The Zarion - Saving Mankind

by J E Grace

  “Intrigue, I like it. I’m not sure Carol would agree though so we won’t let her find out. What’s the big favor?”

  “I need you to come with me to the observatory building this evening. There’s something I want to check out on the roof.”

  “You know I don’t like heights. I don’t even like elevators, but for you, I’ll try to put my fear on hold.”

  “All I need you to do is be a lookout. Warn me if you see anyone. I don’t want to be detected. It would be difficult to explain what we were doing up there.”

  “What is it we’re looking for?” said Michael giving Davis a curious look.

  “Ashes.”

  “Say what! Are you serious? What would ashes be doing up there?”

  “You will just have to trust me. There are some things you’re better off not knowing.”

  “Okay. When do we leave?” asked Michael as he glanced out over the balcony towards the hills beyond.

  “We’ll leave around midnight. There is a full moon tonight, and it should be fairly easy to see without having to use a flashlight. I can’t take a chance of anyone seeing it.” I said pulling the sliding glass door aside.

  Michael followed me inside and handed me his empty glass.

  “Better put on the coffee if you expect me to stay awake for this one. We have three hours to go. Any good flicks on tonight?”

  “I’ll do the coffee. You check the stations.”

  ~

  Getting across the yard without being detected was a little more trouble than we had expected. Twice during our trek across the expanse of the Interplay facility, we had to duck for cover within the forested landscape. We weaved in between buildings and storage tanks until we finally found the trail leading to the observatory building.

  We positioned ourselves within the dark corridor between the building and the stairway to the roof. Michael motioned for me to go ahead and I began my climb. He would stay stationed below watching for any sign of approaching guards. They made rounds at set times since this wasn’t a highly secured area. Hopefully, we would be gone before then.

  I grasped the cold steel of the railing as I made my ascent to the top. When I could finally see the landing come into view before me, I heard a thud. I froze. I took another step, and my foot touched something. I looked down to discover it was my flashlight. I reached down to retrieve it and placed it securely into my jacket pocket.

  I climbed the last few steps and found myself on the landing. The roof in front of me was massive and all along the outer edge of the roof were what looked like scorch marks. That must be where the spacecraft had landed.

  I pulled out the flashlight and scanned the area as I walked. Just to the right of the stairwell, the light flashed on something illuminated by the moonlight. I immediately went over to check it out.

  Kneeling, I pulled out my pocketknife and a plastic sample bag from the lab. I scrapped the contents into the container and sealed it placing it inside my coat pocket. My suspicions had been warranted. It appeared to be some kind of ash. I wouldn’t know if it was from a craft or from something else until I ran DNA tests.

  When I reached the bottom of the steps, Michael was waiting.

  “Anything I should worry about?”

  “All clear. Did you find what you were looking for?”

  “Sure did. Now all I have to do is run some tests. Let’s get out of here.”

  Fifteen minutes later we were back in the safety of my condo and Michael left for home. Hopefully, Carol was still asleep when Michael got there.

  Chapter Twenty

  Jeanette’s doctor encouraged her to return to work. There were only the three of us now, so we had to double up on our duties. Jeanette didn’t mind. It kept her busy and left her no time to dwell on the past. I was still waiting for the Jeanette I knew and loved to return. I missed her smiling face.

  I had finished up the DNA test results on the sample from the observatory and matched it with Doug’s DNA sample from the lab. They were a perfect match. Doug couldn’t have died in the fire. He had been on the roof. The perplexing question still existed. How was he reduced to ash? What was used that could just incinerate a person?

  Now that I had definite proof, what would I do with it? I had to know if Reginald Livingstone was a part of the cover-up. I decided to hold back the DNA evidence I collected and just reveal Doug’s journal. The worst-case scenario is that he would dismiss it as ramblings of a disturbed individual. How would I explain how I got possession of the journal? I would have to give it some serious thought.

  It was hard working so close to Michael and Jeanette and not being able to confide in everything I knew. I wasn’t willing to take the chance that they might be put in danger somehow because of me.

  We had finished retrieving all the data that had been lost. Jeanette was busy compiling it into finished hard copy to give to Reginald and Michael was still hard at work on the DNA chain. We were desperately seeking answers to the missing link.

  “I think I’ll take a break if you both think you can do without me for a little while. I need some air,” I said hanging my clipboard on the peg.

  “No problem. We've about finished anyway. I just have to finish printing out this last page. I want to double check to make sure it’s all here. Then it’s ready for Reginald,” said Jeanette pulling the sheets out of the printer.

  “Great, see you in a few then.”

  Once outside I began to relax. When I figured all this out then maybe I would fill in Reginald.

  I stood outside and took in a deep breath of the cold, crisp air wanting nothing more than to go back to my so-called normal life. The one before Interplay so abruptly coerced me into my current situation.

  I made my way over to Interplay headquarters. I probably didn’t have a chance to see Reginald without an appointment, but I decided to give it a shot anyway.

  I entered the building and walked up to the receptionist.

  “Davis Summerfield to see Reginald Livingstone.”

