Chapter 11: Le Lale

Ndt: This chapter is part french (Ivorian Nousi) part english. If you don't get the French part just skip it.

*Stowe*

*I spent my life building myself, building myself and trying to define myself. By entering the marines I hoped to find my place, do my part and make my father proud of me. At the same time I hoped to take a path different from his, you don't know it but I am a supporter of individualism. Each individual is defined by their actions and the path they decide to take, therefore the choices they make must be theirs and theirs alone. Funny way of thinking for someone who joined an institution where the very foundation is precisely to obey orders. Why do you think I was at the officer academy huh? The higher I go, the more freedom I will get from this organization. Funny way to reconcile ideal and objective*.

-It's him ? *I asked*.

-You saw it yesterday and you already forgot it?

-Okay, I didn't say anything.

*Unfortunately this choice brought its consequences with it. From what Professor MacKenna told me I wasn't good enough or rather that the nepotism surrounding the officers would end up harming me. And then he offered me another option. As a result, I find myself in a world that is the spitting image of ours 500 years ago*.

-So you're picking up a signal? *asked the lieutenant*.

-The signal that I am picking up is too weak, in my opinion it is residue that has remained on his body. Which means...

-he doesn't have the Opal on him.

*The Middle East, at the base, is where the Major assigned me. It's a more charming place than you might think. Over the last two decades, the greatest powers in the world have been fiercely targeting this region of the world. It's a shame because a large part of the cultural legacy of this world are buried here. Take Iraq for example, 13 years of war or more, while here are relics of the very first civilization. The Amadorian myths are fascinating, especially those which concern their super-powerful gods. Next time I will look for the tomb of King Gilgamesh. I remember that just 3 days ago I was there on a humanitarian mission*.

-There you go kid, it was your booster shot. *I tell him in his language*. With this you will have iron health.

-Thank you very much sir.

-Oh impressive. *says the guard next to me*. There aren't many doctors who speak Kurdish here. Besides, it's 50° and you're barely sweating.

*We were protected by a private military company. Global Grid or something like that. Besides, it surprises because PMCs are pretty rare back home, but here alone we came across them on every street corner.*

-Let's say I have a resistant body. I wouldn't get a heatstroke for so little.

-We're in Iraq Doc, the heat can kill here.

*He placed a cap on my head and gave an amused smile*.

-You give me heat walking around like that.

*I liked my job here. I had been hired as a voluntary volunteer by a multinational company that did humanitarian work here. Distribute food to people, real food, help dig up mines, or bring electricity to a village. This is not what I was trained to do but it is what came closest to the pacification ideology of our federation. But that's when everything changed, I received a phone call from Chief Warrant Officer Monferra*.

-This is Palmer 02. *I say in Firiyaze*. There are still 2 weeks left, I thought we should avoid contact unless...

-Lieutenant Sullivan goes awol. *he said simply*. I want you to go to his last known location.

-But... And my job, my cover, I have to...

-This is a direct order Palmer 02. The lieutenant break contact and I want to know if it's a teenage whim or an act of desertion.

*I lowered the smartphone and let out a sad sigh. Seriously, I was going to have to run after a kid. No wonder why we have a shitty officer corp*.

-Ok i'll pack my gear, send me her last location details and....

-It's already done. *he said*.

-By the way, what is that crackling noise I hear on the other end of the line, Warrant Officer? It looks like some kind of... Machine.

-You are right, young man. *he said sarcastically*. It's a machine.

*From now on you know the drill,. I followed the signal of her transponder, which was still on, and I ended up finding her in one of the most luxurious hotels on the Ivory Coast, namely the Ivoire Hotel. And here I am now following a random guy in the streets of Abidjan because the lady did her job badly*.

-He has nothing on him. Let's go back and pray that the adjutant doesn't strangle you.

-He has something, I'm sure.

-Oh really ? And how can you be so sure?

-I don't know. *She said in a low voice*. But I'm right.

*She turned to me and fixed her haircut*.

-How to proceed ? *I asked*.

-I approach him, I talk to him and I lead the discussion toward the topic. You stay here and listen to me with the earpod.

-And how do you plan to do that again?

-I chose military police as MOS*. I know how to lead dicussion. *She said smiling*.

Editor's note: Job in the army in short.

*Great, If we had Whitestar it would have been simpler but who is the idiot who break contact with the team already? I saw her join her little friend in a restaurant, the guy was sitting at her table devouring a shawarma while he seemed to be watching films on his computer when she sat down right in front of him. I listened with the device but I also observed from afar with my binoculars*.

