The Vault - Printable Version

The Vault - Printable Version

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The Vault - mtjsmith - 12-03-2013

Location: Planet Pittsburgh, New York System

Of all the places in the Universe I could have ran to, I chose this hell-hole. I must be losing it.

It is a cold morning near one of the sprawling refugee camps which have sprung up on Pittsburgh. The Gallic War which so engulfed Bretonia had many advantages for the enterprising. For Xu, it was a way to become lost. Pretending to be "killed" in a daring raid, he simply withdrew to Gran Canaria and tended to a small farm. However, he returned to it one morning to see his house obliterated and his farm burnt. Using his old KSD Partisan, a small relic from the Coalition Civil War, he traveled to Boa Vista to seek answers and to draw out his would be assassins.

Ah, my ticket out of here.

A small, unmarked and unregistered shuttle had landed. He drew his hood over his head and adjusted his overcoat. Slowly, he scanned the street before him. Refugees were shuttling about on their daily business. A few small markets were beginning to open. The coast looked clear. He began to walk down the side of the street. Boa Vista did not give him answers, but more questions. His Partisan was destroyed in the dock. A "shuttle accident" according to the Dock Master. Had Xu not felt the need to start the remote Engine Warm Up commands, which had signaled him being in the craft, and simply did everything manually as usual - he probably would be dead. Crushed by the Train that sat on his Partisan. Sneaking aboard the train as a stowaway had brought him to Liberty. Only for his assailants to attempt a more direct way of trying to kill him.

The beauty of a perfect trap is that you never see it, can never counter it and is always successful. Why am I thinking about this now?

He paused and looked at the items on show at the market stall. A flicker, a single beam of light had come and passed instantly. Nothing more, but it was there and now it wasn't. Was his mind playing tricks on him in his old age?

Looking down the barrel of a scope, the assassin waited. Minor Casualties were defined to be acceptable, an entire street of refugees less so. He looked above the portable missile launcher and then down the scope once more. There. A hooded figure approaching the shuttle, roughly the right profile of the target but he could not be sure. He smirked, it had to be him. He squeezed the trigger and the missile lept from the launcher and slammed into the shuttle. It exploded sending debris and fire in all directions and engulfing the hooded figure.

"So long."

The assassin ran from his perch atop of the block of flats and ran the other way to the scared and bemused crowd. He made his way out of the camp and on towards a small hill. He removed the cover over his fighter and radioed in his superiors.

"Target killed, on my way back now."

A crack, a very distinctive sound and one which caused instant fear in the assassin. He managed to turn half way around before the bullet penetrated his light armour and turned his heart into mush. A minute later, Xu approached the assassin, his frozen look of shock and fear forever etched on his face.

"You know how much I had to pay for this rifle? And I had to waste a perfectly good bullet on you. And bribe someone to get something from the shuttle for me. Pah.... Well, at least you've begun the repayments to me for the destruction of my ship, livelihood and retirement. Thanks for the fighter, it'll return me home."

He sat in the cockpit and scanned the unfamiliar controls. The Field Marshal was correct, the assassin was not from the Coalition. Which meant others, outside the Coalition, knew he was alive. But how? He was careful, he was precise, he was sure of that. The information and his case files would have been kept in the most secure place known in the Coalition. Which meant....

"Someone got inside The Vault."

RE: The Vault - mtjsmith - 12-05-2013

Location: Old Market Town, New Hong Kong, Planet JiangXi, Omega-52

Home.

Han Xu walked slowly along the Promenade of the Old Market. He paused at one of the information points to quickly check his bearings. It had been several years since he was last here and while the layout of the Promenade had barely changed in a hundred years - the stalls and shops would evolve over time.

Hmm. He's moved once again.

He continued down the street. He took in the sights, the smells, the buzz of the atmosphere and the bustle of the people moving from place to place. It was not chaotic as Pittsburgh had been but more... controlled. There was order, focus and a steely determination about this place. It had survived the planetary bombings, survived numerous coup attempts and long after Xu's name had become a mere inking in history - it would survive. He reached the small eatery which bore the name "De Luca's".

Someone's moving up in the world.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was not what he was used to. It was slightly more upmarket than your usual Coalition eatery, however not pretentious or out of place in the state fueled economy. Pleasant, happy - A model of Coalition greatness.

"May I take your order señor?"
"I've heard a great many things about this place, I would like to discuss the menu with your head chef before I dine."

