Doctor Johnson had put in another long day with his one and only patient. Very little progress was being made. Other then being sixty years younger then he was supposed to be, his patient was in perfect health. The cellular regeneration in the man was unparalleled and amazing. He pulled his car into his garage and went upstairs to have dinner and relax with his wife and kids. When he walked into his kitchen he found his wife and twin sons strapped to chairs. There were two men with guns waiting for him.
“Good evening Doctor. I hope you had a good day at work. Don’t be scared by our weapons. If you cooperate we will leave your wife and children alone and we will leave. If you don’t cooperate your family life will become very complicated. We’re here on some business and your assistance will be necessary. Tonight we will all stay together and you will be restrained with the rest of your family. We will try to provide as much comfort as possible. Tomorrow you will return to your patient. You will keep him alive by whatever means necessary, but you will declare him dead to the CIA. You will then place him in a body bag and tell the CIA you are following the standard operating procedures you were given, and you are moving the body. You will issue instructions to the gate to let an ambulance enter the facility to recover a body. Once the body has been transferred, your wife and children will be released and you won’t ever see us again. Do you understand?” one of the men asked. “It’s hard to argue when you have my family held at gunpoint. I understand what you’ve asked of me. What you have asked will not be easy. There will be nurses present and they will know the patient is alive.” he said. “The nurses have been given motivation to cooperate. They don’t make as much as doctors. You will call us fifteen minutes before the ambulance needs to arrive.” the man said.
Tony could see Doctor Johnson preparing to enter his room. The Doctor would likely give him another update on his condition. He was curious to see if any of the new tests would reveal anything. For the first time since the incident a change had occurred within him. When he woke up he noticed a color change on his arms and legs. The change was subtle but it was there. The color of his skin had started to change white. It was the same color as the bed sheet. Somehow he was developing chameleon like properties in his skin. He had also been able to read the fine print on the bottom of the clock across the room. His vision had never been so good. There was nothing within his range of vision he couldn’t see, and his vision was becoming telescopic. “Tony, I don’t know how you did it, but you must have very resourceful allies. I’m going to make this very simple for you. I will give you something which will put you in a very deep sleep. When you wake up you will no longer be in this facility. You will awake in a body bag, but you will be among friends I believe.” Doctor Johnson said. “Why are you doing this?” asked Tony. “My family is being held hostage. Once you are in safe hands my family will be released. I’m going to give you a shot now. I want my family safe as quickly as possible.” Doctor Johnson replied as he administered a shot to his patient.
Gary wanted to be done with this assignment. He was nothing but a glorified guard watching a scientist who would never taste freedom again. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Doctor suddenly rush to the patient. The nurses were summoned and it looked like the medical staff was trying to resuscitate the man. From outside the room he could see the flat line on the heart rate monitor. After ten minutes the Doctor and nurses gave up trying to revive Tony. He had seemed so healthy earlier in the day. It was a definite surprise but now Gary would be freed up to do some real work. A nurse removed a body bag from one of the closets and the nurses placed the scientist inside. The Doctor made a phone call, left the room, and addressed the lead agent. “Tony is dead and I have standing orders to have him moved to Langley. You can relieve your men, there’s no reason to guard him anymore. He won’t be trying to escape.” he said. “Fine, I’ll need a copy of the orders before he leaves.” the agent said. “Sure, after I prepare the body properly, I’ll leave the orders on your desk.” Doctor Johnson replied.
Doctor Johnson was helping to load Tony into the ambulance when he was approached by the lead agent. “What are you doing? I don’t have a copy of those orders yet, Doctor.” he said. “Relax I just put the orders on your desk a minute ago. Everything is fine and we are following the procedures which have been given to us.” When the agent left to retrieve the orders, Doctor Johnson quickly put Tony in the ambulance. The second the back door of the ambulance was closed the engine started and it pulled away. Tony was out the gate thirty seconds later. Having done what was required of him, he drove home to check on his family. He would have a lot of explaining to do when the CIA caught up with him. When he arrived home he found his family in the kitchen again. This time they weren’t tied up and the men were gone. “They got a phone call, untied us, took our phones and left. We were thanked for cooperating. Those men were actually quite nice, other then keeping us captive.” his wife said.
