This has the usual warnings of The Nano Age, it's not meant for the faint of heart.
This includes a suicide attempt trigger I'm warning you now.
Mount Kaikoma Air Base Nuclear Bunker (Manaka)
I twiddle my thumbs. “Iris, when will Nomura be awake from you giving her implants…” “Should be just a few more hours. You slept three days.” I sigh, “Combat Lightning’s servers are down right now. Japan should have good internet, power, and everything, what's wrong? And is Nomura going to get better implants than me? And when can I get new clothes?” “I’m not an info centre Manaka.” I groan. “You’re as much of an info centre as I am, Iris, we can both access the internet instantly, but I’m getting no answers.” “That is something you’ll have to accept.” I start spamming Iris’s implant with the letter e in a deadpan tone, just to f**k with her. “I put those implants in you, I can very painfully remove them again.” It was at that very inopportune moment that Nomura woke up. She makes a disgruntled noise and repeatedly “hits” Iris, mumbling something about her being mean. Iris lets it happen and starts stroking Nomura’s head. I giggle and send an ‘e’ to Nomura. She yelps up and looks at me in surprise. “Do that again.” I send the e again. Nomura’s eyes open wide and she looks very interested. “We can send messages to each other with the implants, (my voice filled with satire) right Iris!” Iris smiles back at me smugly. “She can actually do it a lot faster than you.” I smile, “At least mine are faster than yours, Iris!” “Mine don’t need to be fast.” I roll my eyes, “I think my implants are still better than both of yours” I ‘hmph’ and look away, a sad jealousy filling me. Nomura looks a bit sad at that comment. I flop on a couch, embarrassed at my outburst. I look back at the two others in the room and see Nomura’s hurt face and Iris’s usual mask, “What?” Nomura slowly makes her way over to me, obviously in pain and hugs me. I gasp a little and hug back, a little sad but happy, I send ‘sorry’ to her implant. She sends a short ‘it’s oke’ back. ‘I just felt a little jealous and crushed by what Iris said to me, you know, she’s fine, but kind of mean.’ ‘I think it’s defensive.’ Nomura sends back. I smile slightly, ‘Now we can gossip without Iris telling us off for being too girly!’ Nomura responds with a ‘:p’. I giggle then smile at Iris, who doesn’t know of the conversation, “Iris, go make some food, please.” “I’m not your cook.” “I mean, you put a bunch of nanotech in Nomura’s head, she’s probably hungry! So go make her some food.” “If you two are so cozy together, why don’t you get up and make her some? Believe it or not, I’ve got sh*t to do myself.” I interrupt her, leaving the hug Nomura was giving me to grab Iris’s arm. “Make. Nomura. Food.” I glare at Iris, giving her a death glare I’ve spent 7 years perfecting. “How about you grow a pair and become independent instead of relying on people much older than you. Just cuz I get payed to put sh*t in people’s brains does not make me your personal servant. Now excuse me.” I let go of Iris and keep glaring her down. To be fair, she is right, but Nomura deserves food made by an adult that knows how to cook better than I do. “Fine. I’ll cook Nomura something better than you’ll ever make then.” I scoff and stomp off to the kitchen. I turn on the news while making an Angel fruit cake and Nomura’s preferred dinner, a plate of fried eggs and french toast. I present it to Nomura with a dramatic flourish. “Tada!!! An Angel Fruit Cake and your favourite food!” I smile and set it down. Nomura weakly sits up. “Did you make yourself some too?” My smile becomes forced, oops, I forgot. “Yyyyeaah! I did! Let me go grab it real quick!” Nomura begins - what I presume to be - eating. I smile and walk to the kitchen to grab myself something to make, what should I make….. I turn around to see Nomura presenting something to me? ”I can tell you forgot about yourself. Here.” I take it… why would she? “I- made this for you though, I shouldn’t eat my own food I make.” “Why not? You made it so you should enjoy it too.” I grab a fork and try it. “Mmm. This is really good.” I taste it a little more. “Thank you for making this.” I smile at Nomura, “You’re welcome, and maybe we don’t need Iris to make food for us.” I giggle and sit next to Nomura, “You’re like a little sister to me, Nomura.” “Yay! Bis sister