“Phew, that was exhausting…” Exclaimed Nia as she put away her last tool, she then looked behind her. “Mh? What’s wrong?”
Rika was standing there, in a daze, not even realizing that Nia had finished working.
“Hey~, anybody here?” She ended up asking, getting closer as she waved her hand in front of Rika's eyes. Rika was startled by the action, and backed up a little.
“H-huh? Nia?”
“Yes! You got it right, I'm Nia!” Nia responded happily, smiling as she pointed to herself with both of her indexes. She probably thought that Rika had nearly confounded her with Mia again, but Rika’s bewilderment was provoked by something else…
“...Right.” Rika let out a long, silent sigh, calming herself. For a moment, she nearly believed she saw Ticia in place of the girl. But that's impossible, Ticia isn't here.
Nia wasn't Ticia, and the chances of her old underling being related to the triplets were rather low… At least that's what she kept repeating to herself.
“Look, look! I repaired your bike!” Not knowing Rika’s current thoughts, Nia happily pointed to Rika’s hoverer bike.
This made Rika concentrate on her bike, and she was startled again by the state of the bike… The dents it had collected throughout the years had disappeared, and the bike seemed brand new.
“... What the fuck?” She ended up mumbling, staring at the bike.
“Ah! That's a no go word!” Nia reacted to her mumble, shaking her head while crossing her arms. “Mom said it’s bad to utter them.” She said, trying to correct Rika, but Rika had not heard her, she walked towards her bike, putting a hand over its shiny metal sheets.
“It’s real…” She mumbled to herself in disbelief. The last time she had seen her bike in such a good state was when she had repaired it for the first time. She was quite proud of herself at the time, but it seemed that this little girl had done an even better job than her at restoring the hoverer bike to its former glory.
“What did you do?” She ended up asking Nia seriously.
“My job?” The girl replied, tilting her head as if she did not understand what she meant.
“No, that's not what I meant, how did you repair it so fast?” Rika corrected herself, and asked again, glancing at the bike again.
“Uhm, even if you ask me that, I just did what I usually do?” Nia replied, scratching her cheek as she smiled awkwardly.
“...Did anybody teach you this?” Rika asked, wondering if the girl had been taught by a master.
“Nope, I learned all that by myself~.” Nia replied casually, but her answer only made Rika even more surprised.
A genius. She thought, staring at the girl with big, round eyes. This child is a genius that's only born once in a century or more… She might even rival the empress of the Philio Techno-empire!
She could not explain the current events with anything else. But her surprise would not end here however.
“Then, I’ll give you a report of my work.” Nia declared, getting closer to the bike. Her face had become serious, and was devoid of her usual smirk.
“This hoverer bike was in quite a bad shape. The brakes were dead, so I had to change them, good thing some alternate pieces were there.” She said, pointing to the old brakes that were now laying on the ground. “...As for the main problem, this bike was in such a bad shape because the fuel usage was wrong. The engine did not take it well.”
“What? Wrong fuel?” Rika frowned, she had always used the same fuel, the one that was recommended to her once she bought the bike, and now this girl was telling her she had been using the wrong fuel?
“Yes, but it’ll be fine now, I modified the engine so that it can withstand any fuel~, even those old fossil sources.” Nia replied, as if the problem was solved. But it wasn’t for Rika, she had never heard of a universal engine that could use any fuel.
“How did you make it able to do that?” She asked, doubting the girl’s words.
“I didn’t say it could use fuel just like this. I just said that now the engine could withstand any fuel. Still, it’s better if you use the recommended fuel for now.” Nia corrected. “You should really take better care of your bike.” She said, chiding Rika, who just stayed silent.
“...”
“Looking at your expression, I’m guessing you don’t know which fuel it is? Well, that’s nothing big, really, I’ve registered the correct fuel within the bike’s integrated computer’s database. There shouldn’t be more problems. Next…”
Nia continued to explain all the modifications and repairs she had made, Rika silently listening in, still dumbfounded by the number of repairs this girl proclaimed having done on her bike.
No, I can’t believe it just like that. She thought. It was impossible for somebody to do so much in such a small amount of time! Let me turn on the engine…
Seeing was believing, Rika put her right thumb over the main computer of the bike, which was on its handlebar, and to her incredulity, the bike came to life.
“No way…” She murmured to herself as the silent hum of the motor reverberated through the tent. She could tell just by this fact that her bike was in better condition than it had ever been.
She mounted the bike, and put another command into the integrated computer. Very slowly, the hoverer bike began to float up, settling itself about 50 centimeters off the ground.
“It’s really working…” Rika muttered again, and a wave of emotions hit her as she realized that her favorite bike had not only been repaired, but was in a much better condition than she could ever hope. Neither her nor her unit’s engineers could obtain such a result!
The bike which she had obtained through her own efforts, without relying on her family. The bike that, in her eyes, represented her own freedom from any faction the most. This bike was letting out a tranquil hum as it reached the ground once again.
“So, so? How is it? Did I do good? Can I be your personal mechanician now~?” Nia, who changed back to her usual personality, asked Rika as she dismounted the bike and turned it off.
“...It’s perfect.” Was all that Rika could utter as she caressed the bike affectionally.
“Hehe~ I’m happy then.” Nia said, satisfied by Rika’s reaction. “It ain’t much, but it’s honest work~. So? How about it? I think I fulfilled all the requirements to get my promotion, right?” She asked with expectant eyes. Lidia, who was now standing next to her sister, let out a long sigh.
“Nia, you did it again…” She said, exasperated that what she thought would happen ended up happening.
“What? But this is only the minimum!” Nia exclaimed, shocked by her sister’s comment. This only made Lidia sigh once again. “Why do you sound so disappointed in me!?”
“It’s nothing, Nia is Nia afterall…” Lidia said in a disinterested voice, glancing at her sister again, before sighing yet again.
“Why do I feel like sis has given up all hope!?” Nia screamed out, not understanding her sister’s reaction, but then, somebody suddenly grabbed her from behind. “Whoah!?”
Rika lifted the girl twirling on herself, and Nia screamed as a result, another trauma surging through her mind.
“Wh-what are you doing!? Put me down!” She yelled, and Rika finally stopped, putting her down. Nia felt nauseous, and had a hard time staying on her feet.
“Ugh, is this a new form of punishment? I feel like throwing up…” She said, holding a hand over her mouth. Tears in her eyes, she sent a cute glare towards the perpetrator of her current condition. “What was that for?!”
Nia froze however when she saw Rika’s expression, and so did Lidia. She had a very delighted look on her face, with a big smile. A look that they had not seen on the woman’s face before.
In a very good mood, Rika approached Nia. She couldn’t resist it any longer and patted the girl on the head and said her heartfelt gratitude. “Thanks a lot.”
“Fueh?” Was all that Nia managed to say as she stayed frozen like a statue as Rika patted her, but before long, she began giggling. “Hehehe~.”
I’m glad, she doesn’t seem to hate it. Rika was a bit relieved, Nia was not rejecting her, and seemed to like it.
