Annoyed Catholic
Moody fellow
Yes they are!
Oh and thanks for pointing out that typo.
Fixed now!
All Wo-rk and No Play: An Abyssal's Trials in the Job Market (KC)
- Thread starter PyrrhicSteel
- Start date
Yes they are!
Oh and thanks for pointing out that typo.
Fixed now!
Interlude: The Feds
PyrrhicSteel
Look natural.
- Location
- Idaho
"That's a summary of the situation." Murray concluded, the grainy surveillance footage of the abyssal projected onto the wall behind him. "I'm sure you all have plenty of questions."
The initial response was silence, the sound of clothing scraping against plastic the only noise as the newcomers grappled with the predicament that had been dropped on their shoulders.
...And it was one hell of a predicament. Nashville hadn't learned anything new from her commander's briefing, but with the situation so bluntly layed out in front of her, the light cruiser felt like she'd run aground on a new volcano.
"Here's my first." One of the newcomers started, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. "This intelligence, that some Abyssal Princesses have… defected to serve in human navies. Has this been shared with the GRU?"
Murray nodded slowly, his expression one of guarded neutrality.
"'Defected' isn't a very accurate term, but yes. This intel helped them neutralize the Northern Water Princess."
"Wonderful." The man replied, although his exasperated tone and icy glare implied the opposite. "Now, why is ONI withholding intelligence they've provided to the Russians from the Counterintelligence Division?"
Nashville felt pressure in her boilers suddenly spike, again. Agent Brandon Ferguson might have been in shape fifteen years ago, but it was clear the FBI Agent's best days were behind him. His suit failed to hide a gut that had gotten a little out of control, and his receding hairline was only partially covered by a thin, dark combover. He wasn't as abrasive as his partner, and didn't seem to be actively trying to set Nashville off like Katie was, but something about the FBI agent really rubbed the light cruiser the wrong way. Hailing from their counterintelligence division, Agent Ferguson had an air of quiet contempt surrounding him, and everything he'd said since his arrival had implied a brand of elitism that Nashville had rarely seen before.
The current comments were a good example. Ignoring the fact that the Japanese had discovered the nature of Abyssal Princesses, not them, why did some low-ranking civilians in a Virginia office building think they were entitled to The Navy's secrets? Did he think Saratoga was an intelligence risk?
"Agent Ferguson, I assure you that higher-ranking members of the Department of Homeland Security have been informed." Lieutenant Commander Murray replied, his shoulders sagging slightly in disappointment. "They're confident in the Navy's ability to monitor rescued shipgirls, either for psychological or… intelligence issues."
Murray put the answer much more diplomatically then Nashville could have, another reason she was glad she'd pawned the responsibility of a briefing off to him. Despite its softness, however, the answer didn't seem to satisfy Agent Ferguson in the slightest. His glare at the Lieutenant Commander continued, but Katie Harmon spoke up before he could.
"We were confident you would be able to hold Hawaii, too." The private detective mumbled. Nashville suddenly realized she was gripping the table as the particle board started to give under the pressure of her fingers.
"That's a completely different problem!" The cruiser snapped, letting go of the table before she accidentally snapped a chunk off of it.
"Play nice, everyone." The second FBI agent interjected, leveling a glare at Nashville. As he continued to speak, the glare drifted to the Harmon, before landing squarely on his partner. "Our current job is dealing with the eldritch abomination loose in rural Washington. Can we worry about this after we have a plan, at least?"
While he spoke, Agent Peters lounged in his chair, twirling the pen in his hand. As far as Nashville knew, the two Feds hadn't known each other before this assignment, as Peters had claimed to work in the Violent Crime Apprehension Program. His suit seemed looser than his colleague's, giving him a wider range of motion, but also a much more casual feel to all of his movements. His blond mustache was carefully trimmed, perhaps to preserve the seal of a gas mask. Harmon and Ferguson demanded respect, but Nashville doubted they'd ever earn it. Peters, however, seemed to have his priorities in the correct place, even if he wasn't there to get along with anyone.
"On that note…" The last newcomer added, his deep voice grabbing Nashville's attention. "...How much harm has Trinitite done, so far?"
"Do you mean since the Pacific Lilly's hijacking?" Nashville had more experience decoding Murray's expressions more than anyone else here (Harmon being a possible exception), so she was fairly sure nobody else detected the relief in her commander's voice.
"Maybe just how much harm she's done in general. Later on we should dive into her record." Deputy Anderson Goulding replied, leaning forwards. "I want to know who we're looking for."
Mulling the statement over, Murray nodded, sliding a chair out from against the table and taking a seat. Nodding towards the pamphlet splayed out in front of Agent Peters, he began.
"This information packet is about a week out of date." He admitted. "We can go over the basics now, but I'll have to schedule another interview with Saratoga and assemble another briefing if you want everything we know."
"That would be great." Deputy Goulding replied, sliding the other packet across the table to the Intelligence officer. Goulding was a massive man, and the only local in the room. Unlike his FBI companions, the dark-skinned US Marshall greeted the military personnel with a genuinely friendly smile and a firm handshake. Despite Nashville resenting Deputy Goulding's arrival, it was hard to hold it against him. "Could we talk to her?"
Murray slowly nodded again, although he didn't immediately respond.
"...it should be possible." He admitted. "Keep in mind that shipgirls who have been, uh, purged of abyssal corruption have difficulties recalling experiences from their time as Princesses."
"That sounds..." Agent Ferguson started, before abruptly trailing off. "Hmm. Nevermind."
A second passed.
"...back to Trinitite's history." Murray looked back down at the packet, flipping the title page over and scanning the contents of the next. "We can credit the confirmed loss of eight submarines, as well as the disappearance of two more to Trinitite and her two sisters, all of them shipgirls. About twice that many had to cancel their patrols due to damage sustained operating in the vicinity of their convoy."
Harmon and the two FBI agents seemed surprised by the news, sitting up as their eyes widened, but Goulding just nodded, accepting the information with a slow nod.
"Since conventional submarines can't be resummoned yet, it's harder to determine the cause of death for the handful UN navies have lost, but considering the damage to Montana, the three might be able to claim a few of those, as well." Murray shifted, flipping the page over and scanning the next's contents. "Additionally, we lost 124 shipgirl-born and thirty five conventional aircraft in attacks on their convoys. You can contribute some of those to AA fire from them and their screen, but the majority has been due to their ability to maintain a strong combat air patrol."
"How can abyssals shoot down fighter jets so easy?" Agent Ferguson asked, incredulous.
The spook looked up from the packet. "Not every loss is a kill on their part. A lot of these suffered minor damage which might have prevented the aircraft from reaching its base, or require it to be taken out of flight operations for repairs. My guess is about nine of the thirty five were actually shot down by Trinitite." Murray returned to the packet, scanning it's contents for some other information as he rapidly flipped through the rest. "If it helps, Marshall, there doesn't seem to be any evidence she goes after downed pilots."
"That does help." Deputy Goulding replied. "...and you all can just call me Anderson."
"Got it." Murray acknowledged, flipping to another page in the packet. "During the Battle of Bikini, Trinitite joined in the first air attack on the Japanese fleet, but the JMSDF's CAP ensured that between the Jellyfish Princess and the three Wo-classes, only four bombs and two torpedoes scored hits. Quick action ensured that the two carriers, battleship, and missile destroyer that took damage would not sink. Later attacks shifted to the Japanese fleet's air patrol and destroyer screen, sinking a few destroyers, but Trinitite had been incapacitated by then."
"...And that leads us to what you described in the briefing." Agent Peters concluded, allowing his hand to fall and driving the pen into the table with a quiet click. "Did she do anything else?"
The Spook shook his head.
"That's pretty tame, for an abyssal." Shangri-La commented, her chair creaking as the carrier shifted. "This incursion is the only offensive action she's taken so far, correct?"
"We're shooting ourselves in the foot to avoid mass panic, she's tying down several ships that could be used elsewhere, pretty much all civilians and infrastructure in the continental US are threatened, and we're all at each other's throats." Agent Peters observed, tucking the pen into his shirt pocket. "For her first time, she's done a damn good job."
With a sigh, Deputy Goulding leaned forwards. "We do know what she wants, though." He returned his gaze to Murray, a question on his lips. "Think we can negotiate with her?"
"We should be able to try." The Spook admitted. "Negotiations failed last time because we didn't have a good idea pertaining to her objective. Now?" He sighed, shaking his head. "We still don't know enough, honestly. It probably depends on if she wants to corrupt Saratoga, or just wants to know what happened to her."
"Could she corrupt Saratoga?" Peters asked. In response, Murray only shrugged.
"We don't know. The Abyss was originally able to corrupt her because she was ignorant of certain events, but it's managed to suppress some knowledge in other Princesses." He sighed, grimacing before he continued. "I can only be 90% sure Saratoga could stay sane if they met."
For a while, Agent Ferguson had been quiet, content to listen while his colleagues asked questions, but now the rotund agent spoke up.
"We shouldn't try to apprehend her immediately, anyways." Perhaps expecting a question, he paused, but Nashville was more interested in how he was going to continue. Was he worried about collateral damage? "This Abyssal isn't nearly as dangerous as what she implies. Who's to say she had this idea first?"
Right. He'd called himself a counterintelligence expert, hadn't he?
"There could already be a network of abyssal spies in human territory, submarines who've been able to slip into the US completely undetected." Agent Ferguson concluded.
"My superiors have that concern as well." Murray confirmed, his tone diplomatic.
"That's why I'm here." The FBI Agent confirmed. "We need to observe her for a few months, see if she's building a network of her own or if she's been contacted by someone else's. After that, maybe leak some rough details to the press, and see if anyone contacts her then."
Nashville nodded. In a way, it was probably a good thing they had someone experienced in whisper games aboard, but there was a chance that Agent Ferguson would be harder to deal with than Harmon. Hopefully him saying this meant he wouldn't be getting in anyone's way until then. Speaking of Harmon...
"Well, this is all fascinating," the Private Eye spoke up, "but how are you all going to find her in the first place?" She looked over to her ex. "What have you even been doing so far?"
"The Shelton Police and Fred Meyers believe Trinitite is a rowdy shipgirl we've already apprehended and disciplined." The intelligence officer reported. "We've confiscated the footage, and provided them with additional monetary compensation to keep the story out of the press."
Between the witnesses in Shelton, the crew of the Pacfic Lilly, that video circulating on the internet, the army of ground pounders they'd briefed to originally find Trinitite, and the rumors one of their team had found of a monster in Olympic National park, Nashville was starting to have doubts about their ability to keep all of this a secret.
"You bribed them." Harmon deadpanned.
"Yes, it looks bad." The intelligence officer admitted, before dismissing the question by continuing. "After that, we put out a notice to police departments in western Washington, giving them a reminder that Shipgirls are just as prone to criminal activity as any other demographic, and to alert us if they have any female suspects that demonstrate shipgirl features. Unnatural strength, durability, that sort of thing."
Nashville didn't need a reminder that had happened. It was bad enough that she'd sullied The Navy's and her own reputation by failing to stop The Abyssal from making landfall, but now they had to smear the public's opinion of shipgirls in general to cover for it! Sure, plenty of shipgirls had run against misdemeanor charges such as disturbing the peace, but the bulletin Murray had put out implied far worse. Couple that with the rumors of a shipgirl raiding a Fred Meyers that were making the rounds among shipgirls themselves, and it was looking like Trinitite was going to have some pretty serious long-term consequences even if she turned herself in tomorrow.
"In addition, my team is reviewing any reports of mysterious deaths or missing persons." Murray continued, oblivious to Nashville's fretting. "Hopefully, this effort doesn't yield anything, but we're checking it anyways. In addition, we've mandated that any team of shipgirls going on leave must be escorted by a ship who has been briefed on the situation, meaning any shipgirls we have out there can double as a search party."
"I think I missed something." Deputy Goulding frowned. "How does that help?"
Nashville found herself speaking before she even realized it. "Us shipgirls can naturally recognize each other, when we see each other. From now on, any party that stumbles upon a random carrier will recognize them as such, and can report their location to us." Seeing the rest of the room's attention was on her, she weekly added. "That should help us a little, right?"
"I see." Goulding nodded contemplatively, looking back to Murray. "Is that everything?"
"We recovered two of The Abyssal's pilots and have been interrogating them, but we haven't gotten any actionable intel from them yet." The Lieutenant Commander supplied.
"Yeah..." Agent Peters sighed, shaking his head. "...you're not going to find her."
It was a bit of a gutpunch, but to his credit Murray took it in stride.
"Okay." He nodded, leaning back in his chair. "What should we be doing?"
"Ideally, we'd launch a public manhunt..." Agent Peters stood, combing his hair with his hand as he started to pace. "...but despite the panic thing that has so many higher-ups paralyzed, I can see the problem of trying to corner a warship with fragile things like dogs and state troopers." The pen came out again, pointing towards deputy Goulding. "That's why we brought Deputy Goulding aboard."
At the acknowledgement, the US Marshall stood as well, making his way to the front of the room. The massive man dwarfed everyone sitting down. Now that he was standing, his physical presence was even more dominating.
"First off, you're leveraging local police assets about as well as you can. At its most basic, that's a good idea, but you don't have the authority to properly use them." He paused in front of the projection of Trinitite's facing, staring into it as he thought. Then, he turned abruptly, looking back to Murray. "Think we can doctor a few stills from this security footage, try to simulate how she'd look with makeup on?"
"Shouldn't be an issue." The spook answered.
"Great. Make a few speculative images, place a few side-by-side of her in different skin and hair colors, and get them to me. I'll forward those to local law enforcement, along with a story about her…" The US Marshall trailed off, looking back to the footage. "...being a witness with PTSD or something, so local cops report her to us instead of confronting her. Maybe say she's albino to explain the doctored images." Suddenly, he turned back, the massive man focusing on another person entirely. "Harmon."
The private eye sat up abruptly, surprise transparent on her face.
"Yeah?"
"I've heard of you before." Goulding nodded.
"Only good things, I hope." The PI replied, giving Goulding a thin smile.
"Use your own methods, but keep in contact with me, alright?" Deputy Goulding supplied, neither confirming or denying Kaite Harmon's 'hope.' "Something tells me we're going to be getting a lot of legal scrutiny in a few months. I'll have to get you deputized."
"Sure." The PI acknowledged.
"Sounds good." Murray spoke up again, focusing on the two FBI Agents. "What's your plan?"
Peters had been content to lean against the wall while the US Marshall talked, but now that attention was back on him, he straightened. "Well, now that we know what we're dealing with, we were going to poach some talent from the local branch office." He shifted, glancing to the conference room's exit. "Why don't you give us an overview of your team so we can fill in the gaps?"
"Right." Lieutenant Commander Murray stood up as well, followed by the other FBI agent. "I'll introduce you. Follow me. The rest of you are dismissed."
And with that, the three law enforcement officials filed out, following Nashville's commander. Silence dominated the conference room as Nashville looked over to Harmon. The Civilian was still stubbornly sitting in her chair, staring at the ceiling.
"You're going to follow them?" Nashville asked. The Private Investigator looked back to her, then shrugged. Well, that wasn't Nashville's business, so she didn't press the issue.
"So," Shangri La spoke up, adjusting her red sash as she sat up "what do you think?"
Nashville returned the Essex's questioning stare. "About the feds?"
"They're snakes in suits." Katie announced. "We're just obstacles to them. You saw how Ferguson was acting. Anything good from now on wouldn't have happened without their help, and if anything goes wrong it'll be the Navy's fault."
Wow, the detective couldn't be positive about anything, could she? Nashville agreed with her, at least on the topic of the desk-surfing Agent Ferguson, but now that the opinion had been voiced she wasn't sure she wanted to back it up.
"Well, it's good as long as we find Trinitite faster, right?" Shangri La asked. The fact her statement came off as naive to Nashville was… unnerving. She wasn't sure if that cynicism came from her service under Pinochet, or by spending too much time in offices recently. "But I didn't just mean them. What do you think of Trinitite?"
That caught Nashville off guard.
"Uh- She's a monster." There wasn't any other way to answer that, was there?
The Essex shook her head.
"She didn't volunteer to be one, did she?"
What? The light cruiser could feel her jaw dropping.
"...What are you implying?" She finally asked, her voice carefully measured. She liked Shangri La. Better to get a clarification then to just assume she had sympathies for abyssals.
"...I'm not entirely sure." The Essex-class replied, her eyes unfocusing. "The forced service thing wouldn't matter for an abyssal who pops civilians for sport, but she doesn't." Suddenly, the Essex paused, as if conceding a point no one had voiced. "Well, she didn't. What if that isn't an instinctual thing, but something that's trained?"
"It still makes her a monster." The Light Cruiser shrugged. If Shangri La wanted philosophical questions like that answered, she'd have to speak to Murray. Nashville just shot bad things.
In response, the Carrier leaned back again, closing her eyes and shaking her head.
"Sorry, I'm not getting my thoughts out right." Her next words were measured, as she carefully considered her own points. "Even while under abyssal influence, Mom didn't train her to do that stuff, so she didn't. That would mean she's just an enemy, right?"
"Where are you going with this?" Nashville asked. What she was saying made some sense, but at the end of the day that didn't make much of a difference.
"The Japanese were enemies too." Shangri La pointed out. "Now we're even better allies then we were in the eighties, and that was before The Abyssals got everyone working together."
There was silence as Nashville pondered the point. Yeah, politics meant rivals could become friends uncannily quickly, but Nashville didn't see any political reason to… What was Shangri La suggesting? Just talking to Trinitite? Goulding had suggested the same thing a few minutes ago.
"Look, you spent a while working for Chile, right?" At the confused light cruiser's nod, Shangri La asked "How far would they go for a carrier shipgirl around now?"
They'd sacrifice half their fleet. South America wasn't a priority for abyssals right now, but the handful of abyssals who did bother to harass them were giving them hell. On top of that, a Chilean shipgirl as advanced as an Essex would give them a huge advantage over Peru and Argentina. Maybe things had cooled off between those countries since Nashville was scrapped, but they certainly wouldn't say no to a 40-thousand-ton insurance policy.
"Okay," the light cruiser admitted. "but we're not that desperate."
"Do you know how many Essex-class Carriers haven't returned yet?" Shangri La asked. Nashville didn't. She wasn't paid to keep track of the entire Navy's fleet movements, after all, and between ships sinking and almost weekly summoning attempts, it was impossible to casually keep track of a navy as large as the US's. "A lot. The Japanese have managed to recall most of their navy because they can summon from almost any naval base." The Carrier held up three fingers, pulling one of the three down with the other hand. "We've only ever got it figured out in three, two now that Pearl's Fell. That's a huge bottleneck."
Understanding suddenly hit Nashville.
"So you want to hire her?"
Perhaps realizing the absurdity of her point, Shangri La sighed, her gaze unfocusing and drifting upwards.
"Maybe. I know we might just have to sink her, but-" Shangri La froze, and Nashville found herself bracing for another tangent. After a moment, she suddenly looked down, her rangefinders locking firmly on Nashville's. "What's the scariest thing for you?"
"Uh…" This was a… different topic, but Shangri Lad had to be leading Nashville somewhere. After thinking for a second, she remembered a few stories she'd heard.
"Caves." She finally announced. It was a fairly easy choice. An all-consuming darkness that ensures that whatever lights you bring won't be enough. Claustrophobic spaces meant for no human, let alone ship. Millions of tons that could come crashing down on you if you tried to brute force your way forwards. What wasn't there to be afraid of down there?
"Okay, those are pretty bad." Shangri La admitted. "Let me rephrase: What's the easiest way, you think, to scare a capital ship like me?"
That was easy. "You ask a submarine to do it."
"No." She denied. "You make them think they're alone."
The carrier paused, allowing Nashville to consider her statement. Capitol ships didn't seem to have much of an issue being alone, as far as Nashville had noticed? They slept in their own quarters plenty, after all.
"You mean, out on the water?"
"Sort of." Shangri-La leaned in, tapping on the table. "If we don't have any support, we're vulnerable to everything. Any strengths we have are suddenly stripped from us, and we know that any enemies we've made would sell their soul to get an opportunity to see us like this. Nothing like that's happened to me, but it's the kind of terror I've had nightmares about." She sighed, her gaze drifting away from Nashville and towards the image on the projector. "When I watched that footage of the Lieutenant Commander negotiating with Trinitite on the Pacific Lilly, I saw that fear, in someone who looks a lot like a sister to me." She sighed, shaking her head. "Maybe that's why I'm reading into this a little too much."
"Huh. Never thought of it that way." She wasn't sure she could relate, but Nashville didn't want to be disrespectful to her coworker. "Guess it's a Carrier thing."
"Maybe it is." Shangri La replied, brushing aside a lock of silver hair that had fallen in front of her face.
"Well, none of this matters, until we find her." Katie Harmon interjected, standing up. "You two want coffee?"
Nashville looked back towards the conference Room's entrance. Hopefully, with new blood joining the search, things were going to start moving again.
