The two men got offboard to meet a large silver-cyan coated military base.
Mercury felt a different feeling from the texture on the ground.
Grass, I'm finally back in Mala.
Looking about to see bushy trees, staggering hills atop each other, mountains reaching past the clouds. He turned around, and saw the path connected to the path which his crew travelled to get there.
He looked around confused, and he knew he been here before, but still felt lucid.
A channel of land connecting to the desert with pavement, the desert turned out to be disconnecting from the main land. In result, changing biomes in responses to the changes in environment.
Its all so quick.
"Lets go to the base, friend. We must inform your supervisors."
Friend?
Quickly departing, the rust-torn hell of a bus moves on to its next stop, paradise.
It was a blur as they entered the base.
. . .
Inside the train, Three hasn't moved a muscle. An inmate behind him, tapped his shoulder.
"Yo, Thalatha. How's ya' hand bud?"
He rattled, not speaking a word.
"Yo?"
Silence, he didn't speak after that.
However, the train still moves, time still passes.
That's how it always goes.
. . .
Meanwhile, the two men look around the inside of it.
Jets with azure flames protruding from oscillating turbines on black detailing.
All black helicopters, blue flames, and a Volvern cannon sticking out from the side.
Tanks which shot ungodly horrors lay dormant, but ready.
The cold military corridor zapped with hanging wires hanging from the ceiling, echoes from the walls shaved on its silver tiles.
Near it, long tables with soldiers, generals, lieutenants, and supervisors discuss strategy and technicalities.
They discussed about the land of the desert narrowly connected to the mainland was going to become a 'banished land'.
Lisan stands calm next to Mercury.
Then, a skinny-tall, brown woman among the discussion notices the still bloody Mercury, and rushes towards him.
"General Mashia! Are you okay? And why is your hair gray?" She asked worriedly.
"I don't go by that name anymore. More importantly, the entire platoon . . . is dead."
. . .
His words shrouded the room, silence arose waiting for Mercury to speak.
The Replicant stared at her, noting her slim features, silver suit, and on top lay a nametag.
"S. Selune."
"You're joking . . . right?" Selune laughed nervously.
"I wish, Supervisor Selune. Now . . . who is responsible for the Messenger's rescues? We called, yet not one person answered."
Selune stumbled.
This isn't the Mashia I used to know.
He's somebody else now.
Mercury stepped forward with a pounce of a white snow leopard, elegant, cold, yet startling.
"Only he saved me among my fallen comrades, we are all that's left."
"Nasir, Farhan, Kadir . . . Who the f**k is responsible for all this, huh? Who let them die?"
Selune froze at his words, everyone did.
"Th-there's no rescues for Messengers, General. You of all people should know that." She stands tense, preparing for outrage.
Lisan put a hand on Mercury's shoulder. He exhales, and points Selune to the seats at the table to discuss further.
"A military with no rescue. What a joke, so I've been lucky all this time until now?" He argues.
Mercury sips a bottle of water on the table, quenching his undying thirst as Lisan stands next to them, praying with his eyes closed.
Selune analyzes Mercury, his new hair, his wired braid hanging from his hairline, his pale skin, and his hands . . . they're different.
"General . . . your ha-"
"I'm aware. From now on, you'll refer to me as General Mercury."
Confused, "Uh, alright General . . . Mercury. I thank you for your patience."
"I could stress on the injustices of my platoon, but nothing I say can get to you guys anymore, all stuck-up."
Selune glanced down in shame.
Mercury continued, "I apologize for my rudeness. Now, I just want to know if there's anything I can do for my men."
Selune looked up with a gleam in her bronze eyes from the lights, she reaches over for a folder, flips through it.
"Nobody here had proper family, they were all taken in by Mala's foster facility to raise soldiers, except one man: Kadir."
She continued, "Kadir's information has been processed. One loose end remains: family."
The Replicant tensed. Lisan noticing, volunteered to go instead, but Selune shook her head.
"No, he was under your command General. This is your duty"
Mala, Zi Jin Cheng, they're all the same. No wonder they're connected, they just have different goals.
I shouldn't have been the one to do 'this'. All in the name of 'duty', huh.
Mercury exhales, as Selune hands Kadir's file, and he gets up and signals Lisan to go.
"We'll have a car waiting for you out there." Selune said to Mercury with his back faced to her.
They both leave, exiting the open Messenger base, as he looks behind and sees Selune crumpling the files of the rest of the platoon.
She leaves the crumpled papers on the table as she gets back to the team discussing actions.
Another soldier notices the paper, and throws it all away in a nearby trashcan.
Mercury holds the paper tightly, tensing every muscle in his body.
Good men thrown away like garbage.
Blue veins pop in his cybernetic hands, holding the paper dear like a baby.
"Don't go . . ." He whispers weakly.
Lisan looks down, holding his cross tightly.
"And I thought losing would feel comforting." Mercury says with a slight laugh.
Laughing, his ecstasy is interrupted by a screeching.
An all-black car with no driver, awaits them, opening its doors.
They get in, Mercury rocks in the front seat with the paper, he glances at it.
He was twenty-four years old, five foot ten inches tall, he loved his wife and daughter.
But along the array of facts and accomplishments, it read that his wife was depressive . . . and would get into depressive episodes frequently.
From the passenger seat, Lisan stares at the paper, puts a hand on his forehead, exhaling.
"Lisan." Mercury says.
The priest stares at the Replicant.
The car's air conditioning enables, filling in the silence.
A loss of silence.
"Have I lost?"