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75% AD Astra: Spec OPS / Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Busted

Capítulo 12: Chapter 12: Busted

*The world around us has been what it is long before humans settled in. Humans didn't hesitate a second to use it and exploit its resources to saturation. The day might come when a difficult choice must be made to euthanize a large part of the population, unless there's a fair redistribution of living space or a major technological breakthrough. Firiyaze has already solved most of its problems related to this; in fact, the federal government has expanded beyond its capacity and discovered worlds it wouldn't occupy for a long time. Sitting in a chair in their secret HQ in Hokkaido, Monty sat facing a computer, snacking on popcorn. From this computer emanated a voice engaging in conversation with him.*

- But what happens when the federation encounters an already inhabited world? *asked the voice.*

- Well, the procedure is to initiate contact with the leader of that world. Generally, that's how it goes, but there are rare cases where the world itself is divided into several tribes.

- And these tribes can speak various languages depending on how the inhabitants try to distinguish themselves from a socio-cultural perspective, right?

- Exactly, ICE. You catch on fast. On Amadori, for example, some of the most spoken languages are all derivatives of a single language spoken long ago.

-Like Latin?

- Exactly. *Gael smiled*. But it's a dead language today. It was spoken by the most powerful empire of its time, the Roman Empire. But it's gone now.

- Why did it disappear if it was so powerful?

*He suddenly turned and aimed his weapon at the door. The person he pointed at jumped, frightened.*

- Ah, it's you? *He said, putting away his weapon.* What do you want?

*It was Chanel, Francis's wife, coming to check on him.*

- You've been locked in here for 3 days, and you haven't eaten anything at all.

- I'm nourishing myself properly, don't worry.

- I meant real food, not your disgusting ration capsules.

- Ha, you've never been on deployment, have you? *He said*.

- That's not an excuse. Japan has a wide variety of culinary products; it would be a shame not to enjoy them. *She insisted*.

*She approached him and tried to pull him by the shoulder when the computer turned on.*

- Oh, what's this?

- It's an evolving control intelligence, or ICE. But I doubt you understand what it is.

- Hello. *ICE said*.

- Well, hello. You're an artificial intelligence, aren't you? A bit like Earl.

- I am still far from the level of sophistication of Herstal V93, but I can tell you that I am learning.

- ICE is one of the many AIs I develop myself. There's Alicia taking care of my apartment on Bastion, Jerome in my box at Fort Lavigne, and now ICE here. I plan to make him an autonomous AI that will accompany me everywhere on missions. When he's ready, I'll install him on WhiteStar.

- But to develop his program and for him to gain new expressions, you have to dialogue with him.

- Yes, it helps to streamline the data flow...

- And stimulate the learning program of the AI. It's like raising a child; the more it learns, the better program he becomes. *She said fascinated*.

*As they chatted, Gael got lost in explanations and even found himself smiling. That's when he noticed the screen.*

- Hey, but you know quite a lot, actually. What's your job again? *He asked intrigued*.

- Fascinating stuff. *She said, staring at ICE's code*. Anyway, you need to eat something other than those vitamin bars. And don't give me the "It already has all the nutrients" excuse; I know it's false.

- She's right; the human body needs a wide variety of nutrients to live. You'll exhaust your rations at this rate. These are made for emergency situations, sir.

*He sighed, exhausted. If even ICE turned against him.*

- Okay, then. But before that, what day is it?

- Thursday, why?

- Thursday? A new chapter comes out every Thursday.

- Chapter of what?

- A manga that I have to buy. There are over a thousand chapters, but I persevere; it's really interesting.

*After that, he went upstairs where young Uriel was. Among the team members, Gael was the one he liked the least, so he behaved quite well in his presence.*

- Itadakimaaasu.

*Indeed, there were quite a variety of dishes on the table with flavors he had never tasted before. Damon hadn't lied; the food on Amadori was top-notch. While enjoying the various flavors, he received a call on his earpiece.*

- Gael? Are you available? *Nikto asked*.

- Just eating; what do you want?

- Mr. Monferra, no phones on table. *Chanel said*.

