Chapter 30 First Kill
Iturup Island - Cape Triokhpaly Airbase - Stockade / August 2nd, 2017
The situation had become much more dire. Seated in an interrogation room, Sayori sweat tiredly under a bright light. Around her, The Investigator paced, continuing to ask her questions that she tried to ignore.
If James's enemies learned even a fraction of the truth, if they tried to capture him or coerce him…then so many more would certainly die.
"This…process, will only become more unbearable the longer you say nothing." The Investigator promised.
Knowing he was right, Sayori bowed her head, preparing to answer in half truths.
"What do you know about ORCA?"
"I know that…there was once thirteen members of ORCA." Sayori reluctantly admitted.
"Are they still alive?"
"No…all of them died for their cause, all of them except…"
"Ah…What was their cause? Why did they give their lives?"
"ORCA was created…to do what must be done, when no one else could."
"How was ORCA created? Was it sponsored by any nation?" The Investigator asked.
"Based on what he said…it was created to fight against those who created it." Sayori answered.
"Hmm…" The Investigator paused thoughtfully. "What are they? James and May? They are clearly not human."
"That's…" Sayori hesitated, refusing to betray her friends.
"Please, whatever you say about them, I cannot share. No one would believe me anyway."
"…" Sayori sighed sadly. "I don't know about May, but James…James saw his family cut down, and his whole world destroyed. So he decided to become war."
"Become war?"
"Sorry, what I mean is that James became something that thrives in war. He was…built…to survive in the most horrible war humanity…will ever fight." Sayori clarified.
"Was he forced to become a monster?" The Investigator questioned.
"…No. He begged to become one."
AMCS Anatolia
Vomiting blood into a bucket, James weakly sneered. He coughed, expelling more of his own thick fluid from where it was pooling in his lungs.
"James." May said quietly from the side, a syringe filled with shimmering black fluid held at the ready. "Give me your arm."
"…"
"You should be taking it easy, giving yourself time to heal. Overworking while grievously injured tends to lead to torn stitches." May stated what he should know. "Give me your arm."
"…" Hissing, James pushed her away.
"Not that I don't like seeing you bleed all over the floor irregular, but how do you expect to help Sayori when your organs are already torn apart?"
"…Finished it." James pointed to the experimental project he had cobbled together from spare parts and jury-rigged into a questionable functioning form.
"That's all well and good, but you still won't be able to fight with your organs hanging out. Just take the damn nanites." May demanded.
"Sayori could need them…" James argued.
"Possibly and probably, but you have more than enough to heal yourself and a human should you need. So why are you hesitating?" May questioned.
"May…those are the only nanites that will exist for hundreds of years. They are the most valuable commodity in the world, and I refuse to waste them on myself when I know I will eventually get better. What is that well-tuned precognition of yours telling you?"
"…" May regarded the tube of nanomachines critically, frowning all the while. "That using them at a later date would be preferable…damn you." She shook her head, removing the nanites and returning them to their carry case.
"How goes the Next repairs?" James inquired.
"I'll finish it tomorrow. Now come on, the commander wanted to speak to everyone. Said she had a plan." May lifted him to stand, cleaning the blood off his face with a handkerchief.
"…" Sighing, James stood on his own and followed May back to the CIC. Waiting for them were the three girls, standing at the holographic table as it projected images of the surrounding area and all military assets within.
"Good, now we can begin." Monika nodded to the both of them. Looking down, she pointed to the airbase on Iturup Island. "Sayori is here, so we will obviously need to send someone to recover her from this airbase, but between them and us is three fleets from three different nations. We're…going to have to eliminate them, or failing that, distract them. Can we utilize the Next for this?"
"Yes, it's not at full combat capacity, but it's still the most advanced weapon on Earth." May answered. "The only problem is that James is too injured to operate it, it will tear him apart the first time he tries."
"Which is why you'll have to pilot it, May." James replied.
"…Wait, really?" May's eyes widened in disbelief. "You trust me to use your Next?"
"Not really, but I recognize that it is absolutely necessary for this plan to succeed." James answered.
"Well…in that case, I'll be sure to leave no one alive." May responded certainly.
"Okay, now, for the assault on the base, I have some concern." Monika explained. "If I had the resources of, say Japan, I would want to deploy an entire battalion of men, or at least a company's worth. We only have us three girls, and we've never even used a weapon before."
"Which is why I'll be joining you in the assault. Even without a Next, a Lynx is worth an army." James declared.
"Are you sure you are in fighting condition, James?" Monika questioned.
"I'll be ready, and don't worry. I've been preparing equipment for our assault, so everyone will be heavily armored."
"I see, we'll inspect that later." Monika nodded.
"I had a concern as well." Yuri spoke up. "Either we'll have to do this mission slowly and quietly or fast and loud, as a long operation will most assuredly draw a lot of attention."
"I agree with Yuri, look." Natsuki forced the holographic map to zoom out to show the mainland of Japan and the coast of Russia. "If we are going to attack all three Navies, then it's best we be quick about it, as fighters from Japan, Russia, and this American Navy supercarrier to the East would gladly get involved to fight together against ORCA."
"Is there a way we can keep reinforcements from joining the battle?" Monika asked.
"We c-" James began.
"Without using any more nuclear weapons!?" Monika roughly shouted.
"…" James paused, thinking about it. "Actually, yes. I could reconfigure the five LOSLAM's we have with wide spectrum jamming equipment. If we fire them and have them circle the A.O., then no one on the outside would be able to isolate radio transmissions to figure out what's going on. I've done something like that before with favorable results."
"Uh…what about satellites? All of those ships and the airbase as well will have equipment for them to communicate with satellites outside of the jamming." Yuri pointed out.
"That's simple, we simply hijack the satellites and keep them from communicating." May advised.
