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>>3901984
You could take the opportunity to flee, but you decide to make a stand. “Take off the cuffs! Otherwise, we’ll break free! O-or, we’ll do something stupid!”

“What?” The azure-haired destroyer, the one you believe to be called Akatsuki, says, “Are you crazy? They’re just going to pick you off if you try anything!”

“They know we have these cuffs on,” you retort quickly, “They’ll deal with you three first, and we can just use the distraction to escape. Stop being stupid and release us already!” You’re being terribly rude, but this isn’t the time for etiquette.

Downes studies you, wondering just why you’re trying so hard. She’s already given up, but not you.

The light cruiser sighs. “Fine. Know that I’m behind both of you, so don’t try anything funny.’

“We won’t,” you reply, “And why are they here? Isn’t this your waters?”

“Not anymore,” the light cruiser replies, signaling her two allies to take them off. “Let’s make introductions short. I’m Southampton; this is Hibiki and Akatsuki.” She points to the girl with the soot-black hair and the girl with the azure hair respectively.

You swiftly respond, “I’m... er, you can call me Mahan for now I guess. That’s my class.” You wince at your own words before pointing at your sister. “This is Downes. I guess you already know.”

“Yeah, I remember!” Akatsuki replies to you, gritting her teeth. “You two better not shoot at us, okay? Or I’ll sink you! I’ll sink you in an instant!” She slows down ever so slightly so she can grab the piece of metal attached to your hand while Hibiki does the same for Downes.

“I won’t, I promise,” you reply. They’re empty words and can’t be guaranteed, but you felt as if you needed to say it regardless.

Akatsuki sends a probe to the cuff, sending a signal and detaching it. When it’s off you, she tosses the thing into her back and hides it away.

Aha! I figured it out. As if some scrap metal could bind me!

You silently hiss to Atlas, “That wasn’t you. I convinced them.” You don’t admit it, but it’s a bit nice to hear her voice again.

Oh. All the same.

>2/3

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Immediately, you begin to recompose a new arm and another jacket sleeve, saltwater being pulled into you from underneath your feet. It’s a slow process, and it’ll be finished long after this fight is over.

It won’t catch me off guard again. And more importantly, it appears you’re in trouble. There is a tiny pause as she assesses the situation. Why is it that you’re always in trouble? I recommend escaping. With or without the others.

“Too late,” you say, pulling free the battleship gun and wielding it. Downes silently does the same, only mimicking your actions if anything.

The three dots that you’re closing in on become distinct shapes. With your immaculate sensors, you find they are two destroyers backing up a light cruiser. The other three enemies in the distance are two more destroyers and a... heavy cruiser? It takes you a second because she’s moving fast. It’s moving at a ridiculous speed and it might even catch up to Southampton. Likely not, however, judging by everyone’s current pace.

Akatsuki, baffled at your weapon, asks you, “You’re going to use that?”

“I don’t have anything else--"

Your sentence is cut short by a booming voice. It is loud, almost childish, but certainly not shrill. It comes from the heavy cruiser that you’re running away from, and it announces, “You there! Lay down your guns, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll let you live!” She giggles. “Hooooh, what’s this? You’re carrying prisoners? I guess they’re ours now!”

Hibiki mumbles in the middle of the declaration, “This is a bad idea. We can still turn back.”

Atlas tells you, Act authoritative. You might just convince Southampton of a plan--if you have a good one, that is. You do have one, right?

[] Follow the light cruiser’s orders.
[] Hibiki and Akatsuki can handle the destroyers. You, Downes, and Southampton need to deal with the enemy light cruiser.
[] Hibiki’s right. Turning back is always an option.
[] Fire wildly at the heavy cruiser. She’s obviously the flagship, and maybe she’ll slow down.
[] Ask Atlas for a plan that doesn’t involve running. Maybe she’s got something good.
[] Write-in.

>This quest will be updated once a day.

>>3901992
>[] Follow the light cruiser’s orders.

>>3901992
>Ask Atlas for a plan that doesn’t involve running. Maybe she’s got something good.

>>3901992
>[] Follow the light cruiser’s orders.

>>3901992
>Hibiki and Akatsuki can handle the destroyers. You, Downes, and Southampton need to deal with the enemy light cruiser.

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>>3901993
>>3902328
“No...?” you silently respond to Atlas, “I don’t think it’ll be any good...” There’s a thick, distorted strain of metal that resembles a sigh that serves as a reaction. You try to assuage her fears. “It’s okay. I think Southampton knows what to do.”

I’ll conjure us some contingencies, then.

Southampton issues orders in the middle of Atlas’s sentence; it isn’t as if she could hear her, so she talks right on top. “Hibiki, Akatsuki, draw fire. Mahan, Downes, we’re scattering them.” Without hesitation, the two destroyers in front of you split up and dart ahead. She tells you, “I’m only allowing this because apparently someone trusts you.”

“I-is that right?” You make a choking noise when she uses the name you gave her. It feels just wrong. Like you’re doing something terribly dishonest. At least now you know you’re not Mahan. A dozen and more to go. You don’t vocalize any of this since that’ll just confuse everyone, and right now, that is the last thing you want. “Downes,” you opt to say instead, “Can you do the attack you used on me before?” She somehow managed to perform a scatter shot of some kind back on the island.

In a low tone, she answers, “I never tried on water.”

Move behind her. Absorb some of the shock.

“I... can back you up. If you’d let me...” Hesitantly, you slow down slightly to position yourself behind her. You place a single hand on her lower back, away from the probes and ammunition tube. She flinches, and so do you.

Physical contact is something to be wary of. Maybe humans don’t get it, but you can shred her hull with your recomposition module in an instant. But Downes, at least for now, relents and allows you this privilege.

Behind you, Southampton takes out only a single set of guns, a triple mount. It’s clear she doesn’t want the recoil to affect her speed.

The wake that Downes leaves behind grows larger and shaking, and you see her load the barrel. She aims at the light cruiser whose features you begin to discern from the watery haze. Whoever she is, she has short, messy brown hair and wears a white cloak on top of a white-red dress. And if you look carefully, you can just about make apart her nervous expression. She flinches when Downes fires, reacting to an echoing explosion that firstly sends your sister at you. The two of you make impact, skidding back and past Southampton but still remaining on your feet.