*But he didn't listen and continued the call.*

- I need you to freeze the accounts of a guy, one of my competitors.

- Okay, send me his name, and I'll do it later.

- Do it now; it's a matter of life or death.

- Okay, give me two seconds.

*He projected a holographic display from his watch and, following Nikto's instructions, froze the accounts as planned. When he finished the call, he saw Chanel observing him with a pouty expression.*

- What... It was urgent.

*He barely resumed eating when the device started ringing again.*

- Montyyyy, turn off your communicator.

- Sorry, it's probably urgent.

- Monty? It's Guarneer. I just sent you a list of products; I'd like to know where we can find them according to your analyses.

- Are you trying to euthanize someone or what? *He asked while browsing on his watch*. There are plenty of painkillers on this list.

- Yes, it's not for me but for my grandfather.

- Wait a minute... Since when do you have a grandfather?

- It would be a long story. I'm driving now; I have to let you go. Don't forget the list.

*He hung up and crossed Chanel's annoyed gaze again.*

- Okay, okay, I'll stop.

*He started eating again, and the device rang again. But this time, Chanel stole it before he could answer and gave him a blood-curdling look.*

- I said, at the table, Sergeant.

- Yes, ma'am.

*At the same time, on the other end of the line, Sullivan and her accomplice were in a rental car on their way to where Gnezou worked.*

- Damn. He refuses to answer.

- Who, your father? *Roger asked*. He must be busy; you told me he works in parliament.

- Yes, yes. *She sighed*. But this is really important; I need him.

- Oh, we wonder who's the idiot who cut ties first. *Stowe said at the front*.

- Douglas.

*She approached his ear slowly and whispered.*

- I remind you that I am the second-highest-ranking officer on this mission.

- Hm hm, yeah, you're right. *He said aloud To cover his embarrassment*. "He shouldn't have treated you like he did."

*Back in Hokkaido, Gael finished his meal under Chanel's strict supervision. Afterward, he went downstairs and headed to the nearest village, where there was a store selling various items, including manga. The owner was a young adult full of zest for life.*

"Hey, hey, my favorite customer. So, are you still reading the manga I recommended?"

"Yes, but it's quite long, so I'll just take a few volumes and two other mangas to mix things up."

"So, where are you in the story now?"

"Well, the hero's brother got captured, and there's a kind of coalition forming to save him. By the way, what's wrong with the author, making the government look like the bad guys?"

"Well, that's what makes the beauty of the work. There's no good or bad, the world isn't all black or all white, you know."

"And what do you know about the world?" *Gael thought*.

"And in the end, justice triumphs," *the young man said*.

"Oh, ease up; I know you. This will end up in spoilers like last time."

*Once his purchase was done, he exited the store and started walking down the street when his earpiece lit up.*

"By the way, sir, you still haven't told me what happened to the Roman Empire." *ICE said*

"The greatest empire on Amadori? Well, it was first divided into the Western and Eastern empires. Once weakened and with the incompetence of emperors, Rome couldn't survive the barbarian revolts. The empire was dismantled piece by piece."

"Do you think such a fate is possible for Firiyaze?"

"Historically speaking, all great empires eventually fall, without exception. But Firiyaze still has good days ahead. And my job is precisely to make sure that doesn't happen."

*A silence settled between them, and they resumed the conversation.*

"Sir, what would be the procedure to pacify Amadori if we wanted to?"

"I have no idea, but it would be a damn nightmare."

*He stopped at a red light as vehicles started moving. He stared at the sky thoughtfully.*

"I know nothing, but it would be a nightmare."

*The light turned green, and he was about to cross when ICE alerted him.*

"Sir, that utility vehicle isn't stopping."

*Gael looked to his left and saw a truck speeding towards him.*

"Oh, damn," *the driver shouted*.

*The guy hit the brakes, but the vehicle still traveled a good ten meters before hitting a lamppost. The driver, panicked, got out to check, but Gael had miraculously avoided the accident. What the driver wasn't sure he saw was that Gael had jumped over the truck.*

"What... Sir, are you not hurt?" *asked the panicked driver*.

