Chapter I

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"Zero, Eight, and Sixteen, all of you are being called by the Queen, she has something to tell to the three of you," said Four also known as Orion.

The three of them stood from their sits then they nod at him and left. The crowd starts to murmur. They don't have a clue about why are they being summoned by the Queen, unless it is an important mission or the three of them violate the law.

Habang naglalakad ang mga ito ay nakakaramdam sila ng takot at pangamba dahil nakakunot-noong pinagtitinginan sila ng mga kauri nito.

Their kinds of extra-terrestrial creatures are divided into two: The Cosmorovers and The Intellectuals.

Cosmorovers are the ones who carried out missions from the Queen. They travel around the universe to perform their missions. They also have enough supernatural abilities to protect themselves as well as to fulfill their particular assignments.

Intellectuals, on the other hand, are the ones who are capable of everything due to their intelligence and skills. However, unlike Cosmorovers, they don't have such abilities, only their extraordinary minds to imagine and create to which could be used by the Cosmorovers for their voyage, as well as other technologies that will benefit all of them.

The door opened as they stood in front of the opaque glass door. Sumilay sa kanila ang engrandeng opisina ng kanilang reyna. Too many monitors are attached on the wall, showing her people under her jurisdiction.

The ceiling is made up of transparent crystals that can be found in T1356 and T5690 objects or Mars and Jupiter respectively. Therefore, the meteors and stars are feasible to their eyes. The table of the Queen is also made up of crystals as well as her swivel chair.

The Queen is wearing an elegant blue-green dress with shimmering pure crystals sewn on its hem. Lumapat ang suot nito sa makintab na sahig na nagmistulang salamin ng bawat naroon. Despite of the angelic cozy office of the Queen, her presence is enough to intimidate her people.

"Sixteen," said Queen Ine Zhah. Bakas ang ma-awtoridad na boses nito kaya't bakas rin sa mukha ni Sixteen na kilala rin bilang Axane ang takot na namumuo sa kanyang dibdib. "I want you to head down to T1097 or object Venus. Check if we can get enough materials that can be used by intellectuals," she added.

Umalis si Sixteen sa apat na sulok ng kwarto at nang masiguro na ng reyna na nakalabas na ito ay nagsimula na muli itong magsalita.

"Eight," tila wala lang sa binata ang pagtawag ng kanilang reyna. He is also known as Crypto and he doesn't feel the intimidation from the Queen's voice. Tila nasanay na ito sa boses nito dahil sa loob ng maraming taon ay lagi na siyang pinapatawag nito. "I want you to head down to T1480 or the world of mankind with Zero." Naguluhan ang isang pangalang binanggit ng kanilang reyna. Tila walang alam si Zero kung ano ang ibig-sabihin niyon.

"Zero, Eight, this is your last mission," said the Queen. Tiningnan ni Zero si Eight na nakapako ang tingin sa reyna ngunit binalik naman agad ni Zero ang tingin sa kanilang reyna nang hindi siya pinasin nito. Their pure black almond-like eyes focused at their Queen's standing figure until she started to speak again. "This became our tradition for every hundred years. And because you passed all of those thousands of missions I gave, you two, head down to Earth and find a earthborn creature who is deserving of your protection—protection that you'll have to do no matter what eventhough it will cost your life," mahabang paliwanag ng kanilang reyna. Hindi pa rin mapigilan ni Zero ang tanungin ang sarili dahil naguguluhan pa rin siya sa sinabi ng kanilang reyna.

"P-paano po namin mahahanap ang nilalang na iyon kung hindi po namin sila kilala?" nakakunot-noong tanong ni Zero sa reyna o mas kilala rin bilang Shannan.

"That is the core of your mission. You'll have to find the right earthly creature and if you didn't pass this mission or you failed, The Intellectuals will fetch you from T1480 and you will face the lethality of Mission X. It is a quest of searching a human you aren’t aware of and it is for you to search for answers." After the Queen's statement and enough explanation, she smiled at them. Pagkatapos niyon ay tumalikod ito sa kanila at siya namang pag-alis din ng dalawa sa opisina.

"How could we find a creature from T1480 if we don't know who are they?" tanong nito sa kasama pagkalabas na pagkalabas sa opisina.

Bumungad sa kanila ang isang nilalang na naghihintay sa labas ng pinto at halos magulat ang dalaga nang makita ito ngunit nanatili sa blangkong ekspresyon ang mukha ni Eight.

Isang ngiti ang pinakawalan ng dalaga sa lalaking iyon ngunit isa ring blangkong ekspresyon ang natanggap nito sa kasama nila. Sigurado ang dalaga na isa iyong Intellectual at sigurado rin siya na pinadala ito ng kanilang reyna.

Sa kabilang banda, sobrang naguguluhan pa rin si Zero sa mga tinuran ng kanilang ina at habang sumusunod silang dalawa sa paglalakad sa isang intellectual ay malalim itong napapaisip. Tanging huni lamang ng kanilang mga sapin sa paa ang maririnig sa hallway papunta sa kanilang patutunguhan. Tila kausap nito ang hangin dahil sa lahat ng tanong nito ay isang blangkong mukha ang natatanggap nito kay Eight gayundin sa isa pa nilang kasama.

Natahimik na lang ito nang bumungad sa kanila ang isang malaking spaceship nang buksan ng isang Intellectual ang kakaibang pinto. Lumapit ang tatlo sa nag-iisang bagay na naroon.

“I-iyan ba ang sasakyan naming patungo sa T1480?” tanong ng dalaga sa kasama nilang intellectual.

"Oo, ito ang sasakyan niyong dalawa patungo roon. This spaceship is dense, composed of rock and possibly metals, has no water or ice, and that its surface was reddened due to the effects of irradiation from cosmic rays over hundreds of millions of years ago which was used by the former cosmorovers to travel down to T1480. Furthermore, it is nominally cigar-shaped spaceship, one-quarter mile (400 meters) long and highly-elongated-perhaps 10 times as long as it is wide." Bakas ang pagkamangha ni Zero sa kanyang mukha dahil sa nakikita. "Moreover, it can float in interstellar space as debris from an advanced technological equipment at a blistering speed of 196,000 miles per hour (87.3 kilometers per second)," paliwanag ni Seventeen—isang Intellectual. Zero's eyes were widened due to the reason that she was amazed by what Seventeen said to them. Samantala, si Eight ay blangko pa rin ang mukha na tila hindi nasisiyahan at walang kamangha-mangha sa mga nakikita.

"As what I’ve said earlier, this spaceship will be used by the two of you in your voyage through the home of humanity. You still have a day to prepare yourselves for your expedition." Zero's face is still consuming her with confusion. Seems like she doesn't have a clue about their mission but excitement can be seen in her eyes. After Seventeen said those crucial information, he left the two inside the huge room.

"Do you have any idea about this mission?" tanong muli ni Zero sa kasama ngunit isang katahimikan lang muli ang ipinukol nito.

After a few moments of giving the spaceship an intensive shot, Eight turns his back and open the door of the huge room. "W-where are you going?" Zero's voice echoed in the twelve corners of the room.

"We have no time, Zero. We have to pack our things. We can't go there without any equipment." Sa wakas ay nagsalita na rin ito.

Dali-daling nilapitan ni Zero si Eight at tila napagtanto ang mga sinabing iyon ng kasama.

Zero is a great cosmorover. However, she becomes dumb when she was with Eight. She somewhat likes Eight but still, she is confused about her feelings towards him.
After she reached Eight, they left the huge room and closed the gigantic door.

To be continued...

Mission XTahanan ng mga kuwento. Tumuklas ngayon