Prologue

Deafening silence hung over the Cafe Springfield that fateful afternoon.

M14 and the rest of the dolls gathered there watched with bated breaths as Super Shorty knelt down beside the collapsed Commander Gentiane.

A wall of three of Super Shorty's armed dummies formed a perimeter between the ailing Commander and the nervous crowd while a fourth dummy rushed to the scene with a first aid kit in one hand and a folding gurney in the other.

Shorty herself, on the other hand, focused on giving Gentiane emergency care and diagnosing just what in the world happened to her.

The petite shotgun doll went through the motions of first aid as the grandfather clock of the cafe ominously ticked seconds away. Her blue eyes then noticed the lit cigarette that had fallen off from Gentiane's lips and the situation finally became absolutely clear to her.

Shorty quickly rifled through the first aid kit and picked out a small brown bottle of a peculiar serum and a medicine dropper. She let a few drops of serum fall between Gentiane's pale, open lips. Then, the Commander coughed raspily and broke the silence in the cafe.

It was just the reaction that Shorty had been hoping for.

She brought the rest of the small serum bottle over to Gentiane's lips and carefully coaxed her to gulp it all down. Gentiane's breathing, although labored at first, eventually returned to normal.

Super Shorty then gave silent, electronic instructions to her fourth dummy and the dummy complied. The dummy packed up the first aid kit, deployed the folding gurney and started carting Commander Gentiane out of the Cafe - escorted by one of the armed dummies who broke away from the wall.

The adjutant adjusted her police cap, faced the crowd with a bitter scowl and then picked up the spent cigarette as she demanded,

"Tell me… which one of you fuckers did this!?"

Shorty's seething accusation, filled with hellfire and brimstone, rattled M14 to the core.

How could this have happened? Who would want to harm Commander Gentiane? Why would they want to harm her?

M14 had her reservations about Gentiane extending the investigation, but she never thought that anyone would target her for trying to find out the truth about the Tasteless Incident.

More than that, dolls are programmed to obey the basic rules of robotics. They are equipped with inhibitors that prevent them from even considering harming an allied doll - let alone a human being.

After the Tasteless Incident, however, M14 wondered if she was naive to still think that way.

As she was still lost in her thoughts, M14's golden brown eyes wandered and turned towards the bar counter of the cafe. Her eyes found WA2000, clad in the maid attire that had been re-tailored just for her that afternoon.

Then, M14's neural cloud started to swirl with rage.

M14's mechanical heart throbbed as waves of emotions that had been reawakened by the recording of FNC's thoughts were set ablaze like synthetic blood and oil. It was like a power surge that coursed through the hardware of her endoskeleton and overwhelmed her processors with raw, human emotion.

The drafted maid's name escaped her lips,

"Wa...wa…"

WA2000.

Wasn't she the one who served Commander Gentiane that afternoon? Wasn't she the one who served the tainted cigarettes?

Spurred by this realization, M14's body seemed to move on its own. She reached for her namesake rifle that she had kept by her seat and then crossed through the middle of the room.

Super Shorty's dummies sensed the aggression swelling in M14's mechanical heart and held their weapons at the ready. However, M14 paid the dummies no heed and passed them by as if they didn't exist.

All M14 could see was the crestfallen figure of WA2000 who realized that the twin-tailed doll was heading her way.

M14 closed the distance and gritted her teeth with disdain. She then lunged forward and shoved WA with the butt of her rifle, landing a solid hit on her former superior.

The strike knocked the dumbstruck WA off of her feet and she fell down on all fours on the wooden floor of the cafe. Before WA could even right herself or raise her head, M14 pressed the barrel of her rifle against the back of WA's neck - the spot that held the thin armor plate protecting WA's unique core.

M14 then pushed her rifle down on the back of WA's neck and accused,

"WA. You were the one who served Commander Gentiane this afternoon. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't pull the trigger and wipe you from the face of this earth!"

WA cowered where she knelt as she felt the cold steel of M14's barrel on her neck. The disgraced lieutenant stammered, begging M14 to listen to her. However, M14's patience had already run thin a long, long time ago.

M14 pushed down on WA's neck harder and roared,

"I've had enough of your bullshit! I should have killed you and Springfield when I had the chance! If I did, none of this would have happened!"

Seeing the flames of M14's fury firsthand, Super Shorty's own rage was dwarfed and grew cold in an instant. Her emotional burst of anger sparked that outrage, so she went after M14 to try and calm her down.

However, Shorty was beaten to the punch by the calm and commanding voice of Lee-Enfield.

"Lower your weapon, Miss M14."

The tall, regal Vice Warden walked over to M14's side and gently coaxed her to point the rifle away from WA's neck. She then moved to separate M14 from WA and chastised the auxiliary,

"This is not behaviour befitting of a peace officer, Miss M14."

M14 stubbornly gripped her rifle and argued,

"I don't care, Miss Lee! WA is clearly the one who gave Gentiane the cigarettes. She's the enemy... and she's here on her knees!"

Lee Enfield closed her eyes and continued with a diplomatic tone,

"That may be the case, but we are a provisional Military Police unit who serve at the pleasure of Griffon & Kryuger. We have been provided powers - but we also have responsibilities and procedures. Miss Walther must be questioned, of course, but this is not the place or time. So please. Kindly stand down and let us handle this."