-Hey Hello

-Eeeuh Hi...Miss Cole. *said he surprised*

*She looked at him surprised by so much formality*.

-Oooh i'm kidding. How are you bae?

-Oh calm down, I was passing by and I saw you so I thought I was going to piss you off.

-The more cliché you die. *I say into the headset*.

-A white woman who sleeps at the Ivory Hotel comes around Baby* to see me? If I wasn't so flattered I'd think you were spying on me.

Ndt: He refers to the capital Abidjan

*I was going to tell her to calm down and not panic but she continued naturally*.

-Well actually I wanted to see you. After what happened last night.... I wanted to apologize and everything. I asked your friends where you were and they told me to check out your Instagram.

*I saw the other let out a sigh*.

-This is the position that killed Pope Smoke Oh. *he said*. 

-Hey, no, I don't want to kill you. *She said surprised*.

*What is he talking about, this guy speaks strangely*.

-Let go. Otherwise the guy from last night is... Your boyfriend ? Well, I mean your man ?

-Hey no, you're crazy. He's my brother, his name is Douglas.

*The guy had an amused smile while rubbing his hands*.

-Donc le terrain est dedja c'est Zo.

*He took out a box which he placed on the table*

-Oh you have a new cell phone *she said*.

-Nouveau lalé. An apple 17. The old one had become weird.

-Weird ? *I murmur*. It may have burned. Reaction due to Opal which caused it to overheat. Ask him where he put it.

-It would be possible for you to give it to me since I don't have a worthy smartphone for me.

-Aaah that's not possible beauty. J'ai deja kené le lalé*

Ndt: Ivorian refer to any cellphone as Lalé. Kenner (Ken, Kené) is Smuggling and they do dat a lot.

-Ken the... What?

-Yes yes I sold it. Au Black.

-Who is this for? *asked Sullivan who didn't understand*.

-I think it's the name of the local dealer *I say*.

-And it would be possible for you to tell me where I can find this guy Black?

-You, a white girl, do you want to go black? T'aime pas ta vie deh. Yakoi dans lale et puis tu es gamé comme ça?

-Speak French shit when I knew you you expressed yourself better. *She said to him, annoyed by his jargon*.

-Sorry, it's being at home who's doing that. Otherwise tell me, what do you see on my phone?

-Well actually I posted a photo of myself in a not very good position... Anyway, it's saved on your phone on your profile, that's how my brother found me.

-Ok but I just need to log in. I saved everything on the drive. I turn on my phone and delete it. Oklm

-Ah can you do that? Thank you, you saved me. *She said playfully*.

*She leaned back, crossing her legs and mouthed with a gesture of her jaw*.

-Help me.

*I definitely have to do everything here. I took out a laser and pointed it at his device. The device fried with the EMP blast I had just sent. This little gadget is used to jam devices over a short distance*.

-Shit... It doesn't work.

-A problem ? *asked Sullivan*.

-Yeah, this damn guy gave me a chintok lalé. Ok we're going to move to the black.

*I didn't understand the connection with China but at least we moving on*.

-Please help me if my father finds out he will kill me.

-And who is your father?

-A guy from the British parliament. It's a bit like American senators. And we're a little cold. *She said, lowering her head*.

* Needless to say, she knew how to do it, she should have become an actress, not a soldier. He easily fell into the trap*.

-Okay, I want to help you. But you're going to have to do some research.

-Yes yes whatever you want.

-Well. If all the Ivorians speak like him, we're screwed. *I say jaded*.

*I was wrong, the Black was not man, nor a dealer but he was not a person. Adjame is the busiest commune in Adidjan, it's like walking through a neighborhood in Beijing. And the Black was the black zone where all the illegal transactions took place, there if you didn't know about it you would either get scammed or have your things stolen by a pickpocket. It's a bit like the lower town on Rollings. We went there in my car, a 4×4 Hybrid, BMW model. Once there we went down and I locked it*.

-Hey, what are you doing choco*? *Asked the guy*.

Ndt: Choco is a friendly term like Chum in Cyberpunk.

-I will accompany you unless I leave her alone.

-Si tu laisses ta voiture ici ils vont la kenner... I mean bone it.

-Let them try. *I tell him coldly*.

*Despite what I had heard about the black, we found our seller very easily. I brought the sensor with me to carry out the analysis. Roger negotiated with the other in a language where I still wondered if it was French. Then came our business*.

-You want me to sell you the apple again. You're crazy, aren't you?