He undid the top two buttons of his coat, showing to the waiter his uniform and rank embalm. The waiter nodded in understanding and pointed Xu towards a table towards the rear of the premises. He sat with his back to Kitchen entrance and accepted the clear drink on offer from the waiter. He sucked the air through his teeth while the waiter watched.

"Oof. I had forgotten how good the Vodka is. Thank you, two more please."

The Chef arrived at his table, visibly annoyed at being disturbed from his precise work in the Kitchen. Upon seeing Xu's face, he was startled.

"You.. Your... "
"Indeed, now let us discuss these menu options Comrade".

The emphasis on the word caused the Chef to take a sharp intake of breath. Xu smiled, He knew the information he sought would be quickly discovered over a beautiful meal, fine Vodka and a very close and dismayed former agent.

RE: The Vault - mtjsmith - 12-07-2013

Location: Kremlin Dome, Planet Volgograd, Omega-52

It was a very cold morning underneath the dome of the Capital. The buildings that sat perched above ground were being subjected to unusually cold temperatures this winter. The air temperature outside of the dome read -89 degrees Celsius, while the temperature inside was a warmer -15. Xu exhaled and saw his breath mist and evaporate. He understood why most of the population preferred to stay underground and indoors. He shivered and picked up his pace, now walking briskly to the Marine Headquarter buildings. Often, the Marines were seen to be the most dangerous and aggressive part of the Coalition. Typically they were thrown into impossible situations against an overwhelming enemy. From boarding space stations to securing facilities on planets - They had gained a reputation for their relentless and unnerving pursuit of their mission goals, whatever the cost. Xu reached the main office and asked the Lieutenant on duty for the whereabouts of a particular Commissar.

"Commissar Vladimir Kurkov"
"Corpses really do come back to life hmm..?"
"Indeed, however I need some of your wonderful life experience."
"Why would you need my life rather that your own hmm... Captain.. Xu.. They gave you the rank of Captain?! Pah-ha! Your fat backside wouldn't fit in one of the extra-large body armours!"
"Are you quite finished?"
"No! HAHA! You should go place yourself into a Kusarian trash-compacter! You'd lose a few pounds! HAHA!"

Enough of this nonsense.

Xu pulled a pistol from his belt and pointed it squarely at the Commissar's head. Vladimir immediately stopped laughing and instead let out a sigh.

"This is the level to which you steep now Han? You're deranged to think there is even the remotest of possibilities of your survival if you kill me! Even this singular action has brought a world of pain on you which you couldn't possibly imagine. Mendal would use the paste of your remains to brush his teeth!"
"Someone got inside the Vault. I need access to the Library."
"Hah! And because you're a lowly Captain.. You thought you would come to me and what... beg for access? No wait, kill me and use my security code which is bio-metrically linked to me?! Or wait, wait, a better one! You would force me to go with you and simply let you in?! Aha!!"
"Well, yes. You simply need to come with me, let me in and I will do the rest. Vladimir, the Coalition is in danger. Someone outside knows of the Vault! I have had assassins try to kill me from Boa Vista to Liberty. For all intents and purposes, I am dead. I know the case files linked to my "death" were stored in the Vault, they are too sensitive to be placed in the Library. If someone has access, then all the Coalition's secrets are about to be exposed. I must resolve this now, and quickly! Starting at the Library!"

And if the fool doesn't help me, I will kill him. Mendal and his merry bank of Commissar's be damned.

Commissar Kurkov eyed Han up and down and stared at him. He stood up and came around from his desk.

"Very well Captain. If this is how you wish to sign your own death warrant. So be it."

RE: The Vault - mtjsmith - 12-08-2013

Location: The Library. Kremlin Dome, Planet Volgograd, Omega-52

The Library of the Coalition is a wondrous place. It has two facades. A public, open to all component where the history of the Coalition is stored and lauded and given freely to the people so that they may marvel at the achievements of their great nation. Such history is, of course, continually managed and revised by the Ministry of Truth to retain it's accuracy and purpose. The second component of the Library is hidden beneath the building. Heavily fortified and monitored by the Ministry of Truth, the true Library contains all the knowledge of the Coalition itself. Gigantic computers storing countless billions of Petabytes of historical record, art, music, theory, literature plus all of the redacted copies of mission reports and personnel files, technical files and specifications and much more. It is said that to stare into the knowledge of the Library, it is to stare into infinity itself. Many men have spent their entire lives dedicated to the project, and be declared insane by it. Han and Vladimir took the service elevator down into the complex, where they were greeted with a simple desk with a pretty female Senior-Lieutenant manning it.

