October 1st, 2184. Bunker 00. Command Room.
After addressing the preliminary topics, the discussion turned to Nori and the nuclear bombardment on Copper 9. Jason's focus sharpened on Uzi, Doll, and Yeva—the three who had been closest to Nori. It was time to piece together a clearer understanding of her and, perhaps, uncover something that might lead to her. So far, the only clue they had was the black choker, but it wasn't enough.
"Now, regarding Nori—before she left, was there anything unusual about her behavior? Something that deviated from how she usually was when you first arrived here? I've heard some details about you being found at the camp, but I need the full story," Jason said, directing his attention toward Yeva.
Yeva hesitated, her expression mirrored by Doll. It was clear this topic unsettled them.
"Nori… She was headstrong—always doing things her way, not unlike Uzi here. But when we arrived, it took us a while to fit in. I wouldn't say we were outcasts, but I never felt the need to socialize. Nori, however, was different. She liked talking to people, but most of her time was spent with Khan. They didn't take long to grow close," Yeva explained.
"Tell me about it. Dad wouldn't stop talking about her—or showing off her artwork—but…" Uzi trailed off, hesitating.
"Uzi, what's on your mind? Speak freely—any detail could help," Jason urged her.
"Well… Before she left, she started spending more time in her private room. I never went in, and I've no idea what was inside. But sometimes, when I was nearby, I'd hear crying—or angry shouting—like she was talking to something in there." Uzi paused, the weight of her words hanging in the air. "Then… I told N this, but one night, she somehow ended up in my room. I woke up and saw her sitting at the edge of my bed. It was just the two of us, but I couldn't shake the feeling that… something else was there, too. She looked at me for a moment and then left without a word."
Jason listened intently as Uzi's voice wavered. She clearly didn't want to recount the memory but knew its importance.
"That's… unsettling," V remarked. "I had a few encounters with Nori myself, and I noticed a change. She became more withdrawn in the days leading up to her departure. But Uzi, you should have told someone about this."
"I didn't know what to make of it. So much was happening back then, and I didn't know who to talk to," Uzi admitted.
"It's alright," Jason reassured her. "What's clear is that something deeply troubled Nori before she left. We need to talk to Khan, but I'll approach him privately. It's been four years, and she could be anywhere, but the discovery of the choker suggests she's been on the surface recently—it's still in good condition. Unfortunately, the search team found no signs of where she went after that."
For now, the trail was cold, but Jason considered using the microsatellites to search for lone thermal signatures—a risky move after Meus's run-in with hostiles but one of their few viable options.
"Uzi, does Khan ever go into Nori's private room? She trusted him," Yeva asked suddenly.
"Uh… yeah. I saw him coming out of it last night," Uzi replied.
"It stands to reason she would've given him access—or left him the keys. He's good with locks; he probably made the door for her," J commented.
"I doubt he'd let anyone else in right now. It's his wife's room, and we shouldn't pressure him too much," Doll added.
Jason studied Yeva and Doll. Though their faces remained neutral, it was obvious they knew more than they were letting on. The private room was another lead, but as Doll had pointed out, Khan wasn't likely to grant access anytime soon.
"Alright. We'll revisit this later. J, if I remember correctly, you said Nori left with nothing—no supplies, not even a weapon. Is there anything else she might have had besides her clothing? Something distinctive we could look for?" Jason asked.
"There's her name tag. Like Yeva, Nori had one when we found her, and she always kept it close—just like this choker." Uzi ran her fingers across her own. "I've never found it, but aside from that, it's the only thing I can think of."
"Noted. I was hoping there might be more, but this will have to do. Once the fortress protocol is finalized, Camp 98 is next on our list, followed by several other facilities," Jason concluded.
Camp 98, Tessa's home, the wreckage of Illuminate warships—there was no shortage of work ahead to secure the drone colony.
"We haven't been to Camp 98 in years. Resources there were scarce, and it's too far to safely maintain an outpost," N noted.
"Khan led the original exploration team there. We found Yeva and Nori, but aside from medical supplies, there wasn't much of value," V recalled.
"With better equipment now, there's a chance something was overlooked—or buried," Jason said.
"Oh, right! Near the camp, we found a tram tunnel. It was mostly collapsed, but there was an old station inside… and stains—blood or oil, we couldn't tell. We never figured out where they came from," J added.
"Interesting. It was likely part of an offsite shelter, possibly for medical use. Among the facilities in the command hub servers, one stood out—Facility 12," Jason said.
Facility 12 had been haunting Jason's thoughts. Of the eleven other facilities, it was the only one with no accessible data. Its classification required clearance from the Super Earth President—a moot point, given that the president who had implemented it was long dead, and the current administration was just as uncooperative as the Ministries.
"That's… well," V began, her voice trailing slightly, "as far as any of us can remember—aside from Lizzy and her group, along with Uzi, Doll, and… Yeva—that's the place where we were created. But memories of what was inside are hard to recall."
"I've been puzzled by it as well," Martin added. "I think it was some kind of failsafe. Or maybe it was deliberate. Either way, the facility's location is known. It's far from here, but I can give you the coordinates. While you have orders for no one to explore, perhaps one of your ships or an aircraft could do a flyover."
"It's true," N chimed in. "Beyond a few fragmented memories, I recall being in a lab—but the next thing I knew, I was in one of the Ministry of Science's trucks, heading for the ammo depot."
"Same here," J said. "It's strange. One moment I was in a lab; the next, I was in a truck bound for the airbase."
The mystery surrounding Facility 12 remained impenetrable, even among the drones created there. It was likely the same for any drone originating from that site. Nonetheless, investigating Facility 12 was a top priority, even though Jason suspected it wouldn't be straightforward.
"I appreciate this information," Jason said. "As for Nori, our first step will be to start looking for isolated thermal sources. Your drones run pretty hot, based on the scans we've seen, so if she's alone, she'll stand out."
"Then with the snowy landscape, anything hot will be easy to spot," Martin agreed.
Jason nodded. It was a practical approach, though the weather would undoubtedly complicate the search. Still, it was a start.
"Thank you," Uzi said softly. "I know you have more important things to do, and you're on a mission, but I appreciate you helping to find her."
"Uzi… your mother is just as important as my mission," Jason reassured her. "She needs to be found. It's just going to take time, like everything else. But you have my word: she will be found and brought back here." He paused before continuing, "Now… the last topic is the nuclear bombardment. Out of everything, what stood out before it was carried out?"
The question was directed at V, J, N, and Martin.
"I can answer this one," V said. "Before the nuclear strike, I intercepted a broadcast. The words that stood out were, 'Red Star Rising,' followed by a code and then, 'May liberty have mercy on us all.' After that, every intact orbital station and ship opened fire."
"V told me about this," Martin said. "I've thought about it for a long time. Do you know what 'Red Star Rising' means? Did the SES ships carry out the bombardment of their own free will?"
"'Red Star Rising' is a Super Earth fallback option," Jason explained. "To my understanding, it can only be enacted by the highest authority in Super Earth—the President. If a world is about to fall into enemy hands and contains critical assets or threats to Super Earth, total orbital bombardment is ordered, using lasers and nuclear strikes. It's likely the SES captains didn't want to carry it out. Consider this: under communication blackouts and strict orders, any disobedience likely resulted in execution. If they refused, another fleet would've been sent to do the job."
The implications of Jason's explanation visibly unsettled V, N, and J. Their optics widened with surprise, while Martin's expression remained stoic, though the weight of the revelation was evident.
"Another point is Copper 9 was about to fall to the Illuminate. Did things truly deteriorate to that extent?" Jason asked.
"It's hard to say," V replied. "We did receive reinforcements—a SES fleet with Helldiver support arrived, pinning the Illuminate between our defenses and the second fleet. The Helldivers helped with the defense, and it seemed we were on the verge of either destroying the enemy or forcing them to retreat."
"During the search and rescue operations, it felt like we were holding the line. We managed to save many lives… just before the missiles hit," J added.
"By getting the gun online and using drones as firing controllers, we cleared the skies around the ammo depot," N said.