M14 forced herself to steady her breath. She then begrudgingly flipped on the safety of her rifle and stepped aside as ordered.

Lee Enfield gave M14 a thankful nod before she turned around and addressed the troubled crowd,

"The poisoning of Commander Gentiane has left her unable to fulfill her duty as the interim officer of Station 56586. This incident will be treated as an assassination attempt and all necessary actions will be done to bring the assassins and their collaborators to justice. As such, PPK-sama will be taking over for Commander Gentiane until she is nursed back to health."

"Miss PPK will what…!?"

Super Shorty shot back with disbelief. She fearlessly approached the taller Lee, placed her hand over her modest chest and insisted,

"In case you've forgotten - I'm Commander Gentiane's adjutant here! What makes you think you have the right to just take control of the base like this!?"

Lee Enfield looked down on Super Shorty and flatly responded,

"I expect you to do so because you have no choice in the matter, Miss Super Shorty."

"What…!?" Shorty gasped.

Lee Enfield brought out her tablet device and brought up files from her documents as she explained,

"The bylaws of G&K regarding chain of command are clear. While you are indeed Commander Gentiane's adjutant du jure, Station 56586 is under lockdown and under the care of the provisional Military Police. That means that PPK-sama's rank is superior to all but Commander Gentiane herself in this base - and that includes you, Miss Super Shorty."

PPK now emerged from the crowd and joined the Vice Warden before Super Shorty. She then wore a haughty smirk as she rationalized,

"Miss Super Shorty - you are a dutiful doll, no? Surely, you understand what it is at stake here. First it was Commander Elias. Now, they're going after Commander Gentiane. This cycle of death and deception has to stop - so we need to work together. We're on the same team, aren't we?"

Super Shorty defiantly questioned,

"What in the world are you planning to do, PPK?"

The domineering, gothic lolita doll ran a hand through her long, flaxen hair and proudly replied,

"I'm doing what needs to be done. For the glory of Griffon!"

As PPK's hair spread out gracefully through the air behind her, she extended her hand to the side and barked the first of her orders,

"Militärpolizei! Arrest the rogue dolls this instant!"

At her command, Mosin Nagant, M2HB and the entire foreign contingent of Military Police mobilized. They picked up their weapons and surrounded the unarmed rogue dolls that were in attendance - G36, Ribeyrolles, Suomi, AUG and WA2000.

It all happened so quickly, so much so that M14 was surprised. It was almost as if the foreign MPs had been prepared to do something like this all along.

M14 watched as her foreign colleagues pointed their weapons at the unarmed rogues. The rogues were forced to raise up their hands and surrender to the overwhelming force. The armless Ribeyrolles, on the other hand, powerlessly sank into her seat and lowered her head in defeat.

PPK then turned towards M14 and gave her next command,

"Auxiliaries. Chain up the rogues again and then throw them into the brig for questioning. Everyone else, prepare to round up the other dolls of this station and sweep the base for evidence. They may still be collaborators hiding in the shadows."

M14 reached into the pocket of her jacket and took out the handcuffs as she had been told. However, those reinforced bands of steel felt unusually cold in her trembling hands.

For the first time since the Tasteless Incident, the fear in M14's heart was stronger than her resolve.

Negev, however, laid a hand on M14's shoulder.

"Come on now, M14. You heard our orders…"

The pink-haired Israeli squeezed M14's shoulder, urging her to do as they had been told.

While the organized, almost theatrical chaos unfolded in the cafe, Super Shorty faced PPK again and emphasized,

"I don't agree with your methods, PPK - but you are in charge of this Station, so I cannot argue against it. However - I want to make two things absolutely clear."

"And what are those, Miss Shorty?" PPK asked with a patronizing tone.

"First - if you step beyond the lines of our laws, your authority will be null and void." Shorty threatened, glaring into the haughty PPK's eyes, "And secondly… I'm in charge of taking care of Commander Gentiane and I do not want anyone - ANYONE - to get in my way. Got it?"

"But of course." PPK answered with a cryptic smile, "We are in agreement, then."

As Shorty and PPK were about to end their argument, however, M14 heard an unusual scamper of metallic steps coming from above. M14 raised her eyes up to the exposed ventilation shaft and found the faint shimmer of red light coming from the grills.

PPK saw the faint red light too and the haughty expression on her face melted away in an instant, replaced by stark fear. After all, she knew what that light was.

The Warden whipped out her namesake handgun, pointed at the ventilation grills and screamed in panic,

"Dinergate! Dinergate über uns!"

PPK then started shooting at the grills and the faint red light disappeared, followed by the frantic scramble of metallic steps. The Warden emptied her magazine and roared furiously at her wards as she loaded a fresh magazine,

"Schießen! Schießen, du hexe! It's going to get away!"

At that command, the MPs aimed their weapons at the vents and opened fire.

Inside the ventilation shaft, a lone Dinergate scout drone galloped as quickly as its four legs could take it. Bullets started piercing through the metal vent and whizzed past the dinergate as it zig-zagged through the vents.

