Mission 001: Capture the NSF leader (Part ONE)

On board of a UNATCO chartered yacht, the 23-year-old agent JC Denton travelled to Liberty Island. After the academy and the training sessions, he feels completely ready for his mission and eager to start with some real field duties. The assignment was rapid and the young officer didn’t receive any briefing from HQ. JC jumps on the southern dock and receives an infolink call from Alex Jacobson who warns the NSF have raided the island and that JC must contact his brother Paul on the dock. JC remembers Alex from the training session and is surprised by the promptness for action but he figures out this mission is a final examination.

“The voice of that guy, Alex, seemed familiar and friendly like that of an acquaintance. No doubt someone met at the training that had managed to keep a distance”. That’s when JC spots another trench coat agent; his elder brother Paul.

The two-augmented officer’s encounter and Paul tells JC that he will be responsible for the arrest and interrogation of the NSF commander at the top of the statue. As a secondary objective, JC is supposed to release agent Hermann who would be held prisoner at the ground floor of the monument. At the request of JC, Paul provided him with a GEP-gun (portable laser-guided rocket launcher) with a photograph of the terrorist leader. Then Paul notifies JC an informant inside the NSF is at the North Dock and will only hand over the keys to the entrance doors of the statue if told the correct password (Code phrase: Iron and Copper). That said, Paul suggests looking for another way to gently penetrate the enemy perimeter. In the end, JC must find out why the NSF decided such a risky assault on the UNATCO headquarters.

NB: Alex is a skilled IT specialist and the one in charge of field communications between agents and HQ. He is tasked to remotely monitor and support JC’s mission. Paul is the elder brother of JC and like him, a nano augmented agent. Yet Paul has been on the ground for a longer time and was previously involved against international terrorism cells including the NSF. Paul has recently come back from a failed mission in Hong Kong and he declined to elaborate about his objective in Asia. Gunther Hermann is a UN mechamod agent; ie a now obsolete version of operative compared with the most advanced generation of Denton units.

Famous for his hard-hitting temper and blind boldness, he refused to pull back during the NSF raid on the Statue and got pinned down by the militia. JC has the opportunity to rescue him during his progress and will take the time to make a short introduction with this colossal agent. The National Secessionist Forces or NSF is a constitutionalist and rebellious movement labelled as terrorists by the UN. They consider that the UN and the USA are responsible for the pandemic among other things. That is why they demand to proceed to the vaccine distribution to equalize everyone’s chance to survive.

Basically, the militia loathes the government of Washington because of being the symbol of organized and widespread corruption. This is the reason why the NSF wants to usher in a new war of independence like the Founding Fathers even at the price of secession from the USA. Their movement congregates various individuals but the NSF core mainly consists of middle classes alongside some top billionaires. The UNATCO (United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition) is the military arm of the United Nations in charge of the struggle against international terrorism. This agency was established during the first half of the century and gradually became the most capable reference in regard with global violence. Actually, JC trained during all his childhood in the hope to reach UNATCO.

Subsequently, Paul left JC to get closer to the barricades but once JC received his equipment, he wants to probe Paul to catch additional information about his role in the operation and within UNATCO in general. At least, between brothers, Paul will be able to express more than the supervisor of the UN instruction staff. Indeed, Paul confesses he missed an attempt to assassinate a leader of the Hong Kong triads and he does not know what UNATCO is looking for by bringing him back to New York.

Still Paul manages to avoid further questioning about his mission in Asia and discourses about an honour dinner organized by the UN where their parents, members of the United Nations, were the major attendees. Being the first nano-augmented genitor, Paul and JC’s father enjoyed the instant with a toast. JC can hardly imagine the scene and wonder if the paternal pride was not simply due to their aug abilities. They end up leaving on an ironic remark of Paul regarding JC’s individuality. The interview raises more questions than provided clear answers and leaves JC bewildered with Paul’s general role inside the coalition.

Shortly later, JC headed towards Corporal Collins, a capable UNATCO soldier, and questioned him about the situation. The corporal explains that the NSF are trapped by the robots but that agent Hermann found himself alone during the attack, did not want to withdraw and shot down some assailants before being captured. Denton greets the corporal, leaves the barricade zone and infiltrates the island perimeter. Several bodies lay on the ground with rifle rounds and blood at the entrance to the promenade. Denton identifies a few NSF patrolling along the walkways in front of him and to the right sidewalk sidestepping the statue.

At this point, JC realizes that the NSF controls all access to the statue and even mounted a few surveillance points. The 23 years old officer decides to run directly to the nearby HQ and on the way, after he dodges the patrols, Denton manages to retrieve a mini-crossbow on a NSF corpse. “OK JC, so far so good. Fieldwork with observation and infiltration, decision-making to circumvent some militiamen plus successful recovery of equipment, perfect start.”

