Interval 4 PART 3 – Meeting
Germany, Berlin, Year 11.732
Alan's POV
"General!" An android entered my office nearly knocking down the door, saluting me and waited for my orders.
"At ease soldier, give me the report." I replied.
"The mission is a success, we managed to ambush the machines at Potsdamer Platz, our troops are destroying them by the hundreds."
"That's good to hear. What about the Museum Island artifacts, have they been transported yet?"
"Yes sir, the artifacts are being trucked in a convoy to the meeting point."
"Great, I hope the Human Heritage Recovery Management Organization has its vaults ready. And our men in the cathedral, how are they?"
"They had some casualties but managed to force the machines to retreat, currently they are receiving reinforcements and materials to fortify the cathedral and the surrounding area."
I nodded my head in understanding "Tell me, today we will receive new troops, won't we?"
"Yes sir, a few hundred androids coming straight from the factory in Cuba, they'll cross the ocean on an aircraft carrier and arrive in Berlin on a convoy, they'll enter the city through what's left of the Brandenburg Gate."
"The gate is secure, isn't it?"
"Yes sir, the remaining machines have been eliminated and the gate has been fortified."
"Perfect, you can leave now."
The android stood to attention "Sir, one more thing."
"Say it."
"Commander Rose sent a hello." Then the soldier walked away.
HÁ! Commander Rose, if she sends me a hello, then it means things must be going well in Egypt. I think I'll get some rest, strategizing and taking care of paperwork left me with a headache, I went towards a desk in my office where there was a coffee pot and made myself a mug full of hot coffee.
Passing the radio I use to communicate with my troops, I went to one of the large glass windows in the office and looked the scenery in front of me.
Currently I was in my office in the Reichstag building, the old German parliament building, the building has been fortified and reinforced, sandbags with M2 .50 and androids ready to fire right behind it, steel and concrete beam walls, metal and barbed wire surrounded the building. Howitzers that fire 155mm shells, mortars that fire 90mm shells, Gepard 1A2 a 35mm anti-aircraft gun system, and trained androids in full military gear armed with M16A4, CZ–75, M60–E4, SPAS–12, Barrett M82, weapons from different parts of the world.
Why do I have this much equipment here? Well, the army of humanity wants a relatively safe place to send its troops and from there take back Germany and then the rest of Europe.
Suddenly a grandfather clock in my office began to chime, noon. Oh! It looks like the artillery barrage will now begin, I heard the sound of artillery firing in the distance, the sound of shells cutting through the air can be heard from here, they finally hit the ground, the explosions reflecting off my office window, I took a sip of my coffee on seeing this, wonderful, the machines must have been ripped to shreds.
The normal machines, I mean, the rational machines that can talk, think and dialogue must have already evacuated the city, I gave them plenty of time after all.
I saw a series of military trucks approaching, it looks like the recruits have arrived, better go say hello. I walked out of my office and down the stairs and through a large wooden door, I came out of the Reichstag and saw my troops directing the new arrivals to form a line next to each other, everyone standing to attention, but they were nervous.
I think it's time to say welcome.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Berlin, I know you've just left the factory, I know the situation out here isn't exactly pleasant, but don't worry, I don't plan on sending you to the front lines, yet… You have the knowledge of military tactics, and how to use a weapon in your systems, but that doesn't overcome practice and experience, here you received training and equipment, you will be accompanied by a more experienced android during missions until you don't need it anymore. Did you understand?"
"YES SIR!" All recruits responded in unison.
"I can feel the determination in you guys, I like that. I believe that despite my little speech, I did not introduce myself. My name is Alan, I am currently the General in charge of retaking Berlin and if everything goes as planned it will happen in a few days. Now that you know my name, why don't you introduce yourselves?"
One by one, the androids introduced themselves.
"My name is Antoni sir!"
"My name is Ophelia sir!"
"My name is Vincent sir!"
Each android told me their name when I passed in front of them, until I passed in front of an android, but she didn't tell me her name, she was nervous, understandable, after all I was also nervous when I joined the army of humanity.
"You don't need to be nervous. We are all friends here. Can you tell me your name?" I asked the android, trying to make her comfortable.
"Ane… Anemone. My name is Anemone sir!" The android said.
"Well Anemone, welcome to the army of humanity." I said with a smile and the android smiled back nervously.
CURRENT TIMES
Alan's POV
Well, the situation became a bit awkward, Anemone and I were looking at each other not knowing what to say.
"Anemone I… See… Well…" I tried to start a dialogue, but Anemone spoke at the same time as me, also failing to start a conversation.
"Listen to me… About what happened…" Anemone tried to say.
"You can start Anemone." I told her.
"No, no, you start." Anemone said back.
