The Strix

The following are details of a mission carried out by Haunter Unit 143 southern England Sector 4. Extracts of mission report and a personal journal of Joseph ‘Griff’ Griffiths. Some items are redacted from the record.

******MISSION REPORT******

******OPERATION FIDO******

******MISSION STATUS – ACTIVE******

******DATE 23 JUNE 2031AS******

****** Haunter Commander 231675 Matthew ‘Prof’ Hale******

****** APC Procured and loaded. Moving Out at 13.00. Seven Man Team selected for supply acquirement from Sector 4 (Uncharted) ******

Extract from Journal of Joseph ‘Griff’ Griffiths.

Day 436 – Sector One – Harbourage (Luton)

I awoke from a daze to the rumbling engine of the APC pulling into the lower floor of Harbourage (Harbour). It was a familiar sound to me from the old world. An old single-decker bus that used to take me to work each morning before The Strix wiped out two-thirds of the planet. In my opinion, they were the lucky ones. As I reminisced the back of my head was lightly tapped with the butt of a rifle. As I turned I was greeted by the grizzled face of AK (*Andrei ‘AK’ Kovalez*) we call him AK because no bugger can pronounce his name right and he sounds Russian, so AK fits but being Czech he is not fond of the name. He smiles with a toothless grin and says, “it's here, come on”. I gather my small array of belongings and stuff them, quickly into my pack.

The sight of the bus fills me with dread. The hastily placed mess of metal plates strewn across the bodywork where the windows used to be. The poorly cut gun ports with machine guns protruding from all sides, like a blackened cactus of the landscape of the old world, a relic of a not-so-distant past. The old blue paint showing through the cracks and scars of the makeshift armour reminding me of simpler times. Here its purpose is revived, a lifeline to us this rusty piece of crap was home and the difference between life and death. This was salvation in the world beyond the gates.

As I approach the bus following AK, I spot Prof with a rusty spray can in hand, crudely spraying the side of the metalwork. As we draw closer, he takes few steps back to admire his handy work, “What do you think?” Prof asks pointing with the can towards the side of the bus. What I saw was the word ‘Argo’ poorly sprayed into the rust of corrugated metal. We both stood there silently trying to work out what it meant. Prof looked at us like bacteria that had just pulled up a chair while he was eating. He stared at us, waiting for us to answer “well?” he exclaimed. I answered sounding confused while I was so “It’s nice...” The Prof Like the memes of old just put his hand to his forehead and sighed, as his head rose with a small grimace towards and said “Well every ship to the unknown needs a good name. Ok load your gear we leave in 20”.

As we both entered the bus the rest of the team greeted us with jeers and head nods while stowing gear for the journey. Fuel, food, water, and ammo were being stored under the seats and strapped in for the road ahead. I headed to my seat left gunner mount, I opened the breach of the large machine mostly held together with hopes, dreams, and gaffer tape. As I load the first round of the belt into the chamber. I spot the Prof sat on a nearby wall, the chaos around the bus of dockhands throwing gear and shouting all seemed to go dim to my ears as I saw him sat there. Prof was staring at the floor in some kind of daydream, time seemed to pass more slowly as looked on. He reached into his chest and from under his armoured vest pulls out a small silver heart-shaped locket. He rubbed it bringing it to shine, unclipping the clasp holding it together, and investigated it with a small smile forming on his face. This is not the first time I have seen this; before every mission, we are sent on he has done this. He slowly closes it and with eyes closed raises it to his lips, softly kisses the metal exterior, and then places it back under his armoured vest. I turn back to my work quickly before he notices me staring through the gun port. I continue to load the heavy machine gun, taking particular care the breach is clean before I lock it into place. You do not want it to jam when Flayers are upon you. I raise the weapon and lock it into the gun port assembly, and cock it with a satisfying clunk. I stow my gear ready for our journey to Sector 4 where no one has ventured for more than 10 years. But supplies in the Harbour are growing more scarce and we have picked clean the remains of all the other sectors in the area, it is time to be bold and venture further for the sake of survival.

******MISSION REPORT CONT>******

******OPERATION FIDO******

******MISSION STATUS – ACTIVE******

******DATE 23 JUNE 2031AS******

****** Haunter Commander 231675 Matthew ‘Prof’ Hale******

****** APC READY TO MOVE OUT. SEVEN MAN CREW LOADED. ALL POSITIONS READY TO ENGAGE. ARGO IS GO. ******

Extract from Journal of Joseph ‘Griff’ Griffiths.

Day 436 – Sector One – Harbourage (Luton) CONT>

After we have made the bus ready and stowed our gear we all report outside the bus, for our briefing. I have always found this dull as it is always the same thing “You are going here”, “gather as many supplies as possible from the ruins”. It was always the same mission, but there was an air of difference in the Profs voice today. The Prof seems on edge like something is different about this outing into our hellish landscape. As Prof speaks the on-edge feeling spreads among us. “Today gents, we will going into uncharted territory, no one has been to Sector 4 for over a decade. We have had reports from scouts near the sector border of high Flayer activity”. This news always makes me anxious. Prof continues “We will of course be grabbing supplies and other intel” he takes a deep breath “and looking for survivors to bring back to Harbour” we start looking at each other blankly, Survivors no one has been sighted in the sectors for many years, it is too dangerous and in fact, suicide to live outside an outpost. If this is true, we are dealing with something new which could be equally dangerous. I can hear AK next to me muttering in Czech, I am guessing swear words from this enlightenment. Prof finishes “Any questions?” we stand there silently not knowing what to say to this revelation and before any dares to ask he abruptly says “Good, load up and let’s move I want to reach checkpoint B before dark”. We all file onto the bus and take up our positions while doing our final checks a loud thud and clang lands on the front of the main door to the bus. A large bag of chains and restraints spill out of the bag, we all stop, and silence fills the main cabin as Prof follows on behind it. AK without even thinking says, “what are we bringing back!”

Prof turns and slams the door shut, and turns to the cabin where we are all staring at him wondering what the shackles are for. “Ok gents lock and load” with the sudden bark of the order the heavy machine guns begin to click in unison as we prepare to move. As Prof takes his seat on the front gun he bangs on the driver's compartment window “Dex. move us out”. The engine grunts into life as the power hit the wheels and we begin to move forward. The gates of the dock open with sounds of chains being hastily pulled as the bus loom into the world. Prof grab’s the radio attached to the front panel and clicks the receiver into life, Prof brings it to his lips “Harbour this is Prof. Argo is go.”