Getting close with the HQ bunker, JC notices the take-off of an olive camo helo. The airborne machine vanishes quickly in the night. “Must be a chopper evacuating higher-ups or classified intel” JC mutters. At the main gate, the agent figures out how the perimeter was defended against the NSF. A barricade, two sentinels and a robot on a duty patrol stand blocking the entrance. Without sufficient hardware, you can forget a frontal assault and this was proven by the NSF corpses the agent spotted previously. “Security is tight, that’s better now”. One UN trooper, the sergeant Kaplan, welcomes JC.

“Afraid base is under lockdown ‘till the danger’s gone, Agent Denton”.

“Right. How you guys holding up?”

“UNATCO command made us pull back, I guess for Gunther’s sake. What’s the deal? We’re ready to go in.”

“We’re taking a minimum-force approach. We’re cops after all.”

“Ask me. I think we should frag ’em all. You trespass on UNATCO property, you get pump full of lead”.

Mmmh… Here a hardliner. I was warned, a good share of the agency craves for a direct fight with the militia. It is time to soften the tension before potential shooting spree interferes with the mission. Time to wisely lecture the staff. “When due process fails us, we really do live in a world of terror”.

The zealous sergeant replies incredulous. “Thought you nano-augs were supposed to be badass killing machines. Guess I was wrong”.

“Guess so”. Good to hear that sergeant…

“Some advice. You get out there, you are gonna have to tangle with some real sons-of-bitches. Best thing is to pick ’em off from fifty or a hundred paces with a scope. I scored an extra one from a couple of thugs we dropped down by the dock; you can have it for 700 credits. I also picked up 10 mm ammo and some crossbow darts — say 200 for one and 60 for the other”.

“Shouldn’t you turn that stuff over to the quartermaster?” prompts JC.

With a covered smirk, Kaplan states back “Sure, I will, but ‘long as command has the rest of us on parade drills, someone might as well put this hardware to use”.

NB : General Carter (Sam Carter), a high rank officer from the US army, served the military for decades before he joined the United Nations coalition. Because of a war liability, the agency decided to affect him to the position of HQ quartermaster. Sam Carter is a moral authority by himself and an experienced soldier. Recognized by everyone, he is JC’s personal icon. Actually, the agent studied thoroughly the General background and the operations involving his peacekeeping operations. The prescience of Carter stems from his optimal deployment tactic and most of all, his balanced usage of the stick. UNATCO wanted the brightest model to shape its high-tech future operatives and it attained just that. The Dentons benefit from the best of human experiences in a vast spectrum of competences but General Carter also delivers an invisible part, one that will inflect nano-aug purpose.

The spoils of war, ah?! Well there might be something right in that. What’s worth this equipment if you can’t use it to tackle terrorists? It is not textbook but ammunition is welcome and the GEP-gun is not the finest armament for infiltration. With 700 credits, JC could acquire a scope for his pistol in case the situation worsens up. “ A contingency to avoid with up to the hilt” repeated general Carter, the living example the young agent used to venerate. The agency guide written by the retired Carter was rich with memorable axioms. “ You real firepower stands in your ability to prevent violent deeds “ “ accounted for one of these fetish phrases. By integrating the scope to the pistol, Denton still wonders how to translate teachings into concrete actions.

Preview of the augmentation ups and downs: High-tech cop agent, JC reminds the top-notch F-22, the best USAF interceptor from the beginning of the century. Priceless and highly sophisticated, the aircraft surpasses its competitors in virtually every corner (though not so much…) but its main issue rests in its design. Too expensive for multiple days’ deployments and time flight exorbitant, the jet is plagued by numerous technical issues which were painfully solved. Badly born because imperfectly optimized for a specific interceptor role, the plane cannot live up to its true potential.

Like the iconic jet, JC costs an arm and a leg (50 billion of credits, the world currency) and remains crippled by defects, glitches (tiredness due to energy consumption, dependence on bioelectric cells, permanent eavesdropping on his actions and thoughts, supreme and invisible automation of the human body with indefinite effects, …). : Augmentations and biomodifications are a Denton Agent class’ essence. Actually, one needs to say instead nano-augmentations because these institute the most complete form of human augmentations (Paul is de facto first nano-aug). And who refers to nano-augmentations means nanites.

The nanites are nanometric robots employed to manipulate materials at molecular, atomic or sub-atomic levels. Those tiny robots served an array of applications ranging from teeth cleaning to more complex ends such as human augs. For instance, JC can upload a DNA pattern on a nano-key to lock doors or containers. In the 50’s, while nanites had turned famous for decades, the universal constructors (UC) made their first appearance. UC are powerful machines capable to arrange nanites and combine billions of atoms in order to create physical objects. With respect to nanotechnology, UCs speed up both the process and the scale of atoms manipulation.

