UNIT: The Series/Cold World

The world is cooling down and Katniss has to deal with it, not the best of first days.

Segment 1
Getting up. Everyone does it. Nothing special. Except this morning to Katniss Trudgen it would be one of the most important events of her life so far because not everyone was waking up to their first day working for a high level security government organisation which explored aliens and often had help from a man who could change faces and move through time.

“Pancakes,” Katniss’s mother shouted from downstairs as Katniss got out of bed and for a few moments just stared at the uniform that was hanging on a hook connected to the door. She snapped out of the daze as she felt cold but the radiator was on full blast. Strange, Katniss thought but she was more concerned with starting her new job rather than being a bit cold.

“Give me 10 minutes,” Katniss shouted back as she could hear music that was probably from her younger brother’s room again but nothing could bring her mood down as she put on the uniform and went downstairs.

“15 minutes,” her mother pointed at the pancakes “they are getting cold.”

“Sorry just putting on make-up,” Katniss smiled as she felt the pancakes which were already starting to freeze over “is the heating off or something?”

“Well the plumbing has been a bit dodgy,” Katniss’s dad threw an orange towards Katniss who caught it. Her father is called Arthur and her mother is called Sophie, easier for future reference.

“You said you would fix it,” Katniss reminded her dad as she peeled away the orange and took a large bite into it as she could not sink her teeth into it as it was rock hard “my teeth!” Katniss sounded annoyed as Arthur was already chuckling.

“Everything is frozen over. I was about to tell you but you were talking,” Arthur shook his head as he went up-stairs. Katniss then took some keys from the side and got into the car which felt a lot colder than usual. She started the engine and went off to the UNIT HQ.

***

As Katniss reached the car park she noticed a sign that said ‘Unicorn’s National International Tyres’ was on the sign as Katniss got the joke as the acronym for that was UNIT. She pulled up into one of the free spaces as she could see a mild green laser from underneath the car seemingly scanning the contents of the car as Katniss rubbed her hands together to try to get some heat back into them. Then a tall man approached her as Katniss spotted by his body shape that he must be some sort of body guard.

“Badge for access to our tyre service. VIP’s only,” the guard said as he checked out Katniss’s badge and then ID as he ran a thin rounded metal device over it as a green light was scanning the various bits of both the badge and the ID which was a driver’s license in Katniss’s case.

“So can I go in?” Katniss asked eagerly as the guard checked the results.

“Now you can. Welcome to UNIT and not the one advertise on the sign,” the guard joked as Katniss felt awkward as to what her reaction should be. The guard brought her through a scanning area as men with guns surrounded the entrance ensuring that if you were trying to escape UNIT with anything confidential then you would escape with a pool of blood from the gun-shot wound you would have inflicted multiple times on your head.

“Okay John I will take it from here,” Kate Stewart stepped in front of Katniss with a tablet in hand as she was scrolling through various images and profiles.

“You are Kate, Kate Stewart the boss of UNIT,” Katniss was excited by finally meeting the legendary Kate whose father was also an icon to those who knew about UNIT.

“Something you should not know before stepping inside this building. I will instruct for tighter data protection but for now we will lead you over to the most important part of UNIT which are the labs,” Kate then went into a room filled with people assessing various tubes and liquids.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I thought UNIT was a military organisation,” Katniss pondered as she had never linked UNIT to scientific studies.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well I dragged it kicking and screaming into a new scientific age,” Kate said as she then stopped towards several devices with the colour being blue all around the lab.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It has been very cold recently. Even in here,” Katniss spotted as a man walked towards them only looking a few years older than Katniss.

