AUDIO FILE WF-214211051006
"Start recording. The date is November fifth, twenty-one forty-two. Current time is ten past ten in the morning.
Once again, my teams have proven their worth. Once again, we have shown to all that the power of our science exceeds the expectations of all the members of the Board. The fact that a ground team had managed to come back alive from their operation to survey the core of the Klaxosaur hive mind was already incredible. The fact that they brought back a large DNA sample was unthinkable. The fact that we managed to make something out of it was a miracle.
Ten months ago, the orders about what to do with it came directly from the Chairman himself. With this power, we had to create a new kind of children. Stronger, smarter, more agile, and most importantly more competent with their mind linked to an onboard computer. So, we got to work. And now the results are here.
Two weeks ago, Code Zero Zero Two and Code Zero Zero Three, respectively a girl and a boy, were safely extracted from their artificial wombs. Sadly, the latter passed away this morning due to respiratory complications linked to a lung development problem. We are keeping Code Zero Zero Two under close medical surveillance even if she seems out of danger for now.
As expected, almost everything is different about her. Brain activity is almost fifteen percent superior than usual as I speak, muscle mass is vastly superior and other indicators are similar. But those are just numbers on medical reports. Even just looking at her makes it clear that her blood is not the same as the one that flows in our veins. A thin layer of bright pink hair is starting to cover the top of her head and two horns have started to grow from her skull.
I know all of this should not cloud my judgment, but I am experiencing a surge a feeling I had not felt since the birth of Zero One all those years ago. But this time, it is different. The Chairman has given me another set of instructions, and I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate them.
He has formally tasked me to restart the project of the second generation of FRANV, including the complete mind link control. Everyone was expecting it and I had already made sure that the genetic biologists include the lessons learned from earlier testing. In her head is a brain modified to optimize connections with external interfaces, and we hope with other pilots. This will be the hardest part of the endeavor.
The Entity has acquired decades of experience in the design and building of airframes. But complete mind-link is an uncharted territory that we have failed to successfully explore in the past. If we want to succeed once again, I know that I will have to keep a close watch on everything, including Code Zero Zero Two. I have invested so much into giving the pilots a good life, but I know I can do more. Never have I had the chance of becoming a parent before, but maybe this is finally it."
From the large windows of the Doctor's office, Eighty-Three had a good view of the twin-rotor helicopter rising over the infrastructure of the Entity. He knew that there might have been a way for him to be in that aircraft, that maybe if he could run fast enough he could join them, but he had already made a choice and he had to commit. Even if that meant forcing Fifty to be on it without him.
The shape of the experimental aircraft sitting on the runway was much harder to clearly see than the one of a regular FRANV. But the lack of any bigger aircraft on the ground really put it in the middle of the spotlight. It did not take long for it to start to roll down the long strip of black tarmac, gaining speed at a stable rate up to the point where its nose rose and the wheels left the ground. Completely free from the influence of gravity, it jerked vertically and continued its ascent up until it reached a high enough altitude.
"Thirteen X-Ray, do you hear me?"
The convenient thing about being in the office of someone used to direct test flights is the integrated radio. Eighty-Three only had to speak at a normal volume for concealed microphones to pick up and send his words over the waves.
« Loud and clear. We are staying in orbit to check for any scramble before our first run. »
"Understood. I am keeping them busy over here. Eighty-Three out."
With a smile of satisfaction, he turned around and walked back to the desk. Music was still playing in the background, and he could still hear the protests from the guards coming from the other side of the door. But he ignored all of this as he continued to type on the small keyboard.
With a few keywords and time to go through the result of the search, he had the power to pull out everything he wanted from the database. He had already shared the truth on the hostility of Klaxosaurs, he could do it again for everything else. So when the song finally stopped, he leaned back towards the microphone, the same grin on his face.
"Now you all remember how we are all supposed to be the children of the Chairman. He always calls us his daughters and his sons. Well it turns out that this not true either. We are not the sons and daughters of anyone in particular. Each one of us comes from the pairing of DNA samples taken from a large database. No names, just numbers. We are but numbers descending from another set of numbers under the watch of people in lab coats. And of course, for the few that know what pregnancy is, I must point out that all of it is completely artificial. Ironic, isn't it? The saviors of humanity barely having anything that relates to the apparently grateful masses that they protect.
Now, you might be asking yourself why? Why would they go through all of this? Well I will answer this question in a bit. But for now, I must tell you that you should probably try to find a place where you can see the fuel storage depot." His smile grew larger as he lifted his finger from the button that allowed to broadcast to the entire facility.
"Thirteen X-Ray, you are good to go."
