Chapter 1-version 3
A stern figure stood up at the front of the room. A young woman who seemed to be about 25 despite her short height she couldn't have even reached my shoulders she commanded respect. She had huge eyes that were narrowed, empty and unfeeling. Brown orbs bored into your eyes as if seeing into your soul. Seeing all your faults and never changing her opinion on you even if you were perfect those eyes would stare at you the same soulless way. She wore her long hair up into a bun. The VA uniform was crisp and looked brand new, she held a stack of files as she stared out at the soundless crowd. Even in an army base the crowd usually had whispered conversations between each other. Some had tried to talk but those brown eyes would turn on them and they'd be silenced instantly. It was daunting standing down here looking up at her. I doubted much escaped the gaze of those serious eyes and I almost shivered as her gaze turned to my side of the room.
As I looked over the crowd of people who worked and believed in VA and it's beliefs it made me wonder how she got here.
VA initials for something unknown to all but the very very high ups only the most trusted, I'd even heard that some of the secret bearers didn't know what it stood for even though they knew information I couldn't even begin to comprehend. Secret Bearers were almost like legends but we knew they true because every once in a while someone who knows a little too much disappears though loved ones and friends still received letters. Dragging my thoughts away from them I looked up at the short frowning women standing up on stage. I wondered if she knew what VA stood for. Anyway VA is organization much like an army but not quite. VA didn't work for any one country but worked for the people of the countries. They gave assistance to the armies that were holding off other countries and helped the people. It was an organization that helped keep the peace. They received money from each country and had stations in every country helping them fight for what they believed in and evacuated the people when the forces were overwhelming.
Some families were born into this business since childhood and could often find a job to their liking if not they can always decide to live in a country of there choice but the governments of those countries often interrogate them to learn more about VA and have to be watched so many just take mundane jobs and travel instead. As I looked up at the woman on the stage I wondered if she'd been like this ever since she'd joined, if this was the aftermath of a tragedy or even just her own personality.
''Welcome.'' Her voice rang through out the building. Her voice was cold as she said it. No emotions.
''I'm Captain Rosemarie Hathaway''
I staggered back into the wall.
Rosemarie? She'd shop our heads off before if we ever called her that! She was always Rose! I watched Rose baffled from the back of the room. I was one of many who lined the wall in silence.
Rose.
She'd lost so much. Loosing Mason her family and all her friends... well all except for me.
I'd lost a lot too, but not quite as much as Rose. Now I only knew this much by the tiny bits and pieces she'd tolled me about her childhood and the information I'd learned latter from hacking into the VA data base.
She'd lived in Russia when she was a small child. All had been fine until her parents divorced and she moved in with her dad. Her mom was a full time guard for some millionaire and wasn't home much while her dad was a business man who stayed in one town for most of the time. She saw her mom once in a while all had been well until her dad went missing on one of a few business trips. She'd then moved in with her mother who'd immediately changed Rose's last name. Her mother still worked for the millionaire and had a nanny watch Rose and all had apparently returned to a semblance of normalcy, that lasted a year before her mother died on the job. She was then shipped off to Canada at the age of 10 by a VA agent who's job was to find new could be applicants. She was sent to the VA academy in British Colombia.
She'd been chosen for many reasons. She'd been the best in her year ever since she was a child and even advanced a couple grades, the fact that she was already a descent fighter along with the cold analytical way she'd asses a situation. Almost as soon as she'd arrived she met me and my family. My parents worked for VA at the academy as teachers of math and my mother taught science and me and my brother attended their academy. All apart of the VA army base of course. We all lived in a family unit and Rose had moved in shortly after meeting us. We'd excepted the emotionless and rough girl with wide arms, looking back now she hadn't looked much differently then she did now standing up in front of thousands but her shell seemed a lot more sad while the one she sported now seemed more like a cement wall without any cracks.
My parents treating her as the second daughter they'd never had, my brother treated her as a sexy younger sister that needed to be guarded, and I treated her as a mixture of a best friend and sister. We'd eventually cracked her emotionless shell and she'd finally let her emotions out around us and a little around the others at school. She'd soon after unofficially declared herself my protector and I'd sheepishly realized that I always needed the extra help. Shortly after she'd met Mason. He'd transferred from the VA school in the U.S after his parents died in war. They'd fallen in love almost at first sight...
All of 14 and deeply in love to everyone around us it must have spelt disaster but we were obliviously happy for them, Mason never left her side and we'd all expected them to stay that way. Not a year later and Rose was sent of to a Submarine Captain's training off in the Atlantic ocean. Mason had been very proud of Rose for landing the apprenticeship at the age of 14 when they were usually handed out to 20 and 30 year old's. She'd left reluctantly not wanting to leave Mason for three months but still excited.
After a week out at sea their was a bombing at the VA academy. My entire family. My mom, my dad, Andre and even Mason where all killed in the blast while I escaped with a broken leg and arm. The bombers had all been dealt with in under an hour but... I was now alone. I was then shipped off to live with a close family friend-Victor Dashkov-who had a daughter my age. They'd all been very kind but I was still depressed. I hadn't seen Rose.
I didn't know this then but Rose couldn't be notified until the ship returned to the surface and that was about a month after he died.