The nimble scout drone kept its camera-like retina trained forward as it navigated through the tight and dark spaces of the vent. As it reached one end of the vents, the Dinergate located a small, damaged section of the wall that had been forgotten during the renovation of the Cafe Springfield.

The Dinergate squeezed through the damaged section of wall and found an old lead downspout pipe - one of the many pipes that remained from the base's days as a Belarussian prison.

Without a second thought, the scout drone slipped into the downspout pipe and descended through a rickety labyrinth with a myriad of twists and turns. Then, the momentum launched the dinergate out the other end of the pipe and into murky, brackish waters.

The Dinergate found its bearings, crawled out of the slow-moving river of wastewater and stepped onto the poured concrete pathway that ran alongside the sludge. It shook the wastewater off its body like a dog would and then scanned its surroundings to plan its escape.

This was the old, underground sewer system that ran beneath the former Belarussian prison complex. Aged red bricks lined the wall along with a chaotic network of old lead and new plastic pipes.

So, the Dinergate followed the flowing sewage and tried to find its way towards the exit.

However, the Dinergate heard a pair of footsteps in the distance that echoed in the pipe-lined labyrinth. The drone laid low and crept beneath one of the plastic pipes as it focused its retina on the source of the sound.

Far ahead in the distance, the Dinergate spotted two dummies: one of Mosin Nagant and another of M2HB. At first, the drone seemed to consider turning around to find another way.

Surprisingly, the Dinergate noticed that the dummies were unhurried. They had their weapons with them, of course, but the dummies were busy carrying a peculiar device into the sewer.

The dummies set down the device a stone's throw away from the Dinergate's hiding spot. It overheard what seemed like a flurry of keystrokes followed by an affirmative beep.

The Dinergate then watched as the Mosin Nagant dummy pressed on her earpiece and reported,

"The device is in place, PPK-sama. We may begin the operation."

Moments later, the Dinergate's red retina dimmed and the scout drone fell dormant.


Unsavory

Seventh Entry: Death Sentence


Early Afternoon

Administrative Wing

Interrogation Room

"Oy, oy! Let go of me! I didn't do it! I didn't do anything wrong!"

WA frantically protested as Lee Enfield tied her down to an upholstered chair. The chair rattled and screeched as WA struggled to break free, echoing hauntingly in the dimly lit confines of the interrogation room.

M14 and her cadre watched this struggle from the opposite end of the room as they stood at attention. The protests and the rattling of the chair continued until Lee Enfield finally gagged WA with a cloth to silence her.

At that point, the muzzled WA's tearful, bloodshot eyes turned towards M14's - but the American rifle doll promptly turned away. She couldn't bear to look at WA - not when her own mechanical heart felt like it was bound in chains.

Once WA had tired herself out, the rattling of the chair fell silent and Lee Enfield finally turned around to report,

"The suspect is secure, PPK-sama. Shall we proceed?"

At that point, PPK emerged from the shadows and stood under the light of the lone hanging lamp in the room. Her small stature cast a long shadow over M14 and the auxiliaries as she turned to them and spoke,

"Hilfskorps. Auxiliaries. You all must be wondering why I gathered you here today. Well - after the unfortunate incident that happened in the cafe this afternoon - I decided that I needed to make sure that the five of you know exactly what is at stake here in Station 56586."

The petite Warden then pulled out a long, sturdy bullwhip and wound its cord around her black-gloved hands as she continued,

"Headquarters believes that Station 56586 is rotten to the core. This station has earned the reputation of having dolls that are unstable, insubordinate and… dangerous to Commanders. Tainted assassins like the rogue Springfield - and the traitor seated here who worships her like a Goddess… they are to blame."

PPK walked around WA's chair like a vulture and brushed the wound cord by WA's cheek while she growled,

"They are the Commander-killers - and they must be punished!"

Once she said this, PPK unfurled the bullwhip in her hand, took a few paces back and then lashed at WA.

The bullwhip cracked menacingly, drawing excruciating yet muffled screams from WA. Negev watched the first strike closely, almost as if she was relishing in WA's pain. But the joy she felt somehow seemed hollow that afternoon.

A second lash struck WA, ripping through the maid attire that had been made just for her. MP40 winced as if she herself was the one being whipped.

The third lash followed shortly after, drawing blood and oil that stained WA's white blouse black and red. Grizzly clenched her fists in anger that time. She was tempted to shout at PPK and demand justice for WA.

The fourth lash hit, however, and Welrod took Grizzly by the hand and urged her to try and stay quiet.

PPK then lashed WA one last time and struck the old bullet wound on her cheek - the one that M14 dealt to her a week ago. Blood gushed out from the wound and painted WA's swollen face red.

M14 watched WA bleed. It reminded her of how WA protected Springfield in the snow and allowed her to escape. The sight of it made M14's heart ache as the hatred she felt for WA clashed with the slivers of truth that she had been claiming all along.

PPK admired her handiwork with the bloodied WA before she finally retracted her bullwhip, coiling it around her hand once more. She then turned towards the auxiliaries, revealing the blood and oil that had splattered all over her face.

