Siren's Elegy Volume 1: Orphans of Ashen Earth

Chapter 52: Antebellum

October 03, 4021 07:30 [Khar Khot- Lancer Docks]

Aisha lifted up her welding mask for a moment, wiping the sweat from her brow. The heat from the blowtorch made the garage a sweltering sauna. She was covered in grease from head to toe, save for her blue overalls which were protected by a welding apron. It felt good to do something with her hands again. The work kept her mind occupied. She had been assigned to the Lancer maintenance unit, without the knowledge of the others, she assumed. Otherwise, there would have been a raucous uproar about it by now, and she would never hear the end of it.

She scowled as she worked along the exterior of one of the Lancers, fitting an extra plate of armor to protect the communications array. She could fend for herself, but they were always treating her like a child, even Mirai sometimes. She was just as much a part of the team as the other Homunculi were. There was no reason for her to sit by idly while her friends and loved ones risked their lives. She had to do something, so when the offer to join the Lancer team as a member of the maintenance crew came from Hart, she jumped at the opportunity. I'll do whatever I can to support them! She puffed her chest with resolve, continuing to make final adjustments on the ancient mechs. They would be deploying tomorrow, so everything needed to be in order by dawn. She couldn't let them down—she wouldn't let them down.

The hours flew by as she worked tirelessly up and down each machine, operating a set of cranes to get her to where she needed to go. She exchanged pertinent tools with the other mechanics, alternating when they took breaks to catch their breath before returning to the task at hand. She felt surprisingly at peace, despite the looming war only hours away. She was in her element. Amongst these machines, she was the one in control.

The technicians came down to the Lancer Docks from time to time to ensure that the software was running correctly. They hooked up their devices to homebrewed adapters that were compatible with the Uturian technology, running diagnostics and testing reactionary measurements like input delay to gauge what needed to be calibrated. The work was fairly standard, just on a larger scale than what Aisha was used to.

Dot would stop by frequently to check in with his team, routinely taking detours to chat with Aisha. He would take some time to ask how she was, showing her his archaic notes whenever she asked about his work out of curiosity. How he made sense of the glyphs he called writing was a mystery to her. She just nodded her head and smiled, hoping he wouldn't ask her for her input on any elaborate programming issues they had.

"So, how're you holding up?"

"I'm doing well. The work keeps my mind off of things."

"The others have been informed that you'll be joining them on the battlefield," Dot said.

Aisha paused for a moment, hesitant to ask. "How'd they take it?"

"Not well, unsurprisingly. Akula actually warmed up to the idea pretty quickly after the initial shock, from what Skadi told me. Mirai though, he's vehemently against it. He's a nervous wreck."

Aisha sighed. "Don't worry. I'll say something to him. It'll be fine. I'll explain my side and try to reassure him in the morning."

Dot nodded. "Sounds good. I'll let you get back to your work then."

By the time the last of the maintenance had been completed, the sun had gone down. The next time it rose would signal the beginning of a bloody conflict. There were only a few stragglers left now: Aisha, Dot, and another mechanic packing up their equipment as they left for the barracks for some much-needed shut-eye. Dot leaned against his Lancer, the words 'Safe//Hack' printed in white on its shoulder. Aisha rolled her eyes at the bright pink hue of the machine. He wouldn't even let us paint over it. How is this practical in a desert warzone, exactly? He's practically begging to be made a target.

She walked over to him, lightly shaking him awake.

"Hey, we're done here. We should head back to the Deployment Bay. Big day ahead of us tomorrow, right?"

Dot grumbled indignantly, yawning widely. He stretched his limbs, shuddering before picking himself up, sleepy-eyed. They made their way to a transport vehicle, seating themselves in the back. The driver started the engine, the vehicle slowly lifting up above the city. It made for the opening above, leading into a network of aerial tunnels.

"This is it, huh?"

"Yeah, this is it."

"Are you worried?"

Aisha was silent, contemplating her answer as she watched the traffic pass them by. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I feel like I'm where I need to be in order to support all of you. At the same time, I don't really know what we're fighting for. This war—these people that we're facing—are they truly our enemy? We're at the mercy of the Oligarchs' whims, fighting their battles as proxies. Does this really benefit our country or just them?"

Dot looked unperturbed, calmly watching the world fly by his window. "We're fighting a battle on two fronts, Aisha. We can only focus on one. It's up to you to decide which one that is."

***

They reached Deployment Bay 06, tipping the driver before they entered the living area. The lights had been dimmed; the rest of the Bloodhounds would be in bed by now. Aisha was doubtful that any of them were asleep, however. They were likely to be restless, counting every moment until dawn arrived.

She parted ways with Dot, heading to the women's shower room. Disrobing quickly, Aisha ran the water until steam rose. She stepped under the shower head, lathering and rinsing her hair. She washed away all the grease that had accumulated on her person, digging into the dirt caked under her fingernails. She sighed, letting the scalding water run down her back, easing the tension of the day's labor, and relishing the moment. It would be a while before she would have another chance to be clean.

She turned the knob for the shower to cut off the water, drying off before picking a fresh pair of nightwear from the shelf beside her. She exited the shower room, walking up the stairs to room 503. She made an attempt to knock on the door but stopped short, hesitating. She stood in front of it for what seemed like ages before she stepped away.

Quietly, she made her way back down the stairs, entering room 418. Skadi was sound asleep, or at least pretending. Aisha slipped into her bed, shrouding herself with her comforter. She closed her eyes, letting her mind wander as she tried to enjoy one last night of peace before her world would turn to fire and ash.