"Okay, remember. Stay calm. Act confident. Your bodyguards will be arriving...now."
Three quick raps sounded at the hotel door. "Hello? Sir? It's time to go."
Darren took a deep breath and looked in the bathroom mirror. The middle-aged face of Councilman Gibraltar stared back at him. He had to admit, Hannah's hologram tech had come a long way since she had first started developing it. To think, just three months ago the device had him looking like a faceless gray blob. He tilted his head side to side. Every wrinkle and pore in the Councilman's face was being flawlessly recreated in three dimensions. If Darren didn't know better, he would've thought he was staring through a window at the dignitary himself. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Now he just had to play the part.
"Sir! Are you there?"
Darren cleared his throat. "Yes, yes, I'll be right out. Don't rush me." He rubbed his neck. Hannah had whipped up a rudimentary implant to lower the tone of Darren's voice, but the particular accent and vocal habits of the Councilor had taken quite a bit of rehearsal. Granted, the overbearing politician was a fun role to play, but it would be difficult to enjoy the character considering one slip up could get him arrested, or worse.
Darren shook his head. No need to think about that. Time to act. He flipped off the light in the bathroom and made his way to the front door. He stared at the smooth wooden surface for a few seconds, steeling himself. This is what he had been preparing for. Reaching the councilor's burly hand for the doorknob, Darren exited the hotel room.
A pair of imposing men in dark suits stood side-by-side in the carpeted hallway, watching the door patiently as Darren flung it open. He stood boldly in the doorway, staring eye-to-eye at the nearest agent. Time to get into character. Subordinates, that's all they were.
"Well?" He clapped the bodyguard on the shoulder. "Let's get a move on, shall we?"
The man nodded. "Yes sir." With the efficiency of a machine, he pivoted and led Darren into the nearby elevator. Whoo. They bought it. Darren tried to look mildly agitated as the agent on his right tapped the button for the ground floor. So far so good.
Darren's earpiece crackled to life. "Nice. The disguise worked. You should see Hannah right now, man. She looks like she's about to explode."
Darren briefly met eyes with the agent on his left before turning to stare coldly at the elevator doors. Hopefully the sweat running down the back of his neck wouldn't mess up the hologram.
After a few seconds of silence, the doors slid open with a pleasant ding.
A bodyguard stepped out in front of Darren, scanning the area before motioning him into the parking garage. A midnight blue limousine was parked in front of the elevator, engine running. Darren's eyes widened for a split second. Okay, so the councilor liked to ride in style. He could get behind that. Darren sauntered up to the door of the limo, straightening his back and posing expectantly.
"Ahem."
The two bodyguards exchanged a brief look of disdain. The agent to Darren's right stepped forward and gruffly yanked open the door. Darren avoided eye contact as he took his seat in the back of the limo.
Paul's deep baritone voice crackled over Darren's earpiece. "Uh, maybe don't overdo the whole 'pretentious executive' thing. Gibraltar is a planetary councilor, not ruler of the universe." Darren heard some shuffling over the earpiece. "And please, please please, be careful with the hologram." Hannah couldn't help herself. "You're in full view of those two agents now. If for any reason that hologram cuts out, you're history. Just—just make sure you don't mess anything up. We're counting on you."
Darren stared out the tinted window as the limo began to move. This would all be over in just a few minutes. They exited the parking garage and got on the highway. As he watched the colorful glass buildings of the city fly by, Darren ran through the mission in his mind for what seemed like the fiftieth time. Councilor Gibraltar was scheduled to meet with the President of Horus, a planet from several galaxies over, regarding the recent insurrection in the Republic of the Crater. All intergalactic transmissions were made from the Councilors' own headquarters here on Earth. Darren's job was to infiltrate the Councilor's office, save a copy of his hard drive, and escape as soon as he had the chance. Simple. The client that had contacted Paul a few weeks back had promised—
Wait. Darren wrenched his head around. No. It couldn't have been. There, shrinking into the distance, was the sign marking the exit to the Councilors' HQ. Darren stared, processing what had happened for a moment.
"Er..." Darren whispered, casually covering his mouth with one hand, "Was that my exit?"
