It took another hour before Elster was able to loop back to the correct station.
The long distances between terminals were the consequence of an underdeveloped metro network, courtesy of Rotfront’s status as a backwater moon and a nascent world still in the midst of climate forming. Its incipient refining industry also made it a low priority for colony resource allocation during the war, which meant the majority of the world’s infrastructure was in similarly poor condition.
It made Elster miss the efficiency of Vineta’s supply and transport system. Even after the bombardment, it still ran better than the haphazard nightmare that was Rotfront’s metro grid. Just the mere act of switching train lines necessitated a complete roundabout route of the depot, wasting more of her precious time and infuriating her to no end. By the time she finally reached her stop, her patience had been stretched thin.
Normally, such a thing would not have bothered her too much. Still, after the incredibly trying events throughout the entire day, all she could think about was returning home to repair her physical damages and take a much-needed rest in her calibration pod.
When the train doors opened, the Replika first warily peeked outside, half-expecting to see a white-haired wraith just waiting to blast her head with nightmares again. But there was almost no one about, save for the few store owners mending their shops on the platform or some residents going in and out of the public house to grab an early meal or drink.
Her headaches were also notably absent, which was as equally promising as it was suspicious. After confirming that there was indeed no sight of her tormentor, Elster stepped onto the familiar station and began briskly walking to her apartment.
Her path took her along the platform stores. Elster passed by the photo store, rather mundanely named Yeong’s Photo, as she strode towards her building’s elevator. She took a glance inside. The store was empty, as usual. It probably won’t be long before the shop has to shut down. The Eusan Nation did not put much stock into the arts, as it was considered a worthless distraction that wasted its citizens' time and energy. Such valuable resources should be redirected to something more productive. Like more work.
Consequently, this meant that any interest in all forms of art was frowned upon. The Nation didn’t outright ban such activities, although there was excessive censorship on what was and wasn’t allowed, and the overall negative attitude towards the humanities meant that most citizens were reluctant to participate in it. The bookshop in the back alley run by the Itou family also faced similar problems as the photo store, and was likewise on the verge of shutting down.
Elster didn’t really see what the big deal was. She never had any real interest in the arts, at least not in a way that didn’t serve a practical function; photography should be used for recon and scouting, and books were only useful as manuals offering technical knowledge. At the same time, however, she didn’t think there was anything wrong with citizens indulging in such hobbies in their free time, especially if it helps manage their stressful lives. Even most Replikas kept useless fetishes to keep themselves mentally happy and stable.
Elster knew her opinion on the topic was worthless, but she couldn’t help but think that the Nation’s insistence on cultivating discrimination against those who indulge in the arts by labelling them as juvenile or social parasites was both pointlessly cruel and counterproductive. It might be argued that such measures made sense during wartime, given that the Nation was on the back foot for most of the conflict, but even then the whole affair left an unpleasant taste in Elster’s mouth.
She thought back to her encounter with the white-haired wraith on the train, and how the girl had her work and tools torn apart by others before being beaten for having them. Regardless if the whole thing was just an imaginary projection made up by her broken mind, Elster still found herself hoping that things would improve for people like her, especially since the war had ended.
The Replika reached the elevator without incident. Even now, she still half-expected to be attacked. The silence was disquieting, and Elster found herself moving faster. Her destination was right in sight.
She entered the elevator and ascended to her floor, before moving briskly down the hall to the room that she and the Eule were sharing. Even after a few days, it still felt strange returning to an apartment in the middle of the civilian sector rather than her LSTR communal dorm in the AEON military complex on the other side of the district.
She stopped before her apartment door: Room 512. Another joke from her superior, she suspected. Drawing out the key and unlocking the door, her mind wandered back to her last conversation with the Storch superior who gave her the unique ‘assignment’, right after they landed on Rotfront...
-
“You want me to what?”
“C’mon, don’t sound so upset. Really, I’m doing you a favour here.”
