Invincible Earth! : Volume 1
Chapter 14: Operation: Get The Dossier

After a short wait, footsteps could be heard from the end of the corridor.

“Yu Yan, you’re up.“, said Lance, motioning her to come to the front of the group.

After she was in position, the team quietened down so as to not alert the janitor.

As the janitor slowly came into view, Yu Yan’s transformation started.

Her shoulders drooped as she started looking around with a scared expression on her face. With her already astoundingly cute looks, this image would elicit in anyone the urge to help out and do whatever they can.

As the Janitor fully came into view from a corner, the 3 boys heard the most endearing voice that they would ever hear in their life.

“Mister, can you help me please? I’m lost.....“.

Her voice trailed away while she started sobbing silently.

The guard had at least had the chance to question them. The poor janitor though, was entranced the second he saw Yu Yan.

What was incredible was that not just the janitor, but all three of the boys had also become temporarily entranced.

Lance was the first to snap out of it, shaking his head as he struggled to get that cute image out of his head. At that moment, his mind had been repeating just one thing:“Shes so pitiful. You HAVE to help her. Do whatever she says.”

He had almost succumbed to the feeling but something had made him awaken.

Entsy was next, with Darius being the last.

Seeing this, Yu Yan raised her eyebrow, looking at Lance in a new light.

She had stopped her transformation after the janitor had become hypnotized, but like her sister she could not yet control her power to only affect a target of her choosing.

“Our INs work by using a combination of our brain waves and energy construct field to influence and take control of another’s. But to activate it, we need to perform certain moments which trigger the usage of our IN. As you saw, my sisters and mine are completely different, but the effect is the same. Lance, you can order him now.“, explained Yu Yan.

Lance nodded, marveling at the wonders of Intrinsic Natures.

“I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot. Your IN is really incredible, and I would really treasure being friends with you.“, he said while outstretching his hand.

After cocking her head and looking at Lance for a second, Yu Yan smiled, shaking his hand.

“Apology accepted. Lets be friends. My elder told me that the stronger the IN, the lesser time is needed to snap out of our effect. You were first, so I’m sure your IN is going to dazzle us all.”

Lance blushed hearing this. He had always been good at giving out compliments but never good at taking them.

Yu Yan giggled, taking back her hand and going to Yu Ying’s side. The sisters held hands as they started whispering about something while waiting for Lance’s next instructions.

“Plug the hole and take us into the room. Make sure no alarm is raised.“, ordered Lance.

Nodding, the janitor took less than a minute to plug the hole, filling it with some sort of solution from a tube which almost instantly hardened.

Afterwards, he went to the janitor room and held the doorknob. In front of his head, a square shaped hole appeared into which the janitor slightly stuck his head in.

This was the DNA and retina testing mechanism. After a few seconds, a “BEEP” sound was heard as the door opened.

The janitor walked in and fiddled with a control panel inside before coming out and nodding at Lance.

The team quickly shuffled into the room, shutting it behind them, erasing themselves from all surveillance temporarily. Operation “Get the Dossier” would begin soon.

…

After everyone had entered the janitor room, Lance first asked everyone to check their equipment and pool it in the center of the room. The janitor still remained, and Lance had asked the girls to hypnotize him in turn when necessary.

When they were keeping the pendants on a table, a slight vibration was felt by each and everyone’s hands.

On placing the pendants close together, a holographic timer appeared in the air.

On it were 2 times, with one counting forwards and one counting backwards.

Lance posited that the one counting forwards was the present time and the other was a countdown. What would happen at the end of the countdown though was anyone’s guess.

The team discussed and decided that it was best to assume the worst case scenario:not completing the mission by that time would result in instant disqualification and failure.

They had 8 hours 22 minutes left and the time was now 7:45 am.

8:00 am.

