R3 kept guard by the main gate as her eyes kept bouncing around, her MG4 sling slung around her neck, leaving her machinegun hanging at belly level, one of her hands resting on top of the dust cover near the carrying grip mounted on top of it, sticking to the right-hand side, while her other hand was near the bolt and trigger, ready to fire or re-adjust the loaded 200 rounds box magazine.
Her thoughts were still hazy from yesterday's shenanigans with Sveta, apparently drinking coffee every day to try and maintain herself full woke at 6 am sharp isn't so effective as she thought.
R3: I want to sleep... *Yawn*
Her sleepiness however was quickly brushed off as she heard the approaching sound of trucks, making her raise her eyebrow in confusion, although relaxed knowing they are in a heavily G&K controlled area it still made her warry knowing Nikolay isn't in that good list of G&K commanders. And as the sound indicated to her after just a bit of time, with eyes fixated on the road she could see the distant approaching trucks, a convoy of three Zil-133's marched on slowly as their engines roared, their cargo revealed as the tarp covers usually used were removed, leaving only the skeleton of the back frame.
R3 followed the leading vehicle with her eyes, at one point turning her attention to their cargo, noticing the several wooden crates and military steel cases pilled up on them strapped down by industrial straps so they don't fall off the back.
As the trucks were quite close to R3 and found themselves parallel to R3's guard post the convoy came to a halt, R3 seeing the wheels stopping to move lowered her hand back to the trigger and gripped with the other the grip, a stern face drawn across her as she snapped from cabin door to cabin door. Her eyes then settled back again on the first Zil, the door of the driver being open wide as the doll driving it exited the vehicle and looked at R3.
R3 analyzed the doll looking at her, on her right leg, a holster tightened onto it, containing a QSZ-92 pistol neatly stored inside the black holster. Detecting a weapon on her she already raised her alarms and tightened her MG4 tightly, as the doll started to walk to her however, she did the same not before motioning her machinegun towards her direction, meeting the doll armed with a handgun midway from the guard post by the main gate of the base.
R3: Halt! What is that you need?
Type 92: Names Type 92, we would like to re-fuel if possible
R3: What's your cargo and destination?
Type 92: Ammo and rations, heading towards the main base of this sector, been on the road since we left our base back around Minsk
R3: Shouldn't you be having a tanker truck with you for such a journey?
Type 92: Top urgency to deliver all this to the main base, couldn't afford time-wise setting up a bigger convoy
R3 let go of the grip and signaled towards down the road, where the asphalt started curving left to the mountains and disappearing in the far horizon.
R3: Our base is under lockdown, there is another one however down the road after the mountainside, they should be able to give you some fuel
Type 92: Lockdown?
R3: Classified information, first warning
Type 92: Hm alright then, thanks for the info
She said before turning around and walking back to her truck, getting in and slamming the door close before driving off, the convoy starting to crawl down the road yet again. R3 let out a sigh as she saw the trucks leaving, her alarms going calm as she lowered her gun yet again, turning around to go back to her guard post and sit down inside the little bunker-like structure, however, her eyes settled on another figure, R1s analyzed the situation that just happened and seeing it ended and R3 turned around, she did the same to go away from the main gate and keep wondering the base aimlessly.
R3: ... R... R1s!
R1s: Hm?
R1s stopped on her tracks to listen to what R3 had to say, however she stayed silent also for a small period of time while she processed what she wanted to say.
R3: Uhm... Are you, are you sleeping well? I don't see you around the dorm anymore
R1s: Hmm do I? That's a good question, won't think about its answer though
She said plainly, R3 stared at R1s who rested her arms behind her back and decided to start walking back into the base again.
R1s: Worry about yourself now R3
She said, making R3 look down at the ground and take a deep breath, the last time she tried to talk with her the same thing happened.
"R1s you sure are charging up? I don't see any info on you getting charged in the main station"
"Hmm, do I now? Perhaps, though, you should be worrying about yourself not charging up for guard duty"
R3: ... This ain't my role model...
