by Paul Ormond
“I could, but it is safe to say that these interactions were hostile more often than not.”
“Didn’t make a lot of friends on your trip.”
“I made a few friends, but we made a lot of enemies.”
“By ‘we’ I take it you mean your companions? The ones that helped you break O’Dell Grimes out of ADX Florence?”
“Some of them were my friends, but a few others we just met.”
“And where do these companions of yours hail from?”
“All members of our party are natives of this planet, if this is the Earth we left. But judging from what you are telling me, I am a known entity here and I am or was considered missing.”
“Your identity has been confirmed, Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Tobero. You disappeared from a military-controlled facility under your command in Kingsford several weeks ago, and you have been in our custody for the last 8 hours. You have an exemplary record as a public servant and your achievements in the private sector place you at the very pinnacle of global security concerns. But there is nothing in this file that can explain what the hell you were doing last night in Colorado.”
“It’s a little difficult to explain.”
“I bet it is. Care to elaborate?”
“I’d rather not incriminate myself any further.”
“So you admit that what you did was criminal.”
“This is exactly why I am not speaking. I do believe I have a right to an attorney.”
“I do not recall reading you your Miranda rights. I’m not entirely sure you have any rights at all. As far as the government of the United States is concerned you died in Kingsford while supervising an experiment you ordered.”
“So does that mean dead men don’t have rights?”
“It’s difficult to give rights to someone who doesn’t exist.”
“Fair enough. Then we are at an impasse.”
“Perhaps, but I believe it is possible that we can find a way to work together.”
“In my line of work, I always found it best to establish some type of common ground and spread out from there. Once it is clear what both parties want, negotiations become much easier.”
“You do have a lot of experience in this field. It must be difficult for you to be on the other side of the desk. A man like yourself must have interrogated thousands of people in situations like this.”
“I did my duty and played the part. It is never easy to navigate these situations, but I’ve been interrogated before, and I know what it’s like to be grilled.”
“Empathy is a skill in many ways. Let’s take what we have discussed and apply it to this situation. Without incriminating yourself, what would a person in your position want or desire?”
“Most individuals simply want the process to be over. Studies have shown that a great deal of false confessions have been coerced from individuals simply because they couldn’t wait to get out of the room.”
“It is incredibly stressful to sit in the hot seat but I get it, I have had my fair share of high-pressure situations. In my position, I am often put in the spotlight. Having countless people analyze every word that escapes your lips is enough to drive someone up the wall. When the things that you say determine the way the wind blows, one learns to be careful with what comes out of their mouth.”
“It’s lonely at the top.”
“That’s very true. But it can also be incredibly lonely at the bottom. As far as the United States is concerned, the very bottom would be ADX Florence. The darkest, most desolate place in the entire country. Some describe it as the only black site on American soil. And you and your companions chose to break in and bust out the most notorious terrorist in our custody. You mind explaining to me why, of all things, you chose to do this.”
“I could go into great detail, but I believe we are getting ahead of ourselves. We still haven’t laid out the terms of our discussion.”
“The terms are,” the Woman said as she reached out and pulled off Gerald’s mask. “I am the President of the United States, and you are going to tell me what the hell is going on here, or I’ll execute you myself.”
“Madam President,” Gerald said while he struggled to his feet. “I had no idea.”
“Don’t worry about trying to salute me,” President Edwards said, crossing her arms. “I think we’re a little past that point. You may be wondering why it is that I am down here in this shoebox pumping you for information. I’ve taken a personal interest in your story. I want to know exactly what you’ve been up to since you’ve been gone and I want to be the first one to hear it come out of your mouth.”
“It is an honor to be in your presence,” Gerald said, dropping his head. “Please forgive me for all that has happened. I know what this looks like, but I am not a traitor.”
“If you are not a traitor, then tell me exactly why you just broke into a maximum security prison to free a terrorist?”
“Planet Earth is in danger.”
“In danger from what?”
“Outside forces.”
“The same forces you encountered on your journey?”
“Yes, the same forces.”
“And why didn’t you report your findings to the proper authorities when you returned.”
“As difficult as it is for me to say, my companions and I are concerned that the authorities have been compromised.”
“Now who is calling who a traitor?”
“Forgive me, Madam President, I did not mean to call you a traitor. I wouldn’t dream of accusing the office of treason.”
“It sounds to me like you are trying to show your patriotism.”
“I have always been a patriot. It is an honor to serve and defend the United States.”
“And did you continue to serve your country after you were flushed down that worm hole a few months back, or did this enemy you speak of find a way to compromise you?”
“During the entire ordeal, I did everything I could to protect the lives of my soldiers. Betraying our country was the last thing on our minds. We were far more concerned with surviving the ever present danger and returning home in one piece.”
“This ever present danger, how would you describe it?”
“It is exactly as we thought it was. There is an empire that exists on the other side of that portal. And like any empire from past history, it is a brutal regime led by ruthless monsters. Metal clad brutes that worship their Emperor as god.”
