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Agent Robert came to my office minutes after being
called. I explained the situation that we presented and
what was expected of him. I sent to your computer
the files received from earth. We needed quick results
of his research. He must compare the profiles with
those of the civilians in the ship.
The logical thing was to start with the records of
those who had turned up dead before the disaster.
Compare if these people were on the ship, was the
most rapid way of doing it. After DNA taken from all
crew and civilians, the enemy among us will be
uncovered. I gave him 24 hours to put on my desk the
first results of their work.
I asked to be alone in my office, talked by video to
the security chiefs of the other two ships. Colonel
Fabien European ship and Colonel of the Russian ship
Yaroslav. Before we finished we agreed to ensure
everything go as planned. The heads of the tunnels
should be kept by the soldiers of each group. And
only authorized personnel could pass thru them.
The organization and design of the ships was not
capricious. Everything had been well thought out, the
Apollo 918 would be in the middle of the three ships.
On the right would be the Russian ship and at the
other end the European ship. Our ship would
command center and operations of the entire star
mission.
Eventually Apollo 918 opened 6 large compartments,
at the ends, three on the right and three left. The ships
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tunnels alongside our ship, those would slowly unify
into the mouth of the gates of the Apollo 918.
Already done the switch, the secure compartments
were closed and pressurize. The three ships had
merged into a single energy saving machine. This
way Apollo engines would remain working at fifty
percent of the maximum capacity. Stable enough to
keep all the weight of the three ships. The European
and Russian spacecraft could switch off their engines
and leave only power generators, needed to light the
elevators and oxygen compressors working and
distributing thru all parts of the ship. At each end of
these tunnels surveillance was strict with soldiers of
each ship.
It was early morning as our clocks had been
programmed not to lose track of time when we
finished all the coupling operation. Within a few
hours I was to meet personally with colonels Fabien
and Yaroslav. We had decided it was best to rest a
few hours. My body was exhausted and sleep
deprivation attacked me. I decided to take a tour of
the lower floors of Apollo 918. Walk a little, to clear,
and gather my thoughts.
The tranquility reigned in ponds dedicated to saving
marine species on the ship. As before, I finished my
walk with the whales. I stopped in front of them. I
leaned my back against the opposite glass wall and I
started to look at them. Quiet and constantly
swimming from one end to another of that huge pool.
One of them, the youngest, came to me. It remained
motionless. From my position I could see it’s
fullness. A white line through his body from his head
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to the opposite end of it’s body. I saw a question in
his eyes, as if asking me and expecting an answer as
to why they were in a manmade pool and not in their
humongous oceans. Why so far from their seas? It
was still standing in front of me. My hands crossed on
his chest, I felt the coldness of the opposite wall in
my back. But I could not move a millimeter, not a
single muscle moved, my body was tired.
The animal’s sudden movement jerked me out of the
concentration I was in, my body reacted together to
the fright caused by the sudden movement, and
thanks to that, the bullet that was headed to my head,
escaped me. He went down the hall, I fell to the floor.
In my fall, I was trying to grab my weapon, I could
only see a shadow slip away to my left. I stood up as
quickly as possible, called the guards at the entrance
of the ponds. This time I would trap one enemy, he
could not get out so easily. He had just fallen into his
own trap, one that I had not organized nor prepared.
Mistakes are always made and this time it was his.
The two guards at the main entrance did not answer
my call. From my intercom I gave the word close the
central control room of the ship. After a few minutes
about fifteen soldiers appeared before me. I ordered
two possible exits of the place. The man who had
tried to kill was still there and I would get him no
matter what.
- The two soldiers are dead entry, Colonel. - Said one
of the men who had come to my rescue.
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- Then, this man should still be here, he would have
encountered you in the main hallway. By my
calculations he did not have enough time to leave the
premises and slip away. The enemies are not stupid
and when they act they have everything well
organized. He knew that if he failed he did not have
enough time to get out. Let's find him, he is still here.
