Vivien Schmitt, Fähnrich of the Rheinland Military was on her way back to Battleship Strausberg. Her shift was over, it was a long day for her, filled with battles against the hessian swarms in the Omega regions. She didn't know yet that this was her last flight for the Rheinland Military.
She started her comm systems when she entered the area of the Battleship.
"Strausberg control, this is Fähnrich Schmitt, patrol is over, requesting permission to dock."
The hangar doors opened and revealed the large area, including some docked bomber and fighter wings. She always liked that view, she felt the power of Rheinland when she saw it.
Vivien carefully flew her ship into the hangar, it was a busy place. Technicians working on ships, pilots running over the place to their ships.
She suddenly felt pain and had no idea why.
"Urgh, my head..."
It became dark in front of her eyes and she lost her consciousness. Her head crashed on the ship controls, causing her Wraith to lose its course. The workers observed it with caution, slowly starting to panic.
<div align="right]"What the hell, that pilot is going to crash into the docking ports!"
The ship accelerated and crashed into another Wraith, which was parked on the docking ports. The impact was not that hard but when it happened Viven's head hit the missile controls of her ship. It were not strong missiles but the explosion turned the docking area into a chaos, both Wraiths started to burn.
Alert sirens started to sound off and emergency teams were on their way.
<div align="right]"Move it, get the pilot out of the ship, don't waste time."
Vivien was still unconscious so her life depended on the abilities of the emergency personel. She had luck, the fire was erased after some minutes and they could save her out of the wreck.
The emergency doctor was immediately there to check if her health status was stable, luckily it was. They brought her to the medical station where she was examined. A broken shoulder, some broken ribs, a concussion and inner injuries and they were asking themselves why did she lose her consciousness. It was not sure when she would awake.
Vivien was half awake and listened to the nearby doctor who was talking to her superior. She was only able to understand parts of the things they were saying. She had a lot of pain and couldn’t focus.
<div align="right]”Well, she had luck...”
"Do you have an idea why she suddenly lost her consciousness ?"
"...Not really sure...maybe stress or mental problems."
"Hmmm, I didn’t notice that on our patrols together, that’s strange..."
"The injuries will take her down for some time, but we will keep an eye on her, who knows what comes next."
"Agreed."
These were the only things Vivien could hear when she fell asleep again.
She started to dream and she saw a familiar person in front of her. That person was dead, killed by a gunshot. Vivien was holding the gun in her right hand. The face of the person was blurred and cleared off after some minutes. It was her sister, Larissa.
She woke up with a loud scream, disrupting the talk between the doctor and her superior. They were surprised and looked at her. She sat there on her bed, breathing heavily, sweating from fear.
"I...saw her."
She started to shiver and she also cried.
<div align="right]"What the hell ?"
"You saw whom ?"
"Larissa...I saw her, I...killed her. I killed my own...sister."
The shiver became stronger.
"What did I do ? "
"My own sister, oh my god"
They came closer to her bed and started to calm her down.
<div align="right]"It was just a dream, just imagination."
"It felt so real..."
"So...real..."
She suddenly stood up from her bed, not a good idea with her health status. She felt the pain while walking and fell on her knees in the middle of the room. She started to cough up blood into her hands.
She looked at them, they looked like in the dream she had earlier. Then she saw her sister again and started to cry. The pain she had from her injuries and the scenario she dreamt of caused her to collapse again, she crashed on the floor unconscious.
The doctor ran to her immediately yelling at Vivien’s superior.
<div align="right]"God damn it, call some help, I can’t do this alone!"
Vivien's superior was sitting near her bed, where she was still lying unconscious. She has been in that stage for 2 weeks already and nobody understood why it was that way. Her physical injuries were mostly healed so it was at least a little improvement.
A doctor entered the room, holding a document in his hands.
<div align="right]"Ah, there you are, I have something for you."
He handed the document over to the superior and remained near the bed for a moment. He sighed.
<div align="right]"Read the document, I am sorry but she will no longer be able to fly for the Military. It is too risky for her as well for her wingmen."
The superior nodded while reading the document, he kind of expected it to be that way, it made him sad to lose one of his better pilots. He closed the document and put it into his briefcase.
