Space Hulk Amsterdam (Part 2)
An Agent Jen Story (AKA Prisoner and Ransom Zero.One.Two)
Part 2 (Zero.One.Two)
The Queen and the Survivor
Jen woke up to the absolute darkness that was the void. Nothing, not even her own body was there to be seen. It was as if she had gone blind.
Then, a voice, soothing and feminine – the very same that she heard before she passed out in the Klutuan hive – rang out:
Jen...
H-huh? W-what? How did you…?
Forgive us. No, forgive me. I meant you no harm. My name is Isabella, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Swarm. Now be at rest and do not be afraid. All will be revealed.
***
Paul, in truth, was still shaken at the loss of Jen. But he put aside his fears, the feeling that he had let his partner down. Hidden behind the helmet of his space suit, Captain Sobieski’s face was full of determination as he followed the man in front of him.
This man, the sole survivor of Echo-263, had stopped him from following Jen into wherever that trap had taken her. A part of Paul wanted to ignore the man’s warning, but his reason won over, and now he found himself depending on this as of yet nameless man. Paul had been so focused on Jen, on rescuing her, that he had neglected to ask for his name.
It was time to fix that.
“Echo-263,” Paul said; he got the man’s attention. “I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s your name?”
The sole survivor said nothing.
Paul pressed, “Unless you want me to keep calling you Echo-263.”
“Fine,” he said. “I’m Goldberg. Dr. Israel Goldberg.”
“Well met, Goldberg,” responded Paul. “I’m Captain Paul Sobieski of the EDC 717th, at your service.”
“The 717th huh?” Goldberg said. “That figures. You’re going to get me out of here?”
Paul shook his head. “Not yet. Jen is still out there, down there. I’m going to get her back.”
“She’s a goner.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do,” Goldberg said, his tone insistent. “I’ve seen first hand what happened to my men. My teammates. Those creatures, surely the Klutuans, tore through them. We never stood a chance. They even destroyed our ship.”
Paul did not need to ask; he knew Goldberg was referring to the same creature that attacked Jen.
Goldberg continued, “We should leave while we still can. I assume you have a ship out there.”
“You assume correctly,” responded Paul. “So you should also be able to assume that we’re here to investigate. Let’s see those bodies.”
Behind his helmet, Goldberg’s face contorted. “You don’t believe me? Is that it?”
“No, I believe you,” Paul said. “I’ve seen first hand what they’re capable of. But I want to verify, want to see what happened to them, what the Klutuans are capable of. More importantly, they… I mean Echo-263, they deserve proper burials.”
“… You’re crazy.”
“Be that as it may, I can’t leave them behind. Not Echo-263, not Jen.”
Goldberg sighed. “Well you outrank me, Captain. And even if you don’t, you’re the one who has the means to get me out of this hellhole. So sure, I’ll play your game. You’ll see that the Klutuans murdered my team, and you’ll see that the same fate awaits your girlfriend.”
Paul resisted the urge to point out the obvious.
Instead, the duo walked on quietly. On the way, Goldberg informed Paul about his hideout; it was located on a different part of the UEC Amsterdam.
As they traversed through the dark halls of the ancient starship, Paul’s eyes caught a strange sight. It was a space suit, floating through the zero gravity space.
“A body?” Paul said.
“Indeed,” responded Goldberg. “Probably an unlucky scavenger, dead for centuries.”
But as he heard this explanation, Paul’s quick glance of the space suit revealed the emblem of the EDC. Paul said nothing. Instead, he quietly took a picture with his suit’s built-in camera: the body and its surroundings.
And the two moved on.
***
Now Paul and Goldberg both were outside of the UEC Amsterdam, only their magnetic boots kept them anchored. Space debris were everywhere, and bits of electricity coming out of the electro-currents were not uncommon.
Paul looked around, his helmeted face showing uncertainty. “Are you sure we’re heading in the right direction?”
“Yes,” Goldberg said. “This is the safest path to the hideout. We’re less likely to run into the bugs.”
But as Paul heard this, he caught sight of a crowd in the distance. A group of Klutuan grunts, the same kind that attacked Jen, were surrounding someone, a young girl. She was cornered; right behind her was the airless void of space.