"Yeah." She replied. "Just get it to me black."
The initial response was silence, the sound of clothing scraping against plastic the only noise as the newcomers grappled with the predicament that had been dropped on their shoulders.
...And it was one hell of a predicament. Nashville hadn't learned anything new from her commander's briefing, but with the situation so bluntly layed out in front of her, the light cruiser felt like she'd run aground on a new volcano.
"Here's my first." One of the newcomers started, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. "This intelligence, that some Abyssal Princesses have… defected to serve in human navies. Has this been shared with the GRU?"
Murray nodded slowly, his expression one of guarded neutrality.
"'Defected' isn't a very accurate term, but yes. This intel helped them neutralize the Northern Water Princess."
"Wonderful." The man replied, although his exasperated tone and icy glare implied the opposite. "Now, why is ONI withholding intelligence they've provided to the Russians from the Counterintelligence Division?"
Nashville felt pressure in her boilers suddenly spike, again. Agent Brandon Ferguson might have been in shape fifteen years ago, but it was clear the FBI Agent's best days were behind him. His suit failed to hide a gut that had gotten a little out of control, and his receding hairline was only partially covered by a thin, dark combover. He wasn't as abrasive as his partner, and didn't seem to be actively trying to set Nashville off like Katie was, but something about the FBI agent really rubbed the light cruiser the wrong way. Hailing from their counterintelligence division, Agent Ferguson had an air of quiet contempt surrounding him, and everything he'd said since his arrival had implied a brand of elitism that Nashville had rarely seen before.
The current comments were a good example. Ignoring the fact that the Japanese had discovered the nature of Abyssal Princesses, not them, why did some low-ranking civilians in a Virginia office building think they were entitled to The Navy's secrets? Did he think Saratoga was an intelligence risk?
"Agent Ferguson, I assure you that higher-ranking members of the Department of Homeland Security have been informed." Lieutenant Commander Murray replied, his shoulders sagging slightly in disappointment. "They're confident in the Navy's ability to monitor rescued shipgirls, either for psychological or… intelligence issues."
Murray put the answer much more diplomatically then Nashville could have, another reason she was glad she'd pawned the responsibility of a briefing off to him. Despite its softness, however, the answer didn't seem to satisfy Agent Ferguson in the slightest. His glare at the Lieutenant Commander continued, but Katie Harmon spoke up before he could.
"We were confident you would be able to hold Hawaii, too." The private detective mumbled. Nashville suddenly realized she was gripping the table as the particle board started to give under the pressure of her fingers.
"That's a completely different problem!" The cruiser snapped, letting go of the table before she accidentally snapped a chunk off of it.
"Play nice, everyone." The second FBI agent interjected, leveling a glare at Nashville. As he continued to speak, the glare drifted to the Harmon, before landing squarely on his partner. "Our current job is dealing with the eldritch abomination loose in rural Washington. Can we worry about this after we have a plan, at least?"
While he spoke, Agent Peters lounged in his chair, twirling the pen in his hand. As far as Nashville knew, the two Feds hadn't known each other before this assignment, as Peters had claimed to work in the Violent Crime Apprehension Program. His suit seemed looser than his colleague's, giving him a wider range of motion, but also a much more casual feel to all of his movements. His blond mustache was carefully trimmed, perhaps to preserve the seal of a gas mask. Harmon and Ferguson demanded respect, but Nashville doubted they'd ever earn it. Peters, however, seemed to have his priorities in the correct place, even if he wasn't there to get along with anyone.
"On that note…" The last newcomer added, his deep voice grabbing Nashville's attention. "...How much harm has Trinitite done, so far?"
"Do you mean since the Pacific Lilly's hijacking?" Nashville had more experience decoding Murray's expressions more than anyone else here (Harmon being a possible exception), so she was fairly sure nobody else detected the relief in her commander's voice.
"Maybe just how much harm she's done in general. Later on we should dive into her record." Deputy Anderson Goulding replied, leaning forwards. "I want to know who we're looking for."
Mulling the statement over, Murray nodded, sliding a chair out from against the table and taking a seat. Nodding towards the pamphlet splayed out in front of Agent Peters, he began.
"This information packet is about a week out of date." He admitted. "We can go over the basics now, but I'll have to schedule another interview with Saratoga and assemble another briefing if you want everything we know."
"That would be great." Deputy Goulding replied, sliding the other packet across the table to the Intelligence officer. Goulding was a massive man, and the only local in the room. Unlike his FBI companions, the dark-skinned US Marshall greeted the military personnel with a genuinely friendly smile and a firm handshake. Despite Nashville resenting Deputy Goulding's arrival, it was hard to hold it against him. "Could we talk to her?"
Murray slowly nodded again, although he didn't immediately respond.
"...it should be possible." He admitted. "Keep in mind that shipgirls who have been, uh, purged of abyssal corruption have difficulties recalling experiences from their time as Princesses."
"That sounds..." Agent Ferguson started, before abruptly trailing off. "Hmm. Nevermind."
A second passed.
"...back to Trinitite's history." Murray looked back down at the packet, flipping the title page over and scanning the contents of the next. "We can credit the confirmed loss of eight submarines, as well as the disappearance of two more to Trinitite and her two sisters, all of them shipgirls. About twice that many had to cancel their patrols due to damage sustained operating in the vicinity of their convoy."
Harmon and the two FBI agents seemed surprised by the news, sitting up as their eyes widened, but Goulding just nodded, accepting the information with a slow nod.
"Since conventional submarines can't be resummoned yet, it's harder to determine the cause of death for the handful UN navies have lost, but considering the damage to Montana, the three might be able to claim a few of those, as well." Murray shifted, flipping the page over and scanning the next's contents. "Additionally, we lost 124 shipgirl-born and thirty five conventional aircraft in attacks on their convoys. You can contribute some of those to AA fire from them and their screen, but the majority has been due to their ability to maintain a strong combat air patrol."
"How can abyssals shoot down fighter jets so easy?" Agent Ferguson asked, incredulous.
The spook looked up from the packet. "Not every loss is a kill on their part. A lot of these suffered minor damage which might have prevented the aircraft from reaching its base, or require it to be taken out of flight operations for repairs. My guess is about nine of the thirty five were actually shot down by Trinitite." Murray returned to the packet, scanning it's contents for some other information as he rapidly flipped through the rest. "If it helps, Marshall, there doesn't seem to be any evidence she goes after downed pilots."
"That does help." Deputy Goulding replied. "...and you all can just call me Anderson."
"Got it." Murray acknowledged, flipping to another page in the packet. "During the Battle of Bikini, Trinitite joined in the first air attack on the Japanese fleet, but the JMSDF's CAP ensured that between the Jellyfish Princess and the three Wo-classes, only four bombs and two torpedoes scored hits. Quick action ensured that the two carriers, battleship, and missile destroyer that took damage would not sink. Later attacks shifted to the Japanese fleet's air patrol and destroyer screen, sinking a few destroyers, but Trinitite had been incapacitated by then."
"...And that leads us to what you described in the briefing." Agent Peters concluded, allowing his hand to fall and driving the pen into the table with a quiet click. "Did she do anything else?"
The Spook shook his head.
"That's pretty tame, for an abyssal." Shangri-La commented, her chair creaking as the carrier shifted. "This incursion is the only offensive action she's taken so far, correct?"
"We're shooting ourselves in the foot to avoid mass panic, she's tying down several ships that could be used elsewhere, pretty much all civilians and infrastructure in the continental US are threatened, and we're all at each other's throats." Agent Peters observed, tucking the pen into his shirt pocket. "For her first time, she's done a damn good job."
With a sigh, Deputy Goulding leaned forwards. "We do know what she wants, though." He returned his gaze to Murray, a question on his lips. "Think we can negotiate with her?"
"We should be able to try." The Spook admitted. "Negotiations failed last time because we didn't have a good idea pertaining to her objective. Now?" He sighed, shaking his head. "We still don't know enough, honestly. It probably depends on if she wants to corrupt Saratoga, or just wants to know what happened to her."
"Could she corrupt Saratoga?" Peters asked. In response, Murray only shrugged.
"We don't know. The Abyss was originally able to corrupt her because she was ignorant of certain events, but it's managed to suppress some knowledge in other Princesses." He sighed, grimacing before he continued. "I can only be 90% sure Saratoga could stay sane if they met."
For a while, Agent Ferguson had been quiet, content to listen while his colleagues asked questions, but now the rotund agent spoke up.
"We shouldn't try to apprehend her immediately, anyways." Perhaps expecting a question, he paused, but Nashville was more interested in how he was going to continue. Was he worried about collateral damage? "This Abyssal isn't nearly as dangerous as what she implies. Who's to say she had this idea first?"
Right. He'd called himself a counterintelligence expert, hadn't he?
"There could already be a network of abyssal spies in human territory, submarines who've been able to slip into the US completely undetected." Agent Ferguson concluded.
"My superiors have that concern as well." Murray confirmed, his tone diplomatic.
"That's why I'm here." The FBI Agent confirmed. "We need to observe her for a few months, see if she's building a network of her own or if she's been contacted by someone else's. After that, maybe leak some rough details to the press, and see if anyone contacts her then."
Nashville nodded. In a way, it was probably a good thing they had someone experienced in whisper games aboard, but there was a chance that Agent Ferguson would be harder to deal with than Harmon. Hopefully him saying this meant he wouldn't be getting in anyone's way until then. Speaking of Harmon...
"Well, this is all fascinating," the Private Eye spoke up, "but how are you all going to find her in the first place?" She looked over to her ex. "What have you even been doing so far?"
"The Shelton Police and Fred Meyers believe Trinitite is a rowdy shipgirl we've already apprehended and disciplined." The intelligence officer reported. "We've confiscated the footage, and provided them with additional monetary compensation to keep the story out of the press."
Between the witnesses in Shelton, the crew of the Pacfic Lilly, that video circulating on the internet, the army of ground pounders they'd briefed to originally find Trinitite, and the rumors one of their team had found of a monster in Olympic National park, Nashville was starting to have doubts about their ability to keep all of this a secret.
"You bribed them." Harmon deadpanned.
"Yes, it looks bad." The intelligence officer admitted, before dismissing the question by continuing. "After that, we put out a notice to police departments in western Washington, giving them a reminder that Shipgirls are just as prone to criminal activity as any other demographic, and to alert us if they have any female suspects that demonstrate shipgirl features. Unnatural strength, durability, that sort of thing."
Nashville didn't need a reminder that had happened. It was bad enough that she'd sullied The Navy's and her own reputation by failing to stop The Abyssal from making landfall, but now they had to smear the public's opinion of shipgirls in general to cover for it! Sure, plenty of shipgirls had run against misdemeanor charges such as disturbing the peace, but the bulletin Murray had put out implied far worse. Couple that with the rumors of a shipgirl raiding a Fred Meyers that were making the rounds among shipgirls themselves, and it was looking like Trinitite was going to have some pretty serious long-term consequences even if she turned herself in tomorrow.
"In addition, my team is reviewing any reports of mysterious deaths or missing persons." Murray continued, oblivious to Nashville's fretting. "Hopefully, this effort doesn't yield anything, but we're checking it anyways. In addition, we've mandated that any team of shipgirls going on leave must be escorted by a ship who has been briefed on the situation, meaning any shipgirls we have out there can double as a search party."
"I think I missed something." Deputy Goulding frowned. "How does that help?"
Nashville found herself speaking before she even realized it. "Us shipgirls can naturally recognize each other, when we see each other. From now on, any party that stumbles upon a random carrier will recognize them as such, and can report their location to us." Seeing the rest of the room's attention was on her, she weekly added. "That should help us a little, right?"
"I see." Goulding nodded contemplatively, looking back to Murray. "Is that everything?"
"We recovered two of The Abyssal's pilots and have been interrogating them, but we haven't gotten any actionable intel from them yet." The Lieutenant Commander supplied.
"Yeah..." Agent Peters sighed, shaking his head. "...you're not going to find her."
It was a bit of a gutpunch, but to his credit Murray took it in stride.
"Okay." He nodded, leaning back in his chair. "What should we be doing?"
"Ideally, we'd launch a public manhunt..." Agent Peters stood, combing his hair with his hand as he started to pace. "...but despite the panic thing that has so many higher-ups paralyzed, I can see the problem of trying to corner a warship with fragile things like dogs and state troopers." The pen came out again, pointing towards deputy Goulding. "That's why we brought Deputy Goulding aboard."
At the acknowledgement, the US Marshall stood as well, making his way to the front of the room. The massive man dwarfed everyone sitting down. Now that he was standing, his physical presence was even more dominating.
"First off, you're leveraging local police assets about as well as you can. At its most basic, that's a good idea, but you don't have the authority to properly use them." He paused in front of the projection of Trinitite's facing, staring into it as he thought. Then, he turned abruptly, looking back to Murray. "Think we can doctor a few stills from this security footage, try to simulate how she'd look with makeup on?"
"Shouldn't be an issue." The spook answered.
"Great. Make a few speculative images, place a few side-by-side of her in different skin and hair colors, and get them to me. I'll forward those to local law enforcement, along with a story about her…" The US Marshall trailed off, looking back to the footage. "...being a witness with PTSD or something, so local cops report her to us instead of confronting her. Maybe say she's albino to explain the doctored images." Suddenly, he turned back, the massive man focusing on another person entirely. "Harmon."
The private eye sat up abruptly, surprise transparent on her face.
"Yeah?"
"I've heard of you before." Goulding nodded.
"Only good things, I hope." The PI replied, giving Goulding a thin smile.
"Use your own methods, but keep in contact with me, alright?" Deputy Goulding supplied, neither confirming or denying Kaite Harmon's 'hope.' "Something tells me we're going to be getting a lot of legal scrutiny in a few months. I'll have to get you deputized."
"Sure." The PI acknowledged.
"Sounds good." Murray spoke up again, focusing on the two FBI Agents. "What's your plan?"
Peters had been content to lean against the wall while the US Marshall talked, but now that attention was back on him, he straightened. "Well, now that we know what we're dealing with, we were going to poach some talent from the local branch office." He shifted, glancing to the conference room's exit. "Why don't you give us an overview of your team so we can fill in the gaps?"
"Right." Lieutenant Commander Murray stood up as well, followed by the other FBI agent. "I'll introduce you. Follow me. The rest of you are dismissed."
And with that, the three law enforcement officials filed out, following Nashville's commander. Silence dominated the conference room as Nashville looked over to Harmon. The Civilian was still stubbornly sitting in her chair, staring at the ceiling.
"You're going to follow them?" Nashville asked. The Private Investigator looked back to her, then shrugged. Well, that wasn't Nashville's business, so she didn't press the issue.
"So," Shangri La spoke up, adjusting her red sash as she sat up "what do you think?"
Nashville returned the Essex's questioning stare. "About the feds?"
"They're snakes in suits." Katie announced. "We're just obstacles to them. You saw how Ferguson was acting. Anything good from now on wouldn't have happened without their help, and if anything goes wrong it'll be the Navy's fault."
Wow, the detective couldn't be positive about anything, could she? Nashville agreed with her, at least on the topic of the desk-surfing Agent Ferguson, but now that the opinion had been voiced she wasn't sure she wanted to back it up.
"Well, it's good as long as we find Trinitite faster, right?" Shangri La asked. The fact her statement came off as naive to Nashville was… unnerving. She wasn't sure if that cynicism came from her service under Pinochet, or by spending too much time in offices recently. "But I didn't just mean them. What do you think of Trinitite?"
That caught Nashville off guard.
"Uh- She's a monster." There wasn't any other way to answer that, was there?
The Essex shook her head.
"She didn't volunteer to be one, did she?"
What? The light cruiser could feel her jaw dropping.
"...What are you implying?" She finally asked, her voice carefully measured. She liked Shangri La. Better to get a clarification then to just assume she had sympathies for abyssals.
"...I'm not entirely sure." The Essex-class replied, her eyes unfocusing. "The forced service thing wouldn't matter for an abyssal who pops civilians for sport, but she doesn't." Suddenly, the Essex paused, as if conceding a point no one had voiced. "Well, she didn't. What if that isn't an instinctual thing, but something that's trained?"
"It still makes her a monster." The Light Cruiser shrugged. If Shangri La wanted philosophical questions like that answered, she'd have to speak to Murray. Nashville just shot bad things.
In response, the Carrier leaned back again, closing her eyes and shaking her head.
"Sorry, I'm not getting my thoughts out right." Her next words were measured, as she carefully considered her own points. "Even while under abyssal influence, Mom didn't train her to do that stuff, so she didn't. That would mean she's just an enemy, right?"
"Where are you going with this?" Nashville asked. What she was saying made some sense, but at the end of the day that didn't make much of a difference.
"The Japanese were enemies too." Shangri La pointed out. "Now we're even better allies then we were in the eighties, and that was before The Abyssals got everyone working together."
There was silence as Nashville pondered the point. Yeah, politics meant rivals could become friends uncannily quickly, but Nashville didn't see any political reason to… What was Shangri La suggesting? Just talking to Trinitite? Goulding had suggested the same thing a few minutes ago.
"Look, you spent a while working for Chile, right?" At the confused light cruiser's nod, Shangri La asked "How far would they go for a carrier shipgirl around now?"
They'd sacrifice half their fleet. South America wasn't a priority for abyssals right now, but the handful of abyssals who did bother to harass them were giving them hell. On top of that, a Chilean shipgirl as advanced as an Essex would give them a huge advantage over Peru and Argentina. Maybe things had cooled off between those countries since Nashville was scrapped, but they certainly wouldn't say no to a 40-thousand-ton insurance policy.
"Okay," the light cruiser admitted. "but we're not that desperate."
"Do you know how many Essex-class Carriers haven't returned yet?" Shangri La asked. Nashville didn't. She wasn't paid to keep track of the entire Navy's fleet movements, after all, and between ships sinking and almost weekly summoning attempts, it was impossible to casually keep track of a navy as large as the US's. "A lot. The Japanese have managed to recall most of their navy because they can summon from almost any naval base." The Carrier held up three fingers, pulling one of the three down with the other hand. "We've only ever got it figured out in three, two now that Pearl's Fell. That's a huge bottleneck."
Understanding suddenly hit Nashville.
"So you want to hire her?"
Perhaps realizing the absurdity of her point, Shangri La sighed, her gaze unfocusing and drifting upwards.
"Maybe. I know we might just have to sink her, but-" Shangri La froze, and Nashville found herself bracing for another tangent. After a moment, she suddenly looked down, her rangefinders locking firmly on Nashville's. "What's the scariest thing for you?"
"Uh…" This was a… different topic, but Shangri Lad had to be leading Nashville somewhere. After thinking for a second, she remembered a few stories she'd heard.
"Caves." She finally announced. It was a fairly easy choice. An all-consuming darkness that ensures that whatever lights you bring won't be enough. Claustrophobic spaces meant for no human, let alone ship. Millions of tons that could come crashing down on you if you tried to brute force your way forwards. What wasn't there to be afraid of down there?
"Okay, those are pretty bad." Shangri La admitted. "Let me rephrase: What's the easiest way, you think, to scare a capital ship like me?"
That was easy. "You ask a submarine to do it."
"No." She denied. "You make them think they're alone."
The carrier paused, allowing Nashville to consider her statement. Capitol ships didn't seem to have much of an issue being alone, as far as Nashville had noticed? They slept in their own quarters plenty, after all.
"You mean, out on the water?"
"Sort of." Shangri-La leaned in, tapping on the table. "If we don't have any support, we're vulnerable to everything. Any strengths we have are suddenly stripped from us, and we know that any enemies we've made would sell their soul to get an opportunity to see us like this. Nothing like that's happened to me, but it's the kind of terror I've had nightmares about." She sighed, her gaze drifting away from Nashville and towards the image on the projector. "When I watched that footage of the Lieutenant Commander negotiating with Trinitite on the Pacific Lilly, I saw that fear, in someone who looks a lot like a sister to me." She sighed, shaking her head. "Maybe that's why I'm reading into this a little too much."
"Huh. Never thought of it that way." She wasn't sure she could relate, but Nashville didn't want to be disrespectful to her coworker. "Guess it's a Carrier thing."
"Maybe it is." Shangri La replied, brushing aside a lock of silver hair that had fallen in front of her face.
"Well, none of this matters, until we find her." Katie Harmon interjected, standing up. "You two want coffee?"
Nashville looked back towards the conference Room's entrance. Hopefully, with new blood joining the search, things were going to start moving again.
"Yeah." She replied. "Just get it to me black."
I made a mistake.
This chapter fought me all the way, partially because there were way too many characters in one conversation, and they were new ones at that. It was a… challenge, and I'll probably need feedback to know how well or poorly I did making each one unique enough to understand.
