[X] Perhaps you'll stay here for a bit. Mary deserves some stability. Plus, there are resources.
[X] Caution Gunzou against it. You need to prepare for possible eventualities first...
Looking at Mary, though, you realize you're bit of a sap yourself.
Slightly grouchily, you pat her head and look back to Gunzou,
"Looks like we're staying for now. Mary's happy here. Just don't think I'm gonna jump on demand, okay?"
Gunzou nods, still smiling slightly, and offers you his hand to shake, "I'll look forward to working with you, Surcouf.
I'll still watch my back, though."
You smirk and take it, shaking the hand a bit more firmly than necessary and gripping down with bonecrushing force,
"You'd better. I'd be insulted otherwise."
He tightens his grip, matching you,and smirks back, "Now, what about Iona?"
You glance around the room, considering the faces around you. You recognize some from around town, but that tells you little. Anyone here might have loyalties outside Blue Steel--and, working with them as you are, you wouldn't want some other spy stealing your intel.
"In your office."
He glances around the room himself, and you notice several cameras in the corners moving along with the motion,
"Very well, if that is your preference. Follow me."
He waves for the two of you to follow, and leads you to a small, private dining room, "It's not my office, but it's private. What has you worried?"
You glance around, not entirely happy to be talking in a place that isn't designed for more security, but answer, "Has Boston told you about what was involved in waking her?"
He shakes his head, sitting down at the table and arching his hands in front of him, "No, I'm afraid not. She seemed a bit traumatized, to be honest. Wouldn't say anything. I'm assuming finding out about her captain hit her very hard."
You raise a hand, tilting it back and forth in a so-so gesture, "Yes, but no. She didn't take it well, but that really wasn't the main issue. There was something in there with her, Gunzou."
He stiffens, "Habbakuk?"
You glance down, shaking your head. You weren't going to let it beat you in the moment, but every time you think about those waters flooding your hull, and those damned lights watching you from beneath the waves, you feel cold in spite of yourself.
"I wish it was, Gunzou. I could fight her. The thing that had her was not Fog, Gunzou. I want to say it was a program of some sort, but...that might just be wishful thinking. It was..." You trail off, remembering those
lights.
Mary nudges you slightly, and it's only when you feel a touch upon your arm that you realize Gunzou's had the nerve to reach out and try to comfort you. You pull back slightly, but nod at him in forgiveness, if not thanks.
"What was it, Surcouf?" He asks, eyes grave, expression oddly soft.
"It was a nightmare. Something I've never seen, and never want to see again. Fighting it wasn't even a real option. I had to trick it to even get Boston back, and it won't fall for the same thing twice. If we're going to bring Iona back...it will take more than just me and Boston. More ships. More minds. It...it was too
deep, Gunzou."
He nods, slowly, "...I see. Well, I have waited this long. I don't mind waiting a bit longer while we work on this together." You doubt he would be so understanding if you were leaving, but, fortunately, you're not.
"So. That's that. I can't get her out. I don't even dare try, right now." You cross your arms in front of you, sighing, but he looks contemplative.
"There's an option, though. You said you need more allies to do it, correct?"
You raise an eyebrow, "Yes. Fog Ships. A lot of them, if we want to wake everyone eventually."
A devious smile spreads across his face, "Then, I think I might have what you need. We've gotten intel on other awakened ships. No one of your power, but awakened. Only a handful, around the world, but if you don't mind making the trip...we could try to recruit them, and maybe learn some about the competition at the same time."
"It's nice to finally meet you all properly! You and your families have watched over me for so many years, and I cannot express how much that means to me. Finally, after all of these years, I am awake, and ready to do my duty in the defense of the good people of Blue Steel." She pauses for a moment, as the crowd applauds, "I have already met with my crew," she says the word crew with a bit of hesitance, of course realizing that the people living on her have no value as combatants, "And I intend to tour our home, meeting each and every one of my comrades, so that I can properly know the people of the organization that my Captain died for. I look forward to serving with you all." She salutes, and the crowd applauds again, albeit a bit more weakly, some of the gathered people exchanging confused looks.
These people aren't military, even if they live on warships. The notion of "serving together" is probably foreign to them.
Boston straightens, seemingly oblivious to the awkwardness, and clears her throat, "Now, with that out of the way, there is something I must say, which is long overdue."
She turns her entire body towards you, and bows deeply, "Thank you, Surcouf, for freeing me from my slumber. For reuniting me with these good people, and allowing me to see the world my Captain left behind. The danger you endured, and the lengths you went to to see me awakened cannot possibly be understated. You have my eternal gratitude for your selfless actions."
