Chapter 03 - 1: A Look Into Oneself
- Location
- Void of Observation
A/N: So. Many. Italics.
==|Chapter 03 - 1: A Look Into Oneself|==
As a new day dawned, the sun's rays lit up a certain black-coloured fortress, one that stood on several pillars that held it above the ocean.
In a prison cell kept near the bottom of the very same fortress, light streamed in through a set of metal bars as the sun rose, lighting up the dull and grey walls of the dreary place, and disturbing the sleeping occupant inside.
Slowly, he opened his eyes, and from the pitiful piece of furniture he called his bed, he rose up slowly, shaking his head.
Daniel blinked his eyes twice. Was everything I saw yesterday all a dream, or-
He looked around the room he was located in, and his heart sank, beating a little faster. A brief sadness overcame him as his shoulders slumped, a sign of his resignation.
I guess not…
For a while, he simply sat there, cross-legged, his chest and shoulders bare, save for a certain heavy pendant that hung from his neck - which felt more like a reminder of the massive burden that had been hoisted on him during the previous night.
With that in mind, Daniel turned his energy to trying to recall the events of the night before, after he and...Phoenix had 'watched', or rather, experienced Ultra's records of a certain battle between a human and an Abyssal force.
I...think I got completely overwhelmed by what I saw last night, especially since it took a few hours in total, and we agreed to continue this tomorrow...which is today. Now that I think of it, I don't think I will be able to forget whatever I saw…
His mind began to tick off everything he remembered. Mass-produced shipgirls. Railguns. A ridiculous amount of missiles, launched from pods that supposedly had their ammunition expended. Magic, lots of it, used in detection of Abyssals and so many other ways. Fairy aircraft with capabilities far superior than 21st Century aircraft, and all the planning and tactics involved...and that's just the beginning…
Getting off his bed, he tried to command his thoughts, thinking of a way out to his problem. And the Abyssals are impatient for an answer, because apparently this...human fleet is about to reach this base soon, and Ultra says there aren't just one battlegroup, there are apparently three whole battlegroups coming for this base.
Short of a miracle, I don't think we are going to be able to do anything…Still, I got to at least try, have I? I mean, not like I can actually escape off this place... Mournfully, he gazed at the door the cell, locked by some strange feature and armoured to the most ridiculous levels.
He sat back on his bed, and put a hand to his chin. So, going off what we know at the moment...how would a certain human fleet look like? At least, what the navy of the nearest political entity looks like…I assume, with the destroyers and 'carriers' we have seen, I presume that a carrier would be the middle of a battlegroup, and will be responsible for launching both aircraft and shipgirls. I guess it does, given that the carriers we have seen look like amphibious assault carriers than actual supercarriers…
He paused for a while to check his conclusions, while absentmindedly drawing a circle with his finger.
Destroyers? I assume...they would probably follow along twenty-first century naval doctrine, acting as the escorts for the 'carrier' while the latter does most of the work...although that's US Navy fleet doctrine rather than some sort of universally-agreed thing… and again, I'm not sure where we are anyway…
He recalled the vision of a certain naval formation; a circle of destroyers surrounding a carrier, a strange flag flying from their masts. Well, Ultra did say that the vision we see is actually from a recent battle around this area, so I guess we are going to be dealing with that for the time being... of course, we haven't got to the hard part, which happens to be everything about shipgirl battle doctrine or how the current technology operates in this environment...
A certain voice entered his mind. "I assume you have something to talk about?
"Whoa!" Hearing Ultra's voice, Daniel jumped in fright, nearly falling from his bed. "Don -don't just randomly enter my head like that!"
"Sorry. I momentarily forgot that you humans do not have the same form of telepathic communication as we do, and you are still not used to the sensation," Ultra apologised, her psychic voice still reverberating in Daniel's mind.
"Some warning would be helpful," he replied grumpily, while pushing himself back onto the bed.
"Understood. So, do you have anything to say? You seem to be very deep in thought."