– I answered decisively.
From the computer attached to my intercom I
searched for the floor plans, across the floor where we
were, I wanted to have knowledge of every possible
hiding place. I divided the men into three groups, and
I assigned each group a section of the site. They had
to check everything. Each panel, each door. Even the
smallest place had to be checked.
- If you find him, do not shoot to kill. -Was my order.
In the silence of the moment just my soldiers
footsteps were heard and the bubbles from the oxygen
tanks. We were quiet for over twenty minutes, we
were just looking for the murderer who tried to kill
me and had failed.
- Colonel, Colonel, please come. - I heard softly on
my intercom.
- Where? – I Answered.
Third hallway to your right, by the pool with the
dolphins. –Was the answer.
I got there and saw three of my soldiers kneeling
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before a panel door. One of them motioned with his
hand and pointing it to the floor. We saw a trickle of
blood on the floor. We were all not heard anything,
not a whimper or a movement. But it was evident that
the person we were looking for was there. Behind that
grating. Two of my men were stationed on either side
of the edge of the panel where my attacker had
entered. Three more from the front and pointing their
weapons ready in case the murderer responded to us. I
took my gun firmly in my hands. And with a flick of
my fingers gave the order to open the duct. Two
assault bayonets were used to force the lid. The lights
on the guns of the soldiers lit inside the hideout. Total
silence, when in front of us a body with dark clothes
and covered head, his throat was completely severed.
The same murderer had cut himself the jugular vein.
There, in front of us was the only human being we
could have clarified all the question with, but we
arrived too late.
We hauled the body to the corridor outside the air
duct where he was hiding. All the dead man's chest
was covered in blood from the gushing of his neck. I
myself took off his head the balaclava. I wanted to
see his face.
I never would imagined that who I discovered under
the black cloth. By lifting the body I saw, blond hair
spilled viscous fluid out of her body. It was Lindsay
was Hemle, the girl who two days ago was the
alleged victim of the first attacker.
- Call the coroners. –I ordered while thousands of
things circled in my head and tell the agent Robert
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that I need him in my office in twenty minutes. -
Pulled my arm from the body of the girl and headed
my way and out of there.
As I walked to my room-office, I kept thinking what
happened. I wondered what kind of ideology was able
to get a human to attempt against their own life. What
kind of religion could obstruct the minds of men and
not let them think with reason. How could a young,
American, brilliant student, was capable of betraying
her country and her people like this. Was she one of
the fake personalities spoofed on the ship. All these
questions haunted me when almost to the door of my
office I was addressed by General Pot.
- You all right, Colonel?
- Yes, Commander, thank you. I'm fine. – I
Answered.
- What do you think about what happened, Colonel?
- I really did not expect to find the surprise like what I
found, something like this never crossed my mind. I
can only draw the conclusion that our enemies within
this ship are well prepared and trained. If that girl was
able to make fun of us and make us believe that she
was a victim. The others will remain on alert.
- Yes, you are right, Colonel. But we are urged to stop
this threat.
- I sent agent Robert a message, to present himself as
soon as possible here. I want to know if you could get
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something out of the records that we received before
the planets misfortune.
- Keep me informed, Colonel, and when you have
something go personally to the control room. I want
to know how things are going. – With a handshake I
nodded to the general and urged him to rest. He had
complete confidence in me.
I sat for a while waiting for agent Robert. But it was
not him who came. Suddenly at my door a man
dressed all in black appeared. He did not say his
name. Nor did he show credential. He entered without
permission. He closed the door and it struck me, he
knew the code for this operation.
- Who are you? I asked, putting my hand on the gun
in his waistband.
- Colonel Paul. You do not need to know who I am.
The first lady of our nation wants to see you. Please
come with me. Leave your gun here, you will not
need it.
Apparently today was the day of surprises. I thought.