She'd been notified by Alberta Petrov, I talked to Alberta a month ago, so about 6 weeks after she'd tolled Rose. Alberta tolled me what happened with tears in her eyes.
''It wasn't that she broke down sobbing'' she said
''It would've been better then the results I got.'' She paused as if looking back on the memory.
''She'd been smiling as she came in excited to see You guys-especially Mason- and I tolled her and her eyes-they-they froze and she said 'what?' and I repeated my message again and then she froze looking over my shoulder it was like the ice had taken over and she just stood their.'' Alberta had stared off before continuing.
''Then she said the worst thing... 'Thank you Guardian Petrov'.'' Alberta looked down at me and met my eyes.
''She turned and started organizing some of the Captains files, but the worst thing she always called me Alberta. Always, even when others were around never Petrov-sometimes she would jokingly but this...'' Alberta's kind grey eyes were haunted as she said
''It was like she'd just become an unfeeling piece of ice you know? Unfeeling uncaring, just an intelligent block of ice.'' I'd been well passed horrified at the point as she continued
''Afterwards I'd heard her talking to the Captain of the ship asking if she could become his co-captain. The old kind man had taken one look at that unfeeling girl and agreed.''
I knew the rest from that point. He'd taught Rose how to be a Captain. He must have been a good teacher because by the time her 15th birthday came around she passed the Captains course with 100% and was offered the position as VA's new submarine driver for the brand new state of the art submarine. The Shadow Kissed.
Rose's voice rang out throughout the room.
''Since you all have received a file with all the available jobs I will ask you to look it over once more, in 2 minutes I will start to call people up to see if I believe you can handle a certain position or not.'' Their was a shuffling of paper and even I pulled out the handbook I'd circled three possibilities.
1) Unit 3 Officer-in charge of giving the captain or co-captain in charge information every thirty minutes about the on goings in the women's dorms.
2) Unit 4 Officer-in charge of giving the captain or co-captain in charge information every thirty minutes about the on goings of the Weaponry, and Bathing room area's
3) Unit 5 Officer-in charge of giving the captain or co-captain in charge information every thirty minutes about the on goings of the Maintenance, Health, Laundry and All purpose, area's.
A Unit Officers job was to pretty much wander around in circles making sure everything was running smoothly. If their was a problem we reported it directly to the captain or co-captain in charge at that time and they dealt with it. And even if their isn't a problem every thirty minutes we are to report to the captain or co-captain in charge what's happened.
The odd thing about working on a submarine is that their are three shifts in a day. So that means that their are thee of every job. Their are 11 positions that have subordinates so their are three of each so 33 people. Then their are ranging from 3 to 12 people in each section-Maintenance, Position, Controls, Communications, Weaponry and Health. The people in charge of these sections are call Chief Petty Officers of say Weaponry.
''Alright, all of you who would like to become one of my co-captains please come up to the front of the room.'' Rose's voice snapped me out of my revery. I watched the crowd as five people walked to the front.
They walked up onto the stage and I recognized Alberta to be one of them.
Rose stared at them. Four men and one women. I already knew she would pick Alberta-who wouldn't?- but the rest of the four I didn't recognize.
Rose continued to stare at them and some started to fidget. Alberta and the tallest of the men stayed immobile. A moment latter she handed Alberta and the tall man a file. The other three scurried of stage and Rose spoke to Alberta and the tall man for a moment before lifting the microphone.
''All those who would like to become my or one of my co-captains Chief Petty Officer of Controls would you please come up to the front of the room.''
So I waited in the crowd as she stared at the contestants. She'd then pick three people and then let Alberta and the tall man pick who they would like to have as their subordinate then she'd get the last one. She'd hand a file to each of them before calling up the next batch of people.
Finally she started calling for Unit Officers.
''Those of you who would like to become my or my co-captains Unit 1 Officer would you please come up to the front of the room.'' I started to get excited. I'd be speaking to Rose soon!
She got through the Unit 2 Officers quickly as well and they went through the same process as before when Rose said
''Those of you who would like to become my or my co-captains Unit 3 Officer would you please come up to the front of the room.'' I almost started skipping towards the front of the room but kept a steady gate. A five or six other women came forward as well and I stood there suddenly nervous I scrutinized my shoes and pulled my uniform shirt down and started playing with the sleeves.
What if she didn't want to see me anymore? After everything that happened. My heart ached every day and sometimes it was hard to breath but I...
Rose's voice rang out.
''Look me in the eye already'' I took a deep breath before looking up into the familiar eyes that had always taken care of me. She gasped and took a step back.
''Lissa?'' She whispered leaning in to look at me.
''Is that really you?'' I nodded. Rose was looking at me and the war of feelings was being battled out in those tormented brown eyes. The other people around us where waiting as if we were about to see if a bomb had really been deactivated or if it was going to blow. Alberta stood behind her to the right looking sympathetic and the tall man stood behind her to the left. He seemed to be watching waiting for her to turn back into the girl who'd stood before the room cold and unfeeling and becoming more and more confused as to why it wasn't happening.
The she did the most unexpected thing.
She lunged forward and wrapped me in a hug.
''Lissa.''