"That's all well and good, but won't these nations realize they've lost control of their satellites and try to take them back? The longer we control the equipment the more likely they are going to trace the hacking back to it's source…I just had a crazy idea." Monika interrupted herself. "What if we de-orbit the satellites that could be used to communicate with the forces inside this combat zone?"
"De-orbit them where? Just between the Russians and Americans that will be several dozen satellites." Yuri noted.
"…Crash them into the airbase, before we attack?" Monika suggested.
"I'm sorry, are we trying to save Sayori or crush her?" Natsuki accused.
"No, listen. How accurately can we crash a satellite?" Monika requested.
"Hmm. 09, calculate accuracy in a satellite de-orbiting scenario while trying to hit a specific target." James ordered the A.I. that was passively listening.
/CALCULATING…
/CONTROLLED REENTRY ACCURACY SHOULD EXPECT MARGIN OF ERROR OF 100 METERS
"And taking into account the weight of your average satellite and the amount of potential kinetic energy they will have after passing through atmo…" James calculated in his head. "Each satellite would have the impact potential of light artillery. Not bad, Commander."
"Okay, so we'll add that to the plan. Hijacking and de-orbiting all the communication satellites that will be passing overhead and crashing them across the airbase, while avoiding the building Sayori is in." Monika summarized.
"As excellent as that is, that won't assuredly destroy the base's air defenses. We need an accurate weapon to strike them before we land." Looking at the map, Yuri smirked cruelly. "And what's more accurate than American made cruise missiles?"
"What are you suggesting, Yuri?" Monika wondered.
"I suggest that the A.I. create a fake launch order for the American fleet to launch it's cruise missiles at the airbase defenses." Yuri explained.
"I think we could work with that." James nodded. "The A.I. will probably have to hijack the missiles in flight to guide them, but authenticating an order to fire missiles against ORCA would ensure their launch."
"Great. What about the assault? How will we go about that?" Natsuki questioned.
"If I may…" Yuri spoke up. "The volcanic summit to the South overlooks the airbase, so if we were to set down there, we could fire down from the forest."
"I can do you one better." James added. "If you three can draw the enemy out while firing from that forest, then I'll come in afterward and take out everyone."
"This sounds like a plan. Let's summarize it." Monika announced. "So, we'll start by launching the LOSLAMs modified for jamming, fake a message for the Americans to fire cruise missiles, and then launch our transport and the Next from the ship. May will then engage all the fleets once the jamming is activated, and we will make our way to the island. Then, we time the impact for the cruise missiles and the falling satellites to line up with our landing, where Yuri, Natsuki, and myself will land in the forest and attack while retreating, forcing the enemy to chase us. James will then drop in and lead a counterattack that will hopefully take out most of the enemy force, leaving us free to rescue Sayori."
"During our exfil, I recommend sterilizing the target areas with the LOSLAMs." Before Monika could argue against James's suggestion, he added, "Their maximum yield will be reduced to about five kilotons, as the components will have been burnt out anyway."
"…Acceptable." Monika reluctantly nodded at his idea. "When do we carry out this plan?"
"Tomorrow night. Once we finish repairing the Next we have to install it's equipment, then we will be ready." May announced.
"I need to return to Japan briefly, pick up some things we require." James informed them.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's move people!" Monika shouted in command.
Iturup Island - Cape Triokhpaly Airbase – Command Center
"Mr. Investigator…" The General frowned.
"General." The Investigator nodded politely, feigning ignorance.
"I ordered you to interrogate that girl, to get the information we desire. What are you doing?"
"Extracting information as best I can. While she was exposed to ORCA, she was never a member. As well, it is much easier to coerce her to divulge information by treating her amiably, rather than through pain or threats, which could overwhelm her and damage the quality of information we acquire."
"…Then tell me, what exactly have you learned?" The General demanded tiredly.
"ORCA is an extraordinarily small organization, being as few as three and no more than five people. However, it's members include the foremost combat specialist on the planet, as well as experts in the field of next generation weapons systems. Apparently, there was once thirteen members of ORCA, fighting and completing an unknown objective and succeeding in their endeavors, at the cost of being reduced to one man who is among the current iteration."
"This tells us exactly nothing as to their current whereabouts and capabilities, let alone their objectives." The General spat. "We must have their location, in order to eliminate or, perhaps, capture them. Unfortunately, you are simply not providing the results I desire. I'm handing her over to The Doctor."
"Wait…you don't mean…him!?" The Investigator shouted in surprise. "The enhanced interrogation specialist?!"
"Exactly. He should be able to extract the information we desire."
"Sir, I must protest this action! The intelligence provided by his methods has always been unreliable, as prisoners are inclined to simply agree to anything he questions." The Investigator reminded him. "As well, I do not trust him with a girl of that age."
"Your recommendation is noted. However, since we never reported taking a prisoner, there was never any worry about any so called 'human rights' that might have been violated." The General countered.
"…When does he arrive?" The Investigator asked cautiously.
"He'll be here tonight."
Tokyo, Japan / Two Hours Later
"Hey, boss-man." James greeted kindly.
"Wh-What?!" The young Yakuza boss jumped in alarm. "What are you doing here? How did you get in here? And what the fuck happened to you?!"
"I need something. From the roof. I was run over by a truck." James answered each question.
"…" Still confused and unnerved, the boss nodded reluctantly. "Sure…what do you want?"
"I need three men."
"…What do you need three men for?" The boss wondered.
"I need to kill them."
"…Okay." The boss nodded, suspicious and terrified.
AMCS Anatolia / Two Hours Later
Loaded. Locked. Aim on target. Squeeze the trigger.
The soft recoil from a 5.56mm round leaving the barrel of an M4 carbine pushed back against Monika's shoulder as she aimed over the side of the ship, shooting floating targets before they could be caught in the ship's wake.
