Mission report ...
Year 2066 ...
Denver Co, USA
Operation: Enduring Victory

The city of Denver was a battlefield, the military and civilians battled against the Chariot unit hordes, who did not seem to stop coming. Military combat helicopters were seen flying through the sky giving air support to the ground troops but were quickly brought down by the ground forces of the Chariot series.

Rescue vehicles were fleeing the city, taking with them as many civilians as possible, all praying to be obliterated by a Kophesh or a Beetle.

Amid all this chaos, there was a military squad, wearing advanced combat equipment running across the wall of a building, shooting at a Beetle, bringing it to the ground when one of the soldiers gave the killing shot the robot's core, causing it to collapse to the ground.

The squad leader, Sargeant Jhon Doe, congratulated the squad members.

J. Doe: Well, done troops, it's time to take these civilians to the evacuation center-said the Staff Sergeant to his soldiers, as they responded with a loud "Hoah".

Out of nowhere, loud shots from heavy machinery began to be heard. A Kophesh came dangerously close, firing at the military and civilians who were not under cover.

Soldier # l: Damn it, a Kophesh on the left flank!-shouted a soldier, everyone took cover and whoever was armed began to open fire on the big war machine.

Soldier # 2: We need a sniper on the second floor of the building in front!-yelled a female soldier as she fired her light machine gun at the Kophesh.

Before the order could've been given away, one of the Kophesh missiles hit the second floor of a building, where the unit's sniper was, killing him instantly. On the first floor of the building, the civilians covered their heads from any falling debris.

Soldier # 3: Damn, it killed Jackson, someone go up and take that sniper!-One of the soldiers yelled when he saw that his partner did not respond.

One of the soldiers came out of his cover and using the thrusters on his exoskeleton, landed on the second floor of the recently attacked building. That was Allam J. Blake, he took the sniper rifle from the corpse of his fallen comrade, turned on his Focus and when he identified the weak points of the Kophesh, it began to shoot him. After several shots, one of the missile launchers got damaged, but before he could continue shooting, his Focus began to blare.

J.Doe: Blake: I need you to guide the refugees to the evacuation zone and bring us air support and extraction, I will send Ramírez to swap with you, we will give you covering fire!-Ordered the Sergeant to the soldier, which he responded with a simple 'Roger Sarn' as he descended to the first floor of the building, while Ramírez took control of the sniper rifle.

Allam: Listen up, I need everyone to follow me in a straight line, lower your head and move quickly, the evacuation zone is four blocks away, hopefully we will arrive on time and the damn Kophesh will not shred us like a Swiss cheese-said the young soldier while he was positioned next to the door waiting for the signal.

J. Doe: 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... GO! GO! GO! GO!-The man yelled through his Focus.

Blake kicked the door, making it fall off its hinges and ran in front of the civilians, firing at the Kopesh as they ran after him into the next alley, when they all passed the soldier chased after them and quickly got in front of them.

The soldier and the civilians began to run until they reached the evacuation area, which was on a medium size park. The military and first responders who were there helped mounting the civilians on evacuation vehicles and removed them from the area.

Allam approached one of the pilots to request air support and extraction. The pilot searched for his commanding officer and within minutes, Blake was in the air. They reached the area of combat and the pilot began firing missiles at the Kophesh. Allam jumped out of the helicopter and before hitting the ground he activated the compressed air thrusters and did a double jump in the air, thus slowing his descent. The soldier took cover and began firing at the giant robot, damaging his weapons and driving him to the brink of overheating.

When the robot's cooling port was opened, one of his comrades prepared a Granade Launcher and shot the robot in the port, causing it to explode from within and eventually falling to the ground defeated.

The soldiers gave a shout of celebration and saw how the helicopter lowered to the height of their exos to let them jump and quickly enter the helicopter.

J. Doe: Take us to the checkpoint near Colorado Springs, sir-the sergeant ordered the pilot, who nodded, and they were on their way to the base.  The floodgates were closed, and the helicopter's oxygen purifiers were turned on, allowing the soldiers to breathe without the need of a gas mask.

Allam took off his helmet and you could see his black hair, cut in a nice military and modern way, his natural tanned skin and his brown eyes, which were plastered on the ground as sweat ran down his forehead.

Allam: Shit, we hardly counted it huh, Sarge? -Said the soldier with a sigh and breathed a little more relieved.

J. Doe: In that you are right Private, we did a good job today team, a good fucking job-said the man taking off his helmet, revealing his white skin, tanned by the sun, his graying blonde hair showed his slightly advanced age and had blue eyes, marked by wrinkles of experience and stress.

Soldier#2: I just hope that Zero Dawn is almost ready, I can't take this fight anymore, I want to go home and see my family -said the woman as she took off her helmet and revealed her emerald, green eyes, fair skin and brown hair tied in a bow, she was Samantha "Sam" Harris.

