Renacimiento

[Stefz]

CHAPTER I - REAPER RESEARCH FACILITY

A few hours before touchdown to Galicia, Stefan was looking through the plans of the facility acquired from 101st classified archives. It has been a while since Reapers have left the system and abandoned their bases. A chance of finding anything of value to research was slim, no doubt most information has been deleted and backups removed from data arrays, but sometimes a few things tend to slip through, still lingering in local networks and detached terminals, breadcrumbs at best but better than nothing.

The crew was minimal: apart from Stefan there was a pilot, six marines, and a technician. All trusted and loyal to the cause.

The station started to appear within the nebula. A place once inhabited by "Reapers of Sirius", now seem like it has been a time lifelong ago. How much changed since then, Stefan thought.

The ship navigated to hangar, the doors were closed. However beneath the station segment was a hidden maintenence entrance to which the ship latched. Opening the door was relatively easy. The crew went through service tunnels to hangar bay. Dim lit with emergency lights it was large enough space to fit several gunboat class ships and transports. Stefan ordered technician to check station systems through nearby console and to bring in the ship into bay while the rest of the crew was setting up, preparing equpiment and armaments. Interestingly enough the station had atmosphere generator online, despite no one being there.

"Senor Mortensen, there is a record in hangar logs." - technician has already got into hangar systems. "A ship landed here a few hours ago. It has identified itself as reaper vessel used their authorization codes to dock. It has arrived and departed very quickly though."

"A dropship. Just great... Alright then. Listen up." - Stefan called his crew. "The station was boarded shortly before our arrival. Possibly reapers came in quietly to check, but they also could be setting up an ambush for us. Stay sharp."

Stefan turned to display. "How many?"

"Senor, the ship bypassed automatic scanning procedure, there is no information on ship class, only arrival and depature notifications are logged, there is no telling how many landed."

It could be a small party, it could be dozens, either way it seem there was a fight on hands. Reapers would definetely take an issue at Malteese ghosts poking around their old facilities.

"Alright, they probably know we're here by now, send a request for backup to Malta. Valesquez, get the turrets from ship, deploy around the hangar perimeter, protect Miguel and our way out. Rest of you follow me. Miguel." - Stefan gave out orders and turned to technician. "Keep trying to get into station networks, find out who else is there and where they are."

"Will do, Senor Mortensen" - technician nodded.

Space station had only minimal lights turned on, some lengthy corridors ran in shadows, large halls illuminated by light coming from outside through windows. Broken equipment, disabled terminals, Stefan noted the station was likely abandoned by force, contrary to information in archives. Breaking silence only low hum coming from somewhere far above. Mortensen was heading to control center, located in laboratories section at upper levels. Elevators were offline so the only way was through service passages.

Passing through another corridor they found broken security mech. Upon closer inspection Stefan found it was partially disabled, one of its mechanical legs was still working, attempting to pick on the ground but unable to reach. Such mech model was not only heavily armored but also designed to withstand EMP weapons, Stefan saw these before, a pretty expensive piece of automated security. The mech was short only recently.

"Reapers shooting down their own drones." - one of the marines said. Stefan wondered about that too. "That's unlikely" - he replied. "Let's move on."

Security checkpoints along the path were also disabled, just recently. Stefan concluded it had to be infiltration team, someone else is after experiments reapers were performing here.

"Senor Mortensen?" - communication picked up Miguel from hangar bar, there was a lot of interferrence though. "Miguel? We found security mech, disabled. Security checkpoints shut down as well. I doubt its reapers. Someone else used their code."

"Senor Mortensen, I just got into the network. Systems currently detect only one life sign other than ours. Whoever came before us is alone and in the lab section right now. The path should be clear but I cannot get a picture in labs."

"Got it, Miguel". Stefan turned to marines: "To labs, on the double. Our early visitor is alone and right there."

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