Elster rubbed her eyes as her superior just grinned smugly at her. It was far too early for this. Their Replika outfit had just landed on Rotfront less than two hours ago, and Elster was still shaking off the lethargy that came from being stuck in neural stasis during the interplanetary trip.
“You want me to stay in Rotfront District C on an indefinite assignment to, I quote, ‘root out a couple of bastard Imperial spies’. How in the world is that a favour?”
When Elster accepted her re-assignment weeks ago on Vineta, she was under the impression that her new role would solely be to repair the satellite relays located around the civilian subsectors. That her new accommodations were located deep in the district rather than at the military complex was purely to expedite the repairs and nothing else.
It seems now that she was being given a different role instead.
“Well, for one, it gives your bloodthirsty ass a legitimate reason to stay away from the watchful eyes of our new High Command overseers. The last thing you need is one of the Kolibri or the Adler taking offence at your attitude and decommissioning you for inane reasons.”
Elster grimaced. Fine, that does help. Given the somewhat sporadic nature of her visions, it was difficult to guarantee that she would not accidentally provoke one of High Command’s Replika while on base. “And the other?”
“You get to live the good life, so to speak,” the Storch said, leaning back. “Most Replikas have idle fancies about living like a Gestalt every once in a while. Independence, having their own room and apartment, that sort of thing. You never thought about that?”
Elster shrugged. “Can’t say I have.”
“Tch, lame,” the Storch scoffed. “Then again, your mind is probably too full of bloodlust to spare a thought for the finer things in life. Nevertheless! Ungrateful pipsqueak you may be, I’m giving you the rare chance to experience true luxury. No more constant oversight by AEON, no more being stuffed into Replika accommodations like canned sardines, and no more waiting twenty minutes for your turn to use the shower. Makes me jealous of you just thinking about it.”
Elster rolled her eyes. “If you want it so badly, why don’t you take the job then? You are just as well suited to the task as I am.”
And by that, she meant they were both equally inept at it. The Storch models were made for frontline warfare, while Elster was a combat engineer. Neither of them had the slightest skill at subterfuge or counter-espionage. They were never designed for such a thing.
“I’ll get to that. But first, how much do you know about the current situation in Rotfront?” The Storch asked.
“Not much,” Elster admitted. “It’s not like news on the other colonies is circulated to us while we were on Vineta. I know it's a relatively underdeveloped moon colony, and that we are here to help deal with repairs and a slight unrest issue, but that’s about it.”
The Storch laughed sardonically, which boded ill. “Calling it underdeveloped is giving this place too much credit, and calling the unrest ‘slight’ is a bloody understatement. We were told we were dealing with a firecracker, but we got a damn bomb to defuse instead.”
Her superior tossed her a dossier labelled ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ in bright red, before lying out a detailed map of the moon’s districts and city routes on a table. “Turns out the Nation has been censoring quite a lot on how bad things have deteriorated here. And it’s really, really, bloody bad. I figured it’s best I get you up to speed first, since I was technically the one who got you into this mess. You are about to jump feet first into a meat grinder that’s also on fire.”
Elster rolled her eyes at the tortured metaphor, before picking up the dossier on the table and opening it. After reading a few sentences, her expression of exasperation was replaced with a worried frown. “This is… oh.”
The Storch let out a cynical chuckle. “Yeah. I’ll try to keep this simple. Rotfront currently faces three main issues.”
Her superior pointed towards the map. “First, its infrastructure is trash. Over a quarter of the district's public construction works were left half-finished, unpowered, or unmanned once the war started taking its toll on the Nation. This includes critical civil infrastructures like Gestalt housing, hospitals, district atmosphere processors, and public transportation. The average citizen here has to deal with overcrowded accommodations, toxic air, long work hours, and a severe absence of any accessible healthcare. It’s honestly a miracle the colony still functions. Hell, the bloody place is named ‘Rotfront’. It even sounds like a shithole to live in.”
Elster flipped through more of the dossier, which contained a detailed account of the happenings on Rotfront over the past year. As of date, over 25% of the colony’s infrastructure lacked basic access to power, clean water, or even breathable air, a significant portion of which were public facilities. The document states that this was a decision made by AEON to minimise the colony’s consumption of valuable resources that were otherwise vital for the war effort.