Good grief, now she’s back to a regular overexcited kid… She could not help herself but comment on this, smiling wryly. Nia was acting like a child happy to be spoiled. Alright, let’s play along for a bit.
“A promotion is it?” She said with a smile on her face, stopping patting Nia on the head. The girl had a reluctant look on her face, clearly wanting more headpats. Rika took a pose and declared. “Alright, under my authority as a brigadier-general, I, Rika Doesson, declare you as head of the engineer team of my brigade!”
“Nuoh!? That’s, like, a huge promotion, no?!” Nia said, a surprised look on her face. Of course, it was just a play for Rika, who nodded, before continuing.
“Yes, and you deserve it for such an achievement. This bike means a lot to me. Truly, thank you.”
“Th-then, does that mean I’m superior in grade to sis? If so, hehe…” Nia said, as a devilish smirk appeared on her face. She began to laugh like a villain, looking at her sister. Lidia however, was not playing along.
“...Don’t get the big head.” She said as she hand chopped Nia.
“Guah!?” Nia immediately held her forehead where the chop had landed, crouching. Lidia had put more strength in it than usual.
“Hmph.” Lidia hmphed, looking over her sister with a judging look in her eyes, before walking away and resuming her job with the tablet.
Rika had a wry smile at the exchange between the sisters. It seemed to her that, for some reason, Lidia was jealous.
“Anyway, that was unexpected, but I still have work to finish.” She said to herself, going over to her chair.
Nia, having recovered, followed behind her. It seemed like the girl wanted to ask her something.
“What is it, Nia?” Rika asked.
“Erm, can I sit on-” Before she could finish however, Lidia made a sudden move and jumped on Rika, installing herself on her laps and surprising both Rika and Nia.
“Ah! No fair sis!” Nia protested, but Lidia only sent a slight smirk at her sister.
“First come, first served.” She commented as she went back to doing her work. Meanwhile, Nia made puppy eyes to Rika with an obvious meaning.
“Erm, Lidia?” Rika asked, faltering under the pressure of the look.
“Yes? Is there a problem?” Lidia said, continuing her work as if nothing happened.
“Uhm, why are you sitting on my lap?” Rika asked.
“The ground is hard.” Lidia answered briefly.
That’s your only reason? Rika thought, frowning a bit, before letting out a sigh. “Well, I guess this is fine, but could you please make some space for your sister?”
Lidia stopped, glancing over at her sister who was making puppy eyes, before declaring. “No.”
“Guh. So merciless, sis…” Nia said, as if she had taken another hit. Rika was about to insist once more when Nia suddenly said, sighing.
“It’s alright, miss, I’ll just sit on the bike, if it’s alright with you.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, but can I sit on your lap later?” Rika nodded. “Thank you~.” Nia said, before going over to the hoverer bike, she struggled a bit to mount on it before finding a comfortable position.
“Nuuu~, it seems so comfortable, I’m so jealous…” She commented as she glanced over at Rika and Lidia, who had both resumed their work.
And just like this, time passed, and the sun was soon about to set. Despite a small pause to eat dinner (military rations that Nia immediately spat out because of their taste), Lidia was still sitting on Rika’s lap, to her sister’s distress. But the girl had argued that she would stay there until they finished their work, which would not take much longer to finish.
The place had finally become calm, and Mia had yet to wake up, the girl was sleeping soundly in the next space, recuperating from the rollercoaster of a journey she had.
So peaceful… Rika thought to herself, enjoying the moment. But just as she thought that, this peaceful moment came to an end.
“Hey Girl!” A familiar voice exclaimed from outside, it startled both Lidia and Nia, who began to stay on guard. By reflex, Rika held Lidia with both arms like it was a hug. In truth she was just making sure the girl would not assault the person who was about to enter the tent. Somehow, it had the effect she wanted, as the girl froze and calmed down.
Finally, the entrance to the tent was swung open as an old man said in a merry, loud voice, bottle in hand.
“I’ve brought some booze…for…tonight.” Berdo froze as he took in the scene inside the tent. He had expected it to have only one occupant, and now, he faced not one person, but also two new pairs of wary eyes.
“Oh, old man, what brings you here?” Rika commented, knowing it was Berdo who was coming. She resumed her work as if nothing had happened while still holding Lidia with one arm.
“What, you say… Like usual?” Berdo said. “I was just about to grab you to go drink a bit- wait, no,no, no, hold on! Girl, who are those kids?!” He said, pointing at the perturbation elements that were still looking at him with weary eyes.
Rika tilted her head.
“New recruits?”
“Ah, I see~. Not! Did you really think that would work on me!?” Berdo exclaimed, roaring with his voice. “What are kids doing here!?”
“Can’t you see? They’re working for me.” Rika said, as if she was stating the obvious. It left Berdo dumbstruck for a moment.
“... I can’t tell whether you’re telling the truth or not, girl…” He said, not knowing what to say anymore.
“Hey, who is that old man~?” Nia asked, getting down from the bike and getting closer to Rika. She felt no danger from Berdo anymore and was just curious about him.
“Oh, him? He’s-” Lidia began, before Berdo interrupted her.
“This old man is called Berdo Poltok, I’m a good friend of your ‘boss’.” He said, giving a big, friendly smile to Nia.
“Yes, that’s why, you can stop letting out your killing intent, Lidia.” Rika finished, telling Lidia to stop letting out killing intent.
“...” Lidia silently nodded, stopped staring at Berdo and began to work again.
“Phew, what a scary little girl…” Berdo commented, some sweat on his forehead. He had felt Lidia’s killing intent and was quite surprised to receive one from such a young kid.
“Just be happy I am holding her, if not, you would already have a knife under your throat.” Rika commented, which made him freeze again.
“So, can you tell me the real reason you came?” Rika said, closing the computer as she asked the question. Lidia imitated her, and put the tablet away before staring at the old man.
“W-well, I didn’t receive your report yet, so I was wondering what was taking you so long.” Berdo answered, finding the action of both girls funny.
“Oh, that? Don’t worry, I’ve just finished it.” Rika said. She had just sent her report over to Berdo.
“I see, good.” He said, nodding his head, before glancing at Nia and Lidia. “So, um, can you tell me where those girls came from?”
Rika nodded, she would need the old man’s help if she wanted to assure the girls' safety anyway, so she was going to let him know. But before she could, Nia declared with a big smirk on her face.
“We’re her children of course!”
“Wha-”
““Nia!?””
They all exclaimed, looking at Nia in surprise.
“...I see, so they’re your kids huh?” Berdo nodded, as if persuaded. “Why did you not tell me you got kids? No, more importantly, who’s their father? Do I know him?”
“Y-you got it wrong!” Rika exclaimed, her face getting red from embarrassment.
“Haha, no need to be embarrassed, girl, I’m not judging you.” Berdo said, laughing. "It's good that you made a family, don't be like this old man and focus only on your career."
"No, old man, listen-"
"Truly, when I saw you and that girl so focused on work, I thought you would end up like me, but I'm glad to see that's not the case. Don't worry, I won't bother your family time any longer. See ya."
"H-hey, wait!" Rika shouted as Berdo turned to leave. At the same time, Nia exploded in laughter.
