Pre Author's Notes:
Wasn't sure how well this story was going to be received when the concept just popped into my head way back then, but I'm glad readers are enjoying it, even with what little I have put out so far. Also, is it normal to not feel confident in your own writing, despite how many compliments one receives for it? This is something that never really crossed my mind... up until I started looking back at everything I've written with a critical eye.
I know that not every chapter has to 'up the ante' to be better than the previous one, but something in the back of my mind tells me that I need to do something like that in order to keep things interesting...
Anyways, we got a tiny bit of character development in the previous chapter. How about a little more?
The Frontier's Transhuman
Chapter 3
Faulty Facade
It was currently twilight out as Female Farmer hung the recently washed garments to dry on a clothesline just outside her farmhouse. Despite her husband's protests to her taking on any form of labor, she had been busy working all day, feeding livestock, watering the crops, and cleaning the house; regular farming chores of course - hence her name. Although it was nothing that was too difficult for her or anything that she hadn't done before, it was still quite exhausting nonetheless. It was no secret that the mundane farming life required one to put in quite a bit of work in order to be successful, but she quite enjoyed the satisfaction and its simplicity, so she wouldn't complain.
Now though, after a full afternoon of hard work, the sun had set, disappearing behind the horizon and leaving the stars to come out afterwards. It also indicated that it was almost time for dinner, and knowing her loving husband, he was already setting up the table inside without her.
It was with this knowledge in mind that she decided to hold off on joining him, at least until he eventually peeked out and called her inside. But until then, she would take some time to herself.
Female Farmer wiped her hands with a dry rag, before moving to a nearby bench on her porch. She placed the rag on the arm rest as she plopped herself down, taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly as she leaned against the back, taking a moment to herself to relax and be alone with her thoughts.
Tilting her head up, she studied the night sky above.
The stars, oh how they shined so brightly. They were truly a beautiful sight to behold, as they always were. She would often stargaze out into the endless sea of twinkling lights that decorated the canvas that was the sky, and wonder what lay beyond them as they danced freely, unconcerned with the lives that inhabited her tiny world. She could definitely understand why more sharper minds picked up astronomy.
What were they? Other worlds perhaps, possibly teeming with other life?
She shook her head and quietly chuckled to herself. That line of thinking was on par with the likes of adventurers. Those who risked life and limb, gaining enthralling stories to share with the world as they seeked out glory and wealth. It was adventurous, if the name didn't already make it obvious enough. She preferred her quiet life in her quiet village, even if it was extremely basic.
River Village was a very peaceful settlement. At most times anyways. She sighed as her thoughts drifted back to the events of earlier that morning. Unfortunately, even when living remotely, the relative calm never seemed to last, as trouble inevitably always lurked around every corner.
Just recently they had been raided by a nasty group of bandits. Lowly scum of scum that cared only for themselves.
When they had arrived, they had forcefully kicked down every door and ransacked every building. If it wasn't nailed down, it was most certainly picked up and gone by the time they left. One of them even suggested taking the women for their own, right in front of the innocent and frightened children.
Luckily, one of the bandits was at least 'level headed' enough to chastise him for even thinking it, harshly smacking him upside the head. They left shortly after, heading down the path from her side of the village, and that was the end of it.
Though no one was hurt physically aside from a few cuts and bruises of those that fought back, everyone was basically starting from square one all over again, which for a village that didn't have much to begin with, wasn't at all ideal.
The village chief decided to do something about it rather than mope around like the rest. He took a horse to the Frontier Town and posted a quest with a reward for any adventurers who would seek out the bandit group, stop them, and return all of their valuables.
Unfortunately, the chances of that actually happening were slim to none.
From what she heard, the reward was barely even good enough to be accepted by the Adventurers Guild, much less be accepted by a willing adventurer, but the clerk behind the counter obviously wasn't concerned by that as she held a fake smile and conducted business as usual.
That's ultimately what the Adventurers Guild was, wasn't it?
A simple business…
A disgusted sneer briefly appeared on her face as she scoffed at the memory, before quickly being wiped when she remembered that she was supposed to be focused on relaxing.
Female Farmer took a deep breath of crisp air as her eyes slid shut, her hands resting in her lap as she got rid of the scowl on her face and allowed herself to drift into a comfortable state of calm. What mattered was that they were all alive, the people of her village were safe, and they could move past the horrible event and live normally again.
A gentle breeze swept past her as she focused on letting the soothing silence of the evening envelop her, enjoying its serenity and reveling in the moment of peace.
"Hopefully you won't have to face any of our hardships." She whispered as she looked down and rubbed her belly with a gentle smile on her lips. "We don't have much right now, but I think things will turn out okay. We'll manage together… I know we can."
She simply couldn't wait to bring new life into this world.
She was taken out of her one sided conversation when she heard the sound of leaves rustling not too far from her, causing her to take a sharp intake of breath, and freeze in alarm. Two glowing blue eyes were in her view amongst the forest trail, slightly bobbing up and down as their owner stalked forward - the darkness shrouding whatever they belonged to and putting fear into her heart as it began racing.
Oh no! What is that?! She panicked internally. Is it a creature that's come to slaughter the village?! Did the bandits return?!
She tensed up in anticipation, tightly clenching the armrest of the bench as the figure approached her. After several more agonizingly slow steps, the shadowy figure finally revealed themselves as they stepped under the moonlight.
A black boot was the first to emerge from the darkness, before the rest of the figure followed suit. Getting a better look at it revealed it to be some sort of heavily geared adventurer of some sort. Their body was covered from head to toe in armor plates all around, with the outfit having a strange pattern of dark grays and blues all throughout the fabric that was streaked with dirt and… a little bit of blood. A neck guard offered protection to the area underneath the intricate helmet, and two satchels jiggled against their thigh plates with every step as they hung off their belt. They also appeared to be wearing a backpack with some sort of device inside, and had a large sack slung over their shoulder.
