The alien commander started by explaining they were in fact coming from somewhere inside the very same Solar System that humans do. For ever since the time he had not yet been born, his kind had actively conducted various studies and application attempts on the nature of a specific asteroid located in a 'river of asteroids' between the planet we called Mars and Jupiter.
As their research went on, they eventually found out that the particular asteroid had the tendency to disrupt the magnetic field around it, especially whenever there was a living creature around. Although there were no fatalities, the first ones exposed to the magnetic field all experienced extreme dizziness, vomiting, and even hallucinations to the point that several among them mistaken their own kinds as threats.
And yet, it only heightened both their interest and urge to further deepen their knowledge on the asteroid. During the same time, they also found a solution to stabilize the concentrated solar energy harvested from the Sun, both as power and defence for their kinds.
However, not too long after the conducted study on the asteroid had been ongoing, a few rogue groups of their kinds, comprising mostly of minor radical groups believed that they could harness more power for themselves by exploiting another planet.
The planet that they chose to invade, was no other than Earth….
Their decision in choosing Earth was not only because of the rare minerals that could not be found from their original planet, but also because it had some distances away from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and thus once they had landed there it would be hard for the non-radical sides to catch up with them.
But, naturally non-official sides always had the less-developed equipment with them whenever they acted; they were forced to bring with them the outdated, retired, and unmaintained weapons, vehicles, and equipment.
The beam rifles, narwhal aircraft, and even the octagonal-shaped mothership that had invaded the earth five years ago were all already far too outdated compared to the technology that the alien commander's parents had.
That was the reason why the loaded solar energy inside the beam rifle barrels was still too volatile that, if contacted with a serious impact it would explode and engulf the user in flames, and that the aircraft's engine armor was still too fragile. Whereas actually for them, beam rifles were all but an ancient weapon of their past.
Nevertheless, they forced their way inside to the Earth, splitting up among several groups and invading several places at the same time; United States, Russia, Japan, Germany, and France.
They were worried that those radicals would eventually took over the Earth, and if that were too happen, the non-radicals would obviously be their next target. When the news of the radical groups reaching Earth reached the ears of its kinds, they were left in an uproar that it resulted in total halt of all their studies and research on every fields.
But again, something completely unexpected happened….
The dominant living creatures inhabiting the planet called humans were able to fight them back, and not even a single of the radical groups returned.
This left their kind in a total shock; both relieved and even more scared. They were relieved that their failure to suppress the radical movement of their own did not cause the total destruction of a whole planet, yet they were scared to find out that there were other living creatures beside them that could wipe them out.
They decided that sooner or later, they must make an official apology and explanation to a representative of the inhabitants of the Earth. Arrangements were finally made, and preparations had been ongoing while further study for the asteroid was still being held to a halt.
Around that time, the scholars were starting to get irritated since they were left with only minor tasks to do, unable to contribute completely with their skills. They tried to find out any alternative way if they could continue the study by themselves until they found out an ancient recording about their ancestors who had never returned from trying to retrieve a large meteorite that came to Earth tens of thousands of years ago.
It was the same group of aliens that was drawn on a wall inside a prehistoric site found by Jessica Evangelia, an archeologist who assisted Travis and Billy with the first Operation E.X.T.I.R.T two years ago in Indonesia. The prehistoric meteorite fell to a region called Java Island in Indonesia.
Curious by the nature of the meteorite that had fallen during the prehistoric times, they decided to make another unauthorized move to the same planet in order to retrieve that extraterrestrial rock by any means necessary even if that would mean killing the innocents, with the intention of studying another subject while the study magnetic field-disrupting asteroid was still paused.
Again, they were totally wiped out by the humans, and even had their aquatic vehicles stolen. It was not because they lacked more adequate weapons, vehicles, or even equipment compared to the previous invasion. It was rather because they were not physically as strong as the radical groups.
They were indeed smarter and more careful than the first invaders but on the other hand, the first invaders had been consisted of those with various physical trainings for space defence from the start.
Then, with two consecutive invasions took place and failed, the aliens knew they had to make an official apology and explanation fast. It was at that exact time, that the alien voyager commander came up with a suggestion:
To bring the asteroid to Earth and lure the humans to them so they could send their message through this human.
And thus, that was how the whole second Operation E.X.T.I.R.T began….
Of course, the idea was met with countless debates and considerations. For they could not even guarantee the return of the third arrival at all since they had not known and understood yet the nature minds of humans.
To put it simply, the alien voyager commander made a huge gamble.
It came to earth with full stealth mode, bringing the asteroid with it along the way and masking their entrance to Earth under the guise of a falling meteorite.
And they had to choose a place where there were still humans around, but very small in number. So small, that they could continue their study on the asteroid while luring one of us to get to them.
Their final decision was the sea near the Franz Josef Land Archipelago of Russia.
The result was that upon entering Earth's atmosphere, all humans around that area experienced vomiting and hallucinations as well as failure to acknowledge the real condition of their surroundings; normal sky seen as blood red sky.
