Chapter 8: "Calm Unease"

Tensions continue to rise in Moscow.

In the frigid streets of Moscow, one thing had become far too commonplace: conflict. Since the formation of the UACT, the push for the integration of Rossartrism was nothing short of revitalized.

Being the seventh straight day of protests, today was no different.

The people of the Soviet Union roared with dissent as they clamored in the streets of the Kremlin— facing a perpetual stalemate against the hordes of police deployed to suppress their struggles. Day after day, this went on; no matter how many arrests were made, the citizens' numbers seemed to replenish just as fast.

In a hollow effort to smother the flames of revolution, news outlets were prevented from spreading coverage. Again, proving to have little bearing on pre-existing matters.

Now, the situation had morphed into a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode past the point of no return.

This was all very troubling to Victor Zielinski, in particular. For the past two months, Yuri Berezovsky was nowhere to be seen. He cursed under his breath, thinking back to the banquet— the last time he was ever seen. At this point, both his name and face were agency knowledge, but his whereabouts? Untraced.

Despite having hundreds of agents situated across the city— and even the country— he was nowhere to be found.

Clinching his fists, he thought to himself: damn it... He should've been silenced a long time ago! And now, one of his most capable and trusted agents had disappeared from the ranks. Not to mention, with no way of contacting her.

Unless…

A thought dawned upon him, spurring him to snatch up his cellphone. If nothing else, then hopefully this would work.

On the eastern side of Russia, things were hardly any better, at least in the commander's eyes. Despite the weather, a small, yet pesky amount of denizens found it in them to continue their protesting outside of Griffin territory; how could they? Turning away from the office window, he eyed the huge pile of paperwork that awaited him. Christ… Couldn't some of these commissions go to the main sector? Half-willingly, he began scanning through them.

"Oh! Need help, commander? I can take half the workload." SV-98 offered.

He shook his head loosely, still drudging through the paperwork. "Nope. Just some good old busy work."

SV-98 sauntered over to his desk, taking a stack anyway. "Don't be silly. It's the least I could do for you~"

Once she did so, she didn't get past the first document before echoing: "Oh, this one looks nice, commander! Choose this one!"

"You're only saying that because you want a mission. And that's why I'd rather you not..."

SV-98 frowned, before continuing onto the next. This process repeated for several minutes, ironically slowing down the commander's own work pace. He couldn't tell what was worse: listening to the citizen's screams all day or… This.

"98! Would you please let me be?" He finally pleaded, trying to seem as inoffensive as possible. Notwithstanding, she whimpered in anguish— just as he feared. They continued, to the point that taking action was absolutely necessary.

He jumped out of his seat, and attempted to usher her out of the room himself. But, she wouldn't budge!

"W— wait, you always let me stay in your office! Don't, commander!" She objected, Holding onto the door frames tightly.

"Not if you're going to distract me! Now, get—!" He sputtered. Trying to overcome the doll's innate strength was unsurprisingly difficult, given his own nature. (Or, alternatively, he was just weak.)

However, just before he could finally succeed, his cellphone vibrated against the wooden office desk, to the relief of his pesky adjutant. He gave up bitterly, and went to snatch it up. When he read the contact name, he nearly broke into a cold sweat: 'DON'T ANSWER.'

...Helian!? Damn it! What could she want from him?

"Who's that?" SV-98 inquired.

He ignored her question, his finger trembling over the answer button. Eventually, he decided that if he didn't, it might come back to bite him this time around. Better bite the bullet…

The commander answered the call, fully expecting a verbal beatdown like none other.

[Commander] Hello?

[Helianthus] ...I see your telephone doesn't receive calls anymore, Mr. Kovac.

[Commander] Ahem. Sorry about that, Helian.

[Helianthus] Hmm. We'll discuss related matters more formally, later. For now, I have but a simple request. You're familiar with the head of Russia's security bureau, correct?

[Commander] Kind of... I've never worked with him directly, though. Why?

[Helianthus] He's aware that you used to be colleagues with Ana Malevich, a former G&K commander. You've maintained contact with her, so please forward the details as soon as you can. Goodbye.

[Commander] W— wait, how'd you know that?

[Helianthus] Oh? I'm keen to all your activities, Mr. Kovac. As I told you, we may discuss it all later.

[Commander] Oh… Alright. Expect it shortly.

[Helianthus] As you were~

With that, the call ended. Surprisingly, that didn't go terribly despite the threatening implications. Just maybe, when the time was right, he'd flirt his way out of a pay dock... Kovac slumped in his chair, and pondered if he ought to improve his own conduct.

[In the dorms.]

M1918, Mk23, Welrod, IDW, and Grizzly sat in a spacious dorm, partaking in indistinct chatter. The dorm itself featured a fairly quaint design, featuring bookshelves, wooden furniture, and two large sofas. The wallpaper itself was a soft, faded blue.

