No Matter What the Cost

[The communicator goes off with a zap and the commander flinches briefly before speaking]

I have forgotten to use this device recently... it seems that my focus on keeping track of it is slipping. I'll correct this mistake by paying closer attention to the days as they pass, I'm not aiming to make the same error and be shocked because of it.

[pause]

...I heard that there has been a couple of deaths here recently. It's nothing new in Discedo and the deceased will be revived. Though I'm unaware of the full situation, I'm certain that there are people who are focused on figuring out what happened.

With the possible chance of the chip location being found, some people might become restless in getting theirs out. However, being... "jumpy" about the situation won't help, just retain focus.

It appears that many people have returned "home" recently. Whether they're actually back or not is unclear... the best case scenario is that they actually have returned to their original worlds.

....Kirika seems to be one of those who have disappeared. ...Hopefully she's safe and continuing on in her world.

[There's a pause before he quietly speaks]

...It's for the best.

[For some reason, the commander sounds less harsh and almost...doubtful today]

....If one had to choose between family and duty, what would be your decision?

[Kresnik is standing in the middle of his room, holding a rather large gun in his hands. He points it at a wall for a moment before a frown starts to develop on his face. The soldier actually seems somewhat frustrated as he lowers the gun so that the barrel is pointing at the floor]

....damn.

[His hand grips the handle of his gun tightly]

[The feed shows Kresnik sitting on a chair, looking rather serious. His apartment was fortunate enough to not have its window smashed in]

...I know about the current situation in Horton. Many of the residents have had their windows blown in, causing their rooms to be unusable until they're fixed.

[He glances away from the communicator and is silent for a moment. It seems that the soldier is thinking about his next words]

...With the current situation and the low stock of food, I am willing to host a couple of people in my room if needed. I have a couple extra blankets and a small amount of food left that I can share, though portions will most likely not be sufficient enough to fill anyone.

....It seems that I acquired two items that are relatively helpful.

[The feed shows an extra set of his uniform before it's shifted towards him. He's holding a yellow berry.]

This small fruit is known as a Heal Berry. They're native to Filgaia and are usually eaten to restore energy. These berries are picked from one of the remaining species of trees after the war.

In the military, they are used often because of their small size and long lasting properties...They can survive without refrigeration and don't require any extra preservatives.

[The feeds shows Kresnik sitting on a chair with a somewhat thoughtful expression]

...It seems that the plants are growing into various shapes, though some seem more dangerous than others. Does the ending result of the plant depend on the person or did the scientists give each person a different seed?

[A small sigh leaves him] Perhaps I should have taken care of mine. But what's done is done.

....

Happy New Year, I suppose. [The feed turns to show a dying potted plan in the corner of his room before it's turned off]

[The feed shows Kresnik staring at a mistletoe with a somewhat confused expression. He's in the hallway of the Horton Lane apartment complex and just left his room when he noticed the green plants hanging everywhere.]

...What are these green plants? There's quite a lot of them.

[Kresnik is currently sitting on the makeshift bed, looking at the communicator that's situated on a nearby table]

...I have found a somewhat sufficient apartment to stay at until I gather enough information and resources to leave. Though the condition of this room isn't the best, it's probably better than staying out in the open, especially since the weather is becoming colder.

I been here for about two weeks and I acquired some helpful information about Discedo. Although I'm nowhere close in finding these scientists, results can't be rushed.

[Fail!Private]

[There's now a small, brown music box in his hands, with this melody playing from it. His eyes are closed as he listens to the song, looking somewhat relaxed as it continues to play.]

...Yulie...

[Loud gasping breaths are unknowingly voiced through his communicator, along with the sound of something heavy being dragged across the ground.]

My ARM... [The dragging noise finally stops and Kresnik's loud breathing quiets down to small, barely audible pants. He has found a building to rest against, allowing him to slowly focus on his current problems: where on Filgaia is he and what has happened to the nanomachines in his body?]

...They shouldn't have just stopped working.