Chapter 14 The Great Destruction

Big Box / August 16, 2030 6:35 PM

"So this is a bit of a problem." Malzel undersold the situation.

"Yeah, no shit." Fanchon added.

"Uh…command? Be advised our com line is unsecure. Two civies on our backs." Greenfield informed them remotely.

"I see, what is their position?" Wolcott wondered.

"…on our backs?" Greenfield emphasized. "It's the Sarashiki sisters."

"Right, fine. Whatever. Let me fill you in on the situation." Thermidor explained. "At 0230 hours local time, the Catalina Island Fusion Reactor Complex suffered a criticality event after having it's safety systems sabotaged. It went off with a force of five hundred megatons and wiped out everything from Santa Barbara to San Diego. The entire city of Los Angeles, and it's thirty million people, are gone. Reduced to glass and ash."

"Thought as much." Klein added, also remotely with Greenfield. "But it's not over yet, is it?"

"No, this is just the start of a global catastrophe." Fiona analyzed soberly. "Firstly there is a massive earthquake that will hit you in approximately one hour. You'll only feel it to about…4.0 to 5.0. But North America is being ravaged by earthquakes now."

"Ah, we can handle that no problem."

"…Who was that?" Thermidor demanded.

"Oh, um, Tatenashi Sarashiki, sir…?" Tatenashi stated awkwardly, from Greenfield's back.

"While that may be the case, in about five hours a shockwave with windspeeds of two hundred kilometers per hour will hit you. Anyone not in cover is going to have a real bad time." Thermidor explained.

"Oh…that's…bad." Tatenashi admitted.

"What is worse however, is the tsunami." Wolcott continued. "In roughly ten hours, you'll be hit with a hundred-foot-high wall of water."

"That's…very, very bad." Kanzashi squeaked from Klein's back.

"Right." Thermidor decided not to acknowledge her voice. "So here is what I need you four to do. Start preparing the students of the Academy for immediate evacuation. I've already started spinning up squadrons of transports to start taking in Japanese refugees. This may be an unprecedented global disaster, but nothing Big Box cannot endure easily."

"Copy." Greenfield and Klein acknowledged.

"Sure! We won't let you down!" Tatenashi added.

"Oh! Uh! Yes! Mr. Thermidor daddy sir!" Kanzashi affirmed.

The line was cut before that particular comment could be acknowledged as well. "…Right, now we'll have to be working double duty. Malzel, start organizing an evacuation of the entire east cost of Japan, and opening our airspace for civilian refugee traffic. Fanchon, start appropriating some of our cleared levels for refugees. Haze, retool a factory for the production of relief supplies. Wolcott, Jarnefeldt, and myself will be busy trying to negotiate with our neighbors to address the coming catastrophe, and to assure them that we had nothing to do with this disaster…though I'm not hopeful."

"Copy." The five of them answered him.


Phantom Task – Secret Base

"This…this is…" Squall struggled to make sense of what the news was reporting.

Half of Southern California was gone, destroyed in the largest manmade explosion in human history. She'd agreed to having Catalina Island devastated and four thousand people killed, not a whole region and thirty million people.

"This is so-"

"Excellent!"

Squall stared at Tabane Shinonono is horror and disgust. The woman had this terrifying look of cruel euphoric glee, smiling painfully widely.

"I had no idea that reactor would be so powerful! But wiping out an entire city is much better for the plan than just a little island!" Tabane cheered. "Oh yes oh yes! This will do just so nicely!"

"M-Ma'am?" Squall questioned reluctantly. Tabane turned towards her with horrifying satisfaction.

"This will for sure start the war! Think of the destruction! Whole countries devastated by the coming disaster! The rage of the Americans! This won't be a war to just bring ORCA to justice, they'll destroy them and everything they stand for! I'd say in just a few short days, the ORCA nation will cease to exist as the whole world pours down on them demanding justice and blood!" Tabane shouted cheerfully. "And what better time for my IS suits to come in and save the day! Oh yes yes yes! This is perfect!"

Squall never understood Tabane's motivation before. She certainly didn't now. But she did find out one thing about the mad scientist.

Human lives meant nothing to her.


IS Academy / 7:25 PM

They had wandered pretty far from the Academy and, in preparation for the earthquake a few minutes away, the train line was down. Fortunately, as it turned out, Lynx made good excuses for horses in a pinch.

The ORCA Marines were already on high alert, setting up evacuation zones in the open areas of the school, and putting themselves on standby for additional orders.

They'd eventually found Chifuyu amidst the chaos, trying to calm students while also desperate to figure out information. Half a state exploding and killing thirty million people did little to calm anyone's nerves.

