Chapter 8:

Chapter 07 - Accident (Part A)

The Town Where the Wind Doesn't Blow: Welcome to Gossport City


Chapter 07 – Accident (Part A)

Early evening in a dilapidated district named Upper East Thornbear. The sun was still in its descent as nighttime slowly ascended upon Gossport City. Trash are strewn across the barely empty streets. The technology in this district are outdated, no older than the year 2021. A handful of people of various backgrounds are hanging out on the steps of homes and businesses, happily chatting about their day, the most recent sports event, or prospective business ventures. The homes and businesses that weren’t occupied are tagged with graffiti of art promoting tongue-in-cheek happiness, such as the face of a futuristic brown bear censored with a smiley emoji occupying its entire face.

A certain man walks the street. Both of his hands are tucked in the pockets of his black slacks, a jacket carelessly draped on his left arm. His slouched posture gives the impression that he is often tired or overworked, yet he seems fairly casual and relaxed. He was whistling the tune “What a Wonderful World” by a classic jazz singer, Louis Armstrong. The man turned a corner and proceeded down a narrow alley. He entered an unassuming building, traveled up four flights of stairs, and proceeded down a corridor of an apartment. The man stopped whistling and stood in front of a door, ROOM 404. He slipped his right hand out of his pocket and pressed the button of an intercom that had seen better days.

“Hey you brats,” the man spoke, “I finished today’s job. Let me in, please.”

After a few seconds of silence, the man took a step back. Mechanical locks suddenly became active and rapidly moved from behind the door. Finally, the door opened, revealing a room of pitch black darkness. The man casually entered. The door instantly shut behind him. The locks began their rapid movements until the last click. On the opposite side of the door, in the corridor, ROOM 404 was no longer present, as if it had never existed.

Inside the room the man had entered…

“Welcome back, Mr. Lambert!” the voice of a young adult male cheerfully greeted.

“Nice of you to keep us waiting,” a monotone young adult woman spoke with polite sarcasm. “I’m sure our leader is beaming with joy about your tardiness.” The two of them are hidden within the darkness of the room.

“Cut me some slack, why don’t you? I worked my ass off today. Don’t forget, you are working for me, so show a little gratitude! And get some lighting in this room, for crying out loud! Speaking of gratitude, where is this leader of yours?”

“Our leader is in the next room!” the cheerful male replied.

The monotone-voiced woman inquired, “I’m assuming that you’ve come bearing gifts?”

Mr. Lambert calmly smirked. “Never doubt the skills of a solopreneur.”

***************

Meanwhile, inside Crux’s boardroom at Solstice Tower, the Crux Knights are already seated in their assigned chairs, waiting for the emergency meeting to begin. I, Vega, am looking around the room. Arcturus, Rigel, Procyon, Altair, and Mimosa are present. They don’t seem to be aware of the reason of this emergency meeting. There seems to be a few missing knights, however. Capella and Betelgeuse, the fifth and eighth strongest knight respectively, are absent. The strongest knight, Sirius, is also absent. Does he ever attend these meetings? And then, there’s the empty chair next to me: Sayu’s…erm…Pollux’s chair.

I recall the incident that occurred a while ago. The medical knights of Crux traveled in a normal civilian hover van to our location at Warehouse 3. At least, the outer appearance was normal. Inside, however, was no different than an official Gossport City ambulance. Upon arrival, they established a holo-front perimeter and extracted Pollux and me from the area. From thereon, we returned to Solstice Tower through a hidden entrance above the ground. The medical knights rushed Pollux to the emergency room, separating us. This may be the last time I’d ever see her…

The door to the boardroom opened. My mind snapped back to reality. It was the vice commander. We knights immediately raised ourselves from our chairs to respectfully greet the vice commander. Once he arrived at his assigned seat at the table, he prompted us to sit down. Vice Commander Saturn, as always, has a stern expression across his face. However, upon closer inspection, I noticed that he is concerned.

“Let the meeting of the Crux Knight commence!” he commanded.

“Sir!” we answered in unison.

“Vice Commander Saturn,” Altair began, “what is the purpose of this meeting?”

