[FIC] First Impressions (part 15)
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2005 5:33 pm
Ayame watched as the tea brewed in a see-through pot.
She listened absentmindedly, as her father and sister spoke with the small platinum-haired girl. He hands trembled. They hadn’t gotten down to the business of Whispered yet.
“You’re making Formosa Oolong ,” Shunya noted with a pleasant smile. “The Champagne of teas.”
“Yes, my brother once shipped me a tin from Taiwan.” Tessa glanced over at Kaname. Leonard’s actions had been trouble for them both. “I like the gloriously delicate taste and its scent of ripe peaches.”
“Yes, no astringency at all and no bitterness. ‘No peaks, no bites’ is the way professional tea tasters put it. It is more deliciously fruity and of a sparkling character that makes lemon and sugar unnecessary and makes milk unthinkable.” Shunya nodded. “A rare find. You have a very thoughtful brother.”
“I…” Tessa sighed.
“This is almost as bad as listening to Sousuke talk about military stuff,” Kaname said, wanting to move the topic away from any mention of Leonard Testarossa.
“Right!” Tessa managed a weak smile. “I was telling you about the TDD-1, and how it came about.” She placed a plate of cookies in front of Ayame, understanding why the girl didn’t pay much attention to the imported treats.
“That’s an interesting name,” Shunya remarked. “Tuatha Da Danaan. It has an Irish sound to it.”
“It means ‘the people of the goddess Dana’. ” Tessa said. “They were the gods and goddesses of the pre-Christian Irish. When Christian monks started to write down the sagas, the gods and goddesses were demoted into heroes and heroines, although much remained to demonstrate their god-like abilities. They became masters of the arts and sciences, both magical and mundane, until they advanced to the point where they embodied the supernatural.”
“A fitting name, then.” Shunya said.
“Yes. The Tuatha Da Danaan could go back and forth between the worlds at will, conjure weather, shape-shift, and they attained the utmost skills in poetry, magic, music, art, not to mention weaponry. When they wereovercome by the Milesian Gaels, and were forced underground, they were demoted in the eyes of the people. They became Faeries.
Many of them intermarried with humans. In fact, it is believed that almost all of the main clanns in Ireland were descended from the Tuatha Da Danaan somewhere along their family lines.”
“Faeiries?” That had Ayame perking up. She was in her unicorns and faeries stage.
“Yes,” Tessa said, nibbling on a cookie. “Fair Folk… Good Neighbors… Little People… fae… elves… a whole host of other names…” She moved to pour the tea. “When they came to Ireland, they brought with them special treasures from each of the four cities where they had received their knowledge and training. Out of Falias was brought the Stone of Fal, also called the Lia Fáil, the Stone of Scone, or the Stone of Destiny. It would confirm the election of the rightful ruler by roaring under him as he took his place upon it, but if any other person stepped upon it, there would be only silence.”
“We could certainly use something like that today,” Shunya noted.
“Out of Gorias was brought Nuada’s sword, called Cliamh Soluis, ’The Sword of Light’. It is said that this magical sword is one in which no enemy can resist it once it is unsheathed, and from whose stroke no one can escape or recover.”
“Almost like Sousuke and Arbalest.” Kaname pushed her hair away from her face. The word ‘almost’ rang in her ears. She remembered Arbalest’s defeat at the hands of Leonard and Veriel. She had allowed herself to be abducted so that Sousuke would be spared.
“Out of Finias was brought the all-conquering spear, called Lúin. That magic spear both killed and cured. Much like the secrets of Black Technology.“ Tessa new better than anyone the duality of that mysterious source of information. “When drawn in battle, it seemingly had a life of its own. That too is somewhat like Arbalest, is it not?“ Tessa saw that Ayame was listening, fascinated. That lifted her spirits some. “It is said that when it felt the blood of an enemy, it twisted and writhed in the hands of whoever held it, and if blood was not spilt a cauldron of venom was the only way to quench it before it turned on its holder. Blood dripped from this spear at all times, and when not in use it was kept in The Dagda’s Cauldron.”
“Dagda’s Cauldron?” Ayame’s eyes lit up. That sounded wonderfully scary.
“Yes. Out of Murias was brought The Dagda’s Cauldron of Plenty, which never went empty, and which none could leave and still be hungry. This cauldron was called the Undry.”
“Oh.” Ayame pouted. That wasn’t scary at all.
“When the Tuatha Da Danaan sailed to Ireland, they promptly burned all their ships on the shore, so that they would not be tempted to turn back, and also to prevent their enemies from stealing them. The smoke from the fire produced clouds around each burning ship, and it was said that the ships then resembled cloud ships. It was also at this time that the Tuatha Da Danaan’s druids produced a supernatural fog or mist called 'Fe-Fiada', which they used to hide themselves during their arrival in Ireland. Our ECS technology today does much the same thing, as you no doubt saw when the helicopter landed to pick you up.
“It was freaky,“ Ayame said. “I could hear it, but couldn’t see anything. There was noise and wind, but nothing more at first.“
“It’s really no big deal,“ Kaname said, waving her hand. “I’ve seen it many times.“
“The ships of the Tuatha da Danaan are credited with bringing 'Jacob’s Pillar' to Ireland, the "Stone of Scone" which eventually in the Coronation Throne in Westminster Abbey. It was also known as 'Jacob’s Pillow,' since it was regarded as the stone upon which Jacob rested when he had the vision of the ladder with angels ascending and descending upon it.” Tessa took a sip of her tea.
“Jacob?” Ayame had lived in the United States for a number of years, but was not a member of any church.
“It’s a reference from the Bible,” Shunya said.
“Genesis 28:10-15,” Tessa clarified. She reached into her desk drawer and brought out a book. “Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the weat and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
“I had never heard that tale about the Scone,” Shunya said, taking a deep sniff of his tea. He sipped. “Exquisite. You are a truly remarkable young lady.” He smiled. “It seems that Cmdr. Mardukas share that impression.”
“Thank you.” Tessa blushed prettily. “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by remarkable men.”
“Would you like to have one of them back?” Shunya asked, causing Kaname to spill her tea. “Sergeant Sagara seems better suited for a life at war.”
“I… well…” Tessa blushed again. Kaname knew quite well what she must be thinking. “He will always have a place here with me… I mean us…”
“Do you like Sousuke, too?” Ayame asked, with the keen eye of a young woman. “You were blushing. Kaname almost dropped her tea.”
Shunya raised one eyebrow.
“All of us stationed aboard the TDD-1 like Sgt. Sagara,” Tessa said somewhat rushed. “Even Cmdr. Mardukas, who has a funny way of showing it. He once thought terribly poorly of Sousuke, but has come to respect him for his talents and dedication.” She sighed. “It’s a terrible burden he carries, Sousuke. Like me, it’s hard to be young and in control of the destiny of so many.”
Kaname nodded. She met Tessa’s eyes and smiled a wan smile. It was no picnic being Whispered either.
“He truly deserves some happiness.” Tessa was speaking about herself as well, and Kaname to a lesser degree. “So many people seem intent on keeping him from it.” She wasn’t speaking about Shunya.
“I… see…” Shunya realized that fact. But, the words seemed to shout accusations at him just the same. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t concerned about a single soldier, no matter how important he might be. He was concerned about his daughters.
