Chapter 133 The mission carries on
Chapter 133 The mission carries on
Trisha awoke with a dull throb in her chest, the ache feeling more pronounced than usual, as if something vital had been torn from her. The heaviness weighed her down as she reached across the bed, her hand touching the cold, empty space beside her where Axel should have been. Her heart sank deeper, a chill settling in her bones.
"Where are you, Axel?" she murmured, her voice barely a whisper in the quiet room.
Reluctantly, she forced herself out of bed. She felt hollow inside, like a piece of her had gone missing overnight. Every step toward the bathroom felt like a struggle, as if her body refused to cooperate with the day ahead. The warm water from the shower did little to wash away the suffocating dread creeping through her mind.
With a deep breath, she donned her uniform, trying to shake off the weight in her chest. There was no time for weakness now—not when Commander Asher had summoned everyone to a meeting.
As she walked through the hallways, she spotted Thor headed in the same direction. His normally commanding presence seemed muted, his steps heavy, his expression distant.
"Good morning," Trisha offered weakly, her attempt at a smile faltering. It felt wrong to pretend everything was fine.
"There's nothing good about this morning," Thor grunted, his voice rough, his eyes dark with frustration. "Loki and the others still haven't been found. No trace of them... nothing."
Trisha swallowed hard, the urge to comfort him bubbling up. She knew the odds. The grim reality loomed over them, suffocating their hope. But still, she clung to a fragile sliver of optimism. "We... we have to stay strong, Thor.
Earth is depending on us. People are depending on us."
Thor's jaw clenched, but he nodded, his voice barely audible. "I just hope Loki's still out there, alive."
Together, they entered the meeting room, a large, lavish space bathed in dim purple and red lighting, casting eerie shadows that made the atmosphere feel more like a sinister dinner party than a war council. The round table was already set with dishes, the smell of the meal doing little to stir anyone's appetite.
Seated around the table were Haze, Andre, Sarah, and Captain Asher, all with equally grim expressions. Trisha and Thor took their places, the tension in the room so thick it felt like it could suffocate them all. Moments later, Williams and Colby arrived, their footsteps heavy as they entered. They sat apart from each other, the weight of unspoken thoughts pressing down on the room.
Minutes ticked by like hours, the silence dragging on until Commander Asher finally spoke, his voice cutting through the stillness like a blade. "Enjoy your meal. Today will be your last on Earth before you embark on the mission to Rika Zero. Your goal: to retrieve the blueprints and materials for the weapon. A Ryoma scientist will accompany you.
Guard him with your lives—without him, you'll have no way to assemble the weapon, and if you believe you can survive out there without a proper alien that speaks fluent languages you are free to kill him yourself and hide the body somewhere unseen."
Trisha's mind drifted, unable to focus on the words. Her thoughts kept returning to Axel, to the uncertainty of his fate. Was he even still alive? How could she eat when everything felt like it was unraveling around her?
Asher continued, his voice steady but his tone darkening with each word. "Rika Zero is not the most dangerous planet in deep space. You'll face creatures beyond your worst nightmares, but they aren't the only threat. The atmosphere itself is deadly, the landscapes treacherous. Even your senses might deceive you. One wrong move, and you could lose more than your life."
Sarah raised her hand, her voice sharp and challenging when Asher gestured for her to speak. "Let me get this straight. You're sending us to the middle of nowhere with a turbo-charged ship and a universe map that's so vast, it could take eons to navigate. Is this a suicide mission? Are we just supposed to try our best and hope we don't fail?"
Her words sent ripples through the group. Frustration, fear, and anger stirred in their eyes, their composure cracking under the weight of uncertainty.
Asher paused, his expression hardening. "In that aspect, you're right. But we've equipped you with more than a basic ship. Time-jumping technology will be available to you once you board. All you need to focus on is the mission—protect the Ryoma scientist and gather the blueprints. Anything else is secondary."
The room fell into a tense silence, the mood grim. Trisha could feel the uncertainty, the doubt gnawing at everyone's resolve. She glanced at the untouched food on her plate, her appetite long gone.
"What's going to happen if we fail to stop the Voidwalkers?" Trisha asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. The question lingered in the air, heavy with dread.
Commander Asher's face darkened, his usual stern expression faltering for a moment. "If the Voidwalkers succeed, we have contingency plans in place. We'll evacuate any surviving family members to Rika Zero. From there... we'll use the planet to restart humanity if Earth is lost."
Trisha's blood ran cold. The idea of abandoning Earth, of letting everyone they loved die, was unbearable. She stared at Asher, her mind reeling. "We can't afford to fail, then," she said, her voice trembling with determination.
"That's easier said than done," Haze muttered, his voice filled with resignation.
Colby leaned forward, his hands clenching the table. "And we've lost two of our best hunters. Loki's missing, and our trickster is gone. How are we supposed to pull this off without them? Our chances just dropped to nearly zero."
Asher slammed his fist on the table, his frustration boiling over. "I know the odds! I know we've lost valuable assets, but we can't stop now. We have no choice but to keep going!"
The room fell silent again, the weight of their situation pressing down on them. Trisha's mind wandered back to Axel. Was he out there, fighting for his life? Was there even a chance of seeing him again? She felt like the ground was crumbling beneath her feet.
Williams stood abruptly, excusing himself from the table. He didn't say a word as he exited, leaving the room heavy with unspoken thoughts.
Once alone in his quarters, Williams made his way into the small bathroom, closing the door behind him. His breath came in shallow gasps as he leaned over the sink, gripping the porcelain with white-knuckled hands.
"You're early with your report," a voice sneered from the mouth that had formed on his left hand, the grotesque face twisted in a mocking grin.
Williams gritted his teeth. "Just give me the update. I don't have time for your games. The commander probably has cameras watching my every move."
As he moved around the bathroom, pretending to search for something, the mouth began to speak, its tone dripping with sadistic glee. "The signal's been sent, just as you requested. The Fatek commander has received it. He commends you for your work."
Williams exhaled sharply, relief washing over him. "And what about the facility? Is he going to make his move?"
The mouth let out a low chuckle. "The fleet is already on its way. Soon, this planet and everything on it will be under Fatek control. The experiments, the weapons—all of it will belong to us."
Williams smirked, his heart racing with the thrill of betrayal. "Good. Soon, Rika will fall, and the Fatek will reign supreme."
He straightened up, glancing at his reflection in the mirror, a dangerous glint in his eyes. After Rika, Earth's days were numbered, and soon, nothing would be the same again.
***Author's note***
The immense typing speed has been brought down drastically, as it has become more stressful and difficult to type. The planning is also a big piece to my slow typing as we are dealing with a universe and can't really rush things here. All I hope is that it's to your liking and you are enjoying the story fairly m If you have any ideas or addition that can be useful you can also comment.
It's been long since I dropped am Author's note as I usually did thanks to all the stress of life which my parents did not tell me I'll have to deal with before dragging me down to this planet but here is a message I would like to carry out.
Thank you Josh Roark! Lotusin and omega yellow for your follow up and gifting.
It's not been an easy journey so far especially when starting this month without features up till now. I hope you keep all having a great time reading... I'll be watching you all.
And please encourage me through supports. I am slacking off too much because I feel no one is following. And that murders Author's inspiration.
Thank you.