Prologue

In the year 2830 the human race has been able to colonize new worlds . One of those worlds is Treno . Over the years a genetic mutation has started to occur in certain children. The mutation had to do with the person’s spirit producing large amounts of energy, that would escape the body do to the person’s feeling. The energy that escape is called soul. A soul-user usually develops their powers around the age of six. The soul-users are then captured and sent to testing facilities, to test for soul output and developing their powers. From there they are sent to secret training facilities to be trained to become weapons of mass destruction. The youngest sent out for a mission was only nine years old and he never returned.


Chapter 1 (The Test)

“Test subject 309108 code name Echo. Subject is a male, weight one hundred pounds, height four feet eight inches, age ten years old.” yawned a scientist. “Computer, activate safety protocols 31A96, identity John Rookie.” “Voice identity confirmed, activating all safety protocols for soul output.” The computer pronounced in a monotone voice. John leaned back in his chair finishing the last of his twelfth cup of coffee in the last three hours. He was a scrawny person. His black hair was in a serious need of a hair cut. His glasses are thick enough to stop a four caliber magnum from one hundred meters away. This better be go to be woken up a three in the morning. I wander what’s so special about this one. John pushed the intercom button. “Ok Echo stand still while we place the nodes1 on you.” releasing the button he asks. “Kate do you have any more information on Echo? “I managed to dig up some more information on him besides the little bit they gave us.” replied Kate with out looking up from her desk. “He has been on five search and destroy missions, twelve reckon missions, and a dozen others ranging from national security to assassinations all over the world, before he was eight years old.” Kate is only five feet two inches tall. She was only 22 the youngest on the team. She has long dark brown hair, forest green eyes. She was very attractive her coat was open showing a blue and white striped shirt that was cut almost to low to be legal, and a black business skirt cut almost to high. “Well I’m not surprised all of his kind are raised and bred to become weapons, I feel sorry for the little bastards.” said John. Two new scientist walk into the room. The nodes are set sir.”said a tall red haired man who came in after his much shorter blond haired companion. “Good job Tyrone.” John said as he looked out the soul proof window into the testing area. All Echo was wearing were dark blue boxers and the white glowing nodes that the two scientists put on him. Echo was tan, slightly muscular with golden bronze hair and steel blue eyes that change to neon blue when using soul. John pushed the intercom button again. “Alright Echo, commence soul output now.” he said anxiously. Instantly the sensors jumped from zero to three zules2. John sat up a little straighter. “Twenty tempoes says he tires in five minutes.”said Tyrone. “Five minutes, I give him three.” said his blond haired companion. An hour later all of them were aw struck. “ This is impossible there is no way he is able to produce so much energy for so long with out passing out or dying. The strongest one we tested only produced two point five zules for only ten minutes before he passed out.” said Kate astounded. “ Tyrone, I want you to hit Echo with ten thousand volts. I want to see if we can cox any more energy out of him.” said John excitedly with an evil grin on his face. “ No offence sir, but ten thousand volts is like a paper cut compared to this.” said Tyrone defensively. “ All it usually takes is a paper cut to piss some one off.” John said darkly. Tyrone turned the dial, looked at Echo with a wordless sorry in his eyes and pushed the button. They could see the pain on Echo’s face as ten thousand volts coursed though his body. The sensors never dropped as pain throbbed in every part of his body. After he shook off the pain he pushed him self passed his limits. The sensors jumped from three zules to twelve zules and climbing five hundred thousand volts per second. “ John we have to put him to sleep At this rate he’ll reach fifteen zules in only five minutes, if that happens he’ll go in to overload and destroy him self and the country as well ” yelled the blond hair man. “ John his vitals are red lining we have to do it now or we risk losing him ” yelled Kate. “Tyrone put him to sleep now, triple the dosage of the hyper oxide sleeping gas.” yelled John as he ran to the locker and pulled out a med kit. He tossed the kit to Kate. “As soon as he is asleep I want you to make sure he stays alive long enough for the med team to get here.” he said, as they watched the pink gas slowly roll into the room. With in thirty seconds Echo was out cold. Kate rushed out of the control room into the testing area. She slipped and scraped her knee. When she got close to him she knelt beside him reached out to role him on to his back, when suddenly a discharge of electricity arced from his body to her hand. Pulling away, suddenly the connection was broken. Realizing that it didn’t hurt she reached into the kit to get the stethoscope but she accidentally cut her finger on the surgical knife pulling it out. She reached out again, the same electric bolt arced from him to her. Then she noticed her