The Peace Proxy: Part 1

by Cyril Adams

“Because you would have stopped me,” Garrett replied.

  Charlie’s voice took on the edge Garrett expected, “You’re damn right I would have stopped you.”

  “I had to know, Charlie. I had to know he was guilty,” Garrett explained.

  Charlie let out a deep sigh and took on a softer tone, “I understand, champ, but this is probably going to get complicated.”

  “Forget Weller,” Garrett countered dismissively.

  “Forget Weller?” Charlie asked, bewildered. “Have you gone mad as well as rogue? I spent an hour this afternoon trying to convince Cresler Senior your merits as a reporter outweigh the liability risk to the paper.”

  “Cresler, huh?”

  Charlie felt the need to elaborate. “He hasn’t spoken a dozen words to me since we were hired, but today he had plenty to say.”

  “Do I still have a job?” Garrett asked.

  “For now.”

  “Then forget Weller. I have something bigger. Have you ever heard anything strange about the ARC?”

  Charlie’s bewilderment deepened, “The Alien Research Center?”

  “Yeah,” Garrett confirmed.

  “I don’t know,” Charlie began. “Rumors now and then. The usual stuff you get with any government organization. I did hear the ARC was behind the movement to put workers back in offices but after the energy crisis was resolved and the travel restrictions were lifted, there was really no reason people could not physically drive into work.” Charlie fleetingly considered that prospect. “I like working with people face to face,” he added. “Why do you ask?”

  Garrett hesitated a moment. “I just met Mercury.”

  Charlie knew the reference well. “Did you tell him hello for me?” he asked pointedly.

  Garrett chuckled. Never one to get excited, you could always count on Charlie for an understated, direct response. “I did,” Garrett replied as he rubbed the knuckles of his right hand. They were already starting to bruise and swell.

  “Atta boy,” Charlie exclaimed in approval.

  “He claimed he had information concerning some sort of fraud in the ARC.”

  “In the ARC?” Charlie questioned again as he considered the next logical outcome. “If he is right, he’ll need some serious protection.”

  “That’s why he met me tonight. He said...” Garrett trailed off when he saw Katherine and Arthur returning from the dance floor. “His real name is Mike if that helps, and his source’s name is Rubin Talbot. Check it out,” he prompted Charlie, as Katherine and Arthur arrived.

  “Garrett, you had better go dance with this enchanting young lady before I sweep her off her feet,” Arthur advised with a wink.

  Garrett obliged. He and Katherine danced the night away. Despite Garrett’s concerns, Arthur’s surprise arrival had given the evening a comfortable air. Garrett held the burning excitement of his developing story deep in his core. With a new path to redemption at hand, the night took on an extraordinary rightness. He was certain exposing a conspiracy of the nature Mike suggested would right his listing career. Katherine felt Garrett’s excitement as well. Surrounded by their closest friends; it felt as if the universe had created this gathering for just the two of them. Everything fit into its place.

  As often happens with those few times when the world is so ordered there doesn’t seem to be a care in it, the moment passed before either could grasp it and fully appreciate the complete freedom it afforded. The aircar ride back to their apartment returned Garrett’s thoughts to Katherine’s earlier admission and his inability to give her what she needed; what they both needed. The magical aura lifted, leaving him somber.

  “I had a wonderful time tonight,” Katherine commented, looking into Garrett’s eyes.

  “So did I,” Garrett responded with a smile.

  Katherine turned to watch the city pass by before continuing. “Garrett, where do you think we are headed?”

  “Back to the apartment,” Garrett joked with a fleeting hope he could keep the conversation light. He recognized how insidiously this discussion could grow into a turning point in their relationship.

  “You know what I mean,” her reply was tinged with sadness.

  “I’m not sure I do,” Garrett answered honestly.

  “Do you think we are stagnating?”

  “Is this about what you told me earlier?” Garrett tried to keep his voice neutral. He felt his agitation grow at having to discuss their future openly before he was able to internally resolve the issue. He fought the urge to respond hastily, knowing he would likely regret anything but complete capitulation on his part. Despite his best efforts, his body tensed.

  Katherine leaned against him as the cityscape passed outside the window. The reassuring contact disarmed Garrett in a way he could not articulate. Katherine always understood what would calm the storm of conflict inside him. She truly understands me, he admitted.

  “No. Well, a little. Most people our age are starting a family,” she began. “Starting? No, most people our age have established a family. Are we moving forward?”

  “I think we are.” Garrett chose his word carefully, “We both agreed when we started seeing each other we weren’t going to let our relationship interfere with our careers.”

  “I thought we weren’t going to use each other to advance our careers.”

  “That’s what I meant,” Garrett replied tersely.

  A forlorn Katherine continued, “I’m beginning to wonder. Do you see a time when we come first?”

  Garrett stiffened, and his posture shifted slightly, pulling away from Katherine. The conversation was steering itself in the exact direction he did not want to go. Although he knew Katherine had not meant for the question to insinuate he was less committed to her than she to him, he could not help but think that the unspoken message was, “I’m willing to put you first. Why won’t you do the same for me?” He understood their relationship was at an inflection point, and the slightest misinterpretation of his intent could end badly. He was certain the only way to approach the situation was through complete honesty, but he was equally certain that when someone made themselves vulnerable, even someone as strong as Katherine, honesty had to be tempered with tact or feelings could be irreparably damaged.