Boston puts you firmly on a pedestal with her words, exaggerating your virtues and forcing you to respond with similar generosity, for the sake of this charade.
Begrudgingly, you give her a gracious shake of the head, "There's no need, Boston. You are my sister of the Fog, and my precious comrade in Blue Steel. Awakening you was my privilege and pleasure, so that I could see you again." You lay it on thick. The crowd will eat it up, but Boston won't.
Boston straightens, raising a hand to wipe crocodile tears from her eyes, and smiling slightly, "Thank you, Surcouf. Really."
Top tier bullshit there. Boston can't stand you, and you both know it. You can respect the quality of the deception, though--she must have been practicing while she was asleep.
You force a thin smile back at her, and her own becomes brittle before she turns her attention from you back to the crowd, "Thank you all! Enjoy the celebration!"
With that, Boston departs with a wave, giving you one last look before she walks out the door.
Mary gives you a sad look, whispering, "You didn't have to overdo it that much, you know. She could tell you were lying."
You chuckle, patting her head, "Oh, don't worry about it. She knew this was all a farce, and us messing with each other is a well established tradition."
She gives you a worried, slightly confused look, then shakes her head, "Well, it's done now."
The two of you linger for a for more minutes, trying to avoid leaving directly after Boston and making the scene look staged, before you walk Mary back to your hull and tuck her in for the night.
Her room's been furnished more, since you set off on your journey together. Her old bookshelves, which she carried in personally, have been stocked with various items she's picked up along the way--mostly trinkets from Blue Steel. Her old bed is still here--Gunzou had offered a new one as part of the repairs, but Mary had refused, saying she didn't want to give up the one from home. He'd sent a featherbed to go on top instead, along with additional sheets, blankets, and pillows. Mary had accepted those happily, but you'd made sure to go over them with a nanomaterial-toothed comb, just in case they were bugged. To your surprise, they actually weren't.
Not one to be outdone, you'd made her a nanomaterial teddy bear, but she'd asked for a plushy Surcouf instead. You'd granted her request, although you'd blushed your way through the process, making her a stuffed replica of your hull.
She's hugging it tight against her now, cuddled up under the Blue-Steel branded comforter. It's a good thing it's made of nanomaterials, you reflect--one made of natural fibers would probably tear, with her strength.
Mary yawns adorably, staring at the star-spangled ceiling"Mmm...the stars are really pretty, Surcouf...we should go touch them...someday..." She yawns again, and dozes off.
You pat her head gently, lean against the wall, and go into dormancy for the night.
--The Next Morning--
You stand before Gunzou in his office, Mary at your side.
"Alright, so, what leads do we have on active Fog Ships?" You ask, eager to get down to work on what is, for the moment, your primary goal.
Gunzou grimaces, "Far too many. We have received reports of sightings of active Fog Ships across the planet. Most of these have are from unreliable sources or are outdated; others are come from trustworthy sources, but seem too preposterous to be true, and may mean our agents have been compromised. In light of this, I will personally be examining each and every one of them, to identify which are potentially true. These will then be investigated by trusted agents for formal confirmation. We are doing everything in our power to advance our objective, I assure you, but I fear it could still take up to two weeks, even without complications."
You grimace, "What would you have me do, then? I'm assuming you don't want me sitting around here the whole time." You'd be angry if he did--he's got you on board for now, and wasting you like that would be a mark of a poor commander, which he has not seemed to be so far.
"For now, I need you to help with our operations. I will need to spend significant resources to make this search happen, and your help will be needed to make sure that everything else goes according to plan." He flicks his hand through the air towards you, and you receive a set of files, each outlining a different mission.
"It is your choice, Surcouf. The others will be left to our most trusted operatives."
[Major Action - 1]
[ ] Transportion: An outpost has been under regular attack by pirates (probably hired by another faction, at your discretion). You are to transport weapons, supplies, and additional troops to reinforce them. You, in particular, are being deployed because all other attempts have been intercepted en route.
[ ] Scouting: There have been sightings of foreign vessels in a distant corner of Antarctica. You are to search the region and determine whether these ships are a threat or a potential resource, and which faction, if any, they serve. You are not certain if they are armed, although it is likely, or whether they have a base in the region.
[ ] Communications Mission: You are to infiltrate an Australian facility in the city of Launceston and deliver highly confidential information to a Blue Steel Spy, then return with their report (or exfiltrate them, if needed). You are being sent because of the technologically advanced secure facility where the spy is planted--getting in and out will require a Fog Ship's hacking abilities.
