The Hunt for the Amsterdam
An Agent Jen story (AKA Prisoner and Ransom Zero).
In the 35th Century, The hunt for Space Hulk Amsterdam, a collection of starship wreckage drifting through the electro-currents of space was one such Great Game that the Kingdoms, Republics, and other factions of the Electrosphere took part in. The Amsterdam had drifted for almost a millennia, the first member of this Space Hulk being the UEC Amsterdam, a United Earth-era Old Earth ship that was lost in the 26th century. Legends of the Amsterdam appeared as space drifters through the centuries had claimed to visit it, and they had the receipts to prove it: fragments of writings detailing “mind readers” and insectoid war machines known as the “Klutuans” were brought forward.
The Annals of United Earth, the famous classical writings by historian A.S. Icardi had attested to the existence of psionics and the Klutuans. Indeed, the key to those things may still be found on Old Earth. But after the fall of the United Earth Civilization, Earth had faded into the background of interstellar politics, and Old Earth itself had mostly become a collection of hermit kingdoms.
Thus, the Amsterdam was an opportunity… and a threat. The Electrosphere Defense Corps, tasked with the mission to maintain peace and the balance of power in the Electrosphere, could not risk whatever technology in the Amsterdam to fall into the hands of any single kingdom or republic. As for Megacorp, forget it!
Those words were the briefing that Agent Jen had received before she was sent on her mission to claim the coordinates for the Space Hulk which had been recovered by the wandering scientist, a Dr. Lukas Light, who chose to hand such knowledge over to the EDC.
As for Jen, she was a fresh-faced infiltrator with just a single successful mission under her belt; not particularly skilled in combat, but eager to prove herself. Yet the mission went sideways, Dr. Light’s starship became a battlefield of agents and soldiers fighting to take the coordinates for their own nations, and he was killed in the crossfire.
Agent Jen escaped with the numbers that may well decide the fate of the Electrosphere and the Great Game, not because of her skills, but because Dr. Light trusted her. With the coordinates in hand, Jen avoided the firefight entirely. Unfortunately, her escape pod was detected mid-flight.
Soldiers from the Galician People’s Republic soon tracked her down. Knowing that she could neither fight through nor elude them, Jen surrendered herself. As for the coordinates, she took care of them.
When the horde of Galician spec ops pointed their guns at her, Jen put her hands up in the air. The soldiers arrived cautiously, expecting a trick. But there was none, and the EDC infiltrator was giving herself up in good faith.
The squad leader asked Jen, his Standard Terran laced with thick Slavonic accent, “The coordinates for the Amsterdam. Where is it?”
Jen’s response: “Netherlands, Indonesia, Norway”.
Those words served only to mystify the Galicians. The squad leader, for his part, thought the EDC agent was simply stalling. So he took out a grey injector gun from his holster. From its shape, Jen recognized it as a stimpack. But given the situation, she knew it was anything but. Suddenly, the Galician pressed the injector to Jen’s neck.
Jen felt her knees bucking, her arms going slack, and her eyes rolling to the back. Then, everything went dark.
***
It had been a week since Agent Jen was captured by the Galicians. The EDC infiltrator stirred awake to the sight of her prison cell. Her location: Planet Galicia, the capital world of the Galician People’s Republic. Today was the day, the day of the breakout. She counted, in her head as she couldn’t risk the prison guards discovering their plans. “Seven days, that’s how long you’ll be in here”, the double-agent known to her only as ‘PS” or “Papa Sierra” told her when she was first thrown into prison.
Truth be told, Jen wasn’t sure if she should trust this Sierra. She only had his word for it, and his supposed backstory of being able to worm his way to the warden’s inner circle because he hailed from New Poland, the very same world that the warden’s mother had come from.
Jen, for her part, found that cover story to be rather weak. Yet she had no choice. If she was to break out of this prison, she would have to trust PS.
