- 35 Days until the 5th Impact –
- To be precise 34 Days and 1 alcohol blurred night until the 5th Impact –
Carrying another woman on your shoulders was not as easy as TV series or books made it out to be. Humans are far heavier than they otherwise appeared. They didn't march at the same pace as the one with the burden, sometimes stumbling, sometimes speeding up, sometimes erratically veering off and nearly dragging you both to the floor. Their centre of gravity sloshed about like water in a plastic bag. Which was what humans were at the end of the day. A collection of liquid chemicals in a very fragile bag.
In retrospect Mei was thankful that Kiana had convinced her not to drink that night long ago in Arc City. If she had ended up in a such a state then what little dignity she had left would have been washed away. Instead Mei was the one Amarant was leaning on. The older woman had enjoyed far too much at the Thai restaurant. Their celebration of moving into the ground floor apartment with attached business space soon evolved into a casual bender.
"Hey. Mei. Uhm." Amarant managed to mouth.
"Yes?"
"You know how in anime they sometimes censor certain things? Like if someone throws up in anime it's a rainbow that comes out."
Mei didn't need any more of a hint. She rapidly dragged the drunk woman over to some bushes attached to a small park. Amarant stumbled into the flora and dropped to her knees.
Anime had lied. There were no rainbows.
A quick walk over to the vending machine yielded two decent size bottles of water. Amarant was sprawled over a bench, face wan and clothes sweaty, by the time Mei returned.
"It's a strange bit of role reversal," Mei noted as she handed the bottle over. "I seem to recall you doing me the same courtesy when we first met."
The intoxicated woman gave no proper response. She grunted before swishing some water in her mouth and spitting it into the flora. The evening in Coral City was as busy as the day. People going to and fro. Some returning home, others heading out for meals or catching up with family or friends. The was a gentle darkness to Coral City at night. In Arc City it had been stark between the brightly lit streets and the cold alleyways. Arc City drank up the light. There was too much seething beneath the surface that did not want discovery. Coral City was the opposite. It shone as a bright beacon of humanity. The promise of a future amidst the stars. There's was the comforting darkness of night. But this was not the blanket that fell from the sky. On the ground level everything was manicured and manufactured. The darkness was part of the cities engineering. The tall buildings were swaddled in darkness but decked in jewels of light and hologram.
Some civilians gave Amarant in her intoxicated state a less than approving look as they walked by. The woman paid them no mind and Mei even less. The two sat on the bench and watched the night as it ticked by.
"How accurate is your information?" Mei inquired.
"She has never been wrong."
"Vimur Labs, North Africa. Otto has been using the 2nd Divine Key to breach the Sea of Quanta and peer into the Imaginary Tree."
"Since the incident in London. I'd always wondered what happened. If it were a Honkai outbreak like they televised then there should have been a spike in Honkai radiation and the associated zombification of the populace."
Mei pressed the bottle against her forehead. She would not deny having had a drink or two herself. Both in celebration of the progress toward their greater goal and the latest information that had been delivered to them.
'It seems that Oto-sama was right. Again. Possible realities and bubble universes. Machinery that can examine numerous 'what if' and try to sift out paths towards desired goals. Which of course means—'
"Is Coral City going to fall to a Honkai Eruption?"
"Possibly. According to my informant Otto is looking for specific criteria. A very narrow set of numbers from a nigh incalculable volume of data. He skims over an incredible amount of information with an obsession that is truly frightening. Her words. Not mine. She doesn't know what he seeks. The irrelevant nodes are archived away."
"The informant is looking for different information?"
"My informant has access to the Soulium computers used to analyse the data and generate the results. Don't ask how or why. Even I cannot tell you. She has noticed a minor pattern in the recently processed nodes. Coral City may fall. Then again it may not. We are playing with infinite possibilities. There just appears to be a large cluster of what-if nodes where Coral City does fall. And we must never forget that the Honkai does not play by any rules we can understand."
Both women sighed. Simultaneously they tipped back their water bottles and greedily drank the contents.
"Sound familiar?" Mei asked.
"Eerily so. But I'm not the only one outside of Schicksal with the relevant information. Raiden Ryoma was incredibly well informed. As the former head of ME Corp I shouldn't be surprised. Still, for him to know of the Bubble Universes and capabilities of the 2nd Divine Key to observe them. A man never to be underestimated."
'No. Oto-sama was always someone to watch and be wary of.'
Mei sat up and finished the last of her water bottle.
"We operate under the assumption that the Honkai could erupt in Coral City at any moment. Have our belongings ready to move at a moments notice. Multiple redundancies and contingencies in place to execute our plans in other population centres if necessary. I'll adjust my surveillance plans to suit the development."
"Understood. Do we stick to our timetable or accelerate?"
"There is no point in losing our nerve. Be ready to infiltrate and extract the necessary information from the ME Branch within a month's time."
Mei wore a garter high up her thigh. Strapped to it was a thing brass rod with silvery circuitry etched into it. The rod never left her person. Even when bathing it was within hands reach. The woman absently reached toward it.
"Not thinking of running?" Amarant taunted, reading Mei's mind.
"Ask that question again and you won't have a tongue to inquire the third time."
Amarant chuckled before groaning and clutching at her head.
"Laughing hurts too much," she grizzled.
"Come on. Home, more water, a shower and bed. I'll have something greasy for you to eat first thing in the morning.
"Truly you care for your staff, dear Customer."
Mei picked Amarant back up and supported her as she tottled down the street.
