The book contains extreme violence, profanity, substance use, and some sexual references/theme.

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9-14-2603

12:46 P.M.

Secret Research Facility in Antarctica

Today it was supposed to be a gathering of all the world’s leaders to discuss how to improve and better enhance the world’s peace and prosperity, but… I started a massacre that spilled the blood of the world's leaders. For my own selfish reasons I had to protect what I loved… or what I would have loved if my life had not all come crashing down. Even now, my colleagues, they knew, but they thought it was not that serious until it happened.

All in one place, a room of white marble, redwood tables and glass chandeliers, prime for my revenge.  The best time for it was when they all were going to take a picture to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of world peace. I would be sitting on a balcony with my fellow co-workers witnessing what would have been a great, cheerful moment if not what they did ti and what I would do to them. Now, all it took one push of the button on my detonator and... 3... one by one... 2... It all went... 1... KABOOOOOOOM!!! The explosion left a satisfying shower of limbs and guts all over the walls. The chandeliers nearby the explosion were shattered leaving sparkling glass shards all upon the floor. My colleagues in shock continued to look at the carnage. Then one of them looks at me then looks at the detonator in my hands. I get up out of my chair and try to make a break for it. I crash through the door with my coworkers right behind me. I run through the halls going into a random laboratory. I ran push carts behind me as they nearly get close to me. I lock the door behind as I get to the other side. I head for the stairway, getting myself to the snowmobiles. I head for the bio-facilities section of the research facility to get him... Then I hear the low rumbling of jet boosters behind me. Which meant only one thing, the Unyielding, I hear their guns being loaded and I increase the speed. They start firing their guns, I go into a zig-zag so they don't hit me. Then I hear the tracks on the snowmobile snap and next thing I know gravity flings me off it and then I go into a tumble. The snowmobile flips,   turns upside down and thirty seconds later explodes. The Unyielding were behind me, 10-foot tall metal giants full of weapons within weapons hovering over me with 6-inch wide barrels pointed towards my head. A robotic voice comes from one of the robots "Resistance is futile." I raise my hands and they restrain my hands. Dragging me to their creator...

The Unyielding drag me into an empty room except with a huge metal pipe in the center of it. They handcuff me to it and stand by the door weapons down. I wait for a few minutes until my colleagues come with the first coming in the creator of the Unyielding with both looking at him "Capture complete." Their creator looks to both of them "Command: Guard and Patrol, continue to follow the command unless given other commands." Both Unyielding leave the room and the other colleagues enter in their place. They all looked pretty pissed off at me, especially the Unyielding's creator "After the tragedy that had happened to you, our mutual friend offered you a job here, I allow it and give you an opportunity at a fresh start." He pulls out a mini tablet showing my bloody carnage of the once white room, "This is what you do to repay both of us?" I spit on his face and he just glares at me as he wipes it off with his sleeve, "You're the one to talk, what you did to wife, my unborn son and so many others... how do you even sleep at night!?!?" He puts his tablet away and shrugs off what I had said to him "I sleep just fine, Brochan," He takes a step forward "but did you skip history class or did they censor that part of history because I think it's fair trade after what they did to my country. A sacrifice for the greater good and with practically a hundred years of world peace these sacrifices are worth it." He grabs my collar, "The hard work of keeping this peace for a century has come crashing down. What do you have to say for yourself?"

“Listen, it was a matter of time before…” I said as I was trying to struggle, trying to loosen my restraints before one of them replaced the ropes with steel handcuffs, “he was ‘born’ I couldn’t just stand by and watch him die a fucking experiment. I had to act before they began the project that we started 2 years ago. I think I may have… no, had to… annihilate them… to free that baby from what they would do to him.” One of them punched me in the face. “You wanted to start a goddamn world war over that baby!!! Sooner or later my country's going to be the main target for a bloody battlefield.” The blood from my nose started flowing. “Do you have no remorse for this baby? If I had been more thorough with what I had seen on the contract, maybe this wouldn't have happened.” Still trying to struggle, I said, “Listen, just say one of the experiments went wrong and they died in the process. Just do it for me like an old friend.” the door is swung open with a man in a snowsuit comes in with some keys, “You better not make us regret this. Take the baby and get the hell out of here before they hunt you down.” While rubbing my wrists I said,  “Thank you, I’ll leave by tomorrow.” Then I got on my knees and begged, “Just please erase everything that happened here as if this day never took place.” The creator of the Unyielding puts his hand to his face. “Fine, but if I ever see your face again, you better wish you were never born.”

The Next Day

Wah wah wah… The baby was born and I had lived for him. Then I left for the mainland. Though I couldn’t prepare how hard it would be to raise a kid when that war started ten years later. Sometimes I would’ve rather taken the baby than kill all the countries’ world leaders. I just hope I never have to go back. I just want to raise the baby right in this godforsaken world. All I care about is this child because he’s all I have left.

10 years later

World War 3 or The Grudge War

African-European Wars began because of the civil wars and the many countries with segregation caused by the ignorance of the former European leaders when making the countries for the colonies.

Result: A draw with around an equal amount of casualties on both sides many battles like this would last for many years to come, but they will in bloody draws.

The Old Britain War began because of their treatment towards their  colonies like the Opium Wars they caused in China, Their past treatment towards the people of India, the promises they broke because of their own greed.

Result: Britain became a wasteland and became more and more primitive in technology since they had become isolated from the mainland.

The War of the Natives began because the indigenous people of North and South America wanted the land their ancestors once had.

Result: In South America, they retook the entire territory and in North America, they reclaimed all of Canada, Alaska and the Northwest of the main part of the USA

The Swiss Wars began because Switzerland was defending the "enemy" much of Europe decided to declare war on Switzerland, but what they didn't know is that Switzerland had amassed an army with technology a few centuries ahead of their time.

Result: Ends in the entirety of Europe losing, but Switzerland does not try to invade those countries for now...