"Nothing much, to be honest." Moodily, he scratched his head as he answered. "I only just awoke, and I'm trying to figure out the composition of a basic human fleet, or perhaps a battlegroup. So far, I think I got have of that nailed down...so right now, I'm trying to figure out the role of the smaller type of ship we were discussing yesterday...or at least what I can figure out from what you managed to show me yesterday."
"I see. Perhaps you would care to share some of those insights?" Ultra asked.
"Sure." Launching into a spiel, Daniel explained his thoughts and musing on the role of the carriers, confidence entering his voice as he stepped back into familiar territory.
"...and right now, I am trying to think my way through what the 'smaller' ships do. So far, I think they are 'guided missile destroyers', given how similar they look like to the ones I know." Daniel finished, ending with a smooth transition to his next subject."
Ultra didn't answer him immediately, making him feel a little nervous as he anticipated the reply of the Abyssal, but she quickly returned before any of his fears could surface. "Well, given that I have no clue how to confirm your claim, all I can say is that you are certainly a lot more productive - and talkative - than yesterday."
At the faint praise, Daniel rubbed his neck, a little lost for words. "T-thanks. Anyway, what is Phoenix or the other Abyssals doing? This place seems a little quiet."
"Discussing more about how to repel the humans, no doubt. I expect the meeting the dissolve into the same chaos of blaming and yelling, particularly given what has happened yesterday." Ultra answered, making a sigh of resignation and disappointment.
"What happened?" Daniel asked.
[I["A young Abyssal, known by the name of 'Wandering-Sky-Maiden', spent quite a lot of time over the past few days gathering the Abyssals from all the outlying bases near this Nexus Point, and tried to repel one of the human 'battlegroups'. She failed, and it seems that we will not have any more reinforcements, what with all the nearby bases depopulated and empty."[/I] Ultra replied with sadness and regret strong in her voice.
Daniel froze. "Well, shit." He cursed, the magnitude of his task falling back on him like a collapsing mountain. "How big was that force again? And how did she try to take on the human fleet again?"
"If I remember, when she tried to gain the help of Phoenix, she was around a few hundred warriors strong. Phoenix did not join in the effort because she needed to reorganise, and not to mention that a few others had...reservations with working under the command of such an inexperienced commander. As for your second question...I'm not sure, although you will be able to find out in a while."
"Okay."
An awkward silence descended on them both, in reality as well in the confines of Daniel's mind, until the latter broke it. "So...um, how big is this place? You just now said that Wandering-Sky-Maiden got her forces from the outlying bases, yet gathered only a few hundred...and from what I can feel, this place is big."
"To put it simply, this place...is about twice the size of the old stations that humans used to build on the oceans...but in comparison, most bases of our kind do not grow to such sizes. That is usually meant for bases designated as 'Nexus Points' - if I were to give a comparison, think of it this way; Nexus Points are your human cities, and the other bases are like your...villages."
"That's a pretty nice and laid-out structure. Although, if you describe it in such a way...did someone plan this out in advance, or did it just grow on its own?.
"In truth, it's the former, although that tale has nothing to do with your current predicament. Ultra replied, not saying else on the matter. "Perhaps you would like to continue your observations?"
A simple grunt was all Daniel gave. "Yeah, except that I feel I'm missing something...hang on."
Suddenly, the boy leapt off the bed, and still undressed, he started to look around the place with justo. Looking around the small cell, his head turning rapidly from side to side as he looked for something.
"What is it?' Ultra asked, curious.
"I...I need a board, a square board, about…" He drew the image of a square in the air. "This size. I have to do my daily exercises. Perhaps...could you make me one?"
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, it might warn others of my presence. Although, what do you mean by daily exercises?" Ultra asked, herself curious.
"Chess. It's...it's a...game played by humans. Have you ever heard of it?" Daniel asked, still searching for such a board.
"Chess? Hmm." Ultra remained silent in thought."I have, somewhat. I know it's a popular game played by humans, and that it is a powerful training tool for commanders and admirals. I, sadly, personally never got the chance to understand the rules...in any case, I doubt you will find the board and pieces here."
