Two years ago, Sierra’s father, Dr. Stephan Pelletier, was conducting research on immortality when he came to the conclusion that robotic recreation was the best way of doing it. His daughter, sickly and dying, was only six years old. He cared for and loved her so much. She meant the world to him, especially after his wife, Monroe, died during the childbirth, and he wasn’t about to lose her. This is why, despite never being tested before, he used his new invention on her. The invention was supposed to replace her skin and organs with artificial replacements. But something went terribly wrong, and many parts of her body were disintegrated and replaced with metal parts, before exploding. Sierra survived the explosion, feeling better than ever, but her father did not have the same luck. A few days after that, the government sent soldiers from the military to investigate the explosion. One of the soldiers, a Holder by the name of Blake Stille, found Sierra cowering in a corner underneath a pile of rubble, absolutely terrified. Blake, being the Holder of Devotion, was a very kind and caring father figure to Sierra. He vowed to take care of her for the rest of her life. Blake took Sierra with him wherever his Company was told to go. Their current location: The Ural Mountains. They were sent to investigate an old conspiracy theory about 9 hikers being abducted and killed by aliens in the year 1953. Their findings: an Onagan base, built hundreds of years ago. But now, they were in deep trouble.
“Blake!” Sierra called out, desperately trying to find her adoptive father, knowing he would protect her.
“Sierra!” she heard a familiar voice call out.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck down the Onaga chasing her. Out of the shadows appeared John Champbell, one of Blake’s squad mates, whom Sierra thought of as an uncle.
“Uncle John!” Sierra said as she ran into the man’s arms, “Where’s Blake?” she asked with a worried twinkle in her eyes.
“More importantly,” John said, “Where are the soldiers we assigned to protect you at the campsite?”
“We were attacked,” Sierra replied, “They told me to go find you or Blake.”
Just then there was a gut-wrenching scream from down the mountain where the campsite was. And then, a flash of orange light.
“Oh no,” John said.
“What?” Sierra asked, “What is it? What does it mean?”
“It means they’re dead,” John said with a morbid expression, “Come on. We have to find Blake and get out of here.”
“No need,” Blake said as he walked up to join them, ”We need to get out of here at all costs.”
“But what about the others?” John asked.
“There’s no time. Besides,” he said pulling a bulky piece of machinery out of a sack, “They knew what they signed up for.”
The piece of machinery was in the shape of a rough cube, and was glowing a harsh reddish purple.
“What is it?” Sierra asked, mesmerized by the beauty of the object.
“It’s a copy of their database,” Blake said, as he quickly tucked it away so as not to draw attention, “Come on, let’s go.”
“But Blake,” John argued,” What about Sierra?”
“What about Sierra?” Blake asked, confused.
“Look at what she’s wearing!” John said.
Sierra was still wearing her night gown, a frilly, silky, pink dress, and had on bright red rain boots, obviously to protect her feet from the snow, and had on what appeared to be one of the soldier’s coats, but was soaking wet from when she tripped. Her night gown’s exotic color complimented her deep violet hair.
Blake contemplated the suggestion as he looked out over what was once the campsite. “We can’t go back. What I found while scoping out their ship was horrifying,” he explained,” They’ve been conducting experiments on humans for years. In fact, they’re probably the cause for the sudden disappearance of the Mansi people.”
“Who are the Mansi?” Sierra asked.
“They were the people who were native to this land,” John explained, ”But, that doesn’t mean we can’t do something.”
“I also found a breeding ground,” Blake said, ”and a massive one at that. I was able to save some hikers while I was there. They should be waiting for us at the base of the mountain. But we’ll have to be careful, there could be scout parties looking for survivors.”
“Alright,” John said, ”Well then let’s go.”
And the group set off towards the base of the mountain.
A FEW DAYS EARLIER
“Alright, listen up mates,” Colonel Sceoten ordered, his Australian accent heavier than ever before, ”We’ve got orders from headquartas. We’re goin’ ta Russia. More specifically, we’re goin’ to Kholat Syakhl in the Ural Mountain range. Apparently, in 1959, noine hoikas went missing there, and were all found dead by mysterious and unknown causes. Headquartas thinks it moight be that the Onaga have a ship there, and have been kidnapping hoikas since the beginning of the 19th century. We have been assigned to investigate the situation, and, if we do find an Onagan base, destroy it. We leave tomorraw at O’six hundred hours. Dismissed.”