<div align="right]"It saddens me but I guess it has to be that way, seems I have to live with it."
He received no answer, the doctor just stood there silently, observing Vivien.
<div align="right]"The Marinenachrichtendienst is starting to annoy me, they want to have a talk with her and keep asking me for a possible date when she might wake up. I am pretty much sure they don't care about her health status. Nobody knows what is going on in her head."
They seemed to be a bit hopeless, standing there arround the bed, not being able to change Vivien's situation.
<div align="right]"Please make sure that she will get some piece once she woke up. She is my patient and I care a lot about her, make sure she gets at least one month to recover."
A nurse was busy checking after Vivien, her status hasn't changed much. She noticed some quiet noises coming from Vivien and turned herself to the bed to see that she has opened her eyes after a long time of being in a coma.
Vivien put herself into a sitting position and looked around, her eyes were scanning the room nervously. It seemed she didn't notice the nurse and she also didn't react when she started to talk to her.
<div align="right]"How do you feel, it's the first time you are awake after being in coma for one month."
She received no reaction, seemed like Vivien was somewhere else with her thoughts.
<div align="right]"Ah well, I think you are still shocked, understandable after all the things you went through. I guess I will call the doctor now."
She rushed out of the room and left Vivien sitting there. She was still confused and continued to look arround. Her eyes focused on a picture that was hanging on the wall. Flowers could be seen on it, it should give a feeling of happiness, but Vivien felt nothing but emptiness.
The doctor entered the room, he seemed relieved when he saw her, he had given his hopes up already. He walked to the bed and looked her directly into her eyes. It lasted for two seconds before she focused her eyes on something else, she didn't want somebody to look at her directly.
<div align="right]"Thank god you're awake, you can't imagine how much we were worried about you. Say, how do you feel ?"
It stayed silent for the next two minutes before Vivien gave him an answer.
"Terrible. Please leave me alone for now, I need to rest."
The doctor respected her wish, he knew that she was still kind of knocked out. He ordered the sister to give her some medicine so she can feel better. He would visit her the next day, hopefully to see her in a better shape.
Vivien woke up early this day, she didn’t sleep well this night. She was sitting in her bed, drawing something on a sheet of paper and she didn’t realize the doctor when he entered the room.
<div align="right]"Hmmm, surprises me to see you awake, thought you would sleep longer."
She suddenly started to curse at him and ripped the sheet into little pieces.
"Damn you, I was focused on it and now you destroyed it. Now I have to start again, thank you very much."
He smiled, even though he didn’t expect that kind of a reaction.
<div align="right]"Anyway, how do you feel today ?"
Vivien already started on a new sheet, it took two minutes before she answered with an angry voice.
"I have a terrible headache and I feel like puking and I was not able to sleep a lot, makes me a bit angry, but I am sure you can understand this."
<div align="right]"I see..."
"Is there something else you want to know, you are starting to annoy me."
The doctor was surprised about her behaviour, he never saw her that angry. He wrote something down on his notes.
<div align="right]"Well, we prepared a room for you, much better than this one where you can recover. I don’t know if you already know it but you are no longer allowed to fly for the Military, but you can stay here as long as it takes for you to feel better."
"Good, not really interested to fly for these muppets anyway. Okay, you will have to help me to get to this room, I am still not able to walk without help."
<div align="right]"Sure."
They walked throught the hallway to the room the doctor mentioned. Vivien observed the persons they met during their way and she looked at them with disgust, she would leave this Battleship as soon as possible. They entered the room, it was a comfortable room, a nice place to recover. Her things were brought there and stored in the locker.
Vivien looked a bit sceptical.
"Funny, I get the shiny things after I almost died. Well okay, is there something else do you need from me ?"
<div align="right]"The MND will visit you tomorrow, they have some questions."
"Aha, I thought I could have some peace now, but nevermind."
She shrugged and jumped on the comfortable bed and continued on her drawing, while the doctor silently left the room.
Vivien was reading some old reports about her time in the Military. She remembered the time when she started as a Flieger and slowly moved on. She sighed.