"Ma'am." James greeted calmly but firmly. "As you've gathered, we have a situation."

"A situation!?" Chifuyu shouted as calmly as she could. "That's what you call a situation?!"

"Hey, it's bad, we know." May added. "We've been ordered to start preparing the student's for evacuation."

"Evacuation? To where? Why?" Chifuyu questioned.

"Uh…ma'am?" Tatenashi spoke up. "Didn't you hear about the shockwave, the tsunami?"

"…No?" Chifuyu seemed genuinely worried. "But…that would make sense. Dammit, why didn't I realize it?"

"Okay…I'm confused. How have you not heard about the looming disaster?" Kanzashi wondered.

"Because the authorities that be are too distracted to be bothered to do something as convenient as 'warning the public' about a natural disaster." Chifuyu accused. "I'm betting they are dragging their feet to prepare an appropriate response, and blame the whole thing on ORCA. How did you learn about the disaster, by the way?"

"Oh, we were listening into ORCA command's private meeting." Tatenashi announced proudly. "Little sis called Thermidor 'daddy'."

"You promised not to tell anyone!" Kanzashi cried. "It was a Freudian slip! That's all!"

"You don't seem to think ORCA was responsible, ma'am?" Klein noticed.

"Oh, I know who was responsible." Chifuyu sneered. "It was that idiot scientist Shinonono. She's been hoping to start a war with ORCA since you guys first appeared."

"Wait wait wait…Tabane Shinonono blew up California just to start a war with ORCA? That's…insane…" Tatenashi had trouble believing it.

"That's the assessment of ORCA command as well." May admitted. "We believe she has an irrational hatred of the Armored Core, such that she was willing to start a war. We…did not realize the lengths she would go to, however."

"None of that matters now." James advised. "We have…about a minute, until we are hit with a moderately sized earthquake."

"Oh, what? An earthquake too? From where?" Chifuyu questioned.

"Sir!" An ORCA Marine came running up to them. "Priority traffic from Command. They just got hit. Estimated time till impact, twenty seconds."

"Well, guess we don't have as long." James noted casually.

"Ah hell!" Chifuyu cursed, pulling out her phone and putting a speed dial on. "Get the earthquake alarm sounding! We are about to get hit!"

A few seconds later, the ground started shaking. It was not the largest earthquake possible, but considering it's source was nearly halfway around the world, that made it particularly troubling. After about a minute, the ground stopped shaking.

"Right, that was the easy part." James announced. "Now we have four hours before shit starts getting really nasty."


Two Hours Later

It had taken a bit of time to get the school ready for evacuation, but the student's had reluctantly readied themselves for the evacuation after a few encouraging words from Chifuyu.

Standing with the ORCA Marines who would be overseeing the evacuation, James and May kept a close eye on the proceedings, in order to run an efficient and clean evacuation that would save as many lives as possible.

In the near distance, the heavy whine of eight F21C Stork helicopters came, their massive bulks being more than enough to take all of the students in one go.

So of course something went wrong.

Less than five minutes from touchdown, the Storks suddenly turned around, making haste back to Big Box.

"What the fuck?" James cursed. He held out his hand and immediately an ORCA Marine placed a radio into it. "Lynx Klein to Command, what the fuck was that?"

"That, was us getting our first threat of war." Thermidor hissed in equal annoyance. "'The State of Japan formally declares it's intentions to defend it's boarders from the terrorist state of ORCA.'" He quoted. "Japanese interceptors just threatened to fire on the transports with air-to-air missiles if they got even a kilometer closer to the Academy."

"Did you remind them that that was a flight for picking up refugees?" May questioned sarcastically.

"'The State of Japan formally denounces the attempt by ORCA to use the students of the IS Academy as hostages.'" Thermidor quoted again. "So, be expecting company pretty soon."

"Just great…there's an ongoing global disaster and all anyone can care about is measuring their dicks to ours." May made some particularly obscene motions with her hand. "They'll lose."

"…Right." Chifuyu walked up to them, looking grim.

"You heard that?" James questioned.

"You had to know it was coming." Chifuyu noted. "I had just wished they had waited until after we had secured the students."

"Worse case scenario…" James calculated. "You get the students to the underground areas for the shockwave, and the roofs for the tsunami. This was a pretty well-built facility."

"Yes, I am aware." Chifuyu narrowed her eyes. "My worry is that since ORCA is barred from taking us as refugees…it means that they won't be able to take anyone else either. How many people does that leave behind?"