As for the Galicians, they had done all they could to get the coordinates from Jen. They took all of her possessions, including her own tactical suit, leaving her with just her undershirt, a white cropped tank top. At least they had the decency to give her a pair of cargo pants, black in color – obviously without pockets – but she still felt underdressed. Regardless, the Galicians had nothing to show for their efforts. Meanwhile, the warden had interrogated her for the whole week, but he too had nothing to show for it. And the Galicians would have nothing because Jen had nothing, just three words: Netherlands, Indonesia, Norway – the very words she told her initial captors.
She was going to be interrogated once more, but this time, she would escape. PS had told her the plan. Speaking of…
A dashing young man, just a few years older than Jen was standing behind her cell bars; PS had arrived. Jen resisted the urge to smile. After all, he was here to take her to the interrogation room, and he was going to handcuff her.
PS said nothing to Jen, just motioning her to face the wall. Jen did as was told. After opening the cell door, the guard entered and placed the handcuffs on Jen. With that, off they went. But on the way to the interrogation room, Jen realized that the handcuffs were not locked. Just a click was enough to open it. The EDC infiltrator suppressed a smirk; she knew she could trust this Pole.
***
The interrogation room was the same as ever. She saw the warden standing just a few feet away, accompanied by three burly men, his bodyguards. They were not armored – few of the guards here were – but they were armed.
The warden sighed as he saw Jen. “And here we go again.”
Jen responded, “I have told you before, I have nothing. Just three words.”
“And what do three Old Earth nations have anything to do with the location of a Space Hulk?” snapped the warden.
“Everything,” Jen said rather impassively. This served only to anger the warden.
The warden motioned his arm to PS. “Come, Sobieski. Bring forth our… damsel-in-distress”.
PS did so. But in his hand he held a taser, hidden by Jen’s body. As soon as he brought Jen close to one of the bodyguard, PS lunged, and pressed his taser to the bodyguard’s neck. The bodyguard twitched before he crumpled to the ground.
The Galicians, shocked, were slow to react. PS took advantage, drawing his pistol, and fired at another bodyguard. That Galician was sent smacking the wall before he slid down, leaving a trail of blood. The last bodyguard drew his gun to fire, but PS was aware; he launched his foot high, kicking the gun away with his boot.
Meanwhile, the warden took out his own pistol. He made ready to fire his gun at PS. Jen acted, having unlocked her handcuffs during the commotion. She charged at the warden from the side, pushing the pistol to fire upwards. She then threw a kick at the warden stomach, sending him reeling.
As for PS, he moved to shoot the last bodyguard, but this one was the most skilled of the three. He lunged before PS could fire, tackling the EDC soldier to the ground. The bodyguard made ready to punch down but PS struck the bodyguard’s face. PS moved quickly back to his feet, as did the bodyguard. Now the two stood face-to-face, seemingly on equal standing… until the bodyguard took out a knife.
Jen charged to take advantage and punched, but the warden quickly recovered. Jen’s punch was blocked, as was her kick. The warden countered with a jab, which Jen blocked, but it was a distraction as the warden’s other hand delivered a straight, striking Jen right at her forehead. The punch sent Jen reeling, she was seeing stars.
In truth, the warden was holding back the hit, not wanting to risk hurting Jen too much. He spat. “If you didn’t have the coordinates, I would have killed you.”
Agent Jen responded with a punch, but it was slow and telegraphed. The warden dodged to the side, sending her punching the air.
Now right next to her, the warden maneuvered behind Jen, and wrapped his arm around her neck, putting her in a sleeper hold.
Jen gasped.
“Checkmate,” the warden said, tightened his choke.
Jen gasped again, but the air wouldn’t come in. She felt her vision blurring, her lungs burning. Her hands pulled, her fingers clawed, as she struggled to loosen the hold, to no avail.
But her attention soon turned forward; she saw PS still in a knife fight with the Galician bodyguard, or rather his opponent had a knife and he had nothing. Yet it was an even fight, even as the EDC soldier struggled to keep the knife away from from his neck. PS responded with a kick to the knee, forcing the bodyguard to drop the knife.
Once again, PS found himself in a fair fight.