Manaka!” “Not Manaka, Eriko, call me Eriko, Nomura.” “Nuh-uh! Ha-ru-ka~!” I giggle and say back to her in the same singsong tone, “Okay Haruka~, little sis!” Haruka beams happily. I smile and take a bite of toast. I notice Iris lurking at the door, watching with… some emotion on her face… The keys to the door rattle and she enters, putting her coat on the rack of the apartment. I sigh and apologise to Iris. “Sorry.” “Don’t be. Be happy instead. I just got you off the assignment to become cannon fodder in Hokkaido.” WHAT. I yelp in fear, “H-huh!?” “They’re planning a land invasion on Hokkaido since they confirmed that it was an Ainu ship that fired on the base. They wanted you to spear-head it, despite your training not even nearly being done.” I shudder, “That’d be like making you the head of a lawyer’s team.” “I have a PhD in advanced medicine and biology you know?” Iris looks at me annoyed. “Exactly, you would be completely out of your zone leading a bunch of lawyers.” Iris squints her eyes at me and then looks to Nom- Haruka who is still slowly enjoying her meal. “I see you took what I said to heart for once.” I roll my eyes and smile, “I’ll let you know my cooking is better then yours, want me to make something for you to prove it!” “No thanks, I lost my appetite seeing those fat old generals get drunk off of sake planning an invasion that’ll kill thousands. They even brought the head honcho herself, though from the looks of it it was not their brightest idea for the day. Not that there were many of those today. She looked sick.” There’s a knock on the door. Iris groans, annoyed before opening the door. “Good evening, Dr Kalogeropoulos.” I see a well put together military woman bow at the door, “May I come in?” “If you’re here to convince me to put her on the front again you can p*ss right off.” She shudders, “No, no, Miss Kalogeropoulos, that disgusted me. Please, may I come in.” “Your choice Gordon Ramsay!” She shakes her head and politely steps in, prompting Iris to say “Didn’t say yes but !@#$ me I g-.” She interrupts, “I am General in Command Fushia Todomaru. Please, be more respectful to the woman who shouted down 7 drunk generals to stop them from overriding you and just sending Recruit Manaka to the front anyways.” I gulp as Iris responds, “I have no moral quells about personally implanting squid babies into another person’s bloodstream, nor do I have any problem with going to prison - or worse.” The mask I’ve been studying on Todomara slips for a couple seconds as she looks slightly unnerved before she puts it back together, “And I can order the destruction- practically !@#$ of a nation with hardly any quells, Dr. Kaloger-” “I know. What else are you military freakshows good for but murdering?” Iris doesn’t hesitate a second before spitting before the General’s feet. I see a hurt glance in her eyes. “Ha. You can call me a freakshow for being a military woman, but I’m also the one that helped made sure Akimoto exited the nation with a nuclear threat on our horizons before the Zukesans stopped the Soviet missiles. I am quite sure of what I do, Dr Kalogeropoulos, and I just need a female friend for a few minutes, please.” She smiles a tired smile. “You let a genocidal dictatorial maniac escape. What an achievement. Do what you want and then leave.” Iris leaves into her room and firmly shuts the door behind her. Todomaru winces, “Is she always like that?” She glanced at me and Haruka. I nod earnestly, “Don’t mind her, Todomaru” She smiles at me and Haruka. Haruka speaks up with a soft and weak voice “Usually she doesn’t mean it though.” Todomaru looks intrigued, “Did she mean it this time?” “I think so, yeah. I don’t think she likes authority much.” Todomaru sighs, her mask slips, making her look… so tired… wow, this poor woman. Todomaru looks at Iris’s room, “That’s to be expected from a woman whose father… experimented on her as a politician and leader of a nation. I understand why she’s upset, but this is a completely different nation.” “From what she told me, ‘it’s two sides of the same coin’.” Todohara groans and slumps on the couch. “Should I go look after her, Eriko?” Haruka looks at me. I nod. Haruka makes her way to Iris’ room as quickly as she can before softly knocking. The door flies open, Haruka slowly enters and Iris gently closes the door again, giving a long stare of death to the General.