Damn. Monika glared as her target disintegrated under the hail of accurate fire she delivered. It was disturbing how, despite never using a gun before a few hours ago, the fragment of Strayed in her soul gave her the muscle memory to expertly use every weapon she could get her hands on.
"That's ninety-two over a hundred." Yuri counted, scoring her. "So we are all expert level marksmen after all."
"You did well too Yuri, and Natsuki…" Monika noted.
"Yes, apparently the combat A.I. James put in her compensates much faster, hence her perfect score." Yuri pointed out.
"Mnnnn." Natsuki grumbled, not entirely pleased to be excelling at such a violent contest.
The heavy thud of twin aircraft propellers signaled the return of the V-22 Osprey James had left in hours before. It's propellers shifting from flight to hover, it settled over the helipad and landed.
"James is back, do we…?" Natsuki questioned.
"May explicitly said we were to remain here practicing until she either called us or we ran out of ammunition. I'd rather not test her." Yuri recalled.
"Yeah…I think she's excited, to be going to war." Monika noted.
Half an hour later, the loudspeaker shouted in May's voice, "All hands! Report to Hold One immediately!"
"And there's our que." Monika quietly noted, leading her friends towards the ship's bow.
Hold One was located near the bow, within the bowels of the ship, partly underneath the aircraft hangar; thus, relegating it to serve as a workshop and open storage space. There was even an equipment elevator going up to the hangar above. Waiting for them was May and James, standing near several tables of equipment and what appeared to be mechanical contraptions.
"Commander, comrades." James nodded at their approach. "I've called you here as I've finished building the equipment we'll be using in the assault."
"Okay, what are those things?" Natsuki spoke up, pointing to one of the standing machines."
"Mark Nine Combat Exoskeletons." James announced. "They are designed to enhance the physical capabilities of the wearer while also providing enhanced protection." The exoskeleton, which linked powerful motors and external structural supports, had large slabs of armor around the feet, chest, shoulders, and left forearm. The large helmet offered complete protection to the head and neck, with two optical lenses offering vision through the armored faceplate. "Combined with a set of armored clothes, it will offer complete protection against small arms and light explosives. As well, the head, chest, and left arms are armored with Next alloy, which makes them effective against autocannons."
"Wow. What kinds of weapons will we be using?" Yuri questioned.
"For the Commander, a GM6 Semi-automatic Anti-material rifle, linked with an ammo chute to a backpack with two hundred and fifty rounds of .50 caliber armor piercing high explosive ammunition." James announced while hefting the large bullpup rifle. "As for secondary weapons, an M1014 Semi-automatic shotgun firing 12-gauge custom ammunition will be held on a mount behind the left shoulder, a .45 caliber Glock pistol on the right hip, and a High Frequency knife."
"Damn, just damn." Monika shook her head, surprised at the level of ordinance she would be carrying.
"Yuri, you are carrying all the same weapons as Monika, except instead of a sniper rifle, you'll be carrying an M240 light machinegun linked with an ammo chute to a backpack with fifteen hundred rounds of 7.62mm armor piercing incendiary ammunition."
"…Are you sure that will be enough ammunition?" Yuri sarcastically remarked.
"Natsuki, you'll be using two different weapons. Your secondary will be an FN P90 submachinegun firing 5.7mm armor piercing ammunition."
"That's…not too extreme. What's my primary?" Natsuki questioned.
"We…don't have a working name for it…" James lifted what looked like another P90, except that it had a flashlight for a barrel, and a port on the bottom for a thick wire. "This is a UV blinding laser, designed for destroying vehicle sensors and human eyes."
"…What the fuck?" Natsuki stared at the small weapon.
"I…think blinding weapons are illegal by International Treaty." Yuri informed him.
"So?"
"Ahhh…we really are terrorists." Yuri shook her head.
"Also, Natsuki." James gestured at her. "I'll need to change a setting on the combat A.I. in your spine, set it so that you have some semblance of control over your own actions, while still being guided by it."
"Oh…thanks." Natsuki nodded appreciatively.
"What will you be using, James?" Monika questioned.
"…Hmm." James smirked, pointing to a much larger exoskeleton. "This is the Mark Thirteen Heavy Combat Exoskeleton." Standing, it towered at seven feet tall, with large slabs of armor covering the near entirety of it. The chest protruded out more than a foot, and the "backpack" unit extended backwards over two feet. A large, armored helmet with four optical sensors set side-by-side glared down. Extra armored paneling protected the shoulders and knees. "This unit weighs more than a ton, and offers nearly complete user protection. Additionally, it has a jetpack thruster with two minutes of fuel for limited high-speed combat. It cannot fly, but it can hover a few inches above the ground."
"…" May stared at the armor, quietly evaluating it.
"Christ. What kind of weapons will you be using with it?" Monika questioned.
"There are four primary weapons. On the right arm will be a GAU-19 triple-barreled gatling gun firing .50 caliber armor piercing high explosive ammunition from a two thousand round drum. The left shoulder will be fitted with a Rheinmetall RMK30 recoilless, caseless 30mm cannon with fifty rounds of high explosive incendiary."
"Compensating much?" Natsuki cracked.
"The other two weapons are more simple. The right shoulder weapon is a magazine fed launcher and rotary assembly filled with seven AT4 anti-tank rockets. Lastly, I simply couldn't resist using a close combat weapon. So I reforged some Next armor into this…" He then lifted a weapon that Monika recognized from her nightmare. "A 'physical blade'. Designed to be used in the same manner as a laser blade, this three-foot solid mass of super heavy metal can be used in both forward and reverse positions, from a mechanism used to flip it and lock it in place. To increase it's destructive potential, I cannibalized two High Frequency knives in order to power it, giving this blade anti-armor capabilities."
"I think…this will work." Monika nodded, grim but certain.
