by Adrian P
“It’s been a pleasant chat, but my presence is required in the Ivory Tower,” he stepped back. “I hope you find the medicine useful.”
The boy kept silent.
“Ah, there’s one thing I forgot to mention,” he pointed to Charlotte.
The girl lost her strength and fell.
“Charley?” Audi turned in abrupt.
He ran towards her and shook her body. Charlotte’s face was in pain as she grabbed her chest tight. “I can’t…breathe…I can’t…move. It hurts…everything hurts…!”
“Can’t move?” the boy held her hand and checked her pulse. “She’s okay…but why?”
Val chuckled.
The boy turned to him.
“You wanted the medicine for the Beta-class blonde girl, didn’t you? To cure her from the everlasting burnout of her Bionika power?”
“How did you—?”
“But look at her,” Val pointed at Charlotte. “She’s suffered from medical overdose her parents forced upon her since childhood. Her blood cannot carry enough nutrients to power her body, and just now, she was forced to respirate heavily due to her suit’s malfunctioning.”
A sharp pain struck the boy’s chest.
“Indeed,” Val nodded. “It was your fault—your EMP grenade’s fault—that she’s gone into critical condition.”
“I had to defeat Konstantin!” Audi shouted. “This—“
“So you won’t accept responsibility?”
The boy paused.
“She doesn’t have much time, Bandana Boy,” Val chuckled. “Within ten minutes, her organs will start failing from not receiving enough energy. That includes her brain. So—“
“How do I save her, you piece of shit?” Audi yelled. “Don’t speak as if you have the damn cure for her!”
Val shook his head. “I don’t have the cure.”
“You do.”
“What?” Audi flinched.
“That thing on your hand. The pill,” he said. “That can free her blood and restore her ability to cycle nutrients throughout her body.”
“Is that so?” Audi tore the plastic casing and pulled the pill out. “Then—“
“But what are you going to do about the blonde lady?”
Audi stopped.
“You use that medicine on that girl, the blonde lady won’t get it,” Val continued. “It’s not like I have another one with me.”
“Fuck you!” Audi shouted. “Can’t you make another one?”
“I can’t, only the Grand Director can,” Val replied. “But he has more things to worry about than crafting a pill. The Great Liberation requires him to supervise The Ivory Tower with full attention.”
The boy gritted his teeth.
“Well, I’ll leave the decision-making task to you. But remember this,” Val took another step back.
“Whoever you choose, the other one will suffer.”
Chapter 5 / Part 5
A breeze of fresh air flowed into Charlotte’s lungs, when a sudden coolness expanded softly throughout the body. She opened her eyes and saw the hangar’s torn-open ceilings, unveiling the pale blue skies with patches of cotton clouds.
What happened? She touched her forehead as she sat up. I…can’t remember anything after Konstantin woke up.
She stood up while holding the pain on her back.
Wait. She looked around. Where is Audi? Where is Konstantin’s body? Am I alone?
Charlotte touched her chest. She took a deep breath, a full volume of air, and heaved them out. Her breathing was light and easy. No pain. No numbness.
Impossible. This…!
She kneeled and took a sprint start position.
Dash.
The girl ran with full speed. Her legs felt light, her chest breathed easy. She finished a lap around the hangar and slowed down, but sped up again, sprinting for another lap. Two laps done. Three. Four. She ran for five laps before her legs and stomach sored up. She fell and went down on all fours, panting, breathing, heaving as much air as she could.
I can run. I can run again. I can run like I did in my childhood! She smiled while still panting. How? Impossible. Without my stealth suit I’m supposed to collapse in the first minute of my run.
Within seconds she recovered her stamina, she took another lap of sprint. Another lap. Another one. One more lap. For ten minutes she kept her speed steady, never stopping for a second. After the tenth lap, she stopped and kneeled on the ground.
I can run. I can sprint. I am alive. How?
“So that’s how fast you can be.”
Charlotte turned back.
Audi sat atop Konstantin’s burning spacecraft while fixing his UFX-PDA. He kept focusing on the device, disassembling its interior, picking up circuits and processors from within. He raised it in the air, judging its integrity against the light. All vital parts were fried. He sighed.
“Is this your doing?” Charlotte asked. “How did I—?”
“I gave you the cure.”
“What cure?”
The boy grumbled and threw his UFX-PDA away. He jumped down and landed smoothly.
“The medicine that I’ve been looking for,” he said. “Konstantin’s Brotherhood friends came and gave it to me. Apparently it’s also a cure to restore your condition.”
“Eh?” Charlotte flinched.
The boy nodded. “You feel better, right?”
“I do, but do you have spare medicine?”
“The Brotherhood only gave one—“
She slapped the boy.
“Why did you give it to me?” Charlotte yelled. “Isn’t there someone else who needs it? Isn’t this person the entire reason you travelled to this planet? The entire reason why you’re willing to risk your life to fight Konstantin?”
Silence.
“All your efforts are wasted, you doofus!” she grabbed his red scarf. “I can’t believe you—“
“So you want me to ignore you?”
Charlotte stopped.
