Arknights: Starsfall II

Chapter 29

[ =★= U.S. Government Intranet =★= ]

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Surface Tension

"Listen, sir," came Smokton, "I'm not sure what you are saying. We only know what Ms. Gladiia told us."

Smokton and Michael were in a meeting room, round table, screens, and plenty of chairs.

Chairs occupied by fellow commanders, sergeants, and the current Commandant of the Marine Corps.

"I'm sure that's the case," states the Commandant, "That's why I'm so concerned in the interest of national security."

"What do you mean?" Michael leans forward and respectfully asks.

"Let's put it into perspective," he stands up and begins walking around, standing before one of the screens. "We have an extremely powerful Ally that, on her own, can sink an entire USN Task Force and tear apart an entire army corps if the Air Force doesn't intervene." Michael stood and was eager to speak, but Smokton kept him in place.

"What I am stating is," he continued, despite Michael trying to get up and intervene, "combine that all with a supposed Eldritch sea god from Terra that was able to turn a perfectly neat country into an enlarged fjordlands, and suddenly we have a recipe for the greatest disaster in human history."

Michael stands and speaks, seeing that the Commandant was done, "So why bring her here? Why bring her to our shore other than the fact that she is an Abyssal hunter?" Smokton had this look, a knowing look that knew that if she spoke, Guantanamo is in her future.

The command chuckles, "Well..." he was about to say.

When the door came slamming open, and a mildly out of breath Skadi presented herself. She stands before the doorway, looking at Michael, Smokton, then at the Commandant.

"Excuse me," she said, her tone ever so slightly elevated. "But I fear it is no longer safe for you all."

The brief words sent the room into deep silence.

"Miss Skadi," began the Commandant slowly, while getting up and preparing to walk out of the room, "What do you mean by that exactly?" Michael turned to the Aegirian, his face in desperate need for answers for what he just heard. She only briefly looks in the direction of the ocean, her eyes tightening.

"You must leave, for your own safety." She ducks out of the room, Michael breaking protocol - and knowing his ass is going to get chewed out later - and rushing after her. The Commandant left out another door.

Smokton and Michael reach outside shortly after Skadi did. They were greeted with a rather gloomy sight. The skies were full of clouds that swirled and moved unnaturally. The water was unnaturally still. Yet that wasn't all.

The skies above seemed... silenced, as if there was something horribly wrong. And the commandant, for his life, boarded a V-22 and got the hell out of dodge, and back to Washington D.C. When that bird left, the base was up in arms as Marines rushed out.

The Coast Guard ships in the distance began to maneuver, starting their way eastward.

"Skadi!" Michael was quick to catch up to the Abyssal Hunter who had fully drawn her sword once more, and was now looking out to sea with eyes that scanned the horizon like a Radar Station. It was terrifying to them.

"Come on Skadi," Michael grips to her hand and shoulder, "Come on, Talk to me," he steps in front of her, his eyes gazing into hers. She stared back as he asked, "What's going on?"