Tony had never been claustrophobic but recent events were making him that way. He panicked again when he woke up enclosed in blackness. It took him a moment to remember the conversation with Doctor Johnson. After just a few seconds the bag was unzipped and he was free. “Where are we going? he asked. “You must be an important person. The man himself will be meeting us at a small airport not far from here. It won’t be long.”
Enzo didn’t like leaving Australia. Especially since he was returning briefly to the United States. He stayed on the plane waiting for his passenger. There was no sense in taking a chance of being seen. After an hour his passenger was escorted onto the plane. “You took quite a risk with that phone call. I had to ship my phone across the globe in case it was being tracked. It was a very smart move on your part however.” he said. “Thank you Mr. Moretti, I can’t tell you how grateful I am. I owe you a debt of gratitude and my life.” Tony said. “Well you won’t be completely free for a month or so. I know some people in the medical field, and with your permission we’d like to run our own tests. It wouldn’t hurt for you to listen to some good advice for awhile as well.
You are now one of the most wanted men on Earth. Once you leave my gracious company you will be on your own. Perhaps you can learn a few things during our time together which will help you evade the authorities in the future. Whatever is happening to you is the most extraordinary thing which has ever happened to anyone in the history of man.” Enzo said. “I would be happy to accept your hospitality Mr. Moretti. Where are we going anyway?” Tony asked. “We’re going to a quiet town in Australia. You will be given the opportunity to relax and recover from your ordeal. What I wouldn’t give to be a young man again. You are one lucky person Tony.” Enzo replied as the private jet took to the skies.
Director Spencer received the Titan data packet from his analysts. The two unidentified people were Patrick Weeks and Dominic Moretti, the son of Enzo. The last thing he needed was organized crime gaining a foothold in space. He was surprised to find out the body in the alien ship was the Captain of the Constellation. The Moretti family was really getting on his nerves. The only other useful information in the packet was the analysis of the material which covered part of the Constellation. The analysts concluded it was the same indestructible material NASA and the Air Force had been harvesting from the ring around Rhea. The director cursed under his breath. Bureaucratic red tape and logistical issues had kept the Air Force from applying the tratium to the Lexington. Now his enemy was protecting their ship with it. If the Constellation had enough of the material and applied it to the entire ship it would be invulnerable. He typed a few comments into the data packet and forwarded it to the Captain of the Lexington. He was about to leave for lunch when his phone rang. The agent on the other end informed him the infected and suddenly younger scientist had managed to escape. From the description of the escape he suspected it was once again Enzo perpetrating another act of treason against his own government.
Monique was studying video from the battle the Roswell ship was in. She replayed parts of the battle ove
r and over, pausing the video each time an interceptor could be seen firing a missile. She was sure she had seen the missile launcher in the hanger bay with the other parts. She found Isabella in the cargo bay and she agreed with the analysis. The part in the cargo bay was the same as the one seen on the video. "We have a gun but I'm not sure if we have any ammunition." Isabella said. "I think we do. I zoomed in real tight and paused the video when the missile launched. It looks like it's the same as that piece over there." Monique said as she pointed across the hanger. They moved the two dirty pieces next to each other in the bay. Isabella looked at the image on the data pad. "It does look the same. We have only one and I hope we won't need more then that. I think we can mount it next to the laser if we’re careful. We better make sure we point it the right way. Let’s go tell Vincent."
