Deep Beneath the Pacific (Pacific Rim)

Chapter Five: Going Downhill

February 29th, 2020 - Thursday - 8:17 AM.

I shook Marshall Sokolov's firm hand, smiling. "Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Likewise..." Then the Marshall's face grew dark. "I'm afraid we can't discuss here... Let's go to my office." He looked at Larkson. "Captain."

Larkson saluted. "Understood, sir." He smiled at me and then good-naturedly smacked my shoulder... hard, making me wince a little. "See you around, Juliana." He said that as if we were going to see each other tomorrow. Right...

I watched the Captain turn and walk away, slightly shaking my head. Then I looked back at Marshall Sokolov. He obviously wanted to get a move on. "Lead the way, sir."

~~~

8:20 AM.

I sat in a steal chair, my back rigid. It was a little uncomfortable, I'll admit. But I was more focused on the person who sat across from me behind a desk: Marshall Jacob Sokolov. I kept my hands in my lap and my gaze was slightly lowered.

"So... according to Captain Larkson, you intervened in his troop's chase." Marshall Sokolov looked at his holoscreen, scrolling down a report. He glanced at me. "It says here that you made an... explosive entrance."

"In my defense, sir, the mob threw the grenades at my truck." I said, my voice surprisingly confident. A small smile crept across my face as I remembered the shocked faces of the mob members as well as the Strike Troopers'.

The Marshall stared at me for a few moments then continued to read. "Larkson also said over the comm that you knocked out a mob member... and took on the mob... leader..." Was that slight surprise in his voice? "Is this true, Miss Whitehorse?"

I looked down at my hands. I hesitated before responding. "Yes, sir... it is." I heard the zap of the holoscreen shut down and looked up to meet the unreadable eyes of the Marshall. It bothered me because I could usually read people pretty well. This man knew how to look unreadable.

The Marshall surprised me by smiling, amusement sparkling in his hazel eyes.

I didn't know how to react. Did he find my actions amusing? Was he just questioning me to test me?  But then he moved to a different subject.

"Are you aware, Miss Whitehorse, of what is going on in the world?" Marshall Sokolov leaned forward and put his hands on his desk, staring at me with those hard eyes.

I managed to remain steady eye-contact to show him that I wasn't afraid. Marshalls don't like weakness. At least, I can tell that Marshall Sokolov didn't. "...I do not understand what you mean, sir. I mean, I have noticed a steady increase of riots in Los Angeles..." My voice trailed off.

"Yes, that is part of it. It always is, isn't it?" The Marshall gave me a small smile, once again becoming friendlier. Then as soon as it came, it was gone. "What I meant, Miss Whitehorse, is that Jaegers are hard to build, but easy to lose... The mechanics involved in the makings of a Jaeger are very complicated. Very few people really know how they work."

I furrowed my brow in confusion, not completely understanding what he meant by those words. I mean, I knew how Jaegers worked - duh. But why he was telling me this... I didn't know. "Sir-"

The Marshall's eyes locked with mine. "We lost a Jaeger to a Kaiju early this morning - around two o'clock to be exact. Another loss to the Anchorage Shatterdome." When I remained silent, he continued. "Gipsy Danger... a Mark-III Jaeger. One of the best too... Piloted by the Becket brothers." He sighed, looking down at his hands. "At least the Kaiju was terminated..."