finger, it was healing right before her eyes. She pulled away to study what was going on when she broke the connection and the healing stopped. She reached out once more, the same thing happened but she watched as her finger healed, a wound that would take a few days to heal, healed in a matter of seconds. She put her hand on his shoulder and faster than a rattle snake could strike, his hand shot out and rapped around her neck with surprising strength. He slowly lifted himself off the floor. Once he was on his feet, he slowly lifted her off her’s. That’s when she started to panic. She started swinging and kicking hoping that he let her go, but all of her attacks were stopped short by some kind of invisible barrier. He looked at her for a solid minute before he put her down. “I’m sorry ma’am.”he said with a cold voice that could freeze mercury. “I thought you were an enemy.” She rubbed her neck to lessen the swelling when she asked “What do you mean you thought I was an enemy?” “You are a civilian you oppose no threat, I have been trained to protect all civilian.” “Well in that case le-“ He suddenly grabbed her shoulders pulled her close and turned so they were facing opposite directions .Then she became aware of the continuos muffled cough of silenced armor piercing assault rifle rounds. That’s when it registered that he put her out of harms way by taking the bullets himself. Looking over his shoulder she noticed that all of the bullets stopped three inches short by some kind of force field. As soon as they ceased fire to reload, Echo let go of her turned around to face the new threat with two orbs of energy in each hand. In his left hand was an artificial pure white sun, and in the other, was an orb so dark that the room seem to get darker, even with the artificial sun. He lifted his left hand and the white orb shot off at the enemy. Sixteen of the twenty guards that opened fire were instantly vaporized in a flash of light, all that was left were outlines of where their feet were. He then lifted his other hand at the rest of the terrified men. He was about to fire when Kate stood in the path. “Don’t do it.” she pleaded. “I must neutralize the enemy. They put a civilian in harms way, I must protect you from the enemy.”
“But at the price of one life, you can save several others.” she said. “Besides, they are trying to do the same as you are, they’re trying to protect me.” “In that case put your weapons on the ground and slide them over to me if you want to live.” They did as they were told. Echo pointed the dark orb at the weapons and fired, and just like the men, all that was left was an outline. “Echo, can I ask you a question?” asked Kate. “Go ahead ma’am but there is a lot that you are not authorised to know.” “Well I’m level six authorization so you must answer my question.” she replied with authority. “What were those attacks I thought there were only four elements?” “There are four elements and since your level six I’ll tell you. The four elements air, water, fire, and earth. But I was secretly trained in two new elements, light, and dark. I was forced to learn every element. I am the only one who has been able to out of two hundred and fifty candidates.” “Is that why you are able to produce so much energy?” “Yes, it takes a lot to stabilize each element.” he said as he walked to his cell while disconnecting each node. His cell door slid open as he approached. It closed as soon he was in side, they could hear a series of locks fasten into place. Kate walked back in to the control room. She was instantly embraced by the guys. “Are you ok?”,asked Tyrone. “Yea I’m fine. Just a little scared and shaken up.”, she replied a bit distracted. She sat down in her chair, when John asked. “I don’t understand why didn’t he kill you, but he killed the guards.” “He had every intention to kill me, but he said he was trained to protect all civilians. He considered me a civilian, that is why he didn’t kill me. It was like he knew who I was. As for the guards, he killed them because he considered them a threat because they shot at him even though I was in the way.”, she replied. “But the bullets never touched him, why? What did he tell you?”, John asked with a rather puzzledl look on his face. “ What did the nodes pick up from the fight?”, asked Kate. “Ummmm whoa They jumped from zero to two point five zules.”, said Tyrone. “What There’s no way he consumed all of his energy ”, said John astounded as he got up from his chair to look at the sensors him self. “ He should be in a coma like state, he shouldn’t be walking or fighting after less than five minutes of rest. What did he say to you Kate?” “ Well he said that he was the only one out of two and fifty candidates who could master all six elements.” “What do you mean six elements? I thought there were only four.”, John asked looking at her intently. “Well there are bu.......” The walls of Echo’s cell were made of granite, the only thing that could contain soul. His cell was only ten feet by ten feet, the cell door was right in the center of the wall, his bed was on the left front corner of the cell. In the right back corner was a walled off area for a small bathroom. On the opposite corner was a locker that contained all of his personal items, like his cloths, his power gauntlets, his soul sniper rifle and the few things from his childhood before he became a soul-user. He laid in bed and as soon as his head hit the pillow.... he was out.