Haruka
Todomaru stands up and walks up to the door, Manaka trying to stop her, “Wait, General-” “Let me talk to her.” “From experience, talking to Iris only p****s her off more.” Todomaru looks at me, “That’s a risk I have to take.” She puts her foot between the door and the doorjamb. Iris simply lets go again and throws herself onto her bed. “May I come in, again.” There’s steel in her eyes this time. “Didn’t I tell you to f*ckoff?” Todomaru pushes her way past and sighs suddenly, “Ah, I still have my shoes on, how disrespectful of me.” Todomaru takes off her shoes. I suddenly hear clamping behind me. As soon as I turn around I try my best to stop Iris from chugging down an entire bottle of pure Soviet Vodka in one go. “Iris! Stop!” Todomaru snatches it out of Iris’s hand. “Don’t waste the good stuff in anger.” She grabs one of Iris’s shot glasses and pours herself a shot after looking at Iris with a small question. Before she can ask however, I interject. “Iris, where did you even get that? You don’t drink!” Todomaru looks at me, “Rule number one of being a woman, always have a good drink near you in case the world is annoying.” Iris speaks up. “I wouldn’t drink that in your stead. That’s 60% alcohol, extra import from the Commissar stache.” Todomaru looks at the shot glass with a new respect, and carefully pours half of it back into the bottle. “I usually add vinegar for the extra kick.” Todomaru sips the shot, carefully, but flushes a little, “wow… yikes.” She sets it down and leaves the room for a couple seconds to get a cup of water and returns. “If you chugged that, that would probably kill you.” “That’s the idea.” Before I can tell Iris off, Todomaru flicks Iris gently, “Rule number one as a military freakshow like myself, never let someone try to suicide.” “The more flesh-shields, the better.” Iris says in a mocking voice before turning away from us. Todomaru turns Iris’s face back to us, “Hm. Bet you didn’t know I read the list of anyone who dies in action in the Ajakon Army.” “We all have our hobbies. Mine is Russian Roulette. I really suck at it.” “So you read their entire resume?” I ask Todomaru before trying to turn Iris as a whole back to us again. “Yes, I read their resume… comments of what kind of person they were like, their goals from when they were in school, what their family said they were… everything I can find. They deserve remembrance.” Iris scoffs. “Must have a lot of reading on your hands then, considering how often your country sends its youth to get killed.” Todomaru looks angry for once, “DON’T SAY THAT.” Iris chuckles. “Why not? Cuz it’s true?” Todomaru stands up, angry, “IT IS NOT, I- I CARE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU HATEFUL B***H, I VALUE MY SOLDIERS. NEVER SAY I DON’T CARE.” Todomaru is breathing heavily, trying to calm down and regain composure. “Really now? Then how come the soldiers you care so much about are sent out to fight yet another war against the people you consider yours? Why are your brothers and sisters fighting each other under your oversight, hm?” I see something snap in Todomaru’s stance, a second too late as Todomaru punches Iris across the face, knocks her to the ground, and tightly ties her arms and feet together with a blanket, “Never say that to me ever again, you nasty attention seeking b***h who has daddy issues, got it? Worthless Greek street beggar.” She stands up and dusts her hands off. Iris spits blood on her feet. “Glad you decided to show your true self.” “Pack your stuff, you’re fired. Go back to the streets you came from, b***h.” Iris laughs at her. “I’ll gladly leave your miserable sh*thole of a country. Must I remind you, you’re the ones who forced me here to begin with to put these god-awful machines into people’s heads? You motherf*cking psychopaths.” Todomaru narrows her eyes at Iris, “Then I guess you won’t be able to leave this nation. How about we let you camp in the forest, Iris.” “I feel like I made it pretty clear that I don’t fear death, you or your pathetic state. All you’re proving is my point.” I muster up all my strength and punch Todomaru in the stomach, quickly throwing myself on Iris with tears streaming down my face. “Stop! Please! Please stop…” Iris’ smug smile quickly disappears as she realises what is happening. Unbinding herself as if this isn’t the first time she’d been tied up she quickly embraces me, apologising profusely. Todomaru is rubbing her stomach, not exactly in pain, but is listening, trying to calm herself down. Iris is trying her best to calm me down as well, as I’m currently having a panic attack. Todomaru leans against the door, looking critically tired. “I apologize for losing my temper, Miss Nomura. I just… you know.” She looks ashamed of herself. I slowly start calming down and look at Eriko. “Please bring her out of the room. You two wanted to talk. I’ll stay here with Iris.” Eriko nods and pulls Todomaru to the side, “Come on, General.” “Alright, Recruit Manaka.” The two leave the room. Iris and I don’t exchange a word. We just quietly sob to ourselves while Eriko and Todomaru talk in the living room.
