Atlantica-Nation of Dreams

[crushedcar]

Update 4-Like something out of Sci-Fi

That night I went to bed late. When I finally did get to sleep, I was in no way resting peacefully. Strange memories kept coming to mind. A bright flash of light then, boom, nothing. I don't know how long I was out like that. I do remember waking up to a jolting of my bed. I was half awake when I heard the distinctive shattering of glass. I was thrown out of bed and on to the floor. I struggled to stand, only to be laid out with another powerful jolt of the building. I heard a strange sound as that of metal when in bends. Then, all too suddenly, it stopped. I turned on my computer. The standard "we just had a major earthquake" screen popped up.

8.5! Less than 48-hours ago we had had a 7.8. This reminded me of that supercheesy 10.5 movie. Of course no one at that time knew that a similar scenario would play out nearly 120 years later. Anyway, that was enough to keep me up the rest of the night.
In the morning, I contacted the 607th special-ops company in Ocean City. The 607th was a covert group of female saboteurs and spies. I was planning on having a couple of them infiltrate the Wrath of Venus cell. They requested I come to Ocean City to lay out the plan.
Normally, trips to Ocean City were one-day deals. Just 100 miles to the south of Atlantis, Ocean City was a major military installation. The town was set in the foothills of the Northwest Range. When I arrived via car, (it was a scenic drive) the 607th took me into the Ocean City Base Headquarters. We were discussing strategy when the sky darkened. A storm was coming and it was going to be a big one.

We prepared to shut everything down. Just before we were completely shut down, we received a radio transmission.
"This Fox 2-Niner-niner reporting to base. Come in base."
"This is base," said the leader of the 607th.
"We have unidentified objects in the water."
"What are your cooridinates?"
"3 degrees 18 minutes North by 175 degrees 5 minutes West. The objects are at least the size of submarines."
"Can you enable video?"
"Yes."
"Fox 2-niner-niner we can't see anything down there."
"...Electrical systems......altitude falling..........................mayday.............BOOM!"
"Fox 2-niner-niner come in."
"................."
"He crashed." One of the captains said.
"Yes, but from what?"
I thought for minute. "Check the video pause it just before the crash."

"What in blue blazes is that?"
"I don't know. Some sort of EMP."
Crash.

We looked outside. We were in the storm. It was going to be a while.
"Was it just me or was that green lightning?"
"Huh?"

"That was."
"I don't get it. Why would lightning be green?"
"Well, static electricity can produce bolts of green tint. But, that would be a massive charge," I said.
We sat down to ponder this. Well, for a while it was just as dark as could be. It was a perfect time to research that question that was on my mind. Who was this mysterious corporation behind the Wrath of Venus?
"Power is out to every part of town," said someone.

I was busy. I did glance outside. Let's just say that it wasn't this dark the last time a typhoon ripped through Atlantis. I quickly got back to work though. Remembering the chart I had seen I pulled up the page for the company where Nellie Parker worked.

Genetic creatures, what on earth would terrorists want with those? I was going to check everything out, but something inside me made me shiver.

...to be continued

[ElPhantasmo69]

Cool storyline! Very creative and the action so far makes me want to beg for more. Look forward to the next update!

[petercintn]

Cool storyline! Very creative and the action so far makes me want to beg for more. Look forward to the next update!

Darn, that's what I was thinking.  Hey how long do batteries last now, or do laptops have a small anitmatter charge that will keep them going forever?  (Your right, I would like the tech of the 22nd century.)

[thundercrack83]

Another great update! Your storyline is very compelling, I could even enjoy it without the pictures, but they make it that much better! Keep up the good work!

[dedgren]

The story continues to be interesting and the supporting content is top notch.  These are hard to pull off over an extended time, but you've got a very promising start, cc.


David

[crushedcar]

Replies

ElPhantasmo69 Thank you very much.
petercintn The batteries can last for several days of continuous use. Antimatter charges would fry a computer.
thundercrack83 Thank you very much. Usually I get the story formulated then get the pictures, so the story should be better.
dedgren I know what you mean about these being hard to do over a long time, but that is the beauty of sci-fi there are infinite directions in which this could go.