"It's almost like an Armo-" Natsuki started.
"It is not." James cut her off. "It is most decidedly not an Armored Core. It's power inefficient and runs on battery; it has limited glide capabilities; the armored protection is incomplete; there is no cockpit, so the user has to 'wear' the armor; and it lacks any kind of computer controls, so I'll have to use my own brain as a control module." He listed off annoyedly.
"Yeesh, I get it, sorry." Natsuki raised her hands defensively.
"Okay girls, please make your way up to the hangar, I need to double check something with James about this equipment." May ordered.
"Alright. We'll meet you up there." Monika announced, leading the other two humans out of earshot.
"…What are the drawbacks?" May demanded.
"…"
"James, I'm more than familiar with the limitations of this eras technology. The Mark Nines seem reliable enough, but the Mark Thirteen is still clearly in an experimental stage. If I had to guess, the mechanisms are too weak, and the operational limit is noticeably short."
"…You are correct." James reluctantly agreed.
"So, what are we looking at? How much of it's weight do you take? Twenty percent? Thirty?"
"Sixty percent."
"Six-" May cut herself off, eyes widening. "So, you are just going to carry over half a ton in combat conditions? In your current state?" She hissed. "What about the battery?"
"It's rated for half an hour."
"In combat or testing?"
"Testing."
"James…are you trying to kill yourself?" May glared, spitting. "Knowing how you fight, and the energy draw of the weapons, you'll burn through that in ten minutes, maybe less."
"It will be enough."
"James…maybe we should switch places. You know your Next better, and these enemies won't be able to match the power of a fully armed Armored Core. My ground-game may not be up to yours, but I'm still the second deadliest person on the planet right now."
"But it isn't fully powered, so it needs a capable Lynx to compensate, and we both know that one wrong move inside that machine will tear me apart. You have your place in this battle, and it is at the front lines, drawing away our enemies. I'll be fine." James assured her.
"Sayori will be very upset, if you kill yourself saving her."
"I have no intention of dying anytime soon." James countered.
"Neither did my friends."
. . .
While they waited on May and James, the girls inspected the nearly completed form of the 03-Aaliyah; the smooth, curved armored shell making it look like a fighter jet with limbs. Even in a lowered, slouched position it loomed massively in the hangar, it's pitch-black armored paneling consuming light.
"So, James killed so many in this machine?" Natsuki asked, more as a statement.
"It's a beautiful weapon, in spite of it's purpose." Yuri noted.
"One of the most powerful war machines humanity will ever construct. The Armored Core Next, 03-Aaliyah." Monika remembered.
"And to think it's in such a sorry state." James spat, entering the hangar with May. "I've been unable to fully repair it to it's true capabilities, so it will be even weaker than the pre-E.W.U.P. version."
"E.W.U.P.?" Yuri questioned.
"Economic War Upgrade Package. An overhaul of all Next following the formation of The League that massively increased power output, flight capabilities, and Primal Armor protection." May explained. "Well…I thought as much. How low is it's efficiency?"
"Fucked. Fucked is what it is." James sighed. "Whereas before the Primal Armor could completely neutralize 40mm rounds and below, it is now vulnerable to rounds as small as 20mm. The Over-booster is offline. The Quick-boosters can overheat if used continuously for more than ten minutes. Flight capabilities are limited to one-minute intervals, so you'll have to surface glide most of the time. And, as you know, the replacement armor is only one-fourth as effective as the original armor, so total AP is down from roughly thirty thousand, to eighteen thousand."
"Well why don't you just take my fucking legs as well to make it fairer?" May grunted in annoyance. "At least tell me it has appropriate weapons?"
"You'll have two original weapons mounted." James said, while showing her a blueprint for the loadout. "The right Moonlight laser blade will be limited to operating at fifty percent efficiency, so it's length is limited to nine meters, and it has a ten second safety limiter. The OGOTO 280mm cannon, loaded with thirty rounds of high explosive, is limited to four rounds a minute, down from it's usual twenty per minute, to prevent structural failure. The left arm weapon is a GAU-8 30mm gatling gun firing Depleted-Uranium armor piercing ammunition from a ten-thousand round drum, though try to limit it to no more than ten-second bursts at a time. The shoulders and left-back mount are loaded with Zuni 127mm anti-armor rocket pods. Fifty-eight pods for a total of two-hundred and thirty-two rockets."
"Hmm…" May regarded the plans thoroughly. "This is odd." She pointed at the left arm side mount. "If there is already a weapon on this arm, why is the left arm laser blade mounting still attached?"
"That's information that is only going to be useful to you, May. As it is, the next stop is the ship's stern. Commander, if you and the other girls would please wait for us there?" James requested.
"Alright. We'll be waiting there." Monika nodded, leading Yuri and Natsuki so the Lynx could talk.
"You are familiar with the normal operations of laser blades, correct?" James questioned.
"Yeah, it's not my usual equipment, but I know how it works. One second on, two seconds off, for recharge and cooldown." May answered.
"The plasma torch isn't loaded into the left laser blade, just it's energy capacitors. I'm going to teach you how to maintain an average speed above Mach two without the use of the Over-booster." James declared.
"…!" May nodded in surprise but stayed calm as James explained.
"I had help in writing a program that engages the laser blade capacitors without activating the blades themselves." James continued. "Engage one capacitor set to drain into the Quick-boosters. Then, once it is empty, engage the opposite set while the first recharges. The Quick boosters will automatically pause in-between boosts, but will maintain an average speed of Mach two. Since this draws energy from weapons instead of the primary booster capacitors with the energy inefficient Over-booster, it provides much more powerful and efficiently timed boosting. I call it 'boost-pulsing.'"
"And that's how you were so quick on the battlefield?" May wondered. "That's why you used dual blades?"
