Treadwater Vol 1

Treadwater - Published through Darkrose Studios. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental. All Rights Reserved.

Copyright Š2012 by Morgan Rosenblum. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission of the author or publisher. Printed in Canada.

CHARACTERS

What makes TREADWATER so compelling is the characters. Each operative has a uniquely dark past and a particular motivation that makes them susceptible to recruitment - These motivations are the key to their decision to join Treadwater, each reason able to be summarized by a single word - Refuge, excitement, redemption, hope, revenge. But these motivations continue to consume the characters, and reveal themselves through their actions.

As the story unfolds we learn how the past has led to and informs the present, and witness each of the operatives reaching a crisis point where they have to face up to their past in order to move forward. The deep and compelling character stories translate into a deeper connection to the team, making each character feel like the protagonist.

ALLEN MANAGING DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF TREADWATER Allen is a scientific genius and billionaire who made his fortune as the founder of Unicore, a cutting edge medical and pharmaceutical conglomerate that found the first effective cure for MS. Since this stunning breakthrough, Unicore has become one of the leaders in the development of human-based technology.

When Allen’s philanthropic wife travels to a Grey Zone against Allen’s wishes, she is inadvertently killed while volunteering at a health clinic. Sheryl’s death, followed by a series of other events, leads Allen to take matters into his own hands. He steps down as CEO of Unicore and begins working on a new private venture.

But Allen is not simply a brilliant scientist and businessman, he is also equally adept at dealing with people; getting under their skin, discovering their hopes and fears in order to get them to work for him.

Allen has used Unicore’s massive R&D budget to develop and invest in more personal projects. One of these is known as Technological Research and Development Working Toward a Resolution (TRDWTR), a front for Allen’s secret operative program which he refers to as the Candlelight Program.

Thanks to Allen’s resources, the Treadwater team has access to state of the art special technologies (“Spec Techs”) in weaponry,

armor, and Artificial Intelligence. Allen has outfitted his operatives with the best technology money can buy, increasing their speed, reflexes and strength, thus making them seem, at times, to be “superhuman”.

LUCKY JOE TEAM LEADER SPECIAL OPERATIVE REASON: LIFE Joe is an ex-Special Forces Captain with two Purple Hearts and a Medal of Honor. Shortly after leaving the Special Forces, Joe is involved in a brutal car crash that kills his wife Anne and leaves Katie, his 6 year old daughter, in critical condition, comatose, and on life support. Allen learns of this former American soldier’s unfortunate circumstance and seeks him out. Allen offers to help Katie recover in return for Joe’s services as the leader of his privately funded operative program: Candlelight.

Joe is assertive, responsible, and bears a heavy burden of guilt for the deaths and losses of the people he cares most about. Everyone he seems to love most dies. He’s lost men under his command, and his wife and daughter to a car crash. And while the car crash was a freak accident, Joe was driving at the time. This plagues Joe, leaving him sullen and despondent, a man of few words.

Joe wears a furry, purple, “lucky” rabbit’s foot around his neck at all times – a gift from Katie, who is on life support in the Treadwater medical bay. After every mission Joe goes to talk to her, reminding himself why he is with Treadwater, and hoping against hope that one day she will wake up.

Allen has made some “tweaks” to Joe’s lucky charm. Inserted into the rabbit’s foot is an Anti Magnetic Repulsor Orb, a secret technology developed by Allen himself. When activated, it repels all metal in a six foot radius. The rabbit’s

foot can thus keep Joe safe from bullets and shrapnel even in heavy gunfire and overwhelming combat situations. Hence his nickname: “Lucky Joe”.

SYLVIE LEAD ANALYST SPECIAL OPERATIVE REASON: REVENGE A natural beauty, Sylvie is the daughter of a wealthy French diplomat and a supermodel.

Sylvie’s mother was brutally raped and murdered in front of Sylvie when she was only nine years old, and the killer was never caught. Sylvie grows up vowing revenge, obsessed with finding her mother’s killer.

