Chapter 6: Journey Begins

Marcus perused through the deviation report on the translucent projection. The entries marked in red had long since been taken care of. A few marked in yellow remained unaddressed, but as Eren's lieutenant, he had until the first descent to change that. Time was running short.

Just as he was about to bring forth the next entry, the hatch lock twisted, then the entire door slammed open. In the entryway stood the disheveled admiral. A single lock of hair drooped over the wrinkles on his forehead and ended in front of his right eye. Sweat glistened on his skin.

"Admiral. Is everything alright?" Marcus asked out of obligation. His voice was as monotone as the task laid out before him. Without a doubt, a matter related to Eren's one-of-a-kind protegee had plagued his mental wellbeing for the uptenth time.

Eren let out a frustrated sigh. "It's Tara, she—"

"Is having second thoughts?" he interrupted. His superior glared at him with a look of disdain before letting his gaze fall downward, toward the table on which he leaned, once more.

"Apologies Admiral."

"Tara," he repeated, "She looks different than the rest of us, yes?"

"Are we finally addressing that elephant in the room? If that's the case, then yes, her features resemble that of our Messiah." Marcus cleared his throat before uttering, "She is his daughter after all." He had no qualms subtly expressing his belief that the admiral's relationship with his deceased comrade's child was a repulsive one.

"Tan skin, crescent shaped eyes, pitch black hair," he began to list, "and an insurmountably short stature."

"Lay off the big words—that's a command." Eren mumbled. "You're right, though. Her features are less prominent than her father's, thanks to her mother."

Marcus nodded. It was common knowledge that the queen, who had long since passed, knew not an unusual life. Her meeting of the man who'd eventually save the people of Kasai was of pure, sheer luck. Had another woman met him and birthed his child, that child would've looked mostly identical.

"What prompted this question?" he asked, curious.

Eren looked up from the flat panel screen displaying each Explorer's vitals at the center of the bridge. The sweat continued to drip from his skin.

"If you don't mind me asking," Marcus added.

"The natives, they're different from us. At least in some form of another." Eren paused as he gazed at another panel perpendicular to the two of them. On its screen were images of specimens studied from afar. All of them belonged to the alpha species of M3096 — homosapiens. "All of us, except one."

His eyes narrowed at one particular individual; a biologically female subject apparently hailing from the easternmost region of the central continent.

The lieutenant chuckled. "I sent you that image earlier. What do you think? She looks exactly like the princess, doesn't she?"

He stood from his station and walked over for a closer look. Upon closer inspection, he realized that a few differences did exist between her and the honorable Tara. The former's features were far more exaggerated to the point of resembling the Messiah himself more so than Tara. "What could this mean?"

Eren didn't answer. The air throughout the room stood still.

"I'm reassigning the princess to a new region in the west," declared Eren suddenly. "Be sure that the Explorers assigned to the old one have no contact with her."

Marcus stood shocked by the seemingly irrational command. As much as he wanted to question its purpose, he knew it was not his place. Instead, he nodded before turning away to issue the command to the authorized subordinates.

~

Tara took a deep breath. Her chest felt heavy, as though the suit that fit perfectly a few hours ago had grown too tight. There was no turning back now though; the time for their descent had finally arrived.

Each and every one of the Explorers stood in one of three lines leading up to the transporter. Tara stared intently at its translucent, round platform. Moderators stood close by in case it malfunctioned, though it was obvious that none of them took the job seriously.

"Look at them, gossiping among themselves," whispered Annah, who stood in the line to Tara's left, "They're probably jealous that they have to stay behind." The Explorers around the girl nodded in agreement. One of the uniformed individuals glared at her before turning to a colleague to continue their chat.

"They only look when they hear even the slightest peep out of us," added Janson, from the other line, "But I guess we can't complain due to their perfect record. No Explorer has ever gone off course before landing, let alone died."

The Explorers continued to mumble amongst themselves until the sound of a metal rod clanging on the metallic floor grabbed their attention.

"Attention Explorers," boomed a moderator. All heads turned toward the center of the room, with many becoming confused when they saw no one. A sigh sounded from the steps in front of the transporter.

The Explorers mumbled as a stout, bearded man traipsed up the steps and onto the transporter. "I am Deeke, and I'll be keeping a watchful eye over each and everyone of you little weaselings," the moderator continued with a patronizing tone, "Believe me when I say that we don't want to ruin our track record, even if it's for you ingrates."

Many of the Explorers, Tara included, rolled their eyes. Janson opened his mouth but was elbowed by a girl standing in front of him.

"What was that for?" he whispered. He received nothing more than a shush for an answer.

Deeke, who hadn't noticed the exchange, continued. "Most of you know the drill, so let's get a move on. Team Alpha-One, step forward!" The man then stepped off the platform and motioned for the first Explorers from each line to come forth.

The group of three silently stepped onto the transporter and stood equidistant from one another. One of them trembled slightly, prompting another to take hold of their hand.

"Don't worry, it'll all be over in a moment," Deeke assured, before turning toward his subordinates, "Commence!"

A uniformed man sitting in front of the main control panel nodded. He then barked an order to two others, who placed their hands on the bioscanners located on either side. All of the lights in the room dimmed.

'Did it malfunction?' Tara thought to herself. All of a sudden, the sound of a switching lever echoed through the darkened space, causing the once translucent platform to glow. It illuminated the room with its immense light. Tara winced as electric bolts formed and began dancing around the three Explorers' boots, growing in intensity as the transporter brightened even more.

"Have a nice trip!" Deeke called out. He fluttered his fingers briefly before the trio vanished into thin air; not a trace of them was left behind.

"Phew!" said the stout man, "Alright, Team Alpha-Two!"

While none of the other Explorers had batted an eye, Tara felt her heart beating out of her chest. She understood that they were merely being teleported to their respective landing zones, but the process by which it was done remained ambiguous to her.

As the princess stepped closer to the transporter, her anxiety shot through the roof. Before she knew it, it was her turn.

"Take a few deep breaths, Tara," Annah urged, "Don't worry, I'll be right by your side."

Tara felt a cold sweat dripping down her brows. Her throat felt tight, making it difficult to breathe. With each step she took, she trembled as though her muscles were made of jelly.

She stared helplessly at the transporter and the man who stood beside it. "You must be that one individual the admiral told me would need a little nudge," he bellowed, "Not to worry, little princess. We'll treat you just fine." He held out a hand to help her up the steps.

Despite her disdain for the condescending man, he reached out and grasped his rough, calloused hand. "As I said to the first team, it'll be over before you know it."

She, Annah, and Janson stood together on the platform. "Ready Tara?" her friend asked as she grasped her hand tightly, "Just hang on, okay?"

Deeke nodded to the man sitting at the control panel. Tara shut her eyes. 'This is it. My first mission begins now.'