Broken Soul

Broken Soul is a short story detailing the "birth" of Rak'Ven, written by ToaAtraks.

The sergeant watched as two elite commandos walked past him, dragging another Skazark, one stripped of his armor, his pale skin covered in wounds and scars. The unlucky soldier lifted his head and said something. One of the commmandos turned around and kicked him in the stomach. Then, they continued dragging him towards a big, black building, with walls covered in spikes, surrounded by tall watchtowers.

Part of the building's wall opened, light pouring out of it. The two commandos and the other Skazark entered the door, and then it silently closed after them.

He was doomed.

That's what Rak'Ven thought. After he attempted to desert after the battle on Galeran IV, his life was ruined. A team of commandos came and captured him. Then he was brought to the capital, where the high council decided his fate. He was going to be executed. But after the process, one of the councilors came and offered him to escape death by becoming part of "a project that will surely win us the war".

He was then stripped of his armor and thrown into a prison transport ship. And then he was brough here. Wherever this "here" was. And now something was going to happen. They entered a small room, full of equipment, its floor crossed by thousands of cables and coils. In one of the room's corners, there were several giant computers and other devices. Some Skazark in white armor were pressing buttons and typing commands on the keyboards.

Suddenly, a big tube that looked like a standart stasis tube opened. The two commandos forced Rak inside it. He tried to get out of it, but it closed. There were several ports on it and robotic hands linked some tubes to the ports.

"Beginning pahse one" said a robotic voice. One of the white-armored Skazark pressed a button and liquids, green and blue ran through the tubes linked to the main tube containing Rak. Various machines began to screech as they were powered up, muffling Rak's screams.

A lamp began flashing. One of the scinetists checked the display and her eyes widened as she read the warning:

//SYSTEM FAILURE//REACTOR OVERLOAD IN 10//RISK: 100%

Then the screen faded to black. A holoprojector flashed and a black shadow appeared. In an unnatural voice, similar to that of most AIs it spoke: "I suggest you stop the process, professor. The subject may be injected with more exasloramin than needed. This may cause some interesting, but... dangerous effects."

But it was too late. They were going to pay. For what they did to him, for ruining his life. Rak felt as power ran through him. He felt his body drained of nearly all of its energy suddenly become more energised than ever before, he felt as the armor fused itself to him and then he opened his eyes. The red visor flashed, a targeting reticule appeared and his health and shield indicators flashed at the top right corner. A calm female voice said that self-diagnostics were complete and the suit is battle ready. And then, with a single movement of his arm he ripped the 5 centemetres thick titanium walls of the tube like it was paper.

As the smoke cleared, the professor rose to her feet and looked at the tube. Something moved in the smoke with unnatural speed. The last thing she saw was the bright red visor of His helmet, and she new they succeeded.

Rak dropped the scinetist's dead body and felt something strange. Like there was somebody else in the suit. No, not in the suit. In his head.

He ignored the strange feeling and walked towards the blast door. His hearing was far stronger than some hours ago. He heard the clicking sound of several MX-5 rifles being loaded and he guessed the security forces were coming to stop him. They were going to fail.

In a flash, a big black cannon shapeshifted from his left arm's armor and began emitting a buzzing sound. A new icon flashed on his HUD. It showed the cannon's charge. It was ready to fire. He aimed at the door and fired. A blackish beam of pure antimatter was fired from the cannon and blew the two feet thick doors apart.

To be completed...