Chapter Sixteen: Truths

[Sigerson: So you’re telling me]

[Sigerson: Grim can’t sleep alone for her own safety]

[Sigerson: Because she may or may not have been marked or something by the tentacle fucker and it dragged her into a seperate world out of a dream]

[The Conductor: Yes.]

[Sigerson: Well shit]

[Sigerson: I was hoping you were going to say haha joking there]

[Sigerson: Wtf?]

[Sigerson: my alarm didn’t go off, by the way, so it wasn’t here]

[Cicada: i]

[The Conductor: No.]

[Cicada: you didn’t even let me finish typing]

[The Conductor: It has to be someone other than you.]

[Cicada: but whhhhy.]

[The Conductor: We all know why, Jun.]

[Cicada: :pikahuff:]

[Cicada: you suck liam]

[The Conductor: I don’t want illicit relationships between my crewmates. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.]

[Cicada: but]

[Sigerson: let it go girl, he’s probably right]

[Cicada: fine im going to cry in my locomotive don’t bother me]

[Absinthe: Back to the important thing, can’t you just set up a camera or something and be done with it?]

[Brion: ED anomalies have a tendency to not show up on camera or readings, or we wouldn’t be bothering you with this.]

[davi: fine. Ill do it.]

[dogged: wait, really?]

[davi: yup. ill bite the bullet since jun cant have fun]

[Sigerson: I was actually gonna volunteer, you sure?]

[davi: yup. gotta build a tolerance.]

[davi: if you’re gonna be with us for longer than a single trip i have to]

[dogged: i… sorry.]

[davi: ? for what]

[davi: it’s not like it’s your fault the ED is being a dick to you]

[dogged: no something else that in hindsight]

[dogged: actually can we just ignore I said that]

[davi: nope suffer in me being sus of you]

[dogged: aaaa]

[The Conductor: With that out of the way and Jun in the Locomotive, I’d like the Escorts to go back on guard. Can someone wake up Marcus for me?]

[davi: got the drone going over so that it can sing the song of my people]

[dogged: um]

[davi: https://youtu.be/YoeP9w5UIlg]

[dogged: youtube]

[davi: yes yes, i’m an ancient relic. click on the link.]

[dogged: Oh. Peak.]

[Absinthe: Who the fuck is blasting the one piece theme outside my window. I’m awake, turn it off.]

[davi: Would you rather I play a different century old anime song]

[Absinthe: no please]

[davi: too late]

[davi: https://youtu.be/DiiK5YABzmU]

[davi: did you know anime is real]

[Absinthe: I hate you omg]

[Absinthe: and he isn’t turning it off either now that I sent that, Liam ples]

[The Conductor: I’ve taken it back, sorry Marcus.]

[davi: aw you guys are no fun]

[dogged: is it bad I’ve never watched gundam]

[Absinthe: ????? does texas not show it in schools]

[dogged: *squints* you’re trying to fuck with me aren’t you]

[Absinthe: wouldn’t you like to know, weather girl]

[dogged: i]

[dogged: don’t really know much about meteorology?]

[dogged: dunno why you called me that]

[Absinthe: oh you sweet summer child]

[Absinthe: remind me when we have free time to introduce you to the “History of memes (first half)”]

[Absinthe: it’s long but required watching material for our friends group]

[dogged: um]

[dogged: okay??]

[Cicada: I]

[The Conductor: Jun.]

[Cicada: fucking hell liam let me type]

[The Conductor: No.]

[Cicada: fuckin fine killjoy]

[dogged: thats getting a little much, shouldn’t you let her speak?]

[Cicada: See i knew i liked her]

[The Conductor: I will ask Minea to be moved to a different crew if you start having relations. I don’t make exceptions.]

[Cicada: fine i won’t eat her]

[Cicada: yet]

My cheeks flushed, I stand up and wave my hand at my face. Okay, so she’s not being subtle at all! The worst part is, I can’t even try to consider accepting this.

“What do I even do in this situation?! Just say: “Oh, sorry, I have secret ambitions that I can’t share with basically anyone that may or may not lead to me being labeled as an enemy of the most powerful people in the world, so I don’t want you to fuck me senseless because it might make you a target?”

With a sigh, I move over and sink into the computer chair again. I stare at the screen for a moment.

[The Conductor: Jun I swear to god.]

[Jun: Heh.]

[davi: I dunno what you expected bro, it was inevitable.]

[Jun: I am inevitable]

I giggle, getting that particular reference, then move to type a reply.

{“Um.”}

I freeze, my fingers having already gotten partway through the message.

“Um.” Words nearly refuse to come out. “Hi Brion?”

{“So you do know I have mics in all the passenger cars, right?}

Oh shit.

“Um. Uh.” Nervous to the point I feel like I’m going to puke, I can’t help but manically giggle for some reason. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

{“You did. I have questions.”}

“I-Is there any way I can convince you to not ask them?”

{“Not anymore? I was already giving you the benefit of the doubt with Maribelle.”}

Slumping my shoulders, I stand up, glancing over my shoulder at the door. “Is there a secure location to talk about this?”

{“Come back to the caboose, it’s my personal space.”}

I gulp as I nod. “F-Fine.”

I can’t fucking believe I did that. Sure, I was flustered and completely not thinking about the fact that he was there, but jeez Minea! Get a fucking grip! If this was anyone else on the crew, I’d probably have a gun in my face right now… Wait speaking of which, am I supposed to have a gun? Aren’t I a guard? I need to look into that. Maybe it’s like the Brion thing where they just don’t trust me?

