03-04-2024, 06:49 PM
Drabeceda, Geminus Province, Eiria
The man in the black jacket stood on the train platform, occasionally glancing over his shoulder at his surroundings. A few other passengers stood all in various states of boredom and tiredness. A group of teens, presumably students, stood in a close group, eyes glued to their JanMōbils. The man didn't pay much attention, though. He was more concerned about the future, specifically, what would happen to him when he reported back to his superiors.
He and his team had failed, after all. The fire at Vernceda Community Hospital, while a solid distraction, failed to remove an unexpected obstacle: the young Benjamin’s mother, Natasha Robinson. A team of three highly-trained Zongongian intelligence had their mission foiled by a mother recovering from childbirth, with one of their members in Eirian custody. The superiors weren't going to be particularly happy about this. Alas, the actual kidnapping was not his job, so if worst came to worst, the “nurse” who was tasked with actually taking the baby from the hospital could serve as a scapegoat. Still, once he arrived home, living down this mission would probably be incredibly difficult.
A bell noise played over the intercom caused the man to look at the sign above him. Okay. I take the train to Nōrdjura, get a hotel at the airport, fly to Buttercity, and then get back home. Simple. Despite having a slight worry at the back of his mind that Eirian authorities would find him before he escaped, he quickly dismissed those concerns. If they haven't found me yet, how could they? I'll disappear once I reach New Riga.
The low rumble of a commuter train drew all of the eyes in the station to the end of the platform, where said train was making its way towards them. Once it stopped, the Zongongian took a step towards the nearest set of doors, but they didn't open, much to his confusion.
“Atencōn, tut. Pōr sul drošedzi, atteniet jākapat lei trān. Darbam salabat lei prablim. Mōs ekusjit pōr lei attenēča. Attention, everyone. For your own safety, please wait to board the train. We are working to fix the problem. We apologize for the wait.”
Huh. I always thought Eirian trains were efficient. Guess that's just propaganda at its finest. Or maybe smaller lines like this just aren't maintained very well. He stepped back from the doors, adjusting his backpack (that carried the disguise he had worn in the hospital). Well, I've already waited for twenty minutes, so what's a couple more?
Suddenly, a commotion arose from the right side of the platform. Six uniformed police officers, along with a trio of Geminus Province Transit Police, climbed the stairs, scanning the platform. Shit. The Zongongian tried to act curious instead of concerned, but when the officer in front pointed him out to the others, he knew the jig was up. He turned around and sprinted towards the only other set of stairs…
…Only to run face first into the outstretched arm of one of the teens. The man’s inertia carried him forward, and he landed on his back with a groan. The other two teens had drawn pistols out from under their clothes, aiming them down at the disoriented man. The one who had stuck her arm out pulled out a badge as the police brought the man to his feet while handcuffing him. “EICA, Office of Counterintelligence Operations. You are under arrest for the arson of a vital public building and conspiracy to kidnap a minor.”
—
Ever since the tragic assasination of Cihitlina, Eirian intelligence and law enforcement agencies had upped their security for their political asylees. The Robinsons, being easily the most high-profile asylees in Eiria, had their own contingent of agents watching for threats at their homes and workplaces. So, when a fire was reported at the very hospital where Natasha Robinson had just given birth, counterintelligence agents wasted no time to sound the alarms.
The Zongongian agent, all things considered, might have been able to escape in spite of these heightened measures. However, he hit three consecutive bits of bad luck that sealed his fate to be stuck in Eirian custody.
First, Vernceda Community Hospital had recently had a series of renovations done to portions of the hospital. One of these renovations was the installation of a brand new security system, including new security cameras. One of these cameras happened to be just outside the hospital where the agent lit the fire, allowing law enforcement to send out a notice that contained a clear picture of the agent across the area.
Second, the agent knew that local law enforcement would probably be swarming the more central train stations if they even suspected an organized kidnapping. As such, he opted to leave from a station in a smaller suburb nearby, called Drabeceda. However, this gave the police critical time to work, and the alert with the spy’s face went out five minutes before he got to the station. As such, when he bought a ticket, the ticket officer notified the authorities.
Third, as Drabeceda was neither a major transit hub nor a stop on major lines, trains to and from the station were, on average, slower than the average Eirian transport train. In particular, the route to New Riga that the agent wanted to take was run by some of the slowest commuter trains still in operation in Eiria. This final factor sealed his fate, as the police task force was able to surround Drabeceda Station and notify transit operators to temporarily hold the train before it arrived at the station. At this point, almost a dozen agencies were coordinating an overwhelming force to catch the unlucky spy.
This tremendous response illustrated one thing to anyone who would oppose Eiria: No one will ever get away with harming their political asylees again.
