Volume 1, Chapter 14 – 15 – Meeting the Higher Apparatus
Volume 1, Chapter 14 – Summoning the Higher Apparatus
The same clearing, beaten up by recent equipment. Tire tracks everywhere, and deep boot prints from the faceless Soldiers. A small forest swayed in the wind, slowly filling back up with birds that had returned home — just to rest after their flight. White Eurocubes stood by the small lake, soaking up vitamin D. And next to them loomed the massive HESCO fort, surrounded like a castle by a moat and razor wire.
And me. I sat in the fort, eating MREs and chewing over my past life, focusing my thoughts on the future and trying not to dwell on what had been. But somehow, when I remembered, the food tasted better — and phantom pains started creeping in.
Oh!
I finished eating — and my thoughts started filling with something else. Thank God. And I know He exists. I can't even be an atheist anymore.
I jumped out of the fort and summoned the Soldier.
"Hey. Quick question: in the army, there are commanders, right? Do I have those?"
"Yes, sir. CUB — twenty officers. IB — one officer. AFV — one officer. ARV — one officer. CSG — Admiral of the Gerald Ford, Vice Admiral commanding four Arleigh Burke Flight III destroyers. Rear Admiral commanding two Zumwalt destroyers and a Virginia-class nuclear submarine. Air Defense — Major. AA — Officer," the Soldier rattled off monotonously without stopping. I didn't remember a single thing.
(I have a bunch of officers. And different admirals too. What's the difference? Maybe I should meet them? Maybe they look different? Better?)
"I summon all..." I thought for a moment and turned to the Soldier. "What's the right way to say 'the commanders'?"
"The Higher Apparatus."
"Ahem. I summon the Higher Apparatus."
Twenty-eight... soldiers? No. They look like people — and they're all in completely different clothes!
—
Volume 1, Chapter 15 – Meeting the Higher Apparatus
I beamed with joy. They actually have faces! The last living person I saw was Alon, and now here were twenty-eight people standing in front of me — some swaying, some out of formation, one even sitting on the ground.
But then I tensed up a little. (Why are they so... alive?)
"Psst... Why aren't they like you?" I asked the faceless one, who felt more familiar than this crowd of unknown PEOPLE.
"Soldier-function — one brain. Everything depends on the number of brain activities. Among the officer corps, the Admiral is a carrier of four thousand five hundred and forty brain activities," the Soldier explained emotionlessly and very incomprehensibly.
"And do they listen to me?" I asked, glancing at the people, moving closer to the Soldier as if hiding behind him from all these strangers.
"Of course. Absolutely, unquestioningly."
(I don't know if that makes me feel better. Probably not. But I really want to meet them. Maybe we'll go through my whole life together? Probably. So even if I'm twenty-nine and the age for making friends is over, I need to get past that... Interesting... What if I say...)
"Attention," I said quietly, hoping no one would hear.
But they heard. Everyone looked at me (except the Soldier — he obeyed immediately). All the officers held their gazes on me for a second — some sitting, some standing, one on his head — and eventually lined up.
"I..." I looked over the whole row nervously. "My name is..."
"We know what your name is!" some officer shouted.
"Uh..." It became hard to continue after my introduction was cut off. But I pushed on: "My name is Seraphim... And I'd like to get to know each of you."
The officers exchanged glances. I walked up to the first ones in formation — in matching uniforms. Blue jackets, though some just held them in their hands, standing in shirts or T-shirts. They all had some kind of "briefcase" with them. There were twenty of them.
"Hi," I started, shaking hands. "My name is Seraphim. Nice to meet you."
"CUB Officer. We are the brain of all operations," one of them answered. These twenty looked more like Soldier-functions, but the important thing was — they had faces. And some had sweaty palms.
Next was a man, fairly older, in khaki uniform, standing perfectly straight.
"Hi."
"Air Defense Major. Pleased to meet you, Commander." He saluted.
"Nice to meet you too!" I shook his hand.
The next one looked like a mechanic from an auto shop, but in an officer's uniform.
"Hello! ARV Officer. I'll be happy to work with you!" he spoke quite emotionally, clearly proud of his position.
"I'll be happy to talk too!" I shook his hand.
The next officer looked the toughest and frighteningly strong.
"AFV Officer. I'll be happy to punch through something. Hehe!" he laughed heartily, shaking my hand.
"Nice to meet you too..." (His grip was very strong — almost broke my hand.)
The next soldier was in the same uniform as the faceless ones, but with a face.
"IB Officer. Nice to meet you," he shook my hand respectfully.
"Likewise!" I smiled.
And then there were three left who looked like they'd been dragged here by force.
"Yo, cap. Rear Admiral — that's my rank. But just call me Zumwalt," a guy introduced himself lazily, barely extending his hand, holding his blue cap. He was in a double-breasted jacket with two rows of gold buttons.
"Hi... Zumwalt? Unusual name."
"Yeah. Cool."
"And my name's Arleigh! Vice Admiral! So happy to meet you! SO HAPPY!" a girl jumped out of formation, dropping her cap, then getting tangled in her thick, red curls.
"Hi? Nice to meet you too," I shook her hand carefully.
"And this is Aviana! Like, the brain of our crew with Zumwalt, and we're her protectors!" Arleigh decided to introduce the last one in the row.
Aviana — a girl with a coarse black ponytail. In a strict white double-breasted jacket with patterns and two rows of gold buttons. A high fitted collar and red trim along the edges of the collar and sleeves.
"Good day," she answered disinterestedly.
I stared at her for a moment. She looked like she could just take... and kill me. Very frightening.
"Oh, sorry everyone! Hey there! I stepped out... to walk around!" a guy ran up to formation, throwing on his jacket. "And we're, like, not done yet?" he whispered to ARV.
"We're already done. And why were you wandering? Not cool in front of the Commander," ARV whispered back.
"Uh... COMMANDER! AA Officer reporting!" the guy shouted from formation.
But I'd been watching from the very beginning and heard everything.
And I realized that this AA was the one who'd cut me off and the one who'd been standing on his head. (Was I offended? Yeah, a little. But what made me happier was that I'd greeted everyone and now I knew my circle wasn't just faceless Soldiers — but these people too. All different from each other. But now I couldn't just say "disappear.")
"Dude! I mean COMMANDER! We're functions even though we look like people, so, bro, don't be offended by us. We're just colorful officers, but I'm still loyal to you. And I'll say right away: no, I don't read minds. I just feel your emotions, like all Soldier-functions and officers," AA spoke for everyone, putting on his shoes. (Where was he that he had to get dressed on the go?)
(I see... They literally read my emo...)
"Exactly, bro!" AA shouted, adjusting his sleeves.
(Now I think they read my thoughts. Becau...)
"Nah. Just emotions," AA answered for everyone, adjusting his pants.
(Good...)
I looked at everyone warily, hoping no one would interrupt my mental flow.
"Guys..." I tried to start without formalities. "At ease... Or whatever it's called?"
All the officers and one major scattered across the clearing.
I relaxed a little when they spread out across the trampled area.
(All these officers are so different... except the CUB ones. They're like clerks — workers — and their briefcases make me uneasy. But I really like that I got to meet each one personally, even if I don't remember all of them. The main thing is the fact itself. Now I have twenty-eight more friends?... The most important thing is that there are people who can talk in a HUMAN voice. That was truly like a balm for the soul.)