Gabriel awoke with the crew. During his patrols, Siu was tasked to always keep an eye on him. Gabriel thought that it wouldn't help them get anywhere because the murders would stop. If he was still being accused, then whoever the killer was wouldn't commit another murder.
Gabriel and Siu were walking right outside the base while the rest manned watchtowers.
"Siu, what should be our next move?" Gabriel asked.
"We need to investigate some people, mainly Tanbur," Siu answered. "It might mean staying awake while everyone else is asleep just to see if someone is sneaking out of bed. I have a feeling that whoever the killer is, they are working with the Fire Nation."
"We could be misled. It could probably be Choi or Johnson, or both. Maybe it's someone we least suspect."
"Well, I'm willing to suspect and investigate anyone. But our top three would be Tanbur, Choi, and Johnson."
"Same. I think it's because they were a bit too eager to rat me out and pin the blame on me. That would be a bit suspicious. They must've been scared that they were going to be caught and they were desperate to cover their tracks."
"Choi and Johnson are both part of our fireteam. I would guess they're trying to split us up so that our unit can't work effectively. That would make it easier for the squad to fall apart."
There were a few minutes of silence where the pair watched for movement. It was still dark, and it was going to be that way for the next few rotations.
He was genuinely surprised that there were people who believed him. Siu was obviously the most supportive, and Gabriel could sense that they would be working together on a personal mission.
"I don't think we'll stumble upon another body anytime soon," said Siu.
"Obviously," said Gabriel. "I'm being watched. The killer won't make a move while most people still think that I'm guilty."
"The best we can do is follow our suspect. There's a chance that they disappear from the radar during hours when they're not being watched."
"They probably disabled some cameras so that they can sneak out of bed and out of the base. If they're really working for the Fire Nation, we can easily find an enemy base."
There was silence again, with both people awaiting someone else on their communicators. Although Gabriel knew their conversation wasn't broadcast to the rest of the squad, he was still cautious and felt a bit scared. He continued to reassure himself that he was muted.
"We need to continue once our shift is over," said Siu.
Gabriel guessed that she was talking about spying on Tanbur to see if he was doing anything strange. He kept looking over his shoulder in fear of being heard, afraid that someone would foil his and Siu's plans.
The two of them walked together and glanced at each other from the side.
"Just remember that I'm here for you, and I think it's insane that you would be so easily accused. Maybe in a few rotations they will drop the charges," said Siu.
"Right now, most of the blame is on me," said Gabriel. "It's like there's a group of them that pinned it on me, so Kipmi will eventually order the squad to execute me. Why would they blame me so easily?"
"Well, for one, you were the closest to the body, and the picture of you standing over it seemed convincing," said Siu, and Gabriel nodded. "Maybe they'll get rid of you, then they'll probably go after me next, and once this squad falls, then it's easier for the Fire Nation to get a foothold into our bases."
"It's a war for resources out here," said Gabriel. "Only one nation will remain on Polus. Whoever does will win the war within a decade or so."
Eventually, everyone else had been called back to base, and it was a great time because Tanbur was going to be sleeping at the same time as Gabriel and Siu. It had been five rotations since a murder was reported, but understandably, paranoia remained among the soldiers and the civilians. The miners had been afraid that one of them was going to be the next victim. Kipmi was sleeping as well, so there were a total of four sleepers.
Gabriel and Siu crawled to their beds. Gabriel remained awake, though he looked as if he were sleeping by keeping his eyes shut and tossing and turning every few minutes to look at Tanbur, who was in a bed across from him. He would need to rely on his hearing and hope that if someone left and opened the door, there would be enough light for him to see and track his suspect.
There were many nights when Gabriel would have trouble sleeping and would stay awake, whether he wanted to or not. He would be either excited about an upcoming event, or he had so much fun that he would keep replaying a recent memory multiple times in his mind. Other times, he felt sad, angry, or scared about something. In this case, he was doing his mission, and he was intentionally missing out on sleep to do it, even though he was yawning a lot and forcing his eyes open to stay awake.
As time passed, Gabriel's head started to feel heavier. It would get harder for him to do things like read, because all he wanted to do was sleep. Every few seconds, he would look up, his main suspect being Tanbur. He would be the one Gabriel would follow. There was a little bit of light in the bedroom for safety reasons. It was enough for someone to faintly see the other beds.
He also felt a bit of fear and thought of ways that the mission could go wrong. He could be following someone who had just gotten up to use the bathroom. If he had followed that person, the one he was following would probably be annoyed with him, and that could jeopardize his investigation. There was only one other person in the room that wasn't Siu or Tanbur, and Gabriel hoped that Kipmi would sleep soundly. At the same time, he didn't know where Kipmi stood on this whole investigation.