Female Farmer let out a breath that she was unaware she was holding. The sight was definitely very different from what she was expecting, but at least it wasn't a bloodthirsty monster or bandits.
Or bloodthirsty monster bandits…
The adventurer… marched? No, trudged. The adventurer trudged lazily along the cobblestone path leading towards River Village, before pausing mid step as they looked back up from the ground, likely just now realizing that they were indeed being watched. The adventurer's head moved around quickly, their vision sweeping the area around them as they appeared to survey their surroundings for the first time.
The adventurer's vision finally settled on Female Farmer, her blue eyes meeting blue lights as the adventurer silently stared at her through their rather bizarre looking helmet. For a moment, neither of them said a word or made a move as they observed each other, possibly in fear of startling the other. The silence between them was so deafening, that the nature around them wasn't even enough to help alleviate any of it.
After about twenty painstakingly slow seconds, the adventurer let go of the strange metallic object in their right hand, letting it simply dangle from a strap, before slowly raising a gloved hand up; as if they were unsure how to properly greet a new stranger in passing.
Female Farmer awkwardly raised her own hand, offering a wave back at the adventurer before they resumed their walk towards her.
Wait… towards her?
She blinked to herself in confusion as her eyes tracked the stranger beginning their leisurely approach to her.
Oh great, just what she needed at this hour…
"Honey!" She called back to the house behind her as she stood up from the bench. "We've got a visitor!"
Oh Earth Mother above, please give me a break… or at least the strength to keep going for tonight…
-O-
Leader-Zero must have been really out of it, because he didn't notice the lone figure staring at him until about ten seconds of walking had passed. That was bad. It meant that he was losing his touch. If that person were an enemy combatant like a rebel that saw him as a possible threat, he could have been attacked, and with his guard being lowered, he could have been injured or even killed.
Thankfully, that didn't happen, as the person watching him wasn't some anti-citizen aiming a loaded gun at him, but rather, a young woman wearing a simple medieval era peasant dress. Her long brown hair was tied into a ponytail that draped loosely over her left collarbone. A bit of a surprise to him, as her appearance was fairly… free… compared to the heavily regulated streetwear of the urban centers like City 17. Though it was similarly in line with the scavengers that he had encountered earlier back in the cave.
Leader-Zero never saw the appeal of dresses. He would have much preferred to have more pockets on his clothing. More pockets meant more space to store equipment and ammo for a mission.
Dresses didn't have pockets, meaning that dresses weren't tactically sound.
Leader-Zero kept walking forward as he watched the woman sitting still on a porch bench just outside of her farmhouse. At least, he assumed that it was her farmhouse, judging by the string of recently washed laundry hanging from a clothesline nearby to dry.
Of course, as he approached, the woman openly gawked at him, and who wouldn't? Most people would turn tail at the sight of a genetically modified alien commando serving the universe's most deadly empire. He was outfitted for combat efficiency in the Quarantine Zone and the hazardous wastelands.
Although usually, the gawking would be backed by an intense feeling of dread for their impending demise, right before he leveled his Pulse Rifle up and shot them with a round of dark energy right between the eyes.
This wasn't dread.
Slight apprehension, yes, but the woman was also radiating a sense of intrigue as she watched him. Now he knew for certain that his otherworldly dimensional displacement theory was starting to sound more… sensible. The fact that this woman was just calmly sitting still and not screaming for assistance did help to make him feel a little better.
"Honey!" She suddenly called back to the house behind her as she stood up from the bench. "We've got a visitor!"
Or maybe not…
Hopefully the welcoming party wouldn't have a blade to his throat. From raiding rebel hideouts, clearing out overrun infestation zones, and containing antlion nests, Leader-Zero survived quite a few life threatening situations. Coming this far just to die to a bunch of farming villagers stuck in the middle ages certainly wasn't how he wished to go out.
As improbable as that was when he really thought about it...
The front door to the farmhouse opened moments later, and a young man stepped out, dressed in baggy green pants with a dark brown tunic overtop, the sleeves of which were slightly rolled up; most likely work clothes more suitable for farming.
"Who is it?" He asked the woman casually as he leaned against the doorframe and looked at her. When she didn't immediately answer, the man frowned in concern, before turning his head to see what it was that she was staring at.
And freezing at the sight just like her.
Please don't do anything rash… Leader-Zero silently pleaded within his mind. Whether that was directed towards the two villagers in front of him, or to himself, he didn't know. For some reason, the thought of any harm coming to these people didn't sit right within his mind.
He held his breath as the three of them stood there in tense silence, with no one making a single movement towards the other in hopes of avoiding any potential misunderstandings. As the tension continued to build up, Leader-Zero took a moment to reflect upon his current situation.
He was a human that was brainwashed by an alien empire, turned into a cybernetically enhanced commando, possibly teleported from his world to another in an entirely different dimension, and now he was interacting with medieval era farmers in front of their home in the middle of the night.
The whole scenario was pretty surreal to say the least.
"Uh, w-who," The man stuttered, before clearing his throat, taking a calming breath, and putting on a brave face. "Who are you? What do you want?" He demanded in a deeper - clearly faked - voice that leaked faux confidence as he crossed his arms over his chest and stepped between them.
The woman stared open mouth in disbelief, before fixing him with a deadpan expression as she put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. She was clearly not at all impressed with the false bravado from the man in front of her. Leader-Zero wasn't either, but he wouldn't say that out loud. Though the front was clearly put on for a reason.
