Chapter 8

The steady beep of machinery filled the lecture hall leaving a soft tingle in the eardrums of those within its confines. All manner of device and contraption from the Azur Axis factions had transformed the auditorium into a makeshift test room and laboratory. And amid it all sat a single, unhappy destroyer.

With a sigh heavy enough to sink a fleet carrier, Cooper's eyes drifted across the bulky machinery. All manner of wire and cable snaked in and out of conduits and junctions before coming to a singular end point.

Her.

Off to the side, Vestal stood beside Enterprise. Unlike the carrier, the repair ship was a monument of trepidation, gripping and rubbing her skirt through her fingers, eyes darting from one computer monitor to the next. Enterprise, for her part seemed unable to blink with her gaze locked straight ahead. Whether she was staring directly at her, or in deep thought, Cooper was unable to tell.

Beside them, San Francisco reclined in a seat, watching the other working at their stations. Like Enterprise, she wore a blank expression, but Cooper could see her brows knit together as her eyes flicked over whatever text was scrolling across the monitors in an uncharacteristic silence.

Three days this had been going on.

Cooper shifted in her seat, the heat of impatience demanding she move to relieve the restless energy building up in her muscles.

"Please hold still." The escort carrier, Langley, spoke with a sharp snap to her voice. "I shouldn't have to remind you that this equipment is highly sensitive, and if we don't want to start over, you need to not jostle it."

Cooper let out a groan. "I didn't think it was physically possible to be so bored."

Langley fixed her with a stern frown. "We're not here to entertain you, Cooper. We're trying to get a decent assessment of your condition." Then under her breath. "Never mind remotely understanding what happened in the first place."

"I feel fine though." Cooper protested. "Honestly, what's a girl got to do to prove herself around here?"

"Settle down Coop." San Francisco tilted her head to give Cooper a warning look. "These tests are taxing on everyone. Not just you."

Cooper glanced about the other stations' occupants. Along with Langley, Amazon leaned over her console, rubbing her bloodshot eyes. London looked ready to fall out of her seat at any moment. Beside her, Iron Blood cruiser of Köln slumped in her seat, weighed down by the bags under her eyes. Even the manjuu looked deflated.

Cooper let out a long breath, gripping her hospital gown. Fran was right. They were all busting their sterns. Even when Vestal returned her to her hospital room, the rest of them were still hard at work.

I know I shouldn't complain. But still…

Her shoulders slumped as the weight in her chest anchored her to her seat. She had not felt this useless since her first sortie with Allen.

But at least I was able to move around and try to help.

Before she could let out another sigh, she heard footsteps approaching. A heartbeat later, the doors of the lecture hall creaked open as Belfast and Warspite made way for Queen Elizabeth. Upon reaching the threshold, the queen stood in the entrance and inspected the room and its occupants. After a moment, her nose twitched, as though she smelled something unpleasant.

"I'm going to guess that the silence means there have been no further developments." Her voice was measured, betraying no hint of irritation, or disappointment. Rather, it was merely a statement of what the situation was.

"Sadly not, Your Majesty." London shook her head in defeat and rose with Amazon to greet their leader. "Our sincerest apologizes for-"

"Oh piffle!" Elizabeth huffed and waved her hand, putting an end to that. "It was always going to be a difficult undertaking." Elizabeth descended the stairs towards the group, and it was then Cooper noticed the battleship's entourage.

First and Fifth carrier divisions followed her, with Bismarck following close behind. Bringing up the rear was Prince of Wales who was trying to not glare at the back of Bismarck's head. Cooper could not shake the feeling of being near a magazine fire that could erupt out of control at any second.

"You seem to be awfully chipper, Your Majesty." San Francisco leaned back in her seat and looked upside down at the battleship.

Elizabeth nodded. "All things considered; I suppose I am."

"Did you find anything?" Enterprise asked, breaking away from being a statue to greet the new arrivals.

"We have an idea of sorts." Wales stated, giving Bismarck a sideways glance before looking at the four imperial carriers. "It's… unconventional to say the least."

"You say that because it does not meet with your approval due to your lack of understanding of siren technology." Bismarck pointed out.

Wales' features tensed and a chill ran up Cooper's spine. "So, you claim to be an export then, is that correct?"

"Of course not." Bismarck closed her eyes for a breath before reaching into her cloak as though reaching for a weapon. Again, Wales tense and her fingertips brushed the pommel of her sword. Enterprise and Warspite both shifted uneasily along with the computer operators.

