▽　▽　▽

  ▽　▽　▽

  Hours passed, all but locked away in solitary confinement within the four walls that was the room she shared her last hours with Sebastian. Tossing and turning about on that same bed, she fought a futile battle against the flash flood of memories of those never to return, all knowing she had to keep her focus on what she was supposed to keep at her mental forefront. And after her hundredth glance at her mobile screen, once again seeing that there had been no returned call from Sebastian despite her numerous attempts to reach him, she let the device fall from her grip onto the edge of the bed before it slid off and fell with a thump. There she let her arm hang over in a similar fashion, feeling like everything was slipping away more than she wanted to admit, now questioning her mental state the same way everyone else had by then.

  But then she heard a passing set of feet along with the fast-paced, cryptic ramble of unintelligible jargon that reminded her of her first night in Bogota, stuck in the storage closet to sleep for the night. And it was in that same, spur-of-the-moment trip down a more purposeful string of memories that led into where she lay right then and there.

  I didn’t end up here if I didn’t run off and do what everyone would call stupid shit without a thought.

  She let out a sigh, feeling somewhat more in control of her breathing as she stretched out.

  Bogota, Dhaka, Manila, Bogota again, and here. Every time I lost someone, it came from thinking too much of doing the right thing.

  And then she felt the strong, cold, yet… warming glow of the LTAC’s visor, calling.

  She realized how much she had brought her own isolation upon herself, but while that realization did nothing for the pain, it brought about a certain clarity to her focus just enough to settle on one interconnected train of thought:

  I have to make new roads. I can’t keep hoping to be led out of this mess, and I can’t keep hoping someone will stay and wait for me at the end, either. I did this to myself, and all I can do is suck it up and keep going somehow.

  She slowly rose to a half-awaken position as she looked over at the passing shadows through the gap at the bottom of the door.

  I should have fled Bogota but I wanted to stay.

  She then began scanning for something in particular on the floor, turning now to her dropped mobile.

  I should have let my finished mission there be the end-all, but I really wanted to take the Dhaka job.

  She gently picked it up off of the floor and used the activated screen’s glow to provide soft but useful ambient light to illuminate the floor.

  I thought I was about to die at the hands of my brother, and then I watched someone die right in front of my eyes for the first time. I was supposed to hang my hat after my injury, but Antares got my mind spinning in a new direction, and Project Excalibur sold me completely.

  She spotted a towel strewn across the floor by the opposite corner of the room, leading her to ease herself out of bed to fetch it.

  And then I had to kill with my own hands… had blood spilled on me, all for the first time. I lost my friends, and would have lost my own again had it not been for Kaylen. I really should have called it quits then, but I wanted the Arondight.

  She quietly walked the towel over to the door, hunched over, and proceeded to stuff it gently into the crack from edge to edge.

  That’s it. I really do have a serious fucking problem on my hands… mentally or what- I don’t even know. And I don’t even care anymore. I want… I want the Arondight.

  Her thoughts drove her to unintentionally force the towel in harder than she realized, intensifying with each thought.

  I want my brother silenced. I want Rex silenced. I want this whole fucking Underground bullshit to stop chasing me wherever I go! And I want to be the one thing everyone fears so they leave me and my people the hell alone!

  She finally stood up and caught her breath, now looking at her mobile she still held in her left hand.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  First thing? Getting myself ready for when shit hits the fan in that little meeting Rex told me was going to happen later today.

  She then turned around and headed for her bag, reaching in for the device she received the day she arrived in Bahia Blanca. She then activated it and paired it to her mobile, clearing her throat quietly as if expecting a call.

  I have to do this completely alone, now. I have to be as careful and methodical as Sebastian, and as patient as Ms. Norris.

  She listened in on what felt like passing feet, now far less able to hear or discern from the white noise of various machinery at work.

  I have to be as fearless as Dani, and as driven as Renzo… Resourceful as my father…

  Her mobile suddenly glowed blue as a far different hum softly whispered into her ear from her earpiece as a tensed grimace of shock quickly turned into a grin of relief.

  …And as coldly stubborn as my mother.

  “I was waiting, Samantha,” spoke a particular distortion pattern she hadn’t heard in quite some time.

  All the while giving zero fucks, just like Kaylen outside my door.

  “Tyrus,” Sam eagerly replied in a lowered voice. “I can guess you already know what favors I need.”

  “Freedom from Rex’s ‘contract’, and guaranteed access to the Arondight,” Tyrus confidently responded.

