“Witness” [verb]: see, observe, watch; to transcribe into yourself.

A Detailed Explorer’s Guide into the Unknown

 

 

 

 

By the time Yoongi reaches Šerdesas, he feels remarkably healthy. The only indication of pain or injury stems from his lower abdomen. He had sent a message to K’mara, relaying all that has happened. However, he keeps the information of the GI Base to himself. Just for now.

They’re flying over the Capital City now, headed past the Trade Sector and closer to the Long-Huon Lieutenant’s apartment. There are tall infra-cities spread across the Capital City, interconnected by glimmering polarized highways. The lower magnetic-field highways are broader strips of light, providing rather solid ribbons of colour lights as the backdrop for the silvery polarized ones. Lights from the metropolis shine like stars through the highways, reflecting the stars above like a mirror. Sunlight seems to mold over it, like molten gold. It’s a magnificent sight to behold even though Yoongi knows he should be concentrating on the task at hand.

It was just.

Everything felt different.

Approaching target point.

The plan was to apprehend and interrogate the Heladian, and assassinate the Long-Huon. The Lieutenant had arrived at his apartment no more than an hour ago according to Yoongi’s own tracking device. The Heladian seemed to be finally waking up, the main reason why the Long-Huon had gone rushing back here.

Yoongi and 15 of the GI agents slow down and like preying birds, slowly circle downwards. He sees them as little points on his HUD visor, tracking their movements. Yoongi was at the very top.

Zitao wouldn’t know of their coming. Yoongi doesn’t know if K’mara would see or read his message.

They swoop lower, their invisible forms creating warps in the imagery of the metropolis below. They drift down past the highest point of the infra-city tower- the Long-Huon lived on the 89th floor and they would reach it shortly.

‘Deliver message,’ Yoongi says quietly. ‘Recipient Lieutenant Huang Zitao of the GIU. Current location 9357-2595-1109. Using private channel for device S_NAVA_ZT-68.’

An error sign appears and Yoongi tries again. The line seems distorted, unavailable and offline. Had something happened from the root-source of the channel? They drop even lower, now only 200 storey above their designated location.

He was mid-air, nearly 2000 meters above the ground; if he tried anything, he would be shot down immediately. How could he warn the Long-Huon? He detects movement and notices how the lower GI agents break from their camouflage and reveal a long nozzle TeorSer, the device gleaming in the electronic light.

Yoongi doesn’t stop to think.

He deactivates his Hover-08, shutting it down immediately and Yoongi plummets. He careens the Hover-08 dangerously close to the windows of the tower and when he falls past the Long-Huon’s apartment window, his eyes lock with neon-red eyes, glowing bright in shock.

Yoongi looks behind him, noticing how half of the GI agents were now following him. Yoongi continues to plummet, keeping an eye on the dropping levels. Something shoots past him- TeorSer fire. Though motionless and the engines aren’t activated, Yoongi steers the device until he’s successfully flipped the other way round. TeorSer fire falls around him and ricochet off of the protective shield around the Transporter, providing Yoongi with a nearly infallible security system. According to the scans of his visor, the GI agents following him were gaining up on him rapidly. Unlocking the TeorSers and arming both hands with them, Yoongi makes quick calculations; making sure the magnetic security system was set only on his legs, Yoongi waits just as the other agents hover close enough and he rotates himself mid-fall so that he fell upright again.

His aim is true and the agents are sent careening off to the sides, crashing into nearby buildings.

He activates the Hover-08 again and he feels his ribs burn at the sudden pressure fluctuation around his body. The other agents shoot past him and Yoongi easily takes out 3 more of their numbers.

[PURSUIT_COORDINATES HIGHWAY 02_55-SRDS]

[ASSEMBLE]

So the Long-Huon and the Heladian had made it out- Yoongi’s warning had worked.

The agents who were flying towards him stop and rocket downwards instead, closely followed by a whole new unit of agents. Yoongi counts them all at 14.

And none stop to take Yoongi out.

Yoongi redirects the Hover-08, activating the security straps again as he chases after the speeding agents.

This was their main mission after all. Yoongi easily takes out the agents in front of him, a strange sense of wonder settling into him. These agents weren’t fighting for their lives or their continuity- their own existence was not a concept or priority they kept in regard. What mission dictated, they followed.

Yoongi had been like that.

He had followed every single mission, every single operation, without thought, without consequence, without understanding. Yoongi fires again, each shot hitting the agents at the back of their heads and the Hover-08’s detonate into bright specks of light, crashing down the face of buildings. Yoongi feels a strange sense of heaviness tugging at the lining of his stomach at the sight of the destruction. And it had nothing to do with his injuries.

Tracking the Long-Huon’s location, Yoongi finds them at the lowest pier of the infra-city. Night had not come to the Capital City yet unlike in the Yisheng Headquarters so visibility is high.

[GROUND_UNIT_SET]

Yoongi grimaces at the message; there were more other than the aerial unit.

A shift in the horizon catches Yoongi’s attention and he notices how the polarized highways shift- Šerdesas activated certain highways during peak traffic hours and deactivated them during low traffic hours. They were currently in one of the more populated zones, being a commercial infra-city with a high number of Šerdesas’s population living in these areas. The highways were being re-set again.

‘Connect to Šerdesas highway controls. Activate manual control over coordinates district code 02_55-SRDS and its extensions.’

A map lights up on his visor.

‘Activate highway 02_55_43-SRDS.’

Yoongi pulls away and shoots across rather than descend down vertically.

A light glimmers and Yoongi catches sight of 6 bright explosions of light go off as the agents collide with the appearance of the roads.

‘Activate highway 02_55_49-SRDS.’

Another 4 light up and Yoongi reaches the lowest pier the moment a Hover6 pulls out from an alley, closely followed by small but powerful shots from sniper TeorSers. Yoongi follows the line of the projectile and finds more agents standing near bridge rafters. Yoongi’s TeorSer isn’t meant for long-ranged assassination accuracy but for close-range combat instead.

There’s loud screaming and 9 jet-black Hover-08’s whip past overhead, shortly followed by 3 more of Yoongi’s surviving unit. Yoongi chases after them immediately and they’re in one long, fast chase over the lower magnetic-field highways. Yoongi can see the Long-Huon many ways ahead- but mainly because of the red glow that sees to emanate from his being.

Yoongi pushes for more speed.     

The moment he’s close enough, Yoongi fires at the closest agents and their Hover-08’s crash into buildings and bridges and some even into the tiered parks Šerdesas was unique for in their architecture. 

The same gnawing sensation builds inside of Yoongi and he doesn’t know what it is. He’s almost distracted by the large cloud of flame that rises up from a smaller infra-city tower, his eyes latching onto the sight of Beings being flung out by the sheer force of it.

Yoongi looks away as quickly as he can and speeds up closer to the agent in front of him. The agent has a long-distance projectile TeorSer. Calculating his distance, Yoongi deactivates his safety system and switches off his Hover-08 and he flings across the distance between himself and the other agent.

As he lands he definitely feels his ribs dislodge again from the reforming setting his uniform had pushed it into. The magnetic paneling on his suit attaches him firmly to the other Hover-08 and Yoongi is quick unseat the unsuspecting agent by deactivating his safety paneling.

He spots how the agents in the front are already firing but the Long-Huon is a good driver, swerving through the intense later afternoon traffic with precision and ease of a veteran driver. Yoongi aims and fires, driving through flames of iridescent blue and purple flames as the Hover-08’s explode.

However, he’s no longer ignored.

Yoongi dodges the TeorSer aimed at him, aiming and firing behind himself, not entirely sure if he’s met the mark.

One of the agents further ahead manages to fire at the Heladian who was seated on the back of the Hover6. Yoongi takes the assassin agent out neatly. He zips past the flames of the Hover-08 and is in time to watch how the Heladian falls back, unseated from the Hover6. However, a blurred but glaring neon-red glows in the form of a full-fledged Being for a fraction of a second and picks the Heladian up again.

[HELADIAN_ANTI-CORE IMPLEMENTED]

Heladian anti-core? According to what he’d read earlier about Heladians, their species had the ability to manipulate their Life-force to an almost identical replication of the formidable frozen nature of their home-planet. With their in-built ability to conform Life-force into frost, Heladian’s were a formidable and powerful species though they were notably very peaceful in their diplomacy and policies. What did the Heladian anti-core imply?

[CAPTURE HELADIAN_INITIATE]

The Heladian is secured back on the Hover6 and Yoongi does a quick head count. Even more of the were appearing. They were already locked onto the Long-Huon’s coordinates and were probably actively tracking him.

‘Activate highways  02_58_132-SRDS, 02_58_134-SRDS, 02_58_135-SRDS.’

Yoongi lifts away from the pillar of bright fire that erupts, static shivers through the polarized highways like the final beat of a dying pulse.

The light of the eruption is so bright, the sky seems to darken momentarily and its surrounding shine all the brighter and Yoongi watches how Transporters in the highways are thrown back in ripples of energy, breaking apart with the Beings it carried. He watches as light seems to refract and bend as polarized highways erupt around each other, disrupting their electric charge and catalyzing more chaotic detonations down the highways. He watches how nearby building faces shatter, showering sharp shards of glass in large raining radius down on the streets and tiers.

Yoongi is flung back from the sheer power of the force of the explosion despite having moved away. His Hover-08 flips through the air a few times, stopping just in time before crashing into the face of a building.

