Even though he had already met with him a few times in the past, Lincoln's aura still flared as he sat across from him.
"So, even after all he has done, he still dares to come here?"
Lincoln was fuming with anger after Zach finished his recount of events. Rarely would he lose his composure and let his emotions swirl like a tornado.
The suppressive aura he released affected Zach greatly, as he used all his power to not collapse over the seat, though his posture was already slouched.
Only then did Lincoln notice his state as he quickly calmed down by counting numbers 1 to 10.
It felt like a weight had been lifted off him as Zach released a sigh of relief before looking up at Lincoln, who had his eyes closed. Likely counting numbers.
He took a breath before Lincoln opened his eyes, which contained a well-hidden anger.
"So, are you sure that this man is here or close to here?"
Zach slowly nodded as he remembered the feeling he had above.
Lincoln pondered for a moment before saying, "If he is indeed here, then we must hasten our preparations. If he finds out that we are still preparing ourselves, it will be a significant loss for us."
Even though his heart was filled with anger, Lincoln still thought clearly, thanks to his experience and missions during the first phase.
"Oh, and by the way, your mistake has caused us big trouble."
Zach showed a rather confused expression. Well, yes, he made a mistake of stepping into that sensor's range and thus exposing his existence to the 'higher-ups,' but his still sluggish brain thought that although it would cause quite a stir, it wouldn't be enough for the Ola Corp to deem 'big trouble.'
Though this mistake he ought to fix. If it continues like before, a terrible consequence may befall not only him but also the Ola Corp.
Seeing his confused face, Lincoln released a sigh.
"The higher-ups that the governments and families call have a certain, though still not sure, connection to a radio station at Neptune that we think is a base of sorts. No human technology could survive even a second at Neptune, even in this era, and you know it. So we assumed the base belongs to an enemy of ours, and we daresay other planets could be the same."
Zach straightened his posture upon hearing his words. Soon his face became dark. It was no laughing matter when even the commanders (and vice) assumed that the base at Neptune belonged to their enemy. However, it was the only plausible explanation, well, except for aliens.
Suddenly, Lincoln's comm released a blue glow, and a mail icon appeared.
Lincoln said no more; he dismissed Zach, who got snapped out of his thoughts.
When he closed the door, Zach could hear faint sounds of talking.
"What? Multiple signals were detected? And this time it's in multiple directions?"
His footsteps echoed around the corridor, his mind still occupied by what Lincoln said earlier.
If they speculated that the base may belong to, well, our enemies, then who? Auto or code name 5? Both seem to be plausible explanations.
Auto is good at science, or rather everything, while Code Name 5 is good at both mathematics and science.
He subconsciously raised his comm and swiped it at the small monitor beside the silver door that appeared.
That's when he got snapped out of his thoughts, when the door opened with a click.
What appeared was an empty room, well, except for the elevated platform at the center.
Zach walked over and stood on the platform, pressing his left index finger, causing a flash of light to surround him.
When he opened his eyes and the light dimmed, the same room greeted him, but beyond the door was not the silver corridor he had seen. Instead, it was replaced by a lobby with two large doors opposite each other on either side.
The top of each door had two words.
The Production Department is on the left, and the IN Department is on the right.
When Atlex sent the announcement, the lobby had since become deserted as everyone stayed at their departments, who quietly and stealthily prepared and armed and trained, once more, their department employees, like soldiers.
Zach wasted no time as he walked to the IN Department's large and tall door, the height of a house. With a swipe, the doors parted and greeted him with the familiar hall, with very few people.
He smiled and muttered, "I'm back, everyone."
***
Around the base, troops marched in sync as they entered multiple large ships as long as the Empire State Building and as smooth as the quantum-stabilized atom mirror.
The sky was orange-red as men flew in the sky, using rockets that clung to their feet and producing little to no sound.
"Why do we even have to march with these type 1's? They are just a bunch of ants that aren't even worth our attention; there's no reason for us to fight with them."
One troop complained. And no, he was not talking about the type 1's; instead, he was talking and belittling Earth's inhabitants.
"I agree. Why do the Sovereigns make it mandatory that all troops should comply and go to Earth? I mean, if they went there, just one fire of concentrated energy would annihilate cities and with a few countries!"
Unfortunately for him, one captain heard him.
"Shut your mouth, you worm. You have no right to question the sovereigns. Maybe when you make some achievements, you could do so."
One man who was flying came up to him.
The troops hung their heads low. The one who first complained had an enraged expression.
Me, a worm? Oh, just you wait until I take your position, Captain Rex.
The troops no longer talked as they silently entered the ships.
When the last troop for today entered, the doors closed with a loud thud. The engines roared to life as everyone felt the ship move.
Outside, the captains stared at the ships that released blue flames and quickly left the atmosphere.
They remained silent as they went back to the rest of their company.
At the window when they left the atmosphere, well, it wasn't an atmosphere.
Instead, it was an artificial atmosphere conjured by a large floating platform that housed 16 sites and was one of the largest bases, no doubt in Uranus.
Upon exit, the windows immediately started frosting, so with a faint thud, thick metal plates covered the windows.
Only then did they once again see through the windows when the ships had exited the actual atmosphere.
Uranus's pale greenish-blue greeted them as the ship moved farther and farther away, until it was but a small, tiny dot in the distance as the ship moved at speeds close to AU.
The same was also happening on other planets, especially Mars, which was the closest one to Earth.
Its job was to not only send troops but also provide resources and serve as the meeting place for the lieutenant colonels in the meantime. And like other planets, Mars will also serve as the factory planet to produce what their leader has been planning for a long, long time.