Flotsam
(Fifteen hours after the end of Enemies)
She knelt alone in a garden of stone. It was quiet, peaceful, but she could not meditate. She could not get her mind to cooperate. Her mind was bouncing from place to place, settling here, settling there, going every which way. Try as she might, she could not get…
"Hello." The voice came from in front of her and she stiffened as she looked up to see another Tenno scrutinizing her. The Mag Prime warframe was easy to recognize. But then the kneeling Tenno went still, she wasn't in the garden anymore. She knelt on grass, a single tree overhead and wind was brushing her face. Her warframe had vanished. A dream or vision! This wasn't real! She tensed, but the Mag shook her head. "We are not enemies, girl."
"I don't know you." The kneeling Tenno said slowly. "Therefore, I do not know if you are an enemy or not. I have been attacked by Tenno before."
"Misguided Tenno." The Mag Prime agreed. "I am not your enemy, Karen." She knelt down in seiza facing the other. "I can't stay long. I need your help, Karen." Karen's eyes went wide as the form changed. Suddenly it was transparent and composed of golden energy.
"What can a single pseudo-Tenno do to help one such as you?" Karen asked softly, scared out of her mind. She had faced energy form Tenno before. It… hadn't been fun, what little she remembered of it.
"I think you are the only one who can." The specter of the first Mag said softly. "There is nothing fake about you. Karen, the only one holding you back is you. You need to let go of this doubt. It is crippling you. Your kin can help."
"I can't… I can't see what they are trying to teach me." Karen said sadly. "The swords, the guns… I get those. But the other… I just can't get it. Maybe… Maybe I am too broken."
"Broken things can be reformed, Karen. Iron is heated until it melts before being reformed into steel. It will take as long as it takes." Mag replied. "That is actually why I am here and trying to be nice." Karen's eyes went wide and Mag chuckled a bit sourly. "I am not, normally. I have a reputation, you see."
"No, but… I will take your word for it." Karen swallowed hard. "What do you need?"
"Miguel is in trouble." Mag said sadly. "I…feel a kinship with him that has nothing to do with the Tenno. He needs help and he will not ask for it."
"Miguel?" Karen asked, incredulous. "That man is solid rock. He took everything Nicholas did to him and spit in the traitor's face. He is a great man."
"I agree." Mag's voice was soft now. "But rock can break, given time and persistence. Miguel is about to break, Karen. He needs you. He needs you now more than ever. You are the only other person who knows what it felt like. To not be in control of yourself." Karen inhaled sharply and Mag nodded. "He has been a rock, for so long. But when the clock changes to the 10th of November…" She bowed her head. "He needs you." Karen stared at the other. What did the old calendar have to do with anything? Yes, the survivors in Avalon had preserved the old time keeping, but still…
"What can I do?" Karen asked. "If he won't talk to me?"
"Make him talk to you." Mag's voice took on a stern note. "And hurry…" Karen stared, the Mag was fading, or Karen was…
Karen jerked awake. She had fallen asleep in her meditation again! She glanced at the chronometer in her warframe and sighed. 2355 hours. She had slept for ten minutes. She still had…
Wait. Why did that number send a chill through Karen? She shook her head.
"Might as well get an early start." Karen said as she rose from seiza. She tapped her com. "Miguel, I am on my way to the armory." There was no response and Karen stiffened. Then she was walking fast without even realizing she had started. "Miguel?" Her heart lightened as her com responded, but… something was wrong.
"Wha'ssup, girl?" Miguel sounded…wrong. Drunk? He never drank to excess!
"Can't get the meditation to work, Miguel." Karen said as he walked very quickly. "On my way to the armory to start cleaning again. Which ones?"
"Don't bother." Miguel slurred. "No point…" That too was wrong. Miguel was so fanatic about the cleanliness of his weapons that he literally used a white glove to check for dust on occasion. Karen felt a sick feeling start to come into her gut. He sounded… Like she had once. When she had been suicidal.
