It was a cool, chill, breezy, December early weekend morning. Neither the roosters crowed, nor the crows cawed or other birds chirped. It was cold for them too. The sun light was fighting to make its way as the thick fog blanked it. Life seemed to be at a standstill.
Agent Shilpa Tamang’s alarm rings but because as she slept only at 11.30 pm after completing her grade-7 homework and finalizing the script for the next week’s skit she wants to snooze. The disciplined agent in her makes her choose a warm shirt and pant, a cozy sweater matching beanie, and walking sneakers for a crisp morning walk. As she walked, she watched the light brighten the sky, the dew drops reflect like a prism, and the morning breeze rustling the leaves. Her headset playing her morning motivational tunes from her curated Spotify Playlist.
Her phone rings and from the ring tone, she knew it was her classmate Agent Sumeet on the line. Sensing some kind of emergency, she picked up the call. “Agent Shilpa! I need you here ASAP,” agent Sumeet said. Agent Shila asked “How long have I got?” “An hour” was the reply. She ran back home and got ready. After a short breakfast, she headed to the agency. There she completed her agent check bio-metrics which consisted of her face ID, her fingerprint, her secret agent code and her voice. As she entered the room, she saw the Manager Intellirama restlessly pacing within the room and that Agent Sumeet was already seated.
After quickly greeting them, Agent Shilpa looked at Agent Sumeet and said, “So… you sounded a little serious on the phone. Is there an issue?” Her Manager Intellirama replied “Yes and no! No issue; But a case!! An extra-ordinary case – an outer space case.” I said, “You’ve got my attention now!” Manager Intellirama went into the details - “This mission is no ordinary mission. You will go through vigorous training for 2 days. There might be more people accompanying us our mission.” Agent Sumeet asked, “Our mission? You’re coming too?”. Manager Intellirama retorted “Excitement later. Focus! The details that I am about to tell you are very important," Manager Intellirama continued, “The most fabled Tutang Ambulet from Dagoon Palace which was believed to have unimaginable powers has gone missing last week. The amulet holds the key to unlocking secrets of the universe and can tip the balance of power among the galaxies. The knowledge it held is not meant for power or conquest but to foster understanding among the galaxies. The GPS co-ordinates locates it to a remote planet named Astraloria – but there is no idea about who stole or who is guarding them!” Sumeet getting impatient asked, “Are we the only ones going on this mission?” Manager Intellirama continued, “Earlier we had sent a crew on a spaceship named Stardancer, with whom we lost all communications yesterday. And bringing them back is the other objective of the mission.”
Agent Shilpa was now driven by the desire for discovery and fueled by the prospect of untold knowledge. She also wanted to save those who were trapped. During the training, she met a diverse crew of fellow adventurers - Kaden, a skilled pilot with a love for navigating through asteroid fields and apply scientific concepts for quick solutions; Maya, an expert linguist and archaeologist; and Zara, a technologically savvy engineer who could assemble anything to solve issues at hand. Their journey to Astraloria was fraught with challenges. They navigated through treacherous nebulae, dodged cosmic storms, and faced the enigmatic puzzle of the Cosmic Labyrinth, a maze-like region of space that tested the resilience of any traveler. But their space-craft Alpha Oxalosis pressed on.
Upon reaching Astraloria, a celestial landscape of floating islands and crystalline caverns greeted them. The air was filled with a gentle hum of energy, and the constellations seemed to dance in harmony above. Maya consulted ancient maps and deciphered cryptic inscriptions that led the crew deeper into the heart of the planet. As they ventured forth, the ethereal guardians—celestial beings of Astraloria tested their resolve and genuineness. Agent Shipla’s courage, wisdom, and composure helped address the various tasks and activities these guardians gave them. The guardians, recognizing the purity of their intentions, guided them to the imprisoned crew of the Stardancer and finally to the chamber where the Tutang Amulet was softly glowing. The knowledge of Kaden and Zara was quite important in removing the amulet from its chamber and re-packing in a safe container that would withstand all the physical and chemical challenges it would face during the re-entry phase into earth.
As Karen and Zara took the controls of Aplha Oxalosis and Maya the communication and the maps, Agent Shilpa felt a profound sense of responsibility when it was her turn to protect the amulet, during the re-entry. The still shocked crew of Stardancer decided to follow Alpha Oxalosis. The journey back home was filled with new adventures and their alliances forged in the crucible of Astraloria helped them navigate through all the challenges during the re-entry. Manager Intellirama and Agent Sumeet were there along with the royal family of Dagoon Palace. The King and Queen were relieved to receive the Tutang Amulet. The Prince of Dagoon was keen to know who the robbers were and arrest them. Manager Intellirama promised a thorough investigation and necessary action during the Christmas Holidays of Agent Shilpa and Agent Sumeet.
The legend of the Manager Intellirama’s team and that of Alpha Oxalosis, consisting of school going children keen on protecting the varied secrets of fostering the harmony between the galaxies spread across the galaxies, inspiring many youthful explorers and dreamers to protect and sustain the harmony even beyond the far-away Lyman-Break Galaxy.
Shilpa Tamang
(aka Dhamathi Suresh)