Gabriel had kept insisting to his commander that he was innocent and that he wanted to clear his name, but he hadn't told Kipmi how he was going to carry it out. He feared that it would make things worse, and that Kipmi would lock him up. Never in his life had he gone behind someone's back or snuck around, but this was necessary now because he needed to save his life. If he had been found guilty and people wanted him dealt with, then he would be executed. It seemed like every scenario led to him being executed, except if he found out who the real killer was. Gabriel also held on to the small possibility of someone else being executed in his place, or maybe people would stop being so quick to accuse someone. That is, until someone else got murdered.
Gabriel's thoughts and worries kept floating in his mind. The worries caused his heart to beat a bit faster, and although he started to feel a bit sleepy, he had also become a bit more restless as the night went on, as the fear of being executed felt like a stab to the heart, and the same feeling of cold had crept in as well.
He leaned over and barely saw Siu. He knew that she had just tilted her head so that she was watching the room, looking for any signs of movement from Tanbur. She was also looking for the slightest shift in the blanket.
The night had been dragging for Gabriel. A lot of people, especially soldiers, would be shocked that Gabriel and Siu would sacrifice sleep. Normally, Gabriel was quite disciplined in sleeping early, even before his days in the military when his day was more structured. He wouldn't have much time to enjoy the comfort of his bed. Here he was, lying in bed awake, not to enjoy it, but to hopefully catch Tanbur leaving and hopefully it will lead him somewhere.
He didn't know what it could lead to, though. There was the thought of him following Tanbur, only to find nothing interesting. His main suspicion is that there's someone among them that was secretly supporting the Fire Nation. What he didn't know was who it was. It could've been a civilian. Maybe someone in the mining team was transporting metal to their enemies instead of their allies. He would probably wait until he and his team were ordered to return to Amlin.
Gabriel walked to the mess hall with Siu beside him. He just made no eye contact and barely spoke while he ate. The mood remained tense as most people sat up with their shoulders lowered. Barely anyone was speaking, and nobody was laughing or doing anything funny. Gabriel took a few deep breaths and his body remained stiff while he was sitting up straight. He was quietly chewing his food and drinking while staring at his plate the whole time.
Kipmi looked up and broke the silence. Once the first word came out of his mouth, everyone turned their heads in a split second.
"Everyone, I know this past week has really been challenging and tense with people suspecting each other of murder," said Kipmi. "I was also too paranoid, and I had suspected people myself. I only suspect the people closest to the body. There is a lack of evidence that the Fire Nation has returned and went in for a sneaky kill. I also believe there isn't enough evidence to confirm that someone in our ranks is a murderer.
"I also doubt the civilians in this mine. And for those reasons, I have decided to drop the charges against everyone here. Understandably, we've been afraid, but our squad must pull ourselves together. No one will be isolated or watched closely anymore, but you will never be assigned to do anything alone. Someone will always be near you. This will be for your protection. I apologize to everyone that I've suspected, especially you, Hoodman. I will return your privileges immediately. Siu will always be working next to you, though. We must work together as a squad. We've been too divided with people accusing each other. Some may have been more eager to rat out their comrades. If we can't function together, we will lose when the Fire Nation comes back and attacks. They've located our mine already. I'm sure they'll be back to take over."
Gabriel let out a sigh of relief that his anxiety was going to disappear. Gone were the times he would wake up and feel a bit nervous, constantly worried that the squad will approach him one day and tell him that it would be time for him to get court martialed, and if found guilty, be executed.
Although people talked a bit more and Gabriel's stress levels lowered, he still didn't talk a lot or express excitement of being let off the hook. Nobody else said anything yet.
It was the end of the meal and Choi walked towards Gabriel.
"Hey, Hoodman," said Choi. "I would also like to apologize for accusing you. I panicked a little when I saw you standing over the body. I know this doesn't mean a lot because you had a difficult time these past few rotations. It made sense for me to think that you did it based on the autopsy we did on Rodrigo's body. I won't accuse any other people right now."
"Thank you, sergeant," said Gabriel. "It means a lot. I hope we can function effectively as a team again. We still need to catch the killer. A lot of lives are in danger. I don't think any civilians are safe either."
"I think there is someone within our ranks, but I'm not sure if it's a Fire Nation spy or someone in the base that's secretly working for the other side. If it's a member of the squad, then it must be an elaborate scheme that is years in the making. I wouldn't know when exactly they would've defected.
