Upon Dust (Part 2)

Upon Dust (Part 2)

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Commissioned by quiteadapperlass

Word Count: 2064

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Two days passed since I gained my first clue, and gathered more.

The more I found, and the more I interacted with my companions, the less I was sure of my original intention to convey all the information to Li Song upon our return.

I’d thought Himejima and Ioseva both children, but that changed during our brief moments together. As the clues led us into more dangerous territory, they displayed their fortitude and resolve. They waded into bloodied and destroyed towns without hesitation, showing neither the innocence of a child or a fresh recruit, and their power was without question. I suppose, seeing them both as young ladies, even ones with strange origins, had somewhat blinded me. My first instinct upon seeing such individuals, especially when on assignment, is to consider them fallible beings that need protection.

I was wrong.

Himejima proved that she wasn’t merely an individual with the training of an officer and a spy. Happening upon a group of bandits armed with heavy weaponry, she waded into their ranks and disposed of them with utmost ease. Ioseva, with her spear, cast down retrofitted assault craft by casting her weapon. With unerring accuracy and a placid gaze, she ended the life of a pilot and the machine, laden with explosives, with a single cast of her silvery spear, and took flight to kill the fleeing opponents without breaking stride. Both my companions undoubtedly had the looks of angels, but I was wrong to think that they didn’t have the strength and composure of the same creatures.

Undoubtedly, they were more capable than I, and I’d been a fool. There were many reasons why I thought such a thing, of course. A soldier, after all, must consider civilians as sheep to be shepherded. In all my years in the military, I knew only a handful of female pilots on the field, with the vast majority being coordinators and staff. And, my whole life, I’ve been raised to look to women as individuals that must be cared for and protected. The combination of the three clouded my vision, until I witnessed how my two companions could take dozens of lives, and annihilate heavy weapons and assault craft, with utmost ease.

They were not meek flowers, but forces of nature in human form.

Both of whom could utterly destroy me with utmost ease, in both knowledge and their fields of expertise.

A lesser man would not consider revealing his idle treachery, even if it was with good intention. Without a doubt, I did hide information from my immediate superior, due to my lack of faith in them. With my intent to provide the information straight to Li Song, I’d intended to reveal my lack of trust in my companions, and that intent would be clear upon revealing all I’d gathered. However, without a doubt, I am in the wrong… and I am no lesser man. Even if my companions answered with wrath, I could not escape for my treachery, I would shame my country, my brothers in arms, and my people if I kept the truth hidden.

So, on the third day of our investigation, I presented all the clues I’d gathered, outside of what I’d been ordered to my companions.

And, I was ready to accept the consequences of my actions.

…

Much to my surprise, my actions were met with merit, instead of anger.

Though, the evidence and information I’d provided was not given the same measure.

“So, all of this, was just so that the Strategist could rub our faces in it!?” Akeno was understandably affronted. After carefully gathering what information I could in all the towns we’d investigated, the clues hidden beneath the leads assembled themselves into a simple picture. One that was known to Akeno, much to her disdain. “She could have just told us! We could have started handling the rogue nations two days ago!”

While the spy’s words would’ve drawn some raised brows from many, I could not help but commiserate. I’ve had dozens of missions where I was simply told to patrol a certain location, only to be diverted to strike a certain location that did not exist. Many talented pilots had similar stories. Being used as a dagger, when we’re told we’ll simply be taking routine patrols, is never appealing to anyone. To a spy, who is supposed to be the best informed and the one intended to gather information, being led by the nose for the purpose of secrecy, would be the ultimate insult.

Thankfully, she can calm herself quite easily.

“Well, at least, we’re one step closer to making contact with the Strategist.” One would think that an individual capable of swinging from one mood to other so rapidly ought to be feared. I believed otherwise. A mastery of one’s emotions is necessary for the battlefield. In the decades past, soldiers were meant to only act on instinct in battle, firing in aggression at every opportunity. That was not the case now. From foot soldier to General, those in the military engage in therapy, introspection, and meditation. The ability to take control of one’s self is laudable. Himejima ability to calm herself so quickly was not to be feared, but respected. “Mr. Cruz, you did exceptionally well. You’re an incredible asset, and I hope you’ll inform me the next time you suspect anything, instead of investigating your own.”

“Of course, Ms. Himejima. I apologize for ignoring the chain of command. It will not happen occur again, Ms. Himejima.” I looked past the praise and addressed the underlying issue. The smile I received from my superior was that of relief. True, the Fallen Angel was an incredibly talented and powerful individual, but those three facts did not change that she was young and lacking in experience. Or, if she did have experience, she was with two individuals who she’s only known for a few weeks, and is expected to lead. Our circumstances require our mutual support, and I’d trampled on that, so my responsibility to see it reforged. “I’ll inform you of my thoughts and doubts, Ms. Himejima.”

