His footsteps were echoing from the floor and walls of the facility, as the lights inside were barely flickering from the lack of the energy deposit. He was carelessly whistling Farewell of Slavianka. He was wandering deeper and deepred inside of the lower section of the X-3 Facility, where the Cargo Storage was located. The back of his coat was floating behind him, as his steps were wide and fast, but he wasn't running; he was completely calm. Years of militaristic exposure were affecting him in better ways.
Storage 5-C. This was the place where Major was heading. He opened the bay door and turned the lights in the room. When he saw what was inside, he stopped whistling a song for a moment and made a slow wolf whistle. Something, or rather - someone - inside a room appeared to amaze him. "Well well... What do we have here..." He slowly walked near what appeared to be a set of a table and two chairs. On the opposite side there was a person who, he believed so, he was ordered to question...
*A bloody recruit? Fresh out of the academy? What the heck is she doing here? In X-3, brought for questioning? And to me personaly?*
After trying to understand what the heck is going on, he sat in fron of her, bended his head in frustration, exhaled, then left all the documents about the person in question near him, recollected his thoughts, focuced on the situation, smiled, took a look at her and folded his hands on the table.
"Hello. I'm Anatoliy. What's your name?"
After the hours spent in darkness, the lack of water and actions from the previous Komissar Katharine looked rather exhausted. Her throat was completly dry, however, she managed to take herself into her own hands again. This ability saved her life during numerous interrogations. She rolled her eyes and answered:
"Recruit Katharine Alferova at your... Your service, komissar."
While she didn't know exactly, who was sitting in front of her, Katharine guessed, that, as it usually happens in the ranks of Coalition, this kind of interrogations is made by Komissariat. She sighed and added with a little pause:
"Komissar, may I... May I ask you to bring me some water, pozhaluysta? (//Please) I haven't been drinking for two... Or three days already."
While she was speaking, Major could take a brief view at her. It was a young woman, almost a girl, probably just released from the Military academy. Her usual combat uniform was in pretty bad condition as well as she was by herself. Pale skin, bruises, saggy skin below the eyes, whoever was holding the interrogation before he was obviously pretty rough on Recruit.
*Komissar, hm? So she is completely oblivious of who I am... Guess Krsnik put some extra pressure on her... Maybe way too more.* Grachov knew that the interrogation room was organized by his own request. He glanced over the room and noticed a container in the further side of the room. With a small grin on his face, he stood up and walked towards the locker. A faint vibration told him that it was a refridgerator with "Sipukha's" carving, which should have contained everything he requested - from water to truth serum. He slightly opened it and pulled his hand inside. As soon as he groped what appeared to be a plastic bottle, he took it and closed the refridgirator. Yes, a cold bottle of water. He could use one himself right now, but now it's not the time. He placed it on the floor nearby and looked back at the recruit. "Three days... You must be re-e-e-eally hungry..." He stared back into refridgerator's abyss and located exactly one sandwich wrapped up in a food wrap.
A double-folded sandwich of black bread with sausages, salad and cheese. Classic. The smirked again, taking the catch and closing the refridgerator. He walked back to Katharine, serving her water and food. As he sat in front of her, he continued the dialogue.
"It's Major, actually. But you may call me "Comrade Grachov", if you would like." He folded his hands back together. "I am actually questioned... What could have you done to appear here in a such bad condition?"
Recruit quickly grabbed the blottle of water, draining it in a couple of two big sips. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the sandwich. A couple of second she was just looking at the food, however, she pushed it.
"S-spasibo, Comrade Grachov, but I'm not that hungry."
Her voice became less husky and she looked like as she has just returned to life in general. Katharine sighed again and continued:
"As for your question... Looks like, if I really want to make my way out of this room alive, I should tell you the truth. Or rather I must do it. I found myself in this situation after my attempt to get in touch with my notorious brother Anton Alferov. As you know, he was claimed, as the traitor of the People's Revolution. It's sad, but I can't tell you the reasons of his decesion to leave his Rodina, everything I know, that he is working somewhere in Omicrons with the group of independent scientists, enjoying the life of the zoner. However, it seems, that Komissariat got worried and guessed, that I'm going to betray my home as well and that's... That's how I appeared here. Previous interrogator didn't find any direct evidence, as I wasn't going to do anything against my Rodina. However, looks like he wasn't satisfied with this, because he... He..."
Looks like painful memories about the encounter with Krsnik turned off her mind. Recruit started staring into the floor under her legs, mumbling something about pain and pressue.
