Expeditions

[The Mysterious Stranger]

 

Spoiler for Hiden:

Chaos devastated the cities throughout the globe which caused a supreme decline in population resulting in such a catastrophic event known to humanity as the Seven Hour War, this term was often used due to the Combine Empire taking over the whole earth in just approximately - if not, estimated - of seven hours as humanity lost their victory, resulting in utter defeat from being too overwhelmed by the power of such a force. Most armies throughout the world were killed on sight but some of them remained as survivors soon after, although it would be rare to encounter them. Police enforcement were also killed along with S.W.A.T, Special Forces and etcetera etcetera. Basically, individuals armed with weaponry were amputated.

 Most unlucky survivors were at the time "amputated" - a known term for the killing of a individual by Civil Protection units - for not proceeding to obey their newly installed "laws" within the walled-off cities. At the time, rebellious activity increased outside the cities to continously cause oppression amongst the Combine Empire or the Universal Union which is a combination of transformed humans who were brainwashed and cybernetically enhanced through augmentations once a appropiate rank was reached or were put into a division called the Overwatch Transhuman Arm. Synthetically enhanced creatures from a different homeworld who were captured were also used to assist in transportation or combat. Mechanically-made machines were superiorly created aswell. Enough is enough; let's continue the subject of "Expeditions."

 Highly ruled civilization were under enforcement from the Universal Union as humanity had no hope in gaining their homeland back. Survivors of the Seven Hour War were to gain the trust of other citizens and try their best to survive at all costs. One of these survivors is Catherine who at the time was 19 (her last interview was 4 years ago, making her 23 in CG canon). A petite woman who was in a engineer career. Although, her peers would call her names - teasingly - due to the fact that she developed a harmless change in the eyes known as Heterochromia Iridum. This was obtained from a injury in a car accident that resulted in her being unconsious for approximate 3 days before recovering from such a injury.

 Just like many other captured citizens, she was put into a blue jumpsuit similiar to that of a prisoners jumpsuit. Later, she developed depression due to being alone whereas a few months later, her long traverse lead her to the outskirts of the Outlands where she made some friends but also encountered many dangers other than her main opponent - the Universal Union. These threats were like throwing a mixture of wrong ingredients into a mixing bowl and they were known as "the many" by Catherine due to not being only one threat but many. Cannibals, murderers, thieves, loyalists were just a few examples of the so-called term made up by her.

 Through the eyes of Catherine, you will be able to experience her long time story of recorded logs, scripted diaries and the third person of the character along with a introduction. Prequels will also be available to piece together the story.

 Sitting in a dorment apartment with the darkness dwelling around inside made it feel like Catherine was surrounded by walls; no escape and no hope made her mentality crack up. Although, it came to her that the recent conversation earlier gave her a  fulfillment of hopefulness. Atleast, this gave her a short smile that soon faded away and drifted to a depressed emotion. Instead of sitting in a apartment whilst looking out the window, she went out of the area and went outside for a quick and quiet walk for a breath of fresh air in wishes of sighting something "vintage" or new instead of the average day-to-day things like citizens walking about, units patrolling and other related stuff.


 Unknown Interviewer: "What did you see in the Plaza after you left the apartment block? Was there anything... at all?"
 
 Catherine: "I saw a City Administrator announcement that gave no hope to me what so ever. One civilian who was screaming propraganda and swear words at the screen - or otherwise City Administrator himself - made me realize... that I wasn't alone as a depressed young woman but I was about to meet expected things that would change my future. Atleast in baby steps."

 
 Her feet sped at her neutral, casual pace before turning around the corner of the destroyed building wrecked by powerful explosions. As soon as she did that, atleast three chimes roared throughout the City area to signal citizens - including her - to hear and/or sight a announcement about to begin from the executive City Administrator to spread propaganda related to that of the Combine Civil Authority and hope, the future of both "factions" that included citizens and the said CCA. Although, she watched the announcement broadcasted throughout the city just for entertainment due to the fact that her TV broke due to "malfunctioning" problems that the earlier citizen broke who called themself a "professional engineer."

 Catherine gently pushed aside citizens who were watching the speech given out by the City Administrator. She looked up at the large screen hanging from the wall of the protective Nexus. A man in aggronant agression pushed aside most of the civilians before raising his fist, shaking it slowly before hesitating with a deep, light voice. "You are a fuckin' fetish! You are nothing but a bunch of cruel, cold-hearted bastards eliminating us! I wish I died before this all happened due to your sickening presence in such a city. I hope you all die. I really do!"

 Catherine glanced at the man with her mouth opened abit, noticing how such a man could be that courageous to stand out and do such actions in such a environment that some of civilization is trapped in. Her thoughts went throughout her head like crazy, bouncing abit whether the so-called "Benefactors" are traitorous and worthless to humanity but instead of a major opponent to humanity themselves. Cleansed in the mind, she went out of the crowd to avoid a troublesome situation about to occur infront of her.

 A Civil Protection unit raised his black-coated Beretta 9mm handgun into the air before squeezing the trigger with such hatred as a loud sound echoed throughout the air, causing a short, excessive ringing in the ears and blurriness to the noise around them, especially those who were closer to the source of the sound. Catherine in shock and visibly shaking due to the amount of fear; this caused her insanity to mentally impair her minorally.

 The unlucky citizen had his throat grasped before trying to shake off the Sectorial Commander in fear; his legs were scrambling around and his two hands were around his large, bulky forearm covered in a sleeve. "You are worthless. A anti-citizen that cannot approve of the danger that is approaching us, yet you deny it and think were are nothing but rats? Your death will be commited in the city for a reason. You will not be remembered by no one and your corpse will be erased to only smoke and ashes similiar to that of a pig roasted alive." His dialogue ended off with a maniacal laughter to the citizen before snapping his neck with the twist of his head in a sincere, adjusted rotation. A eerily, spinal tingling crack snapped throughout the Plaza as the civilians watched in horror. "I-I... wander if it... was reality... or a dream." A citizen spoke in a quiet voice.

 His corpse was lifeless. It wasn't moving as the announcement continued, the administrator cracking a smile before pressing his hands together, taunting the audience with a "good luck" to their "farewell future that is represented infront of them on the table." Catherine didn't even notice a hand was around her mouth in full shock and fear until the announcement ended and everyone returned to their normal routine of casually walking around.

 
 Unknown Interviewer: "Sounds like a interesting story in my eyes but it wasn't in yours. What did you feel like after the horrid situation that appeared right infront of you?"

 Catherine: "It made me feel shocked and scared about the Combine Civil Authority. The presentation that the citizen was screaming about was actually and totally true. I never believed someone like him could do something that could change the minds of the trapped civilization that day. Through my eyes, I knew someone - including I - would do something about this later on in the future that would change the lives of citizens. I had to keep undercover."

 
 Her walk slouched at a slower pace than before. Her emotions changed bitterly to more depressing than before, something rare to encounter in such a environment changed. Throwing herself onto the matress held by the bedframe, she began to look up at the ceiling and thought about everything that day.

 "I guess that was something... vintage." She whispered to herself before rolling on her side, shutting her eyes before heading to sleep in the apartment.

 Alone...

 

 

 

 
Post Auto-Merged: January 13, 2013, 05:12:37 PM UPDATE 1: I edited the first part of the story. Begin your reading.

 UPDATE 2: I put spoilers in the introduction just so you won't want to read a wall of text and continue on reading to the backstory.