Jen felt herself losing consciousness, but soon the air came in. The warden had loosened the choke, and it was clear why: he decided to instead take out his gun, and aimed it at Paul, now in a fistfight with the last bodyguard. But it was a chaotic fight, and the two men moved quickly from side to side.
Seeing the gun right next to her, Jen quickly realized what was going on.
“You’re going to shoot them both,” Jen said, horrified.
The wardened retightened his hold. “Yes.”
Jen gasped once more. Once again, her vision blurred.
The warden grinned as he took aim with one arm, the other holding Jen.
Jen squirmed, struggling once more to loosen the choke. Again, no avail. Her thoughts were on PS, on the warden’s gun. With desperation, she elbowed the warden – hard as she could. The warden screamed in pain, his aim thrown off, saving both Paul and the bodyguard.
The warden looked down, now angry. “Why you!”
With hatred, the warden tightened his hold around Jen’s neck like a snake, now determined to knock her out. Jen flailed around, but her efforts were in vain. Her knees buckled, her arms went slack, and her eyes rolled to the back.
Then everything went dark.
***
PS had won the fight. With a swift move, he grabbed the knife on the floor, and with it he stabbed the bodyguard’s shoulder. Now wounded by a knife sticking out of his shoulder, the bodyguard was in no position to resist. PS took out his pistol, held the bodyguard in front of him, and pointed his pistol forward.
Yet he knew the fight was not finished. In front of him, Agent Jen lied helpless, unconscious in the burly arms of the warden.
Now PS pointed his gun at the warden; he would have taken the shot if Jen hadn’t been in the way. But the warden also pointed his gun at PS, with only the bodyguard protecting him.
“Well, sir,” PS said. “It would seem we have reached an impasse.”
The warden responded by opening fire. PS ducked, avoiding the gunshot. But the bodyguard was not so fortunate, the bullets pierced his head, killing him instantly.
PS narrowed his eyes, resisting the urge to do something stupid. “You’ve… made your point. I know you’ll sacrifice all you must to finish the mission.”
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,” responded the warden.
“I’m sure Shevchenko will be happy to hear that,” responded PS, referencing the now dead bodyguard in front of him. “But enough of him, we both know that girl’s the only one who knows the coordinates for The Amsterdam”.
“And…?”
“So you can’t afford to kill her, unlike with this poor bodyguard here. So let’s have a deal. You Galicians are ruthless, but I also know you are men of honor. I propose a duel.”
“A duel?”
PS nodded. “Here’s how it works. We both let go of our… hostages. Then we draw. Whoever hits the target wins.”
The warden smiled. “Ah, I see. Neither one of us has our energy shields.”
“So it’s a deal?”
“Pavel, you traitorous swine,” the warden said. “I’ll kill you where you stand.”
“Ten seconds,” PS said.
Both men put away their weapons. The EDC soldier took out a cube of an object from his holster, clicked it and threw it to the floor. It was a timer, now showing 10:00:00...
9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2…
1…
PS dropped Shevchenko to the ground, the warden threw Jen aside. Both men drew their pistols.
*BANG*
PS saw blood flowing over his right eye, his vision turned red. In front of him was the warden, his face unharmed, but soon he crumpled to the ground. And blood began began soaking the floor underneath.
The warden’s shot had grazed Sierra’s eye, but the EDC soldier had struck the warden’s heart.
PS knew the job wasn’t finished. He walked over to see Jen prone on the ground. He flipped her over to see her eyes closed and her lips parted; still unconscious, but as if on cue, she began to stir.
***
Jen opened her eyes to see the face of PS, bloodied just over his right eye. She gasped. “Sierra! Are you okay?”
PS nodded, reaching down a hand for her. “I’m fine. We’re going to get out of here, I got everything planned out. But first, do you have the coordinates?”
Now on her feet, Jen grinned. “In… a manner of speaking.”
PS frowned. “In… what manner of speaking?”
“You know well that the Galicians couldn’t get anything out of me,” Jen began.
