After Sharla conducted an extensive health exam on Dunban to determine the extent of his injuries — and was somewhat satisfied despite the fact he had a minor concussion— Dunban redirected his attention towards Shulk and the piece of the White Whale. Upon second glance, Dunban calculated it looked more like a compartment of the ship rather than a full piece. If he guesstimated, it was approximately 800 square feet. A decent size, but not as large as he was hoping it would be.
"Alright. Is it ready to be opened?" He asked.
"I believe so. I eliminated all of the firewalls and I don't see any booby trap security measures." Shulk affirmed.
"Booby traps? Like what?" Fiora wondered.
"Well, some of the places in the White Whale are rigged with explosives in case invaders try to get their hands on our technology."
Reyn's eyes widened. "Wait...there's a bomb in this thing?"
"No. At least, I'm 99.9% sure."
"That's not 100..."
"Shulk, just open it," Dunban commanded, impatient. His head started to throb, no doubt a side effect from the concussion.
"Yes, sir." Shulk began tapping a series of buttons on the control pad, then moved his attention to his tablet. Beeps emitted from the control pad as Shulk input a series of codes into the system. Then a door-sized panel — camouflaged as a simple wall tile — slid open, inviting the team to come inside.
Lights blazed on as they entered, running from end to end. From Dunban's vantage point, the room — as it was one large room — appeared to be some sort of lab. The walls to the right and left were lined with various machines, dark and dormant. A computer cluster inhabited the middle of the room. A dozen or so open cabinets containing various mechanical devices and parts covered the far wall. Additionally, there was an alcove towards the back that hid its contents from the visitor's eye.
Cautiously, Dunban led the way, his eyes taking in every surface and electrical current running through the walls. A pang of disappointment rippled through him. This was not the lifehold. There were no cryogenically sealed bodies of White Whale passengers inside. They were still missing, lost somewhere on Mira, running out of time. Though in the back of his mind, he'd known that as soon as they'd come upon the piece. This part of the ship was too small.
As he moved further into the lab, he heard Shulk commented from behind, "This is strange. I can't access the purpose for this place." Dunban stopped in his tracks. There were only a handful of projects that were top secret concerning the White Whale and the overall plan for the Exodus from Earth. He believed most of those files and secrets had been accounted for when the inventory of NLA's data was done shortly after its landing on Mira.
Obviously, he'd been wrong. But that seemed too careless for the BLADE leadership to overlook. His instincts spiked. Someone had failed to inform him that there was still missing top secret data. The man narrowed his eyes. Out of all the BLADE council members who could possibly do this, Maurice would be the likely candidate. But why?
"Something wrong?" Fiora whispered, coming up beside him.
He shook his head. "Just planning our next move."
"Hold your horses, mister. We've gotta celebrate. We found a piece of the White Whale!"
"And before those goonies." Reyn chimed in with a grin that spanned from ear to ear.
"Perhaps we will when we camp for the evening," Dunban answered.
Fiora rolled her eyes at Reyn and walked back towards Shulk, her brown ponytail swishing to and fro. Dunban resumed his inspection, heading towards the back and turning into the alcove. On the wall, he spied another control pad inside a small glass case. The way it was installed meant it was most likely connected to a different network than the main pad at the front. The hairs on the back of his neck rose. This kind of double security signified the importance of whatever was being kept here.
Glancing around the corner, Dunban saw the members of his team preoccupied with their own observations. Turning his attention back to the matter at hand, he carefully opened the door to the control pad. Motion-activated, a blue light emitted from the screen. A message popped up: INPUT ID AND CODE. Quickly, the man typed in his clearance credits. The bell tones denoting the confirmation of his code sent a small ounce of relief through his body. At least he hadn't been locked out entirely.
Next to the control pad, a small panel slid aide to reveal a fingerprint scanner. Standard procedure. He pressed his hand to the cool surface and watched on the screen as the computer traced the lines on his fingertips. Finally, the pictures were complete and after a series of beeps, the screen flashed green: CLEARED.
One more panel above the control pad slid open vertically. A bright red light shot forward. He stepped in front of it and looked straight into the light. Retinal scanner. Another series of beeps and the small panel door closed, the red light disappearing. On the control pad screen, the same cleared message returned.