Ramírez: And do you think Zero Dawn is going to save us? Look how things are out there, there is no more oxygen, and it is rare to see green on this planet, let's admit it, we are on the verge of extinction-said José Ramírez taking off his helmet, revealing a young dark man with curly black hair and brown eyes.

Soldier# 1: Come on, don't be pessimistic Ramírez, Zero Dawn will work, have faith brother-said the soldier, taking off his helmet and showing his light skin, his jet-black hair and his dark eyes, with predominant Asian features, that was Akio Shinichi.

Soldier#4: Faith? In whom? In the whoreson that started all of this? I only have faith in someone and that is Allah-said the young man as he took off his helmet and revealed his sunburned skin, with black hair and green eyes, with Arabic features, that was Rayan Osman.

Before an argument starts in the helicopter, Sergeant Doe commanded the troops to shut up.

After a 30 minute flight, all of the soldiers arrived at the Colorado Springs checkpoint. The squad stepped off the helicopter with their masks back on. As soon as they arrived, a soldier went to meet them.

Random Soldier: Sargent, I'm looking for Private First Class Blake. His presence is required in the Command's Tent-said the soldier and the Sargent pointed to Blake.

The soldier told Blake to follow him and so he did. They both left heading to a giant building painted in a multicolored green pattern, said build was hermetically sealed, with it's only entrance on the front, which had a transparent tube that connected the inside of the building with the exterior. That little passage was also sealed.

The soldier opened the gates and he went straight to the building. Blake and the unknown soldier took their masks off and started to walk around the Command Tent.

At the moment Blake and the random soldier entered the facility, now Blake knowing that the soldier was an Specialist, they saw a bunch of enlisted soldiers and officers working around the clock with all of what's happening out there.

Both soldiers arrived to a room, it was like a break room type of place, in there he saw his mother and his two sisters, next to them, there was the most important and impactful woman in the world, Dr. Elizabet Sobeck.

Allam POV

ME: Mom?...Janet?...Sarah?...Aunt Eli, I-I mean, Dr. Sobeck? Wha-What are y'all doing here?-I asked them in disbelief, they should be in a fallout shelter, not in here.

My family came to give me a big hug, I reciprocated back, minding my augmented strength that I had with the exoskeleton so I don't break their spines by accident.

I haven't seen them in nearly a year and having them here...in my arms...it felt weird, but good. I missed them dearly every day. We separated from the embrace and my mother looks the same as when I left months ago, my sisters look a bit older, but for me they are still my usual little troublemakers.

Dr. Sobeck: You don't have to have formalities, honey...oh, how much you have grown dear, you are quite the young man now-the doctor said to me as she gave me a hug, which I returned.

I haven't seen Aunt Eli in a while to be honest. A year i believe, but I do welcome the surprise though.

Me: I'm also glad to see you, but what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working on Zero Dawn?-I asked the woman, that no matter how emotional the moment is, I can't stop thinking about why she and my family are here.

Dr. Sobeck: We came to talk to you about it, please have a seat-she said pointing to the table. We sat at the table and she began to tell me the truth about Project Zero Dawn, that the earth was lost and that there was nothing we could do to save it.

Me: So... all this time... the war was lost from the beginning? Won't Zero Dawn save us? Aunt Eli...Are we playing at being God?-I asked without being able to believe what she had revealed to me, everything is a lie, a farce to buy time, all those lives lost, so much destruction caused by the ambition of a single man.

Tears menaced to escape my eyes, as I remembered the faces of all my dead comrades, all the battles that I lived in the last year, the nights without being able to sleep because I was in battle, the days without eating or drinking...and no matter how many people I saved. At the end of the day, we were all going to die, I had realized that this was not the end of our civilization, it was a goddamn mass extinction.

ME: B-But why are you telling me this? Why? To die knowing the truth? That there is no future to walk to? That I will go out there knowing that I will risk my life for nothing and that no matter how many people I save, they will all die? That my sisters will not be able to live their life?-I asked the ginger haired woman with disbelief.

Dr. Sobeck: I'm telling you this because you and your sisters do have a future-said the doctor looking into my eyes, which surprised me.

Mom: Allam...your sisters...I enrolled them in a secret military program-said my mother and I felt that the world was crumbling.

Me: W-What...YOU WHAT?!...I...mom...Why did you do that?!-I asked her full of anger, I did not want my sister to be guinea pigs of the government, at this point all of us were guinea pigs.

Mom: Because that way they will have a future!-She answered me with crystalline eyes.

Mom: You think it was easy for me, but it wasn't!-she said with tears in her eyes.

Dr. Sobeck: They are going to be cryogenized in a secure military facility, where they will remain asleep until life on earth is sustainable again-my aunt explained to me, which surprised me.

