It was just another ordinary day at the neighborhood gang's moon base. Agents were walking through the corridors, chatting and having fun. In some corners, in training rooms, you could see some agents training with what looked like combat robots. It seemed like just another ordinary day at the end of the day. But in the communications center, the agents picked up a message from somewhere in outer space.
- Excuse me, Commander! – said one of the agents, looking at the monitor before him. - We've picked up some signal from outer space.
- Signal? Have you gone mad? There can't be anything like that! – said numbuh 86.
Numbuh 86 went over to the screen where she was picking up the signal. She was wearing a helmet with her numbuh in the center. A green sweatshirt with yellow and orange circles. She wore an orange skirt and brown boots. To top it all off, her yellow holster was attached to a belt over her left shoulder. She had a very authoritarian air about her.
- Ah, don't worry about it. It's probably a fault with the machine.
As she said this, another agent reported receiving a strange signal from space. And then another, until all the monitors were reporting this strange signal.
- But what could that be? – asked numbuh 86.
- We don't know, sir. Wait! That signal is emitting a weak message!
- Transmit it immediately! – said numbuh 86.
- Yes, sir!
When they transmitted the signal for everyone to hear, they couldn't understand anything. It was so blurry that they couldn't make it out.
Just then, the supreme leader, numbuh 362, entered the communications center. She was also wearing a kind of helmet, but this one stood out because it had what looked like purple blades. Her blonde hair was halfway down her neck. He wore an orange sweatshirt with black stripes, over a light blue sweatshirt whose collar covered half his neck and left two strands sticking out.
- What is all this noise? – asked 362.
- We don't know. All we know is that it came from outer space. – said 86.
- Try to decipher it immediately! It could be that one of the adults is planning something...
- Yes, sir! - everyone said.
- 86, do we have a location for this signal?
86 turned to the same agent who had mentioned the signal. The agent pressed a few buttons, thus enlarging the red dot on the screen. He then found the location of the signal.
- Well, sir, it looks like it's coming from sector XW45-M. – said the agent.
- XW45-M? Why doesn't that sector ring a bell? – muttered 86.
- It's because it passes through a nebula. – commented 362.
The supreme leader pointed to one of the agents and ordered him to show the location on the big screen in the communications center. Once this was done, the image that appeared on the screen was of a large nebula. All the agents were impressed by the size of this nebula.
- I've never seen anything like it! – commented one agent.
- It's so big it looks like a planet! – commented another agent.
In the excitement, 362 asked if they had managed to decode the message.
- Forgive me, Supreme Leader, it seems that it's impossible to decode the message, it's encrypted.
362 paused for thought. She began to suspect an imminent attack by the adults.
- Get numbuh 2 from sector V here immediately!
- Yes, supreme leader!
86 approached 362 to question her.
- Do you think he'll be able to decode this?
- We have no choice but to do that. I want you to alert the entire base to be prepared! We could be attacked at any moment!
- Yes, sir! – exclaimed 86.
After a while, Numbuh 2 was brought to the communications center and was alone.
- Now can you tell me what's going on?! – asked Numbuh 2.
He was wearing glasses with yellow lenses and a brown aviator hat. His light blue shirt and brown pants were too tight, as he was a fat boy. Finally, his sneakers were black and white. He was the smartest agent in sector V and one of the smartest in the whole neighborhood. He was the only one who could decipher this riddle. 362 approached him.
- We want you to decode it.
The noise began to emit after an agent pressed a button. Numbuh 2 was confused at first, but after he sat down in one of the chairs with a computer in front of him, he began to work quickly. could it be a sign of intelligent life, he thought.
- I've done it! – exclaimed numbuh 2.
He had managed to decode the message; it was a distress call. 362 got closer to analyze it and noticed something strange.
- This request came from an... Agent? – commented 362.
- Impossible! We've never sent an agent to these coordinates before! – replied 86.
- That's not all. – commented numbuh 2. – It seems to be a very old code. I can't date it with the data from this computer.
362 was already relieved that it wasn't an attack but wondered about this call for help.
- Numbuh 86, Numbuh 2, follow me! – said 362.
Walking down the corridor, numbuh 362 said she would personally go to the location of the signal.
- Have you gone mad? – said 86 apologetically.
- I don't think we have the technology for such a long journey. – commented numbuh 2.
She was standing in front of a closed door that led to a hangar.
- Of course, we do!