« Copy that. Commencing gun run. »
The slick aircraft did a quick flip before pointing its nose towards the ground. The dive only lasted for a few seconds, but its consequences would last for much longer. The heavy rumble of the thirty-millimeter cannon resonated across all the facilities as it fired hundreds of high explosive rounds towards its target. The energy carried by each one of these was enough to penetrate the relatively soft cover of the fuel storage buildings.
The FRANX swiftly returned to the clouds with the power of its two engines as below, the chain reaction had already begun. One after the other, each of the large storage tanks detonated from the heat to form one large fireball. The heavy shockwave followed soon after, shaking everything in its path and breaking all that was not strong enough. Luckily enough, the window of the office was reinforced, preventing Eighty-Three from getting covered in thousands of shards of glass.
"Good effect on target. Great job. That will cripple them for a while."
« Understood. While you are in there, could you look up something for me? »
That question took him aback. He had been explained how their system works and he knew that the voice he was speaking to was not the voice of either one of them in particular. Of course, he had expected communications following standard radio procedures to work. It was just cold data transfer. But here, the combined minds of the two spoke as one outside of any sort of protocol.
"Huh… Yeah. What do you need?"
« The exact location of the archives of the genetic division that holds all the pilot files. »
"Right away."
It was not planned, but he liked the idea. If this was not going to completely disrupt the Entity's operations, then nothing would. So he started typing away, looking for the information he wanted. But he was stopped in his progress when the computer started to beep and a dial started to flash next to the keyboard. The screen had changed as well with a panel appearing on top of the screen.
One incoming video call
URGENT
HPEB-01
Eighty-Three's smile grew bigger and he pressed the dial. There was an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction when the emotionless mask of the Chairman appeared on the screen.
"Finally! I started to think you would never call."
"I order you to stand down immediately!"
The pilot's only reaction was to laugh.
"As if I was going to do it."
He could only imagine what was happening below that mask, but the very audible sigh gave a pretty good idea.
"For the good of everyone, stop before you destroy more of our work."
"The good of everyone? Did you really just say that? Is it the same good that made you continue using magma even despite the Klaxosaurs?"
"You are trying to understand things beyond your comprehension, Code Zero Eight Three. There is a much bigger scope that you simply cannot see."
"But I can still read your own archives, Chairman. And it looks a lot like we are not supposed to fight for humanity, but just for you instead."
The Chairman sighed again, shaking his head.
"And I am the only one that has proven able to be the salvation of humanity! All the governments, all the institutions, all the politicians failed to protect their people. What we lacked was unity, strength, and coherence, and I was able to make all of this a reality to eliminate the Klaxosaur threat."
"And thus you condemned millions to death to keep yourself on top and maintain your immortality!"
"And I have saved millions more that would have died had the old powers continued on. If the sacrifice of ten that oppose me is enough to bring salvation to one that has entrusted me with their life, then so be it!"
"We never entrusted anything to you!"
The silence that followed was heavy. Anger was rising in both minds as each failed to show the other their mistakes. All of this while they were being listened to by thousands of members of the Entity all over the facility.
« Eighty-Three? You got my intel? »
This interruption from the radio broke the stalemate as the pilot returned to his research.
"Still on it. Wait one."
"Whatever you plan on telling them, I am ready to pardon everything if you keep silent."
Eighty-Three stopped for a second, as if to consider the offer. He turned his head back to the video feed of the Chairman to make his face clearly visible.
"Thirteen X-Ray?"
« Send it. »
Another second of silence.
"Building twelve, third deck, north-east corner. Outside walls are not reinforced."
« Copy that. Strike inbound. »
And so the dance began once more. With the appropriate angle, the FRANX dived down before letting go of another burst from its cannon. Not much was left of the designated target but a large cloud of smoke and rubble and the first flame of a fire taking over the storage servers.
"That's a good hit, X-Ray. Good job."
« Understood. Breaking off orbit and regrouping. Good luck down there. »
"Likewise, X-Ray. Thanks for all. Code Zero Eight Three over and out."
During all of this, Eighty-Three kept his eyes dead on the mask of the Chairman.
"Is this how I am thanked? Is this how my hard work starts to crumble down?"
"I am not thanking the one that lied to me for my whole life and ordered me to die for that life."
Silence once more. And this time, it was Eighty-Three that had the advantage. His objective had been accomplished and now everything else was just a bonus. As for the Chairman, he was defeated. The physical damage in itself was manageable, but everything else was far too great to be quantified.
The pilot quietly observed him as the Chairman put both of his hands on the side of the mask. At first he had doubts but the metallic clicks quickly made him realize what was going to happen. Slowly, the front panel was lowered to reveal something that Eighty-Three never though he would see one day.
