“Industrious, I’ll give you that,” Will commented.
“Trust me, you haven’t seen anything yet. Underneath all this is our research facility where Alex practically lives.”
“Now I’m intrigued.”
Halsey dismissed the underlings, now leaving it at the two of them. They paused by a building, much smaller than any of the others around it and shaped much differently. Atop it a bell tower gonged for all to hear. The other structures were a brownish green to suit the environment while this one was white as snow. A neat cobblestone path led from a small wooden fence up to the steps of the place.
“I’m not sure of the purpose of this place at a military facility,” Will remarked, turning his attention to a large group of soldiers jogging by, led by their drill sergeant. Even with the chill, their faces were covered in sweat and blood red. He wouldn’t be surprised if they did a lap or two around the whole facility for a weekly run.
“I’ve gone in there a few times, not gonna lie, looking for what, I don’t know. Maybe just more nostalgia.”
Will kept his back to the building as Halsey drew closer to the small fence.
“If it suits you.”
With his position, the cyborg was the first to see a man approaching them. He was definitely sprinting, drawing Halsey’s attention as well. The two saluted each other before speaking. It’s Patrick Noels. Will remembered this one. He looked at the cyborg and nodded, about as warm a greeting as Will expected.
“I see you noticed he’s back,” Halsey said proudly.
“Yeah, me and every troop on the whole base.”
“Wow, all but half an hour and the school girls are chattering,” the captain said in a cross of anger and humor.
“Joe, you know it’s not that simple. Unauthorized personnel, please pardon me,” Pat replied while paying tribute Will’s way, “is grounds for trial and worse.”
“I took the heat then, I’ll take it now,” he said casually.
“Joe, the Governor General and Chief of Defense are here. They want to see you both.”
If Halsey had any discomfort, he hid it remarkably well. He merely stepped away from the church fence.
“Of all the times they promised to visit, they do it now, of course. So be it. Where are they?”
“Site B-322, the new project. I suppose we’re walking as well?”
***
“Thing you’ve got to understand about the moose-folk,” Halsey advised, “is that they are extremely paranoid.”
The two walked through the dirt, heading toward the construction area ahead of them. The ground here was not full of dust but soft and dark as if it had rained not too long ago. Huge machines with elegant arched necks dug into the soft earth as other monsters carried loads of it away. This area was hilly and twice as busy as the others. There were no other buildings to gander at, just excavation vehicles and equipment and the men piloting them. Smoothing the rough landscape into a plateau, interesting…
“The guys up top still have doubts and not just concerning you. All us UNR refugees.”
“The world lose faith in your Crimson Angels?” Will mocked. It was the one thing Halsey could not just throw aside.
“Look, just let me handle this. This isn’t exactly your strong suit.”
Will could hear the rising tone in the man’s voice, though it was hardly enough to make him back off. Up ahead he saw two men, one in a dull gray suit, and the other in a decorated military serviceman uniform. Somehow, despite all the noise, these two seemed to sense the presence of Will and Halsey and turned to face them. Both had to be in their fifties, though the one in the suit appeared more rundown. The lines of this one’s face betrayed a life of constant trepidation. If ever there was a time he was feeling it most, it had to be now.
“Have your fun,” Will conceded.
Halsey wiped his nose even though there was nothing to wipe. “Well, here goes.”
He walked away from his area of comfort and saluted the Governor General and then shook hands with both accordingly.
“General Ominic, Chief Declan, I was told you’d be here some time ago. Regardless, everything is on schedule.”
“We are aware of that, Captain. Major Samson has already debriefed us regarding all main priorities,” explained the Governor General. “In that sense, the Armed Forces Council is most pleased.”
“With all due respect, I know why you called me here. Hell, I’m not even the top C.O. here, far from it. But I do have my connections, lots of ’em. That’s where my value lies, right?”
Declan practically scoffed.
“Your resources are indeed valuable, but they come at a hefty cost.”
“Cost? Allow me to be frank for a moment, but there’s been nothing but checks at your expense up to this point. You know my homeland, what I’ve endured, and what I’ve seen. Call it strategy or preserving stability, you’ve so far put in zip shit compared to us.”
While the Chief of Staff kept his glare, the Governor General put in his full effort to be reasonable.
“Don’t try to downplay our efforts, Halsey. We’re doing everything we can.”
“And certainly don’t downplay the risks,” reminded Declan, “everyone knows Venloran isn’t afraid to cross borders to get his wanted. Under such a condition, the government has constantly pushed that extradition would be our most viable option.”
Halsey became quiet at that.
“Your very being here is a matter of national security. It took Parliament and her Majesty months to cave in and that was only under international pressure,” Declan added.
“Yeah, no matter what, when it comes down to it, it’s all just a matter of money and who’s gonna get pinched first. I recognize that, Chief, but why boot the most precious asset we have?”
“Not everyone believes the fruits outweigh the other scenario. Fort Hosbon is a link to the others and is growing to be the most heavily armed one in the country. Priority one: this site must never at any cost become jeopardized.”
“If you’d seen him in the thick of it you’d probably stop worrying.”