Japan Wars began because of what they did to many of their mainland neighbors back WW2

Result: Japan Annihilated

And there are many wars from the Grudge War, but there is the most important one.

Kevt um Uefsehfh Wars began because that these world leaders were killed in the facility many blame Kevt um Uefsehfh for the assassination and many countries go to war with this country.

Result: The countries fighting Kevt um Uefsehfh suffer devastating casualties due to the country's harsh climate, atmosphere, terrain and undeniably more powerful armies, but they finally after many attempts conquered Kevt um Uefsehfh. They did not stay there for long because of the country's overall harshness with the only people who could thrive in it were the inhabitants. Many were enslaved, tortured and killed meant to serve the remains of what was society, societies lead by dictatorial governments called the Empires.

1132 years later…

Clyde Actaeon

The mission… we were given… we’ve failed… and now we're in the hands of the Empire. Caught us in an ambush just around 15 to 20 miles from Invicta Bunker and now slowly but surely they broke our morale as they kill us off.  Those bastards enjoyed our allies' Gambles of Torture and savoring as we mourn the losses of our fallen allies one by one. First, it was Commander Augustus, then it was Jonathan and Terumi Halwende, Allison Marston, Daniel Martinez and finally Jennifer Leeroy as they had died to the Gambles of Torture as all have called them. The sick and twisted ways they had died would make any sane person sick to their stomach. All that was left of our squad was only me and my father. The only occupied cells that we're here in our prison sector was me and Dad, but they had been filled up...

I look around my cell, it was cold, the only light which only worked half of the time made everything barely seeable and with the only sounds breaking the absolute silence was the chains they had bound to me as they kept hitting the wall behind me. Just as I was about to go asleep I see the light flood in as the door opens up with the silhouettes of a few people. The people all in black cloth military uniforms open the cells and they drag us out into the light... Going outside I look at the front of our sector of prison cells all I see are a group of 50 soldiers in thick, black metal armor equipped with anti-tank heavy machine guns and kevlar piercing lances all pointed at Dad. From what I had heard from the other prisoners they are the elite soldiers of the Empire, the Immortals, which continue to follow us as we head to what I assume is the small Gambles of Torture stadium. As we got closer I realized they were separating me from Dad just like of our comrades when facing their deaths. They had to lead me a little further from the stadium and by the exits that would take me to the outside world. They drag me away from the exits and into a small hallway and the two guards in front of it let us in. As they lead me to the center of the stadium I see a strange guillotine out in the center of it.

Out in the bleachers, there were thousands of people kept chanting “Gambles of Torture!!!” someone was nearby the guillotine dressed in gold-colored cloth clothing walking with a redwood cane. His face was covered gold paint, his eyes were grey and his smile was… demented. They took me to the strange guillotine one by one he set my wrists, elbows, shoulders, ankles, knees, hip joints and finally, of course, the head. He turned to the crowd as they were cheering and chanting his name “Edward Goldman!!! Edward Goldman!!!” Edward waved his hands waving to the crowds “My good gamblers you all know what time it is… GAMBLES OF TORTURE!!!!” The cheers and roars grew louder, pointing to me he continues “Today is one of our special Gambles of Torture, the Guillotine Roulette with our special guest.” The crowds start booing at me, "He is one of those Trackers, a rare sight to see from where we all live." He raises his cane and hits my right arm with it, leaving a huge bruise, "He has taken fellow Empire lives before, just like those damn Stripies." snapping his fingers another person brought out a spinning wheel. The spinning wheel showed multiple spots with severed body parts with four blank spots and one marked with a skull. Edward put his hands on the wheel he looked at me with now and even more deranged smile “We are going to have so much fun seeing the look of your dad’s face as he will be helpless to save you from your impending doom.” He turns to the crowd “You all know the rules to Guillotine Roulette,” he starts spinning the wheel and yells “let the Gamble of Torture begin!!!” That was just the beginning... the hell I would see.

9 years later

Jack Actaeon

Entry Log 1, Hope

1-23-3756

In my father's old box of stuff, I'd found his spare war journal. It looked as if time had never affected it at all. The memories of Dad and Clyde just start flooding back when I look at this. Eleven years since yesterday they had gone off for diplomatic alliance with another bunker community and the next thing you know... they're gone. One thing leads to another they're presumed dead and  saying like everyone else "They're dead and you just have to accept it." and yet in the back of my mind with a sliver of hope saying "They're out there somewhere just waiting for me to save them or something." and when I become a Tracker and I am going to find my father and brother. If I can't then maybe just answers of where they ended up and died.

Entry log ended___

Beep-Beep… Beep-Beep… Beep-Beep… The alarm clock… I wanted to take five more minutes, but then I feel someone shaking my shoulder. The person whispers “Jack… Jack… Jack…” I push the person's hand off of my shoulder the person continues to shake my shoulder “Wake up, the world isn’t going to wait for you because it's 7:30.” I open my eyes hastily to see my best friend, Johnny Halwende. He was born with a cheerful personality and an optimistic attitude on almost everything. I’ve had to live with on Floor 196, Apartment Room 350981. At first, it was only my parents, but a little over a decade later Johnny’s parents, a couple on the run from the Empire finding safety at the Invicta Bunker community. Johnny had inherited from what his parents called the Death's Branding, four black lines that could be found anywhere on the body, although it depends where they get it at birth. The Kingdom usually find these people that way. Lucky for Johnny he was born with Death's Branding on his back. His parents were not so lucky before and after... the incident.

