by Boris Mosso
—The Espacian Intelligence agents are dispersed everywhere, Admiral. I spoke to Director Umbaga a little before his arrival to the Trendar.
—And what does he say?
—He’s informing that a great part of the spy ring invaders has been uncovered and broken up. In almost every case they’re self-destroyed by detonating a neutronic grenade or another devise with great destructive power, at the instant of being uncovered; the remainders are exterminated by the agents.
—By the dark energy bombs…
—The same old story with these being. They are sometimes caught loading a gamma bomb or a neutronic grenade and the agents don’t have any other choice but to kill them instantly.
—I know.
—The Espacian Intelligence has suffered numerous casualties in this crazy hunt.
An urgent communication in front of the High Officers, came in that instant.
The powerful Espacian Intelligence and secret Assistant Director, Torban Kronenbel, appeared by Tronius’ side. As usual, amidst a dark hologram which could barely show his features. The Admiral deeply hated the halo of mystery and secrecy that surrounded the fearful Espacian Intelligence Officer. Indifferent to any consideration regarding his appearance, he spoke to him without beating around the bush with a dry tone of voice but filled with worry.
—Admiral Tronius… we have a situation.
—Speak then.
—Sir, we are chasing some undercovers in the inside of a Tubular spaceship, in the fleet’s formation last row.
—What are you doing about it?
—A small specialized agent’s unit arrived. They are chasing them right now at the spaceship’s warehouses. The area has been separated from the regular crew members; shootings have already taken place and they are approaching running on foot to the Tubular’s arsenals. If they get there and can activate one of their dark energy micro core bombs.
—A gamma bomb… They’ll destroy it entirely or enable it. Thousands of fatalities at the very least.
It was known that the invader dominated the universe’s dark energy, as they wished, being able to concentrate it and use it in various and mysterious ways, something never achieved in the Astral to this day. However, at the beginning the Unified Command, wrongly concluded that it was high radiation gamma energy, by which the enemy weapons had been so-called Gamma missiles or Gamma bombs. Despite that and once the mistake was discovered, everyone in the Galaxy continued calling them the same way, since the use of those names was too dispersed at those heights.
—Exactly, Admiral, they are now running through the cargo holds. Another larger group from our military operations’ agents, is going in a Nimide… but it won’t be there in time for the outcome.
—Tribar! Remove the Tubular from formation and sent it to hyperspace, to an area that if it explodes, we won’t see the slightest glare. Send them to a couple of light years from here. Worse than losing five hundred thousand RMOD’s and forty thousand crew members, is that besides, the whole fleet can see it just at that time. Kronenbel, your agents should eliminate them at any cost. At any cost! Is it clear?
¿Sir, it will be done right now. We are receiving live images from the Tubular’s situation, if you wish…
—Display the transmission in real time, even after the Tubular’s quantum leap. I don’t want to miss any detail from the pursuit.
—We’re already transmitting.
—It was what I feared most.
In a holographic seen exclusively by the high Officers present, a dramatic scene was displayed; it was really a desperate chase.
7 - Renar
The Espacian, Renar and Lagras’ Intelligence agents, ran as fast as they could after missing their levitator caused by a direct impact from a thermal micro missile. They saved their lives by jumping a second before the impact, which pretty much pulverized the transporter. They rolled on the ground, applying their energy deflectors to the fullest, shielding themselves before a subsequent expansive wave. While they came down, Lagras was able to throw several impacts with its highest power with his shock waves’ gun, luckily, destabilizing the spy’s levitator, driving it to crash into one of the walls. The three spies were able to escape unhurt, but alike them, now they just only had their legs to escape.
They had already seen them from afar and as usual, they resembled Espacian bodies fully. Now they moved forward amongst the endless rows of containers full of supplies for the RMOD’s.
They must hunt for them, before the three undercover ones reached the arsenals’ area. Thousands of millions of small atomic and thermal missiles were stored there, which would be distributed to the five hundred thousand RMOD’s transported by the gigantic Tubular spaceship during the coming battle. To do that, they must quickly dodge the many receptacles dispersed throughout the length of the endless corridors in that section. These helped them as shields against the spy’s deadly shots. It was both from lighting missiles of Espacians’ weapons as well as contained energy missiles, or delayed internal effect, coming from the invader’s own weapons.
The impulses were also called neutronic ova, which upon impacting they spread in a controlled, but intense shower of neutrons to the inner parts of an organic body, destroying its cells and organs.
Upon hitting against a lifeless surface, they instantly went through without any reaction, dissolving if the layer was thick, just as it happened with the freight containers. They were greenish and small guns, which allowed the spies to eliminate their enemies or hunters without attracting too much attention and without a fuss. Getting it close to someone, they collapsed as if they had an attack or were plain fainting.
However, Renar knew that not just because of that weapon’s effect, it was a trivial matter; a shot penetrating his energy shield and all his internal organs would melt with a tiny explosion, without his external body suffering the least damage.