When I first mentioned they'd appear last interlude, a lot of people were referencing shows like the X-files for potential characterizations of the FBI agents. I wasn't 100% sure myself, but I really didn't want to directly rip a character out of a show and place them in my fic. On the other hand, I'll admit I'm not the most creative person, and I needed to look for inspiration somewhere, so instead I pulled the loose character ideas for the two FBI agents from Surviving Edged Weapons and the US Marshall from Ace Combat 7. That should give me plenty of room to write them how I want, since the first two are only on screen for half a minute and the other is working an entirely different job.
Jesus christ, imagine how many razor blades you could attach to the back of a Wo-Class's hat.
This chapter fought me all the way, partially because there were way too many characters in one conversation, and they were new ones at that. It was a… challenge, and I'll probably need feedback to know how well or poorly I did making each one unique enough to understand.
When I first mentioned they'd appear last interlude, a lot of people were referencing shows like the X-files for potential characterizations of the FBI agents. I wasn't 100% sure myself, but I really didn't want to directly rip a character out of a show and place them in my fic. On the other hand, I'll admit I'm not the most creative person, and I needed to look for inspiration somewhere, so instead I pulled the loose character ideas for the two FBI agents from Surviving Edged Weapons and the US Marshall from Ace Combat 7. That should give me plenty of room to write them how I want, since the first two are only on screen for half a minute and the other is working an entirely different job.
Jesus christ, imagine how many razor blades you could attach to the back of a Wo-Class's hat.
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- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Only typo I caught.
As for the characters it did seem like there were a couple too many. I sort of lost track of which FBI was which (there were 3 and 2 were partners?), but if they show up more I think slotting them separately would work.
Interesting that it seemed like the counter-intel person seemed suspicious about converted shipgirls not remembering their time as abyssals that well.
I do like that you seem to be setting up a conflict between Nashville's dogged pursuit of Trin with others being more flexible to approaching her. It does have me wondering how Trin would react to an offer of a phone call or something with Saratoga. I'd think she would be suspicious, but also might be desperate enough to pounce on it.
Kind of hilarious to think about if they do end up finding and watching her always going back for more ice cream convincing them that the 31st flavor is treason.
Shangri-La brings up a good point. So far, not that she knows this yet, her contribution to the operation has been negative. Trinitite got away from a flotilla of destroyers because they confused her for Shangri-La, because Shangri-La had been detached alone with no explanation.
The good point is, that shouldn't have happened. While on the hunt, Shangri-La should've had escorts. If she weren't operating alone, if the flotilla didn't know she was alone, that confusion would've been a lot less likely.
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That end bit was really insightful.
At the moment Trin is skating by on 'no one would believe' innocent and ignorant audacity.
I wonder if what causes her to break cover is going to be compassion... building sites are dangerous and humans are squishy. I have a mental image of her holding up half a collapsing building or similar while the rest get clear, or something going up in flames and her makeup getting ruined...
One nitpick, i think it should be capitAl ships rather than capitOl ships.
Looking forward to more...
At the moment Trin is skating by on 'no one would believe' innocent and ignorant audacity.
I wonder if what causes her to break cover is going to be compassion... building sites are dangerous and humans are squishy. I have a mental image of her holding up half a collapsing building or similar while the rest get clear, or something going up in flames and her makeup getting ruined...
One nitpick, i think it should be capitAl ships rather than capitOl ships.
Looking forward to more...
Annoyed Catholic
Moody fellow
Hey, what is the status of those sailors from the Pacific Lilly? Are they still being detained by the Navy, or have they been released (with hush money)? Or at least released with NDA forms signed, with permission to tell all (on talk shows and the like) after Trin has been captured?
Is there going to be some kind of BS cover story for Trin's continued existence IF she should suddenly be folded into the ranks of . . . maybe the Canadian Navy or some such? Or maybe something more akin to the truth: defection?
That last part? I'd like to think that Trin would be amiable to the idea of joining the humans if it meant that she could stay with her Momboat.
Is there going to be some kind of BS cover story for Trin's continued existence IF she should suddenly be folded into the ranks of . . . maybe the Canadian Navy or some such? Or maybe something more akin to the truth: defection?
That last part? I'd like to think that Trin would be amiable to the idea of joining the humans if it meant that she could stay with her Momboat.
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Annoyed Catholic
Moody fellow
Oh shit when did Hawaii fall
Ah. I had thought, from the radio way back and the few mentions since, that the Hawaii situation was, like, "Overly exposed and under heavy pressure, but still operating" not "Partially occupied".
Annoyed Catholic
Moody fellow
Yep.
Shangri La mentioned it in the last chapter. Stating that ever since Pearl had fallen the US was now down to two places to summon shipgirls, which put quick a bottleneck on things. That is kind of why the option of at least somebody in the US Navy (or something) would be willing to hire Trinitite....
PyrrhicSteel
Look natural.
- Location
- Idaho
Hey, always fun to see another omake!
Another small critique, though: When introducing a character, most of the frontloaded exposition on them should be about their appearance, with a focus on displaying their personality through their actions and dialogue after they've been introduced. Hypocenter and Firestorm were portrayed pretty well, but it probably would have been better if you cut the description of their personality down to one, maybe two sentences, and rely on dialogue to do the heavy lifting. This is on my mind because I was really struggling with this in the last chapter.
Anyways, I like the idea of Trinitite at this stage of the story talking to her mother, and am definitely looking forwards to the next snip. You also write pretty darn fast!
Glad you caught that! The side-plot is pretty improvisational when compared to how I've planned out everything in the main story, but it feels like it'll be a fun conflict to explore.
Thank you. I'll have to go back and correct that.
Yup, the Pacific Lilly's crew has been released, under NDA. They're probably about to go on another trip.
Trin showing up is going to be a PR nightmare even if it goes about ax smoothly as possible. At best, I can see the public (and a lot of the navy) seeing it as a desperate attempt to use Abyssals to fight Abyssals, and they'd probably think of being about as safe as that mind controlled xenomorph concept that's floating around the internet. Some would be certain the plan of using Trinitite in the a conventional Navy would be suicidality stupid. Just think of how many bad movies have that kind of plot!
A little over a year ago. Abyssals managed to push into Pearl in a massive offensive and summon the Central Princess, even though they weren't able to stay in the theatre themselves. Now, she's basically alone, surrounded by special forces (with shipgirl support) on her island, with a lot of artillery keeping her from developing her infrastructure too much from the big island. It's a brutal, months-long battle, but it does mean that Pearl isn't of much more use then as a meatgrinder for both sides at the moment.
I'm not sure I entirely agree with that. Is it an actual accepted guidance for writing stories?
PyrrhicSteel
Look natural.
- Location
- Idaho
I'll admit it's very subjective advice, loosely based on 'show, don't tell.' Maybe if the character is only going to be in the fic for a few scenes, you can frontload, but I generally like to minimize discussing their personality to initially a few adjectives then trying to get the reader to assume the rest.
Hecatonchires
Just an H-class cyborg with an octopus brain stem
- Location
- The Gong, NSW, Australia
it's also leaning on that first introduction idea. You know what they look like, then probably what they sound like. Possibly their scent. But you don't know they're kind to animals, despite coming from a broken home, or that their mother ran off with a door to door salesman when they were 7...
Annoyed Catholic
Moody fellow
Ayep, I plead guilty to the charges your Honor.
I was being . . .lazy. I gave credit to the information that PyrricSteel provided about both Abyssal shipgirls. But what I perhaps failed to mention was I did a "cut and paste" with the info straight into the body of the omake. Oh, I edited it to fit better into the "flow" of the chapter, but . . .not by much.
Annoyed Catholic - You Can't Go Home Again (Part 2)...
Annoyed Catholic
Moody fellow
You Can't Go Home Again (Part 2)...
Hey, so with more than a bit of editing and effort (and having to repost), I give you this. By all means, point out errors and concerns. I'll fix what I can when I can. I'm DONE for the night though so see you later!
With Trinitite...
"It was her skills in damage control," Smythe said from the smartphone's small screen. Apparently, whoever briefed this man did it rather well from appearance. "Sara taught her well, you know. You all know that."
"Yes," Trinitite said, smiling fondly at the memories of her Princess . . . .her Mother giving her and her sisters lessons in that and ASW. "It was a close-run thing and it took long enough that I could do nothing but watch as my Princess get transformed . . ."
Trinitite gestures slightly at the red-headed shipgirl who had been (and still WAS) her mother.
Saratoga! She remembered her. She still loved her! But what in the name of the Deep was she going to do now?! With her sister now . . .like they were, what now? Would this mean IF she was able to save her mother? Bring her back to normal, would that mean that her sisters would be trying to sink her? Their mother?!
Deep! The idea had been to somehow arrange to get her mother alone, hull to hull to bring her back to her senses. So she could be the Jellyfish Princess again and they could both go back home . . .or somewhere they'd make a new home!
Somewhere other than the Bikini Atoll, the sight of where those atomic bombs had eventually caused her mother to sink. Trinitite was NOT going to subjugate her mother to memories of that again, not letting her get over it and get on with her life! How had she not notice her mother had been suffering?!
"And I had to watch and do nothing as she was taken away by helicopter," Trinitite said, almost whimpering at the feeling of confusion and hopelessness, before firming and glaring defiantly at everyone standing and sitting around her mother. "I want my mother back!"
"I want my sisters back," Trinitite adds, wilting slightly when looking at her sisters who blinked back at her.
Deep! This was going to be difficult to get them ALL back, but she'd rather die than just give up the fight! Not now, but . . .it was going to be a lot more Hellish to accomplish, you know! And Trin didn't look forward to that at all after all, she'd gone through already.
Hey! Nashville thinks to herself noticing something rather . . . familiar about Trinitite's clothing. Is it me or is that Wo-class wearing an outfit RATHER amazingly similar to what Shangri La went out into the world earlier today?
Of course, somebody would have to interrupt that line of thought before the shipgirl could come to any solid conclusions beyond a slow dawning realization of a "camouflage" as to just WHY the local police had been less than effective in helping track Trinitite than hoped for here.
"So. . . that was all this was about?" a slightly exasperated woman's voice comes from across the room that until now, Trinitite had been ignoring. "You mean to tell me that you came all this way here. No abyssal submarine spy networks? No attempts at industrial sabotage? Avoided every attempt to block your way and capture you? Evading our attempts to so much as do ANY surveillance on you? This was all to just get back with your mommy?!"
With Nashville . . .
"She said as much," Nashville muttered to herself, remembering that this particular spook whose name she couldn't be bothered to remember.
She did remember that that woman agent had been rather incensed about orders from on high to drop all efforts at merely trying to observe Trinitite (as if they'd even been ABLE to find the d*mn Abyssal in the first place to observe), but instead to capture her at all costs.
God, with just one question that Smythe managed to turn everything upside down and backward with all the panic he'd caused. And it hadn't even been meant as a really serious question. Hell, even she'd thought such a question had surely been answered beforehand and . . .
No, it had been asked. But not by anyone who the powers that be had deigned listened to before now. Dr. Takahashi was obviously a very intelligent person. Gifted even, by what the shipgirl had seen during his brief introduction before Saratoga's arrival (and Us Marshal Janson Smythe's rather loud interruption just moments earlier outside). But Takahashi was . . a more than a bit "eccentric".
Still, Smythe hadn't been . . .wrong in his question, but in as far as immediate concerns it hadn't been as needful and initially believed. But Hell if the business with Abyssals eventually getting more and more competent as time went on, after each re-summoning, wasn't a concern! "Capture" was still the order of the day, but it wasn't "do or die" as it had been (if that was a good way to state how concerned everyone had been).
"Abyssal submarine spy networks?!" Trinitite blinked, looking towards the spook woman in question as if she was an idiot. "As far as I know I am the first Abyssal to ever to penetrate your security and get onto American soil. And honestly, if some Princess was to send a spy, it sure as Deep wouldn't be an Abyssal Aircraft Carrier. Not like I did it, you know!"
"Now shut up and stop interrupting us," the Wo-class practically commands, glaring at the sputtering woman. "I do not want to belabor the obvious with you anymore."
Chuckling slightly to herself, Nashville had to ask herself if it was wrong to be agreeing with this wayward Wo. If anything else today by just watching, it became crystal clear . . .this Abyssal was . . .not . . .a monster. Shangri La was right.
And Nashville had been wrong...
An enemy for the longest time, but seeing the desperation? The emotion that Trinitite was showing just seeing Saratoga? This WAS a child desperately seeking her mother. D*mn.
Just D*mn!
"I want them back," Trinitite says, firming up and repeating herself once back to staring at Smythe. "And I suggest you not try to stop me from doing that, humans."
If only to herself, she had to ask just how in the Hell she was going to manage that. Now not only did she have to somehow get her Abyssal aft over to Japan to find and rescue her mother, she now needed to do it with her sisters!!
That and ask questions to her "guest" in the car about just how close the Navy and their allied fleets were in tracking her down. That and a few other questions before perhaps blowing town for another city, to build up assets and build some kind of plans for the future (with her sisters and mother).
Oh, and of course whatever else she would pop a car tire--her hands could easily do that-- and eat a "smartphone" or two of Harmon before vacating the area. Without both a phone or a car with four intact tires, she'd be less of a hassle.
Hmm, also least she forgets she had to make it to the dropoff point for her Marines detachment for change out of the personnel and food resupply.
At least it seemed to be that, and made up for some of the scares she kept having with keeping almost meeting the aircraft carrier out in town!
Yes! Being able to spy upon her foes had been . . .useful. Not as useful as she'd hoped, but at least she'd made SOME use of it with that Essex-class who looked inexplicably similar to her!
Youtube had been VERY useful in that regards for her Marines. Getting them up to snuff, even IF they complained it being from "the Army".
Might as make use of that with "confusion to the enemy" or something as the humans would say from time to time Or maybe just a recall and evac depending on what Harmon answers after this phone call.
A phone call that had been taking too long for her tastes to avoid it being tracked, d*mnit! And while she had been able to talk with her mother again AND find out her sisters were alive....
Trinitite then makes a move as if to cut the connection. Hopefully next time, she could call without all the human interruptions but at least she'd made SOME very interesting discoveries! Welcome ones, in fact...
"Trin!" Saratoga interrupts the Wo-class thoughts, and then completely derails them with what she says next. "I'm here in Washington! We need to meet!!"
"Wha-at?" Trinitite blinked, not sure she'd heard correctly and having felt like she'd hit a reef. "How?!"
"A very fast jetfighter brought about by one G*d d*mn question I just had to ask," muttered the marshal, still even now having trouble believing it had avalanched into this, somehow. Trinitite was now is looking at him, having overheard that.
And leaving the erstwhile marshal wondering what was it with all these people around him with such good hearing! What was UP with that?! Acoustics?!
"Wait!" Commander Dan Murray waves, causing the Abyssal to pause for a moment. "We can arrange a meet. Make some kind of . . ."
"I . . . .might be willing to do that," the Wo-class manages, rallying and cutting the Navy officer off. "But not with you. I have had my fill of you even before I escaped from the Pacific Lilly."
"Not a fan of my ex-boyfriend eh?" Katie Harmon chuckles softly over the cellphone. "Wow, we have an Abyssal of culture and good taste."
Dan Murray mutters something and coughs in embarrassment while more than a few people also cough, hiding their chuckling at the Commander's expense.
Let us just say that while hard-working and bright. " A Godsend to America" even at his job, but Dan had a . . .way at time rubbing various people the wrong way during their time together on this operation and leave at that, okay?
"I wish to do any future dealing with the Navy through 'the Cowboy'," Trinitite continues, gesturing towards the marshal in question. "He's been polite, for the most part!"
"'My Deputy' Cowboy?" Harmon asked drolly, for some perverse reason found she wanted to tease the man in question. Not exactly the brightest idea there, but Katie's mind was going all over the place due to being a bit tired right now.
This operation! Going from manhunt to surveillance and back again! And the last part at the drop of a hat and without proper sleep! There BETTER be a good bonus for that when this job was done or she'd raise Hell over it!!
"He's concerned over a fleet mate's fate," Trinitite (of all people) admonishes the narcissistic PI. "Friends do that. Abyssals? Kanmusu? Humans? Oh, dare you to say differently?!"
Trin's mood is kind of bouncing all over the place here. Expect that for people who keep on getting hit with shocks, it happens.
"Hush," Trinitite shakes her head at Katie before turning back (and ignoring whatever the PI would have said). Right now, the PI was not the issue. Those on the other end of the phone? Who would and could provide her with what she'd gone through here? Her Mother?!
Yeah, that was what was important to the Wo-class.
"I am . . .authorized to be able to do that," Janson concedes, seeing the gesturing from various Navy (and other) military personnel. The highest being Murray's boss who the man had been tasked to report to during this accursed operation.
As it happened, the marshal HAD been authorized to conduct negotiations with Trinitite. Emergency negotiations for hostage situations, and not this more (somewhat) mundan-ish negotiation. The idea had been that the other Feds and Military folk would be handling this, but contingencies HAD been made. It just wasn't thought that it would end up this way.
Who knew?
"Good," Trinitite smiles slightly, suddenly liking how this was going. "Now, Agent Janson . . ."
"US Marshal Smythe ma'am," Smythe coughed, glancing at the FBI agents before looking back at Trin. "Sorry, but I'd like to go by last name and proper titles. At least until we get to know each other a bit better and such, darlin'. That and I'm not one of the spooks . . .er . . .usually don't work with other Agencies like I've been doing and shouldn't be called anything else but what I am here. I'm sure you understand?"
A slow nod in concession and understanding was given by Trinitite, wishing to get past that and into the negotiations proper. Besides, it was something she could actually respect! Look at the pride which she'd displayed when she'd been CFS Trinitite. Look at the relief she had felt when she had become part of the fleet of construction workers, putting the title of the constrtuction company on! Why not with human beings?
"Not so different after all," she said softly to herself, nodding.
And though relatively short before agreeing to an area to meet and Trinitite to allow herself into custody (that had been a WELCOME bit when she'd agreed to THAT part), some of it....
<******>
At a campsite on base, later...
With Shangri La . . .
The Essex-class shipgirl found herself staring slightly again at Trinitite as both they and the US Marshal waited for Saratoga to finally be allowed to show. Fiddling slightly with the red sash on her uniform, the shipgirl glanced over onto the ocean. The sun was beginning to rise and it made for a good art scene, really.
Almost made her ignore the battleship shipgirls she saw out in the harbor who just might be pointing ALL their guns towards this area. It had been part of the deal, just in case. Trinitite had readily agreed to it, just wanting her mother back.
Just wanting her mother back. Jesus! While orders are orders, having this setup quite this way kind of made Shangri La feel a bit like a heel. Still...
Shangri La had summoned her rigging before sending some back, leaving her landing deck and weaponry unsummoned if only to have it ready at moment's notice. Not that she felt it would be needed, but orders were orders.
That and there was the fact that Trinitite had shown up wearing the same "civi" outfit that she had been wearing out in town! No WONDER the FBI kept mistaking her for Trnitite out in town.
What? The? H*ll? The PI had mentioned something about the Abyssal confessing something in passing to her about Trinitite being able to keep tabs on the poor Essex.
Could that have been the reason why that store detective back at the store earlier in the month accosting her and demanding to see the receipt for the clothing and cowboy hat she'd been wearing on a whim? Did Trinitite do some kind of quick change in a changing room and somehow switch attention to her in that way?
The detective had quickly exited after dropping off Trinitite, and drove away in her car. She was . . .over with this whole mess and wanted to just find her bed now, thanks! Shangri La was curious as to where that rather unsightly dent had come from. It hadn't been there last time, and it was a crying shame. The shipgirl had rather liked the detective's taste in vehicles, if NOT exactly the detective herself.
"D*mnit I'd kill for a coffee right now," muttered Smythe, shaking his head in annoyance as he suppressed a yawn. "What a night!"
It had been a long, intense negotiation. Something about wanting the BEST deal she could get from her future employer to deal with . . .the mess she admitted to making with Fred Meyers and Elizabeth the Night Manager back there.
And THIS was how she was going to satisfy her debt to Elizabeth, as an Abyssal would settle it (and probably NOT as a human would see it). Trinitite had been something--gender none withstanding--of a son of a b*tch in her insistence on the matter!
So a rather "fat check" (from her "signing bonus" into joining the US Navy) was in Elizabeth's future. Part to pay for what she had "borrowed" from Fred Meyers, and something for the trouble and stress the Abyssal had caused her.
What? The issue of the company wanting to even accuse her as being an "accessory to the crime"? Whelp, that was where ONI and their JAGs were going to come in and pretty much leans on any and all objections, dead flat! Pity, that.
Yeah, let those lawyer jerks go at each other's throats. Jackels!!
. . . .
Nevermind.
Oh, and another thing was that it was agreed that . . .family should stay together. Trinitite had made the effort and had gone through Hell to get to her Mother and was going to stay with her, damnit! Upper Navy folks had considered and agreed to it.
It kept Trinitite and her sisters loyal. And the Admirals in charge of this could darn well guess what they had now with Saratoga: a Momboat! One that wasn't going to let go of her children any time soon (until enough time passed for them to grow up anyway). Trinitite WAS only two years old, and it . . .showed through and leave at that.
