Disclaimer: I do not own Eureka Seven or Eureka Seven: AO. They are the property of Bones, Dai Sato, and everybody else involved in the project. All song titles used are the property of their respective owners. I do not make any money off of this work of fiction.
Chapter 2: All I Want
"I'm not afraid of anything; I've got the whole world in front of me."
The waves were crashing harder against the hulls of the ships, as every crewmember stared in a mixture of awe, fear, and curiosity. The black creature, hovering over the water, had not moved since the column of light that had heralded its entrance into this world had vanished. Captain Hiyozaki removed his cap and clutched it tightly in his hands as he tried to figure out his next move. He and Nakamura were the top two in command, so the decisions either of them made would not only affect them, but also everyone within the vicinity. Nakamura stood straight and, turning towards Hiyozaki, spoke with no hint of emotion in his voice.
"Captain, order all vessels to attack with all weapons."
"E-Excuse me, sir?" Hiyozaki stammered out, taken aback by Nakamura's order.
"I said, order all vessels to attack with all weapons," Nakamura repeated, staring at Hiyozaki with an impassive countenance.
"But, sir!" Hiyozaki exclaimed, and then lowered his voice, as if his words might incite the creature. "We are not prepared to take on a creature of this magnitude." He whispered, a look of fear in his eyes.
"Hiyozaki, how long have you been a Captain?" Nakamura questioned, turning to look at the creature, still hovering over the water.
"Sixteen years, sir, bu-" Hiyozaki began, only to be cut off by Nakamura's upstretched hand.
"So you would know that, when surprised, the best course of action would be to commence an immediate counter-attack, correct?" Nakamura continued, turning back to look at Hiyozaki. "Order all ships to hit that thing with everything we've got. When this is over, I'll be sure to arrange your promotion, personally," Nakamura added, starting to walk back to the bridge. Hiyozaki grabbed his shoulder.
"Nakamura, this isn't about promotions!" He cried. "Have you read the reports about these things?! The utter destruction they leave in their wake?! We can't just attack it like a passing ship!"
"Hiyozaki, perhaps you forget. What I have told you is a direct order, as bestowed by the authority of the Japanese government," Nakamura replied, sternly, as he stepped out of reach of Hiyozaki's outstretched arm. "I have read the reports, and every instance of immediate attack has resulted in the destruction of the target in question. Either you give the order to attack, or I will, and you will be sent to monitor the weather buoys off the coast of Sakhalin. Either way, that…thing…will be attacked," Nakamura spat, pointing at the hovering mass. "Now, what is your course of action, Captain?" He stressed.
Hiyozaki gritted his teeth. "Cursed brat!" he thought "Just because your father held a high position doesn't give you the weight to make such a decision."
Hiyozaki was a proud Captain. Having served in the Japanese Navy for the past twenty-five years, his ascendency to a Captain's position in merely nine years was then unheard-of. The recent trend in military proceedings, however, had left him bitter. People were being appointed to positions of power based on family or political connections, and the overall skill of the men and women in the Navy suffered as a result. Hiyozaki ran a tough ship, but he was fair, and the crew under his command loved him for it. If he attacked, he might send them all to their deaths. If he didn't, he would be replaced by some snot-nosed brat fresh out of officer's school who would, in all likelihood, lead his crew to their deaths, and his demotion would be the ultimate dishonor. A difficult choice, but not an impossible one.
"Hiyozaki, I don't believe you've issued any commands," Nakamura commented, looking back over his shoulder.
Hiyozaki sighed, bracing himself for what he was about to unleash. He walked into the bridge, past several orderlies who watched the previous scene with wide eyes, and picked up the microphone. Clearing his throat, he issued what was the heaviest order of his military career.
"All ships, you are cleared to engage. Fire everything. I repeat, Fire everything!"
