Ascension: Ghosts of History...

  It's a scary place outside of Fort Apocrypha...

  The fallen city's remains are an untamed wilderness...

  "Man..." one of the uniformed soldiers takes a moment and scours the gloomy, decrepit landscape of steel and concrete surrounding them. "To think that apocalypse stories were an enjoyable fantasy to people before the Second Descension..." he quietly says with a disappointed look. Staff Sergeant Lockley's quick to comment with a weary grunt.

  "Cool shit is only cool when you aren't the one doing it. Ask anyone who's ever done something you thought was cool," the dark-skinned NCO chuckles, then turns his eyes on Noah, who's quietly leaning against the humming Stryker; the Replicant is the calmest one here. "Hey, Noah, plenty of people think Replicants are cool: do you think you're cool?" It's an inquisitive inquiry that gets an instant response. Noah doesn't even open his eyes when he answers calmly.

  "No. I'm a means to an end."

  The Replicant's answer draws everyone's eye.

  "Not even the slightest bit of ego, huh?" Lieutenant Ether chimes in as she strolls up to Noah's side; she's impressed by him. She stops at a respectfully close distance away when she speaks. "I feel safer with you around already. Pride tends to make people overestimate their abilities, and it usually comes with tragic consequences." The woman repeatedly glances his way when she talks; SSG Lockley notices but stays quiet. He clicks his tongue instead and replies with the same confidence she had.

  "Then you've never met someone with an ego that's backed by skill, like yours truly," he chuckles, tightening his vest and feeling himself. "Life's all about finding a balance between your reality, everyone else's, and God's. Once you do that? Everything makes sense," he nonchalantly nods and gestures out at the city. "Like this shit? It makes total sense why we're living in an apocalyptic world on the verge of outright burning in Hell because I'm in total sync," he pauses, and Lt. Ether furrows her brow; where's he getting at?

  "Care to enlighten the less enlightened then, Sergeant?" she says that last part with some sass, but it's harmless; these two must debate a lot. Noah stays silent with the rest of the unit, but he keeps attentive to the conversation; he knows he needs to hear this. He feels it in his spirit. SSG Lockley happily bomb drops his knowledge.

  "Sure!" he smirks, gesturing to everything around.

  "We're in a fucked up shared reality because people are so colloquially fucked up that all the negatives finally coalesced and BOOM!"

  "You get a living Hell before you see the REAL one!"

  Everyone is silent.

  Lt. Ether suddenly challenges that notion.

  "I disagree," she calmly says, locking eyes with her adversary. SSG Lockley seems to relish her eloquently put rebuttal. "Reality is only Hell if you allow it to be. Happiness can be found in the smallest of things, and faith for better days is what allows many people who want to give up to eventually see those better days." She steps forward, dismissing the Sergeant's nihility with a smile while gesturing behind her to... Noah.

  "We all have faith that the Savior blessed by God will save us; otherwise, we all wouldn't be out here."

  SSG Lockley cackles; this is funny. He has to keep the scales balanced.

  "Or, he could be God's Executioner sent to condemn us after finding us a lost cause."

  "After all, Jesus was our second chance. I doubt we're getting a third..."

  That halo-less, one-winged Archangel flashes in Noah's psyche.

  Those golden eyes of cold, heartless apathy.

  Noah wonders if people ever realized God's benevolence is perspective-based...

  We're all made in His image, after all...

  "Well, when we do, I'll be sure to tell you that I told you so," Lt. Ether waves off the conversation and gets back on track; SSG Lockley doesn't seem to care. "Let's go over the mission briefing and the team compositions one more time before setting off. I don't want to be out here when it gets dark," she pauses and looks at the sky, inspecting it for several seconds.

  "We've got a good five or six hours. Anyway, our objective here is to investigate ground zero for the First and Second Descensions. Our intelligence, gleaned from salvaged records of our predecessors, documents this city as the origin point of God's reality..." A pause so she can line up everyone in her view before saying this last part. She stresses the importance through her words.

  "AKA we're supposedly standing where the Garden of Eden originated, and where Adam and Eve fought."

  Noah suddenly has a question.

  "Isn't her name Evelyn?"

  All eyes turn on him as if he just cursed the world.

  Lt. Ether gently warns him...

  "Hey, don't say her name; it's cursed..." the uniformed woman warns in a lowered voice; the entire unit's vibe's changed. "I thought the Priest told you about the curse?" she asks, and Noah's rising brow tells a thousand-word book; he's clueless. SSG Lockley explains in a more serious, but relaxed tone compared to the Lieutenant.

  "No, it makes sense he wouldn't know; if Father Judas didn't tell him about it, we shouldn't." The man's words draw bewildered looks from everyone, including Noah. The Sergeant eye-rolls and pinches his nose. "He obviously wasn't told for a reason; it's not our place to tell him," he explains, gesturing and looking at Noah when he does.

  "They say ignorance is bliss, and usually it's meant in a derogatory way. But, when it comes to shit like curses and whatnot?" he pauses and taps his head. "You're better off not even knowing they exist. Curiosity kills cats for a reason. Call her Eve and leave it at that," a chuckle before he's making a roundabout gesture. The best way to change a subject is with urgent authority, or a really deep baritone.

