by Chris Burton
“Because of the gas explosions?”
“Yes, we could explode the missiles in the upper atmosphere. But this would require huge volumes of radiation. Not impossible, but again, we are looking at increased extraction time.”
“These are issues which can be overcome. Okay, thank you Chief. Obviously we need the final results from your sample and I need you to get to work on the development of a suitable container to hold the radiation and gas in the Teutonic missiles. You have done a great job. Keep it up.”
The Chief Scientist made his way back to his lab and Koenig opened a comm.link.
“Admiral Clarke please.”
“Alpha’s chief information officer’s response was prompt.
“Tom. What can I do for you?”
“I need you to meet up with Roslyn and update him. The next batch of people on the Human Sacrifice List will be the last.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Tulan
The tracer embedded within Tulan’s corpse was active. A spherical micro probe no bigger than a pin head dispatched automatically to the bodies location, where it’s intelligent processor quickly determined that Tulan was dead and more importantly that the human’s presence nearby was of significance.
Twelve hours earlier, it transmitted its findings back to the Kryl Earth Command Center. The on duty commander was quickly summoned and new instructions were transmitted back to the micro probe. Its task to seek out the lead human, follow him and submit location details back to the command center.
* * * *
Alpha’s Chief Scientist just exited the cave, having completed his meeting with Admiral Koenig. The probe was static; suspended in mid-air, having already transmitted the location data back to the command center. The response command had just come through. The location was more important than the current target. The task now to monitor the cave for further movement.
Just fifty minutes later, a second human exited the cave. The intelligent probe quickly identified him as Admiral Clarke, senior advisor to the CIC, Alpha. This was its new target and as the Admiral left the cave and headed towards a covering of trees. The probe followed unseen. Within the tree lined covering, a PST shuttle was waiting. The Admiral boarded and the probe followed him in.
* * * *
The PST was not the fastest or most comfortable method of transportation, but it served its purpose; it was easy to conceal and would not be picked up, unlike the movements of a suspicious Alpha shuttle, while he travelled across the mainland United States, the Atlantic Ocean and southern Europe, to reach his destination, President Roslyn’s villa in Lugano, Switzerland.
Clarke realized something was wrong, a few hours after take-off. In a few short seconds it was clear what the problem was as a tractor beam lifted the small one man ship into the hold section of the Kryl Drone shuttle. Within moments, he was surrounded by Drone guards and there was little he could do, when a drone stepped forward and held an injection portal array over his left arm.
* * * *
He came to in a small brightly lit room. He assumed this was some kind of cell aboard the Drone Shuttle. His head hurt and he was scared. This was definitely not what he had planned. A door opened from the side of the room and a drone entered, followed by a second Kryl. Clarke recognized him immediately. The Kronan. This was not good.
“Admiral Clarke. Please do not get up.”
The Kronan approached the prisoner’s bed and pulled a chair along side.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yes,” he stuttered.”You are Safrec.”
“Indeed I am. What would be of so much interest that I would ask to carry out your interrogation? What indeed? What were you doing in a cave in the middle of a vast expanse of Arizona desert?”
“It is still my right to go wherever I please. I am not in uniform. I was in my personal PST. This has nothing to do with Alpha.”
“Yet Alpha’s chief scientist was the last visitor to the cave, just a few minutes before you left. And, he just come from a site in the Amazon jungle, where over a thousand Kryl were being tested. Tested for what?”
“I have no knowledge of that or indeed the scientist to who your refer.”
“Let’s be clear, Admiral. You are a threat, which is why I am here. The Kryl test subjects are being subjected to something unpleasant with a view to develop a weapon which can be used against us. Let us also be clear; the cave is an entrance for an underground Alpha facility. You are going to tell me everything Admiral and if you don’t speak the words, I will extract them directly from your mind.”
Clarke knew he was in trouble. He knew too much. He couldn’t jeopardize the operation. He reached down to his trouser pocket, but was immediately restrained by a strike from a plasma stick from the drone guard. Okay, he needed to keep his mind distracted.
“You will not keep it from me Admiral. I will delve deeper and deeper and probe your mind until it all comes out. By then, your cerebellum and parts of your spinal cord will have started to disintegrate. Your cognitive capabilities, your vision, your balance, your hearing and your motor functions will stop working and yet for what? Let me tell you first what I already know. I know that Alpha has a substantial underground facility, which as we speak; my drones are preparing to penetrate and to terminate anyone or anything that exists within it. I know Alpha has a fleet some distance from Earth which you intend to use against us and I know you are trying to develop weaponry to harm us. What are you trying to develop, Admiral?”