It was quiet in the command center. The Constellation had left Iapetus and was on the course Sarah had set for Mars. With their current course and speed Mars was still a couple of weeks away. Vincent was stretched out, relaxed, and staring into space when Monique came in. She was covered in grime and dirt. She told him about the missile launcher and their plan to attach it to the ship. "One missile might be all we need. Go ahead with the installation but do not load the missile yet. Once the launcher is installed have Isabella try to power it up. Maybe she can figure out how it works. We need to think of this as a back up plan. Isabella will have to guess on how this thing works and we'll only have the one shot. Firing this missile accurately is not something we should be counting on." Vincent startled to chuckle as he looked at Monique. "What are you laughing at?" she asked. "Back on Earth you were so prim and proper. Now you're covered in grime and dirt. It's a nice look for you." Monique turned and headed toward the door to find Isabella. "I guess that's what I get for hanging around with someone like you."
Captain Samuels didn't like the information he received about the Constellation. It was even more frustrating his ship had left Earth without the tratium being applied. It was an upgrade the Lexington was scheduled for when the ship arrived back on Earth. How could he disable and board an invincible ship? If he was a betting man he would bet the crew ran out of material before the entire ship could be coated. The report from the Commander on Titan Station indicated the discoloration was only on part of the Constellation. If he was wrong it might be impossible to disable and board the ship. He would never leave Earth again in a ship which didn't have this new protection. It was absurd a group of ass backward amateurs had figured it out. He was interrupted by his second in command Tavaris. “We’ve concluded our investigation. The explosion on Rhea was triggered remotely as we suspected. It was a typical fragmentation device designed for maximum damage. We’ve also concluded the body was placed in the craft sometime after it had crashed. The burn marks on the suit didn’t match the burn damage of the craft. The temperatures on the craft would have incinerated the man. He would have had much more then scorch marks. Captain Samuels tried to figure out why someone would place the man in an alien ship, and smiled as he figured it out. “What is it sir?” Tavaris asked. “Our enemy might be a little smarter then I’ve been giving him credit for. It’s important we don’t underestimate him.” His conversation with Tavaris was interrupted by a call from the command center. “Sir, we’ve spotted a ship. It’s too far away to identify, and is not responding to communication requests.” the communications officer reported. “Keep trying and set an intercept course for the unidentified ship.” he said.
The Avenger was the newest, fastest, and most advanced ship Leviathan had ever produced. Captain Ryan Hunter believed it also must have had the least amount of testing of any spacecraft before launch. Since the ship had left earth it had been having all sorts of problems. The environmental systems, the engine, and communications systems all had issues which had to be repaired en route to Mars. Now the Avenger was being hailed by an Air Force vessel, and communications were still out. "Captain, communications are back online. We can transmit." It was about time. The last thing he wanted to do was to raise suspicion, and it was the first thing he had done.
"Captain Samuels, the ship has responded. The Captain of the vessel states it is the Avenger. He says they are transporting terraforming equipment to Mars." "Tell their Captain we will be docking with their ship, and we will be performing a routine safety inspection.”
"The Air Force ship is the Lexington, and it is going to dock with us. The Captain of the ship states he will board us for a safety inspection. Should we prepare weapons?" Captain Hunter had lost the advantage with the Air Force ship. He didn't have the element of surprise and his position had likely been reported to Earth and any other Air Force vessels. "No it's too late for that. We don't have any contraband and we have the terraforming equipment. We don’t have anything to hide. Let them perform their safety inspection. Just remember our cover story and we'll be fine. Send a coded message to the Constellation. Tell them we are being boarded.” he said.
The Lexington pulled alongside the Avenger and the ships docked. Captain Samuels lead his team onto the Avenger. Captain Hunter was surprised when he saw the Captain of the Lexington. The two Captains had begun their careers together at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. "Captain Samuels, what a surprise. You're still in the service? I figured you would have retired to a life of luxury a long time ago.” Captain Hunter said. "That's not my style. I'd rather fly around out here and bother you. Somebody has to police the solar system." Captain Hunter had never liked the man. He didn't see any reason to change his mind now. "How about you come to my quarters, we'll have a drink, and discuss this safety inspection of yours?" he asked. "Sure, the inspection will take awhile. Let me have a word with Tavaris here first. I'll meet you there." Tavaris was instructed to escort each crew member to the Lexington. He instructed Tavaris to have CIA Agent Thompson interview each crewmember separately using whatever means necessary to discover what each one knew.