"What the—where are you going?"
"You tell me." If Paul was confused, he might be in more trouble than he thought. Darren knocked on the dark glass separating him from the driver.
The bodyguard in the passenger seat rolled the window down. "Yes sir?"
"How much longer will it be?" Darren chose his words carefully, making sure to keep up his crude impersonation of Gibraltar without sounding too suspicious.
The bodyguard turned to face forward. "Not long at all, sir."
Darren settled back in his seat. Though he wore a blank, slightly bored expression, internally Darren was in full crisis mode. Over the comms, Paul was having a similar, louder reaction.
"Not long at all? Not long at all? Do you have any idea how many things are 'not far at all' in the center of Morale? The city's basically one giant shopping mall!"
Paul was interrupted by a stern yet soothing voice. "Keep calm," said Grace, "We can think this through. Don't ask any more questions, Darren. You seem to be doing well so far. They don't suspect a thing."
Doing well? Hannah's tech was the only thing doing well in this whole operation. Although his state of mind was currently in a flailing tailspin, Darren appreciated Grace's compliment on his acting.
Several miles away, Grace, Paul and Hannah were staked out in a cream colored minivan. Sitting in the passenger seat, Paul was decked out with three monitors bolted into the walls and windows. In addition to this, Paul had a slim laptop perched on both knees, tilted slightly so Hannah could easily see the screen from the backseat.
In the two hours they had been waiting, Grace had reclined the driver's seat all the way back. Now jolting upright, she was tying back her hair and taking command. "Let's think about this rationally. Now, we know for a fact that the Councilman is meeting with the President of Horus today, right?"
Paul nodded. "It was even on the news."
"And we know that Darren is not headed to the intergalactic conference room in Morale, right?"
"Oh!" Paul sat up, nearly dropping the laptop. "If Gibraltar wasn't planning on meeting with the President of Horus here in the city, that means—"
Paul was cut off by a screech from Hannah. "They're loading Darren onto a shuttle to Horus!" She punched Grace in the arm. "Quick, start the van! We have to get to the Space Station!"
Grace nodded. She flipped the back of her seat up and turned the ignition. "If we hurry, we should be able to make it there a few minutes before Darren's limo."
Paul removed his bulky pair of headphones, hanging them around his neck. "That's it, isn't it? We failed the mission."
Hannah leaned forward. "Never mind that now. Darren's disguise will only keep him safe for so long. We have to save him!"
"Well how are we supposed to do that?" Paul massaged his temples. "He has bodyguards watching every step he takes."
Grace floored it, whipping Paul's head back into his headrest. "Brainstorm, people, come on!" shouted Grace, "We'll be there in two!"
"Okay, okay, um..." Paul was rapidly typing on his laptop. "Looks like Shuttle 612 is set to launch in twelve minutes. Luxury class. Looks like our best bet. It's on Pad 14."
"Fourteen. Got it." Grace continued to accelerate, weaving between cars as she sped toward the Station. "What kind of security are we looking at?"
"Well, it's a private ship, but they are transporting an Earth Councilor. I would hazard a guess of around half a dozen men," said Paul, "And don't forget, Darren will be under close watch from beginning to end."
Grace's ponytail bounced up and down as they tore over cracks in the road. "Okay, so we're going to need to get creative. Hannah, you brought an extra holographic disguise, right?"
"Yep." Hannah flipped around in her seat to reach into the trunk. She pulled a metal briefcase onto her lap. "You remember how to—OOF!" Grace slammed on the brakes, sending Hannah's face into the seat in front of her.
"Nice signaling, imbecile!" roared Grace.
"Station'll be on our right, Grace." Paul donned his headphones, adjusting the attached microphone. "Alright Darren, we're almost to the Station. Our new mission is to get you out of there alive. Just lay low and stay calm for now."
On the screen bolted into the passenger airbag, Paul could see that Darren was still staring out the window. A cerulean blue office building whizzed by the limo. Ah! The Monolith Corporation building. Darren was still a couple miles behind the minivan.