When she put out her hand to be scanned, the door opened and there were ships. But these were different from those normally used. In most cases, the neighborhood gang's vehicles are a mixture of several things. But this one was different: although its appearance had changed a little due to the restoration it had been given, its shape was extremely strange. Numbuhs 2 and 86 had never seen anything like it before.
- These ships are used for long journeys in space.
- I've never seen anything like that before! – comment numbuh 2. – How can we have that?
- I too was surprised when I first saw it. From what it's dated, it seems to belong to older generations of the KND.
- Wait 362! – said 86 – don't you think it's unwise to go there yourself? We could send one of our pilots to...
- I'm the only one who knows how to fly these ships perfectly! I was behind the project to restore them, so I know very well how they work. Besides, if there was anyone else who could fly these ships, it would be numbuh 274.
Numbuh 86 just nodded. They entered the ship and went to the cockpit. The ship was large inside as well as out. It had three chairs at the front where the cockpit would be. In the middle, there were some chairs with monitors for the ship's artillery and monitoring. At the back was the access ramp. Numbuh 362 sat down in the main chair and pressed a few buttons on a panel in front of him. The ship began to shake, and its thrusters were activated. The hangar door began to open, and she pushed the handles forward. Just like that, the ship was off the base.
- This is numbuh 362, testing communications with the lunar base.
The voice of the communicator could be heard.
- This is the lunar base. We can hear you loud and clear, supreme leader.
362 pressed a few buttons on the panel. The ship's turbines began to gather power.
- What are you doing? – asked numbuh 2.
- The nebula is outside the solar system. If we want to get there quickly, we need to use these super turbines. Fasten your seat belts lads! – exclaimed 362.
When the turbines were charged, numbuh 362 pressed the red button, and they were immediately off to the nebula.
The ship's computer warned them that they were close to the nebula. 362 pressed a button on the panel, where they stopped right in front of the nebula.
- Well, we're here. – commented numbuh 362.
Both numbuh 2 and numbuh 86 were impressed by the size of the nebula. It was immensely large! It made them feel insignificantly small compared to its size. Its colors varied between red, blue, and purple. Both the height and the width of the nebula gave anyone looking closely the impression that there was no end to this nebula, it was as if it were infinite.
- What now? – asked numbuh 2.
- Now I'm going to need your help, numbuh 2. – said 362.
- My help?
- You're one of the best pilots. I'm going to need your help as a pilot to get through this nebula. – Commented numbuh 362.
- Why don't we go around? – asked numbuh 2.
- Have you seen the size of this nebula? It would take time that we don't have. - said 362.
Numbuh 2 nodded. He sat down next to 362. She explained how the mechanism for piloting the ship worked. After the explanation, Numbuh 2 began to test the ship and when he saw that it responded as he wanted, he began to fly it for real.
- Well, let's go! – said numbuh 2 confidently.
The ship began to enter the nebula. For the first few minutes, navigation through the nebula was smooth. Inside the nebula, there was a feeling of strangeness: there were times when visibility was zero and times when you could see what was ahead. But despite this, it seemed that everything was going to be easy... If it wasn't for the fact that there was strong turbulence. Numbuh 2 and numbuh 362 did everything they could to control the ship in the turbulence. After a while, they managed to get through the turbulence but then came another problem: meteorites.
- How can a nebula have so many meteorites? – said numbuh 2.
- Numbuh 86! Go to artillery! – Shouted 362.
Numbuh 86 went to a chair that controlled the ship's weapons. She started firing at the meteorites but to no avail. Numbuh 2 begged them to get out of there, as they would end up being destroyed by the storm. Numbuh 362 agreed, turned the ship around and left the nebula, returning to the lunar base as if he had just suffered a defeat.
Back at the base, engineers and Numbuh 2 began to repair the damage done by the nebula and its meteor storm. 362 began to think of alternatives, but every time he thought of one, it only led to another kind of failure.
Days passed and there was no plan to return to the nebula. 362 had left and left 86 in charge. She had an idea, but it would be too risky to talk about it with the others. She went into a cafeteria, hooded, because she didn't want to be recognized by any KND member. A chocolate drink was in front of her, which she sipped from time to time so as not to keep her throat dry. An older boy sat in front of her. He was wearing a blue shirt; and gray pants and his hair was blond.
- Why don't you want to be seen numbuh 362?
- Can you imagine the mountain of trouble I'd get into if I were seen with you, Chad? – replied 362.
Chad chuckled.
- I imagine that for the supreme leader of Kids Next Door to be in front of me is a serious matter.
362 handed over a sheet containing top-secret information. Chad took it and began to read.
