"That's an awful glum expression for such a nice day," the Garrison captain said. The peach fuzz on the man's upper lip shifted alongside a gentle smile.
"Maybe this is just what my face looks like," Celine said. She wasn't humored by the remark, her eyes remaining fixed on the northern horizon towards Sina.
It was convenient there was an order for a cracked cannon to be delivered from Wall Rose to the Technical Department Headquarters. The task required the signature and escort of a member of the department … and not much else. For this reason, rookie members were normally the ones sent to handle the monotonous task. There'd been no argument when Celine approached one of the new technologists and requested to take his errand under the excuse of getting some fresh air. A mailbox on Celine's desk practically did her job by itself, so she certainly wasn't going to be missed.
If all was going according to plan, the operation to capture the Female Titan would be commencing soon. Celine couldn't imagine it being unsuccessful considering the traps at the disposal of the Scout Regiment. Honestly, she thought it may've been overkill.
The Scouts had spent nearly six hours in her father's factory as they conjoined rope and secured spikes into a giant net. The other half of the factory had been busy intertwining material to make the cord for the bolas meant to wrap up the Titan's legs. Celine's main contributions came in the form of guidance to ensure the spikes were properly attached to the net, and the bolas cord being strong enough to hold a Titan while flexible enough to twist without snapping.
Around four o'clock that morning was when Celine gave the OK to have the operation wrapped up. To Erwin's credit, he made sure the factory was left spotless. There was some musing on Celine's part if there should be worry over it being too clean.
A good amount of that had to do with Captain Levi, she thought. He acted like the place was covered in shit. Hange said it wasn't personal, but I'm not fool enough to think that wasn't an insult. One of these days I'm going to catch that guy alone and take him down a peg or two.
"Alright, we're all set," the Garrison captain said.
Celine's focus shifted to the present and the clipboard being handed to her. She accepted the accompanying pencil and signed her name on a line at the bottom of the form. The captain thanked her as he took the paper and tucked it into his jacket for safekeeping.
"Would you like me to take you back down?" the captain said, referring to Celine's lack of ODM gear. "Or are you going to be riding the lift with the cannon?"
"I'd prefer the lift," Celine said. "No offense, but it's less bumpy; I'll have enough of that on the backroads."
"I understand," the captain said. "It's a long ride." He followed Celine's gaze over the rolling hills dotted with pine trees. "I'm surprised they'd send you so far out on your own. Don't you generally have partners in the Military Police?"
"The Tech Department's a bit different," Celine said. "There are fewer of us to go around. Besides, it's not like there's much I need to worry about within the wa‒"
"Captain Hannes!"
The captain at Celine's side turned with a frown. Another Garrison soldier popped up from the side of the wall, breaking into a run as he approached.
"Titans!" the young man said. "There's a report of a break in the wall! Titans have been spotted heading north toward Wall Sina!"
Celine's jaw dropped, eyes going wide. "Are … are you serious?"
"Any reports on where the wall has been breached?" Hannes said, thin brows coming together as his back straightened.
"All I know is the outpost southwest of here hasn't reported anything," the soldier said. He stepped past Hannes and Celine, surveying the forest on the south side of the wall. His eyes roved the still trees for a moment before turning away. "Based on our intel, the breach could be anywhere to the west of that post or the east of here."
Hanne's frown deepened. "That's over three quarters of the wall … How many messengers have been sent out?"
"Just me and the one rider who came to us, as far as I know," the man said. "The outpost to the west didn't have anyone to spare. And here … you two are the only one's here?"
"This was an equipment inspection; this outpost isn't normally manned," Hannes said. He looked down and chewed on his lip in thought before raising his eyes. "Obviously the breach isn't here, but there's a village less than an hour ride to the north. Go urge them to seek shelter before going west. I'll head along the wall to the east in search of a breach."
"Yes, Captain," the soldier said. "It may take some time ‒ I thought I'd be able to refuel here but it looks like there are no extra canisters. I'll head back to the last outpost and commandeer a horse."
"Take the horse attached to the cart at the foot of the wall," Hannes said. He turned to Celine. "You can stay up here and use the flares on hand to signal if you spot any Titans in the area."
"W-what?" Celine said. She turned her head. The wall stretched into the horizon in both directions, the only signs of life being herself and the two soldiers at her side. Otherwise, there wasn't more than a cluster of unknown items in crates and a pulley system used to load supplies onto the track. A damaged cannon meant there wasn't even a semblance of anything Celine could use to defend herself aside from the rifle on her back.
And that would do jack shit against a Titan.
"H-hey!" Celine said, holding out her hand as the two men made to step away. "You can't be serious about taking my damn horse and leaving me up here! With you guys gone I can't even use the lift to get back down!"
"Trust me when I say you don't want to get down," Hannes said. He gave Celine a weak smile which she figured was supposed to come off as reassuring. "Up here is one of the safest places to be. Any of the Abnormals who cause a breach always disappear after the fact."
The statement had the opposite effect as panic bubbled in Celine's gut. "W-wait! Let me be the one to take the horse to the village! I can‒"
"You don't have ODM gear," Hannes said. The sudden shift in his tone indicated his patience was wearing thin. "You'd be in trouble if you encountered a Titan at ground level. Grab the flare gun and canisters and start walking west. Put up a signal if you find a breach and hopefully another outpost will be close enough to see it. On foot, you should be able to reach the neighboring outpost by nightfall; if I finish surveying the eastern side of the wall and turn back around, I'll check up on you by then."
Are you kidding me?!
