Part 16: Debrief
There is goon participation in this chapter! 
*Ezra closes the door.*
: ...: ...
(Nathan's lines are voiced here.)
: Ezra?: ... Wrong house.: ... Ezra, open the door.: I said it's the wrong house. There's nobody there.*The doorbell rings.*
: I said...!: I...
: ...: Dad...: Let them in, Ezra.: It's not... fair, Dad.: Deep breaths. One thing at a time.: ... (*Ezra begins to hyperventilate, then breathes deeply and slowly.*): Let go of the door. I'll let them in.: If he goes away, then... then it's not real.: No.: Ezra.: Please don't make me.: I'm not going to. I'm going to tell them to wait, though.*The man outside knocks.*
: Hey, whoever's out there. Give us a minute.: It's not fair, Dad.: ...: ... The... the hard part is supposed to be behind us.: It's been thirteen years. Everything was... it was all supposed to be better, now.: I know. It's not fair.: ... But that's... this is how it is.: Fuck off!: ...: I don't know why I said that. Why did I say that?: I should apologize. I just need to say sorry.: ...: ... I should apologize. All I have to do is... say that I'm sorry.: ...: I'm not going to tell you that it's fine, because it's not. Not for you and not for me.: It's something that we both have to get through together, Ezra. One step at a time.: You have to let go of the door.: I don't. If...: I just don't.: ... That isn't how this works, Ezra. You're smarter than that. And I know you're stronger than that, too.: Everything was supposed to be better, Dad. I... was... supposed to wake up tomorrow and everything was supposed to be better.: Ezra, I feel the exact same way. The exact same way. I was going to sleep in my house, in a warm bed with my wife tonight.: We'll deal with this together, alright, Ezra? One step at a time.: I don't...: ... want to...: If you don't want to open the door, then, here. I'll put my hand on yours and we'll open it together.: I don't want you to, either!
: This isn't about what we want! Do you think this is what I want?!: We... we have to do this, Ezra. We can do it together, or we can do it alone. But this is something we need to face.: ...: We'll open the door together, alright? On the count of three.: One...: Two...: ... Thr...*The door opens with a fade to white.*
(Gabriel's line here and some onward are voiced.): I don't care who you are...
: I understand completely.
: We, ah... can probably guess why it is you're here.: And we don't need to hear the rest of it. We can figure the rest out on our own.
: Don't... take offense. It's not personal. This is just some big news and we're both trying to work through it.: Tell us what it is you need to tell us.
Heroic Sacrifice: On the day of June twentieth, at sixteen-fourteen hours Coordinated Universal Time, Eden Foy was involved in a special operation targeting a Riklid mothership, delivering an explosive payload to the hull of the ship.
: ... That was Mom? She was the one that made that mothership explode?: That's correct.: Was it a suicide mission? Did you send her off to die?: ...: Intelligence had suggested that the hull of the Riklid mothership was compromised from a previous attack earlier the prior month.: The operation was to approach the mothership's hull; deliver a payload of automated drills carrying high-yield explosives that would pierce through the metal of the hull; and then detonate.: But... on their approach, Eden's cruiser was struck by a projectile that pierced her starboard engine. The ship lost roughly three quarters of its power.: The drills required the ship to be moving at a certain speed in order to have the momentum to pierce the Riklid mothership's hull. Without the force necessary added velocity, the drills wouldn't have burrowed deeply enough into the ship to make the impact necessary.: Eden was a part of a crew of four.: Meaning you'll have three other families to visit after us, I take it.: ... Two. You are the second.
: ...
: The ship collided with the hull.: It wasn't enough momentum to pierce deeply into the Riklid mothership, but the added explosives from the fuel of the cruiser, and its added mass, were enough to punch a hole wide enough into the hull that another pass from another cruiser would be far more effective.: It's no small miracle that it was unnecessary; the impact from Eden's cruiser was all it took. Our assumption is that the cruiser had crashed into sensitive equipment on the Riklid ship – likely weapons.: In the end, the operation was deemed a success from my superiors, and... humanity seems to think so, too. You don't need to look too far out of your window to see that.