"Hmmm, maybe it was the biggest mistake of my life, flying for them, I wish I could travel back in time and change it."
It knocked on the door and a unknown person entered, he was wearing a typical uniform of the MND. She continued to read and didn't look at him.
<div align="right]"Guten Tag, Frau Schmitt. I am sure you know why I am here."
She looked up for some seconds and nodded.
"To waste my time, what other reason can there be ? But sure go on."
<div align="right]"We noticed you changed your behaviour and that you had strange dreams, we would like to know what these dreams were about."
Vivien chuckled.
"Well, Herr..."
She checked his uniform to search for his name.
<div align="right]"Schmiedebach."
"Herr Schmiedebach then. Dreams, mein Herr are something I enjoy, not sure if you agree with me in this one. About those 'dreams' I have, I would call them nightmares, as I hate them, or better said I fear them. I am having them since that accident and I even had them in my coma, they never stopped during it. It was always the same 'dream' with the only difference that they became worse, the first one I had was the less cruel one."
<div align="right]"And what were those nightmares about ?"
"Always the same story. I always kill my sister in them, over and over again and it hurts me every single time. They always feel so real, I am even afraid to go to bed, because I know I won't sleep well. I always wake up after some hours, bathed in sweat and tears, every single night. Can you imagine the pain coming from it ?"
She received no answer, seems the agent was not really used to such type of answers. Vivien grabbed her neclace and pointed at a little capsule that was hanging at its end.
"This should be familiar for you, this capsule can end it for me. I bite it and the poison inside grants me a fast death. You don't know how often I am sitting at the desk holding this thing in my hand, thinking of using it. I still wonder why I am hesitating to use it, something tells me I have something left to do in this world, but I don't know what it can be."
<div align="right]"Suicide would be the last option for me, there is always a better way.
But anyway, we know about your sister and the differences between you, I suggest you take some distance to everything that reminds you of the Military, maybe it will help you."
Vivien was a bit surprised to hear that from an agent, for her they always were some creepy guys who never care about others.
"Well, I have to agree with you, I will leave soon enough, maybe head back home to Baden Baden. Or maybe somewhere else, have to think about it a bit more."
The agent finished to write something on his notes.
<div align="right]"My superiors thought that you became insane, I think you are just having a bad time and I am sure it will be better in some weeks. I will tell my superiors that there is no need to worry."
He left the room with these words and Vivien started to think.
It was middle in the night when Vivien woke up again, the nightmares made it again impossible for her to sleep. The whole situation stressed her and it made her aggressive. She used a chair and destroyed a nearby mirror to calm down.
"Jeez! It really really starts to annoy me."
She looked again at the capsule and removed it from the neclace. She removed it and put it into her mouth, but she was not able to bite it. She spit it out and destroyed the capsule, she would have to live with it for now.
"I can't sink that far, there must be a solution."
Vivien started to pack her stuff, she was sure that it would be better to leave for now. Once it was done she went to the hallway and made her way to the hangar.
"They said they prepared a ship for me, let's see if this is true."
It was easily found, docked at the end of the hangar, ready to depart. She entered the cockpit without looking behind, she wanted to leave as fast as possible. The engines started and she left the Battleship with direction to the Omegas.
"I think a Freeport would be a nice place for now, let's see."
It was calm at the lanes at that time and she managed to get to Freeport One without problems, she left her ship in the hangar and went to the bar. She was tired, it's been a while since she had the chance to sleep without problems. She sat down at an empty table and ordered some booze, she wanted to relax. She enjoyed her drink and closed her eyes for some moments.
<div align="right]"I see you left earlier than expected."
It was the familiar voice of her superior, he was sitting in front of her and again she didn't notice him coming.
"Man, you definately know how to sneak around, I hate people who just say something out of nowhere and scare me to hell."
He chuckled.
<div align="right]"I am sorry. I saw your ship leaving the Altenburg and followed you. It is not a good decision to fly that early, you worried me."
"Heh, I needed to get away, it's not good for my health to stay there or near any other station or person that reminds me of the Military."
<div align="right]"I know, I saw the reports of the MND and I think you are doing the right thing."