Ao watched the scene before him unfold. The guns that were previously aimed towards him turned to the black creature, and, in a gripping display of sound and fury, fired at the creature. Several explosions resounded throughout the bay, as machinegun fire and heavy artillery peppered the smoke cloud that was quickly engulfing the creature. "No way," he thought. "They're actually attacking the G-Monster!" Realizing how close he was to the combat, Ao turned the Nirvash away from the battle, but didn't get far before an unearthly roar resounded through the air. Turning back, he saw the smoke dissipating, revealing an intact, and angry, creature.
Nakamura stared in shock as the smoke dissipated. The creature not only survived the onslaught, but didn't have so much as a scratch on its exterior. Hiyozaki walked up behind Nakamura, his cap in his hands.
"It appears your plan has failed, Minister."
Nakamura turned and, in a fit of rage, punched the Captain in the face, knocking him backwards into the railing. Running into the bridge, he grabbed the microphone and started shouting.
"This is Minister Nakamura. Why have you stopped firing?! Keep attacking!"
"It's no use," Hiyozaki said, calmly, pointing his service pistol at Nakamura. "Combined with the attack on the Okinawan battleship, we have exhausted all of our ammunition. You have sentenced all of us to our fates, sir." Hiyozaki turned to an orderly "Sir, escort Minister Nakamura to the brig for assaulting a member of the Imperial Japanese Navy."
"You…" Nakamura gritted his teeth.
Before the orderly could handcuff Nakamura, a loud explosion knocked all of them off their feet. Outside, the creature had attacked the closest ship. A black pod, sharply pointed, had impaled the vessel through the hull, piercing the engine room armor and igniting the fuel reserves. The explosion had heavily cracked the hull, and the cruiser was taking on water. Removing the pod, the creature zoomed across the water, hitting the second ship in the same area in the same manner. This time, the pod sheared through the metal, splitting the ship in half. Nakamura stood and staggered out of the bridge, watching in horror as the two cruisers around him started to sink beneath the waves. A sickening feeling overcame him, and as he leaned over the railing to empty his stomach of its contents, a shockwave from a fresh fuel explosion knocked him over the railing and into the water. As he surfaced, Nakamura watched as the creature fired a beam of light at the destroyer he was just standing on. The light tore right through the heavy armor on the ship, and after a couple seconds of silence, the ship exploded, blasting metal and people several feet into the air. The resulting wave picked up Nakamura and threw him onto some floating debris, which he clung to in a death-grip. As he was pushed away from the ships, he could see the creature turn away from the ships. Before he passed out from the shock, Nakamura realized that it was going after the Nirvash.
Ao stared on in horror, gazing at the remains of the Japanese reinforcements. Suddenly, alarm sensors began to go off like crazy throughout the cockpit. Looking downward, he saw the creature flying up towards him, its arm lunging towards the Nirvash in an effort to impale the machine. Yanking the controls, The Nirvash ducked underneath the creature's arm and began to fly away, the creature turning and immediately chasing after him. Ao looked around the cockpit, looking for the throttle to make the machine go faster.
"There's gotta be something to make this thing go faster!" he yelled.
Reaching for the steering controls, he accidentally hit a switch just to the right of the console. The Nirvash began to power down, as it wobbled on its board and started to lose altitude.
"Ah! That wasn't what I wanted to do!" he panicked, flipping switches and hitting buttons throughout the cockpit. The machine powered back up, and Ao, lurching from the kick the trapar particles created when the board started expelling them again, pushed forward on the steering console. Suddenly, the machine took the board beneath him and attached it to its back. Ao watched in wonder as, quickly yet efficiently, the machine transformed into a new form, a form that reminded Ao of the jets he had seen flying over the island occasionally. The arms of the machine were bent at the elbow, creating an L-shape that formed wings. The legs folded underneath the machine at the kneecap, pushing the mechanical torso backwards, elevating the shoulders to create two vertical stabilizers. The new form immediately took off at a faster speed, slamming Ao against his seat. The creature let out another shriek, and immediately sped up in an effort to catch the faster machine.
