Everyone gathered around the entrance to the wasteland to get a look at the Liberator. It really was a magnificent sight. I kind of wished they could get to see what the interior looked like, but Kaiba strictly forbade anyone other than me have access to the cockpit. The turn of events that led us to this point were completely out of nowhere, but I was feeling more certain of our chances at victory than ever. Though I never doubted Kaiba's ability to lead us to his promised vision, after the leaps and bounds we were making...it was more than a vision. It was becoming a reality. Last night's raid was only the beginning.
"Quite the mechanical marvel," Kaiba said, approaching from behind, "It was never part of my plans to acquire this hardware, but it's a pleasant surprise nonetheless."
"I'm glad you like it," I smiled, "I'm just surprised that they let me bring it back here."
"I'm not," Kaiba replied, folding his arms and gazing upwards at the machine, "They probably did it so they could learn the exact location of our base of operations by tracking it. That's why we're keeping it near the wasteland. Not to mention that the machine itself, as I understand it, can be deactivated remotely at any time."
"Ah-...I...I didn't even think of that..." I mumbled, feeling ashamed of my stupidity.
"Not to worry, Shirley. You should know that I'm always one step ahead," Kaiba said, placing his hand on my shoulder, "I would like to know what happened after you disappeared, though. Do you mind illuminating me?"
"Ms. Anderson. Glad you came. Are you ready to depart?" Melissa asked me.
"Depart? Wait, where are you taking me? What's this about?" I asked.
"It'll all be clear soon. If you're not up for it, we can simply return you to your friends. I have a feeling you'll be interested, though," she smirked, "Any red-blooded American such as yourself would be thrilled for this kind of opportunity."
"...Alright," I agreed.
"Good. Now, stay still and brace yourself. This feels a little weird the first few times," she informed me, pulling a device out of her coat and tapping a button. In an instant, my vision whited out and I felt myself being pulled somewhere - a forceful feeling I had never experienced. Before I even had time to process it all, Melissa told me to open my eyes. I didn't even realize I had them closed until she said that.
"Welcome, Miss Anderson!" Archie exclaimed, "So good of you to join us!"
"Wha...where..." I stammered, looking around at the pure white metal walls all around us. I was standing on some kind of circular platform in a small room. There was a single doorway leading out of it, and it was in that doorway that Archie was waiting for us.
"You are the first person to board the USS Liberty since its departure on its maiden voyage!" he added, "You're so lucky, you don't even know!"
"...You're the one I talked to on the radio?" I asked him.
"Indeed, I am. Doctor Archimedes Dawson, at your service!" he bowed, theatrically, "But please, just call me Archie. Oh, and the fine lady who brought you here is Melissa."
"Archie? Melissa? And you're from...America?"
"We brought you here for a very special reason, Ms. Anderson," Melissa replied, "To fight for your country, just as your parents did."
"Minus the whole KIA business, with any luck," Archie added.
"Archimedes..." Melissa growled.
"Ehehe. Let's get down to business, shall we?" he continued, turning around and leading us out of the room we were in. When we passed through the doorway, we were taken into a large laboratory that seemed as big as an entire building. It was hard to believe that this was aboard a mobile vessel. They had multiple screens covering one of the walls with surveillance footage of the entire city, including the correctional facility. Dozens of scientists were manning different stations, while others seemed to be simply observing. The various consoles and machines that took up much of the room seemed so complex that I couldn't even begin to guess what they were for. Archie saw my awe while we were following, and he decided to comment.
"If you're taken aback by this, I can't wait to see your expression when we actually show you what you're here for!" he cheered. After passing through that large room, we ended up in a smaller, darker room, ableit it with a higher ceiling. It was similar the first room I found myself in. In front of us at the back wall was some kind of mechanical scaffolding and a single box on the ground, so I couldn't really tell what it was supposed to be, but Archie didn't hesitate to show me what I was looking at.
"Alright, Miss Anderson. All I need you to do is follow Melissa over to that cockpit," he told me, "Ah, that's the box you see on the ground there."
"Cockpit? This thing is...some kind of vehicle?" I asked.
"All will be clear, soon enough!" he chuckled. Without much else to go on, I simply followed instructions - heading over with Melissa and going inside of the box. It was pretty spacious, despite how it looked on the outside. It has a seat that ejected outward and allowed me to slide in. Inside were a bunch of screens, and even what looked like a Duel Disk in front of me. She handed me a key before I was closed in there and told me where to put it. Not only that, but she handed me a Duel Monster card as well.