"Er...guys?" asked Hannah, "What are we going to do with him?" She jabbed a thumb to her left. Gagged and tightly seatbelted in place was Councilor Gibraltar, head slumped over in a deep sleep.
"What, you have the Councilor with you?" Darren's raspy monotone whisper hummed over the car's speakers.
"We were planning on dropping him off when we picked you up from the Council Headquarters." said Paul, "Now shut up. They'll hear you. We've got things under control."
Darren flicked his eyes over to the driver's seat, but neither of the two bodyguards seemed to have noticed his muttering to himself. Continuing to stare out the window, he casually patted the side of his leg, feeling for the weapon strapped to his waist. Flicking the 'on' switch with his right hand, Darren coughed loudly into his elbow to mask the noise of his Stunner powering up. He had a feeling things were about to get a little dicey.
"You feeling okay back there, sir?" The bodyguard driving the car glanced at Darren in the rear view mirror.
Had the driver seen anything? "Oh, yes, yes, I'm quite alright." Darren may have answered a little too quickly. "And yourself?"
The driver blinked. "I'm doing fine, sir."
Darren cleared his throat, wriggling in his seat. "I'm, uh, glad to hear that."
Sarcastic applause echoed through Darren's earpiece. "Bravo. This is why we chose you to go undercover."
Darren twisted to face the corner, gritting his teeth. "Your plan is the one falling to pieces."
With a lurch in his gut, Darren realized the limo was getting off the highway. Morale Space Station itself was an enormous multifaceted armored glass dome surrounded by launch pads on all sides. Despite his current situation, the way the sun glinted off of the edges of the dome filled Darren with a sort of awe. He had never been this close to Morale Station.
The limo pulled up alongside the entrance to the dome. As soon as they had stopped, one of the bodyguards exited the vehicle and opened Darren's door.
"Right this way, sir," he said, "We'll be launching in just a few minutes."
Darren followed the man through a high granite arch leading into the Station. Crowds of civilians were wandering from gate to gate. Some sat on benches, looking bored while they waited for a particular ship to arrive. Some held up homemade signs, apparently expecting friends or family on an upcoming shuttle.
"Clear a path, please." The head bodyguard waved incoming pedestrians off to the side, leading Darren toward gate 14. A friendly clerk stood at a desk in front of a set of double doors. He didn't say a word as the suits marshaled Darren onto the bridge.
Darren and his two guards entered a small, drafty tunnel that wasn't fully connected to the building. The bridge slowly ramped upward, ending at the smooth, white shuttle entrance. At the far end of the tunnel, faintly silhouetted against the shuttle interior, stood a female bodyguard. She wore a dark suit akin to Darren's own escorts, with a simple silver ribbon pinned to her lapel.
The officer strode confidently down the hall. "Well done, gentlemen. I'll take it from here."
Chills went down Darren's spine as the bodyguard behind him drew uncomfortably close.
"Oh, really?" The bodyguard in front of Darren widened his stance, subtly blocking him from this new agent. "I was informed that we were to escort the councilor to the embassy in Horus."
The woman didn't bat an eye. "I am here to inform you of your new orders. The director has deemed it is unnecessary for you to make the trip, agent. We need all the men that we can get here on Earth."
"I see." The agent narrowed his eyes and began to approach his female superior. "And what division are you from exactly? Forgive me if I'm being rude, but I don't recall seeing your face before."
The officer crossed her arms and stood her ground. "Victoria Wall. Head officer of the Foreign Affairs division."
Darren's bodyguard continued to advance up the ramp until he was just a foot away from the officer. "Foreign Affairs, huh?" He turned to look Darren in the eyes. "What do you think, sir? Do you recognize her?"
A thick silence hung in the air. Darren could hardly breathe.
The woman's eyes burned into Darren's, daring him to speak.
"Actually, now that you mention it, I do think she looks familiar," Darren began, "It's—"
The bodyguard in front lashed out at Wall with a blindingly fast leg sweep, but she was ready for it. Hopping over the attack, she whipped out a crackling metal rod and drove it into her assailant's side. The agent shook violently for a moment before collapsing to the dusty floor.