At Kaname’s subtle prompting, Tessa went on to describe the good things that Sousuke had done, and the specific type of admiration that numerous Mithril personnel had for him. She didn’t want her father to think of Sousuke only as the boy who had crashed through a window, the soldier who had contributed to the severe damage suffered by an economically destitute Japanese city, or the young man who had helped spoil his gourmet dinner.
“Uh huh. But you like him the most, don’t you?” Ayame’s question had Tessa knocking over her tea cup.
“I’m so clumsy,” Tessa said. “Kaname could tell you how I fall just walking down the hallways here.”
“That’s true,” Kaname said, frowning at her sister. “I know you’ve been holding off some, Tessa. Do you think we should… you know…” She swallowed hard, worried about Ayame.
“Yes.” Tessa nodded. “Ayame, I’m going to see if I can talk with you in our heads. “She described how she had done that with Kaname, and explained the risks that she had once explained to the other girl. “You probably won’t hear anything. I hope. Even if you do, it won’t hurt.”
“O… OK…” Ayame trembled a bit. She looked over at her father and took Kaname’s hand in hers.
“Let’s begin.”
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“You said it was a grim picture, Lieutenant?”
Andrei Kalinin sat in the small meeting room, along with the members of the SRT. They were hooked by live feed to the Intelligence Division stationed at Merida Island.
“We haven’t pieced it all together by a long shot, Lt. Commander.” Lt. Yulya Vavilov said. “But it may be that Amalgam was being manipulated in its actions. At least one of the top members of that organization may have been taking orders from some other shadow group.
“You suspect that Mithril was attacked by Amalgam to remove us from the picture? Amalgam merely thought that it was acting to secure its place in the new world order, but they were set up somehow? Their defeat at our hands may have been the result of some kind of betrayal?” Sousuke frowned. He hated unknown enemies. It was difficult enough at times dealing with the known.
“Yes, Sergeant. The recent events in Kisarazu have led us to conjecture that the secret conspirators… some of us here have taken to calling them the Illuminati out of jest… may be using other groups as well. This ‘Mr. Platinum’ may have been yet another pawn of theirs, some poor fool whose anger and hatred towards his masters in Amalgam had led him to believe that he was in control of a new rising power.”
“Someone wanted Sousuke and Arbalest out of the way, one way or another.” Lt. Clouzot. “But, they were in no rush. Otherwise someone could simply have put a bullet in his head.”
“That may have been their orders,” Lt. Vavilov said. “We’ll never know, I’m afraid. The only comfort we can take is that they must be worried that their plans can be upset somehow. That is especially reassuring when you consider what I will mention next.”
“’The Emerald Tablet of Hermes’ that you mentioned in passing earlier?” Kurz asked. “I thought it might end up being some huge suppository or something.” He laughed. No one else did.
“Sgt. Weber…” Lt. Kalinin was less than amused.
“Yes. By luck, we stumbled upon an espionage drop in Vladivostok. The correspondence was in code, but we did manage to extract reference to Hermes Trismegistus. Our contacts in the United States did extensive research using the newest supercomputers at their disposal. The text of the mythical Emerald tablet is brief… only thirteen lines… but it forms the cornerstone of the Hermetic movement. The origin of this mysterious text is shrouded in antiquity, and even its name is a mystery, yet is has been an inspiration for alchemists and magicians for hundreds of years. It’s an interesting coincidence, that ’Mr. Platinum’ happened to be obsessed with the ideals and goals of alchemy.”
“How is this relevant to us, Lieutenant?” Sousuke asked.
“I was getting to that. The tablet was thought to predate the Christian religion, and rumored translators included Roger Bacon, Isaac Newton, and even H.P. Blavatsky. The philosophical ideas attributed to it influencing medieval alchemists, Jewish kabbalists, Masons, and ritual magicians alike.” She used a cursor to highlight a file, and then clicked. “The Emerald Tablet is an ancient artifact that reveals a profound spiritual technology, which has survived to this day despite centuries of effort to suppress it. Encoded within the tablet's mysterious wording is a powerful formula that works in very specific and comprehensible steps on all levels of reality at once… the physical, the mental, and the spiritual… and shows us how to achieve personal transformation and even accelerate the evolution of our species. But, it would be too easy to get lost trying to imagine countless conspiracies based on that.”
The SRT members were busy reading the text that was projected on the screen. At other site around the globe, scientists and intelligence people working for Mithril were doing the same.
“I’m certain you have been reading this, gentleman. I will beg your indulgence and read it aloud myself.“ The Intelligence officer spoke in a melodious voice. “True, without falsehood, certain and most true, that which is above is as that which is below…”
“Ahhh. Such a lovely voice. I can imagine me above and her below…” Kurz smiled. “Shit!” he suddenly grabbed his head.
“Thank you Lt. Mao,” Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin said.
“True, without falsehood, certain and most true, that which is above is as that which is below…” Lt. Vavilov repeated “…And that which is below is as that which is above, for the performance of the miracles of the One Thing. And as all things are from One, by the mediation of One, so all tings have their birth from this One Thing by adaptation. The Sun is its father, the Moon its mother, the Wind carries it in its belly, its nurse is the Earth. This is the father of all perfection, or consummation of the whole world. Its power is integrating, if it be turned into the earth. Thou shalt separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross, suavely, and with great ingenuity. It ascends from earth of heaven and descends again to earth, and receives the power of the superiors and of the inferiors. So thou hast the glory of the whole world; therefore let all obscurity flee before thee. This is the strong force of all forces, overcoming every subtle and penetrating every solid thing. So the world was created. Hence were all wonderful adaptations, of which this is the manner. Therefore am I called Hermes Trismegistus, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world. What I have to tell is completed, concerning the Operation of the Sun.”
A number of experts from elsewhere spoke up with questions, but they were asked to hold them until later.
“The line I am most worried is the last one,” the Intelligence officer said. “I’ll get back to that later. “There was also a reference to the third part of the Asclepius in that captured communique.”
“The Asclepius?” Sgt. Yan asked.
“Asclepius was the god of medicine and healing in ancient Greek mythology. He was born a mortal but was given immortality as the constellation Ophiuchus after his death. His name means cut up‘.”
“Melissa looked at Kurz, daring him to act like a cut-up or make a remark of any kind.
“You might want to pay attention to the briefing, Sis.” Kurz shrugged.
“When Zeus killed Asclepius for raising the dead and violating the natural order of things, Apollo killed the Cyclops in response, as they had fashioned the thunderbolts that had been used to kill Asclepius, Apollo‘s son. Named after the god, the Asclepius was considered the other major part of the Hermetic writing, and describes the art of imprisoning the souls of demons or of angels in statues with the help of herbs, gems and odors, so that the statue could speak prophesy. All that is probably irrelevant. It’s the referenced passage that has our collective hairs standing on end. However, after the head is off, one does not cry over the hair.” That Russian proverb had Kalinin stroking his beard.
The Intelligence specialist clicked on another file. A different set of writings was projected onto the screen. She began reading again.
“And in that day men will be weary of life, and they will cease to think the universe worthy of reverent wonder and of worship. And so religion, the greatest of all blessing… for there is nothing, nor has been, nor ever shall be, that can be deemed a greater boon… will be threatened with destruction; men will think it a burden, and will come to scorn it. They will no longer love this world around them, this incomparable work of God, this glorious structure which he has built, this sum of good made up of things of many diverse forms, this instrument whereby the will of God operates in that which he has made, ungrudgingly favoring man's welfare, this combination and accumulation of all the manifold things that can call forth the veneration, praise, and love of the beholder. Darkness will be preferred to light, and death will be thought more profitable than life.”