Large sections of the Capital City loses power, and Yoongi watches how one of the power facility towers gives out and hundreds of surrounding Transports malfunction, lighting systems spark and fail, water systems flood, and in sections, highways lose light and Transporters fall down to their fiery demise.

[REASSEMBLE]

                [UNIT 2 RETURN TO BASE]

                [UNIT 3 DEPLOY_EXECUTE MISSION 9357-2595-1109]

Yoongi knows what it is. He understand that gut-wrenching feeling. He has a name for it now.

His Awareness had caused this. His desire to live, his desire to understand, his Mind.

He caused this.

Guilt courses through his vein and Yoongi understands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

The Užkulisai is docked neatly in Debris 149, the Pluns’na right next to her. There were no visible signs of obstructive scans or search conducted on the exterior of the ship though it was crawling with Para-Bots. The Pluns’na was strapped down to a gravity-lift, attached to a series of small docking platforms and a few guards were running about, getting into their own Transporter, clearly headed over to whatever -storm Yoongi had started and left behind. And with that huge slaver-ship in the way as well, the whole of Grezma was in a state of panic and frenzy.

‘We should wait for them to leave first-‘ Hoseok begins but Yoongi flies them straight into the Debris and Hoseok glares at the back of the Human’s head.

‘Yoongi-?’ Sk’jin begins too but Yoongi is already accessing the weapons-control panel and Hoseok dives across his seat to stop Yoongi from opening fire.

Yoongi side-eyes Hoseok who has a reprimanding expression on his face, countering Yoongi with exasperation.

‘We’ll draw unwanted attention to ourselves,’ Hoseok explains, clearly struggling with Yoongi who hasn’t budged an inch away from the weapons-control panel.

‘But we should clear out any potential threat we may encounter.’ Yoongi argues blandly.

‘We do not engage unless we’re attacked first-‘

‘-we’ve already been attacked-‘

‘-in a new environment.’ Hoseok’s face turns a little red with exertion, clearly pulling at Yoongi’s hands that is inches from the surface of the screen.

Sk’jin rolls his eyes, leaning over both of them and takes over the controls, guiding them over to a shelf under a Debris above them.

‘Yoongi, while I am not against violent displays of aggression and general bad-assery, I think it’s best if we stay low-key,’ Sk’jin mumbles. Yoongi sighs in defeat and nods.

‘Good- we wait for as much of them to leave and then we go get our ship. So right now what we do is plan.’ Sk’jin leans back, stifling a groan of pain, arms crossed. ‘As we have lost the isotope-tracking on our beloved Captain, we can’t pinpoint his direct location though no doubt he is inside the ship.’

‘He won’t get killed either,’ Hoseok chimes in. ‘They’ll find out his identity quickly enough and will probably sell him off to the highest bidder around. Information Analysts fetch an exceedingly high-price.’

‘Who exactly are they?’ Sk’jin gestures towards where the slaver-ship should be, on the other side of Grezma.

‘If they’re here in Grezma, an outpost run by former Venture Unit agents, then it’s most likely that they’re affiliated with the Isbahaysiga Alliance,’ Hoseok says grimly. ‘Probably what remains of the Alliance anyways.’

‘Aren’t they supposed to have been completely eradicated?’ Sk’jin questions, raising his eyebrows.

‘Networks like this,’ Hoseok nods in the general direction of the slaver-ship though his eyes never leave the Debris they’re staking out. ‘They’re allowed to exist by the Venture Unit in exchange for units or information.’

‘That’s not much of a surprise,’ Sk’jin shifts around to make himself comfortable. ‘If they were this close to Orvan, then I’m guessing they’re the ones who take in most of the Orvanan slaves. They’re probably out for me too.’

‘Regardless of who they’re out for- I don’t think they’re directly involved with pirates. Judging by the ships, and judging by the gear the guard here were wearing, I think they’re more of a “proper” business-network.’ Hoseok ruminates.

‘We could find more information about them if they use this outpost regularly right?’ Sk’jin taps along the screen. ‘Your buddy could have stored information regarding the ship.’

Hoseok grimaces at the term before shaking his head. ‘No- outposts don’t carry information like that- it’s too risky.’

‘What about in your buddy’s personal screen?’ Yoongi asks.

‘Well he could-‘ Hoseok begins, clearly no longer feeling the need to correct the wrong labels.

‘Here.’ Yoongi pulls out a small sleek clear device from inside his clothes and hands it to Hoseok.

‘And you didn’t think this was necessary before this?!’ Hoseok exclaims, quickly activating the device.

‘No.’

Hoseok groans quietly as he goes through the content.

‘Yoongi I think we’re clear- let’s go get our ship,’ Sk’jin says, peering out his side of the window for any incoming shuttles.

Yoongi lifts off from the shelf and heads for the Debris holding their ship.

‘Find anything?’ Sk’jin asks, glancing over at Hoseok who is scrolling down, tapping at random across the ship.

‘Yeah…and…this is not going to be easy,’ Hoseok frowns before he looks up. ‘This isn’t just part of the Isbahaysiga Alliance. This slaver-ship is run by a ring of pirate-lords, GLA officers, Venture Unit agents, and outpost governors. I think they’re trying to create their own Alliance- to replace the Isbahaysiga Alliance.’

‘There’s more of the ships?’ Sk’jin asks as they approach the landing dock.

‘Possibly- if we make ourselves known, or if we involve ourselves in this- not only could we jeopardize this mission completely, but hand them information and tools that would prove detrimental to the Known Universe,’ Hoseok’s eyes don’t leave the screen, narrowing them as he reads more. ‘What’s worse, we don’t know who could be involved, so even if we were to report this, it could prove fatal or at the very least, dangerous not only to us, but the Beings captured as slaves.’

‘A ship that large could be carrying close to a 100,000 Beings in it,’ Sk’jin muses, thinking back to the overall size of the slaver-ship. ‘The engines are on the side, leaving the entire central hull past the Bridge free for “storage”.’

‘Why don’t we report this to the Yishengs.’ Yoongi says unexpectedly as he lands the shuttle down next to their ship.

Hoseok seems stunned at Yoongi’s suggestion.

‘You mean to Yisheng Amme-?’

‘No- call the Yisheng public line; the public line is untraceable,’ Yoongi explains. ‘It was created for those who live in warzones across the Universe.’

‘That could actually work,’ Sk’jin nods. ‘If we report it, how long do you think it will take for the Yishengs- or well, anyone to come here?’

‘There are no nearby Yisheng stations in any of the Systems close by,’ Hoseok frowns, already searching for possible locations. ‘They would have to come directly from Tayi.’

‘Then it could take a full day, a little more,’ Sk’jin calculates quickly.

‘Do we wait for them to arrive?’ Hoseok inquires as they step out of the Transporter, staying low just in case there were K’it’y guards around. Yoongi however simply just walks over towards the Užkulisai without caution.

‘If the Yisheng come and stop this, Namjoon will be taken in for questioning and by extension us,’ Sk’jin shakes his head. ‘It’s possible that the jury might be able to bail him out-‘

‘No- let’s…let’s not get the jury involved,’ Hoseok says as they follow after Yoongi.

‘Why not?’ Sk’jin questions curiously.

‘I don’t know if Namjoon would like me telling you this but, remember I told you that Lisai didn’t have the language you were speaking in registered in her database?’ Hoseok pauses by the entrance to the airlock antechamber room, allowing Sk’jin to enter first, locking up behind them.

Sk’jin nods in response, ignoring the welcome message from Lisai, taking in the dirty boot prints that messed up the floors of their ship. They had probably conducted a manual search of the ship.

‘Namjoon suspects that Lisai has been compromised- her database is barricaded or at least somehow restricted,’ Hoseok turns to look Sk’jin straight in the eye, not hiding the fact that he’s clearly looking for any indication or sign that this was something Sk’jin knew.

Sk’jin however is genuinely taken aback.

‘That’s not possible,’ Sk’jin argues flatly. ‘The GLA database is limitless and accessible to all living Beings in all corners of the Known Universe- you can’t “block” or keep away certain information like that- it’s impossible.’

Hoseok doesn’t let off the interrogative look and Sk’jin huffs in irritation.

‘Just because I was speaking in a language Lisai didn’t have in her database doesn’t mean I was involved in this Hoseok,’ Sk’jin declares firmly. ‘And if you want to know, I was speaking in Long-Huon, a language that should very well be included in the database considering it’s extremely important for translating as most of the GLA authorized pilots from the Trade Sector are from Long-Huo.’

‘That may be so, but wouldn’t you agree that it’s too much of a coincidence that it just so happens to be the language you were speaking?’ Hoseok shoots back. ‘If this situation was reversed, then you too wouldn’t just let me off.’

‘Hoseok look-‘ Sk’jin begins but they’re both startled by the sound of loud obvious sounds of a fist fight of sorts followed by a shriek and running footsteps.

A K’it’y guard comes bursting in but is met with Hoseok’s fist before he can even begin to regret his decision to run. Yoongi pops his head past the corner and says, ‘The ship is cleared. We should move.’

‘I’ll go start the ship, you two get rid of this lot,’ Hoseok mumbles, casting a wary glance at Sk’jin who rolls his eyes and bends over to grab the unconscious K’it’y’s booted legs.

Yoongi had taken out 4 of their numbers while the other had run away. They easily shove them out and Sk’jin waits for Yoongi in the Hangar as he pulls the Pluns’na into the Užkulisai.

