Beneath Celestial Depths (An Arpeggio of Blue Steel Quest)

[] Take a detour

Given that Mary was already like this it would seem that you have no choice. It would be good to see what sort of information you'll be able to dredge up beyond Blue Steel's control. The seas were littered with numerous drones that would pick up on your movements, diving deeper and moving silently was the key.

Mary seemed ecstatic by the prospect of exploring an actual city this time. Ah, the things you did for the girl. Diving deep, you slowly made your way to the nearest Australian port not filled to the gills with proximity drones that would bring the whole country on your head.

You were a professional! You were by no means an amateur which was why you managed to bypass several checkpoints on your way here. Blue Steel can wait, Mary took priority above else. For her part, the girl seemed to be practically vibrating in her seat which was adorable to see.

You drifted through the waters and crossed your arms as you glanced at Mary looking at all sorts of maps.

"You know, from what I gather, human cities these days are vastly different from the previous era. You might just end up being my guide, you know?" You told her with a low chuckle.

"Human cities here at least are pretty bad. Lawless highly dangerous for the normal folk," Mary said as she looked your way, "I mean, I don't think I'm in danger of being taken apart for cybernetics. Plus you're pretty strong, right?"

"I am pretty strong as you might say it," you coughed into your hand before straightening yourself, "Well, if you know it's dangerous, why go here?"

"Curiosity," Mary said as she typed in her terminal to log the places she wanted to go in, "I want to have an adventure!"

Of course she would...

Set sail go Australia then!

.....
....
...

Arriving at a quiet port, the two of you arrived a bustling city while under the cover of darkness. Oceania wasn't as organized as the other nations of the world but it was still teeming with people, mostly vagabonds, mercenaries and contracted PMCs working through the waters.

Mary stepped on the ground and did a little twirl as you hid your hands in your pockets. It may be odd for an onlooker to see a drop dead gorgeous woman as yourself and an adorable baguette of a girl wandering about in these parts of town. So you decided to dress a bit more... Corporate for the occasion.

Stick a logo of a Corporation on your new suit and you were able to deter vagrants from jumping you and Mary. As for currency, you hoped that false ones made from nanomaterials would help enough in getting you around. There was a bus stop not too far from where you were so you decided to take that.

You didn't bother taking the name of the city you were in but it should be at the southern tip of the continent. The climate was temperate according to the data you had sneakily siphoned off from the local Net Links which was an encrypted network copy of the Global Web.

The internet has progressed this far, huh?

The city was divided into three sections. The inner circle, the outer rim and the fringes. People of various status were divided between each area with the rich residing within the inner most part of this particular city.

Though for some semblance of order to be present, such a thing may be necessary. The two of you were currently at the outer rim or let's say the second layer of the city. It was filled with lights and steel, towering buildings and numerous vehicles. There were a lot of people going about their businesses but none of them looked particularly as nice as the Blue Steel people.

Stepping out of the bus, you stood by Mary's side and noted how the two of you seemed to stick out of the crowd. Mary seemed quite happy but you stayed close to her as you looked at nearby onlookers.

There didn't seem to be any normal people here. You noted the cybernetics certain individuals had on their person and quickly steered Mary away from dark corners and kept her on the main street.

"Surcouf, there's so many lights and people," Mary said as she walked down the street with you moving close behind.

"Cybernetics sure is all in the rage, huh?" You noted as you glanced at some muscle heads looking at the two of you.

"With some breakthrough regarding nanomaterial research, it's been possible to apply cybernetics without bodily rejection," Mary explained as she waved her hand while looking your way, "You saw Mr. Chihaya, right? The same principle was done for other humans except not the process of remaking his entire body."

"Just portions of their bodies. Humanity sure loved poking and prodding our insides, don't they?" You said as you noticed that you were being followed.

"Mhm, research should be being done each day," Mary said as she smiled at you, "Oh! Look at that!"

