Space Hulk Amsterdam (Part 3)
An Agent Jen Story (AKA Prisoner and Ransom Zero.One.Three)
Part 3 (Zero.One.Three)
All Will Be Revealed
Jen did not know how long she had been staring at the ground. Here she was in the Swarm Network while her Captain and her newfound friend were about to clash. And there was nothing she could do about it. For all she knew, it might have been over already.
But not quite.
A strange, unfamiliar sound rang. Jen looked up only to see a screen in front of her. She gasped as she saw what was being presented.
It was Paul and… his friend that Isabella mentioned before she left. They were in the hive, no mistaking it. Both Paul and the stranger were in their respective EDC standard battle armor and rifle. A series of Klutuan drones and warriors were rushing them, but both men calmly fired at them. This was not the first wave, as a trail of Klutuan bodies had been etched behind them.
A part of Jen couldn’t help but be excited; Paul was going to rescue her, surely.
Right?
A familiar feminine voice rang in, “Jen…”
“Isabella?”
“I hope you enjoy the show,” the Queen said. “I put up this screen just for you.”
Jen frowned. “Why?”
“A gift,” responded Isabella. “You have the honor of watching your beloved Captain finally integrated into the Swarm. Soon he will be here too. Soon he will be with us!”
“No, Isabella. Listen to me!” cried Jen.
But there was no response. Clearly, Isabella had left the network… so to speak.
Jen looked to the screen in front of her. She saw Paul skewering a Klutuan warrior with the bayonet of his rifle. Afterwards, he opened fire to the side, saving his companion who was being pounced by a drone. As for Jen herself, still in the network, she watched on; she was invested. Even so, the EDC infiltrator knew that she was still helpless to change the outcome of this story.
For now.
***
Paul opened fire, felling a Klutuan drone yet again. Next to him was Goldberg; his fire was more erratic, but still effective in keeping the Klutuans at bay.
The EDC Captain had been paying close attention to walls of red and cream around him. The Klutuan hive was unnerving and alien. Yet… he couldn’t deny that there was a sort of order and beauty to the Klutuans.
And then, a feminine voice, strange yet alluring, rang from the ceiling. “Paul…”
Paul froze; that voice was a familiar one. “Can it be?”
“Paul, it’s me. We’ve met before,” the voice said.
“Isabella,” responded Paul.
“You remember,” she said, her voice betrayed joy.
Paul grimaced. “How can I not? After what you pulled off. What do you want from me?”
“A better life. Something that is best for you,” Isabella said.
Paul was about to respond but Goldberg intervened.
The scientist placed a hand on the Captain’s shoulder. “Why are you talking to this creature? She is responsible for your girlfriend’s death.”
Paul frowned. He wanted to point out the obvious, that Jen’s death was unconfirmed. Yet he let that one slide, knowing what Goldberg was alluding to. So the EDC Captain nodded instead, indicating that he had refocused.
Thus, the two men kept on moving.
Isabella continued to reach out to Paul, but Paul ignored her. He focused on the path ahead. He and Goldberg had been clearing out the Klutuans sent to oppose them. It was easy, perhaps a little too easy. In the back of his mind, Paul wondered what Isabella was really planning. He resolved to put that aside, figuring that he would find out soon enough.
Once again, Isabella’s voice rang from the ceiling. “Paul, what will it take for you to listen to me?”
The Captain remained silent.
Isabella continued, “I think I know. What if I have Jen talk to you instead.”
Paul’s eyes widened. “Jen?”
***
In the Swarm Network, Jen was now face-to-face with Isabella. Having paid attention to Paul and Goldberg’s advance into the Klutuan hive, Jen was not surprised at this turn of events. Even without the benefit of the Swarm Network’s increased mind connectivity, she knew exactly why Isabella was here.
Jen spoke, “You wish for me to speak to Paul, right.”
