“…This Dark Zone game, what does Icarus HQ have to say about it?”

“Surprisingly, they claim they don’t fully understand it themselves.”

“What? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“NSA sent some reliable people to investigate, and it turns out that Dark Zone is a product of AI logic and computation. The game updates and adjusts itself independently. That AI is the real issue.”

“So, what’s the conclusion?”

“Apparently, with current technology, it’s impossible to fully analyze. There’s something shady going on behind the scenes.”

“Hell of a mess, isn’t it?”

That about summed it up. The murmurs lingered in the air, but it was not entirely incomprehensible. Back then, New York had been a place where strange phenomena frequently defied logic and physics. Otherwise, it would have been hard to explain the things that happened to Christopher, Logan, and Yujin. Modern science was still far from explaining these occurrences. Task Force Dagger had their own terms for such anomalies.

Yujin’s streaming day had arrived.

“I never thought I’d see Operation Northpierce turned into a game. This is mind-boggling.”

“Looks like the rookie feels the same. She’s probably trying to figure things out.”

“Should we send a donation?”

“Out of all the suggestions I’ve heard recently, that’s the last thing I’d recommend.”

Fort Bragg, USA.

On this mid-November day, even the early morning chill didn’t deter a select group of finely-tuned human weapons, the best of the best. Six people, twelve eyes, all fixed on one screen, watching two figures dash across the Kennedy Air Force Base runway. Open terrain, usually a nightmare for these operatives, had been cleared by sniper support just minutes before. With breathing room, the base’s defenders were launching a counterattack.

“Whoever trained them did a fine job. Right, lieutenant?”

“Quiet.”

“Yes, sir.”

They were all eating breakfast, watching the stream. The thirteen-hour time difference sometimes proved inconvenient, but watching a Korean evening stream over breakfast was a perk of the job. As they finished their meals, they returned their dishes and settled back to watch.

“From what I remember, the base got wrecked because of Granite missiles. I wonder if it’s the same here.”

“Judging by the extensive blast marks, probably. But that’s not all. Look at that tower. It’s still smoking.”

“Any supersonic missile slamming in would have obliterated that control tower. Back then, Kennedy served as a refugee center too. It’s similar to the Central Park HQ attack—some terrorist sneaking in and causing havoc.”

They mulled over theories and possible outcomes, diving into old tactics and what-ifs. That was the strength of a special forces operative—being able to learn from the past and adapt to new situations.

As the cutscene began, ISO’s voice echoed over the stream.

-[ISO: Glad you’re still in one piece. No time for celebration, though. Here’s what we know.]

-[ISO: The attackers at Central Park HQ were terrorists, heavily supported by the Russian military. They’ve been training insurgents from among the refugees and criminals. I trust you understand what that means.]

“Well, they’re blunt about it here. No love lost on the Russians, that’s for sure.”

“Considering they wiped out the last guy here, it’s nice not to have any ‘Glory of the Soviet Union’ types around.”

The cutscene continued, with the operatives chipping in with their own comments.

-[ISO: We’ve confirmed that the Russians have command posts near Camp Niantic in Connecticut and Camp Edwards in Massachusetts. GPS data from captured armor traced their route. But don’t place too much faith in it.]

-[ISO: Head to the northeastern U.S. soon. That region falls under the command of Icarus Northeast Division’s Samantha McKenzie. Thankfully, she’s still alive, so get there, assess, and report.]

As the screen transitioned with the message ‘Episode 1 - Complete,’ the base was revealed to be newly established as an HQ, covered in a warm glow. Side quests began to populate the map, and the viewers took a moment to react.

“Well, the donation system is making her a mint. She’ll have more money than the rest of us combined when she comes stateside. Right, Logan?”

“…Why are you looking at me? You’re not seriously suggesting I stream, are you? I haven’t sold out my pride, no matter how fit I am. Do you want to see a polar bear tear people apart?”

“Pfft.”

“You laughing? Come here, Laurentina, you damn seal!”

As they quarreled, Morgan stepped in, threatening to send Yujin a clip of them fighting. That calmed things down quickly.

“Settle down. You’re acting like grandpas seeing their granddaughter for the first time in years.”

Finally, the room quieted down. These men were some of the toughest special forces operatives, yet their daily joy seemed to revolve around watching their “rookie” in action.

Meanwhile, in Connecticut, Yujin and Harmony met Samantha McKenzie, Icarus’s Northeast Division chief.

“Welcome to Connecticut, where there are more trees than people. I’m Samantha McKenzie. Hope the trip was uneventful?”

“Traveling upriver was peaceful enough, though it got pretty dark out there.”

They exchanged lighthearted remarks as they entered the briefing room. The facility wasn’t in the best shape, but that was expected with the onslaught coming down from Boston.

As McKenzie continued, she gestured to a whiteboard, outlining how the enemy forces had hit infrastructure and communication hubs first, causing problems for both operatives and civilians. She explained that, even though they’d received backup from HQ, the situation was grim.

“We’ve received new orders. HQ has made a peculiar request, but upon review, it’s urgent and worth addressing.”

A familiar face popped up on the projector—Crow from Artemis, a PMC leader who had played both sides between the U.S. and Russia. Viewers in the chat went wild, recognizing him.

“Crow from Artemis. He’s been trying to play both sides but got busted when he planned to double-cross Russia. Now, we have intel on him from our recon and hacking units.”

The audio played, revealing the terrified screams of Crow as he was captured. Harmony likely had some idea, while Yujin already knew what happened. Crow was trying to defect again, but his betrayal had been anticipated. He wasn’t dead yet, but he was about to face the consequences.

“He’s being held in New London, about 50 km from here. Operatives are tracking his position regularly. We’re to extract him, or at least secure his signal.”

“Extraction or signal acquisition?”

“Extraction. The route will take us upriver to New London, where we’ll retrieve him and return. You’ll have propulsion units for a quick exit if needed.”

McKenzie sighed, her voice betraying a mix of relief and resignation.

“I’d love to be out there myself, but I’m still recovering from surgery. Got hit in the stomach and leg. I’m just lucky to be here.”

“Wishing you a speedy recovery. Anything else we need to know?”

She laid out the details: infiltration and extraction from a hostile area, with routes aligned to both land and river. The mission would start soon, and both of them would be ready to deploy.

“Seems like this operation isn’t meant for just two people. The scale feels bigger than what we’ve handled so far.”

“True. I wonder if players can join us in this one…”

And that’s when Yujin regretted it. The chat exploded with requests to join, almost overwhelming the screen.

Just then, a donation notification popped up unexpectedly. Yujin’s private settings allowed only friends to donate, making the source instantly familiar.

<C. 'S' Laurentina has donated $50.00.> -Can viewers join? I’m really good at deep-cover ops and aquatic infiltration. XD

“Oh, for the love of…”

Laurentina’s presence meant the whole Dagger team was watching. Ignoring the curious viewers and Harmony’s questions about the mysterious donor, Yujin just chuckled.

The chaos never seemed to end.