He couldn’t remember if he dreamed or watched it as one of the leftover files within ADOSCH.

A group of women, dressed in the same uniform as Lucy, advanced towards a mass of squirming, black monsters across a grassy plain. Some of the women were as young as high-schoolers, fresh-faced and brimming with energy, while others marched with aging bones and greying hair. Not a single shred of hesitation was present in their steps.

The monsters roared, as if to commence the battle, then bolts of light struck them down from the skies. The War Maidens, as well as their accompanying ADO soldiers, surged forth and attacked.

It was pure chaos. Whenever Adam tried to focus on a single entity, they would move, attack or die, and their spot was replaced by another. Sleek, chrome-white spaceships soared down from above, jettisoning more soldiers that appeared on the battlefield in flashes of light. More monsters rolled across the hills, a mass of teeming pitch black to contrast the Astraean white and blue. Faces, bodies and gunshots all blurred together, yet Adam was somehow able to understand.

The War Maidens were battering rams.

Their bodies endured punishment that would have killed him a dozen times over. Their mystics—fire, ice, water, electricity, and more—tore holes through the monster forces, allowing their fellow ADO soldiers to pass through. He saw ethereal blue light rise forth from a group of soldiers, flowing into the hammer of a War Maiden. She swung it down and burst the head of a monster like it was a grape. Its blood splattered around the edges of her wide smile and her comrades roared in triumph. They then sprinted through the gap, shooting down a cluster of smaller monsters and blowing up a fortification made from dark crystals in their wake.

The monsters did not stand idle. They responded in turn with clouds of poison, weapons constructed out of fleshy, dark substances, and gigantic, jawed mouths that could swallow an elephant whole. The War Maidens did not falter. There was no sound in this memory, but Adam knew. The War Maidens screamed. They changed, sang and bellowed out creeds and songs of their beloved home-colonies, that beautiful network of connected stars amongst an uncaring, unfeeling darkness!

That brought them strength and victory, more than any laser rifle.

Adam woke up. The after-images of the memory fractured, then disappeared. Lucy waved at him.

"Good morning, Chosen!"

"Morning," Adam said, raising a hand. He blinked and stared, sleepily.

"Um, is something the matter, Chosen?"

"Nah." Just a reminder that if I'm rude to you, my head's gonna get pulped into meat paste.

A boss shouldn't be weaker than his underlings. He needed to gain strength, and fast.

But first, breakfast. It was another MRE, consisting of fried chicken strips and a white paste-cake tasting of barley. He washed it down with a small coffee. Afterward, he tidied his bed, starting with the sheets and finishing with the edges of the bed. He grabbed his rifle and pack, slinging them over his shoulders. He grabbed a snack bar, chowed it down, and watched his plasma tick back up. His ammunition was good, too.

"Legs alright?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah." Adam said. They still ached. Nothing he hadn’t dealt with before.

"If you need to lean on me, just ask."

Lucy walked out of the Medbay A doors. Adam followed, keeping a step behind her. Together, they headed down the corridor toward the exit.

What a mess.

The wraiths, along with their corpses, were cleaned up, no doubt thanks to the War Maiden striding in front of him. The bullet holes and burn marks were not. There were more than he noticed before. Their footsteps echoed through the silent halls. The ghost apartments back in the Steeldale ghettos weren't as hollow, or as dangerous.

"Chosen." Lucy spoke up. "What did She say your mission was?"

A lie perched on the tip of his tongue, then he swallowed it with an internal groan. No point in that. He didn't know how far her boundaries extended. "She told me to find, purify and save her lost children." Adam said. "Think she was referring to you War Maidens in particular."

It took a fair chunk of poker-facedness for him to not wince at the way Lucy beamed. She clenched her fist and pumped it in the air, then wiped the area around her eyes. "Of course. Of course. It was obvious by the miracle you performed on me. She would not abandon us, She would not! It just took a little longer, is all."

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, Chosen. Better than I have been a long while, in fact."

Lucy's pace quickened and Adam jogged to keep up. There were a lot of questions he wanted to ask Lucy. What was Astraea? How did Lucy become a War Maiden? What was the deal with its goddess? Why the hell was the ADO in possession of cryogenic chambers?

