Chapter 1
The wind howled across the Martian plateau as the Guardian studied Jacob with quiet intensity. For a moment, neither spoke, the silence pressing heavier than the dust-choked air. Jacob swallowed hard, his throat dry. A Guardian. Alive. Here. It was almost impossible to believe, but the aura of quiet power around the armored figure left no doubt. The Guardian tilted their head. “You survived stasis. That’s… unusual.” Jacob let out a strained laugh. “Unusual is a kind way to put it. I should’ve been dust centuries ago.” The visor glowed faintly, unreadable. “Then why are you here?” Jacob hesitated. What answer could he give? The truth, perhaps, or as much of it as he understood. “I was a scientist… during the Golden Age. I studied everything I could. When the Collapse hit, I was placed in stasis. I don’t know who sealed me in, or why.” His gaze sharpened. “But if humanity still fights… then maybe my knowledge has a purpose.” The Guardian didn’t move. Then, with a mechanical hum, a small drone floated out from behind their shoulder — a Ghost. Its shell rotated, scanning Jacob with a curious whir. “He’s human,” the Ghost confirmed. “But his vitals… they’re strange. Cells preserved far longer than stasis protocols should allow. Whoever put him under knew what they were doing.” Jacob’s pulse quickened. “Then you believe me.” The Guardian finally relaxed their hand away from their weapon. “Belief isn’t the question. Survival is. The Darkness presses closer every day. If you’re truly from the Golden Age, the City will want to hear what you know.” Jacob exhaled, relief washing over him, but it was short-lived. A distant rumble echoed through the air, like thunder buried beneath the surface. The Ghost spun sharply, its light flaring. “Trouble,” it warned. From the jagged rocks beyond the ridge, shapes began to emerge. Angular. Inhuman. Fallen. Their guttural shouts carried on the wind as they readied their weapons. The Guardian drew their rifle in one fluid motion, visor glinting. “Stay behind me.” But Jacob’s instincts overrode fear. His mind raced through every scrap of memory, every schematic of Fallen weaponry he had studied in ancient archives. He crouched beside a rusted console near the airlock, fingers brushing its cracked surface. Beneath the dust, the power core still flickered faintly. He glanced at the Guardian. “Give me sixty seconds. I might even the odds.” The Guardian’s voice was firm, resolute. “Then don’t waste them.” The first bolts of enemy fire lit up the Martian dusk. And Jacob Curtis, scientist of the Golden Age, prepared to prove he was not just a relic of the past. TO BE CONTINUED……………!
