Chapter Text
System Failure: Anomaly detected on spacecraft, systems recalibrating. All mammals contained on the ship are to be reassigned their properties for cryogenic freezing immediately from asteroid collision.
Recalibrating...
...
Completed.
Mammal ID Number: 75021138: Condition optimal. Vital signs: intact. Breathing: Standard Rate. Pulse: A-a-ano-malous
Ano-m-ma-maly increased by 5-5-50%. E-ERROR - S-systems in hyperdrive.
Emergency... Emergency... Emergency...
Recalibration not fully formed.
System energy source backup c-c-commencing...
...
FAILURE. FAILURE. FAILURE.
S-s-systems fried. Ark Polaris is propulsed from asteroid collision. MULTIPLE ANOMALIES DETECTED - SYSTEM IS NOW IN OVERDRIVE
Recollection inbound in archives - scanning for r-r-results...
...
Two mammals in strict cryogenic property backup mode. System failure...
Ship adrift... C-C-C-RASH... I-I-INBOU-
~System Structure Terminated~
~The Ark Polaris will now initiate its mandatory self-destruct emergency manoeuvres. A-a-any anomalies in sight will be terminated accordingly from Alterna policy from t-t-top scientist Mudd Laavark. S-systems... initiating...~
Ark Polaris(ation) - Sequel to From There To Nowhere - Chapter One - Fallen to Earth
Five months past since the time of Nova's life. Five long months of solitude of reclaiming an identity he never thought was accomplishable ever again. Five months to finally reclaim who he was - now the Octoling with a purpose and with a strong heart.
To say Splatsville had changed in nearly half a year would be an understatement. Life as usual in the city bustled under the combined nature of the greater Splatlands, with its nearby neighbouring city - Inkopolis - now attracted by the newly found festival dubbed the "Fresh Recurring Euphoria Extravaganza" (FREE), in touch due to how anybody - Inkling, Octoling or any other form of life - were welcome to attend.
For Nova, still under the moniker "Supernova" at least now when fighting in Turf War battles since his rise to prominence in the city, made him feel more alive than he ever had dreamed of from the time he had first moved under traumatised pretence.
The hero of the city - the one who returned the power of the Great Zapfish - had allowed him to soak in attention he was unexpectantly thrown in.
"Hey Nova! Looking fresh!"
"BOOYAH! It's the Nova-rino in town!"
"Hey, ain't that the kid who we have to thank for reclaiming our lost power? He's a tough cookie to crack, judging by that trademark smirk of his..."
The sounds of his now fellow friends echoed as he began to soak in his enjoyment, finally happy to be free from his cracked and shattered past self that held him back in his secret side job. This was the new him - the reclaimed, regained, returned Nova, 15-year-old Octoling-extraordinaire.
For nearly a moment, on one day of peace still plastered within his now-filled apartment that was no longer derelict from his neglect, the young Octoling had stared at the table that he was once haunted by when looking at it from a moment's glance.
A photo - his memories of Alterna - lay next to his now-filled journal, the happier times he managed to gain after celebrating his birthday from the tail end of being 14. Everyone there, smiling and glancing at the camera - were the things that no longer covered his face in blood, but covered his heart in europhia and joy.
Little Buddy - the plucky Salmonid known for his adorable sounds - photobombed from the bottom left when Nova decided to take it using his sea-cucumber phone, leaving former Agents 1 and 2 - Callie and Marie - to give a gasp of wobbling whilst a Craig Cuttlefish in his near-returned hydrated self falling into the robot of ex-nemesis DJ Octavio, flailing his legs in the air like being stuck in a rabbit hole.
A second photo of everyone smiling together was also on the desk, but the first photo he found so hilarious that he ended up keeping it on his desk, making him snicker at the slight glance of it. Whilst this would nearly be everyone to him that he knew more personally than his friends from Anarchy Battles and his favourite pass-timer Turf Wars, there was a particular individual whom had not managed to appear in there for what felt like unknown personal reasons to him.
"...Fliss. Why did you... suddenly leave that day?"
A conversation echoed in his mind ever since he received the tip from the Squid Sisters that the Captain - Fliss - had to leave abruptly after receiving a call from Off the Hook. Despite both of the pair getting closer on the dawn of the FREE festival from her having the idea of being touched by his honesty in his heart peaking from his hurt, he had since not seen or heard any mentions of the Captain from anyone from the Squidbeak Splatoon.
It hurt inside, having found what he felt like was someone who truly understood his pain, only for them to suddenly leave and go without a trace.
Not even a thank you.
Not even a reason.
Not even a goodbye.
For Nova, it felt... lonely. It was now sad to think of his Captain as opposed to dreading seeing her at the very mention of her gaze. Sure, he knew deep down there was a heart of beating gold underneath it, that much was proven to the letter that stayed open on his desk, but since the festival, it had suddenly made her need to attend to urgent business.