Gazelle watched the scene unfold before him with a mixture of interest and concern. His FP, floating at a hover almost a half-mile away, had been the perfect vantage point for the creature's grotesque handiwork, but when it started chasing after Ao, Gazelle had immediately tried to take the controls away from Han.
"We need to get over there!" He strained, pushing against Han's resisting arms.
"Gazelle, get a hold of yourself!" Han replied, shoving Gazelle against the passenger door. "You know this thing isn't a match for that monster!"
"I agree with Han!" Pippo squeaked out from the backseat, his face pale and sweaty. "We need to get out of here before it comes after us!"
"What, and leave Ao to his death?!" Gazelle yelled, turning to look at Pippo. "If I knew you were gonna be a coward, I'd have left you on the beach!"
"Stop yelling!" Han shouted, trying to take control of the situation. "Pippo's right, if that thing comes after us, we're done for."
"We need to help Ao!" Gazelle pleaded, trying to change Han's mind.
"How, by getting destroyed?" Han replied, exasperated. "Listen, I understand you want to help Ao, but we can't right now. We need to get back and warn everybody so, if something happens, no one's caught off guard."
Gazelle hated to admit it, but Han was right. He knew his FP wouldn't put up any sort of fight against that monster, and the last thing he wanted to do was die. Gazelle looked at the two distant shapes dancing among the clouds.
"You're right, Han. Let's get back," he muttered, slumping down in his seat.
"It'll be fine, Gazelle," Han said, turning the FP towards the island.
"Remember what they say, Gazelle, 'Keep your hopes up high and your head down low!'" Pippo said from the backseat, more than a little relieved to be leaving the immediate danger.
Gazelle didn't respond. "Ao, you better beat that thing." He thought. "I still haven't made up for all the crap I put you through, and you can't die until I'm done."
High above the planet, a trail of light and fire blazed through the atmosphere. A lone ship, its blue and white surface merging with the dull red created from the friction of reentry, streaked towards the east, the sun at its back. It was a rather large ship, with two pairs of vertical stabilizers at the rear directing the craft, moving slightly to alter the course of the ship. The engines were shuttered, unnecessary for the moment. At the front of the ship, the glass viewports were sheltered from the intense heat, retaining a crystal clear view of the planet rising beneath it. It was here that the pilots sat, monitoring the numerous computer monitors for any changes in reentry trajectory. A tall man, a scowl etched on his face, stood watching the planet beneath him. He stood at least six and a half feet tall, making him an imposing figure, with blond hair and a thick moustache of the same color. His arms were crossed in front of him, pinning his red and white flight vest against his chest. His uniform, consisting of a buttoned shirt and slacks, complete with tie, was slightly faded, yet still very much presentable. Turning to return to his seat, he removed his amber-tinted glasses, wiping them on the sleeve of his shirt. After returning them to his face, he was greeted by the sight of a woman, walking up the stairs to join him and the pilots. She wore a vest similar to his, opting for a black, sleeveless shirt and form-fitting pants instead of dress attire. She held a cup of coffee, still steaming, which was readily taken by the man. Taking a sip, he sat in a large chair in the center of the bridge, indicating that he was the captain of the commander of the vessel. The woman took a smaller seat to his left, placing a headset on top of her violet hair. Her green eyes were illuminated by the computer before her, as she accessed the information that had appeared in her absence.
"The contract with the Okinawan government is in the final stages of completion, and should be finalized by the time we arrive in the airspace," she said, fingers deftly moving across the keyboard.
"Excellent," the man replied, taking another sip of his coffee. "What is the status of the Secret?"
"It's a J-Type Secret, so it has stronger armor than the usual K-Types. Apparently, a detachment of warships, probably Japanese, tried to take it on shortly after it appeared," she responded, pulling up satellite images of the creature on a screen that was integrated into the center glass viewport. The images looped to form a sequence where the creature was obscured by smoke, then emerged to destroy the ships around it. "From what we can tell, all three ships were destroyed in a little over a minute."
"Tch, they couldn't even wait 'til reinforcements showed up," the man scoffed, setting his cup down on a small shelf attached to his chair. "What's the current situation?"
