Falke led her representative platoon toward the meeting. They were within opulent, decorated walls, almost futuristic compared to Sierpinski and so many other facilities in the control of the Nation. They resembled more the palaces utilized in the propaganda pieces against the Empire than any standard building. Yet, here Falke, Adler and their escorting Kolibri unit were, amidst the opulence of a country neither bogged down by Heimat's propaganda, nor destroyed by their own hubris. Yet.
The Commander of the Replika contingent hummed, keeping her spears behind her, the sharp tips pointing toward the Halo as to avoid hurting anyone. She floated beside Colonel Ironwood, much to his surprise, but the man seemed keen not to comment on the irregularity. She could feel his mind wandering about them and just how alien they were, considering everything.
It didn't matter. Falke thought it didn't, anyhow. They were freed from the curse of Sierpinski now, given a new lease of life on the planet they treaded now. The group entered the sprawling chambers of the Council of Atlas, a place with a hundred seats arranged like an amphitheater, the desks made up of wood, while the center had a tall platform of concrete and marble.
The Councilmen all looked like the usual old folks, however, ranging in ages from mid forties to probably early seventies. Some had the marks of combat on their skins and bodies, while yet more had prosthetic limbs to replace lost ones during fighting. Falke looked at the Colonel, who nodded before stepping forward, snapping a salute and stating, "Councilors. These are the people we've spoken about on short-wave com. Refugees from a nation they call Eusan. This is Commander Falke, the current 'de-facto' leader."
Falke bowed and spoke, "Greetings, Councilors. And thanks from the survivors of Eusan to you for allowing us to take refuge here," all while her own Bioresonance module activated. She worked to read their minds, boosted by the Kolibri Platoon behind her. She continued all the while, calm and serene, "Our people have undergone a harsh…" before she pursed her lips and thought of the best way to put it, settling on, "Awakening, let's say. The failure of several facilities and pieces of equipment has led to our untimely arrival within the borders of your land, where we encountered the strange anomalies you call the Grimm."
A few thoughts of concern passed through the minds of the Councilors, with the one sat 'equal above all', so to speak, staring at Falke from her chair. Hers were the toughest thoughts to read, but it was due to her seniority in the position, obviously. She leaned forward and asked with a gruff, old-sounding voice, "Will that cause trouble among our people, Commander?"
"No. The issue has been resolved by one of our own," Falke shook her head, then continued, "However, the main problem would be people not trusting quite a few of my fellow Replikas."
Confusion streaked across the crowd of Councillors, both visibly and mentally. She could feel the change of the tides as she put her hands together, stating, "I offered to be a representative to them to ensure that we negotiate a fair deal for us all, but their mistrust is understandable. The Nation of Eusan was a Police state, with the heads of it being some of our own."
"That's certainly concerning," Another Councilor, Blau, a male in his fifties, stated rather bluntly, "How do we know they won't be causing trouble then? Will they listen to you and your force? And what exactly are you and yours present here? You look human…"
"So long as I get results, I believe so, yes," Falke retorted, then put her hands behind her back, "As for what we are? We are Replikas. Machines built to assist the human workforce of what was once a unified Empire within our Solar System, bearing the same name as our Nation," then she scratched her cheek and sighed, "Before a Civil War erupted by the whim of our leaders, The Revolutionary and Her Daughter. Let's just say we're a product of an attempt to unify mankind that succeeded… Until it didn't."
People rumbled and rambled to each-other, though Falke could now more clearly feel their thoughts. 'Replikas', 'new programme', 'military use', 'guarding the refugees in exchange for promises'. Humans were truly predictable beings. The Head Councilor hit her hand on her wood desk twice, causing the room to go quiet. She asked Falke, "And how do we know this Revolution won't spread here, Commander? How do we know your people won't do the same here as they did there?"
"... A few cycles of seeing the same issues grow like rot in your country, both literally and figuratively," She replied, looking at her partner Adler, "And you start understanding that maybe some things should not have occurred," then she locked eyes with the Councilor, promptly surprising her with how human she was, "I can assure you, Councilor Grey, our people will not revolt or try to bring about our own ways. Not without your people's vote."