Chapter 2 (The Mission)

When Echo woke up he became aware of someone knocking on his cell door. “Come in.”, he said as he got up and went to his locker. “Good evening Echo I oh sorry did I wake you.”, said a very attractive blond haired female as she walked in. “No chief Colite I was getting up any way. What you cook this time?”, asked Echo as he put on a pair of baggy blue jeans. “Well I have here is an appetizer of bread sticks with a salad. The main course is a rotisserie chicken, and a dessert of fresh mangos, strawberries, and watermelon.”, she said as she reached into her chiefs hat and pulled out a box of candy. “This is for you as well I know how you like your sour candy.” “Thank you Colite but how times do I have to tell you treat me like the others ok.”, replied Echo as he took the candy. “Well I its hard not to you’re the only one who actually appreciates what I do.”, she said “Well I should be off.”, said Colite as she got up and started to head to the door. “Wait have you had your break yet, cause you know by now that I can’t eat all of this.” said Echo as he offered a seat on the bed. “Well if you put it that way no I haven’t. Colite reached in her apron and pulled out a extra dish, silverware, and a walkie talkie from her belt. “Ay Mike I’m on my lunch brake ok.” “Ok what ever you say.”, came a reply from the small radio. After they ate they played a game of riddles. Echo all ways won thanks to his training. They were enjoying the box of candy when they heard someone knocking on the cell door. Echo eyed the door with a mistrustful look. He checked the walkie talkie but nothing came though saying that anyone was going to see him this evening. He went to the locked and put on his power gauntlets. They were made out of blue carbonized tungsten hardest metallic element in the nebula.they were one foot long, four inches thick bracelets. In side each one were six priceless jewels that amplified each element. The amber for wind, the ruby for fire, sapphire for water, jade for earth, diamond and onyx for light and dark. They slide over his hands forming a cannon over each one. Colite could hear the slight sound of them powering up, it sounded like a very distant helicopter blades gaining speed, until it was a constant sound of a of a fully charged soul cannon. “Get behind me.”, he said in his cold voice, letting her know that he was willing to kill if need should occur. She did as she was told, when she was in place. “Come in.”, he said. The door slide open and in stepped a tall black man in full military gear. “Oh Captain Oak I was not expecting you sorry for the stick up.” said Echo in apologetic tone, as he lowered his gauntlets. “I came to check on you...” “Why check on me captain?” “I heard what had happened to you in the test facility... did they harm you?” asked Captain Oaks in a stressed, low voice. “Captain, do you really think they can harm me? I think not...” Echo replied in a sarcastic yet playful tone. “I suppose that’s the truth.” said the captain admittingly. “I should go....”mentioned Colite, expecting there was something important as to why Captain Oaks showed up so unexpectedly. “I best be getting back to work. Thank you so very much Echo... I enjoyed my break with you...” “I suppose you should too. Oh And there’s no reason to thank me.... I should be thanking you...” Echo said appreciatingly. “I hope to see you soon Colite.” “Same to you Echo.... same to you....” Colite pushed under her breath, aware it would be a while before ether got to see one another again.
. . .
Captain Oakspeered out of the doorway, noticed Colite was gone, then began, “It appears there are some issues not far off the coast of the Nebulon demilitarized zone....”said captain Oaks felling slightly bad it had to be Echo doing this mission, “..... It’s a nuke Echo...... you’ve got to understand. It’s being constructed in a heaily guarded area.... therre’s also seven small abandoned towns circling around the militia base. Echo, this is a seek and destroy stealth mission... command doesn’t want them to know what hit them until it’s already happened and you and your guys are long gone.” “I don’t quite understand.” Echo said in a aggravated tone. “What part don’t you understand? ” “Captain Oaks hissed. “What do you mean by me and my, “team”? ” “The commanding officers have issued you a team.” “I don’t want a team, and I sure as hell don’t need one ” barked Echo. “I know this, but it’s not up to me I guess they feel that you could use a little help.” clued in Captain Oaks, “you know if you defy them... you’ll be ordered to decommission....” “Fine ” screamed Echo as he punched a solid hole though his cell wall. I”ll abide these.... these, heinous orders. But if they don’t do as I order, I’ll not be responsible for killing them myself.” “Wise choice Echo, and no you won’t, we all know how short tempered you are.” Captain Oaks said as he was walking away. “Why do they always come to me to do their dirty work? ” thought Echo as he stared at the hole in his wall, “there’s bound to be a catch, I just can’t quite think of it..... In due time I’ll see though.” As Captain Oaks was walking down the hallway he thought. “I wonder how Echo will react when he finds out those towns aren’t abandoned.”