My military instinct made me trust those words. I
took off my belt where my gun was. I put it in one of
secure drawers with a safe and signaled with my hand
to this mystery man to lead me. As I followed the
man in black, I realized that we were going thru a
section of the ship that was not in the plans that I had
studied. All I could notice was that we were on the
top right side of the ship. Upon arrival, after passing
guarded gates, we entered a small room, a bit
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furnished with only two couches and a coffee table.
Large skylights lit to see into outer space and two
large lamps that lit the whole place. The man who
took me there ordered me to sit and wait,
disappearing through a side door of the room.
It took about five minutes for the same door the man
had disappeared thru open again, thru it appeared the
woman who was our first lady, now widow of our
president and commander in chief of U.S. forces. She
was quiet, I nodded with emotion and sat opposite
me. I noticed in his eyes fatigue and sadness. Her
eyes had traces of shedding many tears, her face was
strong and soft-spoken.
- I want to start by offering my apologies for sending
for you this way. –She said looking into my eyes.
- Do not worry, I understand the circumstances. I
Answered.
- I will get to the point, Colonel. - Continued the
woman I know your time is limited and you have
many responsibilities. I've sent for because I am
aware of all that has happened on the ship and I want
to offer information that although have no evidence
to, it can help resolve the problem we have. As I said
this information is not confirmed, but in the white
house the best information is not the one in
documents of state, the truth many times is in the
halls and corridors. As whispers and secrets are
spoken. When you live as first lady you learns that
there are two types of secrets, some very small which
are not worth to be saved and others very large that
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do not fit in any place where they can hide. So today
you will hear one of those secrets.
I settled into my seat because what this woman was
saying needed my attention and seemed to be
something important. As she spoke I just kept quiet so
as not to interrupt while staring at her eyes. She did
not pause in her speech, I got the impression that her
words had been studied or memorized, if I interrupted
her, I could break the course of her remarks, so I let
her continue.
- The process of selecting people that would be
allowed on this ship was something my husband took
with great importance and care. A Senate committee
reviewed each record. Among the senators who
participated was Senator Will Thomson. In the
corridors of the Pentagon was said that this man,
while U.S. troops were at war, was dedicated to
getting juicy oil contracts with Middle Eastern sheiks.
He was a man without scruples, only cared about
money. My husband did not trust this man. The night
before boarding the Apollo 918 the President of the
nation was alone with me and his daughters for at
least three hours. He confessed to me his distrust in
Senator Thomson and handed me this file flash
memory, where all the records of civilians that this
man proposed and pushed for are included among the
chosen. – Saying this she stretched out her right hand
and gave me the small memory lash. I kept letting her
talk. Perhaps this information will be inconsequential.
But it is possible that within that file you can find a
clue that will lead to trap the enemies among us.
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The first lady was silent. I kept the memory in one of
my pockets, we were alone in the room and no one
knew of our conversation, no one heard. I stood up
and thanked the woman for what she gave me. I told
her- The enemies will be caught sooner than later.
I was about to get out when the side door
unexpectedly opened a third time and eldest daughter
of the president appeared, with a newborn baby in her
arms. This was the fourth surprise of the day, to find
that the baby was none other than the daughter of
soldier Neal.
I walked up to this lady and made sure my eyes were
not deceiving me. When facing the white blanket
covering the baby. She looked so healthy, I passed
my hand her face, and without knowing how, soldier
Neal’s daughter grabbed one of my fingers and
squeezed it. It was a special moment when that baby
just days old gave me a smile. The woman I spoke to
so seriously minutes ago stood beside me and said:
- Do not be surprised, Colonel. I have this baby here
by direct orders of the President. He asked the soldier
and the father of this child not to even say a thing to
you. If today I sent for you and providing this
information is because my husband among the last
things he said to me was, referring to you with this
phrase: When a soldier saves a child’s life even
against orders, this is a man you can trust.
I said nothing, I said goodbye with a military salute
and returned to my tasks. Upon returning to my room-
office agent Robert was waiting for me at the door.
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