The A.R.EX. Project:Transformation

by Angelo Facchin

  Mika was often partnered with Mike Scatchard, a rookie, who was a bit of an eager beaver. Mika found out that young Mike wasn’t above accepting a mission on their behalf without consulting her, even tough she had four years seniority over him. She didn’t mind their work load as much as she did her partner’s attitude towards any case they took on. He was a little young for an agent, almost 24. To Mika, it looked like her partner had been dreaming of being an agent for all the right moral reasons and was now playing out a heroic childhood fantasy every chance he got. His enthusiasm for his job didn’t deter his work ethic, but it did make him the annoying younger brother figure in her life.

  As it turned out, Mike had said that he had a surprise for Mika when she got to the parking lot later on. Mika feared this because a “surprise” meant a brand new case for them to work on. With that in mind, she took her time finishing her paperwork just to make him wait and hopefully turn toward another agent for his next case idea.

  * * *

  Mike was leaning on Mika’s car, waiting for her as she made her way to the underground parking lot. He flashed her a huge smile that had a glint of conspiracy behind it. It was that look he sometimes had in his eyes that she had come to know and dread.

  In his hand, he held a brown envelope that seemed at least two inches thick. Mika sighed because she knew: the thicker the envelope, the more complex the mission, and the more work it would require, and the more paperwork that would need filling out.

  “You‘re gonna love this next case I‘ve got for us,” said Mike.

  “I bet you I won‘t. I‘m too tired to even think about work,” she replied.

  “Oh yes you will, because this case just screams FBI agent Mika Nomura. It involves undercover work, most likely over an extended period of time, industrial reconnaissance, and possibly espionage, and no paperwork for the agent who has seniority.”

  Mike had just made it sound like it would be the ideal case for her. Still, she was tired. It was all too possible that she had misheard the part where Mike practically volunteered to fill out her paperwork for her.

  “Am I dreaming? I hope this isn‘t a joke I swear Mike, if you‘re trying to trick me, I will make sure nobody finds your remains.”

  “No, I swear. While you‘re out undercover, I‘ll be doing all the tedious work. You won‘t have to lift a pencil unless your “new employer ” tells you to. You are seriously lucky.”

  “What if I refuse?”

  “Not this time, you have the experience. Chief said that it‘s you, or the case is gonna be dropped. He won‘t give this to anyone else, because you have a background in a specific field. Besides, I went out on a limb to get you out of the paperwork. I told the Chief that you were overworked and probably wouldn‘t want the assignment, so…I intervened.”

  Mika realized that her partner had gone out on a limb for her. She also realized that she was chosen for her extensive experience in the field of biological research. Her experience included a stint in a forensic research lab in Cleveland.

  “When do I start?”

  “Well, I suggest you get a good night‘s sleep and kiss your husband tomorrow morning, cause when that happens, you will become a completely different person.”

  * * *

  The next day, 2:53 PM

  Albany, New York

  The next day, Mike drove Mika to a job interview in what looked to be an office building in Albany. The building itself was very generic and looked like it was about 10 years old. The structure didn’t even have a sign to indicate what company was located there. It really didn’t seem so much different from the many other buildings she’d seen in her lifetime. It made her wonder if the company was even located there.

  “THIS is supposed to be BIOGENCORP laboratories? How can anyone stand to work in a place where there is no way to tell your building from anyone else‘s? I thought that this company was supposed to be huge in their field.”

  “They are a small corporation in terms of office space and employee roster, but they have plenty of workload potential and they have an extensive reputation in the forensic science scene. Not only that, but their budget seems limitless, although suspicious. That‘s where you come in. As Sora Takahashi, you must infiltrate their roster and get whatever information you can on any wrongdoing.”

  “Can you be a little more specific before we go in there, please?”

  “We really don‘t know, but there have been several transactions that can be described as questionable at best. BIOGENCORP executives have ordered at least a bundled dozen of every individual computer component from their specialized manufacturers. Every single component was custom ordered to certain specifications. The manufacturers have informed us that no software was ordered, so we think that BIOGENCORP have a group of tech people capable of programming the software they need to make their computers run. Not only that, some of these components are normally deemed incompatible with each other, since they’re all different brands. Everything was taken from different companies, it’s like BIOGENCORP’s tech staff just puts Energy Star, Panasonic, Sony, and Microsoft all together in a blender and hit the Puree switch. The specific components include monitor pieces, motherboards sound and graphics chips, even the necessary screws to put everything together are custom-ordered. If they were a company like Macintosh or Microsoft, it would make sense, so here‘s the big question: Why is a research lab wasting time, money, and effort making its own computers when they can probably get a sweet deal on the latest technology all ready-made? Back twenty years ago, this wouldn‘t be a big deal, but these days, computers a little more widespread, and they cost less than the sum of their parts. Rodgers got suspicious and we put a warning flag on their receipts because BIOGENCORP already has their own network, and apparently their specific software, but now they are making the hardware to match? That would mean that they can‘t be hacked into unless it‘s done from the inside, because one would have to know the inner workings of their computers to understand what‘s going on. That basically means that the staff at BIOGENCORP have something big they wanna hide.”