The dark skin of the Chairman's face was far from looking like one of a healthy human being. Scars and deep wrinkles made him look like one of the monsters from scary story books, but his saddened eyes and frown kept him clearly human.
"I do not ask you to believe me. I only ask you to listen to me."
Long before all of this began, I was just a young man with a computer and an idea. From that idea, I managed to create a company that changed the lives of people so much that I rose up the social ladder to become one of the richest. It was at that time that humanity truly started to control the power of Magma.
Most saw it as the ultimate source of energy, the best tool for the manufacture of consumer products, a giant leap forward for the industry, and other similar denominations. But I knew there was something else that could be done, that the power of its effects on the human body could be harnessed and used to better our entire species. So using my own personal wealth and outside investments, I helped develop medical research on the subject.
I never thought that derived from it, we could engineer immortality. I volunteered to test the first serum that could prevent aging. I suffered the side effects greatly, but it still worked. And what did I do with this newly found power? I kept it hidden until its perfection. I truly wished for all of humanity to benefit from it and not be exposed to harm.
But sadly, it was at this moment that the Klaxosaurs appeared. And it was at this moment everything slipped out of the control of the old powers. One after the other, power plants large and small fell down as countries tried to keep their status. For most, it was their lack of military power that prevented them from fighting back. For the rest, their bureaucracies and unwillingness to cooperate was their downfall. Thus, with many of my partners, we decided to take the matter into our own hands.
This is how the Human Protection Entity was born, with the objective to save humanity from both the Klaxosaurs and its incompetent leaders. The best minds in healthcare, armament, aeronautics, engineering and much more all joined me under this newly formed banner, aware that we could not rely upon politicians and bureaucrats. We hunkered down and planned our moves, our influence growing with every passing day.
But this altruism was not the only reason. Among the names of the first million victims stood the ones of my wife and of my son. They both died in the first attack of a Klaxosaur in the area where we lived. When the order to evacuate the civilians had come, our home had already been crushed by the monsters.
The rest would be too long of a story to tell. The FRANVs, the Settlements, the Pilots… Everything was an adaptation to another problem thrown at us by fate in our fight to bring humanity back on its legs. Discarding Magma altogether would be an unforgivable step back that I cannot allow. The fate weight of so many souls rests on my… No, our shoulders… We cannot turn around.
I do not know if you believe any of the words I just spoke, but you must understand that all of this is not about greed. You might think that what you just did was a justified act of rebellion, but you have just condemned everyone to fight for even longer. You have condemned many more to death. You have condemned yourself to harsh punishment.
"You have continuously lied to us for our entire lives. Why should I believe any of this now?"
The Chairman sighed.
"I have never lied to you. What you are revealing is irrelevant for your own education, and the conclusion you have reached from it is flawed."
Eighty-Three only shook his head, still with a small smile at the corner of his mouth. Slowly he leaned back towards the microphone.
"Sadly my friends, I do believe that this broadcast will end a bit sooner than expected. So after I am gone, you must all always remember that the Entity lied and that they will discard us all the moment we are no longer needed. They do not hesitate to eliminate the useless. So stand up and live for yourself!"
The Chairman did not say anything. Instead, he clipped the front plate of his mask back on and ended the call. Eighty-Three knew what would be coming next and when the spark of the breaching tool started to eat through the closed door, he was ready.
Standing right on his feet, weapon in hand, facing the door directly, he waited patiently. When the bright yellow mark reached the bottom of the frame, a localized explosion was just enough to bring the separated panels apart and for the assault team to throw their flashbangs inside. The light and the sound were both painful, but he stayed on his feet. He could not see the guards rushing inside or hear their boots. He just rose his arm up and pulled on the trigger as many time as he could in the blind before being tackled to the ground.
AUDIO FILE WF-215012162130
"Start recording. The date is December sixteenth, twenty-one fifty. Current time is half past nine in the evening…
We… We just had an incident. I hope I would have never had to say those words one day, but here I am. This morning, the team was going along the standard testing and education schedule with Zero Two. But to everyone's horror, the outer window of her room had been broken and she was no longer inside. Search parties were dispatched immediately, with only clue being the broken branches of the tree placed directly next to the breached window.
Outside, the weather was not only bad, it was also worsening. Snow had already been falling for hours and a blizzard was on the way, meaning that hopes of finding her were getting slimmer with each passing minute.
After two hours, the only clue we had was a torn piece of cloth stuck on a bush. It gave us a sense of where they had gone, but we had to call it off. Too much wind, too much snow. It took another few long hours for everything to clear out and for the search parties to go back outside.