"Miguel?" Karen asked as she darted into the elevator and started it down to the deck that held the armory and range. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong." Miguel reassured her. "Celebrating a birthday. I am at the range. Come on by if you want." The com clicked off. Karen left the elevator at a run and keyed her com as she ran.
"Alert! This is Karen." The Mag warframe felt like a suit of clothes as she ran. She barely noticed as she took a corner by running along a wall and jumping to another wall, something that had always eluded her in training. "Something is wrong with Miguel!"
"Karen?" Alicia's calm voice came over the com. "Situation?"
"I don't know." Karen said quickly. "I just commed him and he sounded drunk! He said he is in the range!" She was almost to the range when Alicia replied.
"Karen!" The medic's voice was taught with fear now. "He is inside. And yes, he is drunk. Very drunk. Karen! He has live weapons! Stay out of there!"
"He is going to kill himself!" Karen snapped as she slid to a stop at the door to the range. She hit the intercom. "Permission to enter, range master?" She called.
"Come on in, Karen…" Miguel sounded even worse than he had before.
Karen entered the room cautiously. Miguel was sitting at a table near one wall, a table covered in guns. He had a half filled bottle of something in his lap. He wore a blue uniform and a white hat sat upside down on top of the guns. Karen's eyes bulged under her helmet as she saw the hilt of a sword at his hip! He never wore a sword! Called them 'effete' when he was being nice.
"Just in time, girl…" Miguel slurred, waving the bottle at her. He smiled a bit as he stared at the clock. It changed from 2359 to 0000 and he gave a loud belch. "Happy birthday!" He called as he took a long drink.
"Whose birthday?" Karen asked, not moving.
"Ah… Had to pick a day. They picked this one." Miguel set the bottle down and leaned back in his chair. "On this day -November 10- in the year 1775 pre-Orokin, the Continental Congress of the United States of America decreed the raising of two battalions of marines to serve as landing parties for the Continental Navy. After the first Empress started her quest to unite humanity, various services joined forces. The various Marine of the various countries chose to remain Marines… Despite all kinds of pressure, they stayed as they were, amalgamated, but still Marines. Stubborn…the lot of us." Karen stared at the man she admired as he rose to his feet, braced to attention and started to sing.
((tune Marine Corps hymn watch?v=Jh5OlT-cslQ))
From the Hills of Applodorus
To freezing wastes on Xini;
We fight our Empire's battles
In the air, land, space and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
Of Orokin Marines.
The old man was crying as he finished the song. Karen shook her head, stunned.
"You were a Marine…" Karen said slowly. "I… I didn't know…"
"Once a Marine, always a Marine. Didn't exactly cover myself in glory… being captured and all…" Miguel slurred as he sat back down. "Buried it. Buried it all. Buried them all. But… they wanted Class 'A'… I gave em… Class 'A'…" He belched again and Karen went cold as he reached for the table and pulled out a gleaming pistol. Ancient, but well cared for. Not a weapon she knew.
"What pistol is that?" Karen asked, scared and confused.
"Sawn Mark 15A." Miguel said with a smile that faltered. "Standard sidearm. Ten millimeter automatic pistol. Fifteen round clip." His shoulders drooped. "Had this… when they took me… One of the bastards took it as a souvenir. Found it…" He stared at the pistol in his hand. Karen shook her head. She knew Miguel had been captured and enslaved by Nicholas' renegade Tenno just as she had been, but…
"Miguel." Karen said weakly. "I am sorry. I… didn't know. I never asked."
"You were a civilian." Miguel said softly. "How could you know? We knew the risks. We signed up and trained. Took the oath and… did what we were ordered. Possible or not, we did it. Semper Fucking Fi… we did it… Every… single… FUCKING time..." With each heartfelt word, his head sank lower until his chin sat against his chest. She saw tears falling again.