The Captain looked to the survivor. “Less likely to run into the bugs, hmm?”
“Shut up!”
Paul ignored the remark. “We’ve got to help her.”
“What?” Goldberg cried. “Leave her! Let’s get to the hideout while the bugs are occupied.”
But Captain Sobieski wouldn’t hear any of that. He was already off, guns blazing. He opened fire, striking down two Klutuans with his burst of fire, their bodies float off to space. Now realizing their attackers, the horde, four creatures in total, turned their attention to Paul. Paul focused fired, one bug at a time. One fell down, the closest to the EDC Captain. The next was ready to pounce, but Paul shot it down. The last one was in the distance. Paul took aim… but never fired. A burst of bullets, behind Paul, shredded the last Klutuan creature; Goldberg had shot it.
With the Klutuans taken care of, Paul saw the girl in the distance. As he walked closer to her, he stared. Goldberg, for his part, stepped back to watch from a distance; he wanted no part of this.
The girl in front of Paul was mystifying, to say the least. She was green in color, her ears knife-shaped, and she had insectoid features, including wings that came out of her back. More importantly, she could survive in space without the need of a space suit.
“Thank you for the help, sir,” she said.
Paul still stared. “Who… are you?”
“My name is Isabella. I was just taking a walk when they attacked me. Poor creatures, their minds had been fried with the loss of their hive,” she explained.
“Slow down,” Paul said. “Hive? Poor creatures? Are you a Klutuan also?”
Isabella was deep in thought. “Klu-tuans? Oh, right, that’s the name you Earthborn used to refer to us. That’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time, well not counting the last group of Earthborn.”
Paul’s eyes widened behind his helmet. “Earthborn? I’m not from Old Earth…” He paused. “But never mind that. I need to ask you, have you seen a girl around here? She’s blonde, about this tall, and she’s… Jen. I mean, her name’s Jen.”
“Jen, huh…” Isabella looked to Paul; stared at him for a good ten seconds.
“Uh, Isabella?”
“Now I see,” Isabella said, smiling. “How intriguing, you’re intriguing, Paul.”
Paul stepped back, unnerved. “Excuse me?”
Suddenly, Isabella lunged, and was now right in front of Paul. She looked up, and kissed Paul’s helmet, the part that covered his lips.
“Worry not, Paul,” Isabella said sweetly. “Soon, all will be revealed.”
And with that, Isabella disappeared, leaving behind nothing but space dust, electric sparks, and the black void.
Paul stood still, flabbergasted. “What… just happened?”
Goldberg’s voice rang, “You just kissed trouble, that’s what. Now come on, Captain Casanova. The hideout’s close. There you can breathe some real air.”
Paul followed Goldberg, deep in thought. And then it struck him: he never told Isabella his name.
***
Jen opened her eyes. Surrounding her was the same red and cream that dominated a Klutuan hive. She soon realized that she couldn’t move, and why – she was wrapped in a cocoon. Jen screamed in terror.
But a soothing voice cut in. “Jen,” she said.
“Huh?”
“Be calm, Jen. No harm will befall you. After all, you have been integrated into the Swarm now. You are now a part of us.”
Jen looked around, and soon found a woman floating in front of her. Insectoid, knife-eared, green… in short, alien.
“I’m Isabella, remember?”
“Isabella?” Jen repeated. And she remembered; and her fear was soon replaced by a strange, yet soothing comfort. “What do you want with me?”
“I want to be your friend, Jen,” Isabella said, smiling. “After all, I’ve made lots of friends, including Paul. Or is it Captain Sobieski to you?”
Jen gasped.
Isabella spoke, “So what will it be, Jen? Will you be my friend?”
Jen was silent for a moment, calm despite her alien surroundings. She smiled, and nodded. “Sure, Isabella. Let’s be friends.”
“Yay!” Isabella said in joy. “Now hold still, you’ll love this.”
Isabella placed a hand on Jen’s head. And soon, Jen saw the hive replaced by blue purplish light.
***
Paul stepped in to the hideout, Goldberg in front of him.