[Later that night]
When Blake got back to his room after his shift, he lifted out his sack from under his bunk. But the sack was mysteriously heavier than normal. Upon opening the sack, he found that Sierra was lying inside of it.
As soon as the light from the outside world shone on her face, and she saw Blake, she gave him a playful smile.
“Sierra,” Blake said, ”What are you doing?”
“I’m going with you!” Sierra said enthusiastically.
“Sierra,” Blake said as he kneeled down in front of her, grabbed her by the shoulders, and looked her in the eye, ”You’re not coming with.”
“Wha-what?” Sierra whimpered.
“Sierra, this mission is too dangerous, and I don’t want you to get hurt,” he explained.
“But I won’t get hurt, I promise,” Sierra begged, ”I’ll just stay out of the way, but please let me come with you.”
“Sierra, that’s just not good enough,” Blake said, ”Not only are we probably going to be fighting the Onaga, but this in Siberia, one of the coldest places on Earth. Even if we don’t fight any Onaga, there’s still the possibility that you could freeze to death.”
“But-“ Sierra tried to argue.
“No buts, Sierra. You’re staying here with Captain Board,” Blake commanded.
“Okay,” Sierra said, heartbroken.
“Now go to sleep,” Blake said as he lifted Sierra to her bunk above his.
“Goodnight, Blake,” Sierra said with a whimper.
“Goodnight Sierra,” He said as he kissed her forehead, ”I love you.”
[The next morning]
“Hey, has anyone seen Sierra?” Blake continued to ask everyone he came across as he ran around the base in search of Sierra.
Earlier that morning, when Blake woke up, he was surprised to see that Sierra was not still in bed, sound asleep and refusing to wake up. He assumed she must have gone to the mess hall already to eat breakfast, but when he got there, he found she wasn’t there. Blake had begun to worry, and started running all around the base to try and find her.
“Second Lieutenant Stoille!” shouted Colonel Sceoten, ”C’mere!”
“Yes, sir?” Blake asked as he ran up to the Colonel and saluted him.
“We’re leaving in ten minutes. Get your stuff, and get on that ship!” the Colonel ordered.
“But, sir, what about Sierra?”
“Wot about Sierra?” the Colonel asked, confused.
“Well, I can’t seem to find her anywhere sir. She’s missing, ”Blake explained.
“Why don’t you let me handle that, son,” Captain Board said to Blake as he walked up to stand alongside him and put his hand on Blake’s shoulder.
“Thank you Captain,” Blake said as he ran off to get his bag.
“No problem,” Captain Board yelled so Blake could hear him.
LESS THAN A FEW DAYS LATER
As he was unloading the ship, Blake noticed a bag that no one had claimed. And on top of that, it looked like it was his, even though he had already put away his things. As he stared at the bag intently, he saw that something inside of it moved. Then he realized that Sierra had snuck on board.
“Sierra!” Blake yelled
“No,” Sierra’s muffled voice responded from inside the bag, “No one is here. Go away please.”
Blake walked up to the bag and violently picked it up with no regard to Sierra’s safety, so as to teach her a lesson.
“Ow,” Sierra whined from inside the bag, “What was that for?!”
“For disobeying me,” Blake answered, while walking non chalantly towards his tent so that none of his superior officers would get suspicious.
“I did no such thing!” Sierra argued.
Blake tugged at the bag again to shut her up. “Keep quiet. We can’t let any of my superiors know you’re here. Otherwise I might get dishonorably discharged from the army.”
Sierra gasped in surprise. “Is that why you wouldn’t let me come with?” Sierra pondered.
“Of course,” he said, “If I really wanted to protect you, then I would’ve brought you with me, not just leave you at the base. But, if I were to bring you with, and gotten kicked out of the army, then I wouldn’t be able to protect you as well.”
“Oh, Blake, I knew you loved me,” Sierra said, getting all mushy and beginning to squirm around in the sack.
Blake tugged on the bag once more, ruining the moment Sierra was having.
As soon as he entered the tent he was sharing with the rest of his squad, he silenced all of them that were in there.
