Incoming transmission — ARRAS Terminal
TACTICAL UNIT DEPLOYMENT STATUS: EN ROUTE
LOCAL TIME: 11:51 AM
INCIDENT REPORT
FILE ID: NS-IR-354D-2
CLASSIFICATION: LEVEL 5 — INTERNAL ONLY
ORIGIN NODE: OCEANSPIRE OVERSIGHT ARRAY
LOCATION TAG: HOUSTON METRO ZONE (FORMER)
DATE STAMP: [CORRUPTED — EST. 14 YEARS POST-FALL]
AUTHOR: (A.R.R.A.S.-Ω) Autonomous Recon & Risk Assessment System — Omega Protocol
INCIDENT UPDATE — CONTINUED OBSERVATION
Following Incident Report NS-IR-00-354D-1, subject H-17-07 (Daniel Hale) remained mobile for an additional 19 minutes after the last confirmed group casualty.
Helmet-mounted visual feed intermittently recovered.
EVENT CHRONOLOGY (SUPPLEMENTAL)
07:43 — Subject H-17-07 regains partial mobility. Severe blood loss observed.
07:46 — Subject applies improvised tourniquet using salvaged cabling.
07:51 — Unknown hostile presence detected at extended range. No direct visual confirmation.
07:54 — Structural collapse event isolates subject from street-level access.
07:58 — Subject retreats into substructure (industrial warehouse basement).
08:02 — Thermal signatures indicate non-standard CHUM movement patterns in proximity.
08:05 — Audio feed captures vocalization inconsistent with known morphotypes.
08:07 — Subject H-17-07 sustains secondary trauma. Mobility severely compromised.
08:11 — Visual feed stabilizes briefly. Unknown morphotype partially visible.
08:12 — ARRAS flags footage as PRIORITY ASSET.
08:14 — Life signs persist. Subject consciousness intermittent.
08:18 — Visual feed degradation accelerates. Unknown entity remains in proximity.
08:21 — Subject H-17-07 ceases forward movement.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS (UPDATED)
Structural Integrity: Critical failure risk
Flooded Sublevels: 47%
Atmospheric Toxicity: Rising but survivable
CHUM ACTIVITY:
Standard morphotypes: minimal
Unregistered variant: CONFIRMED
Behavioral deviation: territorial observation rather than immediate termination.
VISUAL ASSET STATUS
Helmet cam footage: PARTIALLY RECOVERED
Duration of confirmed unknown morphotype visibility: 4.6 seconds
Data integrity: 62%
Compression artifacts present
ARRAS assessment: Footage quality sufficient for preliminary classification.
STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT
Unknown morphotype exhibits:
Delayed kill response
Apparent interest in the injured subject
Non-random movement within a confined space
ARRAS probability model indicates high research value.
Human subject survival is deemed non-essential to mission success.
DIRECTIVE — OMEGA PRIORITY OVERRIDE
To: Unit 332 — G.H.O.S.T.
Status: ACTIVE DEPLOYMENT
ORDERS:
Primary Objective:
Secure helmet-mounted visual recording from Subject H-17-07.
Secondary Objective:
Obtain additional footage of the unknown morphotype if feasible.
Operational Constraint:
Avoid direct engagement that compromises footage recovery.
Human Subject H-17-07:
Recovery NOT AUTHORIZED if it endangers data acquisition.
Acceptable Loss:
Subject H-17-07 is designated EXPENDABLE under the Omega Protocol.
END OF TRANSMISSION_
_____________
The order hit harder than the turbulence.
Less than five minutes into the flight, ARRAS had already labeled his brother expendable. Marcus had known it would happen—he just hadn't expected the system to move that fast. His hand slammed once into the overhead panel before he caught himself, the impact dull against reinforced plating. The pain didn't matter. What mattered was the clock he hadn't been given.
Lexi and James exchanged a glance. They had seen the directive. They knew what ARRAS expected to be left behind.
"Sergeant," Lexi said, "what are your orders?"
Marcus met her eyes. His anger was no longer uncontrolled—it was focused. "You heard the directive," he said. "We find my brother. And we find the unknown variant."
His gaze shifted to Bart. The scientist was already smiling.
"I hope you get what you're looking for," Marcus added. "But if I confirm my brother's alive, I'm transferring the expendable status to your tag."
Bart exhaled softly, amused.
"Expendable isn't a punishment, Marcus," he said. "It's a stage."
His eyes flicked toward the forward monitors.
"Everyone reaches it eventually. Your brother just arrived early."
Bart's words stung, but Marcus didn't answer.
His hand moved instead.
The click of the weapon's safety disengaging was soft—but in the confined space of the helicopter, it might as well have been a shout. His finger settled against the trigger, pressure measured. It was not a reflex; it was a decision paused mid-breath.
James was on him instantly.
He didn't grab the gun. He didn't raise his voice. His hand closed around Marcus's wrist quickly.
James shook his head slowly. "Not him."
Marcus's jaw tightened. For a moment, his eyes stayed locked forward, not on Bart, not on anyone. The anger there wasn't sudden—it was old. Built from missions that had ended in body counts and sealed containers. From reports marked as successful that never mentioned who hadn't come back. Despite watching Bart walk away from those scenes, Marcus still carried them.
Slowly, Marcus eased his finger off the trigger. The safety clicked back into place.
James released his grip.
No one spoke.
Bart said nothing either. The smirk was gone now, replaced by something more cautious. He turned his attention back to the forward monitors, as if the moment had never occurred.
Marcus remained silent for the rest of the flight until the pilot's voice cut through the intercom.
"Two minutes out from the drop zone," the pilot said. "Fast-rope insertion. Be ready."
Marcus straightened. "You heard him," he said. "Prep for rope."
Lexi and James moved without hesitation, pulling on their gloves and positioning themselves beneath the open side door as the fast ropes deployed, thick coils unspooling into the air below.
"Lexi, James—clear the landing zone. I'll be right behind you."
His gaze shifted briefly to the tactical display.
"Our objective is an old textiles warehouse near the Blackward Zone, two hundred meters north of the landing drop. Lexi, mark extraction points in case our scientist decides survival outweighs cooperation."
"Understood," Lexi replied.
Bart scoffed. "You think I'd run?" he said. "This isn't about cowardice, Marcus. It's about staying alive."
Marcus didn't turn. His eyes stayed on the open door, on the city rising to meet them.
"Then remember this: without us, you're just another heat signature. Do something reckless, and the variant eats first."
Bart's smile returned, "No promises."
The pilot's voice cut through the intercom. "Drop zone in sight. Stand by for fast-rope insertion."
All Rights Reserved.
Damian Ashen 2026
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