23. The Mastermind Behind It

Everyone in different places fell silent when they heard Luna's screams from the communication device that was only connected to Sean, Maria, Nathan, and Daniel, as well as Victoria and Robert.

Nathan and Maria, who were also tense with the creatures that kept coming to attack, fell silent, staring at each other. Maria even bit her lip because there was no response from Victoria when Luna kept calling her name. Even Sean's loud voice did not get a response from the girl.

"Stop it, Se!" shouted Daniel when Sean was about to leave his place on standby.

"But, I have to save her," said Sean.

Daniel held Sean's arm so he wouldn't leave there.

"Do you know where the plane is? Can you get past those creatures? So, don't be reckless," said Daniel again, persuading Sean who couldn't keep still.

"Vic, do you hear me? Victoria!" shouted Sean through their communication device.

But still, no one answered.

"I'll be there," Robert's voice was heard.

"Don't be crazy, Rob," snapped Luna.

"But—"

"Victoria will be fine. Just keep shooting at those creatures. The girl's uniform is equipped with protection, it just can't respond because there are too many of them," Luna explained.

What was Victoria doing?

The girl struggled to get away from the large creatures surrounding her.

"You can come with me, right, Victoria?" Luna called out, but there was no answer. "Damn it," Luna cursed.

"I'm going to throw this grenade. How much time do I have left?" Robert asked.

Luna checked the time that corresponded to the temperature of the fire.

"Three minutes. Luna answered shortly."

"You heard that, right, Victoria? There are still many waiting for you. So, hang in there," Robert said. "I'm going to throw a grenade. On the count of three, get up and run. Do you hear me?"

"Yes." Victoria's short answer made the others hold their breath.

The girl herself looked exhausted.

Robert threw the grenade on the count of three. As fast as she could, Victoria got up and ran towards the fire that was protecting her. Thirty seconds in the blazing heat, Victoria rolled through the fire and the girl immediately entered the ship whose door was indeed slightly open.

"I'm already inside," Victoria reported. "So, you guys just wait. I'll handle it here as best I can," the girl continued.

"Yes." They answered in unison through the communication device and returned to action in the war against the strange creature or alien.

Luna was still operating the screen, and Robert watched from where he stood. Robert's eyes could scan from a distance, but of course, there were limits.

Meanwhile, inside the mothership that Victoria had successfully entered, there was a lot of technology that was even more advanced than humans. The girl gaped at her surroundings that seemed to twinkle.

"Are you in there, Victoria?"

Victoria was silent when she heard another voice from the earphones the girl was wearing.

"Can you hear me?" It was the voice of Commander Ben, the superior who gave the secret mission. "I saw you enter the mothership. You haven't forgotten the mission I gave you, have you?" Ben continued.

Victoria didn't answer. However, Victoria was sure Luna could find out but why didn't Luna say anything and remained silent as if she was busy?

"Answer me. Can you hear me, Victoria?" Ben spoke again a little harshly.

"Yes, sir! I heard it," Victoria replied.

Don't worry, the others could also hear Victoria's voice answering Ben's call.

"Good. Now, do your job," Ben said from the other side.

However, Victoria was silent.

"Do what he says, Victoria," Luna said. "Don't worry, this conversation is only you and Robert who can hear it," Luna continued. "So, do what he tells you while I access the others. Insert the device I gave you, I'll try to deactivate it from here."

“You are also free to reply to Luna and my messages, no one will hear. If you want to talk to others, just say so,” said Robert.

“Yes.”

Victoria herself was busy looking around the plane and ignoring the incoming voices. There was a lot of technology on the plane that the girl did not understand at all. However, Luna gave directions that the girl could understand, although not all of them.

“Are you okay?” asked Robert.

“Yes, why?”

“No. Don’t you feel hot?”

“No. It’s like there’s an AC here. It turns out to be very spacious,” said Victoria.

“Can you find the blue button among the other buttons there?” asked Luna while pointing it at Victoria. “That’s the button to stop the flight attendants from coming,” continued Luna.

Victoria searched around.

“There are several blue buttons, Luna,” said Victoria to her.

“The triangle one, just press it,” said Luna.

“Okay.”

However, before Victoria could press it, a shot almost hit the girl’s hand if she hadn’t immediately avoided it.

Victoria was surprised to hear it and turned to see who the perpetrator was.

"You?" Victoria's brow furrowed, feeling familiar with the person who had just aimed a shot at the girl.

A man standing near the entrance removed the mask that covered his face. Victoria recognized him. The man was still holding a gun.

"What are you doing here?" Victoria asked.

"Why do you think?" the man asked back.

The girl fell silent, thinking then remembered Luna's words about a traitor or someone sent secretly by Ben. But what Victoria didn't understand was, why did Ben that.

"I sent him. I know you will only hinder the mission, Victoria," Ben's voice was heard in the earphones connected to his boss. "You won't take the technology," Ben continued.

Hearing Ben's words made Victoria even more silent.

"What do you mean?" Victoria wanted to make sure that what she heard and saw was wrong. "I have to stop the attack," the girl said.

"Are you stupid enough to trust that robot?"

Victoria became even more silent upon hearing that. How did Ben know?

"Do you think I'm stupid? Why do you think I sent you on this mission? That’s because you can be used to open the ship’s door. You have no idea how special you are, Victoria.”

That meant Ben knew who Victoria was, and about the aliens or creatures that attacked.

“What do you mean? You, who planned all this? You, who broadcasted the signal?” Victoria asked in disbelief.

Ben’s laughter from the other end of the phone was thunderous.

“You’re smart, Victoria. Yes, that’s me. So what?” Ben replied, looking proud.

“What do you mean? Humanity could be wiped out if you let those creatures. The people in that area could –”

“Who cares? That’s why I broadcasted the signal and called them. Because I wanted to do a cleanup,” Ben said.

“A cleanup?”

“Yeah. You don’t know what’s in Zor’s land, or the area where the attack happened. The villagers stupidly refused to let me dig because the Earth would go berserk. It was such a waste. I just wanted to take what was rightfully mine,” Ben said.

Victoria couldn’t believe what Ben said. So, there was a mastermind behind the attack, and it was Ben? Someone who was respected as a superior in the military, and an influential person in the Morfil Country. For the sake of power, Ben did something so heinous?

“Victoria, can you hear me?” Luna’s voice entered the communication channel. But Victoria did not respond. “I know what he said. But, press it, or you will lose your partner,” Luna continued to tell her.

Victoria’s attention was drawn to the button Luna mentioned and she prepared to press it but the man sent by Ben fired another shot to stop Victoria. The girl looked at the man who was a senior in the military. The two of them stared intently. What would Victoria do?