As the day passed to night, we returned to the campus, only to find we had gotten there before Doctor Anzeel.

"Can't believe it's dark already," I quipped as I looked around the nearly deserted parking lot. Only two cars were parked there, Northampton's and what I presumed to be Anzeel's.

Hornet merely shrugged, her bags full of souvenirs rustling as she did so. "Time flies like a fighter jet when you're having fun, I guess."

"True," Northampton agreed and glanced around the campus. "Dr. Anzeel should be back any minute now."

With nothing left to do but wait, we began to mill about, each looking around for any sign of our wayward doctor. "We DID have a lot of fun and bought all the gifts we wanted to,"
Langley spoke up. "I'd say we made excellent use of our time."

"Yeah, I'm just worried about being addicted to shopping now," Northampton replied with a chuckle.

"Don't think I didn't see you stowing it all away inside your rigging," Hornet piped up. Good lord, nothing was getting by this girl today… There was a momentary flash of panic as I wondered if she would be the one to realize I was an impostor, but it passed almost as quickly as it arrived. If she were going to catch on to me, she would have done it by now, and the fact that she hasn't announced it means she either hasn't, and wouldn't, figure it out or she has, and she's decided to keep it to herself for whatever reason.

"Hey, it's not a crime if you don't fully deploy it," Northampton's protest snapped me out of my reverie. I thought it was interesting that deploying their rigging is illegal here. It seems kansen are much more integrated with society in this reality than back home, where they exist in something of a legal grey zone.

"That's not the problem, it's that your bags aren't in your hands!" Hornet shot back, waving her own bags around to emphasize her point. "You can't call it shopping if you're not flaunting your loot. I mean, just look at the rest of us! We're walking around like queens!"

"Yes, and you stand out more than you would with your rigging deployed…" Langley grumbled.

"Won't hear me complaining. It's all part of the experience, baby!"

As the trio continued to debate the merits of shopping bag visibility, Yorktown's worried voice caught my ear. "Oh dear, which bag did I put the food in...?"

I opened my mouth to volunteer, only to be cut off by Hammann, who was just a second quicker. "I'll help with your bags!" After a few seconds of searching, Hamman located the bag with the snacks we'd picked up. "There... Hey, Yorktown, do you want some donut holes? Say 'ahh!'"

Before Yorktown could even lean down to take Hammann's offering, Hornet objected. "Not fair! I wanna feed her too!"

"Hornet, for goodness' sake…" Yorktown sighed and rolled her eyes, exasperated with Hornet's shenanigans. " We're not kids anymore."

"No, but the Professor's totally raring to do it as well!"

Oh God Hornet why.

As much as I would have loved to, I was still very conflicted. I didn't know this Yorktown, and I would be using her as a proxy which didn't sit right with me. Thankfully, an unlikely hero came riding to my rescue.

Anzeel sighed heavily as she appeared next to Hornet, resting her head on the kansen's shoulder. "Woe is me, the lady with too much to carry and nobody who'll help…"

Without missing a beat, Hornet grabbed a donut hole and popped it into the Doctor's open mouth. "I got you, lemme just…" Then it clicked and Hornet let out a sudden shout of surprise. "Wait, when'd you get here, Dr. Anzeel?"

"Like, a minute ago?" she mumbled around the pastry as she chewed. "The same as you all."

Memphis popped out from behind Anzeel and gave us all a little wave. "I'm here, too, finally free from the layer of hell that is my job."

I was surprised by her appearance. Unlike all of the other shipgirls here, she looked like she did in the real world. And she had been overseeing the Reality Lens when it malfunctioned. Was this an avatar of her coming to get me out?

If she had, she gave no indication as she mingled with the other shipgirls. I tried to get her attention, but I was inevitably overshadowed by Anzeel. "What did you girls get? Please tell me you bought food. Memphis and I are starving!" As she began to rifle through the bag with the donut holes, she quickly looked up and shot accusatory fingers at two of the kansen. "Hammann, Hornet, don't you try to hide anything. Bags and hands where I can see 'em!"