“What do you know about Commander Holrathu?”
“He is the epitome of evil as far as I can tell, but he isn’t the actual leader. As strange as it sounds, the whole organization is orchestrated and commanded by an AI that calls itself ‘Mother.’”
“You seem to know an awful lot about all of this for only being gone a short time.”
“Believe me, it feels like several lifetimes have passed after all we’ve been through.”
“How is it that you know so much about Commander Holrathu?”
“His name is enough to make most shiver, but to see him up close and in battle is another thing all together. Massive and armored from head to toe, even the bravest men would cower in fear if they saw him coming. I have seen others attempt to take him on, but none were successful. Even Mitch Mythic couldn’t defeat him.”
“Mitch Mythic, you say. The boy still lives?”
“He still lives, but we parted ways before coming to Earth. He and SoHee have taken a different path.”
“The Korean girl, Moon SoHee.”
“That is right.”
“I know your mind is reeling, but there is still a great deal you need to explain.”
“I will gladly divulge all I can. Even though it may incriminate me, I will do everything I can to assist you.”
“I appreciate your candor. And your honesty is aiding your cause without a shadow of a doubt. The more information you can provide me with, the better.”
“Just ask me and I will try my best. In all honesty, I feel a great relief unburd
ening myself like this.”
“I can imagine that it was immensely stressful. What can you tell me about Mitch Mythic?”
“I’ve led a lot of young men into battle, and it is always a pleasure to see them grow into fine soldiers. But it is rare to see someone overcome such incredible odds with so much courage and conviction. I remember the first time I saw him. He was just a scrawny kid in a hoodie and blue jeans last year, but he took all of those guards on without fear or hesitation. We were lucky to be reunited with Mitch and Drak after passing through.”
“You are talking about Drakon Trendago, the refugee.”
“Yes, he may have been a refugee, but he certainly wasn’t from around here.”
“We are aware of his off world connection. But back to Mitch, did you notice a change in his behavior during these battles you speak of?”
“Of course. He changed in more ways than I could imagine. Doing what he did and standing up against that monstrosity. I’m sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself. He was brave when he started out, but he has grown more powerful than we could possibly imagine during our journey through the multi-verse.”
“Powerful? In what way?”
“He and his friend Drak have acquired a special technology that gives them extraordinary powers. Along with SoHee and her mutation, they may be the most powerful forces in the multi-verse right now.”
“Do you consider him dangerous?”
“According to the rumors, he is ‘the Most Dangerous Man in the Multi-verse.’ I am definitely happy that he is on our side. At least with he and SoHee we have a chance.”
“A chance against the Masters?”
“They are coming here, coming to take the Earth, and we need to do everything we can to stop them.”
“Like break out O’Dell Grimes?”
“Breaking out that terrorist was not my idea, but I didn’t have much of a choice. I realize now that I may be giving up the game, but there members of the Cell within our party. It was these Cell operatives that triggered the first wormhole and caused the disappearance of Mitch Mythic. When we re-united with Mitch, he was in their company. As strange as it sounds. One of the individuals possessed a device that could communicate with Earth and we used it to bring us all back here, but we arrived in the presence of more Cell members. They informed us of their plan to defend the planet against the invaders and freeing O’Dell Grimes was a part of that. I have seen the video feed from the game, DeathWorld. And I was shocked to see you speaking alongside a digital version of Mitch Mythic. After viewing the feed, I felt we had no choice but to go along with the Cell’s plan because I thought you were compromised.”
“What if I told you that you were correct?”
“I’m sorry Madam President, I don’t understand.”
“You are correct about everything, but there is one thing you don’t know: these Masters, Commander Holrathu, in particular, are already here. They wasted no time infiltrating our facilities, and we didn’t have the technology nor the opportunity to withstand their approach. I felt negotiating would be best, but that has backfired. As we speak, I fear the worst for this planet. That is why I am speaking to you know.”
“I am not surprised by this in the least. They’ve had Earth in their sights for a long time and they are hungry for revenge after we were able to disrupt their most recent plans. We have the power to defeat them, but we must act fast. The fate of the planet and the Multi-verse is at stake.”
“Commander Holrathu has put a great deal of effort into persuading me that Mitch Mythic is the real danger here.”
“That is definitely within his character. The Masters are skilled in the art of subterfuge, and they take joy in manipulating and coercing their adversaries.”
“This I know all too well. But do you really think we have a chance against them?”
“I believe it with all my heart.”
“Then you are going to have to help me find a way out of the mess I made.”
“It will be my greatest honor to serve you in this dark hour.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
THE WAREHOUSE SMELLED of decay and gasoline. Wrapped in plastic, pallet loads of industrial-sized canisters lined several rows of soaring shelves stretching into the dark reaches of the cavernous storage space.
“You call this a rendezvous point,” Robert said while he leaned against a stack of plastic bins filled with a pink liquid. “These fumes are enough to knock me out. We’ve been back home for more than 36 hours, and I haven’t even had a chance to sit in a chair.”