We walk out of our room to get ready for our jobs in the Scrapheap, I hastily get in the shower, turn on the water and then all I feel is a blizzard of cold water. Outside all I could hear was Johnny’s muffled laughter and I felt ready to go out butt naked and strangle him, but I just kept powering through it. When I was out of the bathroom, get my leather jacket from the closet in our room I gave him a glare while he was eating a banana “So how did enjoy your wake-up call?” I grabbed a yogurt pack from the fridge and start drinking it “If I wanted to take a cold-ass shower I would, but I didn’t want one.” we clean up and leave the apartment walking down the white hallways. “It’s not my fault for the Architects to build in temperature settings outside of the bathroom and for you to become less of a morning person.” we reached the elevators of our apartment floor I press the buttons impatiently, “Sometimes I hate it when you’re right.” the doors open as a yellowish white light shine on our faces we enter in and taking us down to the ground level “I've wondered with the surprise cold showers I've done it so many times and yet you're never used to it,” the doors open it up again we exit to get into the trains “but then I remember you’ll always be Jumpy Jack.” I just take a deep breath and just laugh  “Johnny it’s been 6 years since I’ve heard anyone called me that.”

Entering the transporter train I feel vibrations from my wristwatch. I activate hologram screen mode and on the top it says Mom ‘Can you or Johnny get the groceries for today and tomorrow’s dinner I’m sending the list later.’ Johnny looks at me with a grin “You do it, I mean it does give you a chance to talk to Laura, that girl you like right?” You know Johnny always being nosy about people's possible love lives. “We’re just friends.” He bumps his shoulder into ribs “C’ mon man I’m pretty sure you’re on pretty good terms with her so you have a good chance to date her.” Oh, I know he set Laura up with... Thomas. Oh, but what he doesn't know... "You said that to other ten people they would be a great couple with ten other people which they start off great until they break up including Thomas and Laura." Johnny went from his happy-go-lucky face to slowly turn into a face of worry. "Last time you said that to Thomas they dated for three months, by the end of it they had a pretty bad break up.” Johnny looks at me with some sweat already forming on his face “When did they break up?” The train stops to pick up more passengers “I think a week or two after New Years from what Laura told me.” Johnny worriedly looks around “Well you know Tess, Thomas’s twin sister, she asked me to eat with their family and Laura’s family today.” I pat him on the shoulder “Don’t worry I’ll tell my mom later you’re eating there..." whispering underneath my breath, "also to get your urn ready.” from the door to the left I see Thomas and Tess Smith and Laura Mayers, Johnny tenses up, his hands shaking “I mean it can’t be that bad… right?” Tess waves to Johnny “See you tonight.” and Thomas and Tess walk to the opposite end of the transporter train cart right before Thomas flips off Johnny while Tess isn’t looking and Laura sits right next to me away from Johnny “You were saying?”

For a minute or two it was awkward silence and then Johnny asked “Yeah Laura---” Laura puts her hand over Johnny’s mouth with a glare “Johnny don’t say another word please it’s going to be especially awkward with you today at dinner, and for the rest of my entire life seeing I have to see Thomas once a week and we didn’t even tell our families yet.” Laura takes her hand off of Johnny’s mouth and which she turns to me with a little smile, “So tomorrow at the arcade?” The train had stopped at our destination which I and Johnny rush out before I tell Laura, “Yep and don’t be late like last time.” and as the doors were closing she gave a thumbs up.

Johnny looks at me “Are you and Laura..?” I continue walking shrugging “Dude how many times do I have to say it? We're... not... dating... It was the week of New Year’s when Thomas and Laura broke up and then she asked if we could hang out on that Saturday. She told me about the break up and one thing led to another and next thing you know we decided we play Alien Slayer Five: Termination Edition every Saturday at Greg’s Arcade on Floor 179 from then on.” then Johnny says “Y’know it’s kind of crazy that a few years ago she and her grandpa joined the Invicta Bunker, but it feels like she’s been here forever.” It was a few years ago sometime during grade school and the teacher introduced us to Laura said she had come from a raided city northeast of Invicta Bunker and would be a permanent resident of Invicta Bunker. At school, I and Johnny rarely talked to her and it wasn’t until I and Johnny were given grocery duty by Mom that we started talking to her when she was working as a baker for the market area with her grandfather at his bakery. Which it was only small talk and all that until her break up I kind of got to know her a little bit more. And within that time and all the other times we talked it just felt she was kind of always there. I looked at my watch “Crap, Johnny we’re already late let’s step on it”

Running down what almost seen as an endless set of columns and rows of scrap sorting machines, smelters, molds, recyclers, and much more to make what the Scrap Heap. The Scrap Heap is where everything in the Bunker Community is built: new buildings, vehicles, robots, repairs, and the list is endless. As we make it to our workstation someone in the distance taps his foot as we get closer it is the sound of metal which meant only one thing “Hi Axwell,” sweat beads start forming “So how are you doing?… heh… heh...” Axwell looks at them irritated "You two took your sweet time, 28 minutes and 38 seconds late.” Axwell walks to the other side of our work station bringing back two rocket launchers strapped to his back “I was going to let you two test these, but...” he puts two carts filled with gun parts in front of us, “today you will both be repairing guns, making guns and refilling ammo magazines for the day.” Johnny tries to say something, but Axwell looking at straight at him which Axwell was six feet tall and Johnny was barely two months into being fifteen was looking at him at level eye-to-eye. “You two were practically half an hour late, be thankful I am not reducing both of your paychecks today.” Johnny pleads to Axwell "Axwell please this is our first time being late so you can you just relax and---" Axwell walking past him, ignoring his pleads lightly pushes the cart towards Johnny's way "I'm a robot I believe in efficiency and by being late you are wasting time by not working and therefore not being efficient. So please... do your damn work." Johnny stood there silent and then placed his hands on the cart and started walking to our workstation. I try to do the same when Axwell's hand holds on to my shoulder, "Jack take off the leather jacket, you are going to tire more easily and maybe even get a heat stroke." I take his hand off my shoulder "Were pretty far from the smelters, but I know why you don't me to wear this." He blankly stares at me "And why do you think I don't want you to wear the jacket?" "Clyde and Dad." His eyes only open up ever so slightly and then he turns around, "Just get to work..." I look at my leather jacket... Everyone asks me why I wear this old, leather jacket every day. It's a pain to wear it during the summer, there are so many tiny rips and tears all over it and when I was a kid it was way too big for me. For all the reasons I shouldn't, there is one reason why I do... It reminds me of Dad and my older brother. First, my dad had it, he wore this leather jacket on his days off. Then, it was my older brother which sometimes he would get some rips and tears on it which my mom would sew it good as new. With the rips and tears that the jacket has received over the years, I don't have the courage to ask my mother to sew it back. It would remind her of what we lost...