The woman blinked, then raised her hand and opened her mouth. Falke cracked a grin and said, "Oh, yes, I forgot to mention… We are quite literally a thought police," as she let out a short laugh, motioning to herself and her Kolibris and stating, "These symbols on my and my Kolibri Kader's foreheads denote that we are Bioresonant. A form of psychic power."
"... Gods," Whispered one of them.
She chuckled, while Adler clarified, "We can assure you, sirs and madams, that they can't mind control people. I don't think," before looking at Falke, who covered her mouth to hide a grin. He rolled his eyes, then said, "With that, they can read minds and manipulate reality around them. It is how we Klimaformed several planets for habitation."
"PLANETS!?" The entire room suddenly erupted, causing Falke to shield her auditory sensors and Ironwood to stare at them for a second, surprised.
Falke mock-cleaned her ears, then replied, "Yes, planets. The Empire of Eusan spread across our entire Solar System before it broke in half under the weight of the Revolution and led to our oppressive little regime," and she crossed her arms, "And to clarify a few concerned thoughts, Klimaforming is the same as Remnantforming in your science-fiction:Making a planet able to sustain carbon-based life. It's a long and arduous process… And it might even consume weaker Bioresonants."
Her mind went back to Ariane and Elster, wondering if that was also one of the plans if they found a planet, for a single woman to use all of her bioresonant power to build a new world she would not get to reap the rewards of. Sighing and stowing that thought, she noticed a few of the Kolibris staring at her while the Councilors spoke to each-other.
"... Could this tech, Space Travel and all else, be reproduced here?" The Councilor in charge of the public transport sector inquired.
Falke shrugged, "I don't see why not? Atlas seems like a technologically-advanced place, so building satellites should be easy eno-" only to pause as she felt a slight change in the room. Reading their thoughts and noticing the expressions on their faces, she inquired slowly, "Please, tell me you have the ability to retrieve fossil fuels from underneath the ice shelf, or at least from the water…"
The moment of silence caused the Replika to stare right back at them. Her Kolibri Kader chuckled a little, while Ironwood tapped his foot, arms crossed. She sighed deeply, rubbed her eyes, then said, "That's fine. The ARARs and Mynahs that we have present with our corps from Sierpinski should be more than capable of survey and well-building…"
"We have a means of powering our items already, although it doesn't work outside the Atmosphere," Another member of the Council spoke up. The Councilor of Energy, obviously. She looked up at him.
Ironwood replied, "Yeah. Dust. We have Dust to power our vehicles and equipment."
"... Ah," She sighed after reading their minds and crossing her arms, "I suppose that will do for a short while, however we have more efficient power sources…" before pausing and realizing, "I suppose I should get to the meat of our request. Our people need a place to stay, to gather and coalesce. If you give us a home, all of us, we will be more than glad to assist in Atlas's development. I will have Adler write a full list of the technologies we can provide, from orbital to medical, plus our labor as troops and police."
"I'm not sure how people would take having a 'thought' police running around," The Head Councilwoman spoke, leaning onto her desk, "It might be bad for optics if your 'Kolibris' did something based off of someone's thoughts which later turned out to be wrong? The Atlas and Mantle PDs would have a political nightmare on their hands."
Falke hummed, then looked back at Zucker, who cracked a smile at being allowed to speak. She took a step forward and snapped a quick salute, speaking with a slightly thicker accent, "Kolibri Kader Command unit S23-01. Call me Zucker, ma'am," as she slung her Drachen SMG slightly behind her to keep it pointed away from people. She said, "We're trained from creation to maintain a tight discipline of our actions. Unless we're actively sure of a crime being committed, we will not act without direct instruction from the Offizier in charge of our kader. Whether that be Kommandant Falke, Adjutant Adler or any police station we might wind up under the command of."