Seeing this, Berdo stopped, and Rika sighed, before sending a reproachful look towards Nia.
"Sorry, sorry~. I couldn't hold myself. If only you could see your faces! Haha~."
Rika sighed. "Geez, how could you say that? What about your real mother?"
Nia froze. "Ah, you're right, that was rude of me. I only have one mother in the entire world." She declared, with strong belief in her words, and Rika sighed in relief. It seemed like she really cared about her mother.
"… But the father's place is still open~." Nia said with an impish smile, glancing over at Rika, who froze, this joke had some implications she did not expect...
"Ahem, anyway, it seems I've taken my joke too far. I expected sis to stop me, but she's acting strange now…" Nia said, glancing at her sister.
"Huh? Lidia?" Rika finally realized Lidia was strangely silent. Leaning over, she saw the girl's face as red as a tomato.
"..." Lidia did not respond when called. It seemed the unexpected shock of Nia's joke had a critical effect on the girl…
"Well, she'll reboot soon, probably." Nia said, before turning towards Berdo and smiling. "Anyway, I'm Nia, mister, and I'm not Rika's daughter like I said before. Just somebody she 'picked up'".
"...Picked up?" Berdo frowned at the choice of words.
"Yeah, so don't take it badly and listen to Miss Rika…" She said, reflecting on her joke. In the first place, she did not know if this old man liked jokes.
But contrary to her concerns, Berdo began to laugh out loud.
"Hahaha, what a funny, cute little girl. I like her." He said, then extended his arms. "Say, kid, won't you give this old man a hug?"
"Ugh, hell no!" Nia said, seemingly disgusted.
"Aww~, don't be shy, I don't bite." Berdo said as he caught Nia, who yelped in surprise.
"Kya! Let me go!" She struggled, but Berdo was stronger than her.
"Hehe, there's no use in struggling, let this old man spoil you!"
"Nooo~~!"
It was when the both of them were making such a ruckus that a voice came from the other space in the tent.
"SHUT UP! I can't sleep!" The voice said, and suddenly, a helmet flew over, hitting Nia straight on the head.
"Gefu!?"
"Wha-?!" Berdo was surprised, and looked over to see where the helmet came from, only to see a third little girl emerge from the second space in the tent, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"...Another one…" He mumbled to himself.
Mia, half asleep, went over to Rika, who had been looking at the scene with a dumbfounded look. When she was next to her, she stared at Lidia who had yet to reboot, and suddenly grabbed her.
Then, as sudden as her apparition, she throwed Lidia out of the way with sheer force.
"Whoah?!" Lidia, forced to refocus, fell flat on the ground. "Ouch!"
Meanwhile, Mia sat on Rika's lap, where her sister had just been, and leaned on Rika.
"Hehe~, the best place to sleep~." She said, and not even one second later, fell asleep again.
A silence reigned in the tent as its occupants processed the events.
"... What just happened?" Lidia ended up asking as she finally got up.
"Karma?" Nia, who now had a bump on her forehead, said as she glanced at her sister, and after receiving a glare in return, she corrected. "No, uhm, I know I'm the closest to Mia here, but even I have never seen her act like that… Somehow, I'm glad."
The last part was more of a relief to Nia, even though it was while she was half asleep, her sister did not show any sign of shyness or speaking disorder, and did whatever she wanted. This was how Nia hoped her sister would always be, so long as she obeyed their mother, that is…
On the other hand, Rika looked at the new girl who had settled on her lap with a complicated expression. She's definitely the most dangerous out of the three of them.
"Anyway, old man, can I ask for a favor?" She said, looking at Berdo with a serious look.
"...I'm not sure what just happened, but seeing how serious you are, it's something urgent, right?" Berdo said, putting down Nia, who immediately fled to hide behind Rika's chair. The action only made her even cuter in the old man's eyes, who had a fondness for kids.
"Yes, and it has something to do with those girls." Rika said, unconsciously, she began caressing Mia's hair, and the girl seemed to like it, a smile creeping on her face despite the fact that she was asleep.
"You see, back when I raided the Ionian camp…" Rika proceeded to tell the story of how she met the triplets to Berdo, who listened to her seriously without interrupting her. After she had finished, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, deep in though.
"...I see, so you think those kids got experimented on… Poor little girls." Berdo said, sending a pitiful look towards the girls.
"Yes, and I don't want them to experience it again." Rika said, to which Berdo nodded.
"Yeah, you made the right choice. This whole operation is weird to begin with, and I don't like how that Fika boy has been so proactive recently." He sighed, before glancing at the girls again. "But there's something else that's bothering me…"
“What is it?” Rika asked, tilting her head.
“Now that I’ve taken a proper look at them, those girls… Aren’t they resembling her a lot?” Berdo said, the person he was talking about was, of course, Ticia.
“...They do.” Rika said as she sent back a grave expression towards the old man. She knew who he was talking about, and she denied it. “But there’s no way. She never had children, and I don’t think she has ever mentioned wanting one.”
“Is that so?” Berdo frowned. “Did you ask the girls directly?”
Rika shook her head. “No, they don’t want to talk about their family.”
“Hmmm…” Berdo put a hand under his shin, thinking. “Ah, then let’s try it like this.” He mumbled, nodding to himself, before fiddling with his wristwatch. “Good thing you gave me a photo of her.”
“You’re going to show them a picture of her?” Rika asked, and Berdo nodded. How could I not have thought about that? She asked herself. Perhaps she had avoided it because she denied the links between the two cases so strongly.
“Hey, little girls, this old man has a photo of somebody, could you tell me if you know her?” Berdo asked as he looked at the girls with a kind expression.
“A photo? Of who?” Nia asked, curious.
“Of one of Miss Rika’s subordinates.”
“Hmmmm… Not interested.” Nia said, her curiosity already fading off, but before her attention went somewhere else, Lidia put a hand over her little sister’s shoulder.
“Wait a bit, Nia.” She said, making eye contact with Nia, her sister immediately understood her intentions. She then glanced at Berdo. “If we know that person, we’ll tell you.”
“Hehe, thanks, here.” Berdo said as he got closer, before crouching in front of Lidia and Nia. He tapped the watch and a holographic screen began displaying an image in color.
““!!!”” Immediately, both Lidia and Nia froze, making big eyes for only a few brief seconds, before staring at the image with expressionless faces.
The person displayed in the photo was a young woman with a serious expression, in a military uniform very similar to Rika’s, staring back at the objective. She had gray eyes, and shoulder length black hair. Both girls immediately recognized who the person in the photo was.
Meanwhile, Berdo continued his explanation. “Her name’s Ticia, she’s a reliable soldier that disappeared not long ago in this sector. Rika’s searching for her right now. So, do you recognize her?”
Both girls exchanged glances, before Nia spoke up.
“No, we don’t know her. She does look similar to our mother though.”
“Is that so?” Berdo said, closing his eyes and sighing. “That’s too bad then.” He turned off the display.
“Ah.” Lidia let out a small voice of lingering, but caught herself.
Oblivious to Lidia’s situation, Berdo tried his luck again. “You said she was really similar to your mother? Could you please tell me how she looks ? It'll make it easier to make sure you reunite with her.”