You turned to see a projection store. It was a shop selling holographic images of certain objects of scenery. Glittering pixelated lights filled the center of a little iron button and displayed a 3D image.

"Hey, why don't you go look inside? I'll stay here and relax, okay?" You told her with a wink.

"Really? Is that fine?" Mary asked you with a surprised look.

"You're a big girl. I trust you to be careful. Have fun, okay, darling?" You told her as you rubbed her head.

Mary nodded as she went in the store. Waiting for a bit, you slipped to an alley and kept walking. You moved till you reached a dead and turned to find a group of muscled men cracking their knuckles. Looking at their hands, you snorted.

"A sack, really?" You asked them with a smirk.

"We need something to carry you, lady. Now just be cooperate and let us chop you up," the man said at the lead of them.

"I see. Chop me, you say?" You told them before your eyes glowed red, "Not if I get you first."

.....
....
...

"Wow! I never thought you'd have money to buy me this!" Mary said as she sat in her Captain's seat.

You proudly nodded your head as you said, "It was a small matter. I thought I'd surprise you."

"Though I do find it odd that you suddenly procured money. You didn't sell anything fake did you?" Mary asked with a suspicious look.

"Nope," you lied as easily as you breathed before shrugging, "We should be leaving Australia's zone of control. We're en route to returning to Blue Steel. I hope you brag about that little thing you have there."

"Ehhh? It's mine, I'm going to keep it here for safe keeping," Mary said as she glanced at you. She then frowned and hopped on her seat.

"Hey, that's dangerous," you warned her as you tried holding out your hands.

Mary moved close to you and wiped your cheek, "You have dirt on your face."

You noticed the dried bloodstain in her thumb. Ah, that must have gotten there from where you were talking to those gentlemen. You created a handkerchief from nanomaterial and wiped her hand.

"Thank you," you chuckled as you rubbed her head.

......
....
...

Returning to Blue Steel waters, you were cleared of your hull for anything that would have stuck to track you. Boston was nearby as well making sure you didn't turn and you gave her a jolly old flipping of the bird when you passed her by.

Sending Gunzou your report, you hoped that would be enough to deter him from bothering you for awhile. Unfortunately, you had more work on your table following your success with a video call from the man himself.

"Excellent work on your mission. Mary has proven herself capable it seems. Now I know you just returned but we have a few urgent missions that need filling. I was hoping you two would be open for them?"

Mary cheered at that, "More missions!"

You could only run your forehead at that. You're going to punch that man...

[] Supply Run (A nearby Blue Steel outpost is in need of supplies following being trapped in a freak tropical storm out east. Gather supplies and reach the outpost, you may find information regarding the Asian countries if you ask)
[] Detection Protocol (Well isn't this fantastic! A patrol with that bimbo Boston. Just what you needed! It would seem some drones are wandering close to Blue Steel territory and Gunzou wants you to clean them up. Maybe you can play a little prank on Miss Hothead.)
[] Research and development. (Blue Steel researchers want to inquire you regarding your capabilities. All they have were data on inert Fog Ships in their care but the only active ones are you and Boston. Boston can't handle them all and was scheduled for a mission this week so you will have to do it.)
===========
QM note: wake me up
wake me up inside (can't wake up)
wake me up inside (SAVE MEEEEE)
CALL MY NAME AND SAVE ME FROM THE DARK

[X] Supply Run (A nearby Blue Steel outpost is in need of supplies following being trapped in a freak tropical storm out east. Gather supplies and reach the outpost, you may find information regarding the Asian countries if you ask)

Regardless of your irritation with the delays, you have nothing to lose by refusing. A supply run should not be too onerous; spending time with Boston is unlikely to go well and you are not particularly in the mood to be used as a test subject.

"We'll make the supply run. You will need to provide us with up-to-date records of Blue Steel's supply depots." You look Gunzou firmly in the eye, observing the slight narrowing of his eyes and quirking of his lips; he's recognized the position you've put him in. If he provides the depot locations, you will have the ability to loot those depots in the event you eventually fall out with Blue Steel. If he does not, you cannot complete the mission.

