Chương 4: NEW SURPRISES
(Tokyo, Hyper-Rail Station, December 2133）
Sean yawned, strolling into the arrival hall, he had caught the first hyper rail from Hokkaido to Tokyo, which is where Squad Artemis is stationed in. He popped an E-cigarette into his mouth and puffed, tidying up his hair that is cut back down to military length.
Sean stepped out of the arrival hall, intending to find a bus to the UNSSD base. Suddenly, just as he is going to step out a tentacle is wrapped around his legs and he was forcefully pulled to a bench.
"The hell is wrong with—" scolded Sean, stopping once he realised who was it.
A woman his age sat there, dressed in a short sleeved grey shirt that hugged her well-endowed body and baggy black pants, with a thin red jacket that barely covered the fins along her wrists that is folded up, if not for her tactical boots, one would have mistaken her for a civilian. The black and white crown that is part of her head puffing along as she breathed, applying moisturiser onto the pair of gills that ran along her neck to prevent them from swelling from not being used for prolonged periods, brushing aside her white hair that is at her shoulder level, the longest length that is permitted for UNSSD female soldiers. Her skin is white, with irregular black spots running along them that formed a beautiful black and white pattern. She is a Lita subspecies of the Sellardraxians.
She looked up, putting her moisturiser back in her backpack. Sean stared into her red eyes as he scanned the familiar poker-faced porcelain-toned face that he had grown up with.
"Frederica…what a surprise…" said Sean sarcastically, greeting his sibling, Artemis 2 "Frederica". Having served as her observer when he was still in Squad Artemis, Sean figured that being the most elite sniper in the ranks, she must had picked him out in the crowd almost immediately hence dragging him over.
Frederica greeted Sean plainly, explaining that she had been tasked to fetch him.
Sean sighed, seeing her familiar reticence and professionalism that oddly brought comfort to him. Despite being the closest to her as her observer, till this day Sean still cannot figure out this peculiar sibling of his whom he sincerely suspects to have an undiagnosed communication disorder.
"So much for being codenamed "Orca" for her ferocity when she doesn't go with the pack," bemused Sean, recounting how she is always alone apart from training and missions, being a surprisingly good teammate nonetheless thanks to her professionalism.
Yet, Sean still willingly went on the tough route of trying to open up her enclosed heart, learning theatre acting and kept trying to start non-mission related conversations when they are training together or in breaks, though his rationality tells him that he has a better chance at bankrupting a casino when gambling.
"You are staring, something wrong?" she asked, putting on a big hat that is a common piece of Lita fashion to cover up their crowns on land. It resembled a cross of between a human musketeer hat and a deerstalker cap, with a shark fin like protrusion at the top to fit the shape of their crowns. Frederica's hat is ocean blue in colour on the outside and black in the inside. For a brief moment Sean found her beautiful, a trait of her that Sean had not noticed.
"Nothing, just thinking that you look pretty," replied Sean. "Thanks," she said curtly.
She reached for Sean's luggage, only for Sean to slap her hand away, startling her.
"What are you doing?" Sean asked, defensive.
"Taking your bags for you, my orders are to make sure you travel to the base safely and in comfort—" she said, reaching for his luggage again. Sean retracted his bags back.
"I am not a child, Frederica," said Sean, irritated. "Let's go," he said, heading to the exit.
Frederica stood in silence behind. Her silent self-congratulation on picking the right outfit that allowed her to show her best self to the person she values the most ended up being short-lived. Her eyes glistened as she softly sniffed, careful to make sure that no one can hear her, especially not Sean.
"You used to call me Freddie…" she wiped a stray tear away before following Sean.
(20 minutes later)
Sean looked at the empty box of fruits filled with watermelon rind in the trash bag in the jeep that Frederica took to the station. Having felt guilty for being rude to her, Sean bought her a small box of sliced watermelon, her favourite fruit as an apology. He reminisced their time together:
"Hey Freddie, after the mission do you want to get ice-cream from the canteen?"
"Hey Freddie, have you ever wondered why watermelons have different colours?"
"Hey Freddie, what are you doing for the talent show next week?"
"Hey Freddie, do you think I should act as SpongeBob? Or should I be Squidward?"
