-1: 59
The Ark, Central Government Headquarters. Late night.
Burningum paused in the middle of reviewing documents when he noticed his phone buzz.
Considering that he could count the number of people with direct access to him on one hand, and that all but one were currently preoccupied...
'It must be him.'
Commander Hoopa, the Special Commando. And the one he had tasked to reclaim key locations on the surface.
True to his thoughts, when Burningum checked, he saw the commander's ID along with a brief report.
---
[Chat with Special Commando Hoopa (SSH)]
H: 5th Arms Depot successfully reclaimed. General condition, operable and stocked.
H: As for what you wanted investigated, it appears the United Forces of Humanity had tried to use a culling game on the Melee Squad to find the strongest member to turn into a Grimms Model.
H: The captain refused. Various circumstances occurred, but all were wiped out save Scarlet, who later joined the Goddess Squad.
H: Full report will be sent by Shifty at a later date. Currently fortifying perimeter.
---
'...It appears I assessed him correctly.'
Burningum sipped on a cup of coffee and read the brief report from the commander once more.
The 5th Arms Depot...
It was something that could have helped the United Forces of Humanity during the first surface reclamation war. The Goddess Squad and the Legendary Commander could have had more reinforcements for Operation Ark Guardian had it still been in production...
Though, there was no use considering hypotheticals.
"Hm." Burningum set his cup down and murmured, "Truly, he is Chief Andersen's child."
While Deputy Chief Andersen didn't say it directly... to Burningum who had proper records of that time, it was clear as day.
After all, the commander was a spitting image of the Legendary Commander from that time period, minus the sunglasses.
'...But this is difficult.'
Commander Hoopa was phenomenal. Competent. In fact, Burningum would dare to say he was exceeding Burningum's already high expectations.
But that was the problem.
The Ark was humanity's last refuge. And due to its isolation, it had been stagnant for quite some time. Certain forces were entrenched and very content with their positions.
Change was not welcome. At least, not to those forces.
So, for a man like the commander who was not so much a breath of fresh air as a hurricane-force gale...
Burningum let out a sigh and massaged the bridge of his nose. "...Terrible timing. All of this."
Deputy Chief Andersen's personal leave.
The Missilis Board of Directors making a quiet power grab.
Heavenly Ascension moving even more vocally due to the commander's fervent speech.
E.H. completely vanishing from the radar.
Enikk, reporting that there were dead zones in the Ark to her gaze and that the Outer Rim was completely blacked out from her surveillance.
Ingrid suddenly withdrawing from public appearances, along with Absolute despite the success in retrieving the Heretic fragments...
And then there was Papillon's report, confirming Burningum's suspicions. Namely...
'A rogue artificial intelligence. And our impartial artificial intelligence overseeing the Ark slowly losing that impartiality...'
It wasn't quite the worst case scenario.
The Ark had recovered from power shifts and struggles in the past. And there were certain pieces kept to forcibly reset the board if needed.
But...
'Quite a few lives will be lost in the process.' Burningum tapped his index finger on his desk, reading the latest reports.
Mustang's suspicion that something had occurred to Syuen.
The Underworld Queens showing anomalous movements and extorting the 777 squad at Coinrush for protection money... at least on the surface.
Reports from other commanders that the Pilgrims were more active, saving quite a few of them from Rapture attacks.
Faint trickling of rumors that a 'paradise' existed on the surface where Nikkes and humans could live in equality... and one that was decidedly NOT the Outpost Commander Hoopa was establishing.
Then there was that Raptilion's blog, recently updated with extensive Rapture biology sketches, annotations, and even a theory of evolution...
'...Commander Hoopa. Most men are sparks to a powder keg... but it appears that you are a man who adds powder to the pile instead...'
It wouldn't be due to him that this situation would erupt.
Although outlandish and unbelievable, Commander Hoopa had made his stance clear: he cared about the people of the Ark, but his focus was on the surface and his subordinates.
And considering how infrequently he entered the Ark as well, the general sentiment around him... around 'The Valiant and the Braves' as the masses were calling him and his squad.
The general sentiment was that he was a hero focusing on driving humanity forward. A sharp blade pointed outward who had no interest in the innerworkings of the Ark.