The sun had risen as usual on what seemed to be a bustling day in the Pentagon. The sparkling waters of the Potomac river flowed incessantly onward as the busy employees and bureaucrats in the building got down to their work. A personal secretary who ran towards a meeting fretting that he was late seemed pitiful as the meeting that he was so worried about would soon be aborted due to tumultuous and his boss would have no time to scold him for his tardiness.

At 8:02 sharp, the team of 5 exited the janitor’s room. The janitor went back to his duties and 4 of them headed down one way in the corridor and a lone team member headed the opposite way.

11:06 am.

Meetings and conferences were going on in full swing in the Pentagon when a few personnel noticed the water glass in front of them shaking. Waves formed on the surface of the water as the rest of the people also felt a slight tremor from the building.

This was one of the most highly secured locations in the world. As the largest office building to ever have existed, there were multiple security protocols in place. Everyone waited with baited breath for the earthquake alarm to go off.

12:22 pm.

An announcement came on the speakers which calmed everyone down. An earthquake which measured 3.5 on the Richter scale had been recorded. No damage was reported and everyone was told to continue work as usual.

2:00 pm.

A slight tremor could be felt again but everyone assumed that it was just another small earthquake. To everyone’s shock though, the loud alarm started blaring as the whole building started shaking. Many people fell down getting slightly injured while the sirens ordered everyone to evacuate.

In the command room though, it was a different situation.

“External attack:earthquake of magnitude 6.8 detected. Protocol 611 initiated. All key personnel, please proceed to the designated special elevator. As per the protocol, the vault doors will remain open for T-minus 20 minutes.”

…

Everyone in this room were wizened men who had been through many wars and combat situations. There was little in the world that could faze them.

Hearing this, they all made an orderly queue towards a secret door that had opened.

As they entered one by one, a panel in the wall verified each identity. There had been multiple instances before when someone had tried to sneak in during a time like this.

20 people entered a large elevator which looked like it could fit a dozen more. The lift immediately started descending at a breakneck speed.

For the people inside though, almost no movement could be felt.

After a minute or so, the lift came to a stop. The doors opened to a corridor filled with soldiers.

A commanding officer was holding a tablet in front of them. After respectfully saluting, he launched into an explanation of everything that had happened so far:

“At around 11 am, an earthquake which measured 3.5 on the Richter scale went off. With the peculiar point being that the Pentagon was the precise epicenter, our team got to work trying to replace out the cause for the earthquake.

Data gathered showed many discrepancies from normal earthquakes. There could be no reason found for the sudden movement of the tectonic plates, even within random event parameters. One geologist even joked that god was playing with the plates.

At 2:00 pm, the same tectonic plates moved but this time a 6.5 earthquake occurred. As you are aware, such earthquakes are classified as “strong” and can cause damage to even heavily fortified locations. Due to the anomalous data and freak coincidence of the earthquakes, the AI system decided to use this protocol. The vault doors are open and waiting for you.”

This whole dialogue happened when the group was walking past row after row of armored soldiers who had their guns pointed at them. The chairman only nodded, speeding up his pace.

Around 10 feet away from the humongous vault was one last checkpoint with another DNA and retina test. There were 6 soldiers stationed around it, again guns pointed and ready to fire in case anything happened.

Member after member passed the test as they walked into the vault. From the outside, rows of open shelves could be seen on which were multiple dossiers.

In masks, the soldiers eyes were constantly on the line of personnel, not moving even an inch.

The commanding officer who had given the explanation checked his watch and saw that there were only 2 minutes left until the doors would be closed, with or without any personnel who made it inside.

Seeing the badge on one of the soldiers, the officer asked:

“Basher, any updates from the geologists? I removed my earpiece while waiting for the chiefs.”

There was no response.

Thinking that he hadn’t been audible enough, the officer repeated his question. While he was mid-way, he saw the eyes of the soldier squinting towards the last of the members entering.

Without answering, the team of 6 quickly turned around and started to follow the last member as if guarding him.

In a smooth motion, the officer took out the gun at his waist and aimed at the team screaming:

“Freeze! Possible breach detected! Close doors immediately!”