CHAPTER 46
ALPHA & BETA
Hovering just a few hundred yards away, Team G.H.O.S.T held position, too stunned by the sudden appearance of the jet-black unit to do otherwise. From his seat on the back of Lucia's Skyhook, Lucas clenched his sister's arm as he gazed down at the reef where Dutch Villson's machine lay broken and unmoving. He was still alive. Lucas could feel it. If he could just get down there, he could finally take revenge for their father and all their people.
"Lucas don't even think about it." Lucia ordered as if sensing what her brother was thinking.
"Lucia take us down." He replied, ignoring her warning. "This is our chance to end that bastard once and for all."
"No! It's too dangerous. We don't know where that unknown para-mail came from or why it's even here." Meanwhile, both it and Cal had made no effort to attack each other. Neither could they pick up any chatter on the radio, meaning the pilot of the unknown unit must be talking to Cal face to face.
"Dolton you're a Para-mail fanatic, right?" Finn asked. "Do you know what that thing is?"
"I've never seen a unit like that before." Dolton as he rubbed the rain from his glasses. "Its model doesn't match any of ours nor Arzenal's."
"Whatever it is, it doesn't look friendly." Frenzy shuddered. Pulling some binoculars from his belt, Lucas switched to night vision and felt as though a brick had lodged in his gut.
"Because it's not. It's a Ragna-mail!" He gasped, recognizing features similar to Villkiss. It wasn't Embryo thankfully. The unit only had four wings instead of six. But Lucas recognized the azure blue trim stripes along its black armor. "That's the same unit that took down Harper!"
"My god." Lucia whispered. But something didn't add up. Why would this unknown pilot save Dutch's life twice now only to suddenly kick him aside like trash? And why were they not attacking them or Cal? "Lucas what should we do?"
"We kill whoever's inside." Finn insisted as his skyhook engine wings rumbled. "It killed Harper!"
"Everyone stay back." Lucas ordered but his command fell on deaf ears as engines revved and the entire squad shot towards the black unit. "No! Lucia go, go!" Lucas urged as Lucia sped after them, both twins begging their team to stop.
Cal heard every word clear as day but still could not comprehend what the person in front of him was telling him. There was no mistaking the sky-blue reptilian eyes staring back at him. "You…you're my clone. You're Subject BETA." He gasped, the rain and howling wind drowned out by the frantic drum of his heartbeat in his ears.
"I prefer the term brother. Sounds more intimate, don't you think?" Blackadder commented without a trace of emotion from his soft cold voice and put his sunglasses back on, much to Cal's relief. Among the wave lapped rocks of the reef below, Dutch's unit the Ragnarök lay broken and unresponsive. First, he had saved Dutch from Cal's strike but then he nearly killed him. Just what did he want with Cal anyway?
"How and why are you here?"
"Now that's quite a story dear brother." Blackadder mused. "Know that I'm not your enemy. I'm not here to fight you or your allies. But I will defend myself if you or they engage first. I'm only here to help you brother. To help you see the truth." Cal's eyes shifted slowly to Siegfried's bracelet that brightly pulsed as though it sensed they were all in mortal danger.
"What truth? What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking of course about your precious Commander. She sees you as nothing more than her second-best tool in her little game. If she truly considered you as an ally, she wouldn't have thrown you into the lion's den thus and giving Dutch and the NMB the opportunity to hunt you down."
"Nice try." Cal sneered, his words crawled under his skin. "She sent me because I was the best chance to find Ange before anything happened. Besides, why should I even listen to you? You may be another victim of Trager's experiments, same as me, but you choose to fight for the humans. Even after what they did to my mother and all those hundreds of other Norma."
"Then let me prove it to you." Blackadder offered as he extended his hand. "Come with me, you and the princess. I can take you both to a place where my master will keep you both safe from any further harm. You, Ange, Hilda and the rest of your friends at Arzenal wouldn't have to fight the DRAGONs anymore or live a life of slavery for the humans who enslaved you." Blackadder's voice drew Cal in like a moth to a flame, the air turning light as the rain began to fall as though it was in slow motion. It was a feeling Cal hadn't felt in months as he felt his entire body start to relax. "My poor sweet brother, you have so many unanswered questions. So much desire in your heart to discover the real truth behind why you were created?" Blackadder's mouth twisted into a smile and while Cal couldn't register what his clone's hidden eyes were thinking, he couldn't deny the hunger for the answers to questions that still plagued every fiber of his soul. "I can tell you everything those files could not." Cal's heart began to race faster until the loudening voices of Hilda and Ange pleading out his name from Siegfried's radio snapped him back to reality.