"No, but is this a joke?" *Gael said, annoyed*. "Didn't you see the light turn red, idiot? Did you get your license in a garbage bag or what?"

*The driver bowed repeatedly to apologize, and after insulting him, Gael walked away.*

"Damn. I hate Isekai too."

*After this little mishap, he returned to the chalet, where he could focus on his job.*

"I'll read later."

*That's when he saw several missed calls on his phone, but it wasn't Gaines or other team members.*

"Sullivan, huh?" *He returned the call, and she answered.* "So, what does the black sheep want..."

"GAEL, WE FOUND IT!" *she screamed*.

"Easy, don't shout in my ears. And don't call me by my name," *he said, annoyed*. "You found the Opal I asked for?"

"No, I found something even better," *she said*. "I think we found our target, Dr. Shraken. Well, not necessarily him, but we're getting close."

*The sergeant displayed an intrigued smile.*

"Tell me more, kid."

*To be continued...*


Capítulo 13: Chapter 13: Holo-floor

*Somewhere on Earth in a location with an unknown address. The place seemed deserted, but there was music and drinks. It was actually a karaoke where young people gathered to sing. Usually, teens meet there after school to relieve tension and stress, while others arrange dates with their girlfriends, sometimes ending up in a more intimate setting. These places are quite popular in Korea and Japan, and they are discreet locations. On that day, a young man with brown hair entered the building. He wore a leather jacket over a white T-shirt, simple pants, and a pair of sneakers.*

"I'll take room 106," he said to the receptionist.

"Um, we don't have 106 rooms, sir."

"Sorry, it's a thing between me and my buddies. I want room 7, please," he said with a smile.

*She checked on her computer and then handed him the key.*

"Thank you, ma'am. Have a good day."

*The young women at the reception watched him leave, intrigued.*

"Who is this young man?"

"He's cute. Is he a foreigner? He speaks Korean strangely."

"Go ask for his number."

"Are you crazy? I would never dare."

*The young man, Douglas Sherman, actually Eagle Stowe, wasn't there to sing. On the contrary, he reached the designated room, swapped the numbers with the adjacent room, and entered. Inside the room, there were five other people project with hologram.*

"Yo," greeted Sullivan.

"It's unlike you to be late. What's your excuse?" asked Gael.

"I have none, and it would be great if we could start as soon as possible," he said urgently. "Adjudant," he added with respect.

*He sat next to Sullivan, just in front of them were Nikto, who had sprawled on the couch, and Warner, who was lying horizontally,a book covering his face. Those two formed indeed a strange duo. On the other side, Gael stood in front of the TV screen, while Gaines, sitting in a corner, had crossed arms.*

"Since everyone is here, let's get straight to the point," Gael said, displaying the screen. "As you suspect, we are here because we've somewhat identified our target. Assuming some of you have done their jobs."

"It's been more than a month since we're here," Nikto said. "Major, what did it serve us to integrate ourselves like this?"

"Because the mission has multiple objectives, and there are too many variables to consider," he replied. "That's the answer I'd like to give, but truthfully, I just wanted to do a bit of sightseeing," he said with a slight smile.

*Warner sighed, and Nikto didn't press further. Sullivan was surprised that they let him off with just that explanation.*

"Let's move on to the information our two newcomers gathered in Ivory Coast."

*He displayed a map of Abidjan and zoomed in on a particular building.*

"What you see here," Sullivan began, "is a building of a mining excavation company named... What's the name again?"

"Bognan Industry," said Stowe.

"Yes, as he said. After extensive research in Africa, it turned out that despite all the excavations carried out on this continent, there is not a single Reactive Opal Krysalid. It's strange because the radar was going crazy in Africa."

"Then what did all those blips on the radar mean?" asked Nikto. "I thought it was precisely in Africa that it was spiking."

"Exactly, there are many rare and precious metals of different types on this continent. Many of them have signatures that resemble the R.O.K."

"But, in reality, it will never go beyond a certain stage; it's too weak to serve as an energy source," Stowe added.

"So, what's the connection with this company in Ivory Coast?" Warner asked.

