Your Choice

Hiro opened the letter which was given to him by the doctor.

Upon opening the letter, Hiro was shocked to see the name of the one who sent the letter. It was from "Arthur de Kreiss", the Governer-General and the present acting 'Ruler' of Kreiss after the death of the previous Monarch.

He read the contents of the letter which stated,

"Respected Hiro,

My name is Arthur De Kreiss, the Governor-General of the Monarchy of Kreiss. I have written this letter in request for you to return to your duties as a Mecha Pilot for the Mecha 'Vernier' and please help us in the battle with Riors to save humanity. I would also like to say that you have been relieved of all charges against you due to uncertain proof and would be awarded for the saving the district of 'Macross'. We also have a request for you to complete a mission.

I hope to receive a positive response from your side.

Yours Faithfully,

Arthur De Kreiss"

He was surprised upon reading the contents. What surprised him the most was that the letter written by the Governor-General was formal, polite and it respected him. Hiro was released of all the charges he had against him and was even told he would be awarded.

At that moment, a person entered the room with a cold look in his eyes. It was the doctor, he came inside and asked Hiro, "Will you really be going?"

"I wonder...", Hiro replied.

"If you have made up your mind to go, then. Please listen to me for once"

"I still haven't decided.", Hiro replied and continued, "What do you have to say?"

"After the second stampede was over, there have been riots."

"I know, the nurse told me."

"Oh, is that so.", The doctor said and continued, "We haven't been paying any taxes to the Lord and we have cut off a lot of communications to Weiss district."

"....."

"We have secured the farmland for us and only a quarter of it goes to Weiss district. They have been in a food scarcity. Many commoners and lower-class people who worked as a live-in servants and workers for the Nobles have come back to Macross city."

Hearing this, Hiro realized and asked the doctor, "Is a rebellion in motion?"

"Ohh, you're quick on the catch. Yes, it is being slowly fed as a notion until it is truly set in motion."

"Then, the reason why you don't want me to go there, might be...."

"Yes, you have been a core in awakening the notion of rebellion."

"Wait, wasn't it...."

Hiro's words were cut short by the doctor, "Sir Abdul Haseef is just one of the few leaders in this rebellion along with the people you know."

"Wait, does that mean....."

"You being called to Weiss district might be a trap to stop the rebellion."

"Just how?", Hiro wondered asking the latter.

"They might want to stop the rebellion by taking you hostage or using you to bring out all the leaders of the rebellion."

"How, even if the rebellion proceeds, we cannot fight against those MECHAS all by ourselves..."

"No!", The Doctor yelled, "We have weapons and the artillery to fight back."

"What do you mean?", Hiro asked the doctor.

"Exactly, the artillery strong against the MECHA has been prepared."

"No way..."

"That is all I can say."

The conversation went haywire.

Hiro understood that blood will shed even if the rebellion was successful with the advanced weapons which were prepared. He couldn't think of a peaceful method and the only method which he could ever see was convincing the Governor-General to meet him in Weiss district.

The doctor left the room saying, "Please, it is your wish if you want to the Governor-General. I nor anyone in this district cannot go against you, since you were the one who incited the flames of rebellion within us."

The doctor left closing the door. The sound echoed throughout the room. Hiro couldn't understand what was right and what was wrong anymore.

A month had passed since Hiro's rehabilitation was over.

The date was 17th day, 12th month. C626.

Hiro was discharged from the hospital where his rehabilitation was taking place. He was able to walk properly and even workout without any issue at the end of rehabilitation. He left the hospital in a casual attire on a red shirt with sleeves rolled up and a cream-coloured pants with a pair of black shoes.

He walked out of the hospital and called a 'Taxi' on the footpath he was on. A sedan with four wheels came towards him. Taxi Drivers were there no matter the district. But the taxi drivers were treated with contempt in Weiss district because they were only comprised of commoners and they didn't have a choice to do so for money.

Hiro got into the taxi. The taxi driver was surprised to see him and asked him, "Are you okay now, Mr. Hiro", in a really formal way to show his respect.

