"This world isn't so big and scary after all, is it?"
Nikolai smiled at her, but at the back of his mind, he still couldn't help but nurse a few doubts. Maybe the world wasn't so big and scary to Nikolai, but what would it make of him?
"Don't be so sure, you've never been to China."
Nikolai was revealed from finding the right words to voice his thoughts by Acolyte's arrival. One look between them told Nikolai why the other man had come. He need not be present for this conversation. Indeed, this had to be a private moment.
"They have kept me cooped up in here too long." He announced, as cheerily as his gruff tones were able. "I think I will go breathe some fresh air."
With that, he left his two friends alone, and went in search of the hot springs.
=======================================================================================================================================
The commander of the Venture detachment sent to RACDI-Alpha was one Major Harris Norton, a man in his late forties, but still in peak physical condition, and with the hard-cut lines of a professional soldier. It was clear that this was a man who had risen up the chain of command through being the best man for the job, nothing more and nothing less. Selena was glad someone like him was in charge, even if she couldn't help but feel a little derisive towards his rigidity. She reflected that Lee probably would have liked him.
As it was, Major Norton was less than impressed with what Selena had to tell him, or rather, what she didn't.
"Let me get this straight..." he began, with all the tone of someone who had perfectly understood Selena's request, but wanted to see if she'd have the balls to say it twice. "You want to requisition a small arsenal of my military equipment, in the middle of an offensive operation, for a personal escort, most of which is currently recuperating in our infirmary?"
"That is correct." Selena's answer was firm.
"Along with a helicopter and pilots, with whom you wish to abscond?"
"Yes."
"You refuse to tell me anything about where you plan on taking my equipment and my men, and for what purpose; and, not even as a parting gesture of good faith, will you give me any intel of what's currently happening inside RACDI-Alpha?!"
"Under Venture Horizon Operational Directive 330-B," Selena responded, unperturbed "It is within my authority to-"
"I know the damn procedures!" Major Norton interrupted "I've filled you in on the events of the outside world during your captivity, so it may not have escaped your notice that normal procedure is up in the air right now. We were dispatched here over a week ago to confirm the fate of RACDI-Alpha, and to then await further orders on retaking the facility, and in that time we've found out nothing. The entire facility is radio-silent, surface activity is minimal, all of the surveillance equipment that we have deployed to try and ascertain what's happening underground has been blocked, and not a single soul has appeared outside the perimeter, until you. Now, you're telling me that you need to leave the theatre, but won't tell me why? With that in mind, Ms. Hernandez, what reason do I have to trust you?"
"Because the situation is more dire than you know." Selena replied "It's a COMP-5 Major."
That got his attention. Norton said nothing for several seconds, though his mouth and the corner of his eye twitched a couple of times, and his knuckles were white gripping the desk in front of him.
"I see." he said eventually, his voice lowered. "You should attend to your men. I will... make arrangements."
"Thank you, Major." Selena responded, as they rose and shook hands. She sympathised with the man's frustration, but the situation was too fragile to risk the advantage that heir escape had given them. It had been a gamble to tell him even that little, but Selena had decided that she could at least trust him to understand.
====================================================================================================================================
Over the past few hours, the medics had done a good job of patching Yu up, and he now limped across the medical tent without so much as a wince. They'd still probably be reluctant to let him go without a few days of bed rest at least, but that kind of time wasn't a luxury that they possessed. Besides, Yu knew his own limits well enough.
"How are you doing?" he asked Aggie, as he arrived at her bedside, standing next to Lewis. The years of cruelty and neglect that she had suffered down in The Pit, required far greater attention than Yu's few cuts and scrapes. She was currently sat up in bed, a cannula in her arm and monitoring nodes feeding in and out of her gown, providing constant data on her condition.
Nikolai smiled at her, but at the back of his mind, he still couldn't help but nurse a few doubts. Maybe the world wasn't so big and scary to Nikolai, but what would it make of him?
"Don't be so sure, you've never been to China."
Nikolai was revealed from finding the right words to voice his thoughts by Acolyte's arrival. One look between them told Nikolai why the other man had come. He need not be present for this conversation. Indeed, this had to be a private moment.
"They have kept me cooped up in here too long." He announced, as cheerily as his gruff tones were able. "I think I will go breathe some fresh air."
With that, he left his two friends alone, and went in search of the hot springs.
=======================================================================================================================================
The commander of the Venture detachment sent to RACDI-Alpha was one Major Harris Norton, a man in his late forties, but still in peak physical condition, and with the hard-cut lines of a professional soldier. It was clear that this was a man who had risen up the chain of command through being the best man for the job, nothing more and nothing less. Selena was glad someone like him was in charge, even if she couldn't help but feel a little derisive towards his rigidity. She reflected that Lee probably would have liked him.
As it was, Major Norton was less than impressed with what Selena had to tell him, or rather, what she didn't.
"Let me get this straight..." he began, with all the tone of someone who had perfectly understood Selena's request, but wanted to see if she'd have the balls to say it twice. "You want to requisition a small arsenal of my military equipment, in the middle of an offensive operation, for a personal escort, most of which is currently recuperating in our infirmary?"
"That is correct." Selena's answer was firm.
"Along with a helicopter and pilots, with whom you wish to abscond?"
"Yes."
"You refuse to tell me anything about where you plan on taking my equipment and my men, and for what purpose; and, not even as a parting gesture of good faith, will you give me any intel of what's currently happening inside RACDI-Alpha?!"
"Under Venture Horizon Operational Directive 330-B," Selena responded, unperturbed "It is within my authority to-"
"I know the damn procedures!" Major Norton interrupted "I've filled you in on the events of the outside world during your captivity, so it may not have escaped your notice that normal procedure is up in the air right now. We were dispatched here over a week ago to confirm the fate of RACDI-Alpha, and to then await further orders on retaking the facility, and in that time we've found out nothing. The entire facility is radio-silent, surface activity is minimal, all of the surveillance equipment that we have deployed to try and ascertain what's happening underground has been blocked, and not a single soul has appeared outside the perimeter, until you. Now, you're telling me that you need to leave the theatre, but won't tell me why? With that in mind, Ms. Hernandez, what reason do I have to trust you?"
"Because the situation is more dire than you know." Selena replied "It's a COMP-5 Major."
That got his attention. Norton said nothing for several seconds, though his mouth and the corner of his eye twitched a couple of times, and his knuckles were white gripping the desk in front of him.
"I see." he said eventually, his voice lowered. "You should attend to your men. I will... make arrangements."
"Thank you, Major." Selena responded, as they rose and shook hands. She sympathised with the man's frustration, but the situation was too fragile to risk the advantage that heir escape had given them. It had been a gamble to tell him even that little, but Selena had decided that she could at least trust him to understand.
====================================================================================================================================
Over the past few hours, the medics had done a good job of patching Yu up, and he now limped across the medical tent without so much as a wince. They'd still probably be reluctant to let him go without a few days of bed rest at least, but that kind of time wasn't a luxury that they possessed. Besides, Yu knew his own limits well enough.
"How are you doing?" he asked Aggie, as he arrived at her bedside, standing next to Lewis. The years of cruelty and neglect that she had suffered down in The Pit, required far greater attention than Yu's few cuts and scrapes. She was currently sat up in bed, a cannula in her arm and monitoring nodes feeding in and out of her gown, providing constant data on her condition.