"And you can directly brief the people that they, like most Replikas that would join your workforce, are under strict supervision for testing," Adler then joined in, "Same as the rest of our units. We have everything ranging from Eule models, which are great cooks, teachers and support elements in clinics and medical centers, to Ara models which are amazing builders, if a little eccentric, Storch and Star units to assist as Riot Police and Mynahs for hazardous material cleanup and, when we will get to building those, nuclear reactor repair. We also have one Elster with us, plus several dozen of our people, all of whom have worthwhile trade skills."
"Living in Eusan means you have to learn how to work," Zucker spoke, smiling a little, "They would throw out the defective, obviously… But I doubt that'll be necessary here. We can even provide the means to build more of us, if need be, to further bolster the ranks of your forces. Obviously, after trials are complete and you are satisfied with the results."
"And your people?" Ironwood asked, looking at her, "They don't seem that happy about you all being here…"
Zucker smiled sadly, "The Nation created a certain divide between us and them. But I think the Kommandant intends for all of us to start fresh here…" before sighing and adding, "I'd like for people to trust me to be more than the 'eye in the back of their minds'. It gets tiring after a while to have to poke and prod. Doing normal police work sounds actually refreshing…"
Falke nodded, then added, "And we can be retrained, technically speaking, to forego all the items taught to us by the Nation. There will be teething issues, however…"
"Starlings and Storches are particularly brutal interrogators and police units," Adler mumbled, then added with a more clear voice, "But that can be fixed by keeping them Stable," all while staring down a concerned Colonel Ironwood. Deliberation started among the Council, while Ironwood stared at one specific person:A man clad in a more fancy white uniform, sat at the top. He was older than most of them and touted rank pins on his collars, denoting him as someone of high importance to Atlas's military.
The man spoke up and leaned forward, revealing his own scars, the white beard and hair and the medals pinned to his uniform. He spoke, "Colonel?" his voice sounding like sandpaper, "Do you trust these people?" before motioning broadly toward the force present in the room. Falke waited, feeling slight concern in her gut while she sat there.
"They helped us deal with that Grimm Horde, sir," The man nodded, "And they're being honest with us as far as I can tell."
The General hummed, then nodded, "I'd say we give them a shot. Spread the people between Mantle and Atlas…"
With the Civilians, outside
The ARAR units had started setting up temporary accommodations for the people and Replikas of Eusan's refugee group. Dozens of people from all walks of life, all sat around, looking at their peers and at the Replikas standing guard beside them. They'd isolated the Starlings and Storches from the pack, with Jaeger being the only one out of the group allowed to walk around, disarmed.
Some of the locals had come out to watch the strange new arrivals sitting in their fields. Others still walked in to provide food and water for the people as their constructor drones worked tirelessly to build up their temporary houses. Obviously, where the Aras had conjured the material from was unknown to anyone but them.
Ariane sat with Erika, Isa, Elster and her mom as they ate from ration packs. Rice and beef, surprisingly enough. Bougie food, Ari thought to herself with a smile as she sat with her friends. Her mother, meanwhile, worked with Elster on the radio to try and boost its range, just in case more people were gonna show up.
Although she saw Elster sneaking glances her way every so often and smiling…
Her mom and Erika, meanwhile, were grinning a bit whenever that happened, with Feldwebel Yeong herself checking radio frequencies and telling Elster, "You know, she was always something special," before letting out a short laugh and saying, "To think she's Bioresonant to the point she caused the 'Red Eye' to open up and let us all go…"
"... I'm just sorry I couldn't get to her in time," Elster whispered, "I had a Promise to Keep…"
"And you did, Elster," The woman replied with a smile, "I don't think I could've picked a finer Replika to be by my daughter's side in her final moments. Especially considering how you didn't surrender yourself to despair and got her… All of us… Out of that nightmare in the end," and she hummed, checking the Antenna and said, "You wouldn't happen to have a Replika transmitter system on you, would you?"
Elster nodded, reaching behind her ear and removing the item from its slot. She winced slightly as she did so, then handed it to the mother of her wife. Iris smirked and said, "Resourceful, too," before connecting the transmitter and starting to adjust the various knobs and controls. She put the headphone up to her ear and listened, hearing only static. She continued adjusting them, picking up some of the transmissions from local radio stations as she told Elster, "Y'know, she used to love reading books."