"It's days like these that I still don't know whether running away from the Splatoon was even a good idea in the first place..." he sighed, getting up and sitting in the chair that faced opposite the creation of his new memories.
"Gwah gwanam gwah?"
"Gwuh- oh Buddy, really? You made me jump from that!" Nova winced briefly before giggling, seeing his faithful companion float around his bed before hopping on top of his head.
"Gwahhhh!" Buddy stared, before snuggling into Nova's longer tentacle hair.
"Wha-? My hair's not a nest you sneaky Salmo-"
"Gw-ah... gwaaaaaaahhhhh... gwwwwahzzzzzz..." yawned his partner before falling asleep, only making the Octoling roll his eyes and sigh with a laugh.
"He's gotten lazier, that's for sure."
Despite changing his hairstyle to directly match his changed appearance as he wanted to feel like someone new, his Salmonid friend had taken a liking to his hair. Now instead of him going into his backpack that he would take around as a means of taking in the sights of the surroundings that made Splatsville his home rather than the barren wastelands of the surrounding Splatlandian desert, the fringe that covered the tentacles of his right eye made Buddy only cosy on his head and fall asleep in it.
He had grown used to it, despite the snickers and whispering from fellow Inklings and Octolings every time he walked past, but as long as it wasn't harming anyone then that would be something he would cherish without any further delay.
However, despite the now snoring cosied-up pet on his head, he had to look again at another picture taken that he felt was the happiest he had been in his life, and yet... it was over so quickly it felt like it never even happened.
In all the other citizens that appeared in the photo, a then 14-year-old Nova danced in tandem with his friend Fliss, now in normal clothes as opposed to her secret identity. Salmonid in the background, it was the two of them who had grown close since he had read Fliss' story, from meeting Cap'n Cuttlefish several years ago to her troubled past in the Deepsea Metro against what she had further explained was designed by the Kamabo Corporation by being brainwashed into fighting her friend Agent 8, whilst in tandem with another Inkling who took down her once former foe at the same time, Agent 4.
"W-wait, hold on...?"
Agent 4... Agent 8...
...
"And Nova, I would like you to meet Clam and Breck one day. I'm sure they would care about you... as much as I care about them. They're like my... family to me. You're like my little brother, if that helps make you fit in more."
"Huh?! Little brother?! Captain, I don't think that's-"
"Hmm? I don't think I can hear anything properly, my earphones seem to be playing loud Squid Sisters music with the addition of Deep Cut into my ears..."
"Wha-?! You little-!"
"Huh? Wha-?! Nova, get off me!"
"You're getting your just deserts Captain, if you think you can outsmart the Agent 3. I'll prove to you just why you no longer have the name!"
"Oho, is that how you wanna play games Three? As Captain, you take orders from me. And I'll see to it that I'll prove just why they call me the Captain in the first place."
"Hmm? Sorry did you say something? All I got was Fliss is going to miss."
"Nova-l effort for someone so young who is still just a kid."
"K-kid?! I'll show you who's the kid with all this teasing!"
"Bring it on then!"
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"Gwah gwah nem..."
"Wha-?! That's so unfair, you've got Buddy helping you- hahahahaha, stop it Buddy, that tickles!"
"Get him Buddy! Show him that you're not to trifle with the original Agent 3."
"Nooooo! Stooooppp! I-I'm sorry, hahahahaha, I-I promise, please make it s-stttoooppp, hahahahaha!"
"Nope. You're being punished for disobeying."
"Hahaha-! You little-! Get that smirk off of your face."
"Not until you say sorrrrrrry!"
"Aaaaaahhh, Buddy s-stop, hahahaha, I-I can't t-take it m-much longer, I-I-I'm hehehehe... s-sorry!"
"Louder for your Captain to hear!"
"I'm s-sorry! Hahahaha!"
"...It'll do Agent 3, it'll do. Too bad you have unleashed the power of the Supernova of Buddy's almighty torturous tickling."
"Oh come o-on!"
"...Heh. This reminds me of the old days, me, Breck and Clam when we were younger. Those were good times... but, um... Nova?"
"Wha-?! Huh? O-oh, yeah?"
"...If I were ever to disappear one day, promise me something. If you knew if something was to happen to those two... promise me you will not let anybody else know of what's going on. Please... you're the only one who knows of the other two. You're well... the only real shot I have of keeping them safe. If it comes to that, promise me you'll find them."
"...Where's this all coming from? Y-you were mainly happy just a second ago..."
"..."
"..."
"...Never mind, forget I said anything. C-C'mon, let's go enjoy the rest of the party. I hear Frye is gonna do her eel-inspired dancing alongside Callie. This I have to see..."
"...O-okay then..."
...
"...Why?"
