Chapter 14 - Change of Plans

A loud explosion echoed out as the shot collided with the building. A gaping hole exposed the inside of the building, the few remaining scientists inside scrambling to get to safety. Iris ran inside the new entrance and Eric finally charged at the tank. In one swift thruster boost and a pirouette, he sliced the tank in half with ease. Unexpectedly, however, the tank imploded on itself, sending Eric and the Yatogami recoiling. Alice, who was still heading toward the laboratory saw the Yaotgami get knocked back a considerable distance.

“E-eric?! Are you okay?!” Alice shouted.

“What happened? What was that explosion?” Iris asked, advancing deeper in the building with the enemy soldier.

“I don’t know, I just saw Eric and the Yatogami get sent flying. Eric, answer me!”

Eric, in a daze, shook his head and slowly got up. He inspected himself and felt no wounds and didn’t see any bleeding. He then looked over the Yatogami, noticing that something was damaged and started to panic.

“N-no...” Eric started to say. “Nooo! It’s broken! They broke it!”

“The Yatogami is damaged?! How bad? I can see you standing, everything looks fine from here.” Alice said, puzzled at Eric’s exclamation.

“My sword! The blast broke it! It’s less than a dagger now! Look at this thing!”

Alice stood there silently and stared at Eric and the Yatohami through lidded eyes. Iris halted her advancement in the building and just stared at the ceiling, also through lidded eyes. The silence was deafening across comms. Alice continued heading toward the laboratory building, dragging the soldier with her.

“Is no one going to say anything?! I just lost my favourite weapon!” Eric said, tears welling in his eyes.

“It still has claws that, according to Laura, are actually stronger than that sword. Get over it, we have our mission to finish.” Iris said, clearly done with Eric.

Eric pouted, crossing his and the Yatogami’s arms and sat down with his legs sprawled out. Alice looked over at the machine and let out a small giggle seeing the sight. It was a large humanoid machine that was sulking like an infant child. Alice’s giggle turned into a full on laugh as the sight somehow tickled her just right. Her full on sprint turned into a light jog as she couldn’t stop herself from laughing.

“Uh, you alright there Alice? What’s so funny?” Alice said, even more confused than before.

“Eric... and the Yatogami... fuu... Look like a giant baby! He’s out here... sulking, and it looks like a big mechanical infant that didn’t get a snack!” Iris said between laughter.

Iris let out a deep chuckle that somehow made Eric picture a devilish smirk on her face, but said nothing. She entered a room that was clearly marked for restricted personnel only, easily unlocking the door with a tool that Laura had given them.

“Alright, alright, enough. Stop laughing. I’ll switch comms on you so that Jack hears us.” Eric said, annoyed at both of them.

“Better not, I just arrived at mission point...” Iris said, pausing as she looked at the classified information around her. “And Eric, there’s more than what Trinity told you would be here.”

Alice instantly stopped laughing and bolted to the building. Eric got up and ran over, too.

***

Days prior, in the hospital room:

Eric had just calmed everyone down after Laura’s joke of a love confession. He had everyone sit on the bed as he stood up by the window as he began to explain everything he had been through. He explained what the Yatogami actually is, what was happening every time he was fainting, and what Elysium really is. He emphasized that he didn’t know how to prove it, but he knew that it was not simple hallucinations or something he dreamt. He pleaded at them to believe him. The three stared at him with puzzled faces as he tried to explain why he’s telling the truth. Finally, Iris spoke out interrupting him.

“Dude, we already believe you. But the more you try to say you’re telling the truth makes me want to not believe it.” Iris said, almost mockingly.

Alice and Laura were nodding in confirmation. Alice, however also gave him a glare as if saying that she would believe anything he told her and that he should have known it. Eric’s face blushed lightly as his eyes watered slightly. He wiped his eyes and stood up, coughing to clear his throat.

“I... well alright. I thought that would be the hardest part for you guys to believe.”

“Hardest part? So there’s more?” Iris asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yea... The reason I broke down into tears.” Eric said, pausing before he continued.

He sat down on a nearby chair and clasped his hands while staring at the ground, trying to collect his thoughts. Several times he opened his mouth to begin speaking, only to shut it quickly after. Normally, Iris and Alice would tease him for his anxiousness, but they could see the tribulations of the knowledge on his face. The three sat silently, giving Eric the time to explain it all. After several moments, Eric sat up straight, closed his eyes and finally began to speak.