It did not take a genius to see what would follow next.
“Second, over the last year, the locals have begun showing increasing signs of uncontrollable discontent. Organised protests, worker strikes, increased crime and looting, that sort of ugly business. The situation has finally escalated to the point where the local police can’t handle it any more, especially since they are lacking in Protektor Security Replikas.”
Replikas that AEON had continuously drawn away for the war effort over the years, according to the document. First, they deprived a large chunk of the colony of basic amenities, then they weakened the only force that was keeping public order in check? It was a recipe for revolt.
The Storch looked up at her with an expectant look in her eyes. “I don’t expect the first two problems to last much longer, since we have arrived. With us attached to the leadership from High Command and the remnants of the Replika divisions transferred from S-23, our forces will be well-suited to deal with both the failing infrastructure and the restless locals. Additionally, with the war at a close, the Nation will be able to soon allocate resources and permanent manpower to the colony, which will address most of its non-development and dissent issues. It’s the third problem that needs a more specialised hand.”
Elster flipped through the last page of the dossier, frowning as she read through its contents. “Your so-called infestation of Empire spies?”
“Just a theory by our AEON High Command, but it’s not entirely unsubstantiated,” the Storch shrugged. “According to their analytics, the onset of rebellion and dissent spread a little too rapidly for it to be natural. They suspect a group is responsible for the problem. Instigating disorder, sowing discord, hindering law enforcement, and so on.”
Elster’s brow furrowed. “But I thought the war’s finished. Why is the Empire still sending their agents over to incite unrest?”
“The war has cooled, but I wouldn’t exactly call it finished,” her superior corrected her. “The battles are now fought on unconventional fronts: intelligence gathering, wet work, espionage, that sort of thing. We have Imperial agents coming out of the woodwork now, trying to figure out High Command’s intentions.”
The intimidating Replika huffed, before drawing out a cigarette. “Assuming that these are actually ‘Imperial’ spies, of course.”
Elster frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
The Storch looked at her carefully as she lit her stick. Her superior’s next words were measured and deliberate. “Turns out not everyone in the Empire was in the know about the peace deal. When the Empress suddenly took an interest in the war and forced her faction to peace, most of the Empire’s Military Command and upper echelons were caught off-guard. A lot of people were not happy with her decision. Even now, after the decree was passed, not everyone supports her for what she did. The peace deals she signed not only forced the Empire to supply extensive resources to Vineta as reparations for the bombardment, but it also stipulated for the Imperial Fleet stationed at Kitezh to disband to half their size.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
The Storch’s fingers drummed the table—a nervous habit of her superior. Which meant whatever she was going to say next was bad news. “Given the Empress’s continued stance on honouring the peace deals, despite how deliberating they are for her sovereign colonies’ economy and military, it is AEON’s genuine assessment that whoever is operating in Rotfront currently does not act with the full express permission from the Empire’s official house of governance. There are also rumours that several of the Noble Houses in Kitezh have begun privately amassing or seizing Imperial warships, despite the Empress’s official decree to demilitarise and reduce spending.”
Elster reeled at the implications. “Are you saying that the Empire is at risk of fragmenting again?!”
The first time it happened, it resulted in the Eusan System splitting in half, creating the old Eusan Empire and the new Eusan Nation. This inevitably led to a system-spanning conflict of conflicting ideology, with each faction fighting to create a re-united Eusan system under their banner.
A three-way war would have far more dire consequences that Elster shuddered to think about. The warmongering Noble Houses of Kitezh were liable to burn down half of the Eusan system with their war fleets without the Empress’s restraining hand to leash them.
“Still too early to say, but yeah. The signs are there.” The Storch took a drag of smoke before speaking. “A great shitstorm is brewing, and our grand leaders are split on how to take advantage of it. Plans are being made to either exacerbate internal tensions within the Empire to weaken it or try to sway Kitezh over to our side, but it’s generally agreed upon that a third major, independent power is not acceptable.”