“Shit,” Melissa said, not caring who heard her. “It’s bad enough to deal with crazies who want world domination, or simply want to line their pockets. Now we have to deal with motherf-ckers who want to destroy the whole f-cking world. I thought that bullshit only took place in movies.”
“How?” Sousuke’s question was brief and to the point.
“OK. That brings me to the next part. Over the past few years, a number of Soviet scientists began disappearing, even after the splintering of the empire. No one paid too much attention, considering everything else that was going on across the region. We had our hands full trying to keep nuclear weapons and fissionable material off the Black Market and out of the hands of terrorists.” Lt. Vavilov sighed. Everybody thought that the Intelligence bureau was a bunch of cooks and spooks with a cushy job.
“We appreciate the hard work,” Kalinin said.
“Yes,” Sousuke added.
“Kiss up,” Kurz said. “Wait until I tell Angel. Owwwww… damn it, Babe…” Melissa rammed her fist into his belly.
“Some bright boy made a lucky connection. The scientists had been linked to the Soviet scalar weaponry program.” Lt. Vavilov looked to see if there was any recognition.
“Shit!” A swear word from Sousuke always spoke volumes.
“There has long been whispering about the so-called Russian Fer-de-lance project. The dreaded fer-de-lance is a snake of great agility and lethal effect. It often ambushes its hapless prey, and strikes unexpectedly and without warning. Its first sudden strike is usually lethal to its victim, which promptly expires in writhing agony. Since the Soviet development of scalar ElectroMagnetic weapons had been designed for the same purpose, the name seemed appropriate. The equivalent effort of about seven Manhattan projects has been poured into Fer-de-lance by the Soviets, and the program was reportedly successful almost beyond imagination. Weapons were developed, deployed, and tested. But, saner heads prevailed, despite the paranoid Soviet mentality.” The Intelligence operative took a long drink of water.
Sousuke looked grim. This was just what he needed with Kaname onboard. With his luck, something would happen today. The briefing was about future threats, but he began to get a sinking feeling in his stomach.
“To a nation with a fractured economy, one might think a system that made armies obsolete would be too attractive to resist. An entire war could be fought and won by a handful of men sitting in a comfortable control booth! Even more, the scalar electromagnetics revolution made all previous forms of warfare nearly obsolete. Scalar shield would be impenetrable by other weapons, and the scalar devices could detonate all types of explosives, and render all electronic equipment useless. It could also scramble or destroy the nervous systems within human beings themselves.” Lt. Vavilov coughed a number of times, and then drank a bit more water.
“Why did they give it up?” Kurz asked. “That’s like giving Melissa a beer and a cigarette, and watching her toss them in the trash.”
A number of the SRT members laughed.
“This is not a laughing matter,” Sousuke said.
“The power of these weapons is so great, that a simple accident or war could wipe out all life on earth, and even affect the sun. There is a biblical prophecy that the Earth will be wiped out by ‘fire and brimstone from heaven’. That could be a frightening reality. One wrong calibration, and the sun erupts with a colossal solar flare. Bingo. No more life on earth. That makes the line ‘What I have to tell is completed, concerning the Operation of the Sun’ so worrisome.”
“So, you are saying that somewhere, one of these systems was not destroyed. Or, someone has resurrected the project?” Lt. Clouzot looked as if he had a bellyache.
“Yes,” Lt. Vavilov said. “All signs point in that direction. The problem will be finding out where, and striking before any such device is completed or put to use. I would guess that a small scale device might be ready on sight, and that anything other than a Lambda Driver would be unable to stand against it.”
Everyone looked at Sousuke.
“Does such a device require a great deal of power,” Sousuke asked. “Is that a way to narrow down possible sites?”
“Yes. Very good, Sergeant.” Lt. Vavilov smiled. She was exquisitely lovely.
“Ooooh. Yes indeed. Sousuke has another girlfriend.” Kurz said.
“The one that looks like a woman. Does he ever quiet down?” There was no doubt who the Intelligence officer was talking about. Everyone laughed at Kurz’ expense. After that, she continued. “At the latest stage of development, the scalar devices needed tremendous amounts of electricity. Most of the facilities were centered around Soviet thermal taps. Any active volcano might serve for such a power source.”
“Great,” one scientist said off screen. “There are 500 active volcanoes in the world. While more than half are in the Pacific Ocean, in the circle of volcanoes called the Pacific Ring of Fire, that is still a lot of volcanoes to search.”
“It has been narrowed down,” an intelligence researcher stated. “The Russian volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka, also called Kl'ucevskaja and Kliuchevskaya, is present on Kamchatka Peninsula, in far eastern Russia. It is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, rising to a height of 15,584 feet . The volcano consists of a truncated cone with a central crater, with some 70 lateral craters and cones on the lower slopes. In 1935 the Russian Academy of Sciences founded a special volcano research center at the foot of that mountain; but, no one has heard much out of them in months, supposedly because of funding issues and communications break downs.“
“There are other active volcanoes in that general vicinity as well,“ a geography expert added. “The northern group of volcanoes, where that scientific center is situated, forms an active part of the Kuril and Kamchatka volcanic belt. Apart form Klyuchevskaya Sopka, this belt comprises another 11 volcanoes. Blizhnyaya Ploskaya. Dalnaya Ploskaya. Bolshaya. Malaya. Zimina. Bolshaya Udina. Malaya Udina. Srednaya. Ploskii Tolbachik…“
“And Ostry Tolbachik,” Lt. Vavilov added. “We have agents working in those areas. Satellites are focused on all such mountains, and on any routes that might lead to them.” She paused. “There has been activity around Klyuchevskaya Sopka. Heavy lift helicopters. It could be that the stories about the research center are true. The Russians may be flying communications equipment in. But, the Russians refuse to discuss any details. “ She swore in Russian. “In fact, the officials we can speak with deny there ever was a scalar system.”
“It might all be a false alarm, right?” Sgt. Yan asked.
“Yes,” Lt. Vavilov answered.
“But, our greatest fears may be correct.” Sousuke said.
On screen, the Intelligence officer nodded.
“So what’s the big deal?” Kurz asked.
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“Ayame, don’t stay under like that!”
“I’m not going to drown or something. Geeez. I’m not a baby or something!” Ayame splashed Kaname, who ducked out of the way. The water hit Tessa square in the face.
“Oh! I’m sorry. It was Kaname’s fault.”
”It usually is,” Tessa said, joking. “I wish I was as coordinated as her. Looks like being around a certain Sergeant helps hone one’s reflexes!”
“You can say that again.” Kaname laughed. “It’s no bed of roses, though.”
“Hey. I can take care of that. I brought these.” Tessa lined up a number of bath oils and shampoos along the edge of the giant soaking tub. “If they weren’t so expensive, I might suggest we use them when we wash Arm Slave parts. Wouldn’t Kurz and Sousuke like that! The other soldiers would never let them live it down.”
“That’s great!” Kaname laughed. She picked up a bottle and read the label. “Oh… look… here comes Arbalest, clean and fresh with the scent of Morrocan Rose Otto… a magnificent revered essence.”
“Or Laminaria seaweed, Grapefruit, and Yarrow.” Ayame said, opening one bottle and inhaling.