“I... I need to destroy Elysium.”

The three stared at him, awestruck at the statement. He said it so matter-of-factually that it was impossible to think he was joking. Eric opened his eyes and looked at Laura, who he expected would have the most questions or hit him with a quick-witted retort denying his need to do so. However, she too sat there with widened eyes, her beautiful blue eyes watering, as if she immediately understood everything Eric was going through. Eric decided that he should continue instead of waiting.

“The spirit, Trinity –she named herself- said that I need to destroy Elysium; I need to kill her, or else in 50 years, she will incinerate the Earth. Not by will, but by her lifespan expiring.” Eric trembled as he tried to get the last bit out. “If I do, then the Earth won’t die, but we won’t have any way to use any of the technology we’ve invented over the last two centuries. Humanity will be back in the stone ages.”

Eric fidgeted his hands as he trembled again, the weight of it crushing him again. The internal struggle trying to determine which one is the right option. Obviously, he should save humanity, but he’d also be responsible for countless deaths that would weigh on him for the rest of his life. If he does nothing, he dooms the planet, but he gets a selfish end of not having to endure that suffering. This all crossed his mind in an instant and he began to cry once again, collapsing in on himself and curling up into his knees.

Iris and Alice instantly ran over to him and tried to comfort him. The both wrapped their arms around him, giving him reassurances. Alice started to tear up as she pressed her head against his. Iris, instead, got up and punched the wall, shattering the paint off of it.

“Why do you have to be the one to do it! Anyone can do it, right? So you’re the only one that can pilot the Yatogami, so what?!” Iris started to shout, angry at the entire scenario. “What’s that got to do with it! We can tell someone else, like Halford, and they can deal with it!”

Eric looked up at her, his face cheering up slightly at the sight of her getting mad on his behalf. He leaned his head against Alice as he started to speak again.

“The Yatogami is the key to how Elysium is destroyed.” He sat up and closed his eyes before continuing. “The lock... is an atomic weapon. Another Trinity.”

This time, Laura stood up in a shot, her tears clearly having been flooding from her eyes. Still, she spoke in a calm, monotone voice.

“Nuclear weapons don’t function anymore. It was another weapon that the birth of Elysium nullified.” She began to counter, but her voice trailed off as she realized it herself. “The NAK started developing WMDs. They’re trying to find ways for atomics to work again.”

“Yea. Trinity knows that. She explained what I need to do, if I am to do this. If I am to free her.” Eric motioned for everyone to sit, grabbing Iris’ hand, calming her down before she put another hole in the wall. “I don’t know how I’ll do it, but we need to let the NAK get what they’re after-”

“Wait.” Laura said quickly, interrupting Eric.

Eric gave her a puzzled look and then a surprised one as she placed her finger on his mouth. She fidgeted with her tablet before the lights in the room turned off entirely and the audible sound of power leaving the building could be heard.

“I should have done it earlier, but even though I negated comms before you began, there could still be people watching us with anything else. We should be completely safe now for your plans for treason.” Laura said, not a hint of joke in her voice.

“Oh, good thinking. Right. So, I need to let NAK get what they need. They’re much farther along than we are on developing these weapons. I need to expedite that, let them finish, but also counter their attempt at a launch. Either by intercepting the missile, or being there when it’s launched. Preferably the latter. But either way, I have to alter the weapon and make sure it flies through the Elsyian ceiling. I’ll have to-”

Eric went to continue the plan before getting slapped by Iris. He shook his face, confused and hurt by the outburst. Had he said too much? Was Iris not going to let him do this? Was she loyal to her country to avoid it? Eric didn’t ignore this possibility, but he expected it after, not during.

“Stop. Stop saying that.” Iris said, trembling and starting to cry. “Stop saying ‘I...’ Stop saying ‘I need to,’ in what world do you think you live in that we’d let you do any of this alone?! This won’t just fall on you, despite what that ghost bitch said. We’ll all make that decision, we’ll all fight with you and we’ll all share the burden. We all...”

Iris trembled and collapsed on the bed, unable to finish what she was saying as tears overflowed from her eyes as she stuffed her face into her hands. Laura wrapped her arms around her, her eyes still flooding tears. Eric lowered his gaze to the ground, staying silent. He felt a light tap on his head and he turned to look at Alice, who had a somber smile.

“You’re such an idiot.” She said, flicking him in the head before hugging him tightly.