Echoes of the Ancient

by Wandering Axioms

Prologue

Echoes of the Ancient

By Wandering Axioms

A lost child always returns...

It was an unusually pleasant evening on this day; the kind of an evening that would be perfect for one to take a long walk down the streets of their city and just breathe in the cool, brisk October air.

That is precisely what young Aiden did this evening. But he was not in a city of course, he was wandering the desert, almost aimlessly, the events of the past forty eight hours slamming his memory over and over again. He was wearing his armor and gas mask of course; here in the Exclusion Zone, you never know when you could be hit by Reborn ambush, or when you might accidentally cross into a radiation hot zone. But then again, it would probably be for the best that he died out here in this remote area of the Nevada desert, than to report back to base camp, be detained for God knows how long, and be interrogated on the incident over the previous two days. Actually, it would’ve been best if he’d died along with the rest of his team, fighting against the Reborn militia.

He found it hard to believe that merely seven or so hours earlier, he was running desperately for his life through the aqueducts and sewers of Detachment 04 as the entire facility was exploding and falling apart over his head.

In the shadow of these past events, the words of his stepfather from five years before came rushing back to him: “You’re only fifteen, Aiden; you have an entire life ahead of you. Are you certain you’re ready to make a commitment as big as joining the Network?”

The Network...

It still seems hard to believe that all six of his teammates were around his age the day he met them; fifteen, sixteen, seventeen years old. He and his team actually only participated in four missions over the five years that they’ve been members of the Network; (or Assets as they’re called) that includes this latest blunder of a mission.

Their first mission was in Washington D.C. only three days after they met, and most of them still doubted his ability to lead. Their second mission was several months later, in Tesanga; a country in western Africa, and later in Xuchung, a small east Asian nation. Their third mission was nearly a year later, just north of Baghdad; it was in this mission that one of his teammates, Logan Somers, perished.

“No, Somers didn’t die in that bunker,” Aiden corrected himself. “He was just declared MIA.”

It was three years since that mission. And now, over the past forty eight hours, the remaining five people in his team were picked off one by one: Alex died in the VTOL crash on the way to Detachment 04, his final words were on his extensive family. “He did have the largest family of us all...” Aiden whispered to himself. Mary was killed while distracting an enormous flame strider...by running around the parking lot of an abandoned school, picking up any explosives she could use from fallen soldiers. “At least the girl went out, doing what she loved: blowing things up...” Leon was hit by a Reborn sniper (ironically) in the chest, yet still had the breath in him to curse and swear all the while, beating one last Reborn soldier to death with his bare hands. David, the poor kid, he was surrounded by Reborn and simply beaten to death; he did manage to take four of them with him by pulling the pins on all of his grenades. Aiden sighed. “That was surprisingly courageous of the timid kid.” And lastly, Emily fell to her death as she and Aiden made their way to the bottom of Detachment 04.

In his left hand, he clenched the dog tags of his teammates. With his other hand, he sifted through them, just to make sure he had them all with him. “Lance Corporal Alex Rey, age nineteen; Specialist Mary Willis, age twenty; Corporal Leon Caine, age twenty one; Private First Class David Bern, age eighteen; and Private First Class Emily Benet, age eighteen.” Yes, everyone was here.

He pulled his own dog tag out and gazed at it somberly behind his gas mask. “Sergeant Aiden Marsh, nineteen...” All except for Logan’s tag. “I wonder how old Logan would be?” Aiden asked out loud. “He disappeared on that mission about three years ago, he was around Leon’s age...he was born on...” Aiden shook his head, trying to grasp for the correct answer. “He was born on...October 29th.” The realization hit him like a freight train. “He would be twenty two, as of today...” He sighs in exhaustion and leans against a small boulder jutting out of the desert sand, his back facing the setting sun.

Last night he had actually cried. Sure he had done so before, but the previous evening, in the aftermath of the Reborn incident, he had sobbed profusely over the deaths of his teammates and friends. He also weeped for his stepfather (he never knew his real parents) whom had passed away from unknown causes nearly a year before.

One wouldn’t be able to see it, but his eyes behind the gas mask were dry and red from shedding tears. He turned to gaze at the still setting sun, slowly sinking behind the desert’s horizon. He thought to himself.

“It’s getting late...I guess I’ll head back to base camp in the morning.”

It wasn’t exactly the wisest thing to sleep out in the open like this, especially at night, but he really didn’t have the strength or the enthusiasm to trudge all the way back to base camp, only to be bombarded by interrogators, asking question after tedious question on the events that had occurred these past two days. Even more so, he honestly didn’t even care if some wild animal came and devoured him in his sleep. For after the questions were over, and he was sent back home, what would he have to return to? His stepfather, the only family he ever had in his short life, was gone, his team and friends were all gone. He would probably be decommissioned from the Network; everyone who ever gave a damn about him or his well being...gone. He had no one to be cared by and no one and nothing to care for.

