Terra
The intolerable truth
'This place does not appear to lack any technology, so why don't they have better heating?'
Natsuki suppressed a shiver, raising her head and looking at the ceiling of the hangar.
It was huge, and housed several airplanes, helicopters and other military vehicles. Almost all of them were painted black, with a stylized red trident on the nose or sides.
The same symbol decorated the black flags that were hung up everywhere, from the ceiling to the gangways. Natsuki eyed the banners suspiciously. There was something wrong with them that she couldn't place. 'Black and red. This color combination is very powerful yet obsessive. I don't think it's the flag of this regiment, but the very symbol of this nation.'
She looked around. Soldiers were running back and forth, in disciplined looking units. 'Impressive indeed, but they exude fanaticism. Exactly like my bodyguards.'
They had made her wear a long cape that completely concealed her body and face. When she asked for an explanation Nao had simply shrugged, insisting that only the chief could answer her many questions.
The group moved, and Natsuki along with them.
'The chief. General Shizuru Viola, the Commander of their military forces.'
An inevitable wave of melancholy and tears she'd never let be seen, closed her throat . 'We have never been that far apart… universes apart. I didn't even have the time to say goodbye, but you couldn't hear me anyway.'
Yohko had been adamant in revealing her the condition of Shizuru. Even if the body of the Graceful Amethyst was petrified, the warrior was technically still "alive", but unable to perceive what was happening around her.
'And right when you needed me the most I had to leave you alone. The Shizuru of this world better explain to me why I'm here. And send me back home immediately.'
Natsuki cast around a pensive look. Surveillance cameras were closely following the group and she was feeling more and more oppressed by the atmosphere of the base. They were walking along endless corridors where, at almost every intersection, there were screens showing footage of battles and, surprisingly, public executions.
Her mouth twisted in disgust. That world couldn't have been more different from hers. 'There must be something wrong if they need to display their power in this way.'
Eventually they stopped in front of a heavily guarded door.
"We're leaving you now. Don't get me wrong, Headmistress, but I really hope you could have all the answers you need" Nao said, smiling in a sly way that faintly reminded Natsuki of the Nao of her universe.
A smile crossed the lips of the Headmistress. 'We share the same aspect and the same names, thus we can't be that different. I wonder when I'll meet my own self.'
The door smoothly opened, and she stiffly passed them, worried about what lay on the other side.
Natsuki looked around and swallowed instinctively. She had expected something like this, but she couldn't avoid being slightly stunned.
The room was large and austere. The omnipresent black flag rested in a corner, while one wall was covered by a giant flat display.
A big round table occupied the centre of the room, and five people were seated around it. She approached and, as one, they stood up.
Her gaze was implacably attracted by the tall woman at the centre of the group.
"Welcome to Garderobe Base, Headmistress. As you may already know, I'm General Shizuru Viola."
Natsuki' fists clenched at her sides, trying to quiet a rush of nervousness. 'She's exactly like her. She speaks in same way, with the same accent. Even their smiles are identical.'
This Shizuru looked even more imposing in the black attire of the Terran army, but not less attractive.
'These clothes fit you.'
The smile of the General widened, as if Shizuru had caught Natsuki's thought. "I can't express how glad I am to have you among us. We apologize for hauling you here in that rude way, but your presence in Terra is of the uttermost importance for the future of this world."
"Thank you, General. But now would you be so kind to tell me why I am so vital to you?" Nasuki asked, refusing to be hypnotized by General Viola's smile. Nevertheless, her voice come out softer that she'd wanted.
"Of course. But please sit down, as I introduce you the Joint Chiefs of Staff of our armed forces. On my right you have Haruka Armitage, Commander in Chief of the Army, then Sergay Wang, he's in charge of the Air Force, Mashiro De Windbloom, our Chief of Naval Operations, and at last Nagi De Artai, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau. All of them have the rank of Colonel."
Natsuki's hands tightened in her lap. 'Mashiro and Nagi look at least ten years older, but Haruka and Sergay are carbon copies of their counterparts on Earl.'
Her attention was diverted by the slight smirk that materialized on Nagi's face.
'You smile just like the Archduke. It's good to know that some things never change' she thought, sarcastically.
