"Commander, the Vice Minister wishes to see you," a voice rang out from behind him.
Yuren turned around to find Lina standing by the door. She was wearing a long black coat over her uniform, and her hair was tied into a ponytail. She looked stunning, despite her stern expression.
"I'll go." Yuren replied.
"Please follow me." Lina gestured to the hallway and then turned towards the door.
They walked together along the corridor, passing other personnel and androids. When they reached the Vice Minister's office, Yuren saw Jia waiting outside.
"Welcome, Commander," the android greeted him politely. "Please wait inside, the Vice Minister will see you shortly."
He opened the door and stepped inside.
The room was decorated with paintings, photographs, and memorabilia from all over the world. There were several framed newspaper clippings on the wall, a few featuring stories about the 701st Heavy Assault Battalion. The place gave the impression that it belonged to someone important.
A woman dressed in a white military uniform sat behind a large wooden desk. Her hair was cut short, and her face was covered in wrinkles. She had dark brown skin and a scar running down her cheek. Her eyes were blue and cold.
"Commander, glad to see you," she said as she motioned for him to sit. "Please take a seat."
"Thank you, ma'am," Yuren replied as he sat down.
"First, let me introduce myself." The woman said as she placed her elbows on the table and intertwined her fingers. "My name is Amalia Nassif VolStenthorn . I am the Vice-Minister of the Defense Ministry."
"It is an honor to meet you, Ma'am." Yuren said politely, bowing his head respectfully.
"Likewise." The Vice Minister replied, before continuing, "I have called you here today to discuss the situation regarding the 701st Heavy Assault Battalion."
Yuren nodded in understanding.
"I'm sure you are aware of the current status of the battalion, and its lack of leadership," the Vice Minister said, her voice softening. "We're hoping you can help us fix that."
"Of course, ma'am," Yuren agreed without hesitation.
The Vice Minister smiled, her cold blue eyes warming. "Also I want to ask you something, about the incident in East Toador."
"I... I don't remember it that well..." He admitted sheepishly, "It... it was very chaotic. The siege, the bombing, and the firefight..."
"That's all right, just tell me what you can remember," the woman said encouragingly. "I know you're adept in combat, we have footage."
Yuren took a deep breath. "It all happened so suddenly... all I could think about was my family and everyone I knew. I didn't care about law at the time and picked up some weapons from some soldiers who died."
The Vice Minister nodded. "I see. That explains the report."
"I'm sorry." He mumbled quietly.
"It's fine, we understand why you did it," the woman replied calmly. "Those weapons you used were actually resonance weapons designed for Android use, normal people can't actually use them. Except for individuals with abnormally high resonance factors."
Yuren's eyes widened at the information.
"Your resonance factor is extremely high, even higher than anyone we've ever met," the Vice Minister explained, "That is why we chose you to command an android battalion. The resonance weapons responded to you because your resonance is so high."
Yuren blinked twice. "So that's why... I felt a connection with the weapons when I used them."
"Yes, that is one reason why we want you to lead the 701st. You can operate resonance weapons. That is a skill no other commander possesses," the Vice Minister explained. "The other reason is that we want you to help improve the morale and efficiency of the battalion, given your resonance, you may be the best person possible in ability to understand them. They are androids, but their mental care is extremely important to ensure they function effectively. Don't just treat them like they are machines."
Yuren was taken aback. He didn't realize that the 701st needed to be handled differently from other battalions. He knew that the Ministry was always reluctant to invest in the 701st due to its lack of a commander and the battalion's low morale. But those words meant there was more to their reluctance to find a suitable commander.
Did previous commanders of the 701st fail to treat the android soldiers like people? It seemed likely. The androids were very human-like, and they deserved respect. They were alive, after all.
"I understand, ma'am," Yuren acknowledged her words.
The Vice Minister smiled, hoping the boy would follow her advice. She stood up from her chair and walked over to a window that overlooked the compound. "Now, I'd like you to take a look outside, Commander."
He got up and approached the window. He could see a group of soldiers marching across the parade ground.
"That is the 532nd Heavy Assault Battalion," the Vice Minister explained. "They are currently stationed at this base, and their commander is Colonel Adelah. The two battalions share a friendly rivalry. But I don't want you to compete against them."
Yuren looked at her, confused, "Ma'am?"
"We have already lost one battalion commander due to negligence." The woman stated, "Do not allow history to repeat itself. Focus on the task at hand, and do not try to prove yourself by competing against another unit."
"Yes, ma'am." He nodded.
"Good. I'm glad you understand." The Vice Minister returned to her desk. "I trust you will succeed where others have failed, Commander."
She gave him a nod and dismissal.
"Thank you for your time, Ma'am." He bowed respectfully and left the room.
Yuren was stunned by the encounter. He wasn't sure how he should handle the situation. Should he keep his distance from the other battalions, or should he try to befriend them? He would have to speak with Jia and Lina about it later.
