Ch.223The End of a Day

# 223_End

“Um, are we really able to go home…?”

“Of course. Don’t worry. We’ve thoroughly crushed those son of bi— I mean, those bad guys who kidnapped you all.”

Jessie, Judy, and Emily gathered with the civilians near the airlock at the lowest level, trying to calm them down first.

“Are we really in space? But there’s gravity…”

“What were those horrible videos they showed us before? I’ve never seen anything like that in my life!”

“You’re not the ones who kidnapped us, right?”

“We were kidnapped too. We’ve had most of our belongings taken, so we don’t have IDs or anything, but I work at a prison near Las Vegas.”

“You’re a prison guard? But you’re so short.”

“…Being short doesn’t disqualify you from being a prison guard.”

As they continued chatting casually with the civilians, the atmosphere gradually softened, and the tense civilians eventually relaxed enough to even make light jokes.

Once things settled down, the three women began discussing in hushed voices so the civilians couldn’t hear.

“If Director Makoa is coming personally in a spacecraft, wouldn’t the Pentagon have already been contacted? Why bother firing nuclear missiles?”

“The Director said they just made contact with our side, but the White House’s position is that a ship like this shouldn’t exist, or something like that.”

“What a waste. This is an orbital bombardment vessel that Earth couldn’t possibly build. Should we really destroy it?”

“I’m just a maintenance worker, but I think it would make more sense to land it safely and have OSA keep it under tight security. But no one’s stupid enough to entrust it to an agency that’s already been compromised once.”

“Oh, that’s true…”

“What do you mean ‘that’s true’?! If they were compromised once, they should guard it with the confidence that it won’t happen a second time!”

Suddenly, Himena appeared behind the three with a furrowed brow, leading the crew members and holding a rifle.

When Himena appeared with her rifle, not only the crew members but also the civilians who had just begun to smile returned to their tense state.

Seeing this, Judy pouted her lips, and Himena, realizing that everyone had gone quiet upon her arrival, couldn’t say anything.

“I finally got everyone to relax, and now they’re all tense again.”

“…I know that, okay? And Jupiter will be destroyed soon, even without nuclear missiles.”

“Why?”

“Because of the Galactic Union, we have no choice. If a neutral treaty planet like ours has an orbital bombardment vessel, naturally…”

“Don’t even bring that up.”

Dexter returned with a sour expression, carrying two large duffel bags in his hands and something bulky on his back.

“Of course Jupiter needs to be destroyed, but those Galactic Union bastards would just… never mind, I’ll tell you about it later.”

Dexter glanced around at the people nearby, and Jessie took one of the bags from him and asked:

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say. But what’s with all this stuff you’re carrying?”

“Your belongings. I grabbed whatever I could see, but check if anything’s missing.”

The four women rummaged through the bags Dexter had brought to find their possessions, then pointed at the large duffel bag still on his back.

“What’s that on your back?”

“Secret. I’ll tell you when we arrive. For now, let’s set up the escape pods for the location the Director personally gave me. The rest of you, please guide people to the escape pods.”

“So we can finally go home now?”

As Judy let out a sigh of relief, Himena, Jessie, and Emily gathered around her, hugging and comforting each other.

“Yes! Going home!”

“Oh, I hated it here so much… Always having to be tense, always having to be careful…”

“There’s still so much I haven’t stolen.”

Dexter looked apologetically at the four women as they each expressed their thoughts while he headed toward the escape pods.

He promised himself to properly repay the four women who had gone through so much to follow him, and began configuring the escape pods.

Each escape pod could seat 12 people, and their design resembled soda cans more than spaceships.

However, since the pods were decades old, they inevitably looked somewhat flimsy, and everyone who boarded had something to say about it.

“This is a 21st-century escape pod?”

“Looks like it would dent if you tapped it.”

“Are you sure this is safe?”

“…He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty…”

“This is ridiculous. Would you rather explode with the nuclear missile? I understand how you feel, but let’s hurry up and board. A nuclear missile could arrive at any moment!”

