‘He was the reason why Eulysis came here. He asked for the Captain’s help to put the organization down.’
“Only the Boss and the uppers who have the right to leave the island. Did he ask him personally?”
‘Nope.’
“Then how did he do that?!”
‘Through emails.’
“Do you have any idea of who is this H.Y.?” She gripped her fist as she tried to guess.
‘People here are so pretentious. You can’t read them by just glancing at them. Thus, I have no clue who that person is.’
“What Program is running the whole facility here?”
‘For each building, there is a certain program being used. But for the entirety, it is Program Lux. No one can order him but the Boss alone.’
That made her hope even less. How can they possibly find the person if he has no plans to show himself?
“I need my Heads. They might have ideas.” She stood up.
‘Much better.’ Anne smiled and watched the woman leave. The more she’s getting indulged in the position she has, the more she sees what kind of person Eve is. And that part of her—that is what makes her 'whole' compared to anyone else there.
—
“No, it is actually—” Eula was cut off when the Captain barge in without Anne noticing them that she’s coming.
“Captain!” They saluted. In just a snapped, the room was silent and proper.
“Be seated.”
“Shall we leave, Captain?” the other five inquired, undecided whether to sit down or get out.
“That’s okay. I want to talk to all of you.” She looked around, but no matter how many turns she did, she found no orderliness like the meeting hall has.
“Okay, how are things going here?” she queried and glanced at them.
“I’m almost done producing copies, Captain!”
“I am already done doing the presentation. I’m just checking it over to make sure I have done it accordingly to what you have ordered, Ma’am!”
“I have already printed out the waivers—”
“We will not be needing those anymore. The boss have already given us three more day to stay. And that is for us to present the mission report to the organization and other teams. Go ahead. What did we have accomplished today so far?”
“Just those, Captain,” Eula replied, still wondering what is going on.
“Okay. Here is the thing. Boss have granted our first favor—”
“For real?!” Euno asked and even shook her to make sure she’s not just lifting their hopes.
“For real.”
Their faces light up. They all thought he won’t since it was like they’ll be asking for countless of privileges but since he did, it just means they can really ask for much as long as it is not something against the organization!
“How did you persuaded him?! Knowing him—I mean, hearing about him, he is not the type of person who will be willingly considerate unless he will gain something in return.” Euno wondered and examined her.
“Relax! Oh my! I never thought of doing such!” She embarrassedly covered her face as she blushed after understanding he’s talking about indecency.
“I know you won’t! But I don’t trust anyone else who are not in our team!” Euno stated and gave her a questioning look.
“I promise, I didn’t. We didn’t do such! We have just—”
“Did what?!” This time, it is Eula who came to her side and checked on her.
“Stop it! Let me finish talking first, will you?!” She embraced herself, as she can’t even imagine herself doing the ideas they have come up with!
“He indeed granted the request, but in exchange, we have to present them what happened throughout the mission.”
“We can’t do that. We omitted those information that we can’t share with them,” Eula interfered after she glances to the man she assigned to do the presentation.
“I know. That is why I am here. We have to discuss it thoroughly. We have to make sure that if asked individually separated, we have the same answers to give them. We don’t know what exactly they’re planning for asking us to do this, but I want you to cooperate, guys. There is something I want to know and whatever information that I can gather in connection with it is really important. I can’t tell you yet about it, but once confirmed, I will inform you right away.”
“It means we have to keep everything scripted? I am terrible in memorizing,” one of the men uttered, looking so nervous.
“Calm down. You don’t have to memorize anything. Just remember the things you can’t let them know,” Euno assured the man.
“Go ahead, Eve.” He then turned to her.
She knows how hard it is for them to take the works that is supposedly for twenty people. And it is even harder to work on since they have to do it as if they are doing well.
“First of all, we can’t tell them that the programs didn’t really malfunction throughout the mission. Second, it wasn’t the Captain who used his shuttle. Third, Program Jasper has sided with us.” She pulled a deep breath and continued.
“What we will tell them is that the programs had already malfunctioning even before we could reach our destination, but we have no more choice but to continue with the mission. That our fellows weren’t ordered to do self-sacrificing, but it is their choice to do so. And that Program Jasper had malfunctioned.”
They are all eyeing on her as if she’s telling them to make lies. Which is true but not to put them in a bad situation. She breathes out and waited for them to speak, but no one did.
“Come on, guys. Say something. I will listen.”
“Eve, what are you saying that they weren’t ordered?” Euno muttered.
She glanced at Eula who’s just seating silently. “Tell them. You know what really happened. It is far from what they know.”
After saying that, their eyes shifted from her to the woman. Pleasing her to spill the truth.
“Don’t tell me what you know is that the Heads have ordered them to do that.” Eve looked at the men, one by one. All she thought everything is clear. She has no idea that while she’s fixing everything, there is more she should be paying attention to.
“They weren’t sent to do that. It was their decision to sacrifice their lives,” Eve corrected them.
“How about Dr. Fresnon? Where was he during the whole time of the mission?” one asked away.
“I don’t know—”
‘He was there. Keeping you all safe,’ Anne meddled.
“What do you mean, Anne?!” the Captain inquired. Getting even more confused about the things she doesn’t know have happened throughout their mission.
‘He sacrificed himself to be Program Jasper’s core. He had tried to override the core it has, to which he had succeeded in doing so. But, it wasn’t his first time to be one. His physical condition is no longer in good shape when he did it. He’s barely fighting for his life when we left the mother ship—’
“Was he left there?!”
‘No. Program Jasper operated his shuttle and took off first before you. That’s the time when I came back to operate the spaceship.’
“But where is he if he left earlier than us?! Don’t tell us Jasper malfunctioned and he—” she gulped before continuing. “He was left to die there alone.”
‘That is the most possible thing that might have happened.’
“Why you didn’t tell us?! The organization said his remains were cremated! Are they fooling us?!”
‘How could I? The moment we left the spaceship, I can no longer detect his shuttle.’
It was as if they dropped back to zero. All of their efforts to cope up were drained.
“Have you tried to contact the program after that?” she asked in a whisper.
‘I did. That was why I put you to sleep as we leave. We stayed for an hour just to wait and looked for the doctor’s shuttle. But, even after I disseminate your shuttles and widened the range of the radar to locate him, I have detected no spacecraft. I am sorry for that.’
“Was he aware about what he might end up to when he decided to be a core?”
‘He is.’
“And the Heads are aware of it?”
‘They are aware that he turned himself to be Program Jasper’s core. But they never knew that it wasn’t his first time to be a core. Outer space is far unfavorable than Earth to human body. Doing the process is risky but he insisted.’
“And now, we lost Program Jasper as well,” Euno lamented.
‘You didn’t. He’s still here but not in this building.’
“How did you know?”
‘I just know.’
Maybe the organization knows what happened, Eve thought while listening to the conversation.
“If I became close to the uppers, will they provide me informations?” She stopped them.
“What are you planning to do?” Euno eyed her.
“Anne, I am asking you!”
‘I don’t know, Captain.’
“Do you think they already have access to our shuttle’s systems by the time that the spacecrafts were released from the mother ship?”
‘Yes.’
“How about the one that Dr. Fresnon used?”
‘If Jasper had allowed.’
“Then it all boils down to Jasper’s performance?”
‘Yes, Captain.’
She stood up and looked at her members.
“Prepare for the presentation. I will do the rest.”
“Captain, don’t act recklessly.” Euno held her arm.
“I am not.”
“Then what are you planning to do?!”
“Nothing. Leave me for a while. I need some refreshment.”
Everyone is silent when she left the room. She left no words but once again, she came up with a plan alone—LEAVE ON HOLD.