpected Arrival
January 28, 2234
Evan expected to get out of the cab quite a ways away from the lab. The taxi driver thought Evan was crazy for getting out in the middle of nowhere. He didn't know anything about where Evan was going or who he was, so he kindly took his pay and drove of into Old Nevada City.
He slumped low in the bushes half-expecting to see a military helicopter deploying troops to his location. There was no such thing in sight. Evan gave a sigh of relief as he crawled on his knees toward the entrance to the underground laboratory. This was going to be a lot easier than he'd thought.
Evan quickly darted toward the partially hidden tunnel and slid open the air locked gate with a quick push of his arm. "Is anybody home?" Evan murmured to himself as he slid down the piercing white hall cautiously on the look out for cameras or armed personnel. As if in the blink of an eye a door opened and a senior looking officer with an M-16 assault rifle stepped into the hall not expecting the welcome he was about to receive. In pure instinct Evan slid his hand around the officers neck and twisted. The body fell limp in his massive hands. He quietly slid the body into an empty room under an unoccupied desk. Evan knew that he could overtake this place with pure strength. He didn't take the gun. ''Don't go telling anybody about me''. Evan said in a sarcastic tone as he exited the room.
Evan resumed his search for the main security outpost, the same one he previously barrowed some info from. He peeked his head around a corner and concluded that the hallway was clear. With deafening steps he strolled down the hall not caring what officers might notice a very large strong man walking defiantly down their walkway. Almost on queue a squadron of 25 heavily armed marines turned the corner and saw their target.
Evan dodged around a nearby corner as a few bullets nearly missed his head. ''That was close''. He said to himself. Then came the squadrons reply. ''Sir, come out now. You are the property of the United States Government. You will not be penalized for your actions if you desist of the killing and injuring of the United State's citizens and come back into our custody.'' Evan didn't even give a second thought to these remarks. Besides, he hadn't killed any civilians. Evan could sense the marines moving closer to the corner where he lay shielded from their bullets. He knew their little speech was just a distraction. He decided that he would take them by surprise. Evan jumped out from behind the corner and made a swift uppercut into the nose of the first and bravest officer. The marine's body fell silently to the ground as his M-16 glided into the hands of Evan.
The hall erupted in a spray of three-inch armor piercing bullets. Most found their targets and some whizzed by the heads of the soldiers. The M-16 ran out of ammo, Evan let go and it slowly dropped to the ground. He watched the soldiers bleed to death from wounds that were no longer healable. The soldiers were all going to die. Evan was surprised that this facility was using obsolete weaponry. They really should have kept up with the times. Nowadays the government was testing such weapons as the M-24, the updated version. In fact this new gun was already in use by the Elite Special Ops. Evan had eliminated the first challenge of infiltrating the modification laboratory, and that was to dispose of any major threats to the operation.
Chapter 4
Finding Answers
The door unlocked with a pressurized hiss as Evan stepped into the main security outpost. This room consisted of one main plasma-projecting screen and a holographic image bank, along with many state of the art information specialization computers. These were specifically designed to hold vast amounts of data and nothing else.
Evan picked the nearest one and got to work on hacking the mainframe. The best thing about being biogenetically altered is that they download all there is to know about the world into your cortical stack, which is a device implanted in your spine that can store great amounts of information. The cortical stack can also be used to redeem a person's life when they're dead. The person's memories, which are downloaded in the cortical stack, can be uploaded into a new body. You can even have your old body cloned for future use. One thing that happened to be downloaded into Evans brain is how to hack a computer. It turns out that certainly would come in handy.
Evan searched all of the encryptions for any hint about another human augmentation program taking place in this facility. And there it was. It was called project cipher and there was something Evan noticed about its purpose. It was designed to destroy Richard cooper, or Evan himself. It all came together now in Evans mind. The man was not in his house to find something important; he was simply waiting for a good chance to take out Evan. No wonder he didn't die when Evan delivered that devastating kick to his jaw. No normal human could have survived that. The man was a created assassin designed for one purpose. That purpose was to search and destroy.
By the time that Evan infiltrated the facility and completed his task, the security level was risen to the absolute highest. There were squadrons just like the one Evan fought earlier stationed on the surface around the perimeter of the complex. Ensuring that no imposter would exit the facility outside of a body bag. That might have worked for a normal human but for Evan, it would be a piece of cake.