The most obvious applications for UC are genetic treatment to heal miscellaneous illness and to expand the human body capabilities. Actually, he who is in charge of a UC possesses the ability to shape almost all the desired physical entities. To an extent, one can even reproduce living beings, as long as the energy and the cooling liquid are provided to the UC. The nanites are tiny and powerful robots whose versatility allows a broad range of uses but when these are combined with a UC, the capabilities of nanites became truly apparent. The combo nanite/UC is the bedrock of nano-augs next upcoming because it allows the building of complex machines on a tiny scale. That potent industrial bond gives nano-augs the opportunity to execute unbelievable actions until then.

FI, to see in the dark, turn invisible; acquire great strength, benefit from immunity against toxins and physical traumas and more. This is the field of biomodifications such as the Microfibral Muscle augmentation, a biomod that enhances muscles to lift heavy objects like an ant, the Aqualung augmentation that programs nanites in the breathing system to extract oxygen from water like a fish,… Paul and JC were born as exceptional twins thanks to their share immune abilities to tolerate and even cooperate with nanites.

Most of the host cannot put up with nanites and gradually die because of rejection disorder. The original phenomenon with the Denton resides in their quite natural acceptance of nanites and their physiological capacity allows the scientist team to successfully implement bio modifications on the brother’s bodies. UNATCO financed the whole project to develop the agent Denton class and now, the agency looks to phase out mechamods with an increase compatibility and production of bio modified agents.

“ So much for minimum-force approach…” declares the sarcastic sergeant.

“I will check back with you later” Denton settled. First issue with the UN agency (tacit weapon smuggling) plus grey-zone choice with respect to UNATCO policies.

JC leaves the trooper and heads to the telecom shelter next to HQ. There he finds a code to access the door and type 0451 to enter the local. A Matsu-Gravas R-118 mobile repair Bot stands in front aside a stack of routers and a control consol. The officer spots some useful devices notably a medkit (a kind of universal and very effective emergency care kit) and a lockpick (an ordinary yet precious tool for indoors access). Plus, he takes advantage of the bioelectric functions of the mobile unit to upload his biomodification systems. JC stands in front of the robot and after a few seconds, the electronic assistant deploys an arm full of optical sensors and starts to scan the agent. Two seconds later, a bioelectric interface is established with JC and recharges his bioenergy capacities to the maximum. Shortly afterwards, the unit folds its arm and turns on standby.

NB: The ICE Breaker is the covert manipulation of computers and security consoles. The system is lodged into the agent orbital arc and evaluates an encrypted computer to generate an access key. That augmented skill allows the player to hack into computers and other electronic systems in order to tamper with security systems, steal money, or view private e-mails.

Always a benefit to catch one of these precious supplying machines because most of the time, nano-augs had to make do with consumable bioelectric cells. These could not replenish completely the bio capacities and who knows how much energy the augmentations swallow. Indeed, JC is granted the ability to employ his eyes as small torches to brave the darkness. The main setback of this mighty physiological capacity is the management of bio stocks. And sometimes, you get a real painful headache in the process. “ The technology remains impressive but still far from perfect “.

Once his systems are restored to the maximum, Denton contemplates the security console and decides to test the HQ safekeeping. His internal control device, called the ICE breaker tool, interfaces with the console next to the terminal and after a few seconds, several screens are displayed. A novice hacker, JC admits that the effortless access, even for a short time, is remarkable. On one of the camera displays, the officer can observe a soldier sitting at an office behind a computer inside the bunker. The trooper is completely unaware of the video intrusion and keeps leafing through a newspaper article.

JC manages to grasp the headline and the contents. Apparently, the corporal is reading a speech given by US President Philip Mead for an extension of the UNATCO budget as part of the battle against terrorism. And most of the congressmen do not seem to agree with this presidential statement… Hacking and intrusion: Hands on introduction

Self-satisfied with his invasion experiment, the officer decides to focus on his mission. Anyway, JC couldn’t stay longer. Once the ICE Breaker is activated, the available time remaining for access always dwindle, as indicated in the progress bar. If time expires, then one got thrown out of the system, loses all of his bioelectrical energy and, in some cases, an alarm may sound.

To avoid this, you had to terminate access before time expires. Besides, one had to ensure that the ICE Breaker was sufficiently “recharged” before attempting another hack but the higher your proficiency, the longer you could stay logged onto a hacked system.

“Triggering the alarm of the bunker would have drained down all my systems and pissed off security guards pointlessly. However, it will be worth reporting this security flaw for debriefing” reflects JC. Before he left, JC lays hold of an EMP (Electric grenade used to disable robots, cameras, laser barrier, …) and a multitool (Very suitable gadget for hacking electrical safety panels, alarms, cameras and even turrets with proper skill).

