Chapter 23: Front 14 – Deadlight Commences – Part 1/2

A thought struck Hoki as she sat in the quiet mundanity of her piloting chair, it was the sort of thing Kolme so often ranted about, usually unsolicited;
 'Battles are a strange thing, in the tales they always seem so very spontaneous. An alarm rings and all the soldiers and machines rush out to clash with one another - So how come I've been sitting here for the better part of 48 hours with nothing to do?'

Per the 'operation details' Scarlet and Hoki had launched along with their field-cabin and set up on a small debris field, close enough to actually see the good ship Clover with its semi-circular form and numerous spindled arms - But not so close as to be detectable as anything more than debris themselves by enemy sensor equipment.

 Aside from the Clover off in the distance, there wasn't much to look at. The cockpit of the regular Vijaik is no large affair.
 In front of Hoki was the primary monitor, surrounded by its myriad of smaller position-able screens - All displaying various readouts, while the largest gave her the aforementioned view of their query.

Around her was even less comforting, the many railways-esk clasp levers that controlled ventilation, the two large handles to the sides of her chair for manoeuvring - And many keyboard-like control panels which she had pushed back to give herself a little breathing room.

 The chair atleast was comfortable, not luxury by any measure and it didn't exactly feel soft but broud enough for Hoki to sit cross legged, or with her knees tucked under her chin, or any other such configuration - Put lightly she had spent a considerable amount of her time trying to find the comfiest way to sit in the chair.

 It was itself something else she had never really put much thought into, the idea of comfort with-in a war machine like the Vijaiks.

Thankfully the small metal shell of the mech wasn't her only refuge, indeed her and Scarlet took shifts between being on watch inside the machines and making use of the field cabins facilities. Said facilities were little better, though seemed downright lush by comparison to the stuffy recycled air and heating of the cockpit.
 The grey rectangular block was affixed to the doorways of both Vijaiks, hanging in the space between them like a scruffy grey-shirt on a washing line.

Inside the cabin was something akin to a youth-hostile style of room;
 With no gravity the beds, instead simplistic Sleeping bags strapped to the walls in the old fashioned way, chairs and tables of the flimsy sort that folded out from the walls and all the kitchen equipment being an intendent to one side.
 The 'Pioneer Toilet' was embedded in one wall, with a small amount of storage on the side opposite for clothes and piloting gear. All told the actual floorspace of the room was little more than 2 metres by 4, however Hoki still valued the space over solely having her cockpit.
 Despite its lack of gravity the space could store a reasonable amount of air - Meaning there was no need for them to permanently wear a space-suit, further it was better air conditioned then the Vijaiks and by being physically connected to the two mechs - Could share these amenities with them to some extent.
 In turn the Neo-Vijaik's regularly small air supply could be made to last comfortably for atleast a week.
A must have for missions like their current one but...

Despite the relative comforts of her pilot's chair and the Field-Cabin, comforts she was well aware someone like her father would not of had during the invasion of Bhaile just a decade ago - Hoki couldn't help but feel the early onset of that feeling.
 The first few hours had been fine, heck the entire first day had been if anything enjoyable. Her handheld had a large array of media she could watch or project onto the large main monitor, aswell as books & publications she could read (Many of which she had been meaning to get to for some time but been unable to due to her duties).

At first it was almost like a short vacation, sure one with the ever-looming threat of an extensional danger, but still a period of rest and relative peaceful relaxation.
 And yet in just the space of two days she could already start to feel that niggling strain, a biting uneasiness to move around and do, - 'Something, anything.'

They couldn't exercise much without the proper gym equipment in a Zero-Gravity environment and before long Hoki found her eyes begin to strain from all the time spent staring at screens. The food was 'Fit for Purpose' at best and communications with the ship was prohibited except under the strictest circumstances.
 And so there she sat, staring at the main monitor that served for a window. Looking out on the vast expanse of nothing, on the blackness with no borders - Filled only by that distant, almost crescent moon looking shape of the Clover and the twinkling sparkles of probably dying, far-off stars.

And in all that blackness was her - Outside her machine bent on one leg against a large silver sheet of long discarded metal. In front of it was that all important high-powered rifle - Propped unmoving atop her shield as a makeshift stand.'
 On the back of her machine was the normal massive backpack with its maze of wires running between it and the rifles power conduits - As well as an additional smaller block attached beneath that, specifically to give the extra power needed for living out her extended stay away from the ship.
 If that was all it would of made for quite the strange image of a lonely sniper, forever sat prone ready for some unseen enemy to appear - Except for it.

One could almost ignore the rail protruding out from the sniper into the awkward grey box of the field-camp - But most certainly not what was on the other end.

