Chapter 76: Arrival at Safe Haven

About an hour later, right around dawn before the sun had crested the horizon, "blam!" the Chimaera Z-X touched down right in the heart of Safe Haven, sending tremors through the surrounding houses and buildings. It slowly lowered itself, gently setting the massive truck down onto the ground.

Walter and Irena unlatched the wing box and climbed out, while the town’s civilian militia scrambled forward, weapons raised to surround the truck and the Chimaera Z-X. Several armored cars and GEMA vehicles also rolled in to secure the perimeter, with Fiona standing at the very front brandishing her rifle.

Irena and Walter raised their hands in surrender, but the moment Mary, Selma, Oscar, and Ellie stepped down from the truck carrying the women and girls who couldn’t walk, followed closely by those who could, Fiona raised her hand into the air and lowered her weapon. The rest of the militia instantly followed suit, though they kept their searchlights fixed firmly on the truck and the towering form of the Chimaera Z-X.

"Hey... help us get all of these women and girls over to the hospital," Selma called out.

"You got it, boss!" a few men shouted, rushing forward to lend a hand.

Without a second thought for race or background, the militia members immediately stepped in to assist the girls and transport them to the medical ward. Selma, Mary, Oscar, and Ellie walked over to where Irena and Walter stood facing Fiona.

"Fiona, get a few empty buildings prepped as living quarters for them. We’re taking all of them in here," Selma instructed.

"You got it, boss... um... and what about... the giant robot over there?" Fiona asked.

No sooner had Fiona posed the question than the Chimaera Z-X suddenly shifted. Gasp, everyone gasped in alarm and dropped back into defensive stances as the machine sank down to kneel on one knee.

"Psssh!"

Its cockpit hissed open, and Clyde, Celes, Craig, Casca, and Corie leaped out to the ground. The Chimaera Z-X then shifted once more, settling into a cross-legged sitting posture in the middle of town. With that, the five siblings hurried over to Mary and Selma.

"Thank you so much for getting us back here so fast," Mary said, pulling all five of them into a warm embrace.

"You’re welcome, Sister Mary," Clyde replied with a smile.

After breaking the hug, Celes glanced around her, taking in the low-rise buildings, the vast open spaces, and the towering fortress-like walls encircling the city dotted with watchtowers at every corner.

"So this is Safe Haven," Celes remarked cheerfully.

"Welcome to Safe Haven, Celes, Walter, Oscar, and Ellie," Mary greeted them.

"Thank you, and I’m so sorry we’ve ended up burdening you all," Oscar apologized.

"Don’t worry about it, Uncle. I hope you feel right at home here, I hear you run a restaurant, and we don’t have a really good dining spot around here yet," Selma noted.

"Oh... is that so? Well then, I’d be more than happy to provide that kind of service," Oscar replied with a smile.

"If you don’t mind me asking, what are we going to do with that robot?" Walter asked, gesturing toward the Chimaera Z-X.

"If we don’t put it in a hangar, isn’t it going to stand out way too much?" Ellie added.

"Now that’s exactly what I was just asking, boss," Fiona chimed in.

"Hmm... you’ve got a point. For now, let’s take the elevator down underground and talk things through. Come on, Walter, Ellie, Mr. Oscar, Colonel Irena, follow me," Selma directed.

"Um... do you mind if we stay out here?" Clyde asked.

"Go ahead, just head straight home. Here’s the key," Mary answered, digging into her pocket and tossing a key to Clyde.

Clyde caught the key cleanly, while Mary turned and followed Selma and the others toward the elevator shaft that led down into the subterranean levels of the Safe Haven city. Clyde, Celes, Craig, Casca, and Corie watched the backs of Mary and the others as they walked away.

"Alright... let’s go home," Clyde invited.

"Um... do you guys want to swing by the café first? I’ll treat you all to free coffee before you head back," Fiona called out.

The five siblings spun around to look at Fiona, then exchanged glances with one another. Suddenly, Celes stepped forward, grabbed both of Fiona’s hands, and beamed a wide smile.

"I’d love to! I’ve never had coffee before," Celes declared.

"Oh... er... um... alright then, right this way," Fiona stammered in surprise.

"Awesome, let’s go!" Celes cheered.

As Clyde, Celes, Casca, and Corie started walking behind Fiona, Craig abruptly stopped dead in his tracks, a look of sheer anxiety washing over his face. Naturally, Clyde, Celes, Casca, Corie, and even Fiona halted and spun back around.