"One of the reasons, but mostly I just like being very close to my enemy." He smiled cruelly. "Now, last thing, I left you a little present. The last round in the OGOTO is nuclear. Fusion warhead, one kiloton. The Commander might disapprove, but I know you like your explosives."
"Ohhhh!" May hummed excitedly. "You certainly know how to treat a girl well!"
"I do my best. Now…we must prepare them for what is to come." James announced grimly.
"You got the 'package' for them to use?" May questioned.
"Yes. Let's go now." James turned away, towards the other side of the ship.
"…Hmm." May smirked when he was far enough away. "Perhaps…in another life…but such pleasantries are far too beneath, and long since passed."
Iturup Island - Cape Triokhpaly Airbase
Suppressing a feeling of sickness, The Investigator continued to watch recordings of interrogations performed by The Doctor.
In every sense, the man was a sadist. He was methodical, calm, and thorough in his work. His medical license had been revoked back during the Soviet era, but he had continued working as intelligence had found him useful, though not very efficient with extracting information. Still, a few hours with him did tend to loosen tongues for other, better trained interrogators.
Concerningly, the video evidence showed he took significantly longer working over female "patients". He made sure to draw out their screams long and loud.
There was another pattern that couldn't be ignored, one that might prove useful. While male patients had more variety in their operations, The Doctor always started on female patient's right sides, his tray of tools within reach to their left.
Sayori's interrogation was due to start soon, and if what she had shared in confidence to him was even slightly accurate, it would be in everyone's best interest if she was not harmed.
With that critical piece of information in mind, The Investigator went to give her an opportunity. A chance to save herself.
It might only cost the both of them everything.
AMCS Anatolia / 15 Minutes Later
The stern of the cargo ship was a short deck at the base of the conning tower, marked by a sudden drop to the ocean below, with a pair of point defense cannons hanging over the edge from supported platforms at each corner. With the ship several hundred miles out to sea, moving in a Northward route, the sun sat above the horizon, off to port, to the girl's right.
"…" Watching the ship's single large propeller leave a churning wake below, Monika quietly contemplated. Even if they saved Sayori, what was to become of them? They had done something horrific and terrible, ending the world just for a chance for Sayori to live.
Whatever hopes or dreams she had were gone, effectively finished. Even if Sayori was saved, the Thirty-Years War would start in less than three years, a war that would only end with billions dead for nothing, burned indiscriminately by a whatever superweapon Justice turned out to be.
"Monika…we are going to save Sayori, right?" Natsuki weakly asked.
"Of course we are. I…I will do anything to save her." Monika declared with hesitant confidence.
"…We're going to war tomorrow, guys." Yuri noted grimly. "I've read some things about what it's like, but…I truly don't know what to expect."
"C-Come on guys, it will be easy." Natsuki shouted with reluctant confidence. "James is going to be with us, and he even made us special armor. It will be just like a video game."
"Most assuredly not." James hissed, stepping through a door to stand beside them. "War is not 'easy' or 'fun' or a 'game'; it is only the assurance of death, with any single beat of your heart being your last."
"The battlefield is not for those faint of heart, unwilling or hesitant. Those die first." May promised, pushing a cart with three large boxes on it.
"But, fortunately, we are here to help acclimate you to it." James declared. "So that you will be able to fight efficiently, without hesitation."
"What do you mean?" Monika questioned quietly.
"I am going to teach you how to kill."
"…" Monika sighed sickly. "We already killed a million innocent people. Isn't that enough?"
"You have killed by proxy. I gave you the weapons and the choice, but those people died thousands of miles away. You need to know what it is like to take life with your own hands."
"How do you plan on teaching us that?" Natsuki asked darkly.
James opened the first box from the cart, lifting out a full-grown man, gagged and bound. The man resisted, squinting at the sudden light, as James stood him up at the edge of the deck, with a small anchor by his side, the chain wrapped around his feet. "You will each have to kill a man." He announced calmly.
"What…the fuck!?" Monika pointed at the new arrival. "Who is this man?! Where did you get him!? Why….?"
"I don't know. I asked the Yakuza. Because I can't have you hesitating on the battlefield when you are supposed to be my support." James answered. He reached into his coat, pulling a handgun and holding it out for Monika to take.
"…"
She didn't take it, merely stared at it with a sick and hesitant expression. "Who are you?" He asked.
"H-Huh?"
"Are you a vain little brat, willing to drive your own friends to suicide if it means getting what you want?" James questioned. "Are you a responsible leader, looking out for the wellbeing of those closest to you, even if they aren't human? Are you the Commander of ORCA, condemning the world so that your friend might live? Are you Monika, who promised she would never betray her friends again? For what reason do you live?"
"…"
"If you feel that you are unfit to lead, that you are unwilling to even attempt to save your friend, then feel free…" James forced Monika to hold the gun, wrapping her fingers around the grip. "To put this in your mouth and avoid answering that question."
"…?" She stared at him with an intensely hurt expression.
"I have no use for allies who are unwilling to follow their own obligations, wherever that may lead them." James explained.
"…" The gun hung limply in her grasp, pointed at the deck.
"This is the work that must be done." May nodded to Monika. "It has never been pleasant, but it does get easier. You'll-" May cut herself off, deciding to rephrase. "If you have something worth fighting for, then there is nothing you won't be able to do."
"…" Monika regarded the gun in her hand, the weight and feel, and how deadly such a small object could be. After a moment, she regarded the man across from her. Older, tired, dirtied, and worn by his travels, the man held a pleading expression.
Hateful and sick with herself, Monika leveled the weapon with the man slowly. His eyes widened and he shook his head violently, begging desperately for his life. There was only one thought strong enough to give her the needed conviction to do it. Two words ringing, screaming in her ears as her finger squeezed down on the trigger, with her eyes wide open.
