by Hao Yang
Jason thought for several seconds and then told the old Oepttese how they found the Hylocan eyeball and what he knew about the eyeball. But he didn’t mention anything about the Hylocan and superace.
“Very interesting. Based on your story, now Glycan is in possession of the eyeball.” The old Oepttese said in a doubting voice.
“As far as I know. Take me to see Gloria.”
“You see, the information you provided is valueless. I will give you more time to think about it.” The old Oepttese said as he turned around.
“Let me see Gloria. Please!” Jason said in a begging voice.
The Oepttese and his companies walked away leisurely.
Chapter 152
When Mark ran to Jason, he thought Jason was dead. To his surprise, the badge in Jason’s pocket stopped the bullet and Jason was still alive but lost a lot of blood from the wound on his leg. Mark knew those Oepttese didn’t gave a damn about a Human’s life, even though they were currently fight side by side against Dolanz. Mark told a senior officer about the Hylocan eyeball and offered to find the eyeball for Oepttese in exchange for their help to save Jason’s life. The senior officer didn’t believe Mark but he had medics take care of Jason while he reported this matter to his commander. The commander heard about the speculations regarding the 10 Estian vessels that destroyed each other. He talked with Mark and decided to give it a shot. He sent three vessels and 500 soldiers to go with Mark.
Lucky for Mark, the tracer he placed on Cruiser General Klizan still worked. He knew this was a one way ticket, because Human tried before and it didn’t end up well. Back then, after Mark and Salmon reported to Treton London that they attached a tracer on Cruiser General Klizan, Treton sent five vessels to retrieve the Hylocan eyeball. The five vessels simply disappeared without a trace.
It had been four days since he started the trip with Oepttese. Right now Mark was sitting in a small compartment. Those Oepttese locked him up in the compartment all the time. Mark was bored and worried. He didn’t really know whether the eyeball was on the cruiser or not. He recalled that Diilre made the cruiser to accommodate Hylocan’s ultimate weapon. He reasoned that if Glycan wanted to use the eyeball, they must use the cruiser as a platform. He did hope Oepttese found the eyeball this time, because Jason was in their hands right now.
Just this moment, the door opened and an Oepttese carried dinner into the room, followed by a senior officer.
“We will know whether you are a liar or not in about one hour.” The senior officer said happily.
“You may not like what you will find.” Mark said coldly.
“We came prepared.” The senior officer said confidently.
“Good for you.” Mark said with a stiff smile.
The two Oepttese left the room and locked the door behind them.
Mark looked out of the porthole and caught something coming towards the vessel from the distance. Mark thought it was a micrometeorite, but it started to slow down. It was a small probe. Then he saw another one flying to a nearby vessel.
Just when Mark was wondering whether to report this to those Oepttese, some 300 vessels appeared right in front of his eyes in a blink. It was a Glycan fleet cruising in a battle formation. The symbols on the hulls showed that it was the Seventh fleet. Some 30 combat cruisers swiftly surrounded the three Oepttese vessels.
General Kalan was sitting in the bridge of the flag vessel. He established the communication with Oepttese and requested their commander to meet him on his vessel.
Ten minutes later, the Opettese commander stepped into the bridge, followed by his aide. Kalan glanced over at the Oepttese without a care. He never liked those four arms creatures.
“What is your name?” Kalan asked coldly.
“My name is General Eutiew.” The Oepttese said slowly. He was old but strong, his face covered with wrinkles.
“I guess Oepttese really have to use a General to command three vessels.” Kalan said in disgust.
Eutiew smiled in embarrassment.
“What are you doing here?” Kalan asked directly.
“We are on a mission.” Eutiew said calmly.
“I can tell that. You see, we are in the middle of nowhere and anything can happen to anyone. I will ask you one last time. What is your mission?” Kalan said in a hard voice as he stood up from a chair.
“With all respect, that is classified.” Eutiew said politely.
