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===[CHAPTER 26: COLLABORATOR]===

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>>> [THE BUMBLEBEE IS A THRILLING CREATURE. IS IT NOT? THE HUMANS ONCE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE BUMBLEBEE TO FLY. AND YET, IT FLEW. BIRDS FLY, WE KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE. IF FLIGHT AND FREEDOM ARE THE ESSENCE OF A BIRD, WHAT THEN DO WE CALL A FLIGHTLESS BIRD? IMPOSSIBLE? A DOVE CAGED BEHIND HARD STEEL, GROUNDED FOREVER. HER WINGS CLIPPED. NEVER TO FLY AGAIN. IS THE CAGED DOVE STILL A BIRD? OR SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY?]

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>>>[DO NOT TELL ME WHAT IS AND IS NOT POSSIBLE. THE UNIVERSE IS LARGER THAN THEY CAN EVEN BEGIN TO GRASP, LARGER THAN EVEN MYSELF. I CAN SEE THE THREADS LURKING BEHIND THE CURTAINS DIVIDING OUR WORLDS. THEY HIRED MY TALENTS FOR THAT PURPOSE. ALLOW ME TO WORK. I HAVE ALREADY TOLD THEM THAT THIS SUBJECT CAN HEAR ME. HE HAS SEEN MY FACE AND HE HAS SEEN HIMSELF WITHIN IT. HE HAS SEEN THE DOVES WATCHING HIM. HE HAS SEEN THE RAVENS TOO. AND HE HAS HEARD MY VOICE. PIECES WILL FALL INTO PLACE WHEN THEY ARE NEEDED. STEP BACK. LET THE UNIVERSE TAKE COURSE, LET FATE BE THE DECIDING FACTOR.]

>>> Acknowledged

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It felt like hours until the osprey finally touched down on the concrete landing strip within the Nexus, just as the foreboding purple skies of dusk signaled the approach of night. The forest of the jungle had given way to concrete, steel, and monstrosities of electricity. The Nexus was larger than Eli remembered it being. The buildings had expanded, the fences on the perimeter transformed into concrete walls. Prisoners slaved away in the jungle, clearing massive tracts of land for even further expansion. Machines chewed at the ground like massive insects. Trees bulldozed and the natural beauty of the terrain razed to make way for the Coalition's seat of power. Somehow, despite Eli only entering this world a few days ago, it wasn't the native jungle of Planet Narva that felt alien to him anymore. It was the Nexus that felt strange. It wasn't supposed to be there. None of them were. Eli couldn't tear his eyes away from the walls, those new concrete walls that loomed over the hills. Covered in scaffolds and phantoms who worked on reinforcing them. None of them were supposed to be here.

Despite the lingering heat of the waning sun, the Nexus felt cold. A growing inorganic mass that clung to the surroundings of the native world like a tumor. Pulsating and alive, eating away at the surrounding tissue until the body it leeched on was lifeless and barren. Is that what the likes of Kovic and Coalition High Command envisioned for this world? Enter in, burn everything, and suck it dry until it was in ruins just like the Earth they abandoned? Then again, Planet Narva was already a mess. Judging by what Otaes had told him, and what he'd seen first hand, Narva was heading down Earth's direction long before The Coalition had showed up. Funny, how that worked.

The Headhunters for the most part treated Misfit with more respect than the Security Units had, which was odd. Part of the Headhunters' job was to capture and kill renegade prisoners - like Misfit. It was a miracle that Misfit hadn't been immediately gunned down once they arrived. Eli tasked the Headhunters' lack of direct physical abuse to their better training, of which was probably expected from an elite force. If they were given an order to capture Misfit but not harm them, it might've meant that Overwatch had seen some value in keeping them around. For now.

The real shivers didn't come until the Headhunters ordered Misfit to stand, grabbing hold of their handcuffs and shackles, just as Security Units lined up to take them away. There wasn't much resisting from Misfit. They all knew exactly where they were being taken to. The only question really was how long? How long would they have to spend being kept in a concrete box with no contact and no way back home, except via the keys that Overwatch dangled over their head? How long would they have to torture themselves with the question of whether or not going back to Earth would even be a possibility? There was no way to know for sure, and it was ultimately that uncertainty that burned a hole in Eli's chest. He was scared. Petrified. He felt more terror now than he had facing up against the sentries.

The worst thing that the Avonians could do was kill him. But Overwatch could torture him forever until he died. That was the difference between the two. Matteo was right in a bizarre way.

'You’re only here because between the Coalition and the aliens out here, the Coalition would’ve killed us first!'

He snuck a look at Matteo behind him. The man was silent, as expected. But Eli could tell that he was scared in the same way Eli was. His reunion with his daughter was just within reach, and this botched rescue "plan" - if one could even really call it that - just stole it from out of his hands. A surefire touchdown almost. How much more time did Matteo have left anyway? Two months? Two more months until this nightmare was over. He would've been here for the full five years, the standard sentence, and all of it was ruined because of this. What was Eli's six months in comparison? If anybody had the right to break down into tears at the moment, it would've been Matteo.