As he walked through the hallways of the compound, Yuren couldn't help but wonder why the Ministry would assign him such a challenging task. It didn't make any sense to him. If they really wanted to improve the morale of the 701st, then wouldn't they have assigned a more experienced commander? But it seemed one's resonance factor was extremely important, and the Ministry had to make sure it was high.
They weren't normal androids after all; these were the elite troops of the country.
Yuren decided to return to his quarters for the night.
When he arrived at his room, he was surprised to find the parcel Allia had given him earlier. He had completely forgotten about it. He opened it and discovered a small metal box.
There was just a key attached to a piece of string and a small piece of paper.
Yuren held up the key, inspecting it closely. He wondered what it opened. He had never seen anything like it before.
He picked up the piece of paper and read it carefully.
'This key unlocks a secret of the past. -A'
It was written in her familiar, neat handwriting. On the back was an address and a set of directions.
It seemed simple enough, but it didn't make sense to him. A secret of the past? What was she talking about? It seemed really strange that she would leave such a cryptic message with the key.
As he pondered the possibilities, Lina entered the room.
"You're still awake?" The android asked him curiously.
"Yeah, I was just looking at this..." Yuren held out the key.
She sat on the bed beside him. "What is it?"
"A key," Yuren answered. "I got it from a friend."
"A key?" Lina repeated with a puzzled expression, "What does it open?"
"That's the thing, I don't know," Yuren replied. "She left me a message with it. Something about a secret of the past."
"Kinda suspicious, don't ya think?" Lina asked as she looked at the key closely. "It could be a bomb or something."
"No way, that's not Allia," the boy replied, "She's not the type of person who would do something like that. She looked really sad when she gave me the package, she didn't look happy at all. And she told me to open it once I get home."
"Should we look into it? You're not really supposed to accept any gifts from the civilians, and we should be wary of bombs," Lina asked, taking the paper to examine it.
"Yeah, maybe," he agreed, "But it's from Allia, so I'm sure it's fine. It's probably something related to her family or the railroad project. Or it might have to do with my brother..."
Lina shook her head. "Whatever. Let's check it out tomorrow."
"Sure," Yuren agreed. Only then did he notice how lightly she was dressed and flinched at the sight of her cleavage.
Lina smirked, noticing his reaction. "I'm just an android... you couldn't possibly see me that way, could you~?"
He was silent as his cheeks flushed. Her body was incredibly realistic. What was this feeling of shame he was having?
Yuren quickly turned away, embarrassed by his own thoughts. He couldn't believe he was attracted to an android; that was ridiculous. And yet, he couldn't deny it either.
He felt the bed shift and turned to see her lying beside him. "S-shouldn't you go back to your room?"
"My room is your room. We are sharing a room after all. I'm also responsible for managing your safety and security." Lina explained as she lay on her side, "So get used to me always being around you. I won't mind if you peek."
"Y-you're an officer!" He exclaimed. "You shouldn't be saying such things. You shouldn't be wearing such revealing clothing either."
"Oh? So you prefer me in full body armor?" Lina asked teasingly.
"N-no, but..." He stuttered.
"I'm kidding, I'll be careful next time," Lina laughed at his response, "You're pretty adorable, you know. It's refreshing for someone like you to see me as a girl, instead of just a machine... maybe you'll awaken to something..."
He groaned; this must've been what the Colonel meant when he said they'll tease him. He was already embarrassed; he couldn't imagine the others saying such things.
"Get some sleep," she said. "We have a busy day tomorrow."
"Fine..." he relented, turning off the lights and crawling into bed.
He heard her breathing softly, and he could feel her presence next to him. It made him very nervous; the fact that she was an android became irrelevant in his mind. She was a girl, a beautiful one. And her seemingly defenseless appearance and the way she was pressed against him were driving him insane.
"Don't be so nervous. We all have our hope in you," Lina whispered.
"H-hope?"
"Yes, the entire battalion is waiting for you, they want you to bring a change in how we're treated... to make us feel like we're important. And that starts with the commander. You're the first commander to ever show a shred of interest in us. None of us want to feel like just machines made to die on a battlefield." Lina said, her voice soft and gentle.
Yuren remained silent as he listened. He understood how much the 701st's situation pained her. They had been neglected by the government and left to rot by their former commanders.
"Just relax," she cooed, gently stroking his hair. "Everything will work out... probably."
Yuren couldn't help but think about what the Vice Minister said. He should not allow history to repeat itself. But was he capable of leading them, when they'd only been treated as objects by everyone else? He was just an ordinary boy, nothing special.
But he couldn't just sit by and watch the 701st be treated poorly anymore. Not when they were his soldiers.
He turned back towards Lina and wrapped his arms around her. She was warm and soft, and smelled like roses. He felt comfortable holding her and soon fell asleep.
Lina watched over him quietly until she heard his breathing become steady.