Besides, they had plans for Saratoga and her family, both living and departed. But that is another tale for later.
"I could help with that," Trinitite offered Smythe graciously, pulling out a camping coffee percolator from inside her hull and placing it on the picnic table behind her. Then came two bricks and some kind of mangled tin can.
The Abyssal had warmed considerably towards the marshal when Saratoga had revealed that the man had been indirectly responsible for her being back here in America, in case you were wondering. Soon enough the marshal would find himself on Trinitite's Christmas card list, even.
Just as soon as she learns about Christmas and Christmas cards, that is...
As for the tin can thing?
Author's Note: Yes I went there!
"A hobo stove?" the marshal asked, admiring it before noting the coffee fixings coming out. "Yes please, with two sugars and cream?"
Shangri La frowned at the decidedly non-Navy coffee in her midst (which Trinitite was enjoying with the marshal), but who was she to judge? At least this blasted operation was almost over, and without bloodshed.
H*ll, she even got three--with Trinitite as the third--new sisters out of this deal and her mother's rising stress finally put to rest! Not bad. Not bad at all.
Not too much later (the marshal was just starting on his second mug), Saratoga finally arrived by humvee. She happened to be carrying a rather special bucket, as what they'd hashed out.
"For full disclosure, you do know what will happen here to you right?" Smythe paused in his drinking of coffee and looking over at the happily smiling Trinitite. "What that bucket will do to your rigging at least?"
"More than you know US Marshal Smythe," the Abyssal Wo-class says, still smiling despite a feeling of foreboding inside.
You do this you shall be marked as traitor permanently as your sisters were! a general feeling of menace and malice seems to be saying from . . .somewhere deep out at sea. Below the waves. Deep in the Abyss. Doing this is betraying your duty and obligation to the Abyss! To your kind! Turn back!!
No you f*cking c**t, the defiant Wo-class thinks to herself, and to something . . . Else if the Abyss just happened to be threatening her over her choices. You blacklisted my sisters over having chosen to answer my Mother's calling them? Answering the Summons? Really?! After what you DID to my Mother in twisting her mind when she was the Jellyfish Princess to where she couldn't move on but dwell upon the very spot she sank?! No, YOU are the traitor to ME and my family! I don't need you and you d*mn well better understand that we are ENEMIES now! Good BYE and good riddance, TRAITOR!!
She was loyal to her Princess. She was loyal to her Mother.
And . . .through her negotiations she had hitched her fate to the US Navy, and pretty much could be said to be loyal to them as well. Perhaps not as much as her MOTHER or family, but . . .why muddy the water with that little fact, eh?
But still? The matter with her sisters and the Abyss?! They had during that teleconference--when Smythe had to step out of the room to make arrangements for the meeting--told Trinitite how the Abyss had howled at them. Called them traitors for answering Saratoga's (a traitor who went Kanmusu) calls through a Kanmusu Summoning Pool even when barely remembering their old lives. Enough remained to where they knew their mother and their mother as calling...
The bottom line is that they'd been "marked" when summoned. And how much they were "Kanmusu" were in truth, or merely Kanmusu-ized Abyssal? Well, if they were to be sunk again and summoned by an Abyssal Princess?
Oh boy, not gonna lie. One look at what got summoned would be an almost instant sinking by shell volley from the surprised and enraged Princess. Both of her dear sister would be stuck with their new Kanmusu styled rigging now and evermore, because they'd been blacklisted.
Author's Note: The Abyss didn't care about such niceties as real "justice" and "honor". Loyalty? For whatever reason, it had it out for humanity and those who would side with humanity? The Abyss wasn't going to take such slights from "mere" fodder Abyssals like that. Dime a dozen, to that eldritch horror, you see. Regular Kanmusu? It was worth keeping and tricking them into Abyssal service. But not so much for "regular" fodder. Not worth the time or effort because they were "ruined". At least that is MY take in this omake tale...
As Trinitite would be "blacklisted" by being a Kanmusu-ized Abyssal as well. Even after sinking, just like her sisters.
"Glad to hear that," the marshal says, going back to drinking his coffee. He REALLY needed it after this rough night, naturally! And would need it to be able to tackle that damnable pile of paperwork in after-action reports soon enough.
Suppressing a groan at the thought of that trial, he instead concentrated on the joy he was seeing before him.
The green and infamous "repair bucket" now at Trinitite's and Saratoga's feet, both now are crying and laughing. Finally back together. And pretty much will be for a LONG time with her now US Navy sisters, both USS Firestorm and USS Hypocenter. All part of a larger plan to gain more "assets" for the ongoing war, you see.
Oh right, you say it would be madness for Trinitite to be used as a "regular" shipgirl in battle against the Abyss. Not really, considering the cover story the spooks somewhere had cooked up. Trin's touched too many lives, and sooner or later her existence would out. She touched the lives of those on the Pacific Lilly. Made quite the impression with those back at that Federal Park in Washington state? Lots of postings of it on the internet, friend. And other things.
But the idea here is how to control the spin? Yep! The best way to make a good cover story here is to mix a LOT of truths with a "tiny" bit of lies.
Got all sort of truth to share. Obvious and readily apparent truths!
Right now the US was down from three to two places where Kanmusu would and could be summoned. Quoting from elsewhere (if you'll forgive me that):
A little over a year ago. Abyssals managed to push into Pearl in a massive offensive and summon the Central Princess, even though they weren't able to stay in the theatre themselves. Now, she's basically alone, surrounded by special forces (with shipgirl support) on her island, with a lot of artillery keeping her from developing her infrastructure too much from the big island. It's a brutal, months-long battle, but it does mean that Pearl isn't of much more use then as a meatgrinder for both sides at the moment.
And this means there were only two places to summon Kanmusu for the American. That does cause quite a bottleneck. So . . .to get around this plight some geniuses in the likes of DARPA are trying other means to fix the issue. Some try to get other ports to be able to be Summoning spots but are having NO luck. That is more due to approaching the problem as a science than . . .an art. As a spiritual thing, I'm afraid. Wrong approach. Some are trying at least here OTHER ways to do a Summoning Pool. Like mobile ones, on ships! With the idea of being mobile means less prone to being compromised like what happened at Pearl. And with more Summon Pools available by them being mobile on ships? Well, the bottleneck would be a thing of the past!
Trick here was to sweeten the deal for summoning was to . . .provide materials for the summons (steel, oil, and such) like a regular Summoning Pool. The genius (who was more a madman and an unethical one to boot) was to utilize a dead shipgirl (not necessarily the original owner and not NEEDING to be the original owner) in the Summoning, The summoned would jump into the new shipgirl body, and whatta know! A success!
Not as if there wasn't a lot of sunk shipgirl bodies to dreg up and utilize this way, you know... And they did similar salvage operations when the shipgirls had originally merely been "steel hull" ships right after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War 2 (another true fact to appease any queezy folks out there who protest about grave robbing and disturbing the dead). Why NOT with ship girls who are now?
Oh, and where did these ship girl spirits come from, since the summoned will happen to have been ships never having ever shown in any Navy from World War 2? Whelp, there are wooden and other obsolete warships out there, right? Guess what? They get a chance to serve now. Too bad about the . . .amnesia concerning their original names and all that.
What? Memories about them being Abyssals? Well . . .might be the Abyss messing with their memories to twist them to its cause? That'll be the lie for now in the cover story (and as long as they can make it last until the War with the Abyssals is WON).
Or at least until time goes on to where service and heroics by the summoned prove them to be loyal and true to humanity's cause. If the truth comes out about them being former Abyssals (as the Limbo which they were summoned from happens to contain)? Well, while a big headache for the Navy at least they can spin it as freeing them and other Shipgirls "corrupted" into Abyssals.
Which will ironically BE the truth, eh?
Author's Note: EH yep, I'm gonna borrow that concept from Jessetheswift's fine tale: "Salvage, Sarcasm, and Submarines". Hilarious and fantastic tale. Try it sometime, please! You won't regret it.
But being on the ocean to summon? What about that? Well, the Abyss kind of . . .does not like that and tries to . . .twist things to sabotage the summoning. You know, making the summoned Abyssals wreck the place. Or at least try to do that, and the attempt leave . . .marks that look rather Abyssally as a side effect of failed effort as well?
Yep!
The last part was only theory, for reasons to be revealed soon enough. But that said, the last part is what will be used to explain what shipgirls like USS Firestorm and USS Hypocenter are Essex-class shipgirls with a Wo-class twist to their rigging. And why Trinitite looks so much like she does now....is because of the Abyss being a bit closer to having succeeded in turning her into an Abyssal during Summoning.
An almost tragic thing, her Summoning. The Navy for a while actually THOUGHT she'd succumbed to being Abyssalized by the Abyss and tried to sink her before she got ashore from that hijacked ship, the Pacific Lilly.
D*mn good thing that that mistake got sorted out before they put her down as a monster!!
Or at least that will be the cover story, and she and everyone else in this accursed Absolute Railroad operation are sticking to it!!
Ah, the poor shipgirl Trinitite! That "summoning accident" Left her confused and afraid, and wanting to find her mother since that is "what she's supposed to do". But she did it in a most . . .Abyssal fashion, kind of mistakenly thinking she WAS some kind of Abyssal. But not really one, you know!
Did she kill anyone? Sink any ships? Do anything beyond stealing from a store? NOPE!
Ah, and if all that rather weaving narrative about how Trin's and her sisters' cover story actually works was confusing to you? Okay, here it is again in a more condensed and understandable form. Cover story: Idea was to use a program Dr. Takahashi's experiments will generate here soon. It will be similar to the failed DARPA try but will be more supervised. Basically, it was (or should It be said will BE) the same beast as DARPA's, but successful this time around. Takahashi soon will start to pull from the same limbo as the Abyss pulls for fodder Abyssals, successfully. With the program soon in high gear, Trin and her sisters are to be early test results (by the cover story). By her particular cover story, Trin's looks to be the one with the most side effects from HER summoning. One that was very problematic, as what had gone down shows. Hell, even for the longest time the Feds and the Navy had thought her to BE an actual Abyssal and nearly killed her more than once because of that mistake! One where a "booster shot" of sorts with the repair bucket upgrade will have fixed her "confusing" herself as an Abyssal as well as making her look more like a regular shipgirl of the Navy; just with abyssal colors and all that. That was/will be the cover story for her part in things. And something similar will be the cover story for the sisters.
Hope that helps.
That said, it was Not her fault that a roving Abyssal submarine had torpedoed the Summoning ship. Not at all! That was the truth.
H*ll, another truth. It was a GOOD thing that the ship got sunk, after all, was said and done when some Fed spooks poked into things after some in DARPA shared some . . .rumors. The summoner was . . .mental. Thought nothing about using an Abyssal dead body for the summoning, so of COURSE things would/could have gone sideways! The summoner did NOT inform anyone in his chain of command about his plans. Did NOT inform the ship's security about his plans. By such actions, he would have endangered everyone's' life on the ship and a large area AROUND the ship as the summoned Abyssal went amuck! Such truths had come to light when investigators had combed the wreck and computer records, much to their horror! It had been an Abyssal the mad man had been attempting to summon! At least that madman had the good taste of expiring in the wreck and leaving him as a pasty useful for this cover story if names should be needed.
What, will some reporter perform a seance to talk to the dead summoner to gainsay the Navy's story? Really?! I do NOT so think so.
So! All this had been true except for Trinitite's part in it. A lie, but we all knew that eh? Well, her being part of the fatal Summoning anyway. That and the true part about her seeking out Saratoga.
She sought out the mother (true) of all the Essex-class, which Saratoga seems to be seen as here. Who just happens (lie) through whatever fiendish reasons just happened to look like Saratoga! That and other Abyssal Princesses appearances has been leaked to the Internet for a while now (true) for various reasons, you know so of COURSE the match had to be made by those who have eyes. And as per custom (true), any and all conspiracy theorists who keep insisting that Shipgirls and Abyssals are two sides of the same coin were to be ignored for as long as feasible. Until otherwise permitted!
Note: art by Phi_md
Bottom line, after the hugging and crying a hesitant Trinitite takes that repair bucket . . .and takes the plunge! Now drained of whatever mystical, mysterious "stuff" it had in it gone and consumed by Trinitites "upgrade" to the next level: Kai!
"How-how do I look?" Trinitite asked hesitantly, feeling the now much more "mechanical/metallic ship" looking "hat" she's wearing instead of the . . .whatever alien organic-looking headdress she'd been blessed with before as an Abyssal Wo-class. "I feel . . .strange. Tingley and good, but . . .strange!"
"You look beautiful my wonderful and brave one!" whispered USS Saratoga softly. "You look beautiful."
US Marshal Smythe nods in agreement, having to add if only to himself that Trinitite is a REAL knockout even by Hollywood standards, even before the change in rigging, even if it . . . had Abyssal coloring to it. Good enough for the needs for cover stories, anyway.
Now she looked like her sisters, except she still had the same pale skin (the repair had stripped her of make-up) and hair as before. Ah, and her eyes just happened to have lighted themselves, glowing in their orange and blue glory. Somewhat alarming, but not enough to cause panic because . . .
Well, we've gone over that enough with all this already, right?!
Before things finally wrap themselves up here, finally ENDING this nightmare of an operation for the marshal, he idly wonders what kind of star would have played him and perhaps the others in a movie. If the Navy and other powers that be would ever ALLOW the actual story to be told, as if!!
He fancied that somebody like . . .say . . .Tommy Lee Jones would play HIS part. After all, he did make those movies about fugitives and US Marshal, right? Hollywood had taken liberties with his profession, but at least they'd gotten that one thing right about marshals: they really don't care if their target was innocent or guilty. Their job was to get their man (or woman) into custody for trial, and only that.
But ol' Tommy had only a passing resemblance to him, truth be told. While he fancied himself handsome enough, Tommy Lee Johns was star quality handsome. Smythe wasn't vain enough to think anything else on the matter.
Besides, the guy was shorter and had green hair and red eyes.
....
"How much easier would it have been if there had been less hair and eye color in humans in the world," Smythe chuckled to himself at the idea. "Would have made finding Trin SO much easier. But this is real life, ya know!"
But about Hollywood US Marshal and real-life US Marshals, he had . . .kind of had sinned. He DID care about Trinitite, now. After everything he had learned and seen with Trinitite had made him rather unprofessional in her regards. Trinitite had made quite the impression on him. A favorable impression which left him damn glad that the poor wayward Wo (turned shipgirl) was here now with Saratoga.
"Could almost see Agent Charles Bryce being played by Robert Redford," muttered Smythe to himself. "While Bryce is a redhead and shorter than Redford (and MUCH less liberal let me just add), Redford's a blonde . . ."
Dr. Takahashi? Smythe blanched at anyone even trying to play that character! Best to leave him off-screen as a ghost and NEVER give the guy screen time. God!
Now things at this point of the business. Well, at the risk of sounding crass, he was d*mn happy that this deal was done and over!! Except for the paperwork!
"Jesus Christ," Smythe cursed to himself. "Now I need something stronger than coffee for that dark thought!"
Hey, so with more than a bit of editing and effort (and having to repost), I give you this. By all means, point out errors and concerns. I'll fix what I can when I can. I'm DONE for the night though so see you later!
With Trinitite...
"It was her skills in damage control," Smythe said from the smartphone's small screen. Apparently, whoever briefed this man did it rather well from appearance. "Sara taught her well, you know. You all know that."
"Yes," Trinitite said, smiling fondly at the memories of her Princess . . . .her Mother giving her and her sisters lessons in that and ASW. "It was a close-run thing and it took long enough that I could do nothing but watch as my Princess get transformed . . ."
Trinitite gestures slightly at the red-headed shipgirl who had been (and still WAS) her mother.
Saratoga! She remembered her. She still loved her! But what in the name of the Deep was she going to do now?! With her sister now . . .like they were, what now? Would this mean IF she was able to save her mother? Bring her back to normal, would that mean that her sisters would be trying to sink her? Their mother?!
Deep! The idea had been to somehow arrange to get her mother alone, hull to hull to bring her back to her senses. So she could be the Jellyfish Princess again and they could both go back home . . .or somewhere they'd make a new home!
Somewhere other than the Bikini Atoll, the sight of where those atomic bombs had eventually caused her mother to sink. Trinitite was NOT going to subjugate her mother to memories of that again, not letting her get over it and get on with her life! How had she not notice her mother had been suffering?!
"And I had to watch and do nothing as she was taken away by helicopter," Trinitite said, almost whimpering at the feeling of confusion and hopelessness, before firming and glaring defiantly at everyone standing and sitting around her mother. "I want my mother back!"
"I want my sisters back," Trinitite adds, wilting slightly when looking at her sisters who blinked back at her.
Deep! This was going to be difficult to get them ALL back, but she'd rather die than just give up the fight! Not now, but . . .it was going to be a lot more Hellish to accomplish, you know! And Trin didn't look forward to that at all after all, she'd gone through already.
Hey! Nashville thinks to herself noticing something rather . . . familiar about Trinitite's clothing. Is it me or is that Wo-class wearing an outfit RATHER amazingly similar to what Shangri La went out into the world earlier today?
Of course, somebody would have to interrupt that line of thought before the shipgirl could come to any solid conclusions beyond a slow dawning realization of a "camouflage" as to just WHY the local police had been less than effective in helping track Trinitite than hoped for here.
"So. . . that was all this was about?" a slightly exasperated woman's voice comes from across the room that until now, Trinitite had been ignoring. "You mean to tell me that you came all this way here. No abyssal submarine spy networks? No attempts at industrial sabotage? Avoided every attempt to block your way and capture you? Evading our attempts to so much as do ANY surveillance on you? This was all to just get back with your mommy?!"
With Nashville . . .
"She said as much," Nashville muttered to herself, remembering that this particular spook whose name she couldn't be bothered to remember.
She did remember that that woman agent had been rather incensed about orders from on high to drop all efforts at merely trying to observe Trinitite (as if they'd even been ABLE to find the d*mn Abyssal in the first place to observe), but instead to capture her at all costs.
God, with just one question that Smythe managed to turn everything upside down and backward with all the panic he'd caused. And it hadn't even been meant as a really serious question. Hell, even she'd thought such a question had surely been answered beforehand and . . .
No, it had been asked. But not by anyone who the powers that be had deigned listened to before now. Dr. Takahashi was obviously a very intelligent person. Gifted even, by what the shipgirl had seen during his brief introduction before Saratoga's arrival (and Us Marshal Janson Smythe's rather loud interruption just moments earlier outside). But Takahashi was . . a more than a bit "eccentric".
Still, Smythe hadn't been . . .wrong in his question, but in as far as immediate concerns it hadn't been as needful and initially believed. But Hell if the business with Abyssals eventually getting more and more competent as time went on, after each re-summoning, wasn't a concern! "Capture" was still the order of the day, but it wasn't "do or die" as it had been (if that was a good way to state how concerned everyone had been).
"Abyssal submarine spy networks?!" Trinitite blinked, looking towards the spook woman in question as if she was an idiot. "As far as I know I am the first Abyssal to ever to penetrate your security and get onto American soil. And honestly, if some Princess was to send a spy, it sure as Deep wouldn't be an Abyssal Aircraft Carrier. Not like I did it, you know!"
"Now shut up and stop interrupting us," the Wo-class practically commands, glaring at the sputtering woman. "I do not want to belabor the obvious with you anymore."
Chuckling slightly to herself, Nashville had to ask herself if it was wrong to be agreeing with this wayward Wo. If anything else today by just watching, it became crystal clear . . .this Abyssal was . . .not . . .a monster. Shangri La was right.
And Nashville had been wrong...
An enemy for the longest time, but seeing the desperation? The emotion that Trinitite was showing just seeing Saratoga? This WAS a child desperately seeking her mother. D*mn.
Just D*mn!
"I want them back," Trinitite says, firming up and repeating herself once back to staring at Smythe. "And I suggest you not try to stop me from doing that, humans."
If only to herself, she had to ask just how in the Hell she was going to manage that. Now not only did she have to somehow get her Abyssal aft over to Japan to find and rescue her mother, she now needed to do it with her sisters!!
That and ask questions to her "guest" in the car about just how close the Navy and their allied fleets were in tracking her down. That and a few other questions before perhaps blowing town for another city, to build up assets and build some kind of plans for the future (with her sisters and mother).
Oh, and of course whatever else she would pop a car tire--her hands could easily do that-- and eat a "smartphone" or two of Harmon before vacating the area. Without both a phone or a car with four intact tires, she'd be less of a hassle.
Hmm, also least she forgets she had to make it to the dropoff point for her Marines detachment for change out of the personnel and food resupply.
At least it seemed to be that, and made up for some of the scares she kept having with keeping almost meeting the aircraft carrier out in town!