<p class="MsoNormal">“The results are that the main source of this world wide chill is coming from Antarctica,” The man smiled as he reached a hand out to Katniss “I’m Michael.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Katniss,” Katniss replied as she blushed slightly as Michael also smiled as their eyes met for a moment.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Stop giving each other the eye,” Kate ordered “UNIT is a military organisation not a social area,” Kate then looked through the results as she pulled out a tablet and started flicking through it as various faces of aliens started to appear.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I recommend a team will be required,” Michael suggested as Kate then started looking through ships and other types of vehicles.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Very right,” Kate responded as she then showed them a submarine “Katniss this will be your first job. There will be a team of 6 with Trevor being the team leader. I will send you the other 4 who will accompany you but you will be going out within the next 10 minutes or so.” Kate then pointed to some soldiers and then back to Katniss as the soldiers then approached Katniss.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes?” One of them asked.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Take Katniss to area 3Q and do it as quick as possible. This is a high priority mission,” Kate ordered as Katniss was then guided by two other soldiers as they immediately went into an elevator. A soldier then put an eye to the buttons as his eye was then scanned, then the other soldier did the same as one of them then put in a sequence of numbers.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Elevator now available for service,” a voice sounded around the elevator as the silver tinted doors then closed.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Sector 3Q,” the soldier said as the elevator then started to go down slowly. The cramped space was silent as it went down several floors with only a red counter showing how far down they were.

<p class="MsoNormal">“This is awkward,” Katniss smiled but the other two had stern faces and were only faced forwards “not the fun ones I hope.” The other two were still looking straight ahead as Katniss hoped the lift would not last much longer. When it eventually stopped in what seemed like years to Katniss she jumped out as the other two soldiers showed her to a weapons area.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We have already selected you the weapons required although in future missions you will be required to do the researching for yourself,” one of the soldiers informed Katniss who nodded along as five others were already standing near the edge which then went into the water. They were in an underground base as a stream of water went in and out of the base.

<p class="MsoNormal">“How did you lot get here so quickly?” Katniss asked as she looked for alternative routes to getting into the area but could not spot any.

<p class="MsoNormal">“When you get a higher security rating then you will know,” Trevor the leader who had a yellow costume on as the others were all wearing matching black costumes.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Do I seriously have to wear that?” Katniss asked as a few of them chuckled as Trevor raised a hand up and then nodded as a black costume was handed to Katniss.

<p class="MsoNormal">“State of the art,” Trevor started “can detect your vitals and has a GPS installed into it so we can always figure out your location and this suit can fool most radars,” Trevor stated as they all then started to go into the submarine one by one.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You okay newbie?” A female asked “I’m Carrie. Just ask me if you need any help,” Carrie smiled warmly as she got in.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m fine. I’m Katniss,” Katniss replied as she was inside the submarine.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Great to have someone to talk to,” Carrie smiled, she was in her mid 30s “I’ve been here for over a decade and it is mostly very serious business.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank god I am not the only one,” Katniss chuckled “earlier I had two soldiers who just stood silently and if you try to start a conversation with them they act as if you didn’t say anything,” Katniss and Carrie then laughed as Katniss knew that she had a friend at UNIT.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Dodge and Bulge,” Carrie nodded “those two are deadly serious about their jobs. I wonder if they had any fun as kids,” Carrie pondered as they went into various cabins. Each one of them had their own room.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You two should be more silent. No emotional attachments,” Trevor ordered as Carrie and Katniss just chuckled at this as Trevor was shaking his head. As everyone went into their separate cabins silence was the only constant. Well that is until Katniss heard the speaker in the room.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Katniss, you there?” Carrie asked through the speaker as Katniss eyed a red button and a microphone. It had instructions on the top.

<p class="MsoNormal">''If you want a private line then say private line. If one is already existent then the previous step is made redundant. Next say the person you want to talk to as the cabin’s systems are regularly updated. If you want a public line then say public line. Thanks for using our services and if you have any questions then ask the leader of your particular cabin. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">“Yep. The cabins are nice,” Katniss could look outside towards the water where the fish swam around the ocean.

<p class="MsoNormal">“They certainly are. We can go out there. Swim with the fish tomorrow,” Carrie was now starting to fall asleep.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Doubt that would be allowed. We have to stop the Earth from freezing and you may have noticed that it is getting colder in the submarine,” Katniss felt the metal walls and they were almost frozen. This particular submarine had multiple radiators in every wall, but still it felt cold inside it.

<p class="MsoNormal">“You may be right. There has been a huge coldness recently,” Carrie nodded “be right back.” Katniss then heard Carrie jump off her bed and walk away.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Hello Katniss,” a deep voice whispered. Katniss checked the intercom to see where it was from, still Carrie’s room.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Who is this?” Katniss asked as there was a momentary silence. A bead of sweet trickled down Katniss’s forehead as she rubbed it off.

