●　● Manila-East Quezon Region

With that next swing with a hand squeezing at her neck, she felt the sharp ringing of the metal contacting his skull. The hand slipped off immediately and she struck once more. He strangely hadn’t the strength to push her off of him as light as she was, allowing her to continue angrily swinging and bludgeoning the man’s head until she felt him stop.

She felt the warm body underneath her, motionless. And despite the numbness in her right hand, she still could make out the wet stickiness coming from the grip of her pistol and the smell from the blood she spilled. She looked up to see the other motionless body laying across the concrete near the van she hid behind earlier.

Both seemed to stare back at her with haunting, enraged intent; the faces were both bloodied beyond any possible recognition.

No! She wanted to scream out but found her mouth wouldn’t open. I didn’t mean to do it! Stop! Tears wanted to fall, but nothing moved, nor either of her feet.

She could see the writhing souls emerging, slowly drifting her way. They began to wrap around her, constricting her body, squeezing once more at her throat along with her chest.

Choking and unable to utter a word, she continued to attempt her desperate plea in vain: I didn’t mean to! Stop! Please!

.

Sam awoke in a cold sweat, desperately gasping for air. Already in a mental haze, trying to even focus enough to determine where she lay, her head split with blinding pain, making it all the more impossible.

“Sam, it’s OK,” She heard Sebastian speak out calmingly but firmly as his hand laid on her shoulder gave her a gentle, reassuring squeeze. “You’re OK.”

She wanted to speak back, but couldn’t find a way to get her vocal cords moving. Murmuring something indiscernible, she tried to sit up, finding his hands carefully insisting she stay put.

“You’re OK but not OK enough to stand. You have to wait until medevac gets here.”

She winced as a wave of pain shot down her body from the back of her head and seemingly out of her eyes. Why? And why does my head hurt so much?! What happened?!

“Sam, you have to stay calm,” she continued to hear him speak even though her eyes had a hard time focusing on him. “You hit your head somehow. Just breathe. We are safe. The National Guard is arriving very soon.”

Sebastian tried to smile out of relief she was going to be alright, more than elated she survived that encounter, but something weighed heavy on his heart as he kept subconsciously looking over to her bag that vibrated several times to the tune of a strange, peculiar voice coming from her headset he had placed next to it. And what tugged at his heartstrings were seeing Amelie’s cold, calculating eyes hiding who-knows-what secrets reflected in Sam’s eyes as he stared into them, only to watch her gaze continue off into the unknown distance. He only met her mother once, and briefly at that, but the gaze she had would be hard for him to forget.

His own headset then began to chirp: “Pilot Navarre, this is HQ. Connecting to Central Office. Stand-by.”

.

.

●　● Akkadia One, Eden Space Territories

Al was packing several papers and clipboards from his desk into his briefcase as he spoke into his earpiece: “How is she? Talk to me.”

And his heavily tensed nerves through which he spoke were eased in an instant as he heard Sebastian reply: “I am sitting with her. She is going to be OK. We are waiting on the medical carrier.”

“How is she looking?” Al spoke back as he closed the briefcase and headed for the door.

“OK, but, I think maybe that has a… Traumatismo de cráneo. Se pegó en la cabeza.”

Al blinked his eyes tightly, processing what was said after allowing his automated translation service kick in. “Do you know how? Was it during her fight?”

“I don’t know for sure. But she is awake, here with me.”

“Thanks, kid,” he sighed with a mixture of relief and a heavy heart. Nothing goes right in any of the countries she sets foot in, and knowing she ended up facing one of the Cloaks, he hadn’t been at ease even for a second until now. “I will be on my way to you all once I wrap up the last of the loose ends here. My shuttle will be Earth-side tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir, we will be waiting for you.”

Al reached for his earpiece to disconnect the call before hearing Sebastian slip in one last remark: “And, sir, I think she really needs to see you. She’s been… hurting. She needs family here.”

A weak smile cracked as he got on the elevator. “That’s exactly why I am headed there. I will contact you to check on her again soon. I don’t trust anyone better at the moment than you.”

And after finishing up the conversation and hanging up, he found himself looking over the empty pickup and drop-off loop at the front of the office. Darkness prevailed, still being hours away from the programmed sunrise. Only the sound of distant humming generators and transformers kept him company.