  “Do you have an appointment, Mr. Summerfield.?”

  “No. If Mr. Livingstone has some time, it’s a rather urgent matter.”

  “Okay. Wait here. I’ll see if Mr. Livingstone’s free,” the receptionist said as she walked over to the door. She knocked and entered the office.

  A few minutes later she returned, “Mr. Livingstone will see you now.”

  I nervously followed her into Reginald’s office. I replayed everything over in my mind half a dozen times until I knew what I wanted to say.

  “Davis, what is so urgent?"

  “I’m sorry if I interrupted anything. It’s about the incident in the lab.”

  “Remember, the investigation has been closed for some time now.”

  “I know, but I have some rather disturbing evidence I thought you should see."

  “What is it?” he asked as his face grew pale.

  “I was getting some supplies from the storage room, and I found a journal hidden behind some containers. I’ve gone over it, but it seems to be in some kind of code. I can’t make any sense out of it. It’s Doug's handwriting. I just thought you would want to have a look at it. After all, it could be considered evidence.”

  “I appreciate you bringing it to my attention,” he said reaching across his desk to take the journal. “I’ll have a look at it.”

  “I thought this should be kept between us. Michael and Jeanette know nothing about it, and I thought it would be better that way.”

  “You did the right thing. After all, Jeanette is still in a delicate condition.”

  “Oh, there was one entry that I was able to read. There was something about the Fallen and Earth’s destruction. Do you have any idea what that’s about?”

  I looked directly into Reginald’s face waiting to see if I could read anything in it. His expression immediately changed and I could see beads of sweat starting to collect on his forehead. He nervously walked over to the door and opened it.

  “I’m sorry to c
ut this meeting short, but I have pressing matters to attend to. I’ll contact you if we need to talk further.”

  I guess I got my answer. The simple mention of the Fallen had instilled fear in Reginald. There definitely was a dark secret and Reginald was either directly involved or was a pawn in the plan. Either way, he knew about the Fallen.

  I returned to the lab and found Michael and Jeanette taking a break. They sat quietly sipping on hot mugs of coffee.

  “Well, our fearless leader returns. We thought maybe you had made a run for it,” said Michael winking at me.

  “No such luck. Did you find any new developments with the DNA strands? I thought I might do some cross matching on my own.”

  “Go ahead. Give it your best shot,” said Michael as he poured me a cup of coffee.

  I walked over to my workstation and gathered the sample Michael had been working on. I had tucked away the sample from the roof, in my desk drawer, and I pulled it out and placed some of it on a transparent slide. It was a long shot. Why I even thought that the DNA had any connection surprised even me. Over the years, I had learned to rely on my gut instincts which had never failed me yet.

  I put the slide in the DNA sequencer and pressed the button. The data started emerging. I lifted up the long strands of data hanging from the machine and pulled it through my hands trying to see if anything stood out. I had almost reached the bottom when I looked twice to make sure I saw it correctly.

  I pulled the paper loose and began folding it. What did it all mean? I was in a state of shock and immense delight all at the same time. I had found the missing DNA link, the ultimate discovery of all time.

  Under normal circumstances, it would have taken years to determine its source, but with the information from Doug’s journal and the DNA sample, there was no mistake. The sample from the roof was Doug’s DNA, but with an unknown factor that completed the missing link. It could only mean one thing. The added DNA had to be from the Zarion or the Fallen.

  “Hey, Davis, you look like you saw a ghost. Did something turn up with the DNA?” asked Michael as he crossed the room.

  “Davis, are you okay? You look kind of pale,” asked Jeanette placing a hand on his shoulder.

  “I think you both better sit down. This is even hard for me to fathom. You’ll need to keep an open mind, okay,” I said taking a deep breath.

  “I think I’m going to need some more of that coffee, the blacker, the better.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Michael and Jeanette were a more than a little surprised. Even keeping an open mind, you had to be out there. Of course, I had to explain how I knew the names of the possible missing links. That involved telling them about Doug’s journal and my meeting with Reginald. By this time, I knew that I would have to trust them, especially if I was going to enlist their help.

  “Why did you feel it necessary to keep us in the dark about all of this?”

  “I had to gather concrete evidence to support my conclusions before I could expect you to buy into them.”

  “I guess I can accept that. It’s just overwhelming. Here we sit on the most important discovery of all time, and I don’t feel right in sharing it with the world just yet,” said Michael as he refilled his coffee.

  “That’s what I mean. I think we should keep this under wraps until we figure out what steps we’re going to take. I feel Reginald is involved in this thing with the Fallen. I just don’t know how yet.”

  “This really scares me. I expected to be elated over finding out something like this, but now I feel like there are too many unknown factors in the equation,” said Jeanette nervously.

  I thought to myself that if she had known about the break-in of my condo and the computer files I had availed myself of, she wouldn’t be able to handle it. I couldn’t be honest with her right now. She just wasn’t strong enough. Michael would have to keep our secret a while longer.

  Since it was late and our reports were done, we decided to call it a day. Our new discovery would have to be kept to ourselves. Who knows what Interplay was capable of or who had spied for them?

