Chapter 0.3 - “Five Pendants”

Kade Bher awoke to the sound of somebody arguing with a coffee machine.

This was not the worst way he had ever started a morning.

That realization bothered him.Full novel: Horizon Atoll: Hearts of Steel — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠

He kept his eyes closed for another few seconds, listening to the argument unfolding beyond the infirmary's half-open door.

"I put the cup there."

A metallic clunk answered.

"Don't you start."

Another clunk.

"That's the correct button."

A brief hiss followed.

Then a woman's voice, considerably more offended than before.

"Oh, for the love of—"

Kade opened one eye.

The ceiling was still green.

The ventilation unit was still humming.

The little medical monitor beside his bed displayed an unremarkable collection of measurements, and the window opposite him admitted the unmistakable light of a Pacific morning.

He was still at Horizon Atoll.

Wonderful.

He had been holding out some small, irrational hope that the previous night would turn out to be an exceptionally elaborate nightmare.

It hadn't.

He remembered everything.

Mizunokuni.

Wysteria.

The Final Wave.

His own death.

The eighteen years of his present life.

The earthquake.

The missing logout interface.

The girls in the infirmary.

The documents classifying them as military property.

All of it remained neatly available inside his skull.

Kade stared at the ceiling.

"Morning," he muttered.

The ceiling declined to respond.

He regarded that as considerate.

Beyond the doorway, the coffee machine hissed again.

A woman sighed.

Then Chief Petty Officer Mara Fenwick spoke with the measured irritation of somebody addressing a particularly disappointing subordinate.

"You have one job."

Kade smiled faintly.

The machine made another noise.

"One."

He pushed the blanket aside.

His shoulder complained when he sat upright, although the soreness had diminished considerably since the previous evening. There was a faint bruise along the upper arm, and the side of his neck felt stiff.

Everything else seemed functional.

He flexed his fingers.

Rolled his shoulders carefully.

Turned his head from side to side.

No dizziness.

No sudden agony.

No intrusive flash of light.

Just the ordinary discomfort of someone who had struck a floor considerably harder than he intended.

He glanced toward the small bedside table.

His folded Commander jacket rested there.

Beside it lay the personal communications handset issued the previous day.

His shoes stood neatly beneath the chair.

Somebody had also left a fresh glass of water and a small plate containing two pieces of toast.

Kade studied the toast.

Then the door.

Then the toast again.

"Well, at least civilization survived."

He ate one piece.

It was slightly cold.

He didn't particularly care.

A few minutes later, he had dressed and was attempting to determine whether the small medical display could be switched off without accidentally triggering an alarm.

He decided against experimenting.

The last thing Horizon Atoll needed was its Commander becoming the first casualty of an argument with a hospital monitor.

He stepped into the corridor.

Chief Fenwick stood beside the nurses' station, holding a cup beneath the coffee machine with an expression of profound dissatisfaction.

The machine had produced approximately an inch of coffee.

Everything else appeared to be steam.

She looked up.

"Commander."

Kade nodded.

"Chief."

Her eyes moved toward his shoulder.

"How are you feeling?"

"Alive."

"That's good."

"Debatable, but encouraging."

She gave him a long look.

"Medical cleared you?"

"Not yet. I was about to find someone who could."

"Then you're not leaving the infirmary."

"Wasn't planning to."

"Good."

He glanced toward the coffee machine.

"How's the war going?"

Chief Fenwick blinked.

"What?"

He pointed.

"That one."

She followed his gesture.

Then sighed.

"Oh."

"Taking casualties?"

"The cup."

"Tragic."

"The dispensing nozzle's partially blocked."

Kade studied the machine.

Then looked toward the chief.

"Have you considered surrender?"

"I refuse."

"Admirable."

"I've kept this thing running for nine years."

"Then I suppose it would be embarrassing to lose now."

"Exactly."

Kade nodded solemnly.

"Carry on, Chief."

He walked toward the nurses' station.

Behind him, the machine hissed.

Chief Fenwick swore.

Kade smiled.

It was such an ordinary sound.

For a few moments, he allowed himself to enjoy that.

Then he noticed the noticeboard.

Several sheets of paper had been pinned beneath an emergency announcement.

STATION MEDICAL ADVISORY — UNEXPLAINED COLLAPSE EVENT

ALL AFFECTED PERSONNEL MUST REPORT FOR FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENT.

Beneath it, a second notice addressed the altered appearances of the Keelborn.

It instructed staff to confirm personal identities using names, established records, and Ship Pendant registration rather than assuming that the affected individuals were strangers.

A third notice directed all military personnel to suspend nonessential sorties pending medical review.

Kade read it.

Then glanced toward the window.

Outside, the morning looked beautiful.

The palms swayed in the breeze.

A few seabirds circled above the hospital courtyard.

Beyond the buildings, the western navigation beacon stood against the sunlit reef.

Nothing about the weather suggested that the world had undergone an impossible transformation.

He looked back at the notices.

Well, that's inconvenient.

A medic approached from the corridor.

Irena Holt had acquired a fresh uniform and a considerably larger cup of coffee.

She stopped when she saw him.

"Commander."

Kade looked toward her.

"Medic."

"Why are you standing?"

"Experimental research."

"Into what?"

"Standing."

She stared.

He smiled.

Irena sighed.

"Have a seat."

He looked toward the nearby bench.

Then at her.

"Is this going to take long?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"Whether you answer my questions without being difficult."

Kade considered that.

"Unfortunate."

"Sit."

He sat.

The examination took ten minutes.

Irena checked his pupils, blood pressure, pulse, balance, and the bruising on his shoulder. She asked about the headache again and confirmed that it had not returned.

Then she asked whether he was experiencing confusion.

Kade considered explaining that he had recovered twenty-eight years of memories from a previous existence.

He decided that would be an exceptionally poor use of everyone's morning.

"No."

"Unusual dreams?"

He looked at her.

"Define unusual."

Irena raised an eyebrow.

"Dreams that frightened you, seemed unusually vivid, or left you disoriented after waking."

Kade thought about twelve women.

A mountain road.

A summoning circle.

A battlefield beneath a broken sky.

Then he shrugged.

"Nothing that's troubling me at the moment."

It was an answer carefully designed to remain technically defensible.

Irena studied him.

He gave her a perfectly innocent look.

She did not appear convinced.

Fortunately, she had other patients.

"All right. You're cleared for light duties."

"Excellent."

"No strenuous activity. No combat assignments. Report immediately if the headache returns."

"Understood."

"And eat breakfast."

Kade looked down at himself.

"I had toast."

"Two pieces?"

"One."

She pointed toward the mess hall.

"Then have an actual breakfast."

He sighed.

"Medical tyranny."

"Correct."

She handed him his clearance slip.

"Next."

Kade stood.

Then paused.

"How are the girls?"

Irena's expression softened.

"Most of the affected personnel are awake. A few still need observation, but everyone's stable."

"Good."

"The physical changes seem permanent for now."

He nodded.

"Any problems with their Pendants?"

"None we've confirmed."

"Rigging?"

"Engineering is beginning inspections. We haven't authorized full operational tests."

"Good."

Irena regarded him for another moment.

"You seem relieved."

"I am."

"About the equipment?"

"About not having another emergency before breakfast."

She laughed quietly.

"Fair enough."

Kade returned the clearance slip to his jacket pocket.

Then headed for the mess hall.

He had several things to investigate.

The absence of a logout function was one.

The apparent transformation of the world into reality was another.

The status of Horizon Atoll's military personnel was a third.

But first, according to the medical profession, he was required to eat breakfast.

Given the events of the previous evening, he suspected that was the most reasonable instruction anybody had issued in hours.

Horizon Atoll's mess hall was considerably quieter than it had been the night before.

The tables had been returned to their proper positions.

Broken dishes had been cleared away.

A section of ceiling paneling near the serving counter had been replaced with a temporary cover, and one of the overhead lights remained disconnected.

The floor bore several faint scuff marks where furniture had moved during the earthquake.

Otherwise, the room looked almost normal.

That was unsettling in its own way.

Kade remembered Riko screaming.

Hana collapsing beside the table.

Yuna falling against the bench.

Aster crumpling onto the floor.

He remembered pain so intense that he had been unable to breathe.

Now a cook was arranging breakfast trays beneath a warming lamp.

Somebody had repaired the broken window.

The ceiling fans were turning.

And the room smelled of eggs, toast, coffee, and fried potatoes.

Ordinary life had apparently decided that the best response to an impossible catastrophe was to continue being ordinary.

Kade found that oddly comforting.

He collected a tray.

The woman behind the serving counter looked up.

"Good morning, Commander."

"Morning."

"How's your head?"

"Still attached."

"Good. Eggs?"

"Please."

"Potatoes?"

"Absolutely."

"Toast?"

"Apparently the medical department has developed strong opinions about that."

She smiled.

"Then two pieces."

"You're all conspiring."

"Naturally."

She added a generous portion of potatoes to the tray.

Kade thanked her and turned toward the dining area.

Aster spotted him almost immediately.

"COMMANDER!"

He looked over.

She sat at a table near the central windows.

Without her customized character appearance, she looked like an ordinary young woman wearing an oversized naval jacket and a crooked red ribbon. Her natural hair was darker than her original avatar's auburn shade, and her face was different.

The expression, however, was unmistakable.

She waved both hands.

"Over here!"

Kade approached.

Riko sat beside her.

Yuna occupied the opposite bench.

Hana had spread several sheets of maintenance notes across the table, apparently having decided that medical recovery and industrial planning were compatible activities.

All four wore their real-world appearances.

Their Ship Pendants remained visible.

Kade placed his tray on the table.

"Morning."

Riko looked up.

"Commander."

"Hm?"

"This is bullshit."

He considered that.

"Broad statement."

She gestured toward herself.

"My height."

"Ah."

"My hair."

"Yes."

"My entire character design!"

"Tragic."

Riko glared.

Hana continued reading her notes.

"She's been doing this for twenty minutes."

