7Seven Secret Space Guppies
We left on a cliffhanger last chapter, let's see what's gonna happen now. Enjoy!
Chapter 7: Intensifying Intuition
"Let's take out the rest of their miserable team!" Cesario said. He and his soldiers left. Gil was furiously shaking, but he couldn't leave the chair. He sighed as tears rolled down his eyes. He gave up, and looked down. But in the corner of his eye, he saw the hazmat suit move.
"Ahh... Are they, gone?" Molly said, trying.
"Molly! You're alive! I can't believe it!" Gil said. Molly got up and kneeled next to him.
"I kept my spacesuit, and activated it at the right moment. Very effective against ballistic weapons, apparently..." She said.
"Molly..." Gil wanted to hug her, but was still attached.
"Let me help you." Molly cut the ropes.
"Finally free, we must exit this place now. You guys found the panel?" Gil asked, leaving the room.
"Yes, we're done here. Let's hope..." Molly heard gunshots coming from the stairs. "Oh no..."
Cesario's guards and the girls were exchanging fire. Molly and Gil were behind them.
"You go, Molly, I don't have a weapon on me." Molly took her pistol, peaked from the corner, and shot an energy blast, neutralizing one soldier. The 2 others lost control and were shot shortly after. When the hall got cleared, the 5 reunited.
"Gil! You're safe and well." Oona said.
"Thanks to Molly that saved me." Gil answered.
"You looked at Deema while saying that..." Molly said sarcastically.
"You all look the same in these hazmat suits!" Gil laughed. They all took the stairs, who got unlocked again. The group arrived back at the beginning. Gil took his space suit out of the locker he stored it in, and joined with the rest.
"Molly! We are in need of backup quickly!" Nonny said via radio. The ETS was back outside, and there were shots and soldiers everywhere. Goby, Nonny, Moon and her soldiers were fighting against the OD personnel. Molly had to reach the buggy quickly.
"It's too dangerous to just run to the vehicle." Zooli noticed.
"We will blast our way through. From strategic point to another." Molly pointed. First at a pile of metallic boxes, ready for transport, then to a smaller building, then to a watchtower, and then they could go to the buggy.
Attacked from behind, the OD had to release pressure from Goby and Nonny, to focus on Molly and the rest. Molly and her mates had to retreat behind the boxes.
"From the left!" Oona screamed. Gil looked and shot at them.
"Got one! The others got scared, haha!" He said.
"Our evac way got cleared out. Let's move." Molly ordered. The 5 reached the smaller building.
"Zooli, check and clear that building." Molly said. The rest took cover behind fortifications.
"3,2,1, enter!" Zooli went through the entrance of the smaller building. It was a little storage complex. Behind a shelf she spotted an enemy, and shot him. Zooli ran to the other side and took by surprise 2 other OD soldiers.
"Clear. Zooli, over." Zooli said to Molly. The 5 regrouped at the other side. Only a couple of meters separated them from the rest, but it was an open Moon field. They could get shot at any moment.
"They took defensive positions on the roof of the outpost. We can't move, or we'll get shot." Oona noticed.
"We need some kind of distraction." Molly said, continuing to shoot. Deema was thinking.
"I've got it! Gravity module, deactivated. Vertical propulsors activated!"
"Deema no!" But she went up. ETS and OD were confused. Deema shot from a higher position than the roof. The OD focussed on her, while the rest of her team regrouped behind the buggy.
"Deema come down before you get shot!" Molly ordered via radio.
"Going down now, I... Ashhh got hit!" Deema said. It was in her right arm. She hit the ground harder than wanted.
"Deema!" Goby screamed, and ran to her. Molly ordered a suppressive fire on the enemy.
"I've got you!" Goby said dragging Deema in security.
"It's nothing, just one h... Oushhh again!" Deema said. Another energy blast hit her leg.
"We need to leave immediately. She's in a bad condition." Goby explained.
"It hurts! It feels warm." Deema said, suffering.
"And I who finally hoped on a mission where nobody gets hurt..." Gil whispered. Molly went to Moon.
"Lieutenant, we are done here. Let's leave now." Moon nodded. The ETS, Moon, and her remaining soldiers entered the buggy. Gil activated it and drove away.
There was a considerable amount of damage. Cesario appeared on the roof and looked at the fare-away buggy.
"Ciao ciao, ETS. We'll meet again..."
Several hours later, the group reached outpost Sigma, and from there they went back to the Hannibal via transport ship. Valen was waiting in the hangar.
WPP space HQ, in Orbit around the Moon
"Oona, bring Deema and Gil to the medbay." Molly ordered.
"They didn't hurt me, I'm fine." Gil said, so he stayed.
"Is Deema wounded? Oh no, how did the rest of the mission go?" Valen asked.
"We had some, unexpected events. Deema got shot, but it was to make a diversion to save us all. She is a true here." Molly explained.
"We found the panel and deactivated it, 2 left." Nonny added. Valen smiled a bit.
"I'm glad about this day! Take some time to rest now, you all deserved it. Until soldier Deema is better, then we'll send you on a second mission." Valen said, and he left. The squad went back to their quarters.
"What do you think of my new look?" Gil asked, looking in the mirror.
"I prefer your old hair-style, haha. Trying to shave it with a knife is difficult." Molly responded. The rest laughed. Oona entered the quarters.
"How is Deema?" Goby asked, jumping off his bed.