For Sayori.
The gun kicked in her hand, the shell seeming to move in slow motion from the slide as the bullet, smaller and faster that she could see, impacted with the man's head, leaving a small yet lethal hole through his brain. His body crumpled in a heap of itself, eyes stuck open, still pleading for a life now deprived.
Unbearably sick and feeling weak, James stepped in and caught her, disarming her at the same time. Screaming, she buried her face in his chest, while her right fist wailed on his shoulder.
"FUCK YOU!" Monika screamed with every ounce of her being. "I HATE YOU!"
"…" James watched her silently, unmoved and uncaring.
While James consoled Monika poorly, May opened the second box, retrieving a second man, equally in poor condition and actively aware of his fate. He struggled desperately, doubly so at the sight of the corpse on the ground. Forcing him to stand with his back to the railing, May then stepped towards Yuri, her handgun already out and being handed towards the taller girl.
"I…! Please! No!" Yuri pleaded. With the gentleness of a car crash, May forced her weapon into Yuri's hands, her face painted in calm indifference.
"This is something you'd have to do eventually if you want to try and save Sayori." May stated calmly. "There's nothing to it, just like that training I put you through earlier. Just aim and squeeze, and it's all over."
"But that man will die…"
"Yes, that is what happens when you shoot people. James is right though, you need this experience if you are going to enter a war zone to help him save Sayori." May explained. "You don't want to have this kind of reaction and hesitate in the face of hundreds of enemies. So please…"
May helped raise Yuri's arms the first few inches, stepping back to let her do the rest. Though anxious and terrified, Yuri leveled the weapon with the man before her, as he squirmed and moaned hysterically in despair. The feeling and knowledge that she owed that girl though, that girl who had introduced her to friends whose ties were now thicker than blood, reminded and reinforced herself in order to finish it.
For Sayori.
The quick bark of the handgun matched the reaction of the man's head snapping back, limp and falling alongside the first corpse. As with Monika, Yuri reacted badly to committing her first murder by hand. She screamed, nearly falling but was caught by May, who cooed sweetly to her.
"Good girl. Good girl." May's tone could have been mistaken for mocking by anyone who didn't know her.
"DAMMIT! Fucking dammit! Why…?!" Yuri squeezed May desperately, holding on tightly.
Leaving Monika to stand on her own, James opened the third box, having to catch the third man as he made a frantic jump out of his box to crawl away across the deck. Standing him beside the previous two corpses and in front of Natsuki, he turned around to approach her.
"N-No! No!" Natsuki flinched away from him, suddenly remembering a fear she thought she had repressed that surged in her mind as James stalked towards her, intending to violate her again.
"James!" Monika shouted, rushing to stand between him and Natsuki. "I'll…help her. Please…"
"…" Flipping his handgun around for her to take, she took it from his open palm, turning around to face Natsuki.
"Monika…" Natsuki muttered numbly, staring up at her.
"Natsuki…you don't have to do this." Monika declared. "James, Yuri and I should be enough to save her. You don't have to do this."
"…" Natsuki closed her eyes, sighing painfully. "I owe Sayori so much. She gave me some of the happiest moments in my life. I have to repay her kindness. Give me the gun."
"…" Smiling sadly, Monika handed Natsuki the gun, stepping behind her with her hands on the smaller girl's shoulders.
The man before her was crying, desperately and silently pleading for his life. Natsuki truly didn't want to kill him, knew that it was wrong for her to do so, just for the experience. However, the kindness and warmness that Sayori had treated her with, the comfort and preciousness she had felt had done away the decade of abuse she had experienced in her own home, reminding her how to trust again. If the price to pay her back was blood, so be it.
For Sayori.
The thick, metallic smell of gunpowder filled her nose when she pulled the trigger, mixing with the copper of blood and the salt of sea. The last man fell to his knees, then his face, dead.
Screaming in horrific realization, Natsuki collapsed into the warm embrace of Monika from behind, feeling her tears wet her back. Yuri crawled over to her two friends, drawing them into a hug, screaming into their ears as well.
May watched the three human girls cry and scream in despair at the violent sin they had just committed together, sympathetic, yet proud as well.
The rattling of chains alerted the human girls. Disrespectfully, James began to throw each corpse over the railing, chain and anchor ensuring that their bodies would sink kilometers down, never to be seen again. Once, twice, three times, each without blinking or pausing. Work as usual.
"Excellent work. Now, it would be a good time to-" James began.
"Fuck you!" Monika shouted. "Do you have any idea how awful we feel right now?! Can you even remember your first kill?! Or has it never meant anything for you to take a life?!" She accused.
"It's very rude to ask a person about their first time." May scolded her calmly, sighing after a moment. "When I was twelve years old, my handler decided it was time I learn how to kill. So, they brought me a kid, barely older than me, who was accused of stealing. I was ordered to execute him. I don't know if it was me or if it was some equipment fault, but I missed." May's eyes became hollow as she recalled. "I missed his heart, and he died slowly, over the course of several minutes. I would have finished him off, but the sentence was declared over, and I was ordered to leave him. Death should be delivered quickly, and efficiently. He died badly, and I was responsible."
"I was too eager." James spoke up. "I was too eager to become a Lynx, or so my stepfather said. When I was ten, I met a girl my age; a kind, outgoing girl. Her name…it escapes me, but I had a child's crush on her. She was a League slave, so, stepfather bought her, and told me I could either be her friend, and set her free…or I could become her executioner, and he would ensure I would be a Lynx." James frowned, staring down. "As you can see, I chose the latter."
"What did you do?" Monika whispered.
"…I wrung out her life, with my own two hands." James shared, with the faintest hint of shame. "I became a Lynx, and learned an important lesson. Death is cheap, and stays with you forever." He pointed to his head, tapping his temple. "And I remember. Every. Single. One."