"I also think there could be a leftover Fire Nation soldier, but we've debunked the Fire Nation theory a long time ago. Rodrigo obviously wasn't sniped, and it's unlikely that an enemy soldier stayed hidden in the base for so long."
"Is our mission going to include solving a murder, sergeant?" Gabriel asked.
"I'm highly unsure," said Choi. "But for now, I'll talk with Johnson so that our team can work more effectively. If we're going to be assigned to escort a transport back to base, then we must focus on that instead of thinking about the murder."
"What if another murder happens?"
"I hope it doesn't. By the looks of things, if another murder will happen, the victim might be another soldier instead of one of the civilians."
"They clearly want to soften up the squad. I wouldn't be surprised when the Fire Nation strikes back with a larger force. They've already found this base, so they'll probably return soon."
"Maybe they're just camping close to the base. You never know who's hidden in the mountains."
It was time for Gabriel to go on another patrol with Siu. More civilians spent time on the surface, though none of them have come forward with any of their theories or clues.
Gabriel was on a guard tower beside Siu. They were both in the same tower, unlike the time when the Fire Nation soldiers attacked and they were a few meters away, manning machine guns on different towers. Siu manned a machine gun, as Gabriel wielded an assault rifle, which had a longer range than the submachine gun that was Siu's primary weapon.
"I feel great that I've been let off the hook, and I'm satisfied with how everything's been," said Gabriel.
"I wouldn't let my guard down just yet," said Siu.
"I agree. When Choi approached me to apologize, I was caught off guard a bit. I somewhat agreed with her too, though, with the reasons that she said. I understood that she had been worried about a spy."
"It's highly unlikely that a Fire Nation soldier stayed for multiple rotations in the base without being discovered."
There was a bit of silence again.
"I think Choi is trying to earn my trust only to stab me in the back in the future, figuratively or literally. I still won't be too comfortable around her. But why should I trust you?"
"I was ordered to be around you at all times to make sure there's nothing suspicious about you. We've always been working together to investigate."
"I still don't get why no one is suspicious of you."
"Maybe someone is, but no one has said anything yet."
"Should we keep close watch of other people?"
"We should probably keep continuing it. Our biggest enemy might be someone within our ranks."
"But they're most likely aligned with the Fire Nation. We'll always be fighting them."
The day was brighter, enabling them to see a bit further. The rays of Proxima Centauri touched the rocks, making them glow in a lighter shade of purple and grey. The sun was a big white orb in the black sky. A few other stars were visible. For the next few rotations, it was going to be bright again. There was less of a need for night vision, and it would be easier to spot enemies. Gabriel wondered if the Fire Nation was going to be more active. The last time they were active was during a period of darkness.
There was a long period of silence where Gabriel and Siu just spent time scanning every direction for danger. Gabriel remained vigilant despite trying to think about every possible scenario, about how the Fire Nation would attack again, or if he or Siu would come across another body. There was a chance that Siu would be pinned as the killer this time around. The last thing that Gabriel thought about was the possibility of there being more than one mole in the squad. There was no way a random civilian would be able to sneak up on an elite soldier and kill them with one stab to the neck.
Siu remained on the machine gun while Gabriel spent every few seconds walking and scanning every other side of the tower that the turret couldn't cover. He also watched the other Myrmidons closely, though he tried to be subtle. If the other people in the squad knew they were being watched, then Gabriel and Siu wouldn't be able to dig up any dirt.
There were no opportunities for the two to follow someone in the squad, as they had been tasked to stay on the tower until their shift ended.
Gabriel forced his eyes open and quickly scanned the inside of the camp through the sight of his rifle. He spent half a second scanning each guard tower and he saw two towers with one guard, and one tower with two. Six of them were supposed to be on guard duty. The other two were asleep. So far, no one had moved. It was unlikely for a dead body to randomly turn up somewhere clearly visible from high ground.
It would only be a matter of time before someone else would get murdered. There was no way the killer would stop at one. Gabriel still asked himself if the miners were safe, that the killer wouldn't go after a civilian.
The whole mystery had been occupying Gabriel's mind a lot. There was no longer any space for him to be worried about his family. He had many fears while on the mission and being several lightyears away from them came the worries of something bad happening to them and him having no way to help. On the first few rotations of his mission, he had been wondering how they were living while under occupation from the Fire Nation. He had been communicating with them regularly and they kept reassuring them that they were safe.
Lately he had been spending a lot of time thinking about his next moves on solving the mystery with Siu. Although he also spent a lot of energy trying to come up with solutions, he still had sharp reflexes and diligence when following orders. His investigation was draining the little time he had to relax and sleep. His brainpower was getting exhausted by his internal strategizing.