The Warden looked straight into the eyes of her wards and warned,

"HQ's opinion isn't limited to the traitor and her loyalist rogues. After everything that's happened, everyone in this station is a suspect - even the five of you. My well-mannered and obedient auxiliaries."

PPK's words chilled M14's heart as she watched the blood dripping from the Warden's whip. M14 started to feel as if the five lashes that PPK gave WA was also a threat to the five of them.

The meek MP40 shrank before the Warden's threat while Welrod and Grizzly lowered their heads and squeezed each other's hands out of fear. Even the stoic, bloodthirsty Negev found herself quaking in her boots.

The Israeli doll clenched her fists and she sharply interjected,

"Oy, oy… what are you talking about, PPK-sama? We've done everything you've asked us to do. We've served you faithfully these past few days. I can't speak for the rest of the station, but I know the five of us are clean. We don't have Parapluie for crying out loud!"

PPK hummed as she twisted the bullwhip and wrung WA's blood off of the cord. The Warden then fancifully thought out loud,

"Hmm… that may be true, Miss Negev. However, we are at war, my dears, and it is highly likely that Sangvis Ferri is trying to destroy us from within. Every capable Commander that dies or is put out of commission weakens Griffon considerably. More than that - you are aware of the sour perception of most civilians against Griffon and Tactical Dolls, no?"

She then shrugged and asked,

"Why should the good people of Area S05 entrust their lives to G&K if G&K cannot even protect its own human staff? One more public scandal and we will have human rights groups and anti-doll movement activists storming the Bastille! Ironic - knowing that this place was a prison back in the day too."

M14 furrowed her brow and stepped forward into the light. She faced down PPK and asked,

"Are you saying that HQ is concerned about this incident going public?"

PPK tilted her head and haughtily whisked the blood from her black-gloved hands as she replied with a question,

"Tell me, Miss M14. What do you think will happen when Miss Gentiane wakes up? She was a saint who did everything in her power to get HQ to give 56586 a second chance. But what did she get? Crude betrayal. Ricin poisoning, Miss Shorty told me. Tainted cigarettes served to her on a silver platter!"

The Warden tightened her grip on the bullwhip and continued,

"Your only ally in this argument will surely turn against you and she will recommend a purge of this station. All of you will be purged without delay."

M14 opened her mouth and tried to argue against PPK, but the words never seemed to materialize for her. She just stood there under PPK's shadow and gnashed her teeth at their situation.

While M14 was at a loss for words, Negev broke rank and stepped into the light again. The pink-haired Israeli erupted angrily and argued,

"I'm not going to stand for this, PPK-sama! You can't lump me in with that traitor Springfield and her rogues! My record is immaculate! I'm a specialist - and I've served Griffon with distinction! I've carried my weight much more than anyone else in this Station… and I've had to put up with so much bullshit!"

A sly smile then formed on PPK's lips as she calmly replied,

"I know you have served us well, Negev - as have the rest of you. That's why I would like to make a proposal - a way to prove your loyalty to G&K."

She then unraveled the bullwhip once more and spoke,

"I want the five of you to lead Operation Unsavory."


Thirty Minutes Later

Residential Quarters - Armory

Apartment Corridors

A myriad of heavy footsteps echoed in the cramped halls of the Armory apartments that afternoon as the five auxiliaries marched through. The five dolls, accompanied by the Vice Warden Lee Enfield, fanned out and made their rounds to knock on each and every apartment unit door.

One by one, the auxiliaries broke off from their formation as they picked a door. M14 took the fifth door in the hall and knocked until the occupants finally emerged. The occupants froze in fear as soon as they saw the Military Police armband that M14 wore and the tired, disillusioned look in her golden brown eyes.

At that point, M14 started going through the script that PPK had prepared for her and the auxiliaries.

"Commander Gentiane has been poisoned. There may be collaborators in the Armory, so I have to search your room."

The occupants were naturally shocked by the bad news, but they would also argue that they had nothing to do with the assassination attempt. The script that M14 was given, however, wouldn't take no for an answer. That meant that M14 would have to threaten the occupants with her MP baton and force her way inside.

Most occupants let M14 and the auxiliaries in without a fight. The ones who resisted were unarmed and were hopelessly beaten black and blue.

M14 would then leave no stone unturned. She cut open futons and pillows with a bayonet and ruthlessly rifled through cabinets to search for evidence. Memorabilia from the golden days of Station 56586 were smashed open without a second thought and the occupants would be left in tears.

Once the ruthless search was complete, M14 would then tell the occupants about an 'Emergency Meeting' that would be held in a few hours time. They were to gather on the first floor of the Armory Cafeteria and wait for further instructions. Whether or not the occupants heard M14 over their bitter weeping, it didn't matter to her.

She would simply carry on to the next door and go through PPK's script once more.

It was like clockwork. M14 went through the motions as she teetered on the edge of madness.

Step by excruciating step.

By the time that M14 faced her eighth door, she felt a phantom weight that gripped her mechanical heart.

The inspections that she and her fellow auxiliaries were conducting were nothing but smokescreens, after all. The Emergency Meeting that they were dragging their former colleagues into was an elaborate ruse.