"I'm getting to that."

*Stowe took out the cartridge that served as the battery for Roger's smartphone from his pocket and placed it on the table. Everyone stared at it with wide eyes, except for Warner, who remained unmoved.*

"Don't tell me it's..." Nikto started.

"Our proof," Gael added.

"The kind of cartridges we use in our devices every day. It's still in the experimental phase, but it's clearly the same," Sullivan explained.

"And this company in Africa manufactures it? America is behind the times, it seems," Nikto mocked Warner.

"Bognan Industry is just a small fish in the pond, but it is directly linked to something bigger," Sullivan explained. "Which brings us to the point of this meeting."

*Gael moved his hand, and this time the graph showed a tall tower, a skyscraper in the middle of a city center. At the top, it was written "ARC-HIVE."*

"Archive?" Warner asked.

"Arc-Hive," said Gaines. "For the sake of my ears, let's just call it ARC."

"I agree. I like it short."

*Gael began to scroll through a series of images and graphics.*

"ARC is a company we could qualify as... naive," Gael said. "Indeed, they are involved in many charities; they build orphanages and hospitals for the less fortunate."

"I don't see how that's naive," said Sullivan. "It's even admirable."

"Well, real Samaritans," Warner added.

"But concretely, what do they do in life?" Stowe asked.

"Research," Gael replied. "And not just any research. ARC-HIVE is at the forefront of technology on Amadori. They have a health branch that is already eliminating some diseases. On the surface, it's a pharmaceutical company trying to save the world, but secretly they are also developing other devices like communication means, utility vehicles, or even prosthetics for amputees."

"Basically, what we have at home," Warner said unimpressed. "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king."

"But I've learned from experience that you don't get rich without getting your hands dirty," Nikto said. "And this world is no exception. This company must have a lot of enemies with all that."

"Indeed, it was to be expected with such a job. That's why the company enjoys the protection of a major private security company named Global Grid."

*This name made some people in the room react, including Stowe and Warner.*

"Global Grid?" Stowe asked.

"Does it ring a bell, Warner?" Gael inquired.

"I worked with some of their guys during a rescue mission."

"And?"

"They're good, but nothing to be alarmed about. I can handle them."

"They ensured our security when we were in Iraq," Stowe explained. "I didn't have the chance to see them in action; it was peaceful."

"Anyway, all this to say that we are dealing with a very particular multinational conglomerate. And all this is thanks to one man."

*Gael displayed a photo of a man. Instead of showing the man they came for, he showed a man with curly black hair, an Asian-looking face, looking timid with round glasses on.*

"Uhh. Gael, who is this?" Nikto asked.

"Victor Stracken. He is the CEO of ARC-HIVE, the man behind all these technical advances."

*They all let out a surprised "huh" as Gael sighed.*

"He's cute," Sullivan said with a flirtatious smile.

"He looks like a fragile one," Stowe replied. "With all due respect, Major, this guy is not Albert Shraken."

*Gael just nodded without responding.*

"Major, weren't you listening?" Sullivan asked as she saw him removing what seemed to be earpods, mumbling a song.

"Ahem, sorry, I already knew all of this. I was just waiting for Monty to brief you all."

"He's not even embarrassed," Nikto thought.

"Never seen an officer so laid back," Stowe said.

*Gaines, who was now part of the conversation, disappeared and suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, disturbing the two youngsters.*

"Victor Stracken, German scientist born in Strasbourg."

"That's in France," Sullivan pointed out.

*He gave her a silent look that said, "Don't interrupt me, kid." She quieted down, and he continued.*

"Our friend here is an orphan; he spent his life traveling from one foster home to another, didn't have an easy life, but found a way to graduate and still went to Stanford University in England. From there, he got recruited by MIT, went to the USA, then worked in a laboratory in China and disappeared after an accident during an experiment."

"Wow, a real traveler," Warner commented.

"The good Victor eventually reappeared, and two years ago, he formed what became the ARC-HIVE company. ARC, for short."

"But two years ago, he was a nobody, and today our friend is the leader in robotics and pharmaceuticals."