In the Middle of Nowhere

When the storm passed I drove to Howard Tech Labs in Oliver City. The other two terrorists worked at jobs in a telemarketing service and a political ad company. I would alert the security at those buildings, but there seemed no need to investigate further into those cases. Howard Technologies worried me though. Nanotechnology, when used improperly, could create destruction thousands of times greater than any bomb ever invented.
To say that Oliver City was a technology town would have been an understatement. To say that its name fit would have been a complete and utter lie. The town of 1900 people was located to the northwest of Atlantis in a valley between Mount Shumaker and Granstad Peak. It was the home to many of the galaxies greatest scientists, most of whom worked in the labs that dominated the town. The town was also a mining town.
Howard Technologies had built their lab in one of the more remote locations. It was actually on the top of Mount Chatahochno. This was because of the nature of business in which they dealt, not because they wanted to be isolated so they could plot intergalactic destruction.

Upon arriving at the lab I proceeded to the site administration building. I took the elevator to the 13th floor. Walking down the halls, the building seemed almost abandoned. If it weren't for the incessant sound of Pong and other late 20th century games I would have freaked out. I turned left and went into a door marked "Genetic's Lab Supervisor."

knock...knock...knock
"Come in," said an all too familiar voice. I walked in very cautiously.
"Ahh...Daniel. I see you have come to check out our outfit. Am I correct?"
"Don't tease me, Jonag. I'm not here to socialize. I am here on official government business."
"Oh, right. You're the President."
"Shut up, Jonag. I want to see the records on genetic research here for the last year."
"Do you have a warrant?"
"I'm here as AIA; I don't need a warrant."
"Oh really, I think you do." He pulled out a PCC1 assault rifle. "Don't make me shoot you."
"What makes you think I'm not feeding this directly to AAB? Show me the documents."
He reluctantly put away his gun and handed me the records. I walked out as fast as I could and headed toward the genetics lab.

Jonag had been one of my officers during the Galactic Civil War. He hated me for giving John McKing the position of second in command, a position he believed he deserved. While he would never openly admit it, he would love to see me dead.
Everything was very neatly organized, and except for a few reports missing around October of last year, it was a complete report. I handed the folder to the receptionist and asked what had been going on at that time. She simply replied that she had been hired last month and knew nothing of it.

I left the folder and headed over to the security facility. Using my credentials, I was allowed in right away. I was checking the monitors for anything unusual. After finding nothing I decided to leave. 
I took an Aeriel tour and found nothing unusual in the lake. "Odd," I thought. "Normally that's where any water-specific genetic experiments go. Last time was here it looked like an aquarium."

I was on my way home when I saw the lights on in the Glavine Xyomium Factory. That place never satyed open past 5:00 PM. It was now 6:21 PM. I turned in to investigate. Over the sound of the machinery I heard some voices.

"How could you let him escape?"
"I don't know. He's an ex-Navy Seal. They're trained for that kind of stuff."
"Well, alright. But next time I want him dead the minute you see him, understood."
"Understood. If I ever see him again he won't know what hit him."
I had a sinking feeling they were talking about me.

...to be continued 

[crushedcar]

Turn and Run

It wasn't good. Hearing a murder plot never is. I wanted to hear more, but I knew that if I stuck around I was going to be dead. I quickly planted a bug on the side of the building and ran back to my car.
I started the car up and drove away. I was half of a mile from the edge of town when I heard an ominous ticking. There were only to things that made the sound I was hearing, astrophysics labs doing expieremnts on ping-pong and golf balls and time bombs. Since I didn't see a astrophysics lab, or any other buildings for that matter, in the area, it had to be a time bomb.
Tick...tick...
Thinking quickly I put my briefcase opn the gas pedal and prepared to jump out.
Tick..tick...
I jumped out, landed on my side and started rolling down the hill. I grabbed a tree and slowed myself. Then I heard the final sequence of the time bomb.
Tick...tick...BOOOOOMMMM!

Whoever was behind this obviously didn't want there to be any witnesses. I used my teleporter to get home. Once there, I tried to forget the last few days by watching television. It was no use; I couldn't forget. I checked my mail.

Now who would send me a postcard from within the city. I flipped the card over. It read: "I have to see you tonight. Big news. Tell no one. Mark Hunter."
Mark! My brother. It had to be big if he requested in this fashion. I teleported downtown to his office.