ADOSCH hadn't been much help in this regard. Its technical manual was written from the perspective of an Astraean. Full of references to its technology, hierarchy, and facilities, but not a primer on its society.

There was a part of him that begged for answers. He grabbed that part and shoved it deep down his thoughts until its voice squeaked into silence. There existed a term for those who asked too many questions and it was called being a total idiot. Didn’t matter whether it was the streets or the military; you flapped your mouth and you got capped in the head. Smart guys kept their eyes and ears open and the gears in their brains well-greased.

Man, I shouldn’t have skipped all those Bible classes. They might have helped in knowing which buttons of Lucy’s he could and couldn’t press, not that he felt guilty. For all their prayers and songs, the churchgoers down the street had stayed their hands when Mary passed away and he’d been cast out alone.

"So, you got any ideas on where to start looking for your friends?" Adam asked. "I’m not part of the ADO, so I have even less clue than a regular footsoldier."

Lucy made a humming noise, glancing left and right through the double doors. "It depends on what tech still works. There are methods of tracking them down, though it would help if we knew who was still alive or not. The personnel registry in either the offices or HQ should help with that. If the computers are bust, there’s no other option but to travel on foot and hope for the best."

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"You tried contacting anyone from the ADO?"

"I have and haven't received anything back. My comrades aren’t in the near vicinity. Most of the communications equipment has been damaged, anyway."

"Maybe Miriam could help us," Adam suggested.

"That Communications Operator?" Lucy said. Adam nodded. He had debriefed her on how the battle went during his recuperation, omitting the details where the older woman had acted all uppity towards him. "I searched the grounds. There wasn’t a single hiding spot that could have stationed her."

"Think she’s remote, somehow. She could track my position from her hideout, so she has to be legit somehow."

"It could be a product of a sensory-type mystic tech, or the base’s natural sensors are still working. I suppose that explains the working cameras I discovered near the Prayer Hall and other spots. Haven’t been anywhere near them."

"Why?"

"Just in case they were compromised. Has this Miriam contacted you, Chosen?"

"No," Adam said. "I tried a few times. She didn’t pick up. I think she thinks I’m being held hostage."

"By me?" Lucy pointed at herself.

"She didn’t see you get de-corrupted," Adam said. "Honestly, Miriam isn’t sane. Kind of a bitch, really."

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Did she do something to you, Chosen?"

Adam shrugged. "More like what she didn’t do to me."

The grounds of the MOB laid still. No gunfire, no monster screeches, just the wind brushing up dust. Lucy canceled her mystic and gave the thumbs up. Together, they walked across the broken path. The air still reeked of smoke and wraith gunk. He saw the broken fence, Lucy’s explosion craters, and the entrance to the collapsed warehouse. The bright sphere hung in the same place amidst the red sky, its glow now a dim orange.

Their tracks halted outside the Prayer Hall. An overgrown garden laid out front; he missed it through his earlier panic. Strange weeds and ivies burst out of marble-colored flowerbeds, crawling up walls and statues. Other trees had sprouted orange flowers and fat fruits, forming a sickly, sweet smell. Adam reached for the nearest one, noticed the spikes, and thought better of it. Lucy examined a statue covered in moss and pursed her lips. Her hand reached for her blade’s hilt, then thought better of it.

MOB Tifereth-56 read a faded sign above the entrance. The united glory of man shall vanquish the Scourge. Both Adam and Lucy checked the area for hostiles. None were present.

"Chosen, I’ve found the camera." Lucy said. He followed her gaze to a small orb lurking above the door. He squinted. The thing was smaller than his fist and a good half dozen heads above him. Adam dragged open ADOSCH and activated the connection.

Attempting to connect to Miriam Pereia…

Connecting…

Connecting…

Connecting…

Connection may be unstable. Please move to a different location or acquire a stronger signal…

"For fuck’s sake, Miriam." Adam groaned. "I’m right here. Pick up the damn phone already."

Transmission connected! Now communicating with Miriam Pereia…

The camera view of Miriam’s little hidey-hole popped up. Dark circles lay beneath her eyes. She lifted her head off the desk, then placed it back down between her arms. "Go away, Adam."

"Nice to meet you too, Miriam. You jealous that I beat the War Maiden?" Adam said.

"Not real. You’re not real."

