The commander cleared his throat.
"This time, you will find that your physical fitness will be less of a factor to passing. And yes, unlike our previous test, you can fail this one. Which of course, offers itself to consequences should you do. This test aims to measure your resourcefulness and ability to adapt."
Jack smirked. "Welcome to Project Elixir. Our research and development sector have discovered the unique and beneficial effects of the water intrinsic to this land, water which properties can treat chronic diseases. The current sample size is too small to do anything with, however, that's why we need you to help us find it, and retrieve it. Our current sample was found in a separate city north, but our team tells us another can be found here. Don't feel so confident, however. This special water, codenamed 'elixir', can only be found at a very specific location where while we know that it exists, don't know where it is.
The team took an hour to find the first sample. You will therefore also be given an hour." He gestured to the machine in front of him. "Inside this machine is a reservoir containing some of the elixir." The commander pulled out a white, opaque capsule from seemingly out of nowhere which he held up for the recruits to see. "This is the capsule — He twisted it at the end, removing the lid to expose an empty interior – which you will use to collect the water you find. The capsule has two settings, red and green." Turning the capsule around, he showed the switch at the side of the capsule, toggling it between the two colors. "At the end of the test, you will release the capsule into the machine which will read the setting of the capsule before it in turn releases the liquid you found into the reservoir. The machine will only accept water from a capsule set on green."
Now that the commander mentioned it, Genji could make out the tube jutting out of the machine at an upwards angle, a pipe just large enough to fit a capsule through. A little bit beneath it revealed a glass panel exposing the elixir, which looked just like water; unremarkable.
"I repeat: if you collected water but your capsule is set on red, it will reject your capsule and you will fail the test. If it is set on green, it machine will accept your water and release it to the reservoir. Therefore, remember to have your capsule set on green if you have found the water. Yes?"
"How will we know if the water we found is the right one, sir?"
"Excellent question." He turned the other end of the capsule to face the soldiers. "This end of the capsule is equipped with a plastic that will form a black ring if it makes contact with elixir, a little like a pregnancy test. Any other questions?"
The room kept its silence.
"Then off you go. Collect your capsules and return in an hour's time or you fail the test automatically."
Behind them, the flaps of the tent drew open with a hiss to reveal the city beyond. It looked very much different in the day. The glowing gem of the night, while still impressive, stood modestly with its grey facades basking in the light of the late morning sun with its occupants milling about, slow and relaxed after the rush of the early morning.
"One more thing."
The men turned.
"I recommend you return to this location fifteen minutes before the limit. Good luck."
The recruits filed out. Some seemed to already have a destination in mind, all but sprinting into a certain direction. Most, including Genji, ambled around the side of the tent unsure of where their search should begin, but with some uncertainly and a small measure of conviction, started heading off in separate directions.
The cyborg looked around in an unsuccessful attempt to find Will Pyre, curious about his method of searching. With a sigh, he decided to pick the only road he was familiar with. If I can get to the top of the hill where I returned Hana to her mother, I can get a better idea of my surroundings and where I should start, he thought.
If it was even possible, the cyborg managed to attract more attention to himself than the evening prior. His armor shone like alabaster in the sun. He supposed that it was a small comfort to know that even when people were looking at him, they were having a hard time of it. That much he could tell, at least from their squints.
There was a group of children playing at the foot of the hill. Their shrill laughter joined the cacophony of the general noise of the day; the far-away chirps of birds, the rustling of trees, and the quiet engines of electric cars. It stopped as the cyborg got closer, and the children gravitated away from the road, sinking their chins into their necks under the shade of trees.
Genji walked faster.
He kept his head down. Passing each house, however, Genji would glance through the gates to see if he could spy a particular clay dove statue. And what if he did? Would he ring the doorbell, just to say hello? Genji found himself confused at his promise and what it was supposed to mean. Don't the humans hate the omnics? He recalled Hana's mother collapsing at the sight of him. Or fear them? Maybe it wouldn't be a good idea. Maybe…
Nobody was home. The clay statue in the courtyard was lit brightly by the sun, while the house in contrast was dark and empty through its shut translucent windows.