Already proficient in over ten languages and trained in Krav Maga from a young age, Sylvie continues to strengthen her skill set, focusing her studies on computer science. She uses her knowledge of computers to further her desire for revenge, but often takes it too far, getting herself into trouble and relying on her father’s political status to bail her out. It is this that puts her on Allen’s radar.

Sylvie suffers from Bipolar Disorder, which she keeps a secret from the entire team. She confides in Allen because she sees him as both a mentor and a father figure.

Sylvie initially agreed to work with Allen for just one year – If Allen hadn’t made any substantial progress in finding her mother’s killer by then, she would leave. But after the year is up, and despite no substantial progress having been made, she decided to stay on.

She falls for the broken-hearted Joe, but he is too grief stricken to notice or reciprocate.

DOM TANKER SPECIAL OPERATIVE REASON: REDEMPTION Born and raised in Bensonhurst Brooklyn, Dom is your typical “from-the-neighborhood” Italian-American stereotype. The loves of his life are the New York Yankees and his son Tommy. Dom is tough as nails, with a big ego and an in your face, “school-yard” sense of humor. He has a good heart, but is impulsive and bone-headed at times.

Dom was a decorated NYC Detective who lost his badge and good name when he mistakenly shot an unarmed teenager. He is devastated by his actions, consumed and plagued by what he has done. Thrown out of the police force, Dom begins drinking, and Lauryn, the mother of his son, convinces the court to grant her full custody of Tommy. Seemingly overnight, Dom has

gone from a role model to an outcast, turned down and excluded from every job that would allow him to protect and serve people. Dom thus joins Treadwater searching for redemption. Though the world may never know of his involvement, he will.

Dom has strong feelings for Sylvie and even stronger feelings toward the Yankees. He has even affectionately named his cannon “Big Bambino” after the “greatest Yankee of all time, Babe Ruth.” He and Joe butt heads on many occasions, on many levels.

When Dom is given time off from Treadwater, he regularly goes to visit Tommy – usually showing up at his school without permission.

JERRY FLIGHT COMMANDER SPECIAL OPERATIVE REASON: EXCITEMENT Jerry is an adrenaline junkie who seemingly always comes out on top, whatever the odds. He has no fear, and often pushes the limits.

An orphan from the slums of Jamaica, Jerry is adopted by US Air Force Flight Commander, Nate Still, who teaches Jerry how to fly. Living and growing up on the base, Jerry is able to observe the pilots first hand, and learn the tricks of the trade that would normally take a pilot years to acquire.

He is invited to participate in an elite flight program, which is only offered to a select handful of pilots. Although he breaks every protocol of the simulated mission, he outperforms every other candidate, pushing the limits and getting a billion dollar fighter jet to do things not even its designers thought possible.

He wears a Jerry (from Tom and Jerry) sticker on his flight gear to symbolize his uncanny ability to avoid harm.

As part of the Treadwater team, Jerry pilots the state of the art T1-Stealthfighter, which he has affectionately nicknamed “Black Baby.”

When he’s not working on Black Baby, Jerry is either in the kitchen, singing his heart out while making his special chicken-ala-walla, “the best jerk in all of Greenland”, or chilling out in the hangar bay with some Bob Marley, a little green, and his favorite Tom and Jerry reruns.

While Jerry is jovial, high energy, and acts as if he hasn’t a worry in the world, he has secrets of his own, hiding an important detail about his past from his fellow operatives.

KIYOSHI STRIKER SPECIAL OPERATIVE REASON: REFUGE Kiyoshi is quiet, reserved, but deceptively dangerous. He lives like a modern day samurai, loyal and honorable, determined to repay Allen’s faith in him.

Raised by his father in Japan, Kiyoshi loves two things, fishing and martial arts, but when his back is broken in a freak fishing accident and he is left paralyzed, his father borrows money from the Yakuza to pay for a black market spinal prosthesis that is surgically implanted into Kiyoshi’s spine. Kiyoshi recovers, but when his father cannot keep up with the payments, the Yakuza kill him and force Kiyoshi to work for

them. The brutal work leaves him emotionally numb, almost robotic, but when he is asked to kill a young boy Kiyoshi finally snaps, and instead of killing the young boy, he kills the Yakuza that are with him. From this point forward he is on the run, hunted by the Yakuza and haunted by the violence that lurks within him, his honor stained by his past deeds, forever trying to find refuge from those who seek to kill him, and forgiveness from himself.