"Good day. We require access."
"Kurkov. Vladimir. Commissar First Class. This is Captain Xu, he will be attending with me today."
"Very well Commissar. Your voice print and biometric scan check out. Please sign over all personal belongings and recording equipment. You can be allotted one hour today. This card will allow All File Access, however there is the standard Black Blocks in place and a new block on all access to the TALOS project files."
"TALOS? I see, anything there I should be made aware of?"

I remember that. We lost a great number of people putting down that Cyber-Revolution. I wonder why people are using those particular files right now?

"According to this, it is currently under investigation by the Ministry. I know no more than that."
"Very well. I do not believe I require the full hour. I will ring for attention if required."

The heavy blast door opened and a metal bridge extended itself towards them. They walked across and stepped into a small windowed elevator that showed they were immediately above the Library. The elevator lowered them down onto the deck. The Library was quiet. There were a few scientists moving between each bank of glowing computers, but no other Coalition officers for the moment. Xu stood behind the Commissar.

"You know that whatever you find here won't make a damned bit of difference to your life expectancy!"
"Your's shortens the more you complain. Log me on."

Now for a little sleight of hand.

Han accessed the computer while fumbling around in his pocket, he dropped a small circular disc which the Commissar was drawn to. With his other hand, he stuck a similar recording chip he had gleaned from his old Chef friend into the computer. The Commissar was fast, he immediately seized upon the chip that fell to the floor, stomping on it with his boot.

"I'll take that chip Captain. You will not be taking... whatever you're planning on taking... from here. You do know that this place has a triple redundant memory core, with minute accurate backups? It's impossible to delete anything! And you can't find what you're looking for in here what with..."

Han zoned out of what the Commissar was saying and focused on the computer. He was already running a background search and now his eyes focused on his own personnel file. He checked the edit log. Standard Ministry of Truth redaction's. A Morgue report, that intrigued him. He opened it and checked the edit log. There was a strange user number attached. Not standard. He looked at the history. Accessed six months ago. Barely a few weeks before his farm burnt to a crisp. This was the evidence he needed! His background search also chimed in at this point. The key was right where he thought it was. Excellent, he quickly copied the two pieces of data onto the chip and turned to the Commissar who was still prattling on.

"You were right Vladimir, what I'm looking for isn't here."
"But what I was waiting for is."
"Excuse me?"
"You thought the Commissariat would simply let me bring you down here?! How out of character must it look to His Watchful Eye?! You're a fool Xu. And now a dead fool as there's no escape from here."
"You think I didn't come prepared? I've been jamming all communications in and out of here since we arrived. Plus the Commissariat currently has it's hands full with a fire in their main building. Simulated of course, computer virus's are quite particular these days. I have a friend to thank for that. I'll simply walk out of here as if nothing has happened and you will be left to whatever fate the Commissariat demands."

He removed the disc from the computer and strode briskly towards the elevator, leaving the Commissar behind. Speed was of the essence here, he jogged along the walkway and past the reception desk. The Senior-Lieutenant was startled.

"Sound the alarm! There's a fire!"

He rushed into the elevator and rose back to the surface. Upon the door reopening, Xu could see the building being evacuated.. and Marines charging into it.

Response time is a little quicker than I thought. Damn.

He threw off his jacket and ran behind a group of scientists escaping. He smacked into one, knocked him out and dragged him behind a desk. He removed the scientist's coat and placed it over him. He then took his lighter and lit a stack of papers on the desk and broke his lighter over it, sending the lighter fluid in all directions. The Marines were immediately drawn to the fire while Xu ran the other way to the exit. He had escaped, barely. He removed the scientist's coat and went down a side street.

Well, the Commissariat want me dead but I have all the proof I need. But who will listen now? I have exhausted my favours. Unless.... The Field Marshall listened to me last time. He may just been a man in a suit but he did bring me back here. Perhaps he doesn't know the true picture. If his eyes are blinded, I will make him see. It's a long shot, but worth trying.