“That’s what you are complaining about?” Allan said while perched on a stack of boxes. “I’d love to slip into a warm bath right now, but I’m afraid I’d be disrupted when the government attack dogs came flying through the window.”
“That’s enough out of all of you,” Gaelin said, closing his panel. “This was a blow to all of us. But not all is lost.”
“They got Gerald. That’s quite a loss if you ask me,” Kate said.
“Now you appreciate his leadership?” Davis said from across the room as he and Babcock stood sentry over the slumped form of O’Dell Grimes.
“I always appreciated his leadership,” Kate said, fixing her eyes on Davis. “I may have enjoyed winding him up, but I followed my orders. Guys like him like it when you challenge their authority.”
“Is that what you think?” Babcock said. “I’m not sure what they taught you at the finishing school for young psychopaths, but there’s a reason we have a chain of command.”
“I don’t know why you are coming after me,” Kate shouted before she dropped down onto the concrete floor. “We all followed Gerald’s plan. It’s not my fault that he got caught.”
“How come he got caught, and you didn’t?” Davis shouts. “Because he sacrificed himself for the group. I watched him do it with my own eyes. If not for him, they would still be after us.”
“And look where we are now, surrounded by luxury,” Robert said. “Why the hell would he think getting caught would be a good idea? Unless that was his plan all along. If I’m not mistaken, he was the one that wanted to run back to his army buddies and report everything, and as soon as he got a chance that is exactly what he did. I bet he is spilling his guts right now. They probably know our exact location. I’ll bet Several dozen armed units are on their way here at this exact moment.”
“Stop being such a Drama Queen,” Babcock said. “There is no way Gerald will sell us out. He may be a stick in the mud, but he’s no fool. If Kate is right, and he sacrificed himself for us, then we should be thanking him right now.”
“Thank him all you want, but we all know that everybody spills their guts eventually, even Gerald,” Robert said.
“He may be able to fill them in on what happened prior to these events, but he has no further knowledge of our plan, other than the vague details we gave him,” Gaelin said. “Even the safe house was kept hidden from us all in case of a scenario just like this. The information was encrypted until we all arrived at the rendezvous point. So for now, I believe we are safe.”
“Yeah, but for how long?” Davis asked. “Apparently these guys can track us. And how did they show up so fast? I thought you jammed all the comms.”
“I did, but I can’t account for everything,” Gaelin said. “There are any number of ways they could have gotten a message out. A place like that probably has a lot of fail safes and protected lines I was unable to access in the brief time we had.”
“From my perspective, I’d say we got out of there relatively clean,” Ramon said. “Pulling off a job like that, you’ve got to expect to take a few hits. Losing your leader is certainly a blow, but it isn’t something we can’t recover from. We just need to stick with the plan and see this through. If Gerald is the soldier you say he is, then he knew the risks going in.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Babcock said. “Everything is just hunky dory for you, but we’re the ones that lost a friend.”
“I’m not trying
to downplay your loss,” Ramon said. “But we all know what the stakes are here. We need to stick with the plan, or we risk losing everything.”
“Besides breaking out terrorists, what is this glorious plan of yours, anyway?” Robert said.
“You have a right to know, and soon all will be revealed, but for matters of security, I can only share parts of it with you now,” Ramon said.
“That is just typical,” Robert said. “Keep us in the dark while you weave your little plot. I know how it works, cause I have done it before. But as brilliant as you think you are, you’re nothing without the people around you.”
“If I’m not mistaken, Robert, it sounds like you are trying to weasel your way into a leadership position,” Davis said.
“I’m a great leader. Always have been,” Robert said. “I was your leader once and I could do it again.”
“This is not the time to fight about who gets to be team captain,” Gaelin said. “As we speak, a number of Cell operatives are approaching this position. They represent several factions of our organization, and during the past while they have been hard at work putting together the framework of our resistance. Breaking out O’Dell from Florence was intended to bring a sense of solidarity to our cause. Now we are going to link it all together, if it’s not too late.”
“Not too late for what?” Sanchez asked.
“For the imminent alien invasion,” Ramon said. “Have you not been listening at all?”
“I’m sorry, Ramon. You guys have these big giant plans that are a secret to everyone except you and your boyfriend. It’s not my fault I don’t know what you guys are talking about half the time.”
“It’s ok, Sanchez,” Christine said. “Admitting that you feel confused is a big step.”
“If we’re all letting our feelings out, I’d like to point out that I for one think we could use a rest of some kind,” Allan said. “We’ve been going at breakneck speed for God know’s how long. Everybody knows how much a good night's sleep can improve one's overall condition.”
“We all need sleep and rest, but our enemy is closing in,” Gaelin said. “The last thing we need to do right now is start infighting. This plan has been a long time in the making and we’ll all have a part to play in it. As far as I can tell, it’s the only thing that is keeping the Masters from taking this planet, if they haven’t already.”
