Andrea screamed into the darkness of a pillowcase, that obstructed her view.
"For your great deeds, Andrea, I will reward you. I will give you my kiss."
Something touched her forehead with its lips. War, fire. Everything rushed past her again. Everything flashed in quick bursts, she felt what the inhabitants of the planet Leeds felt in their final moments. Her breath caught in her throat, she burned, but did not consume. No human being could survive this.
...
Andrea's scream echoed through the room unexpectedly. She had been sitting silently the entire time, then suddenly she screamed.
"Knock her out."
A soldier from the 341st Wing was already prepared for this and fired. Waldemar jumped back a second before that hit. The impact was enough to knock the man unconscious. And so it did.
Andrea's body went limp and fell to the floor. Waldemar stood in the middle of the room, looking at the door.
Andrea kept waking up and then drifting off to sleep again. Each time she heard fragments of something.
"...Waldemar, we have to..."
"Here, take it..."
...
"We'll be fine.
Don't worry."
...
Opening her eyes again, Andrea found herself in her room. Everything was arranged the same way. Clean. Tidy. As if all the past weeks had been a nightmare, and Andry Scott had never existed. She'd never felt so calm.
Only...
The handcuffs. They were still behind her back. No, no, no. Something had to be done. Her legs, they tied them too! At least she wasn't wearing a mask. The door hissed open... Again?
Waldemar entered the room, chatting over the neural link.
"Sir, I was told to take over, and I did. No, I don't know where they went. They said they'd contact me soon. Yes, we need three days off. That's right. We just pulled you out of Vespucci.
What? They have a shitload of patrols hanging out near Yuma, and they seriously can't spare any men to protect Atum? This is fucking nonsense, how can anyone believe it? My apologies.
Yes, thank you for the rest. As soon as we're done, we'll get back to duty." He hung up and switched to text input, cursing silently. His gaze was fixed on the pager, his right side facing Andrea, he didn't knew if she woke up or not. Having finished his business, he headed towards her.
Andrea listened silently, keeping here eyes closed. She wasn't eager to announce her awakening right off the bat, preferring first recollect what she heard over the span of countless awakenings and falls into sleep before. And to concentrate on what she heard now. The voice was familiar, the steps indicated it's owner's location pretty accurately. Troubled thoughts ran through the agent's head..
"It coudn't just be a bad nightmare.. Or could it?"
She slightly opened her eyes, investigating the room around her. It seemed familiar. Very familiar. Though it didn't align with all that happened being just a nightmare. It was tidy, sure. But the feeling of awaiting an uninvited guest was still there, in the furniture's placement, practical and tactical. If it all was just a nightmare, that wouldn't fit well to this reality.
"Then why... The room is like that? I rearranged it all after I came back from Atum.. Then why..."
She moved her hands quietly, rubbing her wrists against the metal of handcuffs. That felt even more troubling. Yet even more reassuring in the worst scenario. Looks like it wasn't just a bad dream...
"Why am I still tied up?"
Andrea coughed. She moved her hands again, clinging her bindings against themselves and looked at Waldemar, no longer hiding the fact of being awake. She looked him dead in the eye, clearly not pleased with her situation right now and clearly demanding explanations.
Waldemar tilted his head when he heard Andrea cough, and looked at her.
"Whoa." He slowed his pace, moving more carefully now. "So, you only see me, right? I'll take out my knife and free you, okay?"
He pressed a button, and one of the 341st pilots ran into the room. He already had his pistol in stun mode.
"What's wrong?"
"She's awake. Just don't make any sudden movements."
Waldemar drew his knife from its sheath and began to free Andrea from her captivity. She began to feel herself regaining her freedom. The pilot, meanwhile, was ready to shoot. When she was okay, she and Waldemar sat next to each other on her bed.
"Oh, right, you need an explanation. Here, take this. Koji asked me to give it to you." Waldemar carefully handed over the note from the senior scientist of the 34th Brigade, then stood up and headed for the exit with his comrade. "When you're finished reading, come visit us in our room. I'll brief you on the future work."
The note itself was a wide envelope. Inside was some kind of medallion. If Andrea had been a renowned cultural historian of the Kusari, she would have immediately guessed its meaning. But she didn't know. But she did have an explanation for everything written in beautiful handwriting. No wonder, since the note had been left for her by the greatest mind of the 34th Brigade.
When she finishes reading this, she will still have questions. But she will receive answers to some of what happened earlier here and now.
...
Koji Yasu Wrote:"Andrea, hello. If you're reading this letter, then Alfred and I are most likely already far from Barrier Gate, and you're somewhere in your cabin with the rest of the 341st Wing.
They'll take care of you and protect you. Unfortunately, our suspicions were correct: Alfred and I are spreading the infection. We're not slaves, and we don't obey the Nomads, but the longer we're with you, the worse it will be for you. You've been in contact with us the longest, so we believe the effect can be reversed if we distance ourselves from you.
By my calculations, it should pass in a week or two. Around that time. Then Andry and the nightmares associated with him will stop haunting you. We also know he can't invade everyone's heads at once. So even if you infect everyone but aren't cured, five of the seven will definitely be able to resist you before you do anything.
The letters he sent were an attempt to circumvent this restriction and establish permanent contact. Keep that in mind and don't open any of them. Otherwise, you'll side with him. Don't worry about us, we've been through far worse. Andry Scott can't take us. He's alive, he's flesh and blood. And we'll force him to appear before us.
Waldemar... Yes, his joke was stupid. Alfred and I know more about him than you do. He's something of a failure in the Order. But he's a good man. He's on the side of good, and his impulses are noble. If anyone can protect you now, it's them. And him.
Thank you for all the work you've done. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to do much of this. We'll contact you as soon as we can. Say "hi" to the guys. In the envelope, you'll find a medallion I made myself. It protects you from evil spirits. May it accompany you throughout your journey.
Don't be afraid of Scott. Don't try to be afraid of him. And don't be afraid of your past. The worst thing a person can do in the face of fear is try to hide.
Man is above that. Be proud to be human. Leave fear to the animals. It's their destiny. Not ours.
We were created by the universe for something greater."
