Edge of Victoria's border/ Cloudy/ 2pm
"..." Lee wasn't sure how he got into this situation. All he could remember was a blur of movement. Suddenly, Kalt'sit was inside his room, sitting in the couch and was asking him questions. And worse, Doctor Ikura was also with her. She had her helmet removed and was looking at them with a smug look on her face.
"Look, we were drunk, okay?" Lee broke the silence and leaned forward. "We just took a sip, that's all. How the hell would I know that her weakness was a wine from Yen?"
Kalt'sit raised an eyebrow, then glanced at the Ægir beside her. The Doctor simply nodded and grabbed the empty bottle on the floor.
"A sip you say? Then care to explain why it's empty?" The lynx lady said while tipping the bottle down. And sure enough, it was sucked clean.
"W-Well, we kinda over did taste testing it." Lee chuckled nervously. The two ladies stared at him with blank expressions.
"Oh come on! Nothing happened between us, alright?" Lee snapped at them. "Ask Blue Poison, she even dragged me on the floor for ten whole minutes just to get me tucked in bed. I don't know how she did it but it happened. She accidentally slept beside me because she couldn't keep awake anymore. And I slept like a log the entire night." He went on full defensive.
"Well, after having a chat with Blue Poison down the hallway an hour ago, it's safe to assume that nothing happened. Am I right?" Kalt'sit looked at him with dead eyes. Lee flinched, but shrugged it off and tried his best to stay calm.
"What's with that look?" He asked while he took a sip on his tea.
"Nothing, nevermind." Kalt'sit replied. She held out a folder and handed it to Lee. Doctor Ikura continued munching on cookies in the sidelines. She looked like a squirrel who's cheeks are full with acorns.
"And this is?" Lee said while furrowing his eyebrows.
"Sightings of unidentified personnel near the town of Constantine. The Iberians reported it back to Laterano because their scouts have been fired upon on." Kalt'sit informs him as he skimmed through the folder.
"Now this is worth checking out. Is that town deserted?" Lee asked, still focused on reading the files.
"Yes, traders stopped going there because they thought it was riddled with bandits. Constantine is a big town, with over 20,000 residents as far as the latest survey says. My insider source said that after the disappearance of those Lateranian squads, no other people were coming from the town, as if it was a ghost town. But..." Kalt'sit sighed and tapped her temple. "Since you're going out to investigate, we'll find out what really happened. Hopefully."
He continued reading dozens of classified reports, logs and entries of high ranking officials regarding the incident. There was also a mix of reports from individual soldiers on both sides. He read one particular report over and over in his mind. After several minutes of silence, he looked at Kalt'sit and was about to ask how she managed to obtain such information when-
"Ahem." Doctor Ikura suddenly cleared her throat, catching both Lee and Kalt'sit's attention. She wiped the sides of her mouth before speaking.
"Since I'm here, and not just some glass statue. I have a proposal to make."
"And that is?" Kalt'sit said lazily, sounding uninterested. The Doctor had a tick mark appear on her forehead.
"Since you're going to somewhere dangerous. Why not have another one accompany you?"
Kalt'sit narrowed her eyes at her fellow doctor. "If you mean Blaze, she's still busy on her operation. The other elite operators as well. We can't let Andreanna's team interfere with him, since they're still an experimental squad."
"Oh, typical Kalt'sit. Why don't you let me finish first?" Doctor Ikura fumed.
Kalt'sit snickered. "Because your ideas are reckless."
"Reckless but effective." The Doctor refuted. Both of them glared daggers at each other, all the while ignoring Lee, who was watching the situation unfold.
"Damn, you two really have good chemistry." Lee chuckled and broke the silence. The two ladies turned their necks sideways, so fast that it could almost snap.
"No we don't!" Both yelled in unison.
"*sigh*, We have an operator who's currently near the vicinity of Iberia. She's a Sarkaz, and has a little bit of an attitude, but she gets the job done. Literally." Doctor Ikura averted her gaze from the lynx lady and faced Lee. "She should be able to follow orders, though she doesn't like it much. I'm sure you'll be able to make her cooperate with you, since, well, you're you."
He looked at Doctor Ikura with a 'What the hell?' expression on his face.
"Iberia. Sarkaz..." Kalt'sit muttered. After a few seconds, something flashed in her eyes, making her smile. "Ahh, I guess it could work. Still, were do you get these sort of ideas?" She glanced at the Ægir woman beside her.
"Where else?" She puffed her chest and tapped her temple.
Lee looked at the two women in front of him, confused at the sudden change of atmosphere. "Now you're friends? I can't get women at all." He sighed in defeat. "So, who's this particular operator you're so giddy about?"
Kalt'sit and Doctor Ikura glanced at each other and smiled, such a rare occurrence was burned to Lee's memory forever.
"Surtr." They both said. Lee looked up at the utterance of that single name.
"Surtr? what a terrifying name to bear." Lee murmured to himself. "You sure she's cooperative? The name 'Surtr' back in the ancient mythology of Earth says that the god was the embodiment of chaos and fire. Is she the same?" Lee asked.