"That's the thing," she responded, activating a second screen next to the main viewport. This screen flashed to show the creature turn and immediately take off after a small blip. "It appeared to chase after some unknown craft, but current reconnaissance footage suggests that whatever it was chasing is still in the vicinity."
"Enlarge the blip, please," he responded, leaning forward in his seat. "I can only think of one thing that could survive this long against a Secret," he thought.
The woman typed on her keyboard, taking the image and increasing the magnification. After several moments, the image popped into focus, revealing the outline of a gray machine with a green trail behind it. The woman gasped quietly, having a difficult time grasping what she was actually seeing.
"H-How?!" she exclaimed. "That thing's been missing for years!"
"It's been ten years since the Mark I was last seen," the man said, with a hint of excitement in his voice. "What I'm curious about is who is flying it. Any information about that?" he inquired, turning to face the woman.
"Give me a second," she replied, burying her face in the screen directly in front of her. An animated icon popped up on the main screen.
"How come you're not asking me?" the icon let out, an air of mock disappointment in its computer-generated voice. "I could have told you all the information you just received in half the time it took her to make your coffee."
"Georg…" The woman growled out, irritated that the computer was dismissing her work.
"Just before the Secret arrived, a naval battle took place near the coral plant between four Japanese ships and an Okinawa SDF battleship," the icon began, ignoring the woman. "Satellite sensors showed that there were people on the plant, and the Mark I subsequently emerged after the plant took fire from the Japanese ships."
"So, it was buried in the coral," thought the man. "How interesting."
"Judging from the way the Mark I has been engaging the Secret, whoever is piloting it is not very skilled at piloting IFO's," Georg continued. "However, as Rebecka noted, the Secret is a J-type, so the fact that whoever is piloting the Mark I is still alive is quite an accomplishment."
"That's Ms. Hallström, to you," Rebecka directed at Georg, her voice giving away her frustration.
"Sorry, Ms. Hallström," Georg said, his mechanical voice hinting at sarcasm. "Regardless, the Mark I has been showing signs of slowing down. Whoever is behind the controls is clearly becoming fatigued. Assuming current parameters, the Secret will destroy the Mark I and proceed to attempt a confluence explosion. My current calculations have this occurring with ten minutes."
"Thank you, Georg," Rebecka said, smacking the computer terminal next to her. Georg was disrupted by static, but remained on the screen.
"Ah! Ivica, stop her! Hitting the terminal leaves me feeling all scrambled!" Georg yelled, his voice a mixture of panic and amusement.
"That's 'Chief', to you, Georg!" Rebecka replied, smacking the terminal again, this time a bit harder. Georg vanished from the screen, returning the viewport to its original state.
"You really don't like that computer, do you?" Ivica quipped, taking a sip from his coffee cup.
"I don't understand why the newest software had to have a personality upgrade," Rebecka muttered, rubbing her temples with her fingertips. "I miss the days when he would provide the information and just go away. I don't need a computer with a superiority complex on this ship."
"Well, the decision to upgrade Georg was out of our control," Ivica sighed, setting his now empty coffee cup aside. "We should probably brief the girls, since we're almost done with reentry."
"Hold on, I'll pull them up," Rebecka replied, typing on the keyboard in front of her. The forward viewport transformed into a screen again, this time with two camera feeds. The one on the right showed a young girl with blonde hair, her pale blue eyes flashing in annoyance.
"Can we go yet?!" The girl growled, tilting her neck to the side to pop it. "We've been in these cockpits for the last hour!"
"We'll be in range in the next twenty minutes, Fleur," Rebecka responded, rolling her eyes at the girl's attitude. "Hey, Elena, pay attention!"
"Wha?!" the girl on the left screen exclaimed, her face illuminated by an unseen light source. "I'm listening!"
"Did you take your tablet with you, again?!" Fleur exclaimed, her face partially obscured by her helmet visor.
"I figured we'd be here a while, so, yeah, I brought it," Elena responded, matter-of-factly. "I didn't want to miss my show."