Bismarck opened her eyes and pulled out a folder, extending it towards Enterprise. The carrier took it and the battleship glanced back at the blonde. "Do not mistake Iron Blood confidence with arrogance. We fear the unknown just as much as you do."

Wales narrowed her eyes. "Is that so?"

Bismarck gave a slow blink. "The only difference between you and I, is that I will continue forward. Because understanding our foe will lead to knowing how to defeat them."

"You go too far Lord Bismarck."

Bismarck blinked, her gaze turning away from Wales for a split second. "Perhaps. But perhaps not. I will face that judgement when it comes for me."

Wales pursed her lips. Despite not speaking further, Cooper could almost hear the battleship's internal thoughts. Count on it.

"If you two are done with your daily tiff, may we get back to the task at hand?" Elizabeth chastised. The battleships backed off and Cooper felt relief wash over her. The magazine fire had been averted; if only temporarily.

Elizabeth turned to the fox-tailed carriers and nodded in a 'go ahead' gesture.

Akagi stepped towards Enterprise who still held the folder in her hands but had not opened it yet. "I hope you don't mind, but this will require your involvement as well, Grey Ghost."

Enterprise blinked, and upon Akagi's prompting, opened the folder. The chamber fell into silence as she read.

Cooper's jaw worked back and forth as she tried to gauge her reactions. Enterprise's expression fell, then tensed. When an expression of fear washed over her face, Cooper felt her heart plummet as the carrier recoiled as though the page had snapped at her.

"What is it?" Cooper could barely recognize her own voice. Her mouth had gone dry, and she was beginning to tremble.

Enterprise held her stare for a heartbeat longer before turning back to Akagi and the others. "This is just a hypothesis, right?"

"It is." Akagi nodded.

"As ugly as it might be, it is one we must consider." Bismarck added and gave Cooper a sympathetic glance.

Cooper sat upright. "What's going on?" She suddenly became very aware of the hammering pulse in her neck.

"It's just a theory, Miss Cooper." Elizabeth stated firmly, as though her words would be enough to settle the churning in Coopers stomach.

"Your Majesty," Enterprise interjected. "While it's one thing for me to be kept in the dark about this, I don't want one of my own to be burdened with that."

Elizabeth crossed her arms. "You think that is the best course of action?"

"I agree with Grey… er… Enterprise." Zuikaku stepped up beside her. "I believe it would be best to have our fleets understand why that happened."

Zuikaku and Enterprise shared a look of mutual agreement before Elizabeth sighed. "Very well. I will declassify the intelligence and make it a priority to educate my fleet on the phenomena."

"And we will do the same." Kaga nodded firmly. "I trust any new developments will be shared equally as they arise?"

"Absolutely." Enterprise nodded.

"Hey!" Cooper barked. "Lady in waiting here!"

"Cooper! Manners!" Vestal scolded.

"I'm sorry!" Cooper shot back. Before her brain could stop her, the words spilled out from her lips. "But I'm tired of not knowing what is going on! I don't know what happened and I don't know why everyone is so on edge! I can't protect humanity when I'm cooped up in here with no idea when or if I'll ever be let out again! What am I supposed to do? Just sit back and rust away like some forgotten relic?"

"Cooper, you're letting your imagination get the better of you." San Francisco said calmly and rose to her feet. "You know we'd never let you-"

The heavy cruiser was cut off when Kaga stepped forward. Cooper swallowed hard as her eyes met the fox's. The clop of her footsteps may as well have been deafening as she approached to look over her. The imperial carrier was not smiling. Nor did she appear angry. Instead, she looked like a wolf eyeing a mouse, and trying to decide if it were hungry enough to eat it.

Allen… What do I do?

It was then Kaga dropped to a knee and Looked Cooper square in the eye. "You love them, don't you?"

"Huh?" Cooper croaked and it was a moment before she was able to blink herself out of her stupor.

"Your sisters. Your friends. Humanity. You hold a deep love for them."

"I… um…" Cooper swallowed the lump and nodded dumbly. "Sure…"

Kaga gave a slow blink, and a small smile grazed her lips. "I too hold a deep love for my sisters and my people." Her gaze lowered a fraction and her tails drooped ever so slightly. "But that love can burn so bright that it can blind you. And you hurt those you swore to protect and to help."