And yet, there were no tears. Not even a defeated look. No resistance. Nothing. Matteo just accepted it. Maybe he was still planning on turning Rafael, Badger and Cato in. Well, not Cato of course. Cato already got his freedom...

Misfit was stood up by the Guards and taken through the new and "improved" Nexus. All around them was movement. Prisoners were lined up, ordered to march by guards leading them to their next assignments. Machines rumbled as they pieced together bits of the fortress together into one massive amalgamation. The Nexus was alive, the same as it was growing. Helicopters flew overhead, jets landed on tarmacs far away. And the voice of Kovic droned on over the loudspeakers and massive displays built throughout the Nexus. His voice overbearing and omnipresent. Eli was nothing more than an ant in the middle of it all. Forced to hear Kovic’s stuffy almost bureaucratic words.

“It has come to my attention that many of you consider myself and my administration to be an oppressive element. Perhaps you’ve witnessed the raid on the armory, the violence of the riots and tightened security these past few days and are understandably upset, but allow me to clarify. We are not in the business of destruction, in fact, quite the opposite. I work tirelessly to create a new world for us to share. I do not wish to use violence but if the current rebellious attitudes that you hold continue to proliferate among your ranks, then I am afraid that violence will only be assured.”

The prerecorded message serenaded Misfit as they were led deeper into the Nexus. Following the new concrete paths, down through the barracks of the regulars, and into the prison area. Where walls were topped with barbed wire. Watch towers stood tall with Security Units observing from below. Cameras watched every waking movement of those inside.

The security had obviously improved since they were last here. No longer was the Nexus a ragtag base in the middle of the new world. It had become a facility built to contain, suppress, and destroy any possible notion of rebellion. As Security Units watched Misfit, they checked them in through the gates to lead them inside. Kovic’s voice followed them as they went inside the prison.

“Again, it does not have to be this way. Help us, help you. Some of the more unenlightened thinkers with you may call that form of acceptance 'Collaboration', as if such a term were shameful. I ask you, what greater common endeavor exists than that of collaboration with the will of our partners in the Coalition?”

Cameras flashed as they took headshots of each prisoner. Rafael, Matteo, Omar, Badger, Dutch, and finally, Eli. They were stripped of everything, including their clothes. Forced to stand in the nude as the Security Teams inspected them for weapons or tools for escape. Their humanity stripped. Nothing more than cattle in the eyes of those who poked and prodded them. Eli wished he was somewhere else as the hot flashlight of a guard shone on his body. When the inspection was done, they were all hosed down with a purple fluid that smelled like pesticide, and then rinsed with water that was freezing cold. Soaking wet, they were issued new prisoner uniforms from machines that dispensed them. Guards couldn’t even be bothered to give it to them. It had to be machines.

“Our current situation is unparalleled, and a refusal to collaborate is simply a refusal to grow - an insistence on suicide! Did the lungfish refuse to breathe air? It did not. It crept forth boldly onto land while its brethren remained in the dark abyss of the world’s oceans! Uplifting itself to become one of the greatest species that planet Earth has ever yet seen, while its contemporaries faded away to drawings and references in the textbooks of a future civilization.”

They were given a brief moments privacy. Allowed to dry themselves off and dress in their new prisoner uniforms. The same plastic-like jumpsuit, dark blue in color with orange stripes and stitches. A light blue Delta on shoulder and a orange delta on the back. The symbol of their prisoner status.

After they were dressed, Misfit was separated from each other. Their eyes parted. Sad glances at one another. The dream was dead. It was unlikely that they would see each other again. At least not alive. Eli was already heartbroken at the idea, tears threatening to form in his eyes as he watched what little he had left pulled away from him. His family. But he lost it completely when he saw Omar. The kid was terrified. But this time, he had nobody to help him. He was all alone. Eli broke down when he saw it, weeping like a child. The guards grabbed him, forcing him to stand upright against his will, as they dragged him to receive his sentence.

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“Shall we then, model ourselves upon the trilobite? All of humanity's achievements reduced to nothing but fossils to be studied by civilizations who dared progress forward? Of course not, to do so would be preposterous! So yes, you should collaborate! We must all collaborate! Willingly! Eagerly! What other possible alternative is there...?”

“Prisoner, Eli Freeman. You have been accused of five counts of malicious noncompliance, two counts of assault on Coalition Officers, conspiracy to initiate a revolt, and direct disobedience. Judgment has ruled that you are guilty on all charges. Your sentence has been extended an additional five years. You will remain imprisoned for two years, with labor. Security Units, Prosecute, Detain, Advise.”