"Ugh, you and your shows!" Fleur groaned, her head falling forward in exasperation.
"Hey, at least I'm not spilling my guts all over the internet for all the boys to gawk at!" Elena replied, a smug look on her face.
"You might as well be, posting all your cosplay photos everywhere," Fleur retaliated, a smug look forming on her face to match Elena's.
"Can it!" Rebecka shouted, reining the two bickering teammates in. "It's time for the briefing."
"Where are we going?" Fleur asked, her face changing to a serious expression.
"Okinawa." Ivica stepped in, appearing in the corner of the camera feed the girls were receiving.
"No way!" Elena shouted, her eyes growing wide. "Are we going by Japan afterwards? Are we?!"
"Focus!" Rebecka yelled, trying to re-gain control. "We're here for a mission, not to vacation."
"Sorry..." Elena muttered, obviously crestfallen.
"Anyway, the contract with Okinawa is almost complete, so we can't launch yet. However, once approved, you are to destroy a J-Type Secret. It is within the vicinity of the coral plant, but is currently not engaging," Rebecka explained, sending images of the Secret to the two girls.
"Why hasn't the Secret attempted to fuse with the coral yet?" Fleur wondered, looking over the pictures.
"That's the catch. Satellite images have confirmed that the Mark I, codename "Nirvash", has reappeared after a ten year disappearance. Whoever is piloting it has led the Secret all over the region, including several smaller islands. While untrained, the pilot has yet to lead the Secret to the coral plant, and the Secret has made no attempt to disengage," Rebecka continued, pulling up the enhanced images to show the Nirvash.
"Wow, that's so cool!" Elena exclaimed. "Is it coming back with us?"
"If possible, we are to retrieve the Mark I. Destroying the Secret takes top priority," Ivica said, crossing his arms. "We'll let you know when it's time to launch. Be ready."
"Yes, sir," Fleur nodded, deactivating her camera feed.
"Kay kay!" Elena chirped, deactivating her camera feed as well.
Rebecka closed out the two active view-screens, returning the bridge to its original state. She then removed her headset, stretching her arms upward to relieve the crick in her neck. Walking around the back of the Captain's chair, she retrieved the empty coffee cup.
"I've got to let Blanc know that we found the Mark I," she said, before turning and leaving the bridge.
Ivica nodded in understanding, watching as the viewport was filled by the blue waters of the South China Sea. As he heard the door shut, Ivica returned to his seat, contemplating all of the information he had just received.
Ao slammed into the side of the Nirvash's chair, groaning in frustration and soreness. He had been trying to shake the monster that was following him for the past twenty minutes, to no avail. In a move that weighed heavily on his mind, he had made a sharp turn that flew the Nirvash over Iwato Jima, and the creature had attacked him with the same beam of light that destroyed the Japanese destroyer. While he had dodged the attack, the houses beneath him did not, and a small section of the island was in flames. Ao was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of crackling, indicating the creature was about to attack. Yanking the steering controls to the right, Ao sent the Nirvash into a downward turn, righting himself as the ground beneath him changed into water. Evading yet another beam of light, which crashed into the water below, Ao noticed two things. First, he had returned to where the whole chase started. Second, a small ship was leaving the scene, cutting through Japanese waters.
The Japanese patrol vessel Koshiki had received word of a disturbance in the waters off of Okinawa a couple hours ago. Were it not for a delay leaving port with a small fishing trawler, it would have arrived at the scene at least a half-hour earlier. When it did arrive, it was greeted with a sea of debris. After receiving an order to search for survivors, the crew of the Koshiki had deployed three smaller powerboats, leaving the patrol boat in Japanese waters in case of an attack. The powerboats returned with only one survivor, retrieved from a small rock that rose from the sea floor. He wore an outfit different from the normal navy uniform, and he was still in a state of shock. Upon reaching the patrol boat, he was received by the captain of the ship. The man claimed that he was a minister in the Imperial Japanese Military Cabinet. As the ship returned to Japan, the minister sat on the deck of the patrol vessel, a distant look on his face. However, unbeknownst to the crew, his mind was already formulating a plan. A plan that, if successful, would not only cement his legacy, but also take care of the Okinawan problem.