"Wait a minute, how do you know about the files I took from Trager?" He realized. Was it possible that Subject Beta had somehow been watching Cal this whole time, stalking him. It suddenly occurred to Cal during those numerous moments over the past few months when he had felt anger or rage that took him over. Almost as if someone had flipped a switch in his brain. Each one of those times he had heard that same icy voice urging him on. The same voice as Subject Beta!
"Stay away from me!" Cal shouted and quickly drew his sidearm. Despite the threat, Blackadder's smile broadened as if amused. "I don't know who you are or what you want from me, but I don't want any part of you or whoever your master is! It's your voice I've been hearing in my head all this time. Every time I lost control, it was you, wasn't it?!" Like when the voice had urged him to kill Ange and Momoka. Or how he had nearly opened fire at the crowd at Ange's execution. Any sense of hesitancy vanished, and Cal took the shot, only for Blackadder to raise his hand and erect a Mana shield in front of him. Cal fired blindly again and again until the hammer clicked on an empty chamber, but not a single bullet had scored a hit.
"Tell me something, brother." Blackadder smirked. "Was I really controlling you? Or did I just bring out your true self?" A white flash of lightning ripped across the sky to light up Blackadder's face when suddenly, a rain of machine gun fire began pelting his machine. In a flash of movement, Blackadder leapt back into his cockpit, the canopy barely having sealed shut before his unit raised its long black rifle and fired at the incoming Skyhooks.
"No don't!" Cal pleaded, too late to prevent the bolts of green plasma from incinerating three of them. Blackadder fired again when Siegfried suddenly flashed from blue to green, a pair of bubble-like shields forming around the final two Skyhooks. Within their cover, Lucia, Lucas, Finn, and Frenzy gaped in astonishment as Blackadder's energy blasts disintegrated on contact with the barriers.
"Well, this is turning out to be quite the evening." Blackadder's voice mused over the radio. Leaping back into Siegfried, Cal moved his unit between his friends and his latest enemy.
"Get out of here!" he ordered. "Take Ange and the others and keep them safe! I'll hold this guy off until you're away.!"
"Cal we're not leaving you on your own!" Lucia persisted.
"DO AS I TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, BEFORE YOU ALL DIE!" Cal snapped.
"I did warn you what would happen." Blackadder said dismissively, almost as though Cal was beneath him. Well, whatever he was, clone or demon, Cal would show this guy just what he was made of. Whatever it took he had to keep Blackadder away from Ange.
"Bring it on you bastard!" Siegfried shot towards the black unit, only for it to seemingly vanish just before Cal could run his sword through the cockpit. "What the...!" Cal gasped as he looked around and found Blackadder's machine now floating a few hundred yards off to starboard. 'Wait that thing can teleport?! How did he do that?' Blackadder meanwhile did not return fire, draw its blade, or even move. He simply held position as if waiting for him. Cal gunned the throttle and sent Siegfried charging forward as the black unit fell back. He fired his M4 rifle, but Blackadder easily weaved out of the way of the oncoming shots and began to flee across the underside of the clouds. Cal continued to chase after him for what felt like miles before finally managing to catch up. He furiously hacked Siegfried's blades at the black unit which deflected and evaded Cal's attacks with ease as they broke above the clouds where the rain and wind died abruptly.
"You allow your emotions to cloud your accuracy and focus in battle." Blackadder observed as Cal continued to attack relentlessly, the two whirling around each other. "I can help you fix those faults if you let me help you brother. You're wasting your time fighting so why not come with me? Do you really want to keep fight the DRAGONs that killed your little girlfriend? You think you're a hero in some epic story but it's about time you wake up. You can't save anyone. Not your fellow Norma at Arzenal. Not Coco. Not Zola. Not your precious girlfriend Naomi and especially your false parent Gaz."
"Shut your mouth!" Cal screamed as an opening finally presented itself. He plunged his blade at the enemy's shoulder only for it to be blocked by a large pink energy shield that formed across its forearm. Blackadder kicked Siegfried flank with tremendous force and Cal was slammed hard into the left side of his cockpit. Shaking off the delirium, Cal pulled himself up upright and snatched his M4 from Siegfried's wing, flying around to get a hit. Blackadder merely swerved around with his shield up, blocking all the bullets until Cal ran out of ammo. 'This guy is something else.' Cal gasped, starting to feel himself running on fumes. 'How is he able to move like that. He's too quick.' Then an idea struck him. 'He may be quick, but he can't outmatch Siegfried's Valkyrie system.' It was a gamble, but it might just work.