"That ought to do it. It looks as secure as we can make it." Monique said into her comm link. "I think you're right. We'll come back later and try to power it up. I hope this will work and wasn't a waste of time." Isabella responded. It had taken eight hours to install the missile launcher. It definitely looked out of place on the Constellation.
Vincent was in his quarters with Dalton when Patrick called to tell him the EVA was complete, and the launcher had been installed. “How long do you think these aliens have been visiting Earth and our solar system?" he asked Dalton. "It's the tendency of mankind to be self centered. As a species we wonder how events shape us, and affect us. With this new evidence I think it would be dumb to assume we've been visited only recently. For all we know these aliens or others saw the dinosaurs, or witnessed the beginning of life on Earth. We've only occupied Earth for a fraction of it’s' history. In our early recorded history there is evidence of alien visitation with the Sumerians. The knowledge the Sumerians had of the solar system was extraordinary, and it was claimed they were visited by gods from the skies. I have no doubt the Sumerians were visited. Maybe before our little adventure I would have had some doubt, but not anymore. Almost every early culture on Earth has indirect evidence of past alien influence. We know for a fact Mars was a paradise at one time and was fully capable of sustaining the same type of life Earth does today. We saw what happened to the Atlanteans. Who knows how many other times it's happened in the past. Life from this solar system could be spread throughout the cosmos." Dalton said. "When you put it like that, mankind is at the center of its own ego and not much else." Vincent replied.
Agent Thompson had interviewed the pilot and the engineer of the Avenger with no surprising results. Both of them had looked nervous but gave all the expected answers. The communications officer was next. Her name was Sandy. She was young, and the most likely to make a mistake if properly motivated.
"The force was lucky to have someone like you Hunter. Why'd you give it up?" Captain Samuels asked. "That's easy, the Air Force doesn't pay nearly as well as Leviathan. Plus I can choose t
he assignments I want. There's more freedom, less oversight, and more vacation time. I’m in charge out here, and I don’t have someone on Earth watching my every move. Leviathan chooses their captains carefully and then gives each captain their total trust to carry out their mission. What's the real reason for this inspection anyway? I've made nine trips to Mars and have never been inspected." Captain Hunter asked. "Just a few trouble makers we're looking for. Nothing which should concern you. You wouldn't know anything about it would you?" Captain Samuels asked. "No, I haven’t heard of anything unusual. I make sure I have a solid crew and collect my paycheck. That's the only thing that concerns me." he said.
Sandy Greyson was sweating. She had only been asked a few questions but she was nervously tapping her fingers on her data pad. She took it with her everywhere. Lying was not something which came easy to her. Agent Thompson was asking her another question. "You've said the purpose of this trip is to bring terraforming equipment to Mars. Is that correct?" Sandy indicated it was. "You do realize I've already interviewed other members of your crew. I see in your personnel file you have a husband and a son living in Texas. This is a matter of national security. It's important for you to keep in mind anyone caught lying to us will suffer, as will their families. Do you want to see your husband and son again? Do you want your son to grow into a man? I'm giving you one last chance to tell me the truth. Your answers had better be the same as the other two crewmembers I’ve already interviewed. I know the true meaning of this mission. If you tell me the truth I promise you will be spared and you can go back to living a normal life. What is the purpose of this trip to Mars?" Sandy was getting angry. She could handle any threats against herself, but her son and husband were a different matter. "I'm a citizen of the United States. I have rights." she said. "You're not in the United States. Even if you were it wouldn't matter. You've lost your chance, I’m done with you. The Captain will decide your fate and the fate of your family now." Sandy panicked. She had no option. She had to save her family. "Wait. I promise I'll tell you everything. Just give me one more chance." Sandy confessed all she knew.
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