▽　▽　▽

.

●　● New San Mateo, Manila, The Philippines

Kaylen traveled with her escort group of five men and women, now intermingling with the crowd gathered near one of the large holographic projection clusters running in a market square with urgent news flashes dominating each of them. She still donned her hoodie pulled tight over her ballcap, fortunate to be accustomed to this kind of heat. She walked up as close as she could without coashes dominating each of them. She still donned her hoodie pulled tight over her ballcap, fortunate to be accustomed to this kind of heat. She walked up as close as she could without mpromising her ability to make an escape, squinting in on one of the screens and allowed her earpiece to automatically tune into the public broadcast.

“Less than ten before we have to move,” one of the security crewmen behind her spoke under their breath to her as she nodded in acknowledgment, putting a hand up to gesture she wanted to wait and listen.

“Lana Roye with CNB will join us,” a newswoman spoke over the now tuned-in broadcast. Kaylen watched as a birds eye view of the ship wreckages as the title read: “Blasts destroy cargo freighters off coast of Manila.” “From what we understand,” the woman continued, “you have new information reported from the capital?”

“Correct. It seems this indeed was an orbital strike granted emergency clearance by top authorities within the hour,” the other reporter joined in with a heavy tone. “It remains to be announced the contents of the cargo containers, but ongoing speculations have it that it was perhaps posed a threat to national security. This marks the first orbital strike of its kind since before the end of the Second War, but that goes without saying.”

It sure as hell does, Kaylen thought as memories of much closer encounters flooded her mind. It had been more than a decade since, but they were images that would never lose its vividness.

The reporter continued: “Demonstrations continue to rage near the coast, even despite the near encounter with tsunami-like surges from the blasts. Only minimal responses have been seen by the National Guard since Hexa’s Infinity Base at Marikina and locals are on edge- an absolute understatement seeing how tensions have grown closer to another point of meltdown.”

“And we have no further word on the source or cause for the jamming in the area, much less the motivation and those responsible, although…”

As the screens changed to the situation at the Marikina Base area, Kaylen’s attention began to fade. Moments passed before she turned to signal her crew to head back. “I’ve seen enough. If this was a mistake, something different would be in the air.” But as she started off with them away from the crowd, an incoming message caught her attention as she held up her watch, reading as she walked. It read: “Next phase soon. Report immediately.”

.

▽　▽　▽

.

The riot situation at the other end of town near the coast continued to escalate. Not only was it from the outrage at the damages spilling into the city center more violently than ever, but also as a second side of the riot emerged, this time in support of ousting Infinity under the notion it was attracting dangerous business.

Marian witnessed what she could of the spectacle from a rooftop access stairwell door atop an old storage facility. She later withdrew, filing through narrow hallways and around the dozens of others hastily scurrying about. She eventually entered a large opening by way of a catwalk, finding Isaiah standing over a tablet computer, looking over a tarp-covered LTAC. “There’s no way the numbers add up for us. And to top it off, there’s been some even more alarming intel gathered as I got here,” she spoke through catching her breath, both exasperated and exhausted from the unplanned, hurried vacating of her post.

“I keep getting updates as well,” he flatly replied as he continued making programming inputs into his tablet. “That was the so-called transport I failed to take heed of, just like you said. That ship fired the rails. That ship was the…”

“…The true first phase of Project Excalibur,” Marian finished his sentence as she stood next to him, looking over his tablet screen. She could have responded more snidely seeing his obvious admission of stubbornness from before, but this wasn’t the time for anyone. “Unbelievable. Even I couldn’t have called this.”

Isaiah’s voice from there began to grow more irritated, something that normally would concern Marian, but given the circumstances nothing was off the table anymore. “We knew it was an assassination program, but this level went beyond our imagination. I still can’t grasp how Vrey found connections strong enough to get permission to fire that into territorial waters from Akkadian Orbital Space. It’s almost like…”

“You forgot the other new piece of information.” She was now looking over at the tarped LTAC. “They say Rex is changing the orders. One, to block your command, and two,” she said as she looked back up to him with unease.

He paused what he was doing, sensing something. He already expected Rex to betray him in such a way, knowing the revocation of authority was inevitable at this point, but something told him she must know something more personal.

“Sam is off the elimination list.”

There was a long pause between the two of them. Marian fully assumed Isaiah knew what it meant, and his pause confirmed that.

He finally broke the silence with a sigh. “That means Rex wants her. Of course. Tyrus wanted her, he got her, she’s starting to turn, and now she’s the hot commodity.” He cleared his throat and resumed his final check-throughs on the tablet. “I’ll finish the job tonight with her. That’s our last goal.”

“And further risk your life knowing Rex will turn even further against you?” She wanted to confirm more than just that, but it was evident he couldn’t entertain the emotional and psychological ramifications of his intended actions.

“I said it’s our last goal. And besides, you already know most of Rex’s constituents aren’t fans of his. That’s why we are all right here right now ready to go. We can continue to adapt as well.” He then closed the screen and looked back at her with conviction. “After I rid us of this one last major problem, we move on one nation earlier than planned to our last phase of the gameplan. No need to stay here, no need to bother with Athens or Istanbul. Straight to the finish line we go.”

