Act III - Reckoning
VI. Homecoming: Return of the Faceless (2345)
The Confrontation
Homecoming was the event horizon upon which my life took a dramatic turn. I became forever destined to be in this position hurdling towards my own cataclysmic expiration, while simultaneously frozen in action.
The Faceless returned under the assumption that in the 50 or so years since they had departed humanity would have completely eradicated itself and they could come again to “reign over land”. Their hypothesis was misinformed. In the same time that humanity had developed a seemingly undefeatable prowess, the Faceless had given in to vanity & desire; merging themselves with computing machinery & nano-technology, becoming truly face-less.
Upon the realization of those terrestrial to Earth of the events that were transpiring, the unified global populace decided that they will not be ruled again. Landing ships were sabotaged. Merciless raiding parties slaughtered countless Faceless legions as they attempted to disembark from their vessels. Before too long it seemed like humanity was making a stand against this tyrannical return.
That was before the second SMCE. Roughly 200 years after Little Fat had been released into our local Sun, a second stellar event directly related to the dropping of the bomb occurred. This event could never have been predicted, as our new focus of technology up to that point was in a different direction. Regardless, it shook us all; humanity & the Faceless alike.
-The Mailer
VII. Reflection (2355)
Broken or Reborn?
Although the second SMCE was a hindrance to this returned conflict, it did not cease its existence. Within the last 5 years since the event, the Faceless alongside their AI counterparts have established major strongholds across the globe, beginning to instill new forms of fear within the remaining bits of humanity.
I do not fear the carnage or bloodshed, I simply fear that it will be in vain.
I wish I had been able to do more to stop such chaos & tyranny but alas…
If you do not break the cycle… then we will be forced to face it again & aga…