  I left for my condo. I had to relax and think about all that had transpired in the hopes of figuring this all out. My head hurt, and the muscles in my shoulders were tight as a drum. What I really needed was a relaxing hot shower.

  I was mentally drained. I kept playing the scenario over and over in my mind. It was like a whirlwind that wouldn’t stop, but that kept picking up speed, gathering more and more information as it went. I was on overload, and I had to block it from my mind somehow.

  After my shower, I grabbed a quick bite to eat and decided to give McKenzie a call.

  “Hey, McKenzie. Did I disturb you?”

  “Davis, I’m surprised to hear from you so soon. What’s up?”

  “You won’t believe it. I made the discovery of all time today, and I can’t even shout it to the world. It could put me on the map, make me famous even.”

  “You’re not making any sense. Slow down. I’m in the dark here. Does this have anything to do with our little caper?” said McKenzie as he sat down on the sofa.

  “Kind of. At least the information you gave me helped clarify it.”

  “Okay, just give me the bottom line. I’m not good at guessing games.”

  “What would you say if I told you I discovered the missing link in the human DNA?”

  “I’d say you were brilliant, but why can’t you tell anyone? I thought that was part of what you’re getting paid for at Interplay.”

  “It is, but now I’m not sure that the head of Interplay isn’t buried deep inside of some kind of conspiracy.”

  “Oh, boy. Didn’t I tell you that maybe you were in over your head? You better watch your back. What do you plan to do?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I had to tell Michael and Jeanette the truth finally. Of course, I left out a few details. It's best they don’t know everything right now. It might compromise their situation at the lab.”

  “So, how can I help? Did you call to use me as a sounding board or is there something else on your mind?” asked McKenzie. He wondered just where all this was leading.

  “Remember you said that there was an unknown higher power involved in this, but that he was buried deep. I need you to keep digging away. I need to know who it is and what his role is in all this.”

  “That’s going to take a while if I can do it at all. Sometimes there are certain things better left alone. This may be one of them.”

  “Just do what you can. I’ll be in touch,” I said wondering if I imagined the reluctance in McKenzie’s voice.

  ~

  McKenzie hung up the phone and contemplated what to do next. He had to stall. Interplay wouldn’t be happy about this. They didn’t realize how close Davis had come to figuring it all out. He hated deceit, but they had given him an ultimatum he couldn’t refuse. It was time to call the man.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  On an unknown island off the coast of Bermuda, Luther walked the expanse of his veranda quite pleased with himself. Yes, it was all unfolding nicely and turning out just as he had predicted.

  Reginald Livingstone had been a good choice as a pawn. His weaknesses had been well researched, and the ability to control his every move was infallible.

  Davis was another story. He had turned out to be more resourceful than they had expected. There had to be some way to dissuade him. They chose him to keep Doug’s activities in check, but then he had become a liability. Now, it was time to deal with Davis’ interference.

  Luther entered his master suite. He had been a recluse on the island so long that he thought of his facility as his world. His only link to the outside was his secure line and the satellite system with its many monitors that connected him to Interplay notifying him of their every move.

  No one had ever seen him, except for his servants and the Fallen. He was the mystery man at Interplay. His communication lines were untraceable. To Reginald, he was just a voice on the other end of the inte
rcom. One that instilled terror, leaving a lasting impression in his mind long after the call was over.

  Luther was ruthless and would go to no end to make sure things went according to plan, and that was why the Fallen had chosen him as their ally. He had gained their confidence and secured a peace agreement for Interplay. Reginald had been the go-between, and he was totally unaware of his part in the ultimate plan. Reginald was such an easy patsy. It made Luther laugh that he was so easily fooled. He was hardly a challenge at all.

  Luther was secure. He was on his island far from the demolition site of the rest of the world. His realm was within the so-called “Bermuda Triangle.” The world had never figured it out that it was the gateway portal to the other side. He was now one of the elite groups, and when the world was destroyed, he would remain victorious. Interplay would be gone, but his pact with the Fallen was his guarantee in the afterlife. He would rule at their side as second in command.

  He was protected within his kingdom by the highest security technology had to offer. His gates were well guarded day and night by highly trained assassins. His only visitors were Lucius, the head of the Fallen, and the helicopters that dropped off supplies.

  His butler announced that his meal was ready and he retired to his large dining area. He dined like a king in complete silence, except for the constant play of images on the screens before him. He missed nothing. What he didn’t see in real time, his recorders taped for later viewing.

  Luther was just finishing up his duck a la’ orange when he was interrupted.

  “There’s a call on the secure line from McKenzie, Sir. Do you wish to take it now?” asked the butler.

  “I’ll take it. Prepare my nightcap,” Luther said punching the intercom button.

  “McKenzie, this better be important. You know I don’t like you calling here.”

  “There’s been a new development I thought you should know about. It seems Davis has discovered the missing link in our DNA structure. He also seems to think there is a conspiracy within Interplay and he is determined to do some more investigating on his own. He wants to know who the main person behind Interplay is and he expects me to help me find him.”