“Uhm, physically there’s not much difference, but our mom has white hair.” Lidia replied.
“Sis?” Nia looked at her sister with a questioning look, the information she had revealed could just as well just have revealed their mother’s identity. Lidia only sent a glance to her sister that told her to stay quiet, so she did not comment further.
“I see, I see.” Berdo nodded, before sending a look at Rika, a smirk on his face. “Well, you’ve heard the kids, girl.”
Rika had a thoughtful look on her face as she answered. “...I did.”
“By the way, what’s your mother’s name?” Berdo asked, with a smile on his face, but this time however, both Lidia and Nia stayed silent.
At this point, both girls knew the image the old man showed them was of their mother, but both did not comment. Lidia was still doubtful. She still did not understand why Ticia got separated from those people, and how they would treat their mother if there was indeed a link between them, though that link had already been confirmed.
Still, she couldn’t ask just like this, it would be too obvious. She decided she would sneak out tonight, and check the database to see whether the reason for their separation was stated. Only after this would she tell the truth to Rika.
As for Nia, she did not dare make a move without her older sister’s approval.
Rika, on her side, looked lost in thoughts.
The silence was interrupted by a yawn from Nia.
“...You must both be tired, right girls?” Rika said, smiling warmly at the girls. Surprisingly enough, Nia did not argue about it, she just nodded. Repairing the hoverer bike had truly drained her. Lidia also nodded.
“Alright then, time to go to bed.” She declared, standing up with Mia in her arms. It was already dark, and Rika had not even realized the automatic lighting had started. Nia grabbed the helmet, which was lying around, and both she and Lidia followed after Rika. Berdo stayed there, waiting for Rika to come back.
Rika laid Mia on the bed next to hers, then looked at both Nia and Lidia. “This bed is big enough for all of you, so you can sleep together there.”
Lidia nodded, and immediately went over to the bed, lying right next to Mia.
Nia however, did not move, she looked at Rika. “Hey, uhm miss, can I ask for a small favor?”
“Sure, what is it?” Rika asked, nodding.
“Can you sleep with me?” Nia asked, making puppy eyes.
“Eh?” Rika’s eyes grew big in surprise, that sure was unexpected.
“I mean, both sis and Mia got to lay on your laps and not me…” Nia said, sounding sad.
“Alright.” Rika said, agreeing immediately.
“Huh?” Nia was surprised. “I thought you would refuse?”
“Let this be my payment to you for repairing my bike.” Rika replied with a big smile, patting Nia on the head.
“Hehe~.” Nia giggled happily.
“But you go first, I need to finish some stuff with Berdo before going to bed.” Rika said, with a serious look.
“Okay~.” Nia replied, not showing any opposition as she mounted on the bed and went under the blanket.
Rika smiled at the act. Nia was now acting like an obedient child. She then turned and went out of this part of the tent with a serious look. Berdo waited for her, also with a serious look. The atmosphere had changed compared to before.
“We got a lead.” He said.
“Yeah…” Rika nodded, as much as the girls tried their best to hide it, she had clearly seen both of them tense up the moment they saw the image.
“Rika, those kids' mother…”
“Yeah, it’s probably Ticia.” She said with some resignation, finishing the words out of Berdo’s mouth. As much as she refused to accept it, small proofs that only close people who knew Ticia well would detect kept piling up. “But I don’t understand, she never was pregnant, so where did those kids come from, if they are hers…”
“...The galaxy is wide, girl.” Berdo commented. “Sometimes, weird things happen. Some of them cannot be explained, while others are made possible through lost technologies…”
He seemed to think for a while, before looking at Rika. “Girl, I think I know what those ruins are.”
“Same here.” Rika said with a serious look. The idea sounded ridiculous, but it was the only logical, and scientific way to explain the existence of those girls.
“Anyway, for now, we should find a way to contact her. We’ll solve our next problems then.” Berdo said, the mentioned second problem was, of course, about Fika, and more importantly, Rika’s upcoming detention. “As for today, I guess I’ll be drinking alone.” He said, smiling at her.
“Yeah.” Rika nodded, she was pretty sure Nia was waiting for her before falling asleep. She could already imagine the girl fighting her fatigue to stay awake, and it made her smile.
“I’m glad to see your mood has improved.” Berdo smirked.
“Well, of course it would.” Rika smiled wryly. “Would it not improve after you just learned that your comrade you relied upon so much is still alive?”
“Hehe, I guess so, but I think the kids have a bigger role in that.” Berdo said, laughing. “Well then, I’ll take my leave. Don’t worry about the report, let this old man deal with it.” He said as he turned and left the tent.
Left alone, Rika sighed, her tension going away.
She’s alive… Was the only thought in her head. Although she did not know Ticia’s current state, she reaffirmed this fact in her mind. She was truly relieved Ticia was alright, but she also had many questions for this subordinate of hers. I’ll need to verify how she got such cute and talented ‘daughters’.
After closing the tent’s entrance and activating security measures, she went back to the second space, where she undressed from her uniform and wore her nightgown. And after turning off the lights, she went back over to the beds, where Nia was waiting for her, just like she had expected.
She layed on her bed, right next to Nia, who suddenly hugged her. She did not comment on the girl’s action, growing used to it after so many times in just one day. She just smiled and returned the hug.
“Good night, Nia.” She murmured into the girl’s ear, and a muffled, sleepy ‘good night’ came back.
In the obscurity, Rika also glanced at the over bed. She could tell the two occupants in it were also sound asleep, like children their age should be at this hour.
No, rather, she was pretty sure those girls were not normal children. They were clones, most probably Ticia’s clones. She did not know much, but Berdo and her were sure of this fact now.
So what, they’re just kids to me, and I think it’s the same for Ticia. Because if not, she would not have allowed them to call her ‘mother’.
Rika had grown attached to the girls, so she did not consider them weapons, and she was sure Ticia was the same. Although, it seemed that something had happened and that three of them got captured… It was very lucky that Rika found them, because now, not only her hope to find Ticia had been rekindled, she also found another, new motivation.
As she closed her eyes, waiting whether her nightmare would repeat again, she reassured somebody who was not present.
Don’t worry, Ticia. I’ll make sure to keep your daughters safe until we meet again.
Chauchat
Author's monologue:
Hey there! I'm back with another chapter! And on time!
And what a long one it is! Well, that what happens when you change something at the last moment... Anyway, there's a lot of stuff in it.
Honestly, just likle the chapters before, you can tell the pace of storytelling changed a bit, becoming slower. But I don't think it's bad? In fact, I enjoyed writing these chapters. really, at first I was a bit unsure I would be able to write silly moments well, hence why I unitentionnaly stayed away from them, but now I understand that I was wrong. They are necessary in my story, so expect some of them here and there!
As for the content itself, I'm really enjoying writing Nia's actions more and more, and I hope I wrote it well.
As for the rest, Rika is back on her feet! And with a new motivation!
Lidia is still cautious, but it might have been better to be honest with others...
Mia... You've become quite something, haven't you?
Well, that's it for today! I'll see you all in the next chapter!
