At 5:30 in the morning the ring of the clock jolting me awake. I sat on the edge of the bed elbows on my knees it was dark.
Most of my body had knitted itself together for the most part overnight the deeper burns were still healing the bruising had faded. The watch had me adminstrating something in my wrist the whole night.
I could feel the sting every hour or so.
I stood walking to the bathroom taking a shower washing my face looking at myself in the mirror for a moment before leaving.
The maid was already standing at her corner holding clothes.
"Your uniform has been prepared Master," she said.
I looked at her she never looked at me her face was always bowed looking at the ground.
"What's your name?" I asked
She paused for a brief second.
"I am not designated a name Master"
I looked at her for a moment longer before turning my head and got dressed.
The briefing room was at a level I hadn't been to before. The masked guards had escorted me. He swiped his keycard on the elevator.
The room was big a long table was in it a holographic display was at the far end currently showing the eastern seaboard, and four people were already sitting on it.
I felt the attention shift to me as soon as I came in the room. There gaze wasn't hostile they were studying me.
A woman was sitting at the head of the table. She looked mid twenties. Short dark hair, clean cut her posture was straight.
She looked at me decided something and looked away
Beside her a man with sandy hair and a slight build was leaning back in his chair like the concept of posture was something that had wronged him. He was fiddling on a tablet. He looked up at me as I entered and immediately looked back.
"And there he is," he said to the tablet. "The miracle rookie."
The man to his left was one of the biggest man I've ever seen he looked to be made of muscle broad shoulder a thick neck hands he looked like a greek statue.
The last one was the oldest he was sitting still on his chair he was assessing me with no expression on his face.
I stood there for a second.
"Sit down" the woman said her voice was nor kind nor unkind.
I sat.
Miller came thirty seconds later exactly on the hour carrying a tablet and a cup of steaming coffee. He set both on the table.
"You've already met David" he said to them "David this is Ashline"
He gestured to the woman "This is Vera field commander 7 years active development" he moved along the table "Cole tech support five years" he raised his hand still focusing on the tablet "Mako CQC expert 9 years" he looked at me for a second before looking at the table again "And Rook" the old man said nothing kept staring at me.
Miller looked at the pulled up holographic map touching the same port city he touched the last day.
A memory came to me. I was playing on the beach with a little girl two men and woman were sunbathing I couldn't see their faces the memory died as soon as it came. The pain still came but I could handle it for now.
Miller looked at me for a split second like something was wrong but seeing I wasn't wincing turned his attention back to the map.
"Havenport" he said "Population 340,000 Rift activity first detected Eleven years ago. It has since accelerated significantly" He expanded the image. The rift signature was large. Larger than the one in Carcer City. "Current projection put breach in approximately thirty six hours at breach we can expect a Class-4 incursion or higher"
The room was quiet.
"One dirac needle" Miller continued "One shot the rift is situated at the industrial district—low civilian density at night moderate infrastructural risk" Miller looked around the table "Vera will lead point and David will close the Rift"
Vera's eye twitched before she turned calm again and looked at Miller "You want the rookie with the needle"
"David has successfully deployed the needle in the field," Miller said. "He is currently the only operative with live experience using it."
"He has had one deployment" Vera was calm
"This isn't a discussion it's a briefing" Miller replied taking a sip of his coffee.
Vera held his gaze before she turned her head back to the map.
Miller continued. Logistics. Insertion coordinates. VTOL flight path. Estimated creature density based on the rift's current expansion rate. He spoke for twelve minutes without pause. I watched the others while he talked.
All of them were listening intently to him cole was writing the instructions vera was nodding mako had perfected his posture but the old man was still sitting there silently. Miller finished.
"Questions," Miller said.
Cole raised a finger. "Creature density projection at the insertion grid specifically. Not the district."
Miller pulled up another display. Cole made a unsatisfied sound and went back to writing.
"David." Miller's eyes moved to me. "Questions?"
"How long will it take to close the rift" I said.
"The needle requires approximately 90 seconds to seal a rift of this magnitude" he continued "Assuming perfomance is consistent with field reports"
"And if it isn't?"
A short silence.
"Then you improvise," Miller said simply.
I nodded.
"Departure in 12 hours use them well" He picked up his tablet and walked out the room.
The room was quiet for a moment.
Then the sandy haired one—Cole— leaned back until it was on two legs he looked at me properly he had quick eyes.
"So" he said "Torchboy"
I looked at him "No"
"It's already been voted and passed" He said smirking "Welcome to ashline. We have one rule don't die" a brief pause "well there are other rules but that's the main one"
Vera stood pushing her chair back "Fourteen hundred o clock full equipment check" She looked at everyone on the table "Don't be late"
She left.
Mako stood up the room rearranged itself around his size.
Cole left quickly his eyes still glued to his tablet.
He hadn't moved a inch from his place he was still staring at me.
"How old are you?" His voice was calm
"I don't really know exactly" I said "Maybe seventeen or eighteen"
He gave me a nod. His expressions were hard to read. He moved to the exit stopping at the door.
"Eat before fourteen hundred" he said "The equipment check is long"
He left.
Havenport.
The name felt so familiar then the memory which surfaced. I felt uneasy for some reason.
I stood up and left.
I reached the equipment bay the time was 14:02 the equipment bay was arranged neatly. There were five stations each made specifically for us.
She said nothing when I entered looked at her watch. Then at me.
"Two minutes late" she said
"I know"
"Don't be"
She turned to the stations.
Mine was at the end of the end of the rows—it didn't contain weapons like the others.
It only had a uniform.
"Why don't I have weapons" I asked
"Because you're the weapon" She said polishing her pistols.
I stood there for a moment
Cole gets a compact rifle mako gets some sort of gauntlet and Rook had a long range rifle and I get nothing.
I put on the uniform it was as I had expected fitted perfectly to me
I looked down at the Empty station.
"where's the needle I assume he gave it to you"
"He will hand you the needle at dispatch" she replied
She checked everyones equipment except Rook's.
The check ran for 2 hours.
"Twelve hours" she said "Get sleep. Real sleep. We insert at oh three hundred."
She left.