Chapter 19

Hakade must have thought she wanted to go alone, so he rushed after her, only to find her standing on the platform, gazing up at the skies, at the countless stars twinkling in the distance.

“Just… who am I?” Laurel asked, not looking toward Hakade.

She knew it was Hakade. Maybe because they had spent so much time together, both as Laurel Anamia and as Laurel. She knew it was neither Ana nor Mia, and she knew Ann hadn’t come back.

“You’re Laurel,” he said, but his words didn’t make her any more sure.

“I’m a fake.”

All this time, Laurel had been living her life not knowing which of them was the original. Maybe that fact gave her some kind of reassurance, that as long as they didn’t know, things wouldn’t return to how they used to be.

She missed her parents. She missed her school friends. She missed studying for the tests, and she missed having a chat with her cousins in a restaurant on Sunday.

Yet, at the same time, she didn’t want to lose Ana and Mia. The two might be her, but they were also not her. The fact that none of them knew who the original was meant that no one held the power to return things to how they used to be. That remained until they picked Ann up at Ariko.

“... Ann can turn us back into one.”

Much like what she did with the MARA units back in Kangaku, she could easily reset everything. She hadn’t shown any proof she could, but Laurel felt it. That fear of the original, an indescribable sense of inferiority, when she met with her true self.

“But she decides she doesn’t want to.”

“I’ll live the rest of my existence knowing that I’m not me. I am merely stealing an identity. I’m not myself.”

“No, you’re Laurel. You’re not Laurel Anamia, not Ana, and not Mia.”

“How can you prove it?”

Hakade fell silent. He couldn’t. Just like those doctors, he had no proof that Laurel and Ann were different people. Ann was the original; Laurel was not.

“Laurel…” Mia said.

Laurel had completely missed the moment Mia and Ana stepped out of the car.

She turned toward them, a wry smile on her face. “None of us should have ever existed.”

“...”

The four stood at the platform covered by darkness. The train was their only source of light. Laurel couldn't see their faces; she couldn't tell their emotions. Yet, they must have hated her. Especially Hadake. He must have despised her-

“Enough of this,” Hakade said, his voice stern. “It doesn't matter which of you is the original. You're all different people.”

“But-”

“And I care about you the same way. All three of you are my friends! I wouldn't be here if there were only one Laurel.”

Laurel was stunned. Hakade walked past her, heading to Scorpion.

“I'm chasing after her because at the end of the day, she's also one of us. Anyone who wants to come, come. I'm completing our quest.”

Hakade jumped onto Scorpion, Mia following behind her. The machine roared to life.

“Laurel.” Ana stopped in front of her, her staff with her.

She turned toward the train and reinforced its magic shield before turning back toward Laurel. “Did you remember what we talked about in the swimming pool?”

Laurel nodded.

“I'm scared as well, but I trust Ann.”

“... Why? Even when Ann can nullify your existence?"

“Will you erase me if you have the power to?”

“Of course not!”

“Then… yawn… that was supposed to be a serious moment… still, I'll trust that our original has the same feeling.” Ana walked past, boarding Scorpion along with the others.

Scorpion hopped off the car, its headlights like a shining beacon in the dark. It glanced her way, as if asking if she wanted to come, but Laurel stayed put, standing in place.

Scorpion heeded her wishes, and it disappeared into the darkness.

•••

“I can't see where she is,” Hakade murmured.

He squinted his eyes, trying to find her figure. Scorpion had bright headlights, but it was snowing. The snow obscured their vision. It should make Ann easier to find, though, as she couldn't have gotten far. Not in this weather.

But thanks to magic, she might have a kind of magic that allowed her to move faster than a regular person. Magic meant throwing all logic out of the window, so Hakade must consider that possibility.

Scorpion rushed northward, climbing the slope toward Mount Rajayama at speeds a tracked tank could only dream of. It moved like a beast, soaring above the ground. The trip was bumpy, Scorpion’s suspension working at their maximum.

“Have we lost her?” Ana asked.

Mia noticed something in the distance. “Look!”

She pointed at a point on the screen. Hakade thought she had found Ann, but as it turned out, she pointed toward one of the railgun towers. The one still pointing at the sky, as if unaware that the war had long ended.

“That thing had a control room, right? I'll climb up.”

The railgun towers had four large legs that supported the weapon, with a control room on the outside right underneath the railgun's rotation mechanism, with a bridge around the structure, which provided a great view of the surrounding area.

It had its own generators and an independent power source, locked behind two large metal doors at the center of the structure, and some rail tracks passing not far from it, most likely used to bring ammunition.

Hakade had seen many of these tracks. The snow wasn't thick enough to cover them, but it should be enough to slow Ann down, had she been a regular human.

Mia might be able to spot her target better from somewhere high up. Hakade had his doubts, especially thanks to the snow, but he couldn't see Ann. This might be their only option.

He pulled Scorpion next to one of the structure’s massive legs. The control room sat at around ten stories tall. It had an external ladder, but with the structure being that high, it would be difficult to climb up there manually.

Mia got off Scorpion. She headed toward the rear of the structure. A call appeared on Hakade’s smartphone.

“Can you find a generator?”

“Where is it?”

“Wait… Electrical building to the east.”

Hakade didn’t want to spend extra time going around like this, but searching without a direction would be pointless. Hakade turned Scorpion around and sprinted at full speed, Scorpion’s eight legs kicking up snow as it ran toward the electrical building. The electrical building’s main generator was damaged, maybe from the war, or maybe someone took its parts after the war.

After looking around, Hakade managed to find a seemingly intact small portable generator off to the side. Hakade jumped out of Scorpion and inspected it.

“Is it good?” Ana asked.

“Let me check.”

After a few attempts, it turned on. The thing should be able to at least open the large doors. He and Ana dragged the generator into Scorpion’s rear. While Ana held onto the machine, Hakade sprinted back toward Mia.

“Mia!” he shouted.

Mia came running, and the three dragged the generator to the rear of the building.

“Would this be enough?”

“Let me check… If we can activate the railgun’s individual generators…”

Mia plugged in the generator to the railgun’s electrical systems.

“We push this… then start this… and this… oh, nice, there’s leftover battery… Whoa.” She gasped, staring at the electrical panel at the rear of the railgun’s leg. Hakade then heard the sound of heavy metal doors moving.

“Alright, leave it to me. Get ready to go, Captain.”

Mia rushed inside. Hakade returned to Scorpion. He still had the call online.

“How are things in there, Mia?”

“I- I can’t believe this! This is incredible!”

“Mia?”

“Alright, we do this… Oh, this one as well. That’s good, green here, green here, green. Up, go. Three.” She mumbled to herself.

Hakade didn’t understand what he heard, but he decided to leave it up to their engineer.

“The elevator is coming down. I’m impressed this one still worked.”

“Update us when you reach the control room.”

“Alright.”

Hakade moved Scorpion north, outside of the complex walls. He was ready to chase Ann the second Mia gave him a direction.

“I’m here. Wait. Hmm? What does this panel do?”

A second later, all the remaining lights in the facility lit up, like a beacon in the darkness.

“Mia?”

“Oh, sorry. I might have turned on all the lights. Wait, I’ll look for her.”

Every second felt like an eternity. Hakade gripped the control stick, ready to send Scorpion forward the second Mia confirmed Ann’s position.

“I see her! On your two! She’s heading… She’s heading toward a dragon!”