“Yes,” responded PS. “Good job resisting them. The Galicians are not particularly cruel, but they are ruthless.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Jen said playfully. “But in all seriousness, they couldn’t get anything out of me because I had nothing on me.”
“Explain.”
“I destroyed the coordinates that Dr. Light gave me.”
Paul widened his eye, the one that remained unbloodied. “You what?!”
“Yup,” Jen said. “The coordinates were written on paper, so I used my suit’s built-in lighter”.
Paul shook his head, still in disbelief. “You burnt the coordinates for The Amsterdam...”
“But I remembered it in my head… sort of. Netherlands, Indonesia, Norway.”
“Yes, you kept repeating those three historical nations during your interrogations. Why?”
“That’s the coordinates. Remember that the Amsterdam isn’t just a ship, it’s the UEC Amsterdam… Papa Sierra.”
PS resisted the urge to open his mouth agape as he finally pieced over everything; his thoughts: Unbelievable! Jen had destroyed the coordinates and deliberately not remember the exact numbers because she knew she could retrieve them through a code, the UEC country codes, those of Netherlands, Indonesia, and Norway.
Jen looked to PS in concern. “Sierra?”
“Amazing,” PS said softly, still in his thoughts.
“Yes,” Jen said. She motioned below, indicating the bloody aftermath of the battle littered around them. “But we still need to get out of here.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” PS said, his posture nonchalant. “I’ve already arranged for you to be… transferred… to another prison. I’m supposed to be the one guarding you. Obviously, Stepanenko—I mean the warden would not have allowed this, so we had to take care of him. But now, there’s a ship already outside. They’ll expect us to go to another side of the planet, but we’ll get out. Before they realize anything’s wrong, we’ll be cosmic miles away from Galicia”.
Jen nodded, ready to accept the story. But then she remembered one issue...
“But what about your…”
“If anyone asks, you took a gun from a bodyguard, but were subdued,” responded PS.
“And they’ll buy it?”
PS nodded. “They won’t question the warden. And since I’ve wormed my way into the warden’s good graces, they won’t question me, either.”
***
The plan that PS had outlined went without a hitch. Now they were on a shuttle on the way back to Senta, the capital world of the EDC. PS sat on the cockpit of the shuttle when he saw Jen coming in. No longer just in her undershirt, she was instead wearing an infiltrator’s tactical suit, form-fitting, sleeveless, and high-tech.
Jen grinned as she saw PS staring at her. “Well? How do I look?”
“You look great,” PS said.
“Thanks, Sierra,” Jen said.
PS coughed. “I think we’re past that codename.” He held out his hand. “I’m Sobieski, Paul Sobieski. Or Pawel, where I’m from.”
The two shook hands. But Jen soon realized something strange. “Wait, your name really is Sobieski?”
Sobieski nodded.
“Wow,” Jen said. “Hiding in plain sight. That’s incredible… you’re incredible.”
Paul’s face turned red. “Huh?”
“I mean… the way you took out all those bodyguards and then the warden by yourself back on Galicia,” Jen explained. “If that’s not incredible, I don’t know what is.”
“I… I see,” Paul said. “You did great yourself.”
Jen shook her head. “I got my butt kicked. You had to bail me out.”
“You saved my life,” Paul said, reminding Jen that the warden nearly killed him. “And you just handed the EDC a great edge in this Great Game we call politics. I’d say you did just fine. In fact, when we’re back on Senta, the first thing I’ll do is to ask HQ to transfer you over to my team.”
Jen raised her eyes. “Wait, you have a team?”
Paul smiled. “I’m Captain Sobieski, by the way.”
“I’m… Jen.”
“Just Jen?”
Jen looked away, her arms crossed. “My surname’s… a little embarrassing. I honestly wish I had yours.”
Paul smirked. “Don’t get any funny ideas.”
“Too late.”
The End (or To Be Continued?)
Author’s Note: Yes, another Agent Jen story. It seems like I can’t just leave this character well enough alone.
Author’s Note II: Image put together with Canva. Base image on NightCafe.
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