The modification lab echoed with sounds of pain and suffering as Evan picked of the rest of the soldiers that were not informed of the great threat lurking in their complex. After the building was empty from any life at all, Evan made his way to the main door from which he came through in the beginning. He peeked his head through to see if the door was being guarded. He couldn't believe his eyes. There were at least ten greatly numbered squadrons of soldiers of all types, some with heavy artillery like S2-47 Rocket Projectile Launchers. That artillery would take a while to get by. Evan had to find an alternate mode of escape. With one swift motion Evan closed the door for good, jamming the hinges to an inoperable position. He wanted to make sure the soldiers didn't sneak up from behind him.
Evan darted down the hall looking for the transportation corridor. When he found it he kicked the door in. It fell to the neatly polished tile floor with a deafening thud. He made his way to the aircraft, and made a slight grin to what lay before his eyes. There were helicopters, fighter jets, and the newest addition to the military combat force, the 47-K delta zero Strike Fighter, which was a vertical take of plane that was equipped with two hydrogen bombs, the smaller equivalent to the earlier version, yet it still created the same destruction. It also had two 50-caliber chain guns with explosive rounds. Evan knew that he wouldn't be able to get out of this place with anything less so he hopped into the cockpit and strapped himself in for an exciting thrill ride of revenge.
Private First Class Chris Sabian
Outside The Nevada Modification Laboratory
"Sir, Request permission to patrol the transportation bay. He might be trying to fly out of here."
"Permission granted Sabian. Now get a move on it.''
''Yes sir, will do sir.'' Chris Sabian walked down the side of the perimeter that was outlined for him and the rest of the Squadrons to guard against the attacks of the invader.
He knew that him and the rest of the soldiers weren't allowed to know anything else except for their mission objectives, But This mission really bugged him, and he wanted to know more. "How did he get past our forces on the inside? There must have been at least 30 or 40 soldiers in their!'' Sabian muttered to himself as he moved along the specified area. Then he noticed something strange. It was like the humming sound that a hummingbird makes during flight. "How could there be a hummingbird in the middle of Nevada." Just as he pondered that thought a small stealth aircraft equipped with heavy artillery rose in front of him into the stale thick air, and at the controls was Evan.
Chapter 5
Backlash
Chris Sabian was ripped to shreds as millions of explosive rounds detonated in and within the vicinity of his frail, powerless body. ''First resistance terminated.'' Evan was satisfied at the result of this short burst of ammunition. The stealth fighter pushed onward past the putrid remains of Private First Class Chris Sabian. "Jenkins, What the hell just happened over there? Send a squadron to check it out on the double. Move!''
''Yes sir, will do sir. Soldiers! Get ready to role!'' the ground rumbled as a squadron of soldiers walked closer than ever to their demise. Their only defense was the S2-K7 Rocket projectile launchers strapped to the artillery specialist's sides.
Evans hands couldn't be pulled of the trigger even if he wanted them to. He wanted to take full revenge against the monsters that did the changes to his body. It didn't matter if they were soldier or government official; they were all one in the same to Evan. He wanted his old life back. At least, he wished he could remember it. Countless soldiers dropped to the ground, decapitated as they lay. Evan wanted to take out the heavy artillery before they got their chance to let loose some explosive projectile's.
''Pablo! Set cover over the ridge. Take him out!'' Pablo was one of the artillery specialists. He knew exactly what to do with whatever the military gave him. He was going to take this guy out if it was the last thing he did. Pablo set up cover over the ridge where he would have a minimal amount of shielding from the vicious onslaught of the man in the jet. He thought a little cover was better than no cover. Pablo readied the rocket launcher on his shoulder and slid a highly explosive projectile down the front shaft of the gun.
From what Evan could see, the squadron of soldiers must have been eliminated. ''Time to pull out''. Evan gripped the controls and eased the jet forward.
''Fire!'' Pablo let loose one of the missiles and watched it glide swiftly past the left wing of the stealth fighter, Clipping the wing as it flew. ''Crap, What the hell was that. The left stabilizer is out, I'm going to have to take this thing down.'' Evan wasn't done with his mission yet. He armed one of the hydrogen bombs, pressed the red button, and reaped havoc on the experimental modification laboratory. The pressure packed ground imploded as mass amounts of explosives detonated underground, brought there by the pure weight of the bombs that were let loose by the fighter. Pablo died in the explosion.
The destruction from the bombs was unimaginable. This land would not be inhabitable for many years to come. Evan had not used heavy artillery to take out an enemy before, just brute force. This weapon had worked very well. Now Evan was hooked on mass destruction.