The woman's voice was strained like a towline pulled taught. Her eyes drifted to the floor as she fought off a painful memory coming to the forefront of her conscious.

"You wouldn't believe how easy it is to lose sight of your goal. How simple it is for family to hurt each other without intention." Her gaze returned to meet Cooper's. "So, I ask you, little one…" Kaga's voice had hardened with a pleading undertone. "Will you remain vigilant just a little longer? For the ones you love?"

Cooper blinked at her as though waking up from a dream as a sudden clarity took over. "I… I'll do my best." She nodded.

Kaga returned the nod before looking back to the others. Elizabeth bobbed her head before giving an order to begin preparations. However, before Cooper could focus on what they were doing, the white fox reached into a sleeve and withdrew what appeared to be silicone flower petals. It was only when she pressed one to Cooper's temples, did she realize they were electrodes.

She almost made a comment about more tests but held her tongue when she felt eyes on her. Looking up, she found Akagi watching from beside Elizabeth. The carrier smiled, but her stare seemed to pierce straight through Cooper, causing her to fidget.

"Please be still." Kaga insisted without looking up. She slipped several more electrodes under the hospital gown, adhering them to her chest, and sides. Kaga's touch was as soft as a feather, and Cooper twitched before stiffening as fingertips tickled her skin.

Thankfully, Vestal approached with a bundle of cables, giving Cooper a sense of professional familiarity and the breather, she needed to regain her composure.

Across the way, Enterprise was also undressing, taking her coat off, which Belfast folded neatly. Zuikaku, taking hold of a rolling chair, brought it to rest beside Cooper and motioned to the Eagle Union carrier. With a deep, resigned sigh, Enterprise took up the seat with a loud creak.

"Allow me, Miss Enterprise." Belfast spoke gently as she set Enterprise's coat on a clean seat and stood before the carrier. She leaned down, her dainty fingers taking Enterprise's top button and undoing it with a single flick.

"Um, I can…" Enterprise started before she found a raised finger, just inches from her lips.

"Now now. Let a maid do her duty." Belfast shooshed and proceeded to unbutton Enterprise's top.

Enterprise groaned, her cheeks turning bright pink as she watched the maid's fingers methodically move down her front, allowing access to her vital points. Once Belfast stepped aside, Zuikaku knelt beside the seat and mimicked Kaga's, placement of the electrodes.

"This isn't going to hurt, is it?" Enterprise asked.

Zuikaku looked up in surprise. "I never took you for one to be squeamish regarding pain."

"It's not me I'm concerned about." Enterprise stated without breaking eye contact.

Zuikaku blinked, before she glanced over at Akagi who was watching the exchange.

"Fear not." She assured them. "This equipment is for monitoring purposes."

"I feel like I'm hooked up to an electric chair." Cooper said under her breath.

It was Bismarck's turn to speak up. "Our Sakura Empire allies will be monitoring the status of your cores with their unique devices." She eyed the petal-shaped nodes curiously, before reaching into her cloak and removing a black and silver headband resembling a tiara. "We will be monitoring your mental state during this experiment. She glanced over at Amazon and Köln. Both girls nodded, albeit with forced enthusiasm.

Cooper could only watch in confusion as the battleship pressed the band into place around her head. It felt as though an ice cube had been pressed to her head before the chilly sensation vanished a heartbeat later.

"We're ready." Köln announced.

"Gut." Bismarck nodded, looking to Akagi as though inspecting her for imperfections. The battleship returned to stand beside Elizabeth as the brunette carrier passed beside her, exchanging a look for but a fraction of a second.

Cooper looked to Enterprise, but her faction leader had her violet eyes locked on Akagi. Or rather, what she carried beside her.

The imperial carrier set a stool between Cooper and enterprise before setting the gear crate on it. With a swish of her hand, Akagi opened the locks and revealed the black, shimmering cube inside.

Cooper immediately recoiled, nearly falling out of her seat in the process.

"What the heck!" She squeaked, preparing to bolt as she shot a panicked look from Akagi to the rest of the spectators. "What is-"

"It's okay Miss Cooper." Belfast's voice was gentle yet resolute. "Rest assured, we're not going to let anything happen to you."

"Is that thing even safe though?" Cooper eyed the cube, half expecting it you lunge for her.

"If it's anything like when I touched one," Enterprise started. "You won't feel anything."

