Chapter 4 - Space Protection Agency

We were amazed by how bright the lights were coming from that interlocking door. As our eyes grew accustomed of the lights, we gasped in amazement. A huge circular balcony welcomes our entrance. High-tech gadgets, state of the art computers, huge monitors and white uniformed workers sitting in what looks like a star trek work station filled the balcony from one end to the other. We made our way around the balcony and almost everyone present in the room stared at Roy. Most of them then continue to stare at our shoes that were full of slime from the sewer water.

A young lady got up from her chair and approaches us. A middle aged man with greasy hair and squared frame glasses then followed up behind her. She then came into a halt in front of Roy and gave him an unsatisfied stare.

“Ah, Roy, glad that u can make it. Through the back door again, I see. Same old Roy, same old Roy,” said the man with a soothing voice.

“Oh look, you’ve made a mess on the carpet. Didn’t I tell you not to enter through the backdoor?” the young lady bit her lips after finishing that sentence. Roy rolled his eyes.

“Roy, I see you’ve done it again. The boss is going to kill you if he finds out the mess you’ve made.” The man chuckles.

“That is.. ‘if’ he finds out.” Roy gave him a wink which disgust the young lady.

“What’s the matter Rose? Do you want a wink too?”

“No! And don’t you ever called me Rose again! I’m your superior!”

“Oh yes you are. But you know…” Roy paused as he shortened their distance. He then continue whispering into her ears.

“… I always like woman to be on top.” He chuckles and continued walking, leaving the distressed Rose behind.

Roy lead us down the big spiral stairs in the center of the circular balcony. The first time I looked down the side of the stairs, I was startled by its depth. As we walked down to the seemingly endless spiraling stairs, we passed layers and layers of circular balcony, each represent the different department of the agency, as we were told. The others were astonished by the structure of the agency, the cleverness of architecture and the functional arrangement of each department.

“We build downwards to compensate the amount of time we spend high up in the skies” Roy sneered.

Everyone seems to laugh at Roy’s not-so-funny joke, or probably it was funny. I guess my mind just can’t get off thinking about that lady who vividly resembles a certain flower. Rose. I am not fond of girls, I knew that, but somehow her appearance, so beautiful, so elegant, yet so dangerous, seems to give a faint ring in my head. As if I’ve met her before, but where?

“Who was that?” I asked Roy.

“Oh, Rose? She’s just someone insignificant to the agency, don’t mind her” he answered.

“By insignificant, he means my daughter”

A voice bellowed. It echoed up the spiral staircase. I cannot determine where the voice was coming from. I looked at the others helplessly seeking an answer, but it seems they also do not have a clue the origin of the voice.

Roy slowly turned around and faced us. He looked around and was shocked when he saw me. His jaw trembled and his face looked pale now, as if all his blood drains down to his feet. As if I was a ghost! Why would he react to me like that? As I try to find the answer to my question, I caught his eyes in a stare but from his eyes I could see that he wasn’t really looking straight at me, but a couple of distance higher above my head. He gulped and finally managed to squeak out a voice.

“It’s the boss!”

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 3 - Puzzled

“Here we are kids!! The Space Protection Agency”

Everyone looked puzzled as they swallowed hard in disbelief. That tiny bungalow cannot be the Space Protection Agency. It hardly even looked like a place to work at. Everyone was curious.

“Are you serious?” asked 2954.
“Of course,” the van driver replied.
“Is this for real?” 2402 questioned in disbelief.
“Of course.”
“You mean this is our destination?” 2909 gulped.
“Of course.”

Everyone stare in amazement. The tiny building looks even smaller when compared to our academy.
“We train in a huge academy to work in this tiny agency?”
“Ironic, isn’t it,” 1712 gave a gentle pat 2909 on his back.
“Listen, just get off the bus, okay. Its not like I have all the time in the world. Once you are inside, everything will make sense.”

We could see that the bus driver was annoyed. He quickly zoomed off right after we set foot to the agency’s ground, eager to leave us all. We all looked at each other and the tiny bungalow, waiting for someone to make the first step towards the unconvincing agency. It was Agent 2954 that decided to lead the way into the bungalow.

To our surprise, what looks like a tiny office from the outside was not an office at all, more like a domestic household. Furniture, TV set, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, all your basic household necessity.

“O yah, it makes sense alright. The agency has gone crazy!” 2909 made a bold statement.
“Where are the hi-tech gadgets? Modernize computers? The spaceships?!”

“To answer that question, Agent 2909, let us go down to the basement.” A man suddenly appeared from behind us.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“I am Agent 523, but you can call me Roy. I’m the head of your unit. From here on, I’ll be guiding all of you throughout your mission, Agent 1212.”

How did he know who we are? We haven’t introduced ourselves to him.
“As the head of your unit, it is important for me to know you before meeting you. Does that answer your question Agent 1212?”
I became more puzzled than before. He could read minds too, I thought. How could he?

“No, I cannot read minds.” He looked at me as if trying hard to convince me.
“And no, I am not weird.” He gave a stare at Agent 1712.
“I didn’t think you’re weird” Agent 1712 answered.
“Yeah, but you do think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
Agent 1712 remained silence. So it’s true then, he did think Roy is crazy.

Roy led us down creaky stairs. Finally, the stairs ended and we were in the dusty, messy basement. Roy opened the underground manhole and we climbed down the slimy, slippery steel ladder down to the sewers underneath. He gave each one of us some sheets of paper towels to clean up the mess and continued striding across the smelly water. We followed him reluctantly.