Given his clutter, Denton choices to switch his tactics and drops off the GEP-gun on the spot. “”Yet I would be lighter and even if some bot stands on the way, I have enough resource to disable it,” thinks JC. “I’d just grab it later.”

Tactical review: Despite his noteworthy physical strength, Denton cannot progress with a heap of diverse materials and operates a flexible approach to engagement.

Denton leaves the HQ area and initiates the hardest part: Pass in the statue. Through observation, JC spots that the two NSF’s making procedural patrols along the boardwalk lose sight of themselves for about thirty seconds. With the benefit of the dark, the young policeman chose to neutralize the first terrorist in the direction of the docks.

In silence, the agent approaches the militiaman who walks peacefully. There cannot be risk of missing his prey and JC takes out his privileged weapon for melee. The shot leaves and the NSF remains petrified a few seconds before losing balance. To avoid the noise of impact, the nano-modified policeman seizes the mercenary before he strikes the pavement and hides him under an imposing grove. At the same time, Denton pays attention to a possible surprise and stays in the shade for a short time in case he had been observed.

Nothing happens and the agent gets out of his hiding place. The action lasts only 10 seconds, nobody caught him off-guard and no sound was perceived. Surely the electric prod is a neat and reliable non-lethal weapon. Denton wants to continue on this momentum but he must concede that the other NSF will not be as easy to tackle. He could try to pass him out unnoticed but the space to avoid detection is quite narrow and the walls are too illuminated.

With resolution, JC still tries to overtake the militia and quietly walks towards him. Again, with the obscurity support, the agent pretends to act as the last NSF patrol and gets close enough to shoot a sedative dart with his crossbow. A different combo for the same result. Plus a small bonus as the NSF falls soundlessly on the grass. On the spot, the agent retrieves ammunition from the unconscious terrorist and notices a datacube with a note on a surveillance emplacement.

In short, the terrorists actually set up a surveillance robot at the entrance of the monument and there are sentinels on either side of the gates. The good news is that the cameras code for the statue terminal is available as well as the means to disable the robot. However, the agent is not yet able to handle a console at the level and after reflection; JC remembers the option he had to take to the right at the beginning when he arrived on the island.

Thus the agent eludes the guard concentrated at the entrance of the promenade, Denton turns up the roadway that goes around the wall of the statue towards the north dock and passes in complete silence in the dim light to avoid one more night watch NSF. Farther on, JC sneaks towards a group of militia in lively debate and eavesdrops on the conversation. Keep on infiltration and attempt to find a more favorable access

“That bastard of Hermann should have been put to pieces. He savagely kills a lot of our men!”

“Don’t forget that guy was half a machine. Just look at his scary face and right arm. That’s what happens to people when they join the UN. That cyborg manages to withstand direct shots on the chest.”

“Before we leave, someone must eliminate that monster” adds another NSF with a mini- crossbow.

“No way we can leave. They surrounded us and all we have to do is to hold this perimeter for the longest time possible. At present, the ambrosia should have been delivered. But for the mech, if things are going mad, I will ask to kill him myself”.

The militiamen stay at discoursing on the topic of the machine human. JC dodges them and continues his progression towards the south dock. On the road, he arrives at an underground construction with a wide entrance and notices another guard. Once more, the agent decides to avoid combat and wants to bypass the terrorist. Unfortunately, JC stumbles on a case in the dark and the sound attracts the NSF. The militia fired two shots but Denton avoided the gunshots in time and rolled over to a crate stack dispersed at the base of the monument.

The young officer takes his pistol out of its holster and aims at the NSF without delay. A single headshot kills the terrorist. JC barely believe the stroke of luck but soon he has to flee because a distant cabal of mercenaries converges on his position. When they reached the body of their comrade, Denton almost joined the South dock and noticed that there is a UNATCO robot in charge of the protection.

“My first victim of the evening! I hope I will not have to relive that experience too often in the night, “the agent thinks. “At the same time, this is what I have prepared for and given the circumstances, it is in line with my position”. In fact, JC was less surprised by the killing than by his direct reaction to the mercenary.

Several detonations erupted and yet the agent took his weapon to the NSF. A bullet impact befalls several meters from him and JC looks how to react but ultimately, he does not need to. In reality, the NSF attacked the robot, which shot them down one by one with mechanical precision. Then, in the absence of compunction, the automaton returns to its patrol. In face of this macabre show, JC cannot help but to think that if the command wanted it, this island would already be in their hands.

“Fortunately, it is fairly more empathic beings and not those alienated terrorists who handle technology. New York would be a graveyard by the hour.” But the officer acknowledges that the death of four men, even mortal enemies, should have been avoided and so he carries the responsibility for this shooting spree. A minor error with straight consequences (4 dead NSF).