Before he had time to react, an arm curled around Darren's neck, wrenching him to his knees. The cold barrel of a gun pressed uncomfortably into his neck. In a panic, Darren tried to grab for his Stunner, but the agent had pinned his arms to his back and was showing no signs of letting go.
"Nobody move!" The bodyguard's husky voice resounded through the bridge. He leaned in next to Darren's head. "Who are you, and what have you done with the councilor?"
Wall put her hands in the air. "Woah, woah, calm down, buddy. You want to talk?" Slowly bending down, she placed her weapon on the floor. "We'll talk. We're not here to hurt anyone."
Metal twisted into the skin of Darren's neck. "Start explaining. No sudden movements or the impostor takes a bullet in the skull."
"Okay, okay." Keeping one arm up in the air, the officer reached down to her face. She tapped her right temple three times in quick succession. The face of Officer Victoria Wall flickered and disappeared.
Now standing at least six inches shorter, the girl couldn't have been older than eighteen. Dressed in a simple gray sweatshirt and jeans, she wore a gravely serious expression, maintaining eye contact with the agent. Darren's jaw tightened.
She took off a small pair of metal framed goggles and tossed them on the ground. The holographic disguise.
Darren felt his captor's grip shift slightly. "I recognize you," said the agent, "You're that kid on our watchlist. Grace Graham."
Grace nodded. "The councilor you've got there is actually my associate, Darren Glyph."
The agent's grip on Darren tightened. "Why are you here? Why hijack a ship to Horus?"
Grace flicked her eyes down to Darren, slightly unnerved. "We're trying to get to a different planet. You know, to escape justice and all that? We were thinking Alexandria. They've got nice beaches."
"I see." The bodyguard glanced down at Darren. "And where is the real councilor?"
"He's safe, don't worry. I stashed him in the men's room before coming up here. We've sedated him, but we'd never hurt him." Grace bowed her head. "Despite my reputation, I'm still loyal to this planet."
The agent took a deep breath, assessing the situation. "Well in any case, you're both under arrest." Swiftly whipping a pair of handcuffs from his belt, he had Darren bound before he could protest.
The bodyguard seemed to have calmed down. "If you're truly still loyal to your planet, you won't try and resist. Maybe they'll even let you off easy for your past crimes." He rose to his feet.
"Wait a second." He paused and cocked his head. "If you wanted to get to Alexandria without getting arrested, why didn't you just take the civilian shuttle?"
Grace gave Darren a blank look.
The bodyguard tapped the goggles on the floor with his shoe. "I mean, you have these disguises. It's not like anyone would be able to recognize you."
"Well, the thought crossed our minds, of course." Grace kept her arms safely above her head. "But the thing about that is..." She turned to the wall, mumbling incoherently out of the side of her mouth.
The agent scowled, raising his firearm at Grace. "What? What did yo—" With a sharp crackling, his body began to shake and spasm wildly. Darren twisted his head to watch the bodyguard sink to the floor in a heap that smelled faintly of barbecue.
"Now that was cutting it a little close." Hannah rushed over to Darren and began to saw through his cuffs.
"A little close?" Darren stared at Hannah indignantly. "A little close? I was sure we were done for!"
"We had it under control." Paul walked into Darren's field of view, bending over to retrieve the incapacitated agent's handgun. "Grace was performing beautifully. We left the van to intervene as soon as that whack job pulled a gun on you."
Grace began adjusting her ponytail. "Come on, Darren. Surely you've been working with us long enough to know when we're really in any danger."
"But—but—" Darren turned his head to each of his friends. No one was freaking out about this?
"Speaking of danger," said Hannah, "There are definitely, like, two dozen suits converging on us right now." Her miniature blade cut through Darren's restraints. "Ah! Got it!"
Darren sprang to his feet, loose cuffs dangling from each wrist. Had he heard right? "More men are converging on us? Like, entering the Station? Blocking our only exit?"
"Not our only exit." Grace ran up the ramp, ducking into the shuttle.
"You—what?" Darren turned to Paul. "We're actually taking the shuttle?"
Hannah and Paul wasted no time following Grace. "Unless you got a better idea," said Paul.
