The moment Paul entered OPESTM headquarters, he noticed something had changed. The building was still crowded.
Soldiers were moving through the corridors. Officers were carrying files. Communication devices kept ringing from different departments.
But the headquarters no longer felt like a military organisation. It felt like a place waiting for someone to decide whether it still had a reason to exist.
The Five Leaves had already left Earth.
Their arrival had destroyed more than buildings and soldiers. It had damaged the confidence of almost everyone inside OPESTM.
Nobody had expected Earth to stand against them. Nobody had expected the MJC to show interest in their planet. And nobody knew what would happen next.
Paul walked through the main corridor. A few soldiers noticed him and saluted. He returned the gesture without stopping.
Near the eastern wall, several damaged weapons were placed on a long table. Some of them had been recovered from the battlefield. Others had been brought back from the areas destroyed during the attack.
A technician stood beside them, staring at a broken rifle.
-Can it be repaired? the technician asked.
The soldier beside him shook his head.
-Not without replacing half of the internal system.
-Then replace it.
-We don't have the parts.
The technician looked at the rifle again.
-Then write that down.
Paul continued walking. The organisation was still functioning.
Barely.
He reached the main operations room. Mpho was sitting on a desk with a bottle of orange juice in his hand. Paul stopped in front of him.
-You know that is not your desk.
Mpho looked around.
-Interesting. I thought it belonged to the organisation.
- It does.
-Then I am using it for organisational purposes.
Paul stared at him. Mpho took another sip.
-You look tired.
-I am tired.
-You look more tired than usual.
-Thank you.
-You're welcome.
Paul looked toward the room.
Jafor was standing beside a large screen, reviewing several reports. Sally was speaking with two communication officers. Andrzej was sitting in front of a computer with three different files open.
Nesar stood near the window. He was watching the soldiers outside. Paul walked toward the centre of the room.
-What is the situation?
Jafor immediately turned toward him.
-Reports are still coming in. We have confirmed the loss of several soldiers. The number of injured is still being updated.
-Equipment?
-Damaged. A lot of it. Some units have already requested replacements.
-Can we provide them?
Jafor paused.
-Not immediately.
Paul nodded.
-And the countries?
Sally looked away from her device.
-They are asking questions.
-What kind of questions?
-Why the Five Leaves were allowed to enter Earth. Why OPESTM couldn't stop them. Why the MJC is interested in us. Why we are still operating.
Mpho raised his bottle.
-That last question is becoming popular.
Paul looked at him. Mpho shrugged.
-I'm just saying.
Andrzej leaned back in his chair.
-They also want to know whether we are going to submit.
The room became quiet. Paul looked at him.
-Submit to what?
Andrzej gave him a tired look.
-You know what I mean.
Nobody answered. The word had already been moving through the headquarters for days.
Submission. Resistance. Cooperation.Survival.
The MJC had given Earth a choice, but nobody understood the full meaning of that choice. The Five Leaves had shown them the difference between Earth's strength and the strength of the Megaverse.
The difference was too large to ignore. Nesar finally turned away from the window.
-If they wanted us destroyed, we would already be dead.
Andrzej looked at him.
-That is supposed to make me feel better?
-It should.
-But I'm sorry. It doesn't. At least to me.
Nesar crossed his arms.
-Then you have a personal problem.
Mpho smiled.
-And this is why we keep him around.
Nesar looked at him.
-You keep me around because I am stronger than you.
-No. I keep you around because you carry heavy things.
- What did you say?
- You should know what I have said.
- I think you need to know your place.
Mpho stood up
-Give it a try
Paul placed a file on the table.
-Enough.
Everyone looked at him. He opened the file.
-The board wants a complete report before the end of the day. Casualties. Equipment damage. Civilian losses. Every known detail about the Five Leaves incident.
Andrzej stared at the file.
-They want everything today?
-Yes.
Paul looked at him.
