Return to Earth

The ravenous flesh-eaters were rapidly approaching their location. Devi raised an alarm, "God's Eye! I cannot fend them off for long. Please hurry, or we might not survive." His tone was urgent, and his eyes were fixated on the ravenous beasts approaching them.

"1%…2%….20%.....50%….60%….80%.....100

The charging process was initiated, and it progressed rapidly. Devi's eyes were flicking between the blinking charging light and the incoming flesh-eaters.

"Devi, I'm ready for the jump," God's Eye notified his when the charging was completed. He sprung to his feet upon hearing his voice. The flesh-eaters were getting closer, and their breathing became more labored as their excitement grew.

Immediately, Devi sprinted towards God's Eye. The flesh-eaters were hot on his heels, their sharp, putrid claws swiping in the air to grab his. Their snarls and smells were as menacing as ever. They were determined to capture their prey, which was slipping from their grasp.

"ACTIVATE THE JUMP NOW!" Devi yelled frantically, as he got closer to God's Eye.

God's Eye pressed the activation button. "JUMP ACTIVE in 1.....2…" before he said 3, Devi jumped and landed next to him. They both made physical contact before the antenna went off.

"...3….VOOOOMMMMM," the teleportation portal roared.

Luckily, they managed to escape the clutches of the flesh-eaters. The creatures were vexed and bewildered that they had lost their prey. They made a heart-rending screech out of anger and frustration.

Moments later, they appeared back in the headquarters. Devi lay prostrate on the ground, with sweat covering her forehead and oozes all over his body. God's Eye stood next to him.

"Mission successful," God's Eye confirmed, with his Robotic arms crossed firmly across his body. Everyone in the room gazed at them in disbelief, shocked that they had returned safely.

"Devi! You're back! Thank God!" the general exclaimed excitedly.

"Sir, what about me? Am I not equally important because I'm a robot?" God's Eye quipped jokingly, looking for recognition.

Everyone in the room laughed at the statement.

"Sir, I have successfully procured the specimen," Devi interjected quickly, hoping to lessen his punishment for disobeying orders.

"I knew you would both succeed in the mission," the General chimed in, his face lit up with a genuine smile. "However, disobeying orders comes with its own consequences," he added quickly, the smile slowly fading from his face.

"I'll be lightening your punishment, but punishment still needs to be meted out," he continued sternly.

Devi exhaled deeply, relieved that he was escaping the worst of the consequences.

Despite his relief, Devi, wanting to get up from the slimming ground, found himself slipping and falling repeatedly due to his slimming feet.

To the amusement of everyone in the room. Slightly embarrassed, he quickly scrambled up to avoid more ridicule, only to fall again. The amusement had become too much, and everyone in the room was struggling to keep a straight face.

All of a sudden everyone burst into laughter.

Then the General gave a strict stare at everyone, then the laugh died down.

As the laughter died down, Devi knelt before the General, trying to save face. "Thank you, sir, for lightening up my punishment," he saluted the General.

The General was not amused. "Don't get ahead of yourself, son. You haven't heard what your punishment is yet," he cautioned.

Devi's heart skipped a beat. What was the General planning? His mind raced with all sorts of dire possibilities.

"You can take a deep breath for now. Your punishment will be meted out later," the General reassured him, his tone gentler than before.

"Josh, Feng, can you help Devi up and get him to the infirmary to get his feet checked?" he added, ordering two nearby soldiers to assist Devi to his feet.

Everyone laughed again.

"What's that for?" The General shit them.

As soon as the General gave the order, they both replied, "Yes, sir." They proceeded to help Devi to his feet, supporting him as they took him out of the central room.

The General remained in the room, watching Devi being carried out. He couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of admiration for his subordinate's defiance in disobeying orders.

"If only more people had the courage to disobey my orders in pursuit of a greater goal," the General thought, a new respect for Devi growing within him.

The other members of the room gazed at the General in disbelief. They had never seen him smile before now, and they wondered what could have provoked such a reaction.