“Can you guys keep a secret?” Blake asked.
They all nodded in approval.
Blake set down the bag on the floor, unzipped it open, and grabbed Sierra to pull her out. As soon as they saw her, they all face palmed.
“Look, it’s not my fault,” Blake began to explain, “She snuck on board! I couldn’t just leave her on the ship!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Markel sassed, “Just make sure she doesn’t go anywhere near my beer.”
Markel Brewster was a former SCP Agent who had volunteered to be in an experiment testing SCP 212, a medical robot that controls itself. Because of it, he is pretty much all machine on the inside and can only drink beer.
“Oh, come on, Markel, she’s just a kid,” Trent remarked.
[Insert info on Jack’s son here]
“Blake,” John said, “Where do you plan on hiding her?”
“I’m not sure,” Blake answered with a worried look on his face, “But I don’t care, really, just as long as she’s safe.”
“Where are we, anyways? And why is it so cold?” Sierra said, shivering.
Blake looked up at Markel and gave him an expression that said, ‘Hand me a coat’, and Markel plucked a coat from out of his bag and tossed it onto Sierra.
“Now Blake,” Markel joked, “Are you absolutely sure that you want this? I mean, taking care of a little girl is a big responsibility. You’ll have to feed her, walk her, pick up after her-“
“Shut the fuck up, before I murder you in your sleep,” Blake said while covering Sierra’s ears with his hands.
“You can go ahead and try,” Markel replied, “But I really don’t give a shit.”
“Well what if I were to throw all of your beer out onto the snow?” Blake said.
“Okay, fine,” Markel surrendered, “I’m sorry. Just leave mein beer und schnitzel alone.”
“But wait,” Trent interjected, “What about her meals? I mean, we can’t exactly bring an extra meal from the mess hall back to our tent……wait, can we?”
“No, you dumbass,” Markel said as he smacked Trent on the backside of his head. “And we especially can’t say that we’re getting a meal for me, seeing as how I can’t eat,” he said, looking at Blake.
“I’m sure we’ll think of something eventually, but right now, I need to go make a phone call and explain the situation to Captain Board,” Blake said as he threw back on his coat and walked out of the tent.
“I’m tired,” Sierra immediately complained.
“Well then take a nap,” Markel snapped.
Sierra thought about it for a moment. “Okay!” And she skipped off to bed.
“Father of year,” Trent remarked sarcastically.
“Silence, shneidhole. She is not the only vun who is tired. Goodnight,” Markel said before lying on his side and falling asleep.
[LATER THAT NIGHT]
“Sierra. Sierra. Sierra!” Blake said as he shook Sierra in an attempt to wake her up.
Finally, Sierra partially woke up, but extremely groggy. “Wha?”
“Sierra, we’ll be gone for the rest of the night. If there’s an emergency, go see Sergeant Mercer next door,” Blake said before kissing her on the forehead, “Goodbye. I love you.”
“Yeah, I, love you too,” Sierra mumbled before drifting back to sleep.
Eeeeeeerrrrrrooooooo, Eeeeeeerrrrrrooooooo, Eeeeeeerrrrrrooooooo.
Sierra bolted awake and alert by the alarm that ran through the base. She ran up to the window of the cabin to see what was going on. But what she saw made her gag and wretch from disgust. It was a blood bath out there, with human and Onagan bodies littering the campsite. The words Blake had said to Sierra earlier now rang throughout her mind, ‘If anything happens, go see Sergeant Mercer next door’. Sierra threw on some rain boots, and ran out the cabin door and into the snow. She stopped when she realized something very crucial and important: Blake never told her if Sergeant Mercer was in the cabin on the left, or the right. She stood there a moment, paralyzed with fear. ‘What if I go in the wrong one?’ She thought, ‘What if that decision kills me?’ Suddenly Sierra was whisked away by an unknown assailant. “PUT ME DOWN!!!” She yelled as she banged on the person’s arms.
“It’s okay, Sierra, it’s just me,” an unfamiliar looking stranger said. The man could see the obvious look of confusion on Sierra’s face.
“Do I, know you?” Sierra asked.
“It’s me, Sergeant Mercer!” the man explained.
