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In another world, Olivia Park was a successful pilot.
The third Robo had come to selection without any delays. A big, hulking figure as it stood between the two others. Wine red pinpricks for eyes watching the cadets. It had focused on Olivia.
It loomed over silently like a predator when the winners were announced. Its dark blue frame shining in the Arizona sun. It was the first to move to pick its pilot, visor blinking as it sat crossed-legged. The Robo had an arm slowly stretched out, offering its huge hand to the bright-eyed cadet.
She named them Charlie.
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She was among the quickest to graduate as a mech cadet. After the incident with the Sharg Queen, generals from branches around the world saw her talent. A few weren’t surprised—she was family to Captain Tanaka, they said. It’s in her blood.
The name Olivia Park would be honored as a newly-recognized pilot, right after news of the defeat of the Sharg Queen was spread globally. It overshadowed the tabloids touting all three cadets of their outstanding effort to save the Earth.
(Olivia didn’t know this at the time, but her fate was sealed. The world didn’t say a thing.)
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The Sharg Queen wasn’t the only thing to grace their presence. As it had turned out, there were more. So much more. And all of them were heading straight to Earth.
Olivia Park had tried to keep her cool when it was announced she would go on a long-term surveillance mission for a few months. Scout out what we’re dealing with , like what Captain Tanaka said. She had asked General Park if she could bring Cadet Sanchez and Cadet Olivetti. They were as good as her.
“Pilots only,” her father told her. “All cadets are to stay as Earth’s guard.”
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As it turned out, it was long-term because the Shargs were several solar systems away. General Park had failed to inform Olivia Park about that. But here she was, touching down on a moon only a whole atmosphere away from a Sharg Queen.
Seeing it in the distance, so far and yet too close, brought back memories of the fight. The day she had discovered Charlie had the power to make things disappear with a snap. A simplified description, but Olivia thought it was the same thing anyway.
She hung close to her Charlie, not wanting them to disappear too.
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Four months of watching.
They were now only five systems away from Earth. The Shargs crept slow most of the time, but there were intermittent periods where they were just…horrifyingly fast. Olivia was thankful it didn’t seem like it’d be activated in combat.
Olivia Park wasn’t sure if her observations in that time period would be enough to make conclusions. Charlie had helped her with what questions to ask, what to focus on, and what to jot down, but doubt lingered in her mind.
She had a lot of questions left unanswered. One haunted her.
Why did Shargs want Earth?
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Maybe it was a fool’s errand.
Certainly felt that way.
Olivia Park is bitter about it.
Why didn’t she just listen?
That would be the reprimand her father would have given, she thinks.
It doesn’t matter.
Two solar systems away. No way to relay a warning quick enough. Charlie was gone.
Tears sting at her eyes.
She’s Olivia Park. She should have known better. Should have been better. Should have set up a way for Charlie to send an emergency message in the worst case.
(You should have been a teen, Charlie once whispered through code.)
She should have listened.
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