Untitled
Chapter 33

Mother Confessor:

“What can I do for you miss”, the old soldier at the conscription desk asks me, with slight disgust in his voice. I hand over the piece of paper that Red Wolf hand scribed for me to deliver to him. He takes the paper from my hand, keeping an eye on me as he does.

“Hmmm”, he hums aloud, glaring at the note.

“Is everything in order”, I ask politely, offering a warm smile.

“It would appear so, miss. And now you shall be processed. Take the door at the end of the hall, and to the left. Take this with you so you are not asked to many questions”, he says to me. Handing back the Generals note with a scowl. I take it from him, and steer myself past the desk to my designated point.

Taking long strides in the lengthy ingress. Trying to arrive in a timely fashion as I have such a long way to travel, despite the long trek from the recovery ward. I walk in silence, my shoes echoing softly off the walls. Passing through the dimly lit ingress.

Arriving at my destination, I firmly rap on the door. My hearts pounding with anticipation, unsure of what is to follow. Then I hear the hissing of the door sliding open, revealing a very smartly dressed female officer.

“Yes”, she says a stern look on her aged face. Passing the note to the officer, she hums her own tone at the Generals message. Her expression changes as she lowers her hand.

“Please do come in, miss”, she coldly smiles, as she offers me entrance. Taking a seat in a chair opposite her desk, reading the nameplate setting at the edge of the very organized desk. Col. Vissacca, it displays pointedly in the brightly lit office. I watch as the aged officer takes a seat behind the desk. I feel her eyes on my flesh from head to toe, sizing me up in a way. I waste the empty time wondering what she is thinking.

“Stand up”, she orders me. I oblige at the command, still feeling her eyes on my flesh.

“About face, stand straight”, she barks. I swiftly turn on my heels, trying to appear as rigid as a rod. Still those eerie feelings as her eyes seem to touch me without touching.

“You may be seated”, she says. I whirl around to face her, reclaiming my seat. Watching as she pulls a small packet of forms from her desk.

A few moments pass as we lock eyes, I do not want to appear weak before the elder officer. A full minute slips away, despite it feeling like a few moments. I deny her the satisfaction of my gaze being averted to her challenging stare.

“Interesting”, she says to herself running a finger across her furrowed chin. Her other hand taking notes on a small pad beside the forms. The scratching of the pen hits my ears, as she is heavy handed with the writing implement.

Addressing me in a softer tone, “So tell me why do you want to enlist for service, miss?”

Taking a couple of deep breaths sorting my thoughts.

“I should like to end the Confederation scourge once and for all”, I begin, “They amongst countless others have kept me in bondage to long. Though the Confederation had made an attempt on my home, Ceres. Threatening the natives in with their war machines. I made the decision to take leave off Ceres, in hopes of getting my slice of vengeance. Not just myself, but for the natives I share it with as well. As we speak, a mass of Confederation soldiers is being put to work rebuilding the city of my peaceful neighbors. This is at the behest of the Ober-Commander’s will.” Pausing briefly, to replenish my breath. I continue, “With all due respect ma’am, I should like to fight alongside my friends. If necessary lay down my life, so that they may see victory.” The scratching pen, carves into the pad as I speak.

“Exactly how many have you killed”, she moves to her next point of interest, “to be more specific, with any type of combat. Not going to address the others, since I know who you are.”

“One”, I reply quickly.

“How did you do it, and with what”, she asks.

“I used a war hammer and destroyed the chest cavity, eliminating him instantly”, I answer sharply. The aged officer nods, with a slight look of disbelief. Moments pass as the pen scratches the pad.

“Well miss, fill this out . Then you will go back down the hall, take the third door on the left. There you will be issued your gear”, she tells me while pushing the packet and the pen to the edge of her desk towards me.

Standing up, I cross the short distance to the desk. Taking the heavy pen in hand, I begin filling out the forms. A few questions were a bit strange. For instance: If issued a bayonet would you use it? Giving the best answer I could think of: Yes, if issued a bayonet, why not make use of any standard issue weaponry. I fail to follow on some parts seeing as I have no knowledge on mechanics, but would like to learn it as an understudy type field. Hell, I would like to learn a bit about all the fields. Why waste an opportunity to be as efficient as possible beyond my main area of which I wish to be trained.

Marckus:

After Dlynvacko left, I had another cup of coffee. Considering on seeing Red Wolf afterward. I suppose she must me feeling much better after having her patellar tendon repaired. That has to be a slap in the face for her to have suffered such a wound, though it did not seem to damage the joint itself. Sure she is still slightly pissed about the hole in her calf though. These thoughts play across my mind as I drain the cup of the warm coffee. Placing my mask upon my head, I shall go see her. Then go and bathe, as I feel disgusting.

Graxis:

Setting at my desk, feet resting on the top. Working my way through the Major’s console now that it has been hacked. Took my desk console quite a long time to break down the encryptions. I can only imagine what kind of frustration the intelligence team is having with the hard drive.

One thing that I find amusing is that there were a section of reports that looked so dull, that it seemed a little odd that they were encrypted to begin with. Building updates, staff shifts, and random walkthrough progress reports. Not exactly the type of thing most would find in a confidential file.

Digging deep into the memory on the device I find some very old files. From the very start, after the Confederation had established a beachhead on Pluto. It drones on at length. Reporting that over a thousand refugees were taken prisoner to construct the military lab. Taking a moment to let that bit of gravity fall into place, seeing as how there were only thirteen left by the time we got there. Continuing with the report, it spells out where the females and young ones were taken. They were rounded up in a military supply carrier, and taken to Callisto. I have no idea what is out there on Callisto, but it cannot be part of resettlement program. The report does not elaborate beyond stating where they were carted off to.