“Phew, that was exhausting…” Exclaimed Nia as she put away her last tool, she then looked behind her. “Mh? What’s wrong?”
Rika was standing there, in a daze, not even realizing that Nia had finished working.
“Hey~, anybody here?” She ended up asking, getting closer as she waved her hand in front of Rika's eyes. Rika was startled by the action, and backed up a little.
“H-huh? Nia?”
“Yes! You got it right, I'm Nia!” Nia responded happily, smiling as she pointed to herself with both of her indexes. She probably thought that Rika had nearly confounded her with Mia again, but Rika’s bewilderment was provoked by something else…
“...Right.” Rika let out a long, silent sigh, calming herself. For a moment, she nearly believed she saw Ticia in place of the girl. But that's impossible, Ticia isn't here.
Nia wasn't Ticia, and the chances of her old underling being related to the triplets were rather low… At least that's what she kept repeating to herself.
“Look, look! I repaired your bike!” Not knowing Rika’s current thoughts, Nia happily pointed to Rika’s hoverer bike.
This made Rika concentrate on her bike, and she was startled again by the state of the bike… The dents it had collected throughout the years had disappeared, and the bike seemed brand new.
“... What the fuck?” She ended up mumbling, staring at the bike.
“Ah! That's a no go word!” Nia reacted to her mumble, shaking her head while crossing her arms. “Mom said it’s bad to utter them.” She said, trying to correct Rika, but Rika had not heard her, she walked towards her bike, putting a hand over its shiny metal sheets.
“It’s real…” She mumbled to herself in disbelief. The last time she had seen her bike in such a good state was when she had repaired it for the first time. She was quite proud of herself at the time, but it seemed that this little girl had done an even better job than her at restoring the hoverer bike to its former glory.
“What did you do?” She ended up asking Nia seriously.
“My job?” The girl replied, tilting her head as if she did not understand what she meant.
“No, that's not what I meant, how did you repair it so fast?” Rika corrected herself, and asked again, glancing at the bike again.
“Uhm, even if you ask me that, I just did what I usually do?” Nia replied, scratching her cheek as she smiled awkwardly.
“...Did anybody teach you this?” Rika asked, wondering if the girl had been taught by a master.
“Nope, I learned all that by myself~.” Nia replied casually, but her answer only made Rika even more surprised.
A genius. She thought, staring at the girl with big, round eyes. This child is a genius that's only born once in a century or more… She might even rival the empress of the Philio Techno-empire!
She could not explain the current events with anything else. But her surprise would not end here however.
“Then, I’ll give you a report of my work.” Nia declared, getting closer to the bike. Her face had become serious, and was devoid of her usual smirk.
“This hoverer bike was in quite a bad shape. The brakes were dead, so I had to change them, good thing some alternate pieces were there.” She said, pointing to the old brakes that were now laying on the ground. “...As for the main problem, this bike was in such a bad shape because the fuel usage was wrong. The engine did not take it well.”
“What? Wrong fuel?” Rika frowned, she had always used the same fuel, the one that was recommended to her once she bought the bike, and now this girl was telling her she had been using the wrong fuel?
“Yes, but it’ll be fine now, I modified the engine so that it can withstand any fuel~, even those old fossil sources.” Nia replied, as if the problem was solved. But it wasn’t for Rika, she had never heard of a universal engine that could use any fuel.
“How did you make it able to do that?” She asked, doubting the girl’s words.
“I didn’t say it could use fuel just like this. I just said that now the engine could withstand any fuel. Still, it’s better if you use the recommended fuel for now.” Nia corrected. “You should really take better care of your bike.” She said, chiding Rika, who just stayed silent.
“...”
“Looking at your expression, I’m guessing you don’t know which fuel it is? Well, that’s nothing big, really, I’ve registered the correct fuel within the bike’s integrated computer’s database. There shouldn’t be more problems. Next…”
Nia continued to explain all the modifications and repairs she had made, Rika silently listening in, still dumbfounded by the number of repairs this girl proclaimed having done on her bike.
No, I can’t believe it just like that. She thought. It was impossible for somebody to do so much in such a small amount of time! Let me turn on the engine…
Seeing was believing, Rika put her right thumb over the main computer of the bike, which was on its handlebar, and to her incredulity, the bike came to life.
“No way…” She murmured to herself as the silent hum of the motor reverberated through the tent. She could tell just by this fact that her bike was in better condition than it had ever been.
She mounted the bike, and put another command into the integrated computer. Very slowly, the hoverer bike began to float up, settling itself about 50 centimeters off the ground.
“It’s really working…” Rika muttered again, and a wave of emotions hit her as she realized that her favorite bike had not only been repaired, but was in a much better condition than she could ever hope. Neither her nor her unit’s engineers could obtain such a result!
The bike which she had obtained through her own efforts, without relying on her family. The bike that, in her eyes, represented her own freedom from any faction the most. This bike was letting out a tranquil hum as it reached the ground once again.
“So, so? How is it? Did I do good? Can I be your personal mechanician now~?” Nia, who changed back to her usual personality, asked Rika as she dismounted the bike and turned it off.
“...It’s perfect.” Was all that Rika could utter as she caressed the bike affectionally.
“Hehe~ I’m happy then.” Nia said, satisfied by Rika’s reaction. “It ain’t much, but it’s honest work~. So? How about it? I think I fulfilled all the requirements to get my promotion, right?” She asked with expectant eyes. Lidia, who was now standing next to her sister, let out a long sigh.
“Nia, you did it again…” She said, exasperated that what she thought would happen ended up happening.
“What? But this is only the minimum!” Nia exclaimed, shocked by her sister’s comment. This only made Lidia sigh once again. “Why do you sound so disappointed in me!?”
“It’s nothing, Nia is Nia afterall…” Lidia said in a disinterested voice, glancing at her sister again, before sighing yet again.
“Why do I feel like sis has given up all hope!?” Nia screamed out, not understanding her sister’s reaction, but then, somebody suddenly grabbed her from behind. “Whoah!?”
Rika lifted the girl twirling on herself, and Nia screamed as a result, another trauma surging through her mind.
“Wh-what are you doing!? Put me down!” She yelled, and Rika finally stopped, putting her down. Nia felt nauseous, and had a hard time staying on her feet.
“Ugh, is this a new form of punishment? I feel like throwing up…” She said, holding a hand over her mouth. Tears in her eyes, she sent a cute glare towards the perpetrator of her current condition. “What was that for?!”
Nia froze however when she saw Rika’s expression, and so did Lidia. She had a very delighted look on her face, with a big smile. A look that they had not seen on the woman’s face before.
In a very good mood, Rika approached Nia. She couldn’t resist it any longer and patted the girl on the head and said her heartfelt gratitude. “Thanks a lot.”
“Fueh?” Was all that Nia managed to say as she stayed frozen like a statue as Rika patted her, but before long, she began giggling. “Hehehe~.”
I’m glad, she doesn’t seem to hate it. Rika was a bit relieved, Nia was not rejecting her, and seemed to like it.