"Come on, I insist."
"No, it would be rude for me to cut you off."
We stayed like that for a few seconds, saying incomplete sentences, making gestures in front of each other and trying to get the other to start the conversation.
"Enough! I propose we start again." I suggested.
"I agree!" Anemone replied.
We both took a deep breath and tried to talk properly this time.
"Good to see you again Anemone." I said.
"Good to see you again General." Anemone replied.
I cringed when she called me out on my old rank, I'd rather let that past go.
"Anemone, I am no longer part of humanity's army, you don't need to be so formal with me."
"Yes sir."
"Anemone…" I said with a sigh.
"HAHA! Sorry, force of habit. Can I try again?" Anemone replied.
"Of course."
"Good to see you again Alan." Anemone said with a smile.
"That's better, let's talk like friends, not like soldiers."
Anemone nodded yes.
"Tell me, you're the same Alan I know, aren't you? You're not an android of the same model, are you?" Anemone asked.
"I am the same android you know Anemone, the same one you met in Berlin."
"I am relieved by that. I heard you died, can you tell me what really happened?"
I almost died several times in this world, if Anemone thought I died then that means she is talking about what happened to the ship.
"Hm! It's a long story." I said while shrugging.
"I have time." Anemone replied.
Apparently I won't be able to escape this "Where to start? It was right after the Pearl Harbor mission when we had our discussion."
I saw that Anemone shuddered when I said this.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what went through my head, I felt like my trust was betrayed, I felt like everything we went through meant nothing to you, but I didn't consider the time you've been fighting this war." Anemone said.
"Don't worry about it, I should have known better about what I was doing."
The argument Anemone and I had was about my defection from the army of humanity. That's right I'm a deserter, I was tired of fighting this war, I had been planning to disappear for some time, so after Pearl Harbor A2 and I stowed away on a ship going to Japan, but Anemone found out about it at the last second and came confront me in port, I don't think I've ever been so insulted in my life. I told Anemone that she could report me to the Army of Humanity if she wanted to, I wouldn't hold a grudge against her, but I believe that due to the time we spent fighting together in the army, she didn't report me.
"What happened next?" Anemone asked.
"The ship was split in two by a Goliath."
"What?!" Anemone screamed as she jumped on the bench.
Her scream ended up drawing the attention of the androids that passed by us, but all it took was one murderous look from Anemone for them to leave.
"Explain now!" Anemone demanded.
"We were halfway to Japan when suddenly the ship hit something in the middle of the ocean, suddenly a great red light flashed in the water and a Goliath came out from under it, for a moment everyone was paralyzed with fear until the panic broke out when everyone saw the Goliath raise its arm. A desperate crowd ran through the ship towards the boats, A2 and I were in that crowd, but the Goliath's blow ended up splitting the ship in two. I stand in one part and A2 in another, the last thing I saw before I fell into the ocean was A2 climbing up Goliath's arm."
"This… This is…" Anemone was speechless.
"I know it's hard to believe, I didn't believe it either when I saw the Goliath, when I regained consciousness I was on a piece of the ship floating in the ocean, I don't know how much time passed, at some point I lost consciousness and when I woke up I was on a beach in Australia."
"Australia? So does that mean you found the Independents?" Anemone asked.
"Yes."
"They didn't do something to you, did they?"
"No, I made a point of hiding my affiliation with the Army of Humanity."
"Good. How is Australia? I've never been there and Independents don't like to come into contact with the rest of the world."
"Well…"
FLASHBACK
"Go faster!" I yelled at the android in the driver's seat.
"This thing doesn't go any faster than that!" The android yelled back.
"Damn it!" I started to climb the side of the truck until I was on top of the cargo tank carrying the fuel.
Around the truck there were several cars of different models modified to race through the Australian desert, each one being driven by an android, but the real danger was chasing us, looking back I saw a legion of machines also driving modified cars, one of these cars being driven by a machine managed to approach us.
A stubby one climbed onto the hood of the car.
"WITNESS ME!" The stubby one screamed as he sprayed chrome spray paint in his face and leapt with a spear with an explosive on the end, onto a car driven by an android, the two exploded in a ball of fire.
A truck with machines playing war drums and a medium biped playing a guitar with a flamethrower went berserk at the stubby sacrifice, causing them to play louder.
"ALAN!"
I heard a strong male voice shout, the legion of machine-driven cars opened and a modified war tank approached, sitting on a metallic throne on top of the tank was a medium biped.
Its body was rusty and modified, a car engine was on its back with car exhausts on its shoulders, the biped wore a helmet with the face of a human skull with horns protruding from the sides, in place of the biped's right arm was a large pincer-shaped claw, one claw on the top and two on the bottom. The biped had metal spikes on its feet and remaining hand, a feature that didn't match the rest of its body was the crowbar driven through its left eye. Courtesy of mine.