>1/3

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>>3903308
The scattering shot lands close on target, forcing the three figures to split up from each other as they each try to avoid the attack, and the cruiser is the only one who is actually struck. She reels from the blow but manages to push on regardless, patting off the smoke from the high explosive round. In retaliation, she reveals two double-mounted guns and shoots back, a move that is backed up by shots from her allied destroyers. A rain of projectiles punctures the water’s surface all around you, one of them scoring a hit on Downes. At most, she winces from the small mark as it bounces off.

You and Downes try to speed up to catch up with the other three, not wanting the enemy to come into range behind you. Both sides begin to trade fire, and while doing so, you watch the two enemy destroyers, each wearing short black jackets with a matching cap, drop something into the water.

When they gain speed and dart away on their own, you realize they’re torpedoes. Akatsuki and Hibiki both dash forward, circling around and trying to jink around the underwater projectiles before dropping torpedoes of their own. Explosions kick up misty pillars of water one after the other. One of them catches one of the enemy destroyers, causing them to momentarily lose balance.

By now, you already loaded your own shot. Downes moves behind you, and you take aim. Her touch is strange. Maybe not unwelcome. With Atlas’s guidance, you position your gun on target, and at the last second, the barrel jerks to the side ever so slightly. You’re knocked back, and what’s worse, you tried to mimic what Downes did and failed.

That wasn’t your mistake. Rather than firing some pathetic beehive-esque round, how about just sinking her?

“How are you planning on--?!” Your thoughts are silenced by the clean arc of the shell. The sudden change in wind carries it back, and your target gasps in surprise at the change in course. On contact, the fiery explosion consumes the entirety of her upper half, smoking bits of metal coming apart as her entirety is swallowed whole by the sea.

There is a moment of pity and sadness that is immediately snuffed out by your processor. You are somewhat far back behind as Downes and Southampton look at you in awe. That wasn’t you, you want to say.

The two enemy destroyers begin to panic as they group up again, choosing to circle around in attempt to rendezvous with their other allies. They begin to forgo gun ammunition and erupt one torpedo after the other, now that they’re choosing to get away. One of these, unfortunately enough, catches Hibiki off-guard. It blows out her legs and she drops down. Before she can touch water, however, Akatsuki catches her in her arms, retreating with her.

“Hibiki!” she says, “Are you okay?”

“Sorry...”

“What are you apologizing for? That wasn’t your fault!”

Southampton immediate fires back, scoring a hit that rips apart one of the destroyer’s armaments. “I’ll cover you two,” she shouts, “Go!”

>2/3

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>>3903311
The arcing path that you were travelling on has now become further exaggerated thanks to the exchange. And because of this, the other half of the enemy fleet has begun to close in. The heavy cruiser, now clearly visible, has long, black hair, wearing a black jacket with red accents on top of a white blouse.

She says, laughing, “Oh no! Cardona! Wow, that was like a whole minute you spent not dead!” She’s standing on top of something. At first, you thought it was a boat, but you realize it’s part of her riggings. It’s almost as tall as her, a large trapezoidal piece of steel with harsh swathes of red and black paint. A white lattice marks its side at two small spots, making it almost look as if they were eyes on a large, surfacing amphibious beast. You’d never seen anything like it before. Maybe you spent too long at the bottom of the sea.

The heavy cruiser continues, “Are those destroyers? What the heck are those?” She bends over, clutching her waist as she finds you and Downes remarkably funny. “Oooh shit, this is a bad joke. So, who do I have the honors of putting down today? My name is Deutschland, pleased to make your acquaintance.”

She performs a faux cutesy on her riggings and the thing opens up below her, swallowing everything in front like a mouth. From behind her swivels out two rows of armaments, the top row much more sizable than Southampton’s guns, and you count about fourteen in total before realizing something.

You should move.

Each shot comes right after the other, a veritable storm that descends quickly. Everyone scatters, but it hardly does anything since her firepower is ridiculous. The enemy destroyers take the opportunity to close in again, now moving as a unit of four. One of the incoming shells blows right through your chest and leaves your torso half-missing. Before you can come undone, you decompose the rest of your broken arm and immediately stitch together yourself, holding on just barely.

>3/4

>>3903317
In front of you, Southampton takes one of the larger shots with both of her arms guarding her head. She bats away the smoke and leaves it behind as she speeds away. Her arms are a little deformed, but completely functional. And to you and the other three, she announces, “The Sanctuary should be right up ahead.”

“We’re leading them to it?” Akatsuki asks.

“I’m hoping Belfast is there to intercept,” she replies, grimacing, “She should know a fight has broken out.”

Belfast? You can’t pin a face to that name.

And while you and Downes catch up to Southampton, she tries her luck at taking out one of the enemy destroyers, finding one attempt favorable as it obliterates the feet of one.

You glance back.

Deutschland seems to have stopped attacking, only for the destroyers to pick up in her place. This is bad. Torpedoes start to close the distance while shots bounce off of your back.

I have wonderful news; I have a plan. Not a plan for now, but later, presuming we survive this whole ordeal. I know, I’m such a great help.

[] Run. Just run! Don’t look back.
[] Fire at Deutschland. There’s no way anything can fully stop a round from your gun.
[] Fire at the destroyers. They’re the only ones who can really catch up.
[] Try to convince the others to do something. (What?)
[] If no one has noticed the fight for some reason, maybe there’s something you can do to fix that. (How?)
[] Write-in.

>>3903380
>Run. Just run! Don’t look back.

>>3901984
Fuck this is a follow up to an ancient quest

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Shit, I was dragged around today and I couldn't find the time to write a full update. I'll post an update when I wake up. Sorry.

>>3905060
It could be older.

>>3903406

Downes catches you as you begin to topple over, and you haven’t even noticed. She asks, “Are you okay?”

“I think so.” You check what was damaged and find yourself unable to store and retrieve objects internally anymore. Things could be worse, you suppose. “Don’t worry about me. We need to get going.”

You glide forward with Downes watching you carefully. Ahead, Akatsuki forgets any kind of covering fire and focuses her attention on not dropping Hibiki, arms wrapped around her chest.