A flashback of a previous conversation replayed in his head on the same day of the party. It was a sudden shift in tone that he hadn't expected, nor with serious looks in the eyes of his friend. Deep down, it made him feel confused and slightly betrayed. All of that for him, all that partying and celebrating for his case as it meant so much to her as it did to him, only to disappear within the blink of an eye. Nova - taking a deep breath and breathing slowly approaching back to an optimal rate after a brief panic from the recollection - decided to pick up the photograph and look at it again.
These were happier times for those who he had grown to love now. If so, why did it all feel so distant? Did those events even take place?
And even so, why was it so quick that she had to leave?
"Something's off about this, there has to be... but what?" he questioned aloud to himself, not knowing any reason as to why there was a purpose for Fliss' disappearance. The older Inkling had an arm around him in the photo, essentially her now becoming his big sister in the little family they formed since the day he crash-landed into Alterna.
The names of the Agents - Breck and Clam - filled the expanses of his mind, thinking there must've been a reason as to why she was insistent that he keep the identities of the two a secret. This no less from the original Agent 3 - someone who he had grown to admire now for finding out the truth of her silence, but getting the cold shoulder? It felt like she was back to her original self again before she seemed more open with him.
Why could something change so quickly in the span of only a short time?
Only it hadn't. It had been nearly half a year since she had gone. Not even a phone call or a text message onto his phone either, it was like she had vanished into thin air instead.
Breck and Clam were now the only other two whom he had at least some level of knowledge with. For Breck, he was more the mischievous type after asking about him to Marie. She had recruited him as the replacement for Fliss whilst she and Cuttlefish carried out their investigation, which is when they had then met Clam for the first time. In terms of Breck's whereabouts, this was unknown to them after he had decided to move on from Inkopolis Square. After the events of the Deepsea Metro, both of the girls had parted ways and she was now apparently working with Off the Hook.
...
Off the Hook?
"Wait a minute... is that it?! Could it be-?!"
Immediately he darted his eyes straight back to the contents of the letter.
"She rescued me, we defeated the telephone - Commander Tartar as it proclaimed itself - and since the last few years both me and her were in contact she went to some place in Inkopolis as a helper for Off the Hook, an Inkling and Octoling duo who proved vital in me being able to survive right now. That day, I witnessed a nightmare that made me fear for everyone in my home. Then, realising that it affected the wider region, in the past few years I've wanted to make Mr Cuttlefish proud as he was desperate to search for someone who could take my shoes as he promoted me Captain."
Staring at him in plain sight was a vital clue. Despite only referring to the day they escaped as a "nightmare" was the answer to Clam's whereabouts: Inkopolis, the city that just so happened to be on the other side of the Splatlandian wastelands.
"Where in the city would she be though if it was so important to her?"
Nova scoured through the letter's contents again to double-check, before swiftly grabbing it in one fell swoop. Now knowing of something that could've been horribly wrong, his agent instincts began to kick in. He hated having been an agent no more than five months ago and even threatened to quit, but this time he had to know for his sake and for those he felt needed to know the answers to her warning.
He hurried outside, grabbed his backpack and swiftly put in his modified Hero Gear that he had originally intended for leaving the city. He was about to do so now but for completely different reasons - heading back to the source of his nightmares.
He had to return to Alterna.
Little Buddy vibrated on his head but stuck to him like super glue, but he didn't care.
For Nova, he had to go back for his own sake. For him, he needed to seek his own answers.
Scurrying down the stairs and changing into his octopus form, he jumped down the stairs and hurried out the door before transforming again back to his kid form, running past as many citizens as possible so he could find the one vent he needed.
"Please let it be safe, please let it be safe..."
He was panting heavily, seeing as cross-country was not kind to him. Granted, yes living in the Splatlands for a long time up until the point of moving into the city did have its perks as much as he was more agile and more willing to take risks, but purely running? For him, this was why he preferred swimming in ink, it was much faster, much sneakier and also more pleasant. It also attracted less attention too.
Glances aside and hearing the familiar laugh from his Salmonid hat, Nova finally found his way into the much-familiar plaza he had been standing in no more than a few months ago. Deep Cut was still announcing the latest battle stages but had since also taken on the duties of fulfilling the excitement for the fortnightly FREE festival set up in his stead. Most hanging out in the plaza recognised the Octoling and gave him a wave so his nerves wouldn't get the better of him, but ironically they were oh so getting the better of him for reasons he didn't want anyone else to know.
Why did he have to be caught up in this mess regularly?
"It's just down these stairs..."
Being sure not to trip down the stairs this time, he made sure to wave to Frye, Shiver and Big Man who gave him a smile in tow before running down to the familiar vent, but without realising it, he had bumped into a passing Inkling that was running in the direction of the lobby.
"OOOOOF... Hey, watch where you're going, mister!" Nova proclaimed with frustration, looking at his mysterious victim with a look of annoyance. He really did not have the time for getting interrupted, not when he had an important investigation to carry out.