Genji moved on. He passed more residences, but paid them no mind as he concentrated on his task, and how he was to accomplish it. Clutching the capsule tighter, he took a step, then another, until he was upon the brow of the hill.
Genji's heart dropped. Buildings continued to line the land, making it impossible for him to access the west and east. There was only the path from which he came, and the one in front of him. With a sigh, he continued his journey, gazing at the expanse of the north. He could barely see the sea to his left, peeking over rocky cliff sides, and a forest of trees on his right. It looked severely out of place amidst the industry of the bustling city.
If I was a miraculous elixir, where would I be? the cyborg thought, hiding in the soil of the shores, or seeking sanctuary under the canopies of trees? Genji groaned loudly and at length. The commander didn't give him much to go on, and he was starting to realize that now. Was it found underground? In a spring? Behind the bark of trees? Is it stagnant, or flowing? A river? A pond?
Turning left at the next junction, Genji decided that perhaps the open, slightly raised cliffs would be a reasonable place to start where he could access his next move. The buildings slowly grew more sporadic along the landscape, eventually disappearing entirely. The cyborg felt calmer under the quiet symphony of lapping waves and the rustling of the tall grass around him. Grasshoppers exploded from the ground with each footstep, and Genji could see wooden gazebos outlining the edge of the land, cobblestone paths snaking east from them to a large central temple-like structure some distance away.
Some were hidden behind natural ridges along the coast, from what Genji could tell from stone paths emerging behind them. He trained his gaze to the east, scanning the landscape. He had a better view of the forest from here, a sea of green right in the middle of the greys and whites of buildings. Besides that and the cliff side, he felt that there would be no other place he could find the elixir.
Genji yawned. Despite his circumstances, the cyborg couldn't help feeling sleepy. Seeing no one in his immediate vicinity, the cyborg pulled off his mask, and inhaled through his mouth. Tasting salt, he turned to the bright, iridescent sea, feeling the wind gently caressing his face. For a reason he couldn't quite fathom, he found himself feeling a little sad.
"Momma, what's out there?"
The cyborg jumped and turned, but couldn't find the source of the voice.
"Water, child. Water and sky," another voice replied lightly. The voices seemed to be coming over the nearest ridge. Craning his neck, Genji can barely make out the shelter of the gazebo.
"And what's under the water?"
"There's salt. Sand, and fish. And there are also some things in there that have never seen the light of the sun as the depths get denser, and darker."
Genji put on his mask. Silence followed.
"Do you see them, Hana?" the voice came, over the sound of the waves. "Do you see the fish diving from the surface? How their silver bodies glitter against the sun?"
"Oh."
"What's wrong?"
"A bird grabbed one. Did you see it?"
"I did. The other birds are trying the same."
"Why do they keep jumping from the water then, momma?"
"I wonder why."
"Are the fish stupid?"
A soft chuckle. "They could be. But I don't think so."
"So why do they keep doing it?"
"Mmm. I wonder why," she repeated, sounding more far away.
"Momma?"
"Sweetheart?"
"Can we have fish for lunch? After we're done looking?"
"Of course we can. But don't you think we've looked enough?"
"Just a little longer, please. He said he'd be back."
"So soon?"
More silence, then a sigh.
"All right. But what about we have something to eat first before looking some more?"
"Okay."
"Ready to go?"
"Can we stay here just a little longer?"
"Of course we can."
Genji allowed himself another moment of gazing out into the ocean, a moment shared with the two over the ridge. He wanted to go over to them and say something, but he wasn't quite sure what, and it didn't seem right interrupting their moment.
With that, he turned and left towards the east. It was just rocks and grass here. He wouldn't be able to find the elixir.
"Hana? Hana!"
Genji turned around—and nearly got knocked off balance from something small tackling his middle-section. A head of brown hair clung to white armor, which tilted up to reveal the beaming face of Hana.
"Found you!"
"Hello," he responded awkwardly, "I was just on my way to the forest… area."
Hana tilted her head, her eyes wide and curious. "What are you up to?"