San Francisco took a step up beside Bismarck and crossed her arms as she furrowed her brow. "What'll happen?"

Enterprise hesitated and her jaw twitched. "We're about to find out."

This answer did not please San Francisco who frowned hard.

"We'll be standing by just in case." Zuikaku stated firmly and rubbed the hilt of her sword as if daring the universe to challenge her. Behind her, Shoukaku, Warspite and Wales affirmed the declaration in unison.

"I'm counting on you." Enterprise sighed.

Zuikaku and Kaga took up flanking positions to either side of Akagi.

"We're ready, sister." Kaga murmured, her own expression taking on a stern countenance.

Belfast was the only one to hesitate a moment longer. "Are you comfortable enough, Miss Enterprise?"

The question was innocent enough, but Cooper detected a hint of worry in the maid's tone.

"I'm fine Belfast." Enterprise assured her with a smile. "There's no need to worry about me."

Belfast was silent for a breath before giving a shallow bow. "Very well, Miss."

With a flurry of her skirt, Belfast turned and marched back to her station beside Elizabeth.

Enterprise let out a sigh, before looking to Cooper. "Are you feeling okay?"

Cooper had to shake herself out of her inner thoughts. Were Belfast and Enterprise… an item?

"I-I'm fine." She stammered, shooting a curious look between the carrier and cruiser.

"Then let us begin." Akagi urged.

The black cube levitated out of its protective container and drifted like a flower petal on the wind to twirl above Akagi's palm.

Cooper's lips parted as she focused on alien object. A tingle resonated in her eardrums as though listening to a musical chime from a distance.

"Place your hands to the cube's surface." Akagi instructed.

Enterprise reached out with little hesitation, releasing a breath as soon as her fingers made contact.

Cooper swallowed hard before reaching out as well.

The ringing note in her ears seemed to grow louder the closer she got to it.

"Does anyone else hear that?" She asked.

No answer.

"Huh…" She huffed. "Must be my imagina-"

Her words died in her throat as she looked around only to find an empty void around her.

Immediately she sat up in her seat, only to find she was already standing. Tiny waves splashed at her bare feet, drawing her attention to the dark ocean below.

What the hell?

When… no… How did she get into the middle of the ocean? In the middle of the night no less.

"Hello?" She called, turning around to only find an inky black surrounding her. "Enterprise? Fran?" She took a couple cautious steps forward. "Allen? Ingraham? Anyone?"

The ringing note was her only response.

"If anyone can hear me, where am I?"

Silence.

Cooper ran a hand through her hair, giving it a frustrated tug.

"Okay, think Cooper. There has to be a way to figure out what's going on. There always is."

She paced in a circle, her hands patting her thighs in agitation as she forced her brain to work at full speed ahead. "You're lost in the middle of nowhere. What do you do?" She looked around once more. "Navigate…Communicate…." She closed her eyes and reached out to her hull, her senses brushing along its blue cube core like a cat welcoming its owner home. Her radio was functioning perfectly. Better than perfect. It felt… stronger.

Maybe the upgrades?

She connected her thoughts to the radio and broadcast in the open.

"This is Cooper of the Eagle Union! Can anyone hear me?"

No response.

"Hello! This is Cooper! I'm currently out to sea and I'm lost! If there any ships in the area that can hear this, respond!" She paused. "Please?"

Nothing. No hiss of static or crackle of indistinct radio waves.

Only her steadily growing panicked breathing and the lapping of the waves.

"Okay… communication is a bust. Now you gotta navigate Cooper. What can you use?" She looked to the sky, hoping to see stars amongst the darkness. Only black and orange clouds drifted by overhead. "Okay, astral navigation is also a no go."

She let out another breath, trying to settle herself. "Radio's working but no one on the other end. So that must mean my navigation systems are okay too, right?"

A quick check assured her that her radar senses were indeed operational. But she couldn't sense anyone or anything around her, moving or otherwise.

"For Pete's sake!" She yelled, tugging at her hair. "What is happening?"

Cooper collapsed onto her back with a splash, staring up at the sky. Was this some sort of simulation? A siren trick? Had the black cube somehow teleported her into a mirror sea?

The thought of being in a mirror sea was enough to make any kansen's skin crawl.

But alone?

Even a battleship would think twice before venturing into a mirror sea by themselves.

Cooper scooped up a handful of water and splashed her face. "This has to be a mirror sea. What else could it be?"