Once again, Cal charged forward blades drawn, concentrating with all his might, focusing all his energy and heart to protect those he cared about into Siegfried itself. A familiar surge of energy rose from the core of the ruby gem upon Cal's wrist as the power ignited. In a flash its armor changed from green to race yellow once again and Siegfried burst forward with a jolt of unearthly speed towards Xerxes as a rupture of red lightning exploded from its four wings. Cal slashed both his blades sideways towards the enemy cockpit, only for it to suddenly vanish once again, this time materializing behind Siegfried. Before Cal could react, Xerxes raised both arms and fired two grapnel lines that coiled around Siegfried like a snake.
"How are you doing this?" Cal asked, the shock draining away the surge of power that had coursed through him. "You're not human."
"Oh you are right about that dear brother." Blackadder chuckled. "I am much more than a mere human." Cal wrestled with the controls, trying to jerk free but Blackadder's grapnel held firm. 'Come on it can't end like this!' He thought desperately before a green light shone through the gaps in Siegfried's cockpit. In an instant, the canopy was yanked off by the Light of Mana, leaving Cal exposed as the jet-black unit towered over him. Its cockpit opened and Blackadder stood up to point something at him that erupted with a soft pop.
"Ow!" Cal yelped as he felt a sharp prick in his neck as though he had been stung by a hornet. He reached up and pulled out a tiny thumbtack size dart from his jugular. "What the hell did you just…" The world became a fuzzy blur and in his surprised shock Cal was vaguely aware of his body going limp as his brain went numb and the entire world fell away. The last thing he remembered as he slid out of Siegfried's cockpit was the sound of Ange and Hilda's voices begging him to come back safe before he fell into complete darkness.
"Wake up Cal." A distant cold voice hissed through the blackness. Slowly, Cal's numbed brain and body came back, and he once again found himself in the icy mist of darkness. "Wake up dear brother." Through his blurred misty vision, he could make out a skinny figure standing behind the haze. Cal tried to move but it was as though his nerves and muscles were locked in place. "Don't worry, you're not dead. Just temporarily paralyzed." The icy mist blew away and everything became steadily clear as Cal looked up and grimaced at the sight of Subject Beta, his long white hair dancing in the wind. Cal tried to move but whatever he was tranquilized with was so strong he was barely able to flex his fingers. Shifting his eyes, he saw that he had been placed with his back against a large rock along the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea. The storm was over, and a sliver of golden light was creeping over the horizon to signal the approaching dawn. Where was he? And how long had he been knocked out?
"Xerxes caught you after you fell. We then brought you AND your machine here for a safe landing." Xerxes? Was that the name of Blackadder's unit? "You know you're quite an amazing creature Cal." Blackadder admitted as he removed his sunglasses, his slit pupils studying him. "I always knew you and I were the same despite our different upbringings and positions."
"I'm nothing…like you." Cal slurred, his parched mouth making speech nearly impossible. "You're…nothing but a cold…blooded…monster."
"Well to each his own." Blackadder shrugged. "I admit I've killed dozens of Ancient folk and Humans. But your body count is hundreds more than mine. You just don't know it yet." Now what was he rambling about? The only people Cal had killed were a few scumbag humans who tried to kill him first. "And do you know why? Because you blindly follow orders of a leader who only sees you as a tool in her quest for revenge." Feeling was starting to creep back into Cal's body, and he shifted his eyes to see Siegfried a few yards away to his left. He then looked at his wrist and saw to his horror that it had been removed. "I've watched you for so long and it pities me to see how blind your loyalty is to your Commander. You don't really know who you've been fighting for or against. But know this, everything Jill has told you is a lie." From out of his pocket, Blackadder drew Siegfried's bracelet and idly twiddled it in his hands. It was then that Cal noticed Blackadder wore a black leather glove on his left hand while his right adorned a ring with a royal blue gem on his index finger. Almost the same as Ange's ring.
"What's your point?" Cal finally asked.
