Chapter Text
There is a loud knock at the door and about five minutes goes by.
Elias: He steps in the house, avoiding glancing at the family photos that adorn the entry table. “Sarah? Odi?”
There is a muffled cry from Odelia’s room.
Elias: He walks to her bedroom and gets down and looks under the bed. “Odi? What happened, sweetheart? Where’s your mom?”
Odelia: She continues to cry as he pulls her out from under the bed. “M-mom….the…she’s…bedroom.”
Elias: “Your mother’s in the bedroom?”
Odelia: “Y-yes….”
Elias: “Stay here…I’ll check on her.” He slowly walks to the primary bedroom. “Sarah? Are you okay? I found Odi.” He peeks inside the bedroom and stiffens, just what he feared….He gently closes the door as Odelia starts to cry again.
Odelia: “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…”
Elias: He kneels down and cups her face in his hands. “You have nothing to be sorry about, kid. This wasn’t your fault…come on, we’ll go see your cousins.”
AROUND SIX MONTHS LATER
Elias: “It was a different time, a different enemy. Sixty men, from Tier One teams, were sent to face down a force of five hundred enemy fighters. Their objective: to force the enemy back from a civilian hospital, and keep its occupants alive. For three days, they held their ground, but the enemy's numbers were too great. The sixty were cut down to fifteen. They wouldn't last another night, and the enemy knew it. Under the cover of darkness, they evacuated the hospital, sending only one of their own to lead the way. The rest returned to the line, and took up positions beneath the bodies of their fallen brothers. As they lay in wait, the blood from the dead poured over them. The sand stuck to their skin like a shroud. Changing them. Anointing them. When the enemy drew near, the remaining fourteen rose out of the desert sand. They were like hunters that couldn't be seen, using stealth their enemies couldn't defend against. When the men ran dry of ammunition, they used their blades...and when the blades ran dull, they used their hands. When the dust and sand had settled, only one of the enemy had survived. He was picked up in the desert, wandering aimlessly, traumatized. He expressed warnings to others of a force so menacing and unbeatable, it could only be described as supernatural. He called them....Ghosts.”
Hesh: “And this really happened?”
Elias: “So the legend goes.”
Hesh: “Come on, dad. You don’t honestly believe that story is true?”
Elias: He looks at Odelia who smiles enthusiastically. “Yeah, I do.”
Odelia: “I think it’s true!” She looks at Logan who nods.
Elias: He smiles, glad that she is doing better. “C’mon, let's head back to the house.”
The group feels a small tremor as they walk up a hill.
Hesh: “Woah, quite the shake.”
Elias: “Those things used to freak the hell out of your mother.”
Logan helps Odelia over a log and she stumbles forwards as a second tremor rattles the ground.
Odelia: “Well shit.”
Elias: "Language, Odi….We’ll get a couple more of them before everything settles down.”
Hesh: “Wind’s starting to pick up too.”
Another tremor is felt but this one is much larger.
Logan and Hesh look at each other nervously.
Hesh: “Uh, Dad?”
Elias: “Let’s just get to the house. Make sure nothing got damaged.”
Once they get to the street, they see houses up in flames and people panicking.
Odelia: She looks at Logan then Elias. “What’s going on?!”
Elias: “ODIN! It’s ODIN! To the house, kids! Now!
Hesh: “What are you talking about?!”
Elias: “Take them to the house and stay there! I’m going for the truck!”
Hesh: “But, dad?”
Elias: “Just do it, Hesh!” He runs in the direction of the truck.
Hesh: He turns to Logan and Odelia. “C’mon, guys!”
Logan grabs Odelia’s hand and sticks close to Hesh.
The trio runs up a hill and from it can see more missiles dropping.
Odelia: She looks at Hesh. “Are we going to die?”
Hesh: He grabs her other hand and pulls her and Logan closer to the house. “Not today, Odi!”
Once Logan and Hesh pull Odelia up a steep ledge they sprint to the house’s back door and slam it shut as they enter. The house shakes violently.
Hesh: “This place isn’t gonna take much more of that! Come on! To the front door!”
Odelia tightens the knot on her father’s bandanna that has been keeping her hair in place and rushes to the front door.
Odelia: “It’s jammed!”
Hesh: “Together!”
The triad slams into the door on Hesh’s count to force it open.
15 MINUTES EARLIER
Kyra: “ODIN Control, the orbital weapon’s got a successful test-fire ping.”