While we were having to do the repetitive work of refilling ammo magazines for half an hour, Axwell... BOOOOOOM!!! was taunting us on the TV testing the new rocket launchers in a digitally made city by using the V-Pod or Virtual-Pod. While he finishing loading the rocket launchers he said, "If only you guys were not late..." he started firing the rocket launchers destroying a few buildings with an earth-shaking rumble, "You would probably be doing this right now." Johnny with an almost defeated look on his face, "That looks so cool..." As we start finish loading up the magazines he continues, "if only I could blow up those buildings like that." We move onto repairing guns replacing some of the broken parts. "I know you better than anyone and I know you would have loved to blow up those digital buildings, you should've just left me." Johnny throws a newly repaired gun into one of the carts replying "And leave you to do all this by yourself? Hell no." Johnny pulls out something from his pocket, a ring with writing both on the inside and outside reading what it said, "Eh kuvc eh ki hfevt fucifyis fyo tsoti um Kevt um Uefsehfh kojih um." putting his ring on his ring finger he continued to talk, "This is a ring my father passed down from generation, whatever this says I forgot what my father had told me." he balls his hand into a fist, "What I do remember is what the meaning of this phrase, which is that loyalty between people can strengthen them. I wasn't going to leave you behind while I got to blow up virtual buildings," he presses a button on his workstation to request more parts. "Besides no man left behind something the Trackers say and I want to follow it to a tee since were both aiming to be Trackers." He raises his fist to me smiling "Right?" We do a fist bump with a little chuckle "Right." We continue to work and I look at the calendar whispering under my breath "Eight days left..."

The Tracker Tests... as long you were fifteen you could test to be a Tracker. Of the 26.3 million people living in the Invicta Bunker community, 3.4 million are Trackers and of those Trackers, 1.1 million are in the range of 15-19. The Trackers' purpose after World War Three was to find supplies and find any survivors after the war, but now that the population has exceeded how much the bunker can hold they are now a defense force fighting off bandits, the Beasts Unknown To Us and Empire soldiers. Bandits are the most common threat with their permanent territory being in the city robberies of houses, stealing supplies and even some murders, but most bandits are killed before they become a threat with few casualties from defending from bandit attacks and plundering bandit outposts. Beasts Unknown To Us or B.U.T.U.s which can be destructive and just as much as a massacre as they are rare on their attacks that occur three to seven years with casualties from 1,000 to 250,000 with every deadly conflict.  Empire Soldiers the worst of them all have been our enemies for the past few hundred years from abductions and kidnappings of Trackers to full-blown wars lasting from six months to a year with the casualties from 50,000 1,000,000. For each battle and war which the years of those wars can occur between 20 and 50. The Trackers' risks of losing their lives although very high, the rewards are high with huge payments, access to travel both in the Bunker and the Coastal area and the occasional trips to the Reinfield Bunker community. Most importantly they give you the freedom to do whatever as long it betters the Bunker community in some way from bounty hunting, raids on bandit hideouts and even tracking down lost Trackers. For me and Johnny that was the biggest thing for us that we could use this to our advantage and try to find my dad and brother and his parents. Even if they are dead, we just want answers.

After another five and a half hours of tedious and repetitious work, we finally got it done and leave for the day. Walking back Johnny looked like a braindead zombie muttering under his breath "That was so boring..." I know how to get him out of this senselessness. Whispering into his ear I said, "Remember Thomas and Laura." Johnny instantly snapped out of his trance yelling "Dammit!!! I forgot about the dinner with them!!!" He waves me to the transport train "I have to look my best..." We get onto the transporter train sailing along the built-in rails. His hands were shaking slightly with his cheeks turning slightly pink and whispering something under his breath. I ask curiously "This is about Tess right?"  "Yeah, I really like Tess, but now that her brother hates me..." He goes into a slump and then curiosity takes over my brain when I ask "Johnny, how overboard did you go with Thomas's confession?" Johnny struggles to let an answer out until he finally begrudgingly answered, "Let's say... an entire dance team, a few doves and maybe an entire fireworks show." I smacked his right arm "Why!?!? I know you've helped people with their confessions nudge them on how to do it right. This confession is overboard even by your standards. How come I didn't see this?" Johnny quickly going through his photo album on his wristwatch, sends me a photo. It was me and a man with red hair, a short, stocky body who could easily crush a man's head and with an old Tracker badge, Gerry (According to Gerry, he does not have a last name) and more than twenty people in the background. In front of us was a simple small bowl filled with chili and what was a liability waiver. The waiver was for the Wall of Flame challenge by eating a small bowl of Gerry's chili you could get your name on the Wall of Flame. "I remember that... it hurt to eat for a week and hurt for two weeks to sit." "You got your name on his Wall of Flame, but back to the subject, that's why you didn't see the confession because while you were suffering from the after-effects of Gerry's chili, I was helping form a couple. I thought it'd work I helped him with a confession Laura literally couldn't say no to. I would confess to Tess and everything would be good, but now... I don't like my chances." The train stops in front of our apartment Johnny starts to get up  from his seat and walking out of the train "Before I go, can you tell Laura that I'm sorry about what I've done." The door closes slowly as the train moves forward "Okay I will good luck with those two."

