Camp York acted quickly. 

As the Phasewalker recruits joined their more experienced brothers and sisters, another convoy arrived at Fortress Alpha. The Tier 1 Mutant leading the way handed Caity a map with detailed tactical information. In exchange, the convoy returned to their home fully loaded with precious commodities. 

With the information they required in place, the Phasewalkers had to decide what to do next. 

Eight individuals gathered in the Command Center at Fortress Alpha. Colonel in command Caity Hunter and her assistant Eric Hemingway. Battalion Commissar Ryan Carlson. The five Captains of the five Companies were also present. One of them was Captain Blyfield of the 2nd Airborne Company, who took over after the demise of Captain Davis. 

As a matter of fact, aside from Blyfield, the other four Company Commanders were all promoted to the rank of Major following the expansion of the Companies under their command. Plus, they fought well recently and deserved the promotion. Blyfield was promised a promotion as well if he showed, with his actions, that he deserved the rank. 

“There are over a dozen locations on the map.” Caity said as she pointed at the map, which was laid out flat on the table. “Weapon storage warehouses. Research centers. Military bases. It is up to us to choose where to strike first with our limited forces.”

Make no mistake. Even if the entire 1st Phasewalker Battalion was made up of qualified units, 800 combatants were nothing against the billions of potential Mutants in World Alpha. Who knew what awaited the Phasewalkers on the way to these destinations, much less at those destinations? And if there were six Tier 1 Mutants in 1,200 Mutated Animals, then how many Tier 1s could be out there? Tier 2s? Maybe even Tier 3s or beyond? 

Caity had to choose a single point to devote her available forces.

“If I may ask, Colonel, why are we left to make this decision?” In a sense, Captain Blyfield was just like his predecessor. Stern. By the books. “Shouldn’t matters this important be up to General Kennedy and the Section X High Command?” 

“Are you saying Colonel Hunter is unqualified?” Eric challenged. 

“I am saying this is too big for us to decide for ourselves,” Blyfield replied impartially, stating what he thought. 

“It’s fine.” Caity calmed Eric before turning to answer Blyfield’s doubts. “General Kennedy has given the choice to me because he can only access the situation here remotely, which will severely hinder his judgment. All he and his analysts will do is provide us advice on the data they have.” 

Ryan observed the conversation quietly. There was a deeper meaning to Kennedy’s decision. Yes. Now, with just a single Phasewalker unit in World Alpha, he could remotely monitor everything without much issue. But sooner or later, if things went according to the plan, there would be multiple Phasewalker units marching and fighting leagues away from the Portal. At that point, Kennedy would have no choice but to trust the fate of the Phasewalker units to the field commanders. 

Compared to kicking them into the deep end of the pool all of a sudden, it was wiser to have the Phasewalker Commanders start getting ready now, even if this readiness came at a cost of other Phasewalker lives. Plus, if things went too crazy or General Kennedy decided the decisions Caity made was terrible, Ryan was instructed to intervene. 

Now that the legitimacy of the meeting has been settled, the Phasewalkers turned to the matter itself. Ryan was the first to provide his input.

“Here.” He pointed at a spot on the map. “A military base is located here. Fort Sentinel. According to what Camp York wrote on the map, following the initial outbreak, the entire base just went silent. Most bases were taken down by swarms of Mutated Animals or Mutated Human, but this one...it just went silent all of a sudden.”

“And how is that good for us?” Major Fox asked. 

“If the base went down without a fight, then that means most of its weapons and munitions should still be intact.” Eric suddenly added, realizing what Ryan was saying. “It will be a huge reward, but the reward is followed by an even larger risk. If something took down an entire base, then what are our chances of surviving there? Here. Scouts of Camp York noticed several groups of survivors entering Fort Sentinel, never to come out again.” 

Ryan nodded. He wasn’t offended or anything by Eric’s words. His role was to put forth an idea. That was it. There was a reason he refused to be the Commander: responsibilities suffocate him. 

Meanwhile, Eric put forth another suggestion. 

“I suggest we steer clear of any movements too risky until further reinforcements arrive. Before that, we can move across the roads and scavenge any technology we can find and bring them back to Earth to be analyzed.”