It may not be family she wants, though, he thought with a more troubled sigh. I don’t know if me showing up is best for her, but I can’t take it anymore watching from up here. He then slowly made his way to the curbside waiting area as he caught sight of the approaching automated cab. Amelie, don’t be up to too much, wherever the hell it is you went in your search for him. We’ve never dealt with going against one of our own before. He eased himself into the backseat of the cab, clicking a command on his watch which initiated his return home.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, still exhausted from an extended lack of sleep as evident by the dark under his weary eyes.

Right. This is all I can do. The absolute best I can do is keep a good watch over Sam in the meantime.

While on his way back, pondering back and forth between Sam’s condition and Amelie’s whereabouts, his thoughts then settled onto Sam’s encounter with the Cloak itself. He pulled a work tablet from his briefcase and punched in several commands, bringing up a collection of screen data from the Axiom that had been logged and uploaded for upper administration access. After clicking through several video files, he swiped back to the last one and brought it up full-screen. He had already seen the morbid scene earlier, including the grossly unnecessary amounts of hybrid rounds unloaded into the opened hatch of the Cloak, but something different stuck out this time. He noticed the Antares OS indicator in the upper right corner was flickering red.

Shit…

Eyes widening, he only just now realized Sam had the setting at maximum enhancement levels.

How did she survive that setting for so long? It then dawned on him why perhaps his leaving the office was too soon. Vincent already saw that, I’d bet. Fuck me, he thought with a frustrated but subdued fist driven into the empty seat next to him. Sam, hang in there. No way I let them give you the Lance Vrey treatment. I can’t save that Rodgers girl, but for you…

.

●　● Manila-East Quezon Region

Sebastian, too, had caught swift and strong notice of the Antares OS settings as he put on Sam’s helmet during their wait. He quickly removed the visor as he squinted, rubbing his eyes as if they were hit with strobe lights.

He then looked down at Sam with even deeper concern, now having guessed what may have caused her condition. “Sam, did the machine do this to you?” His words didn’t reach her as the approaching roar of medevac carrier engines filled the cockpit.

[And I wonder who that was trying to communicate with her just a minute ago.]

But it wouldn’t matter for a while, noting her eyes closing from her giving up the struggle to stay focused. With a last rub of her forehead, pulling the loose ends of hair from her sweat-drenched face, he backed away to clear the cockpit for the medical team now approaching on foot.

“Is your LTAC still up and running?!” He heard an officer from behind shout to him.

Turning to respond, Sebastian kept a hand over his brow to block the hot wind blasted their way: “I can return on my own, thank you! My LTAC is fine!” And with a return nod, he reluctantly made his way back to his personally tailored Ap50, which now bathing in full sunlight, showed a prototype extended-length rifle still at the ready along with the still mysterious device wrapped around the left forearm. As he finished climbing back into the cockpit, he unshouldered Sam’s equipment bag he brought from the Axiom. And as he got back into his seat, he was able to take one last glance at Sam as they boarded her on the carrier.

“HQ says move it, Navarre!” a voice came over his team radio, seemingly a voice from the crew he dropped alongside. “They’re not reacting well to the news they put out! Better safe at base!”

“Yes, sir, returning now!” he stiffly replied with a closing of the cockpit hatch. As he strapped himself in and brought his helmet down to buckle on, he started to feel something he hadn’t felt before. It was a type of empty feeling, strange enough as it came at the heels of the second of three Cloaks being brought to what he expected to feel like justice, and of course, closure. Flashes of the smoldering cockpit and the slag and armor fragments strewn about the pavement came back as well, offering no sense of achievement even though he knew it was his well-placed, three-round burst that freed Sam up for the kill. His last-second plan worked, yet it all felt empty to him.

He looked at his map to see Andre and Kerry alongside the drop group already in route toward HQ. Sam’s carrier had also started to move out.

He then realized Sam showed no sign of elation or relief earlier before she had passed out, being able to get a solid glimpse of her as he tried to get her attention. And along with it came the flashbacks of a similar look she gave him when he found her wounded, wounded and left for dead by her own brother.

[I get the feeling it’s all come down to… what she will want do about him.] He depressed the pedals and took off, trying not to spend too much time in deep thought. [Sam… I don’t know if I am more worried about your health conditions or the path you’ve chosen after what all you’ve ultimately gotten yourself into.]

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▽　▽　▽

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▽　▽　▽

.

