September 22nd, 2026. 23:30
They say that the mind is a weapon most people don't realize, but those who do get to develop the most.
In a dimly lit laboratory in the F.O.B, only a handful of cables and wires are in abundance on most tables, either split apart with some burnt pieces or placed together in a queue to put them together for something big. Something that could get the UEF deeper into the Zlocan barrier that has put grief to much of the Human forces trying to enter the south of California for far too long. And it could be one of the boldest ones yet.
In front of the windows, Seiner is sitting down as he uses the hex driver to tighten the screws of a drone with a similar shape out of many, all in cubic forms with x-shaped wings to give some elevation, all in chrome as shiny as the most precious metals out there in the world. Even with a sweaty hand, his placement, eye focus and tightening remain as firm as ever, something to be expected from someone like him. He's used to this; he's worked here before, so many times. It's part of the job.
His other hand is resting on the table with a pen held above it, fingers pressing against the plastic surface, and the rest of his attention focuses on whatever is written underneath the page of notes and diagrams.
The door opens to reveal another individual, it's Celina. She holds the device from before during the rescue in the desert, checking proof of radio waves, specifically aimed at the drones. This testing makes her smile, if only because she believes that Seiner may be close to something by now. It can be hard to tell when it comes to handling the newest types of technology to only the most privileged beings that there is.
"Another assignment, huh?" Celina asks out loud, and despite the drone being the only one reacting to her voice as hinted by the blinking it emits, Seiner turns around to face her. However, his expression remains the same except for a barely raised eyebrow on his left.
"Still a handful more to go, may take until even past midnight to finish them," Seiner says.
"As far as I can tell, even though it's been an hour already since you started. Don't you think you need a break? C'mon, even a brainy head like you needs it," Celina says as she places her pinky finger on her lip. Seiner, however, only shakes his head as he picks up a plier next to the box.
"It's for the best, as much as I would want to spend more time with you, Celina, this," says Seiner, as he looks at the drones, "is far more important to develop than to fritter away for some R&R." Celina nods at this. As she would like a necessary job is needed when it comes to such matters, especially concerning breaking through barriers.
And yet, Celina may be done yet as she places her device forward to him. Seiner steps away for a bit as she does it.
"How about a sweet little test?" Celina asks with teasing tone with a cheeky smile to boot.
"Which is?" Seiner asks.
"Radio jamming resistance, and I'll appreciate your cooperation for your sake." She winks as she sets up the device. Seiner sighs as he picks up the tablet, which sends him to an interface full of commands and coordinates to one of the drone units that show enough energy to be activated and fly.
He presses a few buttons while giving a nod to his assistant behind the camera and starts typing, but he soon turns his attention back to the screen as Celina takes a step closer.
"You're doing great, 'mate'," Celina says to him, making sure she sounds genuine. Seiner only smirks in response.
"It's nothing special for me, Celina," Seiner replies without taking his eyes off the screen. Just then, the drone next to his left-hand starts to hover around, which makes Celina tilts her head around to focus on it. She smiles at this sight due to how stable the flight is like while a dot is shown on the screen following its movements. Seiner keeps his eyes on the screen as he inputs some commands on the tablet. Then, the drone starts to fly around the room a couple of times, even flying outside the window for a bit. The sound becomes faint as Seiner continues typing.
Celina stands a bit taller to try to see what's going on with the small robot and notices that it seems to have stopped circling. The drone doesn't move again, nor does it blink or make any sort of noise as it slowly drops down. After this, Seiner merely shurgs in response.
"Just a test flight, now what was the next thing you asked for?" Seiner asks. Then without a second thought, Celina presses a button on her device, which makes the tablet get glitchy for a bit, enough to make the dot flicker out from the screen.
"Hey, what's that for?!" Seiner demands, not expecting this sort of action from Celina, who only chuckles in response.
"Oh, you're really awkward with this. Now, if possible, maybe program that one to see if it can withstand the jamming?" Celina suggests, and Seiner gives a slight nod before doing so. Even with a glitchy screen, inputs are clearly commanded, which gives the drone the time to fly in a stabilized manner. After a few minutes of trying to test it, the dot starts to appear again and the interface returns to normal. Celina lets out a big grin as a result of this.
After a short while, the drone returns and flies back to Seiner, hovering in the air at a safe distance where it makes no noise.
"Well done, Seiner! Guess you really have what it takes to help!" Seiner, however, only shrugs in response.
"I told you, it's nothing too complex once you study hard enough."
"Still, I must admit that's very impressive. It looks like it's got some kind of sensor that allows you to detect and control the electromagnetic field inside of it?" Celina questions, and Seiner hums in approval before responding. She smiles in response.
"That's right," Seiner replies, all as he gets back to organize the drone he was assembling in the first place. Despite this, Celina is still standing still, not returning back to her room or anything else for that matter. It's almost like she wants to know more about Seiner does during this period aside from the work.
"You sure you'll be fine?"
"Yes, my hands are dead on set to make this proposal a reality, and you know it well." This makes Celina frown in response. Even from someone like him, why would he respond so clinically like that? Something must be going on with him, it seems.