Delving deeper it does start to break down the purpose of the installation. Skimming through the new report. Apparently, it was just as the Ober-Commander had suggested. It was to be used for a breeding and cloning facility, to raise a “super soldier” army. Using the base genetics that the Confederation deemed to be their finest from all fields. They had planned to use both Terran and Grey, even splicing some hybrids into the mix. Not sure why they should want to make that particular hybridization. Letting my mind stray off, trying to imagine what such a hybrid would look like. Settling on the fact that it would definitely be a comical looking concoction, I snort at the amusing thought. Reading further the facility was to be up and operational in six months from when we hit it. Wonder what held them up in their building process? No matter now seeing as it is nothing more than a frozen mess on the face of the mutilated sub-planet.

Sifting through armaments, nothing to interesting. A full squad of medium and light armor for external security. The mess of men we took care of with little difficulty. Everything looked fairly standard for what one should expect at such a facility, though I am sure it was going to have triple the armor once up and running.

Coming to the personal files of the Major, this should tell a very intriguing story. To find out her personal thoughts on being stuck on the solar rock. My eyes intently scanning through the entries. Seems to her displeasure, she executed the orders as mandated by the Chairmen. That means that they have a stake in this whole mess, besides land grabbing and imprisonment. She continues on with feeling highly disgusted at segregating the refugees, and then shipping the indicated off to Callisto. Reading on with a bit of contempt for the lack of resistance on the issue. I stumble on the reason as to why. The Chairmen were forcing the Major’s hand with a threat of summery capture and execution of her great, great, great grand children, along with others in her bloodline. I am not sure if I would risk such a heavy wager, and disobey. Knowing full well that it would cost me everyone I had, and possibly myself. Scanning further they had that in mind in a twisted way. There were at least three private contractors sent along to keep the Major on task. That would make sense of why the Major reacted the way she did when we found her. She was scared for her life and those of her bloodline. A twinge of guilt shot through me at figuring this out. Though she is gone, her death may have saved her family. It just had to be unbearable to pull the trigger. I wonder if she knows what she had done for her family? I for one would go barking mad if my loved ones were dangled in front of me, compounded with threats to their well being. Now she may rest in eternal peace, and hopefully know that hers will be safe.

It was hard to choke down the words she had written, with my eyes. This is the second time today I would have been brought to my knees. I should like to think that we are trying to clean up one hell of a mess the Confederation has created. It is just a hard pill to swallow seeing what lengths they will go to grow their empire.

Marckus:

Entering the recovery ward, I stop short at the sight of the bedridden sniper. Letting loose a roar of laughter at the sight of her.

“Should have known”, I speak to her through throes of laughter, “mother must tend to her baby!”

She stops her maintenance on her rifle. Placing the precision tooled barrel with the cleaning brush halfway down it.

“You’re an ass”, she pointedly jabs back in her laughter.

“True”, I concede, “and because of you, I ruined my favorite pen.”

“Really”, she counters, “I thought it was for decoration. Didn’t know you could write!”

“Touché”, I jab back. Taking a moment to catch my breath from the banter. “How are you doing Red”, asking out of politeness, I will need her soon.

“Well sir, they say that if I stay stuck in this place, I should be ready to go active in about a week. They say that will take a little longer for the ribs to heal, and to favor that side awhile. Why”, Red Wolf offers annoyed at being stuck in bed.

She interjects before I can reveal my plans with a question, “Did you and the Mother Confessor have some sort of deal?”

“Yes it was more a favor”, I begin my confession, “it was more of a trading of favors, why do you ask?”

“She visited me earlier this morning asking for my help in enlisting”, Red Wolf begins her own, “Naturally I went with my instinct and did just that. She is due to report back to me, for her assigned instructor.”

I am glad that she did act on my behalf, though I am sure she is far better suited than I on that little ordeal.

“Well it seems our pale friend is an enigma, according to her test results. I shall drop the file by later for you to see what I mean.”

“That should help pass the time here waiting to get back on my feet, “ she optimistically says to me.

Steering our meeting back to my main point.

In a serious tone I say to her, “ Callisto.”

Her jovial expression fades from her face.

“You’re not thinking, what I think you are”, she replies.

“It is complicated, but yes”, I start my explanation, “ I plan to collect a few things from the site in the Saturn system. Then the fun starts.” Trying to read her eyes, I continue, “You will pose as a science officer, but not to worry you will have an ‘assistant’.”

“And whom would that be”, she asks, a look of concern on her brow.

“Well not to disappoint you, but a Grey”, I tell her,” an older one, happens to be a Captain. He just doesn’t know it yet. I saw him last night in the brig. Rather withdrawn, even from his own kind. Now before you make a fuss over my choice in the matter, I think he would be the best man for the job.”

“I see, and what is the rest of plan”, she probes further.

“This is where it get a bit complicated”, I start locking eyes with her, “Get in to the lab is step one. Something your rank should pull in your favor. Then you and your ‘assistant’ will gather all the test subjects in a safe place. I will leave that up to your discretion. Once you have established a safe place that can be locked down, send us the all clear. From there, we will clean house.”

Watching her as she considers my thoughts. Slowly continuing to clean the long barrel.

“So you want to go to the dig site, fake a cave in. Then blow up the site, before you start digging for bones?” I snicker under my breath at her short handing of my strategy.

“Yep, exactly that”, I say to her, adding, “ Anything I missed?”

“Da, you owe me big time, if we survive this insane ploy”, a smile on her lips as she puts in her two cents.

“And you owe me a new pen”, I jab back.

“Get the hell out of here before I put a boot in your crazy ass”, she retorts, playfully. I leave her, bowing myself out as the king of fools, to her laughter.

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