"She has 2 burns on her arm and leg. The damage was deep into her skin, so there will be a skin transplantation to avoid any risks. In a couple of hours, Deema will be ready." Oona explained. Goby sighed.
"Can I go see her?" He asked.
"Yes, but her operation will start in half an-hour, so hurry." Goby left.
"Ah Dammit, I forgot we must report the incidents on our mission to Valen and Mccrab. I gotta leave too then." Molly said.
"I'll accompany you!" Gil said and the 2 left.
"I'll leave you 2 alone, then, haha!" Zooli said ironically to Nonny and Oona. She left too.
Zooli went to the nearest exit and went on top of the Circle. She sat next to an AA turret, looking at the universe.
"What took me to do that? With Gil. You don't deserve to do that, you're not a living thing. But what do I feel then? Simulated emotions? I feel something! But it can't be real, because only humans can feel..." She said to herself, thinking about that moment she had with Gil.
"Forget it, Zooli, he's already taken..." And she sighed.
Zooli went back inside and came across Gil.
"Hey Zooli! What were you doing?" He asked.
"Oh, just being outside, looking at the stars. Didn't you had to make a report?"
"Already done, wasn't much. Molly had to finish some other stuff with Valen and Mccrab."
"Ahh, great then!" Gil smiled at Zooli.
"Woah, you look like you need an update, haha!" Zooli just grinned a little. Gil approached her.
"You might be a machine, but you can always tell me if something upsets you. You're a human to me." He said, taking her hand. Zooli's temperature levels rose.
"O Of course I know that! You're a great friend, maybe the best..." The 2 hugged. Gil left.
"So much uncertainty..." Zooli thought.
Later that day, the group gathered for diner. It was steak and vegetables. Everyone took what they liked and sat back down at their table.
"Huh, Gil? Since when do you like endives? You think it's rancid and bitter." Molly said.
"Oh, I. Sometimes we must taste new things to find them good." He answered. Molly was confused. Goby looked at Nonny.
"Well, okay haha! How many agreeable sides of Gil are still to be discovered." Molly said laughingly.
"Have a nice meal." The rest said.
20 minutes later, they all got up to clean the table.
"Gil, you take the plates and the cutlery?" Molly asked.
"Yes sir!" Gil walked around the table to pile up the plates. All the knifes and forks were on top. He turned around and didn't see Nonny. The 2 boys bumped into each other, making a knife fall in Gil's foot. The 2 looked at it.
"Oh no, I'm sorry Gil, really. It wasn't on purpose," Nonny said, "but shouldn't you scream in pain?"
"Euh no it's nothing. I barely feel it, I think the knife just got into my shoe, nothing more." He said pulling it out. Nonny was thinking.
"Oh Gosh Gilly! Oona quick, come!" Molly said seeing the scene.
"It's okay, Molly. I was lucky... But it's not the first time that I'm lucky." He said, smirking at her. She blushed. Zooli looked around.
"What an example to follow, hmmm?" Deema said, poking Goby. Oona looked funnily at Nonny, but he looked away.
"Attention, the ETS must report in 5 minutes at the briefing room." The loudspeaker said.
"Here we go again! Next mission!"
"Greetings Comm... Well, just hello Valen, because you didn't like the formal bullshit." Molly said, entering the briefing room.
"Hehe, very well! Take a seat, everyone. We have things to discuss." Valen sat down too. Mccrab and Laurent were present too.
"Is it about the second panel?" Gil asked. Valen nodded.
"Your next mission will be to deactivate it. The panel is located on a space station in orbit around the Moon. We will launch an assault at it, while that's happening, your team must infiltrate the station. Our air attack will mostly be a distraction for you until the mission is done. Furthermore, our flying duo will participate in the air assault instead of infiltrating with the rest."
"When will we start?" Molly asked.
"Our fleet will be ready in 1 hour. A transport ship will bring you to the battlefield. It will try and fly as close as possible to the station. Then you all must jump out and use your space suit propulsors."
"Understood."
"That was it, good luck!" Valen said. The group stood up.
"May Bonaparte be victorious!" Valen said while making coincidental eye-contact with Gil. He looked confused. Nonny saw it too.
"Of course it will!" Gil said, and he left.
On their way back to their quarters, something unexpected happened.
"Zooli? Everything alright?" Everyone said. Out of nowhere, Zooli stopped walking and fell on the floor. She was disconnected.
"Go bring her to the robotics department, quick!" Gil said. Everyone dragged the body away.
"Oh hello ETS! Long time no see." Jiang said. "But what is wrong with your teammate?"
"We don't know either. She disconnected out of a sudden." Oona explained. Jiang analysed the body on a table.
"Nothing wrong at the surface. I will scan her systems and her robo-guppy life signal... Ah darn, someone took the life scanner tool. I'll use the room scanner then. Don't worry, it isn't dangerous for you." Jiang said.
"...I'll inform Valen about, this. What happened could change the whole mission." Gil said, and he left.
"Something's..."
"...not normal." Nonny and Goby whispered to each other.
The Guppies left and went to their quarters. Gil arrived a bit later.
"I'll have to perform without her. They can't find a reserve co-pilot." He explained.
"How! This is not right! They put you in danger. Can't Sergeant Flynn replace Zooli?" Molly asked worrying.
"I suggested it too, but he was 'busy'." Molly sighed.
"I'll be fine Molly, I promise." Gil said caressing her arm.
"You promise?" Gil nodded with a smile.
Here we go, chapter 7. Mysterious right, maybe you know it already haha! Or maybe you don't...