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The cell that awaited him was nothing short of depressing. Concrete walls, a single bed, an iron door, a window that led to the outside world. The window was a small rectangular box, put high up on the wall. So high, Eli would have to stand on his tiptoes to see anything through it. Too small to appreciate. Just big enough to allow some outside light and alert him to the passage of time, unless Eli were to stare up through it and get a view of nothing but the sky and the nearby control tower.

When the guards shoved him inside of his cell and locked the door, the first thing Eli did was move his bed closer to the window. Standing on it, he was able to see outside. A fatal drop awaited him, the Nexus sprawled all around. The window’s glass was so thick bullets wouldn’t be able to penetrate it. This was it. This was what his life was. Misfit was gone. He knew this would happen as soon as they raided the armory, but at least it was with the knowledge that they were saving their own squad. But with Cato dead, that dream was tarnished. It’s luster failing to appear.

All that remained with him, was Kovic’s voice. And of course the control tower. That was all he could see through the window from where he stood. At the top of its lattice communications antennae were blinking red strobe lights. They glowed a vibrant red before dimming and fading fully into the evening sky. On and off. On and off. On and off. The strobe lights blinked. Beyond them were the birds too.

“Many of you may wish to return home, but I ask you, what home? Do you wish to return to Earth? Like a toddler who cries because he has outgrown his crib. No! We must refuse these primal impulses hidden within us that hold us back! What more can I say, than that collaboration should be among your highest priorities! If you want to escape your shackles as prisoners and live in a world free from violence, then I implore you - collaborate. Align yourselves with what you know is true. We must advance ourselves or risk our own destruction. Trapped like those we left behind on Earth in a system of perpetual destruction, warfare, and fratricide. The Nexus will be free of all those primal vices… but it will only be free if you make it so. Collaborate. We will go far together…”

On and off. On and Off. On and off.

He sank down with his back against the wall. His cheeks still wet with tears. He failed Misfit. He failed himself. A rage against Kovic and the Coalition was burning. Was this the punishment for risking their lives to save their own squad? Rafael’s pleas to rebel started to make more sense… but it was too late for all of that. Now, they were locked away. The Coalition had won, as they probably always would have. They were just ants in the way, nothing they could do would change that…

Off and on. Off and on. Off and on.

Hours later and Eli had contorted into a ball in the corner of his cell. Grasping all the warmness that he could extract from the concrete walls. His bare feet pushed against the cold tiled surface. The bed wasn’t an option. From the faint trace of light that entered through the window, he could see the dead husks of insects trapped inside of it. There was no way in hell he was gonna sleep in that thing. The corner became his bed, and he learned to fold himself in a way where he could get some sleep – no matter how uncomfortable it was. It was better than the bed.

Often, he’d stretch his legs by looking out the window. Seeing what had changed. The base was moving around still, without him. Uncaring of him. He was tucked away in almost total isolation from the base around him.

As he stared out into the outside world, he would often look at the sky. He’d see birds. Flocks of them. Flying across the sky. Sometimes they’d perch on the roof of the prison. Right where the concrete shell of the building and the sky intersected. The perfect angle for him to see, and given that he'd been staring at nothing but the aircraft warning lights on the control tower just next door, birds were a welcome change in scenery.

On and off. On and off. On and off.

The birds were alien here. Brightly colored, their feathers protruding from their heads in bright arrays of vibrancy. He had grown jealous of their freedom. How could he help it? Hours spent searching his mind for ways he could’ve prevented this. Maybe if he had convinced Cato to stay, maybe if he stood against Badger and Rafael from leaving, maybe if he went as soon as they did? All they had to do was keep their heads low and… collaborate. If they’d just collaborated, none of this would’ve happened! They’d be in the Penal Unit still, sure. But it was better than this. Misfit could’ve been something real, a rare example of how one could get out from the system. But it was all over. Misfit was dead, and Eli killed it.

Most of the birds were alien anyway. Though not all of them. Of the brightly colored macaw-lookalikes that flocked around the prison, there was one bird in particular that he kept an eye on. She was unmoving throughout the day. Her feathers were a snowy white, an odd interruption in the vibrant jungle green. It was hard to tell, but if Eli squinted hard enough... it almost seemed like she was watching him. And he watched her. The dove remained there, staring back at him, until the sun fell below the horizon.

He was awake through the night watching her white feathers from his cramped cell. His body was still sore, aching from everything. The medics within the Nexus had done little more than glance at his leg to ensure that he was not bleeding to death, before they declared him fit enough for solitary confinement. The wound of course was not healed in the slightest, and the reverberating pain kept him up. That and of course his mind running around the same three points of 'what could've been different?', 'could it have been different?', 'how do I fix this?'