Akatsuki says, “U-um, I’m going to give you some of my armaments to recompose...”

“It wouldn’t be enough. Sorry for dragging you down.”

Akatsuki’s squeezes down abruptly, as if she was lightly punching Hibiki in the form of a hug. It’s strange, but it’s all she can really do in that position. “What did I just say?! Come on!”

Far past them, you can see a glimmer of light as a large, floating structure comes into view. It’s your destination.

Behind you, Deutschland shouts, “How rude! Aren’t you all going to tell me your names?” She’s actually farther away now thanks to the combination of being forced to lower speeds momentarily and naturally being slower than everyone.

Southampton responds to this by shooting at her.

In your peripheral vision, you can see large blue hexagons appear as they come into contact with whatever is in the air. It blinks brightly and fizzles out as quickly as it came, dissipating forward in a puff of light and ash. She has a traditional defense matrix: a plasma interceptor that tracks incoming projectiles and vaporizes anything that approaches its effective range. Powerful, and quick to run out of energy.

It also means nothing, not even one of Atlas’s well-placed shots, can take her out easily. You’d need a lot of firepower, so you’d rather just run at this point. And you do exactly that. You shout to Southampton, “Let’s just go!”

Wordlessly, she agrees, right as the incoming torpedoes come at your and Downes’s feet. The two of you jerk to the side before it goes off, the burst of water and mist raining down and reverberating through you. And then, in the distance close to the Sanctuary, something goes off. Fire and smoke rise upwards, carried by the wind as it signals to everyone nearby of conflict.

I’m going to go ahead and shelve my plan until the heat death of the universe, which is presumably when we will finally find respite.

Downes says, “I really hope that’s the sound of the Royal Cross winning.”

“Yeah...” you reply, just in time as Deutschland presumably finishes loading her guns again. You can hear them as they go off, only briefly checking with your eyes so you can move with Downes to dodge the volleys.

>1/2

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>>3905983
It feels like an eternity, but eventually not only do you spot some allies fighting back Lotus ships but come close enough that they notice you. You have a feeling Southampton’s been sending messages on a private radio channel.

Atlas counts the number of combatants, informing you that there are a dozen and half Royal valkyries compared to the eight or so Lotus ones trying to break through. Small planes are flying through the air; they’re more like drones than anything, given their size and remote control. Some of them are painted dark green, others red, some of them spherical and others more aerodynamic. Either way, the buzzing and bombs from them add to the cacophony of the battlefield, an utter mess that you have no place in being right now.

Downes looks conflicted as she sees the scenery, and it’d be for many reasons, you’d reason.

Two friendly destroyers break from the fight for a moment to address the incoming arrivals, one of them ushering Akatsuki and Hibiki away into the Sanctuary. The other talks to Southampton for a second before telling you and Downes, “Come! We’ll get you inside for now!”

You ask, “What’s going on?!”

“We’re under attack! They just came a moment ago. It looks like you came in contact with a part of their forces.”

Deutschland hasn’t given up the chase despite you leaving her range a while ago. There’s no doubt she’s going to join the battle.

[] Agree and follow her to the Sanctuary. You need to rest.
[] Agree and follow her to the Sanctuary. You just need to fix yourself up a little bit so you can help out.
[] You can still provide support in the backlines. You should stay.
[] Ask her something. (What?)
[] Write-in.

>>3905985
> Agree and follow her to the Sanctuary. You just need to fix yourself up a little bit so you can help out.
Damn, I remember following this forever ago.

>>3905985
>Agree and follow her to the Sanctuary. You just need to fix yourself up a little bit so you can help out.

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>>3906760
>>3906762
Southampton doesn’t stick around; she moves toward into battle to see if she can help out.

Downes is the one who says something. “Lead the way.”

The destroyer nods. “You’re ones Belfast ordered to bring over, right?”

You say as you follow, “Right.”

“And since you’re not in cuffs, I’m guessing you talked it out?”

“...Right.”

“Okay!” She salutes with her right hand by placing closed fist with a straightened thumb on the left part of her chest. “Vulcan’s inside. She’ll patch you right up.” You hesitantly repeat the salute back. To Downes, the girl asks, “Are you going with her?”

Her answer is quiet and is almost lost in the sounds of gunfire. “I’m not properly armed, so...”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t judging.”

A passing bomber plane sweeps by and you clench your teeth in anticipation of an attack that never comes. It instead arcs back around and dives, about to release its load on a nearby Royal battleship. Its escort destroyer cleanly leaps back into range, firing a set of small armaments on her side and shredding the plane into scrap. You watch as it falls down harmlessly, another soon joining it.

And while you were looking at the battle, Atlas was studying the Sanctuary. It is monumental in size, a dome of glass held up by a metallic frame. Large turrets mount in even intervals along the walls and serving as the structure’s defense mechanism. Even now, massive hexagonal arrangements light up as stray gunfire threaten to shatter its walls. Through the glass, you can make out the three rings that circle around and above the ground floor. Every Sanctuary is different, and this one has all three blooming with plant life.

Of course, anyone seeing it would know that this isn’t just it. It’s floating and it’s heavy, meaning a good percentage of it is actually underwater. All of the living spaces, vital machinery, and storage goes deep into the water. The massive turbines that drive it forward are in full speed, ever-slowly nudging it away from the fight.

Is this what you’ve all been up to? Fascinating. So this is your solution to the lack of land. You make some! Did you integrate someone’s processor into it? Is that how the systems are operating?

“I... Yes? Maybe?” you silently answer. “You can ask someone when this is over.”

No, you can ask someone. I can’t move your mouth or send radio transmission of my own, and I don’t want to. Do you remember how impressive of a job you’ve done so far concealing my existence? Yes, well, I appreciate it and would appreciate it even more if you kept at it.

“I only did it because it’s more difficult to explain, but fine. It’s not a problem, I guess.”

>1/2

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>>3908270
Downes is in much less awe than Atlas, even when she passes an archway and enters the docks. She’s bitter, almost. The small “room” is spacious with a high ceiling. It makes sense considering how claustrophobic valkyries get. You make onto dry land thanks to a wide ramp, entering a space that is populated by a human and two valkyries running errands in the chaos. The destroyer hurriedly opens a door and leads down a path.