Compared to Ryan’s suggestion, Eric’s was much more conservative. Would it not result in a single Phasewalker casualty? Probably not. But it was much safer.

“Here.” Major Fox put in his advice as well. “Camp York detected some sort of human settlement here, to the West of our position. We can contact them and see what we can get from them.”

"We have no idea if they are hostile! We can't risk losing precious units!"

"What can we gain from these human survivors? We should focus on the armories and the advanced weaponry we can gain from them..."

"You are being too conservative! We need to take some risks! This Fort Sentinel offers great reward!" 

Soon, the Command Center was filled with the arguments of Phasewalker officers. All of them had a point, but at the same time, all of them were contradicting each other. 

Slowly, all eyes turned to Caity. Everyone in the tent knew whatever decision she made, whether it was one of the two or another one of her own origin, would likely decide the fate of not just the Phasewalkers, but also, ultimately, Earth. 

One mistake, and countless might die in vain. 

Caity closed her eyes. For a moment, she was cursing General Kennedy. He was supposed to be the professional soldier! He was supposed to be the one bearing all this responsibility. Yet, the fact was the burden was placed on her. 

She could feel her palms start to sweat. 

29 Phasewalkers died under her command for the past two weeks. How many more shall fall this time? 

Suddenly, she snapped up.

“Everyone out...except Ryan.”

Ryan glanced at Caity before staying right there. As the others left the tent, Caity finally let out a self-mocking smile. 

“You must think I’m so weak, Ryan.” She said quietly. “As the Commander, I should, well, in your words, my duty is to be decisive. I should be brave. I should be logical. And now here I am, the hero, the Colonel, but I’m unable to make up my fucking mind!” 

Ryan stood still. 

Caity kept on venting. “Look! If that’s what you think, just say it! I’m weak! I’m indecisive! I don’t deserve my position! Just say it, Commissar!” She slammed her fist into the table, wrinkling up the paper map. Ryan didn't flinch. He just stood there as Caity finished her venting. Finally, when she went back to silence, he raised his voice. 

“Caity. I don’t know if you knew this, but you weren’t the top candidate to be the Commander. I was.” 

Caity snapped up in disbelief. “Really? Then how the hell am I in charge?” 

“Because I refused the offer.” Ryan sighed and pulled a chair over and sat down beside Caity. “As hard as it is to believe, I was a sensitive child...”

“You?” Caity suddenly grinned. “Ryan Carlson? The Battalion Commissar of the 1st Phasewalker Battalion and the model for all Phasewalkers? Sensitive?”

Ryan didn't feel insulted. He merely continued. 

“When I was a kid, I would be constantly stressed about everything. Once, I saw a story about someone hanging himself or herself in a room, and from that point on, whenever my mom or dad was in a room for too long without making a sound, I would knock on the door just to make sure they didn't kill themselves. Funny, yeah?” 

He added mockingly. 

“Well, as I grew up and saw all the horrors of this world, I was distraught. People hurt, torture, attack, and even kill each other for one reason or another. All the pain. All the suffering…it was paralyzing. More importantly, there was not a thing I could do to stop it.”

Caity sat there, almost in disbelief. Ryan Carlson opening up to her was something she didn't expect in a million years. She listened to his words carefully. 

“Eventually, as a coping mechanism, I adapted.” 

Ryan’s words became smooth. Determined. 

“We all have our duties in this world. For a policeman, it is enforcing the law to the best of his abilities. For an IA policeman, it is rooting out police officers who weren’t doing their jobs. I don’t need to worry about someone being mugged or murdered because it’s the duty of the police. As long as everyone in society does their jobs, then everything will be fine.” 

"I used that as an excuse and focused on my job and my job alone. I told myself that as long as I did what I am supposed to do, everything will be fine. I...I will be safe. I will be protected, and when I eventually die, people will speak about me with words of praises, not those of mocking." 

He turned back to Caity. 

“You see, that’s why I chose to be a Commissar. As a Commissar, I don’t have to deal with the overwhelming burden of that of a Commander. It is the responsibility of the Commanders to approach every single situation from a logical perspective, taking severe risks for the greater goal and giving up loyal followers if the situation called for. I can’t do that. As the Commissar, all I have to do is enforce the Commander’s orders with an objective view and root out anyone that is coming in the way of that. What I have to do is absolute, not subjective. I can't make a mistake.” 