At Dexter’s firm response, the remaining people grumbled as they began boarding the escape pods.

After loading the remaining crew members and civilians except for the key personnel, Dexter launched the first escape pod.

Looking at the remaining crew members, Dexter gave a brief response:

“You’ll be coming with us as key witnesses. Miranda rights won’t be necessary… You won’t resist after coming all this way, will you?”

“What happens if we do resist?”

“What do you think? We’ll just leave you here.”

It was a simpler and more effective approach than vague threats about settling scores on Earth or not letting them off easy.

When Dexter grinned as he spoke, the remaining crew members couldn’t say anything.

Soon, Dexter’s spacecraft docked at the airlock in the lowest cargo hold, and a tube large enough for people to pass through attached itself to the airlock door.

Seeing this, Dexter opened the airlock door and looked around his spacecraft.

“Fortunately, there’s no damage.”

“Oh, Agent Hughes! You look terrible!”

“Huh? Oh, yes… Some situations came up.”

Dexter gave an awkward smile at Director Makoa’s comment as he emerged from the spacecraft.

Dexter’s appearance was indeed a mess after enduring electric torture, a gunfight, and the duel with Olivia.

Disheveled Dexter shook hands with Director Makoa as he exited his spacecraft and said:

“Let’s get out of here quickly. I’ve gathered all the important things, so we can leave right away.”

“Ah, yes. By the way, your spacecraft is quite impressive. Could I borrow it sometime?”

“…Well, if you provide something of equal value or compensation.”

“Hahaha! Ah, to be young!”

As Director Makoa patted Dexter’s shoulder, Judy whispered to Jessie beside her:

“…What does wanting money have to do with being young?”

“I don’t know? Aren’t old people the ones who like money more?”

Himena and the other three women supervised the remaining crew members as they boarded the spacecraft, and Dexter, still carrying his load of baggage, was the last to board.

“I’ll do the driving. Just tell me the destination.”

“I’ll let you know when we’re almost at the mainland.”

As Dexter sat in the pilot’s seat and took the controls, a voice came through the spacecraft’s communicator.

[This is OSA temporary headquarters. About an hour ago, the Pentagon issued a nuclear missile launch order and launched without communicating with OSA. The missile is expected to reach the target Jupiter in about thirty minutes.]

“Huh, those crazy bastards, I swear.”

[Excuse me? What did you just say…?]

“I wasn’t talking to you. Confirming receipt, we’ll depart in twenty minutes.”

[Twenty minutes, you say?]

“Yes. Don’t worry, we can avoid the blast radius.”

With that, Dexter pressed a button on the control stick with his thumb.

[Temporary User 01, your access is terminated due to primary user login. Welcome, Dexter.]

Hearing the familiar computer voice guidance, Dexter stroked the dashboard once and patted it gently.

Dexter moved away from Jupiter, the massive vessel.

Then he turned the spacecraft around to capture Jupiter in the front window.

The others were puzzled by Dexter’s actions until they noticed an object approaching at a relatively slow speed and understood the reason.

It looked like an AAA-size battery spewing fire from its rear as it approached Jupiter, but that was only because Jupiter was so enormous.

Seeing the object, the aide involuntarily spoke up:

“Defensive nuclear missile…”

“Yes. We should witness Jupiter’s final moments.”

Though much smaller than Jupiter, the nuclear missile infused with 21st-century American technology sped toward the center of Jupiter.

“Computer, activate shields.”

[Activating shields.]

After giving the command, Dexter said nothing more and fixed his gaze on Jupiter reflected in the front window.

Director Makoa’s group and Dexter’s group did the same.

As everyone held their breath watching the situation, the nuclear missile reached Jupiter, its nose cone making contact with Jupiter’s hull and embedding itself deeply.

True to its purpose as an asteroid defense weapon, the nuclear missile had a bunker-buster effect, penetrating Jupiter’s hull.