"AL-47 Liberator" - that was the name of the monster. It was a Machine-type with 3500 ATK and DEF. It's effect seemed to be based around keeping it on the field no matter what.
"Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. This card can only be Special Summoned (from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard) by its own effect. Once per turn, if this card is not on the field, Special Summon this card. This card cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects. Negate the effects of Spells, Traps, and Monster Effects that remove this card from the field or change control of it. This card cannot be tributed or used as a Synchro, Xyz, or Fusion Material Monster, except for the Summon of a "Liberator" monster. This card is also treated as Dragon-type."
"Now, Miss Anderson. All I need you to do is put the key into the center console, then Summon that monster there," Archie instructed me, "That key is synchronized to your biometrics. That ensures that even if someone gets ahold of it, it won't do them any good."
"How exactly did you get your hands on this Duel Monster? I've never seen it before..." I asked.
"That's not important right now, Miss Anderson. We're on the verge of testing this new machine!" Archie sighed, "I implore you, please continue with the procedure."
I figured I could get answers later, as much as I wanted to know. Without asking any further, I continued. As soon as I followed his instructions, I felt the cockpit I was in start moving. It felt like I was being raised up, and before I knew it, I had a visual on the screen in front of me. I had a large field of view, showing that I was now towering over Melissa and Archie. Just as I was about to reach for the controls, my DMI activated. It was recognizing the entire machine as a Duel Monster.
"It may take some time to get used to controlling her, but I'm sure with time-" Archie stopped. I began moving in the machine as if it were my own body. With the DMI working in tandem with the machine, I was able to fluidly control the machine like an extension of my own body.
"Ah-haaa..." Archie purred, happily, "Melissa...I think we might be able to send our new pilot out sooner than anticipated..."
"I see..." Kaiba responded, taking it all in.
"How about you guys? Did everything go according to plan after you guys made it out?" I asked.
"Not entirely, but it was within expected parameters," he told me.
"And...our losses?" I pressed.
"We'll be holding a service tomorrow night. For the ones whose bodies didn't make it, their personal effects will be sealed and buried instead," he assured me, "Most importantly, their sacrifice wasn't in vain. This strike has proven to the Dominion that they aren't safe anymore - and that we aren't playing around."
"Yes, Kaiba," I smiled, satisfied, "And what about Yuki and Daisuke? How did they end up a part of this?"
"I haven't had the chance to speak with either of them, yet," he explained, briefly.
"You haven't spoken to them since last night?"
"I personally directed the recovery team that retrieved decks and bodies from the correctional facility," he explained further, "I just got back, not long ago."
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"It's alright, Shirley," he said, with a small chuckle.
"R-Right..." I chuckled back.
"Let me know once the gantry is finished, okay?" Kaiba asked of me, "Yuki wanted to have a talk with me, and I need to see to our newly acquired...'personnel.'"
I wanted very badly to ask Kaiba about that girl we found, but it seemed as if no one had even seen her since we all returned. I had a feeling, somewhere deep down, that Kaiba didn't want to talk about it. Not yet, anyway. That could've been just me imagining things...but I was a little afraid, too.
As I was taking the lift up to the penthouse, I contemplated all that had happened recently. Centuries of preparation...myriad sacrifices of both my own and my men...so much was still yet to come. As much as it the thought pained me, my next phase would force enormous suffering on my comrades. If everything was to go smoothly, it must be done. I had already cast aside my family, friends, and pride. So many had suffered and so many had died, that to stop now would be to nullify the meaning of their struggles.
"There you are. Took you long enough," Yuki sighed, as the elevator doors opened. She was sitting on the couch near the window, a stern look on her face.
"Apologies," I responded, walking out of the elevator and into the penthouse, "Now, do you mind explaining what you were doing at the facility?"
"There's a lot more I need to talk to you about before I can even start to explain," she told me. I glanced at the clock on the wall, gauging my time frame. Before I could comment, she interrupted.
"I don't care if you have something else to do. This is more important," she said, forcefully. I was a bit thrown off by her change in attitude. Not that it was necessarily unpleasant, but she used to be so servile. Her questioning of me during the operation was odd enough, but this...
"I must say, you're being awfully assertive lately," I mentioned, removing my helmet and sitting down across from her in my swivel chair, "I expect that whatever it is you need to speak to me so urgently about will explain this change in behavior, so...the floor is yours."
"First of all, I want to make one thing clear right now," she began, starting off strong, "I found my reason for fighting with you."