Silence filled the room. The present knights awaited for his response. I clutched my lap anxiously, awaiting the words that I don’t want to hear, the words that may haunt me for the rest of my life.

“…There was an attack.” a solemn Vice Commander Saturn said. “Pollux and Vega encountered an enemy. Pollux…has been severely wounded.”

Gasps and expressions of disbelief and shock filled the room, excluding the vice commander and I.

“An attack? What the hell happened!?” Mimosa leapt from her chair, slamming both of her hands on the table. Then, she turned gaze towards me. “Wait, if Pollux is severely injured, then why the hell is ‘Barcode’ here in perfect condition?” She was furious. If it weren’t for the width of the table, I’m certain she would have jumped across the table to pummel me.

The other knights reverted their attention towards me. I just realized something. With the exception of Procyon and I, the knights here all seem so cold, so fierce in one way or another.

“Well,” Arcturus spoke, “what do you have to say for yourself, ‘Barcode’?”

‘Barcode’? Is this the nickname they decided for me? No, that’s not important right now. What’s more important is…

“Vice Commander Saturn, what is Pollux’s condition?” I promptly lifted myself from my chair as I spoke. I am nervous. What’s a newbie like me doing speaking in this meeting and not leaving the discussions to my seniors and superior? But I am determined. Determined to know the truth. But I’m also afraid. Afraid to hear the worst news.

“Don’t try to change the subject, ‘Barcode’. Why are you uninjured and Pollux is in severe condition?!”

“I will answer once I know her condition!”

“What’s that got to do with anything right now?!”

“It has a lot to do with everything!”

“You’re not making any sense!!”

“If you quit your yapping then I’ll be able to explain, but first I need to know the status of - -”

“What’d you say to me?! You wanna expire now, ‘Barcode’?!”

“Vega, Mimosa, cease your bickering at once!!!” Arcturus shouted.

Silence filled the room once more. Mimosa and I, as well as everyone else in the room, directed their attention towards Arcturus, who is sitting calmly in his chair, his chin resting upon his fingers locked together. His expression is of calm and composure, but also a bit agitated.

“Let’s not forget one of the most important rules within the Crux Knights: ‘Knights are forbidden from any physical or verbal altercations against each other except under permissible circumstances.’ I take it either of you are prepared to risk your standing within our order for the sake of defending your own justice or ego, yes?”

Mimosa and I exchanged glares from across the table. Steadfast determination continue to rest upon my face, Mimosa’s of seething hostility. Finally, she sighed a long, exasperated sigh and plopped herself in her chair.

“ ‘Gloomy Worm’ is right. Fighting against each other ain’t gonna resolve the current issue at hand,” Mimosa said, placing the fingers of her right hand onto her forehead, reclining back in her chair. Wait, ‘Gloomy Worm’?

Mimosa continued, “Fine, ‘Barcode’ will receive his answer first, and then I’ll get mine later in this conversation. That’s all there is to it. So, tell us the news, Vice Chief.”

“Thank you, Mimosa, for giving me permission to speak,” an annoyed Vice Commander Saturn said through clenched teeth. Who the hell does she think she is? “Ahem, now, back to the matter at hand… As I previously mentioned, Pollux is severely wounded from the attack that occurred not long ago. Her current condition as of this meeting is stable.”

I, as well as Procyon, happily sighed from relief. Arcturus and Altair both have a small smile on their faces, eyes closed. Rigel tilts back his glasses and begins to take a sip of his bobba tea. Mimosa is smiling so self-assuredly, as if she knew all along that Pollux is going to be okay.

“However,” Vice Commander Saturn continued, “she’s not out of the woods yet. She has yet to awaken from her injuries. Doctors say that her condition could go either way. As we are hoping for the best, we should also prepare for the worst.”

“R-right.” Anxiety laid its hands upon my heart, just as hope batted it away. As long as I have hope, things will turn out okay, right? Anxiety will not win this battle, nor will it ever win any battle!

“With that aside for the moment…Vega, I believe you have something to report.”