The obvious countermove is to provide only a very limited subset of the depot locations, which will--

"A comprehensive list of depots is being transmitted as we speak. You will also be provided real-time access to whatever information we are able to gather about the storm's behavior, to assist in your mission." That slight quirk of the lips broadens into a wide, devious smile, "I trust that is satisfactory?"

You grimace at his response. Through his actions, he has implied the words, "I trust you, Surcouf." He knows that you are not trustworthy and you know you are not trustworthy; by extending trust in spite of that mutual understanding, he has left you feeling disinclined to betray him. An appeal to your better nature, which few would be willing to gamble on.

You're probably not going to abuse this information unless it becomes a necessity, you realize with a sigh.

"Yes. We'll get the job done, Gunzou." You answer with a nod, quietly giving him the point.

He nods in understanding, "I will count on your success, Surcouf." With those words, he ends the call.

"He's got your number, huh?" Mary asks, smirking a bit as she stares up at you.

You scowl, "I'll get him next time. Anyway, let's discuss our plans." You wave your hand, conjuring up a floating map of the world--each depot has already been marked, among all of the other notable location information you've gathered throughout your lifetime. With a thought, it zooms in on the region you're delivering supplies to.

"Oooo! Cool! Okay, so, we should definitely use the nearest depots. Looks like there are four pretty close!" She reaches up and taps on the depots on the screen, and you bring up additional screens to display details on the relevant depots.

She looks over the data provided, "Hmm, so~oo, it looks like we'll need to go to three of these if we want all of the supplies we're going to need. None of them are fully stocked, and are lacking in certain items."

You had already drawn the same conclusion, but you allow her to go on. This is a good learning experience.

She holds a finger down at your current location on the map, and draws out a route from there, indicating the path she thinks you should follow. You highlight (and smooth out) the path she's drawing as she does so. It's a solid route...with only that information.

You add the weather, current, and topological data to the map without being asked. She frowns in response, "You're saying I should have asked for these myself?"

You nod, "A captain needs to be able to recognize what information is needed and take initiative to obtain it. You did not."

She pouts a bit, but nods, "Right. Okay, give me a minute." She spends a little while reviewing the wealth of information provided, asking you to explain a few details of the map here and there.

Eventually, after learning quite a bit about navigation, Mary traces out her final route--one similar, if not identical, to the one you yourself had devised before she started trying, "I think this is the best route."

"Then we'll try that route, and review it after the mission's over." You can see the flaws in her route--it's going to pass through some unnecessarily rough waters, considering how the storm will interact with the natural currents--but you don't call her on it for the moment. She should experience the consequences of the mistake, and it won't be a serious problem for you. You'll explain on your way back.

Mary frowns, "...I messed up, huh?" She stares up at you, looking like a sad puppy.

You relent, at least a little, "...Only a little. You misread the currents a bit, since you didn't account for the storm fully. It'll be easier to understand once you've actually been out in the storm."

She slowly nods, "Alright, let's hurry up and go before the storm ends, then." She seems curious, looking back at the map and trying to figure out where her error was.

You set your hull into motion, following the course she has charted.

The storm does not touch you in the depths of the ocean; you only realize you've reached it thanks to your maps. Mary, sitting in the Captain's chair and trying to look as grim and serious as possible, perks up as you send her a pop-up alert.

"Oh! We've reached the storm! Things are gonna get rocky soon, then?" She asks, sounding both excited and nervous. You imagine that living alone on a small island for years would make storms a bit of a scary thing.

You step up behind her and lay a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, "No, it will be fine for now. We're deep enough not to feel it."

She stills for a moment, then frowns, "Oh. I sent us through some shallows, didn't I? That was where I messed up."

