New identity
The success of the operation, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, created subtle yet lasting ripples within the Ghost Squad. YN was no longer the "guest" who needed to be closely watched and did nothing but analyze reports. The team members looked at her with less scrutiny and more approval, even a hint of barely perceptible curiosity.
This change was also reflected in her living conditions. Her range of activities was slightly expanded, and she was allowed to use the base's small library (a room containing a large number of paper maps, local chronicles, and military history books) during non-sensitive periods. She was even allowed to use some basic kitchen utensils during off-peak hours—provided, of course, that she was "accompanied" by a team member.
It was at this moment that Price approached her: "The news has confirmed Elsa's death and Dr. NY's 'death'."
YN's heart tightened. Although she had prepared countless times beforehand, when she heard the news of her "death" confirmed, she still felt something being ripped away from her, like her flesh being torn apart, a sharp pain. She swayed, a blank expression on her face.
Price paused for a moment, then handed her a set of documents. “Elaine Shu,” Price read the name in a steady tone, “a Canadian citizen of Chinese descent, whose parents passed away early, and who enjoys traveling alone—this is your new identity. Get acquainted with it.”
Y. N—no, now she should be called Elaine—took the file folder, her knuckles turning white. The name YN, along with her life over the past twenty-odd years, seemed truly destined to be locked away in the depths of her memory. Elaine Shu would be her code name for a long time to come, perhaps even for the rest of her life.
“Thank you,” she whispered, grateful that Price had arranged a safe identity for her. But she looked…broken.
After losing her identity as "YN", she lost all direction for the future and life. She could only sit numbly in front of the computer day after day, constantly adjusting model parameters, familiarizing herself with the operation and even cracking methods of various military software, and reading all the information she could access in the base, trying to fill the huge emptiness in her heart. She became more and more proficient in using various signal tools and systems, her combat analysis model became more and more perfect, and her theoretical analysis of the simulated battlefield became more and more accurate. However, after leaving work, she became more and more taciturn.
Deep within the base, the virtual reality combat simulation pod is where the Ghost Squad keeps its blades sharp. A complex 3D map of an Eastern European-style town is projected onto a huge circular screen, with outrageously realistic details—peeling paint, clothes hanging out to dry, and even an overturned trash can in the corner are clearly visible.
The air was filled with the low hum of electronic devices and a cold, data-driven smell. Elaine sat in front of a terminal behind the command console; this was her first time being allowed into the core mission simulation area.
Elaine's palms were slightly sweaty with nervousness as she stared intently at the scrolling stream of simulated data on her screen—population density heatmaps, traffic pattern analysis, and even social media sentiment analysis. Her role was to provide frontline squads with socio-dynamic analysis of the battlefield environment.
Price stood in front of the control panel, arms crossed. Holographic images of Ghost, Hesh, Logan, and Keegan were projected at different entrances to the town, their sensor data fed back to the large screen in real time. Keegan's image was positioned in the bell tower of an abandoned church, an excellent sniping spot.
“Listen up, everyone,” Price’s voice came through the communication channel, calm and clear, “The target is a list of targets in the City Hall’s underground database. The window of opportunity is very short; the infiltration and evacuation must be completed during the off-peak period of civilian activity. Doctor, report the latest situation.”
Elaine forced herself to ignore the invisible pressure from the elite soldiers around her and focused on the data. "According to the behavioral model simulation, the crowd in the town square area will reach its lowest point around 23:05, but at 23:30 there will be a small flow of people returning from the bar area to the eastern residential area, possibly crossing your pre-set evacuation route B. It is recommended to strictly control the operation time between 23:05 and 23:25."
"Roger that," Ghost's voice came through. "Keegan, how's the vision control?"
“Clear.” Keegan’s answer was as concise as ever, his voice devoid of emotion even through the voice changer. But Elaine noticed that his scope’s angle had been slightly adjusted, now covering the escape route she had mentioned.
The simulation began. The squad, like true ghosts, silently infiltrated the town. Elaine stared intently at the screen, monitoring the movements of the simulated civilians. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.
Suddenly, Elaine's data terminal issued a warning. In an apartment building that should have been empty, a strong life signal suddenly appeared, and the creature was moving towards the window.
"Command center, an unidentified heat source has appeared at the third-floor window of Alpha-7 building. It is approaching the window and may expose the assault team's position," Elaine reported immediately, her voice slightly shrill due to the urgency.
Almost simultaneously, Keegan's calm voice rang out: "Confirmed. Alpha-7, third-floor window, a civilian, holding... what appears to be lighting equipment. Presumed to be a night worker."
“Damn it,” Logan cursed under his breath, “our path has been spotted.”
"Force a breakthrough or change course?" Hesh asked.
"There's not enough time to change routes," Ghost quickly assessed. "Keegan, can we handle this silently?"
Silence reigned in the simulation chamber. Everyone understood what "silent processing" meant. Elaine's heart skipped a beat. Although it was a simulation, the choice was real. Just as Ghost was about to issue the command, Elaine furiously typed on the keyboard, bringing up the building structure and historical data model of the area.
"Wait! There's a closed fire escape down the side of Alpha-7 that leads directly to the backyard. Historical data shows there's a breach in the backyard wall, large enough for a person to pass through. If Keegan can temporarily disrupt the view from the windows using a stun grenades or laser dazzle—even just for 3 seconds—the assault team can use those 3 seconds to quickly cross the shadows below and access the fire escape. Civilians will only have their view temporarily blocked and might just think it's an electrical malfunction or an illusion."
