Reyn looks up at the imposing structure rising before him, gleaming in the morning sun.
It was beautiful to behold as it reached into the heavens, sunlight dancing across its hundreds of windows. Another triumphant display of human engineering, he thought, pondering its construction.
"Greetings, graduates!"
A booming voice breaks his train of thought, startling him from his latest fixation, and bringing to silence the rest of his graduate group.
"For those of you who don't know me, I am Glenn Foster, Senior Officer for Aetheric Integration and Training here at GAARD, the Global Agency for Aetheric Research and Defence. I'll be overseeing your stay with us during your integration period. I think I speak for all of us here at GAARD, and perhaps all of humanity, when I say we are very excited to see the results of the Brannon-Brook initiative. We have high hopes for your performance at today's assessment."
The group of graduates start to break into excited murmurings at the sight of the famous archaner towering over them.
"The Gatling Gun!"
"I was completely obsessed with his team when I was a kid…"
"Settle down future recruits." Glenn's voice booms, drowning out the chatter.
Each of his words sends a gust of wind through the graduate group, flitting hair and clothes.
"I know you're all excited to see the results of your hard work and training, but first, why don't we start with a little tour of the place, eh?", he beckons with a welcoming smile as he theatrically swings his arm toward the entrance of the GAARD HQ's main administration building, praising the graduates' achievements as they move along the perfectly pruned gardened path of the GAARD facility's entrance.
Reyn inspects Glenn Foster closely, his tremendous stature and short silver hair basking effortlessly in the sunlight, a warm smile hidden behind a thick beard.
A presence exuding confidence and authority.
Reyn turns his eyes back up to the towering headquarters of GAARD where lies nestled deep into the rocky foothills of the Tahtali Mountains of central Turkey.
The Mediterranean sea could be seen reflected clearly in the windows of the upper floors, while the peaks of the Tahtili towered over the Agency complex from behind.
The GAARD Headquarters featured an almost 10km-square, heavily fortified, multi-purpose complex, consisting of several buildings, facilities and courtyards. It was all surrounded by a 8 meter tall, steel-reinforced, electrified, concrete perimeter wall and extensive security and surveillance throughout.
In the center of it all stood the main administrative tower, 25 floors above ground, and 16 below.
"At least 16 that the public knows of." Reyn humors himself.
He contemplates, wondering what secrets the Agency held in its hidden halls.
"Move your arse, plug! You're getting left behind. Again!"
Reyn turns his attention to Ghazal Merkaan, a 19 year old Pakistani-American.
Ghazal had become Reyn's closest friend since his earliest days at the academy and the only thing that kept him from spending most of his academy days buried in books or plugged into training simulations.
Socially unfiltered and morally unrestricted, Ghazal is the complete opposite of Reyn's more introverted nature, yet the two men had grown to share a brotherly bond over their 3 years at the academy.
"Is my little sidekick shitting his pants already?" Ghazal teases as he approaches Reyn, greeting his best friend sincerely with a crude slap on the chest. "Don't worry, princess, you know the Great Ghazal's always got your back, right?"
Reyn recoils at his friend's crude moral support, choosing to ignore him in favor of one last glance at the vista that surrounds him.
He sighs, somewhat mournful of the simple life that was stolen from him since being conscripted into the ranks of Brannon-Brook.
"Seriously, you're sure you're up to this, Mitchells?" Ghazal enquires as he hooks his arm firmly around Reyn's neck. "I imagine you must be freaking out a little right now. That stoney face doesn't fool me!"
He pulls Reyn close while they walk toward the administration building.
"I know you're stressed, mate, but we got this, ok. Just do the breathing thing. Four seconds in, Four seconds out. Deep and slow."
Ghazal mimics the breathing motions while forcefully tugging Reyn along.
"Right?" He inquires with a nod.
"Yeah, right, Gaz. I've got this. I'm good. Quick assessment, couple months of training and then a slow, painful death. Why would I freak out?"
