Howl fell into a deep sleep, and found himself atop a spiral stair, in the middle of space. There was a door in front of him, and he was curious to see what was inside. Howl reached for the doorknob, turned it and pushed open the door. Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed him, though he could feel the force, it was impalpable. The hand let go, and he fell into a dark abyss, with no wind going against his face, and the light of the door above disappeared in moments, then Howl was surrounded by darkness, not even knowing if he was falling or not.
After minutes of blackness, another door opened up and a women walked out, while Howl laid prostrate. He couldn't see the women's face, but only a shadow since a strong light was shining behind her. He got to his feet and approached the women, and when he got close enough to see her, he saw it was his mother. She opened her mouth and spoke in a whisper, "Go to them, to your father, or he will die, like the rest of them..." Then, she disappeared and the blackness formed into the ice plains, and he was standing on the top of a hill overlooking the pod crash-sight. Dead bodies were all around it, and one, was his father. Multiple bullet holes were in his chest, and blood was seeping from his corpse. Soldiers in UFSA uniforms stood around the sight, checking the dead bodies. One of them stood over his father's dead body and shook his head. "A shame...he was a good scientist. If only they reached him in time..."
Suddenly, the face of his father popped up next to him, "You never cared for me! What a horrible son you are, I should have known you'd leave me for dead!" Then, he woke up in a cold sweat, five mercs standing over him. "Sir, are you alright? I heard you tossing and turning in your sleep and-" Howl interrupted, still in shock. "I'm fine! I just...need to...get some water. Leave me be." "As you wish, sir." He looked up at the sky, it was near dawn. He picked up a water bottle, drank it all then walked to where Kitt was sitting. "How was the night patrol?"