At the entrance of the dock, the situation is more trivial. A pair of guards is evolving around a pile of crates and equipment, and at the end of the catwalk there is a shabby barrack. In order to not repeat the previous carnage, JC takes out the crossbow, lengthens and anesthetizes the two terrorists without difficulty then reaches the shack. This time, the neutralization went smoothly.

“ About time you show up “ said a bum inside.

JC faces the man. “Iron and copper. The statue is copper on an iron frame, right?”

“Password is enough pal. Don’t think you know anything about the lady I don’t. My dad did tours out here. BTW, I am Harley Filben.”

“JC Denton, I hear you can get me inside” asks the concentrated agent.

“Depends…you get your way out, re-take the statue, whatever, but I know the commander up there, and I want him alive! Got it?”

“You can trust me”

“I’ll take your word for it. Here’s the key to the front door, I suggest finding another way in though.”

Filben hands over the key to JC and the agent, contemplating the key, starts thinking of the containers bulk back on his way where he shot down the terrorist. Curious, JC goes into details: “How do you know so much about the commander?”

“He is my main contact in the NSF. I need him alive and out on ball.”

“UNATCO will probably keep him in custody.”

“At least he has a chance if he is alive. I warned him, you know. I said right to his face, don’t take weapons into the Lady. That makes you as bad as UNATCO.”

Offended, JC replies outright. “Don’t forget that it was the NSF that C-4'ed the Statue in the first place. UNATCO’s here to put the pieces back together.

“Ask me, I think the government did it. They want people to think the NSF are terrorists.”

Then Filben adds: “Whatever, I worked here one summer picking up some people trash, wrong job… My father used to say: If copper can get old and green and need repairs, the same with our liberty. Funny and that was long before the UN even had an army. I know an army when I see one.

After a pause, he concludes “Damn I better get paid good for all that. “Then he leaves JC.

The agent looks back at the snapshot of his target the NSF leader, a colonel called Leo Gold (the NSF uses ranks and hierarchy as in the military) in charge of specials operation. Certainly that guy would have a wide awareness on the terrorist organization and UNATCO will be pleased to interrogate him about his ties and contacts in NY and beyond. “But why would that man risks so much for a lost cause?” thought JC.

Sure the commander would identify himself as a sort of super social justice warrior as a lot of other militias before him and exactly like these, he was using violent means to scatter the supply of vaccine. JC could not grasp all the ins and outs of the distribution but he did know how crucial the shipment was for the city and no one should be allowed to play with millions of human lives. “The leader has to be a by-product of sub-mainstream paranoia, what else?” In the meantime, JC notices a ratty woman sitting in the corner of the barrack. Intrigued, he approaches her.

“You with Filben?” asks Denton.

“I got a cut for bringing him over.” Replies the vagabond woman.

“Tell me what you know about the operation?”

“I am not that high-level. The more elite troops — They are the ones that took over the ship and unloaded it into speedboats. I think we are supposed to be a diversion.”

“A ship?” replies JC

“That’s all I know. The commander gave me a 10-mm clip, a box of 30-ought-six ammo, and some crossbow darts and said, “Keep your head down”-huh like I am gonna take on UNATCO troops. Want ‘em? You can have the clip for 175, the 30.06 for 300, and the darts for 50. Then she makes a pause and said “But if I was you, I would avoid a head-on attack altogether and not even use the key Filben got. I would go in the Statue from the back. Less security that way.’’ Low on cash, JC declines the offer for the ammo and leaves them both. Advising (at least, the third character to point for another way inside the statue; Paul, Filben, the ratty woman)

Shortly afterwards JC contemplated the place where the boat carrying the vaccine had sunk and he spotted a metallic reflection at the base of the jetty. At about ten meters under the water rests the wreck. The officer decides to take a look, lights his torch and dives until he reaches the access door to the sump of the boat. With a picklock, he manages to open the hatch and enters the boat. He discovers packages of waterproof cartridges and a rebreather. JC attaches it around his face and then he can collect two ammunition boxes without concern for his oxygen level.

Once he has returned to the deck floor, Denton returns to the place where he shot down the terrorist. The perimeter is composed of a patchwork of containers, crates and boxes stacked that have probably been used to recover and evacuate the debris of the statue a few years ago. The agent forgets the option of the Filben key and chooses to penetrate the Statue from the back like the woman advised. The rebels did not predict anyone venturing to the monument from this spot and JC begins its ascent by jumping and climbing the crate pile. “Since there is no NSF anymore in the area because of the bot cleaning job, let’s all this serves something,” the agent reflects. Stealth and indirect approach

After a few minutes, Denton climbs up with effort next to the first level of the monument and takes a look at the pathways. On his left, two NSF guard the alleyway with the statue crown torn by the attack and erected as a new nonviolent symbol. In front of him though, there is only one militiaman watching offshore. Denton crosses the wall and heads straight for the lone NSF. Out of darts, the agent thinks to pass in using discretion but the militiaman turns and begins a surveillance patrol.