"You can't just give me orders like that!" Celine said, her voice rising. "I'm not a member of the Garrison anymore! You're going to take me down right now, got it?!"
"Keep your senses sharp," Hannes said. He turned, nodding to the young soldier at his side before leaping off the wall. "Let's move!"
Hannes swung along the side of the wall to the east, fading from sight. The other soldier dropped down to detach her horse from its harness before disappearing somewhere within the trees below. Celine stared in disbelief.
"I … I can't die here," she said. "I'm in the country. I can't die in the country!"
Celine walked in circles to try and calm the screeching in her brain. It wasn't until the panic subsided after a few minutes that she was able to take stock of what was available.
One of the crates held spare ropes for the pulley system, another had cannonballs, and the third held equipment needed to load and clean a cannon. Celine was successful in finding the small box of flare guns Hannes had mentioned along with rifle ammunition, sticking a flare gun, some canisters, and a small carton of ammo through holsters on her belt. Additional rummaging didn't yield anything else useful. Celine looked to the horizon with a glum expression.
There's not even food here. All of my supplies were down in the wagon … Shit.
It took over an hour of walking west before Celine spotted other objects atop the wall in the distance. She was hoping the items gleaming in the sun were cannons – at the very least she'd have a fighting chance to fend off a Titan if there was a cannon.
With my luck, I'll need it.
Her heart sank as she got closer. It turned out the metallic objects were a pair of large gas tanks strapped horizontally to a cart. Such tanks were placed along the wall in the event soldiers may require emergency canister refills in case of an attack.
Which would be great news if I had ODM gear and canisters that needed refilling. Otherwise, they're about as useful here as I am.
Celine reached the tanks about half an hour later. Her mistaking them for cannons at a distance wasn't unwarranted; the tanks were at least ten feet long, and even on their sides Celine would still have to climb onto the edge of the cart to see over the top. She ran her hand along the smooth metal, noting how cold the surface was considering they were sitting out in the sun. The stone mined to produce the gas required to power ODM gear was a special resource which was kept for months without losing pressure. It was unclear how long these particular tanks had been in place, but Celine could hazard a guess they still contained most of their pressure based on their temperature alone.
I wonder why these are so far away from an outpost? Celine thought. She looked up at the rope and metal cogs of the overhead pulley system.
I bet someone brought it up here and was too lazy to load it on the track. In their defense, it would be a pain in the ass. The tanks would have to be hauled along the wall by horse; that's how they move around the cannons, anyway. Plus, anyone with ODM gear could make it out here in a fraction of the time I took to walk. Even when I was using canisters for dolly racing back in the warehouse, I would go–
The focus behind Celine's eyes returned. She turned to stare at the tanks.
Two canisters strapped to a dolly would power me across the warehouse at least two dozen times. Something like this …
Celine's head snapped up. She looked to the western horizon, taking in the expanse of unobstructed track along the wall stretching into the distance.
The track should be clear; at least to the next outpost. The carts have a side wheel specifically designed to keep them from jumping the track. As long as I don't fall off …
"... and go falling fifty meters either to splatter across the grass, or into the waiting jaws of a Titan."
Celine lifted her head, running her hands through her hair in frustration. "Seriously, why me? I just wanted to get out of Stohess to avoid being crushed by a Titan … only to end up out in the middle of nowhere looking for Titans."
I should just give up and stay put. Hopefully that Hannes guy will be back in … a few hours.
Celine looked up at a sky dotted with puffy clouds. It was far too pleasant and cheery for the general mood. Her eyes tracked a flock of geese as they flew by without a care in the world.
If it works, I could warn the other outposts; maybe even find the breach sooner than later. If nothing else … I know Marco wouldn't hesitate to help where he could.
"Of course he wouldn't," Celine said. She stretched her arms overhead before rubbing the back of her neck. "Although, he has ODM gear … and is also a decent person."
Celine sighed. "This sucks ... I suppose I should get started."
The hooks for the pulleys had to be fastened to the cart holding the tanks. The crank system allowed Celine to lift the cart and maneuver it in place before securing it to the tracks. With the easy part out of the way, Celine produced her small set of field tools and worked to take apart the pulleys. The rope was used to make a harness atop the tanks; a pair of hooks and a length of wire were fashioned into a device Celine could use to control the flow of gas from the tank's regulators. Engineering Corps 101 training had included stating the importance of never messing with the regulators, since tampering with them in the wrong way meant they could do … what Celine was trying to do.
"Alright," Celine said, gripping the rope looped around the tanks as she hoisted herself up. She took a seat and adjusted a makeshift harness to keep her in place. From her new perch she could see straight down the outer side of the wall to its base. She was aware the clusters of rolling pine trees which looked like saplings were in reality over three stories tall, and the pebbles dotted about were actually boulders the size of a wagon. The knowledge caused a sinking feeling in her stomach and she quickly looked away.
"I hope I live through this. I can't give the smug bastards in the Tech Department the pleasure of laughing their asses off if I died doing something so stupid."
Celine hardened her features in resolve. She made sure the device she needed to control the flow of gas from the tanks was wrapped securely around her palm. It may've been too secure, considering her fingers were going numb, but the last thing she wanted was to lose control and crash into an obstruction or flip over the side of the wall. She would rather have poor circulation than be sorry.
Celine didn't consider herself overly religious, so when she thrust her arm forward to pull open the regulators, she made a silent prayer to whatever deity looked out for someone else who was known for risky and dangerous experiments.
If you can keep someone as batshit insane as Hange alive … Celine thought, a cloud of vapor erupting at her back. … looking after me should be easy.