Having closed the door behind them, Goldberg spoke, “Feel free to take out your space suit. Just breathe.”
Paul did so, shedding his space suit and now he was in a basic EDC combat armor. The air was stale, ancient. But it beat having to rely on a space suit for something as basic as breathing. Now he got a good look of Goldberg without his space suit; the scientist was actually about Paul’s age, but his receding hairline, thick beard, and glasses made him seem much older than he actually was. Paul couldn’t help but feel Goldberg’s hideout was a safe spot… until he spotted EDC space suits lined up in a corner like bodybags.
Paul spoke, “Those are…”
“Yes,” Goldberg said, nodding. “Echo-263. Investigate to your heart’s content. When you’re done, come find me. There’s something I want to show you. I think you’ll love it.”
Paul did so. Carefully, he began to check the bodies one-by-one. With his camera, he began taking pictures, and the place he was in. At first, things seemed straightforward. He saw punctures throughout the suit, indicating Klutuan attacks. But then he flipped over the bodies; and he saw bullet wounds in the back. More importantly, damn near every body had consistent bullet holes in the back. Paul began mulling over the implications of this newfound fact when he heard a voice.
“Captain,” Goldberg said.
Paul turned back to see the scientist, but said nothing.
Goldberg continued, “It appears you’ve discovered this strange oddity too.”
Paul remained silent; he would have preferred to keep this discovery to himself for the time being. But now Goldberg knew that he himself knew. And he needed to say something. So he did:
“Yes, of course. The Klutuans are a terrifying thing, panic inducing even. In the panic, there must have been friendly fire.”
Goldberg was silent for a short second. Then he spoke, “Yes, of course. That makes sense.”
“Do you have something to show me?” Paul asked, more to move the conversation forward than genuine curiosity.
Goldberg nodded. “I have the answer to our… bug problem.”
***
The Swarm Network was bright, warm, idyllic even. Jen and Isabella had been playing together – swimming, riding the swarm creatures, even playing dress-up – for… how long? Jen had honestly lost track. She saw the lake in front of her, bright blue; it reminded her of the Tropico Archipelago on Planet Senta, where the base of operations of the 717th was located; in other words: home.
Jen sat still, a strange mix of contentment and longing bubbled within her.
Isabella behind her spoke, “So what do you think?”
Jen was deep in thought, then responded, “I’ll be honest, I enjoy my time here. I enjoy being with you…”
Isabella frowned. “But…”
“But I miss home,” Jen completed. “I miss… him, too.”
The Swarm Queen knew exactly who Jen was referring to; she grinned. “Ah, I see. You miss Paul, don’t you? Or is it Captain Sobieski of the Electrosphere Defense Corps?”
Jen nodded absentmindedly. “I wish I can see him right now.”
“I can’t blame you at all,” Isabella said. “He’s quite the character isn’t he?”
“Yeah,” Jen said wistfully.
Isabella responded, “I’ve read his mind. The depths of his care for you is immense.”
Upon hearing this, Jen’s face turned red. “You read his mind? I… don’t know what to say.”
“You know,” Isabella said, “I’m honestly jealous of you.”
Jen chuckled in embarrassment. “Oh stop it…”
The two soon laughed in bonding over their mutual feelings for one Captain Paul Sobieski. But soon the vibe cooled as Isabella was deep in thought. Jen looked on in puzzlement.
“Isabella?”
The Swarm Queen smirked. “Do you want Paul here with us?”
Jen’s eyes widened. “N-no, not like that. I want to return to the EDC, return home.”
Isabella frowned once more. “Why do you wish to return to human society? They are full of traitors who betray their own just for personal gain.”
“Huh?” Jen said. “Who told you that?”
“Nobody,” responded Isabella. “I’ve seen it myself with the previous group of humans.”
“The previous…” Jen gasped, wondering if her interlocutor was referring to what she thought she was referring to.
“But never mind that,” Isabella said. She snapped her fingers.
Jen saw the idyllic lakefront changing. Now she was in a grand throne room. She saw three seats above a set of stairs. The two, one in the middle and to the right were grand, thrones. The one on the left was modest, on a lower elevation, but still a position of honor.