  “I can understand how I fit in, but what will you be doing?”

  “I’ll be doing the tedious work. Rodgers thinks that I need to calm down and mature as an agent. Ten of BIOGENCORP’s scientists have been reported missing recently. All of them within the same day. Ten scientists?! What are the odds of that happening? Either something happened while they were on the clock, or someone went after them for some reason. Either way, these mysterious disappearances give us probable cause to investigate the company and anybody involved with them. We need you to get hired, so that you could access one of their computers and copy some software, obtaining any file that may seem suspicious and record anything that is out of place in a forensics research lab. On top of that, if you can figure out what happened to the missing scientists, and who exactly is responsible, that would be a huge plus, because their fates might be linked to some of that suspicious activity.”

  “Hopefully, they‘re still alive.”

  “One can only hope.”

  Mika found herself in a strange position. She knew that there were several risks, most of which she didn‘t care to find out the consequences to. What if she was discovered? What if there wasn’t really anything to find? What if she couldn’t find what was going on? How long would this case, this work drag on for? She always asked herself these questions, but she used to have a choice on whether or not to take a case. She had to explain to her husband that she had to go undercover and use an assumed name…again. He was worried for her safety, but he always admired her for her work. He understood that her job was to protect people and people from doing wrong. He always said ”Okay” and hugged her tightly. Mika felt relieved to have a husband who was so understanding.

  * * *

  3:25 PM

  BIOGENCORP Laboratories, Albany, New York

  As they made their way inside the building, Mika was stopped at a checkpoint. She was wearing a basic and pr
ofessional disguise, with her hair in a ponytail, and wore black specs instead of her usual contact lenses. She was given a “Visitor’s Pass” with a photo and her fake name on it. She was guided to a hallway on the third floor. She was told to wait at a receptionist’s desk to her right. Mika got there and sat down on a small wooden chair and waited, pretending to read a novel.

  She had been waiting there for almost five minutes when she suddenly heard two men walking down the hall towards her, engaged in an animated conversation. One man was younger and taller and wore a grey business suit, and had short, brown hair. The other man was slightly shorter, older, wore a lab coat… and had recent claw marks across his face. The scarred marks ran diagonally down from left to right on his left cheek. It was very interesting to Mika, because it seemed like those marks were very fresh and it was very unlikely that he would have been working so soon after whatever accident he was in, yet there he was. She also wondered whether or not one of them was Mark Reeves, the Human Resources executive she was to meet.

  “Are you sure you want to perform a second test this soon? I think you should rest some more.. or maybe drop the project entirely,” said the man in grey.

  “You mean give it up? After only one test? We are counted on to deliver on our promise. We have to go on with this project, it‘s the future of our company… and I‘m fine, thanks for concern Mark,” replied the other.

  “You‘re ready to take such a big risk? Do you even realize what would happen if you fail again? We could lose big on this. And I don‘t mean just the exorbitant amount of money. You could have been…”

  “But I didn‘t so forget about it, okay? We are going to finish what we started, And in doing so, we are going to change the world forever, just you wait.”

  By then, they were about ten feet away from Mika and they had spotted her. She looked up, “noticed” them, and put her book in her purse. She took a stride to them and bowed slightly as is Japanese custom.

  “Hello. Do you work here?”

  “Yes,” replied the scarred man, “can we help you with something?”

  “My name is Sora Takashi. I am looking for Mark Reeves. I made an appointment for a job interview today.”

  Mika was very nervous and figured that her accent was showing. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and her accent involved making statements that sounded like she was asking a question. Her alter ego, Sora Takahashi, was from Cleveland, Ohio were she interned as a forensic scientist. She hoped that they didn’t know that, or didn’t notice.

  “I‘m Mark Reeves,” said the man in the suit, “pleased to meet you miss Takahashi. Please come to my office and I will talk to you privately.”

  “Thank you.”

  * * *

  They got inside Reeve’s office and Mika was already disappointed by what she saw. There were no diplomas, no plants, and no photographs of office parties. The space looked pretty bland and devoid of any special personal attention. It reminded her of the set of an old science fiction film that looked a little too perfect and unrealistic. Mika wondered whether or not Reeves actually spent a lot of time in his own office.

  “Please, sit down.”

  “Thank you.”

  Reeves pulled out a file and opened it. It contained all the information she had sent to him.

  “Your resume is very impressive. I talked to your ex-employers. They praised your work ethic, in fact they wished you were still in Ohio. I can see that you’d be a great fit here.”

  “Thank You.”

  “Just one question, why would you leave such a stable job to come work here?”

  “I’m getting married. Steve lives in Troy and I really want to find a career in this field. Working here is a good step, because it‘s a lot closer to home.”

  Reeves fell silent. His eyes were riveted on her resume. Something in it had caught his eye.

  “You‘re…a certified signer?”

  Mika had learned sign language at an early age, because her mother was deaf. She had put that skill on her resume just in case she had to work with someone who needed to communicate in that manner.

  “I am. My mother was deaf. Why?”