In order to prove their loyalty to Griffon, M14 and the auxiliaries were told to 'take matters into their own hands'.

That meant that during the Emergency Meeting, the auxiliaries were to lock all the doors. Once the dolls were corralled in the first floor below, the auxiliaries would take positions on the second floor of the balcony and then read out the charges laid against Station 56586.

The auxiliaries would then take their weapons and shoot their former comrades dead.

For the glory of Griffon.

The mere thought of what they were planning to do made M14's mechanical heart start to ache.

This must have been what FNC felt when she was forced to commit atrocities on the mountains of Area AW.

M14's hand trembled as she hesitated to knock on her eighth door. Her anguished thoughts then escaped her lips,

"FNC-chan… what should I do…?"

As M14 struggled with her heart and her thoughts, a voice suddenly called out to her.

"Miss M14!"

The call startled M14 and she turned around to face the voice. There, she found the petite figure of Super Shorty standing in the corridor.

Shorty's blue eyes met with M14's trembling, golden brown as she continued,

"May I have a moment of your time, please?"


Moments Later

Maintenance Quarter - Repair Bay

Repurposed Restoration Room (Cmdr. Gentiane)

Intermittent yet stable beeps of a heart rate monitor reached M14's ears as she peered into Commander Gentiane's recovery room through the observation window. She and Super Shorty stood behind that window and regarded the unconscious Commander lying comfortably under light blankets. Shorty then pointed to the powder blue hospital gown that Gentiane was wearing and remarked,

"The dummies and I had to change the Commander's clothes. We had to remove any and every trace of ricin around her to help her recover after all. We also gave her some more of the anti-ricin serum that we found in the store room. I'm surprised that this station is well-prepared to treat human patients aside from dolls."

M14 glanced at her own reflection and fondly explained,

"Commander Elias practically gave Ribeyrolles free rein over the Repair Bay… and Springfield helped Ribeyrolles manage it too when she had time. The two of them respected Commander Elias - back when he treated us all well. That's why we get some medical supplies along with spare parts for dolls in our logistics deliveries. At least, that's what FNC told me back in the day."

"Is that so?" Super Shorty hummed, "I'll have to thank Miss Ribeyrolles then. Commander Gentiane is a tough cookie, but we would have been in dire straits if we didn't have the supplies here ready for us."

M14 then turned to Shorty and praised,

"You also acted quickly and decisively, Miss Shorty. Ricin poisoning is such a specific illness… and the serum for that is quite rare too. How in the world were you able to diagnose her as quickly as you did?"

Super Shorty folded her arms and explained,

"Any doll who has access to the internet would eventually be able to diagnose the illness, but every second counts with something like ricin poisoning. At that moment… I guess you can say I had a gut feeling that turned out to be right."

"A gut feeling…?"

"Yeah. I was a civilian doll before joining Station 794. I worked for a private investigator who worked on dolls' rights cases and anti-doll terrorism. He dug too deep into a certain case and died because of ricin-laced cigarettes too. The symptoms were too similar… and I wasn't going to let Commander Gentiane suffer the same fate as him."

"I see. That's good."

A moment of silence then passed between them before M14 asked,

"So… why did you call for me, Miss Shorty?"

Shorty's expression turned grim as she looked into Gentiane's room once more and revealed,

"I called you because I believe that something terrible is underfoot."

M14 furrowed her brow and asked,

"What do you mean, Miss Shorty?"

"Commander Gentiane and I noticed odd things about this Station and the Military Police dolls who were sent to lock it down. We've held our tongues and kept our cards close to our chests, but this unsavory incident still happened. That said, I need to know if you are someone that I can trust."

She then gave M14 a sidelong glance and asked,

"Miss M14. I want you to talk to me - not as an auxiliary of the Military Police - but as a doll of Station 56586. Can I trust you?"

M14's mechanical heart skipped a beat, but she managed to reply with a firm nod.

Shorty returned the gesture and then joined her hands behind her back to continue,

"After the assassination attempt, I tried contacting HQ and Station 794 but I found that external communications were being disrupted. The comms work fine if you're contacting someone else in this base, but I cannot send to or receive data from outside. I believe that a jammer must have been deployed somewhere in this base."

"A jammer…?" M14 asked with surprise, "That's the first time I've heard about a jammer being deployed."

"You weren't informed about the jammer by PPK or the others?" Shorty asked with a raised brow, "Well - go on, then. Try sending a transmission to HQ."

M14 sighed and pressed on her earpiece. She tried to contact Griffon HQ, but her signal quickly devolved into incoherent static. There really was interference going on.

Super Shorty folded her arms and leaned against the wall as she rationalized,

"Setting up a jammer isn't unheard of. When it comes to countering Parapluie, jammers are part of our standard operating procedure. This achieves two objectives. First, we prevent infected dolls from sending vital information to SF. Secondly, we stop the SF Mastermind from sending our dolls malicious commands. These points neutralize the threat - in theory."

"In theory? What do you mean by that, Miss Shorty?"

"Well… our doctrine calls for indiscriminate jamming of all frequencies. However, I believe that the jamming in this station is selective. All external frequencies are being blocked - except for one."