“Yes,” Isabella said. “Everything’s going according to plan, mostly. As you have seen, Paul and the other human are heading to the heart of the Swarm. Neither of them grasped that I have allowed them to make their progress. Had the swarm fully defended the hive, two humans wouldn’t be enough to breach this place.”
“Obviously.” Jen crossed her arms, then spoke, “And yet…”
“And yet,” responded Isabella, “Paul has proven to be… focused on his mission.”
“He wants to rescue me,” Jen said. “And honestly, I want him to rescue me also.”
Upon hearing this, Isabella frowned. “I thought you are my friend, Jen.”
“I am!” responded Jen. “I’ll do it, I’ll talk to Paul. But we’ll do this my way. Understand?”
Isabella nodded. “That has always been the plan from the start. Believe me, Jen. I truly want you to be welcomed here, same with Paul.”
Jen was deep in thought, mulling over what to say to Paul. She said nothing, simply nodding as if to say ‘I’m ready when you are’.
“When I give the signal,” Isabella said, “you may begin.”
And the Queen snapped her fingers.
***
“Paul! I mean, Captain Sobieski.”
Paul gasped. There was no mistaking it now. “Jen! Are you really alive?”
“I am, trust me I am,” responded Jen. “But I only have one message right now. So please listen to me good, Captain. It’s about who, not what but who, we’re dealing with. The Klutuans aren’t mindless beasts. And Isabella… she’s as human as we are. Different, but human.”
Afterwards, there was silence. Paul called out to Jen, but there was no response, prompting him to stop his advance. Goldberg did also.
Paul crossed his arms as he mulled over what Jen had told him. “Different, but human. What are you saying, Jen?”
Goldberg’s eyes betrayed contempt. He spat, “Bah. Your girlfriend had gone native.”
“Maybe,” responded Paul. He said nothing more, not wanting to antagonize his companion; yet deep down, he began considering Jen’s words.
***
Paul and Goldberg had finally reached their destination: the hive’s central node – the most important section of a Klutuan hive. Right in the middle was the “heart of the swarm”, the very beating heart that kept a Klutuan swarm going. It was there where the vulnerabilities of the Swarm were laid bare. Goldberg’s poison pill was to be deployed here, and once it did, everyone connected to the Swarm would be killed.
Goldberg was giddy at the thought of finally destroying the hive. But Paul’s heart was a cauldron of conflict. After all, Jen was mostly likely connected to the Swarm at this point. But even putting aside the question of Jen’s safety, he also wondered of her words, ‘different, but human’.
But soon Paul’s thoughts disappeared, his stomach churned as he saw the sight high-up on the walls. A woman wrapped in a cocoon with just her head popping out, her long blonde-hair a mess. She was a distance away, but there was no mistaking her identity.
“Jen!”
But Jen did not respond. She was unconscious, as indicated by her closed eyes.
Neither Paul nor Goldberg had even began to react to what they had just witnessed when a Klutuan soldier appeared from below. Quickly, it lunged at Goldberg, knocking him down. Before the scientist could get back up, the creature pinned him to the ground.
Paul raised his rifle to free Goldberg, but a soothing voice interrupted:
“Paul, you have arrived.”
Paul turned to the source of that voice, and soon he saw her. There was no way he could have forgotten the alluring, yet alien beauty of her: the Klutuan woman he saved earlier. He frowned. “Isabella.”
She smiled. “I have been waiting for you, Paul.”
But Paul’s patience was at its limit. “What is going on?” he asked, frowning. He pointed above, towards Jen. “What have you done to her?!”
“I have done her a great favor,” Isabella said, her smiled remained.
Isabella moved towards Paul, slowly and without fear. Paul pointed his rifle at her, his trigger finger just a twitch away from firing. But Isabella kept on moving, and soon she reached out her hand over the barrel of Paul’s rifle.
Calmly, she began pushing it down. Paul let her. And he put away his weapon.
“That’s better,” Isabella said.