He checked his watch, soon he had to leave again for his duties.
<div align="right]"Say, do you know where you want to go now ?"
Vivien sighed and finished the rest of her drink.
"Not really and to be honest, I wouldn't tell it to you, because you know I have to get distance."
<div align="right]"Well I am sorry about how things have happened, but I think it's time to say good bye for now. Maybe we will meet again sometimes. It was a pleasure to fly with you for Rheinland."
She nodded.
"Take care."
He smiled and left the bar, heading to his ship. Vivien stayed there for the next two hours, thinking about what to do now. She would return home to Baden Baden, it's been three months since she was there the last time.
Vivien was finally back at home, she was immediately greeted by the warm sun when she left her ship. She even had to smile, which happened rarely these days.
"I missed this place so much."
She always loved this planet, she will never forget the good hours of her childhood, hopefully she could find some rest here, away from the daily stress in the Military. It was strange for her to accept that this chapter is over, there won't be the need to shoot at enemies, there won't be the risk of dying in combat. Finally some peace for her. She entered her house, which is located near the docking ports. She almost had to cry, she couldn't believe she was home.
"Finally..."
She took herself a chair and a bottle of wine and sat down on the terrace, it is the first time when she can finally relax without having to think of what might happen next.
She grabbed an old photo album and watched old pictures of her family, she came across a picture where she could see herself with her two sisters, Larissa and Rosalie. She looked at it for some minutes.
"I miss you so much. I did so many mistakes, I wish I could reverse them."
She grabbed the picture and put it into her pocket, so it would be always with her. She put the album aside and grabbed an old radio and listened to some music. It was some relaxing music and the warm sun eventually caused her to fall asleep.
Vivien slept for about ten hours when she woke up, this time without nightmares, it was the first time she slept in peace. It was already dark outside and she was quite surprised that she had no nightmares. She headed back inside and started to write in her diary...
The past days have been a pleasure for Vivien, she almost had no nightmares and finally felt happy. It was a sunny morning and Vivien started the day with a nice breakfast. She noticed her old comm system she used for the Military was blinking, it seemed somebody tried to contact her. She didn't use this thing for some months now and was confused that there was still somebody who knew about this one.
"Strange..."
She activated it to read the message.
"Hmmm, let's see...sent by an unknown person."
"This is an important message, only accessible for you. You don't know me but I know you, we have to meet each other. There are very important things we have to discuss, meet me at Freeport 1. Don't be worried I will find you there."
The message deleted itself after she was done reading it. Vivien was confused about it, she had no idea who might be that unknown person and no idea what these 'important things' were. This person must be somebody from her early days in the Military, but her memories of this time are a bit rusty so she had no idea. She went to the mirror and looked out of it at her ship.
"Freeport 1...it's not that far away, so if something goes wrong I can always run back here."
She went to another room to pack her things, she grabbed a pistol that was stored there and took it as well.
"Who knows, maybe I will have to use it."
It took her only five minutes to get ready for her depart. She was still a bit sceptical about the whole story, but she was also curious about it. She looked again back to her house and jumped into her ship, started the engines and flew in direction of the Omega systems, namely Freeport 1 in the Omega-3 system.
She hurried a bit and was there after a short time of flying. Her ship was docked in the hangars and now she had no idea where to find the unknown person. The bar was always a good start, were her thinkings. Vivien entered the bar and sat down at an empty table and looked around in the room, she didn't see a single person who might be the one who contacted her. She reclined and closed her eyes.
"Hmmm, maybe it was just a joke."
<div align="right]"It wasn't."
She opened her eyes again and saw a man sitting in front of her, she didn't know him, but something told her that she has met him before.
"Indeed, we have to talk...", the person answered.
He had blue eyes, brown hair, but his face showed her that he looked tired, general unhealthy. His clothes were the older Marinenachrichtendienst type uniform.
" About what shall we talk, why did you call me here anyway?" she answered quickly to the agent.
The person remained calm, not showing any emotion. He coughed and looked at Vivien.
" I have been watching you for longer, not only me. Tell me, what do you think whats happening inside the Marinenachrichtendiesnt department?"...
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