"Miguel, you are scaring me." Karen shook her head. Bu then… "No. No you are not scaring me. You disgust me!" Miguel's head jerked up and he stared at her. She snarled at him, a first. "All this time, I looked up to you. All this time I believed you were the sole solid thing in this whole crazy existence. And what do I find? You are just a drunk." Miguel opened his mouth, but cut off as Karen screamed at him. "Are you the only one they hurt?"
"It's not like that girl." Miguel said slowly. "It's not. Karen… I… I buried this for a reason… I am a danger…"
"So am I!" Karen screamed. "Don't you dare leave me!" She shouted. "Not now. Not after all of this!"
"I am sorry, Karen." Miguel aimed the pistol at his head but went still as Karen pulled it away from him. It flew across the room to land against the wall. At least it didn't discharge. "Karen!"
"Get away from those weapons!" Karen snapped. "Now, Marine! No one gave you permission to die! Not yet!" Where had that come from? She had no idea. Miguel stared at her.
"Karen…" Miguel shook his head and reached for the table, only to stare as the whole table flew across the range to crash to the floor. Firearms fell everywhere. "Now you done it…"
"You don't have my permission to die, Marine." Karen felt herself say. "On your feet! Now!" The voice that was and was not hers simply oozed command and Miguel lurched to his feet. "Disgraceful… So utterly disgraceful… Of all the lousy, good for nothing…" She fought whatever was controlling her and the presence pushed back. You want him dead, girl? Shut up and let me handle this!
"Who the hell…?" Miguel was staring at Karen but… not at her. "Karen… what…?"
"No, not Karen! Karen is scared out of her mind, with reason, you fool!" The presence within Karen said sourly. "I am so glad that my own squad mates didn't live to see this. The last Gunnery Sergeant… One of the pride of the Marines. The epitome of what a Marine should be… Is a stinking drunk!" The derision in her tone could have cut steel.
"It ain't like that…" Miguel protested.
"Did I say you could speak, Marine?" The voice said softly, slowly and to Karen's utter amazement, Miguel braced to attention.
"No, Ma'am." The sergeant said quickly.
"Like I said… Disgraceful." Karen was shaking in fear, but a gentle touch to her psyche had her relaxing a little as her voice spoke again. "I don't remember anything in the Oath of Service about feeling sorry for yourself." Miguel jerked but did not respond. "Shape up, Marine. Now." The other presence in Karen snapped.
"Permission to speak." Miguel said, not moving from where he was braced.
"Denied." The presence within Karen snapped. "Suck it up, Marine. You still have work to do!" With that, the presence was gone and Karen fell to her knees, feeling faint.
"Karen…?" The new Tenno had never heard Miguel speak like that, so… timidly.
"She… she is gone…" Karen said weakly as she collapsed. "I hope she is gone… god… that was… I…" She curled up on the floor and started to cry as her own personal nightmares returned. "Someone else was in control of me… again… I…"
"Oh Karen…" Karen heard his shoes come close and then a hand was on her arm, turning her on her side despite the mass of her warframe. "I am sorry, girl."
"Don't… don't go…" Karen begged him. "I need you. We need you… I… please…"
"Ah, Karen…" Miguel sat down beside her with a thump. "I put it all behind me, Karen. I buried it all. Seeing the uniform again… Wearing it… It hurt. It really did. I fell… so far…" He shook his head. "Karen…"
Karen swallowed hard and then snarled a bit. Tears were still falling as she focused her mind and her warframe split open. She slid out of it and the smell was awful. Miguel had been drinking for some time.
"You are not alone, Miguel." Karen said as she reached for his shaking form. "I am not a Marine, but you are not alone." She pulled him close and held him as he started to cry again. "Easy…. It's okay."
"No, it ain't." Miguel said heavily. "I am sorry, Karen. Got so wrapped up in my own misery… Never thought about you. Or the others… just the pain…" He bowed his head and then it came up. Karen recoiled from whatever it was she saw shining in his eyes. "Pain is weakness leaving the body."
