"Thank you for granting my favor, Doc."
"No worries. I just hope that you are prepared for the consequences."
"You mean about the recurring shaking on my left arm?"
"Which means that you absolutely must not do any field works just yet. Not until it is completely gone."
"Unless there is an international crisis involving either Air Force or E.X.T.I.R.T, right"
"No. Not even when that happens, Major."
"What? Wait, are you trying to tell me that the approval letter you wrote about me-"
"The one that I had to give to your top brasses and those two men from the response team? The only way I can approve it is if they can guarantee that you will not see active combat until that arm of yours has completely recovered."
"But-"
"They did not hesitate to say yes. Even if they did in the first place, I will not change what has been written on that paper anyway."
Doc, you cannot just-"
"You are still in a condition to NOT negotiate with me about your health condition, Major! Either you obey your health advisor, or you are going back to the bed in that boring fancy VIP room on the fifth floor!"
"Fine…"
"Good. I appreciate your consideration. Jeez, why could not you be more submissive before today, huh?"
.
I had been having flashbacks from my childhood during my high school years as well as my recovery months for some time already. At first I thought that I would be able to just shrug it off since it was only some sort of few things from the past I could not let go, but each time my arm acted up and just whenever I wanted to put my head at more ease, either of those memories would then follow.
The strange thing was that right after the flashbacks ended, I felt like my senses are all multiplied; like I had just received some sort of extra vigor and adrenaline released all across my body. I could see things far further than I already able to, my right arm did not shake or even feel the recoil when I fired my heavy rifle one-handed, and somehow I had this sudden confidence, a self-assurance in me that popped tactics and instincts I could use as a way out of a crisis rather quickly.
I suppose I should consider myself lucky enough to not get caught by those aliens whenever I was having the flashbacks.
But really though, these things started to occur just when I arrived around the archipelago.
Is this merely coincidental?
Or…
Could it be that this has something to do with the arrival of the aliens?
Wait, no. I may speculate things, but I should not assume anything.
Because unlike Travis, my assumptions and calculations are usually inaccurate, at least when compared to him.
Shrugging off my excessive thoughts, I closed my eyes hard before I opened them up again to force myself to focus on what was ahead of me; the yellow lights emitted by bioluminescent planktons.
The moment I started to follow them, their formations changed. The planktons on the other side of the walls changed their shapes, before they then moved in a manner like they were a couple of waving flags, and it appeared that those on the outer side of the flag emitted the light brighter than the ones on the inner side.
Then, the planktons that were just under the transparent ice ground began to encircle around my position, counter-clockwise. Unlike the ones forming the waving flags shape, these planktons changed their shape into a ring, with me being right in the center of it and them revolving around me slowly.
The manner they emitted their lights was also completely different as they did it in unison with a pattern; a few moments being brighter than the ones on the other side of the walls, and a few moments after being darker. They would repeat themselves and I did not even bother to count how many times already.
Regardless, I had not met yet another branching or even forking again. It saved me the trouble of having to choose between separating from the yellow guide, but also would give me a serious problem if another of that behemoth suddenly caved in again and chasing me.
Other than what I could see in details, I did not find anything unusual from my ears or nose. Thinking about it made me remember about both Travis and Ryan. Travis, having an excellent and sharp hearing far better than me would probably be able to guess how far the cave went based on the echoing footsteps. Ryan on the other hand, could probably pick up if something strange was nearing since he might smell something unusual from the aliens and behemoth that I had encountered thus far.
So really, the only thing that I could rely on myself is none other than a pair of my eyes.
Just then, I noticed right away that the planktons on the other side of the walls moved forward quicker than before. I did not increase my pace at first, but as they were getting further away from me, I felt like I had to catch up with them. My legs finally gave chase at them and it took no less than countless of hundreds of footsteps before they finally began to slow down again and at last, I reached out to them.
So, what is it now?
They were no longer waving, but still emitting their lights in the same manner. The planktons under the ice ground were not revolving anymore either.
Does this mean that they just decided to stop? Why?
I had a feeling that not far further from the cave was something else. I readied my handgun slowly aiming it in front of me and began to walk slowly as to make as little footsteps as possible.
I was right; the distance between the ceiling and the ice ground began to get higher, but more importantly there was definitely another light source just after the end of the cave since there was also brightness on the following direction. When I turned back, all of those planktons were all slowly dispersing, before finally disappeared, leaving the cavern path before me completely dark.
Taking every step by step, it did get brighter to the point that it beat the intensity of the lights emitted from the planktons earlier.
And when I finally found the exit of the cave, I immediately realized on why it was brighter there than before. I could barely believe everything just beyond the cave that was shown right upon my eyes…
What the hell is all this?!