Kiyoshi’s spinal prosthesis is able to hold an electrical charge without harming him. Allen outfited a custom vest equipped with electrical amplifiers that can charge the spine. He then created a synthetic “wire vein network” that sticks to the back of Kiyoshi’s arms. The veins conduct the electricity from the spine to a pair of metal police batons fastened to two gauntlets, thus enabling Kiyoshi to shock his targets as he strikes them.

WOLFGANG SPECIAL OPERATIVE PRINCE OF WOLVES REASON: HOPE German Traitor, Secret Assassin, Russian Spy? Wolfgang is half Russian, half German, a man of many names, but unlike the other operatives, he is the only one not to have been recruited by Allen Downs, instead recruiting himself into the program. Wolfgang is brother-in-law and right hand man to German General Kirklau, and uncle to Kostya.

Instantly recognizable by his long ponytail, thick mustache, and crimson sash, Wolfgang is the former leader of a secret guild of assassins from the mountains of northern Russia, known as “The Legion of Wolves”.

Paternal almost to a level of arrogance, Wolfgang is also highly intelligent, calculating, and straight faced. His classical combat training means he is highly skilled with a rapier, and while in recent years he has been an officer in the German military, before that, there was Russia. There were the “Wolves”. And there was Dariya.

THE WRAITH GHOST OPERATIVE REASON: PURPOSE The biggest mystery in Treadwater, the Wraith does not speak, has no identity or personality.

seems to think the Wraith is some sort of super robot, yet they treat him like he is a person.

Who or what is the Wraith? He is far and away the strongest and fastest of the operatives. And then there is the purple mist that is seemingly a part of him, and the wire “threads” that can work as an extra set of arms, or as vicious razors, depending on his preference. The rest of the team

There is a circular meter on the center of the Wraith’s chest plate, comprised of blue and pink lights. Over time, the blue lights are slowly changing to pink in a clockwise fashion. It is as though the meter is counting down to something…

CIA

MEL

FARRAH

DIRECTOR OF CIA

CIA AGENT

The first female Director of the CIA. Mel is a special consultant of sorts for TREADWATER. Sheryl, Allen’s late wife, was close friends with Mel, and Allen confided in Mel when putting together the Candlelight Program. She trades intel with Allen in exchange for TREADWATER’s help on certain matters that the CIA cannot be involved in. She is sharp, assertive, willing to make tough decisions.

She and Allen share a manipulative quality, both of them formidable combatants, loyal friends, fierce rivals.

Mel’s top (and most trusted) agent at the CIA. Farrah is smart and witty, takes no bullshit, but doesn’t know of Mel’s relationship with Allen or TREADWATER. She uses her good looks and intelligence to get what she wants. Like most of the characters in Treadwater, Farrah has a secret.

Mel began her career in politics, served the President as Chief of Staff. At one point she was even prompted by other high ranking government officals to run for President herself, with Allen offering to help fund her campaign. Mel declined, however, preferring to work in the shadows, where she feels true power lies…

Farrah doesn’t care about consequences, only protecting the American people. Farrah regularly disobeys protocol when she believes that her way will help save the most lives. It has got her into a lot of trouble, but also saved many American lives.

THREATS

In an unstable world, Treadwater strives to maintain peace and eliminate those who would foment unrest. A “Threat� can be anything from a mercenary, to a terrorist, to an unpredictable dictator.

INDEPENDENTS

POLITICAL EXTREMISTS

CHILDREN OF CHAOS (COC)

In order to control the raging populace, many countries begin appointing dictators and military juntas, which only adds tension to the already unstable worldwide political situation.

Terrorism has been a consistent threat to peace even before the collapse of the Euro.

One threat that has emerged since then is an underground terrorist syndicate known fittingly as the Children of Chaos (CoC).