Clarke knew this was a deliberate attempt to engage his mind on these key areas. He needed to keep his conscious mind away from anything that would compromise Alpha. He looked around. There was nothing in the room to concentrate on. He tried to stare at the drone, but was immediately forced back by a sharp pain in his head. The drone was trying to enter his mind too.
“Perhaps you could give me the location of the Alpha fleet first. Your conscious mind will assist you in part, but your sub-conscious will not. As I dig a little deeper, you will start to feel the pain more and more.
“I am trained to resist interrogation, Safrec. Neither my conscious nor my subconscious will give anything away. You are going to need to try a lot harder.”
It was time to start to use the techniques he had learned so long ago in training. He thought about his family, his wife, his children, his mother, his father, their house, the pet dog. Then he immediately regretted this line of thought.
Safrec laughed. “Are your family safe? Are they in the underground facility? Ah, you have two young children and they are with your mother and father. We will find them Admiral. Today. Tell me what I need to know.”
Clarke let his mind wander again. Freely at first. Thinking back to more innocent times. His childhood. The holidays on Titan and Venus. It was working now. One particular holiday. Now he was living each memory from each day and the rest of his mind was blank.
The pain in his head was horrific now. He could tell that both Kryl were attacking him and that slowly they were peeling off the layers of consciousness. But he could hold on and he could keep his mind blank. Minutes passed with the room in silence. This was all about the power of the mind.
“I think that is enough for now, Admiral. I will return soon and we will continue. Please be assured, your primitive mind evasion techniques may work now, but your resistance will fail. For your sake I would suggest sooner rather than later.”
Both Safrec and the drone left through the doorway, which disappeared once it had closed.
He had no way out and very little chance to survive. He doubted whether his resistance would last much longer. At least the pain in his head had gone. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the lining, attached to which was a small plastic pack which contained the capsule. This will end it all. Can I take my own life, to preserve Alpha’s secrets?
The capsule was cyanide. It was designed to lodge in the mouth behind the front teeth and under the tongue. It would stay there indefinitely, until it was called upon to be used. A prod from the tongue to loosen the capsule, one bite, and it was all over. There were stories of operatives who held the capsule in their mouths for weeks at a time, without risk of failure, but most preferred to keep it safe elsewhere on the body.
Now was the time to place the capsule in his mouth; whether he used it or not. At least then he had the option. He forced open the pack and looked at the tiny capsule. It was less than half a centimeter in length. How could something so small cause such a devastating effect? Could he take his own life? The day had started okay and he was even quite pleased he had been given another opportunity to get above ground. It all went wrong the moment he exited the cave. How had they found the cave?
He thought he heard footsteps and realized there may not be another chance. He picked up the capsule and held it between thumb and fore finger as he had been taught. He lifted it to his mouth and pushed it into position. Immediately he felt the outer gel of the capsule react with the enzymes in his mouth and it was attached. It felt uncomfortable at first, but at least he could tell it was there. He preyed he would not have to use it.
The noise must have been in my head. They are playing games with me. They have even taken my watch.
More time passed and Clarke began to tire. Was this part of their strategy too? Finally after what seemed an eternity, the door opened once again and Safrec and the drone walked in.
“Don’t get up. You will need your strength. Let us begin where we left off. I need the location of the Alpha Fleet and what weaponry you are trying to develop. I will give you a few moments to think about it.”
Clarke knew the time was coming. He felt the pain in his head again.
“You will get nothing from me. You may as well give up.”
Safrec laughed. “Right now I am already inside your head. I am squeezing the nodes of your brain stem. Try to move your arms or legs. You will notice that your reflexes are already affected.
Clarke closed his eyes. He felt the probing thud now inside his head. He tried to open his eyes again and realized he couldn’t. How much longer will I be able to swallow? He felt nauseous and oh, so very tired. He knew he had no choice now. He was going to die. He either died at the hands of the Kryl or by his own doing …and the decision was already made. The time was now. He used his tongue for force the capsule away from the bottom of his mouth and without pausing further he bit into the small white ampoule.
Seconds later, he felt the cyanide take effect. His whole body began to shake. He was sick and then sick again and all thoughts other than death passed from his head. He had held onto his secret.
Chapter Thirty
The Bunker
Koenig first realized there was a problem, when a direct message from the President relayed to the message center. The direct message facility put in place only for emergencies.
“Sir, the message reads. Admiral Clarke has not arrived. Assume he has been compromised.
Koenig responded quickly. If Clarke had not arrived, he could be held captive and they would interrogate him. The whole mission was in jeopardy. He gave the command to lock down the facility. The bunker was already very secure, but this provided an extra layer of thickened blast proof doors on both entrances. No one could break through them and for the next twenty-four hours, no one was going out either.
Admiral Kohn had just joined him.