Paul remained silent; he was still not sure why he let Isabella put his weapon down like that, he was still not sure why he put away his own weapon.
Isabella continued, “You have questions, yes. But all will be revealed. Jen has been integrated into the Swarm. She is happy. And I want you to be there with me, with her. We can all be happy together. Join me, Paul Sobieski. You will be our King with me as your Queen. And Jen… she will be your beloved.”
As she said those words, Isabella stepped even closer to Paul. And when close enough, she threw herself at him. Paul caught her, now holding her in an embrace most would associate with lovers. Isabella smiled as she leaned her head on Paul’s chest.
Unbeknownst to Paul, Isabella was not just seeking to be held by Paul. The Queen seek physical contact to transfer mental images to the Captain. And she did, as Paul soon saw images of Jen in the Swarm Network; he also saw Isabella’s vision for him, her, and Jen. Paul as King, Isabella as Queen, and Jen as beloved – a term that in all honesty mystified Paul.
“Beloved?” asked Paul.
“Jen, she…” Isabella paused, smiling. “… took issue with being the concubine.”
Paul suppressed the urge to chuckle. In truth he found Isabella’s proposal to be very appealing. A life as king, in control of his own army instead being at the beck and call of Headquarters. And more importantly, a life with Jen; he hadn’t known her for too long, but the two had gotten close very quickly. After he had rescued her from the Galician prison, he was so impressed with how she had preserved the coordinates of The Amsterdam that he decided to headhunt and send transfer request to EDC Headquarters so she could join the 717th. But in truth, Captain Paul Sobieski also had another motive for that transfer. A motive that he dared not voice nor even dwell upon. Now far from the scrutinizing eyes of the EDC, Paul could finally make good on that desire. It would be so easy.
Paul grimaced. “No.”
Isabella’s smile disappeared.
“I will admit,” Paul began, “Your proposal is very tempting. Your case is solid, and for what it’s worth, I believe you are genuine.”
Isabella’s expression was one of puzzlement. “Then why did you refuse?”
Paul grinned. “Because you forgot one thing, or perhaps you never knew. Hard to tell given your mind reading abilities.”
“And what would that be?”
“I am not just Paul,” he responded. “I am Captain Sobieski of the Electrosphere Defense Corps. Long ago, I made a promise: to defend peace, justice, and security in the Electrosphere. And I will do so to my dying breath without shirking my duty. So help me God.”
Isabella, flabbergasted and utterly stumped, could only eke out, “But Jen, she…”
Paul shook his head. “I know she feels the same. Do you think what she told me meant she was onboard with your plan? Think again, Your Majesty. She told me that you are as human as the rest of us. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Isabella said nothing, still shocked.
Paul continued, “Which means, you can be reasoned with. Let go of Jen. Let all of us go. I know we can come to some sort of mutually beneficial agreement.”
Now Isabella had recovered. Her frown remained. “I see. I have underestimated you. Not just you, Jen also. And if I can’t integrate you peacefully, then I will do so by force.
“Felix, take care of our new King. He needs his rest.”
Paul raised his rifle once more, aiming it at Isabella. The Queen snapped her fingers before she disappeared. In the back of his mind, the Captain wondered who this ‘Felix’ might have been. His question was soon answered as a large beetle-like creature, its limbs all sharp, a long appendage coming out of its head, crashed down. Felix was a creature bred for war.
But Captain Sobieski, he too was ready for war.
***
From the start, Captain Paul Sobieski knew he was outmatched. He was not only facing off against Felix, Queen Isabella’s servant, but there were also swarm creatures all around him.
With his rifle in hand, Sobieski knew he needed to even the score. He saw Goldberg, still being held down by a Klutuan soldier. He opened fire; purple blood burst out of the creature as EDC bullets pierced it.
Now freed, Goldberg took out his own rifle.
The two men now stood back-to-back as they mowed down the Klutuan drones that swarmed in. In time, piles of Klutuan bodies surrounded the two men. But neither of them could rest as Felix charged them both, claws ready to strike.