It felt like the time would never come, but Gabriel and Siu eventually finished their shift. They walked down the tower and towards the mess hall. That was the only time when the whole squad could be there all at once.
For the past few rotations, things were slightly more relaxed. They weren't on edge most of the time. Gabriel still had a sinking feeling in his gut. He wasn't fully relaxed, though, but he didn't show it. He smiled and laughed more, and it wasn't forced. No longer was he closing himself off and keeping his arms crossed and face scowling. Everyone felt some degree of safety.
Gabriel was keeping watch of the others, but he was least suspicious of Siu and Kipmi. At the same time, a part of him was a bit weary. The closest people to him could be the ones who would eventually stab him in the back. He should know that, since he had been betrayed a few times in his teen years and even as a young adult by people he thought were his friends.
His trust issues were made exponentially worse by the murder and that the killer could be beside him. It was a good thing that he was never alone, and he was surprised that Siu hadn't killed him when she had the chance. If she tried to kill him while they were partnered, it would be a long fight that would draw people's attention.
As Gabriel put away his plate and utensils, he looked at the others from the corner of his eye. Some were going back to the barracks, while others to the armory.
Gabriel waited a few seconds and he casually followed Tanbur and Johnson. He was several feet behind them to not arouse suspicion. Siu trailed Gabriel. Kipmi stood behind at the table for a little bit.
As he walked into the barracks, he sat on his bed for a bit. Siu and Kipmi followed suit. Both Johnson and Tanbur weren't there. Gabriel was still unsure if he had any new clues.
A few minutes passed and the two men that Gabriel was looking for hadn't returned. It was a good time for him to pretend to use the bathroom. The group of sleepers were given an hour of downtime before the lights were turned off.
Gabriel walked slowly and quietly down the hallways. He walked towards the bathroom, and spent a few minutes there, even though he didn't need to go. No one was there.
He then checked the armory. If someone wanted to sneak out, they would have to do it while everyone else was asleep. There were countless guns of different types that were racked. There were also five spacesuits, which meant that everyone who had to be in the building was still inside. The armory was packed with stacks of ammo boxes.
After that, he walked back to his room. Although his body craved sleep the moment he touched his soft bed, he told himself that he had to continue spying. He had realized that he had so many new capabilities with his serum. He only had it for a month at most, not counting the years he spent in cryogenic sleep. He had increased accuracy, speed, and reflexes based on the fights that he went through. Throughout his training, he had the stamina and strength to complete the tasks that were too rigorous for the average soldier.
Although his body could conserve energy more easily, it had its limits. He would still need food, and it wouldn't be feasible to go days without eating consistently. His body could function without a lot of sleep, but his tiredness was going to catch up to him, and he was noticing it as his eyes were slowly getting heavy.
Siu approached Gabriel while he was sitting on his bed.
"I will be watching this time," Siu said quietly, while the others were a bit far from them. "Go get rest. I doubt that anyone suspects me, but I'm sure they both think you're being a detective."
The lights were turned down. There was only faint light from within the room. It was enough for a person to barely see ahead. Gabriel could see some of the other beds and the sleepers.
It was going to be another night of Gabriel and Siu following Tanbur closely, though Gabriel closed his eyes and prepared to take in as much sleep as he could. It made Gabriel wonder if he himself was being investigated. There was a chance that other people would think Gabriel was spying, so they would limit their activities around him. They couldn't say the same thing about Siu, though. No one thought Siu was suspicious. Gabriel himself thought that was odd. There was still a bit of doubt in his mind. He was worried that Siu was eventually going to betray him, either by setting him up as the killer so that he could be executed, or she could kill him herself.
Gabriel awoke, and although he had less than a minute to spend rolling around in the bed before being called to get up, he had gotten up without much trouble. He felt like his mind was clear and energized.
The group got up together silently. Everyone proceeded to get dressed and some people took the time to shower.
While nobody was within earshot, Siu approached Gabriel.
"I saw Tanbur walking around the hallways. Based on his movements, I'm guessing that he's texting someone."
"If he's being secretive, then it wouldn't be his family," said Gabriel, recalling the last time he was in the computer room when he would be allowed to communicate with friends or family. He was closely monitored by the other people in the squad as all video communications were recorded.
"We're one step closer," said Siu. "I'm sure we'll figure more things out when the Fire Nation comes back."
"They've been silent, but it doesn't seem like a good thing. I'm just waiting for the day they come back with a bigger force."
"Maybe they want to soften up the squad first, and they can't afford to fight for a long time without us getting reinforcements."
The two then proceeded to go on with their guard duties.