Days of Darkness: Awakening

Prologue: The Arrival

In the distant future, the streets of Chicago would stand as a busy metropolis. People of all ages, races, and backgrounds filled this city and made it the fine place that it was: diverse, fast-paced, and hectic. But like any city, of course, it had its problems: crime, drugs, and gangs. Chicago had seen its fair share of corruption, greed, and power shifts. To those people who inhabited the city, however, they called home. Chicagoans felt a profound sense of peace and security, and nothing could make them feel any different. They knew how to survive, how to weather the storm. That was until one fateful day changed everything that they knew and the worst storm they had ever known blew in...

A strange light emitted in the middle of the intersection at Taylor St. and Halsted St. directly next to the UIC campus. The winds had begun to pick up as the students and faculty all gathered on a nearby rooftop. Others had started to walk out in front of the building pulling out cell phones to get footage of the phenomenon.

"What is that?!" the people inquired.

No one knew the answer to that question. Many knew that they shouldn't have been in the area. However, a vast majority stood there waiting in anticipation of what events would follow.

The light grew brighter and stronger as time went on and became more unbearable as it started to pulse. At first, it was slow, rhythmic, and almost hypnotizing. For a moment, all was silent. Crowds began to gather around it as cars along the road stopped and the passengers got out to see the event. The curiosity of it all took away all sense of reasonableness.

Several people all went towards the strange light to get a closer look. As they made their way over, a strong energy field coming from the pulse sent the cars surrounding the area flying away from it. The people that gathered around the field disintegrated in an instant from the intense heat coming from it. Countless people lost their lives in less than five seconds.

Minutes later, the Chicago Police Department arrived at the scene with multiple SWAT teams to assess the threat. The priority was crowd control. Right away, they ordered all pedestrians and onlookers into the nearest building on campus to preserve some type of order. Many of the crowd still ignored the police order and the officers grew impatient with them. So, they used the K-9 unit, tear gas, and riot shields to drive them back.

Once the onlookers were inside and locked down, CPD then turned their attention to the more immediate issue – the strange light in the middle of the road. Because of the intensity of the light and what it did to the surrounding crowd, SWAT members did what they could to protect themselves. Equipped with bomb suits, officers began to move in slowly. The closer they got in, the stronger it became. Once they were a few feet out, the light expanded and, in an instant, they were all vaporized. In an instant, it was clear that the police were powerless to do anything. Immediately, the National Guard was called in.

The troops arrived on the scene thirty minutes later led by Major James Collins. With him, came over one hundred soldiers, all ready and waiting. Once they got in place, Collins gave the order for a cordon to be placed around the light and the Guard.

"Colonel Locke, the troops are in place," said Major Collins over the radio. "How should we proceed?"

"Use extreme caution, Major. We don't know what it is we're dealing with."

"Copy." Collins signaled Lieutenant Smith, the science officer, to come to him.

Collins was a decorated soldier with tenures in both the Army and the National Guard. He was a career soldier well on his way through the ranks who traveled the world and fought for his country to keep the peace. This, however, proved to be the greatest challenge to peace that he would ever face in his life.