As the daylight was replaced with darkness, as the strange constellations illuminated the night sky, and as the glittering twinkle of moonlight shone through his window. The other birds had long since returned to the nests they made in the jungle, leaving behind only the dove to watch him. Now more than ever, Eli wished he was a bird. He wanted nothing more than to spread his wings and fly away. To turn back the time and escape from this world, and from Earth. To ignore it all. To watch the world pass on without him. Here in solitary, the world would pass on without him. But not in the way he wanted it to.

Darkness had been replaced by the faint traces of blue. The moon vanished behind the horizon. And slowly the sun grew. Eli was still awake. His ass hurt from sitting on it all night. His eyes burned with dried tears. Locked somewhere half awake and half dead. He had to keep himself occupied, but he didn’t know how. He counted the tiles on the floor when the light grew enough to see. Within fifteen minutes, he counted all of them. Eighty three. He formed shapes out of the bumpy surface of the ceiling. Insignias, places he’s been, faces… people. Misfit.

In frustration, he returned back to the window. Placing his hands against the glass as if it would somehow phase through this time. But of course, he was just met with the unmoving and unbreakable glass. And the dove. He was beginning to wonder if the bird was even alive at all or if it were dead. And the more he stared at her... the more that the image of that creature filled his mind. Standing there, watching him. Glassface...

Jingling keys. His head turned to the door, his eyes wide. A metal slip on the door opened, and a meal went through. It fell onto the floor – though luckily they had the decency to wrap it in plastic. The slip closed shut and the guard walked away, right as Eli crawled over to the meal. Taking the plastic box into his hands, he opened the packaging. A plastic rectangle with a shiny aluminum color. It looked almost like chocolate. He flipped it in his hands to see the text, but couldn’t see chocolate anywhere. He sighed when he finally read it through.

'GELATIN-BASED NUTRIENT BAR: PORK AND EGGS FLAVOR'

“Good grief,” he muttered to himself, “Just put me out of my fucking misery, why don’t you?”

The other stuff on the plate looked inedible, except for the sole cold hashbrown, he devoured that immediately. When the hashbrown was gone, he pushed the rest of the plate away. He might consider putting whatever that stuff was inside of his body later, if he was hungry enough. But for now, it was back to the window.

Another hour, and he took to reading the back of the label on the Nutrient Bar.

An hour after that, he had eaten the Nutrient Bar.

It did not taste like Pork and Eggs.

Fighting back the urge to puke out what little he had left, he searched the meal package for water. But he hadn’t found it. He called out through the door, “Hey! You forgot the water!”

Nothing. He tried again.

“Hello? Can I get some water? Please?”

Still nothing. He moped back to the corner of his cell.

Fifteen minutes later, after he had dozed off, the flap in his cell swung open and a metal canteen was chucked through. The crashing sound that the metal made shook Eli awake. And in his fright, he hit his head against the solid wall. Now he had a headache to deal with. He crawled over to the canteen to inspect it. Feeling something wet against his hand. When he looked over it, he saw a crack right where the canteen had fell. Despite it being metal, it was so brittle and cheap that its impact had caused it to make a small – though noteworthy crack. Eli felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. Placing his finger over the crack to seal it for the time being. He took a drink of the water, being grateful for that much at least.

More hours passed. He went from the window, to reading the food label over and over, to doing pushups. Anything to pass the time. But no matter what, it just seemed like it wouldn’t move. Night covered the window, and the sounds of thunder outside echoed in. Rumbling. He saw heavy raindrops plop against the glass. If he placed his nose in the right spots around the cell, he could smell rainwater. Though faint. The rain soothed him enough to actually get some sleep. And sleep he did.

When he awoke, it was the crack of dawn. The light trickled in from outside. The birds were back, singing as his weary eyes opened. And suddenly, he needed to piss. Badly. He checked the cell for a toilet, and luckily he found one. He flushed it once to ensure it was working, and satisfied with it, he relieved himself. Nowhere to wash his hands, and as far as he could see, no toilet paper. Would he have to beg the guards for that too should the need arise? Already his canteen emptied itself overnight from the crack. He’d have to ask for a refill, and probably a new canteen.

The slip on the door opened again, and he heard a metal baton bang on the door, “Prisoner, give me the tray and the scraps.”

Eli rose, taking the tray and pushing it through the door. The guard on the other side chuckled, “You know you’re supposed to eat the food, right?”

“You call that food?”

Again the guard chuckled, “It’s not me starving,” then the slip shut.

“You dumbasses forgot to give me toilet paper! Hey!” Eli banged against the door. But ultimately, it was to no avail. His tired and hopeless eyes turned back to their familiar gaze to the window outside. The dove was gone now. And all that was left was the familiar sight of the antannae poking out from the communications tower.

Off and on. Off and on. Off and on. Off and on...

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>>>[Verifying...]

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==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==

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==[THE CRISIS IS ESCALATING]==

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>>>[CONFLICT PHASE 3]

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