You chuckle, ruffling her hair, "Yeah, mostly. The depths will protect you from almost any weather, but getting at all close to the surface makes for a rough trip--and, if we were in a war zone, would put us in a bad spot. Luckily for us, there shouldn't be any enemy vessels about, so it's just some troubled waters."

Mary sighs, pouting, "...I don't suppose we could just change the route now, could we...?"

Your chuckling only escalates, and she groans at refusal. Honestly, she should thank you--she'll need to know how it feels, if she ends up forced into that situations someday. This is a good chance to learn.

Really, you need to make sure you use this opportunity well. You have no idea how long it will be until your mood turns mercurial again, so you need to prepare her for what's to come while you're still calm.

You stare up at the starscape of your ceilings, remembering how far Mary wants to go. She's got a long way if she wishes to travel those black seas; as much as you'd like to, you can't just play with her forever.

You still remember those lights in the depths, after all. Someday, she may have to captain your sleeping body all alone.

---

You laugh as you hit the shallows, your hull rising close to the surface, shaking and shuddering as the tempest tosses the water and submarine alike. It's a rush! A challenge in and of itself!

You adjust and compensate in real time, showing the full instrumentation and exactly what you're doing to Mary on a collection of displays, so that she can see how exactly you're doing this.

You could probably brute force this if you changed your design drastically, but you'd barely be a submarine if you took it far enough to completely disregard the roiling waters around you, and even you would prefer to feel like yourself if you can.

In spite of all the helpful, educational information you're providing, Mary seems oblivious, instead wasting her time gripping the chair's arms tightly and squeezing her eyes shut, "Make it stop, Surcouf! Please!"

You almost refuse, determined to make her acclimate--until you notice the tears in her eyes. Realizing you've probably overdone it, you shift your nanomaterials to soundproof the walls, shutting out the sound of the storm, and rush over to her. Kneeling down, you lift her from the Captain's chair and pull her into your arms, "It's okay, Mary. It's okay. I'm here. We'll be through here soon."

She clings to you, trying and failing to hold back tears, "Please don't leave me..."

"I won't, Love." As long as you can fight off that horror in the depths, at least.

"They said so too." You wonder who she's talking about for a moment, searching your memory, then recall how she ended up on that island in the first place--her ship, and her family, went down during a storm.

Maybe this wasn't the best choice of mission, but maybe you can help her overcome this.

"Don't worry, Mary. I'm stronger than this storm. Just stay strong and believe in me. I'll carry us through safely." You promise, hoping you can get her to face her fear, at least a bit.

She tentatively nods, loosening her hold a bit, "...Sorry. You can put me down. I'll...I'll be okay. Right?" She puts on her bravest face, clearly still frightened, but you set her back down in her chair as she asked. You know the two of you will be fine, and think it'll help her more if she feels a bit less protected as you overcome this. Probably, at least; humans are a bit confusing sometimes.

You accelerate, determined to push through these shallows as quickly as possible, not straying too far from Mary's side, and slowly you make it through. She still flinches a bit when your hull shakes too hard for her liking, but seems to become less afraid as time goes on and no disaster occurs.

Eventually, you reach open waters again, "Alright, we're through Mary. Let's go ahead and reroute around the other shallows." You bring up the map display from before, so that she can see the changes, "Here, I'll--"

"No." She shakes her head, jaw set, "We go through."

You frown, "We don't need to, though. I can easily--!"

She shakes her head again, "We go through. If I don't deal with this now, it could get us killed in a battle."

She's not wrong, particularly if she ever has to Captain your unconscious body, but you didn't want to push her that hard, after such a rocky start.

She looks determined, though.

"Are you sure, Love?" She nods firmly, and you reluctantly leave the course unchanged, closing the window you'd brought up and bringing back up the instrumentation and control displays you showed her before when you first hit the shallows.

This time, she watches them closely as you hit the next shallow region; she still flinches a bit when things are at their worst, but she doesn't turn her attention away from the windows you're providing, watching what you're dealing with and how you deal with it with tight focus.

