Sam sat in an old black leather chair and watched with lazy eyes, how the snow fell before the window of the crow’s nest, room.

Crows nest…
That’s what the people called this position in the fifty-fifth floor of the old and long abandoned bank building of San Valera which belonged to one of the most successful corporations on the planet.
But that was before the Urley landed…before the Blood Day.

A day, twenty-four years ago, on which the huge alienscalled Urley, drenched the seas, rivers and the ground with the blood of billions of humans all around the globe.
A day on what the human race was nearly extinct from its home world….nearly.

-  Earth 2059 Somewhere in September -

Groggy yawned the mid thirty, old man and stretched his arms with several audible cracks in his elbows and fingers before he got up and stretched his legs with the same results in his knees and his back.
He walked towards the window and looked out seeing the white landscape in the dim, weak, sunlight that managed it to break through the dark grey clouds.
He saw the snow covered ruins to the west of the city and heard the explosions again in his ears when they had buried two Urley’s alive under several buildings. It had been many years since then but he could still hear their screams…and those of two of his friends who were along with them.
It had been his assignment his choice to blow up the explosives and Butch had told him again and again that his choice was the right one.
Still, he could hear them…their pleas…their screams…

“Enough!” Told Sam to himself and turned his face away from the window and back to the chair.
He looked at the watch and then checked the time with the one on his digital watch. It was identical.
“Strange. She is never late.” Said Sam to himself, when he noticed the silent alarm on one of the monitors, who stood on a table next to the chair.
He pushed on the display and the camera went on to show the last four stairs below him. A figure with a long coat and a scarf was running up the stairs but he couldn’t see the face while it was now only two levels below his position.

Sam grabbed his old assault rifle and loaded it along with his pistol which he had holstered on his back. He looked again on the monitor and saw how the hooded figure went into the same floor he was in from the stairs and now began to walk straight for his position.

Had they caught her? Thought Sam as the figure was now only a few feet away from the reinforced door to the room he was in. He rose the rifle knowing that he had only a few seconds to react before the machine would probably overpower him.

“Two, maybe four shots.” Thought he to himself while the muzzle of the rifle was still aimed to the door.
The time began to slow down rapidly. Seconds seemed like minutes and the waiting was nearly unbearable when he suddenly heard a knock, then three more, then a single one again and then two hard kicks at the lower half of the door.

“Oh man really.” Sighted Sam and shook his head when he walked to the door and after unlocking it on several places, finally opened it and was soon greeted with a cold wind.
“Get in already its getting cold in here.”

The hooded figure which was about as tall as he was, didn’t took a second longer before she entered the room and took the hood off which revealed her brunette, long hair, a greed bandana and her green eyes as soon as she took the ski glasses off.

“Sorry for being late Sam.” Excused Catherine herself while she patted the last bits of snow from her coat and boots while he closed the door behind her and slung his rifle again on his back.
Catherine, or Cathy how many called her, was in her mid twenties, had pale skin which was normal when you were living underground all the time. She had green eyes a well trained figure, and long brown hair which she, like so often, had bond to a ponytail.
She wore a long dark grey coat, with a winter hood which was attached to it the old green scarf which she had placed a few times before her mouth against the freezing winds.


“You shouldn’t do that again.” Began he to scold her for being so reckless as she placed her clothes on a nearby old and worn out couch while he poured the rest of his hot water in a cup and handed it her.
She eagerly held it in her cold and stiff hands and welcomed the warmth that the small porcelain cup gave away since it was much too cold even with her gloves.

Sam inspected her coat while she was taking a few sips from the warm water and was surprised in what a good shape it was.
“Where did you found this one?”

“Just a few blocks, to the south from here. In one of the old ruins.” Was her answer and placed the cup on the table with the monitors on it.
“I also have something for you, Sam.”

She began to rummage in a pocket and then held a gift before him which was wrapped in old papers. He looked at it a bit surprised and touched that she hadn’t forgotten it.

“F-For me?” He said a bit nervous and saw her shy grin appear.

“It’s nothing big. I…I just thought you might like it since your old knife…oh.” She stopped holding a hand before her mouth when she noticed that she had just told him what was inside the paper.

Sam looked at the gift and began to smile a bit himself. He hadn’t thought that anyone beside Rosa and Butch would remember on his birthday but here was Cathy…no Catherine.
A woman he had saved out of the cold just four years ago and who had, ever since then, stood close to him.
They weren’t a couple like some had thought after some time but he respected her on a deep level. Something he hadn’t thought he was able to do after so many losses of friends over the years.

“Thank you Cathy. I will open it when you get back from your shift.”