"Tens of thousands." James answered calmly. "ORCA had been preparing to completely evacuate as much of the Japanese coast as possible and provide for those people for as long as possible, in spite of our own resource problems. Now though…it seems we won't have to go through all that effort."

"Sir!" One of the Marines posted on another radio shouted to James. "Problems at the front gate!"

"Right…" James sighed. "Start moving the students to the underground areas, brace for the shockwave. I'll see what our 'guests' want. May, do me a favor, and suit up."

"Roger roger!" May cheered.

The "guest" as it turned out was the Japanese Self Defense Force. Half a division with heavy armored support lined up on the bridge leading to the Academy. All that was standing between them was two unfazed ORCA Marines, continuing their guard. Compared to the column of fifty-ton tanks in front of them, they feared the thing that walked up behind them far more.

"Hey." James hated being in command, but he was technically the highest-ranking ORCA soldier on the island, so he did his pathetic best. "What can I do you for?"

A Japanese Colonel approached him confidently, shouting orders he expected to be followed. "We are here to demand the unconditional surrender of all ORCA terrorists currently occupying the IS Academy. All hostages must be released immediately. Failure to comply will be met with lethal force!"

James heard the halfhearted attempt from one of the guards behind him to stifle a laugh. If only the bastard knew.

"You can have the island and the damn kids, but surrender is not a word ORCA knows." James announced. "I'm assuming our security contract has been nullified, so we'll be leaving at our earliest convenience."

"We find that unacceptable." The Colonel argued. "The ORCA terrorists occupying the IS Academy will be brought to justice for their crimes against humanity."

"Then it seems that we at an impass." James noted calmly.

"Yeah…" The Colonel took his sidearm, and pointed it at James. "Order your forces to stand down, and surrender, this is your final warning."

"And why would we do that?" James questioned.

"We have an army." The Colonel pointed out obviously.

"And we have May."

Armed with her temporary Third Gen Armored Core, May suddenly burst from the ocean, and dove onto the bridge. Basically on top of the Japanese forces, May used her feet and her shield to break the barrels of every main battle tank on the bridge, rending them combat ineffective. She'd finish shortly, and forced them to retreat.

James twisted The Colonel's arm until his sidearm was pointing at his own head. In a low voice, he hissed. "Now I don't have orders demanding your annihilation, yet, so best you run along now, and don't come back." He took the sidearm from The Colonel, unloaded and then disassembled it. "Fly fly fly."

"Orders Sir?" A Marine attendant had been following him around, armed with what was widely considered the most powerful weapon, a radio.

"…" James could defer to Thermidor, but figured that if negotiations had broken down so dramatically thus far, the man was probably busy. He'd have to come up with something on the spot. "Scorched Earth." He decided appropriately. "Destroy anything that we've set up and can't conveniently drag back with us, and prep for evac. Ignore the students. We're on our own out here for the moment."

"Yes sir!" The Marine Radio Operator began to relay his orders to the rest of the battalion.

"…It really has come to this, huh?" Chifuyu was rubbing her temples, having watched that exchange between ORCA and the JSDF.

"It's out of our hands now." James agreed. "Best we can do is survive today."

"And what about tomorrow?" Chifuyu asked, knowing the answer.

James stepped as close to her as he could without touching her. "…Don't fight me, Chifuyu Orimua." James warned. "I will kill you. Without hesitation. Without remorse."

"Maybe…" Chifuyu agreed. "But just like you're a slave to your own nature, I have my duty that I'll be asked to do. Even if I know that ORCA is innocent, I think I'll have no choice but to fight you."

"…Nine days." James concluded. "I'll see you again, in nine days."


Two Hours Later

"Where are we at our evacuation?" James questioned the Marine Radio Operator, tasked to report directly to him. He was standing in the middle of a skybridge facing east, waiting.

"We are only waiting for the shockwave to pass. Then Command assures us they will send rescue."

"I see. What of our equipment?"

"By your word, anything nailed down has been destroyed. We can carry the rest."

"Excellent. Are the students in safe?"

"Yes sir. It appears that Chifuyu and the Sarashiki sisters have spearheaded efforts to keep the students safe in our absence, and have moved them to the underground facilities."

"Good." James thought for a moment. "What of the anomaly?"

"James!" Ichika shouted at him from the end of the skybridge. He had his harem with him, supporting him. Houki and Charlotte were by his side, while Rin, Laura, and Cecilia blocked the other path on the skybridge.

"I suppose that answers that." James ignored Ichika for the moment, as he stared at the young Corporal that had been following him around for the last few hours.