<p class="MsoNormal">“One by one,” the voice said as Katniss was even more confused by this.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Just tell me what you mean,” Katniss raised her voice. A fish bashed into the window off her cabin as several other fish followed it.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Carrie will die first,” the voice promised as Katniss gulped. She was unsure of how to answer for a few moments as she began looking around her room for any sort of weapon.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Is this a prank you guys at UNIT play for the newcomers?” Katniss urgently asked her voice sounding more hurried than before “public connection.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Blocked,” the voice anonymously said as Katniss could hear footsteps going back into Carrie’s room. There was absolute silence for a moment.

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m back,” Carrie cheerfully said as something then cracked “public connection,” Carrie urgently sounded as she ran towards her door and tried to open it but it was locked.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Blocked. Humans are so primitive,” the deep voice whispered as Katniss could hear something hit the wall. Katniss then tried her door but it was locked. She grabbed a pen and stripped it thinly and then used the biro part and inserted it into the keyhole. She then grabbed a hairpin and used it to unlock the door as she heard a click. Katniss pulled the door open and ran towards where Carrie had went to. Katniss started hitting on doors.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Carrie is in danger,” Katniss shouted as a few of the others got out of their various cabins.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What is the problem Trudgen?” Trevor boomed as he had a gun by his side.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Can you not hear?” Katniss said back as she stopped at Carrie’s cabin as another scream went out “Carrie is in danger.” Trevor then brought out a key as he unlocked the door as Carrie ran out. She looked to be in a great deal of stress as she ran past the group who then looked inside the cabin Carrie had just been in.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Death to all that are inside the submarine,” an Ice Warrior in it’s full armour then started to walk towards the others. The group then ran away to where Carrie had went as Trevor put a hand to his wrist.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Back up immediately. We have an Ice Warrior on board, I repeat we have an Ice Warrior on board immediate assistance required,” Trevor urgently said into the communicator that was on his wrist. Katniss then noticed that Trevor was the only one with a communicator on his hand but that was not her main concern as she could hear the heavy footsteps off the Ice Warrior. They then went to the end of the submarine. Dead end.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Any other way through the submarine?” Katniss asked looking around as blank stares were her answer.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It was terrifying,” Carrie acknowledged as she was clearly shaking “I mean how did a huge Ice Warrior get on the submarine and not run all the lights on the scanners or the dozens of cameras throughout the submarine?” Carrie urgently asked as they could see a series of scuba suits in the room next to them.

<p class="MsoNormal">“This is definitely a dead end. We have to be prepared to go out there so get to the scuba suits immediately,” Trevor ordered as the group of 6 each grabbed a scuba suit. Trevor then stood at the door as he opened it which would then lead to a decontamination chamber as the group all stepped inside it. They a burst of green liquid showered them as they shut the door leading into the main part of the submarine. The Ice Warrior then appeared from around the corner and hit the door leading to them. A slight crack in the glass started to emerge.

<p class="MsoNormal">“Tell me those doors can survive the Ice Warrior pounding it into the ground,” Katniss said as Trevor double checked the door and pondered it for a moment as they all had a trail of green slime on them. The door to the sea then opened as the group jumped out into the ocean. Once the sixth person had jumped out they could see the water that had escaped into the submarine being put back into the sea as the door shut to the submarine.

<p class="MsoNormal">“We will be able to meet you in five minutes. We can track your progress via your suits just don’t damage them,” Kate Stewart said on the other line. The group then swam straight up as they could see the air from their snorkels go up in the form of bubbles. The submarine continued on as they all reached the top of the sea and looked around themselves.

<p class="MsoNormal">“An hour long trip,” Trevor checked his wrist watch which despite being through the sea was still in perfect working condition. They formed a circle of six as it was night time, the sky was clear and the moon shined through and the sea was calm which created quite a surreal image.

<p class="MsoNormal">“What a sight,” Katniss smiled “shame about the boat but every cloud has a silver lining,” she tried to be positive but all around her were moody expressions. Despite the calm surroundings the group were clearly angry and at the same time frightened. For a moment Katniss could swear that she had seen the water move in a way it wouldn’t normally move, something was moving the sea water.

Segement 2
TO BE ADDED SOON!

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