CHAPTER 9
Agent Shiva 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. Brigadier Fabien Asian ship and Brigadier of the Russian ship Pudovkin. 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 through them.
The organization and design of the ships was not capricious. Everything had been well thought out, the NIRMANA 394 would be in the middle of the three ships. On the right would be the Russian ship and at the other end the Asian ship. Our ship would command center and operations of the entire star mission. Eventually NIRMANA 394 opened 6 large compartments, at the ends, three on the right and three left. The ships tunnels alongside our ship, those would slowly unify into the mouth of the gates of the NIRMANA 394.
Already done the switch, the secure compartments were closed and pressurize. The three ships had merged into a single energy saving machine. This way NIRMANA engines would remain working at fifty percent of the maximum capacity. Stable enough to keep all the weight of the three ships. The Asian and Russian spacecraft could switch off their engines and leave only power generators, needed to light the elevators and oxygen compressors working and distributing through 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 Brigadiers Father and Pudovkin. 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 NIRMANA 394. 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 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 man-made 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, Brigadier. - Said one of the men who had come to my rescue.
- 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.
- Brigadier, Brigadier, 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 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 Linda was Mane, 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 Shiva 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, Indian, 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 Singh.
- You all right, Brigadier?
- Yes, Commander, thank you. I'm fine. – I Answered.
- What do you think about what happened, Brigadier?
- 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, Brigadier. But we are urged to stop this threat.
- I sent agent Shiva a message, to present himself as soon as possible here. I want to know if you could get something out of the records that we received before the planets misfortune.
- Keep me informed, Brigadier, 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 Shiva. 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.
- Brigadier Jay. 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 through 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 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 through open again, through it appeared the woman who was our first lady, now widow of our president and commander in chief of India 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, Brigadier. - 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 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 Ministry of Defense was said this man, while India 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 NIRMANA 394 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.
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 Suraj.
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
Suraj’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, Brigadier. 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 Shiva was waiting for me at the door.
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