Chapter 74. By mistake, the captain was rescued
"What are you going to do to me?" Noah asked.
He did not answer, but simply nodded to the two soldiers to indicate that his conversation with the prisoner was over. Immediately, the two men grabbed his arms as hard as if they were in a screw and pulled him mercilessly down the corridor until they came to an elevator.
They took the elevator up several floors. But not as high as when he met the general. When the elevator door opened again, another corridor was in front of them. This corridor is exactly the same as the one before. If he hadn't felt the elevator rise, he would have thought he was standing in the same corridor again. They followed the corridor's course until it turned a corner and led outside.
Dusk was already deep and the sun was setting below the horizon. In the fading light of daylight, Noah recognized that they were now in the backyard of the large building where he had met with Admiral Frigg the day before. Directly in front of him was a large asphalt square with no greenery. Parked in the middle of the square is a shuttle ship wearing matte dark gray paint and no sign indicating the identity of its owner. It is smaller than the Republic ship.
The soldiers pushed Noah through the open hatch and forced him onto the ship. Two other soldiers were on duty inside, and they roughly pushed him onto a seat near the outer wall. They quickly locked Noah in place with skillful movements.
Now the captain had a chance to see what was going on inside the cabin. In addition to the two soldiers here, there are two others in the forward cockpit. To his surprise, Carol sat next to him. Sitting on the opposite seats were Jeffrey and Murakami Ino. It appears that the Andor is still imprisoned here, despite Frigg's claims that he has been returned to the government.
"Commander, how are you?" he asked Carol immediately.
But he didn't get an answer. Instead, he was punched in the face by a soldier, who then roared: "Don't talk."
Noah tasted blood in his mouth, felt it flow from his nose and run warmly down his mouth. He knew from the relatively rapid subsidence of the pain that his nose, although bleeding, was clearly not broken.
Carol nodded to him to show she was okay. In this situation, there was only so much she could do. Jeffrey also nodded. Only Io Murakami didn't respond. He looked slightly delirious. It was only then that Noah noticed that one of his tentacles was missing. In that position, protruding from the white hair was a stump, covered with blue blood.
Noah had researched this race when he learned that their ship would be represented by Andors. So he knew that the tentacles also regulate balance. If one antennae is missing, the person will have problems standing up and may experience nausea. Fortunately, the antennae will regenerate, but this can take up to ten days. Until then, Io Murakami may not feel too good.
Now everyone is on board and the hatch is closed. Two soldiers sat between the prisoners, making it impossible for them to talk.
With a slight buzzing sound, the spacecraft started and took off. They left the building's courtyard and rose slowly in a wide arc. But it rises too slowly. If the target is somewhere in the universe, the angle of liftoff should be steeper. And such a large arc is unusual.
After a few minutes, the co-pilot stood up and walked to the rear. He put his hands awkwardly into his pockets. When he came between the two still seated soldiers, he stopped. "Is everything okay?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," the soldiers reported respectfully.
"Very good," the co-pilot smiled. Then, two gunshots rang out almost simultaneously, and bullets hit the spacecraft. The co-pilot's jacket now had two holes and was smoking slightly. Two soldiers fell to the ground covered in blood. Each had a large hole in their forehead, with blood gushing out.
Unmoved, the co-pilot turned around and returned to the cockpit.
Noah stared at him in surprise and fear. What exactly is going on?
"Is it done?" the pilot of the spacecraft asked.
"Yes, Jorio," the co-pilot replied. "Set our goal to navigate." So far, everything is going according to plan, even smoother than they expected. It wasn't until late afternoon that they entered the government shuttle hangar, where the government's patrol shuttles were parked. One of the guards joined them after depositing a sizeable sum into their bank account. The rest is a piece of cake. Inside the hangar, it was relatively dark. There are plenty of dark corners to hide in. When the two pilots finally walked towards their assigned shuttles, they were silently killed. Jorio and Albergi then boarded the shuttle and flew to the prison yard. Because of their organizational connections, they were well-informed about prisoner transfers.
"Well done, Albergi."
The ship's course changes significantly. Their descent was very steep. Due to the sharp turn, two bodies fell from their seats to the floor. Noah was slightly relieved, because the dead soldier fell onto his shoulders first, and because he was immobilized, he couldn't break free.
The co-pilot came back and walked past the two bodies. "Watch carefully," he told his prisoners. "You are under our control now. If you don't want to end badly, you'd better cooperate with us." He kicked one of the corpses hard with his toe. "We are about to land. Next, my friends will pick you up and take you to safety. By then, the Earth's military will not be able to find you."
"I guess you want us to be grateful for that," Noah said sarcastically.
"You can show your gratitude by being helpful to us. Don't resist, there's no point. It's in your interest too. The longer it takes to move to another vehicle, the faster government troops arrive The faster. That's certainly not your goal." After saying that, he turned and returned to the cockpit.