In the meantime, the impacts continued without a break in the warehouses. Renar suffered with each ovum plowing in the air close to him: some almost brushed their heads and others scourged the containers without even a scratch. Amidst the trance, they communicated with each other upon seeing the pursuit’s little progress.
—Lagras!... shoot them nonstop! You need to cover me!
—Very well, Sir, although at this distance we’re not going to reach anything with the wave shock guns.
—Shoot them with the rotary, they shouldn’t get any further! You yourself heard Kronenbel’s order… We must stop them right now.
—Renar, this caliber projectiles without casings could cause severe damage to these thick screens. The rotary…
—It doesn’t matter anymore! If they scape, we all fly with the Tubular into space and with five hundred thousand fleet’s RMODs. If we survive that, Umbaga will kick us mercilessly to space and without nothing but what they wore. Place a one hundred meters range… Do you still have the Thermo-Waves Synchronous?
—Yes, I have it with me… it’s two cannons.
—Then, toss it to me at once!
—I’ll slide it on the ground, it has a one hundred expansionary pulse’s charger… there it goes!
Renar stopped the seventy centimeters long thick weapon with his foot, which, through two synchronized cannons, it launched a powerful expansionary hybrid shot which mixed the expansionary power from the shock wave weapons, with an enormous temperature and plasma pulse speed. It was a very short-range destructive weapon. It could slash any living being in two at ten meters away or scatter it into one hundred pieces at less than forty meters away. Then the launching’s expansion decreased its effectiveness. When one of the cannons launched a shot, the other one bounced back, connecting to a cooling system that allowed it to shoot again instantly, however, if the weapon was used for too long continuously, the cannons ended up red-hot likewise.
—Well Sir, I’m going to shoot with the rotatory.
Lagras holstered his shock wave gun and shifted the strap on his shoulders, a medium-caliber luminous bullet’s rotary withou
t casings of six cannons, which he calibrated to one hundred meters. After that distance, the bullets converted into harmless momentum.
He pressed the trigger and the cannon’s cylinder began to spin at high speed, instantly a blast steeped with fifteen lethal lights per second, strafed the corridors in Renar’s entire vision range, piercing countless containers, as if they were water; then everything one hundred meters away, vanished.
—Where the heck is Alvian?
—He was going to cut them off in the thirty fifth intersection, just before reaching the arsenals, but he doesn’t answer me…
—Didn’t he find a better place?
—He said that surrounding them safely in the levitator, was the last option. He knows what he’s doing, Mr. Renar…
Suddenly a call came in from the mentioned field agent.
—Mr. Renar… I can hear you now… I’m moving as fast as possible.
Renar was impressed by the agent’s calm tone of voice.
—Alvian, finally! These bastards left us without a levitator; we’re following them on foot.
—I understand.
—Don’t you have a way to cut them off before? The thirty fifth exit is…
—… Where the arsenals are at. I know, Sir, but if I turn before, they will pass through.
—Damn it! … very well then, but you’ll have to give it to them with everything you got, they can’t go beyond.
—They won’t pass.
—These fools have a lot of weapons… be careful.
—I also have them, over.
—Lagras, have you heard Alvian?
—Yes, Sir.
—It seemed like he had just woken up from a nap. What the hell is wrong with him!
—That’s the way he is… he’s always calm…
—I hope he’s able to stop them.
—I’m sure he’ll cut them off.
The spy’s shipments passed near Renar’s position once more, causing him to jump into a huge two meters wide spare piece, looking for protection. He contacted Lagras from there again.
—Keep on shooting, I need cover. I’m going to run towards them now; we must pressure them Lagras.
—I’ll cover you, Mr. Renar.
—I’m coming out now, be careful not to shoot my rear.
—Very well, Sir.
Renar ran quickly amongst a group of containers. Maneuvering to dodge a smaller number of bullets which the spies were shooting now, immobilized by the rich shower of lighting bullets shot by Lagras in short blasts. Therein, Renar saw a small object going his way through the air at great speed.
—Duck, Lagras… they just threw a neutron grenade at us…!
—A thirty-meters wide blinding light explosion was produced and disappeared in a second. If it hadn’t been for the energy shield provided by the tactical operations bracelet, both agents would have disappeared instantly. All the material matter was untouched; however, if he had looked straight at the explosion’s light, Renar would have been left blind. The agent reproached in silence after not having activated the visual protection systems, unlike Lagras, who did have that feature activated.
He paid the price with his inexperience in these conflicts.
The spies seized the Espacian agents’ moment of confusion, to get back to running. Renar covered his eyes with one hand, while a chill went down his whole body, upon understanding how close he had been from dying or becoming blind. He meant to get up and continue running, but his legs didn’t respond, as now he was paralyzed by fear.
—They’re desperate, Renar… What do we do?
—Keep on shooting, we can’t let go now.
He moved with difficulty behind an oval receptacle, turning on a holographic which revealed the undercover movements. His desperation increased upon seeing them approach the thirty fifth intersection; he had no choice but to risk it all by running after them for the last time. Orders received were strict; they should be intercepted at any price.