"Sir?" She questioned.

"..." James sighed. "Vedi bak im fo mi."

"Sir!" The Radio Operator stayed close by in his shadow.

"I heard about what ORCA did." Ichika accused. "Your terrorist nation has been fooling us all this time! You never cared about saving our world! You were just biding your time to conquer it!"

"I'm not going to have this argument with an idiot." James spat. "You've obviously made up your mind, and I'm in no mood to debate. Why don't we skip to what you want, Ichika?"

"You're going to order the ORCA battalion here to surrender, so that they can be taken into custody by the Japanese government. You too, by the way."

"Not going to happen." James denied.

Ichika and his harem summoned their IS suits. It was a tight fit, their armored forms completely filling out the hall, but it helped to emphasize how trapped James was.

"Just give up James, there's no escape!" Houki shouted.

"Yeah, look around you! Idiot!" Rin added.

"It's time you learn your place!" Cecilia declared.

"Please…don't fight us." Charlotte begged.

"You're outnumbered. Don't try anything." Laura threatened.

"Yeah…funny how that works out." James smirked. "Six on two? And my Corporal here is practically unarmed to boot. I like my odds."

"See, that's the other thing that really pisses me off about you!" Ichika shouted. "That arrogant confident streak. Someone needs to put you in your place!"

"Well it's certainly not going to be you." James suppressed a laugh. "Fanchon is the only person on this planet at my level. We had to sacrifice our very flesh, and fight for every inch of our ranks, our titles, and take so many lives to be where we are. You? You're exceptionally lucky. You got your strength handed to you and you don't even know why."

"You know what, you act like a big shot, but I bet it's all a trick!" Ichika held his hand back, and Charlotte summed one of her large caliber machine guns into his hand. "That thing with the gun earlier…it was all a trick, you weren't really going to let me shoot you. I bet you'd be afraid if I actually had a gun on you."

"Hate to disappoint you, but no, it's not." James smirked. "So you're welcome to test that theory all you like."

"Don't think I won't." Ichika pointed the gun at James. "You're a terrorist, and I won't let you escape. This-"

"Please, shut up and shoot me." James begged with a tired smile. "If I have to listen to you give some damn speech about how you're going to stop me because you're some kind of big dick hero, I'm going to shoot myself."

"Honestly, you're just an asshole." Ichika hissed. "And you probably deserve this." He pulled the trigger.

"Commander-!"

"…" James sighed, and caught his Corporal in his arms, slowly lowering her to the ground, with a new hole in her neck. "Why did you do that Corporal? I told you to stay behind me, not take a hit for me." He plugged his fingers into her neck as best he could.

The Corporal laughed, choking on her blood. "To die…in service to ORCA…by Strayed's side…!" She smiled widely with a bloodstained grin. "Remember the…Cant…!"

"…" James sighed, and closed the eyes of his Corporal. He stood with the smaller girl in his arms, holding her close. "How does it feel Ichika? To be a murderer that is?"

"What…what!?" Ichika shouted. "Why did she…?! That…this is…this is your fault!" Ichika accused. "You radicalized her into some suicidal fanatic! You told her to give her life up for you! You! You-"

"Her name is Corporal Arche Furt." James announced. "She just turned seventeen three days ago. She was born to corporate shareholders of Rosenthal. She said she was disgusted by the practices of the corporations, the greed and the waste and the utter disregard for human life. When the ORCA rebellion began, she was inspired to do right by our world, and took her two younger sisters with her. While those two young girls live in Big Box, she chose to fight. She chose to become ORCA, and we accepted her as one of our own. She said she wanted to make a world her sisters would be happy to live in. Her sisters say that she was their hero, and they wanted to grow up to be just like her."

"But…how…how could you know her name? Her life's story?" Laura wondered. "She was just a lowly Corporal, and you, you're one of the ORCA elite?"

"I know the names of every single person within the Big Box Fortress, and their lives. All twenty million of them." James declared. "Every Lynx does. They are our beratnas and sesatas. So…no, she was not just some lowly Corporal. She was ORCA. When I return, I will declare her a hero. Tell me Ichika, do you have something you want to say to her sisters? Some excuse as to why you killed their big sister?"

"You! You aren't getting out of here!" Ichika declared. "We'll stop you! You'll pay for your crimes!"

"When the war starts…and it will…I am going to hurt you, Ichika." James calmly announced. "Not because of something so petty and righteous as revenge or justice, no, not for you. You don't deserve my wrath. I just want to hurt you in every way you fear, only because it might be interesting."