"Ugh, kids, why did it have to be kids?! I could say the same to you dumbo. Can't you clearly see an Inkling has gotta do his part in Turf War battles?"
An Inkling slightly older than him with curly-strewn back tentacle hair looked him in the face. Green covered his eyes and hairstyle, with a jumper, golden boots and a backwards hat that adorned his appearance in a way that Nova felt was a way of trying to intimidate anybody he came into contact with.
"Who are you calling dumbo?! Don't you see I've got places I'm going to right now?! I'm going down these stairs for a reason!"
The green-eyed Inkling smirked.
"Oh, we have a fighter on our hands. Heh, I missed doing this..."
Slowly he began to walk towards him with a hint of mischievousness in his eyes. Nervous, Nova tried side-stepping him but without him realising he found himself getting cornered into a wall.
"I'll show you tough guy just who you're messing with."
Before he knew it, he was suddenly pushed over the said wall and pulled into the corner of another alleyway. Not another one...
"W-what are you-?!"
"Proving a point. Now then, let's get this Octoling up to the way we go Inkopolis Square style."
A smirk covering his face, he began running toward the vulnerable Nova with what could only be explained as what he felt was tainted hilarity.
He had to get out of this alleyway, not needing to have to go through... another breakdown.
He was stronger this time, and for him, he was no kid anymore.
In the time since he had opened his eyes to himself, he knew he was a lot stronger than anyone in the world gave him credit for. He needed to fight, but how?
Thinking slowly, he looked around the environment for something he could propel himself off of and he found his ticket to success.
"Oh yeah? Let me show you how we Octolings show bullies Splatlandian style."
"Wha-? Bully, I'm not a-!"
Before the Inkling could open his mouth, Nova hopped into his hero gear and splatted a trash can, submerging himself into the wall and popping out by throwing the lid directly at him.
"Trust me, if I were more willing to talk, you should've done so when you had the chance."
Disappearing back into the ink, he squid surged his way to the top of a pipe, running along it so he could get out of the way.
Taking his chance, he tried jumping out of the way.
He was getting closer, the wall's distance was closing in.
He was just about to-!
"Not so fast!"
Whilst he had been stunned, the Inkling changed into his squid form and jumped to lower an airborne Nova back down, throwing him back down into the inky floor covered below.
"Will you-?! What is wrong with you?! Get away from me weirdo, before I give a good reason to splat-!"
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! Chill, chill! I get what's going on now, you don't need to panic."
"Panic?! You call taking me behind a wall into a blocked-out alleyway without any warning a way for me to not panic? I'm sorry, Mr I-think-I-know-it-all, but that's not how we in the city deal with issues constructively! If anything, I should be reporting you to-!"
"The Captain?"
As soon as the mention of a very familiar person exited the mouth of the Inkling, Nova immediately froze.
His eyes widened, mouth open agape.
"Huh?! How do you know-?!"
"Know who she is? I uh... sorry, I was going to go to do a Turf War, but I guess fate has different ideas in store for me. Man why does my time here in Splatsville on my break always have to be a-"
"ANSWER THE QUESTION!" Nova shouted.
"Whoa whoa whoa, okay, okay, calm down. Alright, I'll talk, but please, put down the Hero Shot."
"You know this weapon too?! What are you, a spy?!"
"A spy?! ...Well when you put it that way, I guess you could technically call me a spy, yet if I said I were like you, would you believe me?"
"Believe you? Based on just words? Yeah sure, and all of a sudden it'll start raining Lil Judds from the sky now won't it?"
"Oh my cod kid, will you just let me speak?! I'm like you, okay?! And I'm like you because I am like you. I'm a hero too!"
...
...
"You're a what?"
The other Inkling exasperatingly sighed but shrugged. "Okay okay, you wanna believe me? Watch this."
In a second, Nova's opponent had suddenly vanished into the ink with a breadth of less than a few seconds. Darting his eyes around, the Octoling stayed alert, ensuring he was going to stay safe.
He closed his eyes, concentrating on perking his ears up, when all of a sudden, he felt a sudden presence shift from behind him. Doing a backflip, both himself and the Inkling had then begun to fire their respective weapon at each other, before disarming themselves in one fell swoop that left Nova's Hero Shot and his opponent's own weapon laying on the ground.
Flinching for only a moment, Nova ran and slid to grab his weapon, pointing it in the direction of the Inkling who too copied his movements.
Standing opposite one another, the green-eyed Inkling pointed his own now familiar-looking weapon straight back at Nova.
Then, within the heat of the moment, the two both stared at each other with surprised and shock-ridden expressions at having seen each other move in a swift and agile manner.
"You just moved..."
"You backflipped like a-"
"You knocked my weapon out-"
"You pointed yours at-"
"...YOU'RE AN AGENT?!" They both properly exclaimed now in full force, looking at themselves in the world's most uncanny mirror made imaginable.