  Sam kept nervous watch on the door while continuing to speak in a near-whisper: “One more thing: I need to know who.”

  “I cannot divulge that information. However, it isn’t because encryption security is that tight. It’s because it’s… been modified from its original condition.”

  “Meaning?” Sam asked, puzzled.

  “You also wanted to contact your father, correct?” Tyrus sidestepped.

  “Yes, but-”

  “He is no longer contactable. This information being withheld? It is under his advice.”

  What?!

  “He has long established a connection with our top field agent, Tricky. They have arranged a switcheroo of sorts underneath Hexa’s nose, and that is who will deliver the keys to the Arondight and the Galatine.”

  So, this is why he was waiting for me. Definitely not what I had in mind, but this seems for the best, especially if Dad really has something to do with all of this. This might even be what he wanted me to call him about as well.

  “You must proceed with the plan as Rex plans to lay out before you. You and Mrs. Rodgers, both. Do NOT act with any suspicion or hesitation. You will be made clear when the time comes who carries the keys, and that is where I need to ask you of a favor in return.”

  “Sure. Name anything.”

  “You must return our key carrier alive.”

  …Alive?! “What?”

  “That is all I can divulge. I will contact you again if I see the need arise.”

  And as the glow and the hum faded, Sam was already quietly scurrying toward the door, gingerly removing the towel from the door gap. She immediately heard Kaylen’s voice approaching, speaking: [Right. They pushed it up by a few hours. We’ll find out in a bit.]

  Sam had already deftly slid back into bed, earpiece left on top of her bag and her head buried in the pillow by the time Kaylen opened the door.

  “They’re calling the meeting early,” Kaylen curtly ordered. “Get moving.”

  Well… showtime, Sam nervously thought as she acted out a deep yawn and a stretch along with a nod and mumble of compliance.

  .

  ▽　▽　▽

  .

  ▽　▽　▽

  .

  

  
• 　●　● Leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina, SAU


  

  [The Argentine SAU administrative division’s stocks take a plunge after the uncovered false flag operation two days ago, putting many cooperative discussions from the NAU and the EU regarding the restoration of Confederate-era alliances on hold,] a newscaster spoke from a holographic display emitted from a mobile sitting atop a bullet train’s tray table. [This, according to NAU delegates comments, puts the recently reestablished union between the Indo Sphere and China Sphere alliances at the forefront of leading the negotiations, leaving many sitting outside feeling wary about the future. Will the restoration of the Confederacy happen after all? Will it be led by the East or the West? Or will the decade-old Eden-Casares Treaty still have its influence in effect to protect Space’s interests in all of this?]

  [Man, turn that shit off already,] Rodrigo spoke with a dismissive wave of his hand as he took his seat next to Sebastian, letting out a tired sigh. [What good can we do now, anyway?]

  [Aren’t you worried about your home?] Sebastian asked back as he swiped the presentation away. [You saw how bad that police crackdown looked on the crowds, and now this?]

  [You never changed,] Rodrigo quipped with a defeated, wry chuckle as he leaned back in his seat. [To be honest, I was hoping you had, and that you’d be by Cruella’s side right now when she needs you most.]

  [You don’t know what happened-]

  [-I was going to take care of Renzo and Dani’s burial and you knew that,] Rodrigo shot back, giving Sebastian a tired, unentertained look. [And you also know how much they took to Cruella, too. I even did. Don’t you think you walked out too soon?]

  Sebastian didn’t realize he had already subconsciously pulled down his notifications window, seeing the ignored calls from Sam. [I was trying to say,] he began with a sigh, taking several seconds to gather his words. [It’s not that simple as you say, and never was as simple as Renzo would try to make it like he always did. She doesn’t need me- no, she doesn’t want me like says she does. She wants to be in the cockpit more than anything.]

  [Maybe you did the right thing,] Rodrigo eventually replied after a silent moment between the two, staring out into the distance through the window.

  Sebastian, too, took his time with his response, heavy from mental and spiritual exhaustion. [I feel like I had no choice. I have to heal, and I really do thank you for coming with me. I have no family left besides you, really,] he continued, fighting back tears as the onslaught of emptiness raged on, knowing his only siblings as well as Sam were no longer by his side. The more it struck, however, the more he realized what all had vanished from his life over the months. [What do I even have left, now?]

  [I don’t think you got what I meant, but that’s alright. We can talk about that another day,] Rodrigo spoke up after another long, heavy pause. [I’m here for you either way, brother.]