Free Web NovelChapter 25: Marcus and Tyrus Arrives
Hans’s radio buzzed. He stopped scribbling across the papers on the table and lifted his head. freewebnσvel.cѳm
"Watcher Four to Golden Eagle."
"Golden Eagle receives."
"Bastion Three has returned. Passengers include Agent Marcus Lenhert and the scientist, Mr. Tyrus. Should I let them through, Golden Eagle?"
Hans paused, glancing at the papers spread across his desk.
He quietly flipped the Cell 7 page over and pushed aside the rest.
"Proceed. I’ll be waiting in the Command Room."
"Roger that. Watcher Four, out."
A few minutes later, footsteps echoed beyond the hallway.
Marcus entered first, carrying a hard case in one hand and wearing the expression of a man who had been dragged away from work he actually cared about.
Tyrus followed behind him, looking far more composed than Marcus.
There was an air of indifference and slight intrigue in his eyes. His vision shifted across the Command Room, then toward the window facing the eastern side of the base.
The rotating Radar Facility was visible in the distance.
Tyrus paused slightly, narrowed his eyes, then quickly shook his head with a wide smirk on his face.
Hans observed him carefully, not knowing what was going on in Tyrus’s mind.
Then he ignored him. Whatever strange thoughts Tyrus had formulated could be dealt with later.
Cell 7’s business came first.
Hans shifted his attention back to Marcus.
"Welcome."
"Commander," Marcus nodded, seemingly not having the intent to exchange more words with him.
"You should already know why you were dragged here."
"A suspected SAS receiver," Marcus replied. "I need to see the device first before I can make a decision."
"No problem."
Hans wasn’t angry about Marcus’s somewhat disrespectful tone toward him. All agents had an ego, and Marcus clearly had his.
Though he wasn’t as pleasant to talk to as Johannes, at least the man talked straightforwardly instead of talking in circles.
Hans preferred that.
A man who talked in circles wasted time. A man who spoke plainly could sound annoying, but they were more useful.
He opened one of the storage cases on the side table and pulled out the recovered receiver.
The moment it touched the table, Marcus’s eyes changed. His usual indifference disappeared.
He stepped forward, placed his hard case down, and opened it with a practiced motion.
He even forgot to ask Hans’s permission, but the latter simply let him be.
The tools Marcus needed clicked into view.
Thin probes for piercing wire insulation and testing tiny circuit-board contacts.
Small precision drivers for opening the casing, removing shielding plates, and adjusting internal components.
A compact diagnostic unit for checking continuity, voltage flow, and signal response.
And insulated clamps for holding wires in place without shorting the exposed circuits.
Marcus quickly sat down and began inspecting the receiver.
Tyrus, who had been watching quietly from the side, smiled faintly and found himself a seat.
The silent atmosphere did not bother him.
Neither did the fact that Hans had ignored his presence.
If anything, he looked entertained.
Hans had no intention of talking to him either and risk disturbing Marcus’s focus.
For several minutes, only the soft clicks of tools filled the room. Marcus removed the outer casing first.
Then the shielding plate.
Then a smaller internal cover that Hans had not even noticed before.
The receiver’s interior looked cleaner than expected. Dust had slipped through some seams, but the important components remained intact.
Marcus leaned closer, his fingers stopping in place.
"Commander, from which Cell did this come from?"
"Cell 7," Hans answered.
"I see."
Marcus didn’t ask for more. He seemed to understand enough from that answer alone.
"I may need several days to completely restore this," Marcus said. "I hope the Commander does not mind."
"No problem." Hans smiled. "You can choose a building yourself. My soldiers will accommodate you."
"Thank you."
Marcus closed the receiver’s casing without fully sealing it, placed the device carefully back into his hard case, and stood.
Hans called a different Watcher squad through the radio.
"Golden Eagle to Watcher One, come in."
"Watcher One is all ears, Golden Eagle."
"Assign Agent Marcus a secure workspace. A quiet building, with good lighting, tools, and a safe space."
"Roger that, Golden Eagle. Watcher One, out."
Marcus gave Hans one more nod before leaving the Command Room with the receiver in hand.
The door closed behind him.
Silence remained. Then Tyrus spoke from his seat.
"You have Engineers."
"I do. What about them?"
"Competent ones, from what I have seen."
"Very. Where are you going with this?"
"Delegating such a task to an SAS agent... I didn’t know you were this friendly."
Hans leaned back slightly, understanding the hint behind those words.
"Whether or not I am friendly, what does that have to do with you?"
Tyrus smiled.
"Only curiosity, Commander."
"Name me a scientist who isn’t a curious bunch," Hans argued. "Enough with that excuse."
Tyrus chuckled softly.
"Encountering an SAS cell like this," his tone sharpened. "You must be careful."
"I am always careful."
Tyrus shook his head. "If your reports on the table are even one bit true, the Commander’s carefulness must be amplified."
"So, you believe that a superhuman Elemental is part of this Cell?"
"More certain than most of my experiment results," Tyrus replied.
Hans stared at him for a few seconds. "Project HELIX should have detailed reports about an Elemental. However..."
"However, I was booted out of the program faster than light."
Tyrus shrugged. "My family tried to keep me in but bureaucracy and politics always get in the way."
"I thought your family was a very powerful one."
"Not in front of the Libertan government."
Hans raised a brow. He had once associated Libertan with a very powerful nation back on Earth.
Yet hearing Tyrus’s words, it seemed that Libertan was even more powerful than that.
To even influence the top families of this planet, just how deep is Libertan’s foundation?
He shook his head in contemplation. "That’s very alarming then."
"There are more things involved but..." Tyrus paused, as if practiced. "The matter of an Elemental must be tackled with extreme caution."
"I already know that. Any ideas how to confront them?"
Hans was not stupid. Confronting Cell 7 by any method always had risks.
Though he could let his soldiers shoot their way through if things went haywire, fighting a superhuman required an understanding of their power and the element of surprise.
"Do you have someone who is a Cognitive superhuman, Commander?"
"Hmm?" Hans seemed to understand. "You want to mess with their minds?" freewebnovёl.ƈom
"Great minds think alike," Tyrus smirked.
"Elementals require great focus to handle the elements they resonate with. Tickle their mind slightly—"
"And it all goes down the drain..."
"In theory."
Hans narrowed his eyes.
Tyrus raised a finger.
"That is the important part. In theory."
"You’re telling me these Elementals guard their mind naturally?"
"Of course," Tyrus replied, as if it were a matter of fact. "A weakness that severe would never be left out of Project HELIX’s records."
Hans’s mouth twitched. "That Project sounds more complete with every passing day."
"That is why I asked if you know of a Cognitive superhuman in your ranks."
"What about Kimmy?"
"Her?" Tyrus paused, recalling that frail girl from before. Then he waved his hand dismissively.
"No need. She would snap first before she could snap anyone else."
"You seem to look down on her that much."
"No. I just feel that her potential is wasted by her family. Why such harsh words, Commander? Did you think my family and hers are rivals?"
"Are they not?" Hans was doubtful that every noble family was even slightly friendly with one another.
"We are."
"Stop talking in riddles or making more excuses."
Hans felt exasperated when talking to Tyrus. He was the direct opposite of Marcus—a man who truly talked in circles.
"Unfortunately, I do not know anyone else who holds a Cognitive power in my ranks."
Tyrus did not answer immediately. Then, a knowing smile fixed itself on his face.
"That is unfortunate indeed, but luckily, you have me."