I cannot describe the relief I felt when a trooper announced over the radio that they had found her. And she was not alone. There was a pilot along with her, most likely the culprit behind the break-in. They had survived the storm by finding refuge inside a small cave and by setting a fire to a bunch of sticks. The guard later explained that as under the effects of hypothermia as they were, the pilot tried to resist and had to be knocked unconscious. He also pointed out that the only thing they had with them apart from clothes was a book from her room.
Both were immediately sent to medical for checks and it seems like neither are at risk. Still, I have given my orders. The two of them must undergo cognitive alteration, the pilot will return to his formation and all records must be kept secret. We already came too close to a dramatic conclusion and I do not want it to happen again. The simple thought of coming close to losing Zero Two is already devastating to all of us. Even if we ignore all the work and testing and weapon programs, I do not want to imagine seeing her die under our watch… The one that we have had in our care for years now. But I imagine that if she was so prone to trying to run away, things might have to change once more. Maybe we are too detached, maybe we are too harsh on her… I do not know what they are yet, but there are lessons for us to learn from this incident. And the sooner we do so, the sooner I will be able to put all of this behind me."
Human Protection Entity Internal Safety
Incident report G-5985
Note: Due to the classification of elements appearing in the following report, only level S accredited personnel are cleared to access.
Personnel losses:
Code 002 – Away without leave
Code 015 – Away without leave
Code 016 – Away without leave
Code 050 – Away without leave
Code 056 – Away without leave
Code 083 – In custody, high security
Code 196 – Away without leave
Code 214 – Away without leave
Code 326 – Away without leave
Code 390 – Away without leave
Code 556 – Away without leave
Code 666 – Away without leave
Officer Kubawashi – In custody, low security
Officer Emidova – Under investigation
Doctor Frank – Under heavy medical care
Material losses:
Research Center Fuel Storage Building – Destroyed
10 x Large Magma Fuel Holding Tank – Destroyed
Genetical Division Archives Data Center – Destroyed
1 x CH-48 Block Mag Heavy Transport Helicopter & fuel – Lost
1 x FRANV Two X Fighter & fuel – Lost
2 x Medium Magma Guided Bomb – Lost
1300 x 30mm Internal Machinegun rounds – Lost
1 x Leviathan-class Tactical Warhead – Lost
Unknown data drive retrieved on location. Investigation in progress.
MONITORING OF ALL PERSONEL FOR UNSAFE BEHAVIOUR RECOMMENDED. OPERATION ATONEMENT POSTPONED UNTIL RETURN OF SCAPEGOAT.
"Radar cut off, transponder is off. We are now off the grid."
As she flipped the different switches, Ikuno stated the new state of the helicopter over the internal net. It was a relief to all those in the back, the heavy headsets over their ears.
"Doesn't look like they managed to launch any interceptors. Now we just have to wait for the rendezvous with X-Ray."
Futoshi's precision added to the overall feeling of optimism that quickly filled up the cargo bay. They had actually managed to do it. As for Fifty, she was still feeling a heavy part of her heart doubting.
"So what now? Where are we going exactly?"
At first, nobody replied. Looks were quickly shared between the members of Squadron Thirteen. It seemed like none had yet realized that the time had come to ask themselves that question. Ichigo sighed and stood up. While making sure not to fall, she stepped through the cargo bay to stand in front of the wheelchair.
"I have something for you, Fifty."
Without giving any time to respond, she pulled out a small package from her pocket and handed it to the sitting pilot. A confused Fifty grabbed it, felling a familiar shape under the soft cloth cover. She quickly untied the simple knot, revealing the object that confirmed her suspicions.
Eighty-Three's music player felt heavier in her hand than it was in reality. She was perfectly aware of how much he liked this device and how important it was for him, making it a strange honor to have it handed to her. The screen was dimly lit, and it looked like a song had already been selected and was waiting to be started. Unsure, she picked the two earphones and slid them under the heavy helicopter acoustic protection and pressed the play button. And when the soft acoustic guitar started, her heart skipped a beat.
Don't remember where I was,
I realized life was a game.
The more seriously I took things,
The harder the rules became.
I had no idea what it'd cost.
My life passed before my eyes.
I found out how little I accomplished.
All my plans denied.
It may not have been his voice that was speaking, but it was one last message from her teammate to her as they parted ways. She might not have known where he had gotten access to such music, but in this whirlpool of emotions it did not matter.
So as you read this know my friends,
I'd love to stay with you all.
Smile when you think of me.
My body's gone that's all.