Leader-Zero quickly realized that he needed to do something to ease the tension, and the best way to start was by identifying himself as friendly… which meant that he needed to speak to them, rather than just stand there ominously while being distracted by his inner turmoil.
Normal social interaction with other humans.
The thought was enough to make him squirm. How long had it been since he'd done such a thing? Most of his communication during his time in the Combine involved accepting orders, idly giving status reports, and callouts to other units through squad tactics; none of which would be applicable to his current situation.
He was a cybernetically augmented and apathetic alien soldier, whose only purpose in life was to serve a Universal Union. He was not at all normal under any definition of the word.
This talking thing was going to be the death of him...
Leader-Zero held his free hand up in a non-threatening gesture as he slowly approached. He kept walking forward until he was about an arm's length away from the man. The villager was in a cold sweat as he looked up at him, a slight tremble indicating that he was starting to become uneasy from being in such close proximity to a possibly dangerous unknown, which he was.
"I am… human." Leader-Zero finally said. A statement that even he himself had trouble agreeing with, as he recalled staring at his reflection in the water earlier. That, and his vocoder certainly didn't do him any favors when trying to sound natural.
At the soldier's words, the man stopped his trembling, before raising a brow up on his face. He turned back towards the woman behind him, as if to ask if she heard the same thing as him. She looked just as equally confused, dumbly shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders back in response.
"Uh, I would sure hope so…" The man responded slowly in wariness as he turned back to him. "N-Not that I'm implying that there's anything wrong with ya if you aren't. Unless this is some sort of ploy to get our guard down?"
Leader-Zero asked, looking at him weirdly before shaking his head. "Negative, I would not do something like that."
The man watched him with a guarded expression for a few more seconds, still seemingly unconvinced. "Okay…?" He trailed off cautiously, glancing side to side as he shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Well you still haven't answered either of my questions, so..."
A rather justified reaction, considering that the man was no doubt still trying to figure out why an alien soldier clad in full tactical gear was standing on his porch in the middle of the night.
"Unit designation is Leader-Zero," He identified himself as per standard procedure like he was speaking to a higher ranking unit. "Seeking…"
…
What…
What exactly was it that he was seeking? He looked down at the wooden boards below as if they would provide him a satisfactory answer.
All his life, Leader-Zero never really had to ask himself that question, as the Combine had always given him something to do. His purpose, the entire point of his existence, was to be subservient to humanity's benefactors; serving them in any way that he could. But no one was here to issue any orders to him now, were they? It was just him… alone… possibly stuck in a strange land with strange people.
No more mindless patrols out in the wastelands, no more Overwatch AI telling him to clear out infestation zones, and no more Ordinals ordering him to execute any anti-citizens.
For the first time in a long time, he could finally choose for himself.
Leader-Zero quickly looked back up, remembering that he was still in the midst of a conversation and realizing that the two villagers were staring worriedly at him, waiting for an answer while he was lost in deep thought. He mentally chastised himself, figuring that he was thinking too big and too hard for the moment. He would take things slowly, and at one step at a time, rather than rushing in. There would be plenty of time to worry about future problems… in the future.
"...Unit is seeking refuge." He decided on the spot.
The two villagers looked at him oddly, glancing at each other as if he had grown a second head. Had he already said something wrong to offend the locals? Or maybe it was just because they never expected an alien commando to show up on the doorstep of their farmhouse, casually asking to be housed. Yes, he supposed that he could understand their skepticism. After all, such a thing wasn't an everyday occurrence.
"Um… sure…" The man agreed hesitantly, briefly looking back at the woman behind him and meeting her eyes in silent conversation. A conversation, which he obviously wasn't privy to. "We wouldn't mind housing you for the night if you can compensate us. But uh… Leader-Zero? That's… not really a name. At least, not one we've ever heard of before."
Well of course it wasn't a name. It was his call sign - which wasn't too dissimilar when compared to the other OTA soldiers that used something like Razor-Four, Sweeper-Six, or Echo-Eight. Still, it was the closest thing that he could even remotely call a name, and all that he had to identify himself as. What else could have possibly been considered a name here?
The man continued on, despite the blank stare of the soldier's emotionless helmet.
"Whatever, you must be from far off lands," He said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "My name is Head Farmer, and this lovely lady standing behind me here is my wife, Female Farmer." He said, gesturing to the woman standing behind him as he shot her a wink.
The woman - now known as Female Farmer - covered her mouth as she giggled, before waving back at him, slightly less awkward this time. Leader-Zero didn't understand why she giggled. Was there something amusing about the current situation? Was it him that she was giggling at? Should he have been doing the same as well?
And also… 'Head Farmer' and 'Female Farmer'? He failed to see how his call sign wasn't a suitable name when theirs were simply just titles. Were they given to them at birth? Were they earned at some point in their lives? Did they even have real names? Why did Female Farmer originally call out 'honey' at his initial appearance?
Well, when in Rome.
Wait…
What even was Rome?
His mind really was a jumbled mess at the moment. Whatever that random place that appeared in his thoughts was, it was probably unimportant... And if it was somehow important, then maybe it would come back to him in the future. Hopefully later rather than sooner. Alone time with his thoughts is the last thing that he wanted right now.
"Then, my name is… Combine Soldier..." He indicated to himself, slightly off put by referring to himself in such a way. 'Combine Soldier'... that's how he was going to have to introduce himself in the future from now on. Just another odd change that he was going to have to get used to, seeing as his call sign wasn't going to work here. That, and adapting to new human customs, which was already a difficult task in and of itself.
"Ah, a soldier huh?" Head Farmer asked, nodding in understanding as he looked him up and down, inspecting the soldier with a critical eye. "Can't say I've ever seen or heard of your type before. Almost mistook you for an adventurer or a wandering knight of some sort."
