Paradise

One

3019, Zeus Space Center

The meeting room was a box with a metal table and with chairs surrounding the table. The ceiling was well lit. On one side of the meeting room was a blank screen. Richard was there when five people filed into the room. They took their own places and sat down. Another girl walked into the room and stayed on the corner, chewing bubblegum. Richard waited for everyone to settle down before they start.

"As you know," said Richard. "NASA has sent the first humans on Greta, a planet somewhere in another galaxy. Before they did so, they confirmed that the planet was safe for settlement. But something happened when the spaceship arrived there."

He pressed a button and a voiceover was being played. "Help! Crashing down at Greta. Hostiles present. I repeat: hostiles present." Static crackle. Then, it ended.

The entire table was silent as Richard continued, "That's why you're here. You will investigate what caused the crash and quickly find a solution. The rest of NASA are already dead set on sending more humans to Greta. Morover--"

"Can't you just, um, tell them why it's a bad place?" a man that goes by the name Ben asked. He was wearing the military uniform ever since he was called for the meeting. He was a soldier turned astronaut and the uniform was a remembrance of the old days.

"Moreover," he resumed, avoiding the stupid question. "they would never believe it. The scientists sent there before the first colonists were well-known. I can try to convince them, but in the meantime, you only have a few days before the others will arrive. Aside from that, I'll also try to send you guys early, beacuse they said that no one was allowed to go out before the mass colonization."

"So we just investigate what happened and then what?" asked Jose Quito, a former prisoner. He was imprisoned for murder fifteen years ago. Now, he was a scientist for NASA.

"We can warn them about it and find another planet that can hold life," replied Jones Diaz, the girl leaning on the corner, giving him a steely glance. "It's obvious. Haven't you figured out that yet?"

"No," Ben interjected, looking at Jones. "As what Richard said, NASA is dead set on a mass colonization on Greta, so we can't change their minds. Haven't you figured out that yet?"

Richard cut in, interrupting their little debate. "So are you up for it?"

"Yes, but there is one thing," said Rizza, another girl who is sitting down listening to the entire meeting. "We need help. Having a soldier turned astronaut, a man asking stupid questions, a former prisoner now scientist, a girl who isn't supposed to be in this meeting, and a girl who's a badass won't even cut it. We need someone else."

"I have help," a new voice piped up. Five pairs of eyes turned to see another man enter the meeting with a pinstripe suit and tie. He tossed a folder on the table as soon as the blank screen turned on, showing hologramic pictures of a ten-year-old boy.

Rizza stood up and looked at the man. "Are you even serious?! We can't get help from a kid!"

The man said nothing. Richard took the folder. "It's not the kid who's going to help. It's the father."

"The father of the child has no record, so I took the record of the child. We can ask the kid and the mother to tell us his location," the man explained.

"Good enough," said Rizza. "How is the father going to help us?"

"He's a mad scientist undercover."

"Whoa," Justine replied, clearly amazed.

The man in the pinstripe suit continued, "He is a fugitive of many countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, and most of Asia and Europe beacuse of his crazy intellect."