Vividly sharp, dark gray hallway was the first thing my eyes saw the moment my feet reached the third floor. The interior lighting on the previous two floors were not as sharp, and thus I actually had to pause for a few moments a few times in order to look around my new surroundings, especially when entering from the rear hatch and arriving on the second floor.
Well, this floor looks pretty neatly built and designed….
The floor, the walls, and the ceiling were all looking like they must be polished that often since they were looking so smooth, unlike the rugged surfaces of the first and second floors, indicating that the third floor must house something far more important than just random and supply container boxes.
And to make it perfect, the third floor also had a far better sound-proofing on all across of the area; I could not even hear a tiny bit of sound from my footsteps.
"Okay, now I am starting to get a little concerned…." I told to myself in a very low voice, unholstering my handgun and aim it forward as I began to walk again.
As if the entire hallway were only to lead anyone into the specific door some distances away in front of me, there was literally nothing else other than the plain dark gray colored surroundings.
But wait, this also means that the alien just now bringing those container boxes must have gone through here too, right?
So, this special chamber on the third floor is not exclusive to just few or some them….
The closer I got to the entrance of the said chamber, the more I tried to guess what kind of an aircraft that could be stored inside there. For if the schematics on the gunship were kept inside a quarter which had less guards than the voyager itself, then whatever the aircraft was on the other side of the door must be at least as deadly as the Phoenix Gunship.
Having myself right in front of the door, I took a deep breath, tightening my grip on my handgun and walked inside, finally looking at the very thing that they had to guard.
Alright, here we go….
The door slid open in the exact same manner like it had been for the quarter back in the underground ice cave. As soon as I made a few more distances away from it, it closed again without making any bleeping noise, completely making any entrances oblivious to those who had not paying attention to the door.
But, that was the least of my concern.
I was then shown by a whole different feature inside the voyager, the very least thing I expected the moment I saw the size of the voyager.
Is this… a laboratory for some prototype or test model… in the form of a hangar?
The size of the hangar must be no less than three-quarters of the total area of a light aircraft carrier. Combined with the height of more than the standard eight storey building, there was no doubt that at the very least all basic capabilities and manuevers of the prototype aircraft could be performed there with no hindrances.
I finally understood why I had not been able to see past the third floor the moment I entered the voyager through the rear hatch earlier; it was because the whole third floor was in fact, a hangar meant to house their special aircraft. That would mean the entire floor must be able to provide space large enough for the aircraft to do various movements and maneuvers without actually flying out of the voyager.
And it also led me to assume that the aircraft performed in the similar way of a VTOL fighter jet, instead of the usual take-off and landing since the test must be performed inside the hangar only.
This prototype aircraft must have a more assault-oriented role than the gunship….
And now I wonder if the gunship is actually also a prototype too and is currently running a test by lifting and transporting their damaged amphibious tank….
Turning my head a little to one of the corners at the far right section of the hangar, there was a similar octagonal table standing there. Getting closer to the table, I quickly noticed that it was indeed the same kind like the one back in the quarter.
So, I just have to push this button here, and… right!
Again, a large holograph was instantly shown on top of a table, showing the detailed appearance of their aircraft.
"KY-63 Vulture." I read the only word on the holograph that was written in English, similar like back in the underground quarter.
This is… similar to the prototype XB-70 Valkyrie aircraft!
I could not take my eyes off the delta wing feature of the aircraft, greatly resembling the overall appearance of a US strategic bomber aircraft prototype developed during the mid and late 1960s. I never thought that they would have something else designed very similarly to what we might have in the past, should the prototype had been ran to production.
Every bit of the features was exactly the same like the Valkyrie strategic bomber, save for three things; a small spherical form just after the small front wings, a rear hatch leading to a small section on the back side which apparently could house two alien personnel or rather four humans maybe even five if packed, and what seemed to be a laser turret on each of the folding wing tips.
I never had the chance to take a look at the original Valkyrie schematic before, but stealth aircrafts usually lacked rear hatch. Upon taking a second look, I noticed that there was indentation right in the middle of a compartment right after the rear hatch, that seemed to supposedly contain something else that could be fit right inside it.
But it is empty….
So, what could it be for?
"We have been waiting for you, Major Zonatyan Xenov!" said a very deep and loud voice suddenly from right behind me.
"Wha-?!" I turned around and aimed my handgun directly at the source of that voice.
It turned out to be an alien talking to me, and addressing my full name to top it off!
I-it knows me?!