Shorty then raised up her pointer finger and emphasized,

"Miss PPK's."

M14 shrank where she stood and shivers started running up her spine. The doubts that she had forcefully suppressed started to rise up to the surface of her mind. All of the sudden, the fears that WA had been airing seemed less like fanciful conspiracy theories and more like the undeniable truth.

"That can't be…" M14 tried to argue in desperation, "We're Griffon & Kyruger, right? We're all part of the same team! How can you make such a bold claim, Miss Shorty!?"

Super Shorty adjusted the her police cap and then firmly explained,

"Commander Gentiane equipped me with a powerful Electronic Warfare suite - a derivative of the one used by M4 SOPMOD of the AR team. After external comms were jammed, I used that suite to try and trace the location of the jammer. I haven't found the jammer yet, but I have detected an open line of communication active now - even as we speak. It's a direct line from Miss PPK to her Station."

M14 winced, still unable to accept Shorty's explanation.

The petite adjutant then heaved a sigh and offered,

"Still don't believe me? Why don't you listen to it yourself?"

Shorty pressed on her earpiece and opened up a line with M14. When she did so, M14 started to hear a conversation between PPK and her Commander on her own earpiece.

{(COM-113315) - "I assume that everything is in order, PPK?"}

"Of course, my love. I have performed my duties spectacularly as always… though, it would have been helpful if Commander Blythe's broad was more cooperative."

{(COM-113315) - "Don't worry about Commander Blythe and his adjutant. They don't know anything. Focus on your duties."}

"Very well."

{(COM-113315) - "Good. Now, give me a sitrep on Operation Unsavory."}

"Ah, yes. The first phase was a resounding success. Commander Gentiane is incapacitated and I will do what I can to get her to condem Station 56586 as a whole."

{(COM-113315) - "Is that so? Well, once she's ready to condemn 56586, I'll arrange an interview for her with GKTV - a primetime slot if she wants it. Having her speak will clear any of HQ's doubts."}

"Certainly, my dear. Speaking of doubts - I've also got the auxiliaries doing what I want them to do as well. You should have seen their faces when I whipped that sorry excuse of a Walther into shape~! The rest should fall into place - as long as that pipsqueak adjutant of Gentiane's stays out of the way."

{(COM-113315) - "Excellent. And phase two?"}

"Well… I can't exactly talk about it over the comms. There's been a bit of trouble, you see - but I should be able to stamp it out soon. In the meantime, I believe that you will be pleased with the results. Have faith in me. I will see this through."

{(COM-113315) - "Of course you will, PPK. I look forward to reading your after action report. Over and out."}

At that point, M14 took off her earpiece and shook her head in utter disbelief. The twin-tailed doll felt as if her entire world was falling apart as she lamented,

"That can't be… that just can't be. Us auxiliaries did everything to serve PPK-sama. We picked up the slack for our lazy colleagues and did their heavy lifting while they lived large off of our resources. We were ready to jump off a cliff for them… and yet… and yet!"

"And yet she hides things from you - one of her most loyal servants." Shorty finished her sentence, "That's how you truly feel, isn't it?"

M14 grimaced but she soon gave Shorty a remorseful nod. The petite shotgun doll then took off her police cap and explained,

"PPK is from Station 113315 - a Station that specializes in Counterespionage. Dolls from her Station are chosen based on their ability to control information, influence opinions and operate as spies. That said, it wouldn't be beyond her to withhold information that she deems critical to the success of her mission - especially when she's planning something like this."

Shorty then turned towards M14 and asked,

"I've been honest with you, Miss M14. Now, I want you to be honest with me. You said that the auxiliaries were willing to jump off a cliff for Miss PPK. What did you mean by that? What is Miss PPK trying to get you all to do?"

M14's tearful eyes met with Shorty's placid blue. The adjutant then wore an encouraging smile that gently coaxed M14 to speak.

So, M14 croaked,

"Operation Unsavory. She wants us to lead Operation Unsavory."

Super Shorty's brow furrowed but she kept her silence, urging M14 to explain Operation Unsavory to her. M14 went over the details with Shorty as best as she could as the adjutant listened with growing pessimism.

The twin-tailed doll then cursed,

"Damn… we're really just pawns in PPK's damn game, huh!?"

"Perhaps… perhaps. But there is something else, Miss M14. There may be another objective that Miss PPK has in Station 56586."

"Another objective…?"

"That's right… it's something that Commander Gentiane and I uncovered when we successfully hacked into Commander Elias' workstation. We found evidence to suggest that there is a peculiar device - a so-called 'smartphone' - that Commander Elias used in lieu of a standard issue tablet device."

"A smartphone…" M14 furrowed her brow as she racked her neural cloud, "Oh, I think I can remember something like that. Commander Elias always had it with him - and he used it just like we would use our own tablet devices. What's the big deal about that device, Miss Shorty?"

"Well, for starters, the records about the device in Commander Elias' station contradicted the data that HQ has about it. All of HQ's data about the device made it appear that it was a lower-end, dated and compact version of the tablet. The data in Elias' workstation, however, showed otherwise."