Me: Cr-Cryogenization? Like...freeze them like popsicles?-I asked her incredulously and without being able to believe it.

Dr. Sobeck: In a certain way...it is. And since they are still minors, your mother signed for them, with all the risks included-said the doctor seriously looking at the young soldier

Me: Risks? What kind of risks are you talking about, Aunt Eli?-I asked the woman in front of me. She let out a sigh of her own and continued her explanation.

Dr. Sobeck: There is ... a 98.99% of probability that the subjects may die during the cryogenization process- my aunt explained to me, I couldn't believe it, it was like suicide.

Dr. Sobeck: Allam, the reason we came here was to give you the opportunity to enter the cryogenic program. You and your sisters will be put in a cryogenic state and will resurface in a new world, where you can start from scratch and have a better future-my aunt explained to me, but still, I couldn't believe it, it all sounded so unreal.

Dr. Sobeck: I just need you to sign these papers and we will go. Zero Dawn is complete, and the Earth only has a few days left...you saw all of those people working down there, right? That's because a big Faro assault is coming this way and they need every available resource to defend the area and push back the horde, but I know it's going to be futile...you're going to be sent with them too, if you don't sign you're going to die out here-my aunt told me, showing me a piece of paper, I was undecided, I could die out here fighting or I could freeze to death, neither of the two options sounded good. I want to live, but I don't want to die for a lost cause at the same time.

Me: And my mother? What will happen to her?-I asked my aunt, she lowered her head and looked at my mother, she answered me.

Mom: I'm not going son, I'll stay with Elizabeth inside the Zero Dawn bunker, I have to help her as much as I can-she told me, with tears in her eyes, i was shaking my head, feeling the tears build up in my eyes.

Mom: Please, my love, sign that paper and don't worry about me, I'll be fine as long as you three are fine, I want you to live, grow and have a future. Go and live, don't die for pride-she begged me giving me a hug, my sisters joined the hug crying too, surrounding me. Aunt Eli also had tears runing down her cheeks.

I grab the pen and sign the damn paper. My aunt gave me a hug and we all joined in crying.

Me: I love y'all, all four of you...thanks for everything mom, I promise I'm going to live for them, for you and for me-I told them through tears.

After our emotional talk, I was sent to pack my most important things, I went to my tent and said goodbye to my squad, saying that I was transferred to the 105th infantry battalion, since no one could know the real reason for Zero Dawn. I left the banner and met up with my family and we got on a helicopter that took us to some underground military facility outside of Colorado Springs, the base wasn't that big on the outside, same as in the inside.

We entered the base, where my exoskeleton and weapons were removed, leaving me only in my military uniform. They took us to a room where there were more people of different ethnicities wearing gray and white neoprene overalls.

They led us to a room where they gave us those the same jumpsuits that I saw earlier and forced us to strip. I gave privacy to my sisters, and I went to a corner and took off my clothes, staying in my underwear to then put on the gray jumpsuit.

After a while, each person was put into capsules where we would sleep for the next few years. Aunt Eli approached me and asked if she had any requests before entering and I asked that they leave a military assault kit ready for me, with supplies that could last me a few weeks on the new world, if I didn't die trying.

I hugged my aunt and kissed her on the cheek. And I whispered a 'Thank you' and an 'I love you' to the woman who has been part of my family for as long as I can remember, then I approached my sisters, and we had a warm group hug.

Me: Remember, no matter what happens, I'm going to love you until the end of time-I said to both of them, who responded with 'we love you' and kisses on the cheek.

I lay down on the stretcher and aunt pressed some buttons on the control panel, causing the glass to go down, I put my hand on the glass as a last goodbye to my aunt. I began to feel cold take over my body, I began to feel tired and very sleepy, I saw how the glass began to freeze and finally I closed my eyes, with the image of my family in my mind.

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I feel very cold...too damned cold, I hear the sound of a hatch opening...I try to move my arms, but they don't respond because of the cold...I try to open my eyes, but I can't for a couple of seconds until finally open and I see a ceiling, everything is dark.

I try to move my fingers, but they are barely responding. I see a beautiful angel in the shape of a woman approaching me, she had long red fiery hair, braided in some areas. The girl was both surprised, worried, and awestruck; I swear that she had an excited glare in her eyes. She then grabbed my cold body and sat it down... I felt her arms grab me and pull me off the stretcher. My surroundings looked old, with stalactites all over the place and quite cold. What the fuck happened to this place?

I saw a hot light and when I got close enough, I saw that it was a campfire. The red-haired angel lay me down next to the campfire and it began to warm my body, but I still felt cold and sleepy, so I fell asleep again, wondering who that red-haired angel was that took me out from my frozen grave.

This is Horizon Zero Dawn: A man out of time