There was a swooshing sound to his left and he faced in its direction. Out of the wall, a door materialized, as if by magic. Slowly, it slid open. Dunban's eyes widened as the contents were slowly revealed. There was a man in a rudimentary BLADE suit frozen inside a cryopreservation cell. Red hot anger burst in Dunban's gut as he realized who he was staring at. The puzzle pieces in his mind fit together: he knew what this facility was for.
Immediately, he wished they'd never come. He wished they could forget the container ever existed. Somehow destroy it and let its information be lost. But Dunban knew that he could not do that. He was a soldier. And his mission was to find pieces of the White Whale and deliver their contents to NLA.
Balling his hands into fists, he called out, "Sharla! I need you over here now."
The dash of footsteps — more than one pair he heard — made their way through the room and stopped next to him. A gasp. His head turned towards Sharla, her eyes glued to the man in the pod. She knew him. But how?
"Gadot..." She whispered and looked at Dunban. "We have to get him out of there. Now."
The pleading look on her face — a vulnerability he hadn't yet seen her express — overcame his desire to set the self-destruct sequence on the container and walk away as it exploded and burned to ash. Wordlessly, Dunban strode towards the sleeping pod and input the necessary commands.
Orange lights blinked overhead. An automated female voice announced, "Space pod opening. Subject is weak after the journey. Sensitivity to light is high. Subject will require at least 72 hours to reacclimatize to the atmosphere. Plenty of fluids and vitamin supplement shots advised." Bursts of steam filled the pod, obscuring the view as the inside warmed to room temperature. Seconds passed and Sharla shifted back and forth, nervous. Dunban eyed the rest of his team, grouped a few feet behind her. They too watched the display, speechless.
Finally, the pod door slid open. Out stepped the man, tall, blonde, pale. There was a dullness in his blue eyes and a haggardness in his gait. But that was to be expected after cryogenic sleeping. Especially since he'd been in this state longer than anticipated.
Sharla rushed forward, pulling his arm over her shoulders and providing him support. With a waver in her voice, she said, "Gadot, I thought you were gone."
Mustering his strength, he looked up at her and smiled. "Sharla. This is a pleasant wake-up call."
Tears brimmed in her eyes as she nodded.
"How did you find me?"
"We had some help." Dunban stepped forward, crossing his arms over his chest.
Gadot turned his gaze onto the captain. Slow recognition morphed into mild distaste. "Dunban. I certainly didn't expect to see you."
"My team and I are out on an expedition."
"I see." Gadot paused, glancing around. "I guess we landed somewhere then?"
"You missed quite a bit." Sharla laughed, putting her arm around his waist. From the corner of his eye, Dunban could see Reyn's face fall and Fiora twitch uncomfortably.
"Sharla. You and Shulk take Gadot to the base on the border. Then we'll continue the mission."
"I'd like to go back to NLA with him," Sharla replied.
The request irked Dunban unnecessarily, though he understood the motivation behind it. However, Dunban was not about to let Gadot jeopardize the mission.
Before Dunban could say anything, Gadot interjected. "I don't want you to abandon your mission for little old me." Sharla opened her mouth to argue, but Gadot laid a finger on her lips. "I'll basically be a vegetable for the next week recuperating. By the time you get back, we can properly catch up." He winked at her. Reluctantly, she smiled and nodded, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.
Again, from the corner of his eye, Dunban could see Reyn spin on his heel and walk out of the room, his shoulders slumped. Worried, Shulk followed his friend out, leaving a guilty-looking Fiora and confused Riki.
"I need to grab my research before we leave." Gadot declared.
Dunban clenched his jaw. "Take all the time you need." Without a second glance, he strode out of the tankard, gesturing for Fiora and Riki to follow.
As they arrived back at the speeder where Shulk and Reyn waited, Dunban pulled the zipper on his bag forcefully, grabbing the radio.
"Dunban, who is that?" Shulk asked.
"He's a scientist. A researcher that was a part of the Exodus Gamma team."
"So...top secret stuff." Fiora mused. "What did he work on?"
"I'll be back." Dunban ignored the question and took off, clutching the radio in a vice-like grip. This was not the discovery he wanted to make. However, he had no choice but to let NLA know what had happened. No doubt they would be happy.
