Author note: It's amazing how much you can get done when stuck at home sick. I cracked this out in a week. It then took me almost a week to proof because, jeez was there some bad mistyping and spelling errors, like holy carp.
Still feels like there's something wrong with the chapter, but I can't find it/put my finger on it though so, eh, whatever, hope you like this chapter and the way things are moving!
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Aggy opened her eyes and found herself staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling that was the color of whipped cream. Her body was oddly comfortable, a soft mattress below her, and warm covers ontop of her, and for a moment she just allowed herself to enjoy the comfort.
Until she realized for the second time that she did not instantly know where she was.
Bolting upright she glanced around in a slight panic finding herself in a generic looking room decorated and designed very clearly by Those of the Royal navy. In fact it looked very similar to Warspite's room, though it was about half the size, and not personalized in any way.
"Oh right, Belfast led me to this room when I, walked out of meeting with Queen Elizabeth," Aggy muttered to herself as her memory returned. Meeting Queen Elizabeth, listening to her spout her one sided drivel, walking out. She had expected Belfast, who appeared to be a maid who served Queen Elizabeth exclusively, to say something to her as they left the parlor, but she had been quiet the whole time until they had arrived at her room, where Belfast took a minute to explain its origination and make clear where she had put her clothes.
It was weird having someone put her clothes away for her. It wasn't like Belfast had done it wrongly or anything, it was just weird.
" . . . I guess a lot of things are going to seem weird," Aggy then muttered to herself before sighing and throwing the covers off herself to get dressed for the day.
Only for a pair of light but sharp knocks to come from the rooms only door.
"Miss Agincourt, are you awake?" Questioned Belfast from the other side of the door.
"i- I am," Aggy replied with a bit of worry as she chose some clothes and tossed them onto her bed. "Do you need something from me?"
"Your presence has been requested."
Aggy froze for a second before shaking her head. "Uh, by who?"
"Lady Warspite," Belfast stated instantly. "She requests your presence and is waiting by the dormitories main doors."
"Oh," Aggy said with a sigh of relief. "Okay, I'll be out in a moment."
"You are getting dressed then I presume?" Belfast asked. "Do you require assistance?"
"Um, no, I can dress myself," Aggy responded with a shake of her head.
"Are you positive?" Belfast pressed her tone odd, as if she was trying to be helpful. " As a member of the royal navy one must always look their best after all and-"
"Don't make assumptions!" Aggy snapped, before shaking her head to clear her thoughts. Yelling at every single person wouldn't get her anywhere, and Belfast was not trying to push the idea on her, she likely just hadn't been informed, or something. "Sorry, I mean, please do not make assumptions about me. Please." Aggy said as she walked up to the door and opened it, finding Belfast standing right in front of her, looking slightly surprised, but otherwise not angry.
"It is quiet alright," Belfast said with a smile as she took two steps back from the doorway. "I merely made an improper assumption from what I had heard from the conversation yesterday," she explained before gesturing down the hall. "Shall we?"
"My m-" Aggy stopped herself, and let out a small cough. "Warspite is just by the front door, right?"
"That is correct."
"Alright," Aggy said as she closed the door to her room and began walking down the hall, only to realize a second later that Belfast was following a step behind her. "Um, you don't need to follow me."
"I was asked to bring you, and I shall, it is no trouble," Belfast said with a smile.
Aggy opened her mouth to speak, but promptly realized she couldn't actually say anything that would not be rude. It was pretty clear that Belfast was going to follow her regardless after all. "Fine, whatever," she finally simply said as she moved down the halls and down a flight of stairs.
"May I ask you a question miss?" Belfast asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Um, okay? What about?"
"From what I had heard yesterday it had sounded like you had a particular relationship with Lady Warspite that few, if any, Ship-girls could say they have. Judging from your reaction earlier however, was that incorrect?"
Aggy opened her mouth to respond, and then stopped as she realized that the way Belfast had worded her question made it impossible not to explain the whole situation. "That's unfair."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing," Aggy said with a shake of her head as she stopped and let out a sigh. "Warspite is . . . my Mother."