"I WILL RIP OFF YOUR HEAD AND PUT IT ON THE BUMPER OF MY CAR!" The biped screamed as it pointed at me with its claw.
This was Iron Gear, the leader of the machines that terrorized the Independents and the friendly machines that lived in Australia.
My response was to point my rifle at the Iron Gear and pulling the trigger.
BANG!
The bullet ended up taking one of the horns off his helmet.
"AAAAHHH! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS! FIRE!" Iron Gear screamed in rage as he pointed his claw forward.
BOOM!
Immediately the tank fired, but fortunately the projectile passed by us hitting the sand further ahead.
"You missed!" I immediately threw myself to the ground as a red orb passed over me, Iron Gear's left arm had turned into a cannon.
"WON'T MISS NEXT TIME!"
"DRIVE FASTER!" I yelled at the android in the truck.
END OF FLASHBACK
"It's not that bad, Sydney is still standing and most of Australia's animals are still alive, I have no idea how koalas have survived for so long."
"I wish I had the time and energy you have to travel." Anemone said.
"Who knows? Maybe when this war is over we can travel together?"
"Yes… When this war is over…" Anemone said with a sad tone.
"You don't believe this war will end so soon, do you?"
"Not in my lifetime." Anemone sighed.
After that an uncomfortable silence fell between us.
"Listen Alan, would you like to be part of the resistance? I can get you a role at camp. You can help with android repair or guard duty."
"No, thanks, but no. I have stopped whit this life, I do not wish to continue fighting."
Anemone looked down in disappointment.
"At least you could live in the camp where it's safer. I believe it would be better than wandering the city streets." Anemone said hopefully.
"I'll have to refuse, I already have a house in a more remote part of the city, it's a place where machines hardly appear. But don't be sad, I will visit you occasionally."
This seemed to cheer Anemone up.
"Thanks. But tell me something else, would you mind doing some work for me. Nothing too extreme, of course, just delivering a few packages or contacting farther androids."
"Hm! OK, just hand your contact over to POD 000."
POD 000 approached Anemone and she gave the contact information for the POD.
"Affirmation: Registered contact." POD 000 said.
"Okay, just call me if you need anything. But enough about me, tell me more about you Anemone. What have you been up to?" I said to Anemone.
"Not much to say. After Pearl Harbor I was transferred to Commander Rose's unit, where I rose through mission after mission until I was transferred here as leader of the local resistance."
"Serious? I bet you were the best in the unit to rise through the ranks that quickly."
"You flatter me." Anemone said as she looked away.
"But it's true, I remember when I sent you on some missions, you always made sure the mission was accomplished."
"How I wish I could go back to a time when I didn't have to worry about my men."
"You get used to it, in the end your biggest enemy is not the machines, but the paperwork."
Anemone and I shuddered simultaneously at hearing that cursed word.
"What about Commander Rose? Could you tell me where she is?" I asked Anemone.
Anemone looked away and held her hands together.
"Anemone, did something happen?"
Anemone took a deep breath, "Commander Rose is dead, Alan."
I rested my head on the seat as I looked up at the blue sky, Commander Rose is dead, I covered my face with my hands and… "AAAAAHHHHH!"
I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"I know, Alan, I was shocked too when I found out."
"DAMN IT! Do you… do you know how it happened?"
"It happened in Taiwan, the machines kept coming, it was legion, machines after machines, after machines. The Army of Humanity wanted Taiwan to be defended at all costs, it was a strategic point due to one of the largest android factories in the world that was located there. Commander Rose managed to defend the place, but at the cost of her life."
"When will this end Anemone? How many friends have we lost in this war?"
"I don't know, but we have to keep fighting, don't we?" Anemone said with a sad smile.
"I know that, but I feel like I gave up a long time ago, now I just want to live my life."
"I won't be mad at you for that, sometimes I wish the same, sometimes I want to disappear, live another life on the other side of the world."
"But it won't be worth it if you end up living on the other side of the world alone, believe me, I know what loneliness and isolation do to a person."
"And you Alan? Are you alone?"
"Fortunately not, I have the PODs and the girls keeping me company." After saying that I had a bad feeling, looking to the side I saw Anemone's face a few inches from mine, she was staring at me with a smile on her face.
"What do you mean girls? You mean plural, like more than one?" Anemone asked in a sweet voice.
"That's not what you're thinking!" Try to defuse this bomb before it explodes.
"Affirmation: There are three girls." POD 001 spoke.
You bastard!
"Oh! So does that mean you have three girls to keep you company?"
"Affirmation: They all live in the same house." POD 000 spoke.
