Defection (MentalModel!Brothers and OC)

Chapter 28

(Video is an audio recording of an American Navy surface AN/SQS-53C active sonar, the basis that I use to describe the Fleet of Fog active sonar. It is very loud, and I recommend that you turn down the volume before even hitting play, especially if you have auditory/hearing issues. If you ignore this, understand that you have been warned.)

The ultimatum instantly sparked a nonverbal war between the Mental Models, the soft clicking and colors flashing in their eyes as the warships came to life around me. Missile hatches unlocked but never opened as the surface ships spread out away from the Scharnhorst while turrets whirred into an offensive position aimed underneath the battleship as the metal barrels opened to expose the blazing hot cores of the weapons.

Throughout the display of aggression from all five ships, U-2511 stood completely still as his eyes flared purple, his intense look fixated on me.

I carefully weighed my two options as I furrowed my brow in disappointment, my mind working overtime to try and prevent the unspoken threats becoming a reality.

On one hand, U-2511 had proven himself to be extremely accurate with his supplied data, and his previous work record with the other ships had once solidified their now-decaying trust in him. The path that the submarine had suggested was certain to allow us to slip underneath the various picket lines near Iceland, spitting us out close to a human-occupied port that may provide much-needed supplies.

On the other hand, the Mental Model had no qualms about routing out a human sailing the sea to the Fleet of Fog. He was against my presence within this fleet from the beginning, speaking to other Mental Models for questions that I had asked or blatantly ignoring me.

U-2511 hated humans, and I was clearly no exception.

To submit myself to his control over my implanted nanomaterial, or to submit to a frantic chase from the entirety of the Fleet of Fog...and I knew that Bismarck and Musashi would have no qualms adjusting their plans immediately.

"Enough."

The clicking stopped immediately as the warships became silent, drifting to a halt. U-2511 still held my focus as his brow slightly lowered into a scowl.

"Stand down and prepare for submerged travel," I took a step closer to the submarine Mental Model, "I will only allow your conditions to stand if you allow mine."

He only raised an eyebrow in question, the hostility very much prevalent in his eyes.

"I only ask that you allow one of my ships to remain in contact with me for the first leg."

He remained silent before I felt a tingling sensation racing up my spine, the purple glow somehow intensifying, "...granted."

A pair of hands carefully cradled my shoulders as the world around me shifted, the tingling transforming into a heavy fog that pressed down on my body and mind like a weighted blanket that was too heavy. When the world stopped spinning, I found myself looking up at Todo as his arms slipped underneath my legs and shoulders.

"...let's get this over with," I could feel the bored tone that U-2511 used, "Hard burn north-northwest, submerge at 57°59'04.8"N 38°27'53.8"W and change to heading three-two-two degrees starboard. We'll make observational contact with the border of the landmass in nineteen hours."

A pressure wave of air burst on the surface of the water, the seemingly explosive event not changing the behavior from any Mental Model. My brain fought through the fog to conclude that the noise was possibly the U-2511 rapidly surfacing from wherever he had parked.