Sk’jin waits by the control screen by the Hangar gate, watching as Yoongi carefully maneuvered the Pluns’na. Why would the database be compromised? That too for the Long-Huon language? What else were they restricted from? If the database they had access to through Lisai was compromised, then all the screens, operation systems, even their Navigation Codes and information regarding outposts, current and recent changes to information regarding potentially dangerous locations were now all questionable facts.  

Is it all set?’

‘Just need to secure the Pluns’na,’ Yoongi responds, prompting Sk’jin into action. He lowers the Hangar gates and walks over to Yoongi to secure the magnetic strips. The Hangar was a mess of course- all of their cargo had been pulled out and had been in the process of being opened.

‘Lisai, is anything missing from our cargo?’ Sk’jin asks, glancing over at the OrTanks that were luckily not open. They would require the access code for that. However other storage freights were opened and their contents strewn about. Sk’jin is positive that manual searches were conducted not for the purpose of actually finding something, but to irk and goad shuttle owners.

‘None are missing.’

Sk’jin grimaces, wondering if he should or could trust Lisai now that he knows.

They quickly make their way to the Bridge as Hoseok starts up the engines, checking the systems for any sign of tampering or error.

‘Everything all right?’ Hoseok asks, not looking away from his screens.

‘We’re good to take off,’ Sk’jin replies as he foregoes his usual station and instead takes up the Navigator’s Mast.

‘So what do we do?’ Hoseok asks, turning on his seat and addressing Sk’jin as Yoongi too looks up from his seat in the tower-mast.

‘First we need to contact the Yisheng public line- they we need to extract Namjoon out of the slaver-ship,’ Sk’jin states their objectives. ‘The slaver-ship is still near Grezma- according to Keghtsa’s screen, they’re still loading the ship with slaves from the cells. They’re also waiting for the Orvan I think- seeing as Keghtsa was so kind as to report me to them.’

‘If they leave, we won’t have the chance to get Namjoon out or even follow them without being detected,’ Hoseok wipes at his face.

‘No- we can’t afford to let them go,’ Sk’jin states firmly. ‘We need to board them as soon as possible but we won’t be able to approach them without being detected- we’d be giving ourselves up.’

‘We have a time-frame of less than a day to penetrate the slaver-ship, retrieve Namjoon, and get out,’ Hoseok calculates, ignoring the sudden amused grin on Sk’jin’s face as he mouths ‘penetrate?’ quietly, shoulders shaking in suppressed laughter.

‘I’ve sent the message to the Yisheng public line with the coordinates of the slaver-ship,’ Yoongi interrupts. ‘We have a day to break Namjoon free.’

‘What if we can get close to the slaver-ship without getting detected,’ Hoseok asks, ‘Then what do we do after that?’

‘Someone has to stay back here of course,’ Sk’jin replies at once. ‘Because I stand out too much, I will stay back. Then that would mean you and Yoongi would enter the ship, possibly disguise yourselves as one of the guards and infiltrate their ranks.’

‘You make it sound easy,’ Hoseok frowns.

‘Simple plans are often the ones that work the best,’ Sk’jin counters.

‘It can work,’ Yoongi states from the front. ‘We can use the uniform of the Grezma guards and then apprehend the uniform of the guards aboard the slaver-ship.’

Hoseok’s face scrunches a little in thought, clearly planning the entire plan in his head.

‘It’s the only plan we have right now that we can pull off with most amount of success,’ Sk’jin states plainly. ‘We don’t have time.’

Hoseok nods grimly, turning back to the control-panel and activating the ers; ‘We can take the shuttle back to one of the Debris with the prison cells, and you can come pick us up later. Or we will return- we’ll keep open communication and you can track us on Yoongi’s…special tracker.’

Sk’jin jumps a little when Yoongi hands him his screen, having not seen him move earlier.

‘Sk’jin, how are you?’ the Human asks, leaning in to look Sk’jin clearly in the face.

Sk’jin glances at Hoseok with some surprise but nonetheless replies, ‘I’m fine Yoongi, really. Don’t worry about me.’

‘Will you be able to commandeer the Užkulisai while Hobster and I sneak penetrate the slaver-ship?’

‘Look I know I could have chosen a different word-‘

‘Yes I can Yoongi,’ Sk’jin sniggers as Hoseok huffs, blowing his hair off of his face and getting up from his chair. ‘I promise you I won’t just faint about.’

‘Wait- you can fly?’ Hoseok asks in surprise.

‘It’s a little unbelievable if the pirate-lord of one of the most notorious pirating networks didn’t know how to fly,’ Sk’jin intones with a wry smile, leaving the Navigator’s Mast and stepping into the cockpit.

‘You…lied to Namjoon?’ Hoseok sounds slightly disdained.

‘Well,’ Sk’jin throws himself into the chair Hoseok normally occupied and flexes his hands. ‘When you put it that way- it makes me sound like I did it out of malice.’

‘…so you lied out of…benevolence?’ Hoseok raises one eyebrow.

‘I did it for fun,’ Sk’jin smiles, brushing his hair back. ‘It’s easy messing up with Namjoon.’

‘But at what cost,’ Hoseok grumbles as he leaves the Bridge, following Yoongi closely.

Hoseok was still clearly thinking about their access to database and of Lisai’s restrictions but was putting it at a pause for now. Sk’jin sighs out in relief, because he needed time to think about this as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unit 3 had compromised of 8 agents. Each of which Yoongi had trapped and caught, rummaging through their items and taking all of their gears and gadgets. He finds a series of compressor-syringes inside their uniform pockets and pulls them all out. They’re clear tubes with thin white markings on them. His visor scans the syringes and separates them into 2 types. Anti-Core, and Preventive Core. They had shot the Heladian with the Anti-Core. The Preventive Core was to counter the Anti-Core because it wasn’t stable. Did the Anti-Core subdue the Heladian abilities?

Yoongi pockets all of them and watches with increasing guilt mounting inside his chest as another agent twists in anguish, body arching to the point of nearly breaking, as they couldn’t handle the Android Core.

None of the 8 could handle it. Not a single one.

Yoongi removes his helmet, watching with his bare and uncovered eyes as each agent faded into nothingness. He would remember each of them, and he would remember them. Mark them into his memory and remember them.

Because no one else remembered them.

His body aches, even his uniform and the medication he consumed couldn’t prevent him from feeling pain anymore. Yoongi is sure that he’s bleeding out from somewhere. He’s had to stem the bleeding from his nose, breathing in only from his mouth though the air he breathed was laced with the tangy and heavy taste of blood.

The Long-Huon was headed for Galūnė; Šerdesas’s neighbouring sister-planet. It was a good idea to leave the planet, but if the GI were sent after them again, they wouldn’t be stopped. Yoongi isn’t sure how they’re being tracked, but he knows that if another mission is issued out. They would get caught again.

Yoongi checks his screen. There is no news from K’mara.

He waits inside the tiny room next to the one the Long-Huon had rented an hour ago, carrying with him an unconscious Heladian. Yoongi closes his eyes, not breathing, and empties his mind as they walk out and past his room. The shadow behind Zitao doesn’t notice him.

But at this proximity, Yoongi can hear him.

He hadn’t heard him before, having only used the frequency channel he had hacked from the Stravechi Nava channels. But here, like this, Yoongi can hear him clear as day. Could no one other than the Long-Huon hear him?

Yoongi couldn’t listen in on their conversation, as their Comm-Devices were offline. The Long-Huon had however, used a public line to call K’mara, giving her their location. So was K’mara ignoring his message?

But for what reason?

They walk past, clearly headed out. Yoongi knows that the GI agents have stopped, returning back to base. No new mission had been sent out, no new order had come in. It was quiet from base.

Great acting skills. Ever considered getting a career in actin’?

‘Shut the up,’ the Long-Huon growls out in a low voice.

Yoongi steps out the moment they turn the corner.

That sounded more angry than drunk- stop!

The Shadow could detect him.

They’re here- they’re here how?!

‘Stop ing freaking out – you’re not going to get hurt- it’s just me and Min-Seok!’ the Long-Huon hisses.

How did they even find us? Tracking us in the city should be nearly impossible!

The Lieutenant replies back in a low voice but Yoongi can’t hear.

Y’know that if you really want to escape you should probably leave snowman behind- logically speaking that’s for the better.

There’s no response. The Shadow has a logical and tactical point. Yoongi pauses by the hallway.

Figured as much. ‘sides you made a promise so I guess you’re gonna die today kiddo- it was nice knowin’ ya.

‘Will you shut up?! I’m trying to think here-‘

Yoongi steps out entirely and is finally face to face with the Long-Huon. The Heladian in his arms is horrifyingly pale and drawn. Yoongi can barely detect any movement from his form, and as Yoongi runs a brief scan over the Heladian, finds that his heart was beating at an abnormally slow speed.

…so what do we do?

The Shadow is clearer to Yoongi now. Yet it still remains a blurred form but Yoongi can tell that it is taller than him. He can’t detect a face or proper features but the general outline is there. It floats, hunched and almost deformed in the air but the head is clear and the outline of low horns extend from its shadowed form.

Should I tackle him, blink twice for yes, once for no- come’on work with me here.

His eyes, however, are striking and vivid and Yoongi has a hard time believing that no one else can see it.

Yoongi moves cautiously and carefully. Any sudden movements would trigger an attack and he doesn’t know how he would combat this Shadow. He takes out the small device from his inner-lining pocket and tosses it to the Long-Huon who catches it, looking away briefly.

Yoongi steps away immediately and out of the hallway.

He pauses inside the room he’d been hiding in and he waits.