Taking a seat on a nearby rock, Dunban went about his routine of turning on the radio. He eyed the others, watching Fiora, Shulk and Riki whisper to each other while Reyn meandered away. Once the radio was ready, he stared at it, wishing he didn't have to make the call, waiting for something to stop him. But nothing happened. Resigned, he put the microphone to his mouth. "NLA, this is Falcon. ID 02032013. Come in. Over."
"A bit early fer contact, cap'n. What's goin' on? Over." Vandham's voice rang loud and clear through the radio with hardly a crackle.
"We found a piece of the White Whale. Over."
"WHAT?" Vandham exclaimed then quickly added, "Over."
Dunban clenched the microphone in his hand as he willed himself to say the next words. "Gadot Mormont was inside. Over."
A long silence. Maybe Dunban wasn't the only one that was out of the loop about Gadot and the survival of his research.
"Sure you were pleased about that, eh? Over."
"Did you know? Over."
"Erm...yeah," Vandham said, guilty.
Anger boiled in Dunban's veins. He glared straight ahead at the piece of the White Whale, cursing under his breath. So he was the only one in the dark.
"Put Maurice on. Now."
"I don't think yer wanna do that—"
"I said now, Vandham! Over!"
The line went dead. For a minute, Dunban thought Vandham had cut the connection. But the crackle of a voice on the other end reassured him that was not the case.
"Dunban. I want to apologize personally. Over." To Dunban's surprise, it wasn't Maurice. It was Commander Nagi.
"Sir. What is going on? Why was I not informed that Gadot was on the White Whale? Over."
"It is no secret you have never been a supporter of Exodus Gamma. Over."
"That doesn't explain why you would leave a commanding officer in the dark. Over."
"Your reaction is completely fair. This was not a decision I made. I was only following orders from above. Over."
"You mean Maurice. Over."
"No, I'm afraid not. Over."
"Then, wh—" But he stopped. There was only one other person who had that kind of authority, especially when it came to Gadot's project.
Elma.
A hard rock of disbelief dropped into the pit of his stomach. He trusted Elma. They were soldiers in arms together, and had fought to shield the White Whale during the initial Exodus, and also the attack shortly before landing on Mira. They had made countless decisions to ensure humanity's safety together. They confided in each other. They were professional allies. And yet…
The betrayal stung. And he was too angry to deal with the consequences at the moment. No. He would deal with it when he had some solitude.
"Sharla and Shulk will drive Gadot to the base at the border. The BLADES there should be able to transport him back to NLA. Over."
"Good. I know this isn't what you want, Dunban. But I thank you for following your duty. Over."
"I will make contact later at the designated time. Over."
"Alright. Over and out."
This time, the line went dead for certain. Fuming, Dunban hung up the radio and turned it off. He knew why Earth's leadership felt that Gadot's work was a necessity. But it was wrong to Dunban on a fundamental level. He couldn't emotionally reconcile supporting it though he could rationalize it. It was the one thing he'd hoped had been lost to the crash. It seemed that Fate had other ideas.
Rigid, he made his way back to his team just as Sharla and Gadot emerged from the lab, the two in quiet conversation. Dunban wondered how long they had been together. Was Sharla aware of the work Gadot did? Or did they keep the personal and professional separate? He'd have to determine this as soon as possible.
"Did you get everything you needed?" Dunban looked at Gadot, maintaining a blank expression.
Gadot returned it with a wry grin. "You bet. Every last piece of research necessary to continue making progress."
Dunban grit his teeth but did not respond. He knew the scientist was goading him. In another life, he may have found Gadot to be an amiable acquaintance...no. Even then, Dunban would've disliked him and his cocky attitude.
"We should get going." Sharla ushered Gadot to the side door of the speeder. Dunban began to remove the bags in the back, Fiora and Reyn lending a hand while Shulk jumped into the driver's seat.
"You don't need to directly turn around," Dunban said as he finished unloading the equipment. "Stay the night at the base and rest. You can return in the morning."
"Thank you, Captain," Sharla replied. Gratitude filled her eyes. She thought he was meeting her halfway and allowing her to spend more time with Gadot. Despite his dislike for the man, Dunban wasn't unfeeling. She'd been separated from her partner. No doubt he would've felt similarly in her shoes. A whisper of loneliness tickled his heart, but he waved it away as soon as it came.
"They might have you put together a preliminary report when you get there. Until we're all back to NLA, we do not mention the Nopon."