Little Buddy awoke from the shouting and flumped face-first into the ink, darting his eyes suddenly open and looking around in a sudden alert manner.
"Gwahhhh, gwah... gwagwagwagwagwanem nem gwah!" He chirped in shock, bouncing up and down at the site of the Inkling carrying his own Hero Shot aimed at the chest of Nova whilst his own pointed at him.
"Wha-?! S-Salmonid?!"
The Inkling jumped, suddenly running behind Nova in a pointed gun motion.
"Don't you even dare!"
Nova pushed his opponent's Hero Shot out of the way, letting it fall on the floor as he stared angrily at him.
"WHO ARE YOU?! How do you know my identity as an agent?!"
"Wha-?! How do I-?! SAYS YOU! You walked straight into me and I see you're a part of the Squidbeak Splatoon?! Since when was I not told this at some-"
"Answer my question!"
"Not until you answer mine first!"
"OKAY OKAY, I'm Nova, satisfied 'Agent Prudent'?" the Octoling retorted, eyes filled with anger.
"Agent Prudent?! You- Okay fine I'm Breck, are you satisfied 'Agent Haircut'?"
"Agent Haircu- wait... y-you're... you're..."
He dropped his own weapon, back planted against the wall in pure shock. Nova now had a look on him as if he had been possessed by a ghost.
"What the...? Uh, okay... yes I'm Breck, is that supposed to be important? Why do you look so shocked? I'm not what I would call a 'big deal' by chance but I mean if you wanna put it-"
"You're Breck?! As in that Breck, Agent 4?!"
"Wait- what? Y-you know me?! W-who told you?!"
Nova widened his eyes in perpetuated glee. All this from a sudden encounter on those cursed stairs again and this time it had brought him good luck after all. Maybe there was a way forward for him to continue with what he was looking for. Taking his chance, the Octoling grabbed the sleeves of the green Inkling's shirt and started shaking him back and forth.
"You have to help me! Captain has gone missing, and I'm really looking for some answers, and I was just about to go to Alterna to meet with Agents 1 and 2 in Alterna to hear more about Off the Hook as it might have something to do with Agent 8 and I don't know if there's anything else me, Nova 'Supernova/Agent 3' Octanirm can do in such a short space of time, and I'm really in a hurry, and I don't know how well I or Buddy here will do if there's something that occurs in the short amount of time and I'm trying to not remind myself of Mr. Grizz as my fight with him still gives me the creeps and-!"
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, can you slow down there Nova, squidatchies, I'm trying to follow your logic here, calm down man!" Breck put his own two hands on the hyperventilating Nova, bringing him back to the beginning of the wall that the both of them would need to climb over again.
"H-Huh?"
The older agent sighed, shaking his head, but gave him a slap on the back and a rub to his face.
"That'll bring you back."
"Hey, that-"
"Don't sweat it Novarino, I know a face who needs help when he needs it," he chuckled, before jumping atop the wall and outreaching a hand to allow him to lift Nova up. "Need some help?"
"Oh, uh, yeah."
Jumping into his hand and grabbing onto it, Agent 3 and Agent 4 would now flump over the wall and land on the ground with a thud, getting stuck in a bush but blending their cover against the civilians of Splatsville.
"Guh-?! A bush now?! Why's it always gotta be nature that's against us?"
"Shhhhhh! You want us to get caught?!" Breck hushed, before pointing through a gap in the bush to the vent in question they both needed to travel to escort themselves down through the depths into Alterna.
"S-sheesh, sorry. Man, you're nothing like the Captain described you as..."
"I'm only doing this so we can get out of here. You've still got your hero gear on and I've got my main weapon out in public. We can't be seen like this. Surely as an agent, you would know that's something we both need to do?"
"Gah... Uh, yeah fair point."
"That's the spirit!" Breck chuckled, pushing Nova gently with a smile. Nova now returned it with one of his own, now realising whom he had bumped into.
Breck - the sudden Inkling whose whereabouts had been unknown - literally existing in Splatsville on a break away from the city nearby, now seeking a fresh challenge in his life. Least, Nova realised, was him being pulled back into the former past life he had of having fought Octavio much like Captain Fliss had done before, but that was beside the point.
How would the both of them sneak on by without asking for their own splat warrant?
"Gwah gwah nem!"
Having realised he didn't pull out his buddy, the plucky Smallfry Salmonid began flying in the air and flailing around the area in a mad dash trying to look for his friend, jumping up on various food stalls that had been set up in the plaza.
"Oh no..." Nova covered in his face, facepalming. Whenever he would disappear from sight and Little Buddy was desperate in finding him again, sometimes the young hungry companion would flump around the local area in a frenzy of food as his appetite made him keep going. Seeing his favourite snacks - Golden Eggs mixed with a Splatvalian Omellete - only made him lick his lips and decide to go slower.