"I see. Then are you not-"
"We do not know what I count as," Aggy spoke up, cutting Belfast off as she lifted up a hand and looked at it. "We do not know if I'm really human, a ship-girl, or something in between. The commander is going to have me go through some tests to find out one way or another. But he also made it clear i was going to have a say in what I do regardless of what the result was."
"I see. That does explain your words yesterday to her Majesty," Belfast said with a nod. "Thank you for sharing with me this information, and I apologize if it brought up worries.
Aggy turned to look at Belfast incredulously. "That's it?"
"Pardon?"
"That's it? Just that one question?" Aggy asked in surprise, before her expression tune tense. "No calling me out for what I said or trying to make me fit in?"
"It is not my place to make such statements to you," Belfast replied as she took a step forward so that he was beside Aggy. "Though I will inform you that word of your actions toward Her Majesty are starting to circulate among the upper echelons of the Royals, and that a formal apology would stop many from deciding to take the matter into their own hands."
"I'm not apologizing to that arrogant twerp of a-" Aggy stopped as she looked to see Belfast simply looking at her, and somehow felt there were unsaid words in her gaze. "I'm not at fault. She is the one who was making assumptions."
"Be that as it may, some may not see it that way, however if I say any more I shall be overstepping my bounds," Belfast sated with a smile as she turned and took a step own the hallway. "Lady Warspite is awaiting our arrival."
Aggy said nothing as she followed, the two of them continuing down the halls to main foyer where they could see Warpsite standing by the wall patiently.
"Ah ,there you are," Warpsite said with a smile as she looked to Belfast. "Thank you Belfast,"
"Of course, it is of no issue," Belfast said with a curtsy. "Do you require any more from this lone maid?"
"No, but thank you for offering Belfast, please return to what you had been doing before I took you from it," Warspite said, causing Belfast to curtsy again to both of them this time, before she turn and walked off without making a sound. "Sorry I was, unsure what your sleeping habits would be," Warspite said to Aggy after a few seconds of silence. "Have you had breakfast yet?"
"Um, no, I just woke up," Aggy said simply as she glanced down the hall that Belfast had wet down, catching sight of, something.
"Alright, then, would you like to get breakfast somewhere on the base?"
"Don't the dormitories have kitchens?"
"They do, however the Maids tend to use them exclusively here," Warspite said as she turned her gaze to the easily visible center garden. "And, a number of people will be having breakfast in the garden or the parlor soon."
Aggy nodded as she realized what Warspite was referencing. "Uh, are there a lot of options on the base for breakfast?"
"There are a few, if nothing else the main canteen is always open," Warspite said as he went up to the door and opened it. "Shall we?"
Aggy nodded and followed closing the door behind her. The early morning sea breeze was surprisingly warm, pulling Aggy's gaze skyward to a clear sky of early morning blue. As they walked she could see some people up and moving around the base. Some were marines and naval personnel, others seemed to be civilian contractors, and other were girls of various ages, some who looked barely into their preteens.
"Um, those girls, are they, kids of someone on the island?"
Warspite followed Aggy's gaze and shook her head. "No, those are Ship-girls. Fletcher Class Destroyers I believe."
"But they look like school kids," Aggy said before looking at Warspite. "Don't they?"
"Yes, they do," Warspite admitted. "They may act like kids sometimes too, but they are older than you are."
"But-" Aggy stopped and watched them seeming to play on the sidewalk, laughing and giggling as they went. "But they look like kids? Do they, not age?"
"Ship-girls don't age," Warspite said solemnly. "They have looked the same since they came into being, just as I have. Just as all of us have."
Aggy felt a lump form in her throat at Warspite's words as thoughts surfaced and made connections to things she had heard. "That's why the Commander wants me to be tested, that's why my, birth, was such a major deal, isn't it?"
"In part. Ship-girls do not age, but the known rule is that we cannot have children either," Warspite said as she looked at Aggy and smiled. "You were a, bit of miracle in that way."
Aggy was quiet as she pondered Warspite's words, what she had seen, and what she had thought she knew. In her silence Warspite led her to a nearby bench and sat her down before running off, coming back barely a minute later with a paper bag that she put on the bench before pulling what appeared to be hash brown patties out of it and handing one to Aggy. She took it, and after eating it, stared down at her hands. "My words before, my fears I told the Commander. They were more than a bit rude, weren't they?"