Sharla and Shulk nodded solemnly. Gadot raised an eyebrow. "The mighty Dunban keeping secrets from military leadership? What's so important to protect?"
"Maurice isn't keen on befriending the native races of the planet, much less meeting them. He believes they're all dangerous." Dunban answered flatly.
Gadot rolled his eyes. "Still a bigot. Never understood why the moron got elected on Earth in the first place."
This elicited a smirk from Dunban. If there was one thing they agreed upon, it was that Maurice was a pain in the ass.
"Radio me when you get there," Dunban said to Shulk.
"Yes, Captain."
With Gadot in the passenger's seat and Sharla in the back, Shulk gunned the engine of the speeder and took off, heading back into the rainforest.
"What now?" Fiora asked when the speeder was out of sight.
"Plant a probe by the container. Once you do that, we'll head out to the Northeast and see what we can find there."
The rest of the day was spent exploring the semi-rainforested area of a serpentine pass. He was surprised with how much ground they were covering given Riki was constantly stopping to eat pollen orbs and complaining soon after how full he was. The hiking and tracking were enough to keep Dunban's mind off of the events of the morning and reminded him of camping trips he and Fiora took years ago.
"Do you remember when we camped in the Redwoods?" Dunban asked Fiora as they trudged through a sandy area, their boots kicking small rocks across the ground.
"Yeah. It rained the first night. It was so cold."
Dunban let out an exasperated sigh. "Is that all you remember?"
"Nooo. We got up super early and hiked to the top of the Klamath Overlook."
"But it was worth it, right?"
"...yes." She begrudgingly agreed. He side-glanced at her. She was beaming while her eyes had the faraway look in them. "It was really beautiful."
"Probably one of my favorite trips."
"Um, yeah. We didn't get attacked by a bear."
"Fiora, we were never in danger of the bear."
"That is not true!" She stared daggers at him as she placed her hands on her hips.
"What bear?" Reyn asked, falling in step with them. His voice was quieter than usual. Dunban supposed Reyn was still thinking about Sharla and Gadot.
"We went to Zion for a camping trip. And we were on this trail, which wasn't really a trail, Dunban just wanted to go into nature to have an "experience" and we saw a bear like five feet away." Fiora explained.
"It was eating berries." Dunban sighed, shaking his head, "That's all."
"It could've charged at us!"
"It didn't even notice we were there."
"What is bear?" Riki spun around from his spot on the path in front of the humans, tilting his head to the side.
"A big, scary, furry animal that growls and lives in forests." Reyn demonstrated, putting his hands up like claws and baring his teeth.
"Oh, so Reyn is bear?" Riki asked innocently.
Fiora burst out laughing while Dunban grinned. Reyn scrunched his face in annoyance. "I am gonna get you, furball." Riki laughed and whirled around, rushing down the path away from the group with Reyn in pursuit.
As they hurried out of earshot, Fiora looked up at Dunban, concerned. His chest tightened. She was no doubt going to ask him about Gadot. He would not be able to tell her and, he predicted, this would lead to an argument. Something he did not want or need at the present moment. "I can't tell you what Gadot was working on."
"Okay...is that why you hate him?"
"I don't hate him. I hate his work."
"You totally hate him. Even if you also hate his work."
"Fiora."
"What? I'm just calling it like it is." She shrugged and laced her fingers together, placing her hands behind her head. "So Sharla and that guy are like...a thing."
"So it seems."
"I'm really sad for Reyn."
"I told you not to interfere." He reminded her, grabbing his water bottle from his pack and taking a drink.
"I know, I know. Still though."
Dunban frowned as he capped the bottle and put it away. "I can't say that I don't feel the same."
"Besides, what does she see in him?"
"You just met him."
"Still. Reyn is way more attractive than Gadot. I mean...look at those muscles."
"First, I'm not going to suppose or contemplate what Sharla finds attractive. Second, I don't see you courting Reyn."
"Courting? What era do you live in, Dunban?"
"I'm not blind, Fiora. I see that you like Shulk."
She squealed and pinked, her eyes round like saucers. "Oh god, really? Have I been that obvious? Do you think he knows?"
"Maybe? Maybe not. He seems to like you too."
"Really!?"
"As I said with Sharla, I won't pretend to know Shulk's mind. But if you want my observation, I think he may be interested in you too." Dunban offered.