"Oh yeah!? Have you forgotten that you're completely surrounded? You have to surrender, or we will be forced to hurt you!" Houki warned.

"Hmm, you still think you're the ones ambushing me?" James smirked confidently. "Other than the loss of my Corporal, all is proceeding as planned. You see…I chose to stand here because it would make a convenient ambush spot for you. Do me a favor, and don't fight me. I'll have no regrets killing every last one of you."

"Why! You!" Ichika shouted, rushing in to punch James across the face, at possibly the worst time. James had timed that conversation to coincide with the shockwave that slammed into the island, breaking every window and knocking anyone outside to the ground.

Ichika and his harem suddenly found themselves ducking in an attempt to hold steady and keep glass from getting in their eyes. Meanwhile, James took the opportunity to ride the shockwave, jumping out the window and falling towards the ground. Only falling three stories was nothing for him, and he started running towards the ORCA evacuation point.

Half-way there, James slowed down. He considered the dead girl in his arms, and the one quietly stalking him.

"I really tried, you know?" He told the ghost. "I saw her death coming a mile away. I...hoped…that by keeping her close, I could protect her. But I've failed once again. I am…so tired…of seeing the dead pile high at my feet."

"…" Not Judith considered his answered. "But you won't stop, will you? You really will kill those kids back there if they dare face you in battle."

"Yeah…I will." James closed his eyes, holding the dead Corporal a little tighter. "It's what I was built to do."

"Then do yourself a favor and find a good reason for it, at least." Not Judith advised.

"…" James considered it a moment. Then he found an answer. Not a good one, but good enough. "I will."


IS Academy – ORCA Evacuation Point / Fifteen Minutes Later

"What's the situation?" James questioned. The ORCA Marines had fallen back to the docks. Considering everything, May had left the cockpit of her AC, leaving it for a relatively skilled ORCA pilot. James noticed his AC as well, being used by another competent ORCA pilot.

"Oh uh, sir!" May bounded up to him. She still felt awkward about treating him as a superior. Though, under the circumstances, there wasn't much choice. "Battalion is ready for evac to Big Box. Just waiting on Command."

"Great…" James sighed. Walking to the end of the docks with the dead girl in his arms, the ORCA Marines watched, recognizing their fallen comrade. Seeing the Lynx they feared most, holding the girl close and dearly…inspired them. They stood at attention, saluting James and the girl.

At the end of the line, James turned to one of the soldiers, and presented the girl. "Hold her for a bit. Please."

"Sir!" The soldier took the corpse without question, holding it close.

"…" James walked back down the line, making sure that these Marines got home before him.

Ichika and his harem, Houki, Rin, Cecila, Charlotte, and Laura, all landed behind the battalion, their IS suits deployed.

"Attention ORCA Marine Battalion! You will surrender at once and be taken into custody!" Ichika shouted, so certain in his ability.

"Just let us go, you fucking twats!" An ORCA Marine shouted back.

"This is some real bullshit!"

"Please, just surrender already!" Ichika shouted. "You can't win against us!"

"Yeah, surrender this! Big man!" One ORCA Marine mocked, making an obscene gesture by grabbing his crouch.

"We didn't do nothing to you!" A female Marine shouted. "We gave our lives protecting you brats! Is this how you repay us?!"

"Listen! We just need you to surrender so we can arrest James Klein! He's a murderer!" Ichika shouted.

"Yeah no shit! Im a biyalowda! Im name means death!"

"Klein is one of us! Fuck you!"

"There is no way any of you would survive fighting us! Just lay down your arms and surrender already!" Houki demanded.

"Please! We don't want anyone to get hurt!" Charlotte begged.

"Beratnas!" One ORCA Sergeant shouted above the rest. "And mi sesetas! These outalowdas ain't gonna let us go! They ain't never gonna let us go! We just meat for their machine!"

"Yeah!" The Battalion cheered.

"Just like that little undalowda back there, yeah!?" The Sergeant pointed towards the dead Corporal.

"Yeah!" The Battalion cheered again.

"…" Ichika backed up fearfully. It was insane. No one in their world dared face off against an IS, because they would lose. Everyone knew that. So the ORCA Marine Battalion standing up fearlessly, refusing to back down, confused and frightened him. The IS Students, so certain that they were some of the best in the world, humbled by the will of jarheads and crayon eaters. They did not understand that to be ORCA, one had to accept that death was always mere moments away.

"You got to kill us all!"

"Come and get some of this, pashangwalas!"

The ORCA Sergeant looked back to James for approval. He smiled, knowing that Ichika was too stupid to back down, and that ORCA too fanatical to consider it. He gave a small nod, even knowing what it would mean.

