My Glide On Death

Chapter 1: Benevolent Destroyers?

(Phone rings)
 "Good morning sir. Is this Captain Gust"? 
 "Yes"
 I tried to deepen my voice as I just woke up and my voice becomes shrill after just getting up from sleep.
 "You are cordially invited to the secret headquarters sir. You will receive the location. You know how."

I rushed to the window, for the parrot. Yes, the info is sent by parrots. Who would have known that in the era where every single work is done by machines and robots, intels about our mission will be sent through parrots.The parrot came after I waited for a minute or two. It gave me a secret code.  "Oh God! Why is it so hard?" 
By the way, it took me an hour to decode it.

The headquarters were located in a bunker (out of dozens in the country). These bunkers were actually made in 2040's for protection from nuclear war by a group of affluent paranoids. Though fortunately or maybe unfortunately(for them) these bunkers could never serve the purpose they were made for.

"Nicholas, get ready, we're heading out for the mission."

"Alright, Gust."

Nicholas, he's my only friend—perhaps my best friend.

(After 10 minutes)

Nicholas sat waiting in the car, covered in blood.

"What happened, Nicholas? Are you okay? All this blood..."

"Oh, this? As I suspected, you're clueless about the attack again! Do you have ears, or are they just bottle openers? They fired three laser shots. You know how loud the EMP interference is."

"What? I heard something, but not clearly since I was in the shower. I thought you were testing the weapons."

"Why would I randomly test laser guns?"

"Hmm, fair point. Let me drive—we'll head to the hospital first."

"No, forget it. We're already late. Besides, this isn’t my blood—it's theirs. Just a group of amateurs who couldn’t even afford a silencer."

"Thank goodness. At least change your clothes..."

"No, let's move."

(Nicholas starts the car)

"So, where did you hide the bodies, Nicholas?"

"In the trash bin, of course. There were only three of them."

"What? How did you fit three bodies in a trash bin?"

"You know... hehe."

I felt more anxious, not because of the attack, but because of his smug reply.

We finally reached the militant area. We were checked for any harmful objects(though it was just a formality). There we got in a helicopter, this was a special helicopter which had an advanced anti tracking device. Though my car also had one but this helicopter is far more advanced and also we have to abide by the government.

We arrived at the top of a building from which we went underground through a lift. We walked for about 10 minutes in an underground passage with three militants by our side.This was a secret entry to the bunker. Yes, we were already walking in the bunker. We then reached a dark room with absolutely no light. There our bodies were checked again and our retina scan was done. Then we passed through an armoured metal door before finally reaching the room where the final testing of The Death Glider was being done.

“Captain Gust! It’s been a long time since we met. How are you doing?”

A gravelly yet familiar voice reached my ears from behind. Already full of anxiety, I tensed up. I wasn’t used to being around so many people, let alone dozens of scientists, engineers, and military personnel. I turned and saw Mr. Hastings.

“Oh, hell..o Mr. Hastin…gs. I’m fin..e (Why is he here? I can’t handle self-obsessed people right now. Mr. Colbert would have been way better).”

Nicholas, on the other hand, was in his element. An extrovert by nature, he had already joined the scientists, animatedly discussing the Death Glider.

“I see,” Hastings continued, “As you know, you’ve been invited for the final testing of the Death Glider. This beast has enormous power and speed. That’s why it’s named ‘Death Glider,’ the one who can even glide on death. Of course, I had a better name, but I don’t know why they rejected it. I called it—"

Before he could finish, I cut in. My patience had already worn thin. "Sure. I can feel it in every atom of my body. But where is Mr. Colbert? I mean, he was in charge of the Death Glider after all." (What the hell are you doing here, Mr. Hastings?)

“My brother’s a bit busy, so I was given the duty. After all, we’re twins! Haha.”

He ended with a narcissistic laugh, and just like that, my anxiety came flooding back.

“So… let’s head to the launchpad for the final testing, Mr. Gust.”

We stepped into the lift and ascended directly to the launchpad. There it was, waiting in eerie silence, like a lion poised in its lair. Engineers emerged from the spacecraft, and now the moment had arrived... for the flight... My First Glide over Death.

The Death Glider stood before me—immense, sleek, and formidable. Its surface shimmered in a dark matte grey, streaked with veins of metallic black. The name, ‘THE DEATH GLIDER,’ was inscribed on both sides in sharp lettering. This was no ordinary spacecraft. It was shaped like an elongated oval, its hull smooth and aerodynamic, designed to cut through both atmosphere and space with minimal resistance.

Atop it were two colossal, retractable wings, not the usual helicopter rotors, but fan-like blades with crescent-shaped edges. These wings, equipped with cutting-edge gyroscopic technology, would provide enhanced manoeuvrability in space, allowing the craft to pivot and shift with precision. Their spiral design wasn't just for aesthetics—it optimised aerodynamics in planetary atmospheres and stabilised the craft in zero gravity.

What truly set the Death Glider apart was its propulsion system. Instead of relying solely on conventional fuel, it harnessed solar wind sails—thin, near-invisible sheets that would unfurl in space, capturing energy from solar particles to propel the ship for most of its journey. This drastically reduced fuel consumption, with engines firing only for 30% of the distance, primarily during takeoff, landing, and critical manoeuvres. It was a marvel of engineering efficiency.

Though I had yet to learn about its full capabilities and the inner workings of its systems, that would come soon. I had an upcoming briefing with the Senior Researcher and Mr. Hastings, where they would unveil the secrets of the Death Glider.