She muttered to herself a bit angered at how everyone in her family acted now, but she couldn't blame anyone, to be honest, she was the first one of them all to snap, the first one to go ballistic on her sisters, so she didn't have the right to even think about confronting her sisters now, all those thoughts, however, were shrugged off as by the shake of her head from left to right as she then resumed guard duty by walking back to the bunker-like structure said before and leaning against the wall of it, looking aimlessly from left to right, right to left, watching over for anything that may be approaching the base's main gates.
·····
Raisa: So where is that call of yours that was supposed to be directed at me yesterday evening?
Nadya just sighed, knowing she couldn't counter Raisa's scolding this time as it was her fault for forgetting to say something about the document brought to her yesterday.
Nadya: Guess I forgot
Raisa: Oh you definitely did, thank god they should arrive by evening and not now in the morning, agh... So? What about it? Have you even read through it?
She said staring at Nadya who just kept her yesterday stance, all focused on Nikolay, although not for long as she turned her head around to look at Raisa.
Nadya: Just let them come, put them under one of the big dorms, and do as we did with the R sisters
Raisa: What? No! What about their ids? Their scan! What about the reports!
Nadya: Don't yell so much in the morning, it will make you age faster
Raisa: ...
Nadya: Good, now with that out of the way you can go away right?
Raisa: Oi Nadya... Don't you think you acting a bit too cocky lately?
Nadya: How so?
Raisa: Oh I don't know, maybe acting like we don't care about him and you just cross us out of the list as not worth talking to, could you at least, just at least show a bit of decency when around us? I'm kinda getting tired of your shit you know?
Nadya: Ho, did your SF past bite you now? Perhaps your anger control module is rusty? Or are you gonna become Sveta now?
Raisa approached Nadya, closing the gap between them, and leaned forward with a face full of anger that stared at Nadya, Nadya, however, didn't flinch, her face was cold as ever, lacking emotion as ever, and her blank eyes weren't an exception.
Raisa: Shut your dirty mouth a bit will ya? There is no need in bringing up Sveta when I'm the one poking you, I guess they didn't teach morals in the Russian military ey?
The silence that Raisa received from Nadya made her giggle internally as she knew she touched a nerve somewhat, the thing was to get her point across now without getting herself too cocky for her own good.
Raisa: These are rough times for everyone, not just the selfish world you see, I can understand you cancel your birthday, I can understand that you prefer to stay here all day and I understand that you might not want to talk to anyone, but I won't understand nor accept this bratty attitude of yours when something bad happens you quickly resort to your wrapped in ice world you build around yourself, you were an official right? Then act like one and manage your troop's morale, Ser-geant
She said before leaning back from Nadya and straightening her posture, then quickly turning around she walked up to the door and opened it, saying something before exiting and slamming the door back close.
Raisa: I will do what you said, but you better get your shit together
And a slam. Nadya quickly recomposed herself however and looked back at Nikolay, her face without any emotion that could have been risen by this event yet her eyes somewhat had a glint of doubt.
Nadya: Mind your own business, Raisa...
·····
Raisa: Agh I swear she is so annoying sometimes!
Let out Raisa kicking the pebble around the plaza of the base as she was outside the main building to catch some fresh air.
Raisa: You are as old as someone gets, act at least somewhat according to your age idiot!
And then another swift yet small kick sent the pebble flying further into the direction she was heading to. As she kept mumbling her anger out she reached the pebble yet again, another swift kick made it fly across the garden near the plaza, however, she didn't hear a clacking sound against the cemented ground but rather a bonk, her eyes quickly raised up and saw R1s who got hit right in the head by the pebble.
Raisa: Oh my are you alri--... alright...
She said slowly recognizing who she hit, R1s rubbed that part of her head as she picked up the pebble and got up, from sitting against the tree, looking at Raisa directly into the eyes with a bit of a pained expression across her face.