 Where Hoki's Cyan and green Neo-Vijaik was stationed as an-ever ready watcher, Scarlet's crimson and emerald machine, with its single red-eyed headpiece and black blocky plate-like torso armour - Stood to the far end of that same sheet of metal looking outwards like some immortalised sentry.
 The two mechs connected in that never-ending night-sky by nothing more than the grey column between their two cockpits and the field-cabin.
 Joined together and yet so very alone.

Hoki shook her head in an attempt to take her mind off such things but before long found herself being dragged into that forlorn state once more as she stared aimlessly out at space.
 The only thing she could think to compare it to was the harsh Winters back home, those dark months when a storm would blow through causing the power to go and the roads to become flooded or snowed over.
 She remembered strongly that slightly eerie feeling of those hours when the sun rested and the dark drew in, where everyone crowded round the big fireplace in the grand living room, her parents lighting candles and handing out torches as thought the world might end & their life's somehow depended on those faint flickering flames.
 Those moments of absolute quiet as the world almost seemed to come to a close, until a gust of wind would batter the roof slates, reminding you of your unwelcomed confinement.

She remembered--

"Oi, girl how do I play cards on this blasted thing."

Hoki sighed, her line of thought fleeing her like the hazy daydream it was as she turned to face one of the smaller monitors.
 Their mechs being physically connected to each other meant they had an actual cable to allow for both audio and visual communication. Further, even taking separate shifts, there was always some hours in the day where both her and Scarlet would be awake together for some time.
 It didn't take a genius to figure out that Scarlet's shift had now began and Hoki's would soon end.

"What do you mean 'cards'? This is a state of the art machine, capable of--"

"--of the use of weapons o' Mass destruction ya-da, ya-da. I know all that, but where's the cards function?"
 Scarlet waved a hand across the small square screen of her face as if to dismiss any further lectures about the Neo's primary functions from Hoki.

She had rather deliberately used one of the smallest screens in the cockpit to display Scarlet's camera feed, which made her cropped out head look almost like some miniaturised version of the truly red-haired verbose woman.
 Small or not however, her voice was as loud and brash as ever.

"Look Scarlet, why would this machine be equipped with 'cards'?" Hoki added with a tone that suggested a general disinterest in a question she had answered many times already.

"Why? Because I'm bored that's why! Back in the war my old--"

"--Your old Vijiak-Mk2-Original had every-board-game under the sun, a bedroom the size of a house and a swimming pool in the back for good measure." Hoki interjected dryly.

Scarlet's face visibly shrivelled for a moment as though to retort, before changing to something of a wry smile;
 "Oh-well just thought I'd ask--" 'I really rather wish she would stop asking questions.'
"--I'd heard after all you were the test pilot for the Neo. Guess you can't of been all that good if ya don't know where to find the cards. Those who cannot do teach eh?"

It was Hoki's turn to wince at this comment, she turned to face her own camera before in a tone of indignation making her reply;
 "Now look here, there were a dozen test pilots for this model, I was ever so slightly more focused on the combat side of things, or did you not prioritize that back in your day Miss.Scarlet?
 If you really want to play your damn cards, go to the monitor config 3B, assign packet 3O-s to auxiliary control board #002 and then press play. Although I doubt with your level of tech-literacy you'll ever get that fa--"

"Done!" Scarlet chirped across the comms.

"Yo-you what? Ahem, I mean to say, ah- already?" Hoki floundered desperately trying to hold back her own embarrassment.

"Hmm-m what's that, don't be mumbling child. All I did was follow your instructions, easy enough once you know how, we are pilot after all, what's a few coding inputs?
 Mind you hadn't thought of using the rifle input for playing a game, seems you were holding out on me girl!"
 She said while laughing in response to Hoki's surprise.

Hoki glared into her camera at the cackling form of Scarlet, in the background she could now hear the generic sounds of the computer generated card game, bing and bong -ing.

"Now then, load it up on your screen too and we'll 'ave a quick go before bed eh?"
 Scarlet mused mostly to herself.

"I just don't get you" Hoki shot back, "I thought you hated computers, you are just pretending to be a tech-wiz all of a sudden to annoy me, is that it?"

Scarlets face turned to one of disappointment; "There ain't nothing to get woman, It's you who thinks I hate computers, computers is great - Just don't like fighting against them is all, makes you complacent."

"Then what about Una? You train her with the simulations!"
 Hoki spat back.

"That's different, the Rookie needs all the experience she can get. Another few years and it'll be just as useless for her as it is me, don't mean it ain't of use right now - Adapt with the situation is soldiering 101." Scarlet said flatly.

You are reading story UnderCurrent – Can You Break The Cycle at novel35.com

Hoki simply threw up her hands in response, "You're impossible, do you know how unreaso--"

"You feeling alright Girl. Nerves getting you down?"