Hannah motioned to Darren. "Come on, Councilor! Your ship is waiting." She ducked through the doorway.
Glancing back at the Station doors, Darren dashed after the group. How long did they have?
Darren entered a cramped airlock. Carbon fiber spacesuits hung in rows on the wall. Huge vents stretched over each cold metal plated wall. Cool. This was the first real airlock Darren had ever seen. The space was lit by a dim fluorescent blue light, giving Darren the feeling of being packed in a refrigerator.
As soon as Darren got on the shuttle, Paul punched a panel on the wall and the door slid shut with a hiss.
Darren stepped over to Grace, who was balancing on a metal rung ladder, attempting to twist open a hatch on the ceiling. "Do we even know how to fly this thing?" he said.
"Eh, we'll figure it out. It's not exactly rocket science, is it?" Grace flashed Darren an amused grin before pushing up into the next room.
Hannah began to climb up the ladder but stopped dead as the sound of Grace's voice echoed through the airlock. "Oh, hi guys," she said. She called backward, "Don't worry, Councilor! It's safe up here!"
Hannah and Paul frantically stared at Darren. Paul began wildly gesturing up at the hatch.
Scrambling up the ladder, Darren put on his Councilor Gibraltar voice again. "Thank you very much, Miss Graham." Six confused technicians watched Darren from padded chairs. They each sat at a console displaying assorted system diagnostics and controls. Oh, right. The crew.
Darren stood up straight, commanding the attention of the small control room. "Gentlemen, I have some bad news. The trip has been cancelled."
The scientists stared at Darren expectantly.
Darren cleared his throat. "I'm afraid..." He choked on his words, struggling to maintain composure. Then he broke down into tears, throwing his head into his hands. "Horus has been destroyed!"
Darren continued to bawl for several seconds, not daring to look up and gauge his audience's reaction.
The room fell into an uncomfortable silence.
Grace was glaring at Darren in disbelief.
"What happened?" The technician sounded thoroughly unconcerned.
"It was...uh," Darren looked up at the attentive scientists, fake tears running down his cheek. Think, think! You're good at improv! This is what you've been practicing for!
"Space...worm."
"Alright, that's it." Grace lunged at the nearest technician, pummeling him in the chest with her Stunner.
Hannah leapt up out of the airlock, rushing another technician and Stunning him before Darren could say another word.
A technician began frantically typing on his console before Grace spun around and struck him in the back. Another tried to run for the airlock. Jumping to intercept, Hannah reached an arm out and clipped his shoulder with the Stunner, knocking him down with a loud ripping shock. Within a few seconds six government technicians were strewn about the slick white floor, twitching occasionally. Grace and Hannah had cleared the control room.
"Well then." Darren took his Stunner out of his pocket and powered it off. "Nice job."
Paul poked his head out of the airlock. "Guys, the suits are here. I overrode the shuttle's locking system, but I don't know how long that'll stop them."
Grace shoved an unconscious technician out of his chair with a thump and sat down. "Paul, get up here. We're going to initiate launch."
Paul clambered up the ladder, twisting the hatch shut behind him. He stepped to the nearest console and immediately began typing.
Darren stepped over a man in a crumpled lab coat and took a seat next to Paul. "So you're serious. We're actually going into space."
Paul's eyes were glued to the screen. "Never been? Don't worry, I'll show you the sights."
Hannah leaned against Paul. "Not to rush you guys, but you really need to rush right about now."
Grace tilted her head back. "We can be airborne in 75 seconds."
Paul's fingers flew across the keyboard. "Make that 45."
The engines began to whir, building from a low growl to a moderate roar.
Darren got up and started pacing around the room. "Okay, okay. So we're doing this. We're doing this!"
A loud whoosh sounded from below. Footsteps clattered through the metal walls.
Paul's eyes widened. "They've already bypassed the locking system."
Darren froze. "What do we do?"
Grace kept both hands busy, flipping switches on the wall as well as inputting commands on the console. "We need you to buy us some time. Don't let them get in here."
The large wheel on the hatch began to squeak and turn. Darren rushed over and began twisting it the other way. "Easier said than done!"