"Twenty-three," Yuna corrected.

Riko pointed at her.

"Traitor."

Kade sat.

Then looked toward Riko.

"For what it's worth, you still have your battleship."

She touched the pendant at her chest.

"I know."

"And the class designation?"

"Still Yamato."

"Then you've retained the part involving enormous naval artillery."

Riko hesitated.

Her expression softened slightly.

"...Yes."

"Seems like a reasonable consolation prize."

She looked down at her breakfast.

Then sighed.

"I liked being tall."

Kade nodded sympathetically.

"Understandable."

"You're enjoying this."

"Immensely."

Hana laughed.

Yuna smiled.

Riko threw a napkin at him.

He caught it.

Then placed it neatly beside his tray.

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a gift!"

"Excellent napkin."

Aster giggled.

For several minutes, breakfast proceeded almost normally.

Hana explained that her Repair Keelborn registration remained active, even though her appearance had changed.

Yuna reported that her Illustrious-class equipment was still listed under her identity, but no one had yet determined how the new physical circumstances would affect the fit of the rigging.

Riko had already begun worrying that the Yamato-class equipment would need considerable adjustment to accommodate her real-world height.

Hana assured her that adjustment was possible.

Then promptly informed her that the necessary inspections would be extensive.

Riko complained.

Hana told her to stop complaining.

Aster stole a piece of toast from Riko's plate.

Riko accused her of piracy.

Aster claimed salvage rights.

Kade told them that he would be forced to establish a maritime tribunal if the situation escalated.

Nobody took him seriously.

It was good.

It was almost enough to make the previous night's events feel distant.

Almost.

Then Yuna looked toward the windows.

Her smile faded.

"Has anybody heard from people outside Horizon?"

The question settled over the table.

Hana lowered her pen.

Aster stopped chewing.

Riko looked toward Kade.

He finished his mouthful before answering.

"Regional Command was sending reports overnight."

"Anything useful?" Yuna asked.

"Enough to confirm we're not alone."

Riko leaned forward.

"Other players?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

Kade shook his head.

"No reliable total."

Hana frowned.

"Worldwide?"

"That's what the preliminary reports suggest."

Aster stared at him.

"All of them?"

"Possibly."

A long silence followed.

Riko looked down at her Ship Pendant.

Yuna folded her hands.

Hana slowly closed the maintenance notebook.

The television above the serving counter had been playing a local weather bulletin.

A small red announcement appeared in the corner of the screen.

EMERGENCY ADMIRALTY UNION BROADCAST

The conversation at the table stopped.

Across the mess hall, other diners began looking up.

A young sailor near the windows called:

"Could someone turn that up?"

One of the kitchen staff reached for the remote.

The volume increased.

The weather report disappeared.

A news anchor appeared behind a desk.

She wore a dark formal jacket with an Admiralty Union insignia pinned to one lapel. Her expression was solemn, and several folders lay open beside a stack of electronic displays.

"Good morning. We interrupt scheduled programming for an emergency briefing concerning yesterday's unexplained seismic and medical incidents."

Kade slowly lowered his fork.

The anchor continued.

"Reports from multiple nations confirm that the event was not limited to any single military installation. Similar incidents have been recorded across the Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean, and northern defensive sectors."

The screen displayed a map.

Red markers appeared over major naval installations.

Dozens.

Then hundreds.

The map grew crowded.

"Many recently registered military personnel experienced simultaneous neurological symptoms and loss of consciousness. Some have subsequently undergone unexplained physical changes. Medical authorities are investigating, but no cause has been confirmed."

Aster leaned forward.

"They know about it."

Hana nodded.

"Looks like everybody does."

The anchor continued.

"Regional hospitals are treating affected personnel. Civilian populations have been advised to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified claims concerning the incident."

Riko frowned.

"Remain calm."

Kade looked toward her.

"Very popular instruction."

"Is it working?"

He glanced around the mess hall.

"Mixed results."

Yuna almost smiled.

Then the anchor's expression changed.

"Unfortunately, we must also report a significant increase in hostile encounters involving newly deployed Keelborn personnel."

The screen shifted.

A maritime chart appeared.

Several areas were marked in red.

The northern Atlantic.

The Pacific.

The Mediterranean approaches.

The Indian Ocean.

"Preliminary reports indicate that a number of inexperienced naval detachments attempted independent movements following the emergency. Several were intercepted by Blackwake units."

A murmur spread through the mess hall.

One of the destroyer girls near the far wall stood.

"What?"

The anchor continued.

"Many reports remain unverified. However, the Admiralty Union has authorized the release of footage from one confirmed engagement to demonstrate the dangers of uncoordinated movement through contested waters."

Kade set down his fork.

His expression changed.

Beside him, Hana noticed.

She stopped writing.

The anchor looked directly into the camera.

"The following images contain scenes of combat, serious injury, and the apparent deaths of several Keelborn personnel."

The room became quiet.

"Viewer discretion is advised."

The screen went black.

Then it filled with gray water.

And the mess hall stopped breathing.

The footage was shaky.

That was the first thing Kade noticed.

It didn't possess the carefully controlled camera movements of the promotional trailer. The horizon wandered across the frame. Spray intermittently struck the lens, and the image jerked whenever the person wearing the recording equipment changed direction.

A time stamp occupied the lower corner.

The picture came from a personal recording device attached to a Keelborn's rigging.

The news anchor spoke over the image.

"This recording was recovered from the equipment of a Mogador-class destroyer. It has been reviewed alongside coastal observation footage and intercepted communications from the same engagement."

The camera showed a narrow stretch of gray sea.

Low clouds concealed much of the sky.

A long, dark coastline lay somewhere ahead, barely visible through the morning haze.

Six girls moved across the water in a loose formation.

Their rigging was fully equipped.

But almost everything about the way they moved suggested inexperience.

The girl nearest the camera kept looking down at her propulsion equipment.

Another was adjusting something near the side of her head while trying to maintain speed.

A third repeatedly drifted out of position and corrected too sharply, sending spray over the girl beside her.

Somebody laughed nervously.

A voice entered through the recording device's radio channel.

"Okay, seriously, how are you doing that without falling over?"

Another answered.

"Doing what?"

"Going straight!"

"I'm not going straight!"

"That's what worries me!"

The camera swung toward the speaker.

A girl in a dark naval uniform with short brown hair was struggling to maintain her position beside another destroyer.

Their equipment was similar.

Compact gun mounts.

Torpedo launchers.

Low armored frames surrounding their hips and backs.

Both bore the registration markings of the Gnevny class.

The news broadcast placed identification text beneath the image.

NIKA — GNEVNY-CLASS DESTROYER

VERA — GNEVNY-CLASS DESTROYER

Nika, the one having the difficulty, nearly collided with her companion.

Vera swerved.

"Hey!"

"Sorry!"

"You're going to hit me!"

"I said sorry!"

"Then stop doing it!"

"I'M TRYING!"

A third voice joined the channel.

"Girls, can we please maintain formation?"

The camera turned.

A Gearing-class destroyer moved slightly ahead of the group, her rigging more substantial than that of the two Gnevnys.

Her dark hair was tucked beneath a naval cap, and she kept glancing between the surrounding water and an instrument display attached to her left forearm.

A new caption appeared.

LILLIAN — GEARING-CLASS DESTROYER

She looked over her shoulder.

"Come on. It's not that far."

One of the Gnevny girls answered over the radio.

"You said that twenty minutes ago!"

"Because it wasn't far twenty minutes ago!"

"We've been moving for twenty minutes!"

"Exactly!"

The camera shook slightly.

Someone nearby sighed.

"Wonderful."

The voice belonged to the girl wearing the camera.

The broadcast identified her a moment later.

CAMILLE — MOGADOR-CLASS DESTROYER

Kade leaned forward.

On the recording, Camille glanced down at the equipment fitted along her right side.

Her rigging carried substantial destroyer armament, including paired main-gun mounts and torpedo equipment. It was considerably heavier than the frames worn by the two Gnevny girls.

But there was something unusual attached to the equipment near her hip.

A weapon rested in a reinforced mechanical retention clamp.

Not a firearm.

Not a naval gun.

A battle-axe.

Its head was broad and heavy, shaped from dark metal with a sharpened crescent edge. Reinforced joints connected the blade to a thick handle whose grip was wrapped in dark material.

The weapon looked substantial enough to require both hands under ordinary circumstances.

Camille reached down and checked that it was secured.

Then she raised the camera toward the others.

"Could everyone stop arguing for five minutes?"

A girl farther to the left answered.

"That would require Nika to stop steering like she's drunk."

"HEY!"

The camera turned toward two more destroyers.

They wore different uniforms from the Gnevnys, with heavier equipment and angular superstructures mounted behind them.

One had long pale hair tied beneath a dark cap.

The other wore her hair in a short black braid.

Their registration markers identified them as Type 1936A destroyers.

FRIEDA — TYPE 1936A DESTROYER

KLARA — TYPE 1936A DESTROYER

Frieda looked toward Nika.

"I'm serious. You're crossing everyone's wake."

Nika scowled.

"I'm still figuring out how to control this thing!"

Klara nodded.

"Same."

Frieda turned toward her.

"You're doing fine."

"Only because I'm copying you."

"That's called learning."

Klara smiled.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Then she looked toward the gray horizon.

Her expression became less cheerful.

"How much farther?"

Lillian checked the chart.

"Maybe another half hour."

Nika groaned.

"Another half hour?"

"We'll be fine."

The news anchor returned.

"The six Keelborn were newly arrived personnel attempting to cross a contested coastal approach to reach a defended harbor. None had completed the required live-combat certification. Their assigned station had suffered communications and command disruptions following the previous day's incident."

A chart appeared briefly beside the footage.

The route was short by normal naval standards.

A crossing between two areas that, under ordinary conditions, might have been considered inconvenient but manageable.

The girls had apparently decided that reaching a better-supported facility was preferable to remaining where they were.

Kade understood the logic.

He also saw the problem.

The water ahead of them was open.