RE: The Vault - mtjsmith - 12-09-2013

Location: Kremlin Dome, Planet Volgograd, Omega-52

A couple of days had passed since his incursion into the Library. He knew it would be dangerous to contact the Field Marshall straight away, but leaving it too long could cause more damage in the long run. He had sent the communication and had received a reply. The meeting point was a small government office, usually tasked with population management. Meeting anywhere would arose suspicion, but at least here was as low-key as possible.

"Garcia. I must admit, I am surprised. I trust the Commissariat have me on a specific kill list?"

RE: The Vault - Aphil - 12-09-2013

Field Marshal Joseph Garcia was waiting for Han Xu in a small room within a small office that was part of the Department of Population Management. While in past times this may have meant something more sinister, now and days it was simply a Department that tried to encourage families to have children by offering them incentives and benefits.

Garcia heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

As expected, Han Xu walked in. "Please, have a seat." Garcia motioned for Xu to take a seat.

He waited for the man before him to be seated before continuing. "I've read the message that you've sent me. It seems to me that you've stumbled onto something rather important and now that we both know what's at stake, I think we need to take appropriate action, wouldn't you agree?" he said, though it was a rhetorical question.

"What have you discovered so far?"

RE: The Vault - mtjsmith - 12-10-2013

He dodged my question. I probably am. That was to be expected.

Xu removed the data disc from his pocket and placed it down on the table. He let it sit there for a moment before replying.

"I cannot give you any hard facts or concrete proof. However, the series of events that have led me here cannot be disputed."

He took a deep breath and settled himself.

"There is a place on JiangXi, hidden deeper than anything ever built by the Coalition. More fortified than you can possibly imagine and hidden so perfectly in plain sight that it is undetectable. It is called the Vault. I only know of it due to my former rank and to the circumstances which brought me here today."

He could see Garcia's attention waning.

"I will get to the point. The Vault contains the deadliest secrets of the Coalition. The Volkhan's DNA strands. The last remaining batch of Nerve Staples. The first memory core of TALOS. The time travel device from the Revolution. Bioagents. Weapons of mass destruction. Everything that our enemies must not know we possess. If they did, we would become the galaxy's biggest target and be wiped out in a union of forces not seen since the end of the Nomad War."

He tapped the coin on the desk.

"I was retired. Circumstances allowed me a way out. I took it. To cover my tracks and to leave no threat to my being, I was erased from the Library. Mission reports stated I was killed. Doctors pronounced me dead. The true records were stored in the Vault."

He looked visibly pained.

"Someone must have got access to the Vault! I have kept my head down and out of trouble! Yet, I find assassins wherever I travel! Yes, I'll admit to breaking into the Library to seek proof but it's there! An unregistered edit on my Morgue File. The location marker is encrypted but it uses no known Commissariat code. Someone outside of the Coalition saw that file! If that's all they did - then so be it! But yet I find assassin's after me! They got access to the Library. I'm convinced that they accessed the Vault. The proof I need is there. I need your help. I will no doubt be shot if I tried to board a ship to JiangXi. Get me down there and I will give you the proof you need that the Coalition is in mortal danger!"

RE: The Vault - Aphil - 12-12-2013

Field Marshal Joseph Garcia looked at Han Xu with a straight face. His mind calculating the possibilities before he decided on a solution.

"You really have stumbled into something of vast significant Captain. Something that I cannot simply ignore, wouldn't you agree?" he said, though in a rhetorical manner.

"I'll do whatever I can in order to get you to the Vault, but I do hope you understand the gravity of what you have told me. There is no turning back from this point." Garcia said going to his terminal.

Several minutes afterwards he finished punching in commands he turned back to the Captain. "I have given clearance to your Partisan to go planetside for a "scouting" operation. Take this opportunity to do what you must, I'll do the same."

RE: The Vault - mtjsmith - 12-12-2013

Now will the Orbital cannon's fire or will this hack work?

Xu did not take long to seize upon the Field Marshall's go ahead. Xu was surprised that he had agreed so easily, his instincts told him that something was amiss with that. In any other circumstances, Xu would have simply walked away - but this was too important. He had to investigate, he had to learn the truth.

"Three, two, one."

He gently stood up and walked a few paces forward. Sitting several miles up directly above him sat an array of Orbital cannons designed to keep JiangXi safe from further planetary bombardment. While these cannons would usually face forward, if a band of raiders, mutants or other person with no acess wandered too close to the Vault the cannon's would rain death upon his position.

Nothing. Or perhaps I'm already dead. Better push on in any case.