Several seconds of futile searching later, Daniel finally answered, "Really? Crap…"
An exasperated sigh filled his mind. "This is a prison cell, Daniel. Did you expect to find a board and thirty-two random black and white pieces to be in such a place?"
Daniel shrugged, suddenly feeling a lot more foolish. "Well...it was worth a try, I guess I will have to try visualising everything...." He answered as he sat back on the bed, cheeks blushing with embarrassment.
"What a short-sighted observation." Ultra commented with a sardonically dry tone.
"Yeah, I tend to miss the the forest for the trees a lot - hey, come to think of it, why can I see so well without my glasses?" At that observation, Daniel touched his own face, feeling for the old touch of the plastic frame of his spectacles. "Did you…"
"Hmm...spectacles are worn by humans when they have problems with their eyesight...that must be a fault of mine; I must have corrected your eyesight while reconstructing your body, and when you were talking with the others, the pair of glasses that remained must have been lost." Ultra replied, in an apologetic tone.
"I...see. You know, It feels so strange - my poor eyesight has been a part of me for so many years, and you corrected it. It feels like the last part of me that could have reminded myself of my origins, and its...well, gone." He mused, a sense of resignation in his voice.
Silence. The former human paused to think, as the Abyssal made her opinions known.
"You still have replicas of your old clothing, that itself is somewhat of a reminder…"
"No, I mean...I mean, clothes are one thing, but you see, since I was young my poor eyesight was a part of me, and now, its gone. I mean, I should thank you for that, but...given the recent events, I don't know…" He answered, hesitant, feeling a little embarrassed at what he said.
More silence. Finally, Ultra said, with a sigh, "In truth, it feels like you are overthinking this issue. Nevertheless, if you so deeply desire...."
The pendant on his chest glowed with warm light, and upon his hand, Daniel felt a presence. A gleaming light formed on his hand, tracing the outlines of an object, which materialised into reality soon after. Soon, a 'fake' pair of glasses appeared on his hand, the lenses in the shape of a half-moon, the frame made from strong black wire.
Daniel picked up the object, examining it, bending its joints. It looked almost like the same design as his old pair, inciting a mix of relief and sadness within him. "T-thanks," he said, still astonished. "Still, I don't know why you would go to such a length for me, even though I'm just a newcomer…"
"The effort was small, and the amount of magic used is too small to be detected. Also, you are one of us now, and you do need some - no, a lot of help. Let me do what I can." Ultra replied with a gentle yet serious tone.
Daniel continued to look over the pair of glasses, even as he mused over Ultra's words. What kind of person would so willingly take care of a former enemy, stranger and-
Ultra cut him off mid-thought. "Someone's coming."
"Bwah?" Confused, Daniel looked around, until he heard footsteps and the jingling of keys.
"Get ready." At her words, Daniel dived for his clothes, hurriedly wearing the shirt over Ultra's pendant, buttoning it up as soon as possible.
As he was rearranging his jacket over his shoulders, the footsteps stopped, followed by some hurried discussion and the sounds of a key being inserted into a lock came from the door. A set of runes flashed, and the armoured door swung open, revealing two figures standing beyond the doorframe.
One of them was dressed rather scantily, exposing her midriff, while the other wore a black dress glowing with blue light and a pair of hair buns on the sides of her head. The latter stepped into the cell, her blue eyes scanning Daniel with bemusement. An aura of power radiated from her, making him squirm a little
"So, this is our prisoner. I wonder, why did Phoenix come to see him last night?" She spoke, a tone of malicious curiosity in her voice.
"W-who are you and what do you want?" Prepared for her sudden appearence, Daniel managed to hold his ground, speaking with false confidence.
"Oh? The human can speak without stammering with madness?" The newcomer bent down, staring deeply into Daniel's eyes, a wicked grin appearing on her features. "Well, if you must know, my name is Beacon-Of-Pride-And-Power, and the true commander of this place. Now, who are you, little human?"