Noah eagerly considered how they could take advantage of the situation. Maybe this is their only chance to escape. But before he knew more details, he had to trust that their operations team had an idea and would support him.
Just a few minutes later, they landed in a wooded area. A military truck and a hover glider were already waiting in the small clearing.
The two pilots disembarked first. They spoke briefly to people outside, but the voices inside the cabin were inaudible. The prisoners were then taken out of the cabin one by one and tied tightly again in the hover glider. The two pilots returned to the driver's seat again. Then, the military truck drove away from the open space first. The hover glider flies close to the ground in the opposite direction.
Noah immediately understood the purpose of this operation. Their kidnappers must get rid of the government shuttle quickly because it is likely equipped with a tracker and can be easily tracked. Military trucks were used to draw attention. Apparently, the kidnappers hoped the tire tracks would lead trackers in the wrong direction. Hover gliders, on the other hand, leave no trace. Therefore, it is almost impossible to track them.
The kidnapping must have been carefully planned, although the time was probably tight. Transferring the prisoners must have been a temporary decision. Given how vigilant the kidnappers have been, it may take longer before they find an opportunity to escape.
Gladys walked into the conference room with her head held high, but feeling uneasy inside. Inside, Commander Ingmar was waiting for her to have a private meeting. Normally, such a meeting should take place in the captain's watch room. But in the presence of the captain's mate, this room will only be used in the express absence of the captain. And even then, most deputies find it awkward to do so. Because this is often seen as a bad omen, meaning someone is taking another person's place. And it also sends a message to the crew that the captain is not coming back. So Ingmar chose to use a conference room.
After the rescue team reboarded the ship and treated the wounded, Ingmar asked for a talk with Gladys. He wanted to know exactly what was going on. Because he had to prepare a report for Starfleet. To make matters worse, he also had to notify the deceased's family. She didn't know if he would blame her for what happened, but she felt guilty enough about it anyway. In her first command position, she not only failed, but was also responsible for the deaths of seven colleagues. It made her feel guilty, even though she didn't want to show it just yet. She and her late colleague were both security officers. Everyone knows the dangers of the job. Yet everyone gave it their all. The entire crew depends on them. Everyone is willing to give their lives to save the crew. This is their responsibility.
Ingmar was already waiting for her. He sat at the front of the table, staring blankly at the table. His mind was clearly far away.
Gladys stood straight in the doorway, then coughed.
Slowly, Ingmar raised his head. "Lieutenant," he greeted seriously. "Please take a seat."
"Yes, sir." She stepped closer and sat down on one side of him.
"Can you tell me what's going on down there?" He tried to keep his voice as emotionless as possible, but it was clear that he had hoped he would never have to have this conversation.
"That facility was heavily guarded. The base must have been a high-security prison," she began recounting the events. She also informed him that the prisoners had been moved. This brings them back to the starting point of their search. The clues have gone cold.
After her report was completed, Ingmar thought thoughtfully about the events for some time. For Gladys, these few minutes felt particularly difficult, and she felt a little hot. She may have ruined her career with this assignment. But Ingmar remained silent and said nothing. At this moment, any answer is better than this uncertainty.
"You took a big risk when you fired into the computer room wall. You should have known that would set off an alarm," he finally said. "You should also check the hallways more carefully in case someone attacks you from behind."
"We have no other choice," she said with conviction. "The way into that room is not obvious. And aborting the mission is simply not an option. We won't get a second chance, now that we've come this far. And the corridor doesn't give any clues about other entrances." She knew full well that she was Should be more careful.
Ingmar nodded. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I will present the facts to the Captain upon his return. He will then decide who is to blame for the failed rescue mission."
Gladys nodded and stood up. She hesitated briefly before turning towards the door. "Commander, may I ask what you would suggest?"
Ingmar looked at her. She stood up straight in front of him, looking directly out of the conference room window. She hid her tension beneath a military surface. He didn't want her to suffer unnecessarily, it wasn't fair. After all, he had been through this conversation before. At that time, he stood where Gladys stood now. "I would recommend that you attend a seminar and be trained again on leadership responsibilities. You will continue to lead the security department until Mr. Ted or Mr. Murakami recover or return."
Gladys nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Then she turned and left the room. With a determined look on her face, she walked to the elevator. It wasn't until the elevator behind the door was closed to ensure that no one could suddenly appear that she relaxed her shoulders and took a deep breath. If the captain would follow Ingmar's advice, she had no doubt that the incident would not reflect negatively on her. She can continue to pursue her career. As for how to face her conscience, she doesn't know yet. She must deal with the deaths of her colleagues. Even though she was nowhere near showing any expression, it was still a burden. Although she understands that these deaths will not be the last she will be responsible for as she continues her career as a security officer.