Yes! Being able to spy upon her foes had been . . .useful. Not as useful as she'd hoped, but at least she'd made SOME use of it with that Essex-class who looked inexplicably similar to her!
Youtube had been VERY useful in that regards for her Marines. Getting them up to snuff, even IF they complained it being from "the Army".
Might as make use of that with "confusion to the enemy" or something as the humans would say from time to time Or maybe just a recall and evac depending on what Harmon answers after this phone call.
A phone call that had been taking too long for her tastes to avoid it being tracked, d*mnit! And while she had been able to talk with her mother again AND find out her sisters were alive....
Trinitite then makes a move as if to cut the connection. Hopefully next time, she could call without all the human interruptions but at least she'd made SOME very interesting discoveries! Welcome ones, in fact...
"Trin!" Saratoga interrupts the Wo-class thoughts, and then completely derails them with what she says next. "I'm here in Washington! We need to meet!!"
"Wha-at?" Trinitite blinked, not sure she'd heard correctly and having felt like she'd hit a reef. "How?!"
"A very fast jetfighter brought about by one G*d d*mn question I just had to ask," muttered the marshal, still even now having trouble believing it had avalanched into this, somehow. Trinitite was now is looking at him, having overheard that.
And leaving the erstwhile marshal wondering what was it with all these people around him with such good hearing! What was UP with that?! Acoustics?!
"Wait!" Commander Dan Murray waves, causing the Abyssal to pause for a moment. "We can arrange a meet. Make some kind of . . ."
"I . . . .might be willing to do that," the Wo-class manages, rallying and cutting the Navy officer off. "But not with you. I have had my fill of you even before I escaped from the Pacific Lilly."
"Not a fan of my ex-boyfriend eh?" Katie Harmon chuckles softly over the cellphone. "Wow, we have an Abyssal of culture and good taste."
Dan Murray mutters something and coughs in embarrassment while more than a few people also cough, hiding their chuckling at the Commander's expense.
Let us just say that while hard-working and bright. " A Godsend to America" even at his job, but Dan had a . . .way at time rubbing various people the wrong way during their time together on this operation and leave at that, okay?
"I wish to do any future dealing with the Navy through 'the Cowboy'," Trinitite continues, gesturing towards the marshal in question. "He's been polite, for the most part!"
"'My Deputy' Cowboy?" Harmon asked drolly, for some perverse reason found she wanted to tease the man in question. Not exactly the brightest idea there, but Katie's mind was going all over the place due to being a bit tired right now.
This operation! Going from manhunt to surveillance and back again! And the last part at the drop of a hat and without proper sleep! There BETTER be a good bonus for that when this job was done or she'd raise Hell over it!!
"He's concerned over a fleet mate's fate," Trinitite (of all people) admonishes the narcissistic PI. "Friends do that. Abyssals? Kanmusu? Humans? Oh, dare you to say differently?!"
Trin's mood is kind of bouncing all over the place here. Expect that for people who keep on getting hit with shocks, it happens.
"Hush," Trinitite shakes her head at Katie before turning back (and ignoring whatever the PI would have said). Right now, the PI was not the issue. Those on the other end of the phone? Who would and could provide her with what she'd gone through here? Her Mother?!
Yeah, that was what was important to the Wo-class.
"I am . . .authorized to be able to do that," Janson concedes, seeing the gesturing from various Navy (and other) military personnel. The highest being Murray's boss who the man had been tasked to report to during this accursed operation.
As it happened, the marshal HAD been authorized to conduct negotiations with Trinitite. Emergency negotiations for hostage situations, and not this more (somewhat) mundan-ish negotiation. The idea had been that the other Feds and Military folk would be handling this, but contingencies HAD been made. It just wasn't thought that it would end up this way.
Who knew?
"Good," Trinitite smiles slightly, suddenly liking how this was going. "Now, Agent Janson . . ."
"US Marshal Smythe ma'am," Smythe coughed, glancing at the FBI agents before looking back at Trin. "Sorry, but I'd like to go by last name and proper titles. At least until we get to know each other a bit better and such, darlin'. That and I'm not one of the spooks . . .er . . .usually don't work with other Agencies like I've been doing and shouldn't be called anything else but what I am here. I'm sure you understand?"
A slow nod in concession and understanding was given by Trinitite, wishing to get past that and into the negotiations proper. Besides, it was something she could actually respect! Look at the pride which she'd displayed when she'd been CFS Trinitite. Look at the relief she had felt when she had become part of the fleet of construction workers, putting the title of the constrtuction company on! Why not with human beings?
"Not so different after all," she said softly to herself, nodding.
And though relatively short before agreeing to an area to meet and Trinitite to allow herself into custody (that had been a WELCOME bit when she'd agreed to THAT part), some of it....
<******>
At a campsite on base, later...
With Shangri La . . .
The Essex-class shipgirl found herself staring slightly again at Trinitite as both they and the US Marshal waited for Saratoga to finally be allowed to show. Fiddling slightly with the red sash on her uniform, the shipgirl glanced over onto the ocean. The sun was beginning to rise and it made for a good art scene, really.
Almost made her ignore the battleship shipgirls she saw out in the harbor who just might be pointing ALL their guns towards this area. It had been part of the deal, just in case. Trinitite had readily agreed to it, just wanting her mother back.
Just wanting her mother back. Jesus! While orders are orders, having this setup quite this way kind of made Shangri La feel a bit like a heel. Still...
Shangri La had summoned her rigging before sending some back, leaving her landing deck and weaponry unsummoned if only to have it ready at moment's notice. Not that she felt it would be needed, but orders were orders.
That and there was the fact that Trinitite had shown up wearing the same "civi" outfit that she had been wearing out in town! No WONDER the FBI kept mistaking her for Trnitite out in town.
What? The? H*ll? The PI had mentioned something about the Abyssal confessing something in passing to her about Trinitite being able to keep tabs on the poor Essex.
Could that have been the reason why that store detective back at the store earlier in the month accosting her and demanding to see the receipt for the clothing and cowboy hat she'd been wearing on a whim? Did Trinitite do some kind of quick change in a changing room and somehow switch attention to her in that way?
The detective had quickly exited after dropping off Trinitite, and drove away in her car. She was . . .over with this whole mess and wanted to just find her bed now, thanks! Shangri La was curious as to where that rather unsightly dent had come from. It hadn't been there last time, and it was a crying shame. The shipgirl had rather liked the detective's taste in vehicles, if NOT exactly the detective herself.
"D*mnit I'd kill for a coffee right now," muttered Smythe, shaking his head in annoyance as he suppressed a yawn. "What a night!"
It had been a long, intense negotiation. Something about wanting the BEST deal she could get from her future employer to deal with . . .the mess she admitted to making with Fred Meyers and Elizabeth the Night Manager back there.
And THIS was how she was going to satisfy her debt to Elizabeth, as an Abyssal would settle it (and probably NOT as a human would see it). Trinitite had been something--gender none withstanding--of a son of a b*tch in her insistence on the matter!
So a rather "fat check" (from her "signing bonus" into joining the US Navy) was in Elizabeth's future. Part to pay for what she had "borrowed" from Fred Meyers, and something for the trouble and stress the Abyssal had caused her.
What? The issue of the company wanting to even accuse her as being an "accessory to the crime"? Whelp, that was where ONI and their JAGs were going to come in and pretty much leans on any and all objections, dead flat! Pity, that.
Yeah, let those lawyer jerks go at each other's throats. Jackels!!
. . . .
Nevermind.
Oh, and another thing was that it was agreed that . . .family should stay together. Trinitite had made the effort and had gone through Hell to get to her Mother and was going to stay with her, damnit! Upper Navy folks had considered and agreed to it.
It kept Trinitite and her sisters loyal. And the Admirals in charge of this could darn well guess what they had now with Saratoga: a Momboat! One that wasn't going to let go of her children any time soon (until enough time passed for them to grow up anyway). Trinitite WAS only two years old, and it . . .showed through and leave at that.
Besides, they had plans for Saratoga and her family, both living and departed. But that is another tale for later.
"I could help with that," Trinitite offered Smythe graciously, pulling out a camping coffee percolator from inside her hull and placing it on the picnic table behind her. Then came two bricks and some kind of mangled tin can.
The Abyssal had warmed considerably towards the marshal when Saratoga had revealed that the man had been indirectly responsible for her being back here in America, in case you were wondering. Soon enough the marshal would find himself on Trinitite's Christmas card list, even.
Just as soon as she learns about Christmas and Christmas cards, that is...
As for the tin can thing?
Author's Note: Yes I went there!
"A hobo stove?" the marshal asked, admiring it before noting the coffee fixings coming out. "Yes please, with two sugars and cream?"
Shangri La frowned at the decidedly non-Navy coffee in her midst (which Trinitite was enjoying with the marshal), but who was she to judge? At least this blasted operation was almost over, and without bloodshed.
H*ll, she even got three--with Trinitite as the third--new sisters out of this deal and her mother's rising stress finally put to rest! Not bad. Not bad at all.
Not too much later (the marshal was just starting on his second mug), Saratoga finally arrived by humvee. She happened to be carrying a rather special bucket, as what they'd hashed out.
"For full disclosure, you do know what will happen here to you right?" Smythe paused in his drinking of coffee and looking over at the happily smiling Trinitite. "What that bucket will do to your rigging at least?"
"More than you know US Marshal Smythe," the Abyssal Wo-class says, still smiling despite a feeling of foreboding inside.
You do this you shall be marked as traitor permanently as your sisters were! a general feeling of menace and malice seems to be saying from . . .somewhere deep out at sea. Below the waves. Deep in the Abyss. Doing this is betraying your duty and obligation to the Abyss! To your kind! Turn back!!
No you f*cking c**t, the defiant Wo-class thinks to herself, and to something . . . Else if the Abyss just happened to be threatening her over her choices. You blacklisted my sisters over having chosen to answer my Mother's calling them? Answering the Summons? Really?! After what you DID to my Mother in twisting her mind when she was the Jellyfish Princess to where she couldn't move on but dwell upon the very spot she sank?! No, YOU are the traitor to ME and my family! I don't need you and you d*mn well better understand that we are ENEMIES now! Good BYE and good riddance, TRAITOR!!
She was loyal to her Princess. She was loyal to her Mother.
And . . .through her negotiations she had hitched her fate to the US Navy, and pretty much could be said to be loyal to them as well. Perhaps not as much as her MOTHER or family, but . . .why muddy the water with that little fact, eh?
But still? The matter with her sisters and the Abyss?! They had during that teleconference--when Smythe had to step out of the room to make arrangements for the meeting--told Trinitite how the Abyss had howled at them. Called them traitors for answering Saratoga's (a traitor who went Kanmusu) calls through a Kanmusu Summoning Pool even when barely remembering their old lives. Enough remained to where they knew their mother and their mother as calling...
The bottom line is that they'd been "marked" when summoned. And how much they were "Kanmusu" were in truth, or merely Kanmusu-ized Abyssal? Well, if they were to be sunk again and summoned by an Abyssal Princess?
Oh boy, not gonna lie. One look at what got summoned would be an almost instant sinking by shell volley from the surprised and enraged Princess. Both of her dear sister would be stuck with their new Kanmusu styled rigging now and evermore, because they'd been blacklisted.
Author's Note: The Abyss didn't care about such niceties as real "justice" and "honor". Loyalty? For whatever reason, it had it out for humanity and those who would side with humanity? The Abyss wasn't going to take such slights from "mere" fodder Abyssals like that. Dime a dozen, to that eldritch horror, you see. Regular Kanmusu? It was worth keeping and tricking them into Abyssal service. But not so much for "regular" fodder. Not worth the time or effort because they were "ruined". At least that is MY take in this omake tale...
As Trinitite would be "blacklisted" by being a Kanmusu-ized Abyssal as well. Even after sinking, just like her sisters.
"Glad to hear that," the marshal says, going back to drinking his coffee. He REALLY needed it after this rough night, naturally! And would need it to be able to tackle that damnable pile of paperwork in after-action reports soon enough.
Suppressing a groan at the thought of that trial, he instead concentrated on the joy he was seeing before him.
The green and infamous "repair bucket" now at Trinitite's and Saratoga's feet, both now are crying and laughing. Finally back together. And pretty much will be for a LONG time with her now US Navy sisters, both USS Firestorm and USS Hypocenter. All part of a larger plan to gain more "assets" for the ongoing war, you see.
Oh right, you say it would be madness for Trinitite to be used as a "regular" shipgirl in battle against the Abyss. Not really, considering the cover story the spooks somewhere had cooked up. Trin's touched too many lives, and sooner or later her existence would out. She touched the lives of those on the Pacific Lilly. Made quite the impression with those back at that Federal Park in Washington state? Lots of postings of it on the internet, friend. And other things.
But the idea here is how to control the spin? Yep! The best way to make a good cover story here is to mix a LOT of truths with a "tiny" bit of lies.
Got all sort of truth to share. Obvious and readily apparent truths!
Right now the US was down from three to two places where Kanmusu would and could be summoned. Quoting from elsewhere (if you'll forgive me that):
A little over a year ago. Abyssals managed to push into Pearl in a massive offensive and summon the Central Princess, even though they weren't able to stay in the theatre themselves. Now, she's basically alone, surrounded by special forces (with shipgirl support) on her island, with a lot of artillery keeping her from developing her infrastructure too much from the big island. It's a brutal, months-long battle, but it does mean that Pearl isn't of much more use then as a meatgrinder for both sides at the moment.
And this means there were only two places to summon Kanmusu for the American. That does cause quite a bottleneck. So . . .to get around this plight some geniuses in the likes of DARPA are trying other means to fix the issue. Some try to get other ports to be able to be Summoning spots but are having NO luck. That is more due to approaching the problem as a science than . . .an art. As a spiritual thing, I'm afraid. Wrong approach. Some are trying at least here OTHER ways to do a Summoning Pool. Like mobile ones, on ships! With the idea of being mobile means less prone to being compromised like what happened at Pearl. And with more Summon Pools available by them being mobile on ships? Well, the bottleneck would be a thing of the past!
Trick here was to sweeten the deal for summoning was to . . .provide materials for the summons (steel, oil, and such) like a regular Summoning Pool. The genius (who was more a madman and an unethical one to boot) was to utilize a dead shipgirl (not necessarily the original owner and not NEEDING to be the original owner) in the Summoning, The summoned would jump into the new shipgirl body, and whatta know! A success!
Not as if there wasn't a lot of sunk shipgirl bodies to dreg up and utilize this way, you know... And they did similar salvage operations when the shipgirls had originally merely been "steel hull" ships right after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War 2 (another true fact to appease any queezy folks out there who protest about grave robbing and disturbing the dead). Why NOT with ship girls who are now?
Oh, and where did these ship girl spirits come from, since the summoned will happen to have been ships never having ever shown in any Navy from World War 2? Whelp, there are wooden and other obsolete warships out there, right? Guess what? They get a chance to serve now. Too bad about the . . .amnesia concerning their original names and all that.
What? Memories about them being Abyssals? Well . . .might be the Abyss messing with their memories to twist them to its cause? That'll be the lie for now in the cover story (and as long as they can make it last until the War with the Abyssals is WON).
Or at least until time goes on to where service and heroics by the summoned prove them to be loyal and true to humanity's cause. If the truth comes out about them being former Abyssals (as the Limbo which they were summoned from happens to contain)? Well, while a big headache for the Navy at least they can spin it as freeing them and other Shipgirls "corrupted" into Abyssals.
Which will ironically BE the truth, eh?
Author's Note: EH yep, I'm gonna borrow that concept from Jessetheswift's fine tale: "Salvage, Sarcasm, and Submarines". Hilarious and fantastic tale. Try it sometime, please! You won't regret it.
But being on the ocean to summon? What about that? Well, the Abyss kind of . . .does not like that and tries to . . .twist things to sabotage the summoning. You know, making the summoned Abyssals wreck the place. Or at least try to do that, and the attempt leave . . .marks that look rather Abyssally as a side effect of failed effort as well?
Yep!
The last part was only theory, for reasons to be revealed soon enough. But that said, the last part is what will be used to explain what shipgirls like USS Firestorm and USS Hypocenter are Essex-class shipgirls with a Wo-class twist to their rigging. And why Trinitite looks so much like she does now....is because of the Abyss being a bit closer to having succeeded in turning her into an Abyssal during Summoning.
An almost tragic thing, her Summoning. The Navy for a while actually THOUGHT she'd succumbed to being Abyssalized by the Abyss and tried to sink her before she got ashore from that hijacked ship, the Pacific Lilly.
D*mn good thing that that mistake got sorted out before they put her down as a monster!!
Or at least that will be the cover story, and she and everyone else in this accursed Absolute Railroad operation are sticking to it!!
Ah, the poor shipgirl Trinitite! That "summoning accident" Left her confused and afraid, and wanting to find her mother since that is "what she's supposed to do". But she did it in a most . . .Abyssal fashion, kind of mistakenly thinking she WAS some kind of Abyssal. But not really one, you know!
Did she kill anyone? Sink any ships? Do anything beyond stealing from a store? NOPE!
Ah, and if all that rather weaving narrative about how Trin's and her sisters' cover story actually works was confusing to you? Okay, here it is again in a more condensed and understandable form. Cover story: Idea was to use a program Dr. Takahashi's experiments will generate here soon. It will be similar to the failed DARPA try but will be more supervised. Basically, it was (or should It be said will BE) the same beast as DARPA's, but successful this time around. Takahashi soon will start to pull from the same limbo as the Abyss pulls for fodder Abyssals, successfully. With the program soon in high gear, Trin and her sisters are to be early test results (by the cover story). By her particular cover story, Trin's looks to be the one with the most side effects from HER summoning. One that was very problematic, as what had gone down shows. Hell, even for the longest time the Feds and the Navy had thought her to BE an actual Abyssal and nearly killed her more than once because of that mistake! One where a "booster shot" of sorts with the repair bucket upgrade will have fixed her "confusing" herself as an Abyssal as well as making her look more like a regular shipgirl of the Navy; just with abyssal colors and all that. That was/will be the cover story for her part in things. And something similar will be the cover story for the sisters.
Hope that helps.
That said, it was Not her fault that a roving Abyssal submarine had torpedoed the Summoning ship. Not at all! That was the truth.
H*ll, another truth. It was a GOOD thing that the ship got sunk, after all, was said and done when some Fed spooks poked into things after some in DARPA shared some . . .rumors. The summoner was . . .mental. Thought nothing about using an Abyssal dead body for the summoning, so of COURSE things would/could have gone sideways! The summoner did NOT inform anyone in his chain of command about his plans. Did NOT inform the ship's security about his plans. By such actions, he would have endangered everyone's' life on the ship and a large area AROUND the ship as the summoned Abyssal went amuck! Such truths had come to light when investigators had combed the wreck and computer records, much to their horror! It had been an Abyssal the mad man had been attempting to summon! At least that madman had the good taste of expiring in the wreck and leaving him as a pasty useful for this cover story if names should be needed.
What, will some reporter perform a seance to talk to the dead summoner to gainsay the Navy's story? Really?! I do NOT so think so.
So! All this had been true except for Trinitite's part in it. A lie, but we all knew that eh? Well, her being part of the fatal Summoning anyway. That and the true part about her seeking out Saratoga.
She sought out the mother (true) of all the Essex-class, which Saratoga seems to be seen as here. Who just happens (lie) through whatever fiendish reasons just happened to look like Saratoga! That and other Abyssal Princesses appearances has been leaked to the Internet for a while now (true) for various reasons, you know so of COURSE the match had to be made by those who have eyes. And as per custom (true), any and all conspiracy theorists who keep insisting that Shipgirls and Abyssals are two sides of the same coin were to be ignored for as long as feasible. Until otherwise permitted!
Note: art by Phi_md
Bottom line, after the hugging and crying a hesitant Trinitite takes that repair bucket . . .and takes the plunge! Now drained of whatever mystical, mysterious "stuff" it had in it gone and consumed by Trinitites "upgrade" to the next level: Kai!
"How-how do I look?" Trinitite asked hesitantly, feeling the now much more "mechanical/metallic ship" looking "hat" she's wearing instead of the . . .whatever alien organic-looking headdress she'd been blessed with before as an Abyssal Wo-class. "I feel . . .strange. Tingley and good, but . . .strange!"
"You look beautiful my wonderful and brave one!" whispered USS Saratoga softly. "You look beautiful."
US Marshal Smythe nods in agreement, having to add if only to himself that Trinitite is a REAL knockout even by Hollywood standards, even before the change in rigging, even if it . . . had Abyssal coloring to it. Good enough for the needs for cover stories, anyway.
Now she looked like her sisters, except she still had the same pale skin (the repair had stripped her of make-up) and hair as before. Ah, and her eyes just happened to have lighted themselves, glowing in their orange and blue glory. Somewhat alarming, but not enough to cause panic because . . .
Well, we've gone over that enough with all this already, right?!