Ao cut the Nirvash into a steep dive, pulling up a few feet above the water. Without missing a beat, the creature behind him followed suit, firing off a smaller version of its beam of light. The laser narrowly missed the Nirvash, instead impacting the coral outcropping in front of the duo. The severed piece of coral fell into the sea, emitting a green trail that sheened across the water. "So, that's how trapar looks when it actually sits on water," Ao thought, watching as the trapar slick disappeared as quickly as it had formed. Ao looked back, trying to find the creature. During the chase, Ao had been knocked into the steering console, deactivating the shield that had surrounded the cockpit glass. In doing so, the canopy was revealed to be a panoramic canopy, offering a complete view of his surroundings. This had helped him immensely, both in that he was able to fly without wondering if he was going to slam into the side of a mountain, and that he could actually track the creature chasing him. The creature was still following him, rearranging the pieces that formed its arms back into their normal states after having fired the laser. "It has to move into position in order to attack like that." Ao wondered, looking at the triggers on the back of the steering console. "If I can turn this thing back around, I might be able to fight this thing."
Remembering that he had pushed the steering controls forward in order to turn into a jet, Ao pulled straight back on the console. Immediately, the Nirvash extended its arms, while the legs fully extended beneath it. Since the board was already attached to the machine's feet, the craft had no delay in transforming back to its original, humanoid shape. Looking at the console in front of him, Ao noticed a switch with a little gun icon above it. Flipping it, the Nirvash reached down its sides and grabbed two large machineguns that were attached at the hip.
"It's now or never!" Ao exclaimed. With that, he yanked the controls sharply to the right, turning the Nirvash to aim its guns at the chasing monster. Squeezing the triggers, the Nirvash opened fire on the creature. Shrieking, the monster moved its left arm-pod in front of the mass that served as its head, shielding it from the bullets. It then threw its right arm-pod forward, attempting to impale the attacking machine. Ao pulled back on the controls, letting off the triggers in order to try to deflect or somehow avoid the attack. The arm-pod of the creature slammed into the side of the Nirvash, just missing impaling the machine by inches. Swinging to its left, the monster threw the Nirvash into the main coral plant.
"No!" Ao yelled, trying to suppress the thought that he had failed from entering his mind. As he looked upwards, he saw the creature slowly descending and landing on the coral plant. Ao closed his eyes, not wanting to see what was next.
The blue and white vessel was still descending, having to deploy its wings in a slanted pattern in order to continue decreasing speed from having reentered the Earth's atmosphere. Rebecka was typing frantically on her computer, talking to someone on her headset.
"Is it finally done?!" she exclaimed, exasperated at the delays.
"Yes, the contract has just been sent to the UN," a voice replied on the other end of her call. "You have permission to launch. The Okinawan SDF hasn't been officially informed yet, so you might have some trouble if they catch you before they're notified of the agreement."
"We won't get caught," Rebecka stated, ending the conversation. Without missing a beat, she pulled up the camera feeds to the two girls in the cargo hold. 'Fleur, Elena, the Secret is beginning its assault on the coral plant. Scramble. Scramble immediately!"
"On it!" both girls chimed in unison, as the bottom of the ship opened to reveal two docking mechanisms. A blue machine was attached to the forward docking port. It was a dark blue color with black inlays, with four small rocket engines in the center of the body. Its arms were extended outward, curving at the elbow in a way to create wings. The shoulders of the humanoid machine were layered on top of the wings, with two large machinegun barrels at each end. The legs were folded beneath the body, attached to two long skis. Emitting the tell-tale green trail of activation, the craft waited for the dock to release.
"Fleur, you have permission to launch," Rebecka relayed to the pilot of the blue craft.
"Roger, this is the Alleluia, launching," Fleur responded, with an ease and experience that accompanied numerous launches.