The man in the black jacket stood on the train platform, occasionally glancing over his shoulder at his surroundings. A few other passengers stood all in various states of boredom and tiredness. A group of teens, presumably students, stood in a close group, eyes glued to their JanMōbils. The man didn't pay much attention, though. He was more concerned about the future, specifically, what would happen to him when he reported back to his superiors.
He and his team had failed, after all. The fire at Vernceda Community Hospital, while a solid distraction, failed to remove an unexpected obstacle: the young Benjamin’s mother, Natasha Robinson. A team of three highly-trained Zongongian intelligence had their mission foiled by a mother recovering from childbirth, with one of their members in Eirian custody. The superiors weren't going to be particularly happy about this. Alas, the actual kidnapping was not his job, so if worst came to worst, the “nurse” who was tasked with actually taking the baby from the hospital could serve as a scapegoat. Still, once he arrived home, living down this mission would probably be incredibly difficult.
A bell noise played over the intercom caused the man to look at the sign above him. Okay. I take the train to Nōrdjura, get a hotel at the airport, fly to Buttercity, and then get back home. Simple. Despite having a slight worry at the back of his mind that Eirian authorities would find him before he escaped, he quickly dismissed those concerns. If they haven't found me yet, how could they? I'll disappear once I reach New Riga.
The low rumble of a commuter train drew all of the eyes in the station to the end of the platform, where said train was making its way towards them. Once it stopped, the Zongongian took a step towards the nearest set of doors, but they didn't open, much to his confusion.
“Atencōn, tut. Pōr sul drošedzi, atteniet jākapat lei trān. Darbam salabat lei prablim. Mōs ekusjit pōr lei attenēča. Attention, everyone. For your own safety, please wait to board the train. We are working to fix the problem. We apologize for the wait.”
Huh. I always thought Eirian trains were efficient. Guess that's just propaganda at its finest. Or maybe smaller lines like this just aren't maintained very well. He stepped back from the doors, adjusting his backpack (that carried the disguise he had worn in the hospital). Well, I've already waited for twenty minutes, so what's a couple more?
Suddenly, a commotion arose from the right side of the platform. Six uniformed police officers, along with a trio of Geminus Province Transit Police, climbed the stairs, scanning the platform. Shit. The Zongongian tried to act curious instead of concerned, but when the officer in front pointed him out to the others, he knew the jig was up. He turned around and sprinted towards the only other set of stairs…
…Only to run face first into the outstretched arm of one of the teens. The man’s inertia carried him forward, and he landed on his back with a groan. The other two teens had drawn pistols out from under their clothes, aiming them down at the disoriented man. The one who had stuck her arm out pulled out a badge as the police brought the man to his feet while handcuffing him. “EICA, Office of Counterintelligence Operations. You are under arrest for the arson of a vital public building and conspiracy to kidnap a minor.”
—
Ever since the tragic assasination of Cihitlina, Eirian intelligence and law enforcement agencies had upped their security for their political asylees. The Robinsons, being easily the most high-profile asylees in Eiria, had their own contingent of agents watching for threats at their homes and workplaces. So, when a fire was reported at the very hospital where Natasha Robinson had just given birth, counterintelligence agents wasted no time to sound the alarms.
The Zongongian agent, all things considered, might have been able to escape in spite of these heightened measures. However, he hit three consecutive bits of bad luck that sealed his fate to be stuck in Eirian custody.
First, Vernceda Community Hospital had recently had a series of renovations done to portions of the hospital. One of these renovations was the installation of a brand new security system, including new security cameras. One of these cameras happened to be just outside the hospital where the agent lit the fire, allowing law enforcement to send out a notice that contained a clear picture of the agent across the area.
Second, the agent knew that local law enforcement would probably be swarming the more central train stations if they even suspected an organized kidnapping. As such, he opted to leave from a station in a smaller suburb nearby, called Drabeceda. However, this gave the police critical time to work, and the alert with the spy’s face went out five minutes before he got to the station. As such, when he bought a ticket, the ticket officer notified the authorities.
Third, as Drabeceda was neither a major transit hub nor a stop on major lines, trains to and from the station were, on average, slower than the average Eirian transport train. In particular, the route to New Riga that the agent wanted to take was run by some of the slowest commuter trains still in operation in Eiria. This final factor sealed his fate, as the police task force was able to surround Drabeceda Station and notify transit operators to temporarily hold the train before it arrived at the station. At this point, almost a dozen agencies were coordinating an overwhelming force to catch the unlucky spy.
This tremendous response illustrated one thing to anyone who would oppose Eiria: No one will ever get away with harming their political asylees again.
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