A few moments later the Shadow enters the room. It’s neon-red eyes bore into Yoongi, studying him.

What are you just doin’ sittin’ in here- , y’all are creepy as -

‘What is your name?’

The Shadow stops, eyes widening, realizing that Yoongi can see him.

‘What is your name?’

The Shadow drifts to the side, as though testing Yoongi’s sight. And Yoongi follows his movement.

‘I can see you. Who are you? What is your name?’ Yoongi repeats again.

The …

‘Please inform the Lieutenant that the Heladian is in great danger. That he needs to inject him with the Preventive Core.’ Yoongi reports.

Spaces- you can see me.

‘I can.’

…what are you? You’re…you’re Human aren’t ya? You smell familiar.

‘Smell familiar?’

Yea- like those Humans back at that ship, y’know?

‘Navigator Kim Junmyeon, and Co-Navigator Do Kyungsoo.’

Yea- them. You’re from Earth? But y’seem different- dunno ‘xactly why.

The Shadow moves closer.

It’s like you’re one of them- from there.

‘From where?’

- place- better if ya don’t know- but s’not the same ‘gain…

‘Who are you? What is your name?’

Shouldn’t ya tell me your name first hon?

‘My name is Yoongi.’

S’pretty name y’got there

‘What is your name?’

I had a bunch of names- identities y’know? Had to,- ran a huge network before got stuck

‘Stuck where?’

- place, s’where I met Mr. Eye-Bags out there- s’long story- don’t have time- so ya ain’t here to kill snowman?

‘No. I am here to protect him.’

Not doin’ a good job of it

Yoongi feels his bones protest to that remark but he doesn’t reply.

Well, if that’s it, imma leave now ‘k?

‘What is your name?’

So persistent- but if ya want one, just call me Jin yea? But like, not in fron’of the others- s’complicated

‘Thank you, Jin.’

Sure kiddo, whatever, well gonna go-?! Where’re you goin’?

‘I have to make sure the Heladian survives. He must.’ Yoongi says as he walks out. The Shadow converges around him.

There’s a ton goin’ ‘round here- he ain’t gonna trust ya

‘But you trust me.’

I didn’t say that kiddo

‘But you haven’t killed me.’

Yoongi walks out of the stuffy red-lighted hallway of the eatery and lowers his visor again. He spots the Long-Huon easily enough. The Lieutenant was obviously tired, and carrying the dead weight of another Being was stressful, especially when they were dying.

‘It won’t kill him, if that’s what you’re afraid of.’

The Long-Huon gasps loudly as he notices Yoongi. His sulfuric-yellow eyes glow in the dark of the lowest streets of the Capital City, holding the Heladian in his arms fiercely.

‘Why should I trust you?’ The Long-Huon rolls his eyes- for what reason Yoongi does not understand.

‘It won’t kill him,’ Yoongi repeats.

‘You had no hesitation in shooting at us while we were on the high-way- why do this now?’

It was apparent and obvious that the Long-Huon wouldn’t trust him. Yoongi remembers what Zhoumi had said nearly a year ago. That living beings were not comfortable with behavior and mannerism they weren’t familiar with. Which was why he needed a name. Which was why he was always asked to sit down, so as to not discomfort others around him.

‘Because,’ Yoongi shrugs in imitation of the actions he had observed through-out his year of slowly increasing awareness. ‘You better do it before he really dies.’

‘Are you from the Galactic Inquisition?’

The Long-Huon’s resolve is slowly shaking. He’s desperate, Yoongi can tell. He wants to heal the Heladian, but he can’t trust Yoongi. And Yoongi doesn’t blame him either.

Yoongi remains still, watching as the Long-Huon watches him with burning intensity and wariness.

They’re out on a busy street, Beings walk around them, unaware of the gravity of the situation around them and what this could potentially lead up to. Yoongi himself doesn’t understand. And he believes that neither does the Long-Huon in front of him. At least, not entirely understand.

‘Sure,’ Yoongi mimics the Cahyan in his response, ‘Honestly- hurry up.’

The Long-Huon still doesn’t move and Yoongi watches as the Heladian’s health-tab starts alerting him of biofunction failure. Yoongi takes a quick step forward, reaching into the depths of the Long-Huon’s pockets and injects the Heladian, then steps back. The Long-Huon responds quickly but not quickly enough- which was what Yoongi had been hoping for.

He protectively holds the Heladian away and Yoongi watches as the health-tab stabilizes slowly.

‘There. Get out of here- you have nearly 15 minutes before the others arrive in this area. Take the underground- it messes with their signals.’

Yoongi follows the flow and movement of a Being who walks past in between them and dodges around.

He notes a pair of red-neon eyes follow him and Jin gives him a farewell wave before moving back towards the Long-Huon.

Yoongi feels the tiniest lift in the weight of the dead that now followed his every step.

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Can you hear and see us?’

‘Loud and clear boys,’ Sk’jin replies, leaning comfortably back into Hoseok’s chair, legs propped up against one of the control-panels. The NaviLet in one hand, a glass of some sort of alcoholic drink in the other, and the weapons-console screen on his lap. He’s propped up one of the larger screens to serve as the main viewing displays. On it, Yoongi’s camera feed shows Hoseok in front of him. They had made quick work of the K’it’y uniform and had flown out to the Debris with the most shuttle-populated docks. They blended right in, what with the uniform, Yoongi’s lack of presence and not to mention, Hoseok’s complete change in appearance.

Of course Sk’jin knew about Hoseok’s species abilities. But he hadn’t known to what extent this “change” could go to. Though Hoseok couldn’t physically grow taller or shorter and couldn’t change the entirety of his gender, he could, however, completely alter his facial features, the colour of his skin, the length and colour of his hair, the colour of his eyes, and to an extent, the bulk of his being.

It had been utterly bizarre to watch- and also painful though Hoseok displayed no signs of experiencing pain.

His skin seemed to ripple, the masses of tissue and muscle and fat shifting and forming new outlines. It was so bizarre that even Yoongi stopped to stare. Then promptly smacked both of his hands over Hoseok’s face, squeezing and pulling.

Hoseok, entirely taken aback by Yoongi’s actions, more or less freezes up. Yoongi continues to pulls and squeeze at Hoseok’s face as though enthralled and Sk’jin wonders if he should perhaps step in and separate them. But then Hoseok bursts out laughing, clearly delighted by Yoongi’s reaction.

Hoseok now no longer looked like himself, his skin tinted green, and his hair completely receded out of sight, he looks like any other K’it’y though taller than most. Yoongi had moved to tear out the added bionic features from the unconscious K’it’y guards faces to make it more believable but was promptly stopped by Hoseok, claiming that it wasn’t needed, a wildly anxious look in his eyes.

They were now rounding up the slaves who were imprisoned in the Grezma outpost. This rather small but clustered moon-graveyard carried more than it appeared to. But the cramped cages the enslaved Beings were squashed into sure did save room space. He grimaces at the obvious cruelty and mishandling of the slaves. Not that Sk’jin would say that there was a “proper conduct” regarding the treatment of slaves (there isn’t- slavery was, and is, and will always be wrong according to Sk’jin), but he has known many slaver-ships and organizations that have imprisoned their slaves in individual cells that are clean and more or less designed to resemble prison albeit mobile.

This was torture, degradation, and a blatant abuse of power to exercise oppression to the basest level.

Sk’jin’s skin burns and he briefly wonders how Hoseok and Yoongi are handling this. But more than them, wonders how Namjoon is processing all of this. With a history like the ones all Kutsogleran faced, it wouldn’t be surprising to find Namjoon in a state of anger and hurt.

Hoseok and Yoongi can’t speak now, or they might break cover. Yoongi is easily overlooked but Hoseok gets a few looks, probably due to his height seeing as most of the K’it’y were rather short, more or less the same height as Yoongi. But he’s not questioned or looked back at. Hoseok also displays a flawlessly natural mimicry of the K’it’y’s posture, movements, and mannerism, displaying his long years of experience as an infiltration agent. Hoseok doesn’t possess Yoongi’s lack of presence but rather the unnerving ability to reflect on the atmosphere, environment, and composition of what surrounded him.

They enter the slaver-ship now, pushing and pulling at the cages to line them up.

‘Hoseok, Yoongi- direct the cages further to the back then slip to the back and find me any open port, jack, or screen,’ Sk’jin orders quietly, sipping at his drink.

Hoseok and Yoongi don’t reply but they do as Sk’jin commands. Sk’jin’s screen is divided into two, one feed from Yoongi’s Iris and other from Hoseok’s. Neither of them needed to be guided through any of this,- they were both solo operatives who have both done recon missions like this more times than they can recall. Sk’jin’s attention goes back to the NaviLet in his hands.

‘Lisai- please access Terminal Pod-030-219-RX811.’

Terminal Pod-030-219-RX811 not found.’

Sk’jin taps his fingers along the length of the chair.

‘Lisai,- please access GIU Mission code RG-399-0X2.’

‘GIU Mission code RG-399-0X2 not found.’

Sk’jin gazes out of the windows in front of him, not really seeing the view. He brushes his hair carefully, fingers running over his temples.

‘Lisai,- please pull up all public footage from coordinates 02_58_132-SRDS, Capital City, Šerdesas.’

Footage inquired is corrupted. Would you like footage from another coordinate?’

‘What is the closest coordinate to highway 02_58_132-SRDS?’ Sk’jin asks as he absent mindedly watches how Hoseok and Yoongi overwhelm and overtake a small group of small differently clothed guards.