“Unlikely,” remarked Declan, trying his best to keep his attention on Halsey. He said this in a much quieter fashion.
“Currently, that is our position, Halsey, I’m sorry,” said General Ominic flatly.
“If I may speak.”
The three men all turned to see the cyborg now standing but a foot away. No evident emotion was on its face. Halsey glared at Patrick, who only shrugged his shoulders helplessly.
“Certainly,” Declan said. He’d found himself fighting not to stutter.
“I would first like to congratulate you: this base is impressive. This area here shall do nicely for positioning land-to-air missile systems. But, foremost, I want to assure you and your Prime Minister that I am ready and willing to serve, when and wherever that may be necessary.”
The two men of power stood there like twigs.
“As of now there are no operations in need of your… skills,” the Governor General replied. “I suppose for now you can be at ease here. We’ll contact Halsey when we have something.”
Declan added, “He’ll serve as your C.O. Captain, can you direct him to the barracks?”
“Yes, sir.”
Even as Halsey smiled and the two men turned back to their project, the super soldier stood there having suffered a strange blow: a small one but one that resided in his inner being. Not even Halsey noticed it as Will merely followed.
***
Night had nearly settled. Down by the expansive lake the barracks awaited. There were hundreds of them, although activity around them was little to none. As Halsey led the way, Will noticed he was being led onto a hillside overlooking the smaller and cramped housing below close to shore. Up here, there was space enough between each facility to house several old trees.
“Welcome to the Officer’s Block, as we like to call it. About as good as it gets here, unless you’re a general.”
“I’
m not sure.”
“Trust me, they want you to be comfortable.”
Convinced, the two only paused at the sound of footsteps, lots of them. They turned their sights below to the trainee barracks to see several rows of jogging troops. They ran between the structures in straight rows, appearing as a single colossal moving entity. The sight was trivial for Halsey, who was about to turn away till he saw what had Will fixated.
Out in front of the group was Gabriella, perspiring, yet as graceful as ever. Her face had nothing but sheer focus on it, except maybe exhaustion, which was apparent due to the redness of her white skin. The way she ran, though, it didn’t seem to matter if she was on her dying breath. Her powerful strides would be enough to deceive almost anybody. Her brunette hair flowed behind, and Will hardly seemed to realize that the group was heading their way.
Halsey saw a look of recognition in Gabby’s eyes but had not a clue in hell what kind of storm was gathering behind them. If your enemy is superior, evade him.
“Let’s head inside, Will.”
Inside, after punching a code, Halsey laid his weapon down against a bunk. Will walked over to another, sitting down on it in silence. The gray room’s only distinguishing mark was the ever-present seal imprinted on the wall. Still, the room was heated, to Halsey’s delight. At that moment, the door once more slid open, bringing with it a gust of cold.
“Oh, look, our bunk mate,” Halsey remarked.
“I was wondering which two assholes we’re breaking in. Thought I was gonna have to kick some cadet’s ass.”
It was Jacob, apparently having decided to cut his run short. His hair was kept mildly short and resembled Halsey’s, though he would never admit it. His voice was calm, his eyes unflinching.
“Wise words from this one, always,” Halsey laughed. Jacob focused on the cyborg now.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“As well as it could,” Will replied. “I’m ready to lend my assistance to your efforts.”
“Well, the next assignment is a small one, two-person job,” Halsey said. “We’re going to be meeting up with our associate in UNR territory. There are rumors of something going on. R & D over there is reported to be busy. Word is the Chancellor’s been collaborating with a few countries on weapon contracts.”
Will’s brow furrowed intensely.
“They’re not allowing foreign militaries to produce SSC Units. I know they aren’t.”
“It’s not confirmed yet,” Halsey responded.
“The Chancellor probably realizes in a full scale war his allies would demand the tech he has,” Jacob commented, leaning in the doorway.
“Doesn’t matter,” Will argued. “I know the policies by the letter. Production of my kind is to take place only on UNR soil. Venloran would never relinquish his advantage over everyone else.”
“That makes quite a bit of sense, actually.” Halsey nodded as he sat on his bed. “Well, take us for instance. Alex should have a prototype vehicle up and running soon.”
“Nicely done, I’ll be sure to give it a once-over.”
“We don’t know what they’re planning as of yet, but it would be nice to have a few surprises of our own in store for them, right?” Halsey said with a confident grin.
“I even heard Brielle is helping Alex design a weapon that can drop multiple cyborgs at once,” Jacob said. “Luck’s on our side.”
“As if it’d be that simple in the long scope of things,” Will replied. “Back to this two-man job, why not make it three? If anything goes wrong, even if it is just a recon mission, I can be on alert to bring the information back no matter the situation.”
“Touching, Will, with your gentle dose of morbid realism,” Halsey remarked,” but I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
Will raised an eyebrow. “You’re going in yourself?”
“That’s right, although my partner may not be one you’ll take a liking to.”
Will felt the urge to look away, holding a sheathed sword in his hand before placing it on his bed.
“I see. There are many tasks in need of my service here, in any case. I only hope for your sake she’s been training hard.”
“She’ll do fine. She’s changed a lot since you’ve been gone,” he reassured.
