Chapter 20: The Planetary Defense Cops; A Legion of Super Soldiers
To everyone’s astonishment, Sane spared me that night. Before dawn pierced the sky, I obtained Alessandra’s home address from Yukio and dashed to the city. The streets lay silent, shrouded in an uneasy stillness, as I reached her house—a modest two-story structure with a weathered blue door. I scoured the place for any hint her parents might have left about where they’d gone. The scene told a story of panic: drawers gaped open, a half-packed suitcase sprawled across the hall, yet no note or trace revealed their fate. It appeared they’d fled, abandoning their daughter.
I withheld judgment—Alessandra had often spoken of her parents’ devotion, especially her mother’s. Their sudden disappearance hinted at a deeper mystery. As a non-citizen, I lacked the authority to file a missing person’s report. With that finding, I trudged back to Fort Vanguard and delivered the grim truth: her parents were gone.
“My dad’s always buried in work—weeks pass without a glimpse of him, even under the same roof. But my mom?” Alessandra recoiled from this harsh reality, her voice quaking with denial. “She’s the only one who truly cares. I could see Dad leaving me behind, but not her. She wouldn’t—unless something’s happened to her!”
I shifted uneasily, grasping for words. “Look, my hands are tied. The general’s swamped—there’s chaos brewing. At best, I can shield you from Victor while you’re here.”
Her face drained of color at Victor’s name, her fingers tightening around the chair’s edge. “I never imagined he was capable of that! I stood up for him at school when kids spread vile rumors about his family. Now I see they were right. We have to tell the police—he murdered everyone in that bunker!”
“We can’t. His father is the general tasked with forging an army to crush the Vodocks. Aside from that, as it stands right now, I don’t think anyone can touch him.”
And so we left it at that. She was going to crush at our barrack as the search for her parents continued.
The following day, we were all rounded up on the training grounds. The general’s voice thundered across, heralding the start of Neogen training. We were issued carbon-fiber battle uniforms, paired with weapons crafted from advanced alloys—tools honed for our superhuman might, capable of felling a Vodock or enhanced enemies. Soon, all ninety-eight of us gathered: one commander, seven captains, and ninety-two soldiers, excluding the rogue Gwendowson and Victor. General Sydney Flick stood before us, his stature radiating authority, his piercing gaze sparking a surge of awe through the ranks.
“From this day forward, you are no longer soldiers of mere nations,” he proclaimed, his tone rich with conviction. “You are the Planetary Defense Corps, forged for a singular purpose: to obliterate the Vodock Empire and safeguard our world! The power pulsing within you is humanity’s final stand. Every soldier fights for their homeland, their kin—but your burden is greater. You fight for all humankind. Your names will echo through history as Earth’s champions!”