Good grief, now she’s back to a regular overexcited kid… She could not help herself but comment on this, smiling wryly. Nia was acting like a child happy to be spoiled. Alright, let’s play along for a bit.
“A promotion is it?” She said with a smile on her face, stopping patting Nia on the head. The girl had a reluctant look on her face, clearly wanting more headpats. Rika took a pose and declared. “Alright, under my authority as a brigadier-general, I, Rika Doesson, declare you as head of the engineer team of my brigade!”
“Nuoh!? That’s, like, a huge promotion, no?!” Nia said, a surprised look on her face. Of course, it was just a play for Rika, who nodded, before continuing.
“Yes, and you deserve it for such an achievement. This bike means a lot to me. Truly, thank you.”
“Th-then, does that mean I’m superior in grade to sis? If so, hehe…” Nia said, as a devilish smirk appeared on her face. She began to laugh like a villain, looking at her sister. Lidia however, was not playing along.
“...Don’t get the big head.” She said as she hand chopped Nia.
“Guah!?” Nia immediately held her forehead where the chop had landed, crouching. Lidia had put more strength in it than usual.
“Hmph.” Lidia hmphed, looking over her sister with a judging look in her eyes, before walking away and resuming her job with the tablet.
Rika had a wry smile at the exchange between the sisters. It seemed to her that, for some reason, Lidia was jealous.
“Anyway, that was unexpected, but I still have work to finish.” She said to herself, going over to her chair.
Nia, having recovered, followed behind her. It seemed like the girl wanted to ask her something.
“What is it, Nia?” Rika asked.
“Erm, can I sit on-” Before she could finish however, Lidia made a sudden move and jumped on Rika, installing herself on her laps and surprising both Rika and Nia.
“Ah! No fair sis!” Nia protested, but Lidia only sent a slight smirk at her sister.
“First come, first served.” She commented as she went back to doing her work. Meanwhile, Nia made puppy eyes to Rika with an obvious meaning.
“Erm, Lidia?” Rika asked, faltering under the pressure of the look.
“Yes? Is there a problem?” Lidia said, continuing her work as if nothing happened.
“Uhm, why are you sitting on my lap?” Rika asked.
“The ground is hard.” Lidia answered briefly.
That’s your only reason? Rika thought, frowning a bit, before letting out a sigh. “Well, I guess this is fine, but could you please make some space for your sister?”
Lidia stopped, glancing over at her sister who was making puppy eyes, before declaring. “No.”
“Guh. So merciless, sis…” Nia said, as if she had taken another hit. Rika was about to insist once more when Nia suddenly said, sighing.
“It’s alright, miss, I’ll just sit on the bike, if it’s alright with you.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, but can I sit on your lap later?” Rika nodded. “Thank you~.” Nia said, before going over to the hoverer bike, she struggled a bit to mount on it before finding a comfortable position.
“Nuuu~, it seems so comfortable, I’m so jealous…” She commented as she glanced over at Rika and Lidia, who had both resumed their work.
And just like this, time passed, and the sun was soon about to set. Despite a small pause to eat dinner (military rations that Nia immediately spat out because of their taste), Lidia was still sitting on Rika’s lap, to her sister’s distress. But the girl had argued that she would stay there until they finished their work, which would not take much longer to finish.
The place had finally become calm, and Mia had yet to wake up, the girl was sleeping soundly in the next space, recuperating from the rollercoaster of a journey she had.
So peaceful… Rika thought to herself, enjoying the moment. But just as she thought that, this peaceful moment came to an end.
“Hey Girl!” A familiar voice exclaimed from outside, it startled both Lidia and Nia, who began to stay on guard. By reflex, Rika held Lidia with both arms like it was a hug. In truth she was just making sure the girl would not assault the person who was about to enter the tent. Somehow, it had the effect she wanted, as the girl froze and calmed down.
Finally, the entrance to the tent was swung open as an old man said in a merry, loud voice, bottle in hand.
“I’ve brought some booze…for…tonight.” Berdo froze as he took in the scene inside the tent. He had expected it to have only one occupant, and now, he faced not one person, but also two new pairs of wary eyes.
“Oh, old man, what brings you here?” Rika commented, knowing it was Berdo who was coming. She resumed her work as if nothing had happened while still holding Lidia with one arm.
“What, you say… Like usual?” Berdo said. “I was just about to grab you to go drink a bit- wait, no,no, no, hold on! Girl, who are those kids?!” He said, pointing at the perturbation elements that were still looking at him with weary eyes.
Rika tilted her head.
“New recruits?”
“Ah, I see~. Not! Did you really think that would work on me!?” Berdo exclaimed, roaring with his voice. “What are kids doing here!?”
“Can’t you see? They’re working for me.” Rika said, as if she was stating the obvious. It left Berdo dumbstruck for a moment.
“... I can’t tell whether you’re telling the truth or not, girl…” He said, not knowing what to say anymore.
“Hey, who is that old man~?” Nia asked, getting down from the bike and getting closer to Rika. She felt no danger from Berdo anymore and was just curious about him.
“Oh, him? He’s-” Lidia began, before Berdo interrupted her.
“This old man is called Berdo Poltok, I’m a good friend of your ‘boss’.” He said, giving a big, friendly smile to Nia.
“Yes, that’s why, you can stop letting out your killing intent, Lidia.” Rika finished, telling Lidia to stop letting out killing intent.
“...” Lidia silently nodded, stopped staring at Berdo and began to work again.
“Phew, what a scary little girl…” Berdo commented, some sweat on his forehead. He had felt Lidia’s killing intent and was quite surprised to receive one from such a young kid.
“Just be happy I am holding her, if not, you would already have a knife under your throat.” Rika commented, which made him freeze again.
“So, can you tell me the real reason you came?” Rika said, closing the computer as she asked the question. Lidia imitated her, and put the tablet away before staring at the old man.
“W-well, I didn’t receive your report yet, so I was wondering what was taking you so long.” Berdo answered, finding the action of both girls funny.
“Oh, that? Don’t worry, I’ve just finished it.” Rika said. She had just sent her report over to Berdo.
“I see, good.” He said, nodding his head, before glancing at Nia and Lidia. “So, um, can you tell me where those girls came from?”
Rika nodded, she would need the old man’s help if she wanted to assure the girls' safety anyway, so she was going to let him know. But before she could, Nia declared with a big smirk on her face.
“We’re her children of course!”
“Wha-”
““Nia!?””
They all exclaimed, looking at Nia in surprise.
“...I see, so they’re your kids huh?” Berdo nodded, as if persuaded. “Why did you not tell me you got kids? No, more importantly, who’s their father? Do I know him?”
“Y-you got it wrong!” Rika exclaimed, her face getting red from embarrassment.
“Haha, no need to be embarrassed, girl, I’m not judging you.” Berdo said, laughing. "It's good that you made a family, don't be like this old man and focus only on your career."
"No, old man, listen-"
"Truly, when I saw you and that girl so focused on work, I thought you would end up like me, but I'm glad to see that's not the case. Don't worry, I won't bother your family time any longer. See ya."
"H-hey, wait!" Rika shouted as Berdo turned to leave. At the same time, Nia exploded in laughter.
