AN: Sorry this has been such a long wait. School and work took over my life. Thank my buddy, Autumn, for letting me go through her cd collection for music to inspire me. If it wasn't for her 'trash pile' of cds this chapter would probably not exist.
Immortal Habit
Chapter Three: Heavier Than The Words We Say
Victoria Base had a long and bloody history. Positioned in south-central Africa right on the Zambezi River and only a mile from the famous Victoria Falls, this former OZ base was first established during the fourth World War. It was originally used as a training base for special operations teams and a research facility on soldier enhancement. At any time the base could hold just under ten thousand personnel. Of the near sixty thousand troops that passed through Victoria Base only fifteen thousand lived through the war and only three thousand of those survivors died of natural causes later in life. None lived to A.C. times though most of them would only be in their early sixties when the first colony was launched.
Okami knew all this because she'd lived on Victoria Base since she was six. (On an interesting note the researchers at Victoria Base found that the best soldiers were trained from early childhood. They published their findings in a well-known manuscript that is still used today.) She and her sister Aki had been brought to Victoria Base by a man that insisted on being called 'Brother' by all of the children at Victoria Base. Okami and Aki were the only ones that Brother referred to as 'Little Sister'. They had been the first children brought but were most certainly not the last. Okami's last census had revealed there to be near two thousand children from ages 14 to 5 and four thousand soldiers within the base. Aki and Okami were the eldest at fifteen.
They'd lived on Victoria Base right through the Eve Wars. Brother had an agreement with OZ that said OZ could use the base for military operations as long as Brother could use any soldier he wished in his work with the children at any time. After the wars some of the OZ soldiers even stayed at Victoria to continue working for Brother. Brother said it was because they believed in his work, Okami thought it was because he paid them better than a destroyed organization.
Days at Victoria followed a set pattern. There were two sets of classes. One set for those under the age of ten and one for over the age of ten. Both were strenuous and exactly sixteen hours long with a daily medical examination and at least two workouts. At meals you took your vitamins and hoped to god whatever they'd mixed up today wouldn't kill you, or worse make you kill others.
After tonight though, Okami and Aki wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. Once the clock struck midnight and the guard changed they would be free. Gone from the only world they'd known but hated so much and the man they called 'Brother'. All for a dream of home and some pictures Okami had stumbled upon.
Okami lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling and counting the ticks of the clock. Underneath the rough wool of her blanket she was fully dressed and had a bag of provisions for the long trip ahead. Also, in an air-tight container she kept numerous fake papers that proclaimed her a citizen of South Africa with a student visa to Sanq. Aki had the same papers for herself, hopefully she'd remembered to put them in the air-tight container.
"How much longer?" Aki breathed from the bed next to hers, only years of special 'vitamins' and 'flu shots' allowed her to hear her sister at all.
"A few minutes. Have you slept?" Okami replied in the same breathless fashion.
Aki shook her head. Okami couldn't see the movement but she could hear the furious friction of her sister's hair against her pillow. She didn't need to see Aki to know what she looked like right now. Her long blood-red hair was splayed over her pillow and partially trailing on the ground while her curiously halved blue-green eyes tried in vain to see her sister through the darkness.
"You should have," Okami chided her sibling.
"Well, its too damn late now. Are you still set on this suicide trip to Hwange? Livingstone is closer," Aki's voice had risen to a barely audible whisper.
"It's also crawling with off-duty soldiers. We'd be back here before we'd even gotten ten steps out the door," Okami's voice rose to match Aki's.
"So, instead we're crossing a railroad bridge that's over a millennia old and hasn't been used since the first colonies? I'd rather float down the Zambezi to Mozambique!"
"Which is in the completely wrong direction and then we'd die going over the Kariba Dam. Besides, the only way to get into the river for the next 120 kilos is dropping 400 ft into a gorge. My plan is better than yours and you know it."
"Hwange ain't exactly on the way to Sanq, Okami."
Okami rolled her eyes at the ceiling. They'd been through this already! Aki knew just as well as she did why they were going to Hwange. Her high-strung sister was just trying to blow off steam by arguing.
"But it is on the way to South Africa and an airport. Now, if you're done being childish I've lost count of the time. We need to be ready to leave as soon as the guard changes."
A new voice entered the conversation, shocking the hell out of the sisters, "It already has. You're damn lucky too. If it'd been anyone else listening to you two your great adventure would be over before it even began."
Okami and Aki let out twin sighs of relief. They recognized the voice as being Eve, their favorite soldier on base. The woman loved piloting more than she loved the military and it showed by how little she'd risen in rank and how often she got second shift guard duty.