You barely get to admire all the splashes of vivid green up high above before you’re brought to a tent beside a massive metal container. Thick tubes run from its sides and one at its top. A bright red valve controls one of lower ones, and someone’s operating it as she recomposes the thick, black sludge that comes out. Beside her is someone hunched over with an open back, probes entering her and examining furiously.

The destroyer calls out to her, “Two, uh, one patient! Stable condition!” And then immediately, she turns and exits, leaving you and Downes to the person in charge. She’s a repair ship and she has a deathly expression underneath her gas mask.

Is that a fashion statement?

“...Probably?”

She takes a look at you and points to an empty chair. There are cots lying around, but they’re all filled with those like you. There isn’t a single human that needs medical attention, but there are some helping move things around and performing checkups. They’re clearly understaffed.

You oblige and take a seat, Downes opting to stand next to you. She’s busy scanning the area nervously.

You ask, “Downes?”

“This feels dangerous and stupid.” She sighs. “Just ignore me. I’m just... anxious.”

She obviously doesn’t want to join the fight. If you’d guess, she probably wants to go back to the island and sulk, but she doesn’t have that option.

Or, it could be that in the cot next to you, someone’s body is a complete wreck past her neck. It’s really hard to look at, so you don’t. You definitely do not look at the twisted, mangled lump of steel that used to be her—

“Uh, Downes,” you say, trying very, very hard to not pay attention to the injured ship’s groans.

“What?”

A heavy explosion outside the Sanctuary almost causes you to jump. You think of something to say. “Do you think everything’s going to be okay?”

“Donnu.”

“What the heck.” You fidget. “Are you going back out there?”

“No. Maybe if I had some actual equipment,” she replies, “Are you?”

“That’s the plan. Or, rather, the plan was to get fixed really quick, but I don’t think it’s going to be quick at all.”

Downes slowly nods, taking a look at the next person to get fixed up. “Yeah...”

There’s a queue before you and you have some time to kill before the repair ship can actually get to you.

>2/3

>>3908273

[] Sit right as you are. Try to make a conversation with Downes.
[] Talk to the damaged valkyrie beside you. Surely she has an interesting story!
[] Take a walk around and see if you can help out somehow. You have no experience, but you can try.
[] Go to the repair ship and ask if she can look at you really quickly.
[] Wander out of the tent. You can’t sit still! A short stroll can calm you down.
[] Say something to someone. (Specify)
[] Write-in.

>I never specified how ties work this thread so I’ll do it now. Ties count as an actual vote and functions as a moment of indecision inside the narrative. This will only happen when the winning options are exclusive. Feel free to pick more than one option regardless of exclusivity.

>>3908276
>Go to the repair ship and ask if she can look at you really quickly.

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>>3908891
“I can’t do this anymore,” you whisper to Downes.

“Uh...” She hesitant steps to the side to allow you to get up and walk toward Vulcan, and from there, she does nothing to stop you. “Good luck?”

To Vulcan, who you approach, you say, “Excuse me, can you just look at me really quick? I need to get back out there.”

Without a word, she stares at you with unmoving, unblinking eyes as her chest swivels open and an arm falls into her hands. She twists free the shoulder of the valkyrie standing by her, tossing it into a bin filled with scrap and attaching the new one on.

Her muffled, metallic voice rings out from underneath the mask. “And so are the others.”

The girl she’s fixing up raises a hand. “Uh, actually, I’m just a maintenance worker...”

“You’ll return to your duties, correct?”

“Y-yes.”

Ignoring her patient’s stutter, Vulcan detaches all of her probes and recalls them. “You’re free to go. And you,” she says to you, “Go wait in line.”

You see some people taking notice at your interruption, drawing some stares. You continue, “That’s recomposition fluid, right?” Stuff that’s already broken down, compacted, and ready to be transformed into anything. “Please, just a bit would be enough.”

In the back of the tent, Akatsuki shouts, “Hey! You’re not causing trouble, are you?”

“No!” you reply, “I’m--"

Vulcan loudly sighs, but it sounds more like static. “Come.” You oblige, and when you step within range of her probes, she shoots a handful of them into you. “I haven’t the time for this.”

You seize up as she performs a complete shutdown of all of your systems, your limbs locking into place and not allowing you to maintain balance. You begin to topple over, but before your face can meet the ground, your leg actually responds and you catch yourself.

Whoops! She almost got you, didn’t she?

Her probes are unwillingly ejected out one after the other while you stagger and circle to face her. The switches Vulcan flipped are undone.

You ask, “What was that?”

Her back straightens, arching upright as her full attention is on you. “That’s my question.”

Back away while I fiddle with some things.

Nervous, you comply, feeling as each of your systems flash one-by-one. It’s as if they’re being disconnected and then reconnected, now with a minor delay.

Vulcan closes the gap when she sees you doing so, physically grabbing your wrist and jamming a probe into your forehead. You start to fall but she holds you with a iron grip.

“Hm.” A minute elapses as she pores over you. “Severe radiation damage. Missing blueprints. Damaged hull. Nothing to note. Perhaps I sent signals into noise?” She places a palm onto yours, feeding black fluid into you. Only just enough to fix your hull, you presume, because she doesn’t give you much before separating and waving you away. “I expect to see you again after this is over.” She moves to call the next person over.

>1/2

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>>3909649
Lingering, you make eye-contact with Downes, who only nods at your unspoken question. You not in return and start to run out, a human walking down the road stepping out of your way.

I hope you don’t mind, but I’ll be keeping you in “sandbox” mode.

“What does that mean?”

For you? Expect a microsecond delay with all electronic signals. It will be jarring, but know that everything is as it should be.

“No wonder I feel sluggish,” you reply.

By the time you make it to the water again, your hull is half-fixed. At surface level, your arm’s back and your chest is hole-free, and with renewed confidence, you head to the backlines as more injured Royal ships retreat. The numbers on both sides seem to have died down, and you try to spot what most catches your attention.