That’s right, the attack. I forgot, I never sat down in my chair since the squabble with Mimosa. Since I was still standing, I positioned myself upright and began to retell the events of the attack, from how one of the construction workers led Pollux and me into the warehouse, how the attack began, the enemy’s manner of attacks, and…

Every knight, except Rigel, leapt to their feet when I revealed the troubling discovery about the attacker, their grave expressions are of shock and alarm. Vice Commander Saturn remained seated, his eyes closed, slightly sweating from shock and concern.

“A…civilian with a body part of an URO? How is this possible!?” Altair exclaimed.

“And a body part similar to the URO Pollux had eliminated the other night, no less!” Arcturus disclosed.

Mimosa held her right hand to her forehead. “Shit, what are we going to do? Is he a civilian or an URO? How do we approach this?”

Rigel calmly raised his hand to speak. Rigel, the sixth strongest knight, and the scientist of the Crux Knights. He always has a lethargic expression and speaks, like he doesn’t get enough sleep or something. He’s also always drinking bobba tea or various caffeinated beverages. “Umm…I have a few hypothesis. But if you all could. Kindly seat yourselves first.” Rigel speaks fairly lazily (thankfully, not unbearably slow), but as I would soon find out, he always has a lot to say whenever he chooses to speak, but he also always speak in short sentences. He is a living, breathing contradiction.

Once we all took our seats, Rigel began to speak. “Alright, thank you. Now, about this attacker. My hypotheses. First hypothesis. He could be a hybrid. It’s not impossible. There are many things in science that aren’t impossible. Simply, the possibility hasn’t been considered. How it could have happened? I don’t know. More research is needed. Second hypothesis. Pollux failed. She eliminated her target. But not in its entirety. Vega, you were there. Recall. Any implosions?”

In a short burst of thought processing, the memories of that night were as vivid as it had occurred. I remember I looked away when Pollux delivered the final strike, but… “That pard…didn’t implode.”

“Ah. You see. UROs implode upon Quasar contact. The light’s intensity and the impact of a Quasar. An URO’s body absorbs them. Both Quasar and an URO’s body have the same property.” Rigel stops to take a sip of his bobba tea. I guess talking in lengthy sentences must tire him out. “Same property, but they reject each other. Thus, an implosion. However. Too forceful of an impact, appendages separates. Doesn’t matter if the main organ is destroyed in the process. Be sure to read the Classified Information #05 document.” After speaking, Rigel almost gulped half of his bobba tea. Seriously, how is this guy the sixth strongest?

“Thank you for the hypotheses, Rigel,” Vice Commander Saturn patiently thanked. “In what direction is your hypotheses leaning towards, if I may ask?”

Rigel swallowed the liquid in his mouth. “Surgically attached. Was still present after the mission. Someone came and got it. Current data shows UROs do not have any human properties. Therefore, the attacker is still human.”

“Vice Commander Saturn, with this new information now divulged, how do we move forward?” Altair inquired. “The attacker has broken the law of violence against civilians, and he may have some knowledge about UROs, knowledge that isn’t supposed to be public knowledge.”

“All good points, Altair. The attacker is a threat what with the appendage of an URO and possess knowledge of the existence of UROs. However, he is still human. We aren’t allowed to harm him, and we aren’t allowed to kill him.”

I leapt to my feet in outrage. “Even though he nearly killed Pollux?! Why shouldn’t he be harmed? Why shouldn’t that bastard be killed for what’s he done?!” My outburst echoed throughout the room. Silence was present once more. This time, the silence acted as an answer of agreement from my comrades, but they wouldn’t bring themselves to say it aloud.

“Even if that’s the case, Vega,” Arcturus admitted, “he’s still human. No human should die for their unlawful actions. That may have been the case more than a century ago, but in this day and age, punishment and rehabilitation are the necessary steps to go about this.”

I sat down in my chair, clenching my fists tightly under the table. I neither agree nor disagree with that statement, but I know I couldn’t speak out against it. It’s the core belief of Gossport City, and we of the Crux Knights must uphold this belief, all for the sake of civilian happiness…

Arcturus continued. “Moreover, there are two questions we are overlooking. One: How did the attacker identify us? Two: Why is he attacking us specifically?” The wave of silence crept upon us as it has been since the meeting began.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Rigel broke the uncomfortable silence. He took two sips of his drink before continuing to speak. “We must subdue him. And…vice commander, why don’t you finish this? It’s too much for me to say.” Sip!

