As Trevor and Vincent made their way through the ship's halls, they heard footsteps behind them and quickened their pace. The footsteps drew closer, and the person behind them began to hum a song.
"Yo, wait up." They said as they walked up behind the boys. They turned to face the girl. It was Tanya from the bath.
She was taller than them, and her eyes were golden and intense.
Vincent froze in place, his body tensed and his eyes widened.
She smiled. "So, why were you in the gear-wash cabinet?" She asked. "That's a pretty strange place to be."
Vincent's eyes darted between the two of them.
"Um... Well... We, um... we didn't mean to be there..." Trevor said.
"We wanted to wash up, but I didn't want to run into that shrimp android from before, so I was hoping the washroom was clear by then." Vincent added.
Trevor glanced at him. "I didn't even see any shrimps in there..."
"Dumbass..." Vincent grumbled as he glared at Trevor.
Tayna's eyes widened in shock and confusion. She then started laughing, "Is that what happened? That's funny!" She said. She smiled at Vincent.
"It was... unfortunate..." Trevor muttered. His eyes were wide, and his cheeks flushed.
Tanya smiled again and then nodded, her eyes still locked on Vincent. "I get that. Well, you two must have a lot of questions. I'm SRF11-Tayna. And you two must be Vincent and Trevor." She said. "Veili told me about you."
Trevor nodded, and Vincent stared at her.
"Uh... Yeah... That's right..." Trevor said, "I have a question, if you wouldn't mind."
"Oh? Shoot!" Tanya smiled, "Did you want to know my three sizes?" She asked.
Trevor's eyes widened in embarrassment, and Vincent looked away, annoyed. "No! No... Not that."
Tayna laughed, her eyes sparkling. "Just kidding! Come on, let's go to the mess hall and eat something. Your other friend is already there."
Trevor and Vincent nodded, following Tanya as she led them through the ship.
The mess hall was large, with long tables and benches, and the smell of food wafted through the room. Jeanne was already sitting at a table with Veili, eating.
Trevor and Vincent sat down with Jeanne, Veili, and Tanya at the table.
"Androids can eat?" Trevor asked, glancing at Jeanne. She shrugged.
Veili and Tanya looked at Trevor, and then at each other, and then started to laugh.
"It's complicated. We're androids but also kinda not. Yuren said he needs time to figure out how to tell people how we're different." Tanya explained.
Trevor looked at her, then back at Vincent. "What?"
Veili nodded, "We're different. And special."
Vincent glanced at her. "Different... How?" He asked.
"Um, it's hard to explain." Veili said. "Just know that we are special. I can tell you more if Yuren allows me to." She added. She glanced at him and then turned her attention to her plate of food.
"So..." Tanya asked as she ate a spoonful of the sauce-covered shredded brisket, "Where did you all meet Shu? And how did she end up with you?"
The trio looked at one another, and Jeanne was the first to speak.
"Trevor found her in a container in the neutral zone." She said. "We didn't actually know what was inside."
"Sounds about right. Trucks transporting cargo sometimes get hit or are outright targeted. It was a common occurrence when we ran ops for Argentia. The container was likely ditched upon retreat, androids aren't exactly valued so the course of events for the reason why it was where you found it is very predictable." Tanya added as she ate some rice. She was eating just like a normal human, enjoying her food and drinking water from a cup.
"But... why was she in a container?" Trevor asked.
Tanya looked up from her meal and stared at him, a look of concern in her eyes. "It's a protocol for damaged androids. I'll just say Shu was a victim of a particular deployment. The details of that, I'm not at liberty to discuss. But it's very fortunate she didn't reach the destination."
Vincent and Trevor both nodded, understanding. Jeanne was the one to break the silence. "Where do androids usually go? Like... you all are from the Imperial Union, so... Where would Shu be going if she hadn't been found by us?"
"Nowhere, if anything they'd probably send a team out to destroy the container. If nothing went wrong and her container wasn't ditched then she would've ended up in a facility where whether she'd remain in cold storage or dismantled and destroyed would've been decided by an assessment team. In Argentia, androids are just products after all. If they don't function in the desired way, or if they're damaged beyond repair, or if the unit's design has no place on the field anymore... They're just thrown away." Tanya explained, a frown on her face. She then continued to eat her food.
"That's... horrible..." Trevor whispered.
"What the hell?" Vincent added, "Despite making androids like you, that's what happens? That just makes it all look worse."
"It is," Veili added, a grimace on her face. "But we have Yuren now!" She said as she lifted her cup and took a drink. "He's our leader now. And he won't treat us that way!"
"So who is this Yuren guy you keep mentioning?" Vincent asked, his voice laced with curiosity and a hint of skepticism.
"Don't ask that, Tanya will never stop talking..." Veili said with a groan. She glanced at her friend and rolled her eyes.