“Some things haven’t changed at all,” Will could only mutter.
Halsey grimaced, knowing there wasn’t much he could say. Jacob looked briefly at them both individually, finding the loss of words unsettling.
“You know, you may not want my advice, but the silence between you two is far from a real resolve,” Jacob said sharply.
“What do you expect me to do? I gave her the time I presumed she needed. Should I just leave again?”
“That would solve nothing. Her isolating herself from you, you doing pretty much the same—”
“Does it look like I have time to deal with this now?” Will countered defensively. “As far as I’m concerned it can wait.”
Strangely enough, Jacob was moved to laugh.
“Jesus…” he chuckled, to Will’s annoyance.
“Something comedic about all this?” the cyborg demanded.
“No shit there’s something comedic about it all: the damn irony!”
Both Halsey and Will looked at Jacob.
“When our father gave us our orders, he was desperate. Halsey was locked up and the Crimson Angels as a whole were kaput. To remove any possible variable of interference he came up with that fantastic lie and even though I thought it was disgusting I went along with it. Gabby was stronger than me and couldn’t keep it up. She gave you the tool you needed to find out the truth, knowing how you might react. Whether my father was going to come clean after Norfolk or twist the information more, not even I know. What I do know is that Gabby gambled the mission, our lives, everything, on the truth.”
Will knew these facts. Facts he’d disregarded in favor of trying to forget. He felt almost stunned and almost sensing this, Jacob’s tone was now softer:
“I know our history’s been a mess. I know damn well no matter how many times I apologize, you may never see me as a friend. Regardless, we’re going to have to fight together.”
Chapter 10 - Never Again
October 11, 2065 - The Kantei, Tokyo
Venloran admired the beauty of the decorated vermillion cup, small as it was. The office was kept considerably warm, just the right amount to almost simulate an actual lit fire. Seated in the relaxing arm chair, he felt like royalty here. The Prime Minister’s office was filled with an earthy-floral scent as the sake was poured. The Chancellor knew the taste would be utterly exquisite. He looked to the woman across from him.
“Kame no O has quite a presence.”
“Making it perfect for the occasion, Chancellor.”
A man knelt at the short table to serve the drinks. Despite the simple task, his eyes remained focused on his service.
“Thank you,” Venloran offered the man a warm smile, and he returned the gesture.
“Will that be all, ma’am?”
“Yes, thank you, Mr. Naro. You may go.”
Prime Minister Koichi watched as he left, shutting both the doors softly. With just the two of them now in the majestic room, she seemed to ease up in presence. Personally, she wanted to dive right into the sake but she allowed herself to wait.
“Our business arrangement has borne fruit and both our countries will find it most beneficial. We are honored to be in alliance with you, I hope removing any lingering ugly patches from our history.”
She raised his glass, Venloran joining her. The Chancellor couldn’t help being tedious, despite his smile.
“A drink to building a better world,” Venloran said.
“And the growth of our economies, as well as the prospect of peace,” Koichi added. Venloran allowed himself a small laugh. He held the glass away from his lips at the moment. Koichi took due note of this and refrained from indulging as well. If there was a single tint of frustration in her being, she did not express
it.
“I only wish to inquire something, Prime Minister. You are aware of the full extent of this pact?”
“I have read it over many times, Chancellor. We will aid in manufacturing and if a full-scale military conflict does arise, no matter the location, no matter the aggressor, our soldiers will be on whatever the shore is to aid you.”
“And we will do so in return. I have no doubt you will honor your promise, of that I’m sure.”
“My generals are on standby. If anyone is foolish enough to challenge us, the retaliation will be merciless.”
Now Venloran brought the glass to his mouth.
“Let us hope the day never comes.”
They both took their first sips, Koichi anxious to get to her second. As she began to pour herself a refill, Venloran glimpsed something over on the desk at the other side of the room. What he saw there stabbed at something deep in the man’s chest. It was a simple portrait of the Prime Minster; seated on her lap was a young girl, probably only four or five.
***
January 13, 2044 - Forest Glen, Chicago
The classic Chevrolet Camaro cruised down the road, nothing but parks and small shops to peer at along the sides. Snow-white in color, the vehicle contrasted sharply with the dull pallette they rode past. Venloran was at the wheel, but he was ever attentive to his surroundings. Janet had been relatively quiet since arriving at the airport, and he couldn’t blame her. She, unlike him, did her best to keep her eyes away from the windows, not wanting to peer at the grimy sidewalks. However, they came to a stoplight and as the car halted it was impossible to pretend not to see.
She saw a mother, her hair a mess and her clothes appearing as though they’d been through hell themselves. She sat against the wall of a supermarket, holding out a small cup. The vast majority walking by assumed she was invisible, and those who did spot her threw nickels and pennies her way. It wasn’t poor judgment to link her to the two young boys walking around the parking lot in beat-to-death sneakers. Their dark red hair and freckles made it fairly obvious, though Janet still felt guilty about it. Their thin jackets couldn’t possibly have kept them too warm as they pleaded for change, but their stomachs gave them more pain than the cold did.
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