"Yes, though less than you might think," Warspite said as she finished one of her own patties and took out another one. "Most humans have certain, ideas, about what ship-girls are like, but that is because information on us is kept secret from most of society. Our creation, the facets of our existence, the war was too important to let loose lips sink ships, so to speak," she explained before taking a couple bites and continuing. "During the war our rights were barely existent, but now they are almost equal to the rights any humans has, though with a few qualifiers and the like."
"is that the reason why the commander wants to find out what I am? So he knows what rights I have?"
"Perhaps, but I believe it is also for some other reasons, including that the commander actually cares about all of us, including our well-beings. It's just he has to balance a lot including the whims of governments and-" Warspite stopped suddenly and put a finger to her left ear. "Yes, this is HMS Warspite. . . . . . . . . . . Understood. The commander wants us both to head to The R&D Building."
"What for?"
"Likely to start those tests for you."
"Already?" Aggy asked in surprise. "Isn't that too quick?"
"Not really. Naval R&D works directly under the Commander so they tend to work quickly, and if they are working with Vestal, she does not like to put things off," Warspite said as she stood up and tuned to Aggy. "Are you ready, or shall we go have a walk or two around the base?"
"What? But, didn't he saw we had to head over their now?"
Warspite shrugged. "I did not say I was with you, or where we were. If you need some time to get in the right frame of mind . . ."
Aggy started to think if she was ready, but then rapidly shook her head. "No, let's go. If I think about not doing it too much, I'll just psyche myself out."
"I understand, then let us depart," Warspite said as she offered a hand to Aggy.
She looked at it for a single second and took it, expecting that Warspite was just going to help her off the bench. Instead she found herself pulled up and then led away, Warspite not letting go of her hand as she began leading her down the roads of the base, giving information about locations as they passed them. A lot of the places, stores, shops and the like, were actually run by ship-girls in their free time or when not on missions and the more she heard the more Aggy realized that a life of combat and nothing else seemed to be incredibly rare for them. Unfortunately it was at that moment as they neared the R&D area that a voice called out to them.
"Aggy is that you?" Both Aggy and Warspite turned to see Helena approaching them, one of her arms covered in bandages, but otherwise looking fine herself. She looked rather upbeat and was smiling as she approached. "Are you alright? When I woke up they told me you were unconscious and saved me from the waves when-"
"Did you report it?" Aggy said seriously, catching Helena off-guard.
"What?"
"My pendant. When we first met, you asked me if I knew what it was," Aggy said tensely. "Did you know what it was? Did you report to someone about it?"
Helena looked at Aggy for a second blinking, before slowly nodding. "Well, yes, I could sense it was probably a wisdom cube. I just figured someone in your family had gotten it or something. Their location are needed to be kept note of after all and-"
"Why couldn't you just keep your nose out of my business?!" Aggy suddenly yelled, surprising both Helena and Warspite.
"W-what?"
"If you just ignored it, just, accepted what I thought it was, none of this would have happened! I could still be blissfully ignorant, I could still, just, but you, Damn it!" Aggy yelled with tears in her eyes as she tried to turn and run off.
Only for Warspite to quickly latch a hand around her wrist like a vice, stopping her from running away. "Not so fast, you are not running away like that!"
Aggy looked to Warspite and then to Aggy, and back to Warspite as she tried to say something, ending up instead just making distressed noises before she seemed to lose all strength in her legs and fell to the ground, Warspite still holding her wrist.
"I, um, is she okay?" Helena asked in confusion.
"No, she's just," Warspite paused to try to think of how to explain it before sighing. "Helena, please help me move her to that bench over there," She then said as she pointed to a nearby area of trees shading a pair of benches and a picnic table.
Helena nodded and said nothing as the two of them helped Aggy up and over to the bench. As they sat down Warspite held her close.
"Um, should I, go, or . . . .?"
"-rry,"
"Pardon?" Helena asked as she heard Aggy say something, between sobs that were, admittedly, getter fewer as she seemed to calm down.
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine, you didn't hurt me or-"
"It's not fine! I didn't, I shouldn't have blamed you I-" Aggy stopped s she looked at Helena and then at Warspite and hung her head down. "What is wrong with me!?"
"Um," Helena began as she looked to Warspite, hoping she held some answers.