Visibility was poor.

Their formation was loose.

Their radio discipline was nonexistent.

And the girls were still learning how to move in their own equipment.

Beside him, Hana had stopped eating.

Yuna leaned forward.

Riko watched the television with a faint frown.

Aster no longer had a joke ready.

Onscreen, Camille looked toward the horizon.

"Does anybody else think the water looks strange?"

Lillian answered.

"Strange how?"

"It's getting darker."

A pause.

Then Vera spoke.

"Cloud cover?"

"Maybe."

The camera moved toward the sea.

The water was gray.

Then darker gray.

Then, farther ahead, something approaching black.

A thin trail of disturbed water crossed the surface.

Camille slowed.

"Hang on."

Lillian turned.

"What?"

Camille pointed.

"That."

The Gearing-class girl examined her instruments.

Nothing appeared to happen for a moment.

Then her expression changed.

"Oh."

Nika looked between them.

"What?"

Lillian didn't answer immediately.

She looked down again.

Then toward the horizon.

"There's something ahead."

Frieda raised her binoculars.

"Ship?"

Klara moved closer.

"Where?"

Camille adjusted the camera.

The picture zoomed toward the dark water.

At first, there was nothing.

Just waves.

Fog.

A faint disturbance.

Then a shape moved beneath the surface.

Something enormous passed under the water, leaving a long swell behind it.

Nika's voice came through the channel.

"What the hell is that?"

Camille lowered the camera.

"Don't know."

Lillian raised her radio.

"Unknown contact ahead. All units reduce speed."

Frieda answered.

"Copy."

Klara followed.

"Reducing."

Vera looked toward Nika.

"Stay close."

Nika nodded.

"Right."

For perhaps fifteen seconds, the six girls stood nearly motionless on the water.

Their wakes settled.

The sea grew quiet.

Then a sound rolled through the fog.

It was deep.

Metallic.

Wet.

Something between the groan of a sinking vessel and the sound of an enormous animal breathing through a throat full of seawater.

Camille turned sharply.

"What was that?"

The water ahead of them swelled.

Then erupted.

A huge, dark mass rose through the surface.

For an instant, the camera captured little more than spray and black steel.

Then the shape came into focus.

Riko's breath caught.

On the television, a monstrous head emerged from the sea.

Its surface resembled corroded armor fused with the rough hide of some prehistoric marine animal.

A broad, sloping skull extended above an impossibly large jaw.

Rows of jagged teeth projected from the lower edge.

A single luminous blue eye burned beneath heavy folds of armored tissue.

Behind the head, a destroyer's distorted superstructure rose from the water, its mast jutting upward between broken plating and gun mounts that looked as though they had been welded directly into the creature's body.

It was a Blackwake destroyer.

But there was almost nothing ordinary about it.

The vessel's forward structure had become a monstrous, whale-like maw.

Its flanks were armored.

Its guns were real.

And the thing beneath the water was moving with a strength no conventional destroyer should have possessed.

Kade stared at the screen.

The image was disturbingly close to the Blackwake designs he remembered from the promotional material.

Only now there were no carefully synchronized guitar riffs.

No reassuring cuts to smiling characters.

No reason to expect the camera to find a triumphant angle.

The creature opened its mouth.

A deep roar shook the recording.

The sea around it erupted into white spray.

Nika screamed.

"WHAT IS THAT?!"

Lillian backed away.

"BLACKWAKE!"

Frieda shouted:

"All units, turn back!"

Camille's camera swung toward the formation.

The girls were already moving.

Not together.

Not in anything resembling an orderly withdrawal.

Nika accelerated sharply to the left.

Vera followed.

Klara turned right.

Frieda tried to stay beside her.

Lillian spun toward the coastline.

Camille hesitated just long enough to realize that the group was splitting.

"WAIT! DON'T SEPARATE!"

The Blackwake destroyer fired.

And the world on the television exploded.

The first salvo struck the water behind Nika.

The second landed in front of her.

She screamed and swerved between the shell splashes, her propulsion equipment struggling to compensate for the sudden change in direction.

Water rose around her.

Her rigging shook.

One of her gun mounts rotated toward the enemy.

She fired.

The muzzle flash illuminated her face.

The shell crossed the water.

It struck the Blackwake's forward armor.

A small burst of sparks flashed against the enormous creature's cheek.

The monster barely reacted.

Nika stared.

"I HIT IT!"

Vera shouted over the radio.

"KEEP MOVING!"

Nika fired again.

Another shell struck.

The Blackwake destroyer turned toward them.

Its blue eye brightened.

Then the creature's jaw opened wider.

The recording captured an extraordinary and terrible arrangement of steel.

Gun barrels protruded from within armored folds surrounding the mouth.

The weapons traversed together.

Camille shouted:

"NIKA! MOVE!"

The guns fired.

Nika disappeared inside a wall of water and orange light.

For an instant, the camera saw nothing.

Then the spray fell.

A dark piece of naval rigging tumbled through the air.

Nika emerged from the explosion, spinning uncontrollably.

Her left-side equipment was gone.

Blood streaked her sleeve.

She struck the water hard enough to throw up another burst of spray.

Vera screamed her name.

"NIKA!"

Camille accelerated toward them.

Lillian shouted:

"DON'T CLOSE WITH IT! FALL BACK!"

Vera ignored the warning.

She rushed toward Nika.

Camille followed.

The camera shook as the Mogador's engines drove her across the water.

The Blackwake destroyer shifted its attention.

A huge wave rolled outward from its distorted hull.

Camille nearly lost her footing.

She corrected.

Raised her guns.

And fired.

The shells struck the creature's exposed gun housing.

Metal fragments burst outward.

The Blackwake recoiled.

Not much.

But enough.

Camille looked toward Vera.

"GET HER!"

Vera reached Nika.

The wounded Gnevny girl was trying to stand.

Her face was pale.

She looked down at the ruined equipment hanging beside her.

"I can't—"

Vera caught her under the arm.

"I've got you!"

"My rigging—"

"Forget the rigging!"

"It hurts!"

"I know!"

"No, Vera, it really—"

Another shell struck the water beside them.

Vera lost her footing.

Nika slipped from her grasp.

The camera jerked sideways as Camille changed direction.

There was shouting.

Static.

A sudden explosion behind the formation.

Then Lillian's voice came through the channel.

"EVERYBODY BACK! IT'S TURNING!"

Camille glanced over her shoulder.

The Blackwake destroyer was advancing.

Its grotesque head pushed through the sea, its teeth exposed beneath the blue glow of its eye.

Water boiled around its bow.

Its gun mounts were rotating again.

Farther away, Frieda and Klara had managed to regroup.

The two Type 1936A girls turned their weapons toward the monster.

Frieda shouted:

"Covering fire!"

Her guns opened up.

Klara fired with her.

The two destroyers' shells struck the Blackwake's side in rapid succession.

Most burst against armor.

A few found gaps near the exposed gun mounts.

One explosion tore a piece of black plating away.

The creature roared.

Klara looked toward Frieda.

"WE HURT IT!"

Frieda didn't smile.

"KEEP SHOOTING!"

The Blackwake turned toward them.

Camille saw it.

She immediately knew what was going to happen.

"FRIEDA, MOVE!"

The creature's secondary guns fired.

The first impacts struck around the two destroyers.

Frieda swerved.

Klara followed.

A shell exploded directly against Klara's starboard equipment.

Her rigging came apart.

She screamed.

The blast threw her across the water.

Frieda turned toward her.

"KLARA!"

Klara tried to rise.

One of her legs was trapped beneath a broken support frame.

She dragged herself upward.

"GO!"

Frieda didn't.

She accelerated toward her.

The monster fired again.

A massive column of water rose between them.

The camera lost sight of both girls.

Camille shouted into the radio.

"FRIEDA! KLARA! ANSWER!"

Only static replied.

Then, faintly:

"Camille..."

It was Frieda.

Her voice sounded strained.

"I can't..."

A breath.

"Please..."

The channel cut out.

Riko had gone completely still.

Aster's hands were clenched around the edge of the table.

Yuna was staring at the screen.

Hana's face had lost its color.

On the television, Camille looked toward the place where Frieda and Klara had disappeared.

Then back toward Nika and Vera.

The situation had become impossible.

The girls were scattered across the sea.

Their equipment was damaged.

Their formation was gone.

The enemy was faster than they expected.

Stronger than they expected.

And it was still coming.

Lillian's voice broke through the radio.

"CAMILLE! WE HAVE TO GO!"

Camille looked toward her.

The Gearing-class girl was moving toward the coastline.

Her guns continued firing in short bursts as she tried to keep the monster's attention away from the wounded.

Camille shouted:

"WE CAN'T LEAVE THEM!"

"WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

Camille looked toward Nika.

The girl was lying in the water.

Vera was beside her.

They were both still moving.

Then Nika's damaged gun assembly sparked.

Vera tried to release the broken mount.

The Blackwake destroyer fired.

Camille saw the muzzle flash.

She shouted.

Too late.

The shell struck beside the two Gnevny girls.

The impact threw both of them into the water.

A tremendous spray column swallowed the camera's view.

When it cleared, neither was standing.

Camille made a sound.

Not a word.

A raw, disbelieving noise.

She accelerated toward them.

Lillian shouted again.

"CAMILLE!"

Camille didn't answer.

Her rigging screamed under the strain.

She reached the first girl.

Nika.

The wounded destroyer was floating facedown.

Camille seized her shoulder.

Turned her over.

Nika's eyes were open.

They did not focus.

Camille stared.

"Nika?"

No answer.

"Nika!"

The girl remained motionless.

Camille's breathing became audible.

She looked down.

A small Ship Pendant rested against Nika's chest.

Its light was faint.

But it was there.

Camille grabbed it.

Her fingers shook so badly that she struggled with the fastening.

"Come on."

She tugged again.

"Come on!"

The clasp released.

The pendant came free.

Camille closed her fingers around it.

Then looked toward Vera.