ODIN Control: “Roger, Mosley. Tracking weapon dry-fire signal.”
Kyra: “Hey Baker, here’s our ride. Let’s head in….ODIN Control, we’re heading back to debrief the new crew.”
ODIN Control: “Roger. We’re prepping airlock. The shuttle is in final docking sequence.”
Kyra pressurizes the airlock with ease, her and Baker head further inside. Abruptly, a group of Federation soldiers force entry and shoot the crewmen standing by. Kyra slams the door shut as hard as the lack of gravity will allow.
Kyra: “Houston, They’re Federation! They’ve broken the truce!”
ODIN Control: “ODIN's kinetic rods are readying for launch! This is not a simulation!”
Kyra: “We can't let them take control of ODIN!”
Odin Control: “It’s targeting. Los Angeles, locked. Phoenix, locked. San Diego, locked. Houston, locked. Miami, locked. Estimated casualties…over twenty-seven million…”
Kyra and Baker look out a window and see the satellite firing kinetic rods across various places in the United States.
Kyra: “Oh shit! They’re uploading more targets to payloads two, three, and four. Houston, what do we do?!”
ODIN Control: “We have no choice. We’re scuttling the station…I’m sorry, Mosley.”
Kyra: “Copy, Houston. Baker, we need to move!”
ODIN Control: “Initiating in ten seconds. All crew, get to a secure area!”
Kyra: “Look out!”
Two Federation astronauts appear at the end of the corridor. Before they can fire, an explosion incinerates them, knocks back Baker and Kyra, then sucks them out into space. Kyra and Baker hit a satellite panel and land hard on some debris before stopping.
Kyra: “Houston, it's Mosley. Baker and I are still here.”
They examine the damage from the explosion.
Kyra: “Holy shit.”
ODIN Control: “Copy, Mosley. ODIN Targeting on payloads three and four have been aborted. But payload two is still sequencing. Targeting locked. San Francisco, Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, Washington D.C…”
Baker and Kyra begin to move towards the ODIN satellite.
Kyra: “We're not done, Baker. Let's move to ODIN and bring it down. I don't think we're making it home, Baker...Atlas Main, how many degrees off axis to destabilize it?”
ODIN Control: “Twenty-three degrees port or aft, but remote RCS systems not responding.”
Kyra: “Twenty-three degrees. We'll dump that tub in the ocean.”
Baker and Kyra land on the top of the ODIN satellite.
Kyra: “Help me get this open.”
Baker and Kyra pry the RCS cover off.
Kyra: “Cover's off. Houston.”
ODIN Control: “Ignite those RCS fuel lines!”
Kyra: “You heard him, Baker! Fire!”
Baker and Kyra shoot at the fuel lines. An explosion goes off, knocking them away.
Kyra: “Shit!”
Kyra grabs a cable and manages to hold on to Baker as well.
Kyra: “I got you, Baker! Just keep shooting!”
Swaying a little, Baker continues to shoot at the fuel lines. They explode, destroying the ODIN satellite but killing Baker and Kyra in the process.
ODIN Control: “Fifteen degrees... Twenty-three degrees... That's it! That's enough to drop it into the atmosphere! Specialist Mosley? Kyra?! We have LOS with the crew of ODIN. Repeat. Loss of signal with ODIN.”
As the ODIN satellite, Baker and Kyra fall through the atmosphere, the wind resistance incinerates them.
LOGAN, ODELIA, HESH
Hesh: “Okay! Three, two, one, push!”
The trio shoves the door open and sees a missile crash into the ground, making shockwaves.
Hesh: “Come on! Dad said he was going for the truck! We have to find him!”
They run up the stairs of a dilapidated house. Odelia trips when a part of the floor tears open, and Hesh catches her hand.
Odelia: “Holy shit!”
Hesh: “I got you!”
He yanks her upwards, and pulls her shaking form towards the window with Logan in close pursuit.
Hesh: “We gotta jump! You with me, Logan?”
Logan gives a quick nod. Hesh acts immediately, and pulls Odelia with him as he jumps, Logan jumps right after them but falls through the roof, landing in a garage.
Odelia: “Logan!”
She jumps down and helps him up with Hesh. By some answered prayer, they see a truck driving towards them.
Elias: “Kids! You alright?!”
Elias takes over helping Logan into the bed of the truck. The four speed away in the truck from the now destroyed San Diego.