"We're not sure. Maybe. I haven't seen her full capabilities as of now." Doctor Ikura said and stood up. She put on the thick helmet and made her way to Lee's door. "I'll leave it up to you, so good luck on the mission. I still have tons of paperwork to finish, courtesy of Kalt'sit. I'll let operator Surtr know about your arrival and the meeting point will be sent to your transmitter." She informs and waved goodbye, before disappearing to the corridor.
Now that Lee and Kalt'sit was the only one left, they stared at each other for a moment before resuming the discussion. Kalt'sit discussed the do's and don't's when dealing with other citizens of other countries, specifically Laterano and Iberia. Well, Lee knows about the basics. Kalt'sit reminded him not to do something stupid, and that he should think his actions through.
"Alright, I'm leaving. I still have lots to do, specifically talking to Blue Poison." Kalt'sit said sternly, which made him sigh. After a few seconds of silence, Kalt'sit let out a small smile.
"Just kidding."
"Your face says so otherwise." Lee refuted.
Kalt'sit shrugged her shoulders before turning around. "Make sure you bring everything you need. I'll see you off in the hangar tomorrow." She added before walking away. Lee stared at her disappearing figure until she was out of sight.
"Might as well take a breather." He says to himself before taking the elevator. He did a thorough scan on his body, specifically if there were signs of Punishing virus. After doing it three times, and the results turning 3%, he injects a syringe on his arm. After exiting the elevator, he made his way to the roof deck.
As soon as the doors opened, he was greeted by the cool breeze of Victoria's air. Rolling hills and trees filled the scenery. The sky was dyed orange, as the sun was nearly setting. It certainly looks peaceful, but that's far from what reality has to offer. Down there, somewhere deep in the heart of this magnificent country lies a boiling conflict, ready to burst at any moment. But that story is for another time.
Lee leaned against the railings, letting the wind consume him. His blonde hair fluttered against the wind, as he stared blankly into the distance. He keeps thinking back to the files given to him by Kalt'sit. One report from an Iberian border patrol guard caught his eye.
"... I saw people, or humanoid figures roaming the empty streets from the distance. They were just walking mindlessly, like they were in a horde..."
The sentence repeatedly flashed on his mind.
'Humanoid figures, mindlessly walking, horde... Fucking corrupted?' Lee sighed heavily. Space distortion was already being studied way back before the virus ravaged earth. He knows it's true, since he experienced it himself. But sometimes he thinks it's all a bad dream, like he's in a... Simulation. He shook himself out of his thoughts and sighed heavily again.
"Looks like you're in a bad mood." A female voice said beside him. He glanced sideways as he was pulled back to reality.
"Magallan..." Lee muttered. The female Liberi was standing there with a soft smile on her face.
"Hehe, hello Lee." Magallan said and leaned her body on the railing. "You seem deep in thought. Something bothering you?"
"Ah. Was I spacing out?"
"Mhm! You were still as a rock." She giggled and also stared in the distance. Farmers can be seen plowing the fields, enduring the burden just to make a living. As the enormous landship was almost at the edge of Victoria's border, it's engines slowly died down as they made a stop.
"Lee. About what happened back in Lungmen, I apologize for my rudeness." Magallan spoke after the landship halted. They heard the deck operators running left and right as they did their job.
"It's alright. Don't dwell into the past." Lee replied, still gazing at the hills in the distance. He felt hypocritical after saying such words. After several minutes of silence, he stretched his back and faced Magallan.
"Come, let's go back inside." He said with a smile. The door closed behind them, immediately cutting off the cool breeze outside. Both of them walked side by side, with Magallan occasionally trying to keep up. There was a long silence between them as they made their way to the 4th floor. They passed quite a few operators running from the medical department to the hangar.
"Lee. Are you going somewhere?" Magallan suddenly asked him.
"Why'd you ask?"
"W-Well, the Doctor is standing in front of your room..." Magallan said, pointing at the distance. Lee followed her line of sight and sure enough, Doctor Ikura was standing there with her arms crossed on her chest. They made their way and the Doctor waved at them.
Lee frowned. "Do you need something Doctor?" He asked and opened the door.
"Magallan, I want to speak with Lee privately in my office. May I borrow him for a bit?" Doctor Ikura said, her tone sounded urgent but she hid it well.
"It's okay Doctor. I'll be going back to the control center." Magallan said and smiled at them. "Bye-bye Lee!" She said before waving. They stared at her disappearing figure until she was out of sight.
"Sorry to disturb your date." Doctor Ikura snickered and turned to the opposite direction.
"I-, forget it." Lee sighed and followed her. The walk was filled with silence, with Doctor Ikura occasionally greeting passing operators. She was walking unusually fast, but Lee matched her pace. Shortly after, they arrived at her office. He was surprised to see the small Cautus girl was also in the room.
"Good evening Mr. Lee." Amiya greeted. She was hugging a folder to her chest.
"Amiya... It's been over a month since I last saw you. How are you holding up?" Lee asked her. Being a leader at such a young age on a not so ordinary pharmaceutical company must have been hard for her.
Her bunny ears twitched slightly, and a smile formed on her lips, which somehow look forced. "I'm alright Mr. Lee, just a bit sleepy."