He came to a halt at one corner and waves his watch over what seems like an old black tin can. Two beep sounds came out from the tin can and the wall in the corner shifted upwards exposing what seems like a series of interlocking metal door that opens in a sequence.

“Kids, welcome to the Space Protection Agency!!”

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 2 - Graduation

All five of us sat next to each other in the front row. We were arranged according to our numerical names. Behind us were our trainers, with medals, ribbon bars and bands pinned up decoratively on their uniforms. From my seat I could hear the nervous breath of 2909 who was two seats away from me. He pants faster when the announcer welcomes the academy principal up on stage to give his speech.

“Nervous Mr. Alumna?” 2954 teased.
“No, not really,” 2909 replied, his voice was shaking.
“Yeah, right. As if we didn’t notice your nervous tone. Don’t worry, everything’s going to be just fine.” 2402 gave him a little punch in the shoulder.

I could hear a faint giggle led out by 1712. I was smiling too. It was funny to see 2909 so nervous. Most of the time, he was always the bravest of us all. The principal began his speech with a moment of silence for those students who fought bravely and falls during the space battle assessments.

“Congratulations, out of the numerous protectors in training, you’ve made it this far. Well done Agents!!”

That’s the last sentence of the principal’s speech. Everyone clapped their hands. The word ‘agents’ echoed in my mind as the principal prepares to present our official certificate. Our name was called up in ascending order. I was the first to be called up the stage.

“Agent 1212,” the announcer said.

Agent 1212… I cannot believe I’ve made it this far. All those crucial 5 years of heavy training and exhausting assessments are finally over. No more fighting over survival, not even dangerously involved in a black hole mission. Its finally over, I’m an agent now. Just a few feet away, I’ll be free from this academy and yet my foot felt numb. It felt heavy as I climbed up the short stairs that leads up the stage.

“Agent 1712,” the announcer called.

I need to move on quick, I thought. I race to the principal, tripping over wires on the floor. At last, I reach the principal immediately after the announcer called on agent 2402. After seeing how clumsy I am, the principal could do nothing but smile at me. I proceed down the stage and back to my seat looking rather red. Agent 2909 and Agent 2954 were called next before we move to the small reception room to have lunch with the principal.

“It’s good to see all five of you in this reception room. Last year, there were only 2 agents who manage to survive until their graduation day. One of them later died in a tragic galactic war 5 days later.” The principal started a conversation.

“What happen to the other?” asks Agent 2402.
“Still alive of course, in fact, he’s one of your trainers. Mr. Scott Carr.”
“You mean Gloomy Scar? The trainer with a large scar on his face?” asks Agent 2954 in disbelief.
“Yup. May I remind you that the scar is not the only thing he gets after the galactic war. See, the late agent is Mr. Scott’s close friend. Mr.Scott did all the best he can to save his friend but sadly the late agent died before even reaching the Earth. ”
“That explains his unusual behavior” Agent 1712 suddenly spoke up.
“Yeah, he is under our supervision. The SPA leader strips him off his position as an agent, afraid that he would come out of his wits.”

Hearing the tragic story of Mr. Scott, I swallowed my fruit punch hard. I can’t picture myself at Mr. Scott position in the next few days. I downed my punch too fast that it choked me up. Seeing me coughing and choking, the pricipal smiled and aproaches me.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be okay. Just don’t be too clumsy next time, especially during war.”
“Hopefully I won’t,” I smiled, hoping that he could not sense my fear.
“Anyway, Good luck for more battles that are yet to come!!” the principal sounded cheerful.
“Thank you, I really need it,”

More battles? I never knew that my freedom ended there. I never had imagined what lies in my future and had not yet known what challenges I will face.

-To Be Continued-

Chapter 1 - Leaving

I stood silently next to my bed. It was the same bed I use for the past five years. My bags are laid open on top of it, folded clothes and trousers stacked neatly inside it. I took a last glance at my collection of the Space Protection Agency posters before I peel it off of my dormitory wall. In a few hours, I’ll be leaving this boarding house. I look around the room, great memories came into my mind as I fell dead silence.

Five years seems so far away on my first day entering this building, and yet it seems like it was yesterday that I had my first class as a protector in training. From a class of hundreds, now what’s left is only the five of us. Most of my classmates were either died in their space battles assessments or simply drop out of the academy for their fear of death. Now, after five years of fighting for life and struggling to survive in various space battles, I am finally leaving this place.

“Have you done packing your bags, 1212?” a voice finally broke the silence of my dorm.
I realize that my reminiscing thoughts have diverted my attention from packing.
“Not yet 2954, how about you?”
“Well, mine is already at the lobby. The boys are already waiting for us at the main entrance,” she said looking rather confuse over my messy room.
“Need help?”
“Absolutely!” I half-shouted.
“Well then, let me get 2402 to help us.” She said, vanishing into the hallway and came back with 2402.

We never use our real names in the academy. This is to conceal our identity as it is really crucial that we are not to be known by the enemy. Every protector in training are given a numerical name, which helps the trainers to identify any missing persons immediately, especially after every space battles assessments.

After the three of us finished packing my bags, I said goodbye to my dormitory room and all three of us headed for the lobby downstairs, where our bags will be send to the Space Protection Agency. As we rush to the main entrance, we found two well-uniform men standing anxiously in the waiting room. Without much deliberation, both of them joined in as we run through the academy’s main entrance.

“Well, come on. Run faster ladies! You’re slow,”
“In case you haven’t notice Mr.Alumni, we are wearing high heels.”
“Well, in case you haven’t notice Ms.Alumna, we have a graduation ceremony to attend and we’re late!”

-To Be Continued-