This plan is bold and ingenious, relying entirely on accurate predictions of the environment and human behavior. There was a two-second silence on the channel.
Price's gaze fell on Elaine, scrutinizing her.
"Keegan?" Ghost asked.
“It’s feasible.” Keegan’s voice remained calm. “Precise timing is required. Doctor, calculate the exact time it will take for the civilians to reach the window, and the time it will take for the squad to pass through the shadow zone.”
“Understood!” Elaine’s fingers flew as she input the data into the model. “The civilians’ arrival window is estimated to be in…15 seconds! The squad needs…5 seconds to pass through the shadow zone! The time window is extremely tight.”
“That’s enough,” Keegan said calmly. “Ghost, you have 10 seconds to prepare. Follow my instructions.” The next few seconds were suffocatingly tense.
Elaine stared intently at the timer and heat signal on the screen.
Keegan's sniper scope crosshairs were firmly locked on the window. "3...2...1...Action!" Keegan ordered.
On the screen, a tiny laser beam shot towards the window in an instant. The simulated bright light made the figure at the heat source pause, instinctively step back and shield his eyes with his hand.
Almost simultaneously, Ghost and Hesh swept across the shadows below like cheetahs, disappearing precisely into the fire escape entrance on the side of the building.
"Cleared. Target unaware of anything amiss and has left the window," Keegan reported.
Inside the simulation chamber, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Well done, Doctor.” Logan’s voice carried a hint of amusement.
The mission was successfully completed. When the simulation ended, Elaine leaned back in her chair, almost completely exhausted, only to find that her back was soaked with sweat.
Price turned around, looked at Elaine, and nodded. Although he didn't say anything, the approval in his eyes was obvious.
Ghost walked over and patted her on the shoulder, a gesture of the highest praise from Captain Ghost.
Elaine turned to greet him and saw Keegan organizing his equipment to her side and behind her.
He removed the helmet that connected to the simulator, but still wore his signature mask. He seemed to sense her gaze and looked up at her. Across the entire room, Elaine couldn't see his eyes behind the mask, but she seemed to feel him nod slightly, almost imperceptibly.
At that moment, Elaine suddenly felt an indescribable sense of accomplishment, like seeing the guiding light of a lighthouse while sailing through the fog. In this new life that she could not control, she felt a little more at ease about the future. She could not only be the one being protected, but also an effective part of the team.
However, the excitement brought about by this high-intensity collaboration quickly subsided after the mission ended, turning into a deeper sense of exhaustion.
The base was unusually quiet at night. Although the simulation during the day was successful, the tension of being on the brink of death and the cruel choice about "silent processing" still left a mark on her heart, making her deeply appreciate the heavy price of this job.
She went to the kitchen, intending to heat up a glass of milk to help her sleep. To her surprise, she found Keegan sitting alone in the shadows of the far corner of the dining room, a cup of coffee that had long since gone cold in front of him.
He sat ramrod straight, but his fingers were unconsciously tapping lightly on the rim of his glass, a rapid and erratic rhythm. This created a subtle contrast with his usual absolute composure.
She slowed her pace, recalling some details she had observed: after each high-intensity mission, Keegan would always spend a long time alone; he would check his weapons more frequently than usual; his silence sometimes seemed more like a form of repression.
Elaine silently heated up the milk. She hesitated for a moment, then, almost inexplicably, heated up another cup. Then, carrying both cups, she walked towards that corner.
“Sergeant?” she called softly so as not to disturb him.
Keegan's body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment, then relaxed. He looked up at her, the red goggles on his mask gleaming faintly in the dim light.
“I see you haven’t slept either, I hope you don’t mind,” Elaine pushed a glass of hot milk toward him. “I think drinking something hot might make you feel better.”
Keegan didn't respond immediately, but just looked at the steaming glass of milk, then at Elaine. The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
Just when Elaine thought he would refuse, he reached out, took the cup, and whispered, "Thank you." His voice, coming through the mask, was less cold and electronic than usual, and more genuinely hoarse.
Elaine sat down opposite him, not looking at him, but sipping her milk. "Today's simulation... was quite realistic," she began, trying to start a safe conversation.
“Mm,” Keegan responded. Another silence followed.
“Sometimes,” Elaine looked at the milk foam swirling in her cup, and for some reason, perhaps because of the pressure of the day, or perhaps because she had been suppressing her feelings for too long, she suddenly wanted to talk to someone. “Even knowing it’s a simulation, making those choices… is still not easy.”
Keegan tightened his grip on the glass. Although she hadn't explicitly mentioned "silent handling," he knew what she meant. He remained silent for a long time, so long that Elaine thought he wouldn't respond. Then, he said in an extremely low voice, almost to himself, "You'll get used to it eventually."
These words made Elaine's heart tighten: What was she used to? Is it giving those kinds of orders? Was it the weight of making those choices? Or was it the unspeakable tension that followed? She didn't press further. She simply sat there, silently drinking her milk.
She didn't know what expression was on his face under the mask, but she could feel that the originally lonely and cold night seemed to have been dispelled a little by the hot milk and the brief conversation.
After a while, Keegan stood up. "It's getting late," he said.
“Yes, goodnight, Sergeant.” Elaine also stood up.
“Goodnight.” He paused, then added, “…Elaine.” This was the first time anyone other than Price had called her by her new name. He picked up the almost untouched glass of milk, turned, and left the restaurant, his figure disappearing back into the shadows.
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