"What’s wrong, Craig?" Clyde asked.

"Um... catch up with you guys in a bit. I need to run to the hospital first... to check on Lyra," Craig explained.

"Ah... Lyra, huh," Celes murmured, clearly knowing who Lyra was.

"Hmph," Casca and Corie grunted.

Before Casca and Corie could even open their mouths, Clyde’s arm shot out from behind, clamping firmly over their lips.

"Go ahead... take your time, we’re not going anywhere besides the café anyway," Clyde said smoothly.

"Got it... thanks, guys, see you in a bit!" Craig called out over his shoulder.

Without another word, Craig turned on his heel and sprinted toward the hospital, raising a hand in a quick farewell wave. Clyde released Casca and Corie, who immediately wheeled around to glare at him with pouting faces, hands planted firmly on their hips.

"What was that all about, Brother?!" Casca protested.

"Yeah... I hadn’t even said anything yet!" Corie complained.

"I knew you two were about to start complaining and poking fun, so yeah... I pre-emptively shut you up," Clyde replied.

"Ugh... I’m just annoyed. Why is Brother Craig so hung up on someone from the simulation anyway?" Casca grumbled.

"Seriously, when she’s not even real to us... total buzzkill," Corie added under her breath.

"Oh, let it go... come on to the café, I want to try that coffee," Celes said cheerfully, slinging an arm around both of their shoulders from behind.

"Fine," Casca and Corie muttered in reluctant defeat.

Fiona let out an amused snort and smiled at the four of them before turning back around to lead the way to the café. Meanwhile, over at the hospital, Craig burst into the ward. He spotted the newly arrived women and girls from Safe Haven, still gripped by severe trauma, already receiving emergency medical attention, making the ward bustling with nurses and doctors darting back and forth.

Craig’s gaze drifted toward the beds where Lyra, Nate, and Dana lay resting. He walked over to their corner. Reaching their bedside, he paused for a moment with his hands tucked into his pockets; all three were still fast asleep, but their bodies already looked healthier and filled out compared to the hollow skeletons they had been when first rescued. Craig stepped up to the side of Lyra’s bed, pulled over a chair, and sat down. He gently took her hand in his while using his free hand to stroke her forehead tenderly.

Then he noticed Lyra’s rumpled blanket, so he stood up and straightened it back out. After that, he sat back down and let out a startled, "Whoaaah," as he was shocked to see Lyra open her eyes and turn to look right at him. The atmosphere grew quiet as the two of them simply stared at each other without a word, but then Lyra smiled.

"Thank goodness you’re safe, Craig," she murmured haltingly in a voice that was still raspy.

Hearing Lyra speak his name, tears instantly streamed down Craig’s face. He quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve as Lyra slowly shifted into a sitting position. She reached out her hand toward Craig’s head, but when she couldn’t quite reach, she ended up resting her hand against his chest instead. That made Craig flinch, but he immediately ducked his head down so Lyra could pet his hair. Lyra looked delighted at once and playfully ruffled Craig’s messy hair.

"Did you really miss me that much ?" Lyra teased with a wide grin.

"Yeah... I really missed you," Craig answered with a smile.

Without waiting for Lyra to reply, Craig leaned forward in his chair and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Naturally, Lyra hugged him back just as fiercely as silent tears trickled down her cheeks.

"I’m so glad you still remember me," Craig said.

"No matter what, I’ll always remember you, and you’ll always remember me," Lyra replied.

The two of them remained locked in an embrace for several moments, completely unaware that Nate and Dana had also turned their heads to watch them, smiling broadly through streaming tears without saying a single word.

***

Meanwhile at the café, phuaah, Celes set her empty coffee cup down onto the table, while Clyde turned to look at Celes with concern as he held his own cup.

"Hey... hey... Celes, that’s not how you drink coffee, you don’t just gulp it all down like that; you drink it slowly and enjoy it," Clyde said.

"Oh... is that so... can I order another one?" Celes asked Fiona.

"Of course, just a minute," Fiona replied from behind the counter.

"This time I’m going to drink it slowly and enjoy it," Celes stated.

"Good," Clyde answered. Then Clyde turned to look at Casca and Corie, who looked sluggish as they rested their heads lazily on their arms propped up on the table, sipping their coffee. "What’s wrong with you two?" Clyde asked.

"Nothing," Casca and Corie replied in unison, their voices limp.