The second Gnevny girl had sunk below the surface.

Camille could see her beneath the water, dragged down by damaged rigging.

She dove.

For a moment, the camera was surrounded by bubbles.

Dark shapes drifted past.

Vera's hair floated around her face.

Camille reached her.

She pulled at the collar.

Found the pendant.

Tried to release it.

Her fingers slipped.

She tried again.

The fastening came loose.

Camille clutched the pendant and kicked toward the surface.

She emerged gasping.

Gunfire thundered above her.

Lillian had moved between Camille and the approaching monster.

The Gearing-class girl's guns were firing as quickly as their mechanisms allowed.

"GO!" Lillian shouted.

Camille shook her head.

"The others—"

"I'LL COVER YOU!"

"LILLIAN—"

"GET THEM!"

The Gearing's equipment turned toward the enemy.

Another salvo erupted from her guns.

The Blackwake destroyer answered.

The footage shook.

A shell struck Lillian's aft rigging.

She screamed.

One of her gun mounts broke apart.

Camille turned toward her.

The Gearing girl was trying to remain upright.

Blood ran down one side of her face.

Her remaining gun fired again.

Then jammed.

She looked at it.

For one terrible second, her expression was not frightened.

It was confused.

As though she could not understand why something that had worked perfectly a moment earlier would suddenly refuse to help her.

She tried to clear the mechanism.

The Blackwake's blue eye fixed upon her.

Camille shouted:

"LILLIAN!"

The monster fired.

The recording became white with spray.

Then the Gearing-class girl vanished.

Hana made a small sound.

Yuna covered her mouth.

Aster stared at the screen.

Kade did not move.

He watched the footage.

Every turn.

Every hesitation.

Every decision.

The girls were not behaving like experienced soldiers.

They were frightened young women wearing machinery powerful enough to fight warships.

They didn't know how to maintain formation under fire.

They didn't know how to coordinate a withdrawal.

They didn't know how to protect damaged comrades without exposing themselves to the next salvo.

And they were discovering those lessons while a supernatural enemy tried to kill them.

It was unbearable to watch.

Not because Kade had never seen anything like it.

Because he had.

Far too often.

Onscreen, Camille surfaced again.

She was holding two Pendants.

Nika's.

Vera's.

Her camera turned toward the last place she had seen Lillian.

There was no sign of the Gearing girl.

Camille's breathing became ragged.

Then she shouted into the radio.

"FRIEDA! KLARA! LILLIAN! ANYONE!"

Static.

She turned.

The Blackwake destroyer was advancing.

Its mouth opened.

A deep, resonant roar rolled across the sea.

Camille stared at it.

Then looked toward the water where her companions had disappeared.

Her right hand moved toward the mechanical clamp at her hip.

The battle-axe came free.

And something in her expression changed.

"What's she doing?"

Riko's voice was barely audible.

Nobody answered.

On the television, Camille gripped the axe with both hands.

The weapon was absurdly large.

Its dark blade caught the pale morning light.

Her rigging had been damaged during the fight, but the propulsion units remained functional. One gun mount was scorched. A section of armor near her shoulder had been torn away.

She was bleeding.

She was shaking.

And she was looking directly at the Blackwake destroyer.

Lillian's last known position lay between her and the monster.

So did the place where Frieda and Klara had disappeared.

Camille glanced down at the two Pendants clenched in her left hand.

Then she slipped them into a secured compartment along her rigging.

She fastened it.

Checked it.

Then raised the axe.

"Come on."

Her voice was quiet.

The Blackwake's blue eye narrowed.

Camille bared her teeth.

"COME ON!"

She accelerated.

Aster made a strangled sound.

"No."

Camille closed the distance.

The monster fired.

She swerved beneath the first salvo.

A shell struck the water behind her.

She leaped across the next splash.

Her rigging strained.

The Blackwake's forward guns rotated.

Camille changed direction.

The shells passed behind her.

She rushed toward the creature's flank.

For the first time, the camera moved close enough to reveal the full horror of its construction.

Blackened armor plates overlapped structures resembling bone and thick, scarred flesh.

Gun housings protruded from its sides.

Corroded steel ribs surrounded the enormous jaw.

Water streamed from gaps in the hull.

The blue eye watched her.

Camille shouted.

Then struck.

The axe hit one of the exposed mechanisms near the creature's forward weapon mount.

A tremendous metallic crack rang through the recording.

Sparks erupted.

The Blackwake twisted.

Camille pulled the weapon free.

Struck again.

The second blow severed a cable-like structure.

The gun housing jerked sideways.

A third strike tore away a section of protective plating.

The monster roared.

Its jaw opened beneath her.

Camille jumped backward.

Teeth snapped through the space where her legs had been.

She landed hard.

Her damaged rigging groaned.

The creature turned toward her.

Its remaining guns began rotating.

Camille looked toward the sea beyond it.

Lillian.

Frieda.

Klara.

Their Pendants were still out there.

She tightened her grip on the axe.

Then rushed forward again.

This time, she struck the creature's eye.

Not directly.

The protective plate beneath it.

The axe bit into black armor.

The monster recoiled.

Its head twisted.

A tremendous wave rolled outward.

Camille lost her footing.

The camera spun.

For an instant, the world became a blur of dark water and gray sky.

Then she hit the surface.

The impact knocked the breath from her lungs.

She gasped.

Her axe remained in her hand.

The Blackwake destroyer moved over her.

Its enormous jaw opened.

Camille looked up.

There was no room to dodge.

She drove the axe into the exposed hinge beneath the creature's mouth.

The blade struck.

The mechanism jammed.

The jaws snapped partially shut.

A horrible metallic shriek filled the recording.

Camille screamed as the force dragged the weapon sideways.

Her fingers slipped.

One hand came free.

She caught the handle again.

The monster thrashed.

Its enormous head struck the water.

Spray exploded around her.

Camille lost her grip on the axe.

The weapon remained embedded in the damaged hinge.

She fell backward.

The Blackwake roared.

Then recoiled, its head twisting violently as the jammed mechanism resisted the movement of its jaws.

Camille stared at it.

Her eyes widened.

She had hurt it.

Not defeated it.

Not even come close.

But the creature was momentarily distracted.

She turned.

And ran.

The camera shook as her surviving propulsion equipment drove her across the water.

She reached the place where Lillian had fallen.

The Gearing girl's rigging was sinking.

Camille dove.

The recording went dark.

Water rushed past the lens.

A pale hand floated beneath a broken support.

Camille grabbed it.

Lillian's body drifted into view.

Her Ship Pendant was still at her chest.

Camille reached for it.

A shadow passed overhead.

The Blackwake was moving again.

Camille fought with the fastening.

Her fingers slipped.

She pulled harder.

The clasp broke.

She seized the pendant.

Then kicked upward.

She broke the surface coughing.

The monster's guns fired behind her.

She swerved toward the last known position of the two Type 1936A girls.

The water was filled with wreckage.

Pieces of dark armor floated among shattered equipment.

Camille looked around frantically.

"FRIEDA!"

No answer.

"KLARA!"

Nothing.

Then she saw a pale shape beneath the surface.

She dove again.

The recording became a confusion of bubbles, wreckage, and frantic movement.

One body.

One pendant.

Camille released it.

Secured it.

Then searched again.

Her lungs began burning.

She surfaced.

Gasped.

Looked toward the monster.

It was turning.

Its blue eye fixed upon her.

She dove again.

The last pendant was tangled beneath a damaged equipment frame.

Camille grabbed the frame.

Pulled.

It didn't move.

She tried again.

The weight resisted.

Her damaged rigging was no longer providing enough assistance.

The camera shook as she braced both feet against the wreckage.

She pulled with everything she had.

The frame shifted.

A fastening broke.

The pendant came free.

Camille closed her hand around it.

For a moment, she remained underwater.

Holding it.

Then she kicked toward the surface.

Her head broke through the waves.

She gasped.

The sky above her was gray.

The Blackwake destroyer was turning back.

Its damaged jaw hung at an unnatural angle.

The embedded axe was still visible beneath the enormous head.

The creature roared.

Camille stared at it.

Then looked down at the Pendants.

Five.

She had five.

Nika.

Vera.

Lillian.

Frieda.

Klara.

She counted again.

Her fingers moved over each one.

Five.

All five.

The radio crackled.

A distant voice broke through.

"Unidentified Keelborn, this is Coastal Observation Station Nine. We have your position. Respond if able."

Camille stared at the handset.

Her mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

The voice returned.

"Unidentified Keelborn, we can see you. Are you mobile?"

Camille swallowed.

"Yes."

"Can you reach the western breakwater?"

She looked toward the distant coastline.

The harbor entrance was barely visible.

"I..."

Her voice broke.

She tried again.

"Yes."

"Proceed immediately. Harbor defenses are tracking the hostile contact. We will cover your approach."

Camille looked back.

The Blackwake destroyer was accelerating.

Its damaged jaw moved.

The embedded axe tore free and vanished beneath the sea.

The creature's guns turned toward her.

Camille secured the five Pendants in the reinforced compartment along her rigging.

Checked the latch.

Then checked it again.

Her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

She looked toward the harbor.

"Please."

The word was barely audible.

Then she accelerated.

The Blackwake opened fire.

Shells burst around her.

She twisted through the spray.

One impact struck the side of her rigging.

She screamed.

Her right arm went numb.

The camera tilted.

Her propulsion equipment faltered.

She nearly fell.

Then the radio crackled again.

"Keep coming! You're almost inside the defense perimeter!"

Camille looked toward the coast.

The breakwater was closer now.

She could see the enormous concrete walls.

A searchlight swept across the water.

Then coastal artillery fired.

The first shell landed behind the Blackwake.

A tremendous wall of water rose from the sea.

Another shell struck closer.

The creature recoiled.

Its blue eye turned toward the shore.

Additional guns opened fire.

The Blackwake destroyer hesitated.

Then began withdrawing into the fog.

Camille didn't watch.

She kept moving.

Her damaged propulsion units drove her toward the harbor.