"Critical hit! Running scans on internal components"
"Alert! Your internals have been compromised, please get into safety"
"Scanning cognitive systems for damage..."
R1s let out a sigh as she dismissed every action and report in her HUD and looked at Raisa again, tossing the pebble back at her.
R1s: Be careful with your soccer ball
She said as she then sat back and put her back against the tree, the shade it provided against the glooming sun of spring being a definite choice for everyone outside looking to freshen up.
Raisa caught the pebble and stared at R1s, it's been a really long time since she saw her, this encounter clearly surprising her a little, apart from hoping she didn't hear her rumble about Nadya being a jerk.
Raisa: I will be more careful then...
She said turning around and deciding to change course, not really wanting to disturb or let R1s hear her muttering.
·····
R3: *Sigh* I really want the morning breeze back, at least I could get sleepy then
She muttered as the sun even though not hitting her directly was roasting her slowly, the temperature difference by the mountains by morning and then by midday in spring was a really big gap between the two scenarios.
The weather forced her for the first time in a really long while to store her hair in a ponytail to cool herself a bit, her hands were cooling off with the tin can of a soda which by just being 6 minutes out of the freezer was already somewhat lukewarm, her hands getting a tan in the first place by carrying her machinegun outside all this time, which seemed to be a perfect warmth storing piece of machinery.
R3: Now I know how those guards of ours in FAK felt, goddamn it...
She said gulping down the soda and leaving the can by the table as she couldn't really cool herself further with it.
R3: It ain't even summer goddamn it... Maybe a heatwave... that would make sense, to be honest...
She muttered before being interrupted by the knock on the back door of the guard post she was in, getting up she walked to it and opened the metal-reinforced door, not really bothering to see through the window's who was knocking but seeing it was coming from the inside of the base's walls it probably was one of her sisters.
R3: Yeah?
Alisa: Hey! Ehm uh can I hide here real quick?
R3: Oh you ar-- Alisa? What, hide?
Alisa: Yes or no?!
R3: Eh yeah sure go ahe--
Alisa quickly rushed in as she hid down below the table, R3 looked back a bit confused but quickly heard someone else rushing towards her.
Sveta: Hey R3! Have you seen Alisa? That brat is at it again
The doll quickly stopped running stopping right in front of R3, who looked at her connecting the pieces of what happened finally.
R3: Uh no I haven't seen her, I was checking the out the plaza to see if someone was around, what did she do tho?
Sveta: She pranked me, again! With an ice bucket! Little bastard run off as soon as she saw who she caught in her prank
R3: Huh, at least you refreshed
She said with a small giggle coming from her. Sveta sighed at her reaction and shrugged it off.
Sveta: Well if you see her let me know, please
She said before running off to try and find Alisa, R3 sighed as Sveta disappeared from her vision and closed the door, going back to her seat and looked underneath the table. Alisa then poked out a bit and asked in a quiet tone.
Alisa: Is she here?
R3: She ran off
Alisa let out a small sigh of relief and got out from under the table, looking around before sitting down on the extra chair that was inside the guard post, making sure to put the chair away from the windows so she doesn't get spotted so easily.
R3: What did you do now?
Alisa: Well...
·····
Alisa: Agh... You gonna pay for this Fang!
Muttered Alisa as she removed all the feathers that stuck to her hair and clothes, not so long ago she got pranked by Fang, who set up a trap inside Alisa's dorm, the feeling of slightly glue coated feathers disgusting her a bit as she kept removing them from herself. Some hours later after cleaning herself up, she got a good bunch of ice from the cafeteria kitchen, and a bucket from the warehouse, which she filled with the ice cubes as well as freezing water, with the help of a chair she set up the bucket on the edge of the door that leads inside Fang's dorm, the next person that opened the door would get splashed with everything including the bucket if it's not so lucky to dodge after feeling the water and ice cubes falling upon them, and as she finished setting up the trap she waited hidden inside, looking at the semi-opened door to be swung open by her pray.