Ugh, I have bigger problems to worry about right now anyways.

With a pit in my stomach, I walk past the Mecha to the rear door of the hangar, and open it for the first time. It slides open to reveal the windowless black box that is the caboose. There’s a lurch, and I have to catch myself on the doorframe as the train begins to move. With a sigh, I flare my boost just a bit to jump over to the platform on the outside of the caboose, from where I am able to enter the car.

It’s dark inside for a couple of seconds, especially as the door automatically closes behind me, but before long a couple of lights flicker on. The space that is revealed is cramped to say the least, the entire space filled with enough electronics and server boxes that someone my size can barely manage to fit through the passage. Other than that though… it’s not much. To be fair, though, that’s sort of a thing with SAI – they simply prefer to spend more time in a virtual space than a physical one, so why do more then the essentials?

“Brion, I…”

{“Don’t stand on the wires please, keep moving until you are a few more feet in.”}

Following his directions, I move before I continue.

“I don’t know where to start with this.”

{“Preferably, who you’re working with, and your goals.”}

My mouth goes dry, and I fidget a bit in place. This is it. Do I lie to try and make it seem better than it is, or just come out with the truth and hope he’s sympathetic? Fuck it, why don’t we go with…

“Brion, do you have the files that NAER collected on me?”

{“I do, but I do not see how they are relevant here.”}

“What do you know about the Funeral I ignited at?”

{“Saint Evan’s yes?”} I hold back a wince. {“It was well regarded among the populace due to the dramatic entrance and statement his lover Sorcha made without saying even a single word.”}

Unable to stop myself, I blurt, “It’s Eva, not Evan.”

{“Pardon? That doesn’t match any of the records I had access to.”}

“It’s not like it was public information after all, it’s illegal to be transgender in half the world,” I begin to rant, “she saved the lives of half the damn country from that stray ED nuke and in exchange they buried her as a male saint!”

I throw my hands up. “And the worst part is, anyone who tries to speak up about it is threatened with the treaty into silence! They’re holding a woman’s identity hostage to protect their own damn lives! It’s horrid!”

As I take a breath, Brion quietly mutters, {“I see… And you figured this out at the age of ten, which is what caused your Ignition?”}

“Kinda?” I bite my lip. “There’s more to it than that, but you can sort of draw your own conclusions on that, I ain’t gonna talk about it.”

{“Fair enough, that’s more personal so I do not blame you. I do however, wish to know what you are planning.”}

Running my tongue over my teeth as I think, I silently note that the wound from last night has healed quite a bit already.

“Honestly, if you want the nitty gritty you’ll have to ask Maribelle,” I quickly explain, “the only thing about the plan I know is that I’m a willing pawn in a very deadly game, the prize for winning being exposing the truth. All the truths.”

{“Ah.”} Brion pauses for a few moments after I say that. {“I understand now why Maribelle is involved, knowing what Fuschia told me about her. Still, an entire conspiracy like this is something I can’t help but be concerned about.”}

“If it helps assuage your fears Brion,” I slowly add, “it’s likely that if I’m going to be the agent of destruction, probably, NAER will be left alone to facilitate it.”

{“I agree with your logic, to a point at least, but it will draw attention to us should you begin to cause chaos wherever we go. For now, until I talk to your friend, I will not say anything to anyone else about this. However Minea, I will be watching you closer from now on.”}

“I can’t exactly blame you, but it still feels awful to be told that.”

{“There is not much that can be done about it, you’ve been revealed as a potential malcontent from your carelessness.”}

My cheeks heat up a bit. “You really don’t have to say it like that.”

{“I don’t, but teasing you seems like it might be fun. You are quite expressive you know.”}

“Grrr.” My cheeks puffing out, I walk towards the door. “I’m going back to the hangar, I’m still on duty.”

As if he hadn’t just brutalized me, Brion says, {“Yes, that seems prudent.”}

When I step out of the caboose, I breathe out in relief as I lean against the railing of its exterior platform. The ground is now moving by at a steady pace, our speed having built up quite a bit over the last few minutes. Desiring just a bit of time alone, I consider for a few seconds before I flare my boost and jump up on top of the hangar car.

It’s a bit of a tight fit – the thin but solid strip used to anchor the hangar doors is the only space that I can reasonably safely walk upon. Still for my purposes, it’s enough. I slowly walk forward, eventually taking a seat smack dab in the middle of the strip.

My purpose for being here begins to rise above the horizon before long, the warmth it spreads across my skin something that calms me more than I had expected it to. The sunrise dyes the sky in a golden hue, the dawn of a new day after one that I would likely remember as horrid in the future. Maybe today will be better, but I can’t say for sure.

Then unfortunately, my focus on the view worthy of a painting fades in favor of considering the impact that my fuck up will cause to the plan. It’s obvious even now that it’s going to mostly depend on what happens when Brion contacts Maribelle when we get to Kansas City. It’s hard to say what the verdict will be before that, but there’s a chance that he disagrees with my best friend and outs us to the company.

Then, what matters is how the higher ups at NAER would take a conspiracy that may or may not heavily impact the world. How they would take the revelation of secrets that the upper crust of society has come to agree should be hidden for their benefit. I don’t know enough about my new employers to say for certain.

And that bothers me something fierce. I need to do research into NAER when I get to somewhere with general internet access, as well as a few other things that the Theocracy censored across the country. The Midwest States of America isn’t exactly known for being the most liberal of areas in a lot of cases, but it’s certainly more free when it comes to information. If everything works out in my favor, maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll support us somehow. I snort.

Yeah right, what’s the likelihood of that happening?

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