“In a sense, it’s a shield. A cover. Something to keep me from being driven mad by all the feelings constantly rushing through my head.” 

“This way,” Caity realized what Ryan was implying. “it will never be your fault! Even if a mission ended up in a disaster, you will not be the one responsible!” 

“Indeed.” Ryan paused for a second before admitting. “In a sense, I am a coward. I would rather save my own image of myself than do the right thing.” He clenched his fists tightly. What he said hurt him, and a part of him wanted to kill him for giving out information this private. What if Caity used it against him? What if she spread it to the world? 

Surprisingly, instead of mocking him, Caity grabbed onto his hand. 

“Look. You are Ryan Carlson. You are the first Special Forces major in the Phasewalker program, and you pretty much made me who I am today. You are not a coward.” 

Ryan gave out a rare smile. “And neither are you.” He replied. “Look, I’m not going to fault you if you decide to resign your position or anything. Sometimes, being a Commander in the safety of a Command Center is so much more painful than being a trooper in the front. If you want out, I can make some arrangements...”

“No.” Caity shook her head. “I’m not going to back down. Not today.” She stood up again. “Ryan, call the others back in. I have made my decision.”

As Ryan left the tent, Caity’s eyes landed on a single spot on the map. What Ryan said struck her heart. 

Being the Commander meant taking risks and making sacrifices for the greater goal, no matter how painful it was. 

The Phasewalkers’ goal was to protect Earth. For this reason, the vanguard crossed the Portal. For this reason, Hemley and the others gave their lives. For this reason, 900 Phasewalkers left their homes and their parents and came to be stationed at a foreign world, with no sign that they would ever return. The entire mission of the Phasewalkers was established on risks, and there was no reason to be conservative now. 

Eric’s and Fox’s proposal made some sense, and Caity knew if she wanted to not make any mistakes, then that was the best way. Search the surroundings. Move along the roads. There would be fewer casualties, but ultimately, how long would it be before the Phasewalkers could get something substantial from this world? 

Ryan’s suggestion was risky. One mistake, and Caity would have to live with the guilt of condemning hundreds to their death. Yet, the reward should give a huge boost to the Phasewalkers’ powers. For that, Caity was willing to put her fame and conscious at risk. 

In a sense, she was much braver than Ryan. If the situation demanded, she would be fine with going down in the history book as a disgrace as long as Earth prospered in the process. 

And Ryan...he would rather do the wrong thing and follow the potentially incorrect order than stand up and risk insubordination and damaging his own reputation and potentially doing the wrong thing for the sake of justice. 

So who was really the weak one?

When Eric and the others came back in, their Colonel in command pointed at a single spot on the map. 

“We’re going to Fort Sentinel.” 

Fort Sentinel. The military base that went dark barely firing any shots. The one that has mercilessly devoured multiple groups of survivors. 

Ryan and the others nodded. Eric frowned, but he kept his comments to himself. However, what Caity said next made everyone flinch. 

“We are mobilizing all the Generation I Phasewalkers in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Company. The entirety of the 3rd and 5th Company will remain here at Fortress Alpha, along with all the Generation II Phasewalkers.” 

She paused before adding. 

“I will personally lead the operation. The command of Fortress Alpha will be placed on Major Fox.” 

“That is a bad idea!” Ryan was the first to jump up and complain, not because of Major Fox, but because of who was leading the expedition. “You are the Commander of the entire Battalion! You shouldn’t put yourself at risk...”

“If I am sending those under me into danger, then what reason do I have to keep myself in safety? This is the least I can do for those who will put themselves at risk because of my command.” Caity’s answer was quiet yet unwavering. “Battalion Commissar, that is my order. Unless you think I am unfit for my position, I hope that you can obey it.” 

Ryan gulped. He could swear he didn't expect this, but that was hardly something he could protest. What could he do? Knock Caity out and replace her for being a brave leader? All he did was lower his head in acknowledgment.

“Pass the order down and send a message back to Earth for the approval of General Kennedy.” Caity turned to the others. “We move out tomorrow morning.”