-it's already been long since the incident. We need to reorganize everything as fast as we can. And Andrzej you are the most reliable person here, so I am giving you the charge of everything.
Andrzej slowly closed his eyes. Mpho leaned toward him.
-You should be proud. They trust you.
-They trust me to suffer.
-That is still trust.
Paul ignored them.
-Jafor, you will handle the casualty and equipment reports.
Jafor nodded.
-Understood.
-Sally, take the international communications. Record every request and every statement. Do not give them anything beyond what has already been approved.
-Understood.
-Andrzej, review the damage reports from the field teams. Separate confirmed information from rumours.
- I am already in charge of everything, Sir.
- Yes, so that for me also.
Andrzej looked at the files.
-That will take hours.
-Then start now.
Andrzej sighed.
-Of course. Yes, Sir!
Paul turned toward Mpho and Nesar.
-Mpho, you will inspect the eastern training division. Make sure the soldiers are still capable of responding if something happens.
Mpho lowered his bottle.
-You want me to motivate them?
-I want you to inspect them.
-That sounds less enjoyable.
-Nesar will go with you.
Nesar nodded immediately. Mpho looked at him.
-Why?
-Because you need supervision.
Mpho stared at him.
-You are the last person who should supervise anyone.
Nesar smiled.
-Then we understand each other.
Paul closed the file.
-You have two hours.
Everyone began moving.
Jafor collected the reports and walked toward the operations desk. Sally returned to the communication officers. Andrzej gathered the files from his desk and carried them to a larger table.
Mpho remained where he was.
Paul looked at him.
-What?
Mpho studied his face.
-You didn't assign yourself anything.
-I have work.
-What work?
Paul looked toward the main screen. Several messages were appearing one after another. Requests from governments. Orders from the board. Questions from military divisions. Warnings from intelligence departments. Paul looked back at Mpho.
-I have to answer them.
Mpho's expression changed slightly.
-That's not work.
Paul said nothing.
-That's just people asking you to make a decision they don't want to make themselves.
Paul looked at him for a moment. Then he turned away.
-Go to the training division.
Mpho watched him.
-You know, Paul, you can tell me when you're worried.
-I'm not worried.
-Yes, you are.
-I'm busy.
-That wasn't a denial.
Paul walked toward the communication room. Mpho looked at Nesar.
-He's getting worse.
Nesar followed his gaze.
-He has always been like this.
-Not this much.
Nesar did not answer immediately.
Then he said,
-This is what we were created for.
Mpho looked at him.
-What?
Nesar looked toward the damaged weapons on the table.
-This. Situations nobody understands. Enemies nobody can measure. Orders that arrive too late.
He paused.
-This is why OPESTM exists.
Mpho took another sip of orange juice.
-You actually believe that?
-Yes.
-You believe we were created to stand in front of things that can destroy us?
Nesar turned toward him.
-I believe we were created to stand between them and everyone else.
Mpho looked at him for a long moment.
-That sounds very noble.
-It is not noble.
-Then what is it?
Nesar's expression remained calm.
-Duty.
Mpho looked down at his bottle. Outside, several soldiers were carrying damaged equipment toward the storage area.
Some of them were injured. Some were silent. Some were pretending nothing had happened. Mpho watched them for a while.
-You know what I think?
Nesar waited.
-I think we have spent too much of our lives preparing for a war that nobody on Earth understood.
Nesar said nothing. Mpho continued.
-And now that the war has finally arrived, we are not even sure whether we are supposed to fight.
Nesar looked at him.
-That is not the same as having no purpose.
Mpho gave him a faint smile.
-You always have an answer.
-No. I just don't enjoy questions.
Before Mpho could respond, Paul's voice came through the communication device.
-Mpho. Nesar. Eastern division. Now.
Mpho sighed.
-See? He is already missing us.
Nesar started walking.
-He is missing the report.
-Don't ruin the moment.
They left the room. The eastern training division was almost empty.