Sobieski and Goldberg jumped away in time, though now the two were separated.
Felix turned its attention to the EDC Captain. Its claws began striking at Sobieski, the Captain barely dodged it.
Sobieski opened fire, emptying his rifle’s cartridge as he weaved around Felix’s claws. The Klutuan soldier launched its head appendage, but Sobieski’s fire was too much as Felix soon withdrew it.
But it was then that Sobieski’s luck ran out: his rifle ran out of ammo. The Captain briefly considered engaging the Klutuan in hand-to-hand combat; he instantly decided against it, knowing full well he didn’t stand a chance. Instead, he took out his pistol, a backup weapon.
Then the thought hit him: where was Goldberg? In the heat of battle, he hadn’t considered it, but now he realized that Goldberg hadn’t been helping him.
A quick turn, and Sobieski saw him.
Goldberg was aiming his pistol – his poison-pill pistol – at the blood-red heart of the swarm. Paul knew his intention. He was going to kill every creature, every being, everyone, who was in any way integrated into the swarm…
… including Jen.
Paul made his decision. He turned his back on Felix, and aimed his gun at Goldberg.
“Stop, Goldberg,” Paul shouted. “Or I will shoot.”
Goldberg froze. “Captain. Are you betraying me?”
Paul frowned. “That’s rich coming from you. After all, it was you who murdered Echo-263. The bullet wounds in the back were a dead giveaway”.
“Hmph,” Goldberg said, smiling. “So you’re not as stupid as I think you are. Other than your irrational attachment to your girlfriend, that is.”
“So you don’t deny it?” said Paul.
“Of course not,” responded Goldberg. “There would be no point. Yes, it was me. It’s not that hard once you know how these creatures work. After I destroyed the first hive… what was its name again? It does not matter. Anyways, after I destroyed that hive, those creatures became irrational, allowing me to manipulate their movements and attack Echo-263. While they were busy fending off the mindless Klutuans from the front, I shot them from the back. Easy money.”
Paul’s eyes widened. “Easy money? Don’t tell me the Megacorp put you up to this!”
Goldberg grinned. “Very perceptive, Captain. Yes, the Megacorp gave me more money than I would ever make in a lifetime as an EDC nerd. All they need from me is to kill Echo-263 and give them whatever tech I could find here.”
Paul could feel his rage filling up inside. “Goldberg, you greedy bastard! You’ll pay for your corruption.”
“How naive you are, Captain,” Goldberg said smugly. “The only way Megacorp could have caught wind of this mission is through other corrupt EDC officials. Remember that very few even knew of our knowledge of The Amsterdam’s coordinates.”
Paul was about to respond, but it was at this time that Felix launched his appendage, wrapping it around Paul’s neck. Paul’s quick movement allowed his hand to get between his neck and Felix’s appendage. However, the Captain could still feel himself being strangled.
“Urk…”
“Ironic, isn’t it, Captain?” said Goldberg. “These monsters. You tried to save them, but they decided to kill you instead.”
Thus was the scene: a three-way standoff. Each at the mercy of the other. The Swarm at the mercy of Goldberg, Goldberg at the mercy of Paul, and Paul at the mercy of The Swarm.
Paul struggled to loosen the appendage, he did just enough for the air to come through. He looked up, he saw Jen. He knew he couldn’t let her down, but he also knew there was only one person he could appeal to.
“Isabella…,” Paul croaked. “I am not your enemy.”
***
Inside the Swarm Network, Jen watched on in horror. She turned to Isabella who was also watching the scene next to her.
“Isabella,” Jen said to her. “What are you doing? Help Paul! He’s the only one keeping us alive!”
The Queen looked down. “But…”
“I know what you’re thinking,” Jen said, giving her a sad smile. “It’s tough being rejected, isn’t it? But I know Paul. I know he doesn’t hate you. Trust me on this, I am your friend. And I’m sure Paul will be happy to be your friend also, if you will only trust him.”
