show me what it's like to be the last one standing (part XCV)

(Roleplay entry. Continued from part XCIV.)

The message fired through the comm system.

14 MAY 2021 - WEAPONS TESTING IN THE DUCHY OF GEARHAVEN

There will be a test of a classified Thaumaturgic Weapon system in Krakenstorm Storm @ approx. 2130 GH standard time, 14th day after Beltane, Current Era 201. Please prepare accordingly.

Justine landed her shuttle next to the bunker, ducking her head as she entered through the low door.

"HI!" said Hiro, not looking up from his console, "Weapons testing time." He made a few more calculations and turned to look at her with a smile. "Hi, lover."

She misted up a bit seeing him there so happy and excited and...not lost in the distant past or a far away galaxy. "Hello," she replied, then taking note of the screen behind him, "That...is a lot of nukes."

He grinned and turned back to his calculations. "Need to enter coordinates."

"Don't get it wrong. Where are you going to drop them?"

His hand drew down the map to the southeast saying only, "̴̨͕̽̈́̎͆͊P̶̛̜͙͚̼͔̳̗͚͋͊͑̆i̴̡̛̯̯̭͍͍̲͖̝̬͎̱̭̺̼̲̊̆͒̀̏̾̈̄̓͜͠͝͠g̷̢̡̳̺̙̝̫̙͔͖͇͔̭̤͗̍͗́̑̃̋̄̅̾̂̍͐̉͑͜͝͠͝f̷̳̼̭͌́͂́̈́͂̑͒̾͗̈́͛̇͘͘̕̕s̷̨̪̦̤̘̠̭̭̲̰̆̽̋̀̐̂͝ç̶̡̡̛̛̣̬̫̭͇̹̅̔̽̿̾̓̅͗̊͊͒͒͜k̵̛̛͙̤̻̤͐̀̊͋̑͒̾̿̾̈́̀͐̒͑̓̎̚@̸̨̢̼̟̩̺̦̹̭̪̱̼̫̝̣̩̪̰̈́͌̆̀͜͝ͅŗ̴̨̪̺͔̬̝͇͓͎͍͉͈̈́̎͌̌͐̅̓̂̆̎̊̂́̋̌̈́͂̕͘͝.̵̧̢̧̛̝̼̣͓̺͚̜͕̤̩̺̼̟̬͈͚͊̔̐͛͒̎̄̇̿̿̇͗̎̊̄͜"̸͕̱̺̼͒̔̈͌͌̚ͅ ̶̖͚̣͔̞̖̔̓̈́́͆̾́̿̕̚ ."

Justine shook her head. It was almost like there'd been static in the last word. She walked out to the platform.

The Duchess landed her little skiff on the platform, looking at the array of missiles with wide eyes.



"That is...a lot of firepower," she said softly, looking at the Duke with concern as he walked out of the bunker. He just nodded and stepped forward.

Brief burst of static across the comm channel they all heard, then Zack's voice. "This is GH-MT01, medical intervention is all set and ready in case of emergency."

"Which won't be needed, right?" She looked at the Duke. "Right, Hiro?"

He seemed to ignore her, looking at Justine. "Hey, take some photos of the mushroom clouds?"



"Sure," Justine said, putting on her goggles and heading back to her shuttle.



Over the comm came Justine's voice. "The Gray Area didn't fire at me. Did you turn it off?"

A beat of silence, then--"I'm in position, at the border between Dark Sea and Krakenstorm, looking southeast," Justine commed back to them. She struggled with the camera controls, hearing him enter coordinates and initiate launch.



His voice came over the comm. "Did you see that one?"

"I didn't see it!" Justine said. "Where did that one hit? Drop another one!"



Justine peered through the shuttle's viewscreen. "I don’t see any..."



And then there was only noise. And light. And pain.


(because.)

(Continued in part XCVI.)