Zanziik
27-07-2005, 17:52
Nip’to, Zanziik
0800 hours
Darkness. Silence. These two things filled every fragment of Itrii Covuki’s skull, threatening to drive him over the ever-present line that he so nearly touched already, insanity. He looked around the blackened duct, trying to find a source of light that he could crawl to, anything to save him from the creatures in his mind. Suddenly, footsteps broke the silence, above and to the right of Itrii. The creatures told him that he was near the place now, near the place where they would take him, and he would take the world by surprise. Itrii moved a bit farther down the duct, trying to think of his wife and children, and all of the amazing events that his next action would bring into play. Rolling onto his back, Itrii pulled the cord in the lining of his jacket, starting a red countdown on a display panel.
10...
He loved his wife.
9…
He loved his children.
8…
He loved his country.
7…
That was why he was doing this.
6…
He had to do this.
5…
The voices told him he had to.
4…
Or his children would never know freedom.
3…
His children deserved freedom.
2…
So did all of their friends.
1…
He loved the voices in his head.
Finally cracking, Itrii exploded into hysterical laughter as the timer showed four zeros in a row. The building erupted into fire instantly, flame escaping through any possible route. The voices were the last thing Itrii heard, and they told him to smile.
Presidential Complex, Nip’to, Zanziik
0837 hours
We interrupt your normal programming for this emergency broadcast.
“Horror strikes Zanziik today as a bomb’s explosion claims the lives of many, including several foreign dignitaries! At 8:00 this morning, a bomb exploded in the bowels of the Unified Zanziik Embassy Complex, leveling the entire structure. A group known only as the Knights claimed responsibility for the attack at 8:30 today. The death toll is expected to be in the range of 400-500 innocent people, and 25-50 foreign ambassadors. It is yet unknown how the group transported a bomb past the potent security forces on the complex grounds, but the effect was devas-“
The screen went black as Mike, Supreme Overlord of Zanziik, sat back into his chair, white-faced. It was a horrible look for a man built as he was, with broad shoulders and a strong physique, but he had worn it many times when his country faced disaster.
So there really was a terrorist organization.
Rumors had been flying for several months that there lay an organization that wished harm to the innocent people of Zanziik and it’s friends, but they had been isolated, and far from credible. Mike had been a stalwart denier of the accusations, saying that none of his people could be so dissatisfied that they would resort to violence against their own country. But here it was. The day of reckoning, and because of his denial, hundreds were dead. He picked up the red phone on his desk, and immediately heard the voice of his Commander of the Armies, speaking in hurried voices to aids.
“Henry,” commanded Mike. “I need to speak to you!”
“Yes sir,” answered the head of the Military. Mike could hear him dismissing the others in his room quickly.
“This attack will not be tolerated. We have too many people in our country to allow this to happen again. I am counting on you to find these bastards, and flush them out! Send SWaTO teams to every possible place that these ‘Knights’ could be, and finish them.”
“Sir, teams have been dispatched already, but we haven’t found anything yet. I’ll tell you first if we find anything.”
“You had better. Thanks.”
0800 hours
Darkness. Silence. These two things filled every fragment of Itrii Covuki’s skull, threatening to drive him over the ever-present line that he so nearly touched already, insanity. He looked around the blackened duct, trying to find a source of light that he could crawl to, anything to save him from the creatures in his mind. Suddenly, footsteps broke the silence, above and to the right of Itrii. The creatures told him that he was near the place now, near the place where they would take him, and he would take the world by surprise. Itrii moved a bit farther down the duct, trying to think of his wife and children, and all of the amazing events that his next action would bring into play. Rolling onto his back, Itrii pulled the cord in the lining of his jacket, starting a red countdown on a display panel.
10...
He loved his wife.
9…
He loved his children.
8…
He loved his country.
7…
That was why he was doing this.
6…
He had to do this.
5…
The voices told him he had to.
4…
Or his children would never know freedom.
3…
His children deserved freedom.
2…
So did all of their friends.
1…
He loved the voices in his head.
Finally cracking, Itrii exploded into hysterical laughter as the timer showed four zeros in a row. The building erupted into fire instantly, flame escaping through any possible route. The voices were the last thing Itrii heard, and they told him to smile.
Presidential Complex, Nip’to, Zanziik
0837 hours
We interrupt your normal programming for this emergency broadcast.
“Horror strikes Zanziik today as a bomb’s explosion claims the lives of many, including several foreign dignitaries! At 8:00 this morning, a bomb exploded in the bowels of the Unified Zanziik Embassy Complex, leveling the entire structure. A group known only as the Knights claimed responsibility for the attack at 8:30 today. The death toll is expected to be in the range of 400-500 innocent people, and 25-50 foreign ambassadors. It is yet unknown how the group transported a bomb past the potent security forces on the complex grounds, but the effect was devas-“
The screen went black as Mike, Supreme Overlord of Zanziik, sat back into his chair, white-faced. It was a horrible look for a man built as he was, with broad shoulders and a strong physique, but he had worn it many times when his country faced disaster.
So there really was a terrorist organization.
Rumors had been flying for several months that there lay an organization that wished harm to the innocent people of Zanziik and it’s friends, but they had been isolated, and far from credible. Mike had been a stalwart denier of the accusations, saying that none of his people could be so dissatisfied that they would resort to violence against their own country. But here it was. The day of reckoning, and because of his denial, hundreds were dead. He picked up the red phone on his desk, and immediately heard the voice of his Commander of the Armies, speaking in hurried voices to aids.
“Henry,” commanded Mike. “I need to speak to you!”
“Yes sir,” answered the head of the Military. Mike could hear him dismissing the others in his room quickly.
“This attack will not be tolerated. We have too many people in our country to allow this to happen again. I am counting on you to find these bastards, and flush them out! Send SWaTO teams to every possible place that these ‘Knights’ could be, and finish them.”
“Sir, teams have been dispatched already, but we haven’t found anything yet. I’ll tell you first if we find anything.”
“You had better. Thanks.”