A group of soldiers stood in formation near the far end of the field. Their movements were slow. Their attention was divided. They had all heard about the Five Leaves.
Some had seen them. Most had only heard the reports. But every soldier understood the same thing. The enemy had not treated them as a real threat. Mpho stood in front of the formation.
-At ease.
The soldiers relaxed slightly. Mpho looked at them.
-How many of you think OPESTM is finished?
Nobody moved. Mpho raised an eyebrow.
-You can raise your hands. The building won't collapse.
A few soldiers exchanged glances. One of them slowly raised his hand. Then another. Then several more. Mpho nodded.
-At least you are honest.
Nesar stood beside him.
-How many of you think we should submit to the MJC?
This time, nobody raised a hand. Mpho looked at Nesar.
-You are not very good at this.
Nesar ignored him.
-How many of you think we should resist?
A few hands rose. Not many. Nesar looked at them.
-Why?
One soldier stepped forward.
-Because if we submit now, we may never get the chance to decide anything for ourselves again.
Nesar nodded. Another soldier spoke.
-If we resist, we may not survive long enough to decide anything.
The field became quiet. Mpho looked at the soldiers. There was no courage in their faces. There was no cowardice either.
Only uncertainty.
The same uncertainty that had filled the headquarters. Mpho turned toward Nesar.
-What do we tell them?
Nesar looked at the formation.
-The truth.
Mpho waited. Nesar spoke.
-We do not know what the correct decision is.
The soldiers listened.
-We do not know whether the MJC will protect us or control us. We do not know whether resistance will save our freedom or destroy our planet.
He paused.
-But until a decision is made, you will continue training.
One soldier frowned.
-For what?
Nesar looked at him.
-For the day we find out.
Mpho looked at Nesar. For once, he did not make a joke. By late afternoon, the operations room had become quieter. The reports were finally being organised.
The communication devices had stopped ringing every few seconds. Andrzej was still working. Jafor stood beside him, reviewing the last set of casualty records.
-You missed three names, Jafor said.
Andrzej looked at the screen.
-Those are duplicates.
-No. They are from different divisions.
Andrzej rubbed his eyes.
-Of course they are.
Jafor placed another file beside him.
-And these?
Andrzej stared at it.
-What are they?
-Equipment requests.
-How many?
Jafor looked at the pages.
-Too many.
Andrzej leaned back.
-Excellent. We are officially alive.
Jafor almost smiled. Across the room, Sally removed her headset. Paul looked at her.
-How bad?
-Some governments are demanding a public statement. Others want OPESTM to accept direct supervision.
-From whom?
-The MJC.
Paul turned toward the window. The sky outside was beginning to darken.
-Was OPESTM's detention of Corlowall in Nicaragua maintained?
-Yes, Sir.
Paul remained silent. Corlowall had been the Director of OPESTM for years. He had made decisions that affected the entire planet. He had rejected the MJC's offer.
And ever since, he has been detained and nobody had heard a word from him.
Sally was still watching him.
-Do you want me to check on the facility again?
-No. Leave it.
The communicator on his desk began to ring. Paul looked down at it. David's name was on the screen. He picked it up.
-David.
David's voice came through, calm and organised, the way it always was even when nothing about a situation was calm.
-Hey, Paul. Can you just immediately come to me.
-Why?
-Our beloved De Nemo has come to me. He has some request. So I need you right now.
Paul went still. Across the room, Mpho looked up from his bottle. Jafor stopped writing. Even Andrzej lifted his eyes from the files in front of him. Paul kept his voice level.
-I'm on my way.
He set the communicator down. For a moment, he simply stood there. Four years. Not a call. Not a message. Not a single word.
And now, on the same day Corlowall's silence had finally started to feel permanent, De Nemo had walked back into OPESTM as if no time had passed at all.
Paul looked at the others. Nobody asked him anything. Nobody needed to. He walked out of the room.
To be continued…..