Her breathing was ragged.

Her vision blurred.

She could barely keep her balance.

The recording showed the breakwater looming ahead.

Then a landing platform.

A pair of armed personnel stood ready beside a medical team.

Camille reached the platform.

Her propulsion cut out.

She stumbled forward.

A sailor caught her before she fell.

"Easy!"

She looked at him.

Her mouth moved.

The sailor leaned closer.

"What?"

Camille tried again.

"Five."

The sailor looked confused.

"Five?"

She fumbled with the compartment.

Her fingers refused to work.

The sailor helped open the latch.

Five Ship Pendants lay inside.

Their lights were faint.

But they were glowing.

Camille looked at them.

Then at the sailor.

"Please."

Her voice broke.

"Don't lose them."

The sailor stared.

Then carefully took the compartment from her shaking hands.

"I won't."

Camille tried to say something else.

Instead, she collapsed.

The recording struck the platform.

For several seconds, the camera showed nothing but concrete.

Footsteps hurried past.

A medic shouted for a stretcher.

Someone asked whether the girl was breathing.

Another voice confirmed that she was.

Then, very quietly, Camille began crying.

Not loudly.

Not theatrically.

A small, broken sound that the camera's microphone barely captured beneath the voices of the rescue team.

The image froze.

The television returned to the news anchor.

No one in Horizon Atoll's mess hall spoke.

The anchor sat motionless for several seconds.

Behind her, the maritime chart remained displayed on the studio wall.

The highlighted crossing was now marked with a red warning.

Finally, she spoke.

"All six Keelborn have been identified. Five suffered fatal injuries during the engagement. The surviving Mogador-class destroyer, Camille Duret, is receiving medical care at the coastal defense facility."

A murmur moved through the mess hall.

The anchor continued.

"Coastal personnel confirm that Camille recovered the Ship Pendants belonging to all five of her companions. Preliminary examinations indicate that the Pendants remain intact and retain their associated soul signatures."

Aster closed her eyes.

Yuna lowered her head.

Riko pressed one hand over her mouth.

Hana looked toward Kade.

He remained perfectly still.

On the television, a photograph appeared.

Six girls stood together in front of a modest naval maintenance building.

The image had evidently been taken before their departure.

Nika was smiling broadly.

Vera stood beside her with one hand raised in a peace sign.

Lillian had her arms folded, attempting to look serious and failing because Klara was making a face behind her.

Frieda was laughing.

Camille stood at the edge of the group, her enormous battle-axe secured against her rigging.

She was smiling too.

The anchor read their names.

"Nika. Vera. Lillian. Frieda. Klara. Camille."

One by one.

Not as registration numbers.

Not as anonymous combat losses.

Names.

"Authorities emphasize that recovery of the five Pendants offers the possibility of resurrection through specialized Repair Ships and restoration facilities. However, the required process cannot begin until the Pendants have been transferred to an installation capable of undertaking it."

Hana exhaled.

"At least she got them."

Her voice was quiet.

Riko looked toward her.

"Will they really come back?"

Hana swallowed.

"If the Pendant mechanism still works as it's supposed to..."

She glanced at her own pendant.

"Yes. They should."

Kade looked toward the television.

Five souls.

Five Pendants.

Five warships requiring reconstruction.

That was the rule.

But there was an important distinction between a mechanism that existed and the facilities required to make use of it.

A repair ship.

A properly equipped repair facility.

Enough materials to rebuild the associated vessels.

The time needed to perform that work.

He thought of Horizon Atoll's enormous, broken drydock.

Its inactive pumping equipment.

Its half-functional workshops.

Its unreliable power system.

And the girls sitting beside him.

Fuck.

The anchor continued.

"Recovery teams have also confirmed extensive damage to the survivor's rigging. Camille remains under medical observation. No additional operational deployments have been authorized for the unit."

The photograph disappeared.

The screen returned to the maritime chart.

"Military officials warn that this encounter involved a single Blackwake destroyer. The engagement demonstrates that inexperienced Keelborn formations may be unable to survive contact with even comparatively small hostile units."

Riko slowly lowered her hand.

"A single destroyer."

Nobody answered.

She looked toward Hana.

"That was one."

Hana nodded.

"Yes."

Riko stared at the television.

"We're battleships."

Kade glanced toward her.

"Some of us."

She barely seemed to hear him.

"Yamato. South Dakota. Bayern. We've got cruisers, carriers, destroyers..."

She looked down at herself.

"But none of us have..."

Her voice faltered.

Kade waited.

Riko looked toward her pendant.

"None of us have actually fought anything."

The words settled over the table.

Because they were true.

They had designed characters.

Read descriptions.

Compared naval equipment.

Chosen historical ship classes.

Discussed modernization pathways.

Some had participated in beta sessions, and a few had tested combat systems under controlled circumstances.

But the six girls on the television had been wearing actual naval weapons when the Blackwake attacked.

Their guns had worked.

Their propulsion systems had worked.

Their Pendants had worked.

And five of them had died anyway.

Aster looked down at her hands.

"I've fought Blackwake in the beta."

Hana turned toward her.

Aster continued.

"Quite a few times."

Her voice was unusually subdued.

"We did convoy missions. Escort battles. Some pretty difficult encounters."

She looked toward the screen.

"But if things went wrong, it was just a failed mission."

Yuna nodded.

Aster swallowed.

"You'd get the defeat screen. You'd respawn. Your equipment needed repairs. Sometimes you lost progress."

She touched the red ribbon in her hair.

"Nobody actually died."

Kade watched her.

She looked toward him.

"Commander..."

He waited.

"What if that happens to us?"

Aster's voice shook.

He glanced toward the television.

The frozen picture of the six destroyers had disappeared, replaced by another map of worldwide emergency reports.

He considered the question carefully.

Then answered.

"Then we need to make sure we're better prepared than they were."

Aster looked at him.

"Can we?"

"I don't know how quickly."

She swallowed.

Kade continued.

"But we've got a base. We've got a harbor. We've got maintenance personnel, repair facilities that can be restored, and at least some equipment we can use for training."

He looked around the table.

"We can start with that."

Riko stared at him.

"And if the Blackwake comes here before we're ready?"

He looked toward the windows.

Beyond them, the station's old coastal fortifications stood beneath the morning sun.

Some were functional.

Many weren't.

The main drydock remained inactive.

The airfield was damaged.

Horizon Atoll's defenses were nowhere near the condition they needed to be.

Kade looked back at Riko.

"Then we'll have to deal with what comes."

She didn't look satisfied.

He didn't blame her.

It wasn't a satisfying answer.

He wasn't going to pretend otherwise.

The television moved on to other reports.

And somehow, the situation became worse.

A coastal installation in the northern defensive sector had reported a failed patrol involving newly arrived Keelborn.

Several players were missing.

Their Pendants had not yet been recovered.

A convoy route in the southern Pacific had been temporarily closed after an inexperienced escort group encountered Blackwake contacts near a damaged shipping corridor.

The fleet managed to withdraw, but multiple personnel required emergency repairs.

Another report concerned players who had attempted to move independently toward a larger naval base after discovering that their starting installation lacked adequate supplies.

They had encountered hostile patrols.

Some returned.

Others did not.

A separate bulletin described confusion at a major port after multiple Keelborn players demanded to know why their status displays were no longer functioning.

The port's administrative authorities had responded by instructing them to remain at their assigned facilities pending examination.

The resulting arguments had reportedly lasted most of the night.

Kade could believe that.

A young woman near the far side of the mess hall raised her voice.

"They're telling us not to move?"

Another answered.

"That's what the report says."

"Then how are people supposed to get somewhere safer?"

"Ask for an authorized escort!"

"And if there isn't one?"

Nobody answered.

The news continued.

A northern fortress had reported successful recovery of several intact Ship Pendants.

A Mediterranean installation was requesting additional medical supplies.

A Pacific defense sector had ordered the temporary suspension of nonessential sorties while personnel conditions were assessed.

Several nations were reporting difficulties with military units whose physical appearances no longer matched their registry records.

The same question appeared again and again.

What had happened?

No answer followed.

Instead, the anchor read an Admiralty Union statement.

"At present, no confirmed explanation exists for the simultaneous seismic event, neurological symptoms, and subsequent physical changes. Investigations remain ongoing. Citizens are advised to avoid speculation and rely on verified official communications."

Kade watched the screen.

He could already imagine the speculation.

A malfunction.

An attack.

Some strange weapon.

A supernatural event.

A technological disaster.

Something the Blackwake had done.

Something a nation had done.

Something the AU was concealing.

People would look for answers.

Of course they would.

The desire to understand an impossible event was natural.

But Kade had no evidence for any of those theories.

He certainly wasn't about to announce one simply because he had experience with other impossible things.

Wysteria had taught him that a confident explanation could be dangerously attractive.

It could also be completely wrong.

The anchor continued reading.

"Regional command offices have been instructed to confirm the condition of all assigned military assets."

Kade's expression cooled.

There it was again.

Assets.

Aster was watching the screen.

So was Riko.

Neither said anything.

The anchor went on.

"Keelborn units are to remain under authorized command supervision until their combat and medical fitness can be established."

The news bulletin displayed a series of administrative instructions.

Registration verification.

Pendant identification.

Equipment assessment.

Operational restrictions.

Command accountability.

Kade read them.

Some were perfectly sensible.

Personnel needed medical examinations.

Untrained individuals should not be sent into combat.

Stations needed to know whether their weapons, equipment, and defenses remained functional.

But the language was impossible to ignore.

The Keelborn were being discussed as military assets requiring assessment.

Not as frightened people whose entire understanding of reality had collapsed overnight.

Hana noticed his expression.

"Commander?"

He looked toward her.

"Hm?"

"Something wrong?"

Kade considered the question.

Then glanced at the television.

"Just thinking about the paperwork."

Hana looked toward the administrative notices.

Her mouth tightened.

"Yeah."

Aster rested her chin in her hand.

"Do you think they'll make us fight?"