Seeing this, Berdo stopped, and Rika sighed, before sending a reproachful look towards Nia.
"Sorry, sorry~. I couldn't hold myself. If only you could see your faces! Haha~."
Rika sighed. "Geez, how could you say that? What about your real mother?"
Nia froze. "Ah, you're right, that was rude of me. I only have one mother in the entire world." She declared, with strong belief in her words, and Rika sighed in relief. It seemed like she really cared about her mother.
"… But the father's place is still open~." Nia said with an impish smile, glancing over at Rika, who froze, this joke had some implications she did not expect...
"Ahem, anyway, it seems I've taken my joke too far. I expected sis to stop me, but she's acting strange now…" Nia said, glancing at her sister.
"Huh? Lidia?" Rika finally realized Lidia was strangely silent. Leaning over, she saw the girl's face as red as a tomato.
"..." Lidia did not respond when called. It seemed the unexpected shock of Nia's joke had a critical effect on the girl…
"Well, she'll reboot soon, probably." Nia said, before turning towards Berdo and smiling. "Anyway, I'm Nia, mister, and I'm not Rika's daughter like I said before. Just somebody she 'picked up'".
"...Picked up?" Berdo frowned at the choice of words.
"Yeah, so don't take it badly and listen to Miss Rika…" She said, reflecting on her joke. In the first place, she did not know if this old man liked jokes.
But contrary to her concerns, Berdo began to laugh out loud.
"Hahaha, what a funny, cute little girl. I like her." He said, then extended his arms. "Say, kid, won't you give this old man a hug?"
"Ugh, hell no!" Nia said, seemingly disgusted.
"Aww~, don't be shy, I don't bite." Berdo said as he caught Nia, who yelped in surprise.
"Kya! Let me go!" She struggled, but Berdo was stronger than her.
"Hehe, there's no use in struggling, let this old man spoil you!"
"Nooo~~!"
It was when the both of them were making such a ruckus that a voice came from the other space in the tent.
"SHUT UP! I can't sleep!" The voice said, and suddenly, a helmet flew over, hitting Nia straight on the head.
"Gefu!?"
"Wha-?!" Berdo was surprised, and looked over to see where the helmet came from, only to see a third little girl emerge from the second space in the tent, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"...Another one…" He mumbled to himself.
Mia, half asleep, went over to Rika, who had been looking at the scene with a dumbfounded look. When she was next to her, she stared at Lidia who had yet to reboot, and suddenly grabbed her.
Then, as sudden as her apparition, she throwed Lidia out of the way with sheer force.
"Whoah?!" Lidia, forced to refocus, fell flat on the ground. "Ouch!"
Meanwhile, Mia sat on Rika's lap, where her sister had just been, and leaned on Rika.
"Hehe~, the best place to sleep~." She said, and not even one second later, fell asleep again.
A silence reigned in the tent as its occupants processed the events.
"... What just happened?" Lidia ended up asking as she finally got up.
"Karma?" Nia, who now had a bump on her forehead, said as she glanced at her sister, and after receiving a glare in return, she corrected. "No, uhm, I know I'm the closest to Mia here, but even I have never seen her act like that… Somehow, I'm glad."
The last part was more of a relief to Nia, even though it was while she was half asleep, her sister did not show any sign of shyness or speaking disorder, and did whatever she wanted. This was how Nia hoped her sister would always be, so long as she obeyed their mother, that is…
On the other hand, Rika looked at the new girl who had settled on her lap with a complicated expression. She's definitely the most dangerous out of the three of them.
"Anyway, old man, can I ask for a favor?" She said, looking at Berdo with a serious look.
"...I'm not sure what just happened, but seeing how serious you are, it's something urgent, right?" Berdo said, putting down Nia, who immediately fled to hide behind Rika's chair. The action only made her even cuter in the old man's eyes, who had a fondness for kids.
"Yes, and it has something to do with those girls." Rika said, unconsciously, she began caressing Mia's hair, and the girl seemed to like it, a smile creeping on her face despite the fact that she was asleep.
"You see, back when I raided the Ionian camp…" Rika proceeded to tell the story of how she met the triplets to Berdo, who listened to her seriously without interrupting her. After she had finished, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, deep in though.
"...I see, so you think those kids got experimented on… Poor little girls." Berdo said, sending a pitiful look towards the girls.
"Yes, and I don't want them to experience it again." Rika said, to which Berdo nodded.
"Yeah, you made the right choice. This whole operation is weird to begin with, and I don't like how that Fika boy has been so proactive recently." He sighed, before glancing at the girls again. "But there's something else that's bothering me…"
“What is it?” Rika asked, tilting her head.
“Now that I’ve taken a proper look at them, those girls… Aren’t they resembling her a lot?” Berdo said, the person he was talking about was, of course, Ticia.
“...They do.” Rika said as she sent back a grave expression towards the old man. She knew who he was talking about, and she denied it. “But there’s no way. She never had children, and I don’t think she has ever mentioned wanting one.”
“Is that so?” Berdo frowned. “Did you ask the girls directly?”
Rika shook her head. “No, they don’t want to talk about their family.”
“Hmmm…” Berdo put a hand under his shin, thinking. “Ah, then let’s try it like this.” He mumbled, nodding to himself, before fiddling with his wristwatch. “Good thing you gave me a photo of her.”
“You’re going to show them a picture of her?” Rika asked, and Berdo nodded. How could I not have thought about that? She asked herself. Perhaps she had avoided it because she denied the links between the two cases so strongly.
“Hey, little girls, this old man has a photo of somebody, could you tell me if you know her?” Berdo asked as he looked at the girls with a kind expression.
“A photo? Of who?” Nia asked, curious.
“Of one of Miss Rika’s subordinates.”
“Hmmmm… Not interested.” Nia said, her curiosity already fading off, but before her attention went somewhere else, Lidia put a hand over her little sister’s shoulder.
“Wait a bit, Nia.” She said, making eye contact with Nia, her sister immediately understood her intentions. She then glanced at Berdo. “If we know that person, we’ll tell you.”
“Hehe, thanks, here.” Berdo said as he got closer, before crouching in front of Lidia and Nia. He tapped the watch and a holographic screen began displaying an image in color.
““!!!”” Immediately, both Lidia and Nia froze, making big eyes for only a few brief seconds, before staring at the image with expressionless faces.
The person displayed in the photo was a young woman with a serious expression, in a military uniform very similar to Rika’s, staring back at the objective. She had gray eyes, and shoulder length black hair. Both girls immediately recognized who the person in the photo was.
Meanwhile, Berdo continued his explanation. “Her name’s Ticia, she’s a reliable soldier that disappeared not long ago in this sector. Rika’s searching for her right now. So, do you recognize her?”
Both girls exchanged glances, before Nia spoke up.
“No, we don’t know her. She does look similar to our mother though.”
“Is that so?” Berdo said, closing his eyes and sighing. “That’s too bad then.” He turned off the display.
“Ah.” Lidia let out a small voice of lingering, but caught herself.
Oblivious to Lidia’s situation, Berdo tried his luck again. “You said she was really similar to your mother? Could you please tell me how she looks ? It'll make it easier to make sure you reunite with her.”