- I need you to come to the moon base with me, you were our best agent, and your skills are almost legendary, you're the only one who can get through a nebula without any problems.
- And if I say yes, how likely is it that I'll make it? And even if I do, how do I know they won't want to erase my memory? – Chad asked.
- I can prepare an escape for you if you like. – 362 replied.
Chad thought about it for a moment. He knew it was risky, but he felt nostalgic for the lunar base.
- When are we going to the lunar base? – Chad asked.
362 smiled.
- Right away.
When they arrive at the lunar base. Chad was greeted with stares, because he was a teenager and, no one there liked teenagers. Despite this, he was admiring the base. Enjoying every moment there, since it would probably be his last time on this moon base.
- "It's so beautiful, I'd forgotten what it looked like...". – Chad thought.
Although Chad was a secret agent after the age of thirteen, no one there knew about it, apart from the fact that he couldn't go to the neighborhood gang's moon base whenever he wanted.
They arrived at the hangar where the ship was. Numbuh 2 had managed to repair it and make it a little more resistant to the nebula storm.
- That was the help? – asked numbuh 86.
- Hello to you too, numbuh 86. – replied to Chad.
Numbuh 86 turned to numbuh 362.
- You must be crazy! We don't need that teenager's help! – complained numbuh 86.
- Without him, we don't stand a chance. You've seen what that nebula can do. So, unless you want to become part of the nebula, this is the best chance we have.
Numbuh 86 tried to retort, but in the end, remained silent. Chad, on the other hand, was snapping his fingers, stretching, and preparing for the challenge.
- Let's go then.
When he reached the nebula, Chad was amazed by its beauty, but he didn't expect it to be deadly.
- Alert sensors and shields to the maximum! – said numbuh 2.
- Let's go! – said Chad.
As before, the entrance to the nebula went smoothly. Numbuh 2 began to calculate a navigation route through the nebula. They went through the same tremors as before and finally reached the meteor storm. Chad began to make evasive maneuvers to avoid causing serious damage to the ship. Numbuhs 86 and 362 were in the artillery doing their best to destroy the meteorites.
A few minutes passed and thanks to Chad's skills, they managed to get through the meteor storm... but something worse awaited them...
- But that's... – commented numbuh 2.
What they were seeing were asteroids. So big that they looked like planets.
- Are we still in the nebula? – asked 362.
- Unfortunately, yes. - said numbuh 2. – But the ship's computer says that if we pass through these asteroids, we'll be able to get out of it.
- So... - said Chad, pushing the levers forward. – Let's get out of here!
Although they were navigating through an easier area, there was still some meteor debris that had collided with each other. Chad struggled, but in the end, they managed to get past the asteroids.
- We made it! - shouted numbuh 2.
All the crew were happy with the result. Chad smiled.
- This reminds me of old times...
In front of him, Chad spotted a planetoid with a light layer of atmosphere on it.
- There it is – said Chad, pointing ahead.
Numbuhs 2, 86, and 362 went forward to see the planetoid.
- I've never seen anything like it before. – said numbuh 362.
- Well, let's not spend too much time here. – commented Chad. – Let's go down.
Chad began to enter the atmosphere of the planetoid. Despite the turbulence, the entry wasn't that complicated. The problem was that the planetoid was covered in fog. Numbuh 2 activated a special display that allowed them to navigate even with zero vision.
- Do you know the location of signal numbuh 2? – Chad asked.
- It's just ahead. – replied Numbuh 2.
Moments later, Chad spotted the ship on the radar. They stopped and landed nearby.
Chad, numbuh 86 and 362 put on spacesuits and went to the source of the signal. Numbuh 2 stayed in the ship. He began to analyze the signal and saw what it was just as the agents outside the ship did.
- It's a ship! – all the agents said.
It was a very old fighter from the Kids Next Door. On its nose was the KND logo. Next to the turbines was a numbuh that had been erased over time. Finally, inside the cockpit, there was some sign of life. Chad ran a scanner and asked numbuh 2 what it was.
- It's a human being, that's for sure. – replied numbuh 2. – But it's in a state of hibernation.
Numbuh 362 put his hand on the cockpit window to try to see who was inside.
- He looks badly hurt. How's the vital sign? – 362 asked numbuh 2.
- His vital signs are weak, but thanks to his hibernation, he's out of danger.
- Let's get him back to the moon base. – Command 362.
- Wait! – shouted numbuh 2. – If you take him out of that ship, he might not make it!
- Then let's take the ship too. After all, our ship can carry another one underneath. – replied 362.
Everyone just agreed.
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