"Damn it, Eve. We told you to knock to let us know the guard had switched, not barge in," Aki snapped.
"It doesn't matter," Okami pointed out, throwing off her covers and arranging her pack on her back. "We need to go now."
Aki nodded and rose from bed. From her pocket she drew out a black cap. As quickly as humanly possible she tied her long bright red hair up in a knot and slapped the cap over it. The last thing they needed was a flaming red target on their backs.
"Ready?" Eve prompted.
The twins nodded. One would never think they were twins because of their hair. With Aki's bright red and Okami's light brown most people assumed they were close friends, rarely did anyone make the family connection. It seemed the only trait they seemed to share were the same curiously halved blue-green eyes.
"You know I'm going to lose my job because of this, right?" Eve grinned mischievously at the sisters as they passed her into the hall.
"You should be thanking us, then, Eve," Aki smirked, "You've been trying to get fired for how long?"
Eve mock scowled, "Get you. I've got better things to do with my time than chat with escapees."
With that the twins fled silently into the night, leaving Eve to stand watch on an empty room. Later, Aki would realize she'd been the only one really laughing during the farewell spat. Both Okami and Eve knew what would follow for the pilot. Letting two maximum-security specimens escape, accidentally or on purpose, was high treason at Victoria Base resulting in death. So, at five past midnight Corporal Eve Terran sat down in front of Okami and Aki's former room and slept on the cold sterile floor because not only was there no one to guard but it would be the last time she'd have the luxury.
How often did she dream this dream? Or even better, how long had she been having it? Once a week. Years.
It felt like centuries.
Maybe it had been. Lately time had been losing it's meaning.
She was in a field of green grass and the wind was blowing fiercely enough to catch up her thick dark hair. She knew instinctively that someone was behind her, staring. But she didn't turn, she never had before and she'd decided that in these dreams she couldn't.
It was odd. Her body was not her own but it felt perfectly natural. She knew in real life that her hair was short and blue and instead of poised and tall she was short and had a tendency to mix with the scenery if she stayed silent. It was like she'd taken off her body like one takes off clothes and put on another.
The person behind her had spoken. He had called her something. What had it been?
Her dream self replied but she couldn't hear the words. She couldn't even feel her lips moving.
The dream was so frustrating, it made her want to cry. If this all meant something, something important; how was she going to get the message if she couldn't hear what was being said or see who she was talking too?
Not for the first time she tried to turn her head to see who was with her but like all the other times she was frozen. All she could see was the field and the wildflowers stretching out before her neither continuing nor stopping but just fading. It was maddening. She had to know who was behind her.
If there is a God…or a Goddess, you will let me see.
She hadn't expected any actual results. She was not the most religious person. But when her head began to turn she couldn't help but think someone had heard her prayer.
Then the dream began to fade. She hadn't turned her head far enough yet! No! Who was she talking to? She had to know!
Before the dream faded completely she caught a flash of red in the corner of her eye.
"Ami? Ami, wake up."
Ami shifted away from the voice and tried to retreat further into her arms and back into sleep. She needed to know who the person in the dream was. Whoever it was she felt an unbreakable bond with him, like she'd known him his entire life. If Ami had had children she would akin the bond to that.
"Doctor, really you need to wake up. They need you in surgery."
Dr. Ami Anderson groggily raised her head and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Why had she agreed to take Eric's place on call tonight? She already been at the hospital since the crack of dawn and now that she looked out the window she realized she was going to spend another sunrise in the operating room.
The worst part was that she knew she had no where else better to be. Which is exactly why Eric had asked her instead of one of the more experienced surgeons, he knew she'd say yes.
Relucantly, Ami rose out of her chair and stretched, wincing at the feel of her back re-aligning.
"Was I talking in my sleep again, Patty?" Ami asked the elderly nurse who'd awakened her.
Months ago Patricia had walked into Dr. Anderson's office while she was sleeping and was surprised to hear the young doctor mumbling in her sleep. Ever since Ami had been asking the nurse to listen carefully and try to translate her speaking for her. She had hoped whatever she said would shed some light on her mysterious dreams.
"Just like every other time, doctor," Patty nodded, "But this time I understood a word."
Ami stopped in mid-yawn and stared excitedly at Patty. She'd been hoping for this for months. Finally, she'd have a clue. Soon she would know what all these dreams were about.
"What was it?" Ami gushed in anticipation.
Patty mulled over the word for a moment, "I believe you said 'stampede', doctor."
Ami's face furrowed in disappointment. It meant nothing to her. There had been no stampede in her dream. There hadn't been a single animal in sight, much less hundreds of rampaging ones. The nurse must have heard wrong.