“Sergeant Weber and his M9 are resplendent after rinsing with High-altitude Lavender oil grown in the French Alps.” Tessa giggled. They were all in a good mood. While nothing could be said with certainty, Tessa found no evidence to suggest that Ayame Chidori was Whispered.
“These are really nice, Tessa. Where’d you get them?” Ayame was busy smelling each and every bath and hair care product.
“Sergeant Sagara gets them for me. He’s such a sweet boy.” Tessa’s joke had Kaname freezing in place, shampoo seeping through her fingers. “Of course I’m joking,” Tessa added. Her face suddenly went serious. “Your father is serious about your returning to America with him?”
“Yes,” Kaname said, her face falling. The look she gave her sister clearly told Ayame that nothing they said should ever leave that room. “It’s horrible. I was hoping that a trip to the submarine might let him see how everyone respects Sousuke, and how different he is in his own environment.”
“But, that might backfire?” Tessa asked. “Your father might think Sousuke is more suited for this kind of place?”
Kaname nodded.
Ayame pursed her lips. “I really like Sousuke… except when he’s talking too much about helicopters and things…” She sighed. “I wish he could come back with us. That way he could protect Kaname in America.”
“You’d probably like it if he stayed here, right?” There was no accusation in Kaname’s voice. She couldn’t begrudge Tessa having feelings for Sousuke. He’d saved her life on a number of occasions, too.
“Yes.” Tessa admitted. “But not like this…”
“Kaname told Daddy that she and Sousuke should just get married.” Ayame’s comment had Tessa’s mouth falling open. “But, there’s another way. Just like in the soap operas. He could just get her pregnant.”
“AYAME!”
Kaname dunked her sister’s head under the water. “I hope you got a mouthful of suds. You need to wash your mouth out with soap!” She was blushing almost as brightly as Tessa was.
“Well, it works on TV…” Ayame said, a petulant look on her face.
“Daddy’s right. You watch too much television. Hmmmpppfff!” Kaname shook her head. At the moment, her father was sitting and chatting with Cmdr. Mardukas. He was also scheduled to talk with Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin.
Tessa simply sighed. Now was not the time to tell anyone about some of her favorite fantasies. “You probably don’t want to shout,” Tessa said. “If Melissa finds out that we soaked together without her…”
“She’d probably kick Kurz until he couldn’t walk.” Kaname’s comment had Tessa giggling.
It was a good day for coincidences, or so it seemed. There was a resounding thud against the door, followed by a series of smaller impacts. When the door slid open, Melissa stood their, a case of beer in her hand. The moaning they could hear sounded like Kurz.
“That asshole Weber helped me find you girls,” Melissa said, opening a beer. “There was no other reason for that pervert to be standing outside this door.”
“Is that why you smacked him around some?” Kaname asked.
“Well, only in part.” Melissa took a long drink. “The idiot made the mistake of reaching for my beer.”
“Melissa… we were… I didn’t call you because…” Tessa was stuttering.
“Don’t worry about it,” Mao said, slipping out of her clothes and stepping into the tub. “We just finished our briefing, anyway.” The catch in her voice was so subtle that only Tessa could have caught it. She didn’t. “Here.” She slammed a beer down near Tessa. Next, a beer can found its way into Kaname’s hand.
Ayame looked on, an expectant look on her face.
“OK…” Melissa slid a beer along the edge of the tub. It stopped at Ayame’s hand.
“No way!” Kaname reached for the beer. “Melissa!”
“Life’s too damn short,” Melissa said. “Let the kid enjoy herself. Who knows what might happen tomorrow.” She tossed away her empty and grabbed a fresh can.
“Melissa, is there something wrong?” Tessa finally caught on. “What did they tell you I the briefing? I asked Mr. Kalinin to brief me when I’m done with our guests.”
“I’ll let him tell you.” Mao’s meaning was clear. It was not something that Kaname and Ayame needed to hear. Sometimes the burden of knowing was worse than the burden of fighting.
“Is it something that has to do with Sousuke?” Kaname was swift enough to pick up on Melissa’s reticence to speak. Melissa rarely clammed up.
“Here’s another,” was all that Mao said, slamming down another beer even though Kaname had barely started on her first. “Make it two.” Yet another can joined the growing collection.
Kaname asked, her face looking worried. “Is it about Sousuke staying on board? Or is it about a mission or something?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Tessa promised Kaname. “Maybe I should go now…”
”Don’t bother. Nothing’s completely certain yet. Could be days, or it could be months.” Melissa tossed another empty after the first. “So, what’s up with Sousuke and your father?” Melissa scowled. Her own relationship with family was broken. If anyone knew what it was like to have one’s parents try to run one’s like, it was Melissa Mao.
“I told her that she should get knocked up,” Ayame said, using some slang she had picked up.
Kaname spat out a mouthful of beer. Tessa turned her can up and drained every last drop. Melissa smiled and then began laughing.
“You could be the smartest one of us all!” Mao said, rubbing Ayame’s head.
“MELISSA!”
“Just make certain that you share you idea with your father,” Melissa said chuckling. “No. better yet. Tell Sousuke…”
“Oh geeez…” Kaname could picture the look on Sousuke’s face. She couldn’t help but grin.
“OK,” Ayame said, an impish look on her face.
“Don’t…… you…… dare…” Kaname’s face turned bright red. “He’ll blow a circuit breaker or something…”
“If you want, I’ll break him in for you.” Melissa’s joke had Tessa dropping her beer into the tub. Ayame’s eyes went wide. Kaname began sputtering. “Just kidding. It would be like doing it with my baby brother or something!”
“Ayame, put down that beer. Not even one sip! Daddy’s going to kill me as it is, if he catches wind of this.” Kaname rubbed her forehead. “Speaking about Sousuke. Drinking beer. Ayame talking about… you know…”
Ayame took a sip defiantly. “Hmmmpppfff!”
“That’s it!” Kaname opened a bottle of shampoo. “Open wide. If Daddy smells your breath, it’s going to be floral fresh!”
“Eek!” Ayame slid behind Melissa. “Crazy woman!”
“We’ll just have to sit hear soaking a bit longer, that’s all.” Tessa sighed, and then added some more hot water to the tub. “We can treat it like it’s a Shinto purification ceremony or something. “Our bodies and minds will purified and restored to a condition worthy of approaching the gods.”
“Or Sousuke…” Ayame said.
“Ayame…” Kaname shook her fist at her sister.
“The origin of harae is described in the Kojiki myth. In Shinto, not only are the sins, pollutions, and misfortunes of the individual removed, but also evil and misfortune can be removed from a whole nation, life renewed, and the blessings of the gods brought down.” Tessa smiled. “So, we’re actually performing a service for the entire world.”
Kaname smiled, threw caution to the wind, and opened another beer.
“I know that myth,” Melissa said. She downed a beer quickly, and then held it in her hand staring at it. “Inzanagi washed himself in a river, because he felt contaminated…” She frowned, angry at herself for getting morbid over the prospects of a potential upcoming mission. “…After visiting the Land of the Dead.”
Izanagi, in the modern age, is a hidden Japanese organization that is rumored to be waiting to survive the end of the world. It is suggested that the modern Izanagi Union have interests in Neo-Celtic and Christian American organizations who have similar beliefs in prophecies and scriptural study.
Melissa tried to laugh and smile and keep up a game face. It wasn’t like her to get too contemplative. Just the same, if the Intelligence Divison’s fears were well-founded, no one might survive the coming storm, if there was one..