"Aggy, I'm going to tell her. Is that alright?" Warspite asked Aggy as she held her against herself. Aggy simply nodded with a sniff. "Helena, you figured that Aggy just happened to have a wisdom cube and did not know it, correct?"
"Yes, that is what I reported, and what the commander figured as well," Helena stated.
"Well, the situation is a bit more complicated," Warspite said as she took a deep breath. "She is my daughter, and her father was human. That pendant, the shard inside is a piece of her own Wisdom cube."
Helena, to her Credit, did not speak instantly and appeared to be deep in thought for a few moments before nodding to herself. "So, she is, a ship-girl that did not know it then, judging by her words just now?"
"We do not know if she is, or is not, technically speaking," Warspite admitted as she looked to the nearby R&D area. "We were heading to meet with the commander to have some tests done to start finding out."
"I see, then-," Helena paused as she stepped closer to the bench and then crouched sown in front of Aggy. "Aggy, I'm sorry about what has happened to you, and I promise as your friend that it was never my intention to make things hard for you."
"I know that," Aggy said, her voice almost back to normal as she sniffed a bit. " I know that but, as soon as I saw you, all I could think of was everything that has happened and it, the question just, came out, my mind just started thinking of the worst ideas and . . . . . it doesn't make sense," She said as she slowly lifted her head and glanced at Warspite. "I've never had this much trouble controlling my own emotions or what I say. Do ship-girls have such troubles? Is it because I'm half and half? Is something wrong with me?"
"I'm sure there is nothing wrong with you," Helena said as she glanced at Warspite hopefully.
"She is right, there is nothing wrong with you," Warspite agreed before looking up at the R&D area. "However, if you belief your outburst was not normal, shall we bring it up in a few moments?"
Aggy looked up and followed Warspite's gaze before nodding.
"Then we should not wait any longer," Warspite said a she stood up. "Helena, would you like to come with us?"
"Me?" Helena asked in surprise. "Why?"
"Because you are Aggy's friend, and I think she could use one right now."
Helena looked at both of them and nodded.
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"This does not make sense," Vestal muttered to herself as she stood before an array of physical information. X-rays, Catscans, Engineering data, even Biological samples and Resonance data.
"How so?"
Vestal turned to see the commander had entered the room quietly, just in time to see him close the door behind himself. "Because everything here is far too irregular and makes nearly no sense," Vestal said as she began to explain. "From simple X-rays, she appears human. Skin samples and blood say the same, but her Plasma is more similar to a ship-girls, with trace materials no human could ever live with being present. The engineering scans we would normally use to find small ship damage detects her entire body as mechanical though, and the resonance test we did with her voice and the Wisdom cube piece in her pendant reached a nearly 79.735% resonance, and that is only with a fraction of the whole cube. And, to top it all off, her Catscans show her mind as somewhere between a humans and a Ship-girls as well, but also show significant deviations!"
The commander stepped up beside Vestal and looked over the screen of information, the screen taking up most of the wall. "At the minimum, does it conform anything one way or another?"
Vestal let out an exasperated sigh. "It confirms that she is, something, human and Ship-girl," she stated before stepping to the screen and brought one of the images closer to take up the whole screen. "Out of all of the tests, the only one that shows some potential is the Resonance test we did. However I am, worried about going ahead with more."
"Why?"
Vestal was silent for a moment before she turned around, looking out the large window into the main Medical R&D lab where Agincourt was sitting on a bench in a hospital gown talking with Helena and Warspite. "Commander, Do you know what a resonance test is?"
"Yes, you've explained it to me before," The commander said, letting out a sigh when Vestal did not speak up. "It is a test to make sure that a ship-girls words and thoughts, their mind and being properly resonate with that of their ship, allowing them to properly control it either as their full Vessel or as their rigging."
"That is correct, Commander," Vestal said as she turned back around to the screen and pointed at it. "Her resonance test marked her resonance at nearly 80%. Do you know what a normal ships resonance is?"
"I would assume 100% when they are fully healthy and there are no complications, yes?"
"Yes, that is correct. Resonance goes down when ones vessel is damaged, or they themselves become sick or have muddled thoughts or consciousness."
"Okay, so why is hers bad?"
"Commander how many pieces did you say her Cube are in?"
