Zero Lives

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Originally Published on August 13th, 2488

The image opens with the close up of a man somewhere in the Station, he is staring at the camera, not really saying much or even moving. His crimson eyes looked like they could see through everything and anything, he finally moved, by tilting his head to the side. The lower half of his face was covered by what appeared to be a high collar and a half mask.

"When you look in the mirror... What do you see? Do you see the glorious, dominant corporate society that is meant to rule everything? Do you see the generous, charitable, and strong corporate society that is able to provide justice and protection for everyone? For the betterment of mankind? For a greater and brighter future for humanity? Or do you see fear? Fear of the one organization you preached to all that you had under control? Do you see a rotten core? Corrupted, pestilent, and decayed? A bloated corporate body barely able to function, let alone move on its own without feeding off anyone and everyone else? When Twin Dragons breached your doors, tore down your walls, set your world on fire, and walked over the bodies and carcasses of your failed Agents and Synths, they did something no one had done before: Prevailed. Against a Corporation. Against you. The so-called lowly criminals that you so easily dismissed, not only got close, but they got in, and they took what you had. You were driven underground, to live like the rest of the station lives. In fear, in despair, in pain. For a few weeks, you felt what these people have felt all of their lives, you cry foul, you claim innocence, service and honor, when you had none of that. You've never had any of that. And now that you finally have convinced Cocoon Corp to allow you the usage of Drones AND Fighters, you think you have won. None of that, what you have done is far worse. You have awakened the Dragon. Your despair shows, and it fills you, you reek of it, we can smell your fear. If one attack could render you scared and useless for weeks, what do you think multiple attacks will do? Do you think your drones and fighters will be enough to protect you? Do you think they will serve as shields before the unyielding wrath of the Twin Dragons? They will do nothing but to melt, and you with them."

The camera pans out, revealing the background changing to different key locations from the station: The Luxxon Hotel, Pulse, Bunkr, Chinatown, HeavenInc, ATS Building, ModTeck, Genetectic, the more it panned out, the faster it shuffled.

"Twin Dragons are everywhere, and they are watching your every move. So far, the plan has been simple: Play defense, you make incursions into Chinatown and Sector One? You get removed, easy as that. But with this? The plan will change. The one attack you suffered had a reason, you had possession of something that did not belong to you, and Twin Dragons was there to take it back. But since then, Twin Dragons has remained in Sectors One and Two, conducting their business there, and allowed for you to retain a semblance of control in Sectors Three and Four, but after this move of yours? We feel it's time to expand, aggressively. Things are going to change, because once more, you are forcing our hand. Things are going to change, because if it's not us, then who? If it's not now, then when? We will stop sending your Maxx Units back home, we will tear them apart, limb from limb, and sell them on the Black Market, you keep sending those to us, and we'll simply make more money out of them. You keep sending your organic Agents after us, and we'll make them famous, we'll make them memorable, we'll make sure their visages don't leave the NET in a long, long time. Their bodies will dangle, lifeless and motionless off the access points to Sectors One and Two, surrounded by the burnt carcasses of your drones and fighters. If you think that's enough to deter us, then get ready for the night when you see the Dragons come in full force after you, breaching your doors again, bringing down your walls again, setting your world on fire again."

The man stops once more, looking at the camera, despite the intensity of the message, his eyes appear to reflect the calm and stillness he had.

"As for the rest of you, Cocoon Station. Today you allow the deployment of these drones that target anyone they conclude are affiliated to the Twin Dragons Syndicate, how long do you think will take before the first ‘accidental’ kill happens? Just because someone happens to look like one of us? How long do you think it'll take before ATS decides that not only Twin Dragons are a threat to their interests? How long until they start targeting the Synthetic Alliance? How long until they start targeting MGM? Or even worse, how long until they start targeting anyone who doesn't fall in line with this so-called Arborian Law? If you don't fight now, no one will come to save you, if you don't stand up now, you will have nothing left to live for, if you let this happen, you're dooming yourself and those you hold dear, because in the end, Twin Dragons isn't the bigger Harvester threat in the station, and Arboria knows this. The drones attack every single one of us on sight, then we will pay you in kind, any and all ATS Agents, regardless of secondary affiliations, spotted in Sectors One and Two, will be attacked, mercilessly. They will be hunted down like they are trying to hunt everyone else down, they will be sent back to their beloved and newly rebuilt base on plastic bags. We will play a game, Arboria Tactical Systems, we will see which side desists first, we will see which side breaks first, and when the despair and madness settles, only the absolute victor will stand, it'll either be you after you successfully destroy us all, or it'll be us, after we successfully rid the station of you."

The man remains calm, letting the information sink in, he remains basically the same.

"Who am I? I am you, I am the reflection behind the mirror you refuse to acknowledge, the one that grows ever darker like a shadow you pretend is not following you. You can call me Zero, because in the end, there must always be a Zero, as there will always be an Underground, there will always be Twin Dragons, and there will always be people caught in the middle unable to stand up for themselves. I am not the first, and I will not be the last, because in the end, it takes far more than ATS to destroy Zero. Zero is a symbol, an Oyabun, a Father, a Provider, a Protector... But he is also an Assassin, a Terrorist, and a Shadow. Everything and anything that makes corporations fear Twin Dragons, all that is Zero. Because in the end, everything returns to Zero. These are dark days ahead for us all, Cocoon Station, and the lines are being drawn, choose carefully. Dragons Are Not Slaves."

With those words, the screen goes to static, then fades to black.