Hunter Corp. was the largest company in the galaxy. My brother had founded it only 25 years ago, mainly as video game company. It had since grown to a giant company associated with anything computer related.
I entered Mark's office. He saw me and stood up.
"Hi," he said calmly.
"Hi. You wanted to see me about something," I replied.
"Ah, yes. As you may know we recently had a hack attempt on our computers."
"I know."
"Well, the source of that attempt has been determined as Mason Fusion."
"Mason Fusion? The engine supplies company."
"Yes. The best we can tell the information they after regards the cybernatic transporter we are working on."
"Okay, what do you want me to do about it?"
"We need intelligence on that company for any possible motives for the attack."
"Okay, I'll look into it tomorrow. I've got to go now."
I left for the Galactic Alliance Secratariat. I was going to request that nations put themselves on the lookout for any suspicious activity around Howard Technologies or Mason Fusion.

After that I went to the Atlantican Congress to inform them of the situation. I was glad to see that the renovation of the buildings was complete. It took me an hour to explain everything to them.

Finally, I was home.

I went to sleep rather quickly. That dream repeated itself. I was sound asleep at 2:00 AM, when the one thing I dreamt about happened. I didn't know it until the next morning. It would alter life as I knew it and turn my world upside down.
The next morning I awoke to the sound of my telephone. I picked up.
"Hello," a voice said.
"Hello."
"Shut up. Listen to me. Cease your investigation of Howard Technologies or else."
click...

...to be continued

[petercintn]

Another subperb update.  I like how you are presenting this MD.

[ElPhantasmo69]

Cool! Lots of intrigue and great pictures. Time for the Navy SEAL-cum-President to kick some!

[emilin]

 

I really, REALLY, like this now. The storyline is getting more intriguing with each update. And the pictures are prefectly matcjed with the story. Good job!

[crushedcar]

Replies

petercontn Thank you.
ElPhantasmo69 Thank you. Just wait a few updates
emilin Thank you. Those floating hands are a bit creepy though

Bad News

Well, that was the strangest phone call I had ever recieved. I turn on the hologram projector on my table to look at the news. I was shocked at what I saw.

Could that phone call have had anything to do with this? Could I be in serious trouble with these terrorists? What had instigated this war? All these questions plus a few more were rolling through my head as I got ready to go to Atlantis Army Base.
Arriving at the headquarters building, I was informed that Major General Mike Dixon was expecting me. I knew where his office was. We had been on the same ship during the Galactic Civil War. I was amazed to see how messy his office was and how tired he looked.
"Morning, Sir," he called out.
"Good morning," I replied. "Busy night?"
"Quite. I've been working on organizing our battle plans with other companies and that sort of stuff."
"Is that what this map is for?"

"Yes, as you can see the main focus has been north of Ganxo River."
"Hmm...Is the  blockade in place?"
"Yes."
"Do we know anything about their fleet size?"
"Not really. We have this photo that's it."

"I'm going to have you keep me informed. I've got some investigating to do," I told him.
"All right, then. Good Luck."
"You too." Then I thought to myself, "He doesn't know how right he is."
I left the building. My suspiscion seemed to be correct. I hoped it wasn't. I hoped that Howard Technologies wasn't involved in this war. If they were...I knew that no one who stood in their way would survive.

...to be continued

[Cali]

wow! i love the story line, you had me hooked on every word...keep em coming

[crushedcar]

Replies

Cali Thank you very much.

Thirty Minutes Can Change Everything

That sinking feeling was back. The one I had had before I was nearly killed in my car. Howard Technologies had to be involved somehow. Mindful of the fact that I had been warned about not investigating Howard Tech personally, I decided to check the SEC's records for the company. October 2201, that's the month that had been missing in the paper records. Typing in the code to access the SEC database, I logged in. After searching for a while I found something rather interesting. Yavin Industries, the largest producer of high tech home electronics in the galaxy, had bought out Howard Technologies in September of 2201. By October all but a very few employees had been fired. There was a link to yavinindustries.com.

Following the link to the Howard Tech page, I found the tab I wanted. I clicked it and waited for the page to load. It was taking forever, which meant it was checking my CPUs ID. When it finally popped up it looked as though my computer needed a new CPU code.

Still those news links looked promising. However, when I clicked them I got a page not available error. "Typical," I thought, "News articles usually only last a couple of months on the web."
I was about to search the news archives for those articles when I remembered what I had seen on the Yavin Industries home page.
I quickly returned and clicked on the Pollinski Industries link.