"You seem shocked, Headmistress. Didn't you appreciate our welcome committee?" he asked.
Natsuki stiffened. "They almost had me killed."
"I'm sorry. You'll probably find that people here are as not educated as the citizens of Windbloom. But I assure you we have some positive aspects" he replied, derisive despite his words.
'You are the usual childish bastard.'
She forced herself to smile. "You speak as you know us very well."
His grin grew larger. "I've heard… interesting things.
'Don't play such games with me, Nagi.'
"Like that Archduke De Artai's adventure of conquering our world ended up in a prison?"
Nagi shrugged. "An unfortunate event, I would have not made such stupid mistakes. Yet, compared to all of you he was a political genius."
Natsuki felt her self-control suddenly evaporate. "You have grown taller since the last time I saw you" she pointed out. "But you are not less arrogant."
"Colonel De Artai."
The voice of Shizuru dropped between them, gentle yet implacable.
"You'll have plenty of time to chat with the Headmistress about the political situation in her home world, but I'm sure that now she is eager to know where exactly she is, and why she's here."
Natsuki silently thanked Shizuru. 'I was a minute away from slapping him silly.'
She stared at the General. "That, and when you'll be sending me back home."
"Of course," she agreed, in that calm tone that Natsuki knew too well.
The Headmistress forced herself to focus on Shizuru.
The woman touched the table, and the big display came to life, showing a world where the outlines of continents and oceans where exactly like those Natsuki knew.
"This planet is the mirror copy of yours and, as you have seen, we are the counterparts of the people of your world. You are in what we call an alternative universe."
Natsuki relaxed against the back of her chair.
'Our ancient scientists theorized the existence of such parallel realities, but I'd always thought it was only an hypothesis.'
"On the other hand your timeline seems different from ours," she noticed. "Your technology seems more advanced than ours, especially in warfare. But where are your Otome?"
Shizuru nodded.
"Minor differences between Earl and Terra always existed, but we thoroughly studied your world and found out that three hundred years ago an event of major importance occurred here. It changed our future irrevocably and made it dissimilar from yours."
"Which one?"
"Fumi Himeno was killed during the War of the Twelve Kings, before she could create the Otome system. Thus, it never came to life. That is why you won't find any Otome here."
As the revelation sunk in, the fine hair on Natsuki's neck prickled in response. "How… how did the war finish then? She was the one who put an end to that massacre."
It was the turn of Haruka to make a derisive laughter.
"The war was never over, of course," she said. "The Twelve Reigns eventually split in two big coalitions that are still fighting now."
Natsuki's eyes ran to Shizuru, in a bid for support, for she was completely flabbergasted. 'A three hundred year war? This is completely insane.'
But Shizuro only confirmed Haruka's words.
"Windbloom, Aries, Artai, Annam, Cardair and Florince merged through the years in what we call the Western Republic, a super-state with joint military institutions and a common goal: to protect our citizens and to defeat the East Coalition."
"But how your economy can sustain this perpetual state of war? And your citizens? Are they not tired of all of this?" Natsuki insisted.
"Why?" Sergay asked . "Our economy is functional to our military machine. And the distinction between citizens and soldiers does not exist. On the contrary, to be a citizen, you must be in the military. Each of us entered the armed forces at fourteen. It's the law. And it's the same for our enemies."
Natsuki eyes widened. "But what about your civil and political institutions? We have parliaments, public administrations, civil courts…"
Haruka interrupted her. "With the notable exception of the President of the Republic, they were disbanded long ago, and replaced by their military equivalents. It was useless to have a duplicate."
Natsuki had to resist the temptation to shake her head.
'Useless? Where did I end up?'
And suddenly a revelation struck her. She bit her lip, gazing at the faces of the five people around her.
"So, if you don't really have any civil institutions you should also be…"
Shizuru ended the sentence for her.
"As a matter of fact, the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the supreme body for strategic decisions, both militarily and what you call civilian."
Natsuki blinked. 'And don't you realize how creepy is this? Your country is a Republic only in name, but a military dictatorship in reality.'
She took a deep breath. "Haruka mentioned a President. Why isn't he here with us?"
Shizuru gently shook the head, while her smile disappeared. "Our beloved President, Natsuki Kruger, was killed one week ago by a terrorist who leaked through our security. This is why we need you here."