“I see.” Kalan said as he strolled towards Eutiew, his uniform changing into an armor suit. When he walked by Eutiew’s aide, he suddenly grabbed his neck and stabbed a dagger into his belly. The aide slumped on the deck, blood spewing out like fountain.
The sudden attack shocked Eutiew. He froze there in shock, his mouth open, his body trembling.
“I hope this can cut all the bullshit. Do you remember my question?” Kalan said gently as he used Eutiew’s uniform to wipe the blood off his dagger.
“We, we, we are here to find Cruiser General Klizan!” Eutiew said in a shaking voice.
“You see, that is what I am talking about. We are looking for the same thing.” Kalan said happily as he glanced over at some 10 Glycans in the bridge.
“If you told me this early, at least you can save one life. That is all your fault.” Kalan said sadly with a big grin.
“Can I leave?” Eutiew said in panic.
“Why are you looking for Cruiser General Klizan?” Kalan asked quietly.
“We got the intel that the cruiser was carrying a huge Hylocan eyeball.”
Kalan was surprised. He never thought a second class species like Oepttese could know about the eyeball. He looked around at the Glycans in the bridge. No one was looking at them.
“How do you know this?” He asked angrily.
“We captured a Human and he told us.”
“Where is that Human?” Kalan asked hastily.
“On my vessel.”
“Have your men bring him here and then I will set you free.” Kalan said seriously.
Eutiew made the call right away and a small transporter carrying Mark arrived within 10 minutes. Kalan kept his words and set Eutiew free. He watched Eutiew board the transporter and leave the hangar. When the transporter returned to the Oepttese vessel, he flashed an evil smile and said, “Kill them all.” The moment he had Oepttese vessels surrounded, he had given the order to sever their long distance communication channels.
Hundreds of big guns fired simultaneously, tearing the three Oepttese vessels into pieces.
Chapter 153
When an Oepttese told Jason that they lost contact with his father, Jason was trying to eat those stone like buns. He felt like falling into infinite darkness. He didn’t know what to do. After a long while, he started to think other possibilities. He didn’t give up, even though he knew the odd was not on his side.
“Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!” The blaring alarm echoed in the vessel, accompanied by flashing yellow lights.
Jason pushed himself up to the porthole and saw a cloud of Dolanz space fighter jets heading towards Oepttese fleet. Following the jets, dozens of Dolanz combat vessels were approaching slowly. Oepttese’s space fighter jets were scrambling out of hangars. Tens of cannons emerged from the hull and fired at the incoming Dolanz vessels.
The space fighter jets from two sides quickly engaged. Missiles, explosions and cannon fires painted a lightning storm in the space. Jason could feel explosions were getting closer and closer. The vessel shook so bad that he couldn’t stand on his feet. Oepttese soldiers were running in the corridor. Jason knew this was a very bad sign.
“Hey, Hey, let me out! Let me out!” Jason shouted at the top of his lung.
No Oepttese even glanced over at him.
“Hey, Hey!” Jason yelled.
“Boom!” Another explosion knocked Jason on the deck. The entire vessel was trembling. Jason felt he was in the middle of an earthquake. He could hear the hull cracking. The deck was breaking apart slowly.
“Evacuation! Evacuation! Evacuat
ion!” A desperate voice howled down the corridor. Everything fell into chaos. Everyone was running for their lives.
The crack on the deck was getting bigger and bigger. Jason crawled over it and saw a hangar right below the deck. Several transporters from Human fleet were pulling in to pick up Oepttese.
“Hey! Hey! I am a Human. Here!” Jason shouted hastily. Nobody looked at him. Jason rammed himself into the crack and jostled forward, but he soon stuck in the middle of the deck. He tried to pull back, but it didn’t work.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!” A series of explosions lighted up the hull.
The crack suddenly opened up and Jason fell through it, landing on the back of an Oepttese. “Sorry, man.” Jason said as he struggled back on his feet and crippled towards the last transporter in the hangar. Dozens of Oepttese passed by him and jumped on that transporter. Jason was too far away and the transporter started to leave the hangar.