"Five, held by herself, Hood, Warspite, Queen Elizabeth and my Predecessor."
"So, it is broken into fifths, and one fifth was tested to show nearly an Eighty percent Resonance. Do you see the issue here?" Vestal asked seriously.
"Yes, I am beginning to," the commander said as he brought a hand up to his chin in thought. He let out a hum for a second. "I take it that a shard of a cube not being at 20% is strange?"
"I would not know. There has never been a case of a cube being in pieces before. The only time such a thing occurred, the cube disintegrated and the ship-girl in question died," Vestal said solemnly.
" . . . . What do you make of it then? I want your opinion."
" . . . . . . . . . It could be a glitch in the system, but professionally, I would have to say that the most likely outcome is that her resonance rate would be at that level even if the cube was reformed due to her being not wholly a ship-girl."
"And your personal opinion?" the commander asked, causing Vestal to sigh.
"I feel that, we perhaps have stumbled upon something that should not be, yet is," she said as she walked over to a desk in the room and picked up a cup off of it, taking a drink of whatever was inside. "Ship-girls cannot have children, we have known this for decades, and it was even experimented on when we had, less than human rights in some places. Nothing came of those experiments aside from some of us gaining mental scarring and a fear of men. According to science and what we know, she should not exist, yet does, and I feel that perhaps she is either an answer, or an end."
"That is, rather worrisome," the commander stated. "You do not worry she is some sort of, Siren trick?"
"No, nothing appears siren, even to an in depth look. If she was a siren, her history would be more spotless and less than it is."
"True, if the sirens created a false history for someone, I would guess it would look so normal that in itself would look abnormal."
"I agree," Vestal said as she put down the cup. "What worries me most is that I expect that her resonance rating is actually just her resonance with that one shard. If the resonance goes up when the shards are recombined, if her resonance goes up above the considered maximum of 100% . . . ."
"There is no way to know what would happen, or it if would though, correct?"
"Well yes, but conjecture would mean her potential is beyond what we know. And if nothing else, it could make her a target."
The commander let out a sigh that Vestal recognized as grim understanding, before her pinched the bridge of his nose. "If it's not one thing it is another. What about her emotional outbursts she mentioned?"
"I cannot say for certain, but I believe those may have to do with a combination of stress, and her Cube shard resonating with her due to the presence of other ship-girls, something she has not been near before if her records are accurate."
"And the remedy?"
"Likely the repairing of her cube, if I had to guess with only what data I have currently."
"So it comes back to the Cube then," the commander said with a nod. "Alright, then let's move forward with that. At the minimum reforming it could help her with those outbursts he is having and confirm your theory one way or another."
Vestal looked concerned for a moment before nodding in resignation. "Very well commander, but please, allow me to explain our reasoning. We would not want your reasoning sounding too loose after all."
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"They've been in there an awful long time," Aggy said nervously as she looked at the window on the far wall, cutting her off from hearing what Vestal and the commander were talking about.
"It hasn't been that long," Warspite commented from where she was sitting. "The tests themselves took far longer."
"Really? I thought they went by quickly," Aggy commented, getting a chuckle from Helena.
"Aggy, those tests took almost three hours."
Aggy turned to look at Helena in surprise. "Wait, really?"
"Yes."
"Oh. . . . . . Is my sense of time messed up now?"
"No, it's probably just you were curious," Helena suggested with a smile. " you were talking to Vestal almost the entire time after all."
"Oh. . . . . . Do you, think she'll find out what is wrong with me or . . . "
"Or?"
"Or confirm what I am?" Aggy asked nervously.
"No matter what vestal finds out, it does not change who you are, or what you have been through," Warspite spoke up suddenly as she gently grabbed her hand. "Okay?"
"R-right,"
Helena let out a sudden giggle, causing both Warspite and Aggy to look at her in confusion. "Sorry, it's just I wasn't sure I believed you when you claimed to be her mother, Lady Warspite, but you definitely look it right now."
Both Warspite and Aggy looked a bit embarrassed as Warspite let go of her hand. "Well, I, we're both still a bit new to this."
"What?"
"Um, I lived with my dad all my life, and M- Warspite says that we were split up when I was very young," Aggy explained.