“No! Open it now. I want to see you face when you open it so come on.” Came her answer eagerly on what Sam began to unwrap it as careful as he could.
It took him a bit time but when the strings were gone, and he unfolded it out of the layers of paper, could he feel the smooth surface of the hilt in his hand.

As soon as he put the paper away and got a first good look on it, could he barely hold his excitement back and said a few times “Wow.” Out loud while he turned the knife in his hand.
It had a black wooden shaft with small ripples in it which helped to have a better grip on it. The shaft of the blade was held in a beamless black with a small pouch sewn on its front were a whetstone was inside. He unclipped it and felt the wood on his skin and took it out in a slow move admiring the blade itself when he saw its surface.
It was made out of armour steel and had its typical muster on it along with its color.

Sam turned it a few times and was amazed how light it felt in his hand. It was perfectly balanced and in an extremely good look.

“Where did you…” But Cathy quickly silenced him and gave him a kiss on his cheek which completely hit him out of the blue.

“That’s my little secret, Sam.” Was her reply before she walked passed him and took her still warm cup from the table.

Sam shook his head and thanked her before he placed it in one of the smaller pockets of his backpack.
He took his old black, worn out parka, a grey scarf and his skicap and was about to leave when Cathy stopped him out of a sudden.

“Sam,” Began she and held him by his sleeve. “..ah-eh…it can wait.” Said she all back in her shy mood and let go of his arm.

“What’s wrong?”

“I…can we talk later? I-I have to tell you something. It’s really important and…we can talk later about it.”

Sam had no idea what to do. He knew her since the last four years and in all the time had she never been like that. Sure she was a quite strange type of person but this was even for her a bit ‘strange’. For a few seconds thought he of staying and telling he to talk with him now but he nodded and before he left the room, told her to stay focused just like he always did.

Hearing the locks popping in behind him began the freezing weather to nag on him. He checked his old assault rifle and pistol again and then waved a last time into the first camera that he passed on his way down to the ground.



The temperatures were far below the zero degree line and even with the thermal underwear under his clothes, could he feel the ice biting on his skin. In his memory could he vaguely see the green trees in the streets and a clear blue summer sky above him. But it all vanished as soon as it came when a sharp gust of cold wind hit him straight from the front and forced him to put even more strength into each step. His sight was bad. He could barely see the corner of the next building when suddenly something appeared, and right on it, disappeared already.

Sam stopped and cleared his ski glasses with the fingers. Had he just imagined that?
Still unable to see clearly, turned he around and tried to check his surroundings but the wind and the falling snow, made it impossible to see further then a few feet.
He prepared his rifle and scanned his surroundings with his eyes as good as he could when the strong wind began to slow down a bit and allowed him to see a bit better.

“Just look what I found out here.” Could he hear the voice saying and spun around thinking that it was behind him.
“Ooh you nearly had me.” Mocked him the female voice, with a metallic sounding undertone.

Sam turned his body and rifle but again did he only saw the empty street.

“And again, too slow pinkie.” Heard he the voice but this time, was way too close.

With wide opened eyes spun Sam around and saw the pearl white face of the doll only two feet away from him.
Then happened everything as if time was as frozen as the ground on which he stood. He felt how his finger pressed the trigger of his rifle knowing that the muzzle wasn’t at the right place just yet but the reflex and surprise had already taken over the higher thoughts. The first bullets made their way and went on their destroying way as the hand of the machine shot up and held the front easily at a save distance while he continued to hold the trigger. Upon realizing that it had taken over, tried he to pull it away but the brute force that the machine had, was easily three times higher then a human which made it impossible for him to even move it an inch no matter how hard he tried it.
Cursing himself for his laziness, grabbed he for his old pistol while his other hand was already busy to get the old knife from his back when the right, free, hand of the human looking machine shot forward and hit him hard into his stomach sending him flying through the air until his backpack and he, hit the iced door of an old parked car.
The impact forced the warm air out of his lungs and when his spinning vision began to clear itself a bit noticed he that his rifle was missing.

“Fuck.” Grunted Sam through gritted teeth and unclipped his backpack before he tried to get back on his feet.
He looked after the doll but the snow and wind had already begun to increase again which left him again with a pretty short field of sight.

Again grabbing for his pistol and the knife prepared he himself when the remains of his rifle where thrown at him and landed just before his boots.

“Not really impressive, human. Come on entertain me a bit more.” Could he hear the pilot of the machine say again in this damned tone followed by a laughter.

She was playing with him. They loved it. And he hated it.

“Come out and fight me face to face you coward!” Was he yelling and aimed with the pistol into the storm hoping to see a glimpse of the deadly thing.
“Come on and show yourself.” Mumbled Sam angry, into his scarf.