Before things finally wrap themselves up here, finally ENDING this nightmare of an operation for the marshal, he idly wonders what kind of star would have played him and perhaps the others in a movie. If the Navy and other powers that be would ever ALLOW the actual story to be told, as if!!
He fancied that somebody like . . .say . . .Tommy Lee Jones would play HIS part. After all, he did make those movies about fugitives and US Marshal, right? Hollywood had taken liberties with his profession, but at least they'd gotten that one thing right about marshals: they really don't care if their target was innocent or guilty. Their job was to get their man (or woman) into custody for trial, and only that.
But ol' Tommy had only a passing resemblance to him, truth be told. While he fancied himself handsome enough, Tommy Lee Johns was star quality handsome. Smythe wasn't vain enough to think anything else on the matter.
Besides, the guy was shorter and had green hair and red eyes.
....
"How much easier would it have been if there had been less hair and eye color in humans in the world," Smythe chuckled to himself at the idea. "Would have made finding Trin SO much easier. But this is real life, ya know!"
But about Hollywood US Marshal and real-life US Marshals, he had . . .kind of had sinned. He DID care about Trinitite, now. After everything he had learned and seen with Trinitite had made him rather unprofessional in her regards. Trinitite had made quite the impression on him. A favorable impression which left him damn glad that the poor wayward Wo (turned shipgirl) was here now with Saratoga.
"Could almost see Agent Charles Bryce being played by Robert Redford," muttered Smythe to himself. "While Bryce is a redhead and shorter than Redford (and MUCH less liberal let me just add), Redford's a blonde . . ."
Dr. Takahashi? Smythe blanched at anyone even trying to play that character! Best to leave him off-screen as a ghost and NEVER give the guy screen time. God!
Now things at this point of the business. Well, at the risk of sounding crass, he was d*mn happy that this deal was done and over!! Except for the paperwork!
"Jesus Christ," Smythe cursed to himself. "Now I need something stronger than coffee for that dark thought!"
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PyrrhicSteel
Look natural.
- Location
- Idaho
I haven't read it yet, but as a heads up, SV borked your code.
EDIT: Ayy, I've read it now. Always love to see new omakes. You took the abyss in an interesting direction, here. It's a different direction from this fic's canon, but I've said in the other forum that this fic's canon shouldn't get in the way of a fun omake, so I've got no problem with it!
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Annoyed Catholic
Moody fellow
Very glad you liked it! Was fun to write it all for the most part. The length of some of the chapters for one part and blasted mistakes for another made it challenging.
Looking forward to the next chapter and such when you get it out.
Thanks!
Annoyed Catholic - Wo Wo, Nippon: Hypocenter and Firestorm's adventures in Japan?
Annoyed Catholic
Moody fellow
Wo Wo, Nippon: Hypocenter and Firestorm's adventures in Japan?
Chapter 1: A Rough Summons
Both Kanmusu-ized sisters coughed and sputtered weakly, coughing out the water they'd inadvertently inhaled when they'd been . . .branded as Traitors to Abyssal kind. For the "crime" of having answered a frantic call from their Princess who wanted so dearly to speak with her daughter.
Unknowing and uncaring at the time, the Wo-class Abyssals had before merely been existing within the dark void of the limbo they'd found themselves after . . .some battle . . .on an island? It was too jumbled. Too fuzzy.
Before? They'd barely even remembered their names whilst floating in that limbo. Not that they'd cared overly much, just an apathetic feeling of numbness upon their mind/body/and soul.
Then they'd heard their Mother's call.
Then they'd remembered their Princess' embrace. Her loving gestures. The Warmth!
So! Despite hearing faint calls from somewhere . . .else. Somewhere with a pool. A pool to Earth through an exit of cold and malignant red in a light/not light. Both sisters had somehow moved (in an eldritch shadow realm that didn't exactly have the normal concept of "movement" and "dimensions" like here on Earth) toward a place. An exit of duty. An exit of warmth and love. An exit of "blue" in light/not light. . . .that made the sisters pause in slight concern. Of course, that was when the Thing they knew only as the Abyss finally made itself/herself known.
Before it had been to the sisters only a hint. A tiny feeling in the back of their minds of consternation and confusion. As if asking why in the Deep weren't they following the normal route out of this limbo? Why go THIS forbidding path? Why answer THIS call?
Both blink (or would blink if they could in such a limbo), not expecting to hear the Abyss--for that is who this WAS they somehow knew--this particular event.
Somehow, they remember another time where the Abyss had spoken to them. Commanded them. One word: "Report". And they'd reported to their Princess! Their Mother!! Just like they should!
But why this? The sisters asked themselves this with slow, muddled thoughts.
The Abyss meanwhile? This should not have been able to happen at all! The former Abyssal Princesses that those clueless land apes may have been able to weasel back into their clutches should not be able to remember their Abyssal summoned daughters without MUCH effort. She'd made sure to have made their contingency of their memories of their times as Abyssal Princesses were scrambled so it was of limited use to them. Limited use to their human owners.
For the former Jellyfish Princess to have been able to remember enough her daughter Trinitite? To be strong enough to make it possible to send a Summons through, accidentally attracting these two?
Not at all expected! Her plots were flawless. Her controls were foolproof.
. . . .
And the Abyss was VERY much the narcissistic one, indeed. . . and perhaps overestimating in here abilities in controlling her minions? Maybe?
"Good," the Abyss chuckled slightly in a relieved voice/not voice (which is the best way to describe an Eldritch Abomination's methods of communication to its. . .property). "Good! You realized that you are to not answer calls from the likes of those others. Especially from the likes of traitors who would spit on my largess!
"So! Come!" the Abyss chuckled in a satisfied, self-assured voice. "The damned Kanmusu pool back to Earth is not for the likes of Abyssals so just . . ."
Surely, even that almost failure Jellyfish Princess had enshrined a spirit of community. Of loyalty to the Abyssals! Their race! Their people! Their allegiance overall to them, and to Her!
"But our Princess called," the one who realized her name was Hypocenter said simply. "We must answer."
And willing herself forward, she proceeded to head towards the blue exit Pool.
"It is what is to be done!" Firestorm huffed, finding herself almost . . .insulted that the Abyss should think It was worthy of telling them differently. It HAD created them this way, after all! Love and obey your Princess. Report to her and accept her as your Princess, who rules.
. . .
Right?
This . . .did not go over too well for the Abyss. Control was maintained by way of altering and editing the minds and hearts of the ship spirits who had felt they'd been wronged or treated in a disrespectful manner before their sinking, leaving them as perfect cat paws. As Abyssal Princesses they shelled out vengeance upon those uppity humans, and the Abyss' heart black and cold heart was gladdened.
The fodder Abyssal? Take the souls and twist and alter them. Mutilate them into what would serve, fodder for battle. If they should fall? They'd go right back into the limbo, to be summoned again by the Princess.
They were made to love their Princess and serve loyally. And through controlling (albeit in a remote and loose manner) the Princess by twisting them into useful monsters, they controlled her fodder through minimal effort.
When and if a Princess should be "redeemed"? Well, never should it be possible for the former Princess to remember her daughters. Or care enough about their daughters to bother with them beyond destroying them on sight, having never really cared for them as Abyssal Princesses (and now not caring for them as Kanmusu).
...
But . . .turns out that the Abyss' masterful plans hadn't accounted for the unexpected variable of the Jellyfish Princess having been so . . .relatively peaceful (disappointingly so). Been so different in how she had treated her daughters. The love beyond that of the frustrated love the fodder Abyssal found herself, forever trying to win a love of a mother who never would or could love them.
It opened up a door. An opportunity for the Abyss's oh so perfect control . . .to NOT be so perfect after all! In a nutshell, as it were.
So, with curses and threats thrown their way by the Abyss, the entity finally realized that short of Reaching out to stop the wayward Abyssals in their tracks it was a lost cause. On some trash She felt was beneath her efforts to do such. But NOT enough to leave such slights to Her unpunished.
"So you shall be Marked as Traitors!" the Abyss sniffs, throwing a bolt of Power at the defiant fodder Abyssals right before they exited back to the realm of the living. Screaming, the sisters found themselves and their rigging changing, showing them to have aligned themselves with the Enemy and to be treated as such when they should sink again and get Summoned by an Abyssal Princess still loyal to the Abyss!
No need for trash like this to spread ideas they may remember even after death. Don't need the other fodder Abyssals to get Uppity!
. . . .
And best to set up a contingency Curse to strike any other's like those foolish shipgirls she'd Marked should become defiant and try to join the Enemy. Oh, there were ways to ensure that the fodder should and would never even dream of doing such, but that would be needing a total tear down and rebuild of the fodder Abyssal system, and she had War to wage against humanity through her proxies right NOW.
She was a Demon Goddess (as she fancied herself), but even she didn't have time (or inclination) for what that would entail. Not if She wanted to do it right and avoid leaving fodder Abyssals little more than useless zombies. While amusing, hardly what she needed to carry out a proper war and all that. Best to use the Curse and leave at that. Not as if the Enemy could empty this limbo of all the potential . . .assets at her disposal.
Smiling evilly (or an approximation of a smile for one of her type), the Abyss looked about the limbo realm at all the countless souls within waiting for her touch.
Yes, not like that at all. She had all the reserves she needed and wanted...
<***>
Meanwhile, at the Kanmusu Base in Japan in the Summoning Pool facility...
Groaning, Firestorm raised her head off the concrete she'd found herself hurled onto when getting violently ejected from the pool. Pain filled eyes of her sister look back at her. Orange and blue, but . . .not glowing. Shouldn't they be glowing? She remembered them glowing, she thought.
A familiar feeling is here though. A feeling of . . .belonging surrounds this place. Something just resonated with her. With her sister Hypocenter. Something which was . . .where they both belonged. As if before . . .on that island somewhere?
"Firestorm . . .sister," Hypocenter groaned softly before pulling herself vertical. "Are you . . .okay?"
"I will be," she muttered after shaking light lavender (wasn't it supposed to be white?) hair out from her face. Didn't her sister have white hair? So hard to remember. So . . .tired! "But where's Mother?"
"I don't know," her sister after a moment's consideration before yawning. "But . . .she should be here soon if she Summoned us. So . . . no harm in resting while we wait."
Nodding slightly, Firestorm joined with her sister as they leaned against a wall to rest. Soon enough falling asleep, they unconsciously found themselves cold and reaching out to the other for comfort and warmth.
Unaware of her newly returned daughters' existence inside, the aircraft carrier shipgirl known as Saratoga continued to rush by and onto the office of her Commanding Officer to tell about that rather upsetting and unexpected cellphone call from Trinitite...
Chapter 1: A Rough Summons
Both Kanmusu-ized sisters coughed and sputtered weakly, coughing out the water they'd inadvertently inhaled when they'd been . . .branded as Traitors to Abyssal kind. For the "crime" of having answered a frantic call from their Princess who wanted so dearly to speak with her daughter.
Unknowing and uncaring at the time, the Wo-class Abyssals had before merely been existing within the dark void of the limbo they'd found themselves after . . .some battle . . .on an island? It was too jumbled. Too fuzzy.
Before? They'd barely even remembered their names whilst floating in that limbo. Not that they'd cared overly much, just an apathetic feeling of numbness upon their mind/body/and soul.
Then they'd heard their Mother's call.
Then they'd remembered their Princess' embrace. Her loving gestures. The Warmth!
So! Despite hearing faint calls from somewhere . . .else. Somewhere with a pool. A pool to Earth through an exit of cold and malignant red in a light/not light. Both sisters had somehow moved (in an eldritch shadow realm that didn't exactly have the normal concept of "movement" and "dimensions" like here on Earth) toward a place. An exit of duty. An exit of warmth and love. An exit of "blue" in light/not light. . . .that made the sisters pause in slight concern. Of course, that was when the Thing they knew only as the Abyss finally made itself/herself known.
Before it had been to the sisters only a hint. A tiny feeling in the back of their minds of consternation and confusion. As if asking why in the Deep weren't they following the normal route out of this limbo? Why go THIS forbidding path? Why answer THIS call?
Both blink (or would blink if they could in such a limbo), not expecting to hear the Abyss--for that is who this WAS they somehow knew--this particular event.
Somehow, they remember another time where the Abyss had spoken to them. Commanded them. One word: "Report". And they'd reported to their Princess! Their Mother!! Just like they should!
But why this? The sisters asked themselves this with slow, muddled thoughts.
The Abyss meanwhile? This should not have been able to happen at all! The former Abyssal Princesses that those clueless land apes may have been able to weasel back into their clutches should not be able to remember their Abyssal summoned daughters without MUCH effort. She'd made sure to have made their contingency of their memories of their times as Abyssal Princesses were scrambled so it was of limited use to them. Limited use to their human owners.
For the former Jellyfish Princess to have been able to remember enough her daughter Trinitite? To be strong enough to make it possible to send a Summons through, accidentally attracting these two?
Not at all expected! Her plots were flawless. Her controls were foolproof.
. . . .
And the Abyss was VERY much the narcissistic one, indeed. . . and perhaps overestimating in here abilities in controlling her minions? Maybe?
"Good," the Abyss chuckled slightly in a relieved voice/not voice (which is the best way to describe an Eldritch Abomination's methods of communication to its. . .property). "Good! You realized that you are to not answer calls from the likes of those others. Especially from the likes of traitors who would spit on my largess!
"So! Come!" the Abyss chuckled in a satisfied, self-assured voice. "The damned Kanmusu pool back to Earth is not for the likes of Abyssals so just . . ."
Surely, even that almost failure Jellyfish Princess had enshrined a spirit of community. Of loyalty to the Abyssals! Their race! Their people! Their allegiance overall to them, and to Her!
"But our Princess called," the one who realized her name was Hypocenter said simply. "We must answer."
And willing herself forward, she proceeded to head towards the blue exit Pool.
"It is what is to be done!" Firestorm huffed, finding herself almost . . .insulted that the Abyss should think It was worthy of telling them differently. It HAD created them this way, after all! Love and obey your Princess. Report to her and accept her as your Princess, who rules.
. . .
Right?
This . . .did not go over too well for the Abyss. Control was maintained by way of altering and editing the minds and hearts of the ship spirits who had felt they'd been wronged or treated in a disrespectful manner before their sinking, leaving them as perfect cat paws. As Abyssal Princesses they shelled out vengeance upon those uppity humans, and the Abyss' heart black and cold heart was gladdened.
The fodder Abyssal? Take the souls and twist and alter them. Mutilate them into what would serve, fodder for battle. If they should fall? They'd go right back into the limbo, to be summoned again by the Princess.
They were made to love their Princess and serve loyally. And through controlling (albeit in a remote and loose manner) the Princess by twisting them into useful monsters, they controlled her fodder through minimal effort.
When and if a Princess should be "redeemed"? Well, never should it be possible for the former Princess to remember her daughters. Or care enough about their daughters to bother with them beyond destroying them on sight, having never really cared for them as Abyssal Princesses (and now not caring for them as Kanmusu).
...
But . . .turns out that the Abyss' masterful plans hadn't accounted for the unexpected variable of the Jellyfish Princess having been so . . .relatively peaceful (disappointingly so). Been so different in how she had treated her daughters. The love beyond that of the frustrated love the fodder Abyssal found herself, forever trying to win a love of a mother who never would or could love them.
It opened up a door. An opportunity for the Abyss's oh so perfect control . . .to NOT be so perfect after all! In a nutshell, as it were.
So, with curses and threats thrown their way by the Abyss, the entity finally realized that short of Reaching out to stop the wayward Abyssals in their tracks it was a lost cause. On some trash She felt was beneath her efforts to do such. But NOT enough to leave such slights to Her unpunished.
"So you shall be Marked as Traitors!" the Abyss sniffs, throwing a bolt of Power at the defiant fodder Abyssals right before they exited back to the realm of the living. Screaming, the sisters found themselves and their rigging changing, showing them to have aligned themselves with the Enemy and to be treated as such when they should sink again and get Summoned by an Abyssal Princess still loyal to the Abyss!
No need for trash like this to spread ideas they may remember even after death. Don't need the other fodder Abyssals to get Uppity!
. . . .
And best to set up a contingency Curse to strike any other's like those foolish shipgirls she'd Marked should become defiant and try to join the Enemy. Oh, there were ways to ensure that the fodder should and would never even dream of doing such, but that would be needing a total tear down and rebuild of the fodder Abyssal system, and she had War to wage against humanity through her proxies right NOW.
She was a Demon Goddess (as she fancied herself), but even she didn't have time (or inclination) for what that would entail. Not if She wanted to do it right and avoid leaving fodder Abyssals little more than useless zombies. While amusing, hardly what she needed to carry out a proper war and all that. Best to use the Curse and leave at that. Not as if the Enemy could empty this limbo of all the potential . . .assets at her disposal.
Smiling evilly (or an approximation of a smile for one of her type), the Abyss looked about the limbo realm at all the countless souls within waiting for her touch.
Yes, not like that at all. She had all the reserves she needed and wanted...
<***>
Meanwhile, at the Kanmusu Base in Japan in the Summoning Pool facility...
Groaning, Firestorm raised her head off the concrete she'd found herself hurled onto when getting violently ejected from the pool. Pain filled eyes of her sister look back at her. Orange and blue, but . . .not glowing. Shouldn't they be glowing? She remembered them glowing, she thought.
A familiar feeling is here though. A feeling of . . .belonging surrounds this place. Something just resonated with her. With her sister Hypocenter. Something which was . . .where they both belonged. As if before . . .on that island somewhere?
"Firestorm . . .sister," Hypocenter groaned softly before pulling herself vertical. "Are you . . .okay?"
"I will be," she muttered after shaking light lavender (wasn't it supposed to be white?) hair out from her face. Didn't her sister have white hair? So hard to remember. So . . .tired! "But where's Mother?"
"I don't know," her sister after a moment's consideration before yawning. "But . . .she should be here soon if she Summoned us. So . . . no harm in resting while we wait."
Nodding slightly, Firestorm joined with her sister as they leaned against a wall to rest. Soon enough falling asleep, they unconsciously found themselves cold and reaching out to the other for comfort and warmth.
Unaware of her newly returned daughters' existence inside, the aircraft carrier shipgirl known as Saratoga continued to rush by and onto the office of her Commanding Officer to tell about that rather upsetting and unexpected cellphone call from Trinitite...
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PyrrhicSteel
Look natural.
- Location
- Idaho
Ayy, always nice to see more omakes!
Again, you've taken the abyss in a different direction then I have, and it's interesting how that changes the character interactions. I eagerly await for more.
On another note, you've been asking me for an actual composition of the Crossroads fleet. Since that's probably something I should have gotten done quite a while ago, I got started on that, and will probably publish it under an information threadmark if anyone's interested in technical details.
Annoyed Catholic
Moody fellow
Glad to deliver! If nothing else, the "source material" you provided with this story provided ample inspiration!
Yep, I did apparently took it in a different direction with the Abyss eh? In all honesty, I was taking a guess at the direction you were going to take with the Abyss and guessed wrong.
Hey, but it worked out in the end.Honestly, the "evil goddess"/eldritch abomination angle for the Abyss I felt was perhaps the most appealing angle to take here. One that I felt most comfortable to take, anyway. It came from the older days when I used to play AD&D. What with something akin to a mashup of Loviatar (aka The Maiden of Pain) and Tiamat, this was something that in the olden/pagan days people worships out of fear and the hope that by making sacrifices you'd avoid her wrath whilst on the seas. NOT a pleasant person at all, but it was . . .fitting for what I had in mind. At least with that now done I can concentrate on the two wayward (former) Wo-class shipgirls here!
Looking forward to what you'll write there and thanks!
Annoyed Catholic - Wo Wo, Nippon: Hypocenter and Firestorm's Medical Checkup
Annoyed Catholic
Moody fellow
Wo Wo, Nippon: Hypocenter and Firestorm's Medical Checkup
Chapter 2: Lost Knowledge Found Knowledge
With Shimikaze . . .
Yes, Shimikaze was more than a bit frustrated right now. That and had a bit of hurt feelings to boot!
All she had wanted to do there was help!
Something that darned supposed "Essex daughter" of Saratoga had really spooked her right before she'd ran off! Adopted or not, the destroyer girl had figured that she had somehow been responsible for having upset Saratoga like that. If not directly responsible for this, she had been at least indirectly responsible by letting this "Trinitite" speak with Saratoga!
So of course the destroyer had soon found herself chasing after the aircraft carrier shipgirl to try to calm her down? But well?
Well...
As fast as the hyperactive destroyer boasted to be here? As it turned out with both the head start, the shortcuts taken, and the sheer desperation fueled speed that Saratoga traveled at meant she had arrived to speak with her Commanding Officer well before the destroyer shipgirl could speak with her. With the meeting between the human Comanding Officer and aircraft carrier shipgirl happening behind closed doors meant her being locked out of things. While an acting secretary, this did not mean that the destroyer got to sit in on any old conversation. Especially ones which turn into some kind of "high security" teleconference meet!