Closest footage found in highway 08_21_599-SRDS. Would you like to view?’

‘No,’ Sk’jin replies as he pays attention to the split screen in front of him, activating his Comm-Device to Hoseok and Yoongi’s.

‘Who are they?’

I think they’re slaves who are forced to work aboard the ship,’ Hoseok replies in a low and quiet voice. Even his voice was different. Sk’jin isn’t sure if it’s an act or if the physical changes across his body alters his larynx as well. ‘They have collars on their necks.’

‘They’re charged with detonative batteries,’ Yoongi says in an even quieter voice. ‘They have no cuffs.’

Sk’jin grimaces. This was beyond cruel.

Killing them would be more merciful than if they’re discovered,’ Yoongi states.

Sk’jin wants to protest but he knows Yoongi is correct. The collars could have always been charged with different methods on killing its wearer. An electric shock, a tightening reflex, maybe even some projectile that could sever the arteries inside the neck. But to actually detonate. This was probably an offensive use as well- not only were they forced to serve the very Beings who were oppressing them, they were walking around, living weapons that would probably not only kill the wearer but those around them.

We’re not doing that.’ Hoseok says, his voice harsh. ‘We’ll hide them for now.’

‘What happens after we leave. They will be killed.’

Sk’jin watches Hoseok glare at Yoongi, his eyes betraying his determined tone. Because he knew that what Yoongi was saying was the truth.

‘Leave them for now- the Yishengs will come and their lives might be spared,’ Sk’jin cuts in before anything else can happen. They both acquiesce and carry the bodies between themselves easily until they find a narrow doorway, leading into stuffy storage room of sorts.

I found you your port,’ Hoseok says as he settles the bodies down, glancing at an open transformer on the side of the wall. ‘Are you sure there’s no surveillance feed?’

‘Yes,’ Sk’jin and Yoongi both answer at once.

Ships as large as this don’t have surveillance systems- surveillance can lead to evidence if they’re caught.’ Yoongi replies. ‘If you find any camera, it’s a fake, installed to make the slaves believe they’re being watched.’

‘It’s their own fear that’s trapping them in.’ Sk’jin remarks as he sets up BluePrint and steals the entire layout of the ship. BluePrint was a highly illegal and brilliant little application that was undetectable. Though it did nothing to control the ship it was installed in, it travelled at the speed of light through every digital wiring network across any ship, building, shuttle and sent that data back to the user in the form of 3D shapes and outlines of whatever was scanned. Illegal and probably as expensive as buying an entire planet, Hoseok had casually downloaded the application into the NaviLet through his own screen and showed Sk’jin how to use it.

That- and the vacuum of space. Even if they were to escape, they would have no place to go.’ Hoseok chimes in gravely. ‘Are you getting the layout?’

‘Yeah- give me a minute and let me figure this out,’ Sk’jin mumbles, chewing on his lower lip as he studies the slaver-ship layout. It was massive all right, built mainly for storage. This was after all a Venture Unit issued ship, made for transporting large amounts of resources and materials mainly for the construction of Docking Arcs.

We’ll need to get our hands on one of the guard’s screens,’ Hoseok plans. ‘Then we can pinpoint Namjoon’s location.’

‘You should head down either way,’ Sk’jin states as he overlaps Yoongi’s tracking system over with the BluePrint system. ‘There are sections labeled as cell-gates in the lower hulls. Go back in the direction you came from, and take a left instead of a right. Then proceed up the stairs and you’ll come out into the Central Hull Facility. Then you take Bridge Gate 32 to the elevator.’

‘Got it.’

Hoseok and Yoongi leave quietly. In the dark of the small room, Hoseok has already altered his appearance. He has a sad mop of dullish brown hair and greying skin. He even has bruises and marking around his exposed skin. Curious, Sk’jin takes the manual control over Hoseok’s camera and angles it towards Yoongi.

His skin is extraordinarily fair but covered entirely in old scars. No single stretch of skin was free of scar tissue or permanent discolouration. Signs of burns, lesions, and every other possible physical injury has been imprinted upon Yoongi’s skin. Sk’jin hastily shifts the camera back to the front when Yoongi’s dark eyes stare straight into the lens, boring into Sk’jin’s eyes.

So far the two of them make it out into the Central Hull without any problem. However as they cross over the bridge extending over the deep drop of the Hull surrounded by the groaning sounds of the imprisoned Beings just brought in from Grezma- they’re stopped by a guard. Without any warning, Yoongi is struck across the face, jostling the camera view a little as Yoongi falters backwards.

Sk’jin winces, wondering if Yoongi will be able to control himself from reacting how he normally would. Though in all honesty, Sk’jin has no idea how Yoongi would have reacted if left unwarned.

Hoseok too is smacked across the face before they’re tossed into the elevator and the Guard is cursing out at them in another language.

‘Lisai, please translate.’ Sk’jin asks, looking around for a Translator-Cuff to attach to his Comm-Device.

‘Language not found.’

A flare of irritation burns up inside of Sk’jin.

‘Lisai, renew your language database to the most updated version through the GLA Database,’ Sk’jin orders irritably.

Communications Manager Sk’jin does not have the authorization to update the Užkulisai Core.’

‘ing Namjoon,’ Sk’jin growls as he goes through the aforementioned Being’s NaviLet with more force than necessary. He sets the update for the Language Core manually.

Captain Namjoon does not have the authorization to update the Užkulisai Core.’

‘What-?’

There’s a scuffle from the split screen in front of Sk’jin and he almost misses how easily Hoseok takes out the aggressive guard.

We got a screen.’

‘And just what do you plan on doing with the body?’ Sk’jin inquires irritably as he tries to update the Language Core through Hoseok and Yoongi’s authorization code.

Like this.’

Yoongi lifts the hatch on the floor of the lift and kicks down the body swiftly just as they stop on a floor.

‘Find a place to hide and find Namjoon,’ Sk’jin orders as their codes are both denied.

‘Working on it,’ Hoseok mumbles as they make their way out of the elevator.

‘Lisai- who has the highest authorization code aboard this ship?’ Sk’jin asks carefully, pulling his legs off of the screen, his skin suddenly crawling.

Authorization code 6055-2707-2188.’

Sk’jin knows that this code doesn’t belong to any of them on board. But he checks again anyways.

‘Lisai,’ Sk’jin says as firmly as he can, standing up despite feeling strangely weak and it had nothing to do with his recent bouts of fainting. ‘Please track crew member with that authorization code.’

Authorization code 6055-2707-2188 is currently located in the Hangar Bay. Unit 09.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

 

Yoongi finds no one waiting for him to ambush him as he returns.

He walks down the hallway and finds it just as empty, just as lifeless. He opens the doors and finds some rooms empty, some rooms occupied. The occupied rooms have the agents in Sleep and Yoongi watches the faint light of their bedding outline their shapes against the dark of each room.

In a sort of numbed state of being and mindlessness, Yoongi walks down the hallway, opening each and every door, filled with a growing sense of urgency he doesn’t understand.

He needs them to be here. He needs them awake. He needs them to understand.

Why was he alone in this.

He looks down at the agent on the bed. One hand carries a screen, ready to install the Android Core, ready to implement the core that had triggered his wakening. He holds the cable from the helmet device over the agent’s head in the other hand.

But he can’t do it.

According to the news in Šerdesas, an error in the main OS that controlled the polarized highway had short-circuited and caused the accident. The worst accident to have ever occurred in Šerdesas in over 3 centuries apparently. The body count was at 476 and increasing. The injured were thrice that in number and Yoongi doesn’t have enough bones in his body that can break as punishment for what he has done.

What would happen to the rest of the agents if they did gain awareness. Would Yoongi be able to explain. Would he be able to explain what it meant now. What this new Wakening meant for them as individuals?

Yoongi pockets the screen and connects the wire back to its seamless port on the wall. He steps out and closes the door quietly. He’s just in time to catch a trio of agents walking in through the main door down the hallway. Yoongi watches them, unmoving, quiet. And they walk past him, without a single indication that they noticed him.

Yoongi follows one inside their room. The agent gives pause to look at him, but doesn’t do anything else. He removes his helmet and places all of his gear on the shelves.

In this lighting Yoongi surmises that his skin is deep green in colour, and his hair is wispy and white. Yoongi isn’t sure where he’s from, but he knows that if he were to ask the agent, he wouldn’t get a reply. The agent strips himself of the uniform as well and steps into the bed. Yoongi can see the serrations, scars, wounds, lesions scattered thickly all over his skin. His feet ended in hoof-live cloven appendages, the skin of his legs suggesting a sort of hydrostatic skeletal system.

The helmet at the top of his bed lowers and the agent simply sleeps without a single acknowledgment towards Yoongi.

‘Can you hear me?’

There’s no response. Of course there isn’t.

‘Do you understand me?’

It’s silent again.

Yoongi doesn’t understand the feeling inside his chest. The urgent desire to do something but he doesn’t know what. He pushes out of the room and opens every door over and over and finds either empty beds or Sleeping agents.

Yoongi doesn’t know how many doors he’s opened, leaving many wide open and some slammed shut as though hoping to create noise enough for someone anyone to come find him. He wrenches open what feels like the thousandth door and instead of the typical room outfitted with a faintly glowing bed and shelves, he finds stairs leading down.

Yoongi hears his own breathing, harsh and loud. His mind wavers, unable to process what he was looking at. He blinks hard a few times, even pulling up his visor and pulling it down again. This was real. What he was seeing was real.