The sun had fully set that evening without any further sounds of explosions or any commotion of the sort. It didn’t result, however, in silence. The news display Sebastian had playing holographically with sound directed through his earpiece showed the noise had only gotten worse across the city. He sat upright in his chair pulled next to Sam’s hospital bed, still in his pilot’s suit as if he had been at her bedside since his return.

He watched several segments showing the President’s urges to continue refraining from taking to the streets for either side, which was in direct conflict with the P4C’s call for answers dealing with the Ongoco killing and the alleged ties to Hexa’s Infinity-hired officers. But any outlet made it clear that the demonstrations weren’t in harmony. One side continued to push for the President’s retirement while holding onto any help they could get, while the other shifted away and focused on removing their dependence on foreign interests, namely Hexa, whom they claim can’t be trusted anymore.

And even though he occasionally switched his focus over to Sam, who remained asleep from her operation recovery, his mind continued to chew away at the notion: [Nothing adds up. Everything seems like it was so… sloppy… on all ends. And after Dhaka, I can’t see how one side could still speak up for us in public. The setup should’ve been perfect as far as ruining our image with that, be it a lie or not, but…] He then remembered the mysterious voice he made out coming through Sam’s headset earlier. He kept the device and her bag with him out of precaution, but the fact that command had been so mum on everything added to his unease.

[Just what in the hell did I miss while I was gone?]

“Hey,” he heard Sam mumble toward him, snapping his attention away from the display as his eyes met hers.

“Sam!” He quickly put away his mobile and leaned forward to take her hand.

“Where did I end up this time?” she spoke with a hint of delirium, now looking around the room.

He let out a weak smile, seeing her recovery looked like it went well. “You had a… um… concussion? Yes, concussion surgery.”

“Oh…” She stirred a bit in place before attempting to sit upright. “I don’t exactly remember getting one. Did I get hit?” She then noticed his hand on hers, drawing an uncomfortable reaction as she subtly pulled her hand away.

Sebastian picked up on it, but tried to hide the pain that it kicked up with a straight face and a straight attempt at an answer: “Doctor said you had hit your head some time after you took off your helmet. I think it’s when you fell the last time.” He put his hand back under his arm as he crossed them in an attempted casual manner. “I think the machine made you too exhausted,” he continued, remembering the unbearably high input rate she had Antares set to.

He then remembered a bottled sports drink he picked up earlier and set on the small table just behind him, turning to grab it for her.

Sam finally got herself somewhat upright, leaning against the padded headrest as she took a break from trying to gather her bearings, closing her eyes. “The last thing I remember was his face.” She didn’t notice Sebastian approaching her with the drink as she continued in a heavier tone: “Sebastian, what happened to me? What’s wrong with me?”

His lips curled in an empty smile, left only to guess what all she must have gone through. “Nothing. Nothing is wrong with you. Here,” he softly replied as he passed her the bottle. “You should drink.” He knew she was still hooked up to an IV, but still felt it might help her feel better nonetheless.

“Thanks,” she spoke back as she took the bottle he opened for her, taking a few sips before passing it back to him.

And in that very next moment, it was like he could see a heavy realization hit her. “What is it?”

“I don’t know what happened to anyone after I blacked out. I have to talk to Kerry, to Andre… I have to reach out to…” She took her eyes off of him and was now looking to the wall in front of her.

“Sam, don’t worry. Kerry and Andre are fine. Well, Kerry is. Andre got a little hurt but he’s going to be OK.”

“Sebastian,” she asked with her eyes’ focus drifting off beyond the wall. “Where is my bag? Did they take it?”

The glum smile grew tighter as he took his seat once more, letting out a heavy breath. “I put it in my locker. I told them I have your mobile and your… other things.”

“I need my bag,” she persisted with an ever increasingly flat tone.

He now started growing not only suspicious once again but this time with an impatience he couldn’t fight off. “Sam, do you need your mobile? I can call anyone for you.”

“No,” she fussed back with a shake of her head. “I don’t want my phone- I want my bag.” She was now looking right back at him with discomforting determination.

“What? What is in it?”

“I… I can’t explain right now- I just need it. Can you please bring it?”

He already knew now exactly what it was she was demanding, and it was quickly becoming difficult not to come clean with his emotions. [What the hell am I doing, beating around the bush?] he thought with a deep breath through his nose.

“It’s that little device. The round black one, isn’t it?”

He had her full attention and gaze, and it was the most he had since she woke up. “What is that thing, Sam?”