At the same time, Ingmar took a deep breath when Gladys left the room. Before this conversation, he was at least as nervous as the security officer. This was the first time he had had this kind of conversation, and he hoped it would be his last. Just when he was about to sit down in a chair and rest for a while, he was called to the bridge.
Ingmar sighed and stood up. There seemed to be no quiet moments on this ship. But at least this way you don't have to think about anything else. He made his way to the bridge as quickly as possible. Paulner, who was on duty in the control room, immediately turned to Ingmar. "Commander, we have been called. A man who calls himself Albergi has asked to see the captain. He asked to see the commander immediately, but refused to disclose the specific reason."
Ingmar raised an eyebrow. Sounds very interesting. "Okay, connect him to the screen." He ordered, and then walked to the commander's seat.
A relatively young man with short blond hair appeared on the screen. His black camouflage mask contrasted sharply with his blue eyes.
"Who are you?" he asked immediately.
"I am Commander Ingmar. The Republic is now under my command. Who are you?"
"Call me Albergi. Commander, we have your officers. All four of them. You should surrender your ship now and immediately."
Ingmar's eyes suddenly widened. What is this requirement? He was either dealing with novices or people with slightly degraded intelligence. What does this Albergi want?
From the corner of his eye, he saw Paulner inconspicuously entering some instructions on the console after learning Albergi's identity. Ingmar knew immediately that he was trying to track Albergi's location by tracing the source of the communication.
"Albergi, please listen to me," Ingmar began slowly, trying to stay calm.
"No, listen to me," Albergi interrupted immediately. "You hand the boat over to us. Your crew will leave immediately in the rescue pods. Only you, Mr. Ingmar, will remain on board and open the boathouse door as we approach."
If the situation wasn't so serious, Ingmar would probably laugh out loud. Before he could answer, Albergi continued: "You have ten minutes to activate the rescue pods. Then we will kill the first hostage. One every ten minutes. We'll start with the ladies."
"Then you only have forty minutes of deterrence time," Ingmar said somewhat flippantly.
"I'm sure we'll reach an agreement before then," Albergi replied grimly, before breaking off communications.
Ingmar covered his mouth with his hands. He had thought that this day had been bad enough and couldn't get any worse. Then he looked at Paulner. "Did you find him?"
"He relayed the signal to multiple satellites and ground stations. It would have been impossible to track using local technology, but surprisingly, I found him."
"Yes," Ingmar growled, clenching his fists. This is a start. However, ten minutes is indeed a very tight time. He couldn't assemble a security team and teleport. In particular, such a rescue operation will definitely not be unaware of the kidnappers, and may end in a bloody ending. But teleportation... He tapped his finger on his temple. "This is it," he shouted, drawing some confused looks.
"Paulner, can you detect signs of Martian and Andorran life near Albergi?"
Paulner frowned when asked.
"He said they had all four of them under control, so they should be able to be located."
"Yes," Paulner said, before sending the command to the sensor. Seconds later, they were detected.
"Are there any other signs of life nearby?" Ingmar's excitement grew.
"There are two signs of human life nearby. There are other signs around." He transferred the image to the monitor.
"Those are our people," Ingmar pointed to four signs of life, standing together, showing humans, Martians and Andorrans by red, green and blue markings.
"How do you know?" Paulner asked suspiciously.
"I know. Send the coordinates to the teleportation room. And tell Gladys to summon a security team in the teleportation room immediately. I will go there too." With that, he hurried to the elevator and left the bridge. As if he'd been struck by a bee, he darted down the corridor to the teleportation room. Tiny was startled when she saw Ingmar rushing in.
"Prepare to teleport," Ingmar shouted breathlessly.
Tiny quickly put the data disk aside and walked to the console.
Just then, an eight-man team rushed into the room with weapons and stood in front of Ingmar.
He pointed to the teleportation platform. "Protect the transmission platform."
Immediately, the soldiers were on alert and had their weapons ready.
"Tini," Ingemar then said to Tiny. "Transmit the four reported signs of life to the ship." When issuing this order, he couldn't help but reveal a slight smile. As the four men materialized on the platform, he imagined how his captors would react when they discovered that their captives had escaped.
In fact, these four people are indeed missing persons. And at first glance, they appear to be largely unharmed. The security team retrieved their weapons and allowed them to exit the teleportation platform.
"Captain, glad to have you back on board," Ingmar greeted his superior with a huge smile. But when he saw the blood on Noah's shoulder, his smile immediately disappeared.
"This is not my blood," Noah denied with a wave of his hand. "Our liberators don't treat our guards well," he said, emphasizing the word "liberator" sarcastically.
"Understood," Ingmar just nodded, although he didn't understand. Nor did he want to imagine what the captain and the others had gone through. He had made enough impressions on the bridge.
