Day 1 (Rayner)

I close my eyes, and remember the good old days. When life was easy, free, and petty. Freedom with zero responsibilities and a wad of parental cash to keep me through the times. That was life. THE LIFE! Now I'm stuck in this hell hole. This parasitic arena where my life and soul are slow depleting. All of this exchange for the little wonders of money and what money can buy.

Sure initially money was the world!

Money move mountains, and fill valleys. With money, the world is yours to take and command. And when there's money, there's always a need for more. It's a drug... this... money! With just a sniff of success, the addiction kicks in. I need to rise higher and higher. I need to be the top brass.

At first it started with a shitty job sweeping the streets. But soon, it grew. I was left to manage a small contingent of the most technologically advanced sweeper unit... That and to get everyone else fired and rise up the ranks. I couldn't care less about what others thought. They were just a stepping stone. They all were... including my manager. Once I grew, I took even his place. But being a manager of sweeper units, the most shittiest job you can find in this metropolis, has it's credit.

Once there it was easy for me to access the dark side of this city.  To smell the roaches of the underworld. To dwell with the rats of this infested city. Sure these are scums, but scums with deep pockets, deeper than you can ever dream. They have what I needed, and are willing to exchange a little for my services. This only seems fair, and through the times, I was making enough to afford extensive holidays.

Stupid as it is, I took a many of these holidays, and it wasn't long before the higher ups thought it strange. I was investigated and shut down. Sure I had to pay the price, but I sure as hell ain't gonna do it alone. To ease my sentence, I told them each and every location of these scums, their routines, their backups, even down to their whores and contacts. But still it wasn't enough. In this world, trafficking of an illicit material starts you off with a death sentence. It was up to me and I sure as hell ain't gonna die in this hell hole!

As the trial continued, my contribution lessened to the point of almost a pardon, but at a costly fine. The lifeblood of the courts and they want me to throw away my addiction to this money and more? But at least it was something I can work with. I had to come up with that money within a year or I'd get slammed back into the cage.

This was it, my only chance.

My only break.

But with such a hefty fine there was no way in hell short of robbing a bank to get access to that load....that is until I met Jordan.

Jordan being one of the contacts my networks turned up proved to be a savior, MY savior!. He was in charge of a recruitment program for initiates willing to be bodyguards. A company called GAPS was it's name. A stupid name I'd thought. I've got a huge gap right here in my pocket that needs to be filled!

It wasn't until he told me the pay of veterans that caught my attention. 6 figures if I jump to the top. And how is this feasible? Because Jordan himself did it. I easily forgot our entire conversation except the 6 figures. It was huge. This was it. I can do this. I just need to make the money, and free myself from this wealth of a drug.

It was my repentance and my salvation.....or so I'd thought.

Day 1 (Jordan)

GREY AREA PROTECTIVE SERVICES
CLASSIFICATION: OBSIDIAN

MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
FROM: MAJ. JORDAN L. (REAPER COMPANY)
SUBJECT: SITREP. OPERATION FADED HOPE

At 0213 hours, routine patrol of Sector #875 (MERAUKE TOWNSHIP) led by Lt. Eepin P. (DELTA PLATOON) engaged in combat operations with suspected insurgents. The engagement lasted until 0249 hours, with DELTA CCO reporting all enemy combatants successfully terminated, with no friendly casualties. Unfortunately, during the engagement a large number of civilian casualties were sustained.

A full report of the incident has been filed under INCIDENT#093 (ref. DOC-051213).

As per company policy, I have recalled all members of DELTA PLATOON from the area of operations, and initiated the following procedures to avoid potential negative media scrutiny of company involvement:

• Witnesses of INCIDENT#093 have been silenced.
• Evidence of Company involved in said incident have been removed.

This includes the termination of all persons currently residing in Sector #875 and surrounding areas. Successive sweeps of affected areas have confirmed no survivors remain.

As of 0437 hours, MERAUKE TOWNSHIP has been completely destroyed via deployment of incendiary munitions consistent with those in use by insurgent forces. All traces of Company involvement in the incident have been destroyed.

Recon teams reported government forces arrived at 0521 hours to investigate. Company sources within the government have confirmed that the insurgents are being blamed for the attack - no trace of Company involvement was discovered.

Despite significant collateral damage incurred as a result of the incident, I am happy to report that CAPTAIN WONG - the main organizer of insurgent forces - was one of the casualties of DELTA PLATOON's actions. With his removal, we can expect resistance throughout the country to collapse in the ensuing power struggle among his lieutenants.

It is my opinion that OPERATION FADED HOPE has been concluded successfully. The Company may begin its procurement of petroleum assets in the region without further disturbances.


[END OF MEMORANDUM]

Day 1 (EePin)

So the Doc told me to do this. It helps, she says, with organising your thoughts. And all that baloney. Well here I am. Writing in a stupid book for her reading pleasure. To battle insomnia. Laughable. I earn a six digit salary, live in the swankiest apartment in Melbourne, and have all the toys a man could ever want.

And I can’t fucking sleep.

Jordan says I don’t like my job, six figures or not. He’s right in a way. I never saw my future living like this. My parents wanted me to be a doctor. Typical Asian mentality. Normal.

Ordinary.

I didn’t want ordinary. I wanted the world. Oh I did the dutiful thing, studied medicine in the University they picked, worked on the exams, tried my best to be the responsible one. But it was all so... boring. I quit on the fourth year. Left the class, threw my books in the trash, walked out and never looked back.

You should have heard the shouting back in the house.

I left home and joined the Army. I wanted to see the world. I was out there for ten years.

I will tell you this. The world is a fucked up place. And unkind. The things I’ve seen. The things I’ve done. Unforgivable things maybe. I had enough. Quit the service and came back to Melbourne. In a bid to reconnect with this world I had left behind, I met up with my old uni-mate Jordan, who worked with this company called the Grey Area Protective Services, or GAPS.  He explained how the job involved simple bodyguarding duties, things that someone of my experience could do. More importantly, he said I had brains, and I would rise up the ranks very quickly.

Rise I did, after joining GAPS. What I believed would be a quick stint for money, well, this is my third year here now. Got a squad of my own. Mates I can count on. Six-figure pay. Everything I can buy and more. All I have to do is protect people.

And kill people. Ah fuck, he was just a kid. With a wooden gun.

Doc says it’s not my fault in that mission. Well, she wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger. I described to her what a shotgun round does to a body from three metres away. She didn’t seem too happy about that.

Fuck. His eyes. They didn’t close when he fell. I dream those eyes.

Those eyes and more.

Lookee here Doc, the sun’s up. Brilliant idea.