"She still does," Elster replied as she looked over the antenna, adjusting it a little and ensuring the connection between it and the Replika Radio system was properly wired for that range boost. She added, "Old Imperial serials… She managed to smuggle the packages you sent to her during training aboard the 512. Alongside all of that acrylic paint and the canvases. Entire ship was lined with her artwork," and she chuckled a little, "It made the place feel homey, in a way."
"Awww," Erika and Isa let out as they looked at a blushing Ariane. Iris's smile only grew at that, while her daughter let out varied noises of embarrassment, trying to eat in peace. Although the talking suddenly stopped, the crews turning to face Atlas Military staff with supplies rolling out in their trucks, right alongside Falke and her posse.
Elster spoke, "Here we go…" in a murmur.
Falke showed the few people and Replikas in the area who wished to stand up not to by waving her hand. Looking to her right, she saw the Colonel and the elderly General Graves, then breathed in and, while fiddling with her hands, she spoke, "Ladies and gentlemen, please, if you can listen for a moment, I have some good news. To the Aras, please, stop building."
The Aras turned to face the woman, some leaning against the scaffolds, while the civilians continued eating, many of them eyeing the commander distrustfully. Noticing and feeling that, she sighed deeply, put her hands behind her back and straightened up, "The good news is that the gracious Kingdom of Atlas has agreed to house us all, Gestalt and Replika alike."
A few smiles and quiet cheers filled the air. The woman still felt the underlying tension, however, as did her Kolibris. She saw the concern in the diminutive Replikas' gazes. The only steadfast beings in this entire mess were Adler, who was right next to her, and Elster, who stared right back at her. Falke breathed in, then began again, "There are no bad news, obviously… But rather a request. To my Replikas, we will be tested for integration into the wider Atlesian military structure and command."
"To the Gestalt civilians and workers… You will be able to live free and make your own choices," She offered, looking at them. She realized she still utilized her bioresonance to float right then, so, instead of that, she gently touched down and utilized her foot pads as support, staring at them all and feeling a mild return of hope. She spoke to them genuinely, "... The Nation of Eusan was a dictatorship. I and those of us who have been at the top of enforcing it will admit it first and foremost. We were in charge of oppressing you and even some of our fellows. No more…"
"The Replikas, as they were made by the Empress a century ago, were designed as aides, helpers, workers for their Gestalt comrades. The Revolutionary started our Civil War and turned this system on its head somewhat, utilizing us as her and her Daughter's tools to enforce her view of the world, based on ancient, failed ideologies of the past," She continued, watching the Civvies stand up. She told them, "I know… None of you have to trust us. I am not asking you too… I am asking you, however, to give us a chance."
She motioned to the General, Colonel and the other Atlas personnel, said, "The Council and Atlas in general have agreed to allowing us to stay here, so we may integrate into their way of life," Then she stared at Elster and the Yeongs, adding, "That means finding work, which, with the skillsets of many of the people here, should be an easy task," and that got a few short laughs, which made her smile, "It will take time. Years, perhaps. But after witnessing countless cycles of the same nightmares, I think we can withstand a few more years, should you allow us to prove to you we are fellow citizens, not overlords, nor slaves."
"... And so that we may build a better home for all of us here, in this new world that seems to need our aid," She finished. As murmurs began among the crowd of Eusan civvies, Falke felt the slight malcontent toward them. Despite it, a seeming pioneer spirit also grew back slightly, with Ariane cracking a smile at them. It didn't take long for the white-haired beauty of Penrose-512 to raise her hand.
She told Falke, "Apologies if I'm speaking out of turn, but…" and people laughed. She smiled and continued, "So long as you actually keep to your promise of behaving less like thugs and you go through the rigorous tests I'm sure Atlas has prepared for you all? We'll be perfectly fine trying to cohabit… Obviously, if you break our trust?"