Thirty minutes later on the train ride, I get off the train and into the food market. The food stalls were everywhere from vegetables, fruits, meats, bread and of course since we're by the coast, seafood. Through the list of ingredients and haggling for better prices like Mom used to teach me. At one point while I was waiting for one of the people to bag up some groceries I overheard a conversation between two Tracker just talking at an open bar not too far from where I was,  "Hey did Greg did you hear?" "Hear what?" "Another Comm. device got stolen..." "That's the tenth someone's stolen... what are those Sy. Trackers doing?" "Don't blame them the ones that have been stolen were all stolen from the Scrapheap without their tracking devices inserted yet. Anyone could have slipped past the Sy. Trackers because the Badge system only detects intruders without badges for some places like here or the entrance. The Badge system is thorough in places like Tracker Headquarters and the Communications Center that require Tracker badges only." I would have kept listening if not for my groceries bagged up for me with a patient stall owner waiting. I take my bags and go to my final destination, the bakery stalls which the bread Laura and her grandpa sell are top-notch. The closer I walk to the bakery the more I notice in front of the stall a guy yelling at the top of his lungs "Why the hell is the prices so damn high!!!!" Laura trying to calm the man with a circle of people slowly surrounding the bakery area "Sir, no one is asking you to buy our bread, if you buy cheaper bread then just go buy it from some other bakery." slamming his fist into the counter continued to shout aggressively "It's for my cousin's birthday and he asks for the 'special' bread from here. So I'm asking, why the hell is it so damn expensive?" She looks to the right and left of her stall seeing the people surrounding her stall, walks away from the counter and returns with a paper bag. Placing the bag in front of the man, "The 'special' bread your cousin is asking for is a bunch of bread bowls that are meant to be used for stews and soups from various restaurants, which must be asked in 2 or 3 days in advance for the bread bowls and the restaurants to make the soup for the bread bowls. We don't have anything for your cousin's 'special' bread, but I'll give you some bread for free." He then proceeds to grab Laura by her t-shirt collar pointing to the cart that has the "special" bread "Listen, I want that cart with the 'special' bread," he grabbed something out of his pocket showing her something, a Tracker badge, "I could report you to the Food Distribution Organization for refusing to serve a Tracker food." I couldn't be a bystander anymore, so I walked up to the counter placing my credits pen on the table "Hey Laura, just wanted to order the usual please." The guy looks at me directly in the eyes "Can't you see I was here first kid." I activate my camera on my wristwatch and take a picture of him and Laura, "You can report to the F.D.O. whatever nonsense you want to tell them, while I can report your violence against a civilian to the Tracker Headquarters." He lets go of Laura's collar turning to me "Punk you wouldn't---"

Your photo has been sent. "I'm sorry what were you going to say again?" The Tracker makes his hands into fists "Now you're dead---" a fist kept him silent... my fist to his nose, "You're a disgrace among Trackers." The blood trickles down his face readying himself in a fighting stance, "All right you wanna fight?" he goes for a right jab "Bring it!!!" I took a step back avoiding his punch. I retaliate with a punch to his gut and he goes for a punch to the right eye with both of us making contact. He suddenly goes into a charge knocking me down and then starts punching my face. The blood droplets started to spill a little from my face side to side. I start punching him in the stomach continuously until I finally land a punch into his liver from what I assume as he grunts. I take a huge jab into his liver and then I pushed my hand deeper into his liver until he lets go. For that one second he lets go, I give him a right hook knocking him off me. I lunged at him grabbing his collar not before he grabs mine and we start tumbling on the ground trying to get the advantage over the other. As we continue to struggle I hear voices in the background, but all I can focus on is not getting pummeled so I ignore them. Then again he gets the upper hand over me grabbing my collar and ready to beat out the living daylights, right before looking all around us. All I see is multiple people with guns pointed at us surrounding us on all exits, fingers on the trigger. I grabbed his fists so he could not do anything and I shout at him "Yo man, we're surrounded can we just schedule this fight at a later time." He looked at me as if it was just us in this world fighting for some ludicrous reason. Bread. Goddamn bread!!! He was about to knock me out when the Trackers went... Blam!!! Blam!!! In this split second, my life flashed before my eyes... ZzzzZzzzZzzzZzzztttt... nope just a taser gun...

Axwell Dynamo

I cannot believe not only did I have to listen to the earful Jack's mother had to tell me to get Jack, but now I have to get Jack after he had a fight with some Tracker... kids these days. I walk into a grey and empty hallway of interrogation rooms I go into the observation room by the interrogation room Jack is in. The Tracker inside looked my way and stood up to salute "S.T. Lieutenant Tracker Axwell, sir." I salute back "Pk. Officer Tracker Mark." I look to the Tracker interrogating Jack in the other room handcuffed to the table bolted to the ground. I look to Tracker Mark asking curiously, "What the hell did he do, Mark?" He pulled out a little notebook and started talking about the scene where Jack and the Tracker had caused by the bakeries on the Market Floor. "That is the story told by over ten different eyewitnesses," we both look to Jack, "we're just making sure they tell the truth of what happened."

The Tracker in the interrogation room stops talking, does a few nods and leaves to come into the observation room where we wait for the verdict. He looks to Pk. Officer Tracker Mark "Yeah he's said the truth." Of course, if Jack wasn't honest, his chances of becoming a Tracker with an offense of disturbing the peace would be low. Mark writes it down "Okay well then I'll just send him off with a warning" Though I wonder about the Tracker that had the fight with Jack? "What about the Tracker who was involved in the fight?" He flips a page or two back "At the very least, demote his status as an I. Tracker to the lowest ranking, The most severe punishment would have him start over again from the bottom after his possible 2 to 3-month suspension of his Tracker license." He hands me his notebook, showing the description, his name is Martin Davidson, an I. Chief Officer Tracker at only 18 and he's already had offenses before, but nothing major. It does make sense why they could give him punishments like these, someone who has high potential, but a real troublemaker. "So Axwell, why do care so much what happens to Jack?" The memories come back in an instant "He is the son of Damien, I have to protect him, that was my one of my purposes for being built and I cannot let Damien down." He looks at me and chuckles "Ah... I should have seen the resemblance sooner, he's just like Damien when he started out as a Tracker." He nods to the Tracker behind me and he goes into the other room and uncuffs Jack off of the interrogation room table. "Well, Axwell see you later and get that kid home safe."

