The Ice Warrior

Chapter 62

"You're up," Justin said as they reached what seemed to be the end of the tunnel.

As luck would have it, or Joe's reliable memory, the tunnel ended in a large cavern which seemed like just the perfect stretch of land to house the dead.

The ground was frozen solid as everything else in the world they called home.

"Right," Silv said, taking a step forward.

For a second, she started panicking that she wouldn't know how to use the device and that all they did would be for nothing. She feared that she would fail her grandmother and all the grieving humans.

However, she soon realized that her worries were unfounded.

Either the device was generally easy to use, or the ship gave her exactly what she needed, but Silv got a very easy-to-use device.

In the middle of it, there was a small button that seemed to beg to be pressed.

"Stand back," Silv said, unsure of what type of power she would release by pressing the button.

Everyone did as she asked, and only when she judged they were clear of any danger did Silv activate the device.

When she did so, a wall of heat radiated from it, engulfing the ground before it, warming it up in the process with its gentle embrace.

Steam rose as more and more of the frozen earth thawed off, and Silv was stunned by how fast the process was.

"How does that even work?" Justin asked.

"I have no idea, but the important thing is that it works," Silv said.

Sooner than any of them could have imagined, the device finished its work, and they were left with pliable earth.

"Alright, let's start digging," Joe said the moment the device finished its job.

"Why don't we just use that thing Sei Eis used to make the ground disappear?" Justin asked.

It was clear to Silv that he wanted to see the process once again. Probably in an attempt to figure out how it worked.

"Because, my dear boy, I don't want to put anyone at risk. From what you told me, that thing can be dangerous, and I don't want to jeopardize anyone else's lives.

"Besides, hard work never hurt anyone, and by creating their final resting place with our own hands, we will show even more respect to our dead," Joe said.

The moment he finished talking, Silv took up the old-fashioned tools they had with them and started digging.

It actually felt cleansing to be doing something else with her hands besides killing.

It felt like all she had been doing since Denis's betrayal was killing, and she was tired of it. She wanted to be better than that, but she wasn't sure she knew how to accomplish that. Silv was a soldier. That was all she had ever known how to do. Yet, to be better than the Government, she knew that she had to find a way to rise above it all, to be better.

"I think that's more than enough," Justin said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Confused, Silv looked down at the ground and realized that lost in her thoughts, she had dug a far deeper hole than was necessary.

"Right," she said, lowering the shovel.

"What's on your mind?" Justin asked.

"Just thinking about the future. It feels like one chapter of my life has come to an end, and I have no idea what the next one will be about. What I am supposed to do," Silv said.

"You'll figure it out. You always do," Justin said encouragingly.

Silv wiped away the sweat from her forehead and looked him in the eyes. She expected to see some uncertainty in them, but he seemed utterly sure of what he was saying.

"But for now, let's just mourn our losses and say goodbye to those whose books have ended," Justin said.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," Silv said with tears threatening to spill over.

As stronger people in the group started lowering the bodies of the dead to their eternal rest, Arthur approached Silv.

"Miss Silv, my mistress has recorded her final goodbyes. Would it be alright to play them? She wanted them played at her funeral." Arthur said.

"Of course," Silv said.

"Everyone, Rose's final words," Silv said louder, addressing the humans present.

They finished lowering the bodies of their loved ones and stood to attention.

Soon enough, a full-sized hologram of Rose flickered to life projected from Arthur's eyeball.

"Dear friends, if you are seeing this, then I've probably run out of luck. With the life I lived, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

"The moment we took up this mission, I had a feeling that it would be my last one," Rose said.

Silv's mouth opened wide in surprise. Why would her grandma insist on joining the mission when she knew it could be her last one?

"However, I have no regrets. I have lived a long and rich life, much richer than others have. And I am not talking about material opportunities but the privilege of family. The honor of having lived a long time ago when love truly mattered," Rose said with a twinkle in the eyes that she always had when talking about the time before the ice and snow.

"Perhaps, I have even lived too long. Deciding to participate in the SAB program sounded great at the time, and it was great in some aspects. However, it was also horrible in others.

"Because of my prolonged life span, I saw so many awful things happen and was powerless to stop them.

"Then, I learned about sector 15, and it changed my life," Rose said with passion.

"Joe, Justin, Jamie, and Jack, you have taught me what it truly means to be human and that it's something we have to fight for. Never forget what you taught me about life and freedom. Stay true to yourselves.

"I love you guys so much," Rose said, wiping away a stray tear.

"People of sector 15, I admire you for your courage and strength.

"You'll probably suffer some losses in the struggle but never compromise. What you are fighting for is worth it," Rose said.

"I wish you all the best and keep up the good fight. Silv, goodbye, my dear, and never forget how much I love you," Rose added as the image flickered away.

Once Rose's speech was over, Silv wasn't the only one who was unable to stop her tears from tricking down her face.

She wanted to be strong, to be the example others could follow, but she seemed to have lost all control of her tears, and they ended up running down her face quietly.

"Goodbye, grandma," Silv said throwing in what she had the replicator make earlier.

It was a flower, and she hoped the replicator had it right, that it was the very flower her grandmother was named after, a rose.

As the rose gently fell on Rose's body, other people said their goodbyes, and sooner than Silv was ready, they started closing up the grave.

"Goodbye, Viper," Jack said one last time before Joe led him away through his sobs.

Silv stayed behind, looking at Justin and Jamie as they buried her grandma.

Seeing the earth cover Rose up felt like a door slammed in Silv's face, and she had no choice but to accept the unacceptable, the finality of death.