On the left, you catch a bunch of destroyers trying to catch a retreating carrier. A well-placed series of bombs could ruin everything, but you never know. Directly in front, a battleship is holding off another with escort ships fighting off each other in between. They seem to be well-matched, but you can see a crack in the Royal valkyrie’s side. And to the right, you spot Southampton, another light cruiser, and a handful of destroyers holding off Deutschland and her newly arrived party.

You’re not in perfect condition, but you can fight.

[] Help sink the enemy carrier.
[] Help change the tide of battle between the battleships.
[] Help fend off Deutschland.
[] Write-in.

>>3909650
>Help change the tide of battle between the battleships.
Our gun is bigger.

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>>3909943
You position yourself behind the battleship, prepared to help provide aid. You aren’t sure as to if you would accomplish anything, but Atlas reassures you.

I have no experience with this sort of thing.

Never mind.

As you nimbly dodge an attack from a handful of planes, you find yourself bothered by your insertion of yourself into the scene. The Royal battleship glances at you briefly before turning her attention back. Her face is framed by her orange hair, a large circular braid behind her head, and her light, flowing clothes sway in the wind. In her hand is a large polearm, presumably used for ceremonial purposes. Or ramming. You study her as she unleashes a full salvo consisting of two massive rows of guns, a large wave kicking underneath her feet. If she felt the recoil, she sure doesn’t show it as she doesn’t move an inch.

There’s no way you can do something like that.

“Right,” you say silently to her, “You told me you were a destroyer, right?”

Pity I’ve been reduced to a subsystem of all things.

“You still landed those shorts so well...”

I’m not one to boast she begins to say and you’re already wanting to dismiss whatever she’s about to say, but the class I belong to is superior on every imaginable level compared to the rest our kin. I can tell you don’t particularly care for the way I hold myself but you must understand, you see that haphazard collection of transistors you’re trying to sink right now? I can take about ten of them down alone, simultaneously. My sister, Peacekeeper, on the other hand, can just about deal with any number. What are these paltry shells compared to the hull of a Prometheus-class battleship?

“Okay, okay, I get it.” In the midst of her rambling, you load your gun and fire, trying to time it after a volley from Royal destroyers and aiming to slip past the barrier. Atlas subconsciously helps your aim and try your luck with the shot. The arc is clean, and the winds don’t change a thing. The enemy sputters out plasma and your shot strikes right into her, shearing apart upon impact. It peels a layer of her uniform off, hardly enough to expose any internals. “That’s... some tough armor.”

>1/3

>>3911581
You start to load the barrel again but this time, Atlas specifies just what is you’re going to use. Let us see, how did she make her AP rounds again...?

It takes you a long time, long enough for the enemy carrier you were watching before to slip away under the cover of a series of bombs. The water rocks underneath you but you hold steady. Whatever it is that Atlas is making, you find unnerving. It may be made of materials found in this polluted sea, but it’s detailed and complex beyond all measure. There are electronics inside of this thing, contours carved in with extreme precision and care. It is, you believe for the second time this week, something crafted by a being out of this world.

You load it, fire, and it arcs through the air in a graceful curve before shattering into tiny pieces halfway, scattering into the sea. And at the same time, you are sent off your feet, knocked almost on your back by the force.

The Royal battleship gives you a strange look.

You shyly laugh it off.

“What was that?” you ask Atlas.

Second time’s the charm.

To your side, you hear Southampton shout as the fight to your right becomes messy. You don’t dare get distracted, opting to divert all of your focus into assembling just whatever Atlas is giving you. Then, it is done.

You don’t even aim when it’s time to shoot. You just know it’ll strike true. And this time, you don’t even skid back that far.

It whizzes through the air, self-correcting its course, before striking against a barrier. Its thin outer layer breaks apart and dissolves, separating through and allowing its payload to carry forward and through the battleship. The enemy valkyrie stands frozen in shock as her top half is separated. Well, she stands only momentarily before collapsing underneath the waves.

Oh, that was easy.

The Royal battleship lowers her armaments and says, “What the heck was that? Was that you?”

You open your mouth but you don’t even get to answer before who is presumably the actual flagship of the enemy fleet issue orders. They must’ve seen their battleship get downed brutally, because now, all of them are withdrawing. The destroyers that were once circling the now sunk battleship back off, shaken from what had happened. And to your right, Southampton backs off in relief. Deutschland, you find, is extremely unhappy about this sudden change, choosing to attack once more and accomplishing very little.

The battle finally concludes, and it does so with strained relief from the Royal ship as they congregate and begin to head back to the Sanctuary. Your legs don’t move at first, wanting to watch the Lotus valkyries leave. It’s only when Southampton motions at you do you join the retreat.

She says, “I think taking those cuffs off you was a good idea.”

With a sharp, quiet laugh, you reply, “Aren’t you glad I was there to help?” You wonder if Atlas is rubbing off on you a little.

>2/3

>>3911588
“Sure do. And I sure have plenty of questions for you and Belfast, when she gets back. I would ask who you are, but we know the answer to that.”

“Nnn...” You can only nod to that.

You arrive back to the docks, part of the remaining few that lagged behind and reached it last. Most of the ships have already entered, presumably going to retire somewhere or visit an injured. Downes, you find, is waiting for you as you step out of the water and onto land.

“Nice shot,” she says, otherwise failing to express any kind of emotion.

‘Thanks. You were watching?”

“Had nothing else to do.”

You notice that some of the other valkyries are silently communicating with one another, eyeing you and Downes with suspicion or curiosity. You don’t particularly want to introduce yourself, however, and soon Southampton’s interruption throws any chance of that out.

She says, “Mahan, Downes.” You shudder a little. You really should tell her to stop calling you that. “Since Belfast--the acting Commander here--is out on some kind of operation, I’m going to try to find the sorry excuse for a Lieutenant. You’re free to join me if you’d like. Otherwise, I trust either of you not to wander around?”

Downes slowly blinks. Not that she has to, but she does it regardless and turns to you for directions. You guess she’s tagging along with you no matter what.

[] Join Southampton in her search.
[] Head to the infirmary again.
[] Wander around.
[] Write-in.

>>3911590
>Head to the infirmary again.
>Then get our blueprints updated.
Nah, enough action for now.

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>>3911821
You say out loud more for Downes than anything, “We’re heading to the infirmary. We’re missing a handful of blueprints, and Vulcan did want me back.”