I walk out of the room with Jack waiting outside looking at me with a grim face "Hey Axwell, what are you doing here?" I place my hand on his shoulder "Come on Jack, your mom is waiting for you." We walk to the building's entrance and then Jack questions curiously "So why are you picking me up? I could have walked home myself." I pull out my Tracker badge and show it to the guard in front of the entrance with a simple nod he lets us through "Without showing a Tracker badge to the S. Trackers you can't get in or out of here." We rush to get into the train "Also your Mom wanted to make sure you came home safe." Jack sits down with a slightly irritated look "I'm not some defenseless baby." The train stops at the apartment floors and we get off, "Sure, you may not be a defenseless baby," I poke into his chest "but you are all your mother has left of your family but you and I know this already." I start listing them "Her parents passed away before you were born and Damien and Clyde are both dead..." He looks to me with a sour look as we reach the elevators and get in it "Jack, I'm just being honest we have not seen them in ten years." We exit out of the elevator and Jack continued to look straight ahead "I know... it's not a realistic goal, me and Johnny both know that they could be skeletons in a mound of dirt. Both of us rather than never knowing what happened, we just want closure and if we do find that they did die we'll be satisfied with what we know." For a single moment... I do not believe him, but I play along as we're practically at his apartment room, "We will talk about this later... if and when you get your Tracker's license." I open the door for him, "Now your mom is waiting in there, do not keep her waiting." He walks by me without looking at me "See ya later, Axwell." Stubbornly, a determined look in his eyes, loyalty for others (according to his reason for fighting said by Pk. Officer Tracker Mark) and a hint of little recklessness in some of his actions, Jack almost reminds me of his father or his brother. How both would be proud to see him now. If only... if only they could see him now.

Jack Actaeon

Axwell, my one and only great protector. Built around some time after Clyde's birth, Axwell was built to protect Clyde and eventually some odd 13 years later, me. For Axwell's talk of how he prioritizes efficiency over everything else and saying he is "completely and fully emotionless", he was the best father figure I had. Looking out for me, always keeping an eye on me and protecting me from danger. He's what my Dad would have been, but thankfully I still got my mom. I have to admit, Johnny and I did some bad things like stealing food, valuables and other things. Mom had no other family to turn to and worked overtime. We did all we could to help her by doing all those misdemeanors. We did not do it often, but just when it was not going well on some days. That's when we got caught by none other than Laura's grandpa five years ago. It was a busy day for his bakery and we thought we could slip by and take some bread without getting noticed. Next thing we know we're caught by the collars by him by the back of his bakery. He talked some sense into us, he let us off the hook, but if he saw us do it again he'd tell my mom about. Which we did not want that to happen, so the misdemeanors stopped and he even offered us jobs at the bakery, but we declined so we could go for Axwell's offer at the Scrapheap and then slowly, but surely we were just more than surviving, but thriving a little. Which helped so we could have the freedom to do things like eating Gerry's chili and playing video games at Greg's Arcade. Though her goal more than anything else was to keep me and Johnny safe.

And as of right now she's gonna be mad at what she sees. I entered the room seeing only the left side of the room because of the fight that left me with a swollen right eye. I kept turning to see my crying Mom yelling, "Jack!!!" rushing to me checking my black eye and getting an ice pack and a cloth from the refrigerator "Jack Actaeon, I heard you got into a fight, but the injuries are worse than I expected." Delicately and carefully she starts tying the cloth around my eye "Can explain to me how this happened?" While we eat takeout pasta enough for me, Johnny and her which she got after she was told about the fight, I told her the story in as much detail as possible. Halfway through eating takeout, I finish explaining what happened. Mom still eating starts smiling and chuckling, "Mom, are you okay?" she puts her down her fork looking up "It just sort of reminds me of how I and your father met." I looked at her with a startled look, "What..?" She takes a deep breath "Well, it was just when he was in his first year of becoming a Tracker, working at Gerry's restaurant. I was working as a waitress while Gerry (who was also a Tracker) and his father were cooks. It was just a normal day, but business was a little slow. Then a Tracker squad comes in and ten minutes later your father's squad come in. I come to take the other squad's check and one said they wanted a free meal since they were Trackers. I told them they couldn't and then just like your story, the Tracker threatens me and that is when Damien intervenes. Instead though of your fight causing minimal damage, it turned into a Tracker squad fight. By the time the Peacekeeper Trackers had come to arrest them, it'd looked like a tornado had hit the place. All the barstools had been broken, half of the tables in shambles and most if not all of the ocean view mirror had been shattered. The Peacekeeper Trackers also took us to the interrogation rooms as well since we were witnesses of the entire fight. The Trackers let Gerry's father give the punishment because it was his restaurant that got wrecked. The other Tracker squad got punished with cleaning all the docks, taking as long as possible. Your father and only him of his squad had to take my night shifts. It gave me time to help your grandparents and in between switching shifts as were prepping from lunch to the dinner shift we talked and..." she starts to tear up "I'd fallen for him. Next thing you know we had shared the best memories, your grandparents had given their blessings, we heard the wedding bells and then it was looking up with having you and Clyde," the tears continued to flow like a river "but ever since they had died I worry because you always looked up to your father and brother. Now that you want to become a Tracker, I don't want to spread your ashes across the San Francisco Bay. It's your choice and no one can stop from trying to find Damien and Clyde, but I don't want you to die." She wipes her tears from her face. Being a Tracker could mean life or death because no could guarantee if someone could make it past their first month or twenty years, it's all on luck to say everything is going to plan or you're just another number in the death statistics. She worked to bring us to where I and Johnny are now which now were to repay her by finding my dad and brother and Johnny's parents. I speak confidently as look to my mom, "Mom don't worry about me. If I'm anything like Dad or Clyde, I'm headstrong and determined enough to survive anything that gets put my way." Mom continues to eat her takeout "Jack just make sure you and Johnny come home for dinner on time." Just as I was about to continue eating my food, someone breaks through the door, Johnny out of breath "Jack I didn't get the message until half an hour ago." He grabs me by the shoulders asking me a series of questions as if he were a game show host "Are you okay? Why is Mrs. Actaeon crying? Do I need to talk to this guy... one-on-one?" I hand him what was supposed to be his bowl of pasta for dinner "I'm almost fine as you and I can see, my Mom is crying because she told me of how she and my Dad met and no he's dealt with, but if want to know more ask Axwell. For now, just eat this pasta because I'm gonna tell you what has happened in between when we left The Scrap Heap and now."