"Did you, now?"
"My reason is to make sure you don't go too far," she revealed, "For example, brainwashing families in order to keep your members covered."
"...I see," I responded, catching her drift, "So, you would have rather built a web of lies and excuses to cover your activities, then? How is that any more ethical?"
"Because I'll be responsible for my actions. My mom should at least have the free will to worry about me when I'm gone," Yuki argued, very convincingly I might add, "I sealed away Viviana's powers because she stole your free will the same way you did to my mom. I'll accept that sometimes, in some situations, it can't be helped - but we should always try to find another way."
I couldn't respond honestly to her at that moment. To be perfectly frank, her new outlook was...problematic. I was trying not to see it that way, though.
"...You offer a fair point. I apologize for overstepping with my own agenda," I told her, "But I would like to ask you something in return, if I may."'
"Fine," she agreed.
"Do you expect our enemies to play by the same rules you set for us?" I questioned her.
"No," she replied, immediately, "But if we stoop to the same lows that they do, will winning the war even be worth it?"
"Yes," I replied just as quickly, standing up at the same time, "Perhaps it's because you haven't had to personally witness the deaths of innumerable allies at the hands of our enemies, but you don't seem to understand what a war is, Yuki. It isn't fair. It isn't pretty. Nobody wins. Ever."
"Then why? Why are you even participating if you know that better than anyone?"
"Because somebody must. The Dominion cannot continue to exist, so I will take it upon myself to thrust the sins of war upon my shoulders. If this generation must suffer so that the next can be better off, then so be it. But things cannot stay as they are."
"Even if no one ever wins?"
"Yes," I finished, "I want you to understand, Yuki. I have no misgivings about what I'm doing, but I won't stop now. In the shadow of a mountain of corpses, surrounded by a river of blood, I will create an oasis of peace."
"...I wish you could hear yourself the way I hear you, right now," Yuki replied, a disheartened look on her face, "I was afraid that this was how you really were..."
"I'm not asking you to applaud my efforts, or even agree with my methods. But can you truly not understand?"
"I understand, Yusuke. And after seeing what the Dominion is really like...I can't say I want everything to stay the same," Yuki conceded, "I want us to win, and I want to see your dream become a reality. But if that means that we become a greater evil than the Dominion in the process, then it's not worth it."
"...Then it seems we're at an impasse..." I sighed, sitting back down, "I understand your concerns, Yuki. I think your opinion on the way we should wage this war is...admirable. Impractical, but admirable. So, we're left with the question: What will you do now?"
"I'm staying by your side, just like I promised. I chose to fight for the Rebellion and I won't run away now," Yuki confirmed, "But...if your plans involve the kind of evils that the Dominion commits...expect resistance."
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a warning," she boldly proclaimed.
"What makes you think you can defeat me?"
"How about this?" she asked, her eyes suddenly glowing a brilliant gold. As soon as I saw this, I attempted to avert my gaze - but it was too late.
"Yusuke - answer me. What's more important. The people of the world, or winning the war?" she commanded. It was as if my mind was locked away from interfering with my body, and I answered against my own will. This was the first time I had felt so powerless in a very long time - and it was...unpleasant.
"...Winning the war," I answered, as if my soul itself was speaking.
Yuki's eyes changed back to normal, and I once again regained control of myself. I could only stare at her in utter disbelief at what I had just witnessed.
"I still have the power I borrowed from you, you know? You can't affect me with your power, but I can affect you with your own," she said, her tone somewhat saddened, "I could've done what Viviana chose to do and completely changed your approach. Even though I knew that after this one time, you'd probably never make direct eye contact with me again, and that would've been my only chance - I chose to believe in you."
"...Believe in me, huh..." I murmured, enraptured by her decisive blow.
"I believe that you have the power to make this miracle of yours happen without becoming a greater evil than the Dominion," she confessed. After all that, I could only start laughing. At first, it was a soft chuckle, but it erupted into a boisterous howl before long. I had to catch my breath I was so taken aback.
"Ah...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to be disrespectful..." I sighed, catching my breath, "You really are one of a kind, Yuki."
"Whether or not you take anything I said seriously, just let me know that you heard me," she replied, nonplussed by my laughter.
"I heard you - loud and clear," I smiled, finally realizing what exactly I had gotten my hands on, "To think the young girl I recruited on a whim would show this kind of potential..."
"Yusuke?"
"Sorry...I'm just very pleased with your resolve, Yuki," I expressed, "I'll be interested to see if I can meet your expectations."