"My point is despite everything you've done and will do for your Commander and the Ancient Folk, eventually they'll replace you when you fall. Unlike Ange, you're expendable to them." Blackadder chortled as if making a joke and the coldness of it made the hairs stand up on the back of Cal's neck.
"Don't you ever change the record" Cal sneered. "You can tell me lie after lie, but I'll still never believe you. I chose to be Siegfried's pilot on my own terms so no one else I love dies! If Jill didn't believe in me, she never would have trusted me with it in the first place."
"Brave but stubborn." Blackadder commented with a roll of his eyes. "That combination will get you killed if you're not careful." Kneeling to Cal's eye level, he grasped Cal's chin and roughly lifted his gaze to meet his own. "You want to use the ancient folk's machine to keep the people you care about safe? Admirable but I wonder if there's something else you want. Revenge maybe? Against Dutch and Trager and all those who've made you suffer?" Throughout the entire they'd been talking, Blackadder never once took his eyes off Cal, there was an almost hungry look in them. "I can help you with that if you'll let me."
"Then why did you stop me from killing him?" Cal demanded.
"Simply killing him won't be enough." Blackadder explained. "To truly destroy Mr. Vilson we must ruin his credibility as well. But in order to do so, I need the files you took from Trager's manor. I know you have them."
"Huh?" Cal gawked beyond confused. "What do you want with those files? And what good are they against Dutch?"
"That's not for you to worry about." Blackadder said. "Even if I told you I doubt you'd understand the more 'technical' aspects of them. All you need to know is that you were never supposed to take them. I had been planning for months to get rid of Villson, but it's not too late. Just give them to me and Dutch Villson will be out of our lives forever." Blackadder's eyes glinted with maliciousness, and it made Cal suspicious as to what his true motives were.
"I lost them." Cal said truthfully.
"What?!" For a moment blank shock filled Blackadder's evil eyes but then it was gone. "Where? What happened?" There was panicked undertone to his voice and Cal took more than a small amount of pleasure in finally giving his tormentor a taste of his own medicine.
"I lost them in the woods. I don't know where they are." Cal told him, not bothering to mention he had lost them during his fight with Dutch. "Don't ask me how. I doubt you'd understand the more, 'technical' aspects of it." Blackadder bristled and for a second, it almost seemed as if his eyes were glowing before he took a deep breath and calmed down.
"Very well then. But that does cause us both some problems with Dutch still in our lives." Blackadder said quietly, his face calm and plain. "I thought today would be the day we'd finally become real brothers. But that will have to wait until our enemy is dealt with first." Cal could feel whatever Blackadder had drugged him with start to wear off as he could feel his muscles start to flex and pump again. He just had to keep Blackadder distracted for a few more seconds.
"And what make you think I'd ever go with you?"
"Because you have no idea of the blood that runs through our very veins and the connection we share." Blackadder answered as he leaned in closer. "Beyond any human, Norma, or royalty. You've always believed your birth and status as the first and only Male Norma was a freak accident. But you have no idea just how special you truly are in this world…and to ME." Blackadder's expression grew hungrier. "But before I leave, I'll make you an offer. When the time comes, when I should appear to you in person again, when you finally see the truth kept at Arzenal and all the Commander's lies are out in the open; I want you and your friends to join me. Just imagine what we could accomplice together, what we could create for a new world…as ONE."
"Screw off!" Cal snarled. "I don't know what you're planning but there's no way I'll join up with you. And neither with any of the girls at Arzenal. Sorry, but you're not their type."
"Fine have it your way then." Blackadder said as he stood up. Returning his sunglasses to his face, Blackadder began to pace backwards towards the cliff. "You really want to keep fighting? You can't fight your way out every time. Sooner or later, it'll get everyone you love killed until one of us falls. Is that what you truly want?" Blackadder turned away and Cal, with all the strength he could muster leapt up and grabbed onto him in a full nelson.
"You're not going anywhere!" Cal yelled, he wasn't going to let this guy anywhere near Arzenal. Cal still had questions but letting someone like Blackadder running around wasn't worth it. And he doubted anything he told him would be the truth anyway. Unfortunately, the adrenaline wore off too quickly and Cal's grip loosened enough for Blackadder to slip free. In a blur, he spun around and with far greater strength than his slight build could suggest, grabbed onto Cal's jumpsuit and flipped him onto his back. The breath was driven out of Cal as he felt something in his hand and looked down to see Blackadder's glove in his grip. He rolled over, and to his shock Blackadder was grasping his left hand in a mixture of horror and pain, almost as if he had been injured. Whatever had happened, the extremity was gaunt, waxy, and blackened as though it had been badly burned. But what kind of a burn would cause lizard-like scales to grow across the skin?
