“Yes, Sir?”
“Regarding with the asteroid’s name, it is supposed to be given by the organization. Who allowed you to name it yourself?”
She refrained herself from creasing her forehead for the man’s rudeness. She grinned in disgust inwardly. That is exactly she had guessed they’ll do.
“First of all, mostly—especially if pertaining to science, the discovery is always, have been always and will always be credited to whoever has discovered it. Sir, do you remember what was said before our take-off?”
The look on the uppers’ faces are priceless. She never thought they are able to get pale and turned red; she never thought they are capable of getting embarrassed, too.
“That time, few minutes before we were sent to the outer space, not including Sir Lux, you all agreed that our team will be solely responsible for whatever be the outcome of the mission. Sir, the boss neither agreed nor disagreed with that statement. However…” She turned to Lux. “He had clearly declared that the mission will be credited not to the organization, not to anyone of you here, not to you—the upper officers, and not to him either; but just to us, to our team.”
“And I remember, no one of you had disagreed. Right, Boss?” she asked the man to which he has nodded.
She faced the people again and wander her eyes on them. “Folks, thus, that was the reason why our team had the right to give the asteroid the name and own the credits for discovering it.”
As the teams’ are looking at her with so much respect—except for the ones that holds a grudge against her team, them and the uppers are eyeing her with resentments.
'Sorry to you for feeling and thinking that way. Pardon me, but I don’t care,' she talked inside her head.
“The name Asteroid AE-010E was given by our late Captain and Heads Eulejius; and Epharil. How they came up with that is something that I have no idea either. But…” She played the voice recording of Anne’s explanation of it.
She smiled furtively. Anne was right. The name will be questioned by those unreasonable men. In just a few moments, the program’s voice aired.
‘Good day, gentlemen! This is Program Anne of Echo Group First Generation Team One. With my Captain Eve’s permission, I was given the privilege to explain and discuss the matter. Gents, AE stands for Anne and Eve—’ She paused the recording when a few of the crowds and the uppers started to buzzed, but soon stopped when Lux eyed them.
‘I am sure some of you will raise their brows. But, my previous Captain and his Heads never decided unreasonably. The names Anne and Eve means Favour; and Good Victory. Hence, they named the asteroid before us; the 010 stands for Captain Eve’s number and the E is for Echo. If sum up, all of it has their significant meaning—FAVOURED GOOD VICTORY, SPECIAL NUMBER, ECHO. Our team’s former officers believed that one day this discovery will be recognized not just here but by the entire world; and will remain echoing.’
Eve almost choked upon learning the truth about the asteroid’s name and Anne’s way of explaining that. She can’t think how hard it was for the program to make her discussion sentimental.
‘That went overboard, Anne.’ She chuckled in her mind.
“And that was the reason for the Asteroid’s name, everyone.” She glanced at them.
The place is indeed wide and spacious,, but she could still hear the seemingly are bees officers mumbling disgustingly.
“Any questions?” she then asked, giving them the chance to state their thoughts.
But, no one dared to stand up as the boss stared towards their direction. Not to warn them, but in curiosity what else to question for.
“Just as promised, our team has produced copies of the informations gathered about these asteroids. Each team will be given at least five copies. As well as the uppers. Sir, you will have a copy as well. We only have few days left to stay here. So, I want to take this opportunity to give few advices to the teams.”
As expected, the uppers wouldn’t get theirs. So are the other teams, too.
Her chest started to tighten as she said that. She can already feel the outside world pulling her out of that place. Suddenly, even not yet leaving, though she used to hate being in there, she’s already longing for the presence of the organization.
“This phenomenon might be the last or just the first time to happen. In case it happens again, with what happened back then, only the organization is prepared enough to deal with those planetoids. Teams, only you can do it when that time comes.” She paused when she heard hisses, and so she eyed on them—the uppers.
“But if the uppers are capable enough, I believe they could do it better. Right, gentlemen?” She smiled at them.
This time, the boss stood up and went near the officers. “My uppers are far greater than anyone else here. Right, officers?” he asked.
“If we can prevent sending teams and risk their lives for something that the uppers can handle better, then, I think it would be best to send them instead. That is a great suggestion, Captain Eve. My officers will be delighted to handle the mission. Besides, it is no longer new to them,” he then declared and nodded as he glanced at them one by one.
“That is no doubt, Captain!” one boastfully agreed.
“Teams and officers, a week from now I want you to give me a concrete plan on what are you going to do and will prepared for if you will be the one to be sent to the outer space in case this happens again,” he announced seriously and went back to his seat.
Dare or not, she knows the uppers have the upper hand in terms of enough knowledge about the outer space. But if they will just rely on what they know, she is sure those teams are far more reliable than them.
“Please Continue, Captain Eve.”
She looked at Lux and wondered what else he wants her to say.
“So, is there any more questions you want to ask?” She turned to the crowd.
In to the distance, someone raised his hand. What a good listener, she thought.
“Yes—”
“Captain Felix of Foxtrot Group First Generation Team Nine, Captain,” the man replied.
“Go ahead, Captain Felix.”
“If you can still remember, Captain, I was the one who asked you after our meeting with the boss and the uppers. The day you announced about this presentation,” he spoke.
Her memory never served her right when it comes to names and much more the looks of those people that she rarely meet. Thus, such a shame to admit but aside from there was a lot of them who approached and asked her that day, she really doesn’t remember him.
“What did you ask me again, Captain?” She queried apologetically, to which the man has understood.
“I want these fellows to know too what to prepare for the most, Captain. So, I will ask you this again.”
“Go ahead.” She remained smiling upon knowing that someone had really paid attention during that meeting.
“If the mission cost the lives of your members, what is the plan to do for those who are left?” Captain Felix inquired.
Of all the questions to be asked, she knows that is not one of those queries that the others have thought he’ll be going to ask.
She cleared her throat and gazed at the entirety of the massive number of people inside the hall.
She recalled what she answered him that day as she roamed her eyes around, and took a deep breath as she opened her lips.
“During the mission, we realized that going out there is really risky. That taught us that if you’ll to be sent to missions that one of the things you have to risk is your life itself, then, yourself is the one you should prepare the most. Be ready for the time that you have to lose your life and your team’s lives,” she spoke to them.
“Captain Felix, if I remembered it right, my response was, ‘Plan you said? What my team did was forget that they are already gone and stay believing that they’re still around.’ Please, correct me if I’m wrong,” she repeated to her response.
“Yes, Captain Eve! Those are the exact words you have said that time,” he confirmed and slowly turned around.
“There, everyone. That one may be inappropriate to look forward, but we have to jot down that one. Captain Eve had given us what to prepare first before anything else—be prepared to die. But then, no team again should suffer the same thing they had gone through. If possible, let us not make it happen again.”
As the man seated, the others had understood how much her team had valued life.
“To sacrifice a few would be better than to lose a lot. Anyone who has the same opinion will surely save lives one day.” She ended the presentation and take a look at Lux as he delivers his closing remarks.
'It is selfless, yet selfish. It is selflessly selfish; selfishly selfless.' She recalled his words in her mind.
‘Selflessly put others’ lives and selfishly disregard his own; selfishly decided to selflessly used his only life to save more.’ She smiled both in proudness and sadness as she had finally understood the phrase.
Not long after, clapping echoed in her ears. Melancholy, it sounded like praises for their fallen teammates.
“Captain, we made it.” Euno approached her.
“Yes, we did it,” she whispered and glanced at her team members.
As she gazed at the crowd, an unknown yet familiar presence joined in—unknown longing, familiar grief.