That is, unless Mithril could pull a rabbit out of a hat.
She listened absentmindedly, as her father and sister spoke with the small platinum-haired girl. He hands trembled. They hadn’t gotten down to the business of Whispered yet.
“You’re making Formosa Oolong ,” Shunya noted with a pleasant smile. “The Champagne of teas.”
“Yes, my brother once shipped me a tin from Taiwan.” Tessa glanced over at Kaname. Leonard’s actions had been trouble for them both. “I like the gloriously delicate taste and its scent of ripe peaches.”
“Yes, no astringency at all and no bitterness. ‘No peaks, no bites’ is the way professional tea tasters put it. It is more deliciously fruity and of a sparkling character that makes lemon and sugar unnecessary and makes milk unthinkable.” Shunya nodded. “A rare find. You have a very thoughtful brother.”
“I…” Tessa sighed.
“This is almost as bad as listening to Sousuke talk about military stuff,” Kaname said, wanting to move the topic away from any mention of Leonard Testarossa.
“Right!” Tessa managed a weak smile. “I was telling you about the TDD-1, and how it came about.” She placed a plate of cookies in front of Ayame, understanding why the girl didn’t pay much attention to the imported treats.
“That’s an interesting name,” Shunya remarked. “Tuatha Da Danaan. It has an Irish sound to it.”
“It means ‘the people of the goddess Dana’. ” Tessa said. “They were the gods and goddesses of the pre-Christian Irish. When Christian monks started to write down the sagas, the gods and goddesses were demoted into heroes and heroines, although much remained to demonstrate their god-like abilities. They became masters of the arts and sciences, both magical and mundane, until they advanced to the point where they embodied the supernatural.”
“A fitting name, then.” Shunya said.
“Yes. The Tuatha Da Danaan could go back and forth between the worlds at will, conjure weather, shape-shift, and they attained the utmost skills in poetry, magic, music, art, not to mention weaponry. When they wereovercome by the Milesian Gaels, and were forced underground, they were demoted in the eyes of the people. They became Faeries.
Many of them intermarried with humans. In fact, it is believed that almost all of the main clanns in Ireland were descended from the Tuatha Da Danaan somewhere along their family lines.”
“Faeiries?” That had Ayame perking up. She was in her unicorns and faeries stage.
“Yes,” Tessa said, nibbling on a cookie. “Fair Folk… Good Neighbors… Little People… fae… elves… a whole host of other names…” She moved to pour the tea. “When they came to Ireland, they brought with them special treasures from each of the four cities where they had received their knowledge and training. Out of Falias was brought the Stone of Fal, also called the Lia Fáil, the Stone of Scone, or the Stone of Destiny. It would confirm the election of the rightful ruler by roaring under him as he took his place upon it, but if any other person stepped upon it, there would be only silence.”
“We could certainly use something like that today,” Shunya noted.
“Out of Gorias was brought Nuada’s sword, called Cliamh Soluis, ’The Sword of Light’. It is said that this magical sword is one in which no enemy can resist it once it is unsheathed, and from whose stroke no one can escape or recover.”
“Almost like Sousuke and Arbalest.” Kaname pushed her hair away from her face. The word ‘almost’ rang in her ears. She remembered Arbalest’s defeat at the hands of Leonard and Veriel. She had allowed herself to be abducted so that Sousuke would be spared.
“Out of Finias was brought the all-conquering spear, called Lúin. That magic spear both killed and cured. Much like the secrets of Black Technology.“ Tessa new better than anyone the duality of that mysterious source of information. “When drawn in battle, it seemingly had a life of its own. That too is somewhat like Arbalest, is it not?“ Tessa saw that Ayame was listening, fascinated. That lifted her spirits some. “It is said that when it felt the blood of an enemy, it twisted and writhed in the hands of whoever held it, and if blood was not spilt a cauldron of venom was the only way to quench it before it turned on its holder. Blood dripped from this spear at all times, and when not in use it was kept in The Dagda’s Cauldron.”
“Dagda’s Cauldron?” Ayame’s eyes lit up. That sounded wonderfully scary.
“Yes. Out of Murias was brought The Dagda’s Cauldron of Plenty, which never went empty, and which none could leave and still be hungry. This cauldron was called the Undry.”
“Oh.” Ayame pouted. That wasn’t scary at all.
“When the Tuatha Da Danaan sailed to Ireland, they promptly burned all their ships on the shore, so that they would not be tempted to turn back, and also to prevent their enemies from stealing them. The smoke from the fire produced clouds around each burning ship, and it was said that the ships then resembled cloud ships. It was also at this time that the Tuatha Da Danaan’s druids produced a supernatural fog or mist called 'Fe-Fiada', which they used to hide themselves during their arrival in Ireland. Our ECS technology today does much the same thing, as you no doubt saw when the helicopter landed to pick you up.
“It was freaky,“ Ayame said. “I could hear it, but couldn’t see anything. There was noise and wind, but nothing more at first.“
“It’s really no big deal,“ Kaname said, waving her hand. “I’ve seen it many times.“
“The ships of the Tuatha da Danaan are credited with bringing 'Jacob’s Pillar' to Ireland, the "Stone of Scone" which eventually in the Coronation Throne in Westminster Abbey. It was also known as 'Jacob’s Pillow,' since it was regarded as the stone upon which Jacob rested when he had the vision of the ladder with angels ascending and descending upon it.” Tessa took a sip of her tea.
“Jacob?” Ayame had lived in the United States for a number of years, but was not a member of any church.
“It’s a reference from the Bible,” Shunya said.
“Genesis 28:10-15,” Tessa clarified. She reached into her desk drawer and brought out a book. “Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the weat and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
“I had never heard that tale about the Scone,” Shunya said, taking a deep sniff of his tea. He sipped. “Exquisite. You are a truly remarkable young lady.” He smiled. “It seems that Cmdr. Mardukas share that impression.”
“Thank you.” Tessa blushed prettily. “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by remarkable men.”
“Would you like to have one of them back?” Shunya asked, causing Kaname to spill her tea. “Sergeant Sagara seems better suited for a life at war.”
“I… well…” Tessa blushed again. Kaname knew quite well what she must be thinking. “He will always have a place here with me… I mean us…”
“Do you like Sousuke, too?” Ayame asked, with the keen eye of a young woman. “You were blushing. Kaname almost dropped her tea.”
Shunya raised one eyebrow.
“All of us stationed aboard the TDD-1 like Sgt. Sagara,” Tessa said somewhat rushed. “Even Cmdr. Mardukas, who has a funny way of showing it. He once thought terribly poorly of Sousuke, but has come to respect him for his talents and dedication.” She sighed. “It’s a terrible burden he carries, Sousuke. Like me, it’s hard to be young and in control of the destiny of so many.”
Kaname nodded. She met Tessa’s eyes and smiled a wan smile. It was no picnic being Whispered either.
“He truly deserves some happiness.” Tessa was speaking about herself as well, and Kaname to a lesser degree. “So many people seem intent on keeping him from it.” She wasn’t speaking about Shunya.
“I… see…” Shunya realized that fact. But, the words seemed to shout accusations at him just the same. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t concerned about a single soldier, no matter how important he might be. He was concerned about his daughters.
At Kaname’s subtle prompting, Tessa went on to describe the good things that Sousuke had done, and the specific type of admiration that numerous Mithril personnel had for him. She didn’t want her father to think of Sousuke only as the boy who had crashed through a window, the soldier who had contributed to the severe damage suffered by an economically destitute Japanese city, or the young man who had helped spoil his gourmet dinner.