“Tom. We have also just heard that a cyanide capsule registered to Chris Clarke was just activated. It looks as if he has been forced to take his own life.”
“Oh God, no. Not Chris. Shit…let’s hope he took our darkest secrets with him.”
“We have to assume the location of this facility has been compromised. I think we need to get messages and schematics out to the comms posts ASAP.”
“We can’t do that in lock down and the Science team are not necessarily secure. Can we get a message to them?”
“The protocol for lock down at any of our key facility allows for the secure movement of the science team. They are also briefed to get the messages out to the comm.portals, should we be compromised.”
“That’s assuming they are ready to transmit the info. Do we have copies of the data they provided when the Chief visited yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“Then if necessary we will send what we have got. It was all coming together. We have to get this Intel to the Contingency Fleet. How the hell did they locate us anyway?”
“It’s not clear; although it is likely the breach occurred during the Kryl collection process.”
“We may never find out. Right now we have a lock down and at the worst possible time. Let’s get everyone moved to a secure location.”
* * * *
The Chief Scientist realized there was a problem. The armed division that supported his operation had moved in and there was a frenzied increase in activity surrounding the testing facility.
The testing itself had completed and he was in the process of drafting his final report and recommendations. The Antirillium radiation worked, they had the means to extract and transport it and a method to deploy the gas against the Kryl. The entire process was fraught with danger but the stakes were high and the target achievable. The Kryl could be killed and Earth could soon be free again.
If the operation had been compromised, it was absolutely critical he be allowed to finish his report and get the data transmitted.
The Colonel entered his office a few minutes later.
“Colonel. I need absolute privacy to complete my report. I am sure whatever the problem is, I can have a few minutes more…”
“I am sorry, sir. My orders are to remove you and your colleagues from site as soon as practicable. The Kryl are coming and we need to move fast. You can continue your report aboard the shuttle.”
“How soon before the Kryl get here?”
“They will be here within minutes.”
“Very well” he muttered as he started to pile his paperwork into two attaché cases. My papers and my work station must be loaded onto the shuttle as they are. I will not leave them. The content is too critical.”
The Colonels team helped the Scientist clear his desk and deliver the contents to the awaiting shuttle. Within two minutes they took flight.
“What is our destination?”
“We are heading for a safe house in Buenos Aires. You will be able to complete your work there and transmit your data to the comm.portals. I am aware of the importance of your work, sir and we will not compromise on your safety, your colleague’s or the report.”
A comm.link opened and the Colonel answered out of the Scientists” earshot. Seconds later he approached the science chief again.
“Sir. It appears we have been located by Kryl fighters and we are being pursued. We do have the capability to transmit the data here. We may not get another chance.”
The Chief Scientist sighed. “Very well, give me two minutes. We will transmit from here and then you must get us to safety as soon as possible.”
* * * *
Finally satisfied that all the appropriate media was ready for broadcast. He stuttered and gestured towards the Colonel. “The report is ready.”
The Colonel stepped forward and the Scientist handed his comm.pad to him. He watched as his communications device was linked to the shuttles mainframe. The encrypted message with its various attachments was sent instantaneously.
“The message has now been posted to the comms.portal, sir.” The Colonel reached down and pulled out his blaster side arm.”I am afraid that I have been ordered to ensure that there is no possibility of a security breach here.”
The Scientist looked at the Colonel in disbelief. “What do you intend to
do with that?”
But he already knew. A cursory glance through the viewing window told him that they were not heading for Buenos Aires. They were heading out to sea.
“I am sorry, but there really is no choice.”
The blaster fired and the scientist fell to the ground. Other shots followed in other sections of the ship as the Alpha Colonel and his crew carried out their assignment. The job was done. The message had been sent and the number of people on the planet who knew the contents of the message just been reduced to two.
* * * *
“The message has been sent?”
“And the Chief Scientist?”
“He and his staff have been neutralized, sir. Their bodies have been dropped into the sea. A Kryl patrol caught up with Colonel Collins’ shuttle; they were searched and then the Kryl left. It would appear all potential pitfalls in that area have been removed.”
“Good. Which leaves us with our own problems. The Kryl forces have just broken through the perimeter doors.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Patrol Ship Command
Jake Carter was officially in command of his first ship. Yes, it was only a Patrol Ship, but at age twenty-three, that was quite an accomplishment—especially if you considered his other achievements. He could not help think his route to his current position had been achieved without honor. It was never a good thing to see yourself profit on someone else’s misery and he did feel sorry for Bill Chadwick, despite the way the ex CO had tried to push him out. He elected to keep Chadwick abreast of developments rather than allow him to fester in his quarters for the remainder of the journey back to the fleet. He had just returned from visiting Chadwick and decided to walk the ship, before returning to the bridge.
