And then there was Redemption.

"Soon..." The loud voice bellowed from the heavens. "Soon..." It bellowed again. The voice's depth was clear, and warm. Something was coming.
......................................................................................................................................

There was never a place where complete peace existed... Never did man see the 'peace' that it so hypocritically claimed to want. No, peace could not exist while man lived... Peace was something only those who saw the inner workings of "Sentiment" could see. "Sentiment" was the ark built to carry the military's 'light' into abyss. Into space. But it was a failed mission, and Sentiment was lost to the depths of man's final frontier. 'Light'... It was lost with the expedition. And with it, the path to peace. "Soon..." Called a voice from out in the heavens.

"Soon..." Those were the last words of the acting captain aboard "Sentiment". "Soon our troubles will wash away."

Years passed, and the many failed expeditions to find "Sentiment" were forgotten. The hope for a better world was soon forgotten, and people reverted to mundane lifestyles once again. And once again the world was quiet. "... Soon..." It seemed the world had lost it's hope. Depression sank in, and worldwide economy began to depress itself. Pollution, and decay settled in. And the world began to eat itself out.

"Soon..." Parts of the planet were becoming a desolate wasteland. Temperatures rose, causing plant life to become scarce. The world was slowly dying. It was too late for anything to be done-- too late for any real change to occur. "Soon..." And on the planet's deathbed, it's inhabitants began to remember the 'light'. It was a symbol of hope, and if somebody could find it... Then there was hope yet for the planet. The people clung to that belief like ants to a stick in the water... Even though in the back of their minds, they knew it was a long shot.

"And we smiled for a little while as the world died under our feet." Soon.

Ships were sent into space in search of "Sentiment" once again. And for many months, nothing was found. "... Soon." The world saw it's first glimpse of hope with the ship "Izu", a military starship sent out to search for "Sentiment". Large as it was, the "Izu" only had a crew of about 30 men.

But the "Izu" too was lost. Soon transmissions became weak, and it's signal faded. Hope began to give way to disappointment, and soon depression.

But we tried to smile... We tried to see hope... And we tried to find a solution. For a while, there was nothing. Months, and years passed... The planet's inhabitable land decreased by over 40% and crime rates rose drastically. The world needed some kind of figure... But nobody could rise to the challenge. Was this truly the end?


"Humans are like a virus... They spread, and infect. They grow, and destroy... Then they die out, only to be reborn again tenfold."

"Soon..."

And soon... While the world was asleep... A mysterious sender selected 20 people at random to board a ship named "Izu"... So many years had passed, that these people couldn't remember that the ship had perished a long time ago. These twenty men and women were expected to participate in the ultimate tournament... "Redemption". It was a break from the usual depressing and dank world... Perhaps that is why they accepted the offer.

"Soon..." Was the letter's signer, and the message was "Izu, Dock 493 American territory number 670--
Survive."
It was a summons with coordinates upon it. Coordinates that were simple and easy to understand...
................................................................................................And so begins our story......

There was a large two way mirror dividing the room in half. A complete metallic blue color surrounded the twenty men and woman within the room, and nothing more. It was just a plain metallic room separated by a two way mirror.
"... And the time has come..." Came a voice from behind the mirror. It was clear and warm. And at once, everyone stood at attention.
"... You all glimmer with hope... And so you've come." The voice spoke again. It seemed to be unphased by the gapes of the people on the other side of the glass. "And because you have come, you will see..." The voice trailed off for a second or two, as if to collect some kind of reminiscing thought. "There is a light, and there is a sentiment, but there is no power greater than what you find for yourself here. Be careful... And understand... Survival is the key." The voice trailed of inside of thought for a while, leaving the people on the other side in a confused state.
They looked about in search of someone who could provide them an explanation, but nobody could be found. Muffled words flowed through the air like flies, and eyes darted to and fro like bullets. Nobody knew what the hell was happening. Nobody until...

"You will be assembled into four teams... And be prepared to hear from me in two days... For now... All those who were given a red envelope will report to Circuit X's chambers. Those with purple envelopes will report to the Wreaper's chambers... Those with gray slips will report to Havok's chambers, and those who received emerald slips will report to Harbinger Chambers." And the voice trailed off as if everyone knew what he was talking about.

The muffled voices rose up, but nobody seemed to understand what was happening. Everyone's eyes fell to their envelopes, and by some coincidence they had all missed one last part of the message... It was a map. A map of the ship. Perfectly detailed, and laid out. On it were instructions, and uses... And it seemed that you could only enter certain parts of the ship if you had the map from the team that watched over that part. And they all left the room... Confused, anxious, and tired. They all left the room to search for their chambers.