???

Novato, California

The roars of my hoverbike send all the birds flying past me as I nothing but a flashing blur to them. I look onwards to seek the Invicta Bunker community, coastal cities lights make the sea sparkle a little more under the moonlight. Then I hear static, coming from my wristwatch I answer it "Deathshot, can you hear me?" I reply back "Yeah, crystal clear." "You know what you have to do right? To exterminate any threats that would prevent my plans from coming to fruition." I look down to my revolvers and sniper rifle, "that's why you told me to do this your dirty work, but I have my own business to attend to." "I don't care if you call what I ask for dirty work as long as you complete assignment." "I know, I need to finish before I can do it, signing out." The static starts to come "Signing out." The static grows before the only sound left is the wind rushing towards my face. I look to the Invicta Bunker community once more, Actaeons... I'm coming for you...

Jack Actaeon

Beeeeeeeep... Beeeep... Click... My body for once turns off the alarm clock. 8 A.M. I got another three hours before me and Laura have to meet up. I can take my time. I walk out of the room, I hear the shower running I look back to check to see that Johnny was still sleeping on the top of the bunk bed. Mom usually used the other shower... I shrug it off and get ready for Alien Slayer 5: Termination Edition at Greg's Arcade. I get my clothes and head for Mom's shower. I hear the door open next door slide open and then I hear knock on the bathroom, "Jack are you in there?" My heart beats a little faster "I thought you were in the shower near me and Johnny's room..." "No, I just woke a few minutes ago. Are you sure it wasn't Johnny?" Johnny usually wakes up earlier than me during the weekdays, but it's vice versa during the weekends, "Johnny was knocked out cold on his part of the bunk bed before I got into the shower." I finished up fast as possible in the shower and head out to see Mom with a pistol, finger on the trigger and aimed at the other bathroom door "Get Johnny up, I don't want this robber to escape." I go into the room with Johnny quietly snoring into his pillow and I start shaking him violently loudly whispering into his ear, "Johnny get yourself out of bed, we have an intruder!!!" He raises his head, still a little hazy, "What... Jack?" "We got a robber in our bathroom while my mom is the only one keeping an eye on the bathroom." While I walk out of our bedroom he jumps down from the bunk bed. I grab myself a knife from the kitchen drawer and Johnny, by the legs, grabs a chair from the dinner table.

We wait for 30 minutes Johnny whispers, "The person's been in there for a long time..." "Well he obviously knows that we're waiting for him to get out of the bathroom, so we're going to wait it out." Ten minutes, I hear footsteps, but they have clink too them... I quietly speak to, "Johnny are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Johnny with the chair still in his hands gets ready for whatever is coming "I don't know it could be Axwell, could not be Axwell, but I may or may not smash whoever comes out with this chair." The person walks out of the bathroom... "What...?", The man's face was like that of a cyborg, on the right side he had his regular face with tan skin, brown eye, black hair, and some scarring showing. The left side of his face, on the other hand, was a different story, the metal was jet black, his features mirrored that of the right side of his face as if the metal and flesh had been fused together, his entire nose had been with a metallic nose, had a fully blue eye, he had no left outer ear and he had no hair on his left side. He sees our weapons pointed against him he raises his hands, "This is a really warm welcome home..." Mom gets a step closer, "Get on your knees!" He gets on his knees "Okay Mom, whatever you say." She starts tearing up, but her hand was still on the trigger, "Prove it then... prove that you're my son...".

He starts listing off things about himself, "My name is Clyde Actaeon,  born on the 26th of October on the year 3727, my blood type is O negative, my Dad was Damien Actaeon, you are Michelle Actaeon, my mother, my brother is Jack Actaeon. Also living with us was Johnathan, Terumi Helwende and their son, Johnny." He gets up Mom and puts his hand on the gun and making her lower it, "Mom... is that enough proof?" she puts the gun away in her room and then she breaks down sobbing and Clyde comforts her, "Mom, it's okay, I'm here... I'm home and that's what matters right?" Mom touches the metallic part of his face "Who did this to you?" I focused so much on his face that I did not notice that his right arm and both of his legs were metal also. He rises and gets Mom up as well, "This is Biotech made by Alexander Cyrano, an expert bio-engineer/engineer from a place called New York City. He gave me all this after all these injuries inflicted by the Empire.". Well, I want to make it up to all, let's go to Gerry's, my treat." Mom went a little pale, "I'll stay behind, you three have fun..." Clyde grabs both of Mom's hands "Mom please, I know this isn't much to make it up to you, but I want to start somewhere." "No, it's just it reminds me too much of your father." He lets go of her hands, "I'm sorry it was inconsiderate of me." He looks to both of us, "Let's get go to Gerry's you two." I follow behind him, but then my tears start flowing down my face, my breathing is shaky and I just start wiping off the tears, "He's really home."

