Chapter 26: Outside!
The blankets strewn underneath Vignette were drenched in sweat. Her mind had taken her to a hellish dimension during the night, one which comprised of distilled emotion that wrapped itself around her heart. One moment she was swimming in bliss and the next was drowning in pain. If it wasn't for Gabriel on her night shift, she would have most likely bitten her own tongue off by the way her body tensed and jolted throughout. Maybe she had gotten a minute of decent sleep after her mind was subdued by dehydration, but it rudely woke her up demanding fluids.
She felt like she had just gotten out of a very cold shower. Her shoulder length hair was clumped together with cold sweat, sticking to her neck uncomfortably. Too tired to wash herself in the shower, she crawled next to the heater and stayed there for a moment to boot her operating system up. It was like she was hungover. The dizziness eventually subsided and she was awake enough to tend to her body's needs. A long chug of her canteen later, she opened the bathroom door and saw Gabriel hunched over by the toilet.
"...Gab...," Vignette gulped. She knelt down and they looked at each other, wanting to blurt out all the things that were wrong with them. "You okay?"
Gabriel chuckled, pointing inside the toilet bowl. "Look at it Vignette. It's soo gross."
She almost threw up herself when she saw the vomit and caught a whiff of it, attacking her senses with a one-two punch.
"T-That's to be expected," Vignette choked, looking the other way. "Your digestive track's lining is still healing from the radiation treatment."
"...so that's what human flesh, baked beans and spaghetti smells like. Strange."
"Gabriel," Vignette said, inspecting the girl closer. "Did you sleep at all? You look terrible."
"Did you?," she retorted through her nose.
"No. I would have if you slept with me. N-Not in that way-"
"-I know. But I was worried he might do something."
Gabriel leaned over the toilet once again to empty out the contents of her stomach without even gagging. She must've been there for long enough that her vomit reflex got bored.
"Well...go get yourself some sleep okay? I'll make sure nothing happens to you," Vignette advised while keeping blonde hair from touching the toilet. She spat out the final chunks of goop left in her mouth before sitting back against the cold ceramic wall.
"Thanks. Mind piggybacking me while I sleep?"
"Piggybacking? Wait we're not staying?"
Gabriel sighed with fatigue and looked up, like she had just finished a long work day. "Nope. This morning I talked with Sundae and...well...actually it would be better to hear the details from him."
After Vignette had tucked Gabriel into the makeshift bed made of spare clothing, she made a beeline towards Sundae's room. The door was open so she walked inside to greet him and Sophie gearing up.
"Good morning," was all she said.
"Vignette," Sophie acknowledged, putting a futuristic rifle on the table. She walked up, her eyes bouncing back and forth of the assortment of stuff neatly laid out. "Fucking hell love. You look real bad. Go back to bed and we'll call you when we leave."
"Yeah, about that," she began, leaning over on the table. "Are we leaving today?"
"Yes. I'm very sorry but you have to get going," Sundae said uncomfortably. "I have detected multiple heat signatures at the blockade and I believe it is an Ares search team."
"What?! Why'd they follow us?," Vignette yelled.
"They are after me. When I left my job at their facilities I stole some very important information. That is the reason why I am down here Miss Tsukinose. But if they find you all, they will not hesitate to kill on sight."
"Wha...I don't..."
"The details do not matter as of now. What matters is that those who are not involved in this conflict must leave immediately."
Vignette did not want to leave, despite how crowded it was. She needed at least a week of sitting in front of the heater and munching on crackers before the thought of venturing out into the cold even popped up in her head.
"We can fight-"
"- you cannot fight," he interrupted. "Please trust me and get going as soon as possible. I estimate the blockade will only stall their vehicles for an hour, and another before they reach this compartment."
"V-Vehicles?! What sort of information did you steal?!"
For a moment it looked like his soul had escaped through his eyes when he thought about what exactly he had stolen. His skin lost its colour and his pupils constricted the more he thought, furthering Vignette's interest even more. He bent forward with his palms on the table top.
"Izumisano station is about four kilometres from here, not too far. I can provide you with enough food until then."