*Gaines swiveled his chair in the room.*

"Robotics and pharmaceuticals remind me of something, don't they?" Stowe said.

"Albert Shraken," Gaines added. "Do you think Shraken and he are the same person?"

"I think a lot of things, kid," Gaines replied.

"But let's go with this scenario. Our friend Albert landed on Earth, lost but welcomed by the benevolent Victor. The two become friends, maybe even close friends. Victor potentially learns Al's secret and decides to share his knowledge with this world. Al initially refuses but, under Victor's pressure, gives in and agrees. They form a company where Victor is the face, and Albert is the brains."

*Everyone stared at him stunned, but his scenario was the most plausible if one were to admit that Victor and Albert were indeed two different people.*

"Okay, Major, let's go with that," Nikto said. "But the int says he also stole an ORK reactor, which is not easy to hide at all."

"There's no record of a Condor theft on the day of his disappearance," Stowe added. "I've read the reports ten times. How did he move something so enormous?"

*Gaines smiled and looked at Sullivan.*

"Elisha, be an angel and explain."

"Well, it's confidential, but to operate the reactor, he just needs the core, which is just a sphere barely larger than a soccer ball. Once the right facilities are built, he can use it at will."

"But he'll die from radiation if he does it barehanded. And even with a suit, you need at least two people to..."

"Not if he does it with the Ajax he stole," she explained.

*Stowe stopped and nodded in agreement.*

"So, what's the priority, Boss?" Nikto asked, intrigued. "Now that we know all this, we need to define an action plan."

"First, we'll define the objectives," Gaines said calmly. "The top priority is to locate the reactor. To do that, we need to interrogate Stracken to find out where Shraken is."

"That's a lot of Kens," Stowe commented, remembering Ivory Coast.

"We find Vic, we find Al, we find the reactor."

"And the Ajax," Gael added.

"And the Ajax," Gaines confirmed. "Any idea where we can find our friend Victor? Or ideally, Albert would be better."

"Already done," Gael said.

"Fast," Stowe said.

*While he executed the briefing, White Star was tasked with flying over various known locations of the company. Since Victor is the CEO, and some of his movements are public, it didn't take long to locate him.*

"He's in Hamburg, Germany," Gael said. "In this building owned by ARC-HIVE. I mean ARC."

"Well, I think we have our target," Gaines said. "Who's up for it?"

*Suddenly, the sound of an airplane landing was heard. Stowe was surprised to hear it, but then he realized that Warner was in a hammock at the back of a C-5 Galaxy, and the book on her face was to cover her mouth. That explained why she hadn't moved since the beginning of the session.*

"Why didn't you turn off external sounds?" Nikto asked annoyed.

"Sorry, I was in the middle of a nap when this meeting started. No time to set it up."

"Guarneer, where are you right now?" Gaines asked.

"If I'm not mistaken, at Ramstein Air Base in Germany."

"He's already on-site," Sullivan and Stowe thought.

"Hamburg must be a good hundred kilometers away, but I can get there before the VIP leaves."

*Guarneer straightened up and looked at his special bag that he had brought for the occasion.*

"Need a hand?" Nikto asked.

"No need," he said, checking his watch. "I have enough resources available. How should I bring him, Major?"

"As long as he can talk."

"Okay, I'll make it happen."

"The rest of you, I'll have other missions for you."

*The conference ended, and the holograms disappeared one by one, leaving the young adults alone in the karaoke.*

"Well," Sullivan said with a sigh. "I thought Montferra was going to skewer me. Luckily, he's not really here."

"You said it. I also found it strange that Nikto let this guy lie on her lap."

"Is this your first holographic conference?" Sullivan asked, amused.

*He remained still for a moment, a series of flashes crossing his mind as his eyes kept moving in all directions.*

"Hey, are you okay? Flashes are normal at the beginning."

"Yes... I... It'll be fine," he suddenly said, breathless.

"Hey, want to do some karaoke?"

*He looked at her, unimpressed, and she disappeared with a smile. He leaned against the chair, sighing.*

"Except it wasn't my first time."

*End of the chapter.*


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