With the vast majority of governments focusing primarily on domestic affairs, this leaves substantial opportunity for the self-serving.

condescending, and unapologetic. Highly intelligent and ferocious, he believes that everything he is doing is for the betterment of his country. He is also Wolfgang’s brother in law.

Kirklau is a strict and intolerant general, traits he also displays as a father. He believes that control lies as much in the illusion of power as it does in power itself.

For this reason, Kirklau never shows “weak” emotions like kindness or empathy.

Kirklau was raised on a remote farm by his grandparents. His grandfather was a former army officer whose harsh old school teaching trained him as a

KIRKLAU General Heinz Kirklau was awarded full control of Germany when the government conceded that the only way to govern the populace was with a strongarmed approach. Having saved the country from being overrun, Kirklau believes that his aggressive and ruthless tactics are the only way to restore order and ensure his country remains free from the anarchy engulfing neighboring countries. Kirklau is arrogant,

patriot. The old man filled young Kirklau’s head with stories of battles and war, fighting and brutality, and taught him that discipline is everything and that it is far better to be feared than to be loved. When his grandparents eventually died, Kirklau took their philosophy with him as he enrolled in the German army, swiftly rising through the ranks. When Germany teetered on the edge of collapse, Kirklau was ready to take control, ready to instill fear into the minds of all who opposed him.

KOSTYA Kostya Kirklau, General Kirklau’s teenage son. He is the most prized possession of the leader of the Fatherland, and treated as exactly that, a possession. While Kostya’s slight physical stature and nervous persona come off as anything but threatening, his harsh upbringing (without a mother), along with being the son of a general, make him a true wild card should he ever come into power.

Kostya’s mother died when Kostya was a young boy, leaving her husband and her brother to raise the boy. Kirklau and Wolfgang have polar opposite views on how to raise the impressionable Kostya. Kostya has no friends his own age as he is homeschooled and kept under strict watch by his overbearing father. He is fearful and submissive to his father, but

theless shuns and lashes out at his uncle when he

acts in an arrogant, dismissive manner toward everyone else.

cannot get any affection or approval from his father.

Wolfgang treats him more like his son, and is the only

His schooling has been first rate, he speaks four languages

one who truly shows him any real love. His mother’s

and is a skilled cellist. Indeed, music is the only thing that

death is never talked about, for Kostya has been

truly makes him happy, a haunting melody the only remain-

taught that he should have no emotions, no fear, no

ing memory of his mother. The tune has been kept fresh in

weakness. Kirklau believes that giving Kostya’s dead

his mind by Wolfgang, who also hums it sometimes. Kostya

mother an identity and a name will only make Kostya

is desperate for love and approval from his father, but none-

weak. Thus no one is allowed to speak of her.

KHAN Khan, AKA “The Conductor”, is the presumed leader of the CoC. None of the CoC team have ever seen his face, leading to rumors that he has no facial features, that they were seared off in a deadly fire. The pungent smell of gasoline hangs over Khan, alerting you to his presence, and warning of the inevitable conflagration that is to follow. Though his voice is soft and calm, it has a power that evokes fear in all those who hear it.

The Conductor is rarely seen out of the darkness, even by his own men. The light reflecting off the flat lenses that seem to be his eyes is all that we know him by. No other information available.

LOCKJAW Serghei Stinga, AKA “Lockjaw”, is the presumed second in command of the CoC. This Romanian mountain of muscle acts as the CoC’s primary enforcer. He is the man on the ground for the vast majority of the CoC’s terrorist operations.

Lockjaw’s body cannot produce testosterone naturally, so he must take a synthetic steroid to compensate for his deficiency. After years of taking substantially more than prescribed, he has developed a serious rage problem. Lockjaw’s imposing physical stature combined with his “berserker” aggression make him a very dangerous foe to Treadwater.

He was given the name Lockjaw due to the particular way that his steroid treatment is administered. Lockjaw bites down on a glow stick which causes his jaw to clench shut as the steroids race through his system and the adrenaline kicks in. This Romanian behemoth was last seen in a prison break some 15 years before resurfacing in the CoC. It is said that he was serving a sentence for beating his father to death with his bare hands.