She blinked away the droplets and bit her lip as she watched the dark clouds drift by.

And then her brows knit together in consternation.

When did the clouds get there? And when has the sky suddenly start glowing orange?

Sitting up, Cooper snapped her head around twice, finding a harsh glow in the distance, as though a fire were blazing just beyond the horizon.

Did that just appear out of nowhere? Or did I miss it in my-"

No.

She had to deal with that later.

Fire, in her experience, mean a t battle.

Trouble.

And where there was trouble, there were usually people.

"And the enemy."

Another quick look around, and Cooper was on her feet, skating towards the source of the glow. All the while, her heart hammered violently inside her chest and her lungs felt as though they would burst like an over pressurized boiler.

She had no idea how long she had been traveling, but by the time she was able to clearly see the tips of flames over the horizon, she was sweating and breathing heavily.

Cooper slowed to catch her breath and wipe her brow.

"Just how far away is that thing?"

The light was brighter now but it looked as though she had barely gotten any closer.

And it was then that a chilling thought crossed her mind.

If I'm seeing that from such a distance… there must have been a huge engagement!

She tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

Maybe venturing too close was a bad idea after all.

Taking a hesitant step back, Cooper's back bumped an object.

Startled, she whirled around.

And her jaw dropped.

Before her was a siren ship. It was a destroyer-class, but even mass-produced siren destroyers were enormous, even when side by side battleships and carriers.

It's menacing crimson lights flickered as though it were struggling to hold onto its existence as it slowly sank beneath the water's surface.

Where did that thing come from?

The suction of the sinking ship tugged at Cooper's feet, and she quickly backpedaled away to keep from being dragged under.

Her heal caught on something that shifted under her weight and she yelped in alarm before splashing onto her butt.

She had only a moment to ponder what the object was when she saw a pair of yellow eyes staring blankly out at her.

A siren! Humanoid this time.

Cooper had only seen a few in her entire service time, but never this close. Or damaged.

The siren's lower torso was gone, leaving a vibrant yellow streak in the water along with a trickle of yellow blood at the corner of her mouth.

Cooper's mouth had become a desert. She couldn't think. She couldn't focus on anything except the stone-cold expression staring out at whatever this world was.

It was then that the body shifted, and Cooper let out a choked gasp, backing away as fast as she could. But rather than reanimate like a zombie from her horror films, the sinking siren destroyer was pulling the corpse towards it.

Cooper could only watch as the lifeless husk drifted further and further away from her before bumping silently against the alien hull and disappearing beneath the waves.

More movement caught her attention and she soon found more bodies drifting.

Two.

Ten.

Twenty.

Humanod siren corpses littered the ocean's surface, all drawing towards the singular destroyer before disappearing beneath it.

"You shouldn't be here."

Cooper screamed and whirled around in a spray of sea foam to stare up at…

She blinked.

Shook her head. Then blinked again.

"Y-you… You're…" She slowly got to her feet; eyes wide as she stared at herself.

Not Her exactly.

Her other self appeared as though she had been through a massive battle. Her hair was a bedraggled mess, and her attire was in tatters. Wrapped around her neck was a long scarlet scarf, its frayed ends catching on her battered rigging.

Cooper squinted at the accessory as a sense of familiarity rose in the back of her mind.

But then she spotted movement behind her doppelganger. An orb floated out from behind her other self's billowing cloak and Cooper could only gape at the thing. It was a mechanical device, a robot, with an AA gun and torpedo launcher haphazardly mounted to either side of it. A pair of turquoise lights blinked at her, apparently eyes, and the thing shifted curiously on its invisible pedestal. Cooper scooted away as it drew closer.

"S-stay away!" Cooper barked. "Who are you?"

"Leave her be, Data." 'Cooper' said once the drone was within a few inches of Cooper. Her other self approached but stopped a few paces away. "And I shouldn't have to explain who I am. Not when I'm staring me in the face."

Cooper gaped at herself. "N-no! You can't be me. Er… me you?" She shook her head vehemently. "No way! This is a trick! The black cube is doing this!"

'Cooper' cocked her head and stared at her; one eye shrouded in her messy bangs. "Well… you have one thing right."

She took a step forward and Cooper stumbled back as a hand covered in grease and yellow blood reached towards her.

"Get away from me!"

Her clone continued forward.

