The Ability Era

6: Return

Paul Miller – "The Locksmith"

After calling the police to clean up the dead bodies in the lot, Squad Y left Moon City and returned to HQ on Tygano. On the way back, Sam had awoken and Paul saw her trying to hold back tears as she ran to the washroom. Elenora followed her and tried to comfort her. Gary parked their ship in the IBF hangars nearby. Gary took Sam to the IBF's second-class healer, Grace from Squad Q, to see if there was anything she could do. He returned with Sam on Floor 2 and Sam rushed to her room in sadness. Gary had told them that Grace said that her hair could not be brought back except by Squad A's Medicon but he was hardly on planet. Squad Y didn't have the means of getting to him, and he was always busy having more important matters to attend to.

It was night-time and most of the squad went to sleep, Elenora slept in Sam's room to keep her company. Gary, Paul, and Pedro were in the lobby area of the floor; Gary was being debriefed on the phone while Paul and Pedro spoke quietly.

"We got pulled off the mission," Gary said getting off the phone by the elevator.

"What? Why?" Paul asked.

"It's out of our jurisdiction. The DO thought Red Coyote was a small time dealer that sold to lesser thugs like Eflen but once the major gangs were involved we were out of our depth."

"We can handle them. Robin could probably take them all single-handedly," Paul objected.

"Orders are orders," Gary shrugged. "We have to let it go."

"After what they did to Sam? We can't just let it go."

"Paul's right, this is our fight now," Pedro spoke up.

"You can't. You'll be considered Renegades and hunted down!" Gary exclaimed.

"Not if the IBF doesn't find out," Paul said.

"You know it is my duty to report you if you leave."

"Then don't report us," Pedro said.

"Even if I decided to let you guys go, which I won't, it's too dangerous. Try not to think about it. I assure you the more qualified squads will do their jobs," Gary said trying to ease their minds.

Unfortunately, Gary was right. Paul didn't want to go Renegade, and had banked on Gary letting him go secretly. He would just have to follow orders this time, there was nothing he could do about it. For now, it seemed like it would be life as usual on Floor 2.

"Okay, you're right," Paul said in defeat.

"Good, get some rest," Gary said walking off.

That morning Paul was eating some cinnamon waffles in the kitchen with Pedro and Elenora. They were at the large wooden table that could manage to fit the entire squad if they squeezed in. Pedro was across from Paul, and they were both beside Elenora on the end.

"Is Sam okay?" Paul asked.

"Yeah I think she'll be okay. We're going shopping today for wigs," Elenora said chewing thoughtfully on her waffle.

Pedro must have been bored because he picked up the converter off the table and he turned on the large TV, which was in the corner, and it was currently on the Squad A news channel.

"—live footage on Ansaia where the Afo have gathered. Today we have Squad A's Colonel Steadfast on the scene," the reporter said. The reporter was a black female in a dark blue coat and she was in a helicopter. Behind her was Ansaia, a wintry planet that was known for its harsh winter climate and abundance of mountains, which was inhabited by the alien species known as Afo. They were a bee-like creature that could fly. The difference was they were as big as humans were, and they had a stinger on both their bottom and their head between their antennae. Their eyes were a dark green and their bodies were furry, and coloured ink blank with weird splotches of green randomly strewn about the body. They had no nose or mouth, had transparent wings and they communicated with buzzing sounds from their backside.