"Well let's get going," Vignette said. "I'll wake everyone up."
"I...wish you luck. It has been a pleasure meeting new faces."
"Wait wait, you're not coming with us?"
Sundae shook his head. "I cannot danger the lives of innocent people because of my mistake."
"You won't be! We can part ways after we get out of the tunnel!," Sophie urged.
"They will most likely come after you and torture you to know where I have escaped to. And if I give you the information; a small chip fragment, then they will realize I don't have it and will also go after you. So I will loop around behind them via the maintenance tunnel and lead them away. I refuse to sacrifice the lives of these Japanese civilians over this data. If you leave now, they might not know that I was not the only person in these tunnels."
"But...but they'll only stop after they've gotten their chip right?"
"Yes."
"...so you're...planning on dying?"
He nodded. "It was...what I risked when I escaped and I had fully expected this outcome. It is okay."
Vignette stumbled backwards on a chair with two fingers pressing against the bridge of her nose. She was simply trying to understand. A rogue Ares scientist with sensitive information escaped into an isolated tunnel where they followed him, presumably in order to both retrieve the data and kill him.
"We can fight. We can fight..."
"Please do not," he repeated.
"We can set a trap for them; collapse the tunnel in so they won't be able to advance."
"I have no explosives."
"Well...well we can just shoot them..."
"Miss Tsukinose, please trust me on this. You do not want to get caught up in any of this."
While Vignette tried to accept his situation as best she could, Sophie seemed completely dejected the further away they walked from his compartment. In both her hands were papers belonging to him; all the way from journal entries to mathematical scribblings to complex diagrams, passed on in the hope that his existence would not be forgotten. Her frown grew when she explored through the papers and noticed her name in one of them. She stood still and read the journal entry with Vignette illuminating it with a flashlight. The more she read the more evident it was that he had mulled over his plan the night before.
She flipped the paper over, but it was scribbled entirely in Korean with love hearts and markings garnishing the text. It was probably to his parents.
"God...damn it...," Sophie snivelled, scrunching up the edge of the papers with her tightening grip.
"It's not our fault Sophie," Vignette said stoically. "He wanted this."
"I know. I just feel bad for the guy. What was so important to have betrayed Ares?"
"It's not. Our. Problem. Let's just keep moving."
"Right behind you."
She pushed the thought of a bullet-riddled Sundae to the back of her mind. It felt no different to seeing your average joe laying dead. Terrible. Like a fire that was snuffed out too quick. In the brief moment that the survivors had to know him, he exuded the sort of childlike wonder that all scientists seemed to possess. The way his eyes lit up behind his glasses when Sophie would discuss anything tech-related with him. One could only wonder what he had stolen from the enemy.
"Maybe its an artificial intelligence?," Hensky proposed. She had been given the role of mama bear, taking the sleeping Gabriel on her back because Vignette wanted to stand up straight.
"Again, I don't think that would make his face all...dark like that," Vignette speculated. "It's gotta be something terrifying. Something that not even a super geek could understand."
"It seemed like it was pretty important. Enough to sacrifice a human life for."
"Seemed so."
"What do you think it was podrooga? What is the most terrifying thing you can think of?"
She took the question to heart. Something terrifying.
"Knowing Ares, it would be...something perverse. I guess. Like...like imagine if our capacity for love and happiness were exploited in some cruel way. Like promising someone that you'd let them see someone they loved only if they worked until they died."
"Wow. No thank you."
"But it's probably some ground breaking, revolutionary, turn-the-tide-of-the-entire-war algorithm or formula that only the smart people would understand."
They took a moment to stop and pause after hearing a cacophony of gunshots echo behind them. Distorted, almost alien-like sounds were heard amidst the chaos. It was their signature sound, one which they've heard before during combat. Human speech pushed through various modulators, pitch-distorters and filters made them sound inhumane and other-worldly. Even more so inside of a tunnel.
The tunnel returned to breathing creepy ambient noises after the inevitable encounter as if nothing ever happened, as if death was all too commonplace underneath it. A final glimpse of red light later, and they disappeared into thin air.
