NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 5122547" data-attributes="member: 3285">Righteous Triad Fists: Prologue30,000 FEET OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN—Agent Hammer had to shout over the roar of the SPIDER plane's engines.  The agents were all dressed in wet suits with parachutes strapped to their backs.  His voice was further muffled by a breathing mask each of them wore, a necessity during the pre-breathing period where their bloodstream was flooded with oxygen to flush the nitrogen from their systems. Microphones and earpieces within the masks helped somewhat, but Hammer still sounded like Darth Vader when he spoke."Alulu Island is located in the west central Pacific Ocean, about a thousand miles south of Japan between the Ryukyu Islands and the Bonin Islands just north of the Tropic of Cancer. It's an independent atoll not associated with any island chain. It's less than a mile in diameter from outer shore to outer shore, and is outside the domain of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.  It's under 'unofficial' protection of the British government. British missionaries maintain an outpost on the island, which also serves as a weather station. We also had an undercover agent working there who suddenly ceased all communications with home base.""Tsao's flying halfway across the world to get to this little island? Seems like an awful long way to fly to perform a ritual," said Caprice."Recently, a force of mercenaries assembled from the survivors of central African and Latin American campaigns descended upon the island. Shortly after this became known, all contact with the island was cut off. It is believed that Lt. Col. Feng Ho, commonly known as Mad Merc, is the organizer of this invasion. Guppy?"Guppy punched a few buttons on his cistron, no small feat with the gloves he was wearing.  An image of Ho flashed on their cistrons."In the aftermath of World War II, Ho was discharged from the Chinese Army after an incident in which many innocent civilians were killed. Since that time he has kept a very low profile.  Since then, he served as a mercenary in military actions around the world. We believe Cho Chu-Tsao flew to Alulu Island to rendezvous with Ho, and that Ho is responsible for silencing all communications.""Why don't we just—" began Jim-Bean.Hammer held up one hand.  "Before you recommend bombing the place with Jericho Jets, Majestic's not willing to intervene until reliable intelligence is received from the island. The primitive native population of something more than one hundred individuals who may be under forcible detention, and their lives as well as the lives of the missionaries may be jeopardized if military action is attempted.""What's a couple of hundred natives…"  began Jim-Bean, but Hammer cut him off."We will be inserted via HALO drop as close as possible to the missionary outpost, where Agent Powers was last reported before he disappeared. You all remember your training, right?"They nodded.  Guppy had earned his HALO badge after the incident in Poland. "The cloud cover is pretty thick," shouted Agent Rudolph, the co-pilot.  "We've already made three passes and this is as good as it's going to get."Hammer checked his cistron, which was plugged into his breathing mask.  Their nitrogen levels were clean. "Switching tanks over," commanded Hammer."Switching tanks over!" the other agents responded. Agent Pope, the plane's navigator, patted Hammer's helmet.  The bay doors opened up, revealing a sky lit only by a white fluffy landscape below…clouds."Go! Go! Go!" With a deep breath, Hammer launched himself out and away into space.</blockquote>

Verification