Whoa! There was a wrinkle if I ever saw one. Alice Pollinski had founded the company, nothing wrong there. But, I remembered what had happened 5 years ago. The company had gone bad. They were a terrorist supplier. The scandal had led the company into bankruptcy. And yet, here it was, displayed proudly by Yavin Industries.
I phoned my friend General Dixon. "Do you have any intel records for Yavin Industries?" I asked.
"Why?" he replied. "Do you think they have something to do with this war?"
"They bought Pollinski Industries after the TS scandal. I think that's reason enough for them to be suspects."
"I'll check." It was a couple of minutes before he found anything. "We have somegthing pretty recent I'll fax it to you," he said.
"Thanks. I'll let you get back to work now."
"FAX INCOMING," blurted my computer. I turned down the volume on the machine and grabbed the picture.

Well, now my mind was really spinning. I thought I smelled sulfur, but quickly dismissed the thought. Yavin Industries was one of two things, an ingorant and forgetfull corporation or a terrorist breeding ground, and I wanted to figure out which it was.
That sulfuric smell was getting to me. I called down to security. They said reports were coming in from across the city of that same smell. I was totally confused now. Terrorists knew sulfur in consentrations this low wouldn't kill anyone. The nearest sulfur production plant was 85 miles away. The only thing that came to mind was a volcano.
Before I could even begin to consider what would cause a volcano to erupt near Atlantis, an earsplitting crash followed by violent shaking rocked the room. I stared at the computer model of the quake.

I stood up, and was promptly knocked down. I could hear metal grinding and bending, glass shattering, and the earth moving.

BOOM! An explosion rocked the building. The roof started falling and I slammed my head on the wall. Semi-concious I felt the building drop. Then everything went black.

...to be continued

[ElPhantasmo69]

Another great update. I love where this story is headed and look forward to some old-style vengeance!

[Rayden]

Wow, you're a master of suspense  Can't wait to follow the rest. I'm not a real fan of sci-fi, but I can tell you, you're keeping me rather interested in this

[bat]

Wonderful update! Great story! great graphics!

[Cali]

i wonder how this will turn out

[crushedcar]

Replies

ElPhantasmo69 Thank you.
Rayden I'm glad it's able to keep you interested. Thank you.
bat Thank you.
Cali Ask and ye shall receive.

Aftermath

Ouch! Whatever had just happened had really knocked me for a loop. I looked down at my watch. 12:09 AM. Well, that would have explained te darkness except for the fact that Atlantis happened to glow brighter than a 2 megawatt lightbulb. Something was very wrong. I trudged through my office to where the window used to be. It was then that I realized just how powerful the quake had been. Atlantis had been destroyed beyond recognition.
I slept that night in my office. With morning came a tremendous "wake-up call" aftershock. The sun was out now so I started walking around the city. I came to the Congressional Halls. At least that's what it was supposed to be; it was hard to tell with the twisted metal everywhere.

I walked toward downtown. The destruction was unbelievable. I took several photos of the damage, but one of my favorites shows the waterfront after the quake.

The quake had caused the communications tower to be destroyed. Fire quickly spread to nearby buildings that had managed to survive the quake. These were some the most haunting images one could imagine. Hearing the screaming, watching a building burn to the ground when you can't do anything, it adds up to a horrible feeling of helplessness.

Fortunately I was able to get to Atlantis Army Base by that night. The place didn't look to bad, a few papers scattered around but no collapsed buildings. I went to the science lab where they showed me what had caused this quake.
"The epicenter was about 89km northwest of Atlantis," one of those brainiacs said. "The quake caused landslides in the Northwest Range, one of which nearly took out Oliver City."

"The quake triggered a volcanic eruption of Mt. Hacinse. It appears that the recent string of quakes was leading up to this. This is Mt. Hacinse before and after."
Before

After

I knew Mt. Hacinse had been active a few years ago, but it hadn't shown any signs of activity in over 3 years. In fact, nothing in the last week indicated an eruption was near. Mountains don't just blow up. Something had to have opened the volcano. Something more powerful than I had ever seen. I knew where I was going next. Denver.

...to be continued

[dedgren]

Lookin', lookin'...

Nice update.


David

[Rayden]

Patiently waiting, suspense, drums....