"I'm not talking about how well you are doing with the program, I mean physically," Celina replies.
"What are you implying?" he says as he turns around to see her face to face.
"Like, you seem to be quite a brainy hard-head most of the time, almost like the only peace you know are for things that you can command to do anything, but with people, it's almost like you treat everyone as a stranger. Especially to Tany. Don't you think it's that odd for you?" Seiner can only shake in response.
"I need everything to concentrate to the fullest to get something done. Even the most minor of distractions can create imperfections in many degrees we don't want to see."
"Yes, I know, but...why not try to be considerate of how others feel when you see work for many hours?" Seiner scoffs.
"Do I look like I give a damn what they think of my work ethic? I don't have time to do that anyway. I'm here in order to do my job. If I stop and think of every person that could be affected due to this project or just by having access to it, there won't be anybody left standing."
"Even if it means you'll grow up to be an isolated, old mess of yourself?" this makes Seiner's eyes widen, as he clenches his fist in response.
"Why do you insist so much on thinking for others? It's not like I can gain something from it. Not all people are like you who live their lives with no regard for anyone but themselves, Celina," Seiner says in a low tone as he turns away from her.
This causes Celina to furrow her brows in response, so much so that she leans forward a bit.
"If it regards to people you once cared for that are gone...trust me, I've been there too. But I never gave up on others no matter what." This catches Seiner's attention in a blink of an eye as his eyes turn back to her in disbelief.
"No one has ever asked that of you, have they?" Celina asks once, raising her brows in response. He simply stares at her. Is she is going what she thinks?
"You want to know why? Tell me, how many friends did you have in your neighborhood? How many went to school with you?" Celina is silent for a moment, a question she's not used to be asked.
"A handful of them, on both counts," she replies firmly. Seiner's eyes widen once more.
How do you...even do it...?!
"How much did you love or cared for them?" Celina pauses for a minute.
"More than I'd ever like to confess to you," she mutters. Seiner groans once more. Not the answer he wanted.
"Even if that was the case...did they ever turn on you for even deviating from what they usually expect from you?"
"Of course not..."
"So then, it might as well be the same thing, right?" Seiner continues, "You don't really give a care about anyone else until they become part of your life."
"And you think that's what I am?" Celina questions in a stern tone as she glares at him. "I've known both kinds of people for my whole life. What's the point that you're bringing here?"
"Did they even burn down your house, smashed your car or even smeared your mother's face with dirt, calling you all sort of vile crap?!" Seiner snaps, his face red as he raises his voice. Celina only remains quiet after that. "Do you want my company or not? Do you have something against me, or are you just afraid that I'll find out what kind of a person you really are?"
Silence. Almost like it's what they know best. For that kind of questioning, there's something from Seiner that others may not want to know, even if he was the victim of it. Whatever it was, it's enough to make Celina turn around, yet continues to stand still, her mind still focus on Seiner and his state of mind.
"...I guess you were hurt that bad, right? A pain that you can't shake off no matter how many year pass by," Celina says.
"What do you know of pain?!" Seiner snarls. Celine only lifts all the fingers in her left hand while raising the index one in her right hand. A number related to her, it seems.
"This much. That's all." Without anything else to say, she marches back to the door, while Seiner continues to stare at her as he breathes slowly in every interval, shaken up by the outburst of his. Just as he sits down while trembling, Celina turns to him once more.
"Oh, and Seiner?"
"What is it...?" Seiner whispers, not turning to glance at her for a single bit.
"Your head may not be hurt, but I know your heart is and can be really bad to live with it. But to be honest...I'd rather live with a hurt heart than have no heart at all." With these words, she closes the door behind herself, leaving Seiner alone as he stares at the closed door, shaking his head a little as he turns back to continue programming the remaining drones. And yet, this time, it's only through soft motions as he commits each action. Even if he doesn't want to admit it, there's something striking about Celina's words to him, more than he can imagine.
Can I still be worthy for justice...? Even with all this...? Can't even tell if my heart will remain standing once this is all over...
10 hours later.
Near the open field on a barracks, Seiner places all twenty of his drones in order, ready to be deployed in the great unknown of the barrier. He walks up to the controls on the front panel as he puts one hand on the switch, his other resting on the panel of the tablet. A part of the experiment relied on making sure the drones weren't discovered by any Zlocan patrol, which means the full extent of the barrier is left incomplete. It's a big risk and he knows it. However, he'll do what it takes to ensure it gets enough done to accomplish the mission.
"Alright...let's go."
He pushes the button, turning on the power. As soon as the signal is sent, all twenty drones begin to move in different directions as he watches over them closely, taking note of their locations as they fly away at incredible speed. Some head to the west side, others on the east. All with one purpose, one he hopes to accomplish today.
He checks the map, he sees the dots moving south of the direction of the base, while one part of the map is colored blue to indicate UEF control, with red signaling Zlocu control. It rangers from the south of San Joaquin Valley, Sierra Nevada, east of the Mojave Desert, the area around Santa Barbara, all of the Channel Islands, and last, but not least, the Greater Los Angeles area. These very areas haven't been touched at all, and now Seiner will discover the extent of it. And discover a handful of secrets along the way.
