The uppers gave up their seats while hissing in whispers. She looked away as they looked at her menacingly.
‘Get mad for as long as you want! As if I care about your mental state whenever you gain grudges! Leave with no peace!’ she shouted inside her head.
As the door closed, Captain Evan get near her to tap her shoulder.
“I can really see Captain Eulysis in you, Captain Eve,” he uttered and whispered, “Don’t mind those who envies him. Make them know that you are as a threat as the man.”
He sat down seats away from her and invited their fellows to move forward as well.
She can feel her feet starting to tremble. If not for the good man, she might have already considered backing out.
“Good day—”
“Cut the greetings, Captain Eve! Just start discussing about your concerns, so we can leave already!” one cut her off.
“Captain!” A chorus of opposition buzzed as they stopped the rude man.
Being embarrassed, she stood up firmly and raised him a brow.
“I am sorry. What did you just say, Captain?” she inquired, stressed each words with authority.
He is about to talk back when a voice echoed.
‘Captains! Given that she is the spokesperson for this meeting, Captain Eve is the only person here who has the right to speak up—unless she asked you to do so. Anyone who will be unrespectful to the Captain will be punished accordingly to what she wants to do with you,’ the program announced.
She smirked inwardly as the program defended her. “Thank you, Program Lux,” she then thanked him.
‘No worries, Captain!’
“You have heard him. Right now, I am the most rightful one here. But worry not, I am a woman of heart and brain. I use it both, fair and square. I will not punish anyone unless I already had enough,” she started and sat down.
“Any words before I proceed?” She then looked at them, one by one.
“No more, Captain.” Captain Evan hemmed.
“So, just like what the Boss have said, my team will stay for another three days. And that is because he wanted us to present the report about the mission. Regarding the matter, I am asking for your cooperation. Please, allow your members to attend—”
“What good thing that presentation will give them, hmm? If only it wasn’t an order, I am not going to that gathering,” another rude fellow muttered.
She raised her hand to stop another session of rebuttals.
“Captain, do you know that the spaceship we had used during the mission was the best spaceship that the organization has?” She smirked, solely looking at him.
“And do you know that the explosives we have used are the best among the ones we have, as well?”
Still, no reply from the Captain—not to anyone.
She roamed her eyes around. “Our team was so prepared—overall prepared. We have the best spaceship, weapons, plans, understanding, we were given two programs, and most of all—the best team. And yet, that was never enough to get us all back safe and sound. However, it was enough to successfully completed the mission. Do you understand now what I am trying to say?” she asked again, to which some nodded and others didn’t.
“The mission was trustfully entrusted by the boss to our team. Thus, he truly believed that we can do it. He was right. We made it! That phenomenon may be the last occurrence of it but may also just the beginning. What he wants to happen is for the rest of the teams to be prepared in case it happens again. Sadly, our team’s contract is bound to end after the mission—if successfully done. If not, we have to stay for another year. But since the team succeeded, we are no longer scholars of the organization.”
She took a few deep breaths to gain more patience before continuing.
“In case it happens again, one of your teams will be the next one to be sent for the mission. Preparation doesn’t start just when the thing you are going to prepare for is just months away to happen. It does not take just months—it takes years.”
“So you’re suggesting that everyone should attend the presentation?” Rudeness can still be trace in his tone.
“Yes. Because during the mission, everyone can be a Captain. Everyone can be a Head. Everyone can be anyone. It requires no position, but just orderliness, quick and reasonable decision-making. You have to be not just physically prepared, but emotionally and mentally prepared, too. It will drain every ample amount of sanity you have. If they do not hear the words from the very person who had experienced those, do you think they’ll believe the story? Some may, some may not.”
She glanced at Captain Evan and to the others that she thinks have the potential to do the same mission they had.
“He believes that you can do better than we did—”
“Of course!” One boasted.
She smiled. “I hope you knew what kind of asteroids you’ll be dealing with, then. Because I am telling you, they are different from the ones you know.”
One Captain raised his hand, making them stopped for a while.
“Yes, Captain?” she asked considerately.
“When will be the presentation, Captain Eve?”
“Regarding that, my team has always been prepared. We are just waiting for the boss’ signal. But, it might be this week. I’ll consult the boss after this meeting.”
“Can we have a copy of the report, Captain?” another query.
“I’ll ask the boss about that, too.”
“What should we prepare for the presentation, then?”
She felt thankful that the nasty Captains aren’t participating to ask questions. But if ever they do, she will make sure she won’t go easy on them.
“Just your members, and notepad. Remember that the boss prefer writing traditionally.”
She watched them started to consult each other, coming up with a decision.
“Okay then. My team is in.”
“Mine, too.”
“Count mine in, Captain, Eve!”
It continued until the only ones left are the few that seems to be stone-headed Captains.
“Is that all?” She inquired and disregard them, letting them know that she doesn’t care about them; wrote down each team that’ll attend the presentation.
“Upon completing the mission, my team had been given favors just like what was stated on the Rules and Regulations of the organization. In advance, I want to congratulate those who have presented their teams to join the presentation.”
She smiled as she remembered what Lux had told her when he discussed the presentation to her.
“Those who have joined, the boss has given you one favor to request. But please be guided by the RAR. Request only for things that can be granted.”
As they rejoiced in surprised, the unrespectful ones started to complain. She creased her forehead as she eyed on them.
“This is unfair! You should have told us about it from the start!”
“Are you saying that it is my fault then?” She crossed her arms.
“Of course!”
“Captain, you told me to cut the greetings. If you knew my previous Captain, we greet in the same way.” She stared at him.
“Captain Eve is right, Captain. If you are a keen observer, you should have already known it the moment she spoke.” One supported her, to which she acknowledged with a grateful smile.
“I am now excited to meet your teammates, Captain Eve.” He then glanced at her.
“Well, it is such an honor to have met them already,” Captain Evan teased to him.
“As always! As expected from you, Captain!” The two laughed, that lightened the atmosphere.
“So how are they doing?” The man can’t help but to get curious.
Others looked at her, too, then glanced at Captain Evan.
“I am telling you, Captain Eulysis is really—he had always been a prepared man! He made a team of Captains!” he proudly stated.
“Oh, that is so nice of you, Captain Evan. But I am afraid that is an overstatement to describe our team,” she opposed politely.
“And so humble of you, Captain Eve,” a woman Captain meddled.
“You deserve the recognitions, Captain Eve. And your team deserves it as well,” she then agreed.
“Thank you, Captains!”
“And that not an overstatement, Captain. That’s a fact. You deserve no understatement praises,” Captain Evan glimpse at the ones who aren’t interacting with them.
She looked around. ‘So, these are all the Captains that the organization has—hundreds of brave men and women, she thought.
‘The meeting has already reached the allotted time to use,’ Program Lux noticed.
“Thank you, Program Lux. Everyone!” she called, that silenced them.
“Captains, the meeting ends here now. Thank you for your time and cooperation. We’ll be expecting you in the presentation then. For those who have questions, just send my team a mail and whoever is free will respond to your query right away.”
“Captain,” called the sole man who seems to be the only one who neither sided with the ones she gets along with and to the ones who opposed her.
“Yes.”
“If the mission cost the lives of your members, what is the plan to do for those who are left?”
She smiled, not just to him but to everyone who looks like waiting for her answer as well.
“Plan you said? What my team did was forget that they are already gone and stay believing that they’re still around.”
As they leave the meeting hall, almost all of them wanted to talk to her. Asking more and more, to which she can’t answer all.
“You are an exceptional, Captain Eve.” Someone praised her.
She shook her head. “No, my team is.”