"Miguel…" Karen said slowly. "Don't…" She couldn't say what she was trying to verbalize.
"It's all right, Karen." Miguel's voice was still slurred, but there was something else in it. Something new. Something Karen had never heard from her friend before. "I got a job to do now. And you need some downtime."
"Miguel…" Karen was shaking as the old Marine stood, his arms coming down to scoop her up effortlessly. "No. Don't…"
"It's all right, Karen." Miguel said as he started off, hefting her shivering form easily. "Time I got off my butt and started acting like a Marine again."
"You are a Marine!" Karen protested. "No matter they did to you, they could not take that from you!"
"No, they couldn't." Miguel said with a small smile. "Thanks, girl." The door hissed open before they got there and two warframes stood highlighted. Both had weapons ready. "Alicia, Aeron… Karen has had a hell of a shock. My fault." Karen tried to speak, but she was shaking too hard.
"Karen?" Alicia asked, holstering her Bolto pistol as she stepped forward. "What happened?"
"I got stupid." Miguel's honesty was painful to hear. "Someone hijacked Karen's body to send me a message." Both Alicia and Aeron hissed at that, and the sniper lowered his Braton rifle. "Don't." Miguel cautioned Aeron. "I…ain't… all here, Aeron." He warned. "Haven't drunk that much in a long, long time. Gonna feel it tomorrow."
"You okay?" Aeron's rifle came back up, but not quite aimed. Not that the sniper could miss at this range.
"No." Miguel admitted. "Haven't been dressed down like that in even longer. But I deserved it. Karen here didn't." He held the girl still as Alicia swept the shivering form with her scanners. "Whoever that was, if I ever find her, I am going to whup her ass." Karen stared up at the old man, her eyes scared and Miguel smiled a bit forlornly. "It's okay, Karen. Let Alicia help."
"No!" Karen screamed as Alicia reached for her! "No! Not another Tenno! No!" She was blubbering and couldn't stop as Alicia recoiled. "Filthy Tenno enslaving me, taking control of me! All of you…" She lashed out and connected. Miguel grunted, but didn't release her as she fought. "Get away from me!"
"Doc!" Miguell begged and Alicia stepped forward a hypo in hand.
"No!" Karen screamed even louder, this time managing a solid strike that caught Miguel off guard. His training kicked in, he grabbed her wrist and twisted easily. Karen gave out an animal squeal as pain flared through her and there was sudden crack. Everything stopped as Karen sagged to the floor, her right arm twisted oddly.
"No!" Miguel released the girl whose arm he had just broken and recoiled away. "Oh god… No, Karen…"
"Get… away…" Karen slid along the floor as the Tenno stared at her. Before any of them could move, Karen had the fallen pistol in her left hand.
"Karen." Miguel said softly as Karen trained the pistol, first at Alicia who didn't move, then at Aeron, who also didn't move. "Put the pistol down. What is the first rule of weapons, Karen?"
"Don't aim at anything you don't want to shoot?" Karen was heaving now, her breath coming in gasps. Her good hand was shaking badly, but she was backing up, away from the frozen Tenno and the ashen faced Marine. "The ones I want to shoot are dead…"
"Karen…" Alicia begged. "You are hurt and going into shock. You need help."
"Not yours!" Karen screamed. "I am not Tenno! I never will be! I… I can't do this! I can't…"
"Yes, you are, Daughter." Aeron said softly as he slung his rifle. "You are Tenno."
"It was Tenno who took control of me…" Everything stopped as Miguel and Aeron both cursed, the exact same vile epithet. She felt wall behind her and slid along it, away from where Aeron was stepping in slowly. "I can't do this. I try and try and try, but I can't do this…" Pain was building in her wrist but she ignored it.
"Yes, you can." Miguel had an oddly shaped weapon in hand now, but she focused on Aeron who was still moving closer with glacial speed. "You just need the right motivation."
"Aeron…stay back…" Karen warned, the weapon moving.
A flash…