“Thank you very much, Mr. Cruz.” A content sigh left her lips, before she turned back to the clues arrayed before us. Again, to the normal individual, she could have been thought to have rebuffed me. That is not the case. Once again, she was merely focusing on the now, what was needed, and leaving matters that were unnecessary aside. I was glad to have an officer of her caliber. “Very well, then. It seems we’ll have to play along with the Strategist’s games for us to make contact with her.” She peered over our gathered clues for a moment, perhaps truly looking and evaluating them for the first time. She sighs, as it would anyone, when considering the trail of incomplete breadcrumbs we’d been given. “Or, rather, let’s begin to piece together this farce of a trail together.”

The Strategist is quite adept at giving away information, but it’s undoubtable that they’re not exactly inclined to making all of it easy to decipher.

…

The clues are ultimately deciphered through Miss Ioseva’s aid. Being a capable smuggler, one that somehow is able to procure items from Earth in the Cradle, she was able to comprehend the immense seizure of resources across the world. It was a massive organization, focused on sea-based shipping, and consolidating around several, key regions in the world without garrison by the UN. The technology employed is rugged, decades-old, but they are effective against everything besides the most cutting edge of modern equipment.

Humanity’s technological leap forward took the military by storm. The innovations and advances given to the most basic foot soldier would make them superhuman to onlookers of the 1950’s. The vehicles we have now, with all their weapons and abilities, would shame whole divisions of their predecessors with utmost ease.

However, there is a downside to such assets.

While they are immensely capable against the Chimera, they retain their effectiveness against humanity, too. Therefore, even with equipment a generation-or-so behind, the rogue nation which inhabits Earth remains a foe that cannot be taken lightly. No matter how old a chemical thrower, micro-missile launcher, or laser cannon is I would not like for any of them to be fired upon me. Nor, of course, would I like to fight against imperfect hologram fields, last-generation air superiority fighters, or whatever behemoths the Soviets no longer thought worth their time. In fact, facing a single, well-trained soldier with Maneuver Gear and ‘mere’ automatic ballistic and explosive weaponry would be quite terrifying.

Our foe is certainly incapable of harming the Cradle, even with their arsenals, but they are not to be trifled with. That fact alone is enough for them to rule Earth, and all who have stayed behind for their politics and beliefs, even if they cannot touch the UN outposts that remain on the planet.

It was quite the conundrum.

“So, we’ve figured it out. We have the clues all in place…but what now?” Ms. Himejima, however, addressed to problem of the present. While there was certainly much to ponder, and quite a bit to fear, our mission remained. The Strategist needed to be found and ascertained as friend, foe, or otherwise. While we’d stumbled upon a problem of immense proportions, our mission remained the same. While a rogue nation was problematic, it could be handled by normal, human governments. A Concept whose allegiance was unknown, and whose power was uncertain, was unacceptable. A human with the power of multiple gods is not a problem that can be approached tentatively and cautiously. It’s measure must be taken as speedily as possible. “Does the Strategist want us to attack this nation?”

Any answer I could provide was stoppered as the gathered clues shed an arcane glow at the word “attack.”

As the undetected wires arose from the all the papers that had been passed onto me, burning the clues and evidence as they arose, I could only marvel at our priority’s abilities. How many steps of this had been planned ahead? Were the first two towns we investigated meant to be skipped, or did they have clues, too? Or, perhaps, only the third town of our route had any clues? To create this ritual, composed of a scattering papers specially treated and created, how much of our journey and investigation was planned by the one we pursued?

Truly, though a diagram composed solely of wires suspended in midair was impressive, I could not help but feel like an infant, when comparing my mind to that of the individual I was supposed to defeat, if they proved hostile.

“It has little power. It won’t last for long.” Miss Ioseva’s words brought me from my stupor. I found my two companions taking pictures of the diagram from every angle they were able. Miss Himejima employed several smaller cameras, meant to be hidden in the shadows, and took what I could only assume was a complete scan of the assembly of wires. I pondered utilizing my own Communicator, but stepped back when Ioseva simply walked before me, taking more pictures all the while. However, when she made a full circle, she paused. “My Communicator has ceased working. The hardware is functioning. I have received a data transfer that has overridden my device’s software through the series of pictures I took in a single, full rotation.”

At those words, I was sure that I felt only abject terror.

What were we to this Concept?

This Strategist?

Were we merely puppets?

Actors that played on an invisible stage?

An intense feeling of helplessness welled up within my gut. I abhorred it. In the face of the Strategist’s machinations, I was no more than a piece moving according to their whims. A thing without a destiny, besides what they will.

However, besides that terror, I also felt shame.

“Alright, switch to your backup, Ioseva. We’re getting that analyzed as soon as possible.”

“Understood. Where shall we go?”

“We can’t risk introducing that data to any systems being compromised. Find an old outpost. Preferably inhabited by Scavengers.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Truly, I was a fool to think my companions were lesser than I.

Undoubtedly, I needed their aid, more than they needed mine.

…