Another big explosion shook Jason off his feet. Then the gravity control malfunctioned and everything was floating around. The transporter flew out of the hangar. Jason sighed but didn’t give up. He looked around at the hangar and caught a space fighter jet in the far corner. He floated to the jet and got into it.
“Bang!” An explosion bursted through the hangar ceiling. Everything was falling apart.
Jason quickly started the engine and piloted it out of the hangar before the entire vessel blew up.
It was a complete mess outside. Hundreds of jets were dogfighting and missiles were everywhere. Dolanz fleet was trying to encircle the Oepttese fleet, but Human space fighter jets were holding them off for now.
Jason had no intention to get into the fight in this shape, because all he got was a jet gun. He quickly left the battlefield and flew the jet to the Human fleet. Just at this moment, three Dolanz jets suddenly appeared behind him. Jason pulled up right away and made several sharp turns. The three Dolanz jets stuck with Jason, blasting their guns at him. Jason made another sharp turn and headed back to the battlefield.
“Warning! Incoming missiles. Warning! Incoming missiles.” The alert sounded.
Five missiles were flying to Jason’s jet. Right at this moment, Jason swooped into the battlefield. It was like flying into a jungle. Things were happening so fast that it all depended on instinct not reflection. Jason’s jet swam among debris, crossfires and others jets like a sleek and agile eel. Crossfires knocked two missiles off Jason’s tail. Just before the leftover three missiles struck the jet, it darted to a Dolanz corvette and dove down. All three missiles hit the corvette. It was so close that some wreckages scratched Jason’s jet.
“Man, who are you?” A Human voice came in through the communicator.
“I am Jason.”
“You are a Human. How did you get into an Oepttese jet?”
“That is a very long story.” Jason said as his jet rolled backwards and shot down an Oepttese jet.
“Good job, anyway.”
The fight was getting more and more tense. Several Human jets were fighting beside Jason. The number of Dolanz jets was dwindling, Human fleet were turning the tide and started to push Dolanz back. Dolanz didn’t hold their ground and retreated.
Jason followed his new friends and landed on one of the Human carriers. The moment he crippled out of the cockpit, three men surrounded him. One looked like in his 30s and the other two were 20 some.
“Jason, right? You are good. You are very good. I am Voy, by the way.” A tall and thin man said happily as he patted Jason’s shoulder. He had a long face with spiky hair and black eyes.
“Thanks.”
“I am Rewieteinal. They just call me Rew.” A short and muscular man with brown skin said as he reached out his hand. His round face was dotted with freckles.
“Nice to meet you.” Jason said happily as he shook Rew’s hand.
“Man, you are not one of us, so where are you from?” Rew asked kindly.
Jason looked at himself. He was still wearing the prison uniform from Listan. He smiled in embarrassment and said, “I was a trainee in Guardian Fleet.”
“That explains why you are so good. It all clicked now.” The older man said happily.
“He is Kiel. The squadron leader.” Voy said.
“I recognize your voice. We talked on the radio.” Jason said.
“That is right.”
The three asked Jason about his prison uniform and his business with Oepttese. Jason briefly told them how he ended up on planet Weithei, but he didn’t mention anything about Gloria and his friends. He said Oepttese captured him right after he fought against the shark like monster. Then he diverted the topic to the wound on his leg. Kiel then took Jason to the medical bay.
It took about two hours for doctors to patch up Jason. During that time, flight control commander Colonel Willington stopped by and asked Jason some questions. Jason told the same story to him just like the one he told Kiel. After the treatment, he could walk freely with just a slight limp. He also changed his prison uniform to a jet pilot uniform. Before he left the medical bay, Willington came back and told Jason that the senior officers were aware that he was a prisoner in Listan, but they left him to decide what to do. Jason knew he couldn’t go back to the training center and he certainly didn’t want to go back to Listan. Right now he could only hide somewhere and wait things to quiet down. Then it occurred to him that why not just stay on the carrier for the time being. Willington seemed to know Jason would make such decision and he said nobody could just stay on the carrier but do nothing. Jason knew what Willington meant, so he said he could work as a pilot. Willington approved right away and took Jason to the living quarter of Kiel’s squadron.