“Oh! Hi Sergeant Mercer!” Sierra exclaimed.
“Sierra, listen to me,” Mercer said as he grabbed Sierra by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes, “I need you to go up the mountain and try to find Blake. Go!”
“Wait!” Sierra said just before Mercer tried to continue the fight. “I’m cold.”
“Here, take my coat,” he said, “Now go!”
Sierra began to run as fast as she could up the steep mountain slope, occasionally slipping on the snow but catching herself and the way down, with her hands, making them so wet and cold she could no longer feel them. She was making good progress until about one-sixth of the way up, when she grew too tired to go on. Her energy was renewed, however, when she turned around and saw an Onagan climbing up the slope in pursuit of her. She screamed at the top of her lungs before springing up the mountain faster than Usain Bolt on his best day. Before, the Onagan was going for a slow and silent approach, so as to catch her by surprise, but now its full potential rang free as it began to match the little girls speed.
“Blake!” Sierra called out, desperately trying to find her adoptive father, knowing he would protect her.
“Sierra!” she heard a familiar voice call out.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck down the Onaga chasing her. Out of the shadows appeared John.
“Uncle John!” Sierra said as she ran into the man’s arms, “Where’s Blake?” she asked with a worried twinkle in her eyes.
“He’s with Trent and Markel farther back,” he said, pointing to the dense forest he just came out of, “But where is everyone else who was at the campsite? Where’s Sergeant Mercer?”
“We were attacked,” Sierra replied, “They told me to go find you or Blake.”
Just then there was a gut-wrenching scream from down the mountain where the campsite was. And then, a flash of orange light.
“Oh no,” John said.
“What?” Sierra asked, “What is it? What does it mean?”
“It means they’re dead,” John said with a morbid expression, “Come on. We have to find Blake and get out of here.”
“No need,” Blake said as he walked up to join them, ”We need to get out of here at all costs.”
“But what about the others?” John asked.
“There’s no time. Besides,” he said pulling a bulky piece of machinery out of a sack, “They knew what they signed up for.”
The piece of machinery was in the shape of a rough cube, and was glowing a harsh reddish purple.
“What is it?” Sierra asked, mesmerized by the beauty of the object.
“It’s a copy of their database,” Blake said, as he quickly tucked it away so as not to draw attention, “Come on, let’s go.”
“But Blake,” John argued,” What about Sierra?”
“What about Sierra?” Blake asked, confused.
“Look at what she’s wearing!” John said.
Sierra was still wearing her night gown, a frilly, silky, pink dress, and had on bright red rain boots, obviously to protect her feet from the snow, and had on what appeared to be one of the soldier’s coats, but was soaking wet from when she tripped. Her night gown’s exotic color complimented her deep violet hair.
Blake contemplated the suggestion as he looked out over what was once the campsite. “We can’t go back. What I found while scoping out their ship was horrifying,” he explained,” They’ve been conducting experiments on humans for years. In fact, they’re probably the cause for the sudden disappearance of the Mansi people.”
“Who are the Mansi?” Sierra asked.
“They were the people who were native to this land,” John explained, ”But, that doesn’t mean we can’t do something.”
“I also found a breeding ground,” Blake said, ”and a massive one at that. I was able to save some hikers while I was there. They should be waiting for us at the base of the mountain. But we’ll have to be careful, there could be scout parties looking for survivors.”
“Alright,” John said, ”Well then let’s go.”
As the group set off down the slope on the opposite side of Kholat Syakhl, they made sure to be as quiet and careful as possible. If any sound waves disrupted the mountains snow build up, then there would be an intense avalanche, leaving almost no chance for survival. Even if they were to survive, they would be captured by the Onagan scouts which were prowling around the area, looking for any stragglers. Occasionally, the group would come across lone survivors being chased by Onagan Scout parties, but were unable to help, for fear of being caught. Instead, whenever they came across these, they were forced to hide and wait in the shadows as they watched their fellow soldiers die horrible deaths.
Eventually, the group made it down the mountain, where Markel and Trent had been waiting, along with other survivors who had made it past the scouts. Together, they all escaped the area and traveled on foot to the nearest town, which was about ten miles away. Of the original five hundred and fifty six soldiers who were in S Company of the 169th Army, only twelve had survived.
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