All these conversation Sean tried to start usually did not last for more than 10 minutes. But to say that Frederica is a cold, unfeeling person is inaccurate either. He still remembers that when he left, she tried to stuff him a bank chip filled with her savings, though obviously Sean did not take a single cent from her.
"How's your new observer like?" asked Sean, trying to liven up the mood in the jeep.
"I don't have one now," replied Frederica plainly from the driver seat.
"Weird, I guess you're simply too good now," remarked Sean.
It will take 4 years for Sean to realise that the reason why she operated alone was because she only wants Sean to be her observer.
"What rank are you now? Second Lieutenant?" asked Sean. He knows that all of his siblings should have became commissioned officers by now, making him the only non-commissioned officer of Squad Artemis.
"Yes," replied Frederica.
Soon they arrived at the base. Frederica checked in her ID at the guard gate and the vehicle's autopilot drove them in, stopping in front of a large, familiar 20-storied building which housed the dormitories and administrative offices. In the background military aircraft landed and took off, sending loud booms to everywhere around them.
"I will put your things in your old room, in the meantime, report to Lieutenant Colonel Zhou Xiao Tian's office," said Frederica as they disembarked and she grabbed his suitcases and immediately walked into the building before Sean can protest.
Exasperated, Sean headed in, turning in the opposite direction of Frederica to the administrative block. His rugged civilian clothes drew curious stares from the UNSSD personnel all around him in their uniforms, evidently out of place. Hiding his awkwardness, Sean boarded the lift to the 10th floor, where Xiao Tian's office is located at.
Sean gulped nervously as the door opened, heading out to his office. Xiao Tian, formerly a member of the PAP Falcon Commandos, is a legend among the UNSSD, being a master strategist and tactician in his own right, while also superb in his skills as a Special Operations operator. His rank also outranks Sean's former Master Sergeant First Class by a lot. In the military where ranks denote power, Sean could not help but to be nervous meeting him for the first time.
He stopped in front of his office, breathed in multiple times to calm himself down, readying himself. Just as he is going to knock, he realised the door is open.
Puzzled, he pushed the door open, an action he immediately regretted, as he wants to delete what he saw from his memory bank.
Lieutenant Colonel Zhou Xiao Tian sat at his work table, trying to do his work, though that is evidently impossible when a familiar Chryso has wrapped her serpent tail around him while cuddling up to him.
"We finally have alone time together and all you want to do is work?" asked Artemis 1 "Aya" seductively as she breathed into Xiao Tian's ears. "Oh my, they turned red…" she smiled. Her hands started to slide down from his shoulders.
Xiao Tian tried to sway her off, only for Aya to grab his hand and guide it towards the collar of her service uniform, knocking his fingers against her Captain rank plates as she does so.
Sean immediately looked away, deciding that he has to stop things before they escalate.
"Report!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Hearing this Aya immediately slid off Xiao Tian's body, sitting down at the sofa in the office while Xiao Tian tidied up his attire.
"Come in!" replied Xiao Tian. Sean stepped in, giving a salute, trying his best to control his laugh.
Aya jumped from the sofa and rushed to Sean, "Sean!" she exclaimed, extending her arms.
Sean quickly moved out of the way, causing Aya to hug the air. She pouted and turned to Sean again, "what, you don't love your Big Sis anymore?"
Sean relented, standing still. "Welcome back!" she said, giving him a bear hug.
"Good to see you, Aya," greeted Sean.
She pinched Sean's ears. "You promised me that you'd quit smoking last year in September!"
Sean groaned in pain at the gargantuan strength of his Big Sis that far surpassed his.
"I am sorry!" muttered Sean in pain as he tried to break free. "Damn it, that snitch Phineas must have ratted me out!" Sean cursed in his mind. Even though Sean had effectively ghosted the entirety of Squad Artemis when he left, Aya had somehow found Phineas and managed to spam Phineas enough that he became her channel to Sean.
"Alright, leave the poor kid alone, he is an adult after all," said Xiao Tian, looking at their dynamic with an amused smile. "Frankly, I think Sean and the others should call you mommy instead of Big Sis."
Aya threw and annoyed yet cute pout at Xiao Tian. "Are you saying I am old?" she asked with a forced smile, advancing towards him.
