Sinister Future

Beginning: Origin

On July 4th, 2553, at 14:31, a hyper-speed war vehicle was soaring through the air. The warning system had already alerted the pilot that seven missiles were tracking them, expected to intercept and strike the vehicle within one minute.

The pilot, encased in his armored suit, remained unfazed. As a member of the AU (Auxiliary Unit), his psychological fortitude was ironclad.

Calmly, he continued to steer the war vehicle toward the eastern homeland while sending a thought inquiry: "Xiao Jiu, how much longer until the data is fully transmitted?" Xiao Jiu wasn't a person—it was the intelligent auxiliary system installed in his brain many years ago. Every AU soldier was cultivated from a young age, each equipped with an "Intelligent Bio-Optical Auxiliary System" embedded in their mind, enabling them to communicate and control through brainwave impulses.

"98%. It will finish transmitting before the missiles arrive."

Xiao Jiu's calm voice echoed in his mind, along with a visual display of the transmission status, showing the progress in real-time.

Through Xiao Jiu, he relayed this information back to the ground headquarters.

Soon, the response from headquarters appeared in his mind, showing the entire team standing solemnly, gazing at him with respect.

"Goodbye."

He gave one final smile, sending it to his teammates.

There was no fear, only a faint sense of attachment—to his few remaining comrades in the AU team, to his bonded Xiao Jiu, and to his beloved Unit 21 war vehicle... The data had finished transmitting, and Xiao Jiu detected that they had surpassed the vehicle’s maximum speed, issuing a warning: "No chance to evade. If we accelerate further, the vehicle will crash before the missiles arrive."

He didn't care. Humans are like that. Even when they know all hope is lost, they still give their all until the last possible moment.

But there was no need to care anymore. The warning system had entered its final few seconds of countdown. Both he and Xiao Jiu ceased all actions, letting the vehicle continue its beyond-limit acceleration... The missiles exploded almost simultaneously with the war vehicle's last burst of speed! AU Unit 21 disappeared from all signals, leaving only an empty void on the satellite feed, engulfed in the aftermath of the explosion.

Back at AU ground headquarters and in other departments involved in the mission, everyone stood in silence, paying tribute.

This mission had been crucial, extraordinarily difficult, an almost impossible task. The AU, a secret elite unit that had been nurtured with years of national investment, sent Unit 21 into the fray. The data had been successfully received, the mission was accomplished, but not a single member of the AU team, including Unit 21, managed to break through the enemy’s full-scale, all-out assault from their national ace forces.

A single AU war vehicle and a single AU soldier represented a considerable loss for a unit whose total strength barely exceeded a hundred.