Afterward when Houshou returned from her date later that day (it had been a lunch date), the matronly Japanese aircraft carrier shipgirl Houshou had taken over secretary duties. Upon learning from the admiral what had happened with a phone call with Saratoga, and soon the hyperactive destroyer shipgirl found herself being scolded over that! The well-meaning hyperactive shipgirl had caused something of a breach of privacy, letting somebody merely claiming to be a daughter of Saratoga speak with her.
Yes, you might have guessed that poor Houshou also was not "written in" to the program of secrecy over what Trinitite really was here. If so, then the Japanese aircraft carrier would have been even MORE upset with the destroyer...
Ah, but anyway, after that rather sharp and upsetting discussion (not an "aft chewing", Houshou was too polite for that) that poor still Shimikaze had fled in tears, only to have calmed down enough to stop crying and compose herself much later.
Now calmed, she figured that this was high time to speak with Saratoga if only to apologize for having upset her. However, that was not to be since as it turned out . . . Saratoga was on an unexpected ride back to the USA on emergency leave for SOME reason nobody would tell her. Rumors of some kind of family issues were at the core. Shimikaze muttered angrily something under her breath heatedly about that "family issue" being named Trinitite when she noticed I-19 (aka Iku the "lewd marine") smiling, heading her way.
"Oh please no," the poor destroyer muttered in Japanese, not wanting to be hazed yet again by the teasing submarine girl.
Author's Note: unless otherwise stated, any italicized spoken words will denote the speaker speaking in Japanese. Just an FYI.
Rushing away, the destroyer shipgirl ducked into the Summoning Pool facility to hide from the "lewdmarine" sub shipgirl and hid behind a shrine altar, only to pause in mild surprise at the messy state that the Summoning Pool was in! What had the cleaning staff been doing, slacking off here?
Then she heard the faint snoring coming from a corner of the room, out of sight from where she stood. Walking over slowly, she found two lavender haired shipgirls (Essex-class shipgirls with rigging which was . . .decidely off somehow).
Their "headgear" wasn't . . .organic in nature, but damn if it didn't look something akin to what those pasty-faced aircraft carrier Abyssals wore! The Wo-class, she meant.
Whatever the reason for their odd rigging aside, it was obvious what these two happened to be here: accidental summons! Rare nowadays, but it happened from time to time!
"Essex-class?" muttered to herself, wondering if this had something in some way to do with Saratoga. Real ones instead of "supposed" ones over a phone call for a change!
They look rather cute, cuddling together like that . . .
"Oh Shimikaze!~" cooed I-19, sidling up and hugging the suddenly stiff destroyer. "There you are and . . .with this?~"
"Shit," muttered poor Shimikaze in English, realizing she had failed in her hiding attempt (again). With Iku attached to her like a barnacle, she was doomed to yet another bout of hazing (lewd hazing) from the Japanese sub. At least with English, it provided the right words for cursing when that mere Japanese seriously lacked for situations like this! "I do NOT need this."
Smiling with mirth, the submarine shipgirl continued as both Essex-class carriers snort and awaken, blinking at finding an audience.
"Did you both enjoy your sleepover~?" I-19 asked, still in a teasing mood. Only to have her smile slowly fade at the blank look the two lavender haired shipgirls gave her.
"Our Japanese not fine," Firestorm blinked after looking at Hypocenter and back again at the sub shipgirl. It was like, they sort of understood the language. Remembered vaguely being (somewhat) better at that tongue, but . . .it was all too fuzzy to be useable. "You good speak English, please?
After the submarine blinked, she asked again in a more serious voice. It was no fun to make fun of another when they hardly could speak in the language the joke was asked in, you know. No fun at all, that!
Hypocenter thanked her, and after introducing themselves to each other...
"No . . . the concrete and steel make for a poor sleeping surface," Firestorm finally conceded, frowning. Somewhat confused by the sub's earlier tone and feeling rather stiff after their rest, she still plowed onwards. That and she'd not understand the innuendo. Wouldn't have understood even IF her Japanese had been better, honestly. "My sister and I were warm enough though..."
Firestorm blinked, thinking. A hopeful look entered her eyes. Snapping her fingers, she points at the two other shipgirls.
"Better question!" the former Abyssal shipgirl asks eagerly. "By chance is Mother around and she sent you two to retrieve us? She wasn't here when she Summoned us, so might you be here in her place?"
"Uh . . .your mother?" the lewd submarine blinked, having switched out of her teasing nature and into a more helpful one, that goodness! Finally noticing the mess the Pool and what they'd just said registered. "Well, we could help with that."
After all, while accidental Summonings nowadays were rare they still happened. And as for these two carrier shipgirls? There WAS one particular aircraft carrier shipgirl available who was here instead of flying back to the US for reasons only the Gods and Goddess knew why. And Houshou was seen as the mother of all aircraft carriers in the world!
Author's Note: As per what was found at the wiki:
kancolle.fandom.com
"Hoshou was the first IJN carrier, and the first vessel in the world that was designed and built as an aircraft carrier, not converted."
No, both submarine shipgirl and fast destroyer shipgirl were more familiar with Japanese Navy trivia. The fact that Saratoga the Lexington-class aircraft carrier (an aircraft carrier converted from a battlecruiser) of the US Navy was credited for being the mother of the Essex-class carriers was not known to them.
Go figure, they'd figure that somehow their erstwhile secretary to the Admiral had done the deed and was the "mother" and "summoner" these two spoke of here. Honest mistake!
And these two had the somewhat newbie air to them of the suddenly Summoned for the first time. Would explain a few things.
"Yes, let us do that!" the destroyer agreed, managing to shake off the still clinging sub shipgirl. "We can go and speak with your Mother and . . ."
"Yes! Yes, let's go and do that right now!!" Firestorm surged forward and grabbed the destroyer shipgirl in a tight hug and lifting her off her feet, practically vibrating in obvious excitement. Looking into the wide-eyed shipgirl, she practically begging. "Please! Let's go right now and do that!"
"Uh forgive my sister," Hypocenter said, freely admitting that her own boilers were spiking in pressure over the idea of seeing their Mother again!! Still, reaching out and placing a moderating hand on her fiery sister. "We both want to meet Mother again, but might it be a good idea to put our new friend down first?"
"Oh . . .sorry," Firestorm muttered softly, putting the destroyer back down gently and backing away. "We just want to meet our Mother like you'd not believe. We answered her Summons and . . .Uh, best we talk about all that once we get together with her before we tell about that."
Yes, best to get in contact with Mother. And doing that was Reporting despite what that traitorous Bitch, the Abyss said! Being that Mother was the Princess and thus in charge of this facility was the proper way of things! That is how the Abyssals did it. Surely that was how the Kanmusu does it as well!
Later . . .
As it turned out, that is not how it was done!
"You're not our mother," Firestorm muttered, disappointment as she stared at the matronly Japanese aircraft carrier shipgirl/secretary. "And she's on her way back to . . .America?. . .to take care of some family issues. An Emergency Leave?"
This had been a learning experience, and not all involved had rather liked what they had learned.
The Kanmusu shipgirls learned (much to their surprise) that Essex-class carriers were indeed the daughters of the Lexington-class carrier Saratoga. At least according to the shipgirl/secretary that is, the Kanmusu-ized Abyssals were not yet sold on the idea. Not until they met this "Saratoga" face to face or at least got an idea of what she looked like! Shimikaze, meanwhile blinks and nods to herself. So it hadn't been a case of adoption after all... Even if this Trinitite was some kind of hooligans who'd made Saratoga so distressed with her phonecall, the destroyer had learned something new every day. Firestorm and Hypocenter had learned that this Saratoga had been tasked here by the Americans (of which fleet this happened to be both had no clue at all about) to teach the newer Japanese (another fleet the former Abyssals had no clue about due to scrambled memories) carriers operations to become better aircraft carriers all around.
Questions about what "America" and "Japan" exactly were from both former Abyssals were greeted with blinks of surprise.
After a few more questions, the Kanmusu figured that the poor souls must have had a VERY rough Summons indeed. That and perhaps these two were actually one of those mythical Essex ships who'd never gotten completed before being scrapped? Maybe, but if issues like that persisted then a specialist would be called to help with it. That was a solemn promise given by the motherly secretary shipgirl.
The shipgirls thank Houshou, touched despite themselves.
The help with their memories and training? That . . . sounded like something both Firestorm and Hypocenter could use here. Honestly, the lack of skills their fairy crews displayed was worrisome! Indeed, Firestorm had complained that those manning her boilers were having issues even being able to maintain normal operations! Much less doing a decent job in a combat operation! And if somebody could help with the blank spots? Oh Wow!!
As of right now? They're so bad off that even insane claims like the Moon was made of green cheese would almost be believable to them!! Not enough to paint the picture of how bad? How bad was it? For that matter, even some navel terms had been oddly . . .absent. Damnable fuzzy memory. What in the Deep was "port" and "starboard" in terms of direction?!
If this Saratoga was their Mother? Then she could surely remedy that, right? That and this "specialist"...
Trinitite could easily answer that one, girls. At least for part of it...
"And nor am I the one in charge of this facility but I can easily pass along the word and the Admiral can make it happen," Houshou said in a very motherly voice, holding the hands of both Firestorm and Hypocenter. Technically, Houshou could be considered their grandmother, but right now such claims might not be well received by these distraught souls so some tact was in order here. And gentleness! "But we can at least determine perhaps if Saratoga is your mother, maybe?"
Drawing back, Houshou tapped a few keys on the mouse of the computer. Bringing up Saratoga's file, it displayed her file with a clear and crisp computer image of her face and shoulders.
"Mother!" whispered both Firestorm and Hypocenter, reaching slowly and tracing the image of Saratoga's face gently as if it were the shipgirl's actual face. Crying a little bit while Firestorm still stared at their Mother . . .their Princess, she turned and nodded. Too choked up to be able to do more than that, right at that moment.
After composing themselves, both Firestorm and Hypocenter found themselves being soon escorted by I-19 (after a whispered but firm order to NOT harass the poor souls needlessly) to the guest quarters for now. The usually lewd submarine nodded, feeling no need to mess with the newcomers. There would be no point and needlessly . . .cruel. She was many things (perhaps even a pervert), but not needlessly cruel.
A request that some battleship shipgirls be used as well to join the party and "keep an eye on them" was given by both former Abyssals. When asked why Hypocenter said that it was a matter of trust for now. That and it there was something that must be told directly to the commanding officer of this facility. It was important, but not something to lightly be said beforehand.
Both Firestorm and Hypocenter feared that unless this was done, this Admiral (whose name had not yet been given for whatever reason) and the other shipgirls would panic. Mistaking them for . . .regular Abyssal enemies.
They were not enemies. Not at all considering everything...
Granting that request, both the battleships Yamato and Musashi found themselves being tasked with this job. Which is good, but something about Musashi made the hairs on the back of Hypocenter's neck stand on end. It was almost as if she recognized at least part of things off of the Japanese battleship. Something about her hair. Something about that rigging! The turret in part, that is. Something familiar and NOT at all welcome, but for the life of her, the former Abyssal aircraft carrier could not say just why!
But all that That done?
Before Shimikaze left, the mother of all aircraft carriers turned and spoke with the fast destroyer.
"Shimikaze," she began. "You left in a rush and I am sorry that I upset you. I truly am. But dear, I do hope you now understand why I was upset?"
"I do," she said softly, not wanting to face Houshou but found her head being lifted up gently by the shipgirl in question.
"Yes, you meant well but in doing so you let a phonecall in that needlessly upset Saratoga!" Houshou sighed. "Now we do not know just why Saratoga is heading back to America. In a jet fighter of all things to boot! But what I am saying is that you're . . . known to be absent-minded at times. I need you to realize that sometimes though you need to think before you do things in a rush. Ask the Admiral or one of us if you have questions about something like this in the future. You understand?"
Nodding slightly, the fast destroyer soon left after promising herself to take this aboard and learn from it. It was only written. Honor demanded it...
That done, Houshou gathered up her notes to update the Admiral on events while busy with Saratoga and that private and highly security teleconference. It had been a long day. Calling in and finding the Japanese officer ready, she proceeded to read off her notes. Getting to the end and frowning slightly at the admiral having chosen to drink while still on duty (which was allowed by regulations nowadays but still) . . .
It was hardly the largest of the quirks the Admiral had, noting where the Admiral preferred to have her give her reports for whatever reason. Still, duty is duty!
"What else could happen today?" the man in question sighed, sipping at the bourbon he'd poured himself to calm himself before signaling Houshou to go over all the pending business that had been put on hold up until now.
The items he'd not already been informed of as of yet, anyway if you wish to be pedantic!
"Admiral," his shipgirl secretary calls from the doorway. "I was just informed that we seemed to have had two accidental Summoning in the Pool somehow we only found out about now. We have them in guest quarters right now under escort before we get them folded into the ranks, but they're still somewhat out of it from the Summoning."
"They appear to be American Essex class aircraft carriers of somewhat odd design," she continued. "Who call themselves Firestorm and Hypocenter. . ."
"Admiral?!" Houshou asked, dropping her notes and rushed to aid the Admiral as he proceeded to spit out and sneeze out the bourbon he'd been drinking!
"Say what?!" the senior commanding officer finally managed, staring wildly at the as if to ask her (almost beg her) that she'd been making some kind of obscene joke. "You said Firestorm and Hypocenter? Please tell me didn't just say that!"
"That . . .is what they called themselves," Houshou said, beginning to really worry here. "Uh, they ARE under escort by both Yamato, Musashi and I-19."
The news that not only were the two new guest under escort by battleship shipgirls, but said guest (who happen to have the names the up until now-defunct sisters of Trinitite, the wayward Wo over in America) had requested them to get escorted and watched over by said battleships really brought the Admiral up short here.
Not enough for him to prevent the ordered sweeps done on the base (especially the Summoning Pool) for signs of sabotage or security breaches, but enough to cause him to come up short.
Nothing was found. Something that the Admiral had suspected would be the case--unexpected guests aside--but it was nice to make sure.
Honestly, if this had been some kind of sneaky operation the Admiral expected something along the lines of yet another Abyssal Princess suddenly making an appearance from a VERY unwanted summoning. And the base would go the way that it had gone for the Americans at Pearl Harbor with the Central Princess.
Gods, what a meat grinder that was for both sides!! He did NOT want it here in Japan, something like that happening.
Under escort by battleships (if not lewd submarine girls), the Admiral soon meets the two former Abyssal Wo-class shipgirls along with battleship escort. Calmly they tell their tales, both sisters . . .impress the up until then suspicious officer. And after talking to the researcher which had been dug up somewhere (good Gods), the good Dr. Takahashi says that as far as what passes for biology for "regular" shipgirls was the same for the new shipgirls in their midst despite their supposed Abyssal origins.
Not a big surprise, that. Honestly, what Dr. Takahashi knew about dead Abyssal bodies and regular shipgirl bodies? Same at some level. Just in the case of some of the rigging? That part had been more . . .organic. In the case of Wo-class rigging, the alien head rigging those like Trinitite wore? Very organic. Not so anymore for the "converted" Firestorm and Hypocenter. Beyond a rather Wo-look the sisters had to their rigging, it was shipgirl "normal" metallic.
There was something different about the ship crew fairies, however. The glowing red eyes were kind of a giveaway. That and a decided lack of skill you'd usually see in other ship fairies.
Other tests? That worry that damnable US Marshal had caused with ONE question? The one that had gotten USS Saratoga taken from his facility where she'd been teaching HIS new carrier shipgirls the ins and outs of aircraft warfare? Damage Control and the like?
....
The doctor had been eccentric. Almost mad, but . . .his sources said that he was reliable, odd personality aside (and looking rather raggedy in his mismatched clothing). Others had scoffed at the man's theories and not passed them along to those within the Japanese military. Not to his office, anyway. But one question and a crisis in Washington state (in the USA) caused a panic quest for answers.
Takahashi had come up in conversation before his existence (and shunned theories) could be buried again.
Here he was and by gods was he getting results like none had before now!!
....
The doctor had revealed that while the two sisters had "memory issues" now, not everything had been totally lost. Furthermore, over time . . .
Well, that is not something that the sisters were privy to here and not (for now) relevant to their story!
What is important to them was the result of one last thing the good doctor had done in his examination of the sisters. The admiral had authorized it. It would be good for finding out intel on Abyssal makeup, psychology, and the like.
And frankly, the doctor had found he . . .rather felt for the poor dears, despite himself. So why not? It was a rather esoteric manner. Not many gave much stock to it. Not many KNEW of it, but he . . .had his sources and ways in the "less accepted" fields of knowledge. They laugh at such, but HE will show them. Show them ALL! Ah, that and it did not sit well with him how . . .guillable and naive the sisters were. Easily lead astray.
Restored memories should restore life lessons. Hopefully. He didn't want them to be taken advantage of here, you see.
With meditation incense lit and low lights, the confused Abyssals soon find found their eyes growing heavy as they watched a swinging golden watch. Heavy. Heavy....heavy . . .
Moments later?
"By the Deep, I remember everything!!" Firestorm almost screamed, snapping awake and fuzzy and blank memories suddenly crystal (and beyond) clear.
Hypocenter also blinked, overwhelmed at what she now knew. Including some things like that insane Abyssal Princess who'd invited her to some ceremony. Yeah! That one who'd gone on about Angels and Crusades...
But even with that bad?
"Thank you!" she said softly, hugging the surprised Dr. Takahashi in gratitude, making sure not to crush him in the process. Unwelcome as some of those memories of that one ceremony with that mad Abyssal Princess had been, at least she had a good baseline at what human bodies can stand safely!
But soon enough, Firestorm got impatient with a Houshou over something. Something about not being able to see their mother despite this "teleconference" thing and . . .
Chapter 2: Lost Knowledge Found Knowledge
With Shimikaze . . .
Yes, Shimikaze was more than a bit frustrated right now. That and had a bit of hurt feelings to boot!
All she had wanted to do there was help!
Something that darned supposed "Essex daughter" of Saratoga had really spooked her right before she'd ran off! Adopted or not, the destroyer girl had figured that she had somehow been responsible for having upset Saratoga like that. If not directly responsible for this, she had been at least indirectly responsible by letting this "Trinitite" speak with Saratoga!
So of course the destroyer had soon found herself chasing after the aircraft carrier shipgirl to try to calm her down? But well?
Well...
As fast as the hyperactive destroyer boasted to be here? As it turned out with both the head start, the shortcuts taken, and the sheer desperation fueled speed that Saratoga traveled at meant she had arrived to speak with her Commanding Officer well before the destroyer shipgirl could speak with her. With the meeting between the human Comanding Officer and aircraft carrier shipgirl happening behind closed doors meant her being locked out of things. While an acting secretary, this did not mean that the destroyer got to sit in on any old conversation. Especially ones which turn into some kind of "high security" teleconference meet!
Afterward when Houshou returned from her date later that day (it had been a lunch date), the matronly Japanese aircraft carrier shipgirl Houshou had taken over secretary duties. Upon learning from the admiral what had happened with a phone call with Saratoga, and soon the hyperactive destroyer shipgirl found herself being scolded over that! The well-meaning hyperactive shipgirl had caused something of a breach of privacy, letting somebody merely claiming to be a daughter of Saratoga speak with her.
Yes, you might have guessed that poor Houshou also was not "written in" to the program of secrecy over what Trinitite really was here. If so, then the Japanese aircraft carrier would have been even MORE upset with the destroyer...
Ah, but anyway, after that rather sharp and upsetting discussion (not an "aft chewing", Houshou was too polite for that) that poor still Shimikaze had fled in tears, only to have calmed down enough to stop crying and compose herself much later.
Now calmed, she figured that this was high time to speak with Saratoga if only to apologize for having upset her. However, that was not to be since as it turned out . . . Saratoga was on an unexpected ride back to the USA on emergency leave for SOME reason nobody would tell her. Rumors of some kind of family issues were at the core. Shimikaze muttered angrily something under her breath heatedly about that "family issue" being named Trinitite when she noticed I-19 (aka Iku the "lewd marine") smiling, heading her way.
"Oh please no," the poor destroyer muttered in Japanese, not wanting to be hazed yet again by the teasing submarine girl.
Author's Note: unless otherwise stated, any italicized spoken words will denote the speaker speaking in Japanese. Just an FYI.
Rushing away, the destroyer shipgirl ducked into the Summoning Pool facility to hide from the "lewdmarine" sub shipgirl and hid behind a shrine altar, only to pause in mild surprise at the messy state that the Summoning Pool was in! What had the cleaning staff been doing, slacking off here?
Then she heard the faint snoring coming from a corner of the room, out of sight from where she stood. Walking over slowly, she found two lavender haired shipgirls (Essex-class shipgirls with rigging which was . . .decidely off somehow).
Their "headgear" wasn't . . .organic in nature, but damn if it didn't look something akin to what those pasty-faced aircraft carrier Abyssals wore! The Wo-class, she meant.
