PRESENT DAY...

Grif exits the Red Base, only to find Carolina standing by the door.

Carolina: Hey, you. Orange one. Where's the rest of your team?

Grif: How should I know?

Carolina: You don't report in to each other?

Grif: Oh yeah. I mean, I get reports.

Carolina: You might be the worst soldiers I've ever met.

Grif: Hey! I take offense at that! What do you mean, 'might be'?

Simmons, Sarge, and Kan come walking up the river towards them.

Carolina: Here they come. Let's move out.

Carolina turns and leaves.

Grif: Hey, guys! Did you find Lopez?

Simmons: Yeah. Donut nailed him into a board. He's staying here.

Grif: I thought Donut was dead.

Sarge: Yeah, we really need to stop saying that.

Kan: Next time he endures something should kill someone or something, allow me to be the one who makes sure he IS.

Simmons: Uh, yeahhhh...anyways, he almost was. But Doc fixed him up, and now they live together. They say hi, by the way. Oh, and they baked us this banana-bread.

Simmons then holds out a loaf of banana bread, with a card reading, "Hope you like nuts! -Donut & Doc."

Grif: How nice! I'm gonna have to forget to send them a thank-you card. Hey, Simmons, when you said Donut nailed Lopez to a board...

Simmons: I mean with nails.

Grif: Okay, had to ask.

Simmons: No, no, I understand. I-I should have been clearer. It's my fault.

Kan: Eughhh, I'm going to go find my Leader.

As Kan heads off, Tucker and Caboose approach Carolina.

Tucker: Hey, what's the deal? We're leaving already?

Carolina: That's right. You got a problem with that?

Epsilon appears next to Carolina.

Epsilon: Uh, hey, Carolina, why don't you let me handle this?

Tucker, Caboose, and Epsilon walk over to the front of back of Red Base.

Epsilon: Tucker, what do you want?

Tucker: I wanna know what you found out about Carolina! Is she evil? Is she crazy? Is she crazy-evil?

Caboose: Is she pretty?

Tucker: Oh, yeah, is she hot? Ohohoh or is he a dude?

Epsilon: Guys! I've got more important things to do right now.

Tucker: What are you talking about?! You're supposed to be spying on her! She's the enemy, remember?! Us against them!

Epsilon: Hey, you don't know anything about her, Tucker! You have no idea what's she's been through!

Tucker: Since when did-

Epsilon: Look! Would you guys just get in the fucking car so we can leave already? Thank you.

Epsilon disappears. Tucker and Caboose glance at each other. Epsilon reappears by Carolina.

Carolina: What was that about?

Epsilon: Nothing. I need to talk to you.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

DURING FREELANCER MANY YEARS AGO...

North is looking through a window into the recovery room from the medical bay. Carolina lies on a bed while Cal sits next to her legs, looking down with his eyes closed.

Tex walks up next to North.

Tex: How's she doing?

North: No idea. Doc's thought she would have woken up by now, but... she's still under.

Tex: How long has he been there?

North: He hasn't left her side yet.

Cal shakes his head as he stands and holds the bridge of his nose.

Tex: It's been days.

North: And he's dedicated.

Tex slowly walks away from North and begins walking around the room.

Tex: You know, your sister petitioned to get one of Carolina's AIs.

North: She didn't...

Tex: Sure did.

North: I'll talk to her. That's inappropriate.

Tex: Yeah. Inappropriate's the word. So is vulture. Piece of advice, one soldier to another: you watch her.

North: Something's different with you.

Tex: You have an AI, right?

North: Theta, yeah.

Tex: Take you some getting used to?

North: I'll say.

Tex: Well, let's say mine took a little longer than most. I'm not sure I want to depend on him.

North: You been, uh, pulling him?

Tex: Haven't used him in days.

North: Does the Director know?

Tex: No. And he's not going to. No one needs to know.

North: They have to stop implanting now. I mean, after this...

Tex: Wash is up for surgery next.

North: You're kidding me...

Tex: Eh, time marches on. So does Project Freelancer.

North: Yeah. And lately, it seems like we're getting trampled in the process.

Tex: Hey, call me when she wakes up. Or, if she... doesn't.

North: Will do.

As Tex leaves, a purple firework goes off in front of North, and Theta appears from it.

Theta: I think I'm starting to like her. At least better than I did before.

North: Yeah. She grows on you.

Theta: Still scary, though.

North: Oh, yeah. Plenty scary.

Theta and North leave the room as Cal walks over to Carolina.

California: Shit's gonna happen over the next few days, love. And I know you're not gonna believe me. So I don't have any other choice but to disappear.

Cal slightly brushes her hair away and kisses her forehead.

California: I hope we see each other again. Whether it be in this lifetime or another.

Cal leaves the room and looks back and forth before sprinting like no tomorrow.

California: (in his mind) Rho, we all set?

Rho: (in Cal's mind) I'm prepping the Longsword now.

California: (in his mind) Good. (aloud) Time to get off this ship.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Somewhere inside of an unknown location, bright blue lights shine from doors in the background.

Counselor: (voice over) Are you there, Alpha? Are you there?

The Alpha AI walks into view.

Alpha: (frantically) Yes! I-I'm here! I'm here. Hello? Don't lea- hey Counselor! Are you there?

Counselor: (voice over) I am here.