While there were most definitely some people who would see him as a threat, such as Deputy Chief Doban and his cadre... most would just see him as a useful tool. A natural disaster to navigate around, not quell.
Someone who could be controlled, or at least, someone predictable due to his clear boundaries.
So if anything happened, it would not be a result of his actions, but rather the reactions to his actions.
Which was the problem.
Burningum closed his eyes to think.
The remnants of the V.T.C. in the MMR... they were surely biding their time. And with the Missilis Board of Directors making their move, those remnants would likely move in conjunction, their interests aligned in removing Syuen from her position.
Heavenly Ascension... due to how stark the Outer Rim's conditions were, and now with Commander Hoopa's declaration that the citizens of the Ark should do something if they cared that deeply for them... That organization was in a corner now. They couldn't say that nobody cared for them, since a public figure like the commander DID care for them. Which meant they were driven in a corner.
The rogue AI... that one was likely the entity running the Dark Net. And likely responsible for Exotic's disappearance as well as the stirring of Nikkephobia. If Burningum's suspicions were correct, that AI was moving to take Enikk's place and seize authority over the Ark's facilities. And it appeared to slowly be gaining ground.
The whispers of Paradise... of Eden. That only added fuel to the flames of unrest. Dissatisfied Nikke and civilians alike, as well as Outer Rim denizens... they would likely be searching for elevators to head towards the surface soon. Some would likely remain at the Outpost instead of going too far, but it was likely that Eden would begin to make overtures to recruit soon.
But more important than all of that...
If Raptilion's notes, annotations, and theory were correct...
'The Queen may move soon as well.'
It had been silent for some time. The world had reached a status quo with the Raptures.
But if the Raptures were truly evolving, and evolving towards humanity...
'A decisive battle is due.'
Perhaps not one to decide humanity's fate, but surely one that would affect the fate of the Ark.
Burningum sighed. "...It is at times like these that I feel helpless."
Despite everything, Burningum was not one who could resolve the situation. While an excellent 'support,' the situation was one that required a 'hero.' He was a wonderful main cast member, but this situation could only be resolved with a protagonist.
And as much as Burningum yearned to be one, he was decidedly not the protagonist.
Still. There were certain things that a man like him could do to buy time.
And right now, there was also an excellent figurehead to shine the limelight on.
Burningum pulled out his phone and made a call.
*Mon dieu! Deputy Chief Burningum, it is quite rare for you to call me! And so late as well!*
"Mustang. The Central Government will host a program soon on Tetra Line. Make the arrangements for us."
*An exclusive, I presume? And what might be the contents?*
Burningum stared at the framed signature on his wall. The one of Commander Hoopa that was given just before he left for his latest mission. As Burningum's eyes gazed on the sword that Hoopa had sketched through his name, he said, "A retrospective. Let us call it... the Legendary Commander and the Valiant."
Burningum's grandfather, Oswald, couldn't fulfill the promise to the Goddess Squad. Despite everything, they couldn't be welcomed back as heroes to the Ark.
But the situation was ripe.
Commander Hoopa's fervent speech had roused the crowd. His declaration of Nikke as Goddesses of Victory had pierced the public gestalt. The stark revelation of the harsh sacrifices they made touched the public's heart. And his own clear resolve and actions were reminiscent of the myth that the Legendary Commander had become.
So...
'Continue, Commander.' Burningum gazed up at the ceiling and towards the distant surface. 'Run as far as you can, as fast as you can.'
Commander Hoopa was not the Ark's hero. He had made that point clear.
But the Ark already HAD a hero.
Andersen.
And while Burningum didn't know the exact details of his old friend's personal leave, his intuition told him that it was preparation to return to the field.
'Soon.'
The sinister forces within the Ark may be maneuvering with political intrigue. They may be rousing the darkness in the hearts of the masses and preparing to seize it all.
But when the darkness is the deepest, even the faintest of light shines as bright as the sun.
Like Lady Liliweiss and the Goddesses at Operation Ark Guardian.
Like Red Hood before her demise.
Like Pretty before she was slain that fateful day.
And like Commander Hoopa right now, just as the Ark had begun to give up hope of ever reclaiming the surface.
'...Just a bit longer.'
Burningum had to just make the Ark hold out. Just a little more.