JC hides down in a hurry and waits for the man to reach his position. Soon, the NSF stands within range of his electric baton and JC triggers a discharge … which does not occur. No more ammunition … the terrorist turns around and takes in a violent uppercut that sends him in limbo. Luckily, the bionic agent finds a pack of darts in an outer pocket of the mercenary and then binds his feet, hands and face.

Suddenly, JC distinguishes distant explosions and observed several flashes on the side of Manhattan. Then nothing happens and the silence returns. Puzzled, the agent believed that the main terrorist threat was limited to Liberty Island. “The terrorists would also be disrupting the distribution in the city center? The situation must be really desperate if they attack the downtown core “.

Further on, the officer perceived two sentinels, and benumbs them properly, both of them with darts. JC eventually enters the statue and falls on another NSF who follows a patrol in the corridor. “For sure, it’s not my day. There are militiamen at every angle! “ the officer repressed while he turns back.

“ What was that??? Who is there ?!! “. The NSF goes out and stumbles on the body of one of the vigil. “Damn it! UNATCO must be here somewhere; I have to warn the rest of us”. When he pivots to return in the monument, JC falls upon him feet first. The militia got instantly neutralized and Denton then proceeds inside the corridor. At the end of it, he finds the stairs and decides to go down to the entrance. “If I can surprise the resistance from inside, agent Hermann still has significant chance to make it unharmed” whispered the rookie enforcer.

Close to the lower level, JC reaches the vast atrium with the torch of the statue at the centrum. The hall is guard by two mercenaries, one moving back and forth from a contiguous room on the right, the other patrolling an upper level surrounding the area. Between the torch and the room stand a couple of gas barrels and a structure of relaxing cinderblocks. The agent spots a LAM and a datacube on the structure.

On the left side of the area, there is an active ATM and the bleak corners of the atrium are full of boxes. Closer to his position, JC has a different but immediate impediment in the form of a security camera paired with a roofed minigun.

The young agent gets close to the camera and fetches a multitool in his pockets. As long as the camera doesn’t pivot in his position and provided that JC stays unnoticed by the NSF, the agent only needs to remain close enough to the surveillance device to remotely switch it off. JC revived that manoeuvre plenty of time during training sessions and he mechanically controlled the deactivation of the camera via a focused beam of countermeasure signals.

In a moment, the device quitted monitoring. Before going further, JC finds a gear box with a lockpick. Once he makes sure the guards are off sight, Denton proceeds down the stairs and heads towards the entrance to the contiguous room. Without hesitancy, he plugs a gas grenade near the entrance and then runs to the upper level. Just after JC silenced the patrol of the upper level with his electric prod, the other guard inside the level room triggered the gas grenade and a vast halo of green smoke subjugated the perimeter.

Naturally, a lot of noise and screaming results in this detonation. “There must be a small squad of NSF stashed in there” reflects the agent. From the middle of the upper level, just above the main entrance to the Statue, JC uses the crossbow to neutralize the first militia, the one who activated the blast. Once that NSF is down, the agent notices a pair of terrorists being asphyxiated by the gas cloud. “How to capitalize on their present weakness? “reasons JC. Out of darts and reluctant to shot down unnecessary, JC wants to shift to another attack approach. At that moment, the young operative spots a vent in the corner close to the contiguous room. “That’s it!”

He jumps down to the atrium, passes around the hazed room and raises the vent to crouch inside the covert passage. The tunnel is not extensive because JC speedily reaches a small open room with a table and a door on the left. There is an extension to the tunnel that continues further and the agent decides to take a look. Later, he overhears rude NSF vocals and quick footsteps out of the main room.

While listening, Denton goes through the second extensive tunnel and access another closed off room with the door blocked off by crates . The place offers an angle on agent Hermann’s cell through large bulletproof windows. Directly in front of him, JC collects a new multitool and a second LAM. And he reads a datacube on the desk to discover some hapless civilian’s bank account details (230023 Next, he passes over the boxes stack and moves near the main room. PIN:4558 ).

“What triggers that damn gas cloud” yells an NSF. “Damn, there are all down. There must be an imminent threat lurking nearby”.

Then, JC hears rapid footsteps inside the room and some computer tampering sounds on what must be a wall security panel. Surely, the NSF is now alone and tries to trigger an alarm or program a minigun defence station for an imminent defensive action. Or worse to execute agent Hermann.