Kitezh was an industrial powerhouse, with massive shipyards capable of producing Imperial warships at a ludicrous rate. The planet’s production capacity alone surpasses the rest of the system colonies combined.
“If such a splintering occurs, the Empire will be weakened, true, but then the Nation’s goals of uniting the system under their ideology will become near impossible,” Elster realised. The Empire’s capital of Buyan and its surrounding colonies were impenetrable so long as the Empress was alive. That meant the Noble Houses of Kitezh would turn their covetous gaze on the Nation’s colonies instead. “If Kitezh turns their entire fleet towards the Nation…”
“Then we would really be screwed. Those greedy bastards would eat up everything beyond the main Asteroid Belt, and we don’t have enough FLKR models to counter them on all our colonies. Anything they can’t conquer, they would just bombard from orbit and rule the irradiated ruins afterwards.” The Storch chucked as she breathed out a cloud of smoke. “And then the Great Revolutionary’s dreams of a united Eusan Nation would come to an end. Not that we ever really had a snowball chance in hell of uniting the system in the first place.”
Elster frowned at her. “Should you really speak like that? It could be dangerous if the wrong person overhears.”
“What, you going to report me?” Her superior snorted.
“It’s just…” Elster hesitated before her curiosity won over her caution. “I don't remember you being this brazen the last time we talked.”
The Storch barked out a harsh laugh. “Yeah, well, that was before I was told that the project I have been overseeing my entire life is now about to be flushed down the toilet. Thanks to AEON’s retardation, I have wasted my whole existence on a space program that any idiot could have seen was a dumb idea to begin with.”
Elster winced. Put that way, her attitude towards their overseers was… understandable.
“Well, this is all very interesting, but it doesn't refute my original point,” Elster said. “I’m not built to catch spies. A Kolibri model would be far better suited. Those Commandos are literally made for this sort of work.”
“That's what I had thought as well. With their Bioresonance, it wouldn’t take them too long to suss out the dissenters’ base of operation. Afterwards, we could just send in a STAR team to clean house.”
Elster had a bad feeling. “But?”
The Storch took another heavy drag of smoke. “Turns out, AEON had already tried that about half a year ago, before the revolts fully kicked off. They sent in a full KLBR cadre to find and take out whoever was responsible. Cut off the head of the snake before it could crap all over the bed, so to speak.”
“That’s… not how that saying goes.”
“I know, but mine’s more appropriate.”
The Storch passed her another dossier, this time handing it to her gently rather than just tossing it. A sense of ill foreboding filled Elster as she hesitantly took it. The moment she opened the file, the Replika immediately recoiled and dropped it with a horrified expression.
Photos of mutilated bodies, both Gestalt and Replikas, spilt forth from the dossier and onto the table. The image quality was poor, but there was no mistaking its contents. Dozens of corpses, all showing signs of severe disfigurement, carelessly discarded into an industrial shaft. The Storch shrugged at her, trying to appear nonchalant, but even Elster could tell the sight of them disturbed her.
“This is…” A corpse pit. A makeshift corpse disposal pit. Whatever this was, it was definitely not AEON-sanctioned approved.
“Yeah,” the Storch drawled. “Pretty nasty, right? Contact with the KLBR cadre was lost about three months into their assignment. Search and rescue squads didn’t find anything. Then, about two weeks ago, tremors arising from Rotfront’s terraforming efforts caused the buildings within Rotfront’s unfinished districts to collapse. When the ARAR units went to assess the damage, they stumbled upon this nightmare.”
The Storch pointed at the pictures. “Thirty-three bodies, consisting of missing civies, police investigators, even Protektor Security Replikas that had mysteriously disappeared over the last year. This includes the members of our dear KLBR cadre too. Miraculously, the salvage team found one of them still alive, if only barely. She was thrown in less than a week before, but another few days in that pit, and she would have died from her wounds.”