By the third set of shallows, she seems mostly ready for it. She grimaces, and visibly is bracing herself, but the fear reactions seem to be dimming a bit more, at least.

She won't overcome this in one journey, but she's gotten her grip. More than enough for now.

---

A half an hour of deep waters later, you finally approach the first depot--it's built into a drilling rig, the oil from which. This one is the furthest from the destination, but the storm is still rough.

You dock, hull shaking under the raging storm, and send a requisition request to the depot. According to Gunzou's information, it should--

Yes, you get a signal back. The supplies should be provided soon.

A few minutes pass, and soon you sense motion from the waters nearby--an automated drone, carrying what you requested. You shift your hull to include the proper infrastructure needed to interface with it (as other Blue Steel vessels are built with). Moments later, it docks with you and begins moving the supplies over. You throw together a few simple drones of your own and have them set about moving the supplies into a newly created storage space.

With the supplies delivered, the Blue Steel drone undocks and you deconstruct the drone interface.

"One down!" You declare, smiling brightly at Mary in an attempt to encourage her. She smiles back, her nervousness having faded for now, and you raise a hand in invitation. She reaches up and leaps to high-five you, elliciting a chuckle from you.

"Next! Set course for the second depot, Surcouf!" She commands, turning to point dramatically in the direction of your destination; you ruffle her hair in response, "We're already on course, Mary. You set it before we left."

She pouts slightly, "You didn't have to say it. Anyway, let's get moving."

You laugh again, stretching your limbs and firing your engines, "Aye-aye, Captain!"

You set off into the sea anew as Mary preens next to you.

---

The next two stops take a few hours, but pass without significant difficulty.

Only, it's not looking like that trend will continue.

"...Is it just me, or are things getting rougher?" Mary asks, looking at the instrumentation data you've provided.

You shake your head, raising a hand and calling up a weather display, which you slide through the air to her, "It's not just you. The storm's changing."

She looks at it for only a moment before letting out a small groan, "It's a hurricane, isn't it?"

You hum your agreement, grimacing at the thought. You can handle that weather regardless, but getting near the surface to make the delivery is going to be rough, both for practical reasons and for Mary's comfort.

"Do we stay the course, Captain?" You ask, playing the subordinate. She surely knows you're asking if she's alright to continue, but you can be nice about it, at least.

"Yes. We have a delivery to make, Surcouf." Mary declares, trying to sound stern and authoritarian.

"If you're sure." You advance into the heart of the storm, diving deeper to avoid any shaking of your hull, and focus on making this as quick and painless as possible.

Then you get a ping on your sonar.

"Sacré bleu!"

Mary turns to look over her shoulder at you, "Surcouf?"

"Something's pinging on sonar. Something big. I can't tell exactly what it is--the storm's disturbing the water too much--but it's larger than even a Fog sub should be. It's still distant, though; if we hurry, we might be able to dock at our destination and make our delivery without engaging."

You bring up a sonar display for her, overlaying the local map for her. The delivery location--one of the Bonin Islands, southeast of Japan, that Blue Steel took control of decades ago--rests near the heart of the hurricane. A few miles to the southwest of it is the large signal. You are southeast of the island, almost the same distance from it as the unidentified signal.

She studies it for a minute, then shakes her head, "What do you think, Surcouf? Do we head for the outpost, or should we try to fight that ship?"
[ ] Head for the Outpost (If you go to the outpost, you'll be able to take shelter there, make your delivery, and learn more about the region and the situation...if you make it there safely, rather than being intercepted. You might bring more trouble to the outpost, too, if the signal isn't currently aware of it.

[ ] Confront the Signal (Face whatever lurks in the waters and hope you can survive an uninformed battle in the heart of the hurricane. You're skilled and experienced, but fighting an unknown enemy under poor conditions is a risky play to make.)