Fiora beamed. "I can't wait 'till he gets back." Then she poked her brother in the shoulder. "Now we just have to find someone for you."
The man pursed his lips disapprovingly.
"Don't look so sour. It could be fun!" She laughed and skipped away to join Reyn and Riki, who were now both preoccupied with eating orange colored fruits that look similar to persimmons.
Dunban watched the trio, giddy, enraptured in their moment of happiness. It had been a long time since Dunban had been in a real relationship. Too long for him to remember what courting — yes he was going to use that word whether or not Fiora felt it was antiquated — was like. Not that he hadn't been intimate in a long time; he'd had a few flings here and there, but nothing serious. Nothing where he opened his heart to someone else. Nothing where he made future plans with someone and was committed to joining two lives together. But he certainly couldn't imagine doing it now. Humanity was fighting for survival. The last thing he needed to be doing was distracting himself.
Night came and the group found themselves another cave for shelter. After a small meal and a brief round of the game concentration, which Riki mastered quickly to everyone's surprise, the team was overtaken with yawns and fluttering eyes. Once more, they split the evening into three shifts for the watch: first Fiora, second Reyn, and lastly Fiora and Riki. At first, Dunban had protested. But Fiora insisted, citing that Sharla wanted Dunban to get the most rest possible considering his near death encounter.
As he slipped into his sleeping bag, he felt his body breathe a sigh of relief. He hadn't wanted to admit it, but he had been pleased to have the extra sleep. His head had started to pound and his left arm also began to ache since sundown. Keeping the symptoms hidden from Fiora and the others had been exhausting. As he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, the last thoughts he had were that of gratitude for his sister despite their squabbles and arguments.
The hours whizzed by, and the morning sun soon replaced the night moon, rising above the horizon and climbing high into the sky. As Dunban prepared breakfast, Fiora planted a probe a few feet away, Reyn packed up the campsite, and Riki offered advice on where to next explore after Sharla and Shulk returned.
Once breakfast was finished, Dunban grabbed the bowls and walked to the nearby stream. Kneeling, he began to clean them, the cool water rushing over his hands, relieving the minor pain he felt in his left arm. As his hands moved over the bowls, disposing of the leftover crumbs, he began to feel a set of eyes on him, watching his every movement. Stealthily, the captain removed a knife from his boot, ready to defend if an enemy attacked. But the seconds wore on, and nothing approached, though he knew he was still being watched.
As he finished washing the bowls, he made his way back to camp. Reyn and Fiora were engaged in a lively conversation about the merits of Magic Mike, explaining to a scandalized Riki the premise of the movie. But Dunban paid no mind. Was the person watching him the same person that had rescued him from the waterfall? The person to whom the necklace belonged? He slid his hand into his pocket to feel the cold metal on his fingertips, reminding him of the voice that spoke to him in his semi-conscious state.
Pivoting, the man headed back to the stream. Dunban stopped by the rushing water, scanning the brush around him. Taking a deep breath, he called out, "I know you're out there, whoever you are." He continued turning in a full circle then stopped. "I want to thank you for saving me yesterday."
Silence answered his words. Was someone really there? Or were his instincts completely off base and he was imagining things?
No. He always trusted his gut, and it was never wrong.
Slowly, he withdrew the necklace from his pocket and laid it down on a nearby rock. "You left this behind at the waterfall. I hope it's alright that I grabbed it. It looked important and I didn't want it to be lost." Tucking his hands into his pockets, Dunban backed away. "Maybe we could meet face to face sometime. I promise I have no ill intent towards you. I'd just like to talk." Nodding, he turned around and headed back to camp.
Five minutes later, the team was ready to depart. Chattering between each other, they shrugged on their packs. Before Dunban could copy the gesture, he decided it against it and walked in the direction of the stream. "I'll be right back."
"That's like the fourth time you've gone to the stream this morning! What are you doing out there?" Fiora complained.
"When a man's gotta go, a man's gotta go," Reyn smirked and elbowed her.
"Ewwww." Fiora wrinkled her nose.
Without waiting for a follow-up inquiry, Dunban hurried back towards the rushing water. When he arrived, his eyes went to the rock. It was as he thought. The necklace was gone.
A/N: Mysteries and more fun to come :) Stay tuned!