Hana, with a hand clutching the cyborg's with the other her mother's, drew more than a few stares as they walked down the street. The little girl was perfectly at ease, humming a tune with a smile playing at her lips. The cyborg, on the other hand, was a little more uneasy, and was in that moment heavily invested in counting how many leaves were sprawled on the road immediately two feet in front of him as he walked. He already reached seventy.
The day was getting livelier as noon approached. The people wandered the streets, and deeper into the city, birds filled the skies with their colors and songs. Hana let go of Genji's hand, running forward, skipping, spinning, and laughing.
"Please, don't wander too far off," he called after her, "you might get lost again."
"Then you'll just have to find me again!" the girl yelled happily over her shoulder.
She darted from stall to stall along the road, like a bee among a bed of flowers, but predominantly moved along with Genji and her mother. Genji made sure to keep her within his sight.
"You know, she never leaves the house."
Genji turned to look at the lady who the very night before, quite literally fainted into his arms. Now that she's closer and didn't look like she was an inch away from death, Genji realized that she was quite a comely woman. Her almond hair was tied in a ponytail, accentuating the softness of her hazel eyes and fullness of her lips, which at the moment were slightly raised in a sad smile. Her skin was remarkably pale, which Genji guessed to be due to exhaustion.
"It's been a long time since I saw her this happy," she continued, "she's my little ray of sunshine. So bright and radiant, but so small and fragile. I want to give her the world, but I'm not sure I can."
They returned to looking at Hana frolicking between the stalls. The sun sparkled off her brown hair, and Genji laughed when one of the laces on her pink jacket smacked her in the face in one of her spins. It would had been easy to believe that that caused the redness in her face, if the blush on her ears didn't betray her.
She ran a little further ahead, in a more dignified manner this time.
"I understand why you feel that way."
"I never said thank you," she mumbled.
"I am sorry, what was that?"
"I… thank you. For finding Hana and bringing her back to me."
Genji raised both hands, flustered. "Please, don't thank me. It was pure luck that I happened upon her."
"Yes," she acknowledged, "but it's what you did after that for her which I'm grateful for as well. She already told me about it."
Genji didn't know what to say to that. "Of course."
She suddenly turned away as her ears grew red. "And also, when I… how do I put this?" Her face was positively glowing, looking at him. "When I… ah, happened to lose consciousness, and you—helped with me not falling to the ground."
"Are you well?" he inquired curiously.
"What?"
The cyborg leaned closer to examine her face. "Your face is unnaturally red," he put matter-of-factly.
"What?!" she exclaimed, turning away once more. "Yes, I'm fine!"
They continued to walk, with her taking deep breaths and with him feeling slightly confused.
"Did something happen?" he asked after a moment.
"Something…"
"You mentioned that she hasn't been this happy for a long time."
When the cyborg looked to her when there was no response, he was shocked to find a profound despondence upon her face.
"I-I am sorry," he said, stumbling over his words, "I shouldn't have asked. Please ignore—"
"No, it's all right," she interrupted. Sighing, she gazed up at the sky. "Hana used to love the sunshine. She had so many friends and would spent so long outside every day that it made me worry some evenings if she'd come home." She laughed at the memory. "One time, she didn't come home at all. I was so worried that I lost her, until I found her sleeping under a bench near our house, caked in mud. Apparently, she got dirty and was afraid I would punish her, forgot herself and had accidentally fallen asleep after being so scared to come home."
Genji smiled. "So did you punish her?"
"Of course, who do you take me for?" she replied haughtily, "I try to be a good mother."
"Of course," he laughed, "My apologies."
They shared a silence.
"Her father wasn't home that night. I tried calling him, but he didn't pick up. Back then, he wasn't always home. He used to be. He loved us very much, that I'm sure, but something happened."
She turned her face away. "During the times that he did come home, he never came home tired, or drunk. You know, I almost wish he did. It would have been simpler that way. No, he came back looking and smelling fresh each time, with only the clothes on his back I pressed for him the day before always, always crumpled. And he was happier."
More silence.