"Do you think they went backwards or...?," Vignette asked nervously, her legs primed to start running.
Hensky pat downwards along her torso and looked up. "Well I've yet to be shot."
Sundae had informed them that Ares used thermal goggles during situations where fog and darkness obscured vision. "Right. If they moved forward, they would have seen us and killed us already."
"Boo!"
Vignette leapt two feet in the air and Hensky chortled at her reaction.
"I can see why Gab likes to tease you so," she said as she continued walking.
"(Asshole. You'll pay for that.)," Vignette shot back in Russian.
The air that was once whipping away at the exposed skin on their face finally began to settle down, indicating they were close to the exit. A smile formed on Vignette's face, growing wider the more she saw her environment change with every step. The ice under their feet gradually transitioned into regular rock, the walls had shed its layer of ice and a little bit of daylight fought against the darkness. It was like the way it was when she entered from the metro, everything the same except for the humans that passed through it.
With the cold slowly removing its death grip around the necks of every living being, they could now speak and breathe without feeling like someone was shoving a hand down their throats. Small poodles of conversation began to spring up among the crowd now, like the birds singing after a good night's sleep. It was the sounds of the human spirit, reinvigorated by the chance of a better life. Vignette and Hensky walked side by side without a word spoken between them, as they wanted to savour the small rays of sunshine lightly kissing their tortured cheeks.
But when the sun was finally above Vignette's body, she knelt down and lifted her head to the Heavens. Her arms were outstretched and her mouth was open in relief, letting the snow pattern her face and arms. A gorgeous, rolling, snowy landscape was what was experienced by the weary who had escaped the tunnels with their lives intact. Days of intense conditioning made the outside wind feel like a cool breeze in the summer. She felt like a wolf who had just been born; ready to traverse the cold environment like she had been bred for it.
She opened her eyes and let her eyes adjust to the outside world, the whites of the snow appearing even brighter due to the sunlight reflecting off it. She was confident in saying that nothing that nature would dish out would bother her anymore after what she had been through. Slightly too bright snow meant nothing when her eyes were freezing over in there.
Gabriel emerged from her slumber, born again as a new angel when a flake of snow landed on the bridge of her button nose. Her eyes fluttered, and she sighed after seeing where she woke up.
"Gabriel!," Vignette cheered happily, jumping through the knee high snow towards her. She practically sunk to her waist when Hensky set her down in the snow.
"Vignette! Oh my God..."
Gabriel cried tears of joy alongside Vignette as they clinged to one another, overwhelmed that they made it out alive. It was the most joy that they felt as they gazed into each other's eyes, colourful and dancing with life like that of a campfire. Their incomprehensible babbles of relief were muted when Gabriel jumped up on Vignette, wrapped her arms around her neck and locked lips with her.
"Rin!," Hensky called after spotting her in the crowd. She clumsily marched across the snow towards her. "We made it!"
"Yay!," she yelled merrily. "Looks like we all made it out! But I'm still looking for Sundae, have you seen him? He must be around here somewhere..."
"He's dead," Sophie stated without a hint of emotion. "Stayed behind to protect the chip, got filled with bullet holes."
"O-Oh. That's...oh. He should've come with us..."
"Yeah well he didn't. Doesn't matter now," Sophie tsked in bitterness. "Let's keep moving. There should be a small town up ahead."
"Sophie I'm really sorry. You seem quite upset-"
"-I'm not. It was just a shame we didn't bring the chip with us. I...wanted to know what was on it," Sophie retorted defensively. "That's all."
With Sophie leading the crowd, they hurried off towards the small buildings that were lining the distance.
It was another cold day for the revered Satanichia Mcdowell, who was stirring from her long night in the workshop. It was a common occurrence for her to pass out inside or on her prized mech after spending what was left of her free time tinkering with it, making it more powerful with each day, welding titanium into the fresh wrist-sized bullet holes that peppered the chassis.