An… adventurer? Leader-Zero supposed that he could understand the confusion. One look at him, and anyone could tell that he stood out.
"I see."
…
Head Farmer brought a hand up to rub the back of his neck in discomfort as he tried to think of how best to handle the situation. "Uh, so conversations generally have a sort of a…" He trailed off for a second, attempting to find the right words. "...A back and forth. That's kinda how they function."
"I see."
…
"Jeez, buddy. You're a real piece of work, ya know that?"
"Negative."
After his rather brusque response, the trio all stood around in uncomfortable silence, looking between each other as nobody said a word.
They couldn't tell with his helmet on, but Leader-Zero was internally panicking. This was how his first real interaction with other human beings was going? Maybe he would just pretend to be mute next time…
Before things could get any more awkward, Female Farmer clapped her hands together, giving a somewhat strained smile as she spoke up again. "Well, you did mention that you needed a place to stay, right? Like my husband said earlier, we're going to need some compensation if we're to house a stranger for the night."
Privately thankful that the silence was broken, Leader-Zero nodded, before hefting the sack down from his shoulder and letting it thud against the porch as its contents jingled. "Leader unit was engaged in contact with local anti-citizen scavengers. Hostile targets contained. Valuables procured."
He opened the bag, revealing the myriad of shiny colors from the loose loot that was haphazardly stuffed inside, along with some of his Combine technology; the latter of which, he obviously wasn't going to be giving away. He had no idea how much the rest of it all was worth in value, but he had no use for such possessions, and would have been more than willing to part with the extra weight. Though it seemed like it would be more than enough apparently, judging by the wide eyed expression of disbelief on the farmer's faces as they both looked inside.
"Y-You dealt with the bandits?" Head Farmer asked in shock, finally tearing his eyes up from the bag.
Ah, so they were bandits, not scavengers. Well that certainly explained how and why they had so much loot on hand. Did this world really not have their own officers to enforce law and order? Surely such troublesome individuals wouldn't have existed if the Combine had established Civil Protection to roam around.
"Affirmative - malignant targets sterilized." Leader-Zero stated bluntly, hoping that the simple reply would make it clear what kind of threat the bandits had posed to him originally; which was very little. Seriously, even a Metro Cop patrol could have taken them on without having to call for backup. The only reason he struggled in the first place was because of his disorientated state.
If either of them were confused by the Combine terminology or put off by the way he gave that statement, they didn't show it.
"Honey," Female Farmer began, still staring at the soldier in front of them. "Would you be so kind as to spread the word about our esteemed guest?"
The sound of his wife's voice shook Head Farmer out of his stupor, and his face broke out into a wide smile, before he ran to the center of the village. Leader-Zero watched on curiously, glancing back to Female Farmer for an answer, only for her to flash a bright smile back at him.
"Everyone, everyone!" Head Farmer called out, his cheerful voice echoing throughout the whole village and getting the attention of those still up. Slowly, moody faces peeked out from the windows and doors of their homes dimly lit by candle lights, wanting to hear an explanation for the sudden disturbance in the night. "The bandits from earlier have been dealt with!"
All at once, the other villagers looked to each other as whispers broke out. Seeing that it was still early in the night, and the stars had only just come out, most of the villagers were still awake, leading to a rather sizable crowd standing outside in confusion at Head Farmers surprise announcement
"What?"
"The bandits are finished?"
"Does that mean we're safe?"
"Yes, it's true! The bandits are no more!" Head Farmer reaffirmed, nodding vigorously to emphasize his words.
"And what about our stuff?" One of the other villagers asked skeptically, crossing his arms and tapping his foot against the ground.
"It's here! All of it! It's all back! He responded with glee.
Everyone was wide awake by now, and Leader-Zero could see that the announcement of good news had brought a new wave of emotion amongst everyone. Excited murmurs of anticipation quickly spread throughout the crowd of gathered villagers, before a single boisterous voice cut through the noise.
"That's great news!" Exclaimed a middle-aged man, stepping out from the sea of villagers. Unlike the others, he had a portly appearance, bags under his somewhat tired eyes, and his finely kept mustache had bits of gray like his hair. That didn't prevent him from giving Head Farmer a small smile though. "Who was responsible for such an act?"
"It was that man, Village Chief!" Head Farmer said, pointing a finger towards Leader-Zero.
Everyone directed their eyes to the armored figure standing awkwardly to the side as all of their attention was suddenly focused on him. There was a brief flash of intimidation in their eyes, which was par for the course at this point. It appeared that some folk were still a little shaken by what the bandits had done to them before Leader-Zero had arrived, and his alien appearance must have raised some suspicion amongst the villagers, but that emotion was immediately squashed by a look of gratitude as they spotted the bag in his hands.
The Combine soldier slowly, and somewhat nervously, looked back at Female Farmer for an explanation.
"Don't worry, he gets like this when he's happy," She assured him, completely unaware of the soldier's anxious thoughts and too amused by her husband's enthusiasm. "It's completely normal for him."
Leader-Zero could do nothing besides give her a curt nod in response. "I see."
The village chief smiled from behind his mustache, twirling it as a thoughtful look appeared on his face. "Well, I daresay this calls for a celebration, doesn't it? How about it, everybody?"
Various voices yelled out in agreement as his shoulders shook in mirth, lighthearted excitement filling the air. Many of the villagers looked towards the soldier, giving him an expectant look as he stood there silently, with only one thought popping into his head.
What did he just get himself into?
-O-
The rather unanticipated celebration was in full swing in the middle of the night as merry laughter filled the village. Dining tables and chairs were moved outside for the occasion, and a large open fire was lit as the cooks roasted animals - apparently called chickens and pigs - skewered on spits, along with a big pot of stew. A bard played music on an instrument and sang nearby as people danced, talked, and drank with happy smiles all around Leader-Zero.
