Chapter 2: Ch. 1: Auberass

The grand citadel “Auberass” serves as the penultimate base dock of the vessels that challenge the depths of “Gaia’s Mercy”. First built as a proxy of the National League, through time, representative contingents from all corners of the world gathered and installed their own stations slowly contributing to the overall size and scale of the base. Eventually the base was unified under a cooperative necessity to ensure the survival of humanity. Auberass was split into 5 main sectors, these being the Housing, Industrial, Maintenance, Mission, and Research sectors respectively.

Water drops periodically as its sound echoes throughout the compound, the howling wind and raging waters create a symphony of background noise too familiar to pay mind. Metal pipes stacked upon one another maximizing space. A creak breaks the familiar blare as heedless thumping follows…

???: “Oi wake up! Its execution day!”

A voice shouts as it echoes throughout the “tubes”.

Shocked, Erika quickly jolts up banging her head on the damp ceiling of her quarters.

Erika: “Holy-…mother of the Lord!”

She shouts as she firmly grasps her head in anguish. A blanket flips directly across her as Antha squirms out while taking off her makeshift mufflers.

Antha: “Ooooh…Diaz can you not shout directly into the tubes next time?”

She stretches as she bends back looking into the tubes to stare at him in the face.

Antha: “I worry that Erika will lose the remaining braincells she has…”

Adding while yawning.

Antha: “Poor girl has already lost her mind; we can’t have her loose the cells too…”

Distraught, the pained Erika remarks.

Erika: “Great, broken sleep, broken forehead, broken pride, and a broken heart…”

Lying down again in defeat.

Erika: “What else does this morning wanna break huh!?”

She exclaims as she pushes herself out of the tubes.

Diaz: “Yeah-yeah, no matter how long you’ve stayed here you can never get used to the tubes huh?”

He mentions pointing towards the surroundings.

Erika: “I have already gotten used to the cramp, dark, and damp welded metal pipes y’all call “quarters””

Erika: “I, however, will never get used to a certain RAT who is always the bane of my mornings”

Antha & Diaz: “Welcome to #1 ba-by~”

They both chant in unison while fist bumping each other.

Antha: “Come on now, let’s head to #4”

Following up.

Diaz: “Yeah, I passed on dinner last night, it was “Blobber stew” again…”

Antha: “Uh-huh, my god…”

Both wincing in disgust.

Erika: “Ey yo!, why didn’t you two wake me up then?!”

Erika exclaims feeling left out.

Antha & Diaz: “Fuckin psychopath…”

Both mention in passing.

Erika: “What did you call me?!”

She remarks, astonished as the trio heads toward the mission sector.

Diaz: “Hey Erika shouldn’t you be on early duty at #3 today?”

He asks while straightening his coat.

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Erika: “Yeah, but I already did some repair & maintenance on the hatches and visors of IC12 yesterday”

She says while putting on her gloves.

Erika: “For now, unless that crone Sam wants something done, I can do whatever I want”

Continuing as she fixes her bed hair.

Erika: “What about you Antha? Didn’t Lumbre tell you to request for extra safety notches from #2?”

Antha: “I placed the order, but the production line was halted because of a jam in the conveyors”

She explains while tying her hair into a ponytail.

Antha: “The factories at #2 lately have been experiencing shutdowns, maybe the years have finally caught up”

Letting out a disappointed sigh, she continues on.

Antha: “Those archaic systems have gotta be replaced anyway…”

Erika: “Hmmm, oh yeah RAT I thought #5 has a strict policy on “worker contamination””

She says in quotes.

Erika: “Shouldn’t you head directly to the labs?”

Diaz: “Well THIS lab rat is officially free for the week because of one miss-hap ha-ha!”

He says as he flamboyantly tips his coat.

Diaz: “Never again will they stamper with my set-ups, not unless they wanna do over”

He declares as he raises his clenched fist up high.

“IC14 preparing to undock-”, a mission report from the speakers rings out.

Erika: “What?! It’s today?!”

She clarifies as she was about to slip.

Diaz: “Uhh yeah, did I finally break your eardrums? because announcing that was how I woke you up”

Erika: “Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah! Whatever-whatever~ come on! Lets hurry”

Erika hastens them both by pushing their waists along as they climb up the stairs towards the veranda on the second floor of the mess hall at the mission sector.

Excitedly grabbing onto the rails Erika looks down towards the preparing IC14 vessel’s departure.

With a stern face she stares at the waters beyond the docks before affixing her eyes on her boss Old Sam standing near the hatch of IC14 before promptly hopping off the vessel in one jump, raising his hand afterwards to signal a command.

“Departing IC14, dock 4 mission code-FH”, is announced as everyone in the vicinity of the trio turns their attention towards the departing vessel for a moment of silence…

Diaz: “There goes another one~”

…

Antha: “Another coffin to add to the count…”

…

Erika: “Another chance I couldn’t get…”

She says whispering in regret...

“A citadel of the dead and the workplace of the hapless, that’s Auberass for ya”

-Samuel “The Perpetual”

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