  “It just so happens that we have been looking for certified signer for a while now. We need someone who’s able to communicate using sign language. Unfortunately, these people are few and far between. If you don’t mind would you do a job for us before you start in the lab?”

  “What would I need to do?”

  “I need you to come with the colleague of mine you just saw me talking to. You both will be going to a prison, where a prisoner will be chosen to volunteer for a project we are conducting. We need you to translate his signing for us. I hope you‘re available in two days if it‘s not too much trouble.”

  “Actually, I am. Just give me the details, and I will be there.”

  Mika left the building with a mixed feeling. Not only was she chosen for lab work, but she was also picked for a special task. She also learned that something had happened with a very important project during a test. Whatever happened was so incredible it left a highly experienced scientist with some nasty-looking scars on his face. She had to take this job in order to be able to obtain all the details she could squeeze out of it, and leave her partner Mike with the task of writing a report on her behalf.

  Chapter 6

  Monday, October 26th, 1998, 1:34 PM

  Bare Hill Correctional Facility, Franklin County, New York

  Mika was back in her simple disguise soon enough as she got into a limo with Patrick Sandlak. She found herself staring at Sandlak’s scars, which made her a little uncomfortable. She decided to approach the subject, hoping to get some information as to what happened to him.

  “I hope you don‘t mind… I would like to ask you how you got those scars on your face.”

  “I don‘t mind at all. You‘re the first one who‘s ever dared to ask me that. I’m guessing that, like many others, you feel a little uneasy looking at me, your eyes going straight to my cheek. It doesn‘t really bother me, so much as it makes me feel a little awkward in front of people. I went camping with my family about three months ago, when I was attacked by an angry bear, and I narrowly escaped with my life.”

  “An adult bear?”

  “A Grizzly, yes.”

  Sandlak was lying, that much was clear. Mika knew that Sandlak’s scars weren’t made by a Grizzly bear, because they were much too thin and precise. Besides, Sandlak didn’t have children and was never married. It was unclear to Mika why Sandlak would be lying to her, unless he had something to hide. He really took her for a fool, if he was going to give her that kind of story when he knew that the person he talking to had a bachelor’s degree in forensic sciences.

  “So, who is this person we‘re going to meet?”

  “His name is Erickson Meyers.”

  “From the McEachern trial?”

  “You‘ve heard about it. How much do you know?”

  “I know that Mr. Meyers is mute. He had his larynx damaged eight months ago. He was fired from his job a few days after he got back from the hospital simply because he would be unable to speak for the rest of his life. The prosecution stated that Meyers killed Lester McEachern in rage for being so biased against him and others that would be considered minorities. The case revolved around the idea that it was an anti-discrimination crime, which is why Meyers became a martyr in the public eye. No one ever had any real physical evidence against him, it was all circumstantial. Several witnesses stated that an individual that matched his description was seen near the scene of the crime. They basically said that a medium height, medium-built, Caucasian male with brown hair and eyes was walking down the street on the murder near the McEacherns‘ home. The case was full of holes, but the state got a conviction anyway and Meyers got 15 years for second-degree murder.”

  “You’ve got a great eye for details. You probably agree with me when I say this was clearly a case where the prosecution’s goal was to find A culprit and not THE c
ulprit. I hope to change Meyer’s life for the better. The idea here is to get him out on bond and employ him in testing a new drug we‘ve been trying to bring on the market. This is were you come in. You must translate what he signs for me once we meet him.”

  Mika was slowly getting more and more suspicious of Patrick Sandlak. Why would Sandlak be interested in a prisoner like Meyers? Unfortunately, research labs had a bit of a habit of employing convicted criminals as janitors or volunteers for testing, so this simply wasn’t enough to put in a report and have criminal charges filed. All Mika had was a bunch of suspicious-looking receipts and a gut feeling. She had to be patient and wait for Sandlak and BIOGENCORP to show their true colors.

  * * *

  When they entered the penitentiary, they were escorted to the warden’s office located just inside the building by armed guards. James Keith greeted them with a firm handshake and an even firmer frown.

  “I‘ve reviewed your papers and everything seems to be in order. Meyers‘ usually only gets his son and his attorney as visitors but I told him to expect you today.”

  “Thank you for letting us see him. We couldn‘t have hoped for a better volunteer.”

  “I hope you realize that he might not agree to be a part of your little experiment.”

  “That‘s why I came prepared to sweeten the deal for him.”

  They started down a long corridor with a door that lead to the main cell area. Mika had reviewed her signs to make sure that she didn’t misunderstand anything Meyers “said“. She was fairly confident of her abilities, but she hadn’t used them in years ever since her mother died.

  When they got to Meyers’ cell, he immediately got up, but quickly sat down, disappointed that his visitors were probably not who he was expecting. James Keith had probably forgot to mention to him which visitors he was getting.

  Erickson Meyers was unspectacular in terms of build. He was 5’11” with brown hair and eyes. He was lanky, with made him seem a little taller than he actually was. He looked sickly and frail, and the expression on his face showed months of constant disappointment and frustration. In his hand, he held a notebook in which he would write down everything he said.