"Yes.", Hiro replied and closed the door.

"Okay, where do you want to go?", The Driver asked Hiro.

"Take me to the border, please."

"Yes", the taxi driver replied and drove him to the border.

He was dropped off at that point and Hiro was really surprised to see the situation there.

The border was guaded by armed people. But the people who were guarding it were the people of Macross district. There were many people guarding it within a three-hundred meter radius. It was heavily guarded and it seemed as there was a strict procedure for people to pass through the border.

Hiro went to a person guarding there. The guard immediately recognized him and bowed down.

"Wait, why....?"

"Thank you for saving this district."

"Can I know how I can cross the border?"

The guarding who was bowing down looked at him in shock.

"Please wait, I'll call the security head.", the latter replied and left.

A while later, the guard came with another man who had a solid build and was grumpy.

He was surprised to see Hiro and asked him, "Why would you like to cross the border?"

Hiro replied, "I've got some work to do", and took out the letter he got from the Governor-General.

The grumpy man immediately read its contents and sighed, "I wonder how it got through the heavy security but I'll agree with the wish."

"Yes, thank you."

"But there needs to be some formalities done first. Please give your signature upon some paperwork."

"Okay.", Hiro replied and followed the grumpy man to do the paperwork.

After finishing the paperwork, Hiro went to Weiss district and immediately took a taxi towards the headquarters. As he stepped into the headquarters, Hiro could see eyes staring at him. As if they looked at an endangered species.

Hiro went to the lobby there and handed out the letter to receptionist there.

The receptionist told him wait in a room after reading the letter.

"Please wait in the room across the corridor."

"Thank you.", Hiro replied and went there.

Hiro went to the room which was told to him by the receptionist. It was an ordinary room which had a desk with three chairs, two chairs on a side with one chair on the other. Hiro sat on the chair there and waited for a while.

After a while, a man entered the room. Hiro stood up the moment he noticed the person who entered. It was the Governor-General, Arthur De Kreiss who entered. A man who was in is mid-fourties and had the build of a soldier entered.

"Oh, you're here.", The Governer-General replied.

"Yes, Sir.", Hiro replied.

"Do you know of a reason I called you here?", He asked Hiro.

"Yes, it was for a mission."

"Correct.", the Governor-General replied an continued, "I would like you to discover a ruin, which might lead to a secret about the RIORS."

"Yes, Sir.", Hiro replied without a second thought. Probably due to the respectful way that Arthur was talking with him. He couldn't decline his request.

"Please, if you feel like declining, please do. If you want to accept my request, then you would not go alone, we will have other MECHA pilots go along with you."

"Agreed, Sir."

Being given respect, Hiro had become a pushover who accepted the Governor-General's wishes.

"You're such a pushover."

The demon in his mind told him.

Hiro was surprised to hear his voice. The demon didn't talk with him for a long time. Hiro was happy upon hearing the demon's voice.

"Leave it, where have you been all this time?"

The demon didn't reply to his words.

"Are you listening?", Arthur asked him.

"Yes, Sir."

"Yes, you will be taken towards your team who you will be working on the mission within a few minutes. Please wait here."

After saying this, the Governor-General left the room.

Then, Chris entered the room minutes after the Governor-General left.

"Mr. Hiro, I will be your guide."

Hiro got up after seeing him.

"Please follow me.", Chris told him and Hiro followed to the place he was supposed to go to.

While they walked, Chris said to him, "My condolences to your family."

Hiro's gaze lowered upon hearing that.

He was taken to the hangar where the MECHAS were.

He could see Vernier there, which was beside with the other MECHAS he could realize.

Hiro was horrified upon looking at the other MECHAS. He could instantly recognize them as they weren't any other mass-produced MECHAS.

At that moment, they came in front of him, the group of four.

Trig, Corel, Ker and Kurt, his tormentors came in front of him.

"It's been a while isn't it, Hiro?", Trig told him with a smile on his face.