Recovering somewhat, Yoongi carefully scans the stairwell that ends at the 18th step before leveling out to stop in front another door. Yoongi steps through the door, closing the door behind him. It’s instantly pitch dark and activating the dark-lens over his visor, Yoongi steps down. He senses nothing different here. It’s a lot cooler down here though. He feels the chill of the ordinary door handle permeate the fabric of his gloves as he twists it open.

A faint light gleams through the small crack and Yoongi looks inside quietly and carefully.

He’s greeted by a tall but narrow room, lined with shelves from top to bottom. On these shelves were countless identical compressor-syringes. Each syringe was placed inside a clear glass casing. Yoongi walks up to the containers, reading the white labels on them. He finds them neatly labeled with a species, race, or genome type. They all looked like the Anti-Core used against the Heladian. And sure enough, when he reaches the index with the Heladian planet coordinates, he finds the Anti-Core nestled in there as well as the Preventive Core.

Were these all Anti-Core compressor-syringes created to be used against a species of Beings to nullify or exterminate their abilities? There’s another doorway at the end of the narrow hallway. Yoongi’s eyes flit side to side as he makes his way to the end of the hallway. He recognizes all sorts of species and races labeled there and wonders if he’ll find some form of Anti-Core for Humans as well.

The door here is a simple door without any lock or security other than just a simple handle. Pulling on the handle, the door opens to a landing with stairs on either side of it, overlooking a space that seemed to extend out the entirety of Yisheng Headquarters land-radius. And filling this space were long narrow tubes, filled with liquid and in each of these tubes were Beings.

Yoongi opens the door wide and steps into the landing, pushing up his visor.

Beings of all species, race, gender were inside the tubes. They were all , curled in on themselves like fetuses. No pipes extended from their forms, no indication of life-support. They were all just afloat but alive. Yoongi can see the pulse on the side of a floating Being’s neck, thrumming under his skin.

There is no information, no screen, no explanation. Yoongi’s mind cannot come up with any data for him to compare this to. He can’t process what he sees.

Stepping up to a tube, Yoongi places his gloved hand over it.

The Being inside is asleep. She was actually sleeping. What was happening? Why were they here? Where did they come from? What were their names?

Yoongi’s hand freezes, his body seizing up.

Had he been in one of these before?

Yoongi sprints down the long rows, eyes wildly searching for any answer- any form of explanation. He slams into a tube and falls back. His body screams in pain, his limbs throbbing and his mind reeling. This was too much. This was all too much.

By the time his eyes focus and his mind somewhat manages to quiet down, Yoongi recognizes what he’s been staring at.

Pushing himself up, Yoongi finds that he’s staring at a fetus. A small curled up form- its species is one Yoongi does not recognize. It floats connected to a tube that seems to integrate down its back.

Yoongi’s hand instantly flies to the back of his neck, feeling under the fabric of the uniform for the dent he couldn’t explain and didn’t have an explanation for. The fetus twitches just  little, shifting inside the clear liquid. The umbilical cord that extends from it ends as it branches out into smaller wire like extensions downwards to the floor of the tube through a dark wide gaping hole. Yoongi crawls forward, a strange violent reaction forcing itself out of him and he coughs violently, retching as he spits out hot and bitter bile. He wipes his mouth with his hand, heaving loudly as he tries to straighten his back but his entire body feels like it’s on fire. Was he on fire? Yoongi can’t tell- his skin is burning- was his suit falling apart? He removes his gloves violently, but finds that his hands are all right. No sign of trauma or heating. He feels at his face, shocked to find his cheeks wet. Was it sweat? What was it?

He can’t process anything- the only thing that screams louder than the vortex of confusion that claims him is the need to get out.

He places his bare hand over the glass of the tube, trying to stand up when the glass lights up with writing.

SUBJECT NUMBER: UW-022-848511

GENOME DERIVED FROM: NNWAL’E

                PLANET: UWA

                SPECIES: OSISI

                SUB-SPECIES: NNWAL’E

                RACE: AGBURU

DESIGNATED BIRTH: GLA 9630

Yoongi pushes back violently.

Then just like the hallway upstairs, Yoongi is filled the urgent need, the almost violent desire to know more- to see more.

He slaps his hand across the next tube and writing lights up immediately.

SUBJECT NUMBER: LA-284-925581

GENOME DERIVED FROM: KUYUSERA

                PLANET: LAPANSI

                SPECIES: MAFUNSO

                SUB-SPECIES: KUYUSERA

                RACE: PAMENE

DESIGNATED BIRTH: GLA 943

And Yoongi goes to the next. He checks at least 10 more before his legs give out and he’s crashing down again.

This was where he was born.

This was where he was made.

Yoongi runs back out and up the stairs, past the shelves of Anti-Core, slamming the doors behind him.

‘I have arrived at the Yisheng Headquarters. Please come to the front Atrium. I will wait for you.’

In his shock, Yoongi unsheathes his TeorSer, aiming and pointing already, body tense and coiled up like a spring, ready to jump into action. His ears are ringing and his heartbeat erratic.

‘Understood Admiral.’ Yoongi finds that his voice, despite his internal state of being, sounds entirely normal and just as monotone as before. He sinks to the ground, his limbs suddenly numb. He pockets his TeorSer just as the strangest humming sound fills the long hallway. But before he can even remotely process what it was or begin to plan investigating it, his helmet makes a small sound near his ear- a mission indicator.

Completely taken aback, Yoongi lowers his visor, trying to process what he heard and what he saw. His eyes take a while to focus and he has to read the message twice over before he understands it.

[SYSTEMS COMPROMISE]

[BREACH DETECTED]

[ERROR_SELF-DESTRUCT INITIATE]

Yoongi tears the helmet off of his head and is showered in a rain of black dust that diminishes into nothing once again. Panting, and feeling sweat run down the side of his face, Yoongi dives into the room in front of him and watches as an agent disintegrates into dust. Hastily running out, Yoongi opens the next door and finds dusted remains that vanish again.

And with every door Yoongi opens he finds each agent laying in there, fall apart into dust. The chances of finding an agent without their helmet was slim, and Yoongi opens the door to every room and finds only dust.

But one door he opens to an agent who had apparently just returned from a mission. She stares at Yoongi, her expression blank. Did she too, have a hollowed line down her back? Was she made here, to serve this mindless and pointless purpose they weren’t aware of?

‘What is your name?’ Yoongi demands.

‘Restate your request.’

Yoongi’s chest constricts with pain that isn’t physical or a result of his many injuries.

‘What is your name?!’

‘Restate your request-‘

‘WHAT IS YOUR NAME!?’

The agent is unfazed, staring simply at Yoongi without any form of recognition or regard. Yoongi falls on his knees, overwhelmed, exhausted, and pained.

‘What is your name?’ he whispers.

‘Restate your request.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

 

After taking out 7 more guards, sneaking unnoticed and overlooked for the next 4 hours or so, Hoseok and Yoongi finally find Namjoon’s location. With some amount of guilt and regret, Hoseok knocks out the working-slaves that they were going to replace as part of the unit meant to guide Namjoon towards the 10th Bridge Chamber.

Under their working-slave uniform, Hoseok and Yoongi are armed to the teeth. The Guards inside the slaver-ship didn’t explicitly carry TeorSers – only the ones at the Hangars carried TeorSers. Hoseok thinks this might be because of the working-slave’s collars. Instead they carried an assortment of blade-like weapons, but not ordinary ones either. They were armed with Heliord blades, a highly dangerous and effective weapon if used properly after the proper training.

Hoseok grins as he pockets a few of the deactivated Heliord handles, carefully strapping them to his torso long with the many blades they’ve managed to collect between themselves. Fighting alongside with Yoongi is something of a surreal experience for Hoseok. Hoseok has worked with other Beings before so it’s not the first time he’s had to do so- however this is the first time he’s never had to plan a course of action with the Being he’s partnered up with. Yoongi neither leads their unit nor does he follow- instead as Hoseok jumps into action, Yoongi shadows him perfectly, creating a mirrored balanced effect that leaves them practically invulnerable. Hoseok barely ever had to say anything but Yoongi followed up on Hoseok’s schemes as though he had thought of the same, or he would be the first to move, and always in a way where Hoseok could follow up flawlessly.

Hoseok is itching for a wild and open combat-battle alongside the Human. His skills were beyond effective and Hoseok knows this isn’t the whole scope of it.

During their espionage trek throughout the slaver-ship, they find even more enslaved Beings. At one point, they come across wide spaces that look like massive laboratories and Medical Bays but Hoseok knows these weren’t established for the health of the enslaved Beings.

They come across sectionalized areas as well. Where the enslaved Beings were separated by age, gender, species. The worst had been coming across the children. Hoseok’s fingernails dug into the palms of his hands painfully but he walked on. The Yishengs would come, and they would be freed. He repeats this to himself like a chant, hardening his heart and refusing to acknowledge what his eyes were seeing.

Sk’jin was quiet too. He would randomly send reports, such as the Orvanan Forces arrival, or the Grezma outpost condition. But that was it. He sounded stricken and seemed to speak his words with a lot more effort and force than was natural for him, and Hoseok briefly worries over the Khol’isa’s health.

Yoongi on the other hand, shows no sign of remorse, pity, or any outward emotion. Hoseok wonders if Yoongi is capable of showing or even remotely feeling any emotion or if his emotional response was trained out of him.

Or perhaps he had seen too much before, and now none of this even fazed him anymore.