"Oh, that makes sense," Helena agreed as she looked at Warspite for a moment. "Um, you had a husband then, a human, right?"
"Yes,"
"Um, what was it like?
Warspite's expression both softened and hardened all at once as she smiled slightly. "Some of the best times of my life."
"Even if you will outlive him?"
"I, already have, and yes."
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"it's fine Helena, both of us knew it would happen eventually, but we did not care. A time of happiness from being together with him was far better than never knowing it."
Helena opened her mouth to speak, but stopped as a door opening could be heard, drawing all three of their gazes to the side room where the commander and Vestal were now exiting. Aggy stood up instantly, but the commander stopped her by raising a hand as he and Vestal walked over and sat down across from them.
"First off, thank you for willingly participating in these tests Miss Anderson," Vestal began as she placed a folder on the table. "More importantly, your results are more confusing than enlightening, we will need to do more over the upcoming days, and will likely need to enlist the assistance of many of the islands human scientists."
"So, this was all for nothing?" Aggy asked nervously.
"No, it was not. While the tests do bring up more questions than answers, we have confirmed a number of things. The first is that that Wisdom cube shard is most certainly connected to you. Secondly, I believe your emotional outbursts may be related to it being in pieces, and your close proximity to Ship-girls, someone that is new to you, and may be causing it to start being more, active, for lack of a better term. Because of that I would like to attempt to reform your cube by gathering all of the pieces and seeing if reforming it possible in the first place."
"Doing this will not push you to being declared one or the other, if that is not your intention as of yet, I will add," the commander spoke up with a smile. "Do you understand?"
"Um, I think so," Aggy said as she looked to Vestal. "Do you think it can be reformed?"
"We would need the other shards to find out, one to test to be sure, but yes."
"Well, we could test it now," Warspite then spoke up as she took out a small jewelry box from, somewhere, and placed it on the table.
"Is that-?" Vestal asked cautiously.
Warspite nodded and gently opened the case, revealing a glowing blue stone barely the size of a thumbnail.
"The one Hood had?" Aggy asked.
"No, this is my shard, though, the whole thing is yours to begin with," Warspite explained as she gently picked up the shard and placed it on the table.
Aggy looked at it anxiously, and as she leaned forward to it a bit her pendant swung away from her body and the shard, very suddenly, flew through the air and clicked against the pendant, just like Hoods shard had before.
"Hmm, curious, they are attracted to one another," Vestal noted as she watched Aggy hold the pendant in one hand and very slowly pull the shard off the pendant.
"Yeah, but they, kind of act like magnets."
"May I, see the pendant for a moment?" Vestal asked carefully.
Aggy looked torn but nodded handing it across the table while holding the other shard in her left hand.
Vestal looked over the pendant for a few moments, everyone watching in curiosity as to what she was planning, and in a sudden motions, a very thin shaped layer of glass popped off the front of the pendant. "Try letting go of the shard."
"Um, couldn't it get damaged if I drop it?" Aggy asked in worry.
"Wisdom cubes are pretty sturdy, I wouldn't worry about that," Helena offered with a smile. "Besides, Vestal would never suggest anything that could hurt someone."
"Helena is correct. I am a Repair ship and would not suggest anything that could cause harm. I am curious if the shards, with that magnetism they just showed, will do anything different now that the pendants glass cover is removed. That is all."
Aggy thought about it for a second before nodding and letting go of the shard. She expected it to get drawn to the pendant again, but it didn't. But it also did not fall to the ground and seemed to simply float in the air, much to everyone's surprised and interest. It then, very slowly, started moving toward the pendant, and when it finally reached it, gently touched the other jewel, and began sinking into it, disappearing in a few seconds as if it never had existed in the first place.
"Um, was that normal?" Aggy asked after a full minute of silence.
"come this way!" Vestal then ordered as she dragged Aggy away from the table and back toward one of the machines, placing the pendant on a pedestal while she held a microphone in front of Aggy. "Just like before, sing, talk, or just say a few commanding phrases so the resonance machine can pick it up."
"Um, r-right," Aggy said as she looked at the mic. She didn't like this test. She didn't think she was too good at singing, and her voice was never to loud unless she was screaming, which was something she didn't like to do in the first place. Talking into the machine also felt really weird too. " u-um, Stop? Go. Uh, fire?"