Promptly, in silence, Denton approaches and takes a quick look inside the atrium command room. There is indeed only one remaining terrorist but this one just doesn’t want to let go. He is concentrated on manipulating the security console and didn’t notice the agent. Above the entrance of the room at the corner, another camera is rotating regularly. “Don’t mind the camera, JC, there is one foe left. No one is going to engage a general alert after I will down him. “In the next three seconds, the agent exhibits a regular melee baton, rushes the militia and knocks him unconscious.

Directly afterwards, Jacobson sends a pm. “Gunther is in that room. One of our top agent.”

Thanks for the feedback, Alex! I already know where Gunther is locked. And the mech sure is not a true pro if he was pinned down and jailed by these NSF…

JC loots the terrorist, turns then towards the locking door and open it with the correct nanokey code. Inside the cell, a metallic voice bragged: “You should have shot that goddam terrorist instead of this unmotivated neutralization. I would never have allowed any NSF alive anyway”.

Denton gazes Gunther Hermann, the colossal mechamod agent fitted with ample steel arms and extensive cutinized copper wires. “Glad you are not hurt agent.”

The cyborg runs in direction of the agent and raps out: “Command should not have left us to be surrounded.”

JC tests a tempering approach. “Risk is part of the job. I think you lucked out this time.”

The brutish Hermann replies vehemently. “Agent Navarre and I were ready to go in, but for no reason they said pull back. I do not retreat. Please give me a weapon and move out of the way”.

Rapidly, JC rectifies. “Cool down agent, I am here to rescue you and make sure you reach the command center alive. First thing is to get you out of here. I will handle the enemy”.

With irony, Gunther says: “Oh! Excuse that I have forgotten your brother Paul and the infinite power of nano-augmentation”.

Running impatient, the young agent interjects: “I just can’t spare any arms right now. Please retreat to a safe location.”

“Go ahead! Advance up the stairs to the command center at the top. They are trapped and you have a perfect occasion to catch the terrorists’ off-guard. I will transfer my useless rusty metal bones and sweep away into the junk pile”.

“Before you go, there is still a security bot at the main gate. Do you need assistance to shut it down? There is a panel to override it at the doors.”

Unwilling to be lectured by a younger and augmented agent, Gunther grunts: “I can handle that. Just focus on your mission.” Then he makes for the exit.

Once alone, Denton notices on the table the same newspaper he snooped at UNATCO HQ. “Apparently, that president speech seems to interest a lot of people. Now that the USA has decided to openly tackle the militia, I could pay a careful attention at the upcoming news.” JC checks his status and heads towards the stairs.

“Agent Hermann sure is a hot-headed kind of person. I will have to behave vigilant for our next face-to-face. And there is that other mech woman, Anna Navarre. If she turns out as the girlish reflection of Gunther, the next missions are full of weird uncertainties.

Before leaving the atrium, the agent uses the bank account details to extract some credits from the ATM in the lobby.

During his progression upwards, JC takes several halts to listen carefully for any NSF activities. At the second floor, he reaches the viewing platform and comes across two terrorists in discussion. They stand in a surveillance watch of the promenade exits and argue about the operation outcome as well.

“Did they find the shipment?” expressed an old mercenary thug.

“Yeah. We have got the whole supply. You can see the ship’s lights crossing the bay.” a younger NSF replied.

“Guess you’re all right. So why aren’t we pulling out?”

“Mike is on the horn. JoJo wants a lead on the distribution network.”

“Hell, we don’t have enough men to protect what we’ve got.”

“That’s what JoJo wants.”

“I wonder. How’s a guy with a tattooed forehead get to be an NSF colonel? Pardon me, but back in Alabama we wouldn’t let a man who wears earings plan a military operation.”

“I would watch what you say about JoJo. He has got a temper.”

“He is a punk and he is gonna get us all killed.”

“The NSF is strong because it represents everyone’s interests.” tirades the rookie terrorist.

“Yeah, yeah” retorted the longstanding ruffian.

JC leaves them and silently snob both for the upper level. “Nice to progress and skip another fight. Besides, I am beginning to be low on hardware”.

Along the stairs, Alex infolinks him. “Gunther has re-established contact. He says you helped him escape. Good work. Then, the transmission ends. But later, Jacobson sent a second message. “Some news, JC. The NSF targeted a shipment of the plague vaccine, Ambrosia. We can’t locate it. See if the leader will surrender when you reach the command post. We would like to interrogate him. The infolink switches back to silent.

“That is supposed to be my mission from the start; Paul briefed me long before, Alex. Like I am going to avoid the NSF commander’s capture and shoot him down for fun. Someone at HQ is really afraid I could make such a mistake?”

