Either the partition between the back and front of the Mercedes was soundproof, or the driver was ignoring her plea. Once she realized that her remonstrations were wasted, Sue Ann sat back and waited to arrive at her destination.
They arrived at a nondescript airplane hangar and entered it. The driver pressed a button on a remote control. Noisy electric motors closed the large folding doors behind them. Sue Ann started to feel uncomfortable. The cavernous building had a sinister echo and she wished she had Thomas to back her up.
In the middle of the large open space, a man was sitting with his hands and feet taped to the legs and arms of a metal office chair. As she got closer, Sue Ann noticed that the chair was attached to the cement floor with a large metal plate. With her hand in her pocket, she started a recording app on her Blackberry handset. As she did so, a voice burst out from an overhead speaker system.
“I detect an electronic recording app. Is it in your phone?”
“Yes,” she replied, annoyed. This was not going as she expected.
“Get this straight. I won’t repeat myself. You have thirty minutes. You are permitted one audio recording device and you may take as many still pictures as you wish.”
Sue Ann turned around and saw her driver standing in a small gate in the hangar doors. He was holding a microphone in his right hand. From experience she recognized the attitude of a Chinese Special Forces operative. Best to do as he said. She took out her phone to take a series of pictures as she approached the prisoner, the Special Forces commando she was permitted to interview. She noted his Captain’s insignia. The Chinese agent raised the microphone to his lips again.
“I have a scanner that will detect video mode being used on your phone. If you attempt to record any live action your phone will be destroyed. Are we clear?”
“Loud and clear,” Sue Ann acknowledged. It might be a bluff, but she wasn’t going to put it to the test. She turned to the man on the chair. He looked vacantly at the floor and didn’t even raise his head when Sue Ann walked a full circle around him. She spoke slowly and carefully, even respectfully.
“How do you do, Captain. My name is Sue Ann Lee. I represent Al Jazeera and I have been allowed to give you the chance to share your experiences with the world. You are free to tell me whