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181: Dark Vision
A new mission

A new mission

9:30 am. Everyone has left the convention lodge, only I stay in the room, presenting, waiting for the new mission. We talked about subjects for an hour and a half. What task force 181 is, who we serve, which major forces do it resides. Savannah asked demanding questions, which causes us disorganised and takes a lot of time to answer those queries as exact as desirable, feels we're making the teacher's homework, but with unsatisfactory answers.

I don't think Savannah wouldn't be glad about the answers because she didn't show up a bit of emotion when heard our response. Maybe it just the expressions, the impressions of suspicion and frustration?

Savannah: "Corresponding to your report, 181 formed to investigate why the disturbances occurred?"

-"Yes."

Savannah: "And it resides to the VSIU under the name Yonar to disguise 181 from the media?"

I nod:

Savannah: "Is this the reason the Parliament limits the media? When talking about the forced and terrorism activities in the country?"

-"They need to make sure the name Yonar as for 181 not obliged to approach the people."

Savannah ponders for a minute as she looks at me with strange black eyes. I've never felt so limited and nervous in what I believe the calmest part of the base. Yet the window is open, the air conditioning and refining system functioning well, I still felt dizzy.

When Wojtek was here, I never got distressed or nauseous when entering this room. Now it looks like a psychological torture cabin. As if Savannah wants me and Illina to die here because of absence of oxygen and breathing poison gas:

Savannah: "I have heard enough," she responded, "I will contact the CPAF to find an explanation."

I don't expect the Air Force to forgive after admonishing me for an hour-long because of the turmoil I've started on the other side of the border. I nod and look at the beamer on the wall behind Savannah. Map of the wood we were last night. I could see most parts of the woods have burned to the ground, leaving empty landfills and potholes caused by the missiles. The longer I look at the map, the more guilty I feel:

-"Yes, ma'am. Thank you very much."

I struggle to respond, but Savannah frowned and placed a file on the desk:

Savannah: "A homicide incident took place in Cvetko, Mevy. It deadlocked authorities in their analysis and needs our help. It is an individual mission, not obligatory, but you'll have to go with an associate."

An associate? A homicide case? Investigation? I'm confused and amazed at this mission because I've never investigated a crime before. I'm afraid I will turn into a bother, prevent the police duty or the associate that follows me. It stunned me as I didn't know what to answer and muddled.

Savannah looks at me and notices I never had experience investigating a case, and she will definitely look at me with a deeply disappointed eye. But in opposition to what I've guessed, Savannah doesn't disappoint. She encouraged and reassured me by recommending to the people who can investigate, claiming that this was just an experiment and that will be fine if I didn't find a clue.

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I glanced at Illina; she didn't want me to take this task. She clamped the tablet tightly. I was thinking if I should challenge myself with a new mission or hiding under VSIU's obscurity and constantly torturing myself for the mistakes I've done in the past?

Illina: "O-Oskar...," she mumbles.

Savannah: "..."

Illina was furious with Savannah. She thought Savannah put me under too much pressure. I could sense the fatigue, compassion and rage that I kept in her voice. The fear came back into my mind, and I was anxious I couldn't make the right choice, which led to a sorrowful end. But when is the right time? And what is the right choice?

*

Louis's pov*

Thirty minutes until we showed up at Mevy. The heavy rain blocks my view from driving. I still ask myself, why do we have to do an investigation mission? I can't blame Oskar when I heard him telling me that I will have to investigate a homicide situation. It confused and amazed me, just like him; he doesn't-no, everyone in the team don't trained to become detectives, and I'm not the type of person who wears a trench coat and goes around the scene just to find a fingerprint or something stupid.

Nova, as know as Vilhelm, doesn't seem to enjoy solving things either so far as I know. They trained him in a military school in Siklca for a year and then stopped for a reason. I think I saw him back then walking with a lot of books, but I'm not sure…:

Vilhelm: "Why do we have to do an investigate case? Isn't that the police job?" he exclaims. His voice contains anger and confusion.

-"At least better than running around like a bunch of nuts with firearms in hands and shooting around crazily," I answered calmly back.

Vilhelm: "Do you really think we're a bunch of nuts running around?"

-"Most aren't weird at all… Ethan and Mari I can understand… Einar, Aleksander, sometimes."

Vilhelm: "Emma."

I sigh and slowly shake my head. "Vil, we've talked about this topic millions of times, I don't want to hear that name again."

Vilhelm: "Oh, right…," he replied quietly and slowly nods. His voice contains somewhat guilty.

I said nothing and sped up the car. The rain becoming heavier, I could only see the two red spots in front of me at a close distance, a grey colour covering the surroundings.

The sound came so loud that I could no longer hear the radio as the broadcast signalling was also substantially weak. I looked out the window. A line of "Welcome to Mevy" written on a big sign on the street:

Vilhelm: "Cvetko's not that far, it'll be two minutes from here."

I bit my nail while looking around me. A large lake and many small houses around, if I'm not mistaken. It's raining less than before so I could see and notice the strange things around me easier. Vilhelm told me to turn right because he saw the blue and red light flashing. Cvetko is famous for its natural scenery and rare animals, it is also one of the many reasons tourists come to Mevy.

Not only nature, Cvetko in particular and Mevy are also famous for its urban stories and mythology. Although I am not a believer, Mevy also has some interesting stories, completely not related to spirituality or demons. I drove the car to a hotel area, there were quite a few police cars and ambulances. I noticed the worried and scared faces of the staff and tourists:

Vilhelm: "Alyvia Hotel. Fit for a hotel name in the middle of the forest, doesn't it?" Vilhelm looks at me, then at the hotel.

-"I don't think the hotel planting an olive tree or something."

Vilhelm: "Maybe they have one, who knows?"

-"Just hope the culprit doesn't mess the whole hotel up,"

I turn off the car and get out as Vilhelm does the same. The icy wind promptly blew in my face, cold raindrops touched my skin. I looked around before going to the hotel. I was wrong. At the front of the hotel was not a lake but a river. Because of the road design plus the houses and heavy rain, I didn't notice the tributary:

Vilhelm: "Louis! You coming?!"

Vilhelm's shout startled me, I turned around and looked at him:

-"I'm coming!"

I look at the river for the last time before I walk to the hotel.