"That's my boy! Victory or Death!" Ghazal howls, half in jest, as he punches the air.
"And I'm sure there's nothing to be worried about.ARCH-types, they're linked to the psyche. Mental fortitude and whatnot. So it'd make way more sense for someone like you to get a support type, yeah?" He proclaims confidently as he slaps Reyn firmly on the back, "Right! I bet you 100 credits you'll end up as some kind of support, lugging around our weapons or something."
"Oh god!" Reyn yelps, the thought sending a knot to his stomach.
"I'm sorry, but your arse won't make it a minute on the frontline, mate. The aetherian gods have got to be cruel to give you an offence type. Support makes much more sense!"
"Right… why does that kinda feel like an insult though?"
"Just the truth, plug. You have a strong mind. I'm sure you'll have a good resonance… but you're just not built for battle. Probably trip over your own thoughts if they weren't stuck in your head."
Reyn sighs, it was an unbearable fact, but still the truth. He spent countless hours in training simulations, perfecting every aspect of his combat abilities.
Theoretically, at least.
In reality, he could never find consistency, his mind always lost between the options and choices on the battlefield. He was never able to maintain a natural rhythm.
"But, you being mommy's little princess and all. Perhaps you'll get a cool hybrid-type, like her? Or something freaky, like that dude that can fold shit. Did you see that? He was bonkers in the Berlin battle! Ripping up etties left and right, absolutely brutal that…"
Reyn could barely focus on Ghazal's diatribe.
New ideas had already been digging their way into his brain, breaking through every mental barrier he had prepared for the day.
He was lost in his own thoughts again, processing all the probabilities, all the possibilities, all the ways the assessment could go wrong.
A sudden idea takes root in his mind.
"What if I have no resonance?"
The thought sends a shrill down his spine, draining ever more of what little hope he tried desperately to cling onto.
"Oh god, you're doing it again!" Ghazal protests while shaking his friend at the shoulders. "C'mon! Snap out of it, plug. You have to stay focused, man."
"What? Doing what? I'm fine."
Ghazal sighs and starts poking Reyn playfully against his forehead.
"Doing wh - How about using that freaky-smart little brain of yours to think up every… single… possible way that everything could all go wrong today?"
"I - ah, fuck. Yeah, ok. You're right." Reyn struggles, his friends' words choking him with their truths. "It's just a lot ya' know. It all comes down to this. I don't know if I'm ready. I really want to make her proud, but I..."
"Argh! Screw that negativity, plug! Reject the impossible!" Ghazal yells out as he lifts up his chin proudly and throws up a triumphant fist. "Victory or Death!"
"Ugh, stop that!"
"Then get your shit together, man. You're here cause you've already proven yourself, right? You're worthy! And we didn't suffer 3 years of Brannon-Brook fucking mind-raping us to give up now! So nut up, soldier!"
"Yeah, your right Gaz, your always fuckin' right. Now stop making a scene!"
"Of course I am, princess…", Ghazal laughs, increasing his pace as he struggles to push Reyn along. "But forgot all that, Looks like this thing's getting started. Let's go!"
Reyn relents and plugs along as his friend forces him through the crowd to the front of the group.
"This way graduates!" Glenn Foster beckons to the first 16 graduates to emerge from the recently erected Brannon-Brook Academy.
Opening its doors 15 years after the First Gate incident, the international academy was created to find, educate and train future Archaners.
Owned and operated by GAARD, it used the Aether-Affinity Census, part of the global conscription drive implemented shortly after the First Gate incident, to find its prospective students.
It focused on people between the ages of 15 and 25 that show high aetheric aptitude, considered the optimal window for archaner recruitment and training. Students of Brannon-Brook are trained for 3 years, their body and minds molded for maximized ARCH-Type resonance.
"Welcome." A gentle voice greets them as soon as the group enters the large automated doors of the administration building. Its busy lobby featured all manner of exhibitions, displays and decorations along its entrance path.