"You three. Hurry up and eat. Veili, bring them to the command center when they're done." A woman with striking crimson hair and 'LDS23' imprinted on her shoulder walked up to the table and stopped. Her eyes narrowed when she looked at Jeanne, Trevor, and Vincent. She then turned and left, her boots thudding against the floor.
Veili and Tanya glanced at each other.
"Who was that?" Vincent asked.
"Garra, she's rough like that. She'll put you in the infirmary if you repeat what you said to Zafie. It's probably best if you steer clear of her, Vincent." Tanya replied as she took a sip of her drink, "She's a member of the battalion and one of Yuren's bodyguards." Tanya replied as she finished her meal and stood, "Welp, back to equipment maintenance for me. Laters."
Trevor watched her go and then looked at Veili. "She seems nice," He said. Vincent scoffed and then started eating.
****
After the trio finished eating, Veili brought them to the command center, where Lyvern was waiting for them.
The room was full of androids in full gear and a large display with various maps and charts on the walls.
Lyvern was sitting in a large chair, and a red-headed girl was standing nearby.
"Yuren will be here in a second. He's a little busy." Lyvern said as she stood up. She then turned to the three of them, and her eyes met Trevor's and then Vincent's.
"It's alright Lyvern, Niaola checked. They're just normal people." A male's voice called from the other side of the door.
Yuren entered the command center, followed by Garra, Bei, Eri, and Lina. Vincent made note of the Argentian officer's uniform he was wearing. "I'm glad I get to meet the people who found Shu. Thank you for taking care of her and keeping her safe." Yuren smiled.
Vincent looked at Yuren, a scowl on his face, "An Argentian military dog, huh?" His voice was harsh and accusing.
Yuren raised his hand before any of the androids could comment. "I have yet to make a new uniform, the 701st's transition to a peace corps is still in its planning stage. I asked them to bring you here because I wanted to thank you for finding Shu. I was told she was a former member of the battalion lost before I was appointed." He explained as he walked over to the map screen on the wall. "I'm glad she's back where she belongs."
"Wait... You said you were going to thank us..." Jeanne started to speak, "You can't just send us back to the Republic?"
"What'd you think would happen if our ship flew into the Charstire Republic's air space? The Eisendrache still has Imperial markers on it." Yuren said. "We'll get you home rest assured but right now the two nation's have restarted combat in the neutral zone again."
Vincent's expression darkened, and he sighed. "Why are you talking as if you aren't Argentian, huh? And what the hell do you mean by a Peace Corps?" He demanded. "Are you trying to pull the wool over our eyes or something?"
Yuren shook his head, "I'm not, I defected. The 701st and I are our own organization. The individuals on this ship aren't mere androids either, they're all sentient. They have feelings, thoughts and personalities of their own."
"What...?" Vincent was taken aback. "How?" He asked.
Yuren looked around the room. "A long and systematic system of exploitation has led to this, a ruthless and immoral process. Each person here was originally a Meteorn, deprived of what they were and turned into an artificial tool for use in warfare."
"You mean... you're all..." Trevor's eyes widened.
Vincent was also taken aback. He was silent, his gaze shifting around the room.
Yuren nodded and continued to explain, "Yes. Every single one of them is a person, and they are free. They have the right to choose to do what they want to do. If they want to leave they are free to do so."
"Not like we could go anywhere if we did leave the 701st." One of the androids said with a chuckle, "But none of us would want to leave anyway."
"I've got a good life here." Another Android added.
"What? You can leave but we'll come with you and keep you safe anyway. You can't leave us like that, that's just mean." One said.
"Yeah!" A third chimed in. "We're all in this together. Wherever you guys go, we're all going with you."
Yuren looked at them all with a smile and nodded. "See that?" He turned to Vincent, Trevor, and Jeanne. "That's the true spirit of this unit."
"So... you're all like, a rebel faction in the Union? Man... that's crazy. But what's your goal?" Trevor asked.
"My goal? It's very complicated and will take a long time to achieve. I must first unravel Argentia's exploitation of Meteorn. Only then will I be able to address the conflict with the Meteorn itself." Yuren explained. "For that I'll have to work with both sides." He explained.
"I see... Well that's a noble cause," Jeanne said, "But..." Her voice trailed off. She glanced at Yuren, then at Vincent, then back at Yuren. She seemed to be weighing her options. "Exploitation of Meteorn...?" She mumbled to herself.
"That's correct." Yuren said. He then turned to the trio, "And as for you three, you'll be able to return to the location we found you once Argentia and the Charstire Republic's current scuffle is over. You can go home from there."
Once the Eisendrache had landed, Vincent, Trevor, and Jeanne were brought to the deck, where a large ramp extended from the lower deck of the ship to the ground below. It was an awe-inspiring sight. From up close, the scale of it was staggering.
Yuren, Garra, and Eri walked down the ramp, followed by the three teens, the androids in formation on either side. The ship was surrounded by dense trees; the sound of birds singing could be heard, but the atmosphere was still thick with an air of uncertainty.