Speaking of the Combine soldier, ever since the whole celebration kicked off, he had been left feeling rather awkward and out of place. The brainwashed transhuman obviously didn't feel as festive as the others, choosing to remain quiet and calm, stiffly sitting in a seat with his hands in his lap at the end of a long dining table as he watched everything happen around him in wonder.
Everyone he turned to had a warm smile on their faces, and he could almost feel the warmth emanating from them, making him feel uncomfortable in comparison.
He couldn't remember the last time that he had fun or even relaxed, not since he became a soldier anyway. After all, there was no time for R&R when serving the Combine. But when Head Farmer had announced that their recent newcomer was responsible for ending the bandits that had caused trouble for them earlier, everyone looked at him like he was their savior, and Village Chief had learned from Head Farmer that he was going to be staying overnight; with that in mind, Village Chief had extended his offer of celebration to Leader-Zero. It was a very jarring new experience, and he had to resist the urge to reflexively reach for his Pulse Rifle right then and there.
It just wasn't right. It was unnatural. No one ever smiled at the sight of a Combine soldier…
And yet, here these innocent people were, celebrating and having a good time, all because of something good he had done by complete accident - all for his own benefit, rather than theirs.
They called him a hero.
He didn't quite understand the unfamiliar word. No one had ever called him that before…
Despite being surrounded by dozens of supposedly friendly faces, he felt strangely alone. It felt like he was being mocked, which in a way, he sort of was. They were all blissfully unaware of the countless atrocities he had committed in the name of the Combine. If these people truly knew the extent of his past actions, they wouldn't even be looking at him. Instead, they'd probably be barricading themselves in their homes or chasing him out of the village with pitchforks and torches.
Not… shaking hands with him as each of their belongings were returned to their rightful owners. Although all of the handshakes were very one sided, on account of Leader-Zero having absolutely no idea what a handshake was or its intended purpose.
Why did they shake his hand? Was there something on it? Were they wiping it with something?
A few had even hunched their bodies over as they thanked him. An action called bowing apparently. It didn't make any sense to him, but if showing off the top of your head was a general sign of respect here, then he'd better get with the times. He was already enough of a social outcast as is.
"Are you alright, Soldier?"
Leader-Zero was abruptly taken out of his musings by the gentle voice, his head snapping to face whoever had called his name. It was Female Farmer, with a notable look of concern etched across her features. Of course she'd be the one to take note of his silent behavior throughout the party - acting more like a spectator rather than a guest involved with the celebration. "You've been rather quiet since the party has started." She said gently. "Is it not to your liking?"
"Negative," He replied quickly, hoping not to offend her through his blatant inattentiveness. "...Observing the atmosphere."
"Uh-huh…" She trailed off skeptically, clearly not believing him. She silently eyed him for a few seconds, before a knowing - and somewhat nostalgic - look appeared on her face. "You're not used to receiving praise, are you?" She easily guessed.
Outwardly, his helmet did a good job at masking his 'reaction', but the miniscule turn of his head to the side was more than telling for her. Seeing that he had been read so easily, Leader-Zero opted to give a small nod in response, so as to not seem like he was ignoring her. "It's new." He responded stoically.
The reaction appeared to be exactly what she had expected, as a small smile blossomed upon her face. Apparently, successfully coaxing out an actual answer from him was a small feat that she was proud of herself for. Why? He had no idea.
"I understand how you're feeling. Not everyone can accept praise well, especially for something that they believe doesn't deserve it. As a knight, my father felt the same way, even if I never fully understood it at the time. Now I definitely understand because of just how many congratulations I've received." She said, rubbing her slightly rounded belly next to him.
Leader-Zero looked down, tilting his head at her belly and giving it a blank stare, as if to ask it a silent question.
Female Farmer let out a small giggle at his questioning look. "I'm pregnant, Soldier." She explained with a warm smile.
"Oh…" He said simply, as if understanding the significance of it or even the word itself. Though judging by her previous statement, being 'pregnant' was apparently something that people congratulated her for. Should he have done the same? "Should I also be congratulating you?" He decided to ask.
By now, the woman that he was speaking to had broken out into a hearty and rather melodic sounding laughter at the innocently phrased question. Head Farmer had turned from his seat beside her, giving her a loving smile as he watched her enjoying herself, despite not knowing the exact context for why.
What was so funny about his question? Should he also have been laughing too? Why was interacting and conversing with others so difficult to understand? It was like he had to make an effort to understand their words and actions, unlike when he was back with his squad. Simple callouts like, 'Viscon, necrotics!' and 'going sharp!' were so much more easier to understand than a complex face to face conversation. In fact, he was never even face to face with his allies in the first place, just helmet to helmet.
The Combine certainly did a good job at dehumanizing the OTA soldiers within their ranks...
"No, I don't think that'll be necessary. Earth Mother knows I've heard that way too much by now. But at least you had the courtesy to ask first..." She replied, wiping a tear out of the corner of her eye as she finally calmed down somewhat from her laughter. She turned to look back towards the other villagers, the adults all chatting amiably with each other as some of the children ran around playing. "You know, I think I can safely speak for everyone here when I say how grateful we are that you helped us. Most of us never thought that we'd ever see our belongings returned to us ever again…"
Leader-Zero stared at her with unblinking eyes as her words registered in his head. "Most?" He asked curiously.
"Yes…" She confirmed with a sad smile as her hand went to clutch at an empty spot above her chest. "Unfortunately, when looking through the bag that you had brought back, I wasn't able to find my pendant inside at all. Those fools must have already sold it or bartered it off before you got to them…"
At the mention of a missing pendant, a moment of realization dawned on Leader-Zero as he recalled the events that had transpired earlier.