Alpha: What- what happened? Is everybody okay?

Counselor: (voice over) Perhaps you should ask the Director.

Alpha: Why? Does- does that mean something happened?

Director: (voice over) Hello Alpha.

Alpha: Director, please, what is going on?

Director: (voice over) There was another incident; security failed.

Alpha: (frantically) Is it the schematics? They're just- they're too complex. I just need more time to work on them.

Director: (voice over) It's not your fault.

Alpha: How can you say that? Of course it is! Was anybody hurt?

Director: (voice over) I am sorry. Yes. Washington and another died.

Alpha: (low sigh) Who?

Director: (voice over) ...I can't say.

Alpha: Who? Who died?!

Director: (voice over) ...Agent Texas.

Alpha: NO!! Oh my god, no!!

The room begins to shake violently around the Alpha. Outside the Alpha's location, the Director and Counselor witness the Alpha's actions from a video screen hooked up to a large machine. Pillars holding memory units are by their sides.

A memory unit is seen hooked up to the machine in front of them as Alpha yells from the screen.

Alpha: (from the video screen) No... no, no! God, NO!

Director: That's too far Gamma.

Sigma and Gamma appear next to the memory unit.

Sigma: (to Gamma) We need stronger stimulus. He'll break.

On the video screen, Alpha begins to flash unstably. The Director, Counselor, Sigma, Gamma, and Omega watch.

Counselor: He's ready. Bring in the stasis unit.

Director: You three, log off.

Gamma and Omega disappear. Sigma, however, approaches the Director.

Sigma: Director, I would like to see this part of the process.

Director: You can't get near the artifact, it's too dangerous. Your job is done. Log off.

Sigma: As you wish.

Rather than logging off, Sigma enters a nearby video camera, in order to witness the upcoming event

Director: Get us another memory unit. A new one. Don't let it touch anything else.

Two soldiers wheel the Sarcophagus inside the room and proceed to open it. A multi-tentacled being emerges from inside.

Counselor: Move all other equipment away from it.

Director: That's right it's broken. We broke it, and we need you to fix it, just like you've done before. Here take this. Use this to fix it. Make it better; take away all that we broke, that's right. Put them in here.

The being then repairs the memory unit.

Counselor: It is done.

The Director picks up the memory unit.

Director: Welcome to the world, Epsilon. Today, is your birthday.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Cal sprints into the hangar bay and sees 479er by her Pelican.

California: (quietly) Shit.

Rho: (appears) Distract her. I need a few more minutes to prep the ship.

Rho disappears and Cal walks to 479er. She then notices tall Freelancer approach her.

479er: Cal? What are you doing here?

California: I just needed to get away from everyone being at each other's throats. You know?

479er: Yeah, shit's been getting crazy, hasn't it? But, honestly I've been most pissed off at not being able to fly my ship somewhere.

As 479er looks up at her Pelican, Cal quietly walks up behind her.

479er: I just hope my piloting days aren't over.

California: I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Cal then neck-chops her, making her fall forward, unconscious. He stops her and lays her on the floor, before standing back up.

California: Rho?

The Longsword that Cal had stolen from the Insurrection fires up. Suddenly an alarm blares in the hangar bay and the lights start blinking red.

F.I.L.S.S.: Alarm. Unauthorized use of transportation is prohi-

FILSS gets cut of by Rho appearing and pulling up a screen and tapping a few buttons.

Rho: You're ready to go.

California: I think you meant to say "we", mate.

Rho: No, YOU. Someone's gotta stay behind and keep F.I.L.S.S. from locking down the doors.

California: Rho-

Rho: Cal, there is no time to discuss this! Get your Australian ass onboard and do something with your life! I'm not even supposed to exist! I'm just a by-product of some sick experiment.

California: Rho, that's not true.

Rho: You saw it with your own eyes on that data drive! And Tex is gonna see it sooner or later seeing as how you left it in her locker! I'm just a broken piece of something that'll never be put back together. You aren't! I'm just a bunch of algorithms and programming that'll eventually wither away over the course of seven or eight years! You've got another fifty or sixty to live!

California: What you are, is my friend! My partner! And I don't leave my partners behind!

Rho looks down and sighs.

Rho: ....We'll see each other again, Travis. I promise you...

California: (voice slightly breaks) You better keep that damned promise.

The alarms starts blaring again.

Rho: Shit! Hurry! I can stall a bit longer, but it won't be long before she overrides my block-outs! Now GO!

Cal sprints towards the edge of the Longsword's ramp and nods at Rho before heading in the ship and sitting in the cockpit.

Rho watches the Longsword lift up and then blast out of the hangar. The red AI salutes the ship goodbye as several soldiers run in and aim at the AI.

Rho: Just for the record, you can't exactly kill me with physical weapons. You know that, right?

(DAMN! THIS WAS INTENSE! ALSO, JUST FYI: FROM HERE ON OUT WHENEVER FREELANCER FLASHBACKS ARE SUPPOSED TO OCCUR WITHIN THE REMAINING CHAPTERS, THEY'LL BE REPLACED WITH WHAT SLADE HAD BEEN DOING BEFORE HE WAS CONTACTED BY FLORIDA AND TRANSFERRED TO THE SIMULATION TROOPER ARMY! HOPE YOU ALL WILL ENJOY!)