The Forgotten Gateway

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  Bishwadeep Mukherjee

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  Chapter - 6

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  The Clearance Has Been Granted

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  “You were supposed to be on leave, weren’t you? Yet here you are, at the office, working as always,”

  Said Shipra, spotting Maria inside the bustling newsroom.

  "I will take leave, ma’am. In a day or two. But I couldn’t afford to miss today’s press conference. It was necessary.”

  Maria replied with quiet determination.

  The mention of the press conference made Shipra’s face tighten ever so slightly. She chose not to prolong the conversation and silently retreated to her cabin.

  By then, Maria had already uploaded the video footage. The incident at Stellar Nexus demanded follow-up. The police would soon begin their investigation. But did she have the luxury of time to cover the unfolding story? Perhaps in just a few days, she would be gone—elsewhere, far from this desk, this room, this city. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her phone. Glancing at the screen, she saw Arko’s name flashing.

  Settling into her chair, she picked up the call.

  "Yes, Arko. Tell me.”

  “The irony is rich, isn’t it?”

  Arko chuckled on the other end.

  “You’re the journalist, and I’m the one feeding you the news.”

  "Every journalist has a source, my dear. You just happen to be mine."

  Maria said playfully.

  "Well said. I suppose you’re the first woman on Earth to use her lover as a spy."

  He teased.

  “Anyway, here’s the news: the clearance has been granted. Now it’s only a matter of time before they go.”

  Maria scanned the room discreetly. Ensuring no one was within earshot, she lowered her voice, almost to a whisper:

  “But can they really leave before the investigation concludes? It hasn’t even properly begun.”

  "They’ll try their best to get police clearance,” Arko replied.

  “According to what I’ve heard, Mr. Sen is fully committed to heading to the Himalayas—specifically, Kanchenjunga. The discovery he anticipates... if it truly comes to pass, it will be historic. He won’t let history slip through his fingers. This mission could mark a milestone for Stellar Nexus.”

  A pause hung between them before Arko continued,

  “Tell me, Maria, do you think Mr. Sen has informed your Madam about any of this?”

  Maria hesitated, then said, “Hard to say. But I have noticed a change in her behavior over the last couple of days…”

  "Don’t worry,” she added quickly. “Shipra ma’am won’t know a thing—at least not until we already have the story.”

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  Near the launch pad of Stellar Nexus, the Assembly Room was swarming with police personnel. Officers from the Kolkata Police Crime Branch combed the premises with methodical precision. At the helm was ACP Mr. Anurag Sinha, a man in his fifties with a commanding presence—tall, upright, his salt-and-pepper hair neatly cropped. With him was Mr. Shubhankar Debnath, representing Stellar Nexus.

  After a lengthy search, ACP Sinha turned to Debnath and said,

  “All surveillance cameras in the vicinity were shut down precisely thirty minutes before the incident. No one accessed the monitoring room from outside. The system was hacked. We have no definitive data on who entered or exited the Assembly Room during that window. Your statements are all we have—and to be clear, we aren’t placing our faith in any of them. But to proceed with the case, we need a foundation. For now, your testimonies will serve as that base.”

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Mr. Debnath responded,

  "Sir, you’ve cross-verified all of our accounts. Everyone’s saying the same thing.”

  "Indeed. But tell me—why were you transferred to the lunar mission? You weren’t originally a part of it, were you?” The ACP probed.

  By now, the two had stepped outside the Assembly Room. Shubhankar paused. He couldn’t reveal the truth—that he had been selected for the Himalayan mission but had declined, prompting Mr. Sen to transfer him instead to the lunar mission. No mention of Mission Himalaya could be made, not yet.

  After a moment’s silence, Debnath replied,

  “This was Captain Ishika Banerjee’s first command. She trained under me when she joined Stellar Nexus. Mr. Sen felt that having her trainer by her side would help her feel more at ease. That’s why I was transferred.”

  As they spoke, Riyan Sen emerged from a vehicle and approached them.

  “How far along is your investigation, Mr. Sinha?” he asked.

  “It’s just begun, Mr. Sen. For now, we’re done here. We’ll return if needed,”

  The ACP replied.

  “I mentioned earlier—I have something of utmost importance to discuss with you. If you’re free now, please come with me to my office. We can speak there.”

  ACP Sinha whispered something to one of his officers, who nodded and departed with the rest of the team.

  “Come, Mr. Sinha,” said Riyan, “let us talk in peace.”

  Turning to Debnath, he added,

  “Please discuss the details of the upcoming mission with Mr. Sharma.”

  Then, without another word, he led the ACP into the heart of Stellar Nexus.

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  Looking out through the glass window, Riyan said,

  “For me, this has always been a monumental challenge. Private space agencies are mushrooming all over the world. Making a mark among them, creating a global reputation, was never easy. But this reputation… it's not just mine, or of Steller Nexus, Mr. Sinha. This reputation belongs to our country. Yes, today, India’s name is taken with pride in the field of space science. Steller Nexus, in collaboration with ISRO, has built India’s first space station. We’re on the brink of establishing a lunar base. Four of our satellites are already orbiting the Moon. If this mission had launched on schedule, it would’ve been the fifth. We’ve executed multiple Mars missions already. And that’s not all, Mr. Sinha. We are also planning a joint mission with NASA in the near future. This kind of progress didn’t happen overnight. It took sleepless nights and relentless effort. Today, the entire nation is proud of Steller Nexus. And now, Steller Nexus wants to add another feather to India's cap—a historic one. The day is not far when India will stand at the doorstep of creating history. The whole world will watch in awe at what India discovers next.”

  Finishing his words, Riyan turned back to face ACP Sinha. ACP Sinha, holding a cup of tea, took a slow sip and placed the cup gently on the table before saying,

  “I understand everything, Mr. Sen. But there are still two things you haven't clarified. First, you haven't clearly mentioned what exactly you are going to discover outside Kolkata. And second, until the investigation is over, I can’t give permission for anyone to leave the city. It could seriously disrupt our inquiry.”

  “That’s the key point, Mr. Sinha,”

  Riyan replied, walking back to his chair and locking eyes with Sinha.

  “Until our research is complete, I’d request you to momentarily pause your investigation. I’m not asking you to stop it altogether. Only three or four of us will be leaving. The rest of Steller Nexus’ staff will remain right here. The ongoing work will continue as usual. Your investigation won’t face any interference. But if this research isn’t done at the right time, it’s not just Steller Nexus that will suffer, but the entire country. And as a responsible citizen of this nation, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to see that setback—especially not when India is advancing so rapidly in science and technology.”

  ACP Sinha remained silent for a moment, then said,

  “I am not the only responsible citizen here, Mr. Sen. You are one too. You have stature, you have a reputation. Not just among the common people, you have access to the President and the Prime Minister. I neither have the authority nor the desire to deny your request. But don’t you want the guilty to be caught?”

  “Of course I do,” Riyan replied firmly. “Whoever has done this damage to the company must be punished. Do you know how much time it takes to prepare a space mission? How much money flows like water? And if such a mission is destroyed right before launch, the loss is unimaginable. The day you identify the culprit, I promise I’ll ensure that even after their sentence ends, they’ll never be able to work in any space agency again.”

  After Riyan finished speaking, Mr. Sinha said,

  “Alright. But you’ll inform me exactly how many people are leaving, and I’ll need their names.”

  Saying this, ACP Sinha stood up from the chair. He shook hands with Riyan for the last time and walked out of the cabin.

  Just after he left, Riyan’s phone started ringing. He picked it up and saw Ishika was calling him.

  To Be Continued…