R6S // SEE NO EVIL

➤OP-05 // THE INTERVIEW

29 NOV 2021
CIA w/ RAINBOW_6
HEREFORD, UK

"We're wheels down in Five!" The pilot, whose callsign was Jeager, spoke to us through the headsets in the Helicopter. It was a long ride in the air, stopping at a German Base to refuel and resupply before heading to the U.K. where Rainbow's HQ was located. Repurposed an old Royal Air Force base into a modern facility; from what I saw in the air most of the buildings retained their old architecture but new buildings were seamlessly built into the base to not interrupt the history of it all.

I spotted a group of soldiers running laps around a field before diving into muddy water. "Not the high-tech place you were expecting?" Glaz asked, polishing his rifle.

I shrugged with a quick nod, "I don't know what I expected, old wasn't one of the attributes though."

"It's more than meets the eye," He corrected, sliding open the side door as we neared a helipad. "Trust me, from someone who's been here longer than them."

The helicopter touched the ground, and a brief shake as the weight came down. Below us, a small team of medics waited for our arrival, alongside a millennial-age-looking man standing there with a clipboard. "You must be..." He flipped through his papers, "Ethan Zhou, I presume?"

"Yes, Sir." I truthfully admitted. "Who am I addressing?"

"Dr. Harshiva Pendy, but just refer to me as Harry," He advised, adjusting his glasses as he flipped over his board again. "CIA, Paramilitary Operations Officer, correct?"

"That is correct," nodding. "If I may, how did you obtain this information, Sir?"

He chuckled, "Well when you're the head of Rainbow, you know how to pull some files...Also, your Commander sent out a request for your rescue." He motioned for me to follow him, to which I obliged. "Mind telling me what you were doing in Serbia?"

"Search and Capture, Sir," I explained. "Me and a team of marines were given the mission to raid a terrorist compound, without information on who we would be raiding. Of course, after nearly completing the raid, that's when I found your soldiers."

"I see..." He jotted down more on his clipboard. "I take it you've already been acquainted with some of our operatives then?"

"Callsigns only, Sir." I noticed that we had gone through some amount doors and ended up wandering through the Rainbow Six Base. Glaz was correct, the inside of the buildings was outfitted with modern interiors and appliances. "I gave a false name to the enemy."

He nodded along as I explained the events that transpired a week ago, reliving those memories makes you realize how easily one's perception of time can be fucked up. What was a week felt like a month, counting the minutes and hours that went by with nothing else to do.

In return for my account of the events, I received information from him, about Rainbow 6. More than what the public knew, we already knew it was an International collaboration, but what transpired within these facility walls was beyond what I thought was true. VR Training facilities, equipment, and tools that looked like they came out of the Cyberpunk novels.

Research and Development was my first stop, Harry introduced me to Elena Alvarez, the head of R&D. "It's nice to meet you, Ethan, I would talk more but some dumbass let his gadget loose without proper setup!"

"Get over it, I already said I was sorry!" A British voice shouted back from across the room, I looked over her shoulder and saw a man covered in orange-yellow residue being sprayed down by hoses in a glass-walled box.

"I'll get over it when the chemicals are out of my gear!" She shouted back, cursing something in Spanish before walking off.

Harry looked at me with an innocent smile, "Quite the characters."

"Don't have to tell me twice," I remarked, following him out of the R&D Department. Following down the hall, what felt like a ten-minute walk around the facility. Eventually, I found myself in a fairly large office space within a sunroom, which did seem a little out of place in a facility like this. "Forgive me for asking, but why are you showing me around, it's not like you're going to recruit me."

He took a seat at his desk, behind him was a large bulletin board with red strings and thumbtacks on multiple post-its and notes. "I'm showing you around because I'm offering you an opportunity, Mr. Zhou. An opportunity to see the bigger picture."

"The bigger picture?" I asked, pulling the seat across from him.

"There's a storm brewing, you don't see it because you're focused on your own little world and following orders. What I see in front of me is potential. The potential to lead, to finish the fight." Harry explained, sliding a file on the desk. "I've read your file, even the parts in black. I must say you know how to get things done. That skill set is something we need here."

"Flattery is the easiest way to convince someone," I remark, amused by his attempts. "But I need more than fancy words to convince me."

"A challenge. We can give you a challenge." Harry insisted, placing his hands on his desk. His cards were on the table, he was desperate. "You're a soldier, a good one. But we have more than soldiers here, people who'll-"

Before Harry could continue his speech, the door to his office opened and an older man entered the room. I immediately stood at attention as I spotted the Tri-Vision goggles hanging on his side. "At ease," He sighed with a groan. "Harry, I got those files you wanted, Indonesia and Venezuela."

"Thank you, Sam." He nodded. "I take it you know our newest applicant?"

Sam turned to me and gave me a once over, "CIA?"

"Yes, Sir." I nodded. "Paramilitary Operations Officer."

"Hm, had some friends in there," Sam recalled and a stroke of his beard. "Listen kid, don't miss the chance to be bigger than yourself. The world needs someone to play hero."

"I...Yes, sir." I don't know if he overheard the conversation or he could just tell by looking at me. We watched him leave the room, allowing me to return to my seat.

Harry cleared his throat, "I take it this will be a better chance of us having you onboard?"

Glancing between him and the door, I nodded. "Yeah, why the hell not?" I reached out and shook Harry's hand.

"Ethan 'ETA-10' Zhou, Welcome to Team Rainbow."