==|Chapter 03 - 1: A Look Into Oneself|==
As a new day dawned, the sun's rays lit up a certain black-coloured fortress, one that stood on several pillars that held it above the ocean.
In a prison cell kept near the bottom of the very same fortress, light streamed in through a set of metal bars as the sun rose, lighting up the dull and grey walls of the dreary place, and disturbing the sleeping occupant inside.
Slowly, he opened his eyes, and from the pitiful piece of furniture he called his bed, he rose up slowly, shaking his head.
Daniel blinked his eyes twice. Was everything I saw yesterday all a dream, or-
He looked around the room he was located in, and his heart sank, beating a little faster. A brief sadness overcame him as his shoulders slumped, a sign of his resignation.
I guess not…
For a while, he simply sat there, cross-legged, his chest and shoulders bare, save for a certain heavy pendant that hung from his neck - which felt more like a reminder of the massive burden that had been hoisted on him during the previous night.
With that in mind, Daniel turned his energy to trying to recall the events of the night before, after he and...Phoenix had 'watched', or rather, experienced Ultra's records of a certain battle between a human and an Abyssal force.
I...think I got completely overwhelmed by what I saw last night, especially since it took a few hours in total, and we agreed to continue this tomorrow...which is today. Now that I think of it, I don't think I will be able to forget whatever I saw…
His mind began to tick off everything he remembered. Mass-produced shipgirls. Railguns. A ridiculous amount of missiles, launched from pods that supposedly had their ammunition expended. Magic, lots of it, used in detection of Abyssals and so many other ways. Fairy aircraft with capabilities far superior than 21st Century aircraft, and all the planning and tactics involved...and that's just the beginning…
Getting off his bed, he tried to command his thoughts, thinking of a way out to his problem. And the Abyssals are impatient for an answer, because apparently this...human fleet is about to reach this base soon, and Ultra says there aren't just one battlegroup, there are apparently three whole battlegroups coming for this base.
Short of a miracle, I don't think we are going to be able to do anything…Still, I got to at least try, have I? I mean, not like I can actually escape off this place... Mournfully, he gazed at the door the cell, locked by some strange feature and armoured to the most ridiculous levels.
He sat back on his bed, and put a hand to his chin. So, going off what we know at the moment...how would a certain human fleet look like? At least, what the navy of the nearest political entity looks like…I assume, with the destroyers and 'carriers' we have seen, I presume that a carrier would be the middle of a battlegroup, and will be responsible for launching both aircraft and shipgirls. I guess it does, given that the carriers we have seen look like amphibious assault carriers than actual supercarriers…
He paused for a while to check his conclusions, while absentmindedly drawing a circle with his finger.
Destroyers? I assume...they would probably follow along twenty-first century naval doctrine, acting as the escorts for the 'carrier' while the latter does most of the work...although that's US Navy fleet doctrine rather than some sort of universally-agreed thing… and again, I'm not sure where we are anyway…
He recalled the vision of a certain naval formation; a circle of destroyers surrounding a carrier, a strange flag flying from their masts. Well, Ultra did say that the vision we see is actually from a recent battle around this area, so I guess we are going to be dealing with that for the time being... of course, we haven't got to the hard part, which happens to be everything about shipgirl battle doctrine or how the current technology operates in this environment...
A certain voice entered his mind. "I assume you have something to talk about?
"Whoa!" Hearing Ultra's voice, Daniel jumped in fright, nearly falling from his bed. "Don -don't just randomly enter my head like that!"
"Sorry. I momentarily forgot that you humans do not have the same form of telepathic communication as we do, and you are still not used to the sensation," Ultra apologised, her psychic voice still reverberating in Daniel's mind.
"Some warning would be helpful," he replied grumpily, while pushing himself back onto the bed.
"Understood. So, do you have anything to say? You seem to be very deep in thought."