While picking up the scattered loot, a small glimmer out of the corner of his eye caught his attention - his gaze flicking over to a small object partially buried beneath the soil.
Curious, he leaned forward to get a better look at it, and discovered it to be a silver chain that carried an aqua-blue pendant; with the gem it held in the shape of a teardrop.
He carefully scooped it up by the chain, dangling it out in front of him, before bringing up his other hand and gingerly running his thumb across the surface, wiping any leftover dirt from it. The polished gem seemed to glow almost ethereally in the sunlight as he gently traced over the smooth lines in the stone, admiring every little detail in fascination. He could even see his reflection in it as he tilted his head.
It was-
"Pretty…" Leader-Zero quietly whispered to himself, completely forgetting that he was looking at Female Farmer, who was still seated nearby and conversing with him.
"Um, what…?" She asked in confusion, before her eyes widened just a smidge, and a small blush appeared on her cheeks. "I-I mean, yes, I know that. I've been called that quite a lot, and I'm flattered, really, but I'll have to remind you that I'm already spoken for. To be romantically involved with another would completely void the oath I had taken when I had gotten married, and not only that, but I would be severely disappointing the Earth Mother! And we just met earlier this evening! I hardly know you! Soldier, I understand that you're quite new to these lands... a-at least I think so anyway... but something like this-"
While Female Farmer was busy rambling about things that didn't make any sense to Leader-Zero, the Combine soldier had completely ignored her, instead opting to reach a gloved hand into one of the Ordinal satchels that hung off from his belt and over the edge of the seat. After brushing aside a small flashlight, grenades, syringes, and Manhacks, Leader-Zero finally felt the object that he was looking for.
He pulled out the pendant, holding the teardrop shaped gemstone forward in his palm, the dangling silver chain standing out in contrast against his black glove.
Female Farmer stopped mid-ramble as she stared at the pendant, a look of familiarity appearing in her eyes as she shut her mouth in embarrassment, before giving him a sheepish grin. After a brief moment, she gingerly cupped her hands out, allowing Leader-Zero to gently drop the pendant into her waiting palms, the chains clinking as she cradled the small piece of jewelry between her fingers and brought it closer to eye level; inspecting every inch of it closely.
"I-I can't believe it…" She muttered with tears threatening to spill from the corner of her eyes as she gripped it tightly, afraid that she would somehow lose it again if it left her sight. Leader-Zero couldn't say that he understood her reaction, and might even go so far as to say that it was a bit of an overreaction to a simple gem - even if it did look nice. But there was no benefit from telling her that… "It's really here! You actually brought it back… but I thought it wasn't in the bag-"
"It was," Leader-Zero answered robotically, cutting her off. "The bag was dropped earlier. I spotted the pendant on the ground and picked it up."
"Ah, okay. That makes more sense. And I'm assuming by your usual blank stare that you want to know why it's so important to me, right?" She asked, turning to meet his gaze once more with a small smirk on her face, as if teasing him a bit.
His, 'usual blank stare'? There was absolutely no way that he was becoming so easy to read, was he? Leader-Zero ignored the previous thought and simply nodded his head like usual.
"This pendant belonged to my grandmother, who passed it down to my father. It's all I really have to remember them by, so you can imagine that the sentimental value of it far outweighs any monetary value for me." She informed him, reminiscing with what looked to be a melancholic smile. "When the bandits had come and pillaged, I'm pretty sure that I went through all five stages of grief. I fell into such a bad state of mind that my husband had to literally starve me out of our room, saying that I had to eat, not just for myself, but also for the little one on the way."
Leader-Zero watched as Female Farmer rubbed a thumb over the pendant.
"Imagine… me as a mother, letting my child go hungry, just because I was sad over a little gem." She scoffed to herself as she shook her head. "The situation was very bleak, not just for me, but for everyone here. None of us had any idea if we'd ever see our possessions again or if the bandits would return for more. So from the very bottom of my heart, thank you..."
Glowing aqua-blue lenses stared right back at her from the emotionless face of his helmet mask, his lips forming into a somewhat unemotional line; not that she could see it anyways. He didn't want to be cynical, but he was trying his damnedest to find any false sincerity hidden amongst her features - which was impossible. After watching her with laser focus for what seemed like an eternity, Leader-Zero finally gave her an answer that he deemed suitable for the moment.
"You're welcome."
A moment after the clipped response, the cooks had announced that the animals that they were roasting over the open fire were finally done cooking, causing everyone to cheer in excitement for the upcoming feast. Although he couldn't smell the aroma permeating throughout the air because of his helmet's protective filters, the mention of real food - sustenance necessary to renourish his depleted energy that didn't come from a flavorless ration pack - was enough to make his stomach grumble loudly.
Meat was cut onto plates and stew was scooped into bowls as the village cooks prepared meals for everyone.
Beef stew, chicken, pork, diced potatoes, corn on the cob, and a piece of bread on the side. In all fairness they were rather simple dishes. That being said, it was already leagues better than what the Combine had fed him, if a little much. But then again, this was a celebratory feast. He imagined that the quaint little remote village he was in didn't often get the chance to go all out.
Though for the first time in his life, he was actually a little excited to take off his helmet and dig into a meal.
Excited… and anxious.
That was new…
While the prospect of filling his stomach with a hot cooked meal was exciting, that feeling was quickly overshadowed by apprehension and realization washing down his back like ice cold water. He would need to take his helmet off to eat…
Would it really be wise to show his face to these people? What would their reactions be? Shock? Disgust? Fear?
He mentally debated with himself for a few moments, before finally giving up as his stomach rumbled again to remind him of its current emptiness.
