01-06-2020, 02:26 AM
Senieli Reserve Joint Military Base, Sentinel, Libertas Omnium Maximus
January 4th, 2020 - 5:00 PM (17:00)
Major Alice Johnson assumed that she was in the clear, to some extent. Her career in the armed forces dated back almost as long as some of the newest recruits in her company had been alive. Major Johnson had never so much as put a toe out of line. In fact, she was probably the ideal soldier. Alice Johnson followed every order without question, stood to attention the fastest when a superior entered the room, woke before Reveille, and made her bed to within an inch of specifications. If any Aurora was going to escape the Department of Internal Security, it was going to be her.
A folder was dropped nonchalantly into Johnson's lap just as she took a seat at her table in the base's mess hall. It was a perfectly uniform beige, just like the 3-400 she others she saw per day. What caught the major's eye, however, was the fact that the folder was surprisingly empty. If you were going to take the time to hand someone a file by hand, you usually made sure it had more than one page's worth of information.
Cautiously, Johnson turned to face the messenger who had given her the file in the first place. To her utmost surprise, the courier, a short blond officer, had broken proper procedure and left without reporting who he was delivering the file on behalf of. The young man had turned and was briskly walking away. He would be lost in the crowd before the major could ever reach him.
Johnson figured the officer was just tired or homesick (seeing as it was just four days ago that the man was probably partying with his family), pushed her drink aside, placed the the file on top of the table, and began to read the single page that had been sloppily stapled to the back of the folder.
[box]
Confidential: For Privileged Eyes Only
From the desk of Brigadier General Scott Nicholson
16th Reserve Regiment
To: Major Alice Johnson
2nd Reserve Company
MEMO
It is of the utmost importance that we meet in my office at 1710 today.
[/box]
Something was completely off. Either national security was at stake and operational security protocols prohibited the general from telling the major anything of importance by pen or Johnson was being given some sort of a loyalty test. She had never had one before and didn't really think they were even a thing in Libertas Omnium Maximus. The Maximusian armed forces were tough but they also put a lot of faith in their soldiers. It was assumed from day one that you would protect your brothers-and-sisters-in-arms with your life. To the major, things just didn't add up.
Recognizing that her next move could have incredible consequences, Johnson decided that she would go to the office any way. Her loyalty could never be questioned. She would always follow her orders. Alice quickly jumped to her feet and left the mess hall. As the major exited the dinning facility the cold January air hit her, dispelling the discomfort of sitting in a stuffy room with hundreds of other people and awful food. She couldn't have known that this would be the final time she would feel the cool winter air as a free woman.
Major Alice Johnson knocked twice on the door of Nicholson's office before it opened, revealing no less than half a dozen men in black suits. She had no time to react. No time to think. It was a confined office space so there was nowhere to run. Before the major even realized what was happening the door had been shut behind her and a needle was in her arm.
The world spun violently as Johnson realized that this was her end. Her entire life had been leading up to this moment. She had even been given a final chance. She could have run and maybe even escaped but she instead followed her orders and suffered the consequences. She had failed.
Outside the office, fire alarms began to blare. Officially, Major Johnson was feeling unwell and went in to take a nap before the evening flags ceremony when her housing unit caught fire. She was too stubborn to leave. She refused to exit the building until she received confirmation that she was the last one in there. The building collapsed on her while she was attempting to exit. As you can imagine, the DIS agent who had cooked up the story was very proud of himself. Alice Johnson would die a hero, preserving the reputation of the Maximusian Armed Forces. No one would know the truth.
January 4th, 2020 - 5:00 PM (17:00)
Major Alice Johnson assumed that she was in the clear, to some extent. Her career in the armed forces dated back almost as long as some of the newest recruits in her company had been alive. Major Johnson had never so much as put a toe out of line. In fact, she was probably the ideal soldier. Alice Johnson followed every order without question, stood to attention the fastest when a superior entered the room, woke before Reveille, and made her bed to within an inch of specifications. If any Aurora was going to escape the Department of Internal Security, it was going to be her.
A folder was dropped nonchalantly into Johnson's lap just as she took a seat at her table in the base's mess hall. It was a perfectly uniform beige, just like the 3-400 she others she saw per day. What caught the major's eye, however, was the fact that the folder was surprisingly empty. If you were going to take the time to hand someone a file by hand, you usually made sure it had more than one page's worth of information.
Cautiously, Johnson turned to face the messenger who had given her the file in the first place. To her utmost surprise, the courier, a short blond officer, had broken proper procedure and left without reporting who he was delivering the file on behalf of. The young man had turned and was briskly walking away. He would be lost in the crowd before the major could ever reach him.
Johnson figured the officer was just tired or homesick (seeing as it was just four days ago that the man was probably partying with his family), pushed her drink aside, placed the the file on top of the table, and began to read the single page that had been sloppily stapled to the back of the folder.
[box]
LOM Department of Defense
Senieli Joint Reserve Base
Senieli Joint Reserve Base
Confidential: For Privileged Eyes Only
From the desk of Brigadier General Scott Nicholson
16th Reserve Regiment
To: Major Alice Johnson
2nd Reserve Company
MEMO
It is of the utmost importance that we meet in my office at 1710 today.
[/box]
Something was completely off. Either national security was at stake and operational security protocols prohibited the general from telling the major anything of importance by pen or Johnson was being given some sort of a loyalty test. She had never had one before and didn't really think they were even a thing in Libertas Omnium Maximus. The Maximusian armed forces were tough but they also put a lot of faith in their soldiers. It was assumed from day one that you would protect your brothers-and-sisters-in-arms with your life. To the major, things just didn't add up.
Recognizing that her next move could have incredible consequences, Johnson decided that she would go to the office any way. Her loyalty could never be questioned. She would always follow her orders. Alice quickly jumped to her feet and left the mess hall. As the major exited the dinning facility the cold January air hit her, dispelling the discomfort of sitting in a stuffy room with hundreds of other people and awful food. She couldn't have known that this would be the final time she would feel the cool winter air as a free woman.
Major Alice Johnson knocked twice on the door of Nicholson's office before it opened, revealing no less than half a dozen men in black suits. She had no time to react. No time to think. It was a confined office space so there was nowhere to run. Before the major even realized what was happening the door had been shut behind her and a needle was in her arm.
The world spun violently as Johnson realized that this was her end. Her entire life had been leading up to this moment. She had even been given a final chance. She could have run and maybe even escaped but she instead followed her orders and suffered the consequences. She had failed.
Outside the office, fire alarms began to blare. Officially, Major Johnson was feeling unwell and went in to take a nap before the evening flags ceremony when her housing unit caught fire. She was too stubborn to leave. She refused to exit the building until she received confirmation that she was the last one in there. The building collapsed on her while she was attempting to exit. As you can imagine, the DIS agent who had cooked up the story was very proud of himself. Alice Johnson would die a hero, preserving the reputation of the Maximusian Armed Forces. No one would know the truth.