“So does this complete it ?” Max stretched his shoulders, and cracked his neck, and back, which had stiffened by leaning his tall body, to the small board in the research room.
Night had dawned dark upon the land, hours from now, and Minerva was intently looking at the board — perhaps, conforming the solutions.
“I think they will work.” Minerva spoke up, looking back at Max.
“Yeah?” Max answered.
“Yeah. There doesn’t seem to be a fault, and for the next five to six days, we will perform experimentations. That is the only way to correctly know.”
Minerva turned herself to Max, as she forwarded her hand towards him, “Thank you for the cooperation, Max.”
Startled by the genuine warmth of her hand, her posture and her warming smile, he took a moment — actually, a bit more than that — as his visible, right eye, curved into his smiling eyes. Green, and brimming with life, even if false.
“It’s my duty too, equally, if not more so.” He firmly clasped her hand for a firm handshake.
“If anything, I should thank you for pushing it. After all, this mission is for me to complete.”
“You know, Max.” Minerva said, looking at him with her intense, and piercing gaze, ”This mission is crucial for all of us. All the best.”
Max gave her a small, yet warm nod, as if appreciating her genuine care. As he turned and looked at the gate of the research room, catching the edges of the clothes of the two captains standing outside.
“I will see if I can let more of the free Ghost-6s join.” He turned to Minerva, and addressed her.
As Minerva heard these words, her face underwent a journey of emotions. She said, “I don't want to stop you. But those two Ghost-6s are not here for a reason, Max. And never try to force them into this.”
“Of course. I don’t want to fight any Ghost-6s either. I don’t want to delay the mission any longer than it has been.”
Max swivelled towards the gate, as he came to an abrupt halt, and turned his head towards the research team. Quietly working, sitting, focused, as the table they surrounded was filled with hoards of papers.
“Clair.” He sounded, catching her attention. Looking at her, with his unusually confident gaze.
She paused. As her hands rolling through the sheets of paper stopped. She perhaps thought she misheard, or it was what she wanted to be true. But as her eyes, covered by her spectacles, gave a vivid picture of that fair, striking face, and observing… sweetly observing green eye. She put her papers down, and responded with evident hesitation, “Y— Yes, sir.”
“I discussed it.” He pointed at the lights. ”Perhaps your eyesight will improve too. Though, by the time you are taking to respond, and to act, I am guessing that you have a lot wrong,” He pointed his hands, waving them, as if pointing all over her body, “everywhere.”
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As he did his small speech, he turned to the gate, and moved out of the door.
“Come, Let’s go.”
Max’s voice reached the silent research room, as Minerva let out a soft chuckle which broke the silence of the room.
“Are all young people like that nowadays?” Minerva looked at Clair, with her smile blooming her face, and words finding it hard to be articulated.
“No, Mam, I assure you. He is one of a kind.” Clair responded, hues of emotions running through her face.
________________
It was seven in the morning, at the Headquarters for Space Explorations.
Like Max had ordered, the Deputy head, Dante, and the twelve other military heads of the most respected, and celebrated troops of the planet were here — in the meeting room.
The fourteen chairs were positioned around the table in a traditional fashion, as the Supreme Head, Max, and Deputy head, Dante were seated on the two distinguished chairs, opposite to each other.
In the previous meeting, Except for Dante, no Head was present. Though, they had all been elucidated about the strict, and oppressive behaviour of the novel Supreme head.
“So, our dear Heads.” Max addressed everyone. He wore a formal, Navy-blue court, which was seamlessly complementing his fairness. His sharp cuts, and his strikingly soft features, were naturally comforting for anyone to watch.
No one would guess, this handsome, young man was one of the weirdest, even amongst the weirdest of beings — the Ghost-6s.
“We are meeting for the first time, except for our veteran Deputy head Dante. So, I would love, if you guys could introduce yourself to everyone here.”
He pointed at the man, sitting beside him. His coiled, but somehow collected beard was hiding all of his lower face, yet his eyes showed the signs of small wrinkles, and a stark cut running from the top of his forehead, all the way to his ear, running just beside his left eye.
“You can start.”
The man gave a look all around the room with his drooping eyes. He stood up, with his solid build of medium stature, as he addressed Max.
“Yes, sir. I am Graniel Burolis, head of the Southern-heart troop. I have worked for 185 years of my life, of my 205 years of life. And I would be glad to lead an exploration in outer space.”
“You didn’t have to stand up,” Max responded to the enthusiastic response of the soldier. “Anyway, how did you get that scar? It almost ate your eye.”
“It is from the time of the Capsalese era, Sir. The emission of 01 was the worst in the Southern planet, and thus there were really powerful monsters formed there. I had to face one of them, and I somehow survived till Mr. Jackson arrived, and dealt with the monster.”
Max placed his hand on the table, as his lips slouched over it. “The emission’s air was directed outside the solar veil about 110 years earlier, right?”
“Yes, sir, somewhere around that.”
“119 years.” A woman head responded from a corner of the desk.
“Hmm,” Max acknowledged, “Then, just how many such monsters can be there?”
“It is estimated that more than 400 such monsters can be there.” Dante spoke, from the other end of the table. “And more powerful monsters are predicted. The clustering of 01 energy is impossible to predict though, sir.”
Max heaved a sigh. Heavy and contemplative. “This is going to be tough.”
He looked up, running his eyes all around the thirteen chairs, looking at all the faces of these veteran soldiers.
“Forget the introduction, I’ll read your names off of the charts. First tell me, how ready you guys are to give up your life?”
All the Heads, looking towards Max, sharpened their gazes. Acknowledging his presence, his evident confidence, and his insidious ferociousness.
Max abruptly stood up, as the Heads, though bewildered, excited and somehow in reminiscence of their vigilant senses of their hard-fought battles, followed suit.
“Let’s go to the open field for training.” He leaned his body on the desk, addressing everyone, his eyes, running throughout the room.
“I’ll get your introduction in the right way.”