Jimmy continued to stare, speechless. He had only ever seen the man behind the glass in old books and videos, a figure from history, a legend of great achievements. But here he was, in a heated argument with the Commander.
"So, what you're telling me now is, you don't have any idea who took the Nebulux Core?" Commander Ellen's voice was sharp with impatience.
"If I recall correctly, all Nebulux Cores are heavily guarded under NEXUS's protection," Eric retorted, his voice calm but biting.
"So, the real question is, how the bloody hell did you lot manage to lose one? And more to the point, why am i getting roped into cleaning up your cosmic cock up?"
"You invented those things, Eric, and once again, your inventions have taken billions of lives. So yes, you're involved," Ellen said, her tone a mix of anger and cold composure.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Eric shot back, a sarcastic smile on his face.
"Who was it again that needed a next-gen energy source powerful enough to light up a whole bloody planet? Yeah, I remember, NEXUS, goddammit!"
"A planet, Eric, not planets, there's a huge difference. We only needed one for Atlas," she countered.
"My bad for not being selfish then," he said. The words hit a nerve, and the sarcasm vanished. He went silent, his expression unreadable, and just watched her.
"I watched that psychopath wipe out entire galaxies with the Nebulux Core," Ellen continued, her voice trembling with the memory.
"If he can draw out and modify it to exhibit that kind of power…"
"The bloody bastard cracked the core's security protocol."
Eric cut her off.
"Which means we've got another sick lunatic like you roaming free, and God knows what his next plans are," Ellen spat.
A tense silence fell between them. They held each other's gaze, a cold standoff.
"You know, I lost my wife and two kids that day," Eric said, his voice dropping, his eyes looking past her to the ceiling.
"It was eighteen years ago, but it feels like yesterday." He lost himself in the memory for a moment.
"I'm well aware, your point exactly?"
Commander Ellen replied.
"I lost my license, my reputation, the trust people had in me. I lost everything. So here's my point, I've lost interest in things that aren't my business. This included." He brought his gaze back to hers, his eyes hard and unblinking.
"Your daughter is alive, Eric," she said, her voice cutting through the air.
Eric's world stopped. He stared at her, shock and disbelief warring on his face. His mind flooded with images of his family, his wife, his son, his little girl.
"What?" he whispered, standing up from his seat.
"We found her in a micro ship deep in space two weeks after the event," Ellen said, her face grim. "I'll assume you understand what that all means."
He did. She was the only survivor. The only one. The realization hit him like a physical blow.
"After all this time," he said, his voice shaking with frustration, "nobody decided to tell me anything?!"
"You were labeled Code-B: Red," Ellen replied with cold authority.
"The safest place for her at the time sure as hell wasn't with you. For her own safety, we did what we thought was best. Period."
A whirlwind of emotions twisted inside Eric. He paced the room, his mind reeling.
Was she telling the truth? Could his daughter really be alive? He knew Commander Homes wasn't the type to lie about something so critical just to manipulate him. The thought brought him to his knees. Eighteen years of believing his daughter was gone. Eighteen years of carrying that guilt.
"So where is she?" he demanded, walking back to his seat. "Where's my daughter?"
"We'll take you to her when, and only when, you help us solve this mess. You have my word."
"Hmm… alright," Eric said, a new resolve in his voice. "I'll do it."
Ellen's eyes narrowed. "Just like that?"
"To see my daughter? Then yes. Just like that."
He crossed his arms, but something behind Ellen caught his eye. He tilted his head, a puzzled look on his face. Beyond the thick glass, a young man was leaning against the wall, staring at him with his mouth agape.
"Is he okay?" Eric asked, pointing.
Ellen turned to look. The young man looked out of place, so young yet wearing a verified staff tag. She dismissed it as stress.
"Maybe he's overworked. Someone please assist Dr. Phil-Sedi to his room." She made a mental note of the name on his tag.
"Now, back to the mission. Since you're on board, I'll need you to join the field operators and…"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on," Eric cut in. "Field operators?"
"Is there a problem?" Ellen asked, her tone serious.
"Listen, Commander. I work alone. I don't need bodyguards," he said.
"They're not bodyguards, and like it or not, you'll do as I say, Eric," she countered, her voice ice-cold.
"hmm...then It's only a deal when I get booze," Eric said, a hint of his old self returning.
Ellen gave him a look of concern, scanning his dust and blood-stained clothes.
"We'll get you booze after you've cleaned yourself up. You look like shit." She stood and walked toward the exit.
"The mission and briefing will begin tomorrow. Prepare yourself."
With one final, stern look over her shoulder, she was gone.
The crowd behind the glass began to disperse, leaving Eric alone in the interrogation room. The reality of what had just happened settled over him. His daughter was alive. A single tear rolled down his cheek, then another.
He lowered his head and rested his forehead on the table.
"She'll probably hate me for what I did," he whispered to himself, a heartbreaking thought in the quiet room.