Riko looked toward her.

"What?"

"The AU."

Aster gestured toward the screen.

"If we're registered as Keelborn and the war is still happening..."

She hesitated.

"Can somebody just order us out there?"

The question settled over the table.

Yuna looked at Kade.

Hana did too.

Riko slowly lowered her eyes.

Kade knew what they were asking.

And he knew the answer was complicated.

The AU possessed command authority.

Its laws and military regulations recognized Keelborn as controlled naval assets.

His own Commander assignment carried authority over local deployments.

But the world had changed.

The players were no longer looking at those regulations through a headset.

The consequences had become physical.

Kade leaned back.

"At Horizon Atoll, nobody is going on an unnecessary sortie while we're still figuring out how to stand upright in our equipment."

Aster blinked.

Riko looked up.

Hana watched him carefully.

Kade continued.

"That includes anybody who thinks she's ready because she watched three historical naval documentaries and has a very large gun."

Riko opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

Yuna glanced at her.

Riko glared.

"Don't."

Kade looked toward Aster.

"And anybody whose greatest operational enemy has historically been harbor infrastructure."

Aster stared.

"Commander!"

He smiled faintly.

Then the expression faded.

"Seriously. We need proper training before we even consider sending people beyond the defended approaches."

Hana nodded.

"Agreed."

Yuna looked relieved.

Riko folded her arms.

"I wasn't planning to run off and fight anything."

Kade raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Excellent. I'll note that."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Why do you sound suspicious?"

"No reason."

Aster snorted.

For a brief moment, the humor returned.

Then a new image appeared on the television.

It showed Camille.

Not the confident Mogador-class destroyer from the footage.

Not the girl holding an enormous battle-axe while laughing with her friends.

A young woman sitting on a medical bed.

Her rigging was gone.

A bandage covered part of her shoulder.

One arm rested in a sling.

Her eyes were red.

She was holding a small metal case in her lap.

The anchor explained that the image had been taken after her recovery.

Inside the case were five Ship Pendants.

Camille held it with both hands.

She looked down at the objects for a long moment.

Then spoke to the medic beside her.

The television carried her voice clearly.

"Please don't separate them."

The medic nodded.

"We'll keep the Pendants secure."

Camille shook her head.

"No. I mean..."

She swallowed.

"Don't put them somewhere different from each other."

The medic's expression softened.

"All right."

Camille looked down again.

"They were scared."

Her voice broke.

"All of us were."

The medic waited.

Camille closed her eyes.

"I told them we'd make it."

Aster's hand slowly moved toward her own pendant.

Onscreen, Camille stared at the five small objects.

Then she whispered:

"I'm sorry."

The television returned to the studio.

Kade looked away.

Not because he couldn't bear to watch.

Because he recognized the expression on Camille's face.

He knew what it was like to survive something other people hadn't.

He knew what it was like to replay every decision, searching for the moment when a different choice might have changed the outcome.

And he knew that telling someone they had done everything possible rarely made the memories stop.

He stared down at his breakfast.

The eggs had gone cold.

He wasn't hungry anymore.

The news bulletin ended twenty minutes later.

Nobody applauded.

Nobody complained that the program had interrupted breakfast.

The television returned to a quiet station information feed.

Weather.

Shipping schedules.

Public health notices.

A warning concerning damaged roads near a coastal fortress.

Ordinary announcements.

They seemed almost obscene after the footage.

Around the mess hall, conversations resumed slowly.

Some people spoke in whispers.

Others argued.

A girl at the far table began crying.

Her companion put an arm around her.

Two older station sailors watched the screen with grim expressions.

One of the SIA Dolls near the serving counter looked toward a group of Keelborn.

Then quietly carried over a fresh pot of tea.

Nobody asked her to.

She simply set it down.

"Here."

One of the girls looked up.

"Thank you."

The Doll nodded.

"You're welcome."

Then she returned to her own table.

Kade noticed.

He also noticed something else.

The girl who had been crying reached for the tea.

Her hands were shaking.

The SIA Doll came back with a second cup and placed it within reach.

No announcement.

No grand declaration.

Just a small practical kindness.

Kade watched for a moment.

Then looked toward the table.

Aster was staring at her breakfast.

Riko had folded her arms tightly.

Yuna was sitting very still.

Hana had closed the maintenance notebook.

Nobody seemed interested in resuming the earlier arguments about battleship refits.

Kade couldn't blame them.

He let the silence remain.

After a while, Hana spoke.

"Commander."

He looked up.

"Hm?"

"The five Pendants."

"Yes?"

"If they're intact, they should be able to restore those girls."

"That's what the mechanism is supposed to do."

Hana nodded.

"But they'll need specialized facilities."

"Yes."

She looked toward the windows.

The great drydock was visible beyond the harbor buildings.

Its enormous crane stood motionless against the sky.

"Our facility can't do that right now."

Kade followed her gaze.

"No."

Hana's expression tightened.

"And if something like that happens here..."

She stopped.

Kade waited.

Hana looked down at her hands.

"I don't know if I can help."

He considered that.

Then answered:

"Not yet."

She looked up.

He nodded toward her maintenance notes.

"You're an Akashi-class Repair Keelborn. That's useful. But we don't have the facilities you need to perform every kind of repair, and none of us knows how well the systems work after last night."

Hana nodded slowly.

"Right."

"So we find out."

She looked at him.

"What?"

"What we can repair. What we can't. What equipment you need. What facilities we can restore. Which jobs require outside assistance."

He glanced toward the harbor.

"And we don't pretend the drydock works when it doesn't."

Hana was quiet for a moment.

Then nodded.

"All right."

Yuna looked toward him.

"What about training?"

Kade turned.

"That comes first."

Riko blinked.

"Before the drydock?"

"Before sending anyone into danger."

She looked down.

"Oh."

Kade continued.

"We can repair equipment. We can replace supplies. We can rebuild infrastructure."

He paused.

"But none of that helps much if the person using it doesn't know what to do when somebody starts shooting."

Aster nodded slowly.

She looked toward the television.

"Those girls..."

Kade waited.

Aster swallowed.

"They were trying."

"Yes."

"They really were."

"I know."

Her voice became smaller.

"They didn't deserve that."

Kade looked at her.

"No."

There was no sarcasm in the answer.

No attempt to soften it with a joke.

Just agreement.

Aster looked toward him.

For a moment, the confident, ridiculous destroyer from the promotional trailer was gone.

In her place was a frightened young woman who had watched somebody very much like herself die on a television screen.

Kade considered saying something reassuring.

He couldn't think of anything that wouldn't sound cheap.

So he didn't.

Instead, he looked around the table.

"Finish breakfast."

Riko blinked.

"What?"

"Eat."

Hana stared.

"Commander..."

"We've got work to do, and I don't intend to spend the morning listening to people complain because they forgot to eat."

Aster opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

Yuna smiled faintly.

Riko looked down at her plate.

The food had gone cold.

She took a bite anyway.

Hana reached for her tea.

Aster picked up her spoon.

And slowly, one by one, they began eating again.

It wasn't a solution.

It didn't bring five girls back from the dead.

But it was something ordinary they could still do.

For the moment, that mattered.

Chief Fenwick was waiting in the operations room when Kade arrived.

She had finally acquired a functioning cup of coffee.

This appeared to have improved her mood considerably.

She stood beside the main tactical display, examining a series of overnight reports.

The map of Horizon Atoll occupied the wall.

One small green marker glowed beside the western approach.

Beacon Three.

Everything else looked much as it had the previous day.

Kade stepped inside.

"Morning, Chief."

She turned.

"Commander."

"Coffee machine surrendered?"

"Eventually."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

She offered him a cup.

He accepted.

Took a sip.

Considered the flavor.

Then looked at her.

"That's actually good."

Chief Fenwick smiled.

"Of course it is."

"Impressive."

"I take my victories where I can find them."

Kade nodded.

"Wise policy."

Then he looked toward the tactical display.

"How bad?"

Her smile faded.

"The earthquake caused some minor structural damage. Nothing catastrophic. The largest problem remains the unexplained collapse of our newly assigned personnel."

"Medical?"

"Stable. A few still under observation."

"Good."

"Regional Command has suspended nonessential deployments."

Kade nodded.

"I saw."

She gestured toward the map.

"That's going to complicate our maintenance schedule. Several shipments were expected to use escort arrangements that are now being reviewed."

He looked at the supply chart.

"Which shipments?"

"Construction materials. Replacement power equipment. Industrial components. Medical supplies."

"All things we need."

"Yes."

He sighed.

"Of course."

Chief Fenwick studied him.

"Have you seen the morning reports?"

Kade nodded.

"Mess hall television."

Her expression became grim.

"The destroyers."

"Yes."

She looked toward the map.

"Terrible."

Kade remained quiet.

Chief Fenwick continued.

"Those girls should never have attempted that crossing without a qualified escort or proper reconnaissance."

He glanced toward her.

"You know the area?"

"Only from the report."

"Then we should be careful about deciding what they should have done."

She looked at him.

He continued.

"We know they were inexperienced. We know they were trying to reach a defended harbor. We know they encountered a Blackwake destroyer."

He glanced toward the news summary.

"We don't know what alternatives they actually had."

Chief Fenwick considered that.

Then nodded.

"Fair point."

Kade looked toward the wall map.

"What we do know is that we shouldn't send our own people into the same situation."

"Agreed."

He set his coffee down.

"All right. I want the station's current inventory."

Chief Fenwick blinked.

"All of it?"

"The useful parts first."

She raised an eyebrow.

He continued.

"Power generation. Water treatment. Fuel. Food. Medical stores. Repair materials. Ammunition. Communications equipment. Harbor facilities."

She nodded.

"That can be arranged."

"And I want to know which parts of the base are safe for training."

"Training?"

Kade looked toward her.

"Yes."

"What sort?"

"Everything we can reasonably prepare."

He moved toward the tactical display.

"These girls have ship-grade weapons and very little practical experience using them. Some know the equipment from beta testing. Others have barely figured out how to walk with their rigging attached."