Just beyond the doors, a woman stood patiently awaiting the group's arrival.
"It's my pleasure and privilege to introduce you all to Agent Linda McCain." Glenn exclaims in feigned excitement as he gestures the group's attention toward the short, slender, middle-aged woman clad in the typical sleek-black formal-wear adorned by most agents of GAARD.
The etchings of her ARCH-unit could be clearly seen beneath her short, dark-blonde hair.
"Agent Linda McCain is a stalwart of the organization and my right hand. She will be your first point of contact during your first few weeks here at GAARD. If you have any questions, please direct them to the ever-accommodating Agent McCain here."
"Thanks Glenn, charming introduction as always." Agent McCain responds as she leers at her superior with a sarcastic grin.
"Always a pleasure, Lin." Glenn replies in kind.
"Well, that's it for me, folks. Got a couple of motivation-lacking conscripts I gotta whip into shape. I'll be leaving you guys with Linda here, she'll guide you through the rest of the introductory process and get you set up for your assessments. Good luck, future recruits! REJECT THE IMPOSSIBLE!" Glenn punches his fist into the air triumphantly as he walks away from the group and back towards the building entrance. "VICTORY OR DEATH!"
~ SHABOOOOOM~!
A tiny airburst explodes at the tip of his knuckles, rupturing through the lobby like a sudden gust of wind. The reverberations rattle through the building lobby and Glenn's ARCH-unit could be seen glowing ever-faintly through his suit.
The shockwave of air startles the group, flinging hair and personal-belongings, while forcing some members to take a step back.
Once outside, he steps one foot firmly into the air.
Swirling molecules support him as he rises to weightlessness and he suddenly blasts off deeper into the base in a burst of vibrations that seem to tingle every muscle in the graduate's bodies.
"And that's our Gatling Gun Glenn for you." Agent McCain groans, "That man's gonna be the bane of your existence soon enough. I'd try staying on his good side while you can."
She waves down her blown-back hair and settles her suit while an annoyed pout sours her face.
McCain turns her head toward the lobby ceiling and gestures for the graduates to do the same. The group tilts their heads up in unison, some eyes widening in awe.
"Above us, we see the world's largest mural of the famous painting by J.P. Shulzer. 'Victory or Death'. Already considered one of the greatest artistic works of the 21st century." McCain explains, she sounds proud as she lectures on the origins of the artwork.
"A powerful dedication. A testament to one of the most important moments in recent human history. The moment Strike Team Captain Joseph Brannon and the members of Black Fennec brought down the Geo-Construct and secured the liberation of Bangkok during the Fourth Gate incident."
The mural displayed a sight familiar to most people on Earth, but one that Academy students would see everyday in the main assembly hall of Brannon-Brook. A masterful recreation.
"Reject the Impossible! Victory or Death!"
The words stood immutable, etched boldly into a striking banner beneath the mural.
It was the famous battle cry uttered by Vice-Captain Mitchells to the members of Black Fennec before their final confrontation with the construct, and now the official motto of GAARD's Strike Teams.
The agent continues her lecture regarding the event, going on to describe the 2 week battle that would finally end in the construct's defeat and the collapse of the Fourth Invasion Gate.
"You ever get tired of seeing that?" Ghazal whispers as he leans over Reyn's shoulder.
Reyn shrugs.
He couldn't deny the fact it was an impressive installation.
It hung more than 15 meters above them, and yet, one could clearly make out every detail of the artwork.
The rubble of fallen buildings, the mutilated remains of fallen E.T.A.E.s scattered across the scene and Joseph Brannon standing triumphantly over the fractured core of the defeated Geo-Construct.
Behind him stood the members of Strike Team Black Fennec, including Vice-Captain Lunara Mitchells.
Reyn's mother.
"Still, it's gotta be hard. Your mom was a freaking badass, mate! Left some pretty big shoes to fill. You know I love you, mate, but you are no Queen of the Elements." Ghazal teases, jabbing Reyn playing fully.