''The jet is useless. I will just have to go out the way I came in''. Evan hoped earlier that he would be able to keep the jet. After all, it would have been a very useful weapon in his strive for revenge. Evan lowered the jet to the ground, grabbed his bags, and calmly strode towards the distant road where he had been dropped of by a taxi merely an hour before. Evan took out his cell phone and called the taxi company. He was glad that he had swiped his phone and put it in his bag as he ran out of his house towards the taxicab. The taxi was on its way and Evan sat on the ground waiting for his calm escape. He was going to Whidbey Island where he could destroy all the information about his past and present once and for all.
Chapter 6
Clean slate
Just the same as last time, Evan paid the cabby, took his bags, and strode without care right to the front doors of the Whidbey Island facility. He set his bags down and disabled the camera placed near the door. To Evans surprise this facility was not militarized on the outside. It had no gun turrets or soldiers patrolling the area. He hoped it would be just the same inside. Evan kicked the door in and stood to watch as dozens of scientists scurried down the dark hallway. For some reason the power was shut of at the moment, leaving the building in complete darkness. Evans eyes had a night vision capability; he activated this option and walked down the hall as if it still was in light.
There were many doors of to the left and right. Evan opened them with silent fingers and swept the rooms for the information. He continued his search else ware in the building after his first attempts at a finding came up inconclusive. Evan descended the stairs to a location deeper within the complex. So far no resistance had been found. Evan assumed it would be the same throughout all parts of this operation. The only thing Evan wasn't ready for was a five-person team of elite special forces waiting for him in the basement of the complex. They were trained to kill and bred to put up a good fight.
When Evan was five steps from the bottom of the stairs, he knew that he wasn't alone. The soldiers knew too. Evan jumped to the bottom and ran for cover with bullets whizzing past his head. The weapons arsenal that Evan had at his hands wasn't that great, a .25 caliber pistol and five percussion grenades. The grenades alone would severely damage the building, let alone the soldiers. The soldiers moved closer to the wall yet still far enough away to maintain a safe distance.
Evan chucked a grenade around the corner and saw it roll back between his feet. These particular grenades had a seven second fuse, four of those seconds was already wasted. There was just enough time for Evan to chuck it back to the soldiers and take cover. He picked it up in his right hand, came out form the protection of the wall, and threw it as hard as he could into the chest of the closest soldier. That grenade alone took three soldiers off the worries of Evan.
Uncovered and vulnerable, Evan charged forward with his pistol directed at the throat of a soldier. He fired three rounds and then three more into the other soldier. The bodies dropped and joined their fellow dead officers. Evan leaned against a wall to reload. The hardest part of this battle was over. In a way he felt sorry for the soldiers and how they would not be going home to their families or friends tonight. Evan was not a savage killer unless he had to or if the problem with the person got entwined with his personal life. Evan dismissed he reminiscing and stepped into the underground heart of the building. It was a vault that had to contain the info that Evan sought after.
He sifted through the endless containers and came to one that looked freshly placed. It was fairly clean unlike the rest of the containers that were covered in sheets of dust. Evan shuddered at the thought of knowing his past. He opened the container anyway and picked through the papers one by one. The first few were about the recent tests on Evan but as Evan dug deeper he found his school records and his entire life story. Evan never knew what happened to his parents. What he was reading now just fueled him with more anger against BASE. The letter read:
The newest member to our Augmenting program is Evan Leer. He was apprehended at his parent's house in Nebraska. Sad to say, his parents were killed on sight. I've told Alaster before that that action is not necessary. He dismisses my talk as mere conversation, although I am glad to say that Evan has proven to be perfect criteria for this program. He has passed every test given to him so far. We have high hopes for him. Even though this technology is still experimental after one previous augment, we are moving along as planned. I hope you provide this program with enough funds to get it finished and started again in case that is needed.
Sincerely,
Surgeon General Ron Howard
The intended recipients name was scratched out. Evan lashed out in anger. "They killed my parents! Damn them! Ill kill them all a thousand times!" in anger Evan placed an armed grenade inside the vault, shut the door and watched through the blast proof glass as the name Evan Leer was erased from existence. With the explosion over, Evan decided to pack up and leave in search for the missing augment that was found in Evans house. Evan walked up to the top floor of the building, grabbed his bags, and sat down into the taxi that he had kept on call outside during the whole fight.
He told the taxi driver that he wanted to go back to Nevada, where Evan suspected that the man that was found in his house was in hiding. After all, Nevada in these times was far away from any main outlet of civilization, a great place for base facilities and people in hiding to go. Evan had to get rid of the guy, just to tie up loose ends and to release some of his building aggression. The taxi crawled to a stop in front of the closest Nevada hotel. Evan paid the cabby and congratulated him for a day of hard work escorting Evan around the country. He would start his search in the morning. First Evan felt he had to get some rest.
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