The two shipgirls, who were trying to hide their loot, sheepishly held out their bags, keeping them in plain view for Doctor Anzeel. I couldn't help but notice the smug smiles on Northampton and Langley's faces, their own hoards safely tucked away in their riggings.

"Don't worry, Doctor, I came prepared," Yorktown smiled as she pulled out a pair of takeout boxes. "I thought you might have forgotten to take time to eat."

"You're a lifesaver, Yorktown," Anzeel declared as she quickly snatched the boxes out of her hand, handing one over to Memphis before she hopped up on the hood of Northampton's car and began to devour her meal.

"I take it your meeting with the general went well," I mused as I watched her inhale her food. I don't think I saw her chew even once…

"Eh, as good as it could've gone," she shrugged as she took a breath, washing down her food with several gulps of water. "Turns out he was stressed out because of pressure from his superiors, not anything I did. When you're someone of his rank, the problems of everyday people stop fazing you. But having that said, the impact of said problems always has a way of trickling down to us. That pressure on him forced me to make drastic changes to my plans. Particularly those surrounding the Type II rigging test scheduled for tomorrow."

"There's also the naval exercise," Memphis added. "The Reality Le– I mean, the reality of the situation is that we'll need you to assist."

My heart stopped in my chest and my blood ran cold. What did she just say? Was this the real Memphis? Was she trying to get me out of here or had she been dragged in here with me? "Were you about to say 'Reality Lens'?"

"Uhh…" Memphis floundered, her eyes darting left and right as she realized I caught her. "What I meant was, you'll be playing the role of the commander for the red team in tomorrow's rigging test. I will play the role of your opponent, leading a fleet of Federation mass-produced ships."

While I wanted to press Memphis on the Reality Lens, something else had once again not escaped Hornet's impeccable perception. "Yo, rewind! What naval exercise? Nobody said anything about that!"

That certainly got everyone's attention. The entire group of shipgirls began nodding and muttering between themselves. "Indeed," Yorktown spoke up. "That wasn't exactly part of the plans we received."

"That's putting it mildly," Anzeel groused. Whatever this was, she clearly had no part in it nor was she happy about the change. "It totally came out of left field. They turned what was supposed to be a simple benchmark test and target practice into a full-blown naval exercise, completely unannounced. Whoever green-lit the decision also deliberately omitted a combat script, saying that the exercise's scope depends on actual combat performance.

"In other words, we don't know a damn thing. Nothing about what enemies we're going to be up against, what equipment they're going to have, what 'unexpected situations' we'll need to prepare for, nada. Apparently, they're also installing equipment to simulate certain combat environments, and we can expect state-of-the-art weaponry to be in play. Given the scale of the exercise, expect it to be unlike anything you've ever seen before." When she finally finished, I looked around at all the shipgirls. They all looked a little unnerved by what had just been foisted on them.

"Mm... I get the feeling that there are gonna be a lot of unknown variables and unpleasant surprises thrown in," Northampton stated. "I wonder why they're in such a hurry to push out all this new equipment that hasn't even been listed on the registries yet. It must be a really big deal to them."

Langley was next to say something, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she spoke. "The cutting-edge Type-II hull-fusion rigging hasn't been perfected yet, but it's apparently able to draw out a lot more power than before even in an unfinished state. Therefore, it makes sense to want to get a benchmark of our new power as soon as possible so they have some ballpark numbers they can reference."

"Now that's music to my ears" Hornet grinned wolfishly. "It's been a while since I've gotten to flex my muscles. Plus, I really want to see what I'm capable of after all that sweat, blood, tears... and new gear!"

Hornet's enthusiasm was infectious, and I could see the other girls nodding along with her. Yorktown, in particular, was quick to support her sibling. "Agreed. This is a good opportunity to challenge ourselves and test our mettle. Knowing your strength on paper is good. Knowing your strength in practice is even better."

"Heh. I had a feeling you'd all be on board," Anzeel smiled as she looked around at the assembled group.

"Oh right, Doctor. Did you say something about the Professor participating in this exercise as well?" Yorktown asked.