  "Alright, this is the game plan: we'll split into four teams of four. Alpha will stay here with communications, acting as the command center for everyone. Set up the automated turrets and ensure there are no blind spots. Bravo will detach with the MGS Stryker as a show of force down the main road and investigate that crumbling church; I doubt anyone's going to fuck with a giant mobile gun, even if it's shit." he pauses and points toward the broken cross standing over a supermassive church off into the distance; it's the size of a stadium. Noah wonders why it's so big...

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  "Charlie is me and the Special Forces detachment that'll investigate the crypts in the Burial District. We'll be taking one of the HUMVEES. Be wary of the Undead. Those are a thing these days," he sighs and gestures off ways toward a bunch of buildings hiding a massive graveyard of crypts and secrets underground, and Noah casts his gaze that way. His thoughts and inquiries about this city grow with every word. SSG Lockley finally turns his eyes on Lieutenant Ether and Noah.

  "And, finally, team Delta, led by Lieutenant Ether, will investigate the last known location of an Abyssal Rift before our recent incident: Adam's Monument. Or, whatever's left of it. You'll be taking the second HUMVEE." A somewhat solemn tone accompanies his gesture past Noah, far beyond into the city. "It's about as dangerous as where my team's going, but that's why you're going with them, Noah. They're not trained in covert ops like the guys and me," he informs, and Noah calmly nods; he understands. Staff Sergeant Lockley has one more warning to give, though.

  "Be wary of the Midnight Walkers, too..."

  Noah's brow rises.

  "Midnight Walkers?" he inquires; the name sounds like a group of wraiths, or something. "Is that a gang, or something?" he asks, and the Staff Sergeant nods.

  "Yeah, they're a gang of savages run by what we theorize is another Replicant, which is why you're going that way." He informs and scratches his chin. "They stay in their territory and don't bother the military as long as we leave them be, but since we're going into their space this time..." he trails and lets the obvious implications set in, and Lt. Ether chimes in next.

  "We should be fine. It's not like we're going in their territory to slaughter them, or whatever," she lightly shrugs and faces Noah again with an assuring smile. "We're just checking out the monument for any clues to help us prevent the Third Descension, and we'll be out in a jiffy!" she says, and the Sergeant snorts like a bull.

  "Shit is never that easy in No Man's Land, ma'am. Always be ready for someone trying to kill you," he politely reminds while adjusting his body armor; he's getting ready to move out. "But, I'll have a little faith this time that we'll all make it back home alive. I expect a casualty or two, though. That's just how it is," a sigh, and he gestures for everyone to get moving.

  "Alright, that's enough talking. We're burning daylight, let's get moving. Team Charlie, we're taking the back alleys to the Burial District. I'll be seeing y'all later," he nods to Noah, the Lt., and the rest of the soldiers, splitting into teams and heading off. Noah watches Alpha team set up three automated heavy machine gun turrets in formation around the control desk and the HUMVEES. He's never seen that technology up close before. He then watches Bravo drive off in the Stryker before Lieutenant Ether taps his arm to get his attention.

  "Are ya nervous?" she asks with an inquisitive voice, and a little too close to Noah. The Replicant notices the proximity but doesn't say anything; he remains unbothered. There's more important stuff on his mind.

  "It'd be weird if I wasn't..." A calm and genuine answer leaves his lips before those mystical, amber-gold eyes settle on the uniformed soldier's vivid blue eyes. "If we're going to potentially deal with a Replicant, though, I need to know if you have countermeasures in place?" he asks and glances over at the remaining soldiers nearby. The other three soldiers on Lt. Ether's team are already prepping the second HUMVEE.

  "Yeah. You." She lightly pokes him in the chest as she speaks with total faith and confidence in the man. "I've read your file in the military, and Father Judas speaks highly of your skills. I have total confidence that if we encounter a hostile Replicant that you'll be able to handle them," she steps back and sighs next, a rather confusing shift in emotion.

  "Besides..." the Lt. trails and rubs the back of her head under her patrol cap. "There's not much a squad this size can do against a decently powerful Replicant anyway. This is a recon mission, not a force mission. Our personnel and armory are heavily restricted, which is why we're all thankful the Church finally released you to assist our operations. It's all bad or good timing depending on how you look at the emergence of the Abyssal Rift," she gives a morbid chuckle, and Noah can't help but agree with her. The timing of everything is...

  "... Just don't put all your cards on me..." Noah replies with a quieter, solemn voice when he breaks eye contact and looks away; Jaden had the same faith in him when he died. The guilt hasn't left Noah's spirit. "Blind faith is no better than no faith," he warns, which stuns the Lt. for a few seconds. She then pieces everything together and opens her mouth to inquire about the last assignment, but she's cut off by one of the soldiers jogging up to them. It's a man in his late twenties to early thirties, garbed in full body armor. His facial features were hidden behind a balaclava and thick goggles.