"I—"
"He always came back looking and smelling fresh," she continued, clutching her arm. She seemed smaller. "But I didn't recognize the smell. It was a nice scent, but we didn't have it anywhere in our house. Not in any of our perfumes, our soaps, nothing. But his clothes were always a mess. Where, where..."
Something shiny gathered at her chin, broke off and fell to the ground, darkening it. Her shoulders quivered. It ceased as quickly as it began. "I'm sorry, I—"
"Please, do not apologize."
Genji gave her a moment to collect herself. She wiped her eyes. After a few deep breaths, she said, "Hana was too young to understand it back then, and I think she still wouldn't be able to now. So all I can tell her is that he left for somewhere, and wouldn't be able to come back for a while. Pathetic, isn't it?"
"Not in the least," he said firmly.
"Since then, Hana rarely smiled, let alone laugh. She seemed so tired all the time, like an old person. I tried to get her to go outside and play like she used to so much, but she just wanted to stay in bed. I realized why when I had to clean her sheets." One side of her lips pulled up into a weak smile. "She was crying into them. But it got better. She started spending more time in front of the computer. At first, I thought it would be bad for her. But sometimes when I walk past her door, I can hear cheers, and laughter. Then I figured that it couldn't be so bad. She still didn't want to go outside though, and sometimes it still felt like she was so far away from me."
She watched her daughter jump into a puddle. "But now? It was like nothing ever happened." She turned to the cyborg. "So thank you."
Genji stayed silent for a while. "I am sorry you have seen so much sadness."
None of them talked for a while.
"Sometimes I wonder if what I do is enough for Hana," she said.
Genji looked at her, and noticed she was on the verge of tears.
"I try my best, I really do. But is it truly enough? Does my love reach her? Am I enough to fill the hole in her heart her father left behind?" She rubbed at her eyes. "Am I a good mother?"
Genji stopped, and took her hand in his. She looked at him in surprise. "You are a wonderful mother."
She looked away, a tear rolling down her cheek. "But… I—"
"You are a wonderful mother," he repeatedly firmly.
More tears left its stain on the ground as she bowed her head. After what felt like a very long time, she nodded. "Okay."
"Momma?"
Both turned to face a very confused Hana. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked at the cyborg. "Did you make momma cry?"
Genji immediately let go of her hand and stepped back. Her laughter spared him the effort of coming up with an excuse. "He didn't, sweetie." She knelt down and embraced Hana, pressing her face to her daughter's hair. "Momma's all right."
"You're acting weird," she remarked, patting her mother on the head. "Are you really okay?"
"I'm wonderful."
They stayed like that for a while, until she unlatched herself from Hana and stood up, a calm smile on her face.
"You are acting weird," she muttered.
The lady turned to Genji, placing her hands behind her. "Sorry you had to see that. And thank you—for everything."
"You are very welcome, Song-san."
"What did you say?" she asked, surprised.
What did I say? he thought. "Uh…" he said, before he lapsed into silence.
After staring at him questioningly for a moment, her eyes opened wide in understanding. She held her hands to her mouth as she blushed furiously. "Oh my gosh, I never told you my name."
"Well…" he responded unhelpfully.
"I never introduced myself." She turned her back to him. "I know yours and I told you so much but I never actually told you my name."
"I'm… sorry?" he offered, equally unhelpfully.
"No!" she exclaimed, her hair almost whipping him across the face in her haste to face him. Her face was still an impressive shade of red. "It's my… It's my—" She stopped herself and coughed. "My name is Yumi. It's very nice to meet you, Genji."
Author's Notes:
This chapter is by far the hardest for me to finish, for a number of reasons. Writer's block definitely being one of them. Also, I'm aware that there may be some errors in the previous chapters in regards to grammar and some inconsistencies, but I'll fix them eventually! One thing is for certain, however, today will not be that day. I'm going to bed.
I'm so glad I managed to get this chapter out with a quality I'm happy with, and I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Oh, and I actually just came back from a vacation with a couple of friends at Korea. How meta is that?
Am I using 'meta' right? I don't know, and a little too tired to care. Sounds right though, so that's good enough for me.
See you in the next one!