"Are you sure, Patty? Stampede?" Ami asked, desperately hoping the nurse would shake her head and tell her that it'd been something else.
But Patty nodded, "As sure as sure can be. You said stampede."
Ami sighed, "Thank you, Patty. Maybe next time. I'll be in OR shortly."
Patty nodded and left, leaving Ami alone.
The young surgeon collapsed back into her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose, hoping to relieve the throbbing migraine that was beginning, and fought the urge to lay back on her desk and rest a bit longer. She was so tired lately, not just physically but mentally also. She felt like some of the veteran surgeons looked: like she'd seen too much blood and death for three lifetimes. Which was impossible since she'd only just finished her residency and she was only twenty-one.
She'd dedicated her life to becoming a doctor. She'd even skipped part of eighth grade and all of high school to go to medical school abroad. Unfortunately, the war broke out in her fourth year and she'd been drafted into the army due to a lack of field medics. She'd been assigned to a lovely little medical unit that patched up the wounded just enough for them to reach a real hospital without dying. She'd learned more about surgery and medicine there than she could in any school.
I still haven't written Sally Po back.
Sally Po had looked after her during the war. Ami had come to think of her as a surrogate big sister. They'd stayed in contact over the years and met for dinner once a month or so. Ami loved hearing stories about Sally's job as a Preventor and her partner, Chang Wufei, who sounded like a very difficult man to say the least.
"You always were a thinker, Ami," a voice said from the shadows.
Ami started and clutched her chest, "Who's there?"
There was a pause and a small sigh, "Someone you'd rather forget, I'm sure."
The person came out of the shadows and Ami had to admit that they'd been right. She would rather forget that particular time of the war.
The woman in front of her had appeared much the same way five years ago during the Eve Wars and had recruited her into an elite group of soldiers that in the end did nothing. She only knew the woman by one name, Artemis. Ami had long ago figured she was one in the same with the notorious assassin of the same name and she'd never been sure how she felt about being in the same room as the woman that had killed Relena Peacecraft.
"Hello, Artemis. It's been a long time," Ami addressed the silver-haired woman warily.
Artemis smiled bitterly, "But never long enough, right?"
"I wouldn't say that," Ami lied, standing to offer her hand.
"But you thought it. Don't spare my feelings, Ami. I'm not worth the effort," Artemisia grasped the hand briefly before stepping back again.
Ami flushed in shame and averted her gaze. She realized her hand was still hanging in mid-air and blushed even brighter, quickly clasping her hands in front of her.
"W-what brings you here, Artemis?" Ami asked a little to loudly to take the attention off her blush and to overcome the stammer.
An amused little smile played across Artemis's lips as she scanned Ami's bland office, either in curiosity or for signs that they were under surveillance. The action made Ami very nervous and she discreetly began pushing her chair back to give herself room to escape if necessary. You never knew with assassins.
"There's going to be a war," Artemis' eyes snapped back to Ami at the slightest sign of movement.
Ami froze and the color drained completely from her face. "A-are you sure?"
"Setsuna contacted me," the assassin replied, a shadow of emotion flickered across her eyes, unfathomable.
Ami eyes grew large and she leaned on her desk for support, the last thing she needed to do was faint in front of Artemis. Setsuna had been the commander of the group she'd been apart of briefly. Ami had been around the woman enough to know that she only seemed to bring bad news.
"Why can't the Preventors handle it?" the blue-haired surgeon took deep breaths and tried to ask rational questions.
"The Preventors will handle it. Setsuna is under contract with them now," Artemis replied.
"You're wanted for murder by the Preventors."
"I'm doing a favor for Sets, not the Preventors," Artemis shrugged nonchalantly.
"This is all too fast," Ami collapsed back in her chair, placing her head in her hands. "I'm needed in surgery."
Now Artemis gave a small secret smile, "Not anymore. The patient made a miraculous recovery. I overheard a doctor say it was like magic."
Ami gazed warily at Artemis, not quite convinced. Miracles like magic happened rarely in her line of work, Ami believed only in the miracle of medicine.
"Call the desk and check if you don't believe me," Artemis gestured towards the phone.
Ami did just that. Just as Artemis had said, the patient had miraculously stopped hemorrhaging, allowing the surgeons to sew him up with no further complications. Not exactly magic in Ami's eyes, just a lucky break.
"I don't have a choice, do I?" the doctor asked quietly, setting the receiver back on the hook.
Artemis' silence said all Ami needed to hear.
The doctor sighed, "Fine. I've got some vacation time saved up anyways."
The assassin chuckled, "You'll need it."