Chief Fenwick nodded slowly.

"That's true."

"We need to identify who can operate safely, who needs instruction, and who can teach."

He pointed toward the lagoon.

"Start inside the harbor. Controlled conditions. Shallow water where appropriate. Rescue boats standing by. No live ammunition until the people involved have been assessed."

She studied the map.

"Navigation first?"

"Navigation. Formation movement. Basic communications. Emergency stops. Collision avoidance."

A faint smile appeared.

"Collision avoidance."

Kade looked at her.

"Yes, Chief."

"Of course."

"Very important subject."

"I agree."

He narrowed his eyes.

"You're thinking about Aster."

Chief Fenwick looked perfectly innocent.

"I would never."

Kade sighed.

"Terrible influence."

She almost laughed.

Then he continued.

"After that, equipment handling. Damage-control procedures. How to respond when a mount jams, when propulsion fails, when someone falls into the water."

He looked toward the western reef.

"How to recover a wounded Keelborn without getting everybody else killed."

Chief Fenwick's expression became serious again.

"Understood."

"And the people who have actual combat experience should be involved in planning it."

She nodded.

"We can request qualified instructors and review the service records of any experienced personnel already available."

"Good."

He glanced toward her.

"Also, I don't want the girls learning by firing live naval guns at each other."

Chief Fenwick stared.

"Commander."

"Just establishing expectations."

"I should hope so."

"I've met Aster."

"Fair."

He moved on.

"Medical support."

"We can assign personnel."

"Repair teams."

"Hana will probably insist."

Kade smiled faintly.

"Good. I want her involved."

Chief Fenwick examined the training area.

"That will require supplies."

"Everything requires supplies."

"Yes."

"Then that brings us to the next problem."

He pointed toward the inactive industrial district.

"The base."

Chief Fenwick sighed.

"The base."

Kade regarded the enormous spread of gray markers on the map.

Most represented facilities that existed only as promises of future usefulness.

Broken cranes.

Inactive drydocks.

Damaged runways.

Warehouses with missing roofs.

Old coastal guns whose operating condition remained uncertain.

Power distribution that had been patched together too many times.

Water processing equipment that Chief Fenwick had described as making an expensive noise.

It was a remarkable collection of problems.

He considered it for a moment.

Then looked toward her.

"Chief."

"Yes?"

"Does anyone actually know what materials we need to restore the primary drydock?"

She hesitated.

"There are old engineering surveys."

"How old?"

"Some were updated during the last restoration assessment."

"Which was?"

"Several years ago."

Kade stared.

The chief looked faintly embarrassed.

"Funding was withdrawn."

"Of course it was."

"We can commission another survey."

He nodded.

"Do that. But don't prioritize the entire drydock before we know whether the power and water systems can support it."

Chief Fenwick looked toward the map.

"You're thinking of restoring the supporting infrastructure first."

"Seems difficult to run a shipyard without electricity."

"Quite."

"And we're going to need reliable deliveries."

"Yes."

"Which means usable piers."

"Yes."

"And safe channels."

She smiled.

"Like the western approach."

Kade looked toward Beacon Three.

The marker glowed green.

He smiled faintly.

"Exactly."

One small repair.

One better approach.

A supply barge that could now use the western channel under the appropriate restrictions.

It wasn't glamorous.

But suddenly the previous day's work felt considerably more important.

The first meeting of Horizon Atoll's new emergency operations group began just before midday.

It was not an impressive assembly by the standards of a major Admiralty Union fortress.

There was no enormous conference chamber.

No polished marble table.

No row of Grand Admirals in ceremonial uniforms.

Instead, the station's representatives gathered around a battered operations table beneath a ceiling fan that made a faint clicking noise.

Chief Fenwick occupied one end.

Irena Holt represented the medical department.

Two station engineers stood beside the wall map.

Marina had brought the coastal-defense survey.

Adelheid represented several of the older battleship detachments.

A South Dakota-class girl attended with notes concerning her unit's equipment condition.

Yuna sat beside the aviation facilities report.

Hana carried a large folder of maintenance observations.

Riko had arrived with a notebook.

Aster had brought a pen.

Nobody knew why Aster had brought only a pen.

Kade regarded it for a moment.

Then looked toward her.

"Planning to write something?"

Aster nodded confidently.

"Absolutely."

"On?"

She glanced around.

Then looked down at the pen.

"...Something."

Hana sighed.

Yuna smiled.

Riko leaned toward her.

"Want some paper?"

Aster brightened.

"Yes, please."

Kade nodded solemnly.

"Strong start."

Aster pointed at him.

"Don't."

He smiled.

The room relaxed a little.

Then Chief Fenwick cleared her throat.

"All right. Everyone's here."

Kade stood beside the map.

He looked around the table.

Some of the faces were familiar.

Others belonged to people he had only briefly met.

Most of the players now wore their natural appearances.

Their Ship Pendants remained visible.

Their naval identities had not changed.

But the room no longer looked like a collection of character models.

It looked like an assortment of young women, technicians, sailors, and military personnel who had been thrown together by circumstances none of them understood.

Kade considered that.

Then spoke.

"Right. I'm going to make this simple."

Aster raised her hand.

He looked toward her.

"Yes?"

"How simple?"

"Simple enough that you won't need a diagram."

She lowered her hand.

"Wonderful."

Hana covered her mouth.

Kade continued.

"We've got two immediate problems. The first is that people are getting killed because they don't know how to handle the conditions they're now facing."

The humor disappeared from the room.

He looked toward the table.

"We saw what happened to those destroyers."

Several people nodded.

"Five died. Their Pendants were recovered, so there's a chance to bring them back. But that doesn't make what happened acceptable, and it certainly doesn't mean we should treat death as a convenient way to learn."

He paused.

"None of us knows how much pain these bodies can withstand, how the equipment will respond under every circumstance, or whether all the old game functions still operate the way we expect."

Hana nodded.

Kade continued.

"So we're going to find out in controlled conditions."

He gestured toward the lagoon.

"Training. Properly supervised equipment tests. Medical personnel available. Rescue teams ready. Nobody conducting live-fire exercises without authorization."

Riko looked toward her notebook.

Then raised her hand.

Kade glanced at her.

"Yes?"

"What about the battleships?"

"What about them?"

"Are we getting live-fire training?"

"Eventually."

She nodded.

"Good."

"After the safety inspections."

"Right."

"And after we've established safe firing areas."

"Right."

"And after we've confirmed that your equipment actually fits your current body."

Riko sighed.

"Right."

Kade raised an eyebrow.

"Disappointed?"

"Only spiritually."

"Tragic."

A few people laughed.

Then he turned toward Hana.

"Repair facilities?"

She straightened.

"The auxiliary workshops can handle a limited amount of maintenance. We need to inspect the fitting systems for the changed body configurations. Some of the mounting adjustments should be manageable with the equipment we have."

Kade nodded.

"And the heavier jobs?"

"The primary drydock isn't ready. Several machine tools need servicing, and we don't have enough reliable electrical capacity for large-scale reconstruction."

"Understood."

Hana looked toward the engineers.

"I'd like to work with them on a proper equipment survey."

One of the engineers nodded immediately.

"We'd appreciate that."

"Good."

She made a note.

Kade turned toward Yuna.

"Aviation?"

Yuna consulted her report.

"The runway is still restricted. The northern hangar can support limited work, but we need more materials and proper inspection before restoring regular operations."

"Carrier equipment?"

"Mine is still registered, but I haven't completed a full operational test after the physical changes."

Kade nodded.

"Then we treat it as unverified until you do."

Yuna looked relieved.

"All right."

He turned toward Marina.

"Coastal defenses?"

She opened her survey.

"We have a handful of emplacements that could be restored with relatively modest repairs. Others will need major work. The western reef batteries are the best initial candidates."

"Good. Prioritize the ones we can actually make operational."

Marina nodded.

Kade looked toward Adelheid.

"Battleship detachments?"

The Bayern-class girl folded her arms.

"We've got several players interested in working together. Some have experience from earlier testing sessions. Most don't."

"Then let's not pretend they're all equally qualified."

Adelheid smiled.

"Agreed."

"Find out what each person can do safely. Pair inexperienced people with whoever can teach them. And don't let anybody rush straight into proving how powerful her guns are."

Riko slowly lowered her notebook.

Kade glanced toward her.

"I saw that."

She looked offended.

"I didn't say anything!"

"Your face did."

Yuna started laughing.

Hana shook her head.

Adelheid grinned.

"Understood, Commander."

Finally, Kade looked toward Aster.

She sat upright.

Pen ready.

"Yes, Commander?"

"Destroyer detachments."

"Right!"

"You're familiar with the equipment from the beta."

"Yes."

"That makes you useful."

She brightened.

"Thank you!"

"It doesn't make you invincible."

Her smile faded slightly.

"...Right."

Kade nodded toward the harbor chart.

"I want you helping with basic movement, communications, and formation training. The sort of things the girls on that recording hadn't been able to practice properly."

Aster looked down at her pen.

Then nodded.

"Okay."

"And Aster?"

She looked up.

"Yes?"

"No showing off."

Aster stared.

"Commander."

"Especially near the piers."

"COMMANDER!"

The room laughed.

Even Aster smiled after a moment.

Then she lowered her eyes.

"I won't."

Kade nodded.

"Good."

He looked around the table.

"The second problem is supplies."

Chief Fenwick opened the station inventory.

Several categories appeared on the map.

Food.

Medical supplies.

Fuel.

Electrical components.

Steel.

Industrial machinery.

Ammunition.

Protective equipment.

Construction materials.

Kade gestured toward the display.

"We can't train properly without working facilities. We can't repair our equipment without materials. We can't restore the drydock without power. And we can't defend the station if the harbor itself falls apart beneath us."

One of the engineers nodded.

"That's accurate."

"Unfortunately."

Kade looked toward Chief Fenwick.

"What are the immediate shortages?"

She consulted the inventory.