“Uh huh. But you like him the most, don’t you?” Ayame’s question had Tessa knocking over her tea cup.
“I’m so clumsy,” Tessa said. “Kaname could tell you how I fall just walking down the hallways here.”
“That’s true,” Kaname said, frowning at her sister. “I know you’ve been holding off some, Tessa. Do you think we should… you know…” She swallowed hard, worried about Ayame.
“Yes.” Tessa nodded. “Ayame, I’m going to see if I can talk with you in our heads. “She described how she had done that with Kaname, and explained the risks that she had once explained to the other girl. “You probably won’t hear anything. I hope. Even if you do, it won’t hurt.”
“O… OK…” Ayame trembled a bit. She looked over at her father and took Kaname’s hand in hers.
“Let’s begin.”
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“You said it was a grim picture, Lieutenant?”
Andrei Kalinin sat in the small meeting room, along with the members of the SRT. They were hooked by live feed to the Intelligence Division stationed at Merida Island.
“We haven’t pieced it all together by a long shot, Lt. Commander.” Lt. Yulya Vavilov said. “But it may be that Amalgam was being manipulated in its actions. At least one of the top members of that organization may have been taking orders from some other shadow group.
“You suspect that Mithril was attacked by Amalgam to remove us from the picture? Amalgam merely thought that it was acting to secure its place in the new world order, but they were set up somehow? Their defeat at our hands may have been the result of some kind of betrayal?” Sousuke frowned. He hated unknown enemies. It was difficult enough at times dealing with the known.
“Yes, Sergeant. The recent events in Kisarazu have led us to conjecture that the secret conspirators… some of us here have taken to calling them the Illuminati out of jest… may be using other groups as well. This ‘Mr. Platinum’ may have been yet another pawn of theirs, some poor fool whose anger and hatred towards his masters in Amalgam had led him to believe that he was in control of a new rising power.”
“Someone wanted Sousuke and Arbalest out of the way, one way or another.” Lt. Clouzot. “But, they were in no rush. Otherwise someone could simply have put a bullet in his head.”
“That may have been their orders,” Lt. Vavilov said. “We’ll never know, I’m afraid. The only comfort we can take is that they must be worried that their plans can be upset somehow. That is especially reassuring when you consider what I will mention next.”
“’The Emerald Tablet of Hermes’ that you mentioned in passing earlier?” Kurz asked. “I thought it might end up being some huge suppository or something.” He laughed. No one else did.
“Sgt. Weber…” Lt. Kalinin was less than amused.
“Yes. By luck, we stumbled upon an espionage drop in Vladivostok. The correspondence was in code, but we did manage to extract reference to Hermes Trismegistus. Our contacts in the United States did extensive research using the newest supercomputers at their disposal. The text of the mythical Emerald tablet is brief… only thirteen lines… but it forms the cornerstone of the Hermetic movement. The origin of this mysterious text is shrouded in antiquity, and even its name is a mystery, yet is has been an inspiration for alchemists and magicians for hundreds of years. It’s an interesting coincidence, that ’Mr. Platinum’ happened to be obsessed with the ideals and goals of alchemy.”
“How is this relevant to us, Lieutenant?” Sousuke asked.
“I was getting to that. The tablet was thought to predate the Christian religion, and rumored translators included Roger Bacon, Isaac Newton, and even H.P. Blavatsky. The philosophical ideas attributed to it influencing medieval alchemists, Jewish kabbalists, Masons, and ritual magicians alike.” She used a cursor to highlight a file, and then clicked. “The Emerald Tablet is an ancient artifact that reveals a profound spiritual technology, which has survived to this day despite centuries of effort to suppress it. Encoded within the tablet's mysterious wording is a powerful formula that works in very specific and comprehensible steps on all levels of reality at once… the physical, the mental, and the spiritual… and shows us how to achieve personal transformation and even accelerate the evolution of our species. But, it would be too easy to get lost trying to imagine countless conspiracies based on that.”
The SRT members were busy reading the text that was projected on the screen. At other site around the globe, scientists and intelligence people working for Mithril were doing the same.
“I’m certain you have been reading this, gentleman. I will beg your indulgence and read it aloud myself.“ The Intelligence officer spoke in a melodious voice. “True, without falsehood, certain and most true, that which is above is as that which is below…”
“Ahhh. Such a lovely voice. I can imagine me above and her below…” Kurz smiled. “Shit!” he suddenly grabbed his head.
“Thank you Lt. Mao,” Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin said.
“True, without falsehood, certain and most true, that which is above is as that which is below…” Lt. Vavilov repeated “…And that which is below is as that which is above, for the performance of the miracles of the One Thing. And as all things are from One, by the mediation of One, so all tings have their birth from this One Thing by adaptation. The Sun is its father, the Moon its mother, the Wind carries it in its belly, its nurse is the Earth. This is the father of all perfection, or consummation of the whole world. Its power is integrating, if it be turned into the earth. Thou shalt separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross, suavely, and with great ingenuity. It ascends from earth of heaven and descends again to earth, and receives the power of the superiors and of the inferiors. So thou hast the glory of the whole world; therefore let all obscurity flee before thee. This is the strong force of all forces, overcoming every subtle and penetrating every solid thing. So the world was created. Hence were all wonderful adaptations, of which this is the manner. Therefore am I called Hermes Trismegistus, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world. What I have to tell is completed, concerning the Operation of the Sun.”
A number of experts from elsewhere spoke up with questions, but they were asked to hold them until later.
“The line I am most worried is the last one,” the Intelligence officer said. “I’ll get back to that later. “There was also a reference to the third part of the Asclepius in that captured communique.”
“The Asclepius?” Sgt. Yan asked.
“Asclepius was the god of medicine and healing in ancient Greek mythology. He was born a mortal but was given immortality as the constellation Ophiuchus after his death. His name means cut up‘.”
“Melissa looked at Kurz, daring him to act like a cut-up or make a remark of any kind.
“You might want to pay attention to the briefing, Sis.” Kurz shrugged.
“When Zeus killed Asclepius for raising the dead and violating the natural order of things, Apollo killed the Cyclops in response, as they had fashioned the thunderbolts that had been used to kill Asclepius, Apollo‘s son. Named after the god, the Asclepius was considered the other major part of the Hermetic writing, and describes the art of imprisoning the souls of demons or of angels in statues with the help of herbs, gems and odors, so that the statue could speak prophesy. All that is probably irrelevant. It’s the referenced passage that has our collective hairs standing on end. However, after the head is off, one does not cry over the hair.” That Russian proverb had Kalinin stroking his beard.
The Intelligence specialist clicked on another file. A different set of writings was projected onto the screen. She began reading again.
“And in that day men will be weary of life, and they will cease to think the universe worthy of reverent wonder and of worship. And so religion, the greatest of all blessing… for there is nothing, nor has been, nor ever shall be, that can be deemed a greater boon… will be threatened with destruction; men will think it a burden, and will come to scorn it. They will no longer love this world around them, this incomparable work of God, this glorious structure which he has built, this sum of good made up of things of many diverse forms, this instrument whereby the will of God operates in that which he has made, ungrudgingly favoring man's welfare, this combination and accumulation of all the manifold things that can call forth the veneration, praise, and love of the beholder. Darkness will be preferred to light, and death will be thought more profitable than life.”