As Welrod and her leader continued in their own personal banter, the other three discussed a slightly more serious matter.

"Holy shit… For once, I wish I wasn't spending all my time rotting in the dorm. I'm so fucking jealous… What happened after you got back to the team?" IDW echoed in awe, while trying to stifle a giggle.

Grizzly nodded in agreement. She continued, "Simply put, we pretty much hauled ass."

"I remember the location's approximate coordinates, but I'm not sure if there's any reason for us to return there…" Mk23 added, staring at the ground solemnly. Right after, she perked back up, scanning the room. "Uhm… Where's the blonde one?"

"Like... Four of us here are blonde. You good?" Grizzly returned.

She shook her head. "N— no… I mean, yes! I just forgot her name."

"Pfft, Galil. Her hair's more brownish, though, right?" IDW sneered. "Anyway, not sure. Based on what I'm hearing, seems like she had a pretty shitty go of it. I think I'd fuck off for a while, too."

Mk23 scowled at IDW, to the latter's confusion.

"...What? Is that an angry face? ...Your facial structure doesn't pull those off very well." IDW rambled on, eliciting a cackle from Grizzly.

Mk23 folded her arms, giving her insensitive comrade the cold shoulder. "Hmph. Is she always this rude?"

"Yeah. We just ignore it, though." Grizzly whispered as she leaned in. Despite the gesture, IDW still heard it.

"Hey! Just saying. Anyway, she'll probably come around. When that happens, you can make up n' out all you want. Hey Grizzly, when're the other two coming back..?"

Meanwhile, as the group continued their babbling, PP-19-01 sat in a separate corner, tending to a stack of books. Some were children's books, but most were encyclopedias of various subjects; ranging from geology to even human anatomy.

Each page was flipped to for no more than a second as her eyes flashed and darted across them. It didn't take long for everyone else in the room to notice, as the once lively chatter was replaced by quiet observance… Unbeknownst to her.

"Wow… Look at her.." Welrod whispered in awe. The doll's processing speed gradually increased, and wasn't showing any signs of stopping.

Eventually, IDW decided she'd intervene.

She grabbed hold of the book 19-01 had currently been scanning, and read the title. It was a thinner book, detailing… How to beat garden gnomes in battle. The never-ending struggle to protect home property? Must've been a prop book…

PP-19-01 wore a surprised expression, as though she had been pulled out of a trance.

"...Erm. Nevermind. You can have your gnome book back." IDW conceded, tossing it back onto 19-01's lap. "Shouldn't most of this be in your knowledge database?" She mumbled. She was obviously weirded out, but figured it was just recreation.

"O— oh, Sorry. Call it… A refresher course."

"Refresher course?" IDW echoed curiously. "You got hit in the head or somethin'!?"

Welrod then called for IDW to cease her uncomfortable interrogation, which she did without hesitation, flopping back onto the couch. 19-01 didn't return to her activities, now fully aware she was being observed. Instead, she fidgeted insecurely.

Despite what occurred, Grizzly found it in her to carry on the conversation. "So… Anyway. Yeah, SVD and MDR are still in Moscow. I could contact them now, but they're probably better off unplugging, y'know?"

Mk23 smiled. "Maybe you could leave a heartwarming message? I'm sure they'd appreciate you reaching out."

She shrugged, and pulled out a phone. "Maybe. Let's see."

[Moscow.]

"Uggh… I think I've got the longest hangover ever." SVD grumbled in pained voices, massaging her forehead.

"Word? That, or you've been secretly drinking again. Which is it, captain?" MDR retorted with a cocked eyebrow. SVD waved her off, turning back to the path ahead of them.

As the two shambled through the streets in idle chat, they were suddenly met with a peculiar sight: dozens of police cars sped down the streets, all headed toward a certain location. Nodding to each other, they took off after them.

After a while, they stopped to bear witness to a gathering of police and citizens, amassed near the gates of the Kremlin. They donned their hoods so as to conceal their otherwise distinct appearances. Before SVD could continue her awed observations, her phone vibrated. She fiddled it out of her pocket, and checked a text.

[Grizzly] what are you doing - 10:41

[SVD] There are other ways to talk to me… I'm gonna get back to you later, though. - 10:45

[Grizzly] k - 10:45

"D... We might wanna get the hell outta dodge. Whaddaya say?" MDR pulled at her comrade, hoping to leave the scene promptly.

Staring straight ahead, SVD nodded, and followed MDR through an alley. Before she left, she realized that the cause of the unrest had to have been due to the UACT's influence— and she couldn't help but let it aggravate her.

However she would, she had to let the commander know about it.

END

Author's Note

Here's a shorter one while I work on the more plot driven chapters. I might release another side story, though. Feel free to leave any feedback or point out errors :)