Isabella was deep in thought. From the outside, it looked like nothing was happening. But inside, she had made her decision.
***
Paul gasped as he felt Felix’s choke on his neck loosened; the air flooded his lungs. The Captain grinned as he saw the appendage slowly retreating away from him. He knew this was Isabella’s doing, and he was not about to waste this opportunity. He fired his pistol.
Goldberg screamed in pain as bullets pierced his shoulder. But before he could even react, Felix acted. The Klutuan soldier lunged, and soon Goldberg found himself pinned to the ground once more.
With Goldberg now subdued, Paul walked to where he was. He picked up the poison-pill pistol on the ground. Having opened the cartridge, he took out the glass bullet, then threw away the pistol. Paul looked at it, studying it, knowing full well that this little item he held could have destroyed entire hives of creatures.
Captain Paul Sobieski of the Electrosphere Defense Corps made his decision.
He dropped the poison pill to the ground. And with his foot, he crushed it underneath.
Goldberg widened his eyes, his mouth agape from shock. “You fool!” he shouted. “I didn’t keep notes of the poison pill. There was no way for me to replicate that!”
Paul’s expression remained impassive. “Good. That thing was a weapon of mass destruction. Outlawed by the Lakamodis Accords.”
This was a reference to an international agreement signed on Planet Lakamodis by the kingdoms and the republics and the powers of the Electrosphere.
“You have just destroyed the only real way to keep the Klutuans in check,” Goldberg cried, his eyes looked deranged.”
Paul calmly responded, “I chose to trust Isabella”.
***
Inside the Swarm Network, Jen smiled. Her feelings for Paul was that of joy and also pride, strangely enough. She gave Isabella next to her a grin that said, ‘I told you so’.
With her mind-reading ability, Isabella caught on. She told Jen, “Paul chose to trust me. I too chose to trust him. So in order to do that, I will do what he asked of me. I will release you, Jen.”
Jen smiled. “Let’s go.”
“Be warned though,” Isabella said. “The disconnection process is a bit tough.”
“Bring it”.
And soon, everything turned blue for Jen as she was being disconnected from The Swarm Network.
***
The first thing Jen noticed upon her disconnection was her wet body, drenched from the liquid that had sustained her during her integration. She opened her eyes and saw that she was in the central node of the Isabella Hive. As she looked up, she saw Paul’s face, a sight for sore eyes.
Jen smiled. “Paul, you came for me.”
She felt her eyes rolling to the back. And then everything went dark.
***
Jen stirred awake and felt warmth. She open her eyes to a familiar view: the medbay of the New Geneva. She felt completely fresh, as if the ordeal she had gone through in The Amsterdam had never happened.
She stood up from the bed she was lying on and head for the door. The door hissed open, and Jen’s eyes widened as she saw the insectoid-woman behind it.
“Hello again, Jen,” she said, smiling.
“Isabella! What are you doing here?”
Jen stepped back, not out of fear. But rather confusion. She didn’t expect to see the Klutuan Queen of all people to be in the New Geneva.
Thankfully, a masculine, reassuring voice rang out. “Easy there, Agent.”
It was Paul, he walked up, now behind Isabella.
He continued, “I’m sure you have many questions. Don’t worry, Isabella had filled me in about your time in the Swarm Network. Now I’ll fill you in about what happened after you were disconnected. But let’s take a seat first, Jen. This’ll be a lot to take in.”
And thus, the three of them were now in the medbay, sitting on what was once Jen’s bed. Paul sat in the middle flanked by the two women: Jen to his left, Isabella to his right. As promised, the explanations were long…
After Jen passed out, Paul scooped her up and was prepared to return to the New Geneva. However, Isabella asked to come with him. Paul agreed, believing that Isabella just wanted to see the ship. This was just as well for Paul, as there were still some work to do. Thankfully, Jen’s body was still partly integrated in the swarm, thus she was able to survive the thin vacuum of space, meaning that Paul did not need to put her in a space suit during the walk back. Then there was the matter of Dr. Israel Goldberg. With the help of her swarm creatures, Isabella brought Goldberg into the New Geneva.
