"In the early days of the invasion, Kahrul used mechanized heavy units to round us up and put us into camps. Eventually to make sure they outnumbered us, they became to brainwash and conscript us. With the limitations of the mechs, they resorted to forcing us to fight ourselves... Even hiding underground was no longer safe... In time they didn't even need to brainwash people. Either by threatening their families, or by simply finding those insane enough to believe the Kahrul were a good omen, people... Our people, humans... Joined the ranks of the Kahrul. It was only because the Dasarin slaves were naturally resistant to the brain washing and were able to turn and help us instead that the numbers of people resisting the Kahrul did not dwindle to nothing. We freed the Dasarin, and they helped us survive. They earned this planet as much as we inherited it. Those who say otherwise are filled with bullshit!"
-A 78 year old survivor telling about the days he survived after hearing some passive racism about the Dasarin
"Even the Specter Initiative started small. They stole tech from the Kah'Rul and reverse engineered it. Collecting scientists and engineers and dragging everyone they could into the dark. Bits at a time, they would emerge to push back and try a new type of weapon or style of attack/defense at key points within cities that still had any liveable infrastructure. It took a long time... But they showed us that the technology the Kahrul brought didn't need to be only feared, but used for our sake as well. Rumor has it, they have a ship... A sky ship! Like the patrol kind the Kahrul use to oversee the camps and planes. If legend is true, they want to make it go to space one day!"
-An enthusiastic eccentric in the cafeteria
"Wanderers play an important role in the quiet society. The animals were left alone and the rapid decline in human population allowed for wildlife to flourish in the still warm enough areas. Hunting is one of the best ways to get the non-synthetic food. You can live off of either, but the taste of real food.. Can't be beat."
-A researcher in a cold weather facility. He doesn't eat real food much
"We don't know what to call them. The tech they use is way too different to be stolen Kah'Rul equipment. Not to mention their ability to just appear and disappear. They must use stuff from higher tier Kah'Rul officers, or augments we can't get to... or something. All I know is they saved our lives."
-A Specter debriefing
"When the catch node was originally deployed to bring in Kah'Rul reinforcements, we'd already had rifts opening up and letting creatures infest earth. But when it was destroyed... we thought the anomalies would decrease, not become less predictable... damn thing swooped down and took one of the people we had just gotten out of some rubble. It was like a giant bat... and the screeching... A few peoples ears bled from that! We were lucky to escape! But it came at a cost..."
-A militia man explaining why he chooses rescue missions rather than fight the Kahrul in skirmishes
"It's nice to have as many cities as we do that can still run on power. The reactors from the stolen Kah'Rul tech makes it way easier to enjoy a little light in the evenings. Not as many towns and villages are as lucky, though. Some of them have to live in the dark ages and only have some isolated power supply. We try to distribute what we can for the sake of medical equipment. Part of our primary trade here is sending out small power cells which last a couple months at a time in exchange for a share in crops and general supplies."
-A researcher of Kah'Rul technology who specializes in medical and life support
"Without a doubt, the scariest thing I have ever seen in the empty cities are echoes. It takes you out of place big time, for a moment you might be tricked into believing that this is all a nightmare and you're finally waking up. Creatures that use time from forty years ago to distract you from the now. At one moment you're aiming down your sights, the next you're waking up on the subway you were just investigating, on your way to work with a newspaper in your lap which reads something about a celebration day coming soon. The tell tale signs are to try and focus on the faces of the people around you. If you think you recognize even one stranger, if you have too familiar a feeling toward one of the figures on one of the train benches, that's the thing... That's the thing that's about to ensnare and consume you.... Don't let it...."
-Unknown
"Darker forests on the fringe of the cold are a dangerous give and take. If one does not learn to move among such places with grace and respect, it is a death trap. Creatures that lurk in the dark, dangerous anomalies, and specialized hunters who might just be hunting things like yourself, not to mention the sinkholes... Every branch and turn is a trap waiting to be sprung. Do not enter the dark woods..."
-A rugged mercenary with a few too many excursions into the woods under his belt, who most now believe to be insane
"STAY AWAY FROM THE RIFTS....STAY AWAY FROM THE RIFTS....STAY AWAY FROM THE RIFTS....STAY AWAY FROM THE RIFTS....STAY AWAY FROM THE RIFTS....STAY AWAY FROM THE RIFTS....STAY AWAY FROM THE RIFTS....STAY AWAY FROM THE RIFTS...."
-[DATA CORRUPTED, UNKNOWN ORIGIN]
"The BlackShore agency thinks retaking earth is some kind of race... First to save earth claims it. They're nasty too, human only and dangerously chase after augmentation technology. I've heard stories... About what they can do... It's.... It's not natural."
-A Specter operating on the flank discovered to border a rival human organization
"We all lost people in this war. Every one of us. But it's not for us to decide what part of history we are given. It's our duty to make the most of what time is given to us."
-Markoraselious, Specter Field commander
"Without these way stations, travel would be nearly impossible. Providing basic tactical and a layout of the terrain, these stations make it possible for people to travel long distances on foot without needing to rely on the environment or live off of the land."
-A way station researcher/upkeep specialist
"Bubble Anomalies Must Be Avoided!"
-Unknown
"At one point we had implants which basically locked up our brains. They fed us these rations which likely had something in it to keep us just weak enough of mind to succumb to the chips. They barked an order and we were just too depressed to fight back or resent it. The Dasarin were sufficiently subdued with shock collars. Guess we humans are just that stubborn."
-A survivor of the initial invasion now turned farmer trying to re-cultivate in a lab on some reclaimed land
"Field Agent, [REDACTED] anomaly discovery log. Do not answer. Do not acknowledge. Do not respond. There is nothing here. Attached to this file are coordinates for more advanced teams to make their assessment of this entirely empty and non-occupied area. The area is entirely free of anomalies and I came here alone, not as part of a four person team. Top tier assessment is not required for this area. To confirm, absolutely no top tier assessment is required for this area. There are no anomalies. There are no anomalies. there are no anomalies, there areno noanomalies tthere are no anomaolies therenantrrsdv22eth5j"
-Log received from Mitchel Reeves, Field Agent. Last known location matches area nearby the coordinates received in message.