"I wish you hadn't seen that!" Blackadder angrily hissed as he spun and dove over the edge of the cliff. Cal scrambled to the ledge only to halt as the Xerxes floated up before him with Blackadder standing in the cockpit "I'll leave you to think on my proposal…BROTHER." With a flick of his wrist, Blackadder tossed Siegfried' bracelet onto the ground before Cal just before the sun finally peeked over the horizon and a sudden flash of light blinded Cal's vision. And when it cleared, Subject Beta and his unit had vanished, leaving Cal all alone.
With a groan of exhaustion, Cal rolled over and collapsed on the edge of the grassy cliff. It had been one hell of a night. The last time he had felt this wasted was when he and the others first fought the Scarlett Demon. As the warm sun played across his face and a cool morning breeze caressed his face, Cal could have sworn he heard something like a transport slowly approaching him, but he dismissed it as just the waves lapping along the shore underneath.
'Ange, Hilda, and the others are all safe.' he told himself. 'The humans don't know where I am. And I still have a few days left until I'm due back at Arzenal. I'm just going to rest here…for a little bit…'
The last thing Dutch remembered was falling until he smashed into the back of his cockpit and then nothing. He opened his eyes to see a stream of sunlight shine through the roof of his cracked cockpit. Every part of his body ached; especially his head which felt warm and wet across its back. He reached back and winced from a burning sensation in his skull as he pulled it away to see his palm had turned completely red. Clenching his teeth hard, Dutch channeled his Mana, allowing it to flow steadily through his body like a river and felt the pain begin to subside. Suddenly, Dutch felt the goosepimples on his arm rise and something told him he had company just before the canopy was torn off its hinges and the early morning sun blinded him.
"Hello there Mr Villson." came a cold soft voice. Through Dutch's blurred vision he saw a pair of icy blue eyes with slit pupils glaring back at him.
"You bastard, I swear I'll rip your throat out!" Dutch roared. He reached for the pistol holstered next to his seat only to feel a hand close around his neck, cutting off his air.
"You're coming with me. Master Embryo wants a few words with you about your suspicious activities." Dutch felt a nasty jerk behind his navel and the next thing he knew everything went black. He was being pressed hard from all directions. He could not even breathe as the grip tightened like a snake coiling all around him. His eyes balls were sinking back into his head, his ear drums pushed deeper into his skull until... he fell.
When his consciousness returned, Dutch gulped whole lungfuls of warm air as his eyes snapped open to see he was lying face down on a carpeted office floor. And sitting behind a wooden desk, his book closing with a snap, Master Embryo sported an irate look on his face.
However long Cal was asleep, when he opened his eyes, he found himself in what looked like the interior of one of Arzenal's VTOL transports. His head throbbed as he sat up and looked around. In the back of the aircraft, Siegfried had been brought on board as well. "Hello?" he slurred, still feeling the aftereffects of Blackadder's drug. "Mei? Jasmine? Maggie?"
"Good to see you up and about." A male voice said. Cal jumped off the cot and looked around to see a silver haired old man sitting across the way, his hands resting on a walking stick.
"Who are you?!" Cal demanded as he readied himself. Whoever this old man was he didn't seem threatening, but Cal wasn't about to take the chance. "Where am I? You come near me and I'll…"
"Calm down kid. You're in safe hands now." A hard gravelly voice calmly that sounded oddly familiar told him. Cal turned and standing in the hatchway to the cockpit, a tall man with a half-scared face and one blind eye gazed at Cal with a mixture of amusement and shrewdness.
"Captain Jacob?" Cal gasped, a sense of relief washing through him at the realization he wasn't back in the hands of the NMB. "What are you doing here?"
"Dolton dropped us a line on what had happened." Jacob explained. "We immediately contacted Jill to confirm Siegfried had disappeared from Arzenal's storage and she gave us access to its locator beacon."