Alisa: Come on Fang... Come to your room and experience my icy revenge
Hearing footsteps Alisa prepared to watch the show from her seat, leaning forwards a bit in excitement expecting to get her revenge on Fang. As the door opened the doll that entered inside the room opened the door wide, the bucket spilling all its water and ice cubes on her followed by the bucket itself hitting her right on top of the head and falling down to the floor with its clinging sound as it hit the ground.
Alisa: HA! Get owned F--... Oh my god, no no no no
Sveta smiled at Alisa, her smile quite clearly showing annoyance.
Sveta: Oh will you look at that... I'm all wet now... And not by flattering comments
Alisa gulped down some saliva as she got up from her chair. Sveta cracked her knuckles. And as she wanted to chase her Sveta unfortunately for her slipped but fortunately for Alisa that gave her an opening as she ran off the dorm as Sveta recovered from the stunning slip she got herself into because of the ice cubes.
·····
R3: Huh, so bad luck
Alisa: Yeah...
R3 hummed in response and got up, getting a soda can from the mini-fridge and tossing it at Alisa who caught it quickly and stared at it.
R3: You can hide here for a while then I guess, good luck calming Sveta down tho
Alisa: Ah thanks...
She responded and opened the can, the hissing sound of the soda being opened and releasing some of its gas filled their ears as R3 looked at Alisa gulped down some of the cold dark liquid from the aforementioned can.
Alisa: Ahhhh, a cold drink sure does relax me after running from Sveta
R3: Pfff... Sounds like its a sport at this point
Alisa: I mean you don't prank your sisters or something?
R3: My sisters?... Hm... No, I don't prank them...
Alisa: What do you do with them then?
R3: What do I do with them... With them... Uh I guess we talk once in a while
Alisa: Just that? Sounds boring, you don't do game nights or similar?
R3: No... I guess we don't like games that much probably
Alisa: Hmmm, sounds strange, oh well, what do you all talk about?
R3: Oh well we talk about... About... Work...
Alisa: ... Work?
R3: Never mind Alisa, I guess I don't talk to my sister's too much, what about you?
Alisa: Me?
She said tilting her head slightly as she lowered her drink to her lap, R3 took a quick deep breath before talking up again.
R3: What do you talk about with your sisters? What's fun to y'all?
Alisa: Oh! We talk about everything, to be honest! Hmm, Alyona likes movies! Oh, right we also like to talk about sports with Sveta, oh, oh, yes! Raisa shows us comics sometimes, that's really fun maybe uh oh right Nikolay showed us the internet also that's somewhat fun also... hmmm I guess everything is fun as long as it's with them...
Said Alisa closing her eyes and thinking about it, a small humming coming from her as she used all her brainpower to search through her memories.
R3: Everything is fun with them huh...
Alisa: Well we do like different things, each other with their own passion but putting them together and talking about it gets really fun to be honest, hearing them rant is cool
R3: Hmm, rant huh, with your sisters... *Sigh*
R3 sighed as she just remembered the dull, quick, and short-lived conversations she has and had with her sisters, a bit of sadness being displayed on her face as she stared down at the floor, somewhat Alisa's words not being relatable to her at all.
R3: Oh well, if you don't mind I will resume guard duty, make sure to throw the can into the proper garbage bin yeah?
She said getting up from her chair and picking up her machinegun, sling it over her neck again, and walking out of the guard post.
Alisa: Uhm sure thing, good luck with that!
Said Alisa reopening her eyes and staring at how R3 left, her eyes quickly settling back onto her drink and making her next action to gulp down the entire soda in one fell swoop, getting up quickly after and looking out the windows to see if Sveta was around, seeing no one however she adjusted her shirt and skirt and run off from there, can in hand as she tried to get inside the main building to not get caught up in the open.