“Shit,” Melissa said, not caring who heard her. “It’s bad enough to deal with crazies who want world domination, or simply want to line their pockets. Now we have to deal with motherf-ckers who want to destroy the whole f-cking world. I thought that bullshit only took place in movies.”
“How?” Sousuke’s question was brief and to the point.
“OK. That brings me to the next part. Over the past few years, a number of Soviet scientists began disappearing, even after the splintering of the empire. No one paid too much attention, considering everything else that was going on across the region. We had our hands full trying to keep nuclear weapons and fissionable material off the Black Market and out of the hands of terrorists.” Lt. Vavilov sighed. Everybody thought that the Intelligence bureau was a bunch of cooks and spooks with a cushy job.
“We appreciate the hard work,” Kalinin said.
“Yes,” Sousuke added.
“Kiss up,” Kurz said. “Wait until I tell Angel. Owwwww… damn it, Babe…” Melissa rammed her fist into his belly.
“Some bright boy made a lucky connection. The scientists had been linked to the Soviet scalar weaponry program.” Lt. Vavilov looked to see if there was any recognition.
“Shit!” A swear word from Sousuke always spoke volumes.
“There has long been whispering about the so-called Russian Fer-de-lance project. The dreaded fer-de-lance is a snake of great agility and lethal effect. It often ambushes its hapless prey, and strikes unexpectedly and without warning. Its first sudden strike is usually lethal to its victim, which promptly expires in writhing agony. Since the Soviet development of scalar ElectroMagnetic weapons had been designed for the same purpose, the name seemed appropriate. The equivalent effort of about seven Manhattan projects has been poured into Fer-de-lance by the Soviets, and the program was reportedly successful almost beyond imagination. Weapons were developed, deployed, and tested. But, saner heads prevailed, despite the paranoid Soviet mentality.” The Intelligence operative took a long drink of water.
Sousuke looked grim. This was just what he needed with Kaname onboard. With his luck, something would happen today. The briefing was about future threats, but he began to get a sinking feeling in his stomach.
“To a nation with a fractured economy, one might think a system that made armies obsolete would be too attractive to resist. An entire war could be fought and won by a handful of men sitting in a comfortable control booth! Even more, the scalar electromagnetics revolution made all previous forms of warfare nearly obsolete. Scalar shield would be impenetrable by other weapons, and the scalar devices could detonate all types of explosives, and render all electronic equipment useless. It could also scramble or destroy the nervous systems within human beings themselves.” Lt. Vavilov coughed a number of times, and then drank a bit more water.
“Why did they give it up?” Kurz asked. “That’s like giving Melissa a beer and a cigarette, and watching her toss them in the trash.”
A number of the SRT members laughed.
“This is not a laughing matter,” Sousuke said.
“The power of these weapons is so great, that a simple accident or war could wipe out all life on earth, and even affect the sun. There is a biblical prophecy that the Earth will be wiped out by ‘fire and brimstone from heaven’. That could be a frightening reality. One wrong calibration, and the sun erupts with a colossal solar flare. Bingo. No more life on earth. That makes the line ‘What I have to tell is completed, concerning the Operation of the Sun’ so worrisome.”
“So, you are saying that somewhere, one of these systems was not destroyed. Or, someone has resurrected the project?” Lt. Clouzot looked as if he had a bellyache.
“Yes,” Lt. Vavilov said. “All signs point in that direction. The problem will be finding out where, and striking before any such device is completed or put to use. I would guess that a small scale device might be ready on sight, and that anything other than a Lambda Driver would be unable to stand against it.”
Everyone looked at Sousuke.
“Does such a device require a great deal of power,” Sousuke asked. “Is that a way to narrow down possible sites?”
“Yes. Very good, Sergeant.” Lt. Vavilov smiled. She was exquisitely lovely.
“Ooooh. Yes indeed. Sousuke has another girlfriend.” Kurz said.
“The one that looks like a woman. Does he ever quiet down?” There was no doubt who the Intelligence officer was talking about. Everyone laughed at Kurz’ expense. After that, she continued. “At the latest stage of development, the scalar devices needed tremendous amounts of electricity. Most of the facilities were centered around Soviet thermal taps. Any active volcano might serve for such a power source.”
“Great,” one scientist said off screen. “There are 500 active volcanoes in the world. While more than half are in the Pacific Ocean, in the circle of volcanoes called the Pacific Ring of Fire, that is still a lot of volcanoes to search.”
“It has been narrowed down,” an intelligence researcher stated. “The Russian volcano Klyuchevskaya Sopka, also called Kl'ucevskaja and Kliuchevskaya, is present on Kamchatka Peninsula, in far eastern Russia. It is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, rising to a height of 15,584 feet . The volcano consists of a truncated cone with a central crater, with some 70 lateral craters and cones on the lower slopes. In 1935 the Russian Academy of Sciences founded a special volcano research center at the foot of that mountain; but, no one has heard much out of them in months, supposedly because of funding issues and communications break downs.“
“There are other active volcanoes in that general vicinity as well,“ a geography expert added. “The northern group of volcanoes, where that scientific center is situated, forms an active part of the Kuril and Kamchatka volcanic belt. Apart form Klyuchevskaya Sopka, this belt comprises another 11 volcanoes. Blizhnyaya Ploskaya. Dalnaya Ploskaya. Bolshaya. Malaya. Zimina. Bolshaya Udina. Malaya Udina. Srednaya. Ploskii Tolbachik…“
“And Ostry Tolbachik,” Lt. Vavilov added. “We have agents working in those areas. Satellites are focused on all such mountains, and on any routes that might lead to them.” She paused. “There has been activity around Klyuchevskaya Sopka. Heavy lift helicopters. It could be that the stories about the research center are true. The Russians may be flying communications equipment in. But, the Russians refuse to discuss any details. “ She swore in Russian. “In fact, the officials we can speak with deny there ever was a scalar system.”
“It might all be a false alarm, right?” Sgt. Yan asked.
“Yes,” Lt. Vavilov answered.
“But, our greatest fears may be correct.” Sousuke said.
On screen, the Intelligence officer nodded.
“So what’s the big deal?” Kurz asked.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
“Ayame, don’t stay under like that!”
“I’m not going to drown or something. Geeez. I’m not a baby or something!” Ayame splashed Kaname, who ducked out of the way. The water hit Tessa square in the face.
“Oh! I’m sorry. It was Kaname’s fault.”
”It usually is,” Tessa said, joking. “I wish I was as coordinated as her. Looks like being around a certain Sergeant helps hone one’s reflexes!”
“You can say that again.” Kaname laughed. “It’s no bed of roses, though.”
“Hey. I can take care of that. I brought these.” Tessa lined up a number of bath oils and shampoos along the edge of the giant soaking tub. “If they weren’t so expensive, I might suggest we use them when we wash Arm Slave parts. Wouldn’t Kurz and Sousuke like that! The other soldiers would never let them live it down.”
“That’s great!” Kaname laughed. She picked up a bottle and read the label. “Oh… look… here comes Arbalest, clean and fresh with the scent of Morrocan Rose Otto… a magnificent revered essence.”
“Or Laminaria seaweed, Grapefruit, and Yarrow.” Ayame said, opening one bottle and inhaling.
“Sergeant Weber and his M9 are resplendent after rinsing with High-altitude Lavender oil grown in the French Alps.” Tessa giggled. They were all in a good mood. While nothing could be said with certainty, Tessa found no evidence to suggest that Ayame Chidori was Whispered.