  "We're geared and ready to head out on your command, Lieutenant," the man says with a gruff country accent that sounds like something out of an old western movie. Noah struggles to understand him, but the Lieutenant hears him fine. She gives a small nod and speaks.

  "Excellent. Start up the HUMVEE, and everyone hop in. We're heading out in two minutes," she orders, and the soldier nods and jogs away. The Lieutenant then glances up at the brightening morning sky, taking in the pretty scene through her ocean blue eyes for several seconds.

  "Such a pretty day for a fucked up world..." she softly muses, glancing Noah's way with a more crestfallen, regretful expression all of a sudden. "Do you think if our predecessors knew the future they'd leave us to suffer in, that they'd do better?" she asks, and Noah immediately responds with sincerity.

  "Doesn't matter now, does it?"

  Lieutenant Ether is silent.

  ... ... ...

  "Yeah, I guess you're right..." she responds in disappointment.

  The two head toward the HUMVEE, and soon they're off.

  Lamenting on the past never solves anything.

  The HUMVEE casually cruises down the empty streets of Apocryphal at a smooth twenty miles per hour. One soldier's standing in the turret cockpit centered on the vehicle, constantly scanning for threats. The rest of the crew, including Noah, are comfortably inside. They've been driving for several peaceful minutes now; it doesn't look like things are going to be a hassle.

  Noah sits near the window with a straightened posture and closed eyes; he's focused and thinking. Lieutenant Ether is sitting next to him in the back, and her blue eyes appraise him from head to toe. She's staring longer than what's considered normal; Noah is a very handsome man. She can't help eating the eye candy a bit, but she stays professional beyond that with her inquisitive inquiry.

  "Hey, what are you doing?" she asks, and Noah answers without opening his eyes or moving much; he's absolutely focused.

  "I can detect life; I'll be able to pick up on threats before the turret operator," he explains, and Lt. Ether's eyes flash with awe.

  "You can detect life!?" she repeats like that's a miracle in itself. "Are there certain requirements the life needs to have to pop up on your radar? Can you detect hostile intent from them, too?" she asks, but Noah raises his hand to silence her. He needs total concentration to use this power, unlike his Hunter's Instinct, which is automatic. The Lieutenant heeds his raised hand and falls quiet, respectfully leaving the man to his role.

  The crew eventually pulls up on a crumbling monument barely standing that's several hundred feet tall: it depicts a messy-haired man brought to one knee with his sword stabbed into the ground, and a Phoenix resting on his shoulder. Surrounding this decrepit, eroded monument is an open expanse of rubble and debris scattered in the free-ranging field of stone and concrete. One can only imagine how beautiful this scene looked many generations ago.

  A gentle, pleasant morning breeze blows across the impoverished landscape as the group exits the HUMVEE, and Noah's the first to scan the area. It doesn't look like anyone's approached this monument in a long time; he wonders if these Midnight Walkers are still in the area. He didn't detect any life signs, but he stays vigilant and on guard. The Replicant refuses to let a repeat of the last assignment happen.

  Lieutenant Ether starts shouting orders and gesturing to the other three soldiers while Noah's gaze settles on that towering statue of Adam, and a childhood memory of his mentor flashes in his thoughts.

  "Adam loved Eve as much as God. That led to his untimely death."

  Noah wonders if loving anything as much as God is considered a sin.

  If so, why give them the capacity to love anyone other than him?

  Is free will really free?

  He knows he'll never know the answer to this question.

  "Noah!" Lieutenant Ether's calling draws the black-haired man's golden gaze, and he turns to her as she strolls up to him with a book in her hand. "Can you patrol the perimeter and keep an eye out for any danger for us? The soldiers and I are going to start our investigation of the monument," she then raises the thick, hardbacked book in her right hand. It lacks any cover art or writing. Noah's brow furrows when she starts explaining.

  "This book was left behind during the Second Descension by one of the survivors. A man named Abraham. It's a bunch of cryptic, paranoid bullshit at a glance, but we've started deciphering some of the messages inside it..." she trails and thinks for a second, as if pondering if she should even say this. She eventually turns back to Noah and says...

  "Abraham stopped the First Descension after Adam died, and Jesus stopped the Second Descension with his sacrifice, thanks to the knowledge from this book."

  "This book might be just as important as the Bible..."

  Noah hesitates in refuting that.

  "... I don't see how the incoherent rambling of a dead man is going to help us today..." he calmly rejects the idea of a book that's not the Bible being the catch-all key to salvation. "Abraham succumbed to Abyssal Fractures..." he reminds, and Lieutenant Ether falls quiet; she knows this, but that's not going to stop her.

  "What matters is his actions before he fell to darkness. He was a righteous man when he wrote this book, and I have faith his words will help us save Humanity. There's a reason people across generations here have protected this book. We were waiting for our next savior..." She steps closer and hands the book over to Noah, and the Replicant's eyes widen when she speaks again.

  "Have Faith in your predecessors, Noah..."

  "Not all of them were bad..."

  Noah is silent for a while, but he finally accepts the book and opens it.

  It's time to peek into the life of God's most faithful servant...

  Before he succumbed to Hysteria...

  Next Chapter: Faith and Logic