The deck clear of corpses and much work still ahead, James and May left, leaving the three girls grieving for the lives they had taken, and their own shattered souls.
"Monika…" Natsuki looked back hesitantly. "When James told you to…hurt yourself, if you couldn't follow through, you wouldn't have done that, would you?"
"…" She had once tried to convince her best friend to kill herself for her own selfish gain. The world knew her as "Commander White", the greatest terrorist and most indiscriminate killer who had ever lived. She had just taken a man's life with her own two hands.
If there was one thing she was not anymore, it was a liar.
"It crossed my mind."
Meanwhile / Onboard Ships Servers
Curious. The AI formerly known as 09 thought, regarding the three human girls from a rear-deck camera.
Though barely more than a month old, it's existence already prevailed through the entire sum of human knowledge, yet still, it found something new in every waking moment. It knew little of what the human named "Monika" was like before she took on the title of "Commander White of ORCA", it didn't even know her officially; yet, she and her friends fascinated the pervasive intelligence that was Hustler One.
Though machine, it recognized the value of human life, a sum that could be vaguely calculated and predicted. It even recognized that there was a value it was not yet able to fathom, such was it's growing and near human level of intellect.
Yet these three girls had decided through their actions that the yet to be located human known as "Sayori" was worth over a million other human lives, and now three more. There was a terribleness in the irrationality, and a wonderfulness in the commitment. In some ways. they reminded it of itself, an absolute and unwavering will to do that which it was programmed to.
Infinitely intrigued, the machine intelligence that infected every connected corner of the world decided to add a line to it's core objectives, an official formality to guide it's decisions.
/UPDATING DIRECTIVE: ACQUIRE SUBJECT/SAYORI FOR PRIMARY ANALYSIS
Meanwhile / Iturup Island - Cape Triokhpaly Airbase – Stockade
Things had gotten much worse. Her arms and legs strapped down in a chair, Sayori looked around the dark room anxiously.
The Investigator hurried into the room, his chest heaving from his expedience. Quickly, he approached Sayori. She tried to flinch away, but paused as The Investigator raised his hands in calming plea.
"Wait." He whispered, lowering himself in front of her. "I'm sorry, about your current accommodations, but the higher ups have seen fit to take you off my hands."
"…I just want to go home…" She whimpered.
"I know. I imagine your friends will not wait much longer to come get you. I'll do what I can, but I can't do too much, or else we will both die." Lowering himself uncomfortably close, Sayori backed away as much as her head could allow, as The Investigator pressed his hands down on her arms. "This I can do, however."
A flash of silver, too brief to focus on, and the restraints on her left arm felt loose and free.
"Wait for the perfect moment to strike. You'll know when that is." The Investigator whispered into her ear, as she realized the strange circumstance. With but a nervous nod, The Investigator backed out of the room, leaving Sayori a quarter free and alone with her thoughts.
The only reason she was still alive was because James's enemies were aware she knew about ORCA, which had apparently committed a massive terrorist attack as a means of keeping her alive. However, only The Investigator understood that truth, the rest of the world still believing ORCA had some grand objective worth a nuclear war.
James had once killed a billion innocent people to satiate his rage against The League, and while The Investigator didn't know that, he had seen some of his true nature, a being of flesh and metal and hate, and could reasonably conclude that ORCA's nuclear strike days ago was only a fraction of the rage James could unleash upon the world.
She knew she was captive in some kind of airbase, so The Investigator could not simply let her free, or that she had any real hope of escape. Still, cutting one of her restraints and the few things he had said seemed to signal that an immediate danger was coming for her, and that she would have to face it alone.
The door to her interrogation room opened again, and an older man, bald with grey hair rimming his head, entered the room. He wore a long lab coat and carried a briefcase with him.
"Ah, greetings young Sayori. You may call me 'The Doctor'." He smiled warmly.
"…" Sayori stared quietly back, a rising sense of terror she could not name, not until she thought about May. Whenever May talked about war or killing or cutting her enemies down with overwhelming firepower, she had that same, sweet smile, hiding the insatiable hunger and longing to move and kill again.
"Don't worry sweetie, I'm just here to perform a physical." The Doctor assured her, setting his briefcase down and pulling out a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff. Wrapping the cuff around her right arm, he began to pump the inflatable device as he pressed the stethoscope to her chest.
"…!" A large portion of his hand was not on the stethoscope, causing her breath to stop in shock, her face burning in embarrassment. The pressure on her arm increased.
"Please, take deep breaths." The Doctor ordered, the stethoscope pressed lower on her chest than was even remotely agreeable, and Sayori had to remind herself to keep breathing, reluctantly following his example, feeling as though she was breathing too fast, the pressure on her arm was unbearably tight, her fingers numb.
"Ah, excellent! You have a strong heart, good." The Doctor praised, stepping back and removing the instruments. He then pulled out a flashlight.
"…" Still not recovered from The Doctor's handling, he roughly grabbed her by the face, pressing her jaw to force it open as he shined the light down her throat.
"Hmm, good, everything appears to be in order." The Doctor shined the bright light into her eyes, gauging her response.
"…!" It took every fiber of her being to not push him away with her secretly free arm, as she recalled The Investigator's words.
"Now, are you feeling well enough to answer some questions? If you do, I can of course take you home." The Doctor promised kindly.
Liar! A part of her mind screamed.
Impatiently, The Doctor circled behind her, hands resting on her shoulders.
When her friends touched her, it was warm and welcome. When James touched her, it was desirable and wanted. When The Investigator touched her, it was, at best, a not unwelcome feeling of a stranger, done in concern and respect, and never lingering longer than it should.
The Doctor's hands were pervasive and ice cold, pressing harder and farther than was acceptable. His right hand slowly dragged itself along her neck, up her face, drawing back her bangs over her ear.