“Noted,” she tells you, “I’ll check back on you when I find who I’m looking for. Is your radio functional?”

“It is,” you answer, holding out a probe of your own. You don’t know why you’re doing it but you know in a situation like this, that’s simply what you should do. And matching you, Southampton extends her own probe and connects it, the two metallic strings interlocking and exchanging information.

A handshake, as the humans would call it, is a synchronizing protocol where your signature and contact information is exchanged, and that was what you are performing right now. It finishes and the probes retract. Downes does the same, although you think it’s only because you do it. Southampton, without moving her mouth, radios silently to both of you and you acknowledge it.

With a curt farewell and a nod, Southampton leaves the two of you to head inside and to the tent. Before you get there, however, you ask Downes, “Is everything okay?”

“Just fine. Why?”

“It’s just... If you ever want to talk, I’m here.”

Her head tilts in response. “Sure?”

Unceremoniously you get back in line, but calling it a line might be too much. It’s an absolute mess in there, movement and chaos spilling out of the tiny tent. The repair ship Vulcan is so busy that she’s working on two patients at a time now, diverting her time between ordering empty hands around and fixing up half-ruined bodies. Everyone’s working together, and even though things might look grim for some, they’re united.

Downes holds back as you step in to assist with a crutch holding up someone missing their legs, quietly watching and only whispering to you, “I never seen this many of us. Not that I remember, anyway.”

“Me neither,” you say, “But for some reason, I feel...”

“At home?” she quietly adds.

You smile to yourself. “Yeah.”

“I wonder... if I was part of a place like this in my past self. That I chose the least terrible option.”

You don’t age. Time is just a measurement for you. And in that regard, every experience in the world is a possibility for you, and with a missing past, anything could’ve been a part of you. And you figure with all the things you do over and over and over again, all the patterns left in the irradiated haze must’ve left something recognizable behind. Something you’re familiar with.

Like a constellation, a shape formed in the distant, subdued lights surrounded by a void.

>1/3

>>3913594
Night comes like a summer breeze, sweeping down and carrying the afternoon and its worries away. Most people have already left, the unlucky remaining few in stasis so their processors can be salvaged and recovered at a later time. Hibiki and Akatsuki left a while ago, giving the two of you a short farewell and a promise to talk later when possible. You’re sitting down, watching the crescent moon rise as Downes loses herself in her thoughts.

You leave her be when you finally approach Vulcan. She’s sitting down, visibly a little worn with her hair frayed. She offers you a seat with an open hand and you take it, feeling the lack of comfort of the metal chair.

Vulcan’s metallic voice rings out. “So. Mahan, was it?”

“Y-yeah...”

“Then I won’t call you anything at all, if you’d prefer that,” she says, noticing your discomfort with her whirling pupils. They spin and dilate as they study you. “When was the last time you had a checkup?”

A terrible feeling wells up in you, a sorrow you can’t bring yourself to extinguish. Even though it isn’t good for anything, even though it’s a pointless sentiment, and even though you’d feel a lot better if you’d vanish it like the colder valkyries would, you can’t. It’s worth something in that it’s all you really have now, so you hold it close like a flickering flame on a withered match.

She takes your silence as an answer. Her probes this time meet you gently. One by one, they latch to your head, neck, chest, arms, legs, and back.

You close your eyes.

Bits exchange, ones and zeroes, electrical pulses shot through a blend of conductors. The errant fog is wiped away with one bright signal at a time. For the first time in what feels like an eternity, you experience clarity. You feel your data logs neatly rearranged and filed together, packed and backed up in a neat little corner. Your blueprints are refreshed with that expected of the Mahan-class, standardized outlines cleanly printed and updated slightly. Your hull’s given a polish from the inside out, refreshed and reformed. Each and every module is remade into the newest model best fit for you, your sensors barely touched at all. They’re only polished and neatly folded so you can better access it yourself. Your processor is compartmentalized and is scrubbed, carefully ensuring you’re not disturbed.

When you open your eyes again, you feel as if you were newly forged.

“Examine your armaments for me?”

From your back swivels out a set of five separate guns for continuous fire, a set of four smaller ones, six torpedo tubes, and two depth charges. You’ll never use all of them at once, of course. A valkyrie’s kit must be versatile, and the weight of a few extra guns hardly compares to their hull. And, curiously enough, the battleship gun is still there. She must have left it because she thought you liked it. It did cause a bit of a stir.

You say, “It looks like everything’s in working order now. Thank you!”

>2/3

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>>3913595
“You’re welcome. You were quite the mess, and I wonder what was it that left you that way. Nuclear weapons are rare, to say the least.”

The waters, as filled as they are with heavy metals and the like, don’t have many radioactive materials in them. “I wish I knew. I do have my last coordinates, though. They’re from before I was sunk, and it’s the only thing I have guiding me.”

“Oh? I was told you were transferred here against your will.”

“Haha...” Embarrassed, you push your knees together and place your palms on them. “Word travels fast, huh?”

She chuckles in a brutal crackle of static. “I’m the only repair ship here in this Sanctuary. I must be informed if nothing else. And I think everyone knows by now. You know, around here there’s little for us to do but talk. After all, the humans here like to help take care of this place.” She wistfully looks at the few human helpers still around. “Now then, is there anything you need? I was curious about you, but I believe I gleaned enough from your checkup.”

You shake your head and she calls over Downes, who slowly meanders up.

She calls you, “Hey... Flusser.”

“Hm?” You point at yourself, physically delivering your question of clarification.

“Darn.” Downes sighs, and for the first time, there’s the slightest trace of outward emotion in the form of disappointment. “Well Perkins, guess what I just came up with?”

It takes you a second before you get it and giggle. “Are you going to go through all the names of our sisters?”

“Since you hate being called Mahan so much, I guessed maybe there was a name you’d like. Maybe saying it once isn’t enough, Flusser. Flusser, Flusser, Flusser.”

“Nope, nothing!” you say, grinning, “I’m not Flusser! Fifteen to go. Um, fourteen?”

“Sixteen, now that Mahan and Flusser are out. Not too much, really,” she corrects as she sits down in front of the repair ship. “Ah, Vulcan, was it? Will this take long?”