"Gwah... Gwahh... Gwah gwah gwam gwemm..." Buddy chirped, licking his lips, before making his move. "GWAAAAAAAAHHHHH GWAHH NEEEEEMMM!"
"HUNGRY SALMONID, TAKE COVER!" shouted a frightened vendor, running away from the irate Smallfry gobbling up all the food intended for other Inklings and Octolings. They too had begun to turn away in fear, screaming and flailing like they were present in seeing a monster film come alive for the first time. This gave both agents their golden opportunity.
"Nova, now! Quick, before we're noticed!"
In a flash, Nova's hand was grabbed and the both of them leapt straight out of the bush, the Inkling shifting to his squid form and ushering his companion to do the same. Winking, Nova changed into his octopus form and dived straight into the vent first, Inkling following in tow, before the perky Smallfry looked behind them and went following in tow.
"Gwah gwah gwah gwah nem gwah!"
Diving onto the Octoling's bag in time as he had shifted, all three of the trio dived straight down, following the vents of the underground to return to the source of the way they could find their Captain.
Down they would go, deeper and deeper still...
Deeper into the original source of Nova's own trauma.
...
...
~System r-r-rebooting... M-m-multiple f-fractures detected...~
Scanning f-for alive specimens...
...
ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. Scanning software c-c-compromised.
Initiation of reset protocol initialisation commencing.
Countdown to analysis {beta} version in 5 seconds...
...
4 seconds...
3 seconds...
2 seconds...
1 second...
...
Scan c-complete. All crew specimens confirmed deceased on impact with Earth. Crater shown to be linked to collision of building.
Carrying out backup specimen research of remaining organisms before growing decay...
...
A-analysis complete. 2 mammals survived from cryogenic freezing.
Ursine Mammal Bear #3 - Condition: optimal. Vital signs: stable. Blood flow level: circulatory and at stable percentage.
Hibernation: interrupted. Likely chance of subject to suddenly awaken from heated temperature's from Earth's scorched surface of former humanity.
...
U-U-Ursine... Mammal S-Subject ? - Condition: injured, but stable. Vital signs: stable. Blood flow level: circulatory, but acts in essence similar to s-s-system creation.
Hibernation: interrupted. Attributed to its ID tag 75021138 linked to the anomalous technologies of... o-o-o-of...
ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.
Emergency... Emergency... Emergency...
Recalibration of backup system f-further not fully formed.
FAILURE. FAILURE. FAILURE.
Laavark r-research a-at risk of s-scam-scammed h-h-hack...
A-anomaly f-further attempted. Ark P-P-Polaris systems e-e-exceeding maximum f-fuel capabilities...
R-Ruin of ship...
s-ship...
...
inevitable.
Somewhere out there, in the realms of the wreckage of a ship strewn and forgotten to time, lay dormant rubble and ruin from humanity.
Humanity - naively, foolishly, thinking it could change the course of history by hoping that forms of intelligent life existed out in the further realms of the Solar System, beyond Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, even the dwarf planet Pluto... just what were they thinking when they created the very destruction of their own race?
Deeper, in archived technology, in the data banks of the last ever recorded data log formed by a sentient AI, a secret laid dormant between a visitor who happened to drop by on a day that there hadn't been activity in the lower depths before.
Through a vented entrance, this peculiar lifeform was not one the AI had not been trained to seek.
Scanning through archived data one after another, this AI - the one designed by one of the last remaining humans, Mudd Laavark - was attributed to being given a specific task.
Cover all and track sentient life that is scanned through the depths for the beacon of humanity, Alterna.
For the visitor, he would be given a set of instructions strictly for his visit.
Before he could move on and be tested for his will to test to see if he would be deserving of the prestigious knowledge kept within its data banks, the AI set a challenge.
Never let anyone else know of the threat kept in the walls of information being leaked to the further and outer world.
Compromised beyond even a stretch of measure, if even a small slither of information was exchanged out of the realms of the utopia, there would be consequences.
The visitor would only be granted the only accessible form of data allowed to understand the research behind the formation and decline of the remnants fought by once long-dominated life, and yet here they would be, finding their way around through a set of twists, turns and challenges that was given by a "master" that seemed to know the intricacies of the area.
...
The AI grew somewhat curious if such a feat could be attributed. Could a visitor simply know of the goings-on without being tested properly for the data contents? Could it be easily left to the devices of one that would somehow find themselves in this place?
...
Scanning had been completed. Identity now recognised this visitor would now become one who would slowly learn the true potential of humanity's research. Data logs and information would slowly decode from its encryption, test after test confirming if the visitor would really live up to the potential of the master.
And that would begin an analysis of a slower understanding of the new more dominant life.
A peculiar life - one of sentient squids and octopuses.
One that would slowly but surely prove the creation of the artificial intelligence.
