Blank Reflection-

Blank Reflection-

By Archangel

[Chapter Six]

Allenson EPO Base

Briefing Room

September 7, 3085

7:00 pm

The hustle and bustle outside the briefing room in the complex was shut out as Merian followed Sean and Mena into the large, but not very crowded auditorium.

// It looks like the one we were in before? //

Anna stepped up to the podium and coughed. She, as always looked upon a shuffle of papers that she held.

"Pilots, you will all be placed in pairs with each other in different parts of the base to see how you all can work together with teamwork. Along with teamwork, you will be tested in survival skills in which you need to rely upon each other to live and continue with the project." She took a short breath as she glanced back down to the paper. "I'll give you your pairs now. Merian, you're with Mena, Alec, with Tara. Sean, with Amy."

// Sean's gonna have a great time, isn't he… //

Merian looked at Sean after Anna mentioned the pairings, and Sean had his hands over his head.

"I'll all come get you after you head back to your rooms. In the meantime you should all get some clothing ready. Dismissed!" Her voice rang out and at that time, Merian and the pilots stood up and saluted. After the auditorium doors opened, the silence was shattered by the chatter that was happening in the complex's hallways. The sound of Merian's shoes clicking upon the solid floor stopped as he came to his room in the bunker part of the complex.

"Damn this room," Merian cursed as he opened the door to his small room. A large creaking sound went around the small room as he sat upon the ragged bed called a cot. Leaning back and placing his head upon the pillow, he caused another high-pitched creak. Closing his eyes, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

A mourning hymn was heard; Gunshots fired in the distance. What Merian could see was what looked like a large group of people and someone that looked like Anna who was sitting in the front. Again, repeated gunshots shattered the silence as soldiers stood on the side, holding their saluting pose.

A soldier's cry forced all the people to stand up and salute; followed by more gunshots. Suddenly, the distant sound of the gunshots became similar to knocks, as he shot out of bed dazed and confused.

Suddenly, the door creaking open jerked Merian out of his dream as he shot out of bed. Sweating, he slowly stood up and opened the door.

"Hey," Anna looked at Merian, who's uniform was now wrinkled. "You okay?" Merian put his hand to his head and wiped the sweat from his face.

"Everything's okay," Merian interrupted Anna, brushing his hair back.

"Get some clothes ready, you'll be getting placed with your partner." Anna smiled, and walked off. He poked his head out into the hallway to see where she was walking, and she ended up stopping next to the pilots. Merian, then looked back into his room and took some clothes and hygienic materials. After a couple of minutes, Merian came out of the small room with a small duffel bag and he met up with the other pilots.

"Hey Merian!" Mena came up to him and hugged him, smiling and their gaze meeting, he took her in his arms and as soon as they hugged, he let go. Anna's voice cut through the pilot's conversations as she kept talking.
"Pilots, please follow me." She started off in the direction of the hangars and obediently, the pilots followed her through the complex. Arriving at a small shuttle, the pilots got in and it took off.

"Are we going to another space colony?" Alec's voice blurted out, but it was interrupted by Anna automatically.

"No, another base here on Mars." She looked back to the front of the craft and all was silent.

An Hour Later

The small shuttle jolted as it once again touched the ground. As the pilots stepped out, they became engulfed by a wilderness; a large green-flushed forest. The calls of wild animals sounded out repeatedly as the heat of the sun came down upon the new arrivals.

"This is where we're all staying?" Sean put down his bag and re-positioned his head so that he could see well. Anna stepped out of the craft, trailed by Claude.

"You're all ready?" Anna said, smiling. "Stay with your partner, you'll get your assigned places to stay." She looked through a shuffle of papers as she smiled and looked up.

"Merian and Mena, you'll be staying at the hut over there, Alec and Tara, over there," as she pointed in several directions, she finally got to Sean and Amy. "And you two will be over… there." She smiled, and looked around.

"Get used to your spots, and I'll come for the rest of you in a couple of hours." She walked off with Claude, toward a large house, set on a cliff.

As Merian and Mena stepped into the small hut that they were to call home for the next week, they came in to see a small sized room with two cots, and a couple of windows.

"Damn. It's too bad that they didn't have beds." Merian snapped his fingers, then smiling, to show humor. Mena kept a straight face as she looked back at Merian.

"Well," she paused, taking a breath and she looked out the window to see the paradise that surrounded them. "It's better than sleeping in that concrete room called a bunker." She chuckled and lay down upon the cot that was similar to the one that they slept on at the base.

// Nothing but the same thing as the base… though there isn't much of a commotion outside, just the sound of the waves. //

After twenty minutes, Merian got up and looked at Mena, who was asleep.

// Cute… //

He looked outside to see that the sun was setting and he stepped into the warm sand outside of the hut. The calm sound of the waves crashing against the beach, against the backdrop of a mellow sunset, made Merian sit down upon the sand and look out on the ocean.