"You are damn well not taking us!

"Blood's on the wall, beratnas!" The ORCA Seargent shouted. "And we gonna rise up!"

"Yeah!"

"And we gonna rise up!"

"Yeah!"

Before blood could spill across the whole docks, Chifuyu, Maya, Tatenashi, and Kanzashi all dropped down, nearly on top of the other IS Students. Chifuyu caught her brother in a choke hold, and forced him to the ground.

"What the hell are you doing Orimura!?" Chifuyu screamed at him. "Stand down!"

"Hold!" James shouted, stopping the ORCA Marine Battalion with just one word. Their provocations going silent. Their bloodlust cooling. Waiting on their master's word.

"What…?! Instructor?!" Laura questioned Maya.

"You heard her! Stand down!" Maya threatened.

"Y-You!? Tatenashi!? Get out of our way!" Houki shouted.

"Stand down you hotheaded idiot!" Tatenashi warned. "Or else I'll put you down!"

"Please! Don't fight them!" Kanzashi begged.

"S-Sis! Why!? Why are you stopping us?!" Ichika begged.

"…" Chifuyu stopped choking Ichika, forcing him to look up at the thousand people in front of him. "Do you see them!? Not one of them was ever intimidated by you! To them, surrender means death, and they would rather die with a gun in their hands than live on their knees! Now maybe you could win, maybe you could capture James. But would you really kill a thousand people just to achieve your justice?! Were you going to have my students spill blood for your justice!? Do you even know what justice would mean here?! Stand! Down!"

In that time, ORCA had deployed one of their Flight Bunkers, the massive structure flying to the edge of the IS Academy, and landed near the trapped Marine Battalion. Opening one of it's massive outer doors as a ramp, the Marine Battalion had their escape route, and started an orderly retreat into their mobile fortress.

That left an awkward stand off as May, James, and the one soldier holding the dead Corporal were left, while several students and instructors stood off against each other. Some still wanting to capture James, and some trying to stop bloodshed.

"Tatenashi…please…come with us." May begged. "I don't want you on the other side…when shit hits the fan."

"…" Tatenashi smiled sadly. "Sorry May…but my place is here. I see what's coming…but I'll do everything I can to try and save people. Even you."

But May just shook her head, frowning. "You don't understand. ORCA may not start the war, but we will not hold back."

"Then…I hope that we can meet again, on better terms." Tatenashi hugged May.

"…" James sighed.

"James…?" Kanzashi questioned.

"…The only promise I make is that I will show no mercy. Any who stands against ORCA is my enemy."

"I don't think you will." Kanzashi argued. "I think you're better than that."

"…I'm really not…" James declared. He then looked at Chifuyu. "Don't let them fight me. I've already told you why."

"…" Chifuyu watched him and May leave for the Flight Bunker, and how James took a dead girl into his arms, carrying her the rest of the way home.


Two Hours Later / Big Box

Stalking his way slowly to the command center, James crossed his arms behind his back, carrying a thin folder.

Everyone was pretty well dispersed, working overly hard to oversee or command or negotiate in this time of catastrophe. James was fortunate then, that he was so unamiable, that no one wanted him to negotiate on behalf of ORCA.

He found Thermidor, closely monitoring the ever-changing situation in the ruins of Southern California.

The older man, the man who killed his step-father, turned to look at him at his approach. "That explosion fractured the tectonic plates. There's a new volcano spewing lava in the middle of Los Angeles, and ash clouds across the southern United States." He sneered. "That's their primary food production region. This…disaster, it will not end with just the city gone and millions dead…this is a problem that will persist for years. Billions will die."

"About that…" James smirked darkly. "I've decided to change the terms of my contract to ORCA."

"Now?!" Thermidor hissed. "Do I not pay you enough? Do you wish for some land to conquer and to declare yourself a king?"

"No, no, nothing so grand." James denied, handing over the folder.

"…" Thermidor read the brief file quickly, looking up to James slowly. "You…know what this will mean, don't you? Do you hate yourself or something? Do you wish for me to drag your name through the mud, to be the most hated man in history?"

"I've been used the same before. By The League. By you. It makes no difference. Just being…consistent." James explained.

"…You're doing this for May." Thermidor realized. "For Wynne D, Lilium, Malzel, and myself. You want to spare us this shame, this disgrace."

"…Heh." James laughed. "Fuck you on, bosmang? I just love killing kids."