“You want me to abandon one of the very few people in this galaxy who would fight for a better world rather than adapt to its harsh rule? Someone who showed me that any suffering is worth going through, so long as we’re walking the true path of our existential reason?”
“I didn’t say that,” her voice quietened as she glanced away.
“I’ve lost faith in the entirety of human race, and that fact remains unchanged,” he said. “I thought this world is beyond redemption. I thought I’d rather destroy everyone. But you’ve shown me how wrong I could be; that there are still someone like you in this world.”
“The person that needed the medicine, the one back in Nagisawa Corporation,” Charlotte said. “What’ll happen to her?”
“Her condition isn’t life-threatening. Not physically, at least,” he replied. “That’s partly why I decided to save you instead.”
Charlotte listened.
“But I must apologise to her. After all, I’ve made such a scene when I declared I will be returning with a cure,” he sighed.
“Are you regretting your decision to save me?” she pouted.
“No!” the boy flinched. “But…do you mind accompanying me when I apologise?”
“Eh?”
“I want them to understand why I saved you. Who you are. What you’re capable of. Your purpose. Your reason for living,” he replied. “Even if they hate me, I am sure they’ll be delighted to welcome you.”
“Hmm,” Charlotte crossed her arms. “Is there more than one person that needs the medicine?”
He shook his head.
“Then why did you say ‘them’?”
“Well…there’s another person that might be upset. For a different reason. Maybe. I don’t know.”
Charlotte tilted her head.
“But regardless, we should leave this planet. Let’s find a free spacecraft.”
“Don’t we need to buy tickets?”
“Since when are you so strict?” Audi smirked. “You know we could just steal o
ne and blast off the atmosphere.”
Charlotte sighed, albeit with a smile. “Then let’s joyride a ship. But I can’t leave now.”
“Why?”
The girl turned behind. “Them.”
Audi followed her sight.
Christina and Rachele stood on top of a ruined spacecraft.
Christina’s face was sour, while Rachele’s remained neutral albeit with a slight smile. The former jumped down, glared at the boy, and walked forward.
“I’ve never heard of this,” the woman said. “What is this talk about you leaving?”
“Chrissie,” Charlotte walked towards her. “Thank you for taking care of me this whole time.”
“Like I asked,” Christina’s voice stiffened. “What is this nonsense all about?”
“I’m leaving Petit Fantome.”
“Rejected,” Christina replied. “You are far too young to venture the world alone.”
“I won’t be alone,” Charlotte replied. “Audi will be with me. There will be more whom I’ll venture with. Besides, I’m already twenty-one.”
“Do you think the world will simply accept you, Charley?” Christina grabbed her shoulder. “There’s a reason why we’ve isolated ourselves from others. The old man who brought you to us knew that the world will never be able to treat you kindly. He knew that we are the only ones who can understand—“
“I don’t need protection, Chrissie!”
Christina released her in abrupt.
“The entire reason why I was shunned by my friends, by my social circle, was because I kept challenging their worldviews. The worldviews that they are so comfortable living in. The reality lens they designed their belief system with!” she continued. “If you keep sheltering me forever, then I am no different to them!”
Silence.
“Let me be blunt and honest: I detest the condition I was born to. My family. This era. My lower middle-class upbringing. The kind of people that surrounded me while I was growing up,” she clenched her fists. “I have suffered, greatly, from the expectations people want me to be. What career I should choose. What hobbies I should like.”
“Charley…”
She slapped her palm on her chest. “But now, I am thankful for this piece of dirt birth condition. I am thankful for these sufferings, for I was given an understanding of what it means to suffer. What it means to be powerless, trapped by the moral and culture of a messed up society,” she paused. “Had I been born rich with all the money in the world, I would never have understood the pain billions in this galaxy have been living through. Thanks to my suffering, now I know that my reason for existence is to fight for those who are disadvantaged and ignored by the ways the world work.”
Rachele jumped down and landed next to Christina. She walked past the two and stopped in front of Audi. “Promise me something.”
Audi cocked an eyebrow.
“Charley has suffered enough in this world, and the last thing she needs is someone who will hurt her even more.”
“You don’t trust me.”
“We’ve barely known you for a week, Bandana Boy,” Rachele replied. “As much as I want to see Charley realise her dream, we’re still unsure of what your motive is.”
The boy paused. “I’ve fought alongside you within that week. Is that not enough to gain your trust?”
“Not enough to trust Charley’s well-being to you.”
“I’m not applying for a caretaker job,” the boy replied. “My only ulterior motive is to give her a platform, so she could start working to change this world for the better,” he paused. “I don’t think I can find anyone else like her anywhere in this galaxy. Not in our lifetime.”
Rachele glared at Audi. After ten seconds, she heaved a breath and turned to Christina.
“Let her go, Chrissie.”
Christina flinched. “What?”
“Like I said, it’s time for Charley to realise her destiny.”
“But—“
“Do you think we’ll be any different from her parents if we force her to live with us as a mercenary?”
Silence.
“Exactly,” Rachele nodded. “You know very well that Charley’s greatest strength is her wide-spanned intellect, which is a waste of talent to be used in the mercenary world,” she paused. “Her power is better used elsewhere. Where she wants to go. An individual’s true calling will naturally pull them to it, and it’s only a matter of time until that happens.”
