Episode 11. The Right Man for the Job
Context
- Coordinated Universal Time
- Monday, July 15, 2024 - 11:24 AM
- Location
-
- Earth
- Brussels
- NATO Bunker #1
- Corridors
- Timeline
- Unknown Timeline
- Previously
-
During a meeting with Admiral Hamilton, Agnes learned that the alert level had been raised to DEFCON 4: leave canceled, cybersecurity reinforced after several attacks, including the AspiroTube, and reserves recalled. Intelligence reports the worrying disappearance of The Grand Tsar Putin, leaving the possibility of a fragmented Kremlin hanging over them. The Special Fleet is now on alert, and the crew of the Mercator stands ready for any eventuality.
Characters
| Name | Affiliation / Branch | Title / Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Agnes V. Rodriguez | NATO / Special Fleet | Captain |
| Jules Hamilton | NATO / Defense | Admiral |
| Eros Vitos | NATO / Ground-Air Technical Support | Ensign |
Manifest
| USS Mercator | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | NATO |
| Location | Docked in Bunker #1 (Brussels) |
| Captain | Agnes V. Rodriguez |
| First Officer | Angie Chen |
| Pilot | Eric Corda |
| Communications | Emilie Flores |
| Operations | Charlene Savea |
TL;DR
Sick for a moment after the alert level is raised, Agnes quickly regains control. She requisitions Ensign Vitos to equip the Mercator with DX-01-10 drone launchers... and takes the opportunity to entrust him with retrieving her Ducati.
Story
The meeting with the admiral comes to an end. I have to admit I hardly recognize him. I did not get his traditional sermons, and he did not even scold me for being late.
He stands, walks around his desk, then opens his arms in front of me. Without warning, he holds me close and whispers a few words in my ear.
Adm. Jules Hamilton
Agnes, you are the best student I have ever had, and you have exceeded all my hopes. You have built a brilliant team.
Believe in them, respect them, and they will follow you to the ends of the world. Keep faith in yourself... and in difficult moments, remember that you will never be alone.
The admiral places both hands on my face and looks me straight in the eyes with a troubling tenderness, as if we were never to see each other again.
Then he walks me back to the door and watches me leave.
My heart pounds as I try to catch my breath. My thoughts collide, aware that the unimaginable could soon become reality.
I wander through the bunker corridors with mechanical steps, my mind still gripped by growing concerns. With every step, the gravity of the situation returns to me, weighing heavily on my shoulders.
Suddenly, my pad emits a signal.
I check the screen. New orders have just been transmitted. An icy shiver runs through me as I read the lines appearing before my eyes: the Special Fleet is now on alert, and I must be ready to intervene at any moment.
I keep walking, but my vision blurs. My stomach knots. The walls seem to ripple around me. I stagger, seized by a brutal chill, then by a wave of nausea.
I open the first door I find. The restroom.
I kneel in front of a toilet and plunge my head toward it, letting the sickness overwhelm me completely.
A dull thud echoes behind me.
I raise my head.
Eros.
Ens. Eros Vitos
Captain... are you all right?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Yes, Eros. I'm fine... thank you.
Ens. Eros Vitos
You don't look it. You're white as an aspirin tablet.
Take my hand, I'll take you to the sector medical service.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
No, thank you, Eros. I need to return to the Mercator immediately.
Ens. Eros Vitos
With all due respect, Captain... you are not fit to resume duty.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I assure you I'm fine. I had a little spell, but I feel better now.
What are you doing in this restroom?
Ens. Eros Vitos
You sent me here, Captain. Don't you remember?
You ordered me to scrub it... with my toothbrush.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I remember.
You are assigned to ground-air defense maintenance, if I am not mistaken?
Ens. Eros Vitos
Correct, Captain.
My team reviews all defenses in the sector, including central Brussels.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Do you have any particular qualifications?
Ens. Eros Vitos
I studied in Area 51. I have perfect command of our arsenal.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
You're joking.
Ens. Eros Vitos
No, Captain. I spent more than eight years there as a volunteer.
It is all recorded in my file.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Do you know the DX-01-10 system?
Ens. Eros Vitos
Yes, Captain.
It is an experimental weapon developed in Area 51.
The DX-01-10 is a multi-deployment interceptor drone, capable of launching up to ten drones simultaneously, all armed with lasers.
This principle considerably increases autonomy and range compared with a conventional drone of the same type.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Impressive.
Can you mount that device and operate it?
Ens. Eros Vitos
Yes, Captain. I master this technology. It was part of my training.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Very well, Eros. I am requisitioning you. You are now under my authority.
Take your backpack... and your toothbrush, because you are boarding the Mercator with me.
Ens. Eros Vitos
Uh... excuse me, Captain, but to do what?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
I have two DX-01-10s in my hold, and I do not have an engineer qualified enough to mount the launchers on my vessel.
Ens. Eros Vitos
You can count on me, Captain. Thank you.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Eros, I have one more favor to ask of you.
Ens. Eros Vitos
Yes, Captain?
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Take this remote and retrieve my Ducati, parked at the bunker entrance.
Bring it to the Mercator's shuttle bay.
Press the yellow button to disable self-defense, the green button to start it, and above all... do not touch any other button.
Ens. Eros Vitos
Yes, Captain.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Once aboard, join me on the bridge. I will give you your instructions there.
Eros hurries away at a run.
I did not expect him to be so qualified for a weapon system that had been sitting in my hold for months. Well... so be it.
I gradually regain some color, then break into a sprint toward the vessel.