"Sure…" Thermidor smirked, knowing he was lying. "I'll bring it up at the next meeting. It's…going to be…interesting…"


Two Hours Later

"Were we able to save anyone?" Thermidor questioned somberly.

"We are currently hosting roughly ten-thousand passengers from airliners that had been forced to divert to our location, either fleeing the shockwave or with their landing sites compromised by impending flooding." Haze informed him.

"Tsk." Thermidor hissed. "We could have saved a hundred thousand…maybe two hundred thousand people from this disaster. Instead, they blame this whole thing on us, and condemn their own citizens to death."

"They have every reason to think it was us." Fiona added. "The weird future people with dangerous cyborgs as leaders, and an affinity for war. We couldn't have fallen into a more perfectly laid trap."

"All this pain…all this death…all for the vanity of one narcissistic scientist?" Wolcott accused.

"Not even The League was this callous." Fanchon argued. "At least they culled the innocent in desperation. This is simple butchery. Almost like…"

"Not even I will stain my blades for no reason at all." Klein defended. "I at least need a reason that can be argued for."

"This world had such hope…" May mourned. "We were going to do such good things for this world. We were going to help people. Now…"

"Now…we'll see." Thermidor mused, watching the disaster unfold.

The tsunami hit Big Box…and went around it. The megastructure endured the disaster as it did any. With utter disregard. There was, at most, a slight change in pressure, the weight of water pushing down on the ears of some of the residents, forcing a pained yawn for all that it wrought.

It hit the coast of Japan significantly harder. Pulling the tides back a mile, then surging forward, over the beaches, through the towns and the roads and up the hills. Five thousand kilometers of coastline submerged in a matter of minutes, decimating whole cities and leaving little in it's wake.

There were evacuations. There were people who were able to survive. But many more were lost as all nations in the world started to mobilize for the coming war.


30 Hours Later

It was grim work, sifting through the rubble. Piling up the bloated corpses. Sulking through the ruins of once beautiful cities reduced to debris and smelling of salt and death. The only thing that kept them going, that stoked their rage, was that they could look up and stare hatefully at the tower, the monolith, the Big Box fortress and curse with every fiber of their being the name ORCA.

Houki did not fail to notice the reporter, who even in their own disgust and disgrace, framed the sight of her and her friends, doing what little they could to mitigate this unbelievable disaster, while under the distant shadow of the hated and the guilty. Making symbols of hope out of them, in spite of the terrible circumstances.

The sky was still dark grey despite it being the middle of the day. The ash clouds of Los Angeles and the newly formed Mt. Wilshire volcano having already wrapped themselves around the planet, choking the light.

The first bodies had frightened them, disfigured and drowned and thoroughly abused. Human beings were not supposed to look like that. But as the bodies piled high, they grew tired. They grew tired of being afraid, tired of being disgusted. Till the only thing they had left was rage and resentment for the fortress nation that suffered nothing through this disaster.

It had been a few minutes since Houki had seen Ichika. Mainly she just wanted to be sure he wasn't alone, especially with everything going on now. It took her another minute, but she'd found him. He was resting near a pair of body bags, watching them with a distraught look on his face.

"Ichika…?"

"These are…my best friends." Ichika answered somberly. "Dan and Ran Gotanda…I stayed with them, when big sis was in Germany. We were…close."

"…" Houki said nothing, just grimaced at the loss, and held him close. She couldn't imagine what he was feeling.

"We'll beat them." Ichika hissed. "ORCA will know justice…and I will kill James Klein."


Big Box

James watched as his stepmother rubbed her temples tiredly.

"Right, that's it." Fiona ordered dismissively. "Cut the lines."

"Mrs. Jarnefeldt?" Thermidor questioned.

"We've done all we could." Fiona shook her head. "Every nation in the world is saying the same thing. 'ORCA is a terrorist state that must be brought to justice at all costs.' There's no point in negotiating anymore."

"…Very well." Thermidor nodded. "We tried…"

"But…in the end…it seems there was never any other choice for us." Wolcott noted. "We'll be forced to go to war."

"And fight against the whole world." Fanchon added. "Just as you did once before, so is it again."

"How long…?" Greenfield questioned. "How long until they attack?"

"Say about…a week." Klein confirmed. "Then there will be no turning back."

"Commanders!" A Communications Officer reported. "You're going to want to see this!"

"Oh?" Thermidor followed the man, as he brought up a local news feed.

"…in the wake of this terrible, global disaster, we are just getting these images, which are said to have been smuggled out of the ORCA nation." A news anchor announced, while images from an unused ORCA industrial sector played. "It appears as though ORCA is in possession of facilities designed to process human meat. I say again, ORCA has human slaughterhouses."