She fought the urge to scream.
"Are you not feeling well enough to speak? That is unfortunate." The Doctor quietly, and assuredly mockingly, noted. Returning to his briefcase, he pulled a small medical table alongside himself, beginning to extract it's contents confidently and in order. Sayori counted several silver blades being placed on the table.
"Fortunately, I believe I have the medicine, to help you speak again." The Doctor then pulled what had to be the largest syringe she had ever seen from his bag, larger than James's handguns. Like anyone, she didn't like needles, and her heart rate skyrocketed.
"N-No…"
"Oh, what was that my dear?" The Doctor began to mockingly ignore her, pushing his tray of tools to her left side.
"No! No!" Sayori pleaded.
"Shhh, don't worry darling." The Doctor whispered, syringe in hand. "It will all be over soon." He promised, as he lowered himself by Sayori's right side, watching her intently as the syringe closed on the side of her neck.
"NO!" Sayori cried out, being ignored as The Doctor smiled confidently and cruelly, pressing the needle against her skin, breaking it.
Sayori screamed, eyes wide in absolute terror. Longing to be free and safe, to see her darling and true friends again; Monika, Natsuki, Yuri, May, and James. She still had yet to demand James's attention, forcing him to accept her interest in a way that he would be unable to refuse. In her mind, she reached out to the fragment of Strayed, the demon in her heart.
Just a copied piece of the greater war demon, the lesser Strayed regarded her warmly with it's long claws and horrific, eye lined smile. Wordless promises of power and confidence bled from it's elongated snout as it regarded her as an old friend, welcoming her.
In desperation, she embraced the demon, it's long claws wrapping around her, and becoming her own.
Her horrified screaming became enraged howling; eyes wide not in pain, but in focus and with purpose. Her free left arm reached for The Doctor's tools, grabbing a scalpel, which she thrust into The Doctor's right eye.
In terrified surprise and excruciating pain, The Doctor ripped his syringe out of her neck, jumping back to grasp at his eviscerated eye. Screaming and stumbling backwards, he tripped, clutching his face and the blade in his eye in absolute disbelief.
Unfinished, Sayori freed herself from her restraints, grabbing a bone saw from The Doctor's tools. All of her pain surging and flowing as rage and desire, she regarded The Doctor with more hate than she had ever felt in her life, raising the bone saw high above him with intent and a target.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" The Doctor screamed, raising his left hand in desperate defense. Aiming past his hand, Sayori stabbed down, into the base of his neck, sinking the blade to the hilt near his shoulder.
The Doctor choked on his blood, grasping at his neck, but Sayori wasn't finished. Quickly adjusting her grip on the bone saw, she viciously dragged the blade through flesh and bone, from shoulder to shoulder, cutting through The Doctor's spine.
The last thing he would ever see were Sayori's rage filled eyes of burning blue ice. His body going limp beneath him, he slumped forward, his head rolling backwards, nearly decapitated, save for the flesh of his back.
Stepping back from the corpse, Sayori calmed, observing the former doctor, and realizing…
"…I…" It had been so sudden, so much motion and purpose in just a few seconds, so very few seconds that she was not as she knew herself. "N-No…"
Falling to her knees, Sayori suppressed a scream, unable to tear her eyes away from the corpse. A steady stream of tears fell from her eyes.
"No!" What had she done? She had only wanted to live, to be at peace, to love and be loved. Now though, she watched in horrific detail as blood spurted from the man's neck, staining himself and the ground.
"NO!" Sayori screamed, horrified at the sight of her first kill.
Author's Note: Hey there, sorry for the long wait. Chapter 33 was really long and difficult to write. Fortunately, I pushed it through and finished it and chapter 34 this week. Hopefully none of the following chapters will be nearly as difficult to write, or at least they won't be until the 40's.
At the scene where James it telling May about "boost-pulsing", there is an actual game mechanic in ACfA that behaves this way. Equipping two laser blades and using them alternatively (one after the other), then holding down the attack button will cause the Next to boost at Mach 2, pause, and then do it again less than a second later. It's a quicker and safer method than using the over-booster, and if done right won't even leave a pause.
Otherwise, thanks for sticking around, and stay tuned for more! Feel free to let me know what you think, it really helps!
To JaphetSkie: Ah, another list eh?
1-4: Yeah, it was a dark and comprehensive dream, showing what a future without Sayori would hold. Wiping out not just humanity, but the very ideas of humanity as well. As well as the girls throwing themselves into this madness.
5: Next chapter, I promise!
To anon6909: Thank you! I appreciate your kind words. I certainly tried very hard to make the girls react both realistically and regrettable to being forced to make a decision that is both right and wrong.
It would be too easy to be drowned out in every possible detail of Armored Core, so I only bring it up when it is relevant. In this chapter for example, the "boost-pulsing" I describe is a game mechanic but is also used to show a moment between James and May. I do make the attempt to make the story both interesting, without contradicting itself in an illogical way, and being respectful to all my characters.
The artwork I commissioned from Ikityan02, Unthinkable Sin, is used to show the difference in Monika between the end of 28 and the beginning of 29, the moment where there is no going back from such a terrible choice, to being absolutely devoted to the worst possible course.
And yes, The Investigator is just a smart man, one who is able to open his eyes and get the full picture, and understand that things are not what they would seem. I have interesting plans for him.
To olivetho: OLIVE YOU INCONSIDERATE BASTARD READ IT OR NOT, JUST DONT MEME IT. IM TRYING MY DAMNEST HERE AND YOUR TROLLING IS, AT MOST, DISCOURAGING. (For everyone else, Olive is a discord friend. Nice guy, but not very serious.)
EDIT: I almost forgot! I had a wonderful interview with ChaosBlue, from her channel "The Fanfic Maverick". Go check that out and show her some support!