: Couldn't they have bailed out? Retreated and tried again later, with a better ship with stronger engines?: This was during a dogfight in the space above the southern Atlantic Ocean. A cruiser moving at a reduced speed like hers would have been too easy a target. They would have been shot down, and the crew would have been lost.: A decision needed to be made.: By who? The pilot?: ...: ... You?
: So you just told my Mom to crash into that Riklid mothership with a cruiser full of bombs?!: It was either that, or abort the mission; attempt a retreat; and almost certainly get shot down and lose the whole of the cruiser, crew and payload, in the vacuum of space.
: ... Yes, I gave the order.
: ...: I know it's hard, Ezra, but try... try to contain yourself.: That decision led to the end of the Riklid war, thirteen years in. If we didn't take advantage of the timing that we had, we might still be at it, and Eden would be dead.: I'm not going to pretend it's easy. I'm... a step away from losing it, myself.: Try thinking about the Earth, and all of those people you've met and you've seen celebrating. We fought so hard for this peace. It's just that... you and I... we had to pay a price for it.*The soundtrack fades out, replaced with harsh white noise buzzing.*
: And look at Mister Houston. It's clearly been weighing down on the poor man ever since. And this is the second family he's reported to and he still has two more.: Going to families and... delivering the news... is an unfortunate part of the service. A necessary one, but...: ... Eden was more than an officer in my squadron. She was a sister-in-arms. Everyone in my command was.: I can't imagine what it is you must have to go through.: Well, yes, I can. Quite clearly.: But we only have to hear the news once. You have to deliver it four times. That's a lot of... emotional burden.: I'm sorry, I'm not here to make this about me. I shouldn't have brought that up in the beginning.: This is the first time you've had to deliver news like this, is it? I mean... not including the family you visited before us?: No. But all the training in the world can't prepare you for delivering it a hundredth time, let alone the first time.: God, I... I don't know what to think.: Think about Earth. That's what Dad said. Think about everything that Mom had fought for. Think about the people you've met and the partying they're all–: My mom is dead because of this fucking war...!: I spoke with her just last week. I was expecting her home today. I haven't had my mom with me for the last thirteen years and I...: I don't...: I think... I...: Where am I? What's happening?: My chest feels hot. Something's inside it. My throat... I can't breathe...! Am I breathing? Maybe through my nose...?: Where am I? I can't see anything!: I need... I need help...*The white noise fades out as the screen blurs.*
: You're turning blue. Remember to breathe. In through your nose; out through your mouth.: In through my nose, and out through my mouth...: I... I can't. My nose is too stuffed up.: Not through your nose? Then breathe through your mouth. Purse your lips like you're drinking through a straw. Breathe in slowly so that it stretches your stomach. Try and keep your back straight. I'm here for you; lean on me if you need to, okay?: In through my mouth, like I'm drinking through a straw... like I'm drinking through a straw...
Heroic Sacrifice: Dad...
: Hey, it's fine. It's fine. I'm not going anywhere.: ... How long...?: It's only been about a minute. It's fine now. Don't worry about it; you're here and we're together. Just focus on your breathing.: Where is 'here?'
: I'm so thirsty. Was it always this hot in here?
: Hold on for a few minutes, though. Just in case.
: Yes, of course.: Everyone reacts differently to the news. You have to be ready for anything.: ... This guy...: ... Mom is dead. She... she crashed into a spaceship. She's why everyone is out there partying like they don't give a shit anymore.: Why isn't he dead? Did he sit in some chair in some room and tell her to kill herself over a radio?: My chest feels so hot. My hands keep shaking. There's a fat lump in my throat...: I wish Mom was here.
* * *
Goon participation! Ezra's mother, Eden, died in battle by sacrificing herself for the good of humanity and victory over the Riklid. The news has shaken Ezra to her core and she is not thinking straight. How should Ezra react to Gabriel's news? Do we ask Gabriel about our mother's service, ask him what happens next, punch him in the mouth, or say and do nothing?