The Vault was simply a bunker on the surface. Bereft of any usefulness to any casual passer by, it was allowed to age, to become overgrown and to look abandoned. Anyone who had trespassed too close knew nothing of it's true nature. The Orbital cannons saw to that.

Xu approached the door and holstered his side arm. The sensors on the surface were all automated, and according to them Xu wasn't there. The door on the other hand was much more physical. Xu couldn't just walk through it. He knocked on it. A slat opened.

"Urgent delivery"

He showed his backback.

"There's nothing due today."
"You think the Commissariat would put a TALOS entity into the computer records?!"
"Let me see the contents."
"Once you open the door. I have clearance."

He held a card up to the slat.

"Hands in the air when you come through."

The door opened and Xu was greeted by an empty room with three guards. Two were glued to computer screens, one was showing highlights of a recent Ice Hockey game, the other a vague representation of the status of the bunker's sensors. The doorman took Xu's backpack to examine it further.

"I'll need to ring this through. I should have been made aware of this."
"It's highly dangerous technology."
"So why did you bring it to my bunker then?"
"It needs to go down in the lift."
"There's nothing down there except nuclear waste, why are you bothering me with this?"
"Errr... How long have you worked here exactly?"
"This is my first day and I ask the questions around here!"

This guard's age doesn't fit but he doesn't seem as though he's lying. Oh of course, the daily memory wipe. This will be easier than I thought.

"No, you've worked here for months, years maybe. They lied to you. Go look in the mirror."
"What... I don't..."

Ridiculous. Keep the guards from remembering what they're guarding and they'll forget why they're guarding it. If the Commissariat didn't trust the automated sensors so much, this would have been much more difficult. And if I can blag my way in so easily, I'm convinced others can do so as well. Now!

The guard half turned and it was the last move he made. Xu drew his side arm and put a bullet in the guard's brain. The other two guards rose from their stations too slowly. They were both put down. Two perfectly placed headshots, the third was more in the face. Xu walked over to the flailing guard and put another bullet in him.

Down we go. Best call Garcia before I lose my signal

"Garcia. I'm in, if you wish to know the truth - meet me at the following co-ordinates."

He hit transmit. And entered the lift. There were only two buttons, up and down. He pushed to down one and he descended into a pit of hell. It took several minutes, but when the door opened once more to reveal the Vault - He was shocked at what he saw.

"Garcia..."

RE: The Vault - Aphil - 12-13-2013

Field Marshal Joseph Garcia stood within the Vault flanked by three heavily armed marines. Two had their helmets on but one did not. The one without a helmet was clearly a descendent of the African portion of the Sirius Coalition. "Han, this is Thebe Mzunu" he said plainly before making a quick gesture to the man who promptly punched Xu to the floor.

The next few moments for Xu would be a blur as he slowly regained his faculties. He was being dragged on the floor, though he was hooded so he could not see. Finally, the hood was removed and he was tossed into a glass cylinder that closed in around him. Xu frantically tried hitting the the inside of the chamber but that served no purpose.

"Xu, you ignorant fool." Garcia began. "Your assassination was not ordered by the Coalition nor has anyone accessed the vault. If you had done your research you would have known that it was a small terrorist cell that had been targeting a man that looked remarkably similar to you." he said, pausing for a moment to savor the sight of Xu's now rising fear."It was a case of you simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course, now you've gone and stuck your nose where it doesn't belong and now you've forced my hand."

"Oh, and Xu. You just killed three innocent men who had no idea of the purpose of this facility." before Xu could respond he motioned to Mzunu and he quickly proceeded to press buttons outside the cylinder which brought it to life.

Immediately, Xu was restrained from within and a slowly a metal helmet descended upon his head. It would send wiring and other unpleasant things directly into Xu's brain, pacifying him and taking over.

Garcia walked away and began to look around the bowels of the Vault. There were thousands upon thousands of cylinders within it, the vast majority of them occupied with people in a similar situation as Xu.

They may have had little use in life, often being rejects or low performers but their brains served an adequate purpose in aiding the Sirius Coalition and its people. Together they formed one of the most powerful biological supercomputer in Sirius. It was with this secret that the Sirius Coalition has managed to maintain a technological superiority despite the odds it faced.

"Ah, the things we do for the glorious Revolution" he said plainly, and he entered the elevator back up to the surface, leaving Xu with his entourage of guards.