  Katherine recognized his reaction for the defense mechanism it was. “Don’t take this the wrong way. I’m not questioning your commitment. I just want reassurance that as our relationship has grown, we see it the same way.”

  Garrett leaned back into Katherine and put his arms around her. “Fair enough. I think we're great together, but I'm still a cautionary tale. I have to get my life back in order before I can handle any more complications.”

  “So I'm a complication?” Katherine questioned, but her tone did not betray even a hint of annoyance.

  “The best kind of complication, and you know

  I didn’t mean it that way.”

  “Yes, I do know,” she replied as she turned and kissed him.

  5

  Garrett woke to the sound of Katherine in the shower. A few minutes later, she walked back into the bedroom, moving quickly toward the wardrobe, dressing in the sharp business attire she routinely wore to work.

  Garrett sat up. “What’s going on?”

  “There’s been a security breach. I have to go to the office.”

  “On Sunday? Why?” he replied.

  “Well, when the Secretary of State calls and tells his special assistant she has to come into the office, she does.” She walked over to the bed as she spoke. Leaning over Garrett, she gave him a quick kiss.

  Garrett put on a boyish grin. “Did he say what it was about?”

  “Stop being a reporter,” she joked. “It’s probably minor. I’ll try to be back for lunch. Oh, I almost forgot. Charlie called while I was on the phone,” she said as she left the bedroom. The sound of the front door marked her exit.

  Garrett put on his robe and moved into the kitchen. He poured a cup of coffee and called Charlie from the study.

&
nbsp; Charlie’s face appeared on the screen.

  “Hi Charlie, are you at work?” Garrett asked.

  “Yeah, I’m at work,” Charlie’s voice seemed haggard. He was visibly tired and probably hung over. “I’ve been checking out the ARC. You mind coming in so we can look at a few things?”

  “I’ll be there in an hour,” Garrett replied as he terminated the connection.

  As Garrett drank his coffee, he retrieved recent news coverage of the murder Mike had mentioned.

  “Jacob,” he called to the house computer, “retrieve murders, New York, yesterday.”

  Jacob replied, “Only one subject found; twenty-one articles covering the death of Rubin Talbot.”

  He requested the Tribune article out of habit. He still did not trust the Herald to have reported the details correctly; despite the reality that each was probably just retransmitting the information provided by an affiliate.

  The holograph displayed the image of a body in a dark alley. The headline stated “MUGGING RESULTS IN RARE MURDER.” The photo was taken at a sufficient distance to provide an adequate view of the crime scene while revealing almost no detail. Piles of garbage lined the walls of the dilapidated buildings enclosing the alley. It resembled an abandoned industrial complex. Even with crime at a historic low, only a fool or someone looking for trouble would venture into an area like that by choice.

  Murders, being the only crime for which an alpha scan could be used on a suspect, were uncommon. The term alpha scan was a slight misnomer in that the scanner not only mapped alpha waves but inhibited the ability of the subject to deceive. Through a series of questions, the machine identified the waveforms an individual created when they formed ideas that they knew to be untrue. This was enough to determine if the person was trying to mislead investigators, but, if after being exposed, the suspect declined to cooperate, the scanner was placed into an active mode. The machine then created a counter wave, targeting the area of the brain used to manufacture deception. The suspects found themselves compelled to answer any questions truthfully. This forced nobility did not come without a price, and, in rare cases, the subjects experienced some loss of motor function. Although the scan could only be applied after a Grand Jury indictment, few criminals were willing to risk such a quick removal of reasonable doubt. It had an interesting side effect on the way criminals viewed murder as well. Information obtained during a scan that was not related to the crime for which the suspect was accused could not be used for prosecution, but most believed it usually resulted in evidence generated through parallel construction. This policy practically eliminated murder as a useful tool in organized crime.

  As he showered, Garrett reviewed what he knew about the ARC. Due to the enormous responsibility of being burdened with the survival of the human race, it had a vast sphere of influence. This was an aspect of the ARC that Garrett had not considered. Now that he did, the implications of how much control it wielded over the world’s populace were staggering. In effect, it controlled emerging technologies, parceling out new discoveries to maintain a balance between progress and secrecy. “It,” Garrett considered that word for a few moments. “It” was part of the puzzle. Garrett realized the organization existed in almost complete obscurity other than periodic announcements that were usually aimed at keeping the public aware the ARC was still there, working hard for the future. More style than substance. Its existence, just like the aliens, was simply an aspect of life. He vaguely remembered an anti-ARC protest at the United Federation of Nations headquarters a few years ago. The protesters alleged the ARC controlled the Federation and was destroying free enterprise; just another radical group looking for a cause, or so he thought at the time. Garrett continued his review of alien history as he dressed and caught a cab to the office.