*I approached Sullivan and whispered to her*.

-The scanner does not detect anything.

-Probably because it is turned off. We cannot detect an inactive Krysalid. *she retorted*

-Except that the level is still like before. There are a few peaks but nothing more.

-We need this phone Stowe, it's an order.

-From whom? You have deserted.

-Pleaaaaase Eagle.

*Oh my bad what am I even doing here Arguing with this woman*.

-How much for this lalé? *I tell him*.

-Han the white guy wants to manage me. Well since it's you I'll give you this at 200k.

-Hé choco don't scam me. *Roger told him*. It's not okay because he is a white guy...

*I put the money in cash and picked up the phone immediately*.

-Tu es one game hein. Anyway, I kept it up, it was too weird.

*I'm tired of this country, I'm tired of the way people express themselves and I'm tired of this officer who is forcing me to come here. We will check this device as planned and if there is no Opal inside I will send her to Major Gaines directly*.

-Hey Douglas. Not so fast, wait for us.

*I walked furiously towards the car but it caught up with me*.

-Hey, I'm talking to you. *She said, grabbing my shoulder*.

-You let me go, I'm tired of chaperoning you since I got here.

-Give me the phone and we'll forget about this mishap. You will see that I am right.

-And after that, that doesn't justify the fact that I came to look for you here in this shitty country.

*There I saw Roger wince. He approached me and grab my collar*.

-Hey hey I don't know what your problem is with her but if you speak badly about my country we are going settle things here here right away.

-Do you want us to fight?

-Calm down dammit. *Sullivan said, interjecting*.

*We were arguing in the middle of a hallway when a group of young people ran into us. They were all armed with rusty machetes. There were 3 in front and 2 behind. On our side we had a guy who certainly had no combat experience*.

- Haaan bonne viande de blanc. Faut donner pour nous on va gagner en temps.

-Translation ? *I asked*.

-Empty your pockets basically. *Replied Roger*.

*Hehe, I gave him a visible middle finger. He got angry and rushed at me, striking me in the head with a machete. I raised my arm and the blow hit my leather jacket, the blade breaking under the impact and falling cleanly to the ground. The guy stood frozen, looking at me terrified*.

-Baaabière, machete don't do shit to him. *he said scared*.

-White men are wizard, I told you. *Said one of his goon*.

*I didn't understand everything but I striked him in the nose with a headbutt. He collapsed to the ground with blood coming out of his ears. I even think he's dead. That said, the others got scared and fled far, far away. I turned around and saw Roger staring at me, both frightened and relieved*.

-Like what are you already?

-It would kill you to speak the language of your country just once, please. *I begged*.

-I succeeded. *Sullivan suddenly shouted excitedly*.

-What... What did you achieve? *I asked*.

-Deleted the photo of course. *Said Roger*.

*Seeing his smile it wasn't really that and if that was what I was thinking it was even creepier. I approached her who had removed the battery from the phone, and it looked a lot like the power cartridges we use in our communicators*.

-Damn... There's opal here. Even refined opal. *She says*.

-The question is how did your little friend get hold of such a marvel?

-It's probably due to the reactor that Doctor Shraken brought with him.

-Hey, what language do you speak in, it's not English that I hear. 

*Oops shitty reflex. That said, this all became even more intriguing. But the man for the job was right under our noses*.

-Roger. *She says*. Can you tell us where you got this phone? It doesn't seem to be sold in stores.

-And in French please.

-Oh, that. Anyway, they gave it to us at work saying that it was an innovative prototype, a new model. Except that the thing was so weird, it had bugs and it overheated if it was left on for too long.

*The device did not support the power of the Opal*.

- Said would you mind taking us to where you work?

-You two definitely hide sething from me.

-Please. *Sullivan insisted*. For my article. And if you do it for me, je science 2 coups pour toi*.

Ndt: Basicall y she'll let him do crac crac

-You two are getting weirder and weirder. But that's okay.

*I'm sure she doesn't even know what she just promised him. In the end I may have misjudged the lieutenant. Her instincts hadn't betrayed her and that was good for her. I was going to return to the desert to see my friends in helmand. But first we had to trace the source of the Krysalid. As we were returning to our starting point I noticed a frightening thing, my vehicle was missing*.

-Where is my fucking caaaaar?

-Ils ont kenner* çaaaaaa . *He laughed at me*

*I fucking hate this country.*

To be continued

Name: Eagle Stowe

Codename: Palmer 02

Grade: Ap

Role: Logistical support

*Civilian Qualification: Historian/medic*