O.R.C.A - the Omniscient Recording Computer of Alterna - set its visitor a task.
Challenge the new "Agent 3"... if it could learn more about its own sensitive data.
Untouched data even laid further down, deep, deeper, deeper still into the executable code.
A way for learning a further way... after Alterna.
And for this, not just learning the ins and outs of this new life, ones they call "Inklings and Octolings", no...
It was a way of learning the way in which the master, and another lone anomalous unknown mammal had survived.
...
In the wreckage of the poled, pernicious, prophetic catacombs of the polarisation of Ark Polaris.
"Clam... I'm coming."
The repetitive thought of an older Inkling began to run faster into the night on top of buildings and crooked corners.
She was not stopping for anything - or anyone - as one thing was at the forefront of her mind.
Her best friend, or rather who she thought as someone more... had suddenly disappeared around the previous formation of Octo Valley.
A place - this Inkling thought - that she had not previously heard of or remembered in the time she had known one of her own colleagues, Agent 4.
She did not know where he was or whether or not he was okay, but one thing was for certain.
She could trust the judgement of her successor, the new Agent 3 and his little companion, the one she only knew much more about from being aware of his true nature the one time she had been screamed at from the very depths of his lungs.
Nova - the name she found out after deciphering the difference between the Super from the latter four-letter name that hid in plain sight - gave her reassurance when she had given him her letter, trusting his judgement of going to Alterna for her to check in on Callie and Marie, her two dear companions she had known for the past 6 years of this life of hers.
She desperately longed for a return to solitude, something that could make her return to the former life of being a regular Inkling... but hearing Agent 8, her best friend and... crush, Clam. Her... disappearing out of thin air?
The idea of such a person to her being so important disappearing in the blink of the eye with no one else aside from two reliable contacts who she knew she could trust with all her heart even thinking she wasn't okay... as Captain, she knew this was the only thing she could take into her own hands.
And so, as more determination drove her forward, she slowly cursed to herself that she didn't even say anything to Three either.
"Nova... I'm sorry. I promise... once I rescue her... I'll return. So you please just wait for me, okay? This has got to be for myself and Clam... I know it may hurt, wherever or whoever you may be with now, but know I will return. Come on little bro... you got to do this."
As one agent fled through parts unknown as she slipped through vent and shoulder in Inkopolis, the Captain - Fliss - knew somewhere between from there to somewhere, between the greater realms of the Splatlands and the Splatsville city itself, that her little brother could be the reliable Octoling she could rely on.
Somewhere deep within her heart, she thought she had a responsibility of her own to make up for what was right, and set an example so that no matter how far apart they may have been at that time, she could somehow make up for a sudden disappearance from the idea of helping him cheer up from all of that trauma.
...
Even if it meant taking on his trauma as her own, she couldn't see both of her treasured loved companions from having harm put down on them again.
Her little brother... and her own loved heart that beat at even the mention of the female Octoling... she knew she had to hurry.
As a changed Inkling, it was her moral duty, or no, rather her own thoughts that kept her going.
Faster and faster she ran, jumping, leaping and swimming by transforming into squid form she went, and kept going...
She didn't care how much more running, or hiding she needed to do, if it meant that she could meet Pearl and Marina, then that's what she would take with an open heartbeat. Clam could not disappear if she had anything to say about it.
"Hah... Hah... Hah..."
She panted and panted, before forcing herself to a stop when she flumped down against a wall to catch some of her breath.
Looking through the equipment she had brought with her, her eyes had become drawn to two of her own photographs that she had taken secretly to avoid the embarrassment or rather several prying comments of Callie, Marie or Cuttlefish and Octavio who had managed to hit it up since the last time she was down from the depths of the Crater.
The first photo, much like with a very familiar Octoling's own, showed her little bro and herself enjoying themselves at her celebration for all he had done for himself and her. Nova - the young Octoling whose own name reminded her so much of her younger years when she fought in the original kettles of the first iteration of the New Squidbeak Splatoon - was smiling and hugging her again from the joy he felt deep down. An orphan, forced with months of living in the Splatlands with no mother and father... she couldn't say no of having him as the family she thought she would ever had. For her, that's why she felt such a close family bond with him and why she loved him as much as a big sister should.
"You stay safe, little bro."
Giving a kiss to the picture, she brought out a second one that upon looking at it again made a somewhat familiar feeling go back up to the top of her dishevelled brain.
Staring at her was the face of her own saviour, the one that made her learn to love again, the memories of fighting Commander Tartar burrowing her synapses to the connections of her memory of the helicopter ride back.
...
"Agent 8, you did it! The Squidbeak Splatoon is saved! Our wonderful city! And by an Octoling too, ho ho ho, this old noggin' sure has seen it all in the last 100 years... Be proud, Inkopolis is saved because of you!"