Clyde Actaeon

It's been a long time since I've been... nothing hasn't really changed as much. Same transporter trains, apartments look the same as always and everything else is mostly the same. We walked to the surface elevator and then I see the S. Trackers, "Sir, we're going to need some identification." I hand her my Tracker badge the Tracker's eyes widen, "You're Vice Commander S.T. Tracker Deathshot..." The other person with her looked perplexed, "Give me that. It's impossible, Deathshot was assumed dead ten years ago." He looks at it once and then twice, "Ok, this is legit... the badge I mean. Just because this the real thing, doesn't mean you could be an imposter. So I need a 'check' if you obviously know what I'm talking about." I turn to Jack and Johnny, "Jack, Johnny you can't look at what they're about to do." Jack asks concerned "Why?" I walk to them and I make them turn around "This is a Tracker thing so just wait for a little bit." The 'check' is a blood test to check if the person is really who they say they are which is usually used with the right arm. The Tracker pulls out something from his pocket, a tiny, thin needle, I put out pointer finger, but they look suspiciously at me, "I know how to do the 'check', but..." I reveal and shake my right metal arm, "we can't do it with this, can we?" they prick my finger and I hand them my Tracker badge again. The soldier inserts the needle into a tiny hole at the top of the badge, "Sorry." The badge flashes green and one of the Trackers hands it back, "Okay, thank you and proceed outside of Invicta Bunker." I yell at Jack and Johnny, who follow me to the outside gate.

The gates with a series of turning gears a great flash of sunlight floods into the Bunker. I take a breath in... it's nice to be home. We walk for ten minutes and then Johnny asks curiously, "It's going to take a long time to get to Gerry's, how are we going to get there...?" I knew one of them was going to ask that. We reach the Warp Pad. The Warp Pad one of the greatest inventions made by man, within seconds a person with enough Warp Pads put across the planet and enough power could circle the entire planet within seconds. I  swipe my Tracker badge across the scanner in front of the Warp Pad, "You'll see..." In one second we get from Angel Island, where Invicta Bunker is located, to the mainland, San Francisco Bay. Johnny again asks "So how are we going to do this? Rental bikes? Train?" I know it was somewhere...! I raise my hand towards the beach and then a blue light in the form of a disc starts flashing. A few seconds later a hoverbike starts appearing, which Jack and Johnny react in a panicked way, "Oh... my... god...", they turn to me while pointing at it in excitement, "This is your ride???" "Yeah, it was something he built not too long after he helped me and he gave it to me. The name of the hoverbike is War Boar and it is pretty efficient with solar power as its energy source with solar panels installed in the hoverbike in a hidden compartment, the battery stores it up which can last up to a week if I go 60 miles an hour, but it takes 3.5 days to recharge fully. Currently here in Usaria, there is nothing faster unless Alexander has made something faster which he has probably..." They just looked at me perplexed, "Sorry I was rambling on... let's get some grub.". I get on with Jack and Johnny clinging on to me, "Hold on." I rev it up and then I go slow and then I go and faster and faster... those two are screaming their lungs...  I do not care... in just a few minutes we reach the docks with the two still screaming, "Guys... we're here." They both get off "Oh..."

We start walking along the mile-long bridge with a bunch of restaurants and stores across it. I could say that a few things have changed about the place now. Then we get to Gerry's and then there was something that really changed about it... an open/closed sign and the huge albino bison skin on top of the roof. I rub my eyes hoping that it was just an illusion, "Jack, my eyes aren't working..." "No Clyde, your eyes are fine, Gerry's became busier after you and Dad's squad went missing. People eat in the place where a Tracker squad contributed a lot to the community. You taught thousands upon thousands of people firearm skills which saved their lives because of that. Former Head Commander Augustus was a Tracker who fought for the community and volunteered to help refugees build themselves up. And Dad... helped all of us with the bandit problem south of us, the Scalpers, the Slitters and the Vultures stop attacking us after a century or two of fighting with their leaders just by having a discussion with Dad. When your squad disappeared it got so busy that he from working the whole week to 4 days a week." When I was here Gerry's was not per se struggling, but not thriving as well. Gerry's was open 7 days a week because there were not enough customers to overwhelm him, but just enough for him to make a living and get by. Never had I seen Gerry's doors closed before.

I decide to knock on the front door. I hear a voice coming closer to the door yelling, "What the hell do you want!!!" "It's me, Deathshot." Gerry goes silent for a few minutes, "Okay... wait for a second I got to unlock the door." The doors open with an angry Gerry and a double barrel shotgun charging through the door, "Alright who the hell are you thinking...", He looks at me and then Jack and Johnny, "Jack and Johnny, you sure this is Clyde?" Both shook their heads viciously, but Gerry still doesn't buy it, "Okay, just answer this one question: what is my last name?" "Trick question... You don't have one." Gerry lowers the shotgun and belts out a hearty laugh "That's my little Runt." I look at him closer and noticed his leg, his wooden leg, he notices, "Oh this old thing, this is from me and old Snowhorn's final tussle, I gave him my leg, he fed 500 people and I got his skin hanging over my building. 35 years of being a Tracker ends on a good note, didn't serve the community as much, but I kept the BUTUs of our backs for a long time." He grabs and shakes my metal arm, "Now what happened to you?" "The Kingdom happened." He gets misty-eyed, "I assume the others..." The misery sinks in with Jack and Johnny and especially Johnny. To know how his parents died... I wouldn't have the heart to tell him. "Let's forget the bad times, I just need something to eat." Gerry walks into the kitchen and starts working his magic. Ten minutes... he brings out a seafood stew and huge loaf of bread, "You remembered after all this time.", He puts in front of me, "After you guys disappeared the food you guys were a reminder of you all. Like a coping mechanism, I had to accept, but now that you're here I can smile even more just by serving this to you." He questions Jack and Johnny, "So what do you two want?" "We'll have what Clyde's having." I grab a spoon from the table, I start eating and... it's nostalgia in a bowl. When it was Christmas, we all shared this seafood stew that was in a big pot and funny conversations, songs, and dances lasting the entire night. A night that bonded all of us Trackers as family. We all eat in silence and after 30 minutes we finish. Gerry speaks first, "Now that we have full bellies I want to hear how you ended up like this.", I take a deep breath, "It started with an ambush planned by the Empire..."