“The finish line? You mean… straight to…” She looked back at him after a pause with ever growing concern. “Hey, be careful out there. No telling who might turn on us out there.”

“You and our crew here are far more than enough,” he answered back with a nod, putting his things under his arm and took off down the stairs to the lower level that would bring him to the cockpit entry of the LTAC.

“She’s been sidelined at Marikina! Make it quick and get out of there!”

.

▽　▽　▽

.

●　● Infinity Marikina HQ, Manila, The Philippines

I can’t believe my own Dad joining in on the two-faced crowd. After all this time, he waits until NOW to tell me what kind of shady business was behind Excalibur? Sebastian first with his behind-the-back bullshit, and now my own father?!

Sam stood at the window overlooking the main hangar as several roof sections retracted over some of the LTAC’s heads. Tricky remained at Al’s workstation as the two continued to monitor activity revealed on the screens above. Seeing the information continue to pour in served a steady reminder of how hurt and frustrated it all made her, especially after hearing they just established full connection with a sweeper satellite.

And this whole… under-the-table… partnering with Tyrus’ Underground?! We’re all supposed to be OK with Vrey just pulled the trigger on ending who knows how many lives, wrecking innocent ships and marinas, and almost tsunami-blasting the entire shoreside? How is Tyrus of all people OK with this!?

She then looked back over to the Ap-50 unit with its cockpit door being closed by a crewman, revealing the marking that Sebastian had put up before arriving back on Earth.

And Sebastian… still quiet as ever. What was he really trying to tell me? If it was something I HAD to know about what’s going on, why couldn’t he just be straight with me and tell me!? Ugh! Her hands balled up tightly as she looked away. It’s like I’m still cursed. Surrounded by men with two faces. She let out a sigh, rubbing the back of her head, at least having one thing to be thankful as her test result showed a negative on any damage to her surgical implant site. She was still, however, instructed to stay out of precaution and to avoid the risk of reinjury. Maybe this was all just simply out of my league. Tyrus did try to sell me hard into going back home. Maybe he saw this coming, and cared more to shelter me from it than my own Dad.

She slowly made her way back to a seat not far from the others, picking up the station’s headset and held it uncomfortably for a moment, hesitating to put it on and take her seat. Memories of the battle site coordination she ended up doing in Bogota flooded her mind. She couldn’t help but feel the parallels between then and now, and the stakes being much higher only shot up the tension inside her. And making things even worse was the thought the only one she felt had been real with her was about to join the soon-to-come fray.

“Kerry,” she called out as she fixed the headset to her ears. “I heard you were passing leadership to Sebastian. You sure about this?”

“Hey,” Kerry responded, sounding to be in better spirits. Sam could also see it as such as she looked up to the screen that brought up Kerry’s cockpit camera. “I really think in the end it’s the best. We need the experience with the worst leading us, no matter how much we may be pissed off at him. I’d have preferred you, you know, but hey. I mean, everyone coming home alive is the best plan, isn’t it?”

Sam didn’t know how best to react, but was spared a potentially awkward response when she noticed Kerry’s cockpit door opening.

“Hold that thought, Sam,” she continued as she slid up her visor, looking to the person at the other end. “Gear? What for?” she asked in surprise to the other end.

.

Kerry looked at the crewman with confusion, hesitatingly accepting a loaded plate carrier and an unloaded standard issue assault rifle. Her heart then immediately began to pound nervously, not liking the direction she saw this going in. “Did our orders change?!”

“No, ma’am,” he humbly replied before kneeling to better speak to her. “These are for just in case. Both Yanga’s squad and the new boys from L5 all said no one should get caught in a bind without this. Said something like, they heard stories about Dhaka and said this ain’t about to be no Dhaka again.”

“Well, they got that right,” Kerry answered with slight relief, storing the gear under the now packed under-seat compartment area. “Thanks!” She then returned the wave and nod before repositioning her visor. “Sorry ‘bout that, Sam. Got some gear, just in case.”

“I heard. I doubt you will need it, though,” Sam replied through her audio feed. “I do know we have a good handful of whatever Tyrus had left of his LTACs out on standby not far from here. May have been six.”

“Pshh, as if six could do us anything,” Kerry nervously added. “I’m more afraid of shit happening like what we just heard about. Orbital strikes are no fuckin’ joke. And even though we got full communications and sensors back online, there’s no way they back down turn away from hitting us back hard with something bad like… oh never mind,” she finished with a sigh.

“Well,” Sam broke the short, ensuing silence. “I’m getting back to prep work. I’ll catch back up with you once movement happens.”

Kerry waved as she let out another long, troubled sigh. She played around with her engagement ring that just poked out beyond her half-finger glove’s edge, thinking back to her short but much needed reunion with Devin earlier. She thought she would feel not only safer but more motivated to finish the job, and with it their entire contract in full, but something naggingly urged her to walk away with him. But of course, with it were the conflicting emotions of being incapable of abandoning everyone else.