A Bio-Weapon’s Rhapsody

Chapter 300: That’s what friends are there for.

Ale went through the other two pamphlets that [Golem] and [Big Sister] had provided, while the first page was indeed a picture of some arch within Aquila. Ale suspected it was either the landing zone or the welcoming area in the airport... or the pier.

Either way, the content of the other parts was different, greatly different at that.

[Big Sister]'s was an university that had a focus on space exploration and a highly greater focus in theorical physics and for some reason, came with a job offer?

On the other hand, [Golem]'s was a research facility / school institute, it was closer to a technical school if anything, he would be needed to participate in some experiments and they promised to help him acclimate his Core and stabilize it so he would be able to have a more normal body.

And there was a note at the end that stated that if that was not possible, they would get him a full-body prosthesis. And considering what Ale knew now about the technology the Saitnsworths had access to.

That is to say, the technology to move the mind to devices and manipulate them from afar, she didn't doubt that statement at all.

Compared to them...

Ale turned to look at her own pamphlet, the one she manually printed.

The normal school pamphlet, the only normal school in that goddamned island that is.

"So, Vulcanus was the one to give this mission?" Ale asked shaking herself back into focus.

"It actually came from someone else, our newest client." [Golem] answered pulling a folder from his ribcage... that was... actually kinda smart, if one thought about it. "We don't have much on them, but it came from an official route so Eleanore put it up for grabs."

"And we were planning on skipping on this, since we were focused on trying to find where they had kidnapped you to." [Big Sister] sighed, "It was Billy the one who suggested us to take this one, and Vulcanus confirmed that you would probably be in that place."

"...So it came from Vulcanus." Ale said confirming her theory, "The client..."

"Do you think it's your brother?" [Big Sister] said frowning, "I don't know how that one is as a brother, but... Do you think he is trying to look out for you?"

"...I am not sure." Ale said back sighing, "Could be? He did spend way too much time trying to find a safe way for me to be here..."

Allegedly, at least, since Ale had no way to prove it. The only points to this data was what Alexanders himself said, and what the old asshole said after all.

"You are going back right?" [Big Sister] pointed to the pamphlet, "So it doesn't matter how we got this mission, since you are going there, we need to back you up."

"I don't want you two to change your whole life just because of me." Ale said shaking her head, "It's not fair."

"My life will not change much," [Golem] said raising a hand and pointing at himself, "And going there could give me a way to find a better life. I did look into the possible full-body prosthetics, and some look quite natural."

"As for me I can return back here easily enough," [Big Sister] said as she raised a hand and there a small circle formed, moving her hand into the circle a secondary one materialized behind her head, was that a teleportation gate then? "Vulcanus has evidence about my actual Core Power now, and if he is compromised, so does the Saintsworths. And since they dared to invite me... Why should I refuse the invitation?"

"Oh yeah... Do you think you could teleport someone from here to there?" Ale said remembering that bit of data, "Your Core Powers is teleportation or something similar right?"

"... I don't know," [Big Sister] said shaking her head, "My limit is roughly between 30 kms to 100kms in a straight line. But if there are stuff between me and there, the range becomes shorter. And I need to know how it is there or how it looks."

The distance was farther than that, at the very least she had traveled roughly 2,000 kilometers. The fact that [Big Sister] could teleport something to space, but not to Aquila, was, honestly, quite hilarious.

"I see..." Ale said nodding, "What kind of degree of power would someone need to do that?"

"Hmm...." [Big Sister] stopped to think about how to answer that, "Honestly... You would need a very specific type of Core Power, and even then it would probably only work for that particular thing."

"How so?" [Golem] was the one to ask the question in this case, "Is this a case of specialization over generalists?"

"Precisely." [Big Sister] said nodding, "I can do many things with my Core Power because of how it works, it is part of why I can pass off as a Wind Core User. If the teleportation power worked by only teleporting a very specific thing from point A to point B... Then it could work."

"I see..." Ale said nodding, so Alexandra probably triggered a Core and went that route.

