While Justine was busy thanking the agents for letting us into their SUV, I tore the note to shreds in my hands. After that, I looked out the window.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBDW2gAizS
The sky was gray and gloomy, as if it was about to rain. Paired with the drone crash, this produced a somber atmosphere that affected us all. The agents seemed deeply concerned about something, but I didn't know what it was.
Going into the dark was really annoying for me. I wanted to ask the agents about the events of this morning. I had to stop myself from doing that, mainly because of mum. Moreover, enemies could be hiding anywhere and they might eavesdrop us.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwc7mJ6XoX4
As we got closer to the bunker, I saw the academy next to the Kennedy Space Centre. Both were usually lively, teeming with engineers, astronauts, rocket scientists and space spies. Now, they seemed empty and devoid of life. Whatever was happening wasn't good.
The bunker itself was a gray box-shaped building with a large metal hatch, which was currently open. The whole building looked like a massive vault in the middle of nowhere. Many people were entering the bunker, most of them running into it. Is the war escalating?
Our black SUV slowly drove into the building. We had to be slow so that Jaxon and the others can focus on the people erratically running around us. They didn't want to run over anyone. Eventually, we reached the backside of the bunker where the agents left the car with us.
- Thank you again - Justine looked at the agents as they drove away. However, Jaxon Koval stayed. Mum is a chatty person and she entered the crowd of concerned people to learn about the situation. Promptly, an announcement came.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9vZQYkg6Q
- Dear citizens. We must inform you that a possible military threat is in the air. Do not leave the bunker until you're told to. Don't panic and don't fight. Stay calm. We're sorry for this situation - I recognized the voice. Captain Nigel. He was as grumpy as usual and it seemed like he wanted to add "You should be thankful for being allowed into this place", but paused at the last moment.
- Follow me - Jaxon suddenly approached me. I listened to him, wanting to learn something about the events from the morning and what will succeed them.
Jaxon led me to a heavily fortified backdoor. He rotated the valve on the door and unlocked it. We went down a metal staircase and unlocked another door. Behind it was a miniature control centre.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooFgzk14Vh
A massive array of screens covered the whole front wall, with camera footage and code flashing on them. The code was gibberish to me, as I wasn't the best at IT. There were several bright gray desks with computers on them. I stopped as a strange device scanned me, but luckily allowed me in. As I did, I saw the Chinese flag on a nearby computer. I gulped in anxiety.
Out of another room emerged Captain Nigel and Harold. The latter waved to us, signaling "Come with me".
The two led us into a much smaller room, about the size of my dorm in the academy. It had musty concrete walls and a long table along with a few old chairs. One of them was broken and knocked into the corner of the room. On the chairs that weren't broken sat my friends: Amber, Claudius and Sebastian.
Amber was a ginger-haired girl of my age, always wearing black clothes and getting her name from amber-coloured eyes. She is very good at fighting, something that came in handy during our previous missions. Claudius is a 15-year-old mechanics enthusiast, usually wearing a work uniform stained with an unidentified substance. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. Now, he has a metal attatchment on his right arm, resembling a prosthesis. He got it at the end of our last mission, when he we was seriously hurt by the explosion of our spaceplane.
Finally, Sebastian is the first peer I met in the academy. He is our unit's leader and he used to have a crush on Dawn, prior to uncovering her true motives. Currently, he was suffering from several negative emotions but still maintained his position, trying his best to live up to the job. He has green eyes, brown hair and freckles.
The trio welcomed me as I sat down. Captain Nigel went to the back of the table, standing behind the chair furthest away from us. Harold followed him and almost tripped on the broken chair along the way.
- Unit 212 - Captain Nigel started coldly - You have proven yourselves in the field twice and we'll need you to do it a third time.
- Oh, we're confronting death yet again? Awesome! - Amber grinned.
- Do not interrupt me! - Captain Nigel grumped - Do you want to know why you're here? Or maybe you prefer to go without the proper knowledge? - the only emotion Captain Nigel ever shows is anger. He always seemed to be emotionless otherwise.
- Nigel, this isn't the time for arguing, the situation is dire... - Harold added.
- I'm the one in power and let me finish my sentence! - Nigel yelled at him and turned to us - What I'm trying to say is that the Chinese are plotting something and it isn't pretty. We suspect that they may be preparing for a full-scale invasion of America. On top of that, our intel suggests that their operation has something to do with the company BIORBITAL, which operates on the Moon. I think you're educated enough to guess what that means.
- We're going back to the Moon - Claudius guessed correctly.
- Indeed. Your goal is to infiltrate the company and find out about their secret operation. Harold will assist you - Captain Nigel came back to the control centre, leaving us with Harold.
- I'm sorry - I started - Where's Edward? Shouldn't he come with us?
- Chris is right, he is our adult supervisor - Sebastian supported me.
- Was your adult supervisor - Harold corrected him. How could this be?! Einstein was a very caring person and proved himself worthy of the title! He saved us several times and was generally friendly and supportive.
- Did he... die? - Amber gulped.
- No, he was demoted after Nigel deemed him irresponsible after your previous mission. I came to replace him. Don't worry, he still works in the agency, just not in the academy... - Harold didn't seem concerned by the Einstein's forced demission, but we surely were. There was a specific bond between us and him. He saved our lives and we saved his.
- Now follow me, we need to go as fast as possible - Harold ordered us and we relucantly listened to him.
Harold led us through a dimly lit corridor that seemingly wasn't conserved for years. It ended with an underground launchpad. On it was a new spaceplane attatched to a rocket.26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cBkwSl764
- How's your mechanical support arm? - Sebastian asked Claudius on our way to the launchpad.
- Pretty good, I finally got used to bit. It was a bit uncomfortable at first and my parents wanted to consult a doctor, but they gave up when I got accustomed to it. Additionally, I modified it into a portable toolbox. Watch this! - suddenly, a screwdriver emerged from the arm, resembling a sixth finger. He was able to swap it out with a wrench and a small hammer.
- Wow! - Sebastian gasped. The conversation ended with us boarding the spaceplane. As we climbed into it, we came into the backroom to get our chunky spacesuits. They were always annoying to put on, but without them, we'd die in minutes after leaving Earth.
We picked our seats and I chose one close to the cockpit, as I wanted to hear what was going on in there. Jaxon Koval was the pilot, with Harold sitting next to him as a copilot.
Our spaceplane and the rocket rotated to a vertical position. The hatch above us slowly opened, letting natural light into the building. A countdown started outside.
Justine didn't know anything about this. She thought I was still in the bunker. She doesn't even know that I'm about to be in grave danger again!
- 3... 2... 1... - Lift off! - The countdown ended as the engines came to life. We were slowly lifted out of the bunker. I looked at it one last time as we went upwards.
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and then Add to home screen.