Hannah's head perked up. "Wait, Paul! I've got an idea! Can you manually control the airlock from here?"
"Er, yeah," said Paul, "What are you thinking?"
Hannah poked a finger at the console, completely blocking Paul's view with her hair. "Isn't it obvious? Just reduce the oxygen levels in the airlock to like, twenty percent or something. You know. Pass-out level."
Paul raised a finger thoughtfully. "I can do that. Just make sure the hatch is fully sealed in the next five seconds."
Darren nodded. He could do that. He reversed the direction of the wheel, pulling the hatch open. The startled face of an agent stared up at him for a split second. Darren lifted a boot and stomped him down into the airlock, slamming the hatch shut again.
Paul's eyes welled up with tears. He hadn't blinked in the last minute. "Sealing outer door...oxygen control...40% of the usual level should do the trick."
Darren grabbed ahold of the hatch, which was rattling violently. "Hurry!"
Paul swiveled to look at Darren. "Geez, calm down. These things take time, you know."
Straining with all his might, Darren was barely holding the wheel in place. The skin on his hands felt like it would tear off. "We don't have time!"
The rattling and clanging of the hatch grew more and more violent. Darren threw himself on top of the hatch, desperate to keep it sealed.
The noise of what sounded like a thousand vacuum cleaners suddenly rose up from below. The jostling of the hatch grew even more frantic for a few seconds, nearly throwing Darren onto the floor.
One thump was heard. Then two. Darren's hands shook as he realized wheel had stopped turning. Filled with overwhelming relief, he flopped off of the metal wheel, landing on top of a nearby technician.
"Ah. There we go." Hannah walked over and twisted the hatch completely shut. She triumphantly strolled over to the nearest chair. "We ready to launch?"
"Strap in." Paul glanced over at Darren. "You're going to want to be seated for this."
Darren staggered to his feet. He was too dazed to say anything but, "Okay." He sat down next to Grace and fastened the built-in restraints around his chest.
"Well, fasten your seat belts, ladies and gentlemen," said Paul, "Launching in T-minus 5..."
Paul was cut off by the creaking sound of the hatch wheel slowly turning.
Darren gripped his armrests. "Launch! Launch!"
Paul slammed his fist on a blue button above his shoulder. Darren was thrown back into his seat as the roar of the engine enveloped him. Hey, this wasn't so bad. Sure, he could barely move, but the feeling of moving fast enough to exit the atmosphere was sort of...fun.
Then the shuttle accelerated, liquifying any thoughts Darren was attempting to form. He tried to scream, but his lungs refused to exhale properly. An open-mouthed grimace froze on his face.
Frantically, Darren glanced back toward the hatch. He'd hate to be in the airlock right about now.
The shuttle continued to accelerate for about five minutes, but it felt like an hour to Darren. He glanced around at his teammates. Paul had his eyes firmly closed, and was gritting his teeth as they flew. Hannah, like himself, seemed to be trying to scream, but Grace had a frantic, stretched out smile planted on her face, like she was enjoying a thrilling roller coaster.
The consoles and metal plating shook wildly as they tore through the atmosphere. Blood pumped through Darren's skull. He struggled to remain conscious. Tears pooled in his eyes and flew down his face. Every one of his extremities felt like it would tear off at any second.
And then it was over.
Gradually the shaking subsided and Darren could feel himself starting to slow down. The roar of the engines phased into a quiet hum. The shuttle ceased acceleration, and feeling began to flow back into Darren's hands and feet. Realizing he had been cramping his hands gripping the armrests, Darren stretched his fingers and tried to rub the numbness out of his palms.
Darren shuddered and took a deep breath. Everything suddenly seemed unnaturally quiet. Looking around at his friends, Darren could see everyone was taking a moment to rest. Hannah stretched her arms far out behind her. There was a silent peace throughout the control room. One that no one wanted to break, at least for a little while.
Darren ripped off his disguise. "Now what?"
Submitted March 14, 2016 at 05:02PM by Flying_Narwhal423 http://ift.tt/1V6d5VK WritingPrompts
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