"Well, naturally. Since the whole timetable got pushed up, that also necessitates some staffing changes. After all, can you name a single person more fit to be a commander than my assistant here?"

I stayed quiet, wondering what was going on. Was the Reality Lens imposing my memories as their commander on the world or was this how this really went down?

"I see! Thanks, Dr. Anzeel, that works out perfectly then!" Hornet grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

"You can repay me by putting on a stunning performance, then," Anzeel chuckled. "Who knows, maybe you'll get to participate in more projects in the future as well! If you impress the evaluators, maybe you'll get to spend more time working with the Professor here, too…"

"Alright then," Yorktown nodded decisively before she turned to smile over at me. "Since we're all on the same page, I guess we'll be calling you Commander from now on."

Anzeel laughed, almost as if she were aware of what was really going on. "I like the sound of that! Maybe I'll have to jump on the bandwagon as well. What do you say to that, my assistant?

"Just had to get one last assistant in there, huh?" I grinned over at her. "But I think it fits me. Commander." And that wasn't a lie. It felt comfortable, reassuring at this point. While I may be trapped in an unfamiliar world, leading these women into battle was something I knew I could handle.

"'Commander' it is," Anzeel proclaimed with a clap of her hands. "We'll go through the exercise in greater detail later. For now, we've got another hour to ourselves before it's time to head to our accommodations for tonight, and there are some places I still have to show you, Commander!"

I sighed as I realized even in a dream world, I wasn't going to get any rest…

The exercise was a complete success. While the opposing ships looked different, and the girls had new riggings, at the end of the day, it was the same thing I had been doing for the past few years: leading the kansen to victory. The only thing that was really noteworthy about the entire battle was just how powerful the Type II riggings were. All of the kansen had received a serious upgrade to both firepower and defensive abilities, putting them well ahead of their real-world counterparts, none more so than Yorktown herself.

While she'd always been a capable fighter back home, here her capabilities were nearly off the charts. Her strikes hammered her opponents, and she managed to easily weather whatever resistance they had put up. She was like an avenging angel, striking down her foes. What was this Type II rigging? And could it be the thing I need to save Yorktown?

Fortunately, after the battle, we're all whisked away onto Anzeel's private plane to go to some island destination on the thinly veiled premise of "vacation". This vacation island also conveniently doubles as Doctor Aoste's research lab. Needless to say, none of us expected to get much vacationing done.

As soon as everyone is aboard and the hatch shuts, Anzeel flops into a chair next to me and lets out a long sigh. "Ooh, that's nice... I tell ya, there's no place like home. I did a full day's work. Finally, time to kick back and relax…"

"Speaking of home, I've been wondering about this plane's name." Who names a plane "WFH and Chill"?

Her head lolls towards me, an eyebrow raised. "Hm? You got a problem with the name I gave it?"

I was about to say something when it suddenly occurred to me that "and chill" may not have the same connotations. So I backed off. "No, not really…?" I would be an absolutely terrible spy.

Anzeel gives me another strange look, and I brace myself for another quiz when she reaches back behind her seat and grabs a travel mug, shoving it into my hands. "What's with that look on your face? C'mon, grab a coffee and take it easy."

I numbly stare at the coffee in my hand before I look back up at her. She's already got her nose deep in some research paper, poring over every line. Not quite what I was expecting when she said "take it easy", but maybe that's how she relaxes. Or maybe she's the "do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do" type. Sort of how I had become the "stare at the woman reading research papers like a creep" type.

She must have felt my eyes boring a hole in her head and she glanced up at me. "What are you staring at me for?" Before I could answer, she nods to herself. "Oh, I get it. You're part of the tea faction, aren't you?"

"What? No, I just…" I sighed and tried to both collect my thoughts and come up with an excuse for staring at her like a weirdo. "I was just lost in thought there. We were discussing the new movie, The Final Countdown yesterday and we were unpacking some of the ethical dilemmas of time travel. Still on my mind."