The seconds felt like an eternity. His nerves where at their limits and cold sweat ran over his cheek and forehead. His eyes scanned through the storm he knew he had to see her first. One or two well placed bullets into the right side of their heads to destroy the control system. The practise he had to aim for that one spot was intense but only that had prepared them for situations like that.

“Fine…” Heard he a low grumbling sound right up ahead of his position when the outlines of the doll came at him at high speed.
In a hurry fired Sam one, two and a even a third time but the machine dodged them all with slight steps to the side and within a split second was it already at arms length and grabbed him by his throat.
The direct impact took him from the ground while the machine was still running with him at its outstretched arm.
Sam lost his sense of direction again but had no time to orientate himself when the thing hammered his entire body straight into the wall of a nearby building.
The brutal impact let him loosen his grip around his pistol and the knife and for a few moments lost he his consciousness before the pain brought him back into the real world.

Letting him go, sunk Sam easily down on the ground and sat there for a couple of moment before the mechanical arm lifted him up again from the cold ground

“Not so tough huh?” Mocked him the pilot and turned his head with its free hand from side to side to get a good look at him. “Pretty skinny but I think it’ll have to do. First I will have my fun with you, and then, will they send you to our masters.”

Sam listened half awake to what it said as he prepared a last trump in his sleeve which was a short pocket knife he had always ready. Coughing out some blood onto the white artificial skin of the machine, stopped she all of a sudden and increased her grip around his throat.

“Pretty rude of you, human. But what could I expect from such a creature.” Said she over the link and was about to throw him away when the human’s arm shot forward and punctured with the sharp end through the artificial skull damaging the system just where he wanted it.

The grip around his neck loosened up and he fell on the ground again while the machine before him spammed around making a step back and then turning and shooting its arms high in he air.

The system had to calibrate itself which gave him a few seconds to act.

Quickly crawling back to his pistol aimed Sam carefully taking his time when the head of the machine looked towards him again only to be shot at several times before it fell backward into the snow leaving him tired but glad to have destroyed it finally.

Sam sighted and groaned audible while the snowstorm around him began to slowdown a bit. He walked over to the still slightly moving thing as its eyes began to fix on him as he looked down at it.

“How weak…but what can I expect from such a creature.” Grinned Sam dark as he looked down onto the twisting face aiming his pistol at its head and emptied the rest of his magazine and destroying the face completely.

He smiled despite having trouble to breath because of the steel like grip from its hand, was he glad to have it destroyed. The fight could have ended much different he knew that but here he was standing over the destroyed remains of another urley hunting machine.

He was just about to get his knife back when the ground began to shake under his feet. First barely feeling it knew he quickly what was coming when it started to increase rapidly.

“No…” was all he managed to say when the giant form appeared out of the snow storm.

He looked up at the alien feeling that it had to be about thirty five or more feet tall as it ran straight towards him until it stopped probably twenty feet away from him.

He began to walk backwards not even putting away his pistol when he heard a deep laughing sound followed by the hard impacts which were her following him at a steady speed while he ran as fast as he could. His legs burned his ribs arched and the ice cold air in his lungs felt as if he would be stabbed with hundreds of needles  at the same time while she, her voice gave that now clearly away, followed him and amused herself of his useless try to escape.

“Come on tiny, hurry up or my boots will get you soon.” Mocked she him and began to speed up a bit. It didn’t took her long to catch up and in the end just made one larger step right over him and stopped when she was right before him now.

Her giant frame loomed down and he could see the grey and black full body suit with its armour plates and the combat gear they wore. Pouches filled with gas grenades or more scouts to hunt them and catch them along with some to hold them secure as prisoners.

She took of her helmet and immediately fell down her long light grey hair which began to flow with the winds. She grinned down at the human knowing that he couldn’t escape anymore.

“Well, that wasn’t very nice of you, tiny.” Was all that she said before she knelt down and picked up Sam in one swift motion before he could even react.

His arms were forcefully pinned to this torso as she lifted him easily up to her face.

Her yellow iris with the black sclera its background, looked into his pain grimaced face with joy when she used her left index and thumb to hold his head easily.

“You really gave a bad feedback wave you know, and I think, that’ll cost you…” She said let go of his head and pinned his left shin bone instead between her fingers. “A leg.” And with that, broke his bone as if it were nothing.

Sam screamed up in pain before she let go of him and allowed his body to fall onto the gorund with an barely audible sound.

She slowly crouched down near him and smiled when his body began to move again even after the drop.

“Feisty, dirty little creature, I have to give you that.” Said sheas the human under her began to move his hands as if it wanted to crawl away.