"I said back off!" Cooper swatted at the hand, but her arm passed right through it. "Wha-"

"Cooper…"

Cooper paused and blinked. That voice… it sounded like…

"Fran?"

'Cooper' paused, narrowing her eyes a moment before lowering her hand.

"Cooper wake up!"

A crushing force enveloped Cooper's senses, constricting her and hindering her movement. The force was slowly weighing her down, bringing her to her knees.

Not her knees. She was being pulled under the surf, amongst the lifeless sirens.

"Let go! Let me go!" Cooper shouted clawing at nothing for all she was worth.

'Cooper' and Data eyed her contemplatively as though merely fascinated by what was happening.

"Cooper! Snap out of it!" Fran's voice was a roar in her ears.

Cooper squeezed her eyes shut and reached out towards the surface and felt her hand strike something solid. A pained cry reached her ears and suddenly light filled Cooper's vision.

She sat bolt upright in the seat, her forehead clashing with San Francisco's. Cooper yelped and San Francisco staggered back, before being caught by Shoukaku.

"Cooper, it's okay!" Gentle hands held her by the shoulders but did not try to push her back down or restrain her. "Look at me!"

Cooper blinked several times before turning to see Vestal leaning over her, a look of terror in her eyes. Upon making eye contact, the repair ship 's shoulders slumped with relief.

"You're safe." She murmured and brought a hand up to rest on Cooper's cheek.

Cooper flinched.

"You're safe." Vestal repeated.

"Her heartrate is still spiking." Bismarck stated from beside Köln. A deep frown adorned the battleship's lips.

Cooper spent several rasping breaths eyeing the other girls. Zuikaku, Warspite and Wales were tightly gripping their sword hilts. Elizabeth and Belfast wore looks of deep concern, as though neither of them could make heads or tails of what was happening.

A groan from Akagi drew Cooper's attention to the imperial carrier who lay in Kaga's arms. Her skin was ghostly pale with her face turning a worrying shade of blue.

Enterprise groaned and rubbed at her forehead.

Elizabeth let out a breath, gesturing to Belfast to tend to the Eagle Union carrier, which she did with great trepidation.

"What the hell just happened?" San Francisco asked, her voice muffled by her hand over her mouth.

"The data is processing." Amazon replied, suddenly on full alert.

San Francisco let out a groan and sniffled. "Cooper's eyes went wide when she saw a drop of crimson fall from between her fingers.

"Fran?" The destroyer was on her feet in a flash, but Vestal held her back.

"I'm alright, Coop." Fran waved, though the pained look in her eyes told Cooper everything she needed to know.

She had hurt her friend.

That knowledge left an empty hole to settle in Cooper's stomach as she watched Shoukaku tend to the heavy cruiser. It was only when offered a stack of tissues, did San Francisco remove her hand to reveal a streak of blood running down her nose.

"I'm sorry." Cooper whimpered, trying to push past Vestal. "I didn't mean to-"

Vestal looked ready to speak but stopped when Enterprise took hold of her hand and shook her head.

Cooper was allowed to approach the heavy cruiser and Fran pulled her into a hug with her free arm. It was strong and her body was warm. Cooper had not realized how cold she had felt until that moment. "I'm sorry." She held onto San Francisco tight and was et with the cruiser's hand rubbing up and down her back.

"Hey now, no crying over a little thing like this." Fran stated. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Cooper blinked up at her, her eyes stinging with tears. "What happened to me?"

"We will have to analyze the data before we can fully answer that." Elizabeth stated. The queen was giving the computer monitors a disapproving look as though they were displaying bad table manners.

"From the looks of it," Bismarck started. "You and Grey Ghost had spikes in your core energy output." Her eyes met Elizabeth's. "And judging by your data and earlier reports, this isn't the first time it's happened."

Elizabeth scrutinized the screen another moment before casting an eye in Enterprise's direction.

"What did you find?" Enterprise asked upon meeting her gaze.

Bismarck's lips twisted in contemplation. "You and your subordinate both share similar connections to the black cubes, if that wasn't made obvious by now. The energy readings from the cube have remained steady. However, the second you came into contact with it, your own energy output spiked tenfold."

"So… we got a power-up?" Cooper asked, giving the cube a wary glance.

"No." Akagi wheezed as Kaga helped her to sit up on the floor. "The black cube is a container of data. That was how we…We were able to make the Orochi into what it was." She brought a trembling hand up to rest on her forehead. "But this one… Is different."