The heavy thump of shopping on the counter roused Amarant. She fumbled around for a water bottle and drowned it in one gulp. It did little for the thumping pain. But it was a good start.
"How greasy do you want your breakfast?"
"Nnnnn."
"Eggs, mushrooms, bacon, toast, hash browns, sausages and baked beans. Breakfast of hangover champions."
"Nnnnnnnnn."
The banging around the kitchen was ludicrously loud. Amarant knew it was intentional. Mei was the sadistic sort. But the smell of her cooking roused the woman enough to open her eyes. She lay on the couch in the main room, a thin sheet draped over to hide her modesty. Amarant wrapped the sheet around herself several times before slowly rising and stumbling over to the kitchen table. Mei stood in her casual clothes, an apron about her waist, as she prepared what looked and smelt to be a small feast. The way she flowed around the kitchen was enchanting, hands flowing and shifting from pot to pan to knife block. There was an artistry to it that Amarant admired.
"You went all out, huh?"
Mei bobbed her head
"Only the freshest products for my hangover cursed housemate. Fresh produce from off the docks. Sausages from the ground level markets. The bread is from a boutique bakery on the third level. You should have seen the morning queue. I was lucky to get plain white bread. The sourdough was gone in seconds."
Amarant chuckled. This was just like his employer. A glass of cold orange juice clacked down on the table. She forced her eyes open and stared at the beverage.
"Let me guess. Freshly squeezed and from a shop on the other side of the city?"
The juice was downed. After a top-up Amarant met Mei's eyes. Her face was all smiles and domestic pleasantry. Her eyes were that of a hunting cat looking for prey.
"I deployed every insect surveillance drone that could be discreetly carried on my person. Over the next week I'm going to become quite the gourmand. We need as much information about Coral City as possible. I want to know flows of traffic, wireless data, services, security and law enforcement. If ME Corp detect us mid-operation, we need to be able to avoid all detection from them and Coral City security forces."
Amarant sipped at the orange juice thoughtfully.
"The computer parts I ordered should have arrived. I'll have the system set up and ready to start investigating the ME Corp server by the end of the day. Your materials for the Honkai Faraday Cage should arrive in our first shipment of 'new stock' for Oleander Electronic Repairs. We can repurpose the rear storage room. Big enough dojo for you?"
Sizzling bacon was served onto a plate beside toasted bread and fresh tomatoes.
"Perfect."
Wind swept over the deck of the Hyperion. Out over the Pacific Ocean it held a faint salty tang. The pale morning sun shone through the puffy white clouds high above. Two women clashed in the early morning light. Swift kicks, jabs, grabs and throws. The pair rolled across the metal decking, looking less like a martial arts match and more like a brutal cage fight.
Two women clashed on the metal decking and neither was human.
Kiana landed hard on her back, rolling to one side as Bella launched a kick downward. The metal plate bowed slightly under the impact. Keeping the momentum Kiana slid across the decking before kipping up into the air. Her White Comet battlesuit flared and flashed, replaced with the customised Void Drifter battlesuit. Twin ARC Serratus were summoned to hand, Kiana unloading rapidly and using the kinetic recoil to adjust herself mid-air. Bella's reflexes were inhuman. Before the first bullet had left the chamber and immaterialised, she was already looking at the weapon and manifesting a void laced defensive field. The bullets struck the crackling amethyst aura, rematerializing and collapsing under the impact. Bella gave the Herrscher no chance to regroup. In a flash she was upon the woman, aiming a swift kick at Kiana's gut. A zeistrom blink shifted the silver haired woman away at the last possible second. Bella pressed the assault. Kiana summoned a void flechette and used the reach to keep the physically superior foe at bay. Kiana had been training extensively with such weapons recently, trying to hone her skill with spears even further. Guns and swords weren't enough. They didn't feel the same as holding the flechette in hand. The memories and resolve when clutching that weapon.
Two quick swipes from the Honkai beast shattered the implement.
As the white shards collapsed into fading golden fragments the dragon-girl pulled her final punch. Knuckles hovered a centimetre from Kiana's face. They withdrew to be placed by hips, Bella giving a low bow.
"Thank you for your instruction, my Queen."
Kiana sighed.
"I think it's you that are instructing me, Bella."
The Void Drifter battlesuit flickered away. Kiana dropped to her knees and pressed a hand against her right eye.
"My Queen!"
Bella was immediately at her master's side. Sweat dotted Kiana's pale face. Though the Core of Lightning was gone, her body still felt it's lingering effects. Daily training was restoring her stamina. What she lacked was greater control of her Herrscher powers. Fu Hua had lent her strength in the past. But Kiana could no longer rely on such a crutch. It was now up to her to take control of her destiny and become the Herrscher she needed to be.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. My head hurts a little is all."
"Should you not rest for a spell, my Queen?"
Kiana brushed off the offer. She had Bella help her to her feet. Once the pain had faded Kiana took away her hand. Her eyes met Bella's twinkling own. The dragon had been the price for the temporary truce between K-423 and Sirin. Save Benares and Sirin would bide her time.
'If have to make every second count. If Sirin cannot strike then I need to master my Herrscher power as quickly as possible. This is my chance to push my own limits. I don't know when she may start interfering again or even try to take control.'
"One more round, Bella. Then we see what information Bronya and AE have dug up on Fu Hua and Mt Taixuan."
'I have to be stronger. I won't let let any more family die. She wouldn't want that.'
"Yes, my Queen."
Two women clashed on the deck of the Hyperion. Nobody would mistake them for human after watching such a clash.