"Nothing much, to be honest." Moodily, he scratched his head as he answered. "I only just awoke, and I'm trying to figure out the composition of a basic human fleet, or perhaps a battlegroup. So far, I think I got have of that nailed down...so right now, I'm trying to figure out the role of the smaller type of ship we were discussing yesterday...or at least what I can figure out from what you managed to show me yesterday."
"I see. Perhaps you would care to share some of those insights?" Ultra asked.
"Sure." Launching into a spiel, Daniel explained his thoughts and musing on the role of the carriers, confidence entering his voice as he stepped back into familiar territory.
"...and right now, I am trying to think my way through what the 'smaller' ships do. So far, I think they are 'guided missile destroyers', given how similar they look like to the ones I know." Daniel finished, ending with a smooth transition to his next subject."
Ultra didn't answer him immediately, making him feel a little nervous as he anticipated the reply of the Abyssal, but she quickly returned before any of his fears could surface. "Well, given that I have no clue how to confirm your claim, all I can say is that you are certainly a lot more productive - and talkative - than yesterday."
At the faint praise, Daniel rubbed his neck, a little lost for words. "T-thanks. Anyway, what is Phoenix or the other Abyssals doing? This place seems a little quiet."
"Discussing more about how to repel the humans, no doubt. I expect the meeting the dissolve into the same chaos of blaming and yelling, particularly given what has happened yesterday." Ultra answered, making a sigh of resignation and disappointment.
"What happened?" Daniel asked.
[I["A young Abyssal, known by the name of 'Wandering-Sky-Maiden', spent quite a lot of time over the past few days gathering the Abyssals from all the outlying bases near this Nexus Point, and tried to repel one of the human 'battlegroups'. She failed, and it seems that we will not have any more reinforcements, what with all the nearby bases depopulated and empty."[/I] Ultra replied with sadness and regret strong in her voice.
Daniel froze. "Well, shit." He cursed, the magnitude of his task falling back on him like a collapsing mountain. "How big was that force again? And how did she try to take on the human fleet again?"
"If I remember, when she tried to gain the help of Phoenix, she was around a few hundred warriors strong. Phoenix did not join in the effort because she needed to reorganise, and not to mention that a few others had...reservations with working under the command of such an inexperienced commander. As for your second question...I'm not sure, although you will be able to find out in a while."
"Okay."
An awkward silence descended on them both, in reality as well in the confines of Daniel's mind, until the latter broke it. "So...um, how big is this place? You just now said that Wandering-Sky-Maiden got her forces from the outlying bases, yet gathered only a few hundred...and from what I can feel, this place is big."
"To put it simply, this place...is about twice the size of the old stations that humans used to build on the oceans...but in comparison, most bases of our kind do not grow to such sizes. That is usually meant for bases designated as 'Nexus Points' - if I were to give a comparison, think of it this way; Nexus Points are your human cities, and the other bases are like your...villages."
"That's a pretty nice and laid-out structure. Although, if you describe it in such a way...did someone plan this out in advance, or did it just grow on its own?.
"In truth, it's the former, although that tale has nothing to do with your current predicament. Ultra replied, not saying else on the matter. "Perhaps you would like to continue your observations?"
A simple grunt was all Daniel gave. "Yeah, except that I feel I'm missing something...hang on."
Suddenly, the boy leapt off the bed, and still undressed, he started to look around the place with justo. Looking around the small cell, his head turning rapidly from side to side as he looked for something.
"What is it?' Ultra asked, curious.
"I...I need a board, a square board, about…" He drew the image of a square in the air. "This size. I have to do my daily exercises. Perhaps...could you make me one?"
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, it might warn others of my presence. Although, what do you mean by daily exercises?" Ultra asked, herself curious.
"Chess. It's...it's a...game played by humans. Have you ever heard of it?" Daniel asked, still searching for such a board.
"Chess? Hmm." Ultra remained silent in thought."I have, somewhat. I know it's a popular game played by humans, and that it is a powerful training tool for commanders and admirals. I, sadly, personally never got the chance to understand the rules...in any case, I doubt you will find the board and pieces here."