XEN Xen is shrouded in mystery.

She is a highly

trained assassin and spy. Her face is always partially covered by a mask. No other information available.

CARVER Jack Carver is a former SAS soldier turned Mercenary. He currently offers his services to the highest bidder. He has no allegiances, no loyalty, only cares for one thing‌ Jack Carver. He is a highly skilled and battle-tested soldier with many notches on his belt. Carver is cocky, ostentatious, addicted to hookers, and an all around badass.

He’s known for wearing sunglasses, indoors or outdoors, day or night.

Carver and Lucky Joe have a history, having worked together on a joint operation when Joe served in the U.S. Special Forces, where something went terribly wrong. There are persistent rumors that Carver has ties to Allen Downs and Treadwater.

THREAT IDENTIFIED: MR. OSI

ARMS DEALER

A high-end arms dealer by trade, Osi “facilitates� the exchange of black market weaponry, technology, and intel. He is extremely wealthy and lives out of a custom 747 Boeing Airplane. He is always well dressed in formal business attire, speaks eloquently, and treats his clients with the utmost respect. His reputation is everything to him.

He has a mechanical arm from the right elbow down, and carries with him a large metal briefcase wherever he goes. He is confident, suave, and reserved. However, when disrespected or lied to, Osi snaps and becomes extremely violent and shows no mercy.

Weapon Grenade Launcher Machine Gun Hybrid, assembled directly onto Osi’s prosthetic arm.

Scanner Osi’s prosthetic hand has a 3D scanner that can be used to scan other weapons and reverse engineer their schematics.

Briefcase A 3D Modeler that can build any weapon onto Osi’s prosthetic arm.

TOUR OF THE FACILITY Deep within the frozen tundra of Greenland, home to the Treadwater Operatives, The Facility was built and privately funded by Allen Downs. It is comprised of 4 tiers/levels each with a specific function.

ENTRANCE LOUNGE

ENTRANC E LO UNGE

M EDI C AL BAY

The lounge acts as a gathering area as well as an entrance to the living quarters of the team.

MEDICAL BAY

With the latest in automated medical technology and overseen by Allen Downs, the medical bay makes sure the team is in the best of health. It currently houses Katie Merson, Joe’s daughter, who is in intensive care at the TREADWATER Facility.

C O N T R O L RO O M

SECTOR 9

V E H I C L E AS S EM B LY RO O M

CONTROL ROOM

HANGAR

The core of the TREADWATER Facility, the CCR monitors the base’s energy, filtration, ventilation and communications. It can find any member of the team based on their biometric signals, even if they are away from the base.

Housing various types of wheeled, aerial and water vehicles, it’s also the home of TREADWATER’s main mode of transportation, the T-1 Stealthfighter AKA Black Baby.

Its supercomputer, one of the fastest in the world, constantly monitors and records the internet, news channels and satellite communications, gathering information that may be useful to the team. It also acts as a tactical tool, recording video and audio of the team, and relaying back augmented reality-based statistics and information from all missions.

The hangar utilizes heavy duty conveyor belts to move these machines into place for storage, loading purposes and to move into the Vehicle Lift. It’s also used for repairs, refueling and reloading after running operations.

VEHICLE ASSEMBLY ROOM

SECTOR 9

RESTRICTED ACCESS

Created to give the operatives the ability to recreate vehicles based on intelligence and recon collected by the CCR. Through industrial ingenuity, three metal arms rapidly create the user’s choice of vehicle, small or large, in a matter of hours. The system was originally designed to be a better manufacturing process for cars, trucks and busses, but Jerry has been working with Allen to expand its capabilities.

B L A C K B A BY

SPEC TECH

The aircraft is comprised of two levels, and has dual hatch doors – one in the front, directly below the cockpit, and one in the rear, in between levels 1 and 2.

The cockpit seats two people, and both seats have access to manual control of the aircraft, although Treadwater pilot Jerry won’t let you touch them.

On Level 1 (the lower level), you can find a state of the art medical bed, equipped with AI surgical capabilities. A fully-stocked weapons cabinet can also be found on Level 1.