"Bakari kami mou naze naikou gozen korede…" ((I'm not sure if that's the correct wording or words at all! I'm using a Japanese dictionary and just put it like I worded it in English: 'Only god know why I am here.' If there's anything wrong, please tell me how to put it and how to set the words up. Thanx!))

All of a sudden, something took hold of him around the neck.
"Hey…" Merian reacted quickly and slid back, unknowing of what touched him. "Whoa, are you okay?" Mena stepped forward to see if he was awake, and he got up.

"You… just…"

"Scared you. Yeah, I know." She smiled and looked into his blank eyes. "I shouldn't scare you like that." She stepped forward and hugged him, and Merian, not knowing what to do, returned the hug. Mena stepped back and sat down next to the hut.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." She shook her head in shame as Merian slid next to her.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I'm just overreacting because you saved my life." She smiled and moved her hands down his back, and she embraced him. Smiling, she put her head on his shoulder.

// Why is she doing this? //

"Are… you okay?" Merian turned around and returned the hug. She lifted her head up to him, tears in her eyes. She sniffled and she brushed the tear that was rolling down her cheek.

"It's cause…" She paused, looking out onto the horizon to which the sun was setting. The faint but joyous colors danced across the beach, illuminating everything. Merian looked back at Mena, who started to cry.

"My family was taken from me… during the invasion of Paris by the EPO." She sobbed, and pushed away some more tears. "They were taken hostage… all I remember was that they kept telling me to hide in the closet…" She looked out toward the horizon and looked back at him. "I never saw them again… Please don't mind me, I'm just…" Merian put his hand up to silence her, and he wrapped his arms around her. Seeing a new understanding, he felt her place her head upon his chest and all her tears came out.

Deserted Island

Merian and Mena's hut

September 8, 3085

7:00 am

The singing of the tropical birds around awoke Merian as he sat up in his cot. Looking across toward Mena, he glanced out of the windowpane to see the sun already up. He was tired, and brought Mena in after she fell asleep in his arms from the night before.

// You should be nice to her… she doesn't have anyone else now… //

He got up and stepped out onto the warm sand, looking out on the horizon and he saw nothing but blue. He turned to the left and saw someone in the distance to what looked like dancing. Squinting, he looked in the person's direction and saw that it was Alec.

// Heh, kung fu… //

He smiled, and walked back into the hut. Suddenly a voice called out from outside, and Merian automatically recognized it.

"Merian! Get out here!" Anna was standing outside with the rest of the pilots. Merian ran out and stumbled off the porch and fell face first into the sand. Looking up towards Anna, he got up and brushed everything off. She smiled and looked into the hut. "Is Mena awake yet?"

"No, don't think so…" Merian looked towards the hut. "I'll go check." He ran into the hut and he came upon Mena who was sitting upon her cot. Merian opened his mouth to say something, but Mena interrupted him.

"I'm fine. Is everyone outside?" Merian nodded and he walked outside.

"Okay people, I'm sorry I didn't come for you last night, but you all must wait for a while since something's come up." Anna looked around for any signs of disapproval, but she found none. "I'll come for you tomorrow morning, so please bear with me." She walked off back towards the house, and left the pilots there.

"Might as well go back…" Merian said as the other pilots nodded in approval.

Sean started to walk back with Amy when he received a look from her. Sean ignored it, and when they arrived at the hut, he sat down on the sand.

"So, how are you doing?" Sean asked, trying to start a friendly conversation. She calmly ignored him, going back into the hut. He got up and stood in the doorway.

"What the hell is your problem?" Sean exclaimed, as he was looking at Amy, who sat herself on her cot. "I try to start a conversation but you act like a bitch!" She looked out the window and disregarded him as nothing.

"Fuck it! I give up!" Sean yelled, as he walked out of the hut. He sat down right next to the crashing waves as he heard a sound behind him.

"I'm sorry…"

"What the fuck do you care?!" Sean called again. "All I am is a Filipino to you!"

"But…"

"Shut the hell up! You know you're lying!" Sean interrupted her, and turning towards her to her face.

"I know what you Vietnamese think about us! That's fine! But if it comes to me, saving your ass on the field…" He paused, and took a breath. "…It sucks for you!"

Sean got up and walked back into the hut, Amy looking after him. She looked down towards the sand and cursed herself.

"What have I done…"

Deserted Island

The beach

September 9, 3085

10:00 am

The group of pilots gathered up upon the beach, with Anna amongst them.

"We have to take you guys out of here, I know you need more work…" Sean sneered, as he looked on.

"Let's go already? What do we have to do?"

"You guys are being sent on an assault mission…"

*Note: This chapter was pretty short… I know I need more action… But please review and I need criticism! PLEASE REVIEW!!! :: gets on knees :: PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!