Christina turned to Charlotte. “Are we…a bother?”
“No!” Charlotte raised her voice. “Don’t misunderstand me, Chrissie! I am grateful. I love spending time with both of you. All the laughter we’ve had. All the memories.”
Silence.
“But I have a mission,” she opened her palm and raised it to the sky. “To change the way the world works. So people do not have to suffer the way I did. Even if this change can only happen beyond my lifetime, at least, I want to become a catalyst, a part of driving force for this change. Maybe for someone in the future to pick up my ideas for a better world, and have them craft it for us.”
Christina sighed.
“Chrissie, I—“
She grabbed Charlotte and hugged her.
“Go,” Christina said.
“Are…you sure?”
She nodded.
“Will Petit Fantome be okay without me?”
She nodded.
“There are only two of you. What if—“
Christina released her and stepped back. “There were only Ray and I before the old man brought you to us, and we did fine. Perhaps we’ll have to crunch our brain twice, no, thrice as hard without you, but we can manage that,” she smiled albeit dim.
She turned to Audi.
“Bandana Boy,” Christina frowned. “Promise me that she’ll be fine wherever you’re taking her.”
The boy nodded. “If anything, she’ll be in a place she’s always dreamt of. Surrounded by people who actually want to make a difference. People who can inspire her, who can be inspired by her, and let her fly to new heights, new skies, and new possibilities.”
“If you say so,” she clicked her tongue.
The boy turned to the girl and lent his hand. “Let’s go.”
Charlotte smiled and nodded twice. Thrice. She stretched her hand to grab his.
Ten Marines screeched down from the ceiling opening and landed.
Audi and the three Petit Fantome members turned to them. The marines kept a straight posture with guns held ready on their hands. One of them stepped forward and retracted his helmet, revealing Captain Farzan with a smile, albeit his eyes were not smiling.
“Captain,” the boy frowned his eyebrows. “What are you doing here?”
The captain kept silent and stepped forward.
“Audi,” Charlotte whispered. “Something’s not right.”
The boy tapped her shoulder and walked towards Captain Farzan. They stopped at a close distance.
“Bandana Boy,” the Captain said. “I assume that you’ve annihilated the Brotherhood threat.”
“Neat observation,” the boy replied. “But you’re not here to congratulate me, are you?”
He shook his head. “I want to tell you two things.”
Audi kept silent.
“Ever since I heard the tales of your feat in Gleicherde, I’ve always wanted to see you. The young man capable of fending off Gleicherden Wehrmacht’s best soldiers, and brought The Crowned Confederacy into victory,” he said. “Now that I’ve met you, I begin to understand why The Grand Admiral admired you. Why Captain Tateman chose to side with you.”
“Thanks…I guess?”
“So please do not misunderstand. As a person, I deeply admire you.”
The boy flinched and stepped back.
“Marines! Arrest these criminals!”
Audi jumped back until he reached Charlotte. “What the fuck, Captain?”
The marines raised their aim and powered up their railgun, pointing the
barrels at the mercenaries. Within a millisecond, Rachele pulled up her railgun and jacked its power to full. Christina deployed her helmet, engaging the suit in total combat mode.
“Audi Prabian,” Captain Farzan deployed his helmet. “You have committed first-degree murder of four businesspeople in their office earlier today. Surrender, or deadly force will be authorised.”
“Businesspeople…!” the boy glanced at Charlotte. “How did these Marines—“
Charlotte frowned. “That little brat.”
“What?”
She turned to Audi. “Let’s run.”
“How?”
“To the other hangar,” Charlotte grabbed his hand.
“Oh, how our situations have reversed, dear Princess.”
Chapter 5 / Part 6
A firefight ensued between the marines and the mercenaries. Christina activated her armour’s power and fought the soldiers at close while Rachele supported her from range. Audi and Charlotte escaped, but five marines broke formation and chased them.
The boy and the girl entered a cargo area and used the chaotic cargo crate mess to trap the marines. Charlotte drew their fire, while Audi ambushed one that’s separated from the rest. The marines realised their tactic, and stuck in tight formation while pursuing the mercenaries.
Stalemate.
Both sides learned from each other’s tactics, continually escalating the firefight with grenades and rockets launched to one another. The spaceport shook in tremor.
Chaos unfolded outside the spaceport. Refugee crowds launched a massive attack on the main terminal entrance, while the security guards opened fire. Bloodbath ensued. The guards ran out of bullets and the mass mauled them down with their fists and feet. The crowd stormed in, only to meet more armed security guards. Gunfire echoed from within.
Princess Victoria watched the spaceport descend into chaos. Explosion trembled the ground from the direction of the hangar, while the main terminal building began burning as the mass threw improvised explosive cocktails inside. She held her communicator tight and pulled it close to her lips. “Are you done killing them, Captain?”
“They are putting up resistance,” Captain Farzan replied with barrage of explosions blowing in the background. “Is it necessary to kill them though, Your Imperial Highness? I don’t think—“