Level 2 serves as the “cabin”, which seats up to 8 people. While manual piloting from the cockpit of the aircraft allows for optimal responsiveness, Black Baby is also equipped with a remote piloting system that can be operated from the control room of the TREADWATER facility.

SPEC TECH

SPEC TECHS

Allen Downs was able to create the edge Treadwater needed through technologies developed to enhance the strength, endurance and effectiveness of his operatives. Spec Techs are the weaponry and armor that make Treadwater a force to be reckoned with. They range in ability from handheld force fields to the “Black Baby”, but all of them serve the purpose of helping the operatives go above and beyond normal circumstances and complete their mission.

JOE’S GUN: GSW-90 PORTABLE HANDGUN The GSW-90 Portable Handgun can produce energy pulses that are more powerful than most small explosives. Utilizing compression waves moving at near detonation velocities, the intensity of its projectiles can cause damage based on the mass of the body it’s being fired at. Made of high grade plastics, precious gemstones and polymers, the gun is undetectable by normal security measures.

And as there is no metal in the GSW-90, Joe can use this weapon even when the Repulsar Orb is active.

KIYOSHI’S GUANTLETS: CC-8909 Originally built for anti-riot tactics and based on the Japanese tonfa, Mirigon built the CC-8909 for pacification and crowd control. The wearer gains a tactical offensive and defensive weapon as well as a small charge based on electrified liquid that runs throughout the gauntlets. This particular unit has been changed to work with Kiyoshi’s particular situation which allows him to overcharge the units without damage to himself.

DOM’S CANNON: URGUR M79 AKA “BIG BAMBINO” Customized tactical minigun with rocket launching capabilities makes the Urgur M79 a force to be reckoned with. Carries 8 m-HEHC Anti-Tank projectiles and 400 5.56mm Armor Piercing rounds internally. The weapon is digitally synced to Dom’s biometrics so that only Dom can use the weapon.

The Wraith’s helmet, which is integrated with the DARCI system, gives him a big advantage on the battlefield.

His vision detection systems allow for nightvision, infrared signatures, 10,000 percent zoom capabilities and visual echo location detection. When his mist is released, he can project holographic images which can be used to redirect enemies, fooling them into going after non-existant targets.

The Wraith’s body suit undercarriage is made up of synthetic musculature fibers.

This gives enough flexibility while still remaining incredibly durable and strong. These fibers were built to adapt to the user’s body type and act as a protective second skin; it also feeds back biometrics and statistics to its user.

T HE WRA I T H

There is a circular meter in the center of the Wraith’s chest plate, linked to his suit’s biometric nerve center and comprised of blue and pink lights.

Over time, the blue lights are slowly changing to pink in a clockwise direction. It is as though the meter is counting down to something…

Retractable micro-cable graphene threads attached to a series of three-prong holes along the suit. The Wraith can control the movement and diameter of the threads through dedicated NanoRrhyd processors, making them as fine as razor blades. His suit can extend these threads up to 100 feet, and can combine threads to create thicker and stronger lines.

The exterior of the suit is the ExoPlat body armor with modifications to attach itself to the Wraith’s muscle fibers. Tested against small, medium and heavy caliber weaponry, it can operate below zero degrees and above 210 degrees Fahrenheit, and resist toxic bioweapons and small explosive armaments. From the armor, the Wraith’s “mist” can be released to provide cover and increase his physical performance levels.

TREADWATER EVOLUTION

T R E A D WA T E R : O R I G I N S

D OM

JO E

KIY O S H I

SHADOWS OF OUR PASTS Seven operatives, seven stories, seven artists.

We are proud to present the Treadwater: Origins series. A seven part comic mini-series chronicling the origin stories behind each of the operatives before they ever joined the program.

TREADWATER: ORIGINS | REDEMPTION

FLASH FORWARD...

Darkrose studios is an independent publishing company and transmedia studio that specializes in creating and producing original sci-fi and fantasy content.

We would love to hear from you! Say hello! Info@darkrosestudios.com Follow us on Social Media: @treadwater | @darkrosestudios

facebook.com/trdwtr | facebook.com/darkrosestudios