THE OMEGA PROTOCOL: RESETTING EARTH

Chapter 2

The screen flared to life in his vision, his bionic eyes rendering the words as a voice announced them aloud.

"Delta threat: alien beasts identified. Captain Leo, you are classified tier one," Julian said.

"What? I'm tier one and they're only a delta threat?" Leo blurted out. "I guess that's good news, but why wasn't I told about this, Julian?"

"Yes, Captain. Tier one is the lowest rank, meaning you have kinetic manipulation—enhanced speed and weaponry from the start. And yes, delta is the lowest threat level. You needn't worry," Julian replied.

"But I thought I was sent five years into the past, before the apocalypse. Why are the beasts already here?" Leo asked, gearing up for battle.

"The Omega Protocol has begun. Since you were sent back five years, the enemy has launched their own countermeasure—the Anti-Omega Protocol. These beasts are here to stop you before your first mission even starts. And as you can see, we're in the woods, which is why this area already carries that apocalyptic look," Julian explained.

"And what's that?" Leo asked, spotting two of the beasts.

They matched what he'd seen when the world crumbled to dust—four-legged creatures that growled constantly—only smaller now.

They leaped at him, and he immediately thought about constructing a gun with his nanotech bionic arm.

"Omega Protocol: construction of nanotech bionic guns successful," Julian announced, the words flashing across his screen.

*Bang!*

The bullets moved with startling speed, and the two beasts dropped, lifeless, to the ground.

Two more leaped at him. He formed a blade from his nanotech bionic arm, engaged in close combat, and landed a punch that sent one creature flying. The other alien beast rushed in—his blade ended its life, while his gun finished off the one he'd already struck.

"You still haven't answered my question," Leo said as his nanotech weapons shifted back into hands.

"The mission is to reach a bunker prepared for you underground. It will serve as your base, the foundation for what comes next," Julian said.

"Great," Leo muttered as eleven more shapes appeared on his screen—eleven delta-level alien threats.

Near an abandoned truck, he activated his kinetic manipulation and hurled the vehicle at the approaching beasts.

*Boom!*

The explosion wiped them out on impact, though more growls echoed in the distance.

"Destination: the bunker is five kilometers ahead," Julian announced. Leo leaped forward, covering the distance with startling ease.

"I guess you forgot to mention this ability came with tier one," Leo said, landing near the bunker's location.

**Omega Station**

"You can see he's progressing. You shouldn't have doubted him," Michael said, facing Rita as they sat in the Chancellor's office, watching everything unfold on a massive screen.

"He's only just started. We don't know what's coming, and I still intend to prove why he was never the right choice—even if he's someone you've been watching, someone you're connected to," Rita said.

"If that's what you think, so be it. The system is always right. The Omega Protocol has protected Earth for years. Even if he fails—which I doubt—the system was never wrong to choose him, just as it was never wrong about the others, except when they gave up or failed," Michael said.

"I still maintain he doesn't know enough about what's happening to him. Look at him—he had no idea. We should have taken more time to prepare him," Rita said.

"Rita, you know his skills. That's exactly what the system demanded," Michael said. Rita fell silent, conceding the argument, and Michael allowed himself a satisfied smile.

Leo landed in a clearing in the woods, close to the bunker now, according to the map glowing on his screen.

Suddenly, a cry pierced the air. "Help me, please!" A woman, perched in a tree, screamed for help while something below her—a cybernetically enhanced android—shook the trunk violently, trying to bring her down.

He wondered briefly why she was alone in such an isolated place, but he knew the android needed dealing with first.

"Julian, what threat are we facing?" he asked. The screen flickered on, and Julian's voice responded.

"An Omega Plus Three level threat, Captain—a cybernetically enhanced android."

"Alright then," Leo said, rushing toward the android. He noticed his own speed—faster than expected—and realized this, too, was part of his tier one abilities. Tier one wasn't so bad after all, at least for now, without tougher threats to contend with.

The android matched his speed, but Leo manipulated his own momentum and landed a blow that sent it staggering back. It returned fire, bullets confirming its Omega Plus Three status, but Leo redirected them back at their source.

The android pressed into close combat, but Leo's skills proved superior—he blocked every strike, using speed manipulation to seize the advantage. Within seconds, he'd disabled it completely, pulling out its core wire until it powered down for good.

"Thank you so much," the woman said, climbing down from the tree.

"Don't mention it. I'm glad you're safe. What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"I have a house nearby. I came to pack my things—I'm heading back to town," she replied.

"That's good. I didn't catch your name."

"Rose Smith. I'm a doctor, though I'm not really practicing these days. Sometimes I pick up nursing work when I need the money," she said.

"I'm Leo—a captain in the army." They shook hands as a vehicle pulled up, and she recognized her chance to leave.

"Where are your things?" Leo asked, noticing she carried no luggage.

"The android destroyed them," she said, pointing to the scorched, bullet-riddled remains of her belongings.

Leo felt everything he had to feel for her. She was just one innocent woman and who knows the important things she had lost.

"Don't worry. It wasn't something too important just some things I wanted to sell," She said

"I'm sorry," Leo said, waving as she climbed into the vehicle.

Ten minutes of walking later, an alert flashed.

"Destination confirmed: bunker successfully located," Julian said. The handle matched exactly the image Leo had been shown.

"Thank goodness," he sighed in relief, opening the bunker and stepping inside.