Chapter I

All things begin

Part one

When the roar of gunships sweep past the red soil plain,everything is as calm as usual.?The noise of the propeller makes the originally hot air waves more restless.However,even in such environment,Karl·Dawn?still immerse himself in the slightly tattered book,with expressions changing timely.The surrounding world has no relationship with him.

“What is the book talking about,Karl?”asked the squad leader.

“oh,do you mean this?”said Karl,“a book about magic or myth?yeah,this marked ‘North myth’.”

“Ah-ha,today’s big discovery!”exclaimed one of the squad,with his thumb towards Karl“our Karl likes magic,magical girl~”the others broke into laughter loudly,including Karl.

After about 15 minutes ,squad leader’s intercom started making a buzzing sound.Turning his head towards the outer sightseeing,the leader said“it seems that we have arrived,the truly magical place.”

Following the transfer of the whole squad’s sight,a military base came into sight.Some workshops scattered throughout the base ,with some cars and helicopters parked randomly. A voice subsequently inserted“21st Squadron of the 10th Division?of the Fourth Synthetic Brigade of the Land Aviation Corps,welcome to the first fire supply base of the Empire of Kepler.”

As the first central land force that came to this place, also for the first time to see this base,everyone were still in the doubt that why they were ordered to get here and what’s the purpose of constructing this hidden military base,for strategic deployment,or for future military science?

A lot of dust picked up by the propeller reminded the squadron that they had to change their doubt into quick muster.

The ones that coordinated with the whole squadron were just three men in grey coats.One of these men glanced in the direction of squadron with a slight tilt ,hinting the other two man to there.

Waiting for the team check by the two men,Karl used his corner of eyes to give the base a more careful observation.He found that from the outer looking of the base,it was just a common military support base,even older than the common land force army regimental camp.But when observing roundly,he caught that there were many watchhouses coated with the surrounding color around here.And this was exactly the suspicious point of this base.They are too many watchhouses!If the red soil plain was boundless ,these houses could be said more boundless!

“Everybody,walk in unison!”

The squadron leader led the troops towards the nearest watchhouse signed “A3”.

“In one column!”

After the team changed their formation before the entrance,the door opened gradually.Because of the huge temperature difference.,a cool breeze was felt quickly by the front of the team.

Entering the “A3”,Karl found there was actually a elevator in it and the walls and floor was totally different from the first sight of base.They are all made in some metal, the elevator’s wall could be three times as thick as the normal one.Connected with the details he caught a few minutes ago,Karl had a feeling that there must be something under the ground that greatly mattered the country,even the world.

When the elevator descended,Karl remembered the document he had write his name on before this mission.It had to be known that he never needed to sign anything before.And there were just there things on the document:

The official mission name:TOP SECRET

(absolute confidentiality until death)

The name:Karl Dawn

The superior:Central Hall

All information he knew was just these.why?what?how?No one knows in the squadron,even the leader.

With the increase of depth,some voices began to appear.It sounded like boom,but a little similar with engine’s roar.

Getting deeper,some people’s voice also gradually emerge.

Deeper,the smell from the underground made Karl know his own imagination was still too barren.He had smelled it only in the heavy bomber manufacturing plant......

The feeling of upward acceleration became more and more obvious:it meant they were truly arriving.

“Ding---”,the color of elevator’s indicator light turned green,and the heavy door opened finally.

Shocking,

Just shocking,

Just the shock from the bottom of human’s heart.

Like the famous saying in this country ,“you will never imagine the bigness of sea until you get in there.”This place was a magnificent industrial artwork which created the weapon for crusading against the gods.Each watchhouse highed 6-10 meters on the ground connected with a long elevator straight towards the magical place two kilometers underground,like the blood vessel lead to the heart.The height of the base seemed to be 500-700 meters.Base was divided into many workshops by giant metal wall.Simply one workshop could contain over 20 heavy bombers! Despite of the depth,all the space were lighted,millions of huge mechanical structures ran orderly,countless transport vehicles walked through these amazing structures.Some mechanical component were transported by the helicopters across the base.

Bombers,rockets,intercontinental nuclear missiles,some iron monsters they had never seen before......all these surrounded with a central tower like the aorta of heart.A huge logo consisted of one rhombus and two parallelograms,like a raising rocket, stood over the tower.And under the logo,it marked “Central Science And Technology bureau”.

Without any explanation,two workers just kept leading the team,crossing the mechanical parts,ending at a building that had two guards who seemed to wear the air force’s uniform at the entrance.Getting in,there was a big hall.Just stepped into the hall door,Karl and his comrades could feel the solemn and repressive atmosphere:there had already other squadrons standing orderly here,from air force,navy and missile army.Some generals were talking at a corner of the platform in the front of the hall.