It was all because the magnetic field coming out from the asteroid were extremely strong that they affected all living creatures around it with a considerably large radius. Naturally, magnetic field would also disrupt the compass needles, making them to just violently rotate without stopping instead of pointing to the North direction.
The alien voyager commander then stopped and just looked straight to my eyes, as if it was preparing itself to explain something else.
"Have you recalled any incidents that you have experienced in the past, Major?" It asked me.
"What does that have to do with all these?" I returned its question.
"Because the very first ones of my kind who got exposed to the magnetic field recalled very clearly what they had experienced in the past." It changed its tone, getting more serious.
It continued by telling me that all traumatizing accidents, battles, struggles that had been experienced by those who was exposed recurred again and again, slowly affecting their psychological health to the point that most of them could no longer endure it and finally forced it out by attacking their own kind, mistaking them as enemies.
So that was what happened to both Flint and Yeon back at that post!
Flint recalled clearly his complete failure in his mission years ago, while Yeon suddenly got his overconfidence due to him remembering his first total success!
Since they were both totally contradicted with each other, it escalated to the point that Flint held Yeon in gunpoint!
The rest of the others must have no similar experiences because none of them seemed to show similar attitude….
As for me… I remembered clearly how I was bullied back in my Junior High School years and my teacher who made me endured all that, my struggle in adapting myself to my current health condition, and the fact that I am in fact should not actually be in this mission if it was not to directly supervise the unexperienced officers….
"Yes. I see that you finally begin to understand what I am trying to explain to you, Major…." The alien commander said.
Still though, there were a couple things that I had yet to understand….
"What about the Narwhal attack? It killed my second-in-commanding officer!" I concentrated my handgun aim to its forehead again.
"There is no way for such aquatic mammals to be so hostile towards human that it would even kill someone outside of water. I believe that you and this asteroid has just too many things to do with that!"
"Indeed, it was under my direct order to dispose of your officer, Major…." It nodded quick, and without any signs of hesitation.
I could only scoff in satisfaction as I guessed it right all along….
"And if it was not for that, you would be the one to lose your life instead…" It continued.
…huh?
The alien voyager commander turned around, tapped a few times on the octagonal table before the holograph image changed to a different footage.
"We have actually succeeded in trying to control the movement of simpler living creatures through the magnetic field of this asteroid thanks to our generations of studies, although only for temporarily…." It clarified.
The footage was taken from the eyes of a narwhal that happened to swim just below the surfaces of the ground where both my and Yeon's unit had been constructing the communication post. I recalled that back then, I felt like I had seen something from below the water, although very unclearly because that something, which turned out to be the narwhal was swimming quite deep below the frozen surface.
To my disbelief, it turned that when Yeon was all by himself at the makeshift kitchen he was preparing a makeshift explosive! He could not plant it in time inside the finished tent because I had finished standing the pole earlier than he had expected!
It is even more surprising for me that Dong, my deceased second-in-command, had been the one holding the detonator all along! I just realized that they were planning to make it look like an accident because the makeshift kitchen was located just beside the tent! They wanted to make it look like the kitchen exploded and the tent was destroyed altogether with it!
The Narwhal had to kill Dong in order to cancel that plan completely!
"I… I cannot believe it…." I dropped my handgun aim for a brief moment before I quickly forced myself to keep on pointing it at the alien commander.
"There is still more, Major…." It still continued, seemingly not caring at all about my handgun.
The next footage was coming from the eyes of the polar bear who had briefly held Yeon by its right foreleg back when we were still in the truck. The alien voyager commander confirmed that it tried its chance to take Yeon out at that time, although he failed in the end.
Yeon had been keeping a hidden switchblade within his belt! I knew right away that he had been trying to get me closer to him, so he could take it out and stab me in the throat while I was about to toss him his rifle!
With both of those footages, it became completely clear to me why Yeon was so angry when we got past the bear stampede… it all made perfect sense….
But with that, it would also mean that Derek was his accomplice too, whatever their main reason for that might be….
"Looks like even your kinds are trying to kill each other too, Major…." The alien voyager commander sighed and ended the footage before finally turned towards me again.
I could not think straight anymore! The things that I have thought all this time to be my enemy in fact, could possibly be trying to ally and make peace with me!
Ironically, my partner was the one trying to put me to my demise from the start even though we were both supposed to be on the same side!
"Where are they now?" I closed my eyes, still trying my hardest to digest every information that had been given to me.
"The ones who tried to kill you or your subordinates?" It looked at me straight in my eyes.
Alek and Takeshi are still alive?!
"Alek is alive?! But he fell down from that underground cave bridge!" I spontaneously took a few steps forward to the alien voyager commander, could not believe of what I have just heard.
"Well, you have my most trusted General to thank for that." It gave out a smile full of satisfaction.
It then turned back to the table and tapped something twice again before the holograph showed the overview map of the current location of the Voyager, and two small blipping red dots on the map originating from a little to the Northwest direction.
These two are… Alek and Takeshi!
I have to get to them now!
"Before you go, Major." It raised its right hand just as I was about to rush back outside and get to the two of them.
"I personally dug out some information about your ancestor. I have found several interesting information indeed from that."
My ancestor?