Eriko/Manaka
I look at Todomaru. I didn’t really hear what happened… but I think Iris p***ed her off somehow. “You okay?” Todohara shakes her head, “I just wanted… another woman to talk with. I thought Iris would be friendly.” I laugh mirthlessly, “One thing about Iris, she’s never nice, except to Haruka.” Todomaru lays out on the couch, shedding her jacket, “I’m going to take a nap.” I tilt my head, “Eh?” Todomaru looks at me, “This day is very stressful. A lot has happened and I’m tired. I got three hours of sleep, I beat up a woman for no good reason, I shouted down a bunch of fat corrupt bloodthirsty generals from trying to send a 16 year old to war, and I have to conduct a war against the very people that I come from. Let that think for a little bit.” I stare at Todomaru scared and impressed, “You… have to deal with all of that?” She nods at me. “Now let me sleep. Make sure the ‘kind doctor’ doesn’t poison me or herself in my sleep.” I nod as Todomaru slowly drifts off. What the hell happened. I ping Haruka, ‘what happened?’ ‘Come over here please.’ she replies. I walk over, my face worried and confused. “Check behind that drawer.” she points towards a bedside cabinet while quietly cry-sniffing. Iris seems to be asleep. I look behind the drawer, the NVDs in my eyes activating. That… Is a lot of illegal alcohol. Those are a lot of concerningly empty bottles… I look at Iris. I grab the bottles and walk to the kitchen. “Haruka, if you ask me, these are messing with her decision making.” She pinged me. ‘She used the freshly opened one last. She tried to drink it whole.’ w-wha. “YEP, NO MORE ALCOHOL FOR YOU, GIRL.” I pour the drinks down the sink one by one. Haruka comes slowly stumbling out of the room, her eyes swollen and tear-streams all over her face. “I- Do we tell a therapist?” Tears form in her face again and under her cries, all she musters up is “I don’t know…” over and over again. I walk back to Iris concern in my voice, “You can stop fake sleeping… please.” “No use. Take care of Nomura. She’s what matters.” Iris whispers. I grab Iris by the shoulder and pull her to look at me, “Iris. I’m tired of your pushing everyone away. You are currently being me and Haruka’s mother in a way-” “No.” Iris says, clear anger in her voice. “A mother would never do this.” “I. Don’t. Care.” I ground out at Iris, “Me and Haruka care about you, Iris. I don’t care if you don’t see what we see, but we want you to be happy, not half existing like you are, got it?” She doesn’t say a word. Instead, she picks up Haruka and carries her to the occupied couch. She slowly lets her down before the sleeping General. “I think she needs some of your love, Eriko.” “Who? Todomaru?” “I went too hard on her. She’s already stressed enough.” I sit next to Todomaru, brushing her hair. Iris looks at me. “You should go to bed too, you know?” I shake my head, “I’m watching you, Iris. You tried to !@#$.” “Yeah, well, my opportunity to do that literally went down the drain, soooo….” I narrow my eyes, “You are staying in my sight, Iris.” “You still have training tomorrow.” “No.” I cross my arms. “Tell you what.” Iris sighs. “We open that bottle there, have a drink together, I’ll go to bed and you do whatever you want. Sound good?” I look at her, skeptical, “I’m not an underage drinker.” I move the drink out of her reach, using my 8 centimeter height difference on her. “Can I at least entice you with some tea?” I want tea, but her eyes seem dangerous…… “N-No thanks.” “Shame, really.” She stands up and fills the electric kettle, turing it on and preparing a cup, tea and several additions, most of which I have never seen before. “And the !@#$ is that?” I scanned the additions with my eyeware. “My dear, that is sugar from my home country, a taste strengthener and a few bits of further sweetener.” I tilt my head and put a small nanite in the pot. “Could you not put bots in my tea please?” I look at the nanite’s result of testing the pot. It seems safe then. The nanite floats up and crawls out of the teapot and I dispose of it. “You sure you don’t wanna at least try?” “fine.” My longing for tea wins. “I’ll prepare you a cup then. Do quickly check on Nomura though. I don’t want her to still be crying. It… really breaks me to see that.” she looks away from the cup she’s taking out. She seems genuinely concerned. I turn to check on Haruka. I turn back, wanting that tea. Iris hands me a cup. I take a sip, it tastes surprisingly good. Iris seems in a surprising hurry to finish her cup though. I enjoy it. Or at least, I would until I can slowly feel my legs giving in. Iris takes my cup and sets it down. eh? I fall on the ground. “i-iris? t-this feels wrong.” “I’m sorry Manaka. Watch out for Nomura.” She picks me up and puts me on the sofa I sat on previously. Wait wait, no no no, “i.. iris.. n-no.. what are you doing.” “Nomura will need you, now more than ever. I can’t be to you what he was to me. I couldn’t bear it. Good-bye. I hope you at least enjoyed our last tea.” Iris smiled defeated. I start to cry softly, “iris… please… don’t leave me.. i’m not ready p-please..” I- i can’t speak.. Help help help… I try to ping Haruka with a SOS code. I drift away shortly after. I only see 3 things before it all goes black. First, Iris giving Todomaru and Haruka some sort of pill, second, Iris leaving her room with a suitcase and third, Iris squatting before me with tears in her eyes, mouthing a soft ‘I’m sorry.’
I get awoken by a radio call with gunshots from Todomaru’s radio. “Assailant stole an Armored Personel Carrier and is heading for gate 1!” “Requesting permission to fire!” “Kaikoma-Actual to Kaikoma base, opening fire on APC.” With all my remaining strength I snatch the radio and scream “DON’T, PLEASE” into the speaker. The radio noises back “Who was that?” The pilot responds, her voice confused, “Some girl- Kuso! Kaikoma base, this is Kaikoma-Actual. APC escaped into a tunnel. Breaking off pursuit, before I either run into a mountain or the radiation gets too bad, we need to change the design for NBC protection.” I sigh in relief as darkness takes me again.
Part 3
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It’s too much quality! My brain is gonna explode!