Just as he walks back to the door of the barracks, thinking it may take a while, he sees some coloring being filled up in the aforementioned areas, all following each spot of drones as they diverge in different directions, filling the area even more.
For this, Seiner smiles, but even more when one spot stops by and sees a file being sent to him as it loads. Once it finishes loading, it reveals the picture of a power plant of sorts, likely built by the Zlocans given the presence of mechas and cannons around it, located near Sequoia National Forest. Then, a handful of other spots stop by, sending more pictures of further locations that they could from the barrier as the jammed areas are colored.
He pulls his phone from his pocket, pressing some keys while swiping at the screen to click the Contacts app. He reaches for Sylvester's number, waiting for the phone to dial in.
Then, a voice comes by.
"Hey Seiner, something important to note?"
"Is there a free room with a wireless connexion with tablets and phones?" Seiner asks as soon as he hears that voice.
"Yes, why?"
Seiner begins explaining. "I found the first to bypass the wall. In that case, can I borrow yours?"
"Sure. Give me ten minutes as I call the rest of the troops." After he hangs up the call, he quickly texts Sylvester to get his stuff and meet him in the conference room.
10 minutes later
In a large conference room filled with chairs and a screen, the majority of soldiers stationed on the base are present, as well as some of the Warriors, Crusaders and G.o.D. But no Rian it seems. Seiner is near the podium, with a microphone at hand as he faces the crowd in front of him.
"Now, you're wondering why you're here. I think the answer is an easy one anyway."
"Yeah, we get it man, just get to the point already. How did you do this?" the dark-skinned man with glasses from the previous night asks. Seiner smirks in response.
"Well, the goal has always been to make drones that can travel through the barrier. If they're able to do that, it would mean a lot of opportunities for the UEF. At least I hope so."
"You hope so? Then why bring us here in the first place?" Lucy asks, sitting from the front row of seats.
"It's easy. Watch this." With a press of the button, the once black screen turns on, revealing the extent of jamming interference in the region. A circle of 200.7 kilometers, ranging from the south San Joaquin Valley , east of the Mojave Desert, the entirety of the Channel Islands and the border with Mexico near San Diego, with the Greater Los Angeles Area in the middle spot. This sight makes a handful of people murmur to each other, shocked at the extent of this sight. A large barrier is what they heard, but never thought it could be one to that extent.
His eyes are focused on the screen in front of him, displaying various videos and pictures of the area, including some aerial shots. He turns the volume up a little while looking for anything out of place, but soon finds none so far.
Apart from the power plant, there are also photos of a fortress built on San Miguel Island, a convoy of aero tanks mobilizing in the streets of Burbank, a large hangar near Twentynine Palms, one bearing the resemblance of the quadrupedal machine they faced before, a group of sea platforms with a large hangar tarmac, likely for the aerial behemoth, a large complex filled with bases and hangars in the Angeles National Forest, and last but not least, the sight of a fortified Hollywood sign.
"That's going to a long while to take out..." a female fair-skinned soldier murmurs as the rest of voices fill the room.
"Now, I know there's a lot to unpack here, but right now, this is the best time to direct mass search for any resistance cell or even defector willing to find information on any of these zones. Whatever it takes, we must find the way as soon as possible, less they prepare the counterattack first," Seiner says.
"But what would the Colonel, Sylvester think about this? Wouldn't it further drain us down the line?" Andrei asks.
"That, we'll have to see but in the meantime, we'll take everything we have in order to decipher the secret to beat this barrier. And yeah, that's all for now, any further updates, I'll tell Sly about it, alright?" Most soldiers nod in agreement.
"Right, off you go now." With that, most soldiers get up from their chairs as they head for the exits near them. Even for a brief one, it's one in which the soldiers have a lot to unpack and get ready to fight for another day.
Just as he's about to turn off the screen, he hears a recording from one of the files sent by the drones. It's the sound of shouts and pleading, yet amidst the calls, one particular cry stands out enough for him to turn around.
"I don't deserve this! Not at all!" He leans closer to the video as he sees a video of what seems to be Zlocan Knights escorting some detained prisoners to a convoy of trucks, ready to be delivered at another location. However, the one in the middle stands out, as he has a particular haircut, which accompanied by the tone of his voice, makes Seiner click the file.
"Enhance image..." He clicks on the app, and once that enhances both the image and the sound quality. Enlarging the image for a bit, he can see the man clearly in front of him, a man he never thought he would ever see again, not even in these circumstances.
And yet somehow, despite everything that happened that day, the very day he first met with the other Warriors, it comes back to him in a way he never expected and never wanted to see. An old friend like this?
"Is there something wrong, Seiner?" Amira asks as she observes him. Trembling with eyes widening, he tries to utter a single word over what he discovered, but he can't deny it. It's all there no, and for that, his mission is about to get much harder than before, not just in strength, but also in the mind as well.
After a moment of trembling silence, Seiner finally utters a single word. A name to be exact, still wide-eyed and nearly paralyzed.
"Salim...?"