·····
Fang: Uhhh... Am I... A pickle?
Ann: Nope, hum Alex turn
Alex: Hmmm, am I something edible?
Ann: Yes
Alex: Am I an apple then?
Julie: Nope
Alex: Agh come on
The American sisters were gathered around the table, the four of them had lunch inside this meeting room, and borrowed a game from Alisa which they were currently playing as they finished eating a good while ago. Their trays and plates pilled up on top of each other put aside on another table. On their main table however some alcohol, the game itself, and a pack of chips.
Julie: My turn then... Hmm, am I a plant?
Fang: Yeah
Julie: I'm a cucumber then?
Fang: Ah not fair!
Let out Fang salty about Julie getting the top of the podium as soon as she herself was so close to guessing what she was. Julie let out a yey as she got rid of the headband that supported the card displaying a cucumber.
Fang: Tch... *Gulp* Not funny sis
Ann: You can still get second place tho
Fang: Fuck second place I want first place, I want that gold
Alex: Shame someone was quicker and luckier ey? Anyway, who's turn is it?
Julie: Fang's
Said Julie pouring herself a shot of vodka, a staple drink for them seeing how much they got, even though the four of them deep down inside wanted something a bit more, American, per say.
Julie: Hmm *Gulp* I'm betting on Ann getting the second place to be honest
Fang: Shut the fuck up, ghm ghm, uhhhh I'm green and small... uhm am I round?
Alex: Nah-ah
Fang: Shit... hm, am I a bay leaf?
Ann: Nope, skipper turn
Fang: Aaaaaaaa
The game lasted for a while the three sisters remaining getting into the podium after a bunch of wrong guesses and simple questions, Ann got 2nd place as Julie expected, Fang 3rd, and Alex lost getting outside the podium into 4th place, the sisters now left the cards and headbands somewhat stored inside the game's box and drunk away, the chips slowly but surely also disappearing as well as the alcohol.
Ann: *Sigh* What day is it even?
Alex: Don't have a single fucking clue
Said Alex crunching down a chip as she said so, Julie hummed and tried to remember failing to really get a grip on the day it was.
Julie: Ah well can't remember either, but it sure is hot today even inside
The other three groaned a yes in response, agreeing with their sister's statement, Fang got rid of her uniforms upper part a good while ago, as well as Ann, both of them left with their plain white shirts being the only thing left.
Ann: I wonder how the official uniform would look like, It better be suited for all year round
Said Ann adjusting her shirt which glued to her skin a bit because of the heat, Fang looked up before taking down her glass full of the cold vodka and gave Ann a side-look.
Fang: I bet when Nikolay wakes up we will get it rushed down to us or something similar
Alex: Sounds about right...
Julie: Hmhm
Then silence came in, the four sisters thinking about their own things until Ann brought something up.
Ann: So... Almost three months of being alive if I'm right
Julie: Three? I think less, to be honest
Fang: Agreeing with Julie there... Let's see... so 2 weeks before new years eve we were out of the factory, then we spent like another 2 weeks out with Nikolay, and after that... in a week or so happened what happened and now after that how many? like 4 or 5 weeks?
Alex: That's around 2 and a half months filled with life I guess... *Gulp* Also I'm getting tired of the vodka every fucking day
Silence befell upon them as they heard her sister's statement, but then it was quickly shrugged off by everyone giggling loudly and agreeing on it, a new drink to binge on would make a really nice difference for their moods.
·····
R4: I have something on my face?
Said R4 glancing at R1 who denied her staring by shaking her head and looking away, R4 hummed as she then focused back on finishing rebuilding her gun which she recently cleaned, R1 went back to loading her sniper rifle mags with bullets, click after click resonated with every 7,62 x 51 mm that got loaded and locked into the magazines, her GOL sniper rifle leaning against her side, the 5 round mags pilled up on her lap, as she kept on reloading, but her mind was totally off place, it thought about her sisters, for some reason it was the only thing it thought about nowadays, they probably noticed it already as R4 did, but did they just notice her strange attitude lately or really could know about what she was thinking? These questions roamed around her mind not ceasing to rest and give her breathing room, so much so her sighs became heavier and heavier each time the heated air entered her artificial lungs.