Jupiter’s hull seemed to bulge momentarily before the fuel and auxiliary weapons inside synergized with the nuclear missile’s explosive power to create a massive explosion.

There was no sound, only silence.

Everyone was speechless at the surreal scene, and Dexter slowly turned the spacecraft back toward Earth and said:

“The escape pods should be arriving on Earth soon. We should get there without delay too.”

“Y-yes, please proceed.”

Having witnessed the explosion of Jupiter, which was practically his great-grandfather Howard Hughes’ masterpiece, Dexter headed slowly toward Earth with mixed feelings.

“Everyone, you’ve all worked hard.”

* * *

Jessie, wearing a thick coat, came out of the house rubbing her hands together.

“Whew, even Nevada gets chilly in winter… Dexter, aren’t you cold?”

“It’s December, so it can’t be helped. What about you? Aren’t you cold?”

“Well, a little?”

“Just say so if you’re cold. Emily, did you pack everything?”

“Yes. And Judy and Himena said they’ll be here soon.”

“Didn’t they say they were all ready this morning? Why are they so late?”

In response to Jessie’s question, Emily thought for a moment, then recalled Judy’s cheerful voice during their call:

“Judy said Dexter forgot to prepare some documents, so she’s handling them and will be a bit late. She’s working at a different prison now, you know.”

“And Himena?”

“Himena said she’s busy because she’s transferring to the Massachusetts branch. And since the OSA headquarters is also moving to Santa Maria in California, she has a lot to do.”

“So the move to Santa Maria is confirmed, huh.”

Jessie nodded at Emily’s answer.

Santa Maria County, north of Los Angeles, is a mid-sized city with a population of only about 100,000.

After allowing the Abomination’s intrusion, OSA executives and White House personnel jointly decided on this location, particularly because of its proximity to Vandenberg Air Force Base with its vast grounds.

“Why is Jessie free all day today?”

“…The senior maintenance staff said they’d handle everything themselves and took all my work.”

“They’re still misunderstanding, I see.”

“What misunderstanding?”

“It seems like Jessie doesn’t know something that even I know.”

“Hey, what are you talking about?”

Dexter chuckled at the curious combination of a clueless Jessie and Emily watching her.

“Dex, didn’t your friend say they’d give you a housewarming gift? No news yet?”

“Who, Eliya? She’s busy these days. Planning how to kick the Galactic Union’s ass.”

“Is she really going to do that?”

“You think I hauled all that data and a corpse for nothing?”

“I still don’t understand why Dex put an enemy’s corpse in a duffel bag.”

“Even the dead should be buried in their homeland. They’re still from the same ancestry—should I have let them be blown to pieces with the ship?”

Olivia’s remains, which Dexter had brought back, were interred in the Howard Hughes family cemetery.

It wasn’t so much out of sympathy, but rather because Dexter felt it was the right thing to do.

‘Besides, the real targets for revenge are elsewhere.’

Of course, from Jessie’s perspective, she thought Dexter had done it out of pity for Olivia.

“Considering what she did to us, being blown to pieces would be too good for her.”

“That’s why the revenge should be directed at the Galactic Union. You think I grabbed the evidence Olivia left in the captain’s quarters for nothing? I’ve already agreed to hand over the evidence to Chairwoman Bella.”

Bella, the chairwoman of the Galactic Union Security Council, had long been dissatisfied with the Galactic Union.

Eliya, who had previously only been interested in money rather than power and honor, had now joined hands with Bella to secure a position in the Galactic Union.

Using the evidence Dexter had brought from Olivia, she was working hard on behalf of Dexter to identify the masterminds behind the human experiments and their associates.

“There’s one more reason why Eliya is so interested in this.”

“What is it?”

“Revenge for her parents.”

“Revenge?”

