Chapter 150 – Background


    "So, around 90 years ago, both of us aren''t exactly set on the same path. Let''s just say that we''re enemies to each other. Our assignment is to retrieve Mayor Heren from the Ukraine border. Her ce crashed while carrying a ssified container codenamed ''Lobaev''. Remember this container, this wille upter," Lara said.


    "And our assignment is to retrieve Mayor Heren before the Russians found them and retrieve the ssified container. This Lobaev was a container attached to a pylon in a Su-27SM3 fighter jet," amara said.


    "Mrs. Heren is American, isn''t she?" Del asked.


    "Yes, but her alias is Zoya Orlova. Major Zoya Orlova to be exact," Laramented.


    "Have you gotten the idea where we areing from?" amara said.


    More or less, he had an idea. One was working for Russian Federation while the other was working for the United States. Both used to be enemies, but they worked together now. Still, it didn''t exin how they ended up in there.


    Still, it was safe to assume that one was from CIA Special Activities Division while the other was from FSB Spetsnaz. They were the field agents, judging from how they operated. Let''s just listen to what they had to say.


    "So, I will assume that you all met at the Ukraine border region. What happened then? You two broke inside of a firefight?" Del asked.


    "Correct, they shot us and we shot back," amara said.


    "Or vice versa," Laramented.


    "Whatever, so, this Lobaev thing. It burst open during the firefight," amara said.


    "And it created an energy field that teleported us all into this unknown ce. When I said all of us, I meant all of us, the whole two squads got teleported into the same ce. Now, imagine this, you have twenty-four people that were fighting to death previously and now just standing in the same ce in the middle of nowhere."


    "I can only imagine," Delmented. If he and Eric suddenly got teleported to nowhere, he would definitely end up in a fight against him. However, the situation might be much more conflict since it was between two countries that basically disliked each other.


    "Yeah, Lara put the tip of her pistol to my skull around that time," amara added.


    "After you put your pistol on Grekov''s head, of course, I''d do that," Lara said.


    "So, what makes you twoe into the realization that this wasn''t the time to argue or fight each other?" Del asked.


    "Automata, let''s just say, a creature of unusual anatomy. A bunch of them came in horde and we fought our ground together. They fought us with fireballs, electrical spears, but we managed to stand our ground. We don''t even know where they wereing from. We weren''t exactlynding on Ilbistirum territory," amara said.


    "Ah, so that''s how you ended up in here, huh? After that, what did you two do?"


    "After we formed a temporal truce, we realized that we were teleported into a ce which you''d call an ancient site. Of course, it was another long battle, and miraculously, we suffer zero casualties. As a result, we have partial control over the ancient site and use it to our advantage for five years," Lara exined.


    "Five years?"


    "Yeah, we grew our crops there, we use ammunition scattered around the armory of the site and use the technology scattered around that site. That ancient site became a joint self-sustainable base for both of us. Until…"


    "Until what?"


    "Until a ship approached our ind," amara said.


    "What kind of ship?"


    "Airship."


    "Ilbistirum Airship?"


    "Correct."


    "How did you all shoot it down? Thest time I tried to do that, I need a gunship to do that, and that''s to deal with a smaller one. What kind of weapon did you use to deal with it?" Del asked.


    "We don''t deal with it. The ancient site is equipped with a SAM site. So, the SAMs shot them all down and we captured those Ilbistirum people. Keep in mind though, Del, this is Ilbistirum before the revolution. Those soldiers were hungry soldiers and fighting just because they were told to fight, not because they really wanted to fight for their country," amara said.


    "What did they do?"


    "We put them inside of the prison, give them hot meals three times a day and afortable bed. Not long after that, they joined our ranks as maintenance staffs."


    "Maintenance staffs? How many of them were avable?" Del asked.


    "Let''s just say, enough. Maybe three or five survivors. There weren''t too many of them since the aircraft crash was catastrophic. Nevertheless, they told us the existence about this godforsaken country and we came here."


    "Ah, how did youe here?"


    "We salvage the parts of the airship that we can salvage and fly there. The airship didn''tst too long of course, that thing was a piece of crap," Herenmented. "It was not airworthy at all."


    "I see. What did you do here?" Del asked.


    "We started a revolution, long story short, we are basically the force that separated Ilbistirum in half. We just didn''t like how the current status quo manages its military and its people. So, we brought a revolution, and it worked so well."


    "Worked so well? You haven''t taken half of the other territory as far as I''m concerned. Why do you say that you have sessfully taken over Ilbistirum?" Del asked.


    "Because military-industrialplex simply works well. Look, Del, like it or not, this country is fueled by war. For every single tank destroyed, you need one more. To make a tank, you need a factory, a worker, an educated worker, and money. You created new jobs and new opportunities at the cost of peace, but you can''t argue that this was the main cause of the fast technological revolution in Ilbistirum."


    "I… am speechless. Well, if that''s for the best, I think I won''tment, I guess?" Del wasn''t sure how to react to that statement. But yeah, Ilbistirum had been growing pretty rapidly as far as he was concerned. "About the gas attack, were you aware of that?"


    "We were aware of it. In fact, we warned the generals to be careful of it, but apparently, the department of defense ignored our warning and forgot to supply the troops with a gas mask," amaramented.


    "So, why would they employ ipetent generals?" Del asked.


    "Politics? Or the fact that we recruitpetent military personnel to our ranks that all that was left were the ipetent ones. Look, this war economy couldn''t continue withpetent generals."


    "How so?"


    "You might not believe it, but Ilbistirum Federation could steamroll the Ilbistirum Empire in less than two months, especially with our more advanced hardware. We have to keep the moneying," Laramented.


    "Ok, ok, I think that''s more than enough for me. So, what is your intention toe here? To recruit me, or what?" Del asked.


    "To recruit you, of course. We are interested in putting you into our emergency task force considering how you managed to pass the test and survive several encounters in your life. I''m talking about everything that you have done, including your experience outside of Ilbistirum," amara said.


    "How long have you all stalked me?"


    "Let''s say, ever since I have a report of guns users outside of Ilbistirum? Cassandra might not know it, but you have been put under our microscope for a very long time."


    "Why would you need me? You can manufacture ammunitions on your own, can''t you?"


    "Ammunition? Yes. Guns? No. nes? No. Helicopters? No. Cruise Missiles? I hope so, but no. The ancient site fabricator doesn''t allow us to produce anything more than foods,fort items, and other amenities."


    "Ah, you want me to be your arms dealer? Ok, I get it. Sure, I''ll join your group, I meant, why not? Having an ally or two won''t hurt, especially if your ally is the director of foreign intelligence."


    "And internal security," Lara added.


    "You''re the director?" Del asked.


    "No, I''m a vice director, Mikhail is the director."


    "Where''s he?" Del asked.


    "In the base, waiting for you."


    "Alright, shall we go there?" amara stood up from the desk he was sitting on and grabbed his M4. He looked at the watch in his hand. A hologram appeared from it and he disappeared into thin air.


    "Where did he go?" Del asked. "Was that a teleportation device?"


    "More or less?" Lara held Anna''s hand and she looked at her watch. She and Anna disappeared into thin air.


    The rest of them disappeared into thin air and all that was left was him and Heren. "C''mon, Del, let''s get to our base, you''ll love it there, I promise." She looked at her watch and they disappeared into thin air as well.


    The trip was weird. He felt as if he was moving towards the darkness and he suddenlynded on top of a concrete floor. He then realized where he was. He was standing on a tarmac. "Wee to the base.." Heren greeted him.