Time: 1:31 PM
Ryukahn Desert, Outer Ring
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Dust is the second air in the Outer Ring. Samantha can only hear their truck’s engine and the silence that accompanies them on this journey. They are contracted by military personnel to subjugate a rebel camp here in the outlands, saying it is one of their most important hideouts and destroying their operation will mean for the Defense Force to further advance in this area.
Fenrir, their mercenary group, particularly does not care about any of that.
This truck carries three passengers at the back, all silent while staring at different directions. Samantha keeps her rifle close when someone pokes her forehead. She slowly raises her sight, only to find Lugh with a smug look.
Samantha, caring for less, just brushes her forehead for some dirt.
Lugh’s grin falls flat.
“Hey Sam, you need to open your mouth sometimes. The road is still long ahead, that’s gonna spoil your saliva, don’t you think?” Lugh taunts, yet Samantha flatly ignores him. It is hard to say that it is arrogance, but there is clear indifference in her eyes instead.
Lugh pokes her again, to other mild ways to bother her. Her eyes remain the same, sure, however, the man beside her does not. His name is Erol Bellard, one with shining eyeglasses but youthful appearance.
“Lugh, don’t bother someone if you’re bored. You already know that Samantha isn’t much of a talker.” Erol shifts his body towards them. “When are you gonna learn to respect someone’s space?”
Lugh leans back without care, subtly imitating Erol’s poise.
Erol hits Lugh’s forehead this time with his rifle.
Lugh glares at him. “What was that for?!”
“If you weren’t just part of this company, I already asked Walt to stop this vehicle and bury you down under the sands of Outer Ring,” Erol scolds. “Also, control yourself not to put anyone in danger, got it, Lugh?”
“…Got it.”
Three trucks in the desert, what can possibly go wrong?
The scenery is all too familiar. The high tension. Impending exchange of bullets. Samantha watches from a high ground with a scope, observing the movement of the other Fenrir mercenaries. Besides her, Katya Eckler, Samantha’s spotter, who is observing their group with binoculars.
“There are ten guards at the inner entrance,” Katya says. “Get ready.”
Samantha prepares for the cue.
Katya’s earpiece receives a command. “Clear the way, BB.”
“Copy,” she replies. “Sam, do it.”
In quick succession of bullets, five guards fall flat on the ground. One almost picks up his radio when bullets pass through his torso.
The infiltration begins.
Gunshots. Explosions. The once peaceful fortress in the deserts of Outer Ring is thrown into chaos. With calculated movements from each member while Samantha and Katya give them distant support, the wolves’ invasion becomes unstoppable.
Katya taps Samantha’s back.
“Move.”
Samantha picks the rifle in haste, while Katya with the other equipment. As they change locations, a couple of armed men block their way. Katya raises her carbine and shoots them down, leaving no room for negotiation.
The earpiece receives another issued command.
“BB, are you there?” Katya recognizes it is Martin. “Target the enemies at the rear towers.”
“Roger.” Katya taps Samantha again. “Let’s change route.”
Samantha merely nods.
It does not take long when they find a new location. Katya brings Samantha behind a boulder, and they set up the rifle and their positioning. With their ghillie suits on, they blend well in the environment, as Katya taps Samantha’s back again.
“You good, Sam?”
Samantha grunts as response. Katya spies the rear towers with binoculars again and switches to a spotting scope to take a closer look at the tower guards.
Katya speaks. “Two o’clock.”
“Four,” Samantha replies.
“Go.”
Samantha pulls the trigger at a fast but precise rate.
Katya turns to her earpiece. “Boss, they’re down, over.”
“Good,” Martin says from the other line. “Next, scout ahead to the Route 521 and report your findings. At 1600, go to the rendezvous point.”
“Roger.”
Katya looks at Samantha again, who is already gathering the equipment together. It is unlikely that someone like her is already flawless in this operation, but circumstances can be strange. Nevertheless, they must move again, and so, Katya grabs their remaining belongings.
Samantha pauses for a second.
“Katya, do you have red bean bun?”
Katya stares at her. “I have.”
The older lady scours the bag for a red bean bun and hands it to the sniper. The young one rushes to unwrap it—with her mouth even—then gobbles it down.
Katya lets out a smile. Samantha is still a kid after all.
Nothing is better than a cool bath after a hot day.
The mission is rendered a success, and the mercenary group is on their way to a big celebration. She expects a whole month of food stock, that is if no unforeseen circumstances will happen. Last time, their trucks have been destroyed by some enemy gangs, who are taught some ‘gentle’ lesson, but the damage cost them a lot. Nonetheless, this is a common occurrence on the outskirts of Faunus Quarter, the boundary between Eridu and Outer Ring, also where Fenrir is holed up.