“Oooh! Did I broke your other leg too? Oh sweety I am so sorry.” She said and flinched his side with her indexfinger forcing his entire body to roll a fe times before he stopped laying on his back and looking up at her.

“Ups, I guess that cost you a few ribs, right?” Giggled she and stood up to her full height.

Sam tried to catch some air but the pain in his side was too much. He began to cough again spitting more blood then before into the white snow now as he looked up at her form. He felt tears running down his face when his mind yelled him to flee. He wanted to run but both of his legs were broken and he could barely breathe. He knew his time was up.

Thalia knew he wouldn’t run away while she fished one of her cells out of a pocket on her belt. She even began to whistle silent when she looked down and saw his little frame on the ground before her. They always tried to run it was so much fun but seeing him only using one arm now to pull himself away from her, left her thinking if she had overdone it a bit this time.

She went down on one knee again and gave the creature a closer look again. The hunter, saw the red blood on the snow and his twisted legs that he pulled after him and really started to think if she shouldn’t just crush it into paste under her sole and end its worthless life.

Her commander would understand it for sure since they had thousands of them in the farms at the bases. One more or less it wouldn’t matter that much.

She was still debating over it in her mind and so didn’t notice that a second, a bit taller urley sneaked up on her from behind.

Thalia only noticed that something was behind her, when she felt an arm wrapping itself around her throat and lifting her up dragging her a bit back from her point.

She began to struggle looking up to the unknown one but all that she could see was s the mask that she wore and the red painted stripes that identified her as one of those hatred traitors.

She grabbed with both of her hands onto her arm pulling at it with all her strength while her feet crushed a nearby car that had stood on the side of the street.

She cursed the traitor under her breath as she was dragged further away when she finally remembered on her plasma pistol and dragged it out of her holster aiming it towards her attackers head.

But her enemy noticed it long before and stabbed her with a knife straight through her wrist on what she lost the grip around the pistol and let it fall on the ground.

Thalia screamed out loud in pain or better as loud as she could when the attacker spun her around and let her fall hard on the cold ground.

The urley warrior quickly got up clutching her wounded hand tight to her body before she looked back and faced the her.

“You! You human lovers! Traitors of our own race! How dare you to…” She was caught off when the one before her took of her mask and showed her face to her.

“S-Setol Vareva!” Said Thalia with wide opened eyes as she looked into the ice cold yellow eyes of one of the most respected, and feared urley warriors…before she changed the sites and became a fighter for the creatures of the planet.

“W-why? Why do you help them!” Yelled Thalia when the urley in front of her grabbed a hilt from her belt and after pushing a button, grew a thin, orange coloured, holographic, sword out of it.

Her eyes pierced through hers and she didn’t gave her any reply as he made a step further.

Thalia made a step back out of pure instinct when her body made contact with a small building behind her. She gulped suppressing the pain in her throat from her firm grip when Vareva made another step closer and rose the buzzing blade with one swift move piercing her opposite straight through her heart and the building as well. Vareva grabbed her under her arm supporting her body when her legs lost their strength and even helped her to get down on the ground.

“It won’t hurt for long now sister. Forgive me for what I did, when you reach the afterlife.” Whispered Vareva into Thalia’s ear s she held her close to her until she was dead in her arm.

She shut off the blade and rested her body on the ground sending a prayer to whatever god would listen and begging to accept her into their ranks before she got up and began to walk back to the site where it had begun.

She saw a second figure kneeling next to the one she had just saved and identified her right away.

“How is holding up?” Asked she when she knelt down next to them.

“We have to bring him back to the base. I stabilised him for now but he needs a second infusion, Vee.” Answered Catherine very concerned and looked up into the face of her giant friend.

Vareva nodded and very carefully picked up both Cathy and her wounded friend in both hands. She held these little people as careful as she could knowing very well, what destructive power one of her hands possessed from her memories.

She made once again sure that Catherine and her friend were secure in her hands when she asked her who this one was.

“Its Samuel.” Came her concerned reply.

Vareva, knowing what her little darling felt for this particular one, was even more concerned for him now. She wouldn’t let him die since he had been the one who had saved her little darling out of the cold many years ago.

They had already reached the outskirts of the city when Vareva told her to get closer to him on what she slightly cupped her hand to shield both a bit better from the cold winds. Then began she to speed up and within two or three long strides, was she at full speed and headed away from the old human city she was protecting since the last four years.

“Hang on Samuel Terrance…hang on.” Thought she to herself as the landscape rushed past her as she easily jumped over a long abandoned house and crushed a parked car that had been covered under snow.