I watched out the window as the wastes passed quickly beneath us. I found the orange sand, swamps, and ruins familiar and comfortable after my ti away. Graves didnt speak, which didnt surprise , I hadnt known him to speak any more than necessary and sotis even less than that. I was grateful for it though, after my ti in Potts during which I spent far too much ti in idle conversation. I was also certain that the reprieve was brief. Id almost certainly be doing more talking than Id prefer once I reached the Remnants.
It didnt take long for to start seeing signs of civilization. We passed over a small town, followed by what looked like so type of military checkpoint, then another of them, and another. We eventually ca to a facility that looked like a much larger version of them. No longer were the Remnants based out of tents, now they lived within walls of steel. It was a fort, built with layers of las defenses, patrolling n and won in power armor, and dozens of ard STAR forces milling around. We landed on a small pad near two others that werent occupied. Leah had once told theyd only had a single aerial vehicle, but it appeared shed either been lying, or theyd produced more recently.
Leah was waiting by the landing pad. She wore a simple black uniform with a long duster. The scar on her throat peeked out from her collar, and her massive sniper rifle was nowhere to be seen. She gave a smile as I exited the shrike.
Donovan. Good to see you back safe.
I didnt bother turning my lie-detector ability on her. I knew it didnt work. Thanks.
Your mission did you succeed? Her voice ca out like a painful croak. She always sounded like soone whod smoked for two lifetis.
Check your notifications.
She blinked, and her gaze beca unfocused for a mont. The small false smile she wore gave way to a true one. You did it! But why didnt it hit everyone?
I pulled out the black data square shed given . This has the answers you want. I dont understand all of it, but it seems to be a mix of good and bad news.
She took the square, and gestured for to follow. Co, you can brief along with the Cabinet.
I fell in behind her, with Graves taking up our rear. Graves had been the first person Id ever seen wearing a suit of power armor, and now that I could see him near others that were similarly equipped, it was clear that he was on an entirely different level of comfort with the gear. He moved with no stiffness, or hesitation. He was fluid, where all the others I saw on the base walking around seed to be walking through water. I had never seen him out of his suit, and based on the biotric data from my lie-detector ability, and those few tis Id heard him speak I wondered if he could leave it.
We passed between tal buildings, getting a number of looks, so simply confused by my presence, others fearful. It was easy to tell the Remnants from the STAR natives. The Remnants had an odd gait when they walked, and all kept their eyes forward or downward as they walked. The STAR soldiers all had a kind of swagger to them, an arrogance that was only diminished when Leah, Graves, and I ca into view.
We made it to a central building with two power armored guards. They didnt acknowledge us as we passed between them. We walked straight back into a conference room. Masters, their head of reclamation, sat in the center. He was flanked on the right by Slate, the head of Comrce, the left by Curtis, their head of diplomacy. Next to Slate was Adams, their head of patriotism who Id heard so recently on the radio. I didnt see their head of Science, Matthews, but I was grateful for that. She always looked at as if she would be thrilled to have on a dissection table.
Masters smiled as I entered the room. Whenever he smiled I felt an odd obligation to return the expression. In the past Id simply resisted, but this ti I returned it with interest, showing my teeth in full. For the first ti I saw just a flicker of disgust pass in front of his face, but he recovered quickly.
I activated my lie detector ability.
Donovan! Welco back to our patch of reclaid Arican soil, said Masters, standing from his desk and reaching out a hand.
LIE.
You have good news I hope? he asked.
Adams scoffed. I havent noticed the Advanced R.A.S. activating, have you?
Leah looked over at him, wearing her usual smirk. Check again.
Adams raised an eyebrow, but checked his notifications. Why is activating this way?
I gave Leah the data with the explanation, but the jist is that the Advanced R.A.S. is mostly fucked.
The cabinets expressions drooped, and a few of them exchanged glances, but Masters never turned his gaze from .
Elaborate, he said simply.
The advanced part of the system was sabotaged just before the start of the war. It cant be spread the usual way and has limited functionality. They ca up with a workaround, but the patch can only be spread from person to person. I got infected with it, and brought it back with . The details, what is and isnt working, thats beyond my understanding. I lied about the last part. I knew it was limited to President selection, but I wanted to play things close to the chest.
Masters dropped his smile and brought a hand to his chin, rubbing it for a mont. This changes things. We may need to make so adjustnts.
Its better than nothing, offered Curtis , adjusting his collar as he spoke.
TRUE.
It is, but we may have to at least partially implent so of our backup plans. He looked into the distance thoughtfully for a few monts before turning to Slate. Go ahead and get his paynt together. Its clear that hes held up his part of the bargain.
Slate nodded, adjusting the collar of her shirt absently as she turned to . It may take so ti to get everything together.
Why didnt you have it ready? Werent expecting to make it back?
N-No, requisitions of this volu simply take so ti is all.
LIE.
Leah looked at . Graves, take Donovan out of here, he has free reign, but stay with him.
Graves nodded and gestured to the door. I walked out in front of him, catching the start of a conversation as I moved.
That asset of yours keeps paying dividends, huh? Maybe we should give him your job, said Masters when he thought I was out of earshot. His tone was cruel. Clearly Leah was still having difficulties with her employers, assuming that it wasnt an elaborate psy-op ant to make believe there was a schism between them that didnt exist.
Once we were back outside I turned to Graves. rcy here? I asked.
He nodded.
Where?
He started walking, and I fell in step behind him as we made our way to a series of simple tal cubes. He took to the second to last one and gestured at the door. I nodded at him and knocked twice. I heard movent, and rcy opened the door.
Donovan! You made it back! she said excitedly. She was much the sa as the last ti Id seen her. Her eyepatch, the burn scars in patches across her body, the sll of gunpowder clinging heavily to her.
I nodded. Yes. Im waiting on Slate to gather my paynt, thought Id stop by.
Her eye flickered to Graves. Co inside.
I stepped in, and paused, pulling a worn paperback from my pack. The cover was of a noblewoman in fine dress pressed against an armored knight with the title, Wearing her Favor, I handed it to Graves. I ca across this so ti ago, thought youd enjoy it.
He flipped the book over in his hands and read the back cover. He gave a thumbs up, then settled into leaning against the outside wall of the apartnt, flicking the book open to the first page.
I walked into rcys apartnt and closed the door.
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