"Wow! Did you see that? The General was actually smiling at Devi!" a female member exclaimed, admiring Devi's bravery.

The General, realizing he was the center of attention, quickly reverted to his usual gruff manner. "Stop gawking and get back to work," he barked, his shout echoing through the room.

As the room resumed its routine operations, someone muttered under his breath, "Well, at least the General had a soft spot for a moment. Too bad he's already back to his old self."

As the team members dispersed to their various duties, the telltale stains of alien blood on the floor caught the General's eye. He called out gruffly, "Someone get over here and clean up this godforsaken mess!"

********************************

As the sun rose, Devi finally woke up after weeks of sleepless nights. He let out a sigh of relief as he stretched his aching back, seeking a moment of peace.

As he glanced towards his bedside clock, he realized with horror that the time was already 8 o'clock. "What the...?! I was supposed to be at the assembly by 7:30!" he muttered, his mind racing with thoughts of the inevitable punishment he was about to receive.

With a sense of urgency, Devi leaped out of bed and raced towards the bathroom in his bunk. He quickly brushed his teeth, then used his enhanced speed to take a quick shower, and hastily put on his military outfit.

Rushing to the Field, Devi arrived too late – all the military officials and recruits were already gathered in formation, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Hastily joining one of the military lines, Devi stood at ease, his face flushed with embarrassment as all eyes turned towards him.

As the murmurs of disapproval rippled through the gathering, Devi's shame grew deeper. "Look at him, strutting in here all bold and proud just because he's the General's favorite. No respect for his elders," the soldiers whispered amongst themselves.

Devi knew he had messed up, and he could feel the weight of everyone's disapproval bearing down on him.

Although the General looked disappointed at his late arrival, Devi knew that his accomplishments from the previous day would go a long way in covering up his sins.

Devi's companion, Feng, noticed his tardiness and quietly asked, "What's the reason for your lateness?"

"It was my stupid alarm. It didn't go off when it was supposed to," Devi whispered back with a sense of regret.

Just then, the General called out Devi's name

"Devi Krish come forward"

The General called out for his notable achievements, but Devi and Feng were preoccupied with their conversation, oblivious to the fact that the General had finished speaking.

As the room fell silent, everyone could hear the animated chatter between Devi and Feng. Suddenly, they both realized that all eyes were on them and awkwardly coughed to cover their misdeeds.

Clearing his throat, the General called out Devi's name once again, dissatisfaction etched on his face."Devi Krish"

Devi felt a sense of guilt wash over him as he walked up to the podium, his head bowed in shame.

The General continued, "In recognition of your outstanding accomplishments during the extraction mission, I am promoting you to the rank of Sergeant. However, until further notice, your rank will be temporarily revoked as a punishment for disobeying orders. You will be sent to Savvy Academy to learn how to take orders and prove yourself fit for service."

Devi's mind whirled as he heard the General's words. Although he was elated at the prospect of being promoted to Sergeant, the idea of being sent to a civilian academy as a form of punishment was like a blow to his pride.

As the General delivered his verdict, Devi felt a strong sense of disappointment and disbelief. Although he wanted to protest, he knew better than to argue with his superior, so he remained silent as the General continued.

"After the ceremony, you are to return to your quarters and start preparing for your leave. You have three months before you go to the Academy for your trials," the General stated firmly.

Devi hung his head low as the General ended the ceremony and dismissed everyone. The shock and disappointment were palpable, with onlookers whispering in disbelief at how harsh the General had been towards Devi, one of his favorite subordinates.

"He's as ruthless as ever," one person muttered in a hushed tone.

Others were less sympathetic, laughing at Devi as he made his way down from the podium with a saddened expression. "Well, he had it coming. He always thought he was invincible and above everyone else," someone snickered.

Devi's heart felt heavy as he left the field, keeping his gaze downcast as he tried to come to terms with the reality of his situation. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was determined to prove the General wrong and earn back his respect and trust.

What will happen to Devi? Watch out for the next chapter