"Do you think they got you out using a power like that?" [Big Sister] asked, "They didn't. I checked, there was no open rifts, whatever method they used it was either someone in the S-List- and not a single one of those monsters are Teleporters- Or they used another mean to extract you."

"Well, I just wanted to make sure." Ale said shaking her head once again, "I still don't know what is that I saw that day."

Or well, she knew what she saw, she couldn't believe it, but she knew what she saw. The idea of what happened had so many implications.

"It's okay." [Big Sister] said walking to Ale and hugging her, "You are fine now."

"Thank you," Ale answered back, "So... We taking the mission then?"

"Of course," [Golem] said pushing the folder, right, Ale had not read that one yet. "You are living there, so might as well make use of that. While we will live in a shared apartment, we can still commute and work on the days off."

"Right, any idea of if they have bars?" [Big Sister] asked suddenly, "We can hit them if they have them."

"Ale is underage," [Golem] chimed in, "And remember what Eleanore said, she will probably have minders on that side."

"Oh right..." [Big Sister] grimaced at that statement, "... The minders, can we ditch them?"

"Doubtful," Ale said sighing, "They seem... pretty intent on minding me and Alexa."

"Well, we will speak with them and see about that." [Big Sister] smirked, "If they are not up to our standards you can come and live with us. I am sure we can abuse the authority of your brother for a greater cause."

That was an idea if Ale had seen one before, she didn't mind the idea itself or what it promised to do.

"That's a plan," Ale said nodding, "Well, I am sure they will be... at least one of them will be interested in meeting you."

"What are their names?" [Golem] asked pulling a tablet, it was still amazing how he could manipulate electronic devices without breaking them, considering his body was made out of minerals, rocks and sand apparently.

"Vivian Kellet and Miriam Eversoul," Ale said shrugging, "The first one will probably not care, I still don't have a clue about that one. But the second one will probably have some... stuff to say about being a bad example and whatnot. Do ignore her, Alexa likes her for some reason that I still don't get."

"...The Saintsworths Witches?" [Big Sister] asked back in a reflex before quickly covering her mouth, "Sorry about that, so... what can you tell us about them?"

"Found em," [Golem] said before Ale could ask what was that about, "Miriam Eversoul, lead philanthropist? Several initiatives... Oh she is the one in charge of all the orphanages and health care programs..."

"That's about right," Ale said nodding, "What about-"

"Vivian Kellet..." [Golem] started speaking next again as if he hadn't heard Ale's question, "Top scientists in genetics, human genome study, gene therapy..."

[Golem] then went along naming several case studies and advancement in gene studies and genetics and what not, it was all very interesting, and made Ale wonder where he was picking up that data since a few of those soudned restricted.

"So about that moniker..." Ale started speaking, she felt as if that slip was important.

"So the mission folder," [Big Sister] was the one to start speaking this time, opening the folder and showing some of the information.

[Golem] quickly walked up closer to read the data too, even though they both had probably had already read this data before.

"...It's not me the weird one here right?" Ale sent the prompt inwardly.

[Detected a change within atmosphere.]

[Re-reading atmospheric Analysis.]

[Detected shift within mana density.]

[Mistress' friends may be under a compulsion.]

...Oh...

"So we need to investigate something?" Ale said coming closer to the folder, and in turn sticking closer to [Big Sister], "Main Core, analysis."

"Yeah, they want us to check on the laboratories," [Big Sister] nodded, there was some mild relief in her face, "We will get more information when we get there apparently."

[Sending Nanites...]

[Taking sample...]

[Analysis in progress...]

[Please elicit a response.]

"So... why Witches?" Ale asked, tilting her head, "They were good to Alexa... albeit their bed manners need some work."

"... I have no idea what you mean," [Big Sister] said shaking her head, "I must have mixed them or something."

"So our immediate plan would be getting some local data first." [Golem] came and stood besides Ale, speaking as if he hadn't heard what Ale asked, "Any plan about how to go about that? Since you have been there."

Ale took that chance and placed a hand on [Golem]'s shoulder next.

[Sending Nanites...]

[Taking sample...]

[Analysis in progress...]