The dock released, and the blue machine rocketed ahead of the larger vessel. The second docking pot maneuvered into position, carrying a red machine. Its armor was much thicker than the craft that had preceded it. Its cockpit was not in the center of the machine, as it was on the Alleluia. Instead, it was mounted above the main body, creating a dual-layer machine. The arms were stretched out the side, creating two wings that held massive machine cannons on each tip. The bottom of the craft was different, as there were no boards or skis attached. Instead, the legs of the machine folded upward into the main body. Reflective screens on the underside of the wings flashed, and green particles started flowing behind the craft, indicating activation.
"Elena, you have permission to launch," Rebecka relayed to the pilot.
"Roger that! Kyrie, the fearsome terror of the skies, the vanquisher of Secrets, th-Ah!" Elena gushed, before the docking ports holding it to the main vessel released it, dropping it like a stone. The Kyrie fell a few feet before recovering, slowly returning to cruising altitude. "Hey, you didn't need to do that!" She yelled, recovering from the shock of being dropped.
"What have I told you, idiot? Stop announcing your sorties like an anime," Fleur said, rolling her eyes at her friend's foolishness.
"It's much more exciting than your boring 'Roger, launching' declaration," Elena replied, catching up to the Alleluia.
"What part of the word 'scramble' did you girls miss?!" Ivica yelled over the intercom. "The Secret is standing on the coral plant as we speak!"
"Ah! Sorry!" both girls yelped, immediately accelerating their machines as fast as they could go, racing to the battlefield.
Ao opened his eyes to see the creature standing above him. Instead of attacking to finish him off, however, it was twisting its head, if it could be called that, as if trying to find him. Ao took the moment to take a good look at the nightmare that had been chasing him. Up close, it was massive, at least one and a half times taller than the Nirvash. No part of its body was connected, instead forming arms that were separated from the main body, as if by an invisible rope. These pods were a sleek black, with purple inlays that outlined its fearsome shape. Its head held a diamond shape, with the purple line bisecting it in a V-shape, as looking through a visor. Without warning, the creature lifted off the coral plant, splitting its arm-pods open. Small lasers started shooting out, blasting small holes in the coral around Ao. Ao tried to move the Nirvash, but quickly saw that he was stuck, the arms of the machine were embedded in the coral. Looking back up, he saw the creature was lifting up higher, pulling its arms apart. As electricity started arcing between them, Ao realized that he could not dodge this.
"No, it's not supposed to be like this!" he thought, as he gripped the controls until his knuckles turned white. Closing his eyes, he tried to think of a plan, but nothing came to mind.
"Look to your left."
Snapping his eyes open, he saw a slip of paper sticking out of the corner of a compartment to his left. Reaching for the latch, he opened it with trembling fingers. There was nothing inside, nothing but a picture. Ao picked up the picture, and immediately his eyes filled with tears. It was a young woman, with brown hair that appeared to be dyed, because small traces of blue were showing beneath it. She was wearing a dark blue shirt and white pants, holding a baby. Her eyes were a vibrant purple color, and her face held a smile that was undoubtedly genuine. Ao wiped his eyes dry, holding the picture close to his heart. "I can't die here," he thought, finding his resolve.
"I'm going to find you. I won't stop looking until I do. Nothing's gonna stop me. Nothing!" Ao shouted, placing the picture in his shirt pocket and grabbing the controls. "Help me, Nirvash!"
Suddenly, the creature above him exploded. Snapping his neck upward, Ao watched as bullets peppered the smoke cloud that obscured the creature. Confused, Ao watched the scene unfold before him.
"Woo-hoo, got him!" Elena yelled out, her machine landing on a chunk of coral a few meters away.
"Nice shot!" Fleur responded, holding down the triggers on her console.
"You might wanna get out of the way, ya know?" Elena warned Fleur, flipping several switches next to her armrest. The machine's legs deployed beneath it, and two support legs deployed as well, anchoring her to the coral. "I'm gonna do my best to miss you, but no promises!"