Several seconds of futile searching later, Daniel finally answered, "Really? Crap…"
An exasperated sigh filled his mind. "This is a prison cell, Daniel. Did you expect to find a board and thirty-two random black and white pieces to be in such a place?"
Daniel shrugged, suddenly feeling a lot more foolish. "Well...it was worth a try, I guess I will have to try visualising everything...." He answered as he sat back on the bed, cheeks blushing with embarrassment.
"What a short-sighted observation." Ultra commented with a sardonically dry tone.
"Yeah, I tend to miss the the forest for the trees a lot - hey, come to think of it, why can I see so well without my glasses?" At that observation, Daniel touched his own face, feeling for the old touch of the plastic frame of his spectacles. "Did you…"
"Hmm...spectacles are worn by humans when they have problems with their eyesight...that must be a fault of mine; I must have corrected your eyesight while reconstructing your body, and when you were talking with the others, the pair of glasses that remained must have been lost." Ultra replied, in an apologetic tone.
"I...see. You know, It feels so strange - my poor eyesight has been a part of me for so many years, and you corrected it. It feels like the last part of me that could have reminded myself of my origins, and its...well, gone." He mused, a sense of resignation in his voice.
Silence. The former human paused to think, as the Abyssal made her opinions known.
"You still have replicas of your old clothing, that itself is somewhat of a reminder…"
"No, I mean...I mean, clothes are one thing, but you see, since I was young my poor eyesight was a part of me, and now, its gone. I mean, I should thank you for that, but...given the recent events, I don't know…" He answered, hesitant, feeling a little embarrassed at what he said.
More silence. Finally, Ultra said, with a sigh, "In truth, it feels like you are overthinking this issue. Nevertheless, if you so deeply desire...."
The pendant on his chest glowed with warm light, and upon his hand, Daniel felt a presence. A gleaming light formed on his hand, tracing the outlines of an object, which materialised into reality soon after. Soon, a 'fake' pair of glasses appeared on his hand, the lenses in the shape of a half-moon, the frame made from strong black wire.
Daniel picked up the object, examining it, bending its joints. It looked almost like the same design as his old pair, inciting a mix of relief and sadness within him. "T-thanks," he said, still astonished. "Still, I don't know why you would go to such a length for me, even though I'm just a newcomer…"
"The effort was small, and the amount of magic used is too small to be detected. Also, you are one of us now, and you do need some - no, a lot of help. Let me do what I can." Ultra replied with a gentle yet serious tone.
Daniel continued to look over the pair of glasses, even as he mused over Ultra's words. What kind of person would so willingly take care of a former enemy, stranger and-
Ultra cut him off mid-thought. "Someone's coming."
"Bwah?" Confused, Daniel looked around, until he heard footsteps and the jingling of keys.
"Get ready." At her words, Daniel dived for his clothes, hurriedly wearing the shirt over Ultra's pendant, buttoning it up as soon as possible.
As he was rearranging his jacket over his shoulders, the footsteps stopped, followed by some hurried discussion and the sounds of a key being inserted into a lock came from the door. A set of runes flashed, and the armoured door swung open, revealing two figures standing beyond the doorframe.
One of them was dressed rather scantily, exposing her midriff, while the other wore a black dress glowing with blue light and a pair of hair buns on the sides of her head. The latter stepped into the cell, her blue eyes scanning Daniel with bemusement. An aura of power radiated from her, making him squirm a little
"So, this is our prisoner. I wonder, why did Phoenix come to see him last night?" She spoke, a tone of malicious curiosity in her voice.
"W-who are you and what do you want?" Prepared for her sudden appearence, Daniel managed to hold his ground, speaking with false confidence.
"Oh? The human can speak without stammering with madness?" The newcomer bent down, staring deeply into Daniel's eyes, a wicked grin appearing on her features. "Well, if you must know, my name is Beacon-Of-Pride-And-Power, and the true commander of this place. Now, who are you, little human?"
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