He now regretted following the lead himself, instead of delegating the task to another special high rank agent and his countless team, just as his superiors had ordered.
That special field agents’ unit, mobilized on board of a Nimide towards the Tubular at that instant. Renar figured out that the other team wouldn’t have arrived on time anyways. He gave himself courage to continue with that argument, remembering sadly that at that moment they were waiting for him with Lagras, in the Council’s Flantart, to begin the journey along with professor Trivian’s secret expedition, and instead of that, they were about to burst out into an unknown spot in space, as the removal from the Tubular spaceship quantum leap, had been performed five minutes ago.
He kicked the container in front of him, to let out his frustration, he breathed deeply and began a crazy race through the wide gallery, resourcing to his entire emotional reserve.
Several shots passed touching him, until one merged with his energy field, weakening him to a point that his holographic informed him, that the next one would go through the invisible protective layer, hopelessly.
Instantly, the undercover’s shots went somewhere else.
—Lagras?
—It’s Alvian, Sir, you have intercepted them. Now they’re facing amidst the thirty fifth intersection.
Almost from the beginning of the pursuit, his communications’ system worked at times, whereby he was only able to connect at short distances with Lagras.
After passing a sturdy spare part, Renar found a spy lagging, intending to ambush them. The undercover aimed with a couple of Espacian lighting guns at the off-guard Lagras. He emerged from the other side instantly, while Renar surrounded it by the opposite side aiming at the spy, but without running.
Without blinking, he discharged three pulses with the thermal waves’ synchronous. The first shot cut the spy in two and the two others turned him into a shower of glowing bodily remains.
—Damn! He almost caught me…!
—Don’t get distracted! Alvian, don’t let him through! These assholes have done something to our communications!
At a distance he envisioned the expansion of a thirty meters bright ball. This time, the filtering holographic before his eyes, protected him from the lighting of the neutrons’ grenade.
—They’re throwing neurotronic grenades at Alvian!
Renar unexpectedly found himself with the other two spies after sticking out from behind a huge size metal cube.
Exactly at the time when one of them was getting ready to throw another grenade which would probably end in a fatal outcome for Alvian, Lagras appeared by the other side of the container and riddled with bursts from the rotary. The spy’s body, which was mysteriously similar in everything to an ordinary and common Espacian, broke down in dozens of pieces spreading all over. The last undercover let go his weapon having been surrounded, although immediately and in an incredible speed, he took out a thirty centimeters thin and oval container. Then he held it with both hands in position of spinning it in the opposite way.
The agents aimed at him without blinking, because they were very acquainted with the dark energy micro core bombs of different sizes. So, they both perfectly measured the devastating effect from one like that one.
Agent Alvian, a stocky Espacian with black skin like night and tough features, worsen with a couple of scars crossing through his tanned face, moved next to the screen, the emergency sequencers’ side.
These field agents were real Special Forces soldiers from the Intelligence Office. They were assigned to the follow up groups from the undercover spies regularly, since generally, the inquiries ended up in ferocious confrontations; that way, Alvian was assigned to Renar’s team four months ago. Although he had been recruited from the STF several years ago in times of peace.
Renar was a higher rank agent, despite being thirty-four years old and given that he worked as a highly qualified specialized analyst, with a complete real scientific career. The events with the invader’s massive undercover presence in past mont
hs, put him at the line of fire a couple of times, alike many other advisors and specialists in the science and technology field, or simply administrative officers that now hunted for spies everywhere, managing how they could. Something of which he didn’t get used to.
Renar, deeply concerned, heard the deep and calmed voice from the experienced agent through his intercom, which indisputably echoed, announcing that the situation would not have a peaceful resolution.
Mr. Renar, whatever this miserable says, he’s going to activate the dark energy bomb anyways.
—I know, Alvian, I know…
Then the undercover spoke to them when they least expected it.
—You have the chance to leave alive… If you let me escape in a hybrid spaceship, I’ll give you the bomb, if not, we’ll all explode…
Renar felt like giving in to the deal, if he saved the Tubular and themselves also, but he knew that Alvian was right, the undercover was buying time. Maybe he intended to still slip away to the arsenals in a careless moment and if he didn’t have any other choice, he would activate the bomb anyways, opening such a big hole in the Tubular’s area, that the spaceship would be lost for the fleet helplessly, even though they sealed the destroyed chambers. Either way, his death was for sure, along hundreds or thousands of others before stopping the disaster.
—How would the deal be? You give us the bomb and we let you escape.
—No, not that way, agent… You take me to a combat spaceship’s hangar and we’ll see from there.
Renar glanced at Lagras. He moved his head from one side to the other inconspicuously, indicating that it wasn’t a good idea.
—What are you? Why do you look just like us?
—Your mind doesn’t have any features to understand my nature.
—How long have you been undercover amongst us? Months, years?
—You don’t know anything, do you?
Renar didn’t answer. He had deep inner desires to shoot him in that instant, but he knew about those beings’ immediate reflexes. Before dying from the shots, he would activate the explosive device for sure. Something extremely unexpected could only make him let his guard down.