“Team attention!”

Just when Karl arrived at the right position,the general at the center of podium gave a command rapidly.With a clear swipe,everybody conformed a standard stance,waiting for the speech of this general.

“Well,I think all of you are still in messy thinking,right?About why you are called to get here,what’s your mission?”

“But it is a pity that even I,the vice chief of staff in this base,don’t know the reason. ”,“So,the title of my speech today is not explaining the mission,but introducing your leader and troops .”He cleared his throat,opened the folder in his hands ,continued:

“According to the 404 transfer order of Central Military Commission(CMC),transfer CLA1000421,CNA0501802,CM1402808,CAF1103471,totally 504 persons, to the first fire supply base of the Empire of Kepler.All these soldiers make up the First Advance Troops of Kepler(FAK).Former leader of the Second Group Of “Long hawk”O(jiān)f Central Air Force,Terena Kova, serve as the troops’?leader.The whole troop entered a state of first-level war readiness since its establishment.All immediate relatives of the soldiers be in safety and life guarantee.All communication with outer world be cut.All missions in this troop keep in top secret.”

Still in silence,Karl and other soldiers were waiting for something.

A?clear sound of leather boots on the platform.

Their leader came.

“Air force lieutenant colonel Terena Kova,report for duty!”

“Salute!”

Both sides saluted to the opposite ,soldiers gazed at their new leader,and the leader scrutinized her troops.

Yes,this was a female military officer,like a stouthearted sword,for her dark forbidding eyes,her resolute voice and her clean and agile posture.

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Part two

The time in the afternoon was always tranquil and warm with the melodious chirping of birds and sunlight crossing the leaves,spreading on the road.Because of the open road without cars,some kids played the game “cat chase the mice”,laughing and screaming happily.Two old women,maybe their grandma,also chatted casually in idiomatic dialect,shaking the fans in hands.

Suddenly,a rush of horn broke the afternoon silence.Elders called back the kids anxiously.Fast spinning tires skimming the road,roaring engines crushing against the air madly,three military jeeps darted on the road.All the white license plate were marked the red “C”.

Head Office Of Central Military Commission.

One general walked hastily into a building as soon as he got out of just parked?jeep.When he went up to conference room on the fourth floor,he could clearly find that today’s conference was different from the former ones.All commanders of the army groups had arrived.Because of the busy work,many of these generals he didn’t know before.So he went up and shook hands with them,after all, for the sake of the job.

Defence Minister came in,with vice chair man of CMC,Zhi Heng,the direct military general of King.

Spreading out the papers on the desk,defence minister began:

“Today,CMC called all leaders of central army to be here,aimed at the file directly transported from central top council of Kepler.”

Zhi nodded lightly to express consent.

“During my reading,you could ask me any question,if I know and I’m allowed to tell you.”

Looking around,Defence Minister continued: “First,change strategic propel to strategic defence,in all theaters”

“Question.”

“Well,General Reck,I think you could wait after the second command.”

The expression on the defence minister’s face became more solemn when he read the next command “Second,Comprehensively propel the interservice integration,cancel existing land,sea,air and missile system,set up “three plus one”?military system,”Having taken note of the astonishment of these senior generals,he didn’t stop: “In the new system, ?‘three’?means ‘Anterior Defence Army’, ‘Central Government Army ’and ‘Rear Liberation Army’, ‘one’?refers to ‘Central Bureau of Science and Technology affiliated force?’. ”

“I think you could ask questions now.”

“Who’s our enemy?”A navy general asked.It was apparently that these generals immediately recognized that the huge military reform meant something bad is coming.

“Only the members of central top council of Kepler own the right to know. ”

“What’s the concrete time for the reform? ”

“After one week,at most.Central Hall is developing a more detailed reform plan according to the top council’s file.”

“What......”

The meeting lasted for a long time.The afterglow of the sunset finally brought ending for the conference.Although these generals asked many questions,many questions’?answer were “No right to know”.

The former navy general asked the last question: “Will it be a big war?”

Defence minister and Zhi took a glance at each other,Zhi said: “No matter what will happen,I could tell you that the fate of history finally depend on people, implementing the decisions of superiors effectively and firmly is always the best choice. ”

When other generals went back to their workplace,defence minister stopped the general that was the last to arrive.

“Norwichy,I had something to tell you.”

“Yes,sir.”

“You should know the ‘FAK’,right?”