The living quarter looked like a battered stockroom under glimmering light. Some 20 bunker beds scattered here and there as if the whole place just went through an earthquake. When Jason walked in with Willington, nobody even looked at them. Some pilots were lying on beds; some were chatting and others were just hanging around.
“Where is Kiel?” Willington shouted unhappily.
Rew glanced over at Willington and said, “He is in his room.”
“This is the new guy. Find him a bed and teach him all things.” Willington said coldly and then headed to the door.
Rew ran to Jason and said, “Nice to see you again.”
“Me too.” Jason said as he looked around. Other pilots didn’t even bother to say hi.
“Come on, this way.” Rew said as he motioned Jason to follow him.
“Huh, maybe an introduction. You know.” Jason said quietly.
“Oh, we don’t really do that here. You will get to know them sooner or later or never.” Rew muttered.
Jason flashed a bitter smile. He and Rew went to the middle of the room and picked an empty bunker bed. Jason took the lower bed and asked, “Who is sleeping upstairs?”
“He died today.” A pilot on the nearby bunker bed said carelessly.
“I see. Who does this belong to?” Jason asked quietly as he pointed the luggage under the bunker bed.
“He died today as well. You can take whatever you need. We’ve already helped ourselves.” Another pilot said coldly.
Jason smiled reluctantly. He slowly lay down on his back. It had been a long day.
Chapter 154
General Kalan was waiting impatiently as his fleet was closing to Cruiser General Klizan. He was concerned about Hylocan. Last time, they managed to seize the cruiser right in the middle of two Glycan fleets. Kalan didn’t want that happen again.
As Kalan was pondering the strategies against Hylocan, Neiteo, the deputy chief of Seventh fleet, walked to him and said, “General Kalan, we found a tracer in that Human’s body. It is made by Glycan.” Neiteo said seriously.
“From Glycan? Are you sure?” Kalan asked in confusion.
“Yes, it is the latest model of its kind.” Neiteo said firmly.
“What did that Human say?”
“It seems that he doesn’t even know about the tracer.”
&
nbsp; “What else? Did you ask him how he knew about the eyeball?”
“Not yet. He said he knows you and has something you will be interested in.” Neiteo whispered into Kalan’s ear.
“Wait. You mean he knows me?”
“He said you two met before.”
“I met him before?” Kalan asked in disgust.
“I was surprised as well, so I asked him where he met you. He said planet Agirue.”
Kalan froze there for a second and said, “This is very interesting.”
“I am also thinking about that tracer. Maybe this Human really knows something.” Neiteo said as he winked at Kalan.
“Then torture him and find out.” Kalan said decisively.
“I personally like to save it as the last resort.” Neiteo said carefully.
Kalan paused for a second and said, “OK, let’s see this Human.”
In a well-lighted compartment, Mark was fixed on a chair among all kinds of weird equipment. Mark didn’t know he was bugged until those Glycans showed him the tracer. He recalled the fight with Liutein and wondered whether that was the reason. But if Liutein wanted to kill him, there was no need to bug him. He could simply asked Treton to do it. Then Mark thought about the prison mission Treton gave him and he started to feel that this might have something to do with Jason.
Just at this moment, Kalan walked into the compartment leisurely, followed by Neiteo. He gazed at Mark for several seconds and said, “I thought you were dead.”
“Surprise?”
“What can you offer to save your ass this time?” Kalan asked directly.
“Liutein.”
Kalan was surprised but he didn’t show anything on his face. Instead he flashed a brittle smile and said, “How come I am not surprised.”
“If you don’t believe me, you can simply kill me.” Mark said calmly.
They stared at each other for several seconds.
“You are already dead. You still don’t see it?” Klaycon said easily.
“It’s a matter of opinion.”
“Where is Liutein?” Kalan asked coldly.