"Don't worry about me," Fleur countered, pulling back on her console to transform her machine into its humanoid form. "Watch out for the Mark I, though. We're supposed to bring it back with us."
"Don't worry, I won't hit it," Elena replied, activating her targeting software. The Secret appeared, shaken from the cannon shots that had caught it off guard. The targeting reticule clicked red, indicating a target lock. "Taste this!"
Squeezing the trigger, two pods behind the cockpit popped open, and several missiles launched from each pod, arcing across the sky as it raced towards the Secret. A couple curved off course and passed just in front of the Alleluia before curving back towards the Secret. Fleur watched as the missiles hit the Secret, blasting pieces of its arm-pods all over the area. Shrieking, the creature split apart, before being engulfed in a massive explosion. Three missiles arrived slower than the others, and, losing their primary target, fell towards the coral, detonating around the Mark I.
"I told you not to hit the Mark I!" Fleur yelled, turning to face Elena. Hearing splashes, Fleur turned back to see the Mark I rising into the air, its humanoid form unscathed from the explosions.
"I didn't hit it," Elena quipped, feeling proud of her accuracy.
Rolling her eyes, Fleur activated her intercom, addressing the gray machine in front of her. "Unidentified pilot, this is Fleur Blanc, head pilot of Team Pied Piper for the United Nations group Generation Bleu. Please direct your craft to follow me back to the Assault Carrier Triton."
Ao watched as the missiles impacted the creature above him. Shrieking, the monster split into several pieces before exploding in a fireball. Ao lifted up his arm to shield his eyes from the light, removing his arm only to see three missiles heading straight for him. The missiles hit just above him, blasting the coral trapping the Nirvash into the sea. Realizing he was free, Ao pushed forward on the controls, lifting the humanoid machine into the air. Before him were two more humanoid machines, one a magenta color, the other a dark blue. Suddenly, a voice rang out.
"Unidentified pilot, this is Fleur Blanc, head pilot of Team Pied Piper for the United Nations group Generation Bleu. Please direct your craft to follow me back to the Assault Carrier Triton."
Ao surveyed the situation. He noticed the magenta machine was closing two missile ports, and both craft were armed with high-powered cannons. "They definitely mean business," he thought. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the picture of his mother. "Knowing them, they'll probably just take this machine as a weapon and leave me here." Ao placed the picture back in his pocket, careful not to wrinkle it. Looking at the canopy in front of him, Ao saw a large ship pull into the area, a blue and white craft that dwarfed the Nirvash.
'Unidentified pilot, follow us back to the Triton."
A look of determination on his face, Ao pulled back on his console, converting the Nirvash into its jet form. "You're not taking him from me," he thought, defiantly. Turning the controls, the Nirvash rocketed away from the two machines.
Fleur sat at a near hover, waiting for the gray machine in front of her to start moving towards her. She took the time to take a close look at the so-called "Mark I." It was grey and black, with green scattered in several areas. It had a head, which confused her, since all the IFO's she had seen before were without that. Its green eyes stared at her, unblinking, creeping her out. A voice jolted her from her thoughts.
"Uh, it's not moving," Elena said, her face popping up on her communications feed.
"I see that, Elena," Fleur replied, flustered. "Who does this pilot think he is, ignoring me?" Activating her intercom, she addressed the machine again, her voice taking a sterner tone. "Unidentified pilot, follow us back to the Triton."
Fleur deactivated her intercom as Rebecka appeared on her communications feed.
"What's the hold-up?" Rebecka inquired, looking as stern as usual.
"The pilot has not responded to my calls," Fleur responded, starting to get frustrated. "What abo-"
She was cut off by the gray machine in question transformed into a jet, which immediately took off in the opposite direction.
"Fleur, pursue the Mark I! Don't let it escape!" Rebecka exclaimed.
"On it!" Fleur yelled, pushing her console forward to convert her Alleluia into its jet form. Once complete, she took off after the fleeing machine.
TO BE CONTINUED…