"Well, your brother isn't an object of a discussion here. If his progress in the Omicrons doesn't harms us in any way, he is free to do whatever he wants. But on the other hand, if the Core gets any kind of advantage from his researches, it will be completely his responsibility, not yours. And well... About Krsnik, or as he calls himself now "Field Marshal Lucas Keller". I don't ever got to know this man personaly, but seeing from how he "interrogated" you, not mentioning how he acted in recent days, I may guess his mental condition is questioning." When Katharine stared down into the floor, he leaned a bit close towards her and spoke a bit quiter. "Relax, nobody is going to hurt you. I know that the circumstances might be quite off for you, not considering your current condition. But... Try to see this as a friendly discussion. Now. Except for your own brother, do you think there might be any other reasons for Komissariat to consider you as a betrayer of the Motherland?""
And again Katharine used some time to return selfcontrol. She sighs and rolled her red eyes, looking into the eyes of the man infront of her. Her voice seemed to be quite and calm, that was unusual, according to her mental condition in general:
"Nikak net, Comrade Grachov. I haven't left the Rodina for a long time, except of patrols with my brothers in Rheinland. However... I was trying to stay at the farthest corners of our home, as I hoped, that Komissarial will sooner or later forget about me. Probably, it was one of the reasons, why I found myself in this place."
She looked rather confused for a second and then continued:
"I'm sure, that you will find out it sooner or later, through your charisma or brutal methods. After everything I came through... I feel like, I can't stay here anymore. I love my Rodina, but..."
It was obvious, that every word was suffering for her.
"But I can't. I don't possess any valuable information, I can leave my ship and everything attached to it and I'm not going to do anything against you in the future, both because I can't do it with force nor I have desire to do it. I doubt, that you will just let me go. I doubt, that you won't end my life here either."
Recruit started to state at the floor again.
He smiled a bit."Do you really think that decomission from the military makes you a traitor of the people? If you'd decomission from the military and become a civilian, that would be a no problem. However, keep in mind, if you do depart from Coalition Space as a member of our Military or with a ship that is a property of the state or the Coalition Military or not being assigned to any missions, there will be consequences." He fell back into the chair, scratching a back of his head. "You basically want to be in Omicrons with your brother? Never considered your own perspectives? I can arrange anything, even send you there as a recruit of ours to "collect data", so you can spend your whole life there. But don't you have your own strivings?"
And again the expression of confusion and untrust appeared on her face: "If I could just retire from military service and become a civilian to go wherever I want, why this situation with previous Komissar had a place?" Unhealty smile appeared on her lips: "Why did my brother, who also wasn't the part of Military and took nothing with him, was considered as a "traitor"? However, I'm not even sure about conditions of his disappearance..." She took a deep breath and continued: "My own strivings? Horosho, that's complicated. I'm actually not interested in spending life in the Omicrons with my brother.I'm grateful for him for all this care he provided me with, but it's not for me. Actually... I had a meeting from the Kingdom of Gallia. He told me about situation with monarchy here and about the movement called as "The Council". Their goals and intentions are close to me, so I would join them, if I could..."
He exhaled, keeping slowly scratching a back of his head again. The situation a person infront of him was in is indeedly a complex one. I think your brother left the motherland as an acting officer, which is considered as a defection. If he would be paying a little more attention to details, he wouldn't had been considered as a traitor. And well... We've already discussed methods of comrade Keller. And again, if you want to become a civilian - you can just resign from our military, just say a word and everything will be arranged. Although, I think you do understand you will have to find a more suitable perspective for yourself. And, as I said about your brother - if we will find you working for our enemy, you will become one. And believe me, we will. He folded his hands back on his chest. And about the Council. I am not going to assume anything, but again, if you wanted to request a transfer - you should have directed the Commissariat first. He scans the room around him with a smirk on his face, then returns his gaze at the Recruit. Assuming, that you're here... In a such bad state... You decided to act otherwise. I am not going to question anything, anticipating that you will elaborate it on your own, but instead I'll give you an advice. In your age, rush decisions can lead to bad consequences. You are facing an example of it right now.
"I'm afraid, that I didn't have an opportunity to reach the Comissariat first. I was imprisoned before I could do it. And you are actually the first person, who know about it. You've for the wrong picture in your eyes, comrade Grachov. Nobody from my comrades knew about my meeting with this man and nobody knew about my intentions. It wasn't the reason I appeared in such a bad shape..." She sighed and closed her eyes with her left hand. "He was a scientist, not soldier. I have no idea, what could go wrong. And da... Now I want to resign from the military service. I guess, that you actually want something from me in return? I doubt, that you just want to let me go and do whatever I want, if it doesn't damage the interests of our Rodina, of course."