Hoki recoiled defensively at this interjection.
 "You just want to rile me up don't you? Do you find this fun or something? Tch, I should disable this feed right now and be done with it."

For her part Scarlet sat back into her chair, hands raised in foe-surrender, the entirety of her face now more appropriately filling Hoki monitor screen; "Calm yourself would'ya, I meant it proper. Nothing wrong with bein' a little nervous".

"Oh ya, well then what about you Miss.Ace pilot?"

Scarlet rolled her eyes at this comment, "Is that really what I sound like to you girl? Well personally speaking I've never understood people who hate 'The calm before the storm'. To me it's always been when I feel most at ease ya know? If anything I struggle to be relaxed at any other time but ones like this." - She finished in another fit of ruckus laughter that seemed to bounce along with the periodic static of the communication line.

Hoki found herself once again taken aback rather than making any sort of retort. The words came from her mouth before she knew it "...That's what Father used to sa--"
 Scarlet frowned as Hoki stopped mid-sentence;
"Go on, girl. Your father used ta' what?"

Hoki mused on it a moment longer before giving into Scarlet's question - "There...there were alot of my Father's
men who couldn't talk after, well The War. The worst ones would almost never speak, not cause they couldn't exactly but...They'd make Sabban look chatty to put it lightly.
 Still they would turn up once a week to go drinking with Father and the rest ya know, but, I guess what you said - About liking the calm before battle, I used to hear them say it sometimes - I mean some of them could talk about the fighting with pride but the one thing they all would do was talk about the time before battle. You just reminded me of that is all..." Hoki finished.

Scarlet grinned again but differently, in what Hoki realised might actually of been a sincere smile for once;
 "There's some things all soldiers have - The battlefields one of them, there's a' type a magic to it if you get my meaning. Out here we are all the same. Gender, race, rank, don't matter - You can be the richest Bhailien-officer or the poorest Abhailen-footmen - Out here a single shot and you're dead. Makes things more simple.
 Ha animalistic even.
 Shouldn't be that much of a surprise me and your da' share things in common. Than again not sure how much else there'd be."
 She finished with a slightly more rueful laugh.

Hoki frowned at the last part of this comment, "And why's that, you think he's less of soldier than you just for being on the winning side, that it?"

Scarlet laughed again, more enthusiastically this time;
 "Like heck I do, you even listening to me woman? Your old man had his fair share of crap, I know that much and just being away from the battlefield don't mean him and his lads haven't been fighting another type of battle--"
 She pointed above her eyepatch to her temples as she said this remark.
"--different experiences is all I meant. You ever been to Remembrance girl, on a diplomatic mission with your 'pops' or somethin'?"

Hoki shook her head but hearing mention of Abhaile's second continent, she could guess what Scarlet was getting at.  She had seen the photos and videos of the place. Abhaile only had two 'habitable' landmasses - The rest of the planet being near untenable and of those two it had for the longest time been believed the 'Isles-of-Remembrance' were also on the uninhabitability list.
 And yet in the final days of the war, after the King-of-Abhaile had perished and the fleets been scattered, their revolution against The-States-Union Shattered - A beacon had gone out.
 A message claiming that the moment had been prepared for. A base rallying point for the retreating forces of the Abhailen-Revolution, situated in the one place no one would expect - Remembrance.

"Your dad and his mates got to go home ya know? Houkai, The Great Hero of The East' - But we didn't get that, we ran away to Remembrance and ran is the right word.
 Most of us, we never got to 'stop' fighting. I've known men who'd have killed at the chance to really stop and grief. Usually that pain killed them if they did try ever stopping.
 The place is a wasteland, water is rationed lest it literally run out. The atmosphere is weak and we get what? A half-dozen hours of sunlight at the best a' times."
 Scarlet said while laying back further into her chair;

"You should see the landscapes some time, the port they built there in secret couldn't hold but a handful of ships - Yet hundreds came. Warships, supply vessels - Even dinky little lifeboats.
 Well most of 'em were forced to just crash-land once they ran out of resources or manpower. Its this whole county of wrecks, one massive graveyard of ships wherever you look - Everywhere. Most of them gutted now of-course to make new one's or fix the ones that did manage to land upright - But the shells are still there--"

Hoki felt a far away look seemed to capture Scarlet's eye now - Not of the space outside of them but of a place only she could see. A look of remorse or maybe excitement, Hoki wasn't sure which, if either.
 "--Who knows which of us was the better soldier. I rec'on I'd of given him a pretty good run when he only had his tanks but later in the war, well I doubt my old un-serviced Mk2'd done much against the legendary 'Ground-Type-Casnel' even with it's 'swimming pool in the back' was it you said?
 Then again a Casnels only as good as it's pilot, Mh-hmm'."