Chapter 3 “The Departure”
Echo was waiting by the copter that would be taking them to their destination. “Where are their punk assess at? ” he thought. That’s when he heard pant legs rubbing together. He turned to meet a gun barrel hovering half an inch from his face. The mane was a tall, buff, white person. “Yo Mike lookie what we have here.” Three other men came out of the shadows, and to positions around Echo. “Shouldn’t you be with your mommy little one.” said another man just like the first. “You should lower your weapon be for you piss me off.” replied Echo in his deadly voice. “Oh the little runt has a mouth on him, we can fix that.” said a Hispanic man, his dog tag had the word Mike on it. “You must not know who I am, in that case let me show you.” said Echo as his eye’s changed to neon blue. The first guy saw this. “He’s a soul us-.” that was all he said before he was hit in the face with a blue tungsten gauntlet. The others pulled out their fifty caliber desert eagle magnums, and opened fire. Out of sixty bullets all they could hit were his gauntlets as he blocked shifted and pivoted. Soon they heard the dreaded sound of empty clips. Echo swept his hand and all three were hit with a contusion of hardened air square in the chest. They were thrown ten feet though the air and landed on their assess. Echo was about to kill them when. “Echo.” it was Captain Oaks. “I see you met your team.” He said as he looked at the three men chucking their chests, and at the sorry chap with the bloody nose. “You mean these sorry losers. I wasn’t trying, I mean I had a harder time with the guards than these guys.” he replied giving the men a disgraceful look. “Wait are you saying this is Echo the soul user.” asked Mike “Do you have a problem with that?” asked Captain Oaks “N-No sir” stuttered Mike. “Echo attained your wounded and get on that copter. I want you guys out of here in o’ five hundred hours.” he said with an air of authority. By the time they left Echo learned their names. The one who held him at gun point was James, a weapons expert. The other one was Tal, the demo expert, they were twins. Mike was recon and computer specialist. The other white male was named Parker he specialized in hand to hand combat. The were armed with silenced assault rifles, three pounds of c-15 and a three week supply of rations, except Echo all he had was his mini super computer, his power gauntlets, three pounds of c-15 and a three week supply of rations. At first they were a bit skittish around Echo but they learned that he was easy to get along with. They all were fascinated by the missions he had been on. The copter took them in to radar range before dropping them off. The area was nothing but a desert. “How far off are we from our destination? asked Echo. “About three kilometers north-east of here.” replied Mike. “Alright lets move out but keep a look out for bogies, Tal take point James take left, Mike take right, and Parker take middle, I’ll cover the rear. The walked for about an hour before they saw the building the nuke was being constructed at. The building was at least ten stories high. It was cylinder shaped, with a dome roof. “Well at least its way out of the way you can collapse it by shifting the ground around it.” said Mike hopefully. “No we can’t the nuke might not be destroyed. We have to go inside.” replied Echo in a thoughtful tone. “Mike how far away is the nearest abandoned town?” asked Echo. “About sixteen kilometers. Why?” said Mike wondering what Echo was thinking. “James, Tal, I want you to scope out the area and find us a safe house to stay in till we can leave.” Echo told them. “Yes sir.” they replied in unison. After they were out of sight. “Hope you don’t mind getting sand in our panties.” said Echo playfully. Then they were concealed behind a freak sand storm. They literally came in the front door but thank to Echo they were completely invisible as he bent light around their bodies. They killed the three guards at the front desk and dragged them into the janitors closet. “We need a map of the area so we can get to the nuke and find a back way out.” said Echo as Mike sat down at the computer. “Already on it sir.” he replied. “There transferring to your data pad now. The red is the quickest way to the nuke and yellow is the back way out.” he said pleased with himself. “I want to know where all the cameras are at.” “Ok.......there.” Every room and hallway had at least three cameras. “Damn I can’t hide us from the cameras if they have soul sensors.” replied Echo disappointedly. “Oh well we’ll let them know room service is here.” he said as he turned to go down the hallway. Then he stopped reached in his bag and pulled out a bottle of friction gel, and tossed it to Mike. “What’s this for?” he asked with curiously. “It’s to keep your pant legs from rubbing together, just put it on the inside of your pant legs.” he said. After that they slowly crept down the hallway when they were seen by three guards that turned the corner. Echo fired a rapid burst of soul energy. All three were deflected by a barrier of light. “Shit soul