"…Oh yeah…" Thermidor sighed. "I forgot about those…"


Author's Notes: So with Chapter 18 of this story finished, I'm going to try and finish 19 ASAP, with 20 and 21 soon after. Once those three chapters are done, I'll post these chapters on a weekly basis and be done with this story. Writing for UDL is still on hold, but I will probably release a chapter by the end of the week. I just really want to get this story done soon, so I can put all my effort into making UDL the best story ever.

Anyhow, this chapter was just a nice little look at the immediate aftermath of the Catalina Island incident. It also copy's The Expanse once again, with most of the plot loosely inspired by a part of Season 4/Book 4, and the scene at the docks with the ORCA Marines inspired by a moment from the last episode of Season 1.

For the next chapter of this story...maybe expect it by the end of the week, maybe sooner? Chapter 19 should be really easy once I start in an hour or two of posting this. Thank god for being able to write these stories from my job. And for those wondering, I am mostly feeling better. A bit warm and feverish right now with a cough, but much better from the previous weeks.

Next chapter, the war starts in earnest. Hope you are looking forward to it as much as I am! Stay tuned!

To Dragoncat261: That pretty well sums up Tabane's part in this disaster. Admittedly I think you underestimate the power of AC NEXT. They have 6, each of which is designed for the conquest of nations and the slaughter of armies. That's not counting the 3 Arms Forts and 3 "Flight Bunkers", and the rest of their conventional troops. All I can say, is the war is going to be very exciting!

To Napster153: I am not familiar with that song, or if I am I don't remember the lyrics. Lol. Also thank you for the concern. Yes I am getting better, just not as quickly as I would like. I really am turning into an old man. Oof.

To NexusPrime42: Yeah, their reactor going off suddenly without warning would be viewed with suspicion. And considering the island itself is gone, there is basically no evidence it was anyone else.

To Gwynx: Let's just say earth isn't even the best place for humans to live anymore. Thanks for the concern too! I'm kind of fighting to stay healthy but I am feeling much better. Oh, hmm, I don't remember the song going quite like that.

To zacker1590: I think the title of this chapter sums up the event pretty well. Things are only going to get worse from here.

To matthew116: Technically less since these "author's notes" have added about 13,000 words to this story. More now with this chapter. But yeah. Now I have two stories where LA gets nuked, lol!

To SignalHunter: Yeah, that's the message I wanted to imply. ORCA truly did have good intentions for this world, but those plans are scrapped now. Tabane is just a little too self certain to ever have a breakdown, so long as she still has access to her toys. And don't worry, I have special plans for that spare IS Core.

To Just a reader now a writer: *millions, oof. LA is a very densely packed city, and area that has been destroyed is at least 220 miles in diameter. Most of that is ocean, but it is pretty much the entirety of LA (except for some parts of Riverside, but that's a minor detail for later).

To WarmasterXI: No, she severely underestimated the output the reactor was capable of, but in her defense it was implied that ORCA undersold how truly powerful League tech reactors could be.

As for James and Ichika, you do have to remember that James doesn't want anything to do with Ichika. James is a veteran of the Economic War and the ORCA Rebellion. Ichika has, at most, fought a few IS suits. James has fought Arms Forts and hundreds of Lynx, and has a vast kill count. That fight will not be evenly matched.

To XsOnicblAdeX: Well we can only hope!

To memoryofvirtual: Half is a bit much, but nearly 1 in 10 of it's citizens is dead, which is very bad.

To Guest: Sounds like a fun time to me! Can't wait to see it happen!

To Nine: It will definitely be a bad time, all around. ORCA has lots of super weapons, much more dangerous than IS units.

To Guest DCDGojira: Yeah, that event was a bit much. Everyone is in far over their heads.

To Iguana: I'm not sure I would call James brave. It's not that he's not brave, just that that is not his main driving force when entering combat. Depraved would be a better word to use for him. Also Christ, I did accidently give James a harem, didn't I? I'm going to have to do something about that.

To Guest: Who would've thought the rabbit's pettiness would nearly wipe out the Pacific Rim?

To Just a reader now a writer: Oh, hello again. Yes, it is true I have my own speech for Thermidor when the war begins in earnest. It will be very good! And yeah, Ichika doesn't even come close to James in terms of experience and trauma. James is a special kind of fucked up, and I can't wait to share what he does next!

To ak4567: Yeah, this is unquestionably her fault. As is everything that comes next.

To EmperorCeph: Yep! No happy ending now! Oh I can't wait to show you all what comes next!