"While evacuating, we saw the fighting. It was brutal, but the SEAF held its ground," Martin said.
Jason nodded. "It should have been enough. But something outweighed the defense—something dire enough to push the President to order 'Red Star Rising.' That's yet another puzzle we need to solve."
He rose from his seat, his tone resolute. "Thank you all for this information. It's a start—a better understanding of what happened here. For now, there's nothing else to discuss. I need to speak with the Democracy Officer and the other Helldivers to finalize our plans. Martin, you'll join me."
Sorting through the next steps with the Democracy Officers was crucial. As the commander, Jason bore the ultimate responsibility, but the officers were integral to the chain of command. Coordinating details, disseminating information, and refining strategies were essential tasks. Additionally, he still needed to speak with Alia.
"This has been... interesting," Lizzy said, her tone carrying a hint of frustration. "Sorry that we don't have much more to offer besides that one combat drone. Most of what we know, Martin and the others have already told you. I don't see what else we can add."
Jason smiled faintly. "Actually, I've got a task for the four of you, along with some announcements to make before anyone heads out. First, the shipmaster of my Super Destroyer proposed an idea to enhance the colony's communication network. In the event that a drone is separated or exploring, we'll issue phones to all worker drones. Combat drones, like V here, will be equipped with wrist computers. These devices will allow you to call in orbital support or request backup when human assistance isn't available. This way, everyone can communicate seamlessly and stay in touch with their friends."
"That sounds like it'll work," J said, nodding. "We've been using radios to stay in touch with outposts, but they've got their limitations. Only one or two colonies have functioning networks. Runners have been our go-to method for sharing information among combat drones. This will be a big improvement."
"You guys hear that?" Lizzy grinned. "Now we can stay in touch even when we're apart."
"I can check in with my folks without them worrying about me," Rebecca added, her voice tinged with relief.
"Nice! I like this idea," Thad said enthusiastically.
"So… we'll never truly be alone," Emily murmured.
"I can get behind this," Uzi said.
"I agree, though I won't be adding just anyone to my contacts," Doll said with a soft chuckle.
"It'll let me stay in touch with Nikolai at all times," Yeva said.
For the four drones, the announcement was transformative. They no longer felt isolated; the technology promised a new level of connection that had previously seemed impossible.
"Communication and fire support, as well as tracking drones outside the colony... this will be invaluable," Martin said thoughtfully.
"It sounds like it'll make coordination much easier," V added. "It also gives us an early alert system and ensures backup firepower for the outposts."
"Hanging out is going to be way easier," N said with a smile.
Jason continued, "Now, the task I have for the four of you is to gather intelligence from the colony. The SEAF and I are tied up with numerous tasks, and I don't have the time to visit every location. You four, however, can move freely. Visit friends, talk with older drones, and gather any useful information. Report anything significant back to me." He glanced at Doll and Yeva. "Yeva, like Uzi, I'll keep you updated on anything we find about Nori—no matter how small."
"Thank you," Yeva replied, her gratitude sincere.
"The second thing I want to address is entertainment. Just like us humans, you need creature comforts. I plan to set up TVs in your quarters. Lizzy and the others have shown an interest, and I believe it'll help morale for everyone. You've gone over a century without such things—I can imagine the boredom has been stifling. Martin, have any worker or combat drones wandered into restricted areas out of sheer boredom?" Jason asked.
"They have," Martin admitted. "You're right; boredom has been a problem. Survival isn't an issue anymore, but there's little to occupy our time."
"Then we'll fix that," Jason said firmly. "Providing entertainment will give the colony something to do during downtime and boost morale."
With the new measures in place, Jason felt confident they could address the colony's immediate needs. The communication network would not only enhance coordination but also deepen the bonds among the drones. Morale-boosting measures like entertainment would give them a sense of normalcy and purpose.
Now, all that remained was speaking with Martin and Alia, followed by addressing any outstanding concerns. Until the Fortress Protocol was complete, their focus would remain on ensuring stability within the colony.
Edited thanks to ELE73CH.