Anzeel set aside her research papers and sat up. "The one where the fleet travels through time?" I nodded. "Pretty crazy how Bonnie got the lead role in that movie, huh? I already knew though, since I got to sit in on their internal screenings. Y'know, I would've at least liked to be one of the extras…" A sigh of regret escaped her lips and she shrugged helplessly. "But it just didn't mesh with my schedule, so I couldn't."

Her head snapped up as she got back on course. "Oh, right. You wanted to ask me about something, huh? Maybe time travel?" Without waiting for my response, she immediately continued. "I'm the kind of person who'd try to change the past, no doubt about it. Sure, it might cause the preordained future to unravel, but that's not a bad thing, is it? If anything, doesn't that mean there's a chance to create a better future? In the end, isn't that what humans are always trying to do, with or without time travel? For the sake of creating a better future, I think changing the past is perfectly reasonable. Maybe even morally correct. But, Aoste probably wouldn't agree with me on that one."

I'd heard that name before, back from the Northern Parliament. Now would be a good time to find out what I could. "Speaking of Aoste, what has he been up to recently?"

"That guy…" she scoffed and rolled her eyes. "What doesn't he research? His team has gotten so big these days that he has his hands in every cookie jar at once. After all, he's now our prized Renaissance man, master-of-all-trades. I think he's been focusing on AI research these days though. You've already met his favorite. Does 'Zero' ring a bell? She's part of Project ANTI-X. They seem to be next-generation humanoid weapons."

The only Zero who comes to mind is Observer Zero, but…she couldn't possibly be talking about that one…could she? "I think it rings a bell, yeah," I cautiously ventured.

Before the conversation could continue any further, Yorktown walked up to us, a tray of pastries in her hands. "Doctor, Commander. Would you like some sweets? The new instant mechanical confectioner is working very well."

"Sweets, huh?" Anzeel licked her lips as she reached for a cookie, then suddenly stopped. "Wait, come again? An instant mechanical confectioner? I said I'd pay for souvenirs, not whatever that is!" She hopped to her feet, adorably upset. "Spill the beans, Yorktown! Who did the deed?! You? Hornet? Or maybe the Commander?"

"Hey!" I objected.

Yorktown, somewhat chastised, looked back towards the front of the plane where the other girls had gathered. "Hornet bought it. Erm, she said it seemed like fun to make sweets in a chartered plane…"

"And she got you hooked, huh?" Yorktown nodded slowly and Anzeel let out another long, tired sigh. "I get it. What's done is done, and if it tastes good, maybe it's not all bad… You two hold down the fort here, I'm gonna take a look at this contraption."

As she slides past Yorktown, the kansen smiles at me as she slips into the seat across from me. Despite all my misgivings, that blissful smile dispels my fears, my doubts, and my worries. I wonder how much pain she's had to go through to get where she was, or had she led the same charmed life as her elder sister in this reality? I pushed those questions aside, not wanting to stare at her for too long, so I decided to try and keep the conversation casual.

"Since when does a government researcher make enough money to afford their own plane, let alone one this nice?"

She laughed softly as she shook her head. "The military provided this plane for the doctor. As I recall, some corporate alliance from the Union used cutting-edge Energy Cube technology to make it. It can fly smoothly in any weather. This is my first time riding, too, Commander."

"And how are you liking it so far?"

"Smooth sailing," she smiled warmly. "Although I think that's more to do with the company rather than the plane…"

It looked like she was about to say something more when Anzeel promptly ruined the moment. "Commander, this mechanical confectioner is awesome!" she shouted from the front of the aircraft. "It's seriously so cool! You gotta try it out! I mean, it can make anything!"

With the moment lost, Yorktown sighed and smoothed her skirts before she got back to her feet. "Shall we, Commander?"

I smiled up at her as I got out of my chair. "Lead on, Yorktown." As we made our way up the aisle, a question ran through my mind. "Say, did Doctor Anzeel tell you where we were going?"

"Samos Island."

A/N-Ooh, Samos Island and the answers within! The end of the event portion of the story will be here soon enough and then we can get into the REAL meat of the tale. Until next time, fair winds and following seas!