No, he was too hungry to care about something so trivial at the moment. It would be better to eat now and not let the food go to waste. Plus, he'd be leaving an even worse impression if he were to simply let it sit untouched in front of him, like he was refusing to indulge in their generous offering.
Leader-Zero slowly brought his hands up, gripping his helmet and twisting it to the side, breaking the ring seal and clicking it free with a familiar hiss. If he were back in the Quarantine Zone or the wastelands, this would have been a massive breach in protocol, especially considering that there were always Xenian spores around that would have been unsafe to inhale. Though it was a little late to be worrying about breaking protocol now, wasn't it? That, and... he wasn't exactly in City 17 anymore…
He gave one last cursory glance at his surroundings, seeing that everyone around seemed to be watching him with bated breaths, eager to see what their guest looked like underneath. He closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath, schooling his expression as he braced himself for what would come next.
He lifted the helmet off of his head, and immediately after, several gasps could be heard throughout. It was almost enough to make him cringe, but he kept his expression blank as he simply blinked back at them.
"What... what are you?" Female Farmer asked from the seat next to him. Despite being a cold killing machine, for some reason, Leader-Zero couldn't bear to look at her; afraid of whatever expression she held on her face.
He glanced down at the helmet in his lap, before restating the first words that he had said to them earlier that evening. "I am human…"
...
"Ah, pardon us for the reaction, Soldier," The village chief calmly spoke up from the other end of the table, his hands clasped together and his elbows resting on the surface as he regarded the soldier across from him. Though there was a tiny hint of wariness in his eyes, it was mostly covered up by a welcoming smile, one that was clearly meant to ease any new tensions that might have arisen from the sudden reveal, likely in the spirit of good and civilized manners. "It's just… well, your appearance is the last thing that any of us expected to see from a... 'Combine Soldier', was it? We don't often get many outsiders traveling to our peaceful little River Village, but we're not so sheltered or oblivious to not realize that there's a whole world out there with all sorts of life walking around."
"What he said," Head Farmer cut in, offering a reassuring smile as he put a gentle hand on his wife's shoulder. "We don't judge folk based on what they look like. Really, it'd take too much energy to care. Energy that could be better directed on keeping the village running efficiently."
Female Farmer must have realized how she might have sounded, as Leader-Zero spotted her eyes widening from the corner of his vision. "Oh my… I apologize Soldier, I didn't mean to make you feel alienated in any way." She chuckled in embarrassment, bowing forward and trying her best to cover up her mistake with her normal self.
"It's okay." He curtly replied, somewhat nonplussed by their unusually calm reactions.
After that, the conversation quickly resumed as everyone began digging into their meals. Soldier still sat dumbfounded nearby, watching as everyone else had returned to the feast like normal.
They… didn't care...?
Seeing how quickly everyone had moved on, Leader-Zero decided to shrug and not question it, instead opting to reach for the spoon sitting by his fork and knife on the table, before scooping up some of the stew in the bowl in front of him. After picking up a decent chunk of diced meat - which he assumed to be the beef - he lifted the utensil up, inspecting the still warm, protein filled dark meat, before putting it into his mouth. His senses were immediately assaulted with flavor as the perfectly cooked beef reached his taste buds. He would have been surprised that he still had taste buds, but he was too focused on savoring the meal.
The food was good, really good!
He turned towards the untouched cup, bringing it up to his lips to help wash down the delicious food… before pulling the cup away and looking down at it with a frown on his face. A slight acidic burning sensation had filled his mouth, leaving a somewhat tingly feeling on his tongue and in his throat. His brow furrowed down in concern at the red liquid inside. Why was his body reacting in such a way? Did he drink something that he wasn't supposed to? Was he poisoned?
"Is the wine okay, Soldier?" Female Farmer hesitantly asked beside him.
"Wine?" Leader-Zero asked in confusion, holding the cup up to his nose to sniff, allowing a rather nice fruity aroma to greet him. "What is it?"
Female Farmer's surprise at how truly clueless he was about certain topics was as clear as day. "Oh, it's an alcoholic drink, involving crushed grapes that are fermented, but I'm no expert on the intricacies of the process to really explain it to you. You'd have to ask a vintner at the vineyard at the Temple of the Earth Mother for a more in depth explanation; someone like Sister Grape."
"I see." Leader-Zero responded noncommittally as if he understood any of that - though he did file the info away in his head just in case it would be important in the future. But if she wasn't saying anything bad about it, then it must have been okay to drink. That's assuming that everyone else wasn't already drinking the same thing as him. He looked towards her cup, spotting that the liquid inside was a different colorless hue. "Are you not drinking any wine?" He asked, quizzically tilting his head again.
"As enjoyable as that might be, need I remind you that I'm with child?" She pointed out with a brief smirk of amusement. "It's not the end of the world. I can live perfectly fine without it. For now, I'll just settle with water."
Leader-Zero simply nodded again, before scooping up another spoonful of stew.
Everyone's attention was suddenly brought towards the other end of the table as the village chief stood up from his seat, loudly tapping a spoon against his cup. Leader-Zero watched with rapt attention as the entire village immediately fell silent, their eyes fixed on the village chief expectantly as he cleared his throat.
"Everyone! Earlier in the week, we had faced an unfortunate hardship in the form of cruel thievery from a group of lowly bandits. When I went to the Adventurer's Guild to request help, we barely had anything left to offer as a good reward, and though they posted the quest on the board, the chances of an adventurer accepting it were slim to none. Because the king is focused on gathering forces to battle the returning Demon Lord and his army, the crown also has no one that they can officially spare. We were all upset, and like many of us here, I slowly lost hope of ever seeing our possessions back…" Village Chief trailed off dejectedly.