“These are really nice, Tessa. Where’d you get them?” Ayame was busy smelling each and every bath and hair care product.
“Sergeant Sagara gets them for me. He’s such a sweet boy.” Tessa’s joke had Kaname freezing in place, shampoo seeping through her fingers. “Of course I’m joking,” Tessa added. Her face suddenly went serious. “Your father is serious about your returning to America with him?”
“Yes,” Kaname said, her face falling. The look she gave her sister clearly told Ayame that nothing they said should ever leave that room. “It’s horrible. I was hoping that a trip to the submarine might let him see how everyone respects Sousuke, and how different he is in his own environment.”
“But, that might backfire?” Tessa asked. “Your father might think Sousuke is more suited for this kind of place?”
Kaname nodded.
Ayame pursed her lips. “I really like Sousuke… except when he’s talking too much about helicopters and things…” She sighed. “I wish he could come back with us. That way he could protect Kaname in America.”
“You’d probably like it if he stayed here, right?” There was no accusation in Kaname’s voice. She couldn’t begrudge Tessa having feelings for Sousuke. He’d saved her life on a number of occasions, too.
“Yes.” Tessa admitted. “But not like this…”
“Kaname told Daddy that she and Sousuke should just get married.” Ayame’s comment had Tessa’s mouth falling open. “But, there’s another way. Just like in the soap operas. He could just get her pregnant.”
“AYAME!”
Kaname dunked her sister’s head under the water. “I hope you got a mouthful of suds. You need to wash your mouth out with soap!” She was blushing almost as brightly as Tessa was.
“Well, it works on TV…” Ayame said, a petulant look on her face.
“Daddy’s right. You watch too much television. Hmmmpppfff!” Kaname shook her head. At the moment, her father was sitting and chatting with Cmdr. Mardukas. He was also scheduled to talk with Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin.
Tessa simply sighed. Now was not the time to tell anyone about some of her favorite fantasies. “You probably don’t want to shout,” Tessa said. “If Melissa finds out that we soaked together without her…”
“She’d probably kick Kurz until he couldn’t walk.” Kaname’s comment had Tessa giggling.
It was a good day for coincidences, or so it seemed. There was a resounding thud against the door, followed by a series of smaller impacts. When the door slid open, Melissa stood their, a case of beer in her hand. The moaning they could hear sounded like Kurz.
“That asshole Weber helped me find you girls,” Melissa said, opening a beer. “There was no other reason for that pervert to be standing outside this door.”
“Is that why you smacked him around some?” Kaname asked.
“Well, only in part.” Melissa took a long drink. “The idiot made the mistake of reaching for my beer.”
“Melissa… we were… I didn’t call you because…” Tessa was stuttering.
“Don’t worry about it,” Mao said, slipping out of her clothes and stepping into the tub. “We just finished our briefing, anyway.” The catch in her voice was so subtle that only Tessa could have caught it. She didn’t. “Here.” She slammed a beer down near Tessa. Next, a beer can found its way into Kaname’s hand.
Ayame looked on, an expectant look on her face.
“OK…” Melissa slid a beer along the edge of the tub. It stopped at Ayame’s hand.
“No way!” Kaname reached for the beer. “Melissa!”
“Life’s too damn short,” Melissa said. “Let the kid enjoy herself. Who knows what might happen tomorrow.” She tossed away her empty and grabbed a fresh can.
“Melissa, is there something wrong?” Tessa finally caught on. “What did they tell you I the briefing? I asked Mr. Kalinin to brief me when I’m done with our guests.”
“I’ll let him tell you.” Mao’s meaning was clear. It was not something that Kaname and Ayame needed to hear. Sometimes the burden of knowing was worse than the burden of fighting.
“Is it something that has to do with Sousuke?” Kaname was swift enough to pick up on Melissa’s reticence to speak. Melissa rarely clammed up.
“Here’s another,” was all that Mao said, slamming down another beer even though Kaname had barely started on her first. “Make it two.” Yet another can joined the growing collection.
Kaname asked, her face looking worried. “Is it about Sousuke staying on board? Or is it about a mission or something?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Tessa promised Kaname. “Maybe I should go now…”
”Don’t bother. Nothing’s completely certain yet. Could be days, or it could be months.” Melissa tossed another empty after the first. “So, what’s up with Sousuke and your father?” Melissa scowled. Her own relationship with family was broken. If anyone knew what it was like to have one’s parents try to run one’s like, it was Melissa Mao.
“I told her that she should get knocked up,” Ayame said, using some slang she had picked up.
Kaname spat out a mouthful of beer. Tessa turned her can up and drained every last drop. Melissa smiled and then began laughing.
“You could be the smartest one of us all!” Mao said, rubbing Ayame’s head.
“MELISSA!”
“Just make certain that you share you idea with your father,” Melissa said chuckling. “No. better yet. Tell Sousuke…”
“Oh geeez…” Kaname could picture the look on Sousuke’s face. She couldn’t help but grin.
“OK,” Ayame said, an impish look on her face.
“Don’t…… you…… dare…” Kaname’s face turned bright red. “He’ll blow a circuit breaker or something…”
“If you want, I’ll break him in for you.” Melissa’s joke had Tessa dropping her beer into the tub. Ayame’s eyes went wide. Kaname began sputtering. “Just kidding. It would be like doing it with my baby brother or something!”
“Ayame, put down that beer. Not even one sip! Daddy’s going to kill me as it is, if he catches wind of this.” Kaname rubbed her forehead. “Speaking about Sousuke. Drinking beer. Ayame talking about… you know…”
Ayame took a sip defiantly. “Hmmmpppfff!”
“That’s it!” Kaname opened a bottle of shampoo. “Open wide. If Daddy smells your breath, it’s going to be floral fresh!”
“Eek!” Ayame slid behind Melissa. “Crazy woman!”
“We’ll just have to sit hear soaking a bit longer, that’s all.” Tessa sighed, and then added some more hot water to the tub. “We can treat it like it’s a Shinto purification ceremony or something. “Our bodies and minds will purified and restored to a condition worthy of approaching the gods.”
“Or Sousuke…” Ayame said.
“Ayame…” Kaname shook her fist at her sister.
“The origin of harae is described in the Kojiki myth. In Shinto, not only are the sins, pollutions, and misfortunes of the individual removed, but also evil and misfortune can be removed from a whole nation, life renewed, and the blessings of the gods brought down.” Tessa smiled. “So, we’re actually performing a service for the entire world.”
Kaname smiled, threw caution to the wind, and opened another beer.
“I know that myth,” Melissa said. She downed a beer quickly, and then held it in her hand staring at it. “Inzanagi washed himself in a river, because he felt contaminated…” She frowned, angry at herself for getting morbid over the prospects of a potential upcoming mission. “…After visiting the Land of the Dead.”
Izanagi, in the modern age, is a hidden Japanese organization that is rumored to be waiting to survive the end of the world. It is suggested that the modern Izanagi Union have interests in Neo-Celtic and Christian American organizations who have similar beliefs in prophecies and scriptural study.
Melissa tried to laugh and smile and keep up a game face. It wasn’t like her to get too contemplative. Just the same, if the Intelligence Divison’s fears were well-founded, no one might survive the coming storm, if there was one..
That is, unless Mithril could pull a rabbit out of a hat.
