TERRA EMPIRE: ON THE EVE OF WORLD WAR

Episode 40: RELEASE OF THE HOSTAGES

Professor McQueen frowned upon hearing the question of the ****** which was without further ado, “What about the hostages? I thought I'd explain it after we switched places.”

“The hostages are fine in there.” the criminal puts his head to the door behind him. Moments

Professor McQueen looked up, seen the line of hostages had been waiting behind the door while some****** others stood watching with guns outstretched. “…you can switch places if I like what you're proposing, Professor.”

“Alright! Fire Ball is a prototype military drone used for aerial bombing. It is not as sophisticated as the drones used in Abadan recently, but it is effective enough to stop the Apache that is speeding in the air. Activating it from here will help you achieve your goals, right?”

Lieutenant Mills looked at Professor McQueen in surprise, “That's your plan? Know that I don't allow this.it's like killing..”.

But Professor McQueen did not heed it, “One person sacrificed, rather than thirty innocent people had to die in vain. You get what you want, I save my guests and staff.”

“You are crazy, Professor! Same with Tim!” Lieutenant Mills raised the gun and pointed it at Professor McQueen's head. “I won't let you do that.”

The leader of the ******* changed his gun to Lieutenant Mills, “Do that, Lieutenant Mills. And I guarantee you won't be the hero who took these hostages out.” the man then turned to Professor McQueen. “I like your plan. Do that for us, and I'll release them now.”

“If you keep your promise, I will also do the same,” the scientist replied.

“Free the hostages..” exclaim the man looking back.

Professor McQueen glances at Lieutenant Mills, giving him a fleeting smile, while the cop stares in disbelief as the man's plan manages to get the hostages out one by one. Lieutenant Mills counted, it turned out that there were about thirty-five people all of them, their faces looking relieved as soon as they realized they could get out of the gate of the building. Relief and excitement were also felt by Professor McQueen knowing Carl Trish was alive.

“Carl?” the man hugged his assistant with a shrill voice, barely suffocating.

Carl Trish's eyes glazed over, except for the blood that had dried in his ears, the man looked fine. He embraced back to his boss, “Professor McQueen...is that right? Do you really want to activate Fire Ball?”

“For all of you... so that you are safe, Carl!”

“Don't do that, Professor! Please consider..”

“This is the only way..”.

“No one chats!” clash the leader *******. “Streeting...”

“All of?” ask Lieutenant Mills.

“As you can see. We left no one. Well, now please enter Professor,” the leader.

“Do your duty well, Lieutenant!” Professor McQueen.

The policeman stood in front to guide the hostages away from the gate, while Professor McQueen walked in with the door closed afterwards. The media crew applauded as soon as Lieutenant Mills and his entourage reached safety with the other policemen. Some of the hostages, especially the women, were crying. Not expecting good luck to still side with their escape from death.

“My Lord.. I thought I wouldn't be able to get out..”.

“I thought instead I would die..”

“Aahh...if my phone is not taken.. I can tell my family...”.

Not only did the hostages shed tears, some media crews also wiped away the tears on their cheeks for the umpteenth time. And for some of them, the moment was soon used to do a live broadcast. The VOA crew is one that is already preparing for it. After taking a corner of the gathered hostages and hugging, the female reporter from VOA who had finished dressing up immediately stood in front of the camera. Her lipstick-dotted lips that match her sand hair become an appealing sweetener once she throws a smile and speaks in front of the mic.

“I'm Sandy Bridges from Voice of America reporting live from the Machina Factory page in Brisbane, San Francisco, this is the heartwarming moment of the hostages who have just been released from the main building after Lieutenant Mills of the SFPD successfully negotiated with the ****** and brought them out.”

“I calculated that there were approximately thirty survivors of the hostage situation, unfortunately we have not received permission to interview directly one of the hostages or the police because this matter is not finished. The ****** hostage-takers are still holding up inside the main building at some point, and security forces are likely waiting for the right time to conduct the raid.”

“It is not yet known who the ****** are there, what are the reasons for their hostage taking, and why finally ******** agree to release all hostages. Whereas on social media it is widely stated that ******* threatened to kill a hostage every one hour, in order to make President Howard Tramp who previously managed to escape to return to Machina Factory. What is the problem between ******* with our President, it is also an interesting thing to wait for..”.

“But one thing can be ascertained at this time, the SFPD is bringing in some additional cars to transport these hostages back to the city, as their security is important for now. This is the latest report of a hostage case at Machina Factory. Stay tuned with me, Sandy Bridges of Voice of America reports directly from Brisbane, San Francisco.”.

The girl then asked the cameraman after finishing her report, “How? Is there anything less?”

“Perfect!” the cameraman raised his thumb. “Awlookers at home must shed tears when they hear you.”

The sight might be something heartwarming for almost everyone, except for a man who had just been present. The man stood behind the crew of the media crew, with a dark coat dangling down to his knees and sunglasses, while his hair and chin were shaved off by a drizzle, with the after shave fragrance that spreads in all directions.

Having only arrived at the place a few minutes ago, the man realized he missed a few things. Among them is how Professor McQueen exchanged himself bravely, so that the hostages can get out of the main building Machina Factory.

Although happy because the hostage drama ended well – at least so safely all hostages – but he agreed with Machina Factory employees who have been free, this has not really ended until the ******* also known as Professor McQueen, who apparently still remains there.

The young man wanted to find out who Professor McQueen had been called by the hostages, other than that the scientist was the founder of the Machina Factory with Duncan Tramp. The inclusion of digital documentation in his Auris to reopen the files given by Mr. Janus. Just seconds later, a series of photos of Archibald McQueen were plastered on a screen attached to his eyepiece.

Archibald McQueen graduated from MIT with the predicate maxima cum laude. There have been fifteen patents he has created since establishing Machina Factory, and one of them is a prototype of a military drone used to bomb Abadan some time ago. The development of drones with combat objectives gave Machina Factory hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from the Air Force last year alone. What a wonderful man, why, Mr. Janus or Terra Empire hasn't recruited him…

***