"Yep… ", Reyn rolls his eyes and groans in response. "Just a paranoid, indecisive nerd."
"Oh c'mon… your mom was a biologist before all this started. Paranoid little nerds have been saving humanity since the whole war started. Might just be your turn soon."
"Does this look like the face of humanity's saviour?" Reyn grimaces while pointing to his chin.
Dark curls hung sloppily over the 21 year old's forehead, his long, chiseled face adorned with light-brown eyes and a thick, dark brow.
His head hung unnaturally low, heavy with the weight of anxiety, and yet, it was a conventionally attractive appearance, but one constantly contorted by deep thought.
"Oh god… you're right." Ghazal grimaces, " Might as well throw your pluggy arse into the next invasion gate."
"Not if I toss your hairy ass in first, douchenozzle!"
The two friends push and nudge each other playfully as they stumble behind their group.
Agent McCain finishes her lecture on the mural and moves the group along, explaining the histories of the various exhibits that lined the lobby as they moved deeper into the building.
A captivating sight forces an involuntary reaction from Reyn.
"The Shimmer Cube!" He peeps out.
Reyn's eyes are fully captured by the brilliant kaleidoscope of coloured light dancing from a display along their path.
"Pretty convincing, right?" McCain grinfully boasts. "Took us a while to get the light fragmentation right, but still, it's nothing compared to the real thing."
The group huddles around the lobby's main attraction.
A semi-translucent cube span, its interior a blur or shimmering colors, all suspended in an oscillating display of dazzling light.
"It's a fascinating piece of our human history." Agent McCain starts, beginning another lecture. "A nearly complete visual replica of THE Lunar Artifact. The original Aetherite specimen. Discovered during the Apollo 15 lunar mission of 1971, the Lunar Artifact, commonly known as the Shimmer Cube, was humanity's first introduction to Aether. It would take 20 more years of intense study and research of the cube before we would even begin to discover its Aetheric origins and harness its potential to bend and transcend the limitations of our reality. Through the inspired contributions of Dr. Yar…"
"Merde! Quelle perte de temps!" a voice breaks from the group, interrupting the agent's speech. "Enough with the information dumping, just take us to the damn assessment, lady."
"Shut the hell up Fontaine!" Ghazal barks, reprimanding 22 year old Frenchman, Lucien Fontaine, a fellow graduate, known for his short temper and penchant for disregarding authority. "Let the lovely lady do her job, you uncivilised Frenchie!"
"Garce insolente!" Lucien rasped.
"Please excuse our uncouth classmate.", Ghazal grins sheepishly at the agent. "The resonance plays with his mind, you know. Please continue, Miss McCain."
"Thank you Mr. Merkaal." McCain nods, taking a long smirking look at Ghazal. "And it's Agent McCain."
"As for you, Mr. Fontaine." The agent sneers as she turns her attention to Lucein.
She lifts her right hand as her ARCH unit starts glowing and with the twirl of her finger, Lucein is lifted firmly into the air and dragged through the group. The agent's telekinesis maneuvers him effortlessly until he is suspended helpless and whimpering before her.
"Your behaviour today will be noted." Agent McCain snarls. "Insubordination will not be tolerated here at GAARD. We have rules and you will respect them!"
"A-Apologies, Agent McCain." Lucien whimpers in response as he averts his gaze and tries desperately to slip away.
The agent drops him to his feet with a delicate thud.
She leads the group further along the displays of the GAARD administration building lobby, doing her best to regale the graduates with the history and happenings of the agency.
A question pops out of the group.
"Do you really have living etties here?"
"Ha!" The agent chuckles, turning her attention to Reginald Maudeen, Lucien's friend and lackey.