"And you’re being real rude."

There’s no way that kid could’ve beaten a War Maiden. Shouldn’t have talked to him in the first place. Shouldn’t have tried."

"Oh for the love of…" Adam stamped his foot on the ground. "Check the damn camera! She’s real. She’s waving at you right now. Screw your damn head on straight and tell us how to deal with this!"

Miriam laughed. A sob escaped her mouth. Her clothes were covered in stains, to say nothing of the empty plastic containers and broken machinery surrounding her. "Whoever you are, quit hacking the feed and I’ll…not consider it. He’s dead. The kid is dead, because he did so well and I actually believed in him for once. I hate my mind. I hate this rotten, tepid place. Stars above, I’m still talking?"

"Is something the matter, Chosen?" Lucy said.

"Miriam doesn’t believe you’re real," Adam said. "Wave at her or something."

Lucy lifted her arm up and waved. "Hello, Miss Operator! Can you see me? I’m here to say that I am a real person!"

Silence. Lucy’s hand drooped. "She’s not responding?" She asked. Adam shook his head.

"Hold on, I’ll join your call. Adam, can you open your communications?"

Adam flicked through the menus until he reached the Settings page. It turned out Astraeans possessed the same problem of hiding important settings down in the pits of their menus.

War Maiden Lucy Klavdia is requesting to join the transmission. Will User Adam Westfield accept?

Do it.

War Maiden Lucy Klavdia has joined the transmission.

"Hello?" Lucy’s voice did not come from two sources at once. It still sounded like she was a little ways off from him. "Communications Operator Miriam Pereia, this is First Class Novice War Maiden Lucy Klavida, member of the ADO’s 451st Battalion. Can you hear me?"

Another pause.

"The corruption, oh no, it’s made her capable of hacking now. To think I thought things were at their worse before."

"For fuck’s sake!" Adam said. "Look Miriam, I know you have your beef, but she’s standing right in front of you! There’s a reason for this, alright? Calm down and let’s have a conversation together."

"Miriam Pereia, I understand that you’ve been alone for a long time. You’re endured more than what the ADO asked us." Lucy said. "But things have changed. Her Chosen is here. You guided him through the base to defeat me, and you did well. We’d like to have your assistance again. Do you hear me?"

Miriam sputtered. Adam thought she meant to laugh. "Now I know you’re full of rot. Adam wasn’t a Chosen. He’s a guy, first of all. He was just a dumb kid who dove too deep and got ensnared before he could surface."

"Hey, what the hell is that first point supposed to mean?" Adam said. He glanced at Lucy. "This isn’t working. You got any idea?"

Lucy thought. She took a deep breath, massaging her chest area. Adam’s eyebrows raised. Her slender fingers pulled at the side of her lips. A lipping sound emerged, like the whistle of a toy flute. Her back straightened. She breathed in, held it for a few seconds, and yawned out the result.

"I haven’t done this in a while." She muttered. "Chosen, I apologise in advance if my voice isn’t good."

Then, Lucy placed a hand over her heart, opened her mouth, and began to sing.

The first few notes wavered, their tone shifted too low. It took another few for her to gain control, determination pressing lines on her face. The opening note came out soft and calm and Adam could only think, oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me.

Worlds beset by evil

We were lost and fragile

Disconnected in nil

Miriam stared blankly, before the notes registered in her brain. She moaned. "Stop it."

Lucy tipped her head towards the camera and kept singing.

A light reached high above.

It shone down towards us,

Bearing Her precious love.

The wind threatened to swallow the notes up. Lucy coughed half-way through. Adam covered his face with his palm and wondered if she would notice if he covered his ears. Also, wasn’t it annoying when someone said they weren’t good at something, then proceeded to demonstrate the exact opposite?

"How can you…you’re supposed to be lost! How can you still remember that? Where did you …wait, no." Miriam stared at him. She slammed back, hands gripping against the chair rests. "No, it can’t be. It can’t, it can’t…"

She gave out a cry and slammed her head down on the table. The viewport closed. Her connection severed with a hiss.

"Beneath Her Providence, against the wicked Scourge… The song trailed off. She frowned. "She’s gone."

"Thanks, Lucy." Adam ground out.

"And I’d only gotten through the first act, too."