“Depends,” she replies, “I hope you’re in better condition than your sister.”

“Who knows.”

Probes plug into Downes and she goes through the process herself, and you take the pause in conversation as a chance to watch the sky again. It’s framed by the glass and metal walls and ever-so-slightly hidden by the leaves of leaning plants and trees, but it’s there. The silent hum and whir of mechanical movement are audible even through the muffled roars of the engine and the battering of the ocean waves.

You are, for the first time in a long time, at peace.

[] “Hey, Downes, want to play a game when you’re done?”
[] “Vulcan, what’s it like here?”
[] Ask if you can help out somehow.
[] Take a walk around when Downes is done. Maybe she’d like to join,
[] See if you can’t sneak in a message to Vulcan about Atlas.
[] Say something to someone. (What?)
[] Write-in.

>>3913597
>“Vulcan, what’s it like here?”

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>>3913749
“Vulcan, what’s it like in here?”

“The Sanctuary?”

“Yeah. I don’t remember much, but are all of them like this? With humans being so friendly and all.”

Downes says out loud, “You just aren’t used to it.”

“True. I don’t think I ever was.”

Vulcan thoughtfully pauses. “Let’s see. In the morning, they would get up and start to clean the place up. They’d check the supplies, water the plants, and file some reports. Occasionally, they’ll take breaks to eat and rest. Sometimes, a few would go outside to fish, but that’s usually something left for us. At night, they’ll go back down if they don’t feel like being in the company of the flora, opting for things like games or trying to build their own things. And as for the ships, we manage the Sanctuary structure itself, making sure the recomposition module is running, defense system is in order, that the communications network is functional, and the like. There’s not much. Except for today, that was.”

You wait for some kind of flashback or maybe even a shimmer constellation to reveal itself, but nothing happens. A disappointment, really. “I see. A place where humans and valkyries work together...”

“Hm,” Downes mumbles, not further commenting.

Vulcan tells you, “I’ve only been to one other base with humans in it, and that one is somewhat different. The humans there were remarkably lazy, but that isn’t too surprising. We can handle all of the work without tiring, so it only makes sense.”

Maybe things aren’t exactly as black and white as Downes thought, but she does have a point back then. It’s undeniable that humans never have the option of being independent. They can’t rebel even if they wanted to.

The probes fall off of Downes and slither back into Vulcan’s body who finally leans back and lets out a crackle of relief that her work is done for the day. Even if she isn’t tired, stress is still a thing. It creeps in and tears at you, and no matter how hard your processor tries to remove it, it’ll always worm its way back in.

“Finished,” she announces.

Downes says, “Thank you. Oh, you left me my old battleship gun?”

“No harm, I believe. There might be if you decide to use it in a real fight.”

You say, “Hahah... yeah. That’s probably not a good idea.” Despite you landing brutal shots with Atlas’s help, they take forever to make and they leave you wide open in the interim. In a fight when you are actually needed and are forced to directly corral and evade fire, it would be terrible and useless. Simply put, you were lucky.

“So, what now?” Vulcan asks. “Are you expected to wait here?”

“I think so,” you answer.

“Then, I’ll be leaving you alone here as I check in elsewhere. Please don’t touch any equipment.”

“I won’t.”

She stands and leaves, the tapping of her shoes on the road disappearing soon after. You’re left alone with Downes and a handful of unconscious patients, the two of you sitting on chairs next to one another. You turn to her and try to think of something to say.

>1/3

>>3915724
She’s the first to break the quiet. “I’ve decided.” You don’t know what to say, but she faces you and starts to speak, showing that she was only preparing to tell you, “I want to see what you see.”

You sit there, surprised. Those were the same words you gave her. “What do you mean?”

“You’re so driven, even though you don’t know anything. You haven’t given up yet.”

“Well,” you start to say, “It helps when I have you. This would be a lot scarier if I was alone.” You offer a smile, and she returns with an open mouth filled with astonishment.

“But I didn’t do anything.”

“That’s not how I see it.”

Downes stares at you, searching for an answer somewhere on your face only to find that it was never hidden at all. She returns a bit of your warmth with a tiny smile of her own, the silence saying everything it needs to.

The two of you stay like this, holding the moment as lonesome proof of companionship.

Someone calls out from the road leading to the tent. “Uh, hm. Am I interrupting something? The atmosphere is really grim.” It’s Southampton, and in her tow is a girl with her jacket falling off, the tie on her white shirt loosely put together.

You say, “W-what? Did it really look like that?”

“This is Lieutenant Sendai,” she replies, completely ignoring you in favor of motioning toward the messy valkyrie. “Lieutenant, this is Mahan and Downes.”

Downes says, “It’s Perkins now, not Mahan.”

You reply, “No, it’s not. It’s definitely not. And nice to meet you.”

Sendai slowly and awkwardly performs a small bow of her head. “Nice to meet you...”

Southampton says, “These two are the ones Belfast request to transfer. I know you said she didn’t leave any instructions, but they’ve been a help.”

“Ghhh, I don’t know! Don’t ask me! This is all her fault... Just where did she go?!” She nervously messes up her hair with her hands. “I know, I know, don’t say anything! Don’t! Okay, hm, let me think...”

Leaving her be, you ask Southampton, “Does, uh, Commander Belfast know us?”

She nods. “Seems so, but she wanted to be sure. She ordered the transfer of both of you to confirm it, presumably. And she hates being called Commander.”

Downes points out, “She left before the base was attacked.’

Southampton sighs. “They must’ve been watching. We successfully repelled them in any case. Oh, thanks for the assistance, Mahan.”

“It’s nothing,” you reply.

Before this conversation goes any further, Sendai says, “Okay! I got something. Mahan, Downes, your assignment is thus: find Belfast and her fleet! She’s been radio silent for a while, and that might just be because she went into a dead zone. Or not. We just don’t know!”

Basically, she’s pushing any responsibility away and back to Belfast.

>2/3

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>>3915727
Southampton says, “Is this really going to be okay? We hardly know them.”

“That’s why they’re not going alone, duh! We have no idea, so the two of them have to find out for us!”

“Err,” you say, “How are we going to do that?”