'Really?'
Lee frowned. He was about to speak when Amiya cut him off.
"I'll be going to the control center to drop off these reports, Doctor. I'll leave you and Mr. Lee to talk." She waved goodbye and closed the door gently behind her.
"Don't worry about Amiya, she doesn't want to make others worry about her. I'll talk to her sometime later." The Doctor said before removing her helmet, showing her hidden expression. Her usually calm demeanor was nowhere to be found.
"Hey, what the hell happened? Are you alright?" Lee asked after seeing her face.
"I need you to go now. Don't worry, I'll handle the talk with Kalt'sit."
"Slow down. Explain." Lee said. The Doctor was all jittery, which was technically not a good sign.
"*sigh*, Surtr went missing."
"..."
"..."
"Fuck. Since when?" Lee asked, breaking the eerie silence. He handed a water bottle to Doctor Ikura.
"Thanks." She opened it and took a big swig before putting it on the desk. This seemed to calm her down.
"You good?"
"Yes." She fixed her composure and brushed off strands of stray hair on her face. "After I left you and Kalt'sit on your room, Surtr suddenly contacted me shortly after I arrived here. I couldn't make out the sounds on her surroundings but it's safe to say something happened." She put a hand firmly on her chin and rubbed it.
"Alright, it's best to play the audio."
She took out her transmitter and pressed a few buttons. After waiting for a few seconds, the recording went to life.
*static*
"...ctor... Doctor... an you hear me?" A female voice was heard from the transmission. It was the first time Lee heard Surtr's voice, and she did not sound happy. He could faintly make out the sounds of metal clashing against metal in the background.
"*crackle*, need... mediate...ck-up. Dozens... unidentified hostiles... Loc...tion, 25 clicks ..*bzzzt*.. rth of Consta-"
The audio abruptly ended. "I didn't even have a chance to reply. I tried contacting her several times in the next 30 minutes but I only got static." Doctor Ikura said and looked outside the window.
"Does Surtr usually call for back-up?" Lee asked her.
"As far as I remember, this is the first time she requested back-up. She's one of the strongest operator here, but she's not good at dealing with people."
"Then it's that bad, huh." Lee muttered as silence fell upon them.
"Alright, I got the gist of her current whereabouts," Lee suddenly said, making the Doctor look at him. "but I wanna know why the hell is she alone roaming around in Iberia?"
"Surtr suffers from amnesia. Her condition is rarely seen among other infected. No, amnesia isn't the right word. How do you put it," Doctor Ikura said while putting a hand on her chin. "it's more akin to memory confusion. Based on Surtr's explanation, her mind contains many different memories. These memories then overlap at the same period of time. In these memories, Surtr herself could be in completely different locations, with completely different interpersonal relationships." The Doctor sighed and slowly walked in circles.
"That's why she wrote a list of places she could visit to investigate. Surtr spends most of her time looking for clues at the said locations in her memories. It's one of the reasons why she went to... Iberia..." Doctor Ikura suddenly trailed off. Both of them immediately locked eyes, as if reading each other's minds.
"She didn't specify where... But I think she's going to investigate a nearby village in Constantine."
"Damn. Thanks Doc, having this much intel will make my travels easier." Lee said and dashed to the door. "I'll bring you Iberian sand when I return." He grinned and waved good bye.
"O-Oi! Stay safe!" Doctor Ikura shouted, and an audible yes was heard back. At that moment, she was glad that Lee joined the ark.
She sighed and walked to the window. "Hang tight Surtr." She whispers and stares off into the distance.
...
...
...
Lee arrived on the lower hangar of the landship after he finished packing his bag. This is where all the vehicles were located, and he checked out an armored SUV. He tossed the bag beside the driver's seat and started the car. The engine blared to life as Lee hit the gas. The vehicle went down the ramp and sped through the grassy field of Victoria's border. He glanced back at the enormous landship behind, feeling bad for not telling Blue Poison or Magallan. At least he left a letter on their mail. He sighed and rolled down his window, letting the cold wind sweep his hair.
After an hour or so of driving, his transmitter began beeping.
"Speak."
"And here I thought I told you I'll be seeing you off." Kalt'sit's voice was heard behind the line. It sounded cold.
Lee flinched and the car swerved for a moment before he regained control. "Dr. Kalt'sit, I'll apologize when I get back. Surtr is-"
"I know. Doctor Ikura already filled me in with the details." She cuts him off.
"Alright then. Anything you want me to get for you? I'll be giving the Doctor sand after I return." He jokes.
"..." There was a brief silence between them, and Lee thought that the ice queen had already hung up.
"Just return safely." Was all she says before cutting off the transmission.
"It depends, Kalt'sit." He mutters under his breath as he continued forward to his destination. He steps on the gas harder and the vehicle sped faster, leaving only a trail of dust as he finally enters the border of Iberia.
To be continued.
Author's notes:
(Alright folks, I'll be going for a break. I know I've said this before but my class schedule isn't really fixed right now so it's going to be a little bit hard for me to update the story.)
But don't worry! We'll meet the tsundere ice cream queen soon!)