Even with her eyes closed, she felt the tears rolling down her face. Never seeing him again was something she had a hard time grasping. The hope she had of him making it out alive was what had powered her to keep going, but this was gone as well.
A tout le monde, a tous mes amis.
Je vous aime, je dois partir.
These are the last words I'll ever speak.
And they'll set me free.
The other kept quiet, watching her with sorry eyes. They knew they had to let her grieve just as they all grieved when their old teammate Naomi was pulled out of a transport craft wreckage barely breathing.
If my heart was still alive
I know it would surely break
And my memories left with you
There's nothing more to say
Moving on is a simple thing
What it leaves behind is hard
You know the sleeping feel no more pain
And living all are scarred
At the same time, the silhouette of the FRANX had rejoined them, flying slowly alongside in an unexpected two ship formation.
« We are all clear. Congrats everyone. »
"Thanks for the info, X-Ray," replied Ikuno to the synthesized voice. "Any idea of where we are headed now?"
« Check the package. He said that all instructions are inside. »
Even with the music, Fifty heard the words. With a now blurred vision, she noticed a folded piece of paper sitting concealed in the cloth wrapping. Carefully, she unfolded it, revealing Eighty-Three's cursive handwriting. And as expected, a set of instructions was written in it.
"So what do we do?"
"There is a set of coordinates. It says that it is a safe place."
The sequence of numbers designated a precise location somewhere in the world. As Fifty read them aloud one by one, Futoshi inputted them inside the onboard computer. After some short calculations, a flight path was generated to lead them to this new destination. Would they really be safe there? None could say, but as long as they were going away from the Entity, they would be happy with it.
It took them long hours of low altitude flying to reach this promised land. Everyone was tired, fuel was slowly starting to run out inside the tanks, yet they continued on until they reached what was described on the paper.
There is an old airfield at this location. Land and hide the vehicles in the hangars.
In the middle of the green wilderness and ruins, the black stretch of an old runway was quite visible. The small facilities surrounding it had been abandoned for more than a century, but they all looked like they could provide the concealment from aerial reconnaissance.
Touchdown was rough for both crafts, an unmaintained surface bringing high stress to the landing gear of the FRANX and an unfamiliar set of commands making it hard for Ikuno and Futoshi to bring the helicopter down smoothly near the hangars. But once they were on the ground, there was no more reason to go back to the skies. With the same kind of small issues, the two crafts slowly taxied into the empty hangars.
When the engines finally stopped and the doors were opened, the cold air was a relief. Everyone regrouped near the now silent helicopter. The cheers that followed where good for the morale, but they were still far from any decent shelter. The instructions had planned that.
Go into the center of the town southwest. Look for the church.
So they all started to walk. As they progressed through the ruins, the wonder of discoveries was counter balanced by the uncertainty of the safety of the area. Goro was gripping tightly the handle of the submachine gun, ready to raise it at any would be target. Gradually, the type of buildings changed from industrial warehouses to smaller and older installations more suited for housing. Everything was awfully quiet for those that had only known the outside world with the loud roar of jet engines. Here, only their own footsteps and the wind passing through leaves were echoing on the crumbling stone walls.
None knew what the church they were looking for looked like, but when a large and dark building came into view, it was clear it was their objective. And as she followed on her wheelchair, a strange feeling grew in Fifty's mind. She had already been here before.
But when the armed people jumped out from behind rubble to completely surround them, the group stopped. The ambushers were pointing simple rifles of wood and iron, forcing Goro to bring up his own gun. Then, one voice finally spoke.
"Lâchez votre arme et dites qui vous êtes!"
It was an unknown language they could not understand, but it was still obvious they were trespassing onto their territory, whoever they were.
It was Fifty that made the first move as she rolled into the open.
"The hell are you doing?" yelled Zorome.
"I'm following the instructions," she replied without turning her head back.
Most gunmen stood confused as they watched that girl stop outside of her group with her self-powered wheelchair.
If you meet anyone, ask to speak to Frederic.
"Which one of you is… Frederic?"
They might not have understood the language, but they understood the name. They shared looks between themselves until one of them stood from the rest and stepped forward. His coat sewed from many different pieces of cloth contrasted with the dark bulletproof vest underneath and green clothing. He looked doubtful as he closed in on Fifty.
"You… Fifty?"
His accent was rough and untrained, but it was understandable enough to show that he knew her, as strange as it seemed for some.
Tell him I sent you.
"Yes. I am. Eighty-Three told us to come here. For protection."
Frederic nodded and waived his arm. All the gunmen lowered their weapons. Then, with a smile, he continued.
"Eighty-Three… Friend. You… Friends also."