The other three which were also there had a cunning smile on their face.

"Glad to work with you.", Kurt told him.

"It seems as though we'll be exploring a ruin now.", Ker said.

"I'm excited.", Corel expressed.

Hiro could see the smiles on their faces. He could easily realize that they had some ulterior motives behind their cunning smiles. He could feel the malice of their bigotry and their biased hatred behind their smiles.

At that moment the commander entered order, "You all, get ready for the mission."

"Yes!", they all replied in unison.

They all got into their specialized suits which were their uniforms and stood on the bridge which would connect them to the cockpits of their respective MECHAS.

At that moment, Trig put his hand upon Hiro's shoulder whispering into his ears, "Try to survive this one, if you can."

Hiro could feel strangely scared upon hearing his words.

They all got inside their MECHAS and were ready for the mission.

Hiro was strangely disturbed and felt that something was wrong.

The MECHAS were then loaded into the Air Carrier and they flew away to where the mission would take place.

The roof of the headquarters opened for the Air Carrier to fly away.

The commander had a smile on his face as the Air Carrier flew away from the mission.

"Is the plan in motion?", The Governor-General asked as he entered the hangar.

"Yes, it is.", The Commander replied.

"Then, it is fine."

"I can't believe the plan worked out so easily. How were able to manage it."

"I just showed him some respect. That's it."

The Governor-General also smiled as he looked at Dorian.

After a while, the Air Carrier reached a place which was meant to be a ruin.

It was a place within the the only water body within the barren land. It stood out as a wide building, more like a laboratory which was submerged into the water body. There seemed to have been an opening there for the MECHA to enter.

It was like a valve, which could be opened and closed. The MECHAS got to that place.

Then, Trig ordered, "Hiro, you go check first. We'll stay behind to see of there are any RIORS."

Hiro, without reluctance controlled Vernier opened the door-like mechanism and then, Vernier was pushed from the back. Hiro noticing, tried to make Vernier grab onto something. But it was futile. Then, Vernier fell into the ruin, which submerged into the water.

"Those guys, I've been tricked.", Hiro spoke and made Vernier stand up while a quarter of its legs were submerged into the water inside the ruin. It walked forward in the ruins as moved it from the cockpit.

"Whatever, I'll try to at least explore the ruins and find a way out."

Hiro moved Vernier forward into the ruin continuously while being cautious about any kind of hostile forces that might approach. He moved forward into the ruins.

Then, the surrounding went blank in front of Hiro. He couldn't understand what was going on. He stood there in the dimly lit dark gradient space. Then, he could hear a voice.

"Do you want to know about the truth of the world?", the voice asked him.

Hiro turned towards the voice, he could recognize the voice as the Demon who was inside his brain.

"What do you mean?", Hiro asked the demon.

"I will show you the truth of this world.", The Demon replied.

"Yes, show it to me.", Hiro replied without the slightest of hesitation and moved towards the demon.

The demon held its sharp hand out. Hiro moved his hand towards the demon's hand and at that moment, Hiro was hit by a large flash. He could see and feel the world in front of him crumbling and falling apart.

Then, Hiro could find himself in a place, it was a bedroom. It had, a bed, a television which was off and small and a wide table in the middle of the room. He could understand he was inside an apartment.

"This world is of the past, the world which existed a hundred years ago."

The Demon spoke.

"What do you mean...", Hiro's voice slowly crumbled.

He could feel himself fading away.

"You will just be shown the past from his side"

"From the side....."

"Of the person from whose blood you share."

"Truth always wins."

Then, Hiro woke up on the bed.

"What a strange dream."

He could clearly feel the difference.

A voice woke him up.

"Aarya, wake up."

"I'm already up, Mummy.", He replied subconsciously but wondered whom he replied to.

Then, he looked at the looked at the mirror in front of the bed and saw that he wasn't Hiro but someone else who looked like him. He immediately rushed to mirror and looked at himself.

"Aarya, wake up"

"Yes, Mummy!"