“Uhm, physically there’s not much difference, but our mom has white hair.” Lidia replied.
“Sis?” Nia looked at her sister with a questioning look, the information she had revealed could just as well just have revealed their mother’s identity. Lidia only sent a glance to her sister that told her to stay quiet, so she did not comment further.
“I see, I see.” Berdo nodded, before sending a look at Rika, a smirk on his face. “Well, you’ve heard the kids, girl.”
Rika had a thoughtful look on her face as she answered. “...I did.”
“By the way, what’s your mother’s name?” Berdo asked, with a smile on his face, but this time however, both Lidia and Nia stayed silent.
At this point, both girls knew the image the old man showed them was of their mother, but both did not comment. Lidia was still doubtful. She still did not understand why Ticia got separated from those people, and how they would treat their mother if there was indeed a link between them, though that link had already been confirmed.
Still, she couldn’t ask just like this, it would be too obvious. She decided she would sneak out tonight, and check the database to see whether the reason for their separation was stated. Only after this would she tell the truth to Rika.
As for Nia, she did not dare make a move without her older sister’s approval.
Rika, on her side, looked lost in thoughts.
The silence was interrupted by a yawn from Nia.
“...You must both be tired, right girls?” Rika said, smiling warmly at the girls. Surprisingly enough, Nia did not argue about it, she just nodded. Repairing the hoverer bike had truly drained her. Lidia also nodded.
“Alright then, time to go to bed.” She declared, standing up with Mia in her arms. It was already dark, and Rika had not even realized the automatic lighting had started. Nia grabbed the helmet, which was lying around, and both she and Lidia followed after Rika. Berdo stayed there, waiting for Rika to come back.
Rika laid Mia on the bed next to hers, then looked at both Nia and Lidia. “This bed is big enough for all of you, so you can sleep together there.”
Lidia nodded, and immediately went over to the bed, lying right next to Mia.
Nia however, did not move, she looked at Rika. “Hey, uhm miss, can I ask for a small favor?”
“Sure, what is it?” Rika asked, nodding.
“Can you sleep with me?” Nia asked, making puppy eyes.
“Eh?” Rika’s eyes grew big in surprise, that sure was unexpected.
“I mean, both sis and Mia got to lay on your laps and not me…” Nia said, sounding sad.
“Alright.” Rika said, agreeing immediately.
“Huh?” Nia was surprised. “I thought you would refuse?”
“Let this be my payment to you for repairing my bike.” Rika replied with a big smile, patting Nia on the head.
“Hehe~.” Nia giggled happily.
“But you go first, I need to finish some stuff with Berdo before going to bed.” Rika said, with a serious look.
“Okay~.” Nia replied, not showing any opposition as she mounted on the bed and went under the blanket.
Rika smiled at the act. Nia was now acting like an obedient child. She then turned and went out of this part of the tent with a serious look. Berdo waited for her, also with a serious look. The atmosphere had changed compared to before.
“We got a lead.” He said.
“Yeah…” Rika nodded, as much as the girls tried their best to hide it, she had clearly seen both of them tense up the moment they saw the image.
“Rika, those kids' mother…”
“Yeah, it’s probably Ticia.” She said with some resignation, finishing the words out of Berdo’s mouth. As much as she refused to accept it, small proofs that only close people who knew Ticia well would detect kept piling up. “But I don’t understand, she never was pregnant, so where did those kids come from, if they are hers…”
“...The galaxy is wide, girl.” Berdo commented. “Sometimes, weird things happen. Some of them cannot be explained, while others are made possible through lost technologies…”
He seemed to think for a while, before looking at Rika. “Girl, I think I know what those ruins are.”
“Same here.” Rika said with a serious look. The idea sounded ridiculous, but it was the only logical, and scientific way to explain the existence of those girls.
“Anyway, for now, we should find a way to contact her. We’ll solve our next problems then.” Berdo said, the mentioned second problem was, of course, about Fika, and more importantly, Rika’s upcoming detention. “As for today, I guess I’ll be drinking alone.” He said, smiling at her.
“Yeah.” Rika nodded, she was pretty sure Nia was waiting for her before falling asleep. She could already imagine the girl fighting her fatigue to stay awake, and it made her smile.
“I’m glad to see your mood has improved.” Berdo smirked.
“Well, of course it would.” Rika smiled wryly. “Would it not improve after you just learned that your comrade you relied upon so much is still alive?”
“Hehe, I guess so, but I think the kids have a bigger role in that.” Berdo said, laughing. “Well then, I’ll take my leave. Don’t worry about the report, let this old man deal with it.” He said as he turned and left the tent.
Left alone, Rika sighed, her tension going away.
She’s alive… Was the only thought in her head. Although she did not know Ticia’s current state, she reaffirmed this fact in her mind. She was truly relieved Ticia was alright, but she also had many questions for this subordinate of hers. I’ll need to verify how she got such cute and talented ‘daughters’.
After closing the tent’s entrance and activating security measures, she went back to the second space, where she undressed from her uniform and wore her nightgown. And after turning off the lights, she went back over to the beds, where Nia was waiting for her, just like she had expected.
She layed on her bed, right next to Nia, who suddenly hugged her. She did not comment on the girl’s action, growing used to it after so many times in just one day. She just smiled and returned the hug.
“Good night, Nia.” She murmured into the girl’s ear, and a muffled, sleepy ‘good night’ came back.
In the obscurity, Rika also glanced at the over bed. She could tell the two occupants in it were also sound asleep, like children their age should be at this hour.
No, rather, she was pretty sure those girls were not normal children. They were clones, most probably Ticia’s clones. She did not know much, but Berdo and her were sure of this fact now.
So what, they’re just kids to me, and I think it’s the same for Ticia. Because if not, she would not have allowed them to call her ‘mother’.
Rika had grown attached to the girls, so she did not consider them weapons, and she was sure Ticia was the same. Although, it seemed that something had happened and that three of them got captured… It was very lucky that Rika found them, because now, not only her hope to find Ticia had been rekindled, she also found another, new motivation.
As she closed her eyes, waiting whether her nightmare would repeat again, she reassured somebody who was not present.
Don’t worry, Ticia. I’ll make sure to keep your daughters safe until we meet again.
Chauchat
Author's monologue:
Hey there! I'm back with another chapter! And on time!
And what a long one it is! Well, that what happens when you change something at the last moment... Anyway, there's a lot of stuff in it.
Honestly, just likle the chapters before, you can tell the pace of storytelling changed a bit, becoming slower. But I don't think it's bad? In fact, I enjoyed writing these chapters. really, at first I was a bit unsure I would be able to write silly moments well, hence why I unitentionnaly stayed away from them, but now I understand that I was wrong. They are necessary in my story, so expect some of them here and there!
As for the content itself, I'm really enjoying writing Nia's actions more and more, and I hope I wrote it well.
As for the rest, Rika is back on her feet! And with a new motivation!
Lidia is still cautious, but it might have been better to be honest with others...
Mia... You've become quite something, haven't you?
Well, that's it for today! I'll see you all in the next chapter!
