Apostasy#3: Mission: Omega

The comic begins with a dream sequence of a tropical beach. The narration describes a family holiday to someplace tropical, remembering the trees and the sand, a crab pinching their toe and going alone to the beach. The sequence is interrupted by someone calling Doctor Noland.

Galena Noland wakes up from her daydream. She's talking to Doctor Judith Mossman. Galena asks about a man by the name of Kleiner. Doctor Mossman reacts with suspicion, asking where she heard the name, and Galena explains that a patient came in the other day, badly injured, and drew a lambda in his own blood. Doctor Mossman cuts her off in shock as she hears the term lambda.

Galena asks Doctor Mossman if the lambda means anything to her. The doctor evades the question with a perhaps. She then asks further questions about what Galena knows, making her suspicious in turn. Galena asks about Black Mesa and Judith explains how she was away on the day of the Black Mesa Incident that opened a portal to an alien dimension. She then says she has to end her shift and Galena finishes with a question if Doctor Mossman thinks Doctor Freeman is dead, to which she replies ten years is a long time to be missing. Galena leaves with some parting words from Doctor Mossman and feeling that maybe telling her was a mistake. Judith then turns on her radio transmitter and sends a message saying she may have found what they are looking for.

Meanwhile, back at the Coast, Jack arrives at Colonel Odessa Cubbage's doorstep, worried that his whole supply cache is gone. He swallows his pride and opens up to the colonel, explaining that he doesn't have his rockets and that he's in a tight spot. Colonel Cubbage replies that their own supplies are low enough as it is, but they might be able to spare a day or two's worth if he helps out with something.

Colonel Cubbage tells Jack about a contingency plan by the name of Mission Omega. They have discovered a Combine storehouse of supplies near the City 17 canals where Jack might be able to find some rockets. Jack is hesitant at first to raid a storehouse, but the Colonel offers him two weeks' worth of rations.

Later, Jack has parked his old buggy Lucy inside one of Colonel Cubbage's sheds, with the colonel reasoning he can't just leave it parked outside. The colonel promises to take good care of her and they get on a pickup truck being driven by one of Colonel Cubbage's men. Jack asks how exactly he's supposed to get in the Combine storehouse.

Back in City 17, Mark is working as a Civil Protection officer, also known as a metro cop, for the Combine. He and his partner are chasing after a female suspect. As Mark thinks how much he hates the smell of the mask and how disassociated he is of being a metro cop, he catches up and hits the suspect. As he mentally screams for someone to stop him, he knocks the suspect unconscious with his stun baton.

Mark blacks out and regains awareness later, as he finishes violently interrogating the suspect. He reasons it's a self-defense mechanism just as the female passes out and his partner calls in for a transfer to the Combine prison of Nova Prospekt. As he hopes to not become the monster the Combine want him to become, Mark thinks of Galena.

In the meantime, Galena is at her apartment, holding the key that a badly hurt rebel gave her before the Combine took him away. She remembers his words to look for the lambda in the train station and leaves her apartment.

While Galena wonders if Mark is at his job, he's watching as soldiers drag the unconscious female away. Mark and his partner, Barney Calhoun, log off their shift for the day and discuss how uneasy the soldiers make them feel. Barney tells Mark how one of the soldiers committed suicide the week before, after going rogue and causing a massacre. While Barney tells the glory details, Mark is stuck thinking about the idea of suicide.

Meanwhile, Galena is thinking that her mission is suicide, feeling paranoid as metro cops run past her. Every ounce of her mind is telling her to leave, the problem is, her heart tells her otherwise.

Galena arrives at the train station and spots the lambda decal on a locker door. As she tries the key, she hopes it won't work, but it unlocks. Thinking it is too late to turn back, she opens the door.

Galena recoils in shock and surprise at the contents of the locker, scared of what she has gotten herself into. She hears the telltale noise of Combine radio chatter and quickly locks the door. She escapes unscathed but worried about having told Judith Mossman about Doctor Kleiner and the man who gave her the key, although also glad she didn't mention the key itself.

Near the remains of Highway 17, Colonel Odessa Cubbage finishes explaining their plan to Jack and asks if he's got any questions. He asks where they are and the colonel explains it's a refugee camp with people from all over, from Rybak to the mining town of Ravenholm and the coastal town of St. Olga. Jack can't help but pity the refugees, thinking them dead already.

Colonel Cubbage leads Jack to the door and recommends he run until he reaches the ladder to avoid any possible antlions in the sand. Cubbage wishes Jack good luck and off he goes. Jack finds the ladder and gets into the sewers.

As he trudges through miles of sewers, Jack can't help but be amazed at what circumstances can make one do, as the survivalist finds himself risking his neck out for supplies. A part of him would really like to join Odessa and his rebels and stick it to Administrator Breen, but he realizes he's long given up on fighting back.

Jack trips on a wooden board and falls head-first into the dirty sewer waters below. As he reflects on the irony that he was thinking he could really use a good and long bath, he suddenly realizes something alive is down in the water with him.

Jack jumps out of the water just in time, as a gigantic alien sea beast - an ichthyosaur - tries to make him its dinner.

Jack stares as the ichthyosaur goes back into the water and tells it to go find lunch somewhere else. Jack moves on, thinking that being almost eaten is a pretty bad omen.

Meanwhile, back at Mark's flat, Barney shows up and offers to buy him a beer. Mark invites him in and asks if it's really beer, to which Barney replies no, just wishful thinking, but he does bring water from a condenser. He offers Mark some and he takes it.

Mark states the water is amazing and Barney tells him to have some more, then someone knocks on the door. Mark goes check who it is and is Galena, begging him to open the door.

Galena hugs Mark and tells him she's scared and thinks she's been followed. She kisses him and asks him to help her, just as Overwatch shows up after her. A mysterious figure in a blue suit looks on. The issue ends. Next issue: Outbreak!

Special bonus section. In the city canals, a man is carrying two suitcases. His name is Mikael Roitto and he is a traitor and insurgent, charged with apostasy against the Combine universal union.

Mikael has to get his case and its contents to Doctor Kleiner at all costs. He spots a Combine officer and picks up one of the suitcases.

Mikael hits the cop with the suitcase, knocking him down, then finishes him off by crushing his head with the suitcase. The officer flatlines and his system automatically calls for backup, forcing Mikael to hurry and move on with the other suitcase.

Mikael moves on into the city limits, thinking he has a job to do and will not fail. Introducing the prequel issue, Apostasy zero.

Next comic:

#0: The Misbegotten Vassal

1 thought on “#3: Mission: Omega”

Michael Andrei Palon

September 20, 2022

That moment in the end (not including the bonus section) sure came out of nowhere. Wonder where this leads, even if things are going really fast?

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