Whatever the reason for their odd rigging aside, it was obvious what these two happened to be here: accidental summons! Rare nowadays, but it happened from time to time!
"Essex-class?" muttered to herself, wondering if this had something in some way to do with Saratoga. Real ones instead of "supposed" ones over a phone call for a change!
They look rather cute, cuddling together like that . . .
"Oh Shimikaze!~" cooed I-19, sidling up and hugging the suddenly stiff destroyer. "There you are and . . .with this?~"
"Shit," muttered poor Shimikaze in English, realizing she had failed in her hiding attempt (again). With Iku attached to her like a barnacle, she was doomed to yet another bout of hazing (lewd hazing) from the Japanese sub. At least with English, it provided the right words for cursing when that mere Japanese seriously lacked for situations like this! "I do NOT need this."
Smiling with mirth, the submarine shipgirl continued as both Essex-class carriers snort and awaken, blinking at finding an audience.
"Did you both enjoy your sleepover~?" I-19 asked, still in a teasing mood. Only to have her smile slowly fade at the blank look the two lavender haired shipgirls gave her.
"Our Japanese not fine," Firestorm blinked after looking at Hypocenter and back again at the sub shipgirl. It was like, they sort of understood the language. Remembered vaguely being (somewhat) better at that tongue, but . . .it was all too fuzzy to be useable. "You good speak English, please?
After the submarine blinked, she asked again in a more serious voice. It was no fun to make fun of another when they hardly could speak in the language the joke was asked in, you know. No fun at all, that!
Hypocenter thanked her, and after introducing themselves to each other...
"No . . . the concrete and steel make for a poor sleeping surface," Firestorm finally conceded, frowning. Somewhat confused by the sub's earlier tone and feeling rather stiff after their rest, she still plowed onwards. That and she'd not understand the innuendo. Wouldn't have understood even IF her Japanese had been better, honestly. "My sister and I were warm enough though..."
Firestorm blinked, thinking. A hopeful look entered her eyes. Snapping her fingers, she points at the two other shipgirls.
"Better question!" the former Abyssal shipgirl asks eagerly. "By chance is Mother around and she sent you two to retrieve us? She wasn't here when she Summoned us, so might you be here in her place?"
"Uh . . .your mother?" the lewd submarine blinked, having switched out of her teasing nature and into a more helpful one, that goodness! Finally noticing the mess the Pool and what they'd just said registered. "Well, we could help with that."
After all, while accidental Summonings nowadays were rare they still happened. And as for these two carrier shipgirls? There WAS one particular aircraft carrier shipgirl available who was here instead of flying back to the US for reasons only the Gods and Goddess knew why. And Houshou was seen as the mother of all aircraft carriers in the world!
Author's Note: As per what was found at the wiki:
Houshou
Like some other carriers, her attire is based on kyūdo (Japanese archery) equipment. She wears a scarlet kimono, a dark hakama, and a matching tasuki (a rope to tuck up the kimono sleeves to prevent them from getting in the way). She holds a bow with her left hand, and wears a yugake (deerskin...
kancolle.fandom.com
No, both submarine shipgirl and fast destroyer shipgirl were more familiar with Japanese Navy trivia. The fact that Saratoga the Lexington-class aircraft carrier (an aircraft carrier converted from a battlecruiser) of the US Navy was credited for being the mother of the Essex-class carriers was not known to them.
Go figure, they'd figure that somehow their erstwhile secretary to the Admiral had done the deed and was the "mother" and "summoner" these two spoke of here. Honest mistake!
And these two had the somewhat newbie air to them of the suddenly Summoned for the first time. Would explain a few things.
"Yes, let us do that!" the destroyer agreed, managing to shake off the still clinging sub shipgirl. "We can go and speak with your Mother and . . ."
"Yes! Yes, let's go and do that right now!!" Firestorm surged forward and grabbed the destroyer shipgirl in a tight hug and lifting her off her feet, practically vibrating in obvious excitement. Looking into the wide-eyed shipgirl, she practically begging. "Please! Let's go right now and do that!"
"Uh forgive my sister," Hypocenter said, freely admitting that her own boilers were spiking in pressure over the idea of seeing their Mother again!! Still, reaching out and placing a moderating hand on her fiery sister. "We both want to meet Mother again, but might it be a good idea to put our new friend down first?"
"Oh . . .sorry," Firestorm muttered softly, putting the destroyer back down gently and backing away. "We just want to meet our Mother like you'd not believe. We answered her Summons and . . .Uh, best we talk about all that once we get together with her before we tell about that."
Yes, best to get in contact with Mother. And doing that was Reporting despite what that traitorous Bitch, the Abyss said! Being that Mother was the Princess and thus in charge of this facility was the proper way of things! That is how the Abyssals did it. Surely that was how the Kanmusu does it as well!
Later . . .
As it turned out, that is not how it was done!
"You're not our mother," Firestorm muttered, disappointment as she stared at the matronly Japanese aircraft carrier shipgirl/secretary. "And she's on her way back to . . .America?. . .to take care of some family issues. An Emergency Leave?"
This had been a learning experience, and not all involved had rather liked what they had learned.
The Kanmusu shipgirls learned (much to their surprise) that Essex-class carriers were indeed the daughters of the Lexington-class carrier Saratoga. At least according to the shipgirl/secretary that is, the Kanmusu-ized Abyssals were not yet sold on the idea. Not until they met this "Saratoga" face to face or at least got an idea of what she looked like! Shimikaze, meanwhile blinks and nods to herself. So it hadn't been a case of adoption after all... Even if this Trinitite was some kind of hooligans who'd made Saratoga so distressed with her phonecall, the destroyer had learned something new every day. Firestorm and Hypocenter had learned that this Saratoga had been tasked here by the Americans (of which fleet this happened to be both had no clue at all about) to teach the newer Japanese (another fleet the former Abyssals had no clue about due to scrambled memories) carriers operations to become better aircraft carriers all around.
Questions about what "America" and "Japan" exactly were from both former Abyssals were greeted with blinks of surprise.
After a few more questions, the Kanmusu figured that the poor souls must have had a VERY rough Summons indeed. That and perhaps these two were actually one of those mythical Essex ships who'd never gotten completed before being scrapped? Maybe, but if issues like that persisted then a specialist would be called to help with it. That was a solemn promise given by the motherly secretary shipgirl.
The shipgirls thank Houshou, touched despite themselves.
The help with their memories and training? That . . . sounded like something both Firestorm and Hypocenter could use here. Honestly, the lack of skills their fairy crews displayed was worrisome! Indeed, Firestorm had complained that those manning her boilers were having issues even being able to maintain normal operations! Much less doing a decent job in a combat operation! And if somebody could help with the blank spots? Oh Wow!!
As of right now? They're so bad off that even insane claims like the Moon was made of green cheese would almost be believable to them!! Not enough to paint the picture of how bad? How bad was it? For that matter, even some navel terms had been oddly . . .absent. Damnable fuzzy memory. What in the Deep was "port" and "starboard" in terms of direction?!
If this Saratoga was their Mother? Then she could surely remedy that, right? That and this "specialist"...
Trinitite could easily answer that one, girls. At least for part of it...
"And nor am I the one in charge of this facility but I can easily pass along the word and the Admiral can make it happen," Houshou said in a very motherly voice, holding the hands of both Firestorm and Hypocenter. Technically, Houshou could be considered their grandmother, but right now such claims might not be well received by these distraught souls so some tact was in order here. And gentleness! "But we can at least determine perhaps if Saratoga is your mother, maybe?"
Drawing back, Houshou tapped a few keys on the mouse of the computer. Bringing up Saratoga's file, it displayed her file with a clear and crisp computer image of her face and shoulders.
"Mother!" whispered both Firestorm and Hypocenter, reaching slowly and tracing the image of Saratoga's face gently as if it were the shipgirl's actual face. Crying a little bit while Firestorm still stared at their Mother . . .their Princess, she turned and nodded. Too choked up to be able to do more than that, right at that moment.
After composing themselves, both Firestorm and Hypocenter found themselves being soon escorted by I-19 (after a whispered but firm order to NOT harass the poor souls needlessly) to the guest quarters for now. The usually lewd submarine nodded, feeling no need to mess with the newcomers. There would be no point and needlessly . . .cruel. She was many things (perhaps even a pervert), but not needlessly cruel.
A request that some battleship shipgirls be used as well to join the party and "keep an eye on them" was given by both former Abyssals. When asked why Hypocenter said that it was a matter of trust for now. That and it there was something that must be told directly to the commanding officer of this facility. It was important, but not something to lightly be said beforehand.
Both Firestorm and Hypocenter feared that unless this was done, this Admiral (whose name had not yet been given for whatever reason) and the other shipgirls would panic. Mistaking them for . . .regular Abyssal enemies.
They were not enemies. Not at all considering everything...
Granting that request, both the battleships Yamato and Musashi found themselves being tasked with this job. Which is good, but something about Musashi made the hairs on the back of Hypocenter's neck stand on end. It was almost as if she recognized at least part of things off of the Japanese battleship. Something about her hair. Something about that rigging! The turret in part, that is. Something familiar and NOT at all welcome, but for the life of her, the former Abyssal aircraft carrier could not say just why!
But all that That done?
Before Shimikaze left, the mother of all aircraft carriers turned and spoke with the fast destroyer.
"Shimikaze," she began. "You left in a rush and I am sorry that I upset you. I truly am. But dear, I do hope you now understand why I was upset?"
"I do," she said softly, not wanting to face Houshou but found her head being lifted up gently by the shipgirl in question.
"Yes, you meant well but in doing so you let a phonecall in that needlessly upset Saratoga!" Houshou sighed. "Now we do not know just why Saratoga is heading back to America. In a jet fighter of all things to boot! But what I am saying is that you're . . . known to be absent-minded at times. I need you to realize that sometimes though you need to think before you do things in a rush. Ask the Admiral or one of us if you have questions about something like this in the future. You understand?"
Nodding slightly, the fast destroyer soon left after promising herself to take this aboard and learn from it. It was only written. Honor demanded it...
That done, Houshou gathered up her notes to update the Admiral on events while busy with Saratoga and that private and highly security teleconference. It had been a long day. Calling in and finding the Japanese officer ready, she proceeded to read off her notes. Getting to the end and frowning slightly at the admiral having chosen to drink while still on duty (which was allowed by regulations nowadays but still) . . .
It was hardly the largest of the quirks the Admiral had, noting where the Admiral preferred to have her give her reports for whatever reason. Still, duty is duty!
"What else could happen today?" the man in question sighed, sipping at the bourbon he'd poured himself to calm himself before signaling Houshou to go over all the pending business that had been put on hold up until now.
The items he'd not already been informed of as of yet, anyway if you wish to be pedantic!
"Admiral," his shipgirl secretary calls from the doorway. "I was just informed that we seemed to have had two accidental Summoning in the Pool somehow we only found out about now. We have them in guest quarters right now under escort before we get them folded into the ranks, but they're still somewhat out of it from the Summoning."
"They appear to be American Essex class aircraft carriers of somewhat odd design," she continued. "Who call themselves Firestorm and Hypocenter. . ."
"Admiral?!" Houshou asked, dropping her notes and rushed to aid the Admiral as he proceeded to spit out and sneeze out the bourbon he'd been drinking!
"Say what?!" the senior commanding officer finally managed, staring wildly at the as if to ask her (almost beg her) that she'd been making some kind of obscene joke. "You said Firestorm and Hypocenter? Please tell me didn't just say that!"
"That . . .is what they called themselves," Houshou said, beginning to really worry here. "Uh, they ARE under escort by both Yamato, Musashi and I-19."
The news that not only were the two new guest under escort by battleship shipgirls, but said guest (who happen to have the names the up until now-defunct sisters of Trinitite, the wayward Wo over in America) had requested them to get escorted and watched over by said battleships really brought the Admiral up short here.
Not enough for him to prevent the ordered sweeps done on the base (especially the Summoning Pool) for signs of sabotage or security breaches, but enough to cause him to come up short.
Nothing was found. Something that the Admiral had suspected would be the case--unexpected guests aside--but it was nice to make sure.
Honestly, if this had been some kind of sneaky operation the Admiral expected something along the lines of yet another Abyssal Princess suddenly making an appearance from a VERY unwanted summoning. And the base would go the way that it had gone for the Americans at Pearl Harbor with the Central Princess.
Gods, what a meat grinder that was for both sides!! He did NOT want it here in Japan, something like that happening.
Under escort by battleships (if not lewd submarine girls), the Admiral soon meets the two former Abyssal Wo-class shipgirls along with battleship escort. Calmly they tell their tales, both sisters . . .impress the up until then suspicious officer. And after talking to the researcher which had been dug up somewhere (good Gods), the good Dr. Takahashi says that as far as what passes for biology for "regular" shipgirls was the same for the new shipgirls in their midst despite their supposed Abyssal origins.
Not a big surprise, that. Honestly, what Dr. Takahashi knew about dead Abyssal bodies and regular shipgirl bodies? Same at some level. Just in the case of some of the rigging? That part had been more . . .organic. In the case of Wo-class rigging, the alien head rigging those like Trinitite wore? Very organic. Not so anymore for the "converted" Firestorm and Hypocenter. Beyond a rather Wo-look the sisters had to their rigging, it was shipgirl "normal" metallic.
There was something different about the ship crew fairies, however. The glowing red eyes were kind of a giveaway. That and a decided lack of skill you'd usually see in other ship fairies.
Other tests? That worry that damnable US Marshal had caused with ONE question? The one that had gotten USS Saratoga taken from his facility where she'd been teaching HIS new carrier shipgirls the ins and outs of aircraft warfare? Damage Control and the like?
....
The doctor had been eccentric. Almost mad, but . . .his sources said that he was reliable, odd personality aside (and looking rather raggedy in his mismatched clothing). Others had scoffed at the man's theories and not passed them along to those within the Japanese military. Not to his office, anyway. But one question and a crisis in Washington state (in the USA) caused a panic quest for answers.
Takahashi had come up in conversation before his existence (and shunned theories) could be buried again.
Here he was and by gods was he getting results like none had before now!!
....
The doctor had revealed that while the two sisters had "memory issues" now, not everything had been totally lost. Furthermore, over time . . .
Well, that is not something that the sisters were privy to here and not (for now) relevant to their story!
What is important to them was the result of one last thing the good doctor had done in his examination of the sisters. The admiral had authorized it. It would be good for finding out intel on Abyssal makeup, psychology, and the like.
And frankly, the doctor had found he . . .rather felt for the poor dears, despite himself. So why not? It was a rather esoteric manner. Not many gave much stock to it. Not many KNEW of it, but he . . .had his sources and ways in the "less accepted" fields of knowledge. They laugh at such, but HE will show them. Show them ALL! Ah, that and it did not sit well with him how . . .guillable and naive the sisters were. Easily lead astray.
Restored memories should restore life lessons. Hopefully. He didn't want them to be taken advantage of here, you see.
With meditation incense lit and low lights, the confused Abyssals soon find found their eyes growing heavy as they watched a swinging golden watch. Heavy. Heavy....heavy . . .
Moments later?
"By the Deep, I remember everything!!" Firestorm almost screamed, snapping awake and fuzzy and blank memories suddenly crystal (and beyond) clear.
Hypocenter also blinked, overwhelmed at what she now knew. Including some things like that insane Abyssal Princess who'd invited her to some ceremony. Yeah! That one who'd gone on about Angels and Crusades...
But even with that bad?
"Thank you!" she said softly, hugging the surprised Dr. Takahashi in gratitude, making sure not to crush him in the process. Unwelcome as some of those memories of that one ceremony with that mad Abyssal Princess had been, at least she had a good baseline at what human bodies can stand safely!
But soon enough, Firestorm got impatient with a Houshou over something. Something about not being able to see their mother despite this "teleconference" thing and . . .
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The Abyssals of the Crossroads Fleet
PyrrhicSteel
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- Location
- Idaho
The Abyssals of the Crossroads Fleet:
Names, Technical Deviations, and Last Known Fate. The Jellyfish Princess has been excluded from the list.
Abyssals that have been sunk multiple times only have their latest fate listed.
3x Wo-class Aircraft Carriers:
Names, Technical Deviations, and Last Known Fate. The Jellyfish Princess has been excluded from the list.
Abyssals that have been sunk multiple times only have their latest fate listed.
3x Wo-class Aircraft Carriers:
- CFS Trinitite: Essex base, starboard edge elevator replaced by additional battery of single-mount 20mm Oerlikons.
Currently active in CONUS. - CFS Hypocenter: Essex base, Latewar configuration with Hangar Bay catapult from earlier designs.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Firestorm: Essex base, 5"/38 DP battery is replaced by 8"/55 guns.
Sunk in the battle of Bikini.
- CFS Inyokern: Independence base, Flight Deck extended over the bow of the ship.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini.
- CFS Alamogordo: Pensacola base, seaplane removed, and deck space used for Light AA armament.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Uravan: Pensacola base, Latewar configuration with reduced AA for greater citadel armor.
Sunk in B-52 raid preceding the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Monticello: Admiral Hipper base, Latewar American sensor equipment. SKC/33, SK C/30, and C/30 guns replaced with 5"/38, 40mm Bofors, and 20mm Oklerons. Torpedoes removed.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini.
- CFS Ames: Agano base, Latewar American sensor equipment. American-origin propulsion system. AA complement replaced with 5"/38s, 40mm Bofors, and 20mm Oklerons. Torpedoes removed.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini.
- CFS Strauss: Sims base, Latewar AA armament compromised by prewar torpedo setup (12 tubes, one mount centerline).
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Blandy: Sims base, Significant additional AA armament. Torpedoes removed.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Styer: Sims base, trades a torpedo mount for additional K-gun depth charge throwers.
Sunk by I-19 preceding the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Wyatt: Sims base, AA armament reduced to carry 16 torpedoes (4x4 mounts).
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Robbins: Mahan base, Depth Charge racks removed for additional AA armament.
Sunk by YJ-18 missile in December 2021. - CFS Oppenheimer: Mahan base, Torpedoes removed for additional 5"/38.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Forrestal: Benham base, Torpedoes replaced by additional K-gun depth charge launchers.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Groves: Benham base, replaces aft torpedo mounts with additional 40mm Bofors.
Sunk by USS Perch in February 2022. - CFS Marshall: Benham base, propulsion system replaced with a later model.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS King: Benham base, depth charge racks replaced with K-gun depth charge launchers.
Sunk in B-52 raid preceding the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Parsons: Benham base, additional 5"/38 replaces torpedo complement.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Nichols: Bagley base, propulsion replaced with diesel engines and an electric drive.
Sunk by harpoon missile in August 2022. - CFS Reybold: Bagley base, reduced AA complement to fit 8 additional torpedo tubes.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini.
- CFS Neutron: Salmon base, extended test depth due to using latewar HTS alloys.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Isotope: Sargo base, Six torpedo tubes forward, two torpedo tubes aft.
Sunk by the Japanese contingent preceding the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Atom: Tambor base, 3"/50 deck gun replaced with 5"/25.
Sunk by the Japanese contingent preceding the Battle of Bikini.
- CFS Reactor: Balao base, Modifications reduce the test depth but increase acceleration.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Calutron: Balao base, Two engines use a direct-drive system instead of the traditional diesel-electric one.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Ether: Balao base, uses less reliable but smaller engines.
Sunk by American contingent preceding the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Deuterium: Balao base, earlier mast layout then traditional Balao class.
Sunk by Japanese contingent preceding the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Tritium: Balao base, Additional AA weapons.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini.
- CFS McMahon: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to an AA picket.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Teller: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to an AA picket.
Sunk in B-52 raid preceding the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Fermi: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to an oiler.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Nelson: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to an oiler.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Bush: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to an oiler.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Bloch: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to an oiler.
Sunk by I-24 in August 2022. - CFS Konopinski: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to an oiler.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Frisch: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to a dedicated cargo ship.
Sunk by Tomahawk Block IV TLAM in April 2022. - CFS Briggs: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to a dedicated cargo ship.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Seaborg: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to a dedicated cargo ship.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Szilard: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to a dedicated cargo ship.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Bethe: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to a dedicated cargo ship.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Frankle: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to a dedicated cargo ship.
Sunk in B-52 raid preceding the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Serge: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to a dedicated cargo ship.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini. - CFS Serber: Gilliam base, troop complement and Assault boats removed for conversion to a dedicated cargo ship.
Sunk in the Battle of Bikini.
@Annoyed Catholic asked me a question about the naming system the Crossroads Fleet used, followed by a few questions relating to the OOB of Trinitite's family. I actually hadn't had that figured out, until now, and information threadmarks exist for a reason, so I figure y'all might find this interesting enough to post publicly.
Well.
Trin's both skilled and lucky, the sole survivor of the normal Abyssals of the Crossroads fleet.
A dangerous combination.
Truly, the humans must find her before she discovers the secret of ice cream... with add-ins!