Despite the alarm built into the cockpit screaming in her ears, she punched the snooze button and promptly fell asleep. Like almost any other day, she felt no motivation whatsoever after seeing the situation in Osaka, where her friends were stationed at. She wondered if there would even be a Gabriel to face off against, in her upgraded mech.
"...Gabriel Tenma White...," she muttered in her sleep. "...face me you coward...I...I shall pummel you into the ground!"
"Satania! Breakfast!"
"Five more minutes minion...! Fi...more...minutes..."
The ten metre tall garage door slowly rolled itself up at the ceiling and the morning rays of sunshine blinded Satania awake. She quickly went back to upgrading her red mech suit, picking up where she left off yesterday as if she hadn't just spent six hours passed out on the thing. It wasn't her fault that the cockpit would heat up to a perfect thirty degrees (ninety Fahrenheit) when the battery was left running. It made the perfect home for any sleeping demon, protected against the frigid cold nights.
"You know Tania...you have a bed for a reason," a voice deadpanned from below.
"Fufufu...," she giggled menacingly. "It seems as if you are jealous of my glorious creation!"
"I'm jealous that it doesn't have to pay the electricity bill. No more leaving it on throughout the night, you hear? Now come down and eat."
"I'm almost done Zulu!," Satania exclaimed triumphantly. She was inside of the hull, rearranging wires through an odd looking aftermarket box. "This goes here and..."
"Goodness me...how do you live like that..."
Satania jumped out of the hull, and went straight into the cockpit to run diagnostics. Her roommate could see her through the glass, punching the air in triumphant success.
"IT WORKS!," she yelled as jumped on top of the machine. "HAHAHAHAH!"
"Congrats," he yawned. "Sugar and milk?"
"I shall accept your coffee! As a celebration for this glorious achievement! A...Achoo!"
He heard buzzing coming from Satania's hoodie, which was lazily thrown on top of a toolbox. He walked over and fished the ringing phone out.
"Oi! Call!," he declared, throwing the phone up, perfectly arcing into Satania's hands.
"Oh! Thaaank you minion!"
He grumbled something under his breath as he ambled out of the garage, so that Satania can call in private.
"This is the great Satania Kurumizawa Mcd-"
"I know who it is idiot," a very tired voice mumbled through the phone.
"Ah! Gabriel!" Satania felt her day slowly get better. "Have you finally called to admit defeat?"
"Loser. I'm just letting you know we've left Osaka and gonna be at your outpost in the next two days or so," Gabriel yawned. "So make sure our pillows are fluffed up for us kay'?"
"What?! How dare you even consider the idea of the great Satania Kurumizawa Mcdowell serving a lowly medic such as yourself!," she said, almost running out of air.
"Geez...well don't you sound lively. Alright then. Bye-"
"-woah-waitwaitwaitwait! What's...happened over there Gabriel? I will admit it is pretty cool to have survived a nuclear explosion!"
Satania narrowed her eyes as she heard giggling in the background.
"...annoying...ow! Stop that! ...fine then you talk to her!"
"Gaaaabriel? Is that Vignette? I wanna talk to her!"
Satania jumped off the mech and walked into her room. She had a spring in her step, after hearing her old classmates (and friends) voices checking up on her.
"Satania! How have you been?," Vignette asked, mustering up what cheer was left in her system.
"Hmm...I have been quite well! Me and Adramalech!"
"Adrama...oh, the red silverback! You're real proud of that thing aren't ya..."
"Together...we shall rule the world!"
"Let's not do that."
"And you my fellow demon? Difficult times on the frontlines?"
Vignette sighed. "It's...been rough. We need to talk about something serious in person. I don't think I should tell you over the phone."
"O-Oh...okay then."
"Right. Take care then. See you in two days."
"W-Wait, I-"
Vignette ended the call before Satania could even ask what the serious topic in question was even about. She felt happy that she heard their voices for the first time in a long while, but she also felt cheated in a way. Calls were always supposed to be the bearers of good news for her. They were meant to leave Satania feeling somewhat relieved, despite her refusal to admit that she cared. But this time, it was the exact opposite, and it made her heart throb with anxiety.
She flopped down on her neatly made bed, clutching the phone to her chest.