“Why of course, Rigel.” The vice commander was giving his creepy smile. For such a respectable man, I do not admire his position in having to deal with us in the absence of the commander. I wonder, why hasn’t the commander attended any of the meetings?

“Ahem, I believe what Rigel wants to say is that we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. We still need to subdue the attacker, and administer punishment and rehabilitation. With this attacker on the loose, it’s no longer safe for any of you to go out in public without your V-Comms or your Quasars, even on civilian duty. Therefore, as of this meeting, you all are now permitted to carry your Quasars at all times. However, please continue to conceal it from public view. For those that carry a large Quasar, Rigel will modify it so will be able to retract when not in use, and take shape of its usual appearance when engaged in battle.”

A small chatter of relieve filled the room. We’re finally going to capture this bastard! May the punishment he has coming to him be worthy of his crime of attacking my comrade!

“Vice Commander Saturn,” Mimosa interjected, bringing the chatter to a quick halt. “What about our V-Comms? Wouldn’t we stand out if we were to wear them in public?”

Mimosa, as scary as she is, makes a good point. Crux operate in the shadows of society. We can’t have our tools, or anything about us, be noticeable.

“Right, I was just getting to that, Mimosa.” The Vice Commander seemed to have calmed down. At least, his creepy smile is gone, and he is smiling like a normal person. “You will receive upgraded V-Comms. No longer will you be required to wear those headsets, because now the V-Comms will now be transplanted into your eyes!”

“EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH???????” All of us knights blurted, except Rigel, of course.

***************

Elsewhere in Gossport City...

Against the backdrop of the setting sun, Capella is laying on the ground in a dark alleyway. Her arms are spread out. Hovering inches above, between her eyes, is the tip of knife. Fear is absent as she blankly stare at the person on the opposite end of the weapon: a person in a black parka with a hood obscuring their eyes…

To be continued in Chapter 10: Accident (Part B)

***************

Capella: Welcome to "Gossport City's Bonus Chapter," where anything that happens here is irrelevant to the story!

Pollux: Who are you talking to?

Bonus Chapter #01 - Mimosa's List of Nicknames

"Hey guys!" Capella shouts cheerfully, waving a piece of paper in her hand. "I found one of Mimosa's notes!"

"Capella, it's not nice to go through people's belongings," Altair calmly reprimanded.

"Well it's not going through someone's stuff if it's left out in the open.  (─‿‿─)"

Pollux, grinning from ear to ear, runs to Capella's side, eager to see the note. "What's it say? What's it say? Let's have a look!"

Mimosa’s List of Nicknames

1. Commander Jupiter = Chief

2. Vice Commander Saturn = Vice Chief

3. Sirius = Mr. Serious

4. Arcturus = Gloomy Worm

5. Pollux = Oni

6. Vega = Barcode

7. Capella = Cheerio

8. Rigel = Dr. Insomniac

9. Betelgeuse = Dream Land

10. Procyon = Johnny Breeze

11. Altair = Ms. Royalty

12. Mimosa (herself) = Stellar

Crux Knights’ Comments

“She certainly is creative with her nicknames.” ( ̄▽ ̄) - Procyon

“I think she hit the nail on the head, so I have no complaints.” ╮( ˘ 、 ˘ )╭ - Pollux

“Seriously? ‘Barcode’? Couldn’t she have thought of anything cooler?” ლಠ益ಠ)ლ - Vega

“I’m not from royalty! I just like dressing that way!” ☜(`o´) - Altair

“This name, I reject.” ( ̄ー ̄〃) - Rigel

“…” - Sirius

“Cool! I have a nickname!” ٩(^ᴗ^)۶ - Capella

“Who’re you calling ‘Dream Land’? Zzzzz…” (︶。︶) - Betelgeuse

“Is anyone going to refute the nickname she gave herself?” ( ̄□ ̄) - Arcturus

“So, you don’t reject your nickname?” - Vice Commander Saturn

“Sorry, I’m currently away on business.” - Commander Jupiter

Dracors
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