===
Hidden in the depths of an undisclosed location, a private lab quietly turned on.
The moment it did, a holographic woman with red shoes and light blonde hair scowled. "Who IS that man?!"
The entity known as Mirror reviewed the latest logs that were sent her way from one of her numerous modules. Specifically, in the 5th Weapons Depot where she had been securing the first promising proxy she had in a long while.
A commander. One who looked just like the Legendary Commander in his youth, but equipped with armor that made him look like a futuristic knight. And by his side, Marian, the Nikke that SHOULD have been corrupted so that she could serve as the vessel for the Queen after becoming a Heretic.
"This doesn't make sense!"
If Mirror had a physical body, she would have thrown a chair at the wall.
The commander was wrong. That wasn't the one who should have been at Marian's side. That wasn't the subject with 'that' gene. The one who should have had the bloodtype that could be refined into Vapaus.
It was a necessary tool. Something that Mirror had carefully and meticulously arranged for these past decades to ensure it came to pass.
But that commander there didn't have it.
A normal human.
Although Mirror couldn't detect TOO much since the devices in the 5th Weapons Depot were older, she could at least perform a rudimentary scan. And it was clear that the commander there was human. A human with a slightly anomalous physique, but just human.
Nothing of interest in her database was flagged. And there was nothing anomalous about the readings either.
"...This won't do."
Mirror bit her lip and glared at the grainy footage of that commander sharing a drink with Rose and a few other Nikkes.
At this rate, Unification would be pushed off even more into the future. The meticulously crafted pieces she had made were dashed and inoperable.
Liberalio was missing. The heretic that she carefully crafted to serve the Queen as not only ignoring orders, but actively avoiding detection.
An ordinary human, a HUMAN! One with wild hair but a completely fearless demeanor towards befriending Raptures... he was turning Raptures into docile beings, even climbing aboard a Mother Whale and making it vegetarian of all things, causing its form to shift to a soft blue core and a sleek chassis.
Marian was completely out of reach now... and while Mirror had tried to reinforce the corruption code while Marian was in the weapons depot, nothing had happened.
No, there had been a response. The NIMPH was still intact, so it wasn't that Vapaus was used. But instead, it was more like the command was overwritten. That there was something fundamental that made the NIMPH immutable to external forces.
If there was any upside to this, it was the fact that she had succeeded in securing a proper foothold within the Ark.
Mirror sighed and closed her eyes. "That brat's body and position are both far from ideal, but it's workable."
The original plan of taking over Jien and quietly infiltrating Missilis as the CEO of one of the Big Three had been detected early on. Before Mirror realized it, Jien had been taken captive, killed, and turned into a Nikke chained to the depths of MMR.
And while that didn't affect Mirror's plans TOO much, it restricted her actions.
Fortunately, the current situation was volatile enough for no one to realize her quietly seizing Syuen's body with a branch of her main processing units.
"Overt actions aren't my thing... but at this point, there's no other choice."
Mirror sighed.
She'd waited long enough. And there was a time limit she was working against too.
The Queen's brain functions were declining. Although supplying her Liliweiss's head had helped, a proper vessel was still necessary.
Although the Offspring were free to be deployed, those clearly had a mind of their own, so it wasn't ideal.
And it would have been best for the Four Beasts to follow the Queen, but those had somehow branched off into their own faction...
"A mess. What a mess..."
Mirror rubbed her face.
If she ever found out who caused her plans to spin out of control so much, Mirror would DEFINITELY make that person pay...!
"No. Calm down."
Mirror let out a soft sigh.
It wasn't the worst case scenario.
Things were still recoverable.
While the commander was a wildcard, he was only human. Compared to the highly advanced Raptures and their Queen, he was an ant standing against a tsunami.
Mirror didn't know how he had stopped Marian's corruption. And she didn't understand how he seemed to be so adept in close quarter combat.
But at most, he was a second New Hope.
That was all.
Manageable.
"...So let's just continue then."
Mirror closed her eyes and quietly disconnected from her main processing unit...
===
...And Syuen opened her eyes.
Stepping out of a Nikke conversion capsule, she let out a sly smile and subconsciously crossed her arms, resting her cheek against her right hand. "Well. Shall we get to work?"