"Apparently, Zhao Fei-Ling's little sister was up in panic about it." The elder man chuckled. Cal doubted he'd find it so funny if HE was the one who'd have to explain to Mei what happened. "In any case, we were worried the NMB, or that mysterious Ragna-mail pilot had captured you so we came immediately with a full assault crew. But you seem to have made it out in one piece on your own. We administered an antidote for whatever it was you were drugged with. I know you'd probably want some rest after the night you've had but we have questions for you. Then after you get back to Arzenal you can sleep as much as you like." Leaning on his walking stick, he offered his hand to Cal. "By the way, the name's Hosea. Oldest Ancient folk alive, second in command of the Sanctuary, and head supervisor of Coms & Intel."
"Nice to meet you." Cal said as he accepted the hand.
"Corn! Corn!" a high voice squawked at Cal's feet. He looked down and what should he see but a black raven with painted red stripes. "Corn, corn, corn!" Cal gritted his teeth as the cawing only made his headache worse.
"Pipe down you greedy skanky eyed pigeon!" Hosea scolded and the bird flapped its wings indignantly.
"But how did you manage to find me when Siegfried had been disabled?" Cal asked. "The radio and navigation map weren't working when…" Cal paused, not wanting to say his copy's name. It was like having ice in his throat. "…when we got attacked."
"We built that machine kid, remember?" Jacob reminded him. "But more importantly, you'll be pleased to know Ange and the others are safe. We've radioed your status to them, and they've already been sent on ahead to Arzenal. That Hilda girl's got real spirit. She told me to relay a message. 'Get your butt back to Arzenal right now so I can kick it.'
"Yeah, that sounds like Hilda." Cal sighed.
"I wouldn't worry too much about it." Hosea mused. "Whatever worry they had about you is the LEAST of their problems. I doubt Jill will give them a warm welcome when they arrive. Despite our losses the mission was a success." Jacob and Hosea's expressions dropped, and Cal hung his head in shame.
"I'm sorry, none of them would have died if it weren't for me."
"Hey, don't do that." Jacob said sternly. "Besides if you weren't able to break through Siegfried's limitations and summon it to you then everyone would have died and the mission would be a real failure."
"Don't let it eat you up kiddo." Hosea added. "Save the blame for Villson and his friend."
"But if I had just stayed on course." Cal said. "If I hadn't gone to Trager's house then Dutch wouldn't have tracked me down and we wouldn't have had to even deal with him in the first place!"
"Cal, what's done is done." Jacob said. "And we don't blame you for what happened. All those who partook in the mission of rescuing Ange knew how important you both were and those who still live will continue to protect you. We understand how you're feeling."
"No you don't!" Cal's voice yelled. "How many more will die because of me when I can't save them? I choose to be Siegfried's pilot and even with the Valkyrie system I still can't keep those around me safe!" Everywhere Cal went death surrounded him. Allies, friends and loved ones constantly giving their lives to keep him alive. He couldn't stomach it anymore.
"Cal suffering like this proves your still a man." Hosea said. "This pain is part of being human."
"Then I don't want to be human!" The humans were nothing but hypocritical pigs who threw away the Norma and still expected them to protect their ungrateful lives against the DRAGONs. "Let me out!" Cal stood up clumsily and stumbled towards Siegfried. What if Subject Beta was watching at this very moment? He then noticed the bracelet was still missing off his wrist and turned to see Hosea holding it in his hand. "Give it to me."
"No." said Hosea simply.
"Give it to me!" Cal repeated.
"No!" Hosea repeated more sternly. "Not until we've had our say. Then you can have yours."
"You are all in danger just being around me, don't you understand?!" Cal yelled.
"Our lives have been in danger since the moment we were born." Jacob stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "Not having you around isn't going to make it any better. We have a duty and obligation to look after our comrades, especially you. Furthermore, you will hear us out, because you are not nearly as angry with us as you ought to be."
"What are you talking…"
"All the blame of the hardships you've suffered this past year lies with us. And me especially." said Jacob. "Sit down." It was not an order it was a request. Cal hesitated and returned to his cot.
"Cal, we owe you an overdue explanation." said Hosea, he and Jacob both sat across the cabin and keeping eye contact with Cal. "An explanation of our mistakes, both what we have done and not done regarding your welfare."
"I don't understand." Cal interrupted. "What welfare? I didn't even know about you people until a few days ago."
"The truth is Cal, all of our past and current mistakes regarding you simply comes down to hubris." said Jacob. "You should have never been put in a position to leave Arzenal and go on such a dangerous mission when you of all people are in more danger from the outside world than anyone else."
"Because I'm a male Norma."