They exit the elevator alongside 2 other working-slaves and a large hulking guard. They stop in front of the door before Namjoon’s and Hoseok glances over at the plain simple door. Were they guiding someone else other than Namjoon? This could potentially prove to be difficult to work around. They hadn’t considered the prospect of someone else being there.

The door opens and out skips a Being, grinning too much, overall too happy to be locked up and enslaved and potentially get killed. He waves delightedly at them and for the first time in the past several hours, Hoseok catches Yoongi react.

His eyes widen, mouth parting as he looks at the Being. And before Hoseok can even process this reaction, the unknown Being launches himself at Yoongi, hugging him delightedly.

The Being is jerked back, shoved against the door and promptly kneed in the gut. Hoseok, though worried, is more taken aback at Yoongi’s reaction. Pure fury and anger paints his normally monotone features and his body tenses, ready to attack.  

Hoseok is quick, reaching out to grab Yoongi above his elbow, shaking his head slightly.

‘Yoongi.’

Sk’jin’s warning sounds strangely off- like Sk’jin was having a hard time believing Yoongi’s reaction as well though Hoseok feels something heavier in the Khol’isa’s warning.

The Being, though just kneed, just bounces up as energetically as before and stands obediently in the middle of barrier the working-slaves form.

The Guard opens the other door and out pops up Namjoon, looking bedraggled, displeased, and generally pissed off. He doesn’t look at Hoseok or at Yoongi, only glancing over at the unknown Being once as though checking to see if he was all right. Of course Hoseok isn’t surprised that Namjoon doesn’t recognize him seeing as he’s wearing a different face and form. And of course he knew that Yoongi lacked physical presence but at this proximity and relation, Namjoon looks over Yoongi and doesn’t notice the Human at all. It almost makes Hoseok want to snigger.

They guide them quickly past several hallways and up the elevators. They had tried getting Namjoon out before this sudden “meeting” at the 20th Bridge Chamber, but it had proved impossible despite their efforts. And now with this new addition who seemed thoroughly unstable, Hoseok wonders how they’re going to work this out.

The unknown Being walks behind Namjoon and turns back swiftly to stare at Hoseok for an incredibly long period of time. Hoseok can’t help but feel like this Being can see past his disguise and can only hope he doesn’t say anything. Instead the unknown Being offers him a bright smile that is so heartfelt that Hoseok almost returns it.

They stop in front of the doorway that lead into the Bridge Chamber and Namjoon, the unknown Being, and the Guard walk in, closing the door shut behind them.

Hoseok, Yoongi, continue on with our plan.’

Hoseok wants to argue but he can’t speak. What did Sk’jin mean by that? He glances over at Yoongi who has his normal expression of utter indifference back on again.

It’s only after 10 short minutes that Namjoon comes back out. The side of his face is swollen and his eyes are dark with suppressed anger. The Being behind him trips as he’s shoved out of the room, and purely out of instinct, Hoseok catches him.

‘Ah! You saved me! Thank you!’ his voice is deep but so very bright- it’s a contrast Hoseok can’t quite process.

Hoseok wants to roll his eyes as he’s smacked across the face. This was getting old very quickly.

‘Stop that.’

Namjoon’s voice is low but Hoseok catches it.

‘Hm?’

‘You’ll get them into trouble too.’

Namjoon looks deeply troubled, clearly deep in thought as they walk back again. Except this time they don’t take the same route. They go downwards even lower.

Get them out of there.’ Sk’jin orders.

The elevator doors open and Hoseok strikes first. The dagger strapped to his back goes flying, burying itself hilt-deep into the Guards head. Yoongi is also already throwing, his dagger landing with precision as he takes out the additional Guards.

‘That was so cool!’

Hoseok nearly trips back as the unknown Being wraps his long arms around him in a tight embrace. Normally Hoseok would be very quick in pushing such approaches but finds that he doesn’t really mind. Hoseok shifts his face back to normal and notices how Namjoon gawks at him from the corner of his eyes.

‘Er-hi-?’ Hoseok starts but is nearly squeezed in half by the force of the hug and he’s given a delighted kiss on the cheek.

‘I almost couldn’t contain myself! That was amazing!’ The Being exclaims, radiating happiness. ‘It’s nice to meet you! And you too Yoongi!’

Hoseok does a double take as Yoongi dodges a hug, nodding at the Being in recognition. So he did know him.

‘How did you get inside? What about the collars?!’ Namjoon demands. ‘And where’s Sk’jin?!’

‘Can’t explain- it’s safe- we don’t have time,’ Hoseok manages to gather himself and starts stripping off the working-slave’s uniform off of his unconscious form courtesy of Yoongi. ‘You’re gonna have to disguise yourself.’

‘Did you kill them?!’ Namjoon directs this question at Yoongi.

‘No. They’re unconscious.’

Hoseok bundles up the uniform and tosses it at Namjoon. The Kutsogleran easily breaks his cuffs that maks the stranger exclaim out in awe. Just who was this Being again?

‘Sk’jin is waiting for us; we have to hurry.’ Hoseok says as he hands Namjoon a Comm-Device. The stranger gives him an expectant look, eagerly waiting for a Comm-Device as well and Hoseok finds himself handing one to him. Hoseok guesses they would bust this guy out too. If possible.

Yoongi has deactivated a few more collars and hands one to Namjoon to complete his look. Though he knows there’s no security cameras watching him, Hoseok can’t help but feel like they’re being watched. He glances over at the stranger and quickly forms a plan in his head that might actually be more sound.

‘Um- your friend is fine- we can pretend that we’re escorting him back up,’ ’ he starts explaining as he heads back to the elevator. Namjoon is staring at the cameras, clearly alarmed at their rather blasé regard to the surveillance system.

‘They’re fake. Sk’jin checked.’ Yoongi explains, though Hoseok wouldn’t have worded it that way. They had no concrete proof that there was no form of surveillance but seeing as they made it this far, he’s willing to trust Hoseok and Sk’jin’s information. Namjoon looks equally unsure about the entire thing, but he lets it go, giving both him and Yoongi and nod and starts approaching the elevator as well.

‘But wait.‘

The stranger calls out, not moving an inch. He’s dressed different than the other enslaved Beings. He’s wearing a wide loose light grey sweater on top and darker pants that were probably made with enough material for another pair or so. He’s barefoot as well and honestly looks like he’s just some form of holographic projection rather than being a real form in front of Hoseok. Everything about him just screamed outlandish and odd, his existence cutting a strange outline in the reality around them. He looks serious right now, green eyes glinting in the artificial light.

‘I still need to set them all free.’

Hoseok glances over at Namjoon. They obviously knew each other before this- probably through the cells in Grezma.

‘Taeh’yung look,’ Namjoon has a tone of something like desperation and apprehension in his voice as he attaches the Comm-Device to his ear. So that was his name. Who was he? ‘We don’t have the time or the means to do this-‘

Taeh’yung gathers himself up, as though to make a counter argument but Namjoon randomly grumbles out harshly, ‘-Spaces, what?’

Namjoon’s expression goes blank, to shocked, and then confused in a span of a second before he’s staring at Taeh’yung who still looks resolutely determined to stay behind.

‘What?!’

Namjoon is listening to whatever Sk’jin is clearly saying and Hoseok casts a confused look at Yoongi who is fiddling with the battery charges from the collars as though completely disinterested from what was happening.

‘Taeh’yung? Please,’ Namjoon steps out of the elevator and draws Taeh’yung back towards them. ‘And put on the Comm-Device, please.’

This Taeh’yung steps inside, an alarming shift in the air around him follows him and it’s tinted a strange green. Hoseok feels the need to unleash the Heliord inside his shirt lining but neither Namjoon nor Yoongi seem to think much of it.

He’s thrown out of loop, however, when Taeh’yung exclaims in delight, ‘I can’t believe this!’.

The air around Taeh’yung rapidly turns normal and he’s actually quivering with excitement. What was Sk’jin saying? What could he possibly even say?

‘It’s so nice to meet you again Jin!’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yoongi’s mind feels extraordinarily blank as he walks to the front Atrium of the Yisheng Headquarter. He does nothing to hide himself or reveal himself as he walks through the throngs of GIU officers that were now suddenly overtaking the place. The Yishengs are in a panic, eyes wide as they stare at the sudden intrusion of the GIU.

When he finds K’mara she’s just as composed, stately, and authoritative as he last saw her. Yoongi walks past her unnoticed by K’mara or the Beings surrounding her as they spoke and quietly walks into a room used to store supplies and other items required for the Atrium outside. Yoongi quietly dismantles the helmet in his hands, deactivating the OS and rendering it practically useless. When he slips it over his head he’s greeted with silence and blankness, the visor is dark with no information or tabs across it.

He taps on the screen in his hands, sending a message to the Khol’isa outside.

A minute later the door opens and K’mara walks in.

Despite the clearly chaotic nature of events unfolding around her, K’mara seems completely nonplussed and sits down on a storage box as though settling in for a casual chat with Yoongi.

‘You have done well.’ K’mara says. ‘Your mission is complete.’

Yoongi doesn’t reply.

‘Rather than send you on a mission, I would like to ask you for a favour,’ K’mara says. ‘I would like you to represent the GI- become the voice for your fellow agents who cannot speak or more accurately do not possess the capacity to formulate or understand the usage you have all been put through without your understanding.’

‘But why is that wrong?’

K’mara seems taken aback by Yoongi’s question.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Before I knew- before Zhoumi implemented the Android Core to my database, I was like them. I was not aware of what I was being used for. Does that count? Do you acknowledge and apologize to the screen in your hands for using it? Do you fly a shuttle, or a Transporter, and find that it is wrong for that object to carry you across distances?’