He leaned further back into the boulder he was sitting on and waited. Whether it was sleep or death that came first, Aiden gladly welcomed it.

Several hours later, the sky was absolutely black: no moon, no stars, nothing. He still hadn’t sucummed to exhaustion yet, which was greatly annoying him. “So, am I just going to have a staring contest with the sky tonight, or what?” He hoarsely whispered to himself. It probably would’ve helped if he wasn’t using a rock as a boulder...

He chuckles. “Hmph, silly me...”

A loud, sudden crackling noise startles him to full alertness. He scrambles for either his automatic rifle or pistol, only to remember that he had neither on him. “God damn it...” he cursed. As for the source of the noise, Aiden panned his view across the pitch black landscape. It actually reminded him of some early 21st century sci-fi film “Who was the main character? Roderick? Raddock?” He shook his head. “Focus, damn you, Aiden!”

It was at this point that he remembered his flashlight. “Of course, how could I forget?” After a click of the button, and a small amount of blinking, the light came to life, illuminating the desert landscape before Aiden. “Good, at least this thing still works!” As if on cue, the flashlight made a noise and just died like that. Aiden growled in frustration as he threw the broken thing against the boulder he was using as a pillow, shattering it to pieces as if it were a fragile glass ornament.

“Well, whatever it was, it seems to be gone now...” Aiden said, a sudden feeling of fatigue coming over him. “Finally, I actually feel tired, maybe I can get some sleep.” He did hear one last thing before surrendering to fatigue. It was faint and calm...it was a voice.

"We know you by name...your memories are wreathed with our future...our world is in danger, Intervention. We remember your name...remember ours...return to us..."

Comments

[The Professor]

I'm liking this. I'll track this. Good job!

[Branden Hew Troy]

No guns? but guns are like kittens and barbecue sauce, they make EVERYTHING better

[KingOfTheMuffins]

It actually reminded him of some early 21st century sci-fi film “Who was the main character? Roderick? Raddock?” He shook his head. “Focus, damn you, Aiden!”

Are you by chance referring to The Chronicles of Riddick (and Pitch Black, for that matter)?

[ZettaLux]

Interesting concept. A little rushed; you need to work on your prose a little more. Also, you have to stay in past-tense. You have several instances where you switch the tenses.

[SouthernmostDogs]

837332

Yup, he is. I can tell. Don't ask me how, I just can.

[uNkwOwn]

Patrolling the Mojave almost makes you wish for a nuclear winter.

[faren455]

Just read the prologue. It's good just a few things to say about it.

First of all, I hope these factions are not going to matter later on, because their names while sounding cool are to vague and generic to be remembered. If you want someone to remember who a name is attached to it is best to actually name them after what they stand for so you don't have to memorize the name and the description of the group, but instead memorize the emotions and opinions of what they are fighting for. This works since a reader will remember a faction better if they empathize with it, and especially if they hate it.

Secondly, Your description of the characters that died, while shows that the protagonist was attached to them, makes it seem like everyone associated with the protagonist gets a glorious and heroic death. We are not attached to any of them and all we see is how much this is painting the team as the A-team, or a group that is well above and beyond everyone else that they become unrelatable. (Very bad to have just as the story starts.) I was please when you said that one was just beaten to death and put my mind at ease, but then finished with "he did manage to take four of them with him by pulling the pins on all of his grenades". It's very important and something that alot of people forget, that the heroes aren't supposed to start off as such, but develop into the heroes at the end.

Other than that I have no problems with the story. It's abit vague about what is going on, since that is not only understandable for a prologue, but in some ways expected I can't really fault it of you. I'll add you to my favs.

1518804 I thought that was obvious. Pitch Black is specifically what he was referring to I believe, since it takes place in a similar setting as him.

[Chill Mists(Chilly)]

"Several hours later, the sky was absolutely black: no moon, no stars, nothing. He still hadn’t sucummed to exhaustion yet, which was greatly annoying him. “So, am I just going to have a staring contest with the sky tonight, or what?” He hoarsely whispered to himself. It probably would’ve helped if he wasn’t using a rock as a boulder..."
This sound strange to any of you? Using a rock as a boulder? Do you mean pillow or something? Anyway, so far I'm enjoying this so far, and everything I was going to say was said by faren455. I shall read more.

[Viking Hoof]

2374950
He is in the middle of the dessert his closest friends just died and he is either getting hypothermia or heatstroke... Who the hell sounds normal in that situation?

[Artyom the Brony]

YOU SIR! YES YOU WITH THE COVER ART! I know where that's from. Nice.

[no longer on]

Riddick maybe?