Elster was stunned speechless. This was way worse than she thought. “How in the world did an entire KLBR cadre get themselves compromised?”
KLBRs were Gen-6 Elite Protektor models. Despite their short stature, they were extremely capable, owning to their powerful Bioresonance and superior combat programming. Even a single one of them is a force to be reckoned with. For an entire cadre to be wiped out…
“From what we can tell, something was done to the KLBR squad which disabled their Bioresonance capabilities and rendered them incapable of fighting back. After that, the lot of them were captured, separated, tortured, and then dumped into that corpse pit you see here.”
The Storch sighed and put out her cigarette. “Well, I said ‘the lot of them’, but the truth is we didn’t find the entire cadre in there. Might be that there are other survivors that escaped, but most likely it just means that there are more pits out there that we haven't found yet.”
Elster felt sick. “And the people responsible just got away with it?”
“We have few leads to follow up on. Whoever they are, they are deceptively good. We thought we were just dealing with a small group of unhappy dissenters, but if they took out a squad of Bioresonant-enhanced Replikas, they clearly must have some sort of major backing.”
The Storch grimaced. “It’s partly why such a large force is being sent here. We will have full authority to carry out a complete riot suppression. Violent arrests and warrantless house searches are all allowed. AEON is getting desperate to root these bastards out.”
All of this sounded far worse than what Elster was told when she was first offered the task. She looked at her superior with barely veiled agitation. “You didn’t think to tell me any of this before I accepted the role while we were on Vineta?”
The Storch raised her hands both her hands sheepishly. “Hey, I didn’t know about any of this until I woke up two hours ago. First thing High Command did was brief me about the situation. Which, let me tell you, was extremely uncomfortable. Do you have any idea how horrible it is to stand before a FKLR while half-asleep from neural stasis?”
Elster didn’t respond and just glared at her silently. The Storch sighed. “Before that, I was just told to choose a Replika unit for a potentially dangerous, undercover deployment. I didn’t know it would be this bad, I swear.”
Elster closed her eyes and pinched her forehead. “Bad doesn’t even remotely cover this. You said earlier I would be dealing with spies, but this way worse. It’s an entire damn torture cult! Why don’t you at least give this job to a STAR unit? This is far too dangerous for a mere LSTR to handle.”
“Well, for one, we need an element of subtlety to root out this group. I’m not sure you noticed, but a STAR is basically a 220cm tall walking tank that screams ‘Dangerous AEON Protektor’. That’s not exactly subtle.” The Storch took another cigarette out and lit it. “Your model, on the other hand, isn’t that well known within the civilian side of things. ARAR units handle colony maintenance, Protektor units handle the policing, but LSTR units are almost exclusively frontline engineers that are seldom deployed in friendly colonies.”
Storch paused, looking her over. “Your height helps as well. Most combat or police units are far taller than regular Gestalt by default, while yours is much closer to their average. Those unfamiliar with your model might even mistake you for a Eule and let their guard down. At the very least, the less intimidating and unnatural height should help you blend in more.”
Elster grimaced, trying to think of another way out. “Then why me, specifically? I have been operational for less than six months. Choose another LSTR unit. There are many others more experienced than me. Some have even been around for years.”
The Storch rolled her eyes. “Do you even need to ask? You are the most bloodthirsty and combat-proficient LSTR unit I ever met. Putting your unusual aggression aside, I’ve seen your marksmanship scores. Your performance rivals even the best of our STAR and STCR models. I’ve checked both ours and S-23’s roster, and among all of us, there is only a single STAR unit on record who could reliably beat your high score. If you get into trouble, which you likely will seeing as we are dealing with psychopaths, your unusually elevated combat skills will be an advantage.”
It was looking like she had less and less of a choice in the matter. A thought occurred to her. “What happened to the Kolibri survivor?”
The Storch twisted her lips. “Her brain’s fried. Barely coherent. But AEON’s Special Operations unit did manage to extract something from her head. It’s the only real lead we got.”
Her superior handed her one last dossier, this one much thinner than the other two. Elster gingerly opened it, wary of another unpleasant surprise, but there was only a single blurry photo with a message within. The Replika frowned.