At the next upper level, the agent makes the same encounter. Again, two NSF exposing their back to him and fixing the horizon in another chat. “Even a complete rookie could takedown that panicky gang. They just keep talking while the adversary engrosses gains. Quite sure their leader is a variety of lacklustre and idealistic debater.”

“Let’s get out of here.”

“I am standing my ground.”

“Someone tripped the alarm downstairs. They are closing in” repeats the nervous NSF.

“This is it, Private. We knew it might come to this” rejects his assertive counterpart.

“What good are we to the NSF if we end up dead?”

“If UNATCO breached the perimeter, then it is already too late. Get ready to fight.”

Quietly, JC avoids the two militias and heads to the last level through a wall ladder.

“Easy” pops up Jacobson. “We want you to take this one alive and conscious. Find out what you can about the shipment, then turn him over to one of the troopers”. Oh, and JC can see he made for the Critical Location Bonus on his HUD. At this stage, he is unaware what that may consist of but certainly a good reward is waiting back to base.

The young Denton ups the last stairs and spots the leader; a forty, afro American with a stretched, depressing trench coat and a solemn face.

With a calm tone, the man says not to shoot for he surrenders.

“So you think you know better than FEMA what to do with this month’s Ambrosia shipment” lodges the frantic agent. But JC cannot help but thinks “Great to fulfil this first mission with that comfort. Overall, the task was not that challenging”.

Straightforward, the terrorist leader keeps his defiant composure. “You are too late. It is on its way back to the people, and you can’t do a damn thing about it.”

So much haughtiness for such a downfall? JC considers his limited options to make him spill the beans. A first idea springs out: “Right. What if I send you back to the people — in a body bag”…

Oops, negative JC!! Why should I waste my first mission’s advancement because of a preposterous ringleader parrot talks? Sigh…police always police…

“Tell me about the shipment and I’ll order the troop to pick you up as a prisoner instead of a corpse”.

The steadfast NSF pursues “Ask away. We already won this round”.

“Where are you taking it?”

“We are just giving ordinary people the same chance to survive as the bureaucrats in Washington”.

An oratory trick, okay I will play and squeeze you up until the exact answer. “You will have to unload in New York because the choppers would spot you at sea”.

“I think the government made the plague on purpose to get rid of population growth”.

A zealot to the fullest degree or he really plays dumb? Is it so hard to formulate specific responses?

Alex meddles in his ruminations. “Well done. I will pass on your orders to the troopers. Report back to base on the west side of the island. Mission complete.” A new goal appears on the HUD datavault while a UNATCO operative walks up the stairs to the command post.

“I will return when that prick tells what he has to say” mentally grumbles JC. With a softer tone, the agent questions “Just answer the question”.

“Don’t believe me? It is all in the numbers. For a hundred years, there’s been a conspiracy of plutocrats against ordinary people.”

“Do you have a single fact to back that up?” challenges the agent.

“Number one: In 1945, corporations paid 50 percent of federal taxes. Now they pay about 5 percent. Number two: In 1900, 90 percent of Americans were self-employed; now it is about TWO percent.”

“It is called consolidation. Strengthen governments and corporations, weaken individuals. With taxes, this can be done imperceptibly over time. “

The UN private ignores the discussion and declares to JC: “The chief finally let us loose — we were right behind you and cut through them like a knife through butter. Oh, and don’t mind the two-last pair of NSF at the below levels. That makes 4 terrorists on my personal score.”

Focus, JC interrogates the leader again. “I guarantee you that the interrogation staff at UNATCO will not be as forbearing as I am. “Sure, rests assure they will cook you up to underworld…” JC mumbles.

“Yeah. The secret police. You are just bullies for a completely illegitimate government in Washington. “

JC clings to his defiant assertions. “We will locate that shipment one way or another.”

“The entire executive branch is hand-picked. Nineteen of the last twenty-three U.S. presidents have been members of the Trilateral commission. The Trilateral commission is financed by the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds. Don’t tell me- “

“That’s a think-tank. Anyone can become a member.”

“But not everyone does. That’s what they call it the “shadow government”.

“I will take it from here” tries the UN soldier. “Good work, agent.”

“You can’t fight ideas with bullets.” continues the NSF colonel.

Puzzled, JC stares at him and reflects. “This is quite a real sort of devout; he will not easily release intel. No wonder the NSF puts him at command, that guy could even withstand UN interrogation for weeks.”

The agent leaves the NSF and notices a strange glowing flask. JC handpicks the radiant blue canister on a big metal crate. After careful examination, he understands he just found his very first augmentation pod.

“We are gonna lock this guy away for a long time…” hints the trooper but JC cannot catch the rest as he walks down the stairs for HQ.

Mission 001: Mission report at HQ (Part TWO)

Paul was waiting gently when JC showed up at the front gates of the UN HQ….

Originally published at https://www.deviantart.com on June 25, 2017.