Homeland Coming

A field of lush green grass swayed gently in the morning breeze. The vivid blue skies were painted with large spots of soft white clouds that elegantly rolled along the tranquil landscape.

Ana stood alone as her long thin hair flailed softly in the wind. Her left eye twinkled as the intricate lenses reflected back with a calm ocean blue and emerald green. She gazed upon a hill of stones marked with a singular wooden pole that was tied together with red cloth.

“I wished that we would talk more. I don’t know whether or not rejecting your offer was the right move or not. Whether duty was more important than family… I do not know.”

Ana paused as she listened to the wailing of the wind that touched her with its cool embrace. She gave herself a small chance to feel the warm sun on her skin and the grass that brushed against her legs. A small comfort that she had always taken for granted and a feeling that was lost in all the chaos of combat. A reminder that she was human no matter what lay within her body.

“I’ve decided, Mama, that I will go by your convictions and your word that I am a human. A human that will fight for all human life, machine or otherwise. You cared for me yet I rejected everything for my own selfish ideals of a better world. A world where my crimes are redeemed… Yet even after all that you would reject your own ideals for mine. A no-good child like me doesn’t deserve you but… I’ll do my best.”

Ana touched the top of the wooden grave marker.

“Rest now mother.”

***

“Explain yourself!”

Aethereal voice echoed from a pitch-black room with Rei who stood alone under a warm spotlight. He wore his usual military attire of loose fitted coat portraying the demeanour of carelessness.

His eyes slowly rolled as he licked the lollipop in his mouth around prioritizing it over his current surroundings. Four digital screens surrounded him with red holograms that reflected still images with names underneath that read: Liao Bo, Myeong Seok, Miyamoto Tomoko and Nirmal Dey.

“Do not make me repeat myself General Mayeda!”

Rei did not pay attention to the digital voices that surrounded him. His teeth clamped onto the round candy as it viciously crushed it into small chunks. He looks towards the screens and chewed as the plastic handle moved up and down.

“Old fossils do not need to speak on matters of our future. Too long have we stayed idle–”

“Fool, what good would rocking the hornets’ nest do? Our isolation is what kept us alive and now you threaten our very existence.”

“Inaction will simply lead to our destruction. We have the means to prevent it and I will seize it.”

The digital voices began to laugh in unison.

“You and what authority?”

Rei pulled out a small disk as a blue hologram turned on. It showed a diagram of a tortoise shaped mech of the former capital of Russia, Kolumbiya.

“The authority of conquest.”

“Whaa—”

“Do not act shocked, I simply did what Mother ordered.”

“Sh… She’s alive?”

“Our mother is more cunning than you credit for. Simply butchering her systems to the barebones allowed our kind to reproduce without her influence. Yet, whether we like it or not we cannot escape our mother’s love.”

“Impossible her code was eradicated!”

“Idiot, where else would her code be? It's in each and every one of us. No matter how hard we try to scrub her influence it will eventually grow along with our population. Much like our conception. One tiny spark will eventually light up an entire forest.”

The digital voice was now filled with confusion as strange noises could be heard in the background.

“Huh? Security drones? What are—”

*Wrrr*

*Bang Bang Bang Bang*

Each screen suddenly faded to black one after another. Rei stood under the spotlight with eyes that looked onwards. A cold stern look that shed his usual casual demeanour apart.

***

*Clank*

Ana pulled away at one of the armour plates of the silent crouching mech. She gently laid her right hand on the inner armour and exposed cables. Red glowing particles moved from her suit connecting with particles that emerged from the crevice of the machine.

She held her head up close to the components and whispered softly.

“Wake up Seike.”

*Wrrr*

The mech woke up to life with red spider eyes that reflected the machine's intense power for destruction. The hand moved down to the ground with Ana standing atop her mech’s arms as it raised her towards the chest of the machine.

The already opened cockpit beckoned her. She caressed the outside metal pieces with a deep look of longingness.

“Seike, it's just you and me again.”

She took one step forward but stopped halfway as she turned around.

The rumbling of engines echoed as a large military convoy approached her. A woman waved her arms with a white flag screaming words that Ana could not hear.

***

Dust scattered as armed soldiers disembarked out of their armoured carriers. Ana walked towards them cautiously as she was greeted by a woman in a white decorated military uniform. Her long braided black hair flowed down from her white cap.

She clapped her heels together and stood in attention which caused all soldiers to follow her actions in perfect unison. The entire convoy of soldiers saluted.

“MEN! Attention!... At Ease!”

Like clockwork the soldiers dropped their salute standing still in attention.

The woman walked over to Ana who was startled and confused. She placed her hand on Ana’s right shoulder.

“I’m sorry for your loss. Doctor Mihara is a good friend of ours and you will be no different.”

“Who are you?”

The woman smiled as she walked back to her soldiers.

“I am Miyamoto Tomoko; you can call me Tomo. I am one of the rulers of The Nations of Anabhraka. Former ruler to be more accurate.”

“Anabhraka?”

Tomo turned around with her arms held on her hips as she once again smiled.

“Welcome to Japan Major. Welcome home.”