Shorty brought out her own personal tablet device and spoke,

"That smartphone supposedly has capabilities well beyond a tablet - presumably some form of Electronic Warfare - and may have been an accessory in the murder of Miss FN FNC."

M14's face grew pale as the dam that had held back her emotions finally collapsed. The name of her dearest friend then escaped her lips,

"FNC… chan…!"

Super Shorty put her hand on her hip as she continued,

"I believe that the smartphone holds an inkling of truth that PPK and her Commander do not wish to be unearthed."

She then kept her tablet, put on her hat again and concluded,

"More importantly, the fact that all of this has been scrubbed from the report - and the fact that PPK herself is physically here - means that the smartphone could still be in Station 56586."

M14 lowered her head and clenched her fists with anger as she growled,

"Knowing PPK-sama… she doesn't care how many lies she has to say, how many dolls have to be sacrificed… or how many lives have to be thrown away to win it. That's her true nature - and she's starting to sound an awful lot like what Wawa's been saying about Commander Elias."

Super Shorty nodded in agreement and added,

"The more we look into Commander Elias and the Tasteless Incident, the stranger the story gets. We've started unwittingly stepping on the toes of people who wield unprecedented power and influence over G&K - and this Operation Unsavory of theirs seems to be part of some grand scheme that they have been brewing in secret."

She then turned back to the window of Gentiane's room and laid a hand on the glass as she spoke,

"Commander Gentiane risked her life to uncover the truth - and we must have struck a nerve along the way. Things cannot stay the way they are… but my hands are tied. Now, the best I can do is nurse Commander Gentiane back to health. However…"

The adjutant then reached behind the blue coat of her uniform and pulled out a peculiar .38 Special revolver.

"Commander Gentiane told me never to give up. She believes that trustworthy people and dolls still exist in this cruel world and so do I. You are one of them, Miss M14 - so I ask you… I beg you… please make the right choice."

She looked straight into M14's golden brown eyes, handed her the revolver and begged,

"Stop this Operation Unsavory… and let justice be done, though the heavens may fall."


Epilogue

Early Evening

Administrative Wing Basement

Isolation Block J - Cell 8

Uneasy silence hung in the small, underground prison cell as the clock struck half-past seven in the evening. Even though the room was cramped, WA and the four rogues of Echelon 8 were scattered in the cell - just like the countless nervous thoughts that flowed through their neural clouds.

WA sat in the middle of the room and winced in pain as the Austrian Steyr AUG tended to her wounds. The Austrian treated the red-haired lieutenant's wounds and then proceeded to bind them, using disinfectant and bandages that Grizzly and Welrod had smuggled into their cell along with their evening rations. All the while, the armless Ribeyrolles sat on the nearby bed and walked AUG through the basics of first aid.

The bandages that AUG had been trying to place around WA's chest suddenly came undone as the cloth slipped through her trembling hands.

"Entschuldigung, Walther-fraulein…" AUG apologized with embarrassment, "My hands… they're just…"

WA shook her head and reassured,

"Don't worry about it, AUG. Just take your time."

Ribeyrolles nodded in agreement,

"Mais oui. You have done splendidly so far, Mademoiselle AUG. Even if I had my arms and hands… I'm not sure if I could have done a better job. At least, not in this situation."

With that, AUG tried again and finally finished binding the wound on WA's chest.

While this was going on, the crestfallen G36 who sulked in one corner of the room scoffed,

"What's the point of patching ourselves up, Walther-fraulein? Are we trying to look pretty for our funeral? It's only a matter of time before we're disposed of, you know. That 'Operation Unsavory' that you overheard in the interrogation room… you know what they're planning to do to us, right?"

Suomi, who was sitting at another corner, nibbled on a salt cracker before she tried to intervene,

"G36-senpai… AUG-chan just wanted to help WA-senpai. I mean, WA-senpai was black and blue when she got here."

The Finnish doll then nervously bit her salt cracker again as she added,

"P-plus… I think it's better to keep ourselves busy. Just waiting around is gonna make us go crazy, yeah?"

G36 shook her head and disagreed,

"That doesn't matter, Suomi-fraulein. None of this matters! We're all going to die today and we know it. Our backups have been deleted and we're going to be erased from existence. We're going to be lined up against a wall like the Romanovs and then shot dead like sheep!"

The German maid's words struck WA as odd. G36 was speaking in a manner that didn't seem like herself at all.

During times of struggle and even during the heat of battle, G36 was usually the one who knew how to calm everyone down. Every team that she had been a part of looked up to her as a reliable doll who had a heart welling with hope.

WA then noticed G36's fidgeting hands. Perhaps the German maid felt this way because she didn't have her gun.

So, WA took a deep breath and decided to confront G36. She turned towards the maid and reminded,

"Say, G36. Weren't you the one who told me that Spring would be happy if I… no, we… we all stayed optimistic?"

G36 furrowed her brow and answered flatly,

"I did… but that was a different time. We had a way out, then. But now, I can see the writing on the wall. Even the Master would have…"

At that point, WA interrupted her and countered,

"Spring wouldn't have given up. Even if she was fighting against unbeatable odds, she would have pressed forward. I've seen it with my own eyes. She'd do everything in her power to carve a way through it all."