“Yes,the troops is in my charge now.”

Defence Minister looked into the general’s eyes: “Make sure the troops unknown by irrelevant person and if anything happened,contact me or chairman Zhi.”

“Yes,sir.Sir,I think I also have something to tell you.”

“Let me guess,the science army,right?”

Norwichy used silence as answer.

“You are my best student,I know what ‘s in your brain,just like the worm in your stomach.”

This time,Defence minister put his arm gently on Norwichy’s back,speak with heart and soul: “It’s still not the right time,this country still need it.”

“Remember what I have told you just now,I will find ways to solve it,OK?”

The last commander had also gone.

Two old men,also two highest level general,look at the busy city at dusk with their hands behind their back at the ground of head office.On their face,there were no expressions showing anxiety or fear.Just calm,a calm that keep the whole battle line stable.

“Sir,call from Central Hall!”

“It’s seemed that new task need be done.”said Zhi.

?They went to other place. Looking through the window of the empty room,a national flag basking in the sunset fluttered slowly.

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Part three

One week later,a small town of north sky-continent by the sea.

“Dad!Dad!”

A?excited young man ran through the wheat fields,shaking the rolled up newspaper in his hands.

In the direction he was running to,an old man bent over with a limp leg lightly turned back,cursed “Nasty guy,why he don’t have a ?brain?”Apparently,this elder was angry about the rudeness his son used to handle his field.

It was the time for breakfast,but the young man had no mood to eat,burying in the thrill of telling the news.

“Listen,Dad.The empire of Kepler announced its military reform,stopped the forward extending army.Most of the war area have been in ceasefire status!”

At this moment,mother stopped eating.

Father was still eating.

“According to the analysis of specialists,Kepler’s reform is mainly because its economy couldn’t support the attack anymore,the whole nation need a period time to recover.”

Father was still eating,seeming like he didn’t hear anything.

?“Dad!Do you listen?”The son spread his hands to show puzzlement.

“So what?”Father put down the bread in his hand, “What do you wanna say?”

“What?isn’t it clear?we are at the turning point of success!”When son said this,you could feel that his muscles were trembling. “We don’t need to work so hard to pay the damn tax!We will get the thing that belongs to us!Once ......”

“You want to join the army?”

“Of course,dad!Honor of the empire of detroit will be back!Once I serve with distinction in the war,our family will get a big status growth!”

The father gave his son a cold look,said : “Go fishing with me tonight.”

“Why?You just let the good chance walk away?Conscription is under way!The leaflet say once I go to the front line ,the family could get 50 thousands dets!You could have no fishing for half year!”

Mother had known something went wrong,persuaded the son: “Don’t you understand you dad?he......”

“I do not agree.”inserted the father.

“Having been 40 years!why couldn’t you get out of your cowardice?just for a leg?”

“I just don’t wanna be bombed by nuclear weapon!”

“The situation has changed,isn’t it?Once we got our own nuclear weapon 15 years ago,we were in the way to revolt!Both sides have the weapon,so neither sides dare to use it!Even if they use it......”

“?not dare?”?The father let out a sneer.

“You could never imagine the horror of our enemy,Joe.”

“Take your cowardice and ignorance to your grave!”After saying this, the son slammed the door and left.

Only a sigh let out by a father.

One week later,morning,when the mother got up,she called Joe but nobody answered.So she open the room’s door,there was just a letter there.

A sudden chill in her heart,she suddenly knew he enlisted without telling them.

At this time,Joe had been on the transporter filled with recruits.He gawked at the receding fields,the mills,the white lighthouse.

When mother told this to his husband,the old father’s corners of mouth twitched a little.But he has no other reactions about this.

“He is adult,this is his own choice.No matter what we say,we couldn’t stop him,just like the used I.”

When the sky turns orange,the father was preparing fishing equipment with his partner.The patrolman came to their fishing vessel,squatted down and said: “Be careful.These days , there have been two boats disappeared,because of the damn weather,maybe.”

Joe’s father reached out his hand and grabbed the drizzle in the air.

“Just rest assured,I have seen today and tomorrow’s weather forecast,there will be no big storms.And this is a good weather for fishing!”

Shrugging his shoulders,the patrolman stood up, “Well,alright,may you a good fishing!”

At night on the sea,there were only two things shining:the moon and the fishing vessel.

When Joe’s dad and the partner closed the fishing net,the light on the boat went off and on.

“Hey,could you hear something?”

“something?No,nothing.”

Father kept listening for a while,thought it may be his ear’s problem.

One day later,nobody got back.