Natsuki felt the blood drain from her face. Her hands gripped the arms of the chair in a desperate attempt to stop the trembling.
She opened her mouth, speechless, though a glance at Shizuru's face suggested her what to say. 'I can't mistake your look. You are devastated.'
"I'm sorry" she muttered.
'You lost her, and I've been close to losing my Shizuru too. We are… similar.'
If it was not for the table between them Natsuki would have held the other woman's hand.
"Sorry to interrupt this heartbreaking moment, but can't we get to the point?"
The irreverent question made Nastuski's head savagely turn towards Nagi, but the angry remark she had prepared died on her lips as she heard the voice of Shizuru.
"Nagi is right. We still have to tell you why you are here, and we have little time."
Silence fell upon them, while Shizuru seemed to regain her composure.
"The President was due to address our people tomorrow. It's an annual speech in which she reports on the state of the Republic and the war. But tomorrow would have been different from all the past years, because she had to announce a massive attack against our enemies and to ask for the support of the population."
"So? Can't someone else deliver it?"
"No. Our President is not elected but chosen by birth. Only women are eligible and she's like a living goddess for us. She's the pillar of our country, representing our strength and honor, and you can imagine the disaster it would be if they knew she was killed. We have been preparing this operation for years but without her boosting the people everything will fall apart. And it would be a terrible mistake, because this attack will likely resolve the war."
"If she was that important, couldn't you select a look-alike woman for moments like these?" Natsuki asked.
"Impossible. DNA exams are performed on her before each ritual or public appearances to ensure she is the true princess. And to use a clone was out of question, they are all incredibly unstable."
Wondering what a clone was Natsuki glared at Shizuru. "And so you chose me to replace your President."
"Yes. Our technology enables us to scout the parallel universes though gates like the one you crossed to come here. We searched everywhere but only two people were suitable for us."
"Only two? In thousand of universes?"
Shizuru smiled. "Some were too young or too old, and some were not even completely human. Also, one of the requisites to be a pillar is virginity, and you couldn't believe how rare this element is…"
Natsuki blushed, lowering her head. "Ah, good. And who was the other girl?" she managed to mumble.
"A girl living on a planet called Earth. She had extraordinary powers and a strong will, but she was also quite wild and too young for us."
"What if I refused to help you?" Natsuki spat out, while a sparkle of defiance suddenly lit up her face.
"You can't. Not when we are your only hope for seeing home again," Haruka howled, slamming her fist down on the table.
"Colonel Armitage" Shizuru lightly reprimanded.
Natsuki couldn't help but grin at the outburst.
'With such collaborators you'd spend the day pacifying their fights. I don't envy you, General Viola.'
She looked around while Shizuru was still trying to soothe Haruka. 'Mashiro seems to be the only quiet one in this group of fanatic warmongers.'
The lavender-hair girl Natsuki knew had turned into a gorgeous woman with perfectly chiseled features and a confident, friendly expression. Aware of Natsuki's stare she smiled her. "Don't worry, Headmistress. We'll only need your presence here for two days"
"Two days?"
"After the speech and the beginning of the attack we won't need your help anymore, and you'll be free to return home."
Natsuki nodded slowly.
'She seems sincere. And Haruka was right in the end. Without their help I'll never see Earl again.'
Her attention returned on Shiruzu.
"I suppose I'll have to prepare for tomorrow"
Shizuru indicated a thin box placed in front of her.
"That's a portable computer. Inside you'll find the text of the speech. My secretary will assist you. I'm at your disposal if you need more information and I would be glad to have dinner with you."
The General greeted her with another warm smile, and Natsuki had to fight not to blush like a teen-ager.
'You are a very fascinating woman, Shizuru of Terra,' she thought. 'Almost as much as my Shizuru.'
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General Shizuru Viola saluted Natsuki and watched her to leave, but when she finally set her piercing glare on the Colonels the temperature in the room seemed to have dropped by several degrees.
"I don't know what your plans are. And I don't care. But I give you my word that if anything happens to Natsuki I'll personally claim the pleasure of placing a bullet in your useless heads" she said smoothly.
Then, without even bothering to look at them one last time, she stood up and left the room, leaving only a thick silence behind.