The Tales of the Legendary Mimic : Momo

it's not the letter.... it's the mail that's off.

“Is that the last one?” Jane said to the secretary, who was tidying up the papers on the table.

 She on the other hand, was sipping her morning coffee from her mug.

“Yes, Captain, that was the last one,” the secretary said anxiously.

“Leave the rest to me, then,” Jane reassured her, her hands picking up the paper on the table before she took her seat and gave the chair a twirl.

Sigh...

“I sent letters to five different destinations, secretly, to those I found fitting for the Special Squad. Those I could trust, as they would focus more on missions outside the base,” Jane said out loud, though she didn’t seem to be talking to anyone. She had chosen individuals known for their resourcefulness and who had proven their loyalty through past missions. Each had unique qualities: a strategist who could outsmart adversaries, a medic who excelled in high-pressure situations, and a technician with unrivalled skills in hacking and engineering, making them indispensable for missions beyond base borders.

“I... I...” The secretary bowed her head as she couldn’t get the words out.

“You can leave, Xie. I will call for you when I need you.”

“Thank you.” Xie heaved a sigh of relief as she used the legendary speed-walk technique.

Jane watched her leave in deep thought, but it wasn’t Xie who had her mind occupied.

I wonder if he agrees. If he doesn’t, then there isn’t anything I can do, Jane thought to herself while shifting the curtain slightly. Her eyes were on a particular building meant for survivors and guests...

Ring! ~~ Click! ~~

“Hello, Commander. How can I help?” She picked up the phone without looking; her eyes were still glued to the building.

“Captain, a strange case we have going on is causing mayhem and unrest. According to our report, a man named Sorra is trying to destabilize the already disproportionate balance of power,” the Commander said in a very serious tone.

“Hmm. What do you suggest?” Jane sipped her coffee a little and drained the rest from her cup.

“It’s simple. The Special Squad should handle this. I want you to help Professor Garfield speed up his experiment before we fall behind. On the other hand, I also hope you can track down this Sorra and gather every bit of info on him,” the Commander finished without delay.

Jane nodded as she finally pulled away from the window.

“Good. Leave it for the Blue Shadow to manage.” She walked majestically around her table, her boots clicking in sync as she reached the other edge. A little photo stood there: a soldier with a beard and his little daughter, smiling together in a worry-free world.

She picked it up and wiped the dust off her father’s face before placing it down once more.

“I haven’t even started... Father, little Jane is changing the world...!”

---

*****

“This is it...? You sure we aren’t lost?”

“Yes, sire. We are already here. You should see the security bot in charge, so your entry is unhindered and so the host can be informed of your arrival.”

Max found himself in front of a luxurious duplex with a beautiful lake and garden, a level of beauty that wasn’t even common in the past and was now something enjoyed by every D-rank under the Merc Association. He was going to come with Sarah or Henrik, maybe both, but it seemed they were busy. Well, not Henrik, though. According to his own words, he wanted to check out the new base camp setup and the drinks. "Sorry, Maximus," Henrik had said, "I’ve got new interests. I actually fell in love with the cocktails of the mercenary support we brought last time, so I wish to check him up!"

Those were Henrik’s words. The soldier was never serious enough and was probably going to drink himself to stupor again.

The guide brought Max to a room on the right, meant for guests who wanted to see the D‑rank. They had to be verified and confirmed safe before being allowed in. A robot was in charge of the verification process; it was known as the Security Bot.

“Were there always robots in Zuro Base?” Max asked.

“Not really. All these robots were property of the military before the apocalypse. They had just passed the testing phase, so they weren’t problematic. Especially when manpower was low, they covered a lot.”

The guide asked Max to answer whatever questions honestly to avoid angering the bot. He was going to wait by the door to step in in case of danger.

“Thanks.” Max didn’t think he would need saving, but the guide seemed to be a good guy.

Max reached the counter where the bot was. The bot was a short, squat little thing, making Max wonder what sort of danger it could pose if angered. It had antennas, and its head was TV‑shaped, so it was definitely not a battle bot. It pointed to the right of its counter, where there was a box with a transparent scanner, which should be the item for checking biodata like palm prints and such.

“Please place your hand on the scanner to record your data. If not, you can drop your ID card as well. If not, you can hit a direct call until the master picks up,” the robot droned.

For some reason, Max didn’t see a reason to place his bio‑signature in a database, so he opted for a call, but it took a few hours, and even the guide had to leave. Before going, he gave Max a map to leave the B Sector, as the space was very confusing and one could easily get lost.

Suddenly, Max remembered the card he got earlier from the sector gate... He should try and see if he could use it to get approved by the bot.

“VIP card evaluation. Ding! Checking status...~~~~~ #Approved! Primal {D‑rank} REINER guest. Please, you may head into the garden and await my call on your pod.”

“Sorry, what’s a pod?” Max asked, confused.

“It’s a walkie‑talkie ring you receive calls with—one of the recent inventions of Professor Garfield.” The bot answered seamlessly, then tried scanning Max to automatically get his pod ID. “It appears to me that you lack a pod, so please use one of the cheap guest pods.”

As soon as the bot finished speaking, a space in the counter popped open with a plain white ring—a dainty ring.

“You may leave now.”

With the word already said, Max didn’t hold back. He immediately passed through the now‑opened gate.

The ring also mapped the space. It wasn’t as big as he thought; it only looked that way from the outside.

Gooo? ~~

Goo bobbed out of my pouch as it curiously stared around the area, taking in everything in the garden.

It tried to hop away and feed on aura, but Max stopped it before it could ruin the garden. He was sure One-Eye wouldn’t be happy about that. The plants looked expensive.

Max finally reached the door to the duplex. Luckily, One‑Eye was only sleeping, and after a few rings, he woke up.

Max noticed something sticking out at his door entrance—a letter. He picked it up and checked the contents.

Congratulations. You have been chosen to be a part of the Special Squad led by Captain Jane. Please make a quick choice of accepting or rejecting by visiting the shed behind the Military Arena.

By Captain Jane

Somehow, his name was on the card, and yet the card was in front of Reiner’s mansion...

Such a level of planning was frightening.

“Heheheh, teacher, I made dinner.”