"I know, miss Yeong," Falke replied, cracking a smirk, before joking, "I guess I cannot disobey our future Empress."
Laughter filled the air this time as the tension between the Replikas and the Gestalts seemed to fade. Moments later, consensus seemed to be reached in the minds of the people. Agreement to the plan, with the people providing cheers in one of the three ancient languages of the peoples of Eusan:German.
Falke knew this was gonna be one rocky road…
And yet, some hope still made her Biores module glow.
She paused, however, when she felt a pang of worry from Feldwebel Yeong. Ariane's mom. Looking over, she saw Ariane and Elster immediately take a knee beside the woman to listen in. She approached, parting the crowds of Eules, Aras and Civilians and settling down beside them, asking, "What news do you have?"
Iris adjusted the knobs, listening in, then her eyes widened. She spoke, "Hauptquartier General der Fünften Infanteriedivision, das ist Feldwebel Yeong, Sierpinski-S23 Kommandokader. Kommandant Falke is with me," which caused the entire crew to freeze. The General and Colonel of Atlas approached, while Falke hovered over to the edge of the floating island city and squinted.
In the distance, she saw them:Faint silhouettes, thousands of them, advancing over the tundra toward the city. She showed the Feldwebel to hand her the mic and the headphones, which she did. Putting them on, she spoke, "Comrade colonel Zhang, this is Falke-S23, Kommandant of the S23 Protektor Kader. You are approaching friendly territory. Be advised:Keep your weapons on safe as you approach, allied forces from the Kingdom of Atlas are a bit jumpy."
"... A Nazionale Volksarmee Division…" Erika whispered, staring out into the distance with the others. A Kolibri touting Binoculars and Adler approached the edge, too, staring out. Erika looked to Isa and said, "It's the 5th… Lilith's Division," and that caused Elster to perk up, looking at her. Iris noticed this and raised a brow.
Elster whispered, "I… My Gestalt engram served with them," as she stared, which caused Iris to nod in understanding. The distant form of the Infantry Division soon resolved as they came closer and closer to the walls of Mantle. Black hovertanks and transports manned by and carrying troops on their backs and inside their hulls slowly advanced. She spoke, "Command vehicles, transport IFVs and Skimmer light tanks… Gott…"
"And ten thousand of the Volksarmee's finest veterans," Iris spoke, arms crossed, "Fought across the flooded wastes of Humanity's old cradle, only to wind up in the wastes of a new one… Do you think that, maybe, they were brought over because of your link to them? Same as the rest of us survivors from Rotfront and Leng?"
"It's possible," Ariane murmured, then looked at Isa and Erika, "... Your Aunt?"
"If she came with them, she's in one of those IFVs," Isa replied, stunned. The group paused as they all began to hear quiet singing from the platoons. Advance scout vehicles, Skimmer battle tanks with heavy autocannons in their turrets, advanced first with IFVs that disgorged infantry through side doors. Replikas and Gestalts alike jumped out of the vehicles, noticed the Atlas troops on the walls, then waved.
The confused infantrymen waved back, eyes wide. The General stared, lifted up his com system, a 'Scroll', from what both Ariane and Falke could read, then spoke, "All Atlas troops, stand down. That's an Allied division linked to the Refugees we've just given asylum to. They're friendly…" before looking at Falke and asking, "What the hell are they all singing?"
Falke hummed, then smiled as she translated, "And for you, my darling, I will write you letters, but farewell for now! The Bugle Calls! Soldiers, onward!" singing to the tone. Ten thousand men, women and Replikas belonging to the Eusan Volksarmee. Normally, any nation without context would see this as an invasion force. A threat to national security.
But, as the Council got on the Horn to announce that their new arrivals were all 'friendly and considering the fact they were part and parcel the same nation as their newfound 'comrades' and inhabitants, General Graves couldn't help but crack a smirk. That was ten thousand more veteran men and women, armed to the teeth and very likely willing to protect those within the walls of Atlas. He even saw anti-air systems among the columns of vehicles advancing toward them.
This ought to shift the balance of power a little…