The Alien Agenda 3: Battle For Freedom

[Chapter 16: Tactics]

It was long after dinner, which was held at the largest room in the underground headquarters. Filled with tables and benches, the quickly put together cafeteria was boisterous for what Uncle Elias said was the first time since moving into the tunnels. The Atlanteans were thrilled. It was as if my return had relit the flame of hope, which it most probably did. Although it worried me that I did not have much to offer to the victory, at least I believed I had a lead we could start working on.

I was in my designated bunker. It was a small private room. There were only three private rooms within the underground lair, belonging to General A-Roz, Kai, and now me. As much as it was comfortable, I sort of yearned company, after being trapped for so long. Alone in the glass cubicle, or strapped onto an operating table, I would be relieved to have someone beside me. Nevertheless, I relished the lack of confinement and torture all the same. I curled atop the thin mattress hugging my body, glad it was intact.

At some point, I drifted off to sleep. However, I awoke not long after with a start. It had become a habit. I could never properly rest when I was confined. The anxiety, the foreboding of what the Yorlv had in store for me the following day, kept me on alert throughout the night. As I stared at the dark metal ceiling above me, I wondered if I had lost the ability to do so for the rest of my life. Then came the unease of knowing the rest of my life meant forever... Undying.

My body was worn, exhausted to its core. The adrenaline that had kept me pumping to escape Atlantis had dissipated, the excitement of reuniting with my people was gone, leaving me unable to move. Yet I could not close my eyes and put my mind to relax completely.

It was a long night.

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Early the next day, I had just cleaned myself up and changed into a new uniform when a knock resounded on my door.

"Subject 5, your presence is required for a private meeting with General A-Roz and myself. I'm giving you five minutes to get ready, or I'm coming in," No greetings whatsoever, Dr. V-Ron knew just what to do to brighten my mornings. I rolled my eyes.

Five seconds and I had opened the door. "I'm not as tardy as you think, doctor," I said crossing my arms.

He did not bother to give a remark before striding down the corridor forcing me to tail him. We settled around General A-Roz's desk in his bunker and got straight to business. Dr. V-Ron nudged the satchel of items on the desk. It belonged to me. The items I had brought back from the past.

"You've been in the enemy's base for a good amount of time. I suspect you've brought us useful information," Dr. V-Ron started.

I reached into the bag and pulled out all its contents. I held the Yorlv projecter device and tablet, figuring out how to switch it on. After watching me struggle for a good five minutes, Dr. V-Ron snatched it from me. He tampered with it for a bit and the display turned on, but not quite.

"It has a security lock. I'll bring it down to the research department to override the system," he said.

"We could totally get Rys to unlock it," I suggested.

Dr. V-Ron glared at me, the general however clasped his hands and began speaking," Yes... Laila. Your alien companion. We have some questions regarding her."

"Look, I don't trust her as much as you do. But I sorta didn't have a choice. She helped me escape and doesn't want to obey her father. She unlocked the ship and was forced to takeoff with us," I explained.

"You could have just killed her right there on the ship," Dr. V-Ron suggested nonchalantly, as if we were deciding our lunch menu.

My blood ran cold. "That's horrible. Plus, we could pry out useful information from her. She's Oprius's daughter," I said.

The general nodded, "We did a thorough background check on her. Her status definitely surprised us. Nevertheless, Laila, she could still be a spy."

I sighed and nodded, well aware. I hoped Kai was doing his job to monitor her. She needed to be under constant surveillance at all costs.

"We will consider our options. Now then, moving on," the doctor urged, clearly realizing the Rys situation was not getting us anywhere. I went to explain the most of what I knew regarding the Yorlv plan. The rebuilding of the AHM333, their experimentation on me, then I unrolled the papyrus blueprint.

"In the past... I learnt a lot regarding the harnessing of Akashic energy. I think I might just have an idea for a weapon that could rival the AHM333," Now, that got their attention.

Dr. V-Ron examined the mechanics of the drawing in silence. "Where are we going to get the crystal? Ekhol as you've written here," he asked.

"Kai can help us with that," I could tell the answer did not please Dr. V-Ron in the slightest, he nodded anyway.

He stuffed everything back into the bag and stood up. "I will work on these with the team. I will report my progress, general." He left the room.

The general sighed, a long heavy sigh. Standing up, he trudged over to the bed, I noticed the slight limp. The general looked and felt older than he had just months ago. I came to sit beside him on the bed.

"General A-Roz, are you okay?" I asked.

He laced his thin grey fingers together. "I have sustained some injuries since our evacuation from Atlantis..."

He trailed off for a moment, his gaze distant. "I almost believed it was over. We lost. Atlantis was overtaken and destroyed. You were gone... The hopelessness reminded me so much of the future, my present..."

He struggled to continue, reliving the moments of torment. I wrapped both my hands around the general's. "Just like then, I was seconds from death. The team escorting me had dropped dead before my eyes, one by one. Every soldier lost, the pain weighed me down. If it weren't for Xe- Dr. V-Ron I mean- I would have well been dead. We barely made it out..."

"Just like the last time," I murmured. A long time ago, when I used to train in Atlantis, I had accidentally tapped into General A-Roz's mind. A piece of his memory exposed itself to me. It was of the future humans under siege by the Yorlv. General A-Roz and Dr. V-Ron were the last two to have made it through the time machine. A close death, yet again.

"I'm here now, General A-Roz. I will do whatever it takes for humanity to survive," I reassured. The general patted my head, a fatherly gesture.

"I believe in you, Laila."

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