PODs are you trying to kill me?!
"Is this true PODs?" Anemone asked the PODs.
"Affirmative." The PODs responded simultaneously.
Well I'm dead.
"I see you've picked up bad habits while you've been away General Alan, I wonder what your soldiers would think if they knew that."
"Anemone let me explain!"
"Affirmation: That's possibly four girls if the android known as Cosmos is included." POD 001 said.
I give up, I'll just accept my fate.
"OK. Now I'm impressed, you went after Cosmos, few androids approach her due to her strong personality."
"Strong is an understatement, she already tried to kill me twice."
"Stop it, Cosmos isn't that bad."
I just stared at Anemone.
"OK. Maybe she's a little difficult to deal with."
"It's good that you know."
"But it's a shame, if you were available, I wouldn't mind going out with you." Anemone said to me.
"HA! You might regret it, I tend to get into trouble." I replied.
"Wouldn't that make you my problem?" Anemone asked as she came closer.
"Are you sure? I might end up being more than you can handle." I said as she approached me.
"I like a challenge." Anemone approached.
"Hm! An impossible challenge to complete." I approached.
"Well, I won't find out if I don't try." Anemone approached.
"JUST KISS ALREADY!" An android screamed at us.
Anemone and I pulled away with flushed faces and looked around, a crowd of androids were watching us. How long have they been here?
"GO BACK TO WORK!" Anemone screamed and immediately the androids ran for their lives.
Anemone and I stared at each other with red faces before we started to laugh.
"HAHAHA!"
"HAHAHA!"
"I missed you Anemone." I said as I hugged her.
"I missed you too Alan." Anemone said as she hugged me back.
We stayed like that for a few minutes, but Anemone didn't let go of me, damn it, I forgot the affection androids have for humans.
"Anemone, can you let go of me now?"
"Just five more minutes. How I missed that feeling." Anemone replied.
"Better watch out, you might end up getting addicted."
I'm never gonna dance again
"I wouldn't mind that kind of drug."
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
"Unfortunately I can't give you more."
Though it's easy to pretend
"That could be a problem. What if I want more?"
I know you're not a fool
"Then I would have to… Wait a minute! Who is playing this song?!"
Looking to the side, I realized the music was coming from POD 000.
"POD! STOP THIS!"
POD immediately stopped the music.
"Alan, what were you going to say?" Anemone asked.
"Which then I would have to give you more."
"I wouldn't mind that." Anemone replied.
"Saxophone solo starts to play."
"POD!" I screamed and the saxophone solo stopped. I have to stop this before I do something I regret, the last thing I need are horny androids after me, my hip would be destroyed.
"So this is why you come to the resistance camp so often?" Said a voice behind me.
Turning around, I saw Devola and Popola in their disguises.
"I can explain?" I said sweating with nervousness.
Devola grabbed me by the ear and pulled me away from Anemone "You WILL explain when we get home!"
"My ear!"
"We are very sorry for any trouble he may have caused." Popola said as she bowed in front of Anemone and walked back to her sister's side.
Anemone just looked at us confused.
"See you later Anemone!" My sentence ended up causing Devola to pull me harder.
The androids in the camp looked at us confused and curious, I could hear a few whispers along the way.
"Isn't that Cosmos' boyfriend?"
"Cosmos? I thought he was with Kokio?"
"Kokio? Did you hear how Anemone and he talked to each other?"
On the way I saw Salieri and he gave me an understanding look, I looked back, as if all this humiliation wasn't enough POD 000 played Careless Whisper again.
And I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should've known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I'd been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh
now that you're gone
(Now that you're gone) was what I did so wrong, so wrong
That you had to leave me alone?
Don't cry Alan, don't make this worse than it already is.
Germany, Berlin, Year 11.732
Alan's POV
"Finally finished introducing myself to recruits, these speeches always makes me nervous." I said alone in my office.
"Meh! I would have done better, you need to strike fear into the hearts of your soldiers so that they will respect you and never dare to betray you." A voice answered.
Sitting on top of the desk in my office was another Alan, an Alan with white hair and bright red eyes.
"I didn't ask for your opinion, Watcher!"
END OF THE CHAPTER
Well, I know it's been a while since I posted a chapter of this story, that's for three reasons, the first is that I try not to focus on just one story, I want to keep all my stories up to date, so when I finish writing a chapter of one rest for a while and start writing the chapter of another.
The second reason is that the last few weeks have been busy, with my studies and all.
The third reason is that instead of writing the story I was playing Final Fantasy V, I'm currently trying to get all Sealed Weapons and Summons.
That's it for now, leave your comments and opinions about the story, criticisms and suggestions are welcome.
Until the next chapter!