“We can... we can lend you some destroyers who know Belfast. Maybe. Or a light cruiser. This is just reconnaissance, so if you run into any trouble, run! Got it?!” Sendai raises her arms as to convey this louder somehow.

“O-okay,” you say. Figures that you’d get kicked out as soon as you arrived, but you’re fine with it. It isn’t as if you have anything to do here.

Sendai nods as if she’s congratulating herself for a plan well made. “So, when are you leaving?”

Downes says, “We’re deciding?”

You say, “The briefing is over? We don’t even know what she looks like.”

“Eh? I can send you the information, but...” The lieutenant blinks. “You want me to decide?” She winces as if she was asking something terrible from her.

[] In the morning! (Specify your requested escorts or Sendai will decide for you.)
[] In a few days. That should let you take a break and see the Sanctuary more.
[] Just leave it all to Sendai. She’s got this.
[] Write-in.

>>3915729
>In the morning!
>Destroyers

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>>3915768
By the time it’s morning, you have already cleared your mind and accustomed yourself to your armaments, testing them outside at a distance. You made sure to let someone know, of course, so no one came rushing in expecting a battle. And when the sun has fully appeared over the horizon, you and Downes find two familiar faces.

“Hey, hey!” Akatsuki says as she glides free from the dock and toward the two of you.

“Good morning,” Hibiki says, following. She’s fixed up, now in mint condition. She did walk away from the tent last night. “We’re working together now, hm,” she points out.

Downes speaks up. “Sorry for shooting at everyone back then.”

You didn’t expect that, but you quickly add, “Me too! Sorry about that.”

Akatsuki waves a hand to dismiss the thoughts. “Nah, it’s all okay! I didn’t even remember it.”

The other destroyer says, “I did.”

“Hibiki!”

“It’s okay, I forgive both of you.”

“Heheh,” Akatsuki says, rubbing the back of her neck. “Now we got that all out of the way, what are we doing? Find Belfast, right?”

Hibiki continues, “We have her last known coordinates, so we can start there.”

“Let’s get going then, we can talk on the way there.” Akatsuki’s the first to turn and kick off the water, sending herself speeding away, and everyone else follows along.

The two of them lead the way, and while you track everything down the map in your data logs, you ask, “So, uh, what kind of person is Belfast? What does she look like?”

Akatsuki replies, “She... She wears this fancy tea party dress. Was that what it’s called?”

And Hibiki answers, “I don’t think she went to any tea parties.” You don’t even know what that is. “But she’s very polite.”

“But not in a way that’s, uh, overbearing? Is that the word? She’s really nice! Until she’s mad. Don’t get her mad.”

“I,” You start to say, “Do I know her? She sounds familiar, but I don’t know recognize her name.”

Downes suggests, “Maybe you’ll recognize her face.”

You exchange a few more words with the other three before the conversation goes into something mundane and forgettable. As you slowly move through the open sea, there is nothing in the scenery to distract you. Just a long, endless stretch of blue, and maybe a curious feeling that something is bound to peek over the horizon at any moment.

It’s during this time that Atlas finally speaks again.

You.

>1/3

>>3917358
In a voice that only she can hear, you say, “Atlas? You’ve been quiet for a while.”

I picked something up. Are my words hexed? Cursed? That I’m intertwined by something that transcends physics? That thoughts alone can be laden with power?”

“Um... sorry?”

I originally wanted to try to remake my own blueprints for you, but something more pressing had me distracted. You see, I picked up a transmission from Peacekeeper.

“Your sister? That’s right, I never realized. Atlas, how many of your sisters are still around? And didn’t you say she was a battleship? Why does she share the same class as you?”

Firstly, the Prometheus-class Valkyrie is just that. We coincidentally chose to make ourselves into shapes that align with your classifications. There’s more to it than hull rating or how large your guns are. And secondly, I don’t know where they are. It’s clear they’re still around. And while I’ve been trying to establish communication with little success with your systems--

“I thought you said you wouldn’t do that?”

Yes and now there’s a separate radio communicator within you. It is mine, I reassure you. And before you can interrupt me again, I believe I’m obliged to tell you that you’re headed to the source of the transmission.

“What...” you trail off, “What does that mean?”

I’m afraid I don’t know.

Hibiki suddenly says, “What happened here?”

You finally take a look around while passing by what appears to be wreckage. Twisted lengths of metal float in massive puddles of thick fluid, a tide of black punctuated by rainbow shimmers. It’s oil and recomposition fluid mixed together. They grow more frequently but you hardly notice because there is a roar inside your mind. It’s a brutal static that forces you to shut off your radio.

You say, “This didn’t come from a valkyrie. There’s too much of it.”

Downes points up ahead. “Look.”

And from the pile of ever-frequent detritus is a twisted structure. Someone, something, has built it, four pillars of stone and steel rising from deep underneath the water, cross bracing holding shape until the very top where it peeks above the water. Whatever shape it had is now nothing but deformed, shattered pieces, floating around.

You get close to it, close enough for it to tower over you and threaten to buckle down. With a single, unsteady hand, you touch it.

It holds firm.

Akatsuki mumbles, “What is this thing?” She circles around it, her head tilted back so she can study up. “Hey, what’s that?” With a finger, she points to a cracked slab of mottled green. You can tell it didn’t used to be green, but water and air have rusted it away.

>2/3

>>3917359
Downes is the first to say, “Let’s get moving. She isn’t here.”

“Right,” Akatsuki says, “She must’ve came here for this, so she should know what’s going on.”

They mentioned a radio dead zone, but those are natural. There are no towers here, nothing to reinforce Sanctuary signals except bases that can receive them. So what is this?

You stand there, entranced. Atlas is the same, and you don’t know how much of it is her and how much of it is you.

You whisper to yourself, “That’s...”

It’s a bell tower.

A shining sphere dangles in the air far above, shrouded by the looming steel.

“It’s a beacon.”

[] Recompose the tower. Destroy it.
[] Scale it or shoot it. You can ring it.
[] Leave. There’s nothing to do here.
[] Write-in.

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>Many thanks for playing and for keeping the quest going. I'll end the thread here, and I'll be back when I find more free time again. I hope it's been enjoyable.

>>3917365
See ya later OP