A/N - (UPDATE 5/29/2018) I realized that I made Eureka a bit too angsty in this particular chapter so I took the liberty of toning the melodrama down whilst maintaining some of the core bones of the chapter. Enjoy this revision, folks

–

3/5/12020 – Audio Transcript: Amber and Eureka

–

Alrighty, so I found this here old tape recorder lying around the garage, a mic, notebook, extra pencils… all set, I guess. Time to test this puppy out…

–

–

[START RECORDING]

–

Amber: *garbles*… shit, is this thing on? *tap tap* Testing, one, two, three. Testing, one, two, three…. *sigh* okay, cool.

[Amber's footsteps quickly thud on the steps as she heads downstairs]

Amber: Hey, mom, busy right now?

Eureka: No, I just finished cleaning up shop. What's up?

Amber: Can I borrow you for a moment? I need to interview some people for this essay I gotta do for World History.

Eureka: Um… sure. Is that tape recorder working?

Amber: I'm using it as we speak.

Eureka: Oh, good. So, what's your essay about?

Amber: The South Aires Incident. Y'know, the one Uncle Dom and Aunt Anemone fought in?

Eureka: Oh, that…

Amber: So… um… did you feel anything when the Secret arrived?

Eureka: *sighs* It's a long time ago…

Amber: Uh, that's fine… try to remember…

Eureka: I don't know… I mean, South Aires is far from Bellforest and Ciudades del Cielo so I can't tell. Besides, we're not military and your father and I don't go out looking for battles.

Amber: But didn't this Secret thing attack people? It annihilated a city, for crying out loud.

Eureka: Baby, it's not our responsibility to protect the Republic all the time. People like Dominic, Anemone, and Generation Bleu fight those battles for us. Besides, I have a family to raise to look out for and I couldn't leave my kids behind.

Amber: Weren't Maurice, Maeter, and Linck with you guys on Gekkostate?

Eureka: The Federation days were different. That was wartime. Your father and I fought in those wars to end them. To make sure nothing like that ever happened to the people we cared for.

Amber: But what happened in South Aires was a war… why the hell didn't you guys fight!? I mean, come on, you two are like are the heroes of the world!

Eureka: THAT'S ENOUGH!

Amber: …

[One of the chairs off the dining table begin to scrape as Eureka pulls herself one to sit on]

Eureka: *sighs* You really think things would be better for everyone here if your father and I left you behind to fight that thing?

Amber: I mean… maybe, but…

Eureka: BUT… that means there would be a chance you and your siblings won't ever see me and your father again. And you know Gramps is getting too frail to even take care of himself. What if he's gone as well? Your older brothers are still in college and they don't even have scholarships like Maeter to help them through student loans. You think you'd want that?

Amber: …

Eureka: Amber, when you become a parent, you'll eventually realize is that you have to make some sacrifices to keep your family together and your kids safe. When South Aires happened, your dad and I both decided that it was best to stay here and keep put because it would've been better than losing ourselves and leaving you all alone. Remember what I told you about your grandfather Adroc?

Amber: Um…

Eureka: He disappeared when he tried to save my life many years ago. And for a long time, your dad and I lived without a father. To say it was difficult for the both of us would be an understatement. And besides, fighting just isn't a part of our lives anymore.

Amber: But what about Gekkostate, mom? Don't you miss those times?

Eureka: I do… but I miss the people there more than I miss the fighting. If anything, I was dragged into it just like your father. After we met and got together for a while, I realized that… fighting just wasn't for me. I just couldn't see myself living the rest of my life shooting down mechs from the sky and making families miss their loved ones. I've already held onto that guilt for long enough. And after your father and I got married, and I got pregnant with you… it was time for me to call it quits.

Amber: …

Eureka: So, there you have it. Now you know why we didn't fight on that day.

Amber: … I'm sorry.

Eureka: It's okay… just don't be blunt like last time. Come on, why don't you help me with setting up the table.

–

[END RECORDING]

–

–

Goddamn it all.

I still don't understand… she and dad fought to protect my older siblings in the old Federation days, then they quit fighting altogether?

Ugh, I dunno. Maybe mom's right… I mean, the Human-Coralian War was a pretty messed up time. But aren't things different now? She said it herself: there's Generation Bleu, but what if they're not enough? What if they come back stronger than ever?

Man, I don't even know. Guess it beats whatever mom, dad, Maurice, Linck, and Maeter had to go through all those years ago.

Still, Dominic and Anemone are coming in a couple of days, so I need to prepare a list of questions when they come over. Hopefully I won't drive Anemone mad… she's nice, but she's got a bad temper. Maybe worse than mom's. Dominic's got balls for marrying that woman…

And, uh, aw crap. Lily's coming too. She's nice to Ao, but she hates me. Like, for some reason, I'm the exception to her circle of friendship… she gives everyone hugs but leaves me hanging with a stank face. And she calls me idiot. How nice. Still, very book-smart kid like Ao. Even likes playing that Dungeons and Dragons game he and his dork friends play. Guess I'm not "smart enough" to play with the "cool kids."

Damn it… long day. Guess I'm gonna call it a night.

–