“I have a plan,” Isabella said. “The three of us will rule over the Swarm. First…” She pointed to the throne in the center. “Paul will be King, the father, the protector and commander-in-chief of the swarm. She pointed to the right, the other throne. “I will be Queen, the mother, the very embodiment of the swarm.”
“And me?” Jen asked.
Isabella pointed to the left seat. “You shall be the concubine. The king’s beloved, advisor, and nurturer. But for all this to happen, Paul Sobieski must be integrated.”
“Wait, why am I the concubine?” Jen said, her tone indignant. But soon she paused, and realized a more pressing issue. “More importantly, what about Paul? What if he refused to be… integrated?”
“Then I will integrate him regardless,” responded Isabella. “And he will like it.”
Jen reached out a hand. “Please, Isabella. Reconsider this!”
Isabella looked away, then she looked to Jen. “Because you are my friend, I will. But I also want you to consider this offer also.”
And with that, she snapped her fingers.
Jen soon found herself in a bedroom, one that looked very similar to her own quarters in the Tropico Archipelago.
“What is this place?” Jen asked. She asked this in the hopes that Isabella would hear her, a reasonable hope.
Isabella’s response: “This is your room, your refuge. Contrary to human beliefs, integration to the Swarm isn’t a loss of one’s identity. Much of your being, your thoughts are visible to the rest of the Swarm, but there are still those you can keep to yourself. Even in the Swarm, Jen, you are still you.”
Afterwards, Isabella was nowhere to be seen nor heard. Jen knew she had reached an impasse with her newfound friend. Instead of continuing, she lied down on the bed – for the time being.
***
Paul couldn’t help but shudder as he held the glass bullet in his hand. In front of him, Goldberg looked like a proud parent of an overachieving child. That child was the poison pill – the name that Goldberg had given it. Paul still struggled to fully comprehend the scientist’s explanation, but he got the gist of it: the bullet contained a biological agent that was fatal to any creature bearing Klutuan genetics; if fired to the heart of a Klutuan hive, it would set off a chain reaction that would kill all creatures connected to that particular hive.
A comprehensive weapon. A biological weapon. If the target of this weapon had been human beings, it would have been considered a weapon of mass destruction. The thought sent Paul’s stomach churning, the idea of such mass destruction was unappealing to him. And yet… this was surely his only chance to rescue Jen.
“And you’re sure this will work?” Paul said.
Goldberg nodded. “I’ve tested the prototype on a different hive. Worked like a charm, mostly. The hive mind was completely destroyed, but mindless creatures were left prowling about The Amsterdam ready to attack anything in sight.”
Paul said nothing, deep in thought.
The silence allowed Goldberg to continue. “This one’s more thorough. Not just the hive mind but even the lowest of creatures will perish.”
“I see,” Paul said. “And you did all this in a Space Hulk all by yourself in just a matter of weeks? You really earn your paycheck, Doc.”
“Pah!” Goldberg spat. “Don’t remind me.”
Paul grinned sheepishly. “Right. My apologies.”
“Well then, Captain,” said Goldberg. “Let’s go destroy some bugs. Our next target is the hive that consumed your girlfriend. I’ve found an opening to that hive, a secret path that’ll take us there without having to take a jump down. Are you with me?”
Sobieski nodded. “Let’s go.”
***
Jen was lying on her bed still when she heard Isabella calling.
“Jen.”
She got out of her bed. And suddenly, she found herself back on the lakefront. Isabella was in front of her. The Swarm Queen had a serious look on her face.
“Isabella,” Jen said. “Have you reconsidered?”
“I should ask you the same thing,” responded Isabella. “Paul had arrived, and he brought a friend.”
“Friend?”
“He’s what’s left of the last group of humans,” Isabella said. “And now it’s time for the final confrontation. Time for Paul Sobieski to be integrated into the Swarm.”
“No, Isabella!” Jen cried. “Please.”
Isabella’s face was one of determination. “I have made my decision.”
And with that, Isabella disappeared from the Swarm Network, leaving Jen behind. The EDC infiltrator looked down, and fell on her knees.
“No… Paul… Isabella…”
To be continued…
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