"Replacement electrical components, industrial lubricants, structural steel, pump parts, desalination equipment, medical supplies, and several categories of naval ammunition."

He nodded.

"Fuel?"

"Limited reserves."

"Food?"

"Enough for current needs, but we need reliable deliveries if the population continues increasing."

"Water?"

"Functional for now. The processing system requires maintenance."

He looked toward Hana.

She nodded.

"That should be near the top of the list."

Kade agreed.

"Then it is."

Riko raised one hand.

He glanced toward her.

"Yes?"

"What about the primary drydock?"

Kade looked toward the map.

Then back at her.

"Still broken."

She sighed.

"I know."

"We'll get to it."

"When?"

"When we've got enough materials and functioning infrastructure to do something useful."

She considered that.

Then nodded reluctantly.

"Fine."

Kade smiled faintly.

"Good."

Riko leaned back.

"I still want my enormous battleship."

"I know."

"Four twin twenty-inch turrets."

"Very subtle."

"Eight barrels."

"Excellent arithmetic."

Hana covered her eyes.

Yuna laughed.

Kade looked toward the broken drydock.

Then back at Riko.

"Tell you what."

She brightened.

"What?"

"Help us get the base working, and eventually we might have somewhere capable of accommodating that absurd thing."

Riko grinned.

"Deal."

Hana slowly lowered her hands.

"Commander."

"Yes?"

"You've just encouraged her."

"I know."

"Deliberately."

"Mostly."

Adelheid burst out laughing.

Even Chief Fenwick smiled.

For the first time that morning, the room sounded almost like it had before the Crisis.

Not carefree.

Not entirely.

But alive.

And perhaps that was enough to begin with.

By the time the meeting ended, Horizon Atoll possessed something it hadn't had the previous morning.

Not a repaired drydock.

Not a fully trained fleet.

Not a solution to the Crisis.

A plan.

A modest one.

The immediate priorities were written across the operations board.

Medical follow-up for every affected player.

Rigging inspections before operational use.

Basic movement and rescue training within the protected lagoon.

An updated inventory of usable equipment.

Restoration of reliable power and water systems.

Inspection of the western loading pier.

Preparation for the incoming supply barge.

And a new engineering survey of the primary drydock.

Kade stood in front of the board, examining the sequence.

It wasn't especially impressive.

No great naval campaign.

No daring assault.

No glorious march toward victory.

Just a list of problems arranged in an order that might keep people alive long enough to solve them.

He found that strangely reassuring.

Chief Fenwick approached beside him.

"Commander."

"Hm?"

"Harbor Control just confirmed the supply barge's approach."

He turned.

"Really?"

"Yes. They're requesting authorization to enter through the western channel once the final navigation checks are complete."

Kade looked toward the map.

Beacon Three glowed green.

The repaired light was doing its job.

He smiled.

"Well."

Chief Fenwick nodded.

"Well."

"That's good news."

"Very."

He looked toward the inventory.

"What's on it?"

"Replacement electrical components, basic construction supplies, food, medical stores, and several maintenance consignments."

"Enough to fix the entire island?"

Chief Fenwick raised an eyebrow.

"Hardly."

"Shame."

"But enough to begin addressing some of the immediate shortages."

He nodded.

"Then let's make sure the loading pier is ready."

The chief smiled.

"I've already sent the inspection team."

"Excellent."

Kade glanced toward the harbor.

Outside, the sun stood high above Horizon Atoll.

The lagoon shimmered.

The damaged cranes cast long shadows across the piers.

Several Keelborn walked along the waterfront, some wearing ordinary uniforms, others examining their adjusted rigging beneath the supervision of technicians.

Aster stood beside a small training platform, explaining something to two Fletcher-class girls.

She demonstrated a basic turn.

Then immediately looked toward the nearest bollard.

Kade smiled.

Apparently some instincts survived an apocalypse.

Farther away, Hana was speaking with a pair of engineers beside a maintenance cart.

Yuna stood near the aviation district, reviewing the condition of the old hangars.

Riko was helping move construction materials toward the western pier.

Her Yamato-class rigging remained inactive pending inspection, but she appeared determined to make herself useful anyway.

She had recruited Adelheid.

Together, the two battleship girls were carrying equipment with the enthusiasm of people who had discovered that rebuilding a naval base involved rather more manual labor than the promotional trailer had suggested.

Kade watched them.

Then glanced toward Chief Fenwick.

"Chief."

"Yes?"

"Make sure everyone gets breaks."

She looked amused.

"Everyone?"

"Everyone."

"Even the Commander?"

Kade considered that.

Then smiled.

"Let's not become unreasonable."

Chief Fenwick laughed.

"Of course."

She walked toward the communications desk.

Kade remained beside the window.

For a moment, he looked toward the Pacific.

The water was beautiful.

Blue.

Calm.

Almost inviting.

Somewhere beyond the horizon, a Blackwake destroyer had killed five inexperienced girls.

A sixth had survived only by fighting desperately enough to recover their Pendants and reach the protection of a coastal fortress.

The news reports suggested similar incidents were happening across the world.

He had no idea how many players were trapped.

No idea whether anyone could return to their original lives.

No idea what had caused the Crisis.

And no reason to believe the AU's attitudes toward Keelborn would change merely because those Keelborn had become real people.

He thought about the registration forms.

The classifications.

The command authority attached to his position.

The way the girls had looked at him when Aster asked whether they could be ordered into combat.

Kade's expression became thoughtful.

He had not chosen Commander because he wanted to control people.

He had chosen it because most of the other interesting roles were unavailable.

It had seemed like a sensible enough way to enjoy a naval VRMMORPG.

Now the title carried actual responsibility.

People might live or die depending on decisions he made.

And, perhaps worse, some of the institutions surrounding those decisions might regard the people themselves as equipment.

Kade knew how dangerous that could become.

He knew it far too well.

He looked toward the harbor.

Aster was demonstrating another turn.

The two Fletcher girls copied her.

One nearly lost her balance.

Aster immediately moved to help.

Hana shouted something from the maintenance platform.

Aster answered.

The girls laughed.

Kade watched them for a moment.

Then nodded to himself.

He didn't need to announce anything.

He didn't need to explain his previous life.

He didn't need to tell anybody why certain words on the AU's paperwork made him want to tear the documents in half.

He simply needed to do the job in front of him.

Get the supplies.

Repair the base.

Train the girls.

Make sure the station could support the people who depended on it.

And, if possible, keep them from becoming another collection of Pendants waiting for a repair facility that might not be ready.

Kade sighed.

"Right."

He looked toward the operations board.

"One thing at a time."

A soft chime sounded from the communications desk.

Chief Fenwick picked up the radio.

"Horizon Control, supply barge Meridian Six requesting final approach instructions."

She glanced toward Kade.

He nodded.

The chief pressed the transmission control.

"Meridian Six, Horizon Control. Western approach is available under current restrictions. Maintain the marked channel and await harbor pilot instructions."

A burst of static answered.

"Acknowledged, Horizon Control. Good to see Beacon Three operating again."

Chief Fenwick smiled.

"You're welcome, Meridian Six."

"Heard you finally got somebody to repair it."

"We did."

"About time."

Kade raised an eyebrow.

The chief covered the handset.

"Supply captains."

He nodded.

"Terrible people."

She smiled.

Then returned to the radio.

"Meridian Six, proceed as directed. Docking crew is standing by."

"Copy. Meridian Six inbound."

The transmission ended.

Chief Fenwick looked toward the harbor.

Then toward the Commander standing beside the operations board.

"Well, Commander."

Kade turned.

"Hm?"

"Looks like our first delivery is coming in."

He glanced toward the western channel.

The supply barge was still beyond the breakwater.

Its arrival would not solve the station's problems.

There would be inspections.

Unloading.

Inventory checks.

Arguments about which department needed which materials.

Probably something would be missing.

Possibly something would break.

Almost certainly Aster would find a way to make the process memorable.

Kade considered all of that.

Then smiled faintly.

"Excellent."

Chief Fenwick raised an eyebrow.

"Excellent?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He looked toward the ruined drydock.

Then the damaged warehouses.

Then the training area where several frightened young women were learning how to use their naval equipment without hurting themselves.

"Because we've got a lot of work to do."

The chief studied him.

Then smiled.

"That we do."

Beyond the operations building, a small supply barge rounded the western reef.

Beacon Three stood above it, its light housing bright beneath the midday sun.

The harbor pilot's boat moved out to meet the vessel.

Dockworkers gathered along the loading pier.

A crane started.

Somewhere nearby, Aster shouted that she had absolutely not hit anything.

Nobody had accused her.

Kade closed his eyes.

He sighed.

Then laughed.

Just once.

A short, helpless sound.

The world might have ended as he knew it.

His memories might have returned.

He might have been trapped inside a militarized alternate Earth with no explanation and no obvious way home.

But apparently some things were determined to remain exactly as ridiculous as they had always been.

He opened his eyes.

"Chief."

"Yes, Commander?"

"Tell Harbor Control to keep Aster away from the incoming barge."

Chief Fenwick didn't even hesitate.

"Already done."

Kade looked at her.

She smiled pleasantly.

He nodded.

"Outstanding."

And for the first time since the Crisis, Horizon Atoll's new Commander felt something resembling genuine relief.

Not because he believed everything would be fine.

He didn't.

The reports on the television had destroyed any comfortable illusion that the world would give them time to adjust.

But the station had people willing to work.

It had a functioning harbor approach.

It had supplies coming in.

It had damaged facilities that could, with enough effort, be restored.

And it had a fleet of girls who, for all their inexperience, had already shown that they were willing to help one another.

Kade looked toward the sea.

The sunlight glittered across the waves.

Somewhere beyond it, five Ship Pendants were waiting to bring their owners home.

He hoped the facilities responsible for them would be ready soon.

Then he turned away from the window.

There was paperwork to finish.

A supply barge to unload.

A training schedule to organize.

And an entire naval base to rebuild.

For the moment, that was enough.