With Goldberg secure in the brig and Jen safe in the medbay, Paul did one last thing, securing the bodies of the members of Echo-263. What seemed to require heavy lifting ended up becoming simple as Isabella’s swarm helped immensely with the transporting.
Paul chuckled. “You should have seen the look on Sisca’s face when she saw a swarm of Klutuans right on the Geneva’s doorstep. She stepped out with her pistol drawn.”
“Yeah, I bet,” Jen said, smiling. “So that explains what happens after. But why is Isabella still here?”
Yes, of course,” Paul responded. “This is the biggest shock yet, I’ll let Isabella take it from here.”
Isabella nodded. “You see, Jen. I’m going with you all to Senta.”
“You what?!” Jen cried. “Is that even possible?”
Paul interjected, “Definitely is. We’re going to Senta as we speak.”
Jen crossed her arms, deep in thought. “Hmm, and after all that you guys did. How long was I out?”
“Give or take,” Paul began, “about 48 hours.”
Jen cried in disbelief, “I was out for two days!”
Isabella smirked. “I did say the disconnection process is a bit tough.”
Jen shook her head. “Knocking me out for two whole days is more than ‘a bit tough’, I would say.”
Isabella chuckled. “Yes, but back to me. As I am sure you might know, what you call The Amsterdam is something that continually moves through the electro-currents. I intend to share the moving coordinates of the place.”
Jen gasped, a hand over her mouth. “But that means…”
“Yes,” Paul said. “Isabella intended to open diplomatic relations. First with the EDC, but eventually with all the kingdoms and republics of the Electrosphere. The Swarm of Isabella will be categorized as a ‘nomadic kingdom’ within this framework.”
“Wow,” was all Jen could say.
Isabella interjected, “And I do this not because of ideologies or some great games as you humans like to say. All that is abstract to the Swarm. Rather, I do this because I trust you both.”
Jen smiled. “I don’t know what to say, Isabella.”
Paul grinned, putting an arm each around the two women. “You can say, thank you.”
But it was at this point that the medbay door hissed open, revealing Sisca the pilot. “Captain, I would like…” She froze upon seeing the scene in front of her:
Her captain smacked dab between two women, one his subordinate agent and the other an alien queen. In truth, she knew not how to proceed.
Paul spoke, “Go ahead, Lieutenant.”
Sisca coughed. “I… just wanted to say that we’ve entered the electro-currents. We’re on autopilot now and should be on Senta soon. ETA 5 hours.”
“I see,” Paul said. “Thank you, Lieutenant. You may carry on.”
The pilot shook her head, and gave her captain a stern look. “Shameless, Captain.”
And then she left, the door hissed close behind her.
Silence reigned as none of the three left inside knew what to say. It was Paul who chose to break the silence. He turned to Jen, then spoke:
“Sisca really got the wrong idea about us.”
But Jen looked to Paul with narrowed eyes, a look of mock suspicion. “I don’t know, Captain. Not counting the prisoner, you’re the only man on this ship.”
Upon realizing the implication, Paul’s face turned red. As for Isabella, she was left wondering what the hubbub was all about.
***
And so, the Electrosphere got yet another player in the Great Game. And the EDC found a powerful ally, all thanks to Agent Jen and Captain Paul Sobieski.
The End. (for now)
Thanks for reading. If you love my work, consider supporting my work through one of the following:
Buy my books:
Tip via Buy Me A Coffee.
Bitcoin: bc1qydz05wsjqmuhqv6yu6zr0l45wewzhgkg96xqt0
Thank you in advance for your support, it keeps me writing and helps me considerably. Germanicus Publishing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