Xiao Tian instantly shot up from his seat, realising he had made a huge blunder. "Oh no…I was just…" Xiao Tian stammered, only for Aya to back him into a corner, giving him a kabedon.
"I'm sorry, umm, I can treat you to ice-cream from the canteen as an apology," Xiao Tian muttered in defeat, Aya smirked, kissing him straight in the lips out of nowhere, stunning Sean.
"Public display of affection makes others uncomfortable," Xiao Tian protested, trying to push her off to breathe, only for Aya to kiss him again. "Though I must ask, since you are angry, why did you give me a reward instead of a punishment?" he asked.
Aya withdrew her hands, "firstly, I can't bring myself to punish you, and secondly, if you really desire a punishment," she smirked, gently flicking Xiao Tian in the forehead with her fingers. "This will be all."
She walked out of the room, "I still want that ice-cream!"
"Alright!" Xiao Tian replied. "Sean," he smiled, turning his attention at the still-stunned Sean at this open flirting.
"Sir," Sean replied, giving him a salute.
"Xiao Tian will do," he smiled, looking at Sean with an interested stare. His sharp, keen eyes seemed to drill a hole straight into his mind, though it does not feel intrusive at all to Sean, instead feeling a calming friendliness, an aura of interest and understanding.
Xiao Tian guided Sean to the sofa, and he sat on a chair opposite.
"Didn't know Aya is dating," Sean said, surprised. This trip back home has been full of new surprises.
"Which is why you shouldn't ghost your contacts," chuckled Xiao Tian.
"How's the trip?" asked Xiao Tian.
"Tiring," Sean replied honestly. Xiao Tian poured a cup of tea for Sean which he finished in a gulp.
"Sorry you had to see that," Xiao Tian apologised.
"It's alright, didn't expect that Aya will need so high maintenance as a girlfriend," remarked Sean.
"Well, which one needs more maintenance, Aya's mood or the Mark 6 Mechas you are building?" asked Xiao Tian playfully.
"Definitely Mechas," replied Sean. "Should I report to Aya that you are throwing shade on her?"
Xiao Tian's eyes widened in horror, "oh please no, she will crush me."
"By hugging?"
"By hugging."
The 2 laughed again.
"Let's talk business regarding your re-enlistment," said Xiao Tian.
"Squad Artemis, being the group of specifically created super soldiers, falls under Tier 1 special operations naturally. Under normal circumstances you will be deployed back to Squad Artemis. But however," he said, taking out a tablet and playing the holographic video from the security cameras at the factory. Sean watched the video feed in shock, horrified at his own brutality.
"Firstly, if you weren't a member of Squad Artemis, you would have been dead. Secondly, your combat skills have regressed to the point of street brawling. Thirdly, I don't recall dismantling a person alive is in the training manual for unarmed combat," commented Xiao Tian.
"In my defence, she is still alive and serving her time…" replied Sean with a chuckle.
Xiao Tian gave an exasperated sigh. "Putting you back into the frontlines will be murder for both you and your comrades, we can't allow that."
"Indeed," Sean replied with a fake sad face, in his mind secretly glad that he now has an excuse to not be re-enlisted, only for Xiao Tian's subsequent words to shatter his illusion.
"Hence, we need to retrain you before re-deploying you back in Squad Artemis," continued Xiao Tian. "You will be sent to the South Africa camp with this year's cadets that are applying for Tier 1 units on the selection course. If you are successfully selected, you will go back to Squad Artemis."
"Confident?" smiled Xiao Tian.
"I will do my best," replied Sean.
Xiao Tian threw an amused grin at him. Sean too maintained his smile, knowing that Xiao Tian already got the hidden message of his statement.
"Strange," commented Xiao Tian. "All of your siblings call Aya Big Sis, but only you call her by name, and I believe that before you left you also called her Big Sis…Intriguing."
Sean averted Xiao Tian's gaze.
"Aya told me that you are a big fan of theatre and acting," he continued.
Sean nodded.
"I don't know much about acting, but what I do know is that the actor must never blend in too much into his persona, otherwise, he may never step out of the act," reminded Xiao Tian.
"Need not worry, I know where the boundaries are," said Sean. Xiao Tian nodded. He stood up, ending their conversation, opening the office door. "Wish you a happy new year in advance."
"You too," Sean replied, heading out.
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