The massive Kongo class battleship settled back into the water. Bits and pieces of metal float adrift in the seas, mixed wreckage from both Kongou and the heavy cruiser Maya. Smoke rose from the damaged decks and shot superstructure. Her hull creaked and groaned as water calmly smashed against her sides
I sighed of relief. Our confrontation with Kongou was over. Whatever Iona did, whatever she said, finally reached Kongou and brought her to terms. Finally she had come down from her high levels of aggravation. Her primary 14 inch guns seemed to sag down as if limp. Undergoing no engine power, the fast battleship glided to a standstill, stopping alongside Iona's starboard side. Solid holographic hexagons appeared, creating a walkway between I-401's lookout tower to Kongou's main deck.
I looked around as I boarded the damaged battleship. The weather deck was broken, with many holes and craters throughout the decking. Jagged fragments of metal protruded from her superstructure, and black smoked poured out from her compartments and compromised smoke stack. A scene of carnage. She was a shattered battleship, torn apart. Her forecastle, her insides, and lower decks were riddled. Torn apart. Bulkheads, passageways, and overhangs ripped apart. Water seeped in through holes ripped in her hull below her waterline flooding her water tight compartments.
I could only imagine what kind of inner demons Kongou must be feeling...
Laying flat on the deck were Kongou and Iona, hands linked together.
"Come with us, Kongou."
"I still cannot decide on that," was the reply.
"It'll be alright Kongou," Iona said.
"Mm, as long as we are connected, we'll always be together," she replied,"I'll come for tea if ever feel lonely."
"Yes, I'll see you then too," Iona finished.
With a smile and, surprisingly, a hug, Iona started back to the sub.
"Gunzou. Kongou will be alright. She has just been experiencing high levels of stress and inner conflict. But, she will be fine and just needs some time to think," Iona reported.
"That very well Iona, please return to the bridge and await further action. I'll be there shortly."
"Understood, Gunzou."
"On second thought. Iona, disperse the boarding ramp, and dive the sub. Go for a short voyage and return in twenty minutes."
"Gunzou?"
"Those are my orders," I said, looking at a shattered Kongou," I wish to speak with her."
"Understood. Will return in twenty minutes, Gunzou."
A smile appeared on her face as she left.
The ramp dissipated and the signal to dive sounded. Before the top hatch closed I could hear a faint was transparently clear sounding of Takao's voice from within.
"What?! We are leaving Gunzou-sama- I mean my- I mean, our captain behind with Kongou?! When will I ever get to spend time alone with him?!"
"Next time, next time," I could hear Haruna in her attempts to settle Takao.
The hatch shut and the massive sub began to dive. Soon, it was out of sight below the waves.
The damaged battleship rocked side to side in the waves of the Pacific. Her hull creaked and the heavy plates of steel groaned as the metal expanded and contracted. The deck raised and lowered with with the waves of the calm sea.
Kongou was on the deck, her dark dress crumpled and crowded around her knees laying outward around her. Her head hung down and her bangs covered her eyes and face. Was she really going to be fine? Or did she just say all those things to reassure Iona? How strong was this woman? How strong did make herself appear? How was she really on the inside?
I stopped before her.
"So this is the fabled Chihaya Gunzou," she began. Her voice was strong and clear, however at the same time sounded weak and damaged. "This is the legendary Captain Gunzou. A traitor to his on people and navy, and captain of the submarine of legend, I-401. The sub that set a band of ships AWOL and violate the outlines of the admiralty code. Such strong and legendary ships, led off to disobey orders and lose their loyalty and dedication to the Fog...including me."
"Kongou-"
"Don't even! I do not wish to hear whatever accommodating offer you are about to give. My problems are not something so simple, not something that can be solved with mere smiles and a 'good time.' No! Nothing! Your primitive human mind cannot even begin to process what kind of issue I have to deal with, because I can't even understand it right now! Nothing...nothing is wrong, yet I feel so much pressure, so much weight. I feel restricted. It's like I have too much to bear. It's irritating that I can't understand it. It's irritating that I am even being affected by something unimportant. Whatever it is isn't necessary to my operations, or my orders. It only hinders me to even take notice of it. But it hurts! Whatever it is causes great pains. I can't even address the pain because I don't know what it is! I can't do anything! Why won't this pain leave me alone!? Why am I even taking notice of it?! We are weapons- I am a weapon of the Fog, I am just to follow the orders of those appointed over me and ask no questions, nor stray away for anything not pertaining to the orders issued. But yet, I failed. Why?"