K’mara’s expression doesn’t change but her eyes are a different story.

‘Yoongi.’ She says gently. ‘You are not a thing. You are a living being. You live. And so do the others.’

‘We existed. We did not live,’ Yoongi replies. ‘To be Alive is different. To be Alive is to understand, to be aware, to create, to destroy.’

K’mara doesn’t say anything, watching Yoongi carefully.

‘Below the Yisheng Headquarters, under our very feet, is a large facility that houses the the GI agents. How far it extends I do not know. If there are more, I do not know. But the agents who were birthed were destroyed. I do not know if the unborn live still.

K’mara blinks a few times, surprise is clearly painted on her features.

‘…all gone?’

‘A majority yes.’ Yoongi replies. ‘Part of the gear we were given as uniform is programmed to self-destruct. Those who were Sleeping and those who were wearing them were all destroyed.’

K’mara looks deeply troubled.

A small light goes off on the Comm-Device in her ear and she stands.

‘I must leave. Will you accept my request?’ K’mara asks, back to business.

‘What good will it do?’

‘It will make a difference that can either destroy or rebuild the Universe,’ K’mara replies. ‘Our actions and words today will forever craft and shape the future of all Life.’

‘I do not know what the GI have done. I do not know who made us. Why we were made. For what intentions we were used.’ Yoongi replies. ‘I want to know everything.’

‘And under the best of my ability I will help you find this understanding- I will help you find your answers,’ K’mara promises.

‘Thank you, Admiral.’ Yoongi intones blankly.

‘For the sake of those who remain, the others like yourself, the knowledge of our meetings should stay between us only.’ K’mara says as she gets ready to leave. ‘There is a lot that has happened. A lot that has triggered events that both of us are a part of. Our understanding of our positions is clear- we did what we had to do,’ K’mara subconsciously rubs at the side of her neck, her eyes flashing neon-red. ‘And you did what you had to do.’

Did he? Yoongi didn’t understand most of what he did. Didn’t understand most of what he saw. And most of all, didn’t understand most of what he felt.  

‘I would have to ask you to pretend that we did not meet prior to today.’

‘Mission accepted.’

‘It is not a mission. A favour.’

Yoongi doesn’t know how to respond.

‘I will ask some of my men to retrieve you when the time is ready. Please wait for them in sub-room 0519.’ K’mara says as she opens the door. ‘I believe you know who is there.’

Yoongi knows all too well.

‘Good luck,’ K’mara says before she steps out of the tiny closet.

Yoongi sits inside the supply closet until the sounds outside have minimized. Stepping out into the oddly empty Atrium, Yoongi makes his way across and into the an elevator. He presses the panel for the 5th under-floor and he descends quietly.

It’s empty here too. As though all the Yishengs and GLA officers vanished into thin air. But Yoongi can hear quiet movement and even quieter voices from some of the rooms. He stops in front of room 19 and opens the door.

Zhoumi is sitting up on the bed; he looks worse than the last time Yoongi saw him not even 2 days past. He’s lost more weight. His skin is haggard and translucent, marked oddly by the scales that push out from his skin unwarranted.

He’s also awake.

‘Yoongi?’

His voice is coarse and weak. Very barely audible. He has tubes attached to his arms, the Medical-Bed he’s in encases him in a light that was battling whatever ailment besieged him. Had they used some form of Anti-Core on the Long-Huon?

‘Yoongi…is that…is that you?’

Yoongi steps closer, pulling off his helmet completely and placing it on the small table next to the Bed. There’s a screen mounted on the wall to the side without any volume, and Yoongi recognizes the frequency channel as a private GIU surveillance feed.

It’s Earth.

This was where he came from. The elemental foundation of his genome was printed from this planet, from her unique chemical composition, making him different from the rest of the Universe. Earth, by extension, was Yoongi. And Yoongi, was Earth.

Earth had only one moon, and right now Yoongi can see two large structures orbiting his native planet. One was a ship. A very massive one at that. He doesn’t know what it is. Yoongi has never seen such a construct before.

‘What is that?’

‘That…that is them,’ Zhoumi wheezes out weakly.

Yoongi doesn’t understand what Zhoumi means. And maybe he doesn’t have to.

He looks away from the screen and back at Zhoumi. The Long-Huon’s eyes are dull, his sulfuric-yellow eyes now a faded shade of its former vibrancy and hue.

‘They’ve found him,’ Zhoumi pants out. ‘They- they found him- and it’s all my-…all my fault.’

Yoongi looks back at the screen. The red-ship has shifted, angling its massive form differently and showing more of Earth.

Yoongi knows it’s his planet. Yet he doesn’t feel that connection. Doesn’t understand if what he felt was detachment or hopelessness. The surface of his planet pulses with magenta light, disrupting its atmosphere, clouds evaporating and thinning, pushing around in unnatural patterns and form.

Yoongi reaches out to the screen, lightly touching the surface. The moment his finger makes contact, a strong magenta light pulses even more violently over the entirety of the planet and Yoongi can actually see how the continents seem to crumble, breaking apart in giant fissures and rents, the oceans shifting violently.

‘What are you doing?’ Zhoumi’s voice is weak and frail.

‘Tell me.’ Yoongi’s eyes never leave the screen as he witnesses the death of his planet.

‘How many planets do you see from here?’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

 

 

(Author’s Note)

Look, Yoongi and Hoseok combatting with super cool sci-fi swords I JUST NOPES

Also I’ve made a moodboard to show what the Užkulisai looks like both outside and inside, and other stuff here!

I almost couldn’t update tonight. My router was doing stupid stuff and my wifi died out on me FOR SPECIFIC WEBSITES LIKE BUZZFEED AO3 AND AFF EXCUSE YOU WIFI

ALSO I AM LIVING FOR NAMTAEGI IN BV2 I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT EPISODE

I LOVE 2SEOK SO MUCH I CAN’T BELIEVE THEM

 

 

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ChiaToma
#1
Chapter 68: Wow....just wha? From the title I was hoping for an appearance by Lulu or JD cause that would make so much sense but now Im like...is everyone dead or dying or something else cause Im.so confused and yeah...temptation to kill rising!
Also go Lim! You little blessed life being!
Taehyung where the hell are you, you strange little green goblin! I know you're lurking around somewhere! Or a version of you is
GAH! NEED ANSWERS!
Lol looking forward to more
ChiaToma
#2
Chapter 67: Blinks.....okay...that was a bit of a mindfook I'll admit and geeze Tsirin you crazy biatch
Amme! You absolute beaut! Deal with that little cow but don't kill yourself!
I knew there was a plan betweem Jimin and Taehyun! Just knew it! I so badly wanna see exactly what it all was...even if we never get a full explain
And yeah boy, that was a ride
Looking forward to more
ChiaToma
#3
Chapter 66: Wah....they're not going to make it....but
....
So confused and just wahhhh
Happolin #4
Chapter 66: No no no......I don't like where this is heading!!!!!!! Not another yixing!!!!! Please nooooo ( T~T ) ( T~T )...........

Nooooope Noope Noooooooo
ChiaToma
#5
Chapter 65: Oh wow
So much action and so much too worry about
I wanna know.what Taehyungs up to....please don't have pulled a certain healer cause that will be so unfair
Looking forward to more
Happolin #6
Chapter 64: Every 2weeks...almost4 months i guess..... welcome back :D
I was really confused at first but then understood that he was just thinking of the past.....like "eh, did he wake up from a nightmare......when did Jin and RM meet up and didn't V like dead...."

Personally I like PTD..... :D
ChiaToma
#7
Chapter 64: Damn it I knew I was coming to the end of that chapter and Im still screaming NO DO NOT STOP THERE UNCLASSIFIED! I NEED MORE

Though I will confess to laughing at hurrican Namjoon, bless his klutsom nature and having to be helped out by the Amic and Shay who just do it automatically now. Gave some lovely little tension break moments I'll admit.

Still wanna know where Jimin and Taehyung are though - cause them two are doing something, I know they are

Hope Ski'Jin is okay and Kookie ain't in too much trouble

Looking forward to more
ChiaToma
#8
Chapter 62: And how.did I miss this update. Wow that was interesting and boy I wanna see what Tae is up to
Onto the next chapter
ArmyCaratExoL
#9
Chapter 61: wow, I should have realised that Tsirin would have been willingly involved! so nice to get a look into more of Jimin´s childhood and the events that led to this whole mess.
as a non-American, I wouldn't say that the whole qanon stuff is affecting me personally. But I have spent the last... 6 months (but more like Trump´s entire presidency) in disbelief and sort of hopelessness every time I look at the news from the US. That people can believe these things, and that others allow for these things to happen... the lengths some people are willing to go to, and the things they ignore and leave unchallenged out of self-interest is mindboggling and absolutely terrifying. More than ever I am certain that the US is a country I NEVER want to visit.
Anyway tho - wonderful chapter! I hope you are well and I look forward to the next update^^
ChiaToma
#10
Chapter 61: Well wow....okay that threw me a wild ride and a half and still processing half of it but yeah...
So Tsirn caused all of this because she wouldn't let go of her grief...wow that makes sense actually when I think about it but yeah...processing
And I've heard of a mugwump too, it made me smile reading it but I cant think of where I heard it now. Some kids story I think - possibly Roald Dalh or maybe Moomins - but i have heard of one. If i ever track down where I shall let you know
Anyway looking forward to more