  The United States recovered an alien ship in 1947, but the efforts aimed at exploiting the advanced technology behind the craft were stove-piped due to paranoia over the growing Russian threat. The secrecy was for not, as the Russians had obtained their own alien vessel from the Tunguska event of 1908. After several missile bases were visited in the 1970s, the United States created an alien task force. One project that emerged from this research was the Star Wars system. Designed primarily as an outward planetary point defense system, the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile defense benefit was a secondary consideration at the project’s inception. A series of very public acquisition failures, like the Bradley Fighting Vehicle program, provided cover for the funds that were diverted for the research. Only one United States President became aware of the project, and he promoted it with vigor. Unfortunately, after his health declined, all alien materials were safeguarded or destroyed for fear of a security breach. Hence, for a time, the United States became the hotbed of alien research, but most of the efforts were fruitless and abandoned after the 1980s. Government involvement subsided until, after discovering hundreds of extra-solar planets, the alien origin was revealed. The discovery should not have taken as long as it did, but efforts had been focused on a different category of systems: the type that could sustain life and this was the crux of the problem. The alien’s sun was old…too old. There was much debate over how a carbon-based life form could survive on the barren rock that was emitting radio waves. The terrifying answer came back several months later when an astronomer discovered a third planet that seemed too far away from the star to be held by its gravitational influence. It was too far out, and it was not a planet. An armada with a mass equivalent to Earth’s moon was leaving the alien solar system. Based on the rate of acceleration, it would be on Earth’s doorstep in ninety-eight years. Once the threat was verified, the world governments united, but it was not to last.

  The controversy surrounding the creation of the United Federation of Nations brought back memories of the Unification Wars. Following the alien announcement, the government of every nation signed the One Earth Pact, through which all agreed to cooperate fully on creating a global defense system to meet the threat. Sadly, a few months later several countries changed course. They demanded the independence to negotiate “terms of cohabitation” with the aliens when they arrived. The group planned to put their efforts into building an emissary ship. The stakes were too high, and the world could not afford to be divided. The ensuing war was quick and brutal. Three months after the uprising began, humanity was united, and so it remained. In a world of seemingly endless unintended consequences, the human race finally achieving solidarity had to be the most ironic, Garrett concluded as the cab stopped at his destination.

  As Garrett stepped onto the sidewalk, he was overcome by the feeling he was being watched. On this cool, crisp morning, everything stood out in relief. He paused, looking down the street in each direction. Several aircars passed overhead. One of them flew so low that Garrett’s jacket was buffeted by the downdraft generated by the electrically driven turbines. Technically, it was illegal to fly an aircar so low outside of a landing zone, but few pedestrians were moving about as the city slowly emerged from its Sunday morning slumber.

  He usually trusted his instincts, but in this case, he had to laugh at his reaction. If someone was observing his actions, they could do it unobtrusively in a hundred different ways. He shook his head, dismissing this light touch of paranoia as he continued into the building.

  6

  Charlie was sitting behind his large desk, with several holographs floating above the surface. Some only presented a two-dimensional image and were clearly older archives.

  “Charlie, don’t you ever sleep?” Garrett greeted.

  “Not all of us had a beautiful woman to take us home last night,” Charlie countered.

  “Right. What do you have here?”

  “I’ve pulled up what I could find on the ARC. There’s not much about the ARC itself. Millions of references for ARC-related research, but it is always conducted and released by a third party, under ARC supervision.”

  “Show me what you’ve come up with,” Garrett requested.

  “Nothing
Earth-shattering. I started over there,” Charlie made a gesture toward a flat screen image hovering to his left, “with the initial announcement from United Nations concerning the alien disclosure. The ARC was formed a few days later by the United Federation of Nations, giving it global authority. Over here are official ARC releases, one hundred seventy-two in the past thirty-one years. The rest,” he continued as his hand swept thru the remaining holographs, “cover protest, conspiracy theories, and general crackpot stuff. No mention of employees or budget.”

  Garrett nodded as he pulled the chair in front of Charlie’s desk closer. “You mind?” he asked Charlie as he placed his hand on the holograph touch screen.

  “Not at all,” Charlie replied as he leaned back in his chair.

  Garrett rotated the holographs around the table, stopping on the original United Nations announcement concerning the alien discovery.

  The Secretary-General of the United Nations stepped to the podium. In his mid-fifties, he appeared fit, and one would guess ten years younger than his age. His tone conveyed a hint of barely restrained emotion. “Fellow peoples of the world. Today I must address what is unmistakably the greatest threat to our survival humanity has ever faced. Using deep-space telescopes, astronomers have discovered the location of an extraterrestrial, intelligent species. Something most of you believed only existed as science fiction. This discovery was not made by chance. Several governments have been involved in this search for more than fifty years. We have determined these aliens pose a direct threat to the existence of the human race. These beings possess technology far more advanced than our highest level of theoretical research, and scientific observations indicate they are…” The Secretary paused briefly, looking down at the podium. He raised his head and took in the audience of dignitaries and reporters. His stone-like façade cracked and his face twisted with emotion at the enormity of what this announcement would mean to the world.