Sobs came from her covered face. She still did not once look up, her gaze focused on her damaged deck. The battleship began to take on a slightly noticeably list to port as more water leaked into more of her compromised water tight compartments. I began to see tears dripping onto her dark violet dress.
"Kongou, you are starting to list to port. If you remain at sea, you will eventually sink. Come with us, we can repair these damages. We can take care of you."
"Hmm, take care of me. How pathetic. You cannot even begin to understand my problems. It goes beyond sinking and hull damage. I can't even understand them, so neither will you. And what do you care if I sink at sea? Isn't that the goal of you humans? We have brought much death and destruction upon humanity with our guns and weapons. Why would you willingly take us in? Any of us? Takao, Haruna, Kirishima, Hyuuga, even yon-maru-icchi and her sisters have probably inflicted damage with their torpedoes. Aren't we the enemy? Why do you take us in?.. Why do I ask?"
"Because, humans, at least a great amount of them are benevolent and caring. We care for each other. We are a race of emotion and sentiment. Decades and centuries ago, people would go to war to fight each other in defense of those we leave back home! We care for people and things. We only fight the Fog because they pose a danger to those we love. I believe we can coexist with the fog, I just need to get both sides to cooperate and listen to one another. You're no different, Kongou. And yes, I know what you are experiencing, the one thing that is causing you pain and suffering."
"Oh? And what is it then? Enlighten me."
"It's loneliness."
"Loneliness? What is it?"
"It's an emotion of sadness. You feel alone. You feel as if you're the only one left. Like everyone has left you to fend for yourself. Like its just you on the open waters of the Pacific."
"Hmm," she retorted," emotions are non-essential to our function. We are weapons, we do not need these kinds of unimportant factors. Clearly it must be something else. I don't...experience these kinds of things. I am a weapon, nothing more."
"You are more than a weapon, Kongou. You are much more than just a floating gun platform."
She sniffled and choked back tears. She pulled up her holographic HUD and looked up 'Kongou' n her records of humanity's history.
"Battleship Kongou," she began shakily,"the name ship and one of four fast battleships. Commissioned in 1913 with the Imperial Japanese Navy serving in many naval battles throughout the second world war, including the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Sunk in late 1944 by submarine, USS Sealion." she looked up at me, tears flooding her eyes. "What do you see Chihaya Gunzou? The ship I was built and named after was but a mere weapons platform? What makes me so different? Since 1913 I was but a mere weapon, what's different now? Tell me!"
"You have feelings. You have emotion. You are sentient. Basically in retrospect...you are a person. You can decide for yourself. You can think for yourself. You feel emotion. Kongou, you are more than a mere weapons platform. You are experiencing loneliness. It is sadness the feeling of always standing alone. I found out what happened, with Maya..."
I had picked up three piano keys from the deck earlier, two white and a black. Kongou stuttered as I dropped them before her and crouched down. Tears filled her eyes more. She was really about to cry now.
I reached out and gently pulled her in to a warm embrace. She sobbed heavily into my shoulder. The sadness and lonesome of what seemed an eternity to her finally coming out.
The battleship was now moderately listing to port. The angle increased at an even faster rate as water continuously poured in with the water already in, adding to the weight.
"Kongou, you don't have to sail alone anymore. Come with us. Sail the seas with us. We will take care of you answer do each other. I will take care of you."
She sniffled choking back more tears.
The rushing sound of Iona breaking the waves as she surfaced the sub brought a crashing sound that drowned out Kongou's sobs.
I helped her to her feet and looked directly into her eyes, holding her by the shoulders.
"Chihaya Gunzou," she wearily said,"you mentioned love earlier. What is that? What does it mean? What does it do?"
"It's another emotion. The one that links and bonds people in close relationship. It creates drive and will to overcome great obstacles for the ones we love, or care about in other words. Come with us. We'll repair your damages, and care for you. You'll experience it first hand. You don't have to be a mere dispensable weapon anymore. You're more than that Kongou, you really are."
Kongou wiped the tears from her eyes and looked towards Iona who was standing on the deck of I-401. A moderate amount of water was forcefully drained from the port side of the battleship, slightly correcting her now heavy port list, although not fully. The deck shook as a thick cloud of black steam erupted from the two massive smoke stacks amidship. The deck rumbled as her massive engines tried to come to life. The lights in her superstructure and bridge flickered on, not staying constant. The shattered battleship came to life, barely sea worthy, but able to limp a one way journey for the time being.
A single tear remaining in her eye, she turned to me, and, with a slight warm smile, she said,"Gunzou. I will sail with you."