“This was the only image extracted from the surviving KLBR’s mind. It kept replying over and over in her head, along with that cryptic message. The Special Operations unit couldn’t get anything else,” the Storch said. Her tone was strange, almost careful. She was looking at Elster intently. “Do you recognise it?”
Elster squinted, tilting the dossier to the side. The image looked entirely unfamiliar. “Am I supposed to?”
There was a long pause, before the Storch looked away with a conflicted expression. “Hmm. No, I guess not.”
Elster flipped the dossier around, looking for anything else in the file. There was none. “Is this it? That’s all the lead we have on the group responsible?”
“Yuuuup.” The Storch said with a pop. “Sucks, doesn’t it?”
Elster stared at her in disbelief. “This is hardly anything! How am I expected to find the cult with just this?”
“With great difficulty, I imagine,” the Storch replied sardonically before she waved her off. “Welp, that’s all I have for you. Have fun living as a Gestalt. Try not to die, and all that.”
Elster struggled to find an appropriate retort for a moment before she simply gave in and sighed. “Am I at least getting some backup for this mission? AEON can’t really be expecting me to do this alone, can they?”
“Oh right, that does remind me. Yeah, we are sending someone with you.” At the Storch’s reply, Elster felt her hopes perked up, before they came crashing straight down at her superior’s next sentence. “We are sending a Eule to stay with you. She will be accompanying you on your weekly assigned Satellite-Relay repair tasks, as a liaison to communicate with the local Gestalt.”
She still had to perform relay repairs on top of this mission?! No, wait, there was an indignity that was far more pressing to address.
“I’m being sent on the most dangerous mission on the colony, and you are sending a glorified housemaid to help me?!”
“Don’t worry, we will send you our best glorified housemaid. I know how scared you are of social interactions.”
When Elster realised the Storch wasn’t joking about only sending a Eule, she groaned heavily and placed her hands against her face. “This isn’t going to end well.”
Her superior barked out a laugh. “Yeah, but for who? You, or the cultists?”
Was she serious? Elster peeked between her fingers to send the Storch an irritated look. “Are you joking? Whoever these people are, they took out an entire KLBR squad. I’m not going to stand a chance out there. I don’t know where your confidence in me is coming from, but you are better off betting on how long it would take before AEON finds my mutilated corpse than to bet on my success.”
When the Storch didn’t reply, Elster took her hands off her face and looked at her superior, worried that she might have somehow overstepped. But the Storch was simply staring at her silently, an unfathomable expression on her face.
Then, without a word, the intimidatingly tall Replika took a deep drag of her cigarette and walked around the table with deliberate steps. She stopped right before Elster, looming over her shorter frame.
The Storch leaned down, until her head was next to Elster’s, before exhaling slowly right beside her ear. When she spoke, her voice was a low, husky contralto.
“If I had any coin to my name, I would still bet it all on you, Pipsqueak. Won’t be the first time you broke the long odds.”
Elster couldn’t respond. The Replika was frozen stiff. The Storch leaned away and looked at Elster’s expression for a moment, before giving a roguish grin and moving away, satisfied at what she saw.
“By the way, do me a favour,” the Storch said as she sat on her desk and crossed her legs. She pointed the cig at Elster. “When you finally find these bastards, don’t just kill them. Make it slow.”
With that, her superior stuffed the burnt-out stick on an ashtray. “You’re dismissed.”
After Elster managed to exit the room with whatever remaining dignity she could salvage, she sighed shakily and leaned against a nearby wall. To distract herself, she took out the final photo from the dossiers earlier. The only clue to the cult responsible for the chaos on Rotfront.
The photo showed an inverted yellow triangle, with a strange, coiled or spiralling shape inside it. Beneath the picture was a note, presumably the message that kept replying in the Kolibri’s head:
Song of my soul, my voice is dead
Die thou, unsung, as tears unshed
THE KING’S TATTERS
THE YELLOW SIGN