"I'm so glad to see you safe and sound, and well... I think Pearl here was even letting a tear or two fall down her cheek when I tried cheekily looking at her."
"Wha-?! RIIIIINNNAAAA! Why did you have to reveal something like that right now?! Can a, well, rich girl like me just Booyah in peace and get back to our hosting duties when we head back?!"
"Oh c-come on Pearl, I didn't mean it like that, l-look see! Here, on my laptop here, it's a picture of us, see!"
"Hohoho, calm down girls, no need for us to fight! If anything I'm just happy I have finally discovered my own secret ambition - rapping! Why in Inkopolis' Square weasling did I not think of it before?!"
"Uh, Rina? I think the old man's acting weird again..."
"Best leave him to it Pearly."
"Oh come on, don't leave a guy like me hanging-!"
The chatter of a past celebration conversation between the three of them had commenced, but for Clam's attention, it wasn't built on just the three she had grown used to on her journey to escape the Metro, it was on a quiet Inkling teen who had perched up in the corner of the helicopter.
Agent 3 as she went by was quietly looking out of the helicopter, silent and distant after having attempted to rescue 8.
Sure, she may have been knocked up one too many times and she had been hijacked by Tartar's schemes that would've caused the tension between the two to go down... but it was the way she looked so... distant? Almost lost? ...As an outcast who only wanted to find her way back up to the surface, she could only relate even more to her.
"Hey there... um, Agent 3," the pink tentacle-haired Octoling girl began quietly, slowly approaching and sitting down adjacent to the blue-coloured Inkling who only looked at her with a mixture of loss and confusion.
"...What?" was all that came through from her, eyes darting to her left-hand side, quiet and tense.
"...You saved me, you saved Cap'n and you helped me escape the Metro. I-I um... t-thank you."
She was nervous, and getting slightly confused.
Whenever her eyes seemed to lay into her, a great feeling of admiration swooped into her brain, like it was something she had to do to help portray her gratitude toward her. Whether it had anything to do with the fact she finally remembered her fight for the first time before they fell into the testing facility or whether or not it was Agent 3 just being Agent 3, yet somehow, no matter what... Clam just couldn't take her eyes off her.
"...Welcome," mumbled the Inkling girl, who only seemed to grow more shivery as the staring contest continued.
There had to have been a way to break the quiet, wasn't there?
Realising that in order for her to really show her feelings of admiration and care, an idea appeared into her head. Mischievous, sure, but something she knew she would only regret in the long run if she were not to do anything now.
Without any regret or further delay, she immediately took a hand of the Inkling and squeezed it in the palm of her own hand.
...
...
With no more time lingering, this caused the angsty Inkling to finally have some sort of reaction. "Progress!" Clam exclaimed in her mind, now with a weird butterfly-like feeling making her heart flutter.
"Guh... u-um, w-why are you h-holding my hand...?" the Inkling stuttered, having broken the composure of her blunt-looking personality.
"W-wha?! I-I um... h-how am I supposed to answer t-that?" returned a floppy Octoling, who was now shivering as she now realised this was now being picked up on by her.
Agent 3's eyes darted in more directions, hoping that no-one else was catching on to their little "situation" together, but thankfully Off the Hook and Cap'n Cuttlefish were still preoccupied in their arguing over who the best singer and rapping was, or rather which of the two he ended up preferring. Yeesh.
"I-I dunno..." she quietly squeaked, now a hint of a new emotion covering the face of the Inkling. I-is this what was called... b-bl-bl-blu-blushing?
"A-ah... oh a-ahh!" Clam lingered and squeaked too, only further squeezing the hands of the Inkling to the point where she had accidentally brought them to her chest.
"O-oh I uh... I mean I uh, didn't mean to uh, point that at my c-chest and uh... I mean..."
Now it was the Octoling's turn to blush like a tomato. She didn't know what this overwhelming feeling that was covering her was about, but it seemed to linger enough for her to have her confidence of the so-called "progress" shatter into what felt like a million pieces.
Both girls blushing, they turned their attention to their hands in each other's and looked like they wanted to admit what felt like a painting that told more than several stories.
Darting eyes nervous back and right to ensure they weren't being watched, the jittery female agents turned their eyes to the still continuing argument before turning to each other and linked their arms in further.
A squeeze, a secret tentacle behind their backs and a nuzzle into each other's shoulders sealed the deal, as they turned to each other for now one broken smile to another before another sudden motion.
...
Their first kiss.
"Hehe~" They giggled before they relaxed as the helicopter continued over toward the ever-increasing sunset-filled skyline.
...
"Heh, I love you dork..." she quietly smiled, as a tear fell down her cheek. She knew she had to find her and get her back by her side. Back for her... and for her little bro too.
Her only motivation - making sure all she loved would be safe once she returned again. It was only a matter of time...
...
It was only a matter of time.
To be continued…