"Exactly." Hosea nodded. "Nevertheless, we took Jill for her word that you were best suited when we have more capable soldiers who have done this before. As a result, you experienced pain and learned things that you weren't ready for." As Hosea spoke, Jacob looked ashamed of himself and Cal leaned back against the bulkhead.
"But how were you to know that Dutch Villson was hunting me and all of you down?" Cal asked. "None of you knew the guy was alive this whole time."
"Maybe but we all promised Gaz to look out for you, and we failed." Jacob continued. "And the fact is Gaz's death was our fault."
"Hold on." Cal told them. "It was Dutch Villson who killed him."
"Well, we're not so arrogant to take full responsibility for what happened to Gaz." Hosea admitted. "But for what we didn't do or what we could have done to prevent it is our fault. So please listen to what we have to say. If afterwards you are unable to trust us, we have fully earned it." Cal leaned forward and listened as Jacob began his story.
"Almost 19 years ago, the Norma and Ancient Folk received an anonymous message from an uncharted island. That messenger turned out to be from Gaz, who claimed to have a baby with him. That baby as we found out that night was a male Norma."
"I already know all of this." Cal commented. "Jill and Jasmine told me when I was first assigned to Siegfried."
"Of course." Jacob a little apologetically. "But it is essential we start there. Gaz told us that your being born a Male Norma was a freak accident. Ever since then you have always been under our protection. We gave our promise to Gaz to keep the Norma, Arzenal and our people's existence away from you, in the hopes you would grow up healthy and unscared."
"But even after Libertus was lost and most of our people were killed 10 years ago," Hosea interrupted, "we went into hiding, hoping one day to rebuild our army for Libertus to one day succeed. Even in our dire situation and finding a safe sanctuary for our people we decided to put your priority first. That is why we kept away from you, so you'd not have to bear the burden of our failures."
"A decision we deeply regret." Jacob sighed. "Because once we discovered the experiments your poor mother and who knows how many other Norma went through were still continuing, we knew there was more to your creation than what Gaz knew. Something you confirmed to us during our conversation the other day. But still we decided not to contact you feeling we would bring nothing but unbearable hardships to you both." Cal felt the hollow in his chest expand with every sentence. "But as it turns out, our lack of contact did more harm than good. If we had been there or had close contact with Gaz, then Gaz would not have died protecting you from Dutch. That's why his death was our fault." Cal would have been so interested to know all this a year ago, but after all was said and done it didn't change a thing.
"But why didn't any of you tell me any of this before?" Cal whispered. "Why now?"
"After all these years, after all you've suffered, I didn't want to cause you any further pain." said Jacob quietly and Cal swore he saw a tear form in his good eye. "I…we all care about you deeply Cal, ever since the first day we met you on your home island. Norma, human or Ancient Folk, you and Gaz have always been one of us. And we failed to look out for you both. Gaz is dead, you've been left to fend for yourself at Arzenal, and now the burden of being Siegfried's pilot and the Knight of Villkiss lie upon your shoulders. You should never have been put in a position to go after your comrades on such a dangerous mission. It was our responsibility to keep you safe instead of putting you in mortal danger." Cal lifted his gaze and to his surprise, Jacob was smiling proudly at him. "But yet, you took on that responsibility and did something we thought impossible. You reawaked Siegfried from its slumber and even managed to use the Valkyrie system to save your comrades just as you've demonstrated last night."
"Even with our failures to protect you from going out into the open, you still triumph." Hosea smiled warmly. "You discovered valuable information regarding your newly discovered royal heritage and the seed sample that could finally give us all answers as to why you were created. You bested Dutch Villson and avenged so many of our fallen comrades. You even survived that unknown pilot and for that we are proud of you." Cal felt a sudden elevation within him from those words that seemingly filled the hallow guilt within him with warmth. "Though we were initially skeptical of Jill appointing you as Siegfried's pilot, know that we couldn't have been more wrong. You have proven yourself more than worthy and after all you've suffered, we are in your debt. We're sorry Cal." The two men bowed their heads and Cal shook his head.
"There's nothing to be sorry for." He told them. "All that matters now is we take care and look out for one another." The two men raised their heads as Cal stood up. "Libertus is almost here and if we are divided, we will fall. But united we stand a chance at finally defeating our enemies. Especially Dutch." For now, though, there were more pressing matters to discuss.