"Different?" Enterprise was not scrutinizing the box as though it were a bomb ready to go off.

Akagi tried to stand but her legs gave out.

"Sister!" Kaga exclaimed, managing to catch her before she hit the table.

"The siren… Observer. She gifted us with the black cubes. But handling them never felt like this."

"What are you on about?" Elizabeth demanded.

Akagi reached out towards the black cube, but Kaga stopped her.

The two exchanged looks before Kaga released her sister.

Akagi's fingers brushed the black cube and the aurora within pulsed red. Akagi shuddered and withdrew her hand. "This feels… alive…"

The chamber fell deathly silent, and Cooper shivered from the growing chill creeping up her bare legs.

"I think this is a good time to break for a while." Vestal's voice was enough to make Cooper jolt in Fran's embrace.

"Agreed." Elizabeth sighed, glancing at Amazon and London. "Get yourselves some rest. I will call for you once I have need of you again."

"Of course, Your Majesty." The two answered in unison before bowing and practically staggering out of the auditorium.

Bismarck dismissed Köln who trudged after the Royal Navy girls.

"If you two will come with me…" Vestal said, pulling San Francisco and Cooper along by a sleeve.

"Me? What for?" Fran asked, allowing the smaller girl to drag her out of the lecture hall.

"That nose needs inspecting to make sure it's not broken."

"Broken?" Cooper squeaked, giving the repair ship a look of horror before Fran clapped a hand on top of her head.

"I don't think it's broken." She spoke reassuringly, still clutching at the now crimson tissues. "But it was a good hit."

Cooper wilted and said nothing as Vestal led them down the hall and across a walkway leading from the academy to the hospital.

"Can you sit quietly until I get her checked out?" Vestal asked upon reaching Cooper's room. "I promise I won't be long."

Cooper gave a slow blink but nodded as she climbed into her bed and flopped down, facing away from the doorway. She sensed the two of them stand there a moment longer before Vestal whispered for Fran to follow her and their footsteps faded down the hall, disappearing inside another vacant room.

As their voices drifted on the afternoon breeze, Cooper could only bury her face into her pillow as her thoughts drifting back to what she had seen. What had that vision been? What did it mean? Was it a premonition of the future? If so, what had happened to her to make her look like that?

She squeezed her blankets as she closed her eyes, trying her best to shut out the image of burning shipwrecks and the dozens upon dozens of humanoid siren corpses.

Had she been the one to cause that much destruction? But if so… why were there kansen hulls? Was she… Would she become a monster that could not distinguish friend from foe?

Her stomach twisted and Cooper curled into a ball.

What did that thing do to me?

Had she been forever changed because of the black cube? Could she fight it? If it were 'alive' like Akagi said, would she be strong enough to resist its will and continue to fight for humanity?

A breeze ran over her shoulders and Cooper shivered. She opened her eyes and blinked into the darkness. For a moment she thought she was back in the nightmarish scene, before realizing she was still in the hospital.

Night had come and Cooper found herself staring up at a clear, starry sky. A couple of clouds drifted by, doing little to block out the brilliant silver moon.

With a groan, Cooper rubbed the sleep from her eyes, irritated that she had slept through over half the day.

Why hadn't Vestal woken her?

Rolling around to swing her feet off the edge of the bed, Cooper found a note on the bedside table. A note rested beside a pitcher of water and a small packet of saltine crackers.

You seemed tired, so I left you to rest. I prepared a meal in the kitchen if you are hungry. Call me and I will bring it to you. ~ Vestal

Cooper read it once more, debating if she should call the nurse or not. She was hungry, for sure, and the crackers were good for immediate relief from the emptiness in her stomach. But right now, all she wanted was to be rid of the thoughts and memories from earlier.

She stared through the floor as she tried to think of what to do. Food was only going to be a temporary relief. Maybe she could go for a walk around the campus? That might work.

But then a new idea came to mind. One which she knew would work.

Silently, Cooper's feet met the cold floor eliciting a sharp inhale before leaning over to slide her shoes out from under the bed. Step by step, she made her way out into the halls, and down the stairs before letting out a sigh of relief upon reaching the outside.

The air chillier and Cooper rubbed her arms to warm them up as she made her way towards the far end of the campus.

The chill is temporary.

She let out another sigh and began to jog.

It was time to do some training.