Why it never ends

Chapter 1009 Pessimism
Late at night, the danger was basically over. Zoe and Susie continued to stay at the Cosey workstation on standby, while Ende and Theresa went to Hesta and Rico's apartment to rest and send the children and Eucalyptus home from the hospital.

Victoria stood alone at the door of Cosi's workstation and immediately stopped Hesta who came back to pick someone up.

"Jane, I have something to ask you."

Hesta did not stop: "It just so happens that I have something to tell you, but first let me -"

"Your family members have all gone back. Ende and Theresa personally escorted them." Victoria said, "You don't need to call to confirm. They should all be asleep by now."

Hesta then turned around and said, "Let's go, where are we going?"

"Just in the yard," Victoria said. "Walk around, anywhere."

There were no people at the Cauchy workstation in the early morning, and the small spotlights that used to be on all night to illuminate the entire building were now turned off. The two of them walked around the oval stone path in the small garden between the two office buildings of the workstation.

Hesta softly recounted what had happened in the council chamber tonight, and Victoria was deeply moved, but not particularly surprised.

"Did you know that there was an armed base in the mother city?" Hesta asked.

"I don't know," Victoria answered, "but it's not surprising. I have a device in my phone that can warn me of chelate tides at any time. It's not usually used, but if the situation is serious enough to threaten the mother city, then the mother city and the mercury needles near it will react - so there must be some emergency plans."

"There is such a device?"

"Although you have participated in many operations, you have rarely led a team." Victoria said, "Basically, in operations above extremely dangerous, the leader of the team, Mercury Needle, will be given this authorization."

Hesta thought.

"When did you communicate with the higher-ups?" Victoria asked.

Hesta looked at her and blinked.

It only took Victoria two seconds to go from being confused to suddenly realizing: "...Ah, it was that time, when you lost contact and we couldn't find you!"

"Let me tell you first," Hesta said, "what I am going to tell you next is confidential. If you don't want to listen now, you can leave freely after the assassin project is over. But if you listen, you have to stay here and help me."

"Stop talking nonsense. Don't you know whether there is an assassin in District 12? What's going on?"

"Yes... there really is one," Hesta said, "and there is more than one."

"What do you mean?"

"The situation is worse than expected," Hesta put his hands in his pockets, "Do you know why AHgAs wants to quickly move out all the mercury needles and reserves?"

"For revenge?" Victoria said, "After all, after the incident in the Fayaral Wasteland-"

"After the Fayalar Wasteland incident, a group of Mercury Needles decided to take revenge on District 12. They privately formed a new organization, 'Deep Anchor', and assassinated all officials who participated in the Fayalar Wasteland massacre. There were many participants in this incident, from senior combatants to reservists.

"Office 4 only learned about the situation in January. At that time, their revenge targets had already expanded to all military departments involved. On the eve of Office 4's arrest warrant, all Deep Anchor members simultaneously removed their chips and the bionic arms provided by the base, completely escaping AHgAs' control... The few mercury needles we fought tonight were all members of the 'Deep Anchor'."

Victoria gasped.

"How many are there?"

"About seventy or so."

"...Does District 12 have so many mercury needles?" Victoria frowned slightly, "So many people died in the Fayalar Wasteland before..." "This is where the trouble lies." Hesta said, "There were only more than 20 members of Deep Anchor at the beginning, and the more than 40 people who came later defected during the process of encircling them, including some people who were seconded from other districts to participate in the rescue operation."

Victoria pursed her lips.

They both fell silent.

Hesta looked up at the night sky. "I also saw the Fayalar Wasteland Survey Report tonight."

Victoria glanced sideways instantly: "What's written in it?"

"Several hundred pages. I can't read them all."

"I'll check your device."

"I don't have the permission to save the report. It was submitted by Office 2 during the communication." Hesta said, "Time was tight at the time, so I could only glance through it... Office 2 told me that Deep Anchor had an incomplete version of the report. They have been trying to send it to Area 12 during this period of time, but it was intercepted by AHgAs every time."

"Why..." Victoria understood the reason halfway through her sentence.

"It's been a rough couple of years," Hesta said. "District 14 is out of control, District 12 is nearly wiped out, and the Mercury Needles in the remaining districts are all waiting and watching. Even if we don't know exactly what's going on, we can smell a change. Office Two is very pessimistic about the reaction the investigation report will provoke... very pessimistic, but it's only a matter of time before it's released, and it can't be covered up."

"So you took the opportunity to propose a change in the current strategy, and they accepted it."

"Ah."

Victoria looked at Hesta again: "How old are you this year?"

"twenty one."

Victoria's eyebrows moved slightly: "...Young people are to be feared."

"How many critical operations have you participated in, Victoria?"

"I haven't counted, but it's a lot anyway."

"What about the battle in District 12?"

"There are some, what for?"

"I have a preliminary list of Deep Anchors in my hand," Hesta said softly, "most of them are the missing persons after the Faialar incident. Some of them disagreed with their expansion movement and returned to AHgAs. This list has also been approved by them. I hope you can take a look and tell me if there are any people you are familiar with among them."

"can."

Hesta nodded: "Okay... Then there is one last thing. Of course, this is just my guess."

"You speak."

"Don't tell Kendai about any of our discussions," Hesta said. "She's not in Emanlia tonight..."

"You suspect she's involved, right? I had the same concerns when I saw the chelates with bionic arms at night, but she was at another meeting and didn't get back in time," Victoria said. "There's solid evidence that she was busy all night--"

"Don't believe in alibis, especially those made by those high-ranking officials." Hesta looked at her. "No matter how solid the evidence is, it can be forged."