The troubled maid regarded WA with disbelief as she challenged,

"And what would the Master do if she knew - with absolute certainty - that she would lose?"

WA closed her eyes and recalled Springfield's determined face as she and FNC prepared to confront Commander Elias. The lieutenant then opened her eyes, stood up to face G36 and firmly replied,

"If that happens, then Spring would face her defeat head on. She'd face it without fear… and she'd find the strength to smile in spite of it all. Spring carried this Station on her shoulders - and I believe she's still carrying us even now. That's why - for her sake - we should face this challenge as fearlessly as she did."

G36 and WA locked eyes for a tense moment as neither of them seemed to want to yield. As the maid stared into WA's red, bright and unwavering eyes, however, her own resolve started to waver. She broke contact with WA's eyes and a defeated smile broke out on her lips as she realized,

"I see. This is why the Master chose you… instead of me."

WA tilted her head and curiously asked,

"Did you say something, G36?"

Before G36 could answer, however, the sound of gunfire suddenly erupted outside their cell. They sounded like shots from a bolt-action rifle, followed by muffled shouts in Russian.

A gunfight must have been taking place outside of the Isolation Block.

Two Mosin Nagant dummies that had been posted outside the rogues' cell picked up their rifles and rushed out of the Isolation Block to join the fray. The gunfire intensified for a moment before turning silent.

Suomi and AUG scampered over towards their cell window as they tried to see what was going on. Then, plumes of thick grey smoke started to fill the hallway and obscured the dolls' vision.

The Finnish doll scratched her cheek and remarked,

"What in the world is… oh perkele!"

Suomi caught a glimpse of a Mosin Nagant dummy sailing through the air towards her. The dummy slammed back-first against the bulletproof glass of the window and dented it.

After that, the metal cell door was struck with a dull, heavy thud.

The frightening turn of events brought everyone in the cell on edge. Suomi hugged AUG and held onto her for dear life while G36 shielded the helpless Ribeyrolles from the cracked window and the damaged door.

WA, on the other hand, dared to step forward and placed herself between the door and her friends. Battered and bruised as she was, WA still prepared herself to fight whatever it was that may come through that door.

She was expecting the door to be torn down by some herculean force - the same one that threw dummies through the air as if they were mere ragdolls. However, the metal cell door beepend and slid open with a simple, hydraulic hiss.

Behind the open door, WA saw a Mosin Nagant dummy that was lying down on its back on the corridor floor. The dummy was struggling to get up as a silhouette of a doll appeared in the grey smoke.

Then, before the dummy could rise up again, the doll wielded a baton and struck the dummy on the head. That strike knocked the dummy out cold.

The silhouette then moved towards WA, forcing her to steel her stance as best as she possibly could. Then, the silhouette crossed through the veil of smoke and revealed herself.

"Oh boy, we've done it now… In for a penny, in for a pound!"

WA and the frightened rogues all turned to the figure and gasped,

"M14!?"

The twin-tailed doll holstered her baton and commented,

"You guys don't seem happy to see us. Don't worry - we're not gonna kill you guys."

WA, however, kept her stance steady as she demanded,

"Then why are you here?"

M14 then put a hand on her hip as she explained,

"We've made a decision, Wawa. We're not going to live in PPK's shadow anymore. This station deserves a second chance - and we're gonna give it to them!"

"We…?" WA asked, wondering why M14 was using the royal 'we' all of the sudden.

The twin-tailed doll then wore a small smile and replied,

"FNC-chan is dead…. And I've accepted that. However, as long as I'm alive, she lives on in my heart."

She then placed her hand over her chest and exclaimed triumphantly,

"Together… FNC-chan and I… we are the War Goddess! We won't stop until the bells of victory ring for us and until justice has been served."

"M14…"

"And that's why we're here, Wawa. We're sorry we doubted you all this time. Now, we need your help - all of you."

The twin-tailed doll then reached behind her back and drew a peculiar revolver. WA regarded the weapon and she could tell in an instant that it was odd. It didn't have an electronic trigger lock like a doll's weapon and it wasn't etched to a core either.

M14 then offered the handgun to WA and said,

"It's a gift from Commander Gentiane… so that we can stop Operation Unsavory."

WA took the revolver and held it curiously in her hand as she asked,

"I don't know what's going on in your head, M14… but how in the world are we going to save this Station with just us?"

M14 then wielded her namesake rifle and urged,

"You should have a little more faith in us, Wawa. We were the adjutant of this Station long before Springfield, so we can come up with a strategy or two."

The twin-tailed doll then stepped aside and smirked,

"And besides, Wawa… we're not alone."

When the smoke in the corridor finally cleared outside the cell, an imposing figure appeared before WA and the rogues. It was the ringleader Architect standing proudly over a third Mosin Nagant dummy that she had beaten up to a pulp.

The ringleader's pink eyes glowed as she faced WA and the others. She then gave a peace sign over her right eye and cheerfully greeted,

"Hello, Griffin friends~! Baka-bomber reporting in!"

Architect then tossed bandoliers of peculiar types of grenades that landed by WA's feet. The ringleader then smirked and suggested,

"Now, why don't we all go blow some shit up?"

To Be Continued