Mercy's Journal (Invasion story version)

[Namae Nai]

My name is Mercy, and I live in Hell.

What follows is a record of my thoughts, feelings, and reflection on my first combat mission with Undine, written while I was there. Although none of my companions knew it at the time, I was charged with keeping a record of all our activities.
   
It began the day our assignment....



She was sitting alone building a house of cards. I knew her Undine assigned number already, but she was a very quiet girl and had never said her name in my presence before. She had an exotic look, with her chestnut colored brown hair tied behind her in a ponytail. The most striking and unusual feature however, was her choice of clothes: a very red yet very conservative business suit. The irony amused me.

"You don't seem to be having much fun." I approached her very suddenly, not wanting to give her a chance to move away. "Or maybe it's because you sense the deep symbolic parallels between our existence here and your house? Or maybe it's just because you're as bored as I am. Hmm.... should have started with this one though... if you wanted to be extremely Jungian." I had seen her shuffle the deck earlier, and memorized the cards order, so it was no trouble to slide off the Joker and hand it to her.

"My name is R0077, but if you want you can call me Mercy. What's your name?"

She was sweet, and either didn't catch the trick or chose to ignore it. "Ah yes, I think you're in one of my classes, Mercy. Firearms? I'm Akilah. Don't call me by my number please... this place feels enough like a prison as it is. No TV, no internet, no radio, and no phone calls... my poor dad probably thinks I've been kidnapped... maybe he'd be right.

"Has anyone told you what this is all about yet? I've asked a few times, and the answers have always been cryptic. We've been here a while though, I suppose we'll find out soon enough. If it involves a plot to corner the gold market by detonating a nuclear device in Fort Knox though, I'll be sorely disappointed." As would I, I mentally added.

She placed my joker at the top of the uppermost level, and started on the next. I was about to answer when there was a movement out of the corner of my eye. I did not know this young white guy, but he set his book down and spoke as if I had invited him to.

"Well, as long as we're being conversational, I'll join in. I'm Jackson Daniels. Yes, I do usually go by Jack, and yes my dad was an alcoholic with a weird sense of humor." He grinned at his own joke, and walked over to Akilah's table, a nice easy stride of a man without a care in the world. I'm still not sure why but I instantly disliked him intensely.

"I am sorry to hear you are here not of your own choice. I'm here because this seemed more interesting than my alternatives." Naturally this was directed at Akilah... I assumed he had gotten a glimpse of my reaction as I bared my fangs. Before sitting, he placed a bookmark in his book about three eighths of the way through. That was close to the section on Turkish nationalism, if I recalled correctly.

He quoted some Arabic at Akilah, succeeding in making her subsequently surprised, pleased, and a little nostalgic "Ah, you speak the language? Makes it feel a little more like home. Nice to meet you, Jack." She smiled at him. I had had enough.

<<Filthy American pervert!! You only want between her legs!>> It was Latin, and from his confused expression, I knew that he knew enough of the Romance languages to get the gist of what I meant if not the exact translation. In any case, he could read the rest on my face.

Still a little peeved, I decided to answer Akilah's question instead of giving another moment to this... man.

Akilah had a better idea; she chose to change the direction of the conversation. "Oh, I had a choice as well. But let's just say that given the alternative this seemed the wisest one to pick. So... it seems like everyone here has some special talent or another. Let me see here...."

Looking at me with eyes might once have belonged to a Muslim seer, she prophesized, "Clearly Mercy here is a firearms expert... heavy gunnery, demolitions, tanks and the like." She turned to the intrusive male, "And Jack here... clearly a seducer, using his guile and charm to lure powerful women into the bedroom and draw out their secrets. How'd I do?" She made a faux magical gesture, and smiled just a little too widely. She had to be joking.

"Actually... no. I am undergoing training for firearms, but I haven't qualified yet. Too tense, you see." With a sideways glance at Jack, she continued, "I'm more of just your basic high school athlete. I was on the track and triathlon teams, so I guess they need me to run and throw things."

Looking down, I mutter, "I just hope they don't think I'm going to cheer. Those days are long behind me." Much more brightly, "So I don't know what we're here for, and I hope you won't think me rude if I say I don't care. Like our mutual friend over there," I whip my head over at Jack for an instant, "I'm here because I have nothing better planned."

As though on cue, two more figures appeared.