The sounds of gunfire in Johnson's ears. Biting down and tugging on the bandage covering his wounded leg, he hastily reloaded his firearm.

For a moment, before he fired on the Lemurians who had pinned his team into a corner and already claimed two of his friends, Johnson reflected on what brought him here.

Johnson had grown up in poverty, the oldest of three children. He had Started working at young age to support his sick mother and younger siblings, and all his life he bounced from one odd job to the next. Anything that could rake in the cash. Anything that would pay the bills.

"An expedition into unknown territories, seeking volunteers" his recruiter read in between puffs of his cigar. "Lot of classified into, don't know to much myself... But it pays a lot. And i know you need the money. You in, Johnny-boy?" At the time, Johnson had thought to himself, 'It couldn't be that bad.'

Johnson returned to the battlefield, gunning down Lemurians in an effort to save his remaining friends. The wound on his leg ached, drying the bandage red with wood. 'It couldn't be that bad,' he had thought. "Yeah, right" Johnson scoffed. "At least I'm getting paid after this."

銃声がジョンソンの耳に鳴り着いた。負傷した脚に巻かれた包帯を口でくわえて引っ張り、彼は急いで銃をリロードした。

しばらくの間、彼のチームを隅に足止めして既に2人の友人の命を奪ったレムリアンを撃つ前に、ジョンソンはこういう事態になった理由を振り返った。

ジョンソンは貧困の中、3人の子供の中で最年長として育った。病気の母親と義妹を支えるために、彼は幼い頃から働き始め、生涯を通じて次々に奇妙な仕事を渡り歩いた。現金をかき集められる仕事ならどんな仕事でもやった。生活費を稼げる仕事ならどんな仕事でも。

"「未知への領域への遠征、志願者募集中」"スカウト業者は、葉巻の煙の間から、そう読み上げた。"極秘情報が多いし、俺自身大して知ってることはない...だが、払いはいいぞ。金が必要なんだよな。やるだろ、坊や？"その時ジョンソンは、内心こう思っていた。「そんなに悪いはずはない」と。

ジョンソンは戦場に戻り、残った友人を救うためにレムリアンを射殺した。彼の脚の傷は痛み、包帯は血で赤く染まった。「そんなに悪いはずはない」と、以前は思っていた。"ああ、そうだ。"ジョンソンは冷笑した。"少なくともこの後は、給料をもらえるからな。"