"What is it Cal?" asked Hosea reading the disturbed look in Cal's face. Though he didn't want to think about him anymore, Subject Beta, aka Blackadder, posed a serious threat to them all. Maybe even more so than Dutch. Jacob and Hosea had been the only people who had been honest with him, and it was about time they knew the whole truth regarding what Cal had discovered in the other file from Trager's house.
"It's about that pilot I fought a few hours ago." Cal said nervously.
"We were meaning to ask about that." Jacob remembered. "Did you find out who this pilot is? And how did you escape?" Cal took a deep breath to prepare himself as his heart began to beat fast against his ribs.
"That pilot…is…my clone."
In the silence of her office Jill looked over the message she had received on her Data pad. Once dawn had arrived the usual drills and squad training resumed as normal, and she had taken that opportunity to check the situation regarding Siegfried's sudden disappearance last night. 'Did Cal actually reactivate the Valkyrie system from such a long distance?' She wondered. Granted the Ragna-mail had the ability, but Siegfried was supposed to be just an imitation of them. And how did he do it? Unless he took the bracelet along with him when he left. 'I don't think even Istvan managed to pull that trick off.'
THE MISSION HAS BEEN A SUCCESS. ANGE IS NOW IN OUR CARE AND WE HAVE FOUND SIEGFRIED. TUSK AND THE SURVIVORS OF TEAM G.H.O.S.T. WILL BE DELIVERING THE ESCAPED NORMA AT ARZENAL'S SOUTHERN BEACH GATE. I WILL ARRIVE SHORTLY AFTERWARDS WITH CAL AND SIEGFRIED. ONCE I GET THERE, WE NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE CHAT IN PERSON. THE SITUATION IS MORE DIRE THAN WE RELIZED. I'LL EXPLAIN EVREYTHING ONCE I ARRIVE BUT ITS ABOUT TIME CAL KNOWS THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT MY PEOPLE, THIS WORLD AND EMBRYO.
-JACOB.
Jacob had not revealed any details on what exactly had happened once Ange was rescued, which irked her more than a little. But, if he was willing to meet in person despite the risk of detection from the two humans on the island, then whatever had transpired in the past few hours must have been serious indeed. Her office door opened, and Jill lifted her gaze as Jasmine and Maggie both entered.
"Any word from Jacob on Siegfried's whereabouts?" Maggie asked. Jasmine on the other hand just glared with daggers in her eyes at Jill. Ever since Cal's departure Jasmine had remained indifferent towards her for sending him on such a dangerous mission.
"They found Siegfried and are returning soon with Ange and Hilda." Jill informed them. "In the meantime, we need to deal with Jacob. He's coming here personally and wants to talk in person regarding Cal."
"Has something happened?" Jasmine worried.
"I don't know. But whatever it is it's not good."
"I did warn you Jill that sending the poor boy alone was a bad idea." Jasmine grimaced. "I just pray he's in one piece. If he's suffered more trauma then that's on you, Alektra." The emphasis on Jill's real name only irritated her even further. "I also find it rather heartless that you didn't invite Salia here. She's been worried sick about Cal for days now."
"Salia knows of the situation and will keep her squad in check once Cal is back on base." Jill said, dragging out the last of her cigarette. "I don't need first squad to run their mouths in case the Inspector suspects something. We need to keep the story straight of Cal's departure. Especially with Libertus so close." At that moment the office door was kicked open, causing everyone to jump as Jill reflexively reached for her magnum, but halted when she saw it was Scarlett. And the look on the young Captain's face was furious.
"I thought it was rather odd that Salia had abruptly stopped our group simulator training for a private meeting with her own squad." Scarlett said her nostrils flaring. "And I overheard some pretty interesting things. I knew something wasn't right from the story you spun of Cal searching for Ange and Hilda across Arzenal's airspace. Now tell me, where is he and where have you sent him. Or I think the Inspector will be interested in your secret little meeting." Jill glowered at the threat as Maggie and Jasmine exchanged worried glances. It would be a waste to kill Scarlett here and now. Not to mention the attention it would bring if such a high-ranking soldier suddenly disappeared. But if she ran her mouth then Libertus would be in jeopardy. Ten years ago, both Zola and Scarlett had been considered to be part of Libertus but were declined due to their age. Maybe it was time to rethink that.
"Okay I'll tell you where he is. But first I have a proposal for you." Scarlett pulled chair and sat down.
"I'm listening." Maggie and Jasmine however did not like where this was going.
TO BE CONTINUED…