"That is good enough," Vestal said as she looked over a screen and, for but a second, went wide eyes, then composed herself. "it appears your resonance has gone up a bit, despite the fact that the shard in your pendant has not gotten visibly larger. I would like you to acquire the other shards, but do not fuse them until you are here, understood?"
"Um, I think so. But I don't have the other shards so-" Aggy began to say, till Warspite spoke up.
"I have no doubt that Hood will relinquish the one she carries. The issue will be the ones that Her Majesty carries, and the one that was given to the Previous Commander of Azur Lane."
"Actually, my predecessor and I have spoken about this, situation," The commander spoke up, turning all eyes on him. "He will be coming to this base in the next few weeks and bringing the shard with him."
"Then Her Majesties is the only one that may pose an issue then," Warspite said with a nod as she crossed her arms and looked down in thought.
"Why would it be an issue?" The commander asked only to see Aggy and Warspite suddenly look rather concerned.
"well, let us just say that there was a, disagreement yesterday between us," Warspite began before sighing. "Her majesty was under the assumption that Aggy was a ship-girl for sure, and began, acting as her majesty does."
"Ah, I take it then that her request to speak to me later today is about these tests in some vein then, correct?" The Commander asked.
"Most likely," Warspite confirmed.
The commander let out a sigh. "Alright, I'll deal with her Majesty then," He said as he looked to Vestal. "That completes the tests for today, correct?"
"It does."
"Good, then Miss Anderson, considering the circumstances and Vestals request for most tests in the coming days, I would like you to be here for nine hundred hours tomorrow, and every day until she believes the tests are complete, or tells you otherwise. The rest of the day is yours to with as you please. Dismissed."
He three of them, Aggy, Helena, and Warspite, Got up and left with quick words of thanks, Helena and Aggy talking as they went, leaving the Commander alone with Vestal a moment later.
"I was surprised at Helena's appearance," Vestal said after a few more minutes of silence.
"I was too, but I'm thankful she came. It's good to see they are becoming friends, Miss Anderson will need them I wager," The commander agreed before he turned his gaze to Vestal. "How much did her resonance change?"
"For a moment, her resonance went up to 157.735%, but then it went down to 82%."
"So it improved. That is, good, yes?"
"Technically. The way it surged upwards has me worried however."
"Why?"
"Because such surges have occurred before, mostly in those who have managed to have retrofits done to improve their combat prowess."
"Such as Warspite."
"Yes. It has also appeared on rare occasion in a few others. Enterprise, Belfast, and Hood to name a few."
"So bigger players, those capable of turning the tides of battle. That is, concerning."
"Yes for, from what I've seen and you have said, she has little to no interest in combat herself, having been originally more than fine with helping Azur lane from the sidelines as support staff. Her resonance says otherwise however, which worries me greatly."
"Yes, I can see why. However, my decision will not change for now. Regardless of what comes from these tests, I will not force her to the frontline if she does not wish for it," the commander said as he stood up and began walking toward the door.
"Commander, while I respect such a thing, she may not have a choice in the matter if these results are anything to go by," Vestal cautioned.
The commander stopped just shy of the door and shook her head. "That is not right Vestal. Everyone, all the time, no matter the situation, has a choice."
"Sir, that is a bit optimistic, is it not?"
"Perhaps, but I do believe it whole heartily. Will you need me present to continue these tests?"
"No sir, I believe that I will only require a few of the scientist, who I will speak with this afternoon about acquiring their help. Would you like me to continue forwarding notes to you as I go through the tests over the next few days?"
"Please do. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare my office to be invaded by a queen," The commander said with a nod as he left, leaving vestal alone in the Medical research lab.
In the silence of the lab Vestal allowed her mind to wander for a moment, thinking on what she was currently dealing with, and knowing that things would only get more hectic, and possibly more dangerous, in the coming weeks. She only had roughly a week before she needed to head back to the mainland to check up on Yorktown as well, meaning she would need to make sure the naval scientists knew what they were doing for all of the tests.
"I suppose I am just lucky they tend to take their work rather seriously," She said to herself as she headed over to the office to compile all the data away safety on the labs secure network, not noticing that the vent in the ceiling was currently screwed in upside down.