Hoki fell quiet for a moment, unsure how to take this more earnest turn in the conversation. As for Scarlet she looked up with a start as though realising she had said more then intended, though not with a face of embarrassment.
 Hoki wasn't sure Scarlet had ever been embarrassed by anything;
 "Ah-ha now you want to know the real differences between me and your dad than there's the tea for a start or the fact the average Abhaile soldier in the war got paid 50% less than the TSU troops did, even for a skilled test pilot like me'self"

'Test pilot, I thought that was just a rumour', Hoki contemplated before absentmindedly asking the less inspired question; "The tea?"

"Hmm, yes the tea. You know that crap old man-Nilas drinks? Well I'll tell you this, that'd of been good enough for an Abhailen officer back in the war. We used to get so little that we were forced to water-it down - First thing Master taught me and my pals was that only idiots watered-down tea - Better to draw straws and have only the one or two proper cups a week, than to waste good leaves on flavoured water."

Hoki suddenly felt compelled to ask a whole manner of questions, this was the first time she had ever witnessed Scarlet open up.
 'Test Pilot, Master. 'Pals' Scarlets surely never had friends?' - But again a different thought was the one to cross past her pursed lips;
 "Don't you ever want to quit? I mean you must of wanted other things when you were younger. You're not that old are you?"

Scarlet rose her visible eyebrow, then laughed, "Ha, who knows anymore?"

"You don't know your own age?"
 Hoki asked in complete disbelief.

The older woman simply shrugged at her camera feed;
 "T'was a long time ago I became a soldier girl, back when I still had two working names, legs and eyes, ha-ha-ha-ha! You fight for long enough and you start not to remember the past."

"Bu-but you can't always of been a soldier!" Hoki tried, exacerbated at the seemingly ever more convoluted woman's history.

"No, I suppose that much is true atleast. Must of been your age or thereabout when they recruited me, bout 3 years before the war I guess? I was truck driver before that, tis why they wanted me."

"What in God's name did they want a truck driver for, no wait. A lorry-cabby, you?"

Scarlet eyed the camera this time with a glare of disappointment.
 "Not a hulking great thing with 6 wheels you idiot, more like a shuttle. Abhaile ain't got the gravity you're used'ta, we also didn't have a navy - So shuttle drivers, rocket engineers, anyone with a shred of knowledge was hired. Shouldn't you know all that Miss.history major?"

Hoki's face reddened severely realising the naivety of her own comment, in turn causing Scarlet to start off laughing once more;
 "Me quit eh? Guess it's never really been an option, there's always been more to fight against. Anyways where'd you have me go? TSU-s have occupied most of Abhaile for a decade, not that you can much blame 'em after all we did - But you know aswell as I they still hunt down anyone related to the old King's forces, dumb enough to leave the safety of Remembrance and IAFS. I could go be a pirate again I guess, but raiding supply lines is only fun for so long." - She finished with a mischievous wink that made Hoki frown in response.
 "Most of us have never really been home, we returned to Abhaile sure but, well I don't even know if I still have a home, like a house or an address I mean. And besides that..."

"Besides what?"

"Ah sure, it's nothing really but I guess I do have that much in common with your father also.
 It wouldn't - And don't you dare speak a word of this to anyone else you hear - It wouldn't feel right to leave the world like it is.
 Ta' let the next generation inherit a place worse than the one I woke up to however many years ago it was."
Scarlet finish hastily, almost spitting the words out like they migth harm her to do so, though again there was no reddening of her checks to indicate embarrassment.

Hoki sat silently for a moment, thinking on what Scarlet said. She had expected another ridiculous row, not this.
 'Maybe there really is a magic to be found on the edge of a battlefield to-be.'

In the end they didn't play cards and Hoki began to unseal the cockpit-hatch in order to head to bed, a thought most prevalent of all on her mind; 'Her reason for fighting is almost exactly the same as Father's.'
 As she pressed the last couple dials and switches to set her machine to low power mode, Scarlet's voice perked up was more, just as she reached to disable the small screen from earlier on;

"Ah, well. Goodnight.... Hoki" - The transmission cut immediately thereafter, leaving only a small unconscious smile and flush of the checks on Hoki's face.

****

You can find story with these keywords: UnderCurrent – Can You Break The Cycle, Read UnderCurrent – Can You Break The Cycle, UnderCurrent – Can You Break The Cycle novel, UnderCurrent – Can You Break The Cycle book, UnderCurrent – Can You Break The Cycle story, UnderCurrent – Can You Break The Cycle full, UnderCurrent – Can You Break The Cycle Latest Chapter