shields ” yelled Echo. The guards returned fire but the bullets never made their mark, as a solid wall of earth ten feet thick erupted from the ground. They kept firing not realizing that the wall of earth was speeding its way towards them until it was to late two of the three were crushed by the wall the third managed to jump out of the way, as he stood up his body was peppered with bullet holes. The wall dissolved to reveal crushed bodies. They policed the bodies they got more ammo, walkie talkies, and soul shields. But the shields were only at half capacity thanks to Echo. Echo lifted an assault rifle because his powers were of little use here. They kept going til they came to an elevator. they went in. “Which way up or down.” asked Parker. “Down.” replied Mike hating this mission more and more. “If they have soul shields then they must have soul- users.” thought Mike pretty sure Echo was thinking the same thing. Then the lights went out. The only light they had came from Echos’ neon blue eyes. The doors opened and suddenly the whole room seemed to be filled of bullets as thirty men opened fire. But thanks to Echo not one touched them. They returned fire and slowly the room was filled with dead bodies. They managed to get out of the elevator when someone fired a sonic shock round at Echo. It’s momentum was slowed down enough not to penetrate but it hit him with enough force to throw him twenty feet before hitting the forty foot thick wall leaving an indentation of his body before hitting the ground. When they didn’t see him get up, they fought with renewed fight to save their comrade. In ten minutes the room was filled with dead bodies. Mike and Parker went over to Echo rolled him over. He was still breathing. They removed his shirt to find a bruise twice the size of a soft ball. Mike pressed slightly on the bruise. Echo yelled out in pain as he became conscious. “I thought we lost you. But I think you have a few broken ribs” said Mike relived. “You lose me never. I just decided to take a nap.” he replied playfully. “What hit me any way?” he asked curiously. “A point-blank shot from a sonic shock launcher.” “So in other wards I was shot at by a guy that probably pissed his pants before he fired.” he said with a grin. “retty much.” laughed Parker. “Well lets get going.” he said as he started to stand. “Are you sure you can?” asked Mike as he helped him “Man don’t worry about me I take more abuse training than this little thing.” They policed the bodies. Mike slung the sonic shock launcher over his shoulder and followed though the door. The rest of the way was uneventful they found the medic room stocked up on more rations and medicine. They then found the arms room, stocked up on ammo and other supplies. They entered the last door and came face to face with the nuke. But it wasn’t just a nuke it was a room with twelve nukes in it.


Chapter four “The Conflict”

They put c-15 on each nuke. Set the timers and was about to leave when. “Ummmm..........echo this is James you remember the intel said that the towns were abandoned well....... there not. There full of civilians at least two thousand in each.” Mike and James could see Echos’ face go white. The door they came thought opened to reveal a child no older then eight. “Shit a soul-user. Come on Echo just set it so we can get out of here.” said Mike as he and Parker opened fire. But just as Echo not one touched him. “There is no way there could be people the intel said so. But if James said there is then there is. I must do as ordered, but I must protect the civilians. What can I do in order to do both. Fuck, I bet Captain Oaks knew to but didn’t tell me.” thought Echo. He rest the timers to thirty minutes. Turned to face the soul-user. The kid already had two orbs of fire in each hand. Echos’ gauntlets slide over his hands. Then he started running towards him with both gauntlets pointed at him. The kid fired both orbs. Echo fired a continuos stream of energy balls that dissipated the two orbs, but the other soul-user deflected them. When he was with in range he threw out a punch at his face. But was deflected by a bat of the kids arm. He returned the punch with a round-a-house kick to the head. But Echo was to quick, switching to sword mode a seven inch blade of blue tungsten slide out of the top of his right gauntlet. Breaking the kids defenses he sheered the kid in half across the waist. As the body fell apart blood spewed across Echos’ face and gauntlets and sword. The fight only lasted about two minutes. “Coming or not.” he said. They ran the rest of the way out of the building. When they were out side they had twenty three minutes left. When they got to the town they met up with James and Tal in a hotel. “Well what are we doing?” asked Tal worried what the answer might be. “I’m going to try to save as many people as possible.” replied Echo with so much anger in his voice the whole room got colder. “Aaaauugh ” Echo punched the wall with enough force that it collapsed. “Why didn’t they tell us about this. Those Fuckers I swear I’ll kill the commanding officers for this.”