“There are rumors that the Galactic Union turned a blind eye to the invasion of planet Keoria. She’s frantically investigating that too, saying we need to find out why. And since Keoria is halfway on board, they’ll likely soon uncover any bribes or similar issues within Keoria.”

“…Does she have enough money to sway an entire planet?”

“Well, she plays at a galactic level.”

“I thought she was just an annoying friend, but she really lives in a different world.”

“But she’s still a kid at heart.”

Dexter picked up a cardboard box in front of him and loaded it onto the large trailer truck parked in front of the house.

“This is the last one.”

Once this cardboard box was loaded, not a single piece of moving luggage would remain in the house.

All that was left was to simply leave.

“Please sign here.”

As the waiting moving company employee handed over the paperwork, Dexter signed it and handed it back.

“Yes, yes. Please take good care of it all the way to Boston.”

“Don’t worry about a thing. Miguel! ¡Vamos, vamos!”

“¡Sí!”

“See you later.”

The trailer truck door closed, and the two moving company employees left the front of the house.

Watching the truck depart, Dexter put his arms around the two women standing to his left and right and said:

“You’ve all really been through a lot.”

“You too, Dex. I think more has happened while living in this house than in my entire life before.”

As Jessie rested her head on Dexter’s shoulder, Dexter chuckled and said:

“You can say that again. It feels strange to be going back to Boston.”

Dexter stared intently at the house.

Honeygood Springs, a small town somewhat distant from the glamorous and bustling Las Vegas.

And at the edge of that small town, a white house slightly yellowed from the desert sandstorms.

A house that had helped him remember his life on Earth that he had forgotten for 15 years, and had helped him build pleasant memories with the four women.

In what felt both short and long, he had experienced many things while living in this house.

“It really feels strange.”

As Dexter was staring blankly at the house, Judy and Himena arrived in a black mid-sized car, and Jessie went over to embrace them.

“What’s gotten into Jessie all of a sudden?”

As Himena patted Jessie’s back while giving Dexter a puzzled look, Dexter smiled and said:

“It’s our last day in Nevada.”

“But we’ll see each other again at the airport soon. We’ll be together the whole flight. Plus, it’s a private jet, so no one will bother us.”

“You really have no sense of romance. Even Emily wouldn’t say something like that.”

Jessie grumbled, looking at Judy.

“Don’t you think she’s weird?”

“Hmm, I’m going to side with Jessie on this one.”

“Great, so I’m the weird one again.”

As Himena pouted, Judy giggled.

“Himena. I heard P&J Secure acquired South Bay Correctional Facility in Boston—was that OSA’s doing too?”

“Dexy said he wanted to live in Boston after this was all over. When I mentioned it to the Director, he suggested continuing to work at a prison under a cover identity, so he pushed a prison over to P&J Secure.”

OSA transferred the South Bay Women’s Correctional Facility near Boston to P&J Secure, sending Dexter and Judy to Boston under the pretext of supplementing the shortage of personnel.

Thanks to this, Judy and Dexter were able to maintain their jobs as prison guards while living in Boston.

“…Is that even possible?”

“Well, the Pentagon almost killed everyone. If we hadn’t been there, they would have suffered orbital bombardment, lost American citizens, and the damage would have been enormous. They’ll have to bow their heads to us for a while.”

“So Himena is taking advantage of that?”

As Judy grinned teasingly at Himena, Himena slapped Judy’s arm and said:

“Again! You keep making me out to be the bad guy! If I hadn’t brought this up, Judy would have stayed in Las Vegas and had to deal with a long-distance relationship. Who do you think arranged for both Dexy and Judy to be transferred to that prison?”

“Hehe, I know.”

As Judy patted Himena’s shoulder, Himena looked at Dexter with a sulky face.

“When are we leaving?”

“Let’s go.”

After sending the four women to the car, Dexter put his hands in his pockets and took one last look at the house and garage.

‘Viva Las Vegas.’

Dexter got into the driver’s seat, and the car door closed.

And the car headed for McCarran Airport.

It was a day in December.