"That is until one man came and returned our items that which we hold near and dear to us, subsequently returning hope as well. This man isn't even an adventurer, and yet, he decided to deal with the bandits and return everything out of the kindness of his heart. This man… is sitting at the other end of the table across from me…" He indicated to Leader-Zero, who said nothing during the whole speech.
"I propose a toast! To Combine Soldier, the River Village hero!" Village Chief exclaimed, raising his cup as everyone followed along.
"To the River Village hero!" Echoed the entire village.
For once, Leader-Zero wasn't squirming uncomfortably in his seat. These villagers were happy, genuinely happy… and he was responsible for it. Despite his previous reasoning for taking the bag, that did not at all negate the good deed he did for these people. Seeing all these warm smiles directed at him, praising him for a little bit of good, brought a strange foreign feeling in his heart, which caused a small smile of his own to form on his face.
For the first time since he had been co-opted into the Combine's ranks, Leader-Zero truly felt a little… human.
-O-
After the celebration had died down, several of the villagers had begun cleaning up and making their way inside their homes to rest for the night; including Head Farmer and Female Farmer, the latter of the two leading the soldier to a spare room within the house.
"And here we are. If you need anything, me and my husband are in the next room over." She gestured to the other door in the hall.
"Thank you…" Leader-Zero said, his hand already on the doorknob and simply content on leaving it at that. Though before he turned it open, he was struck by an unexpected urge to say something else, something that was enough to make him pause. "I appreciate the hospitality." He tacked on out of the blue, unaware of where those words had come from, or why he even felt the need to say them.
Female Farmer shook her head with a smile as she gave him a dismissive wave of her hand. "Oh, it's no problem at all. Besides, it's the least we could do to pay you back."
Leader-Zero merely nodded at her, watching as she turned to walk away and disappear into her room; but not before offering him one last smile. "Good night!"
Was it really a good night though? His stabilization team was dead, he was nearly killed three times in one day, his mind was put through the worst pain imaginable, and he was lost in unfamiliar territory. Well… he wasn't dead himself yet… so he supposed that it was probably indeed a good night.
"Good night." Leader-Zero responded bluntly, though it was more to himself, as Female Farmer had already entered her room while he was momentarily lost in thought. He silently stared at the spot in the doorway where she once stood. Seeing no necessary reason to stand out in the hallway for any longer, Leader-Zero turned back, opening the door in front of him.
Stepping inside, he glanced around, inspecting the offered room that he was to be resting in for the night.
Tucked into the right corner of the room was a neatly done bed with a nightstand that had a lit candle on top of it, and a chest sat at the foot of the bed. On the left side of the room was a wooden wardrobe closet alongside a study desk. And finally, in the middle of the back wall was a window looking into the fenced off backyard. It wasn't small by any means, just… cozy.
Leader-Zero put the tech filled bag and the unstrapped comms pack onto the study desk, before making his way over to the bed. He placed a hand down on top of the sheets, pushing down into it to test how soft the mattress was. Judging by how far his hand sank, it was more than suitable to sit and sleep on. Much more than whatever it was that he had to make do with before.
He stood beside the bed, staring at the helmet in his hands as he ran a gloved thumb over one of the blue lenses looking back at him, contemplating his next move for tomorrow. His purpose before was to serve his benefactors without question. Here and now though, with no more benefactors to serve, he had quite the troublesome predicament on his hands. He still had no idea what he'd do with his life now that he was free from his shackles, and that feeling of aimlessness left him feeling somewhat... empty.
His countless crimes against humanity must have been considered despicable to others, and the trained killer inside of him would forever remain a part of him. He had a lot to make up for, there was no doubt about that... but, why would he bother? Killing was all that he knew... killing and serving others.
An image of the villager's happy faces flashed in his mind.
Serving...
Yes, that must have been his true purpose, the one word that he was so used to; programmed to follow so obediently and without question. Why would he try something new when the old worked just fine?
He decided right then and there that he would serve others, in any way possible.
For the first time in a long time, he unconsciously smiled to himself as if he had found the true meaning of life, before putting the helmet on top of the nightstand and moving to the window. As his hands grasped the curtains, he found himself looking up to the night sky above with a sense of wonder. The stars twinkled brightly alongside a green and red moon, which shone ambient moonlight down onto the scenery outside.
Now he knew for certain that he was in a different world…
He eyed the moons above for a few more seconds, before pulling the curtains closed, leaving only the dim lighting of the candle wick, which he snuffed out by pinching it between his fingers, casting the room in total darkness.
The bed frame creaked slightly as he sat down, before laying back against the soft mattress and even softer pillow as he closed his eyes, quickly succumbing to sleep with three questions lingering in his drowsy mind.
This time tomorrow, who will he see?
This time tomorrow, where will he be?
This time tomorrow, what will he know?
Author's Notes:
Serving others? Really? Didn't he just break free from his programmed brainwashing? He must still be a little blind. After all, a man chooses, and a slave...
well, you know the quote.
If you couldn't already tell, this story is gonna be a lot more dialogue heavy, so I'm really taking my time on making sure that the dialogue is 'right', if you get what I mean. In my belief, the whole point of characters speaking in a story is to convey something through a human filter. Whether it be the state of the world or what they're currently feeling in a specific scenario.
In the case of Leader-Zero, it's going to be more of the latter.
He's not quite human... at least, not in his current state anyway, but he's trying to adjust to becoming human once more, and in an entirely new world no less. A rather jarring experience, especially for someone who's dedicated all of his known life to dangerous missions where he's engaging in combat with deadly monsters and people who only want freedom from their oppressors.
There's going to be quite a bit of brooding and angsty introspection here and there throughout the story. I promise to try and not draw it out so much, but it is a pretty vital part of the character and his development...
Also, bonus points to anyone who gets what the last three lines are referencing.