R4: Hm I'm done, I will go start my guard duty, good luck
R1: Hm? Oh... Hmhm... Good luck to you as well
Said R1 finishing to load another mag and picking up her sniper rifle to check its bolt system, R4 gave her a side look before shrugging it off and switching from safe mode to burst fire on her smg.
Walking off this guard post, bigger than the rest, and with an underground armory, she made way to switch places with R3. It was clear Nikolay didn't want to mess up with security so things like this just overdid the safety and hardpoints of the base. Not to mention the single guard tower near the main building which R1 roamed around, seeing she was the only sniper doll in the whole base her marksmanship maybe being defied by Fang, but her years of experience gave her the upper hand.
R1: ... *Inhale*
Taking her sniper rifle she loaded a fresh magazine, leaving the bolt carrier open as to not accidentally shoot while doing what she was doing, that being aim at the wall and clear her mind by watching through her sniper scope, the cross-hair of it bringing calm to her mind, something familiar, unlike the thoughts that wandered around.
R1: Bam...
She let out as she faked her rifle shooting, loading a bullet into the chamber this time however she got up and slung the rifle around her shoulder, knowing full well she probably should start heading towards her designated guard post, at least the one that made more sense for a sniper, although as she got up she completely forgot she had her freshly reloaded mags on her lap they all fell to the floor, the hardened plasteel small boxes echoed their fall around the room, which made her grit her teeth for forgetting such tribal thing as leaving her mags on her own lap.
Crouching down she started to store them inside her pouches and tighten the punches itself to her webbing gear, as she finished and got up she kept looking at the floor for some reason, it surely wasn't about the weight of her pouches being filled with mags nor her boots being uncomfy... Yet she had a strange feeling inside her, was it her uniform and gear too tight for her body? No...
R1: ...
It was the first time she angered herself and got annoyed over a nuisance such as forgetting to put her mags away from her lap and load them correctly into their respective pouches.
R1: This isn't fun at all...
She thought as both her hands reached for the comms device and binoculars laying on top of the table, after getting the necessary gear for her guard duty she made way to the watchtower, still feeling weird about herself. Maybe as the fresh air of the outside hits her she will feel better, at least she hoped for that.
·····
Sveta: Tch... where did she even go? I have been searching for her about how much time now? Goddamn it...
Let out Sveta looking around, she ended up by the bases second garden, near the dorms, yet as she searched every single part of the base she didn't find Alisa which just made her sigh, knowing the only good thing that came out of this was that running under the sun for so long her clothes dried up from the prank pulled on her.
Sveta: I will get her next time I guess...
Muttered the doll looking around to try and find some shade to sit down under, her eyes settling on one of the trees that was still growing, although it didn't provide much cover from the sky with its few leaves it would have to do for now she thought.
Her legs dragged her to the aforementioned tree giving up on her by her own will as she let her head rest under the shade and left the rest of her body under the sun, a perfect balance of warmth and cold for her.
Sveta: This is nice...
Her face was getting slightly tickled by the green grass but that didn't bother her really, it was more relaxing and fluffy than anything else. Guess having thick skin had its benefits such as this or maybe not.
Sveta: Hmm... Maybe a nap will help me out...
???: Dobry dzień (Good day)
Her eyes suddenly opened wide as she turned her whole body around from having herself facing the grass to now staring at the sky, seeing a new unfamiliar face staring down at her, a cheeky smile on her as her short red bright hair from a ponytail hanged around her shoulder.
Sveta: That's polish right?... Who the hell are you?
???: Hm? Not even a hi for your new comrades?
Sveta: Comrades?
???: Tak (Yes) *Smiling*