"Well, I was mostly around the place I arrived," Ale answered, "Which was a research facility, then around the apartment building, so if this is near there then sure."

[Analysis finished...]

[Display results?]

"But we will need to check on that when we arrive I guess." Ale said dismissing the prompt, she would check on that later. "For now though, I guess we study this."

[Big Sister] sighed in relief as Ale didn't pursue that further, but that was... interesting to say the least. So the effect was not limited to affecting her only? She had seen [Golem] be affected, and while [Big Sister] wasn't as affected, there was some effect also put on her.

"So, any info in what we are searching for?" Ale decided to finally take a serious look to this data that they gave them, "Or for who?"

"Not really." [Golem] answered, "Like I said, they only offered the mission, all the data will be provided there. All we have is this."

Ale started reading and archiving the files. These included blueprints to... something that resembled Aquila, or the aquila that she had seen.

There were many differences, the plans here didn't account for half of the facilities that Ale knew that Aquila had, this one didn't include as many hotels and resorts, nor restaurants and malls.

The blueprints here also didn't include the piers, instead it had airports in a few of those piers. Contrary to what Ale knew, these blueprints only had one singular pier for seaships. And the actual Aquila had a pier in each point of the star design.

Since it had that many contacts with the ocean it made sense, why limit the piers if you would have contact with the sea anyway, right?

Granted, not all those piers had access or facilities to accommodate any kind of ship; there were dedicated piers for loading and unloading of whatever they needed. Also, Ale knew that they had a couple of piers dedicated only to military vessels.

But that was that and this was this.

This blueprint that they were provided with also included several floors under the earth, and while the Aquila that Ale knew could probably support that many levels under the water... She didn't knew if it would be like that.

"This is a land facility." Either way, Ale felt like it was important to point that bit.

"Of course," [Big Sister] said nodding, "Where else would it be?"

"...Aquila is an island." Ale said shaking her head, "It is not a land locked place."

"What?" [Big Sister] asked confused, "But... It's Aquila..."

"Yeah," Ale said nodding, "And I am telling you, it is an island. An artificial island, did they not tell you that?"

"We weren't told where it was." [Golem] answered, "And these don't say either, you can kinda infer they have access to the water since it has a pier, but... that's about it."

"I mean... since where it is..." [Big Sister] started saying only to shake her head and close her mouth, "How sure are you that it's an island?"

"Very," Ale said pulling her phone and showing a picture of her pod, she had a few pictures ready about her glider since that would be part of one of her future streams, "I have pictures about how it looks from above too."

Ale then went about showing the pictures she had ready, of course, these had been sent to Alexanders before to ensure the blonde man would not make a fuss about it.

And his answer?

'Send me a link when you post them :laughingemoji:.'

The man was a menace.

"...I see." [Big Sister] said as she and [Golem] went through the pictures, neither commented on how she got them, probably assuming she took them as she left.

"So you see, this is an island. An artificial island, but an island." Ale pointed out again.

"Our blueprints may be from when they were making it," [Golem] said sighing, "Probably from before they departed, either way we may need to take that into consideration, some of these routes they suggested for us only work if we dig through the dirt after all."

[Golem] then moved the pages to a page that suggested a route that would have them digging through dirt and ice.

"Ice?" Ale said pointing that bit, "Why Ice?"

"Skye said that some parts of the design only made sense if the place was near one of the poles." [Golem] said, shrugging, "It made sense, an isolated place that is hard to access and whatnot."

...Right.

Hadn't Alexanders also said that the high council wanted Aquila to be made in one of the poles or something? Ale had vague recollections of that.

Then was this a mission from them? The feared and famed high council?

Well... Ale had more to think about now.

"So... Let's move to our plans," Ale said, sighing, "Either if this is in the Arctic Circle or in the ocean, that will change how we move after all."

"Yeah, let's." [Golem] nodded and so, they moved to do just that.

Three people planning how to do the greatest heist in history! Or something like that, Ale wasn't sure what to say about this.

But that was fine too, that's what friends are for, to plan the greatest hit in one of the most powerful entities on the planet.