"Right, Ettie's, one the more common terms used to describe our enemy. Officially called Extra Terrestrial Aetheric Entities, or E.T.A.E. I prefer the term Aetherians myself." She shrugs. "I can officially confirm that GAARD is the official and exclusive proprietor of all Aether and Aetherian matter on Earth, as was mutually agreed upon by all nations of the 3rd Annual I.G.S.I. conference. However, I'm afraid any further details on this area of research and investigation are highly classified. You'll be duly informed should the situation require."
"Of course." Reginald sneers and sucks his teeth.
The group follows the agent as she continues her presentation.
"And we have here, an example of the first iteration of the Aether-Resonance Cognition Harness. The Aether Purge System. Created almost 30 years ago at the CARD facility at NASA. Spearheaded by the brilliant Dr. Yaroslav Ravinok."
The agent points the group to a small cylindrical display covered in thick glass. Suspended in the middle of it was a replica of the original APS.
It is a biomechanical augmentation harness that connects to the brain stem, accumulating aether absorbed into the user's body, and automatically purging it into the surrounding environment when bodily concentration levels become too high.
An invaluable tool in humanity's study and understanding of aether, and humanity's first steps into enabling human-controlled aetheric manipulation.
"Developed first as a means of protecting scientists involved in Aether research and investigation from the dangers of Aether Induced Meta-Psychosis Syndrome. The device would evolve into the ARCH units we see and hear of today, used by many of the brave men and women working to keep our planet safe as part of the Invasion Gate Suppression Initiative."
McCain proceeds to guide the group past several more displays including more recent versions of the Arch unit, a cursory display of more than 15 wax replicas of E.T.A.E. specimens, as well as some of the specialized Aetheric-based equipment and weaponry developed in-house at GAARD.
"And that concludes our little tour for today." McCain finishes and leads the group to a dark corner of the lobby where they are met by a pair of large metal doors.
"Ok ladies and gentlemen, beyond these doors we'll be moving into GAARD HQ proper. Before we do that, I need you to understand how we do things here." McCain's utters and her warm welcoming expression shifts to seriousness.
"Here at GAARD we take our work seriously. Our mission, our purpose, it's the only thing keeping humanity from being dragged off to whatever god-forsaken wormhole those demons keep coming from. But those monsters aren't the only ones we need to worry about. We've got plenty of our own right here on Earth."
Her face shifts further, deeping into a scowl.
"If the research we do and the possessions we hold in this facility got into the wrong hands, the invasion gates would be the least of our worries. So I need you to respect the gravity of what we do here at GAARD. A moment of incompetence… I'm sure you all remember the incident after the Seoul gate 5 years ago. More innocent lives lost to a single rogue archaner than the whole of the Tenth Gate Invasion!"
The agent focuses her gaze around the group, looking each member sternly in the eyes as she carefully inspects them.
"Understand, the moment we attach those units to your bodies, you're no longer free humans. You're archaners, you're humanity's first and last line of defense. You have a responsibility to your species. A responsibility we will ensure you uphold as members of GAARD." She snarls, her eyes hard with intensity. "You belong to GAARD now! If at any moment we feel you pose a threat to our mission, you will be brought down without hesitation. Do you understand?"
Her humble voice was now dripping with intimidation and the students struggled to respond.
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" She shrieks, now less a question and more a roaring command.
"Yes, sir!"
Their academy training suddenly breaks through the stress and tension of the situation.
The group responds in perfect unison, almost through instinct, holding their heads upright and firm, eyes fiercely focused forward.
Reyn was no different, he stands erect and to attention with the rest of the graduates.
They had endured this and much more during their 3 years at the academy, receiving constant reminders that their lives now belonged to the Invasion Gate Suppression Initiative, their courage, loyalty and sacrifice now a tactical requirement to the defense of Earth.
The illusions of choice had long since been buried deep in the mud of the training ground and hours of re-education.
They were ready to commit, ready to be forged as weapons of war.
"Good," McCain concludes, her face now beset with a perturbing grin.
"Then let's go. We shouldn't keep Dr. Ravinok waiting."