Samantha gets some clothes from her drawer when some noise outside grabs her attention. Peering through the window, she finds Francisco, an older guy with midlife crisis and Lugh with a sling.
“You freaking idiot! I already told you not to separate from Walt!”
It is Francisco, their veteran rifleman.
“I’m sorry, I just panicked a bit, okay?! Damn, I already got an earful from Erol, why can’t you let me go already.”
“Do you really want me to bury you under the Outer Ring, huh?!”
Samantha peers through the window, seeing Francisco holding a crowbar and Lugh with a sling. If Samantha recalls correctly, Lugh is shot in his arm due to his own recklessness. He always gets himself to trouble, which becomes more unusual if he gets out of a situation unscathed.
If Samantha cares about any of that.
Samantha leaves the room to take a bath. The bathroom is just near, as the door opens before she can touch the knob.
“You’re getting a bath, too?”
It is Katya. Samantha just nods.
“Well, just go in. I’ll just get soap. It already ran out.”
Samantha enters and hangs the towel and clothes on the wall rack. Katya returns soon after, as Samantha already soaks herself in the tub. They often share baths together, and Katya is the only person who Samantha finds herself gravitating towards to.
“This is your last mission in Fenrir,” Katya says, “and you did well.”
Samantha submerges down, creating bubbles at the surface water. Samantha watches Katya sit beside the tub with shampoo in hand.
“Sam.”
Samantha shows herself a bit and lets her hair be scrubbed. Katya likes how vibrant Samantha’s blond hair is, and even though it is long, the hair shows no signs of neglect.
Of course, Katya makes sure that Samantha is well-cared for.
“Katya…” Samantha suddenly speaks, “what is it for me if I go to military?”
Katya stares at her. Samantha’s eyes look distant.
“Are you worried about your enlistment next week?”
Samantha remains silent. Katya continues to massage her head when Samantha nods.
“It is not gonna be entirely different, except there’s gonna be more restrictions in the military,” Katya says, “but you passed their screening, so I think you’ll be fine.”
Samantha leans her arms at the side of the tub, then crosses them before resting her cheek on it. Katya observes the young kid, and she can tell that Samantha probably has been dreading it.
“Was it…really necessary?” Samantha says.
“Serving the military had a lot of merits, especially nowadays.” Katya circles her palm to Samantha’s crown. “You can also buy your own house and all of that. Perhaps even you can find yourself a place inside the city.”
“Why only me, not anyone of you?”
A gush of water falls over her head.
“Rinse yourself now of the bubbles, I also need to clean myself,” Katya says.
Samantha brushes back her hair behind. She knows Katya will not answer her—and so she grabs a dipper to finish her bath.
A toast and cheers.
The cabin is noisy, celebrating the success of their mission today. Each has their spot within the room, with Samantha sitting mutedly between the merriments while eating a steak. Slicing a big chunk, Samantha munches it when someone pulls the chair beside her.
“Just eat more, Sam!” Remor says. The tall man has a broad back and easily towers over the blonde kid. “It’s too bad that this might be our last celebration together, kiddo.”
Nevertheless, Samantha just goes on with her meal.
“What?!” Remor looks hurt. “Sam ignored me!”
“Stop that, Rem,” Katya says, interjecting between them. “You’re already intoxicated, go to bed. You’re getting emotional.”
Remor, despite being a big guy, has tears welling in his eyes. At the head of the table is Martin Sanchez, who lets out a chuckle.
“What’s new about this kid that just ignores everyone,” Martin remarks and then drinks.
Katya pulls Remor out of his place, when another occupies the seat.
“Sammy, call me when you see the military mechs!” It is Lugh this time, looking so animated even with a sling on his left shoulder. Samantha slices the steak with a knife and eats, seemingly there is no commotion going around her.
As Lugh is about to speak, Erol pulls his ear away.
“Now, now. Stop messing around Samantha, you little shit,” Erol says. “Should I kick your arm now, huh?”
“Whaaa?!” Lugh glares. “You don’t know how to have fun, old man!”
“Who are you calling old man?!”
Samantha arranges the spoon and fork at the side of the plate and drinks the cold water in one shot. Yelling and bickering around, she stands from her seat and walks straight out the door.
Martin takes another shot.
“Still cold as ice, I suppose,” Martin says.
“As long as she will be valuable, the military won’t let her go,” Walt comments, who sits at the couch behind Martin is. He flips a page of his book, as Martin stares at his empty glass.
“They want her in as soon as possible, isn’t it?” Martin chuckles again. “Those old fools never changed… Never changed at all… I just hope she can maintain that coldness, or else she’ll be like me.”
The room remains unsuspected of the sniper’s disappearance, yet it happens almost all the time. No words can force her to stay with them. The Fenrir’s leader knows this too well. Martin sighs a bit and pours drink to his glass again.
In the world they live in, a catastrophe known as the Hollows have invaded their land and lives. No one knows how it truly started. Some say it is a judgment from the world’s wickedness. Others say that it is an alien substance that crashed into the planet’s atmosphere hundreds of years ago. But one can be sure—the giant blobs in the distance cause change in how the world runs.
With smoke in the night air, Francisco throws the cigarette on the ground and lights up another one. Raigh, on the other hand, sits on a rock and sees the pile of cigarettes beside him. Raigh covers it barely with his foot and looks at the culprit.
“There’s no point you’re gonna quit smoking,” Raigh says. Francisco blows the smoke first and then chuckles a bit.
“You just don’t know what it tastes, that’s why you’re judging, Raigh,” Francisco replies. “Once you get used to it, it’s hard to quit.”
“No thanks.”
“You’re so uptight, unlike your older twin brother, except he almost compromised our mission. Dang it.”
“Lugh is just a stupid ass. A bullet almost got his head earlier.”
Francisco chuckles.
The door creaks, earning Francisco’s attention towards it. He spots a familiar small blonde closing the door, then walks at the last step of the patio. She is also hugging their crew’s Battleboo tightly, like a teddy bear.
“It seems our third member of the outside gang is here,” Francisco notes. “The banquet isn’t over yet, eh? Why you’re here already?”
The question merely passes through as Samantha fiddles with their Bangboo’s rabbit-like ears. The Bangboo shows a smile on its screen and Samantha hugs it again.
“They’re noisy,” she responds in delay.
“Well, what’s new,” Francisco says.
Francisco finishes the cigarette and throws it again where the pile is. He sneaks out candies from his pocket and gives them to the kids.
“Thanks,” Raigh says.
Francisco snorts. “You’re far from your twin brat. That one is ungrateful as heck. Oh man. Reminds me, I wanna tell something about this city’s founder, but why you kids are always my audience?”
“Aside from work and stuff, we’re the only ones who listen to you anyway,” Raigh says.
“A sixteen-year-old like you is more mature than those old farts,” Francisco laments, and then looks at Samantha. “Anyways, how old is this chump anyway?”
“Young Sammy is fourteen,” Raigh says. “Speaking of founders, didn’t Lady Sunbringer die young? Then, I know Professor Arche lived in old age, but he disappeared in the Hollow Zero.”
“That’s right, everyone still wonders about Lady Sunbringer’s case. But oh well, such things are buried under, especially since she was a beacon for the city and left Marcel Group as her legacy. There are rumors however that she left some treasure on where Dion Hollow used to be around,” Francisco narrates. “Some says it is in Cretan Hollow, while some say it is in the Pluto Quarter.”
“Treasure… Me and Lugh are just pesky Hollow Raiders before, looking for the same treasures. I guess we’ll settle for life if ever we get Lady Sunbringer’s treasure,” Raigh says, sentiments are obvious in his tone, “but I still wonder how the Dark Wall on the south was pushed thirty-seven kilometers back.”
“Given the technology back then, that won’t be remotely possible,” Francisco argues.
“But isn’t Lieutenant Colonel Dan a giant robot?”
Francisco frowns. “You’re getting wrong sources again!”
Samantha chews her candy while the old man and young boy are arguing. Some chaos in her heart are quelled a bit, and this noise properly complements the hushed night.
“…Alright, we’ll take that commission, let’s just meet up next Friday.”
The call ends. Martin puts his phone down when it rings again. A nameless number, but he knows who it is.
“What is it?” Martin asks.
“I thought you won’t answer, Martin.”
“If you won’t get straight to the point, I’ll end the call.”
“You won’t.”
Martin breathes deeply.
“You already get what you wanted. I don’t think this is part of your periodical social connection with Fenrir.”
A harrowing chuckle from the other line.
“You’re right. I’m just here to say that the contract with Hekmatyar’s is already secured. Place and time for the initial delivery, Rotterdam next Friday at five PM.”
“Years of contract?”
“Five, as well.”
Martin smirks. “We’re now in your debt once again.”
“Don’t sound so spiteful. We all need this to make the business running. The share will be the usual.”
“Of course,” Martin says and sighs, “is there anything more you want to say?”
“That’s it for now. I have another appointment.”
Martin ends the call. He looks outside and sighs again.
“That kiddo isn’t ours to begin with. That bastard.”