The on-board computer came to life.

  < [E@#$:!1:36] WARNING: PROXIMITY ALERT >

  < [E@#$:!1:36] WARNING: AUX THRUSTER INACTIVE >

  < [E@#$:!1:36] WARNING: MAIN ENGINE FAILURE >

  < [E@#$:!1:37] WARNING: POWER CELLS DEPLETED >

  < [E@#$:!1:37] WARNING: PROXIMITY ALERT >

  < [E@#$:!1:37] WARNING: PLANETARY GRAV WELL ENTERED >

  < [E@#$:!1:37] EMERGENCY DE-FROST INITIATED >

  < [E@#$:!1:38] REQUESTING ASSISTANCE FROM THE FAITHFUL >

  For a long moment, there was only intense pain. It took her a few seconds to realise it was the aftereffect of emergency de-frosting. There were only two reasons the cryo-pod had released her. One being they had reached their destination and the other, which worried her the most, the pod had run out its life-span. She wasn’t sure which one was worse. For one they had failed and there was close to nothing left from the research on Station 37-4H. By the Blessed Saint of Hell, she had managed to save only a handful of people and those only two were from the scientific staff, with one yet to be ordained. To add to her problems was the fact that she couldn’t recover any of the cortex implants.

  If she had reached Osiris, as she hoped, the priest could extract the relevant genetic template from her cortex and have the others resurrected into new hosts. All but Helix. The memory of how the medic had died stung her. He was Gen 3, just like her… It dawned on her; she was the last one. There would be no one to provide her with the compound Lucas had devised to keep the faulty code from taking over her. The new hosts would be Gen 11. She squeezed the syringe in her hand. Like everyone else for squad Demon, she had a single doze with her. It was the only one left, which meant she had a maximum of a year before she became an abomination.

  She looked at the battered and scorched Mark 3 secured next to the pod. The experimental power armoured battle-suit had saved her life and had proven a great advantage against the Xith. But, although it provided quite a significant power boost, the oxygen fusion burner was far too vulnerable and unstable. At least she had her trusted Predator armour with her. She gently stroked the crimson and black plates before she donned the thing. No matter what awaited her, she was a Demon. She was Carthage, the Destroyer of Cities, the Walking Ordnance.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  One by one the other five cryo-pods entered the defrosting stage.

  < [E@#$:!1:38] ESTABLISHING CONNECTION >

  < [E@#$:!1:38] ERROR: SERVER_ID OUT OF REACH >

  < [E@#$:!1:38] VOID_LINK_ARRAY EXTENDED >

  < [E@#$:!1:40] ERROR: VOID_LINK FAILED CONNECTION >

  The confused men and women, she was tasked with protecting, gathered around her as she forced the door to the upper level open. The pilot section was as pristine as the day the flying piece of junk had been built. She would have been kinder if any of the control systems worked. However, I rudimentary check confirmed that they had failed.

  < [E@#$:!2:55] ERROR: SYSTEM REBOOT REQUIRED >

  < [E@#$:!2:55] ERROR: INSUFFICIENT POWER TO TRIGGER SYSTEM REBOOT >

  “Well isn’t that great. We are stuck in a flying coffin.” One of the survivors of Security Group Nephilim chuckled.

  Nia ignored the remark, aware that humans were prone to entering a state of hysteria in situations like this one. She would have too, if not for the strict conditioning she had received back on Osiris.

  “Ordained Zhu, can you do something about this?” She turned to the thin man peeking behind her shoulder.

  “I am a gene-forger, sinner, not a technician.” The man shook his head, resignation clear in his voice.

  “So what? We burn and die, or we crash and die? I thought you Demons were supposed to…” The soldier spoke louder this time, voicing his anger.

  “Jack, that’s enough.” The woman behind him pulled on his sleeve.

  Carthage knew that the Church of the Third Hell taught the faithful to fear her kin. Honestly, she did not mind it. It was just how things were. She was a sinner in the eyes of every loyal subject of the Blessed Saint of the Garden of Hell. But to be challenged in such a way by a member of His Holy Armies. That stung and demanded punishment.

  “No, Miss Floren.” Nia gave the woman a warning look. “I am very interested to hear what soldier of the faith Herzog has to say.”

  The view-port was bathed in fire and the interior shook as the shuttle entered the upper layers of the atmosphere.

  < [E@#$:!2:58] WARNING: PREPARE FOR UNCONTROLLED PLANET RE-ENTRY >

  < [E@#$:!2:58] THE ROAD OF THE MARTYR IS A ROAD TO ETERNAL GLORY >

  < [E@#$:!2:59] THE BLESSED SAINT PROTECTS THE PURE AND THE FAITHFUL >

  < [E@#$:!2:59] YOUR SACRIFICE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN >

  I'll be blunt. I am NOT going to finish this story, not in its current state. That's why I'm rewriting it from the very beginning. The new version of Forgotten, and the one that will have a proper ending, you can find here on Royal Road under a brand new title - .

  Soul Harvest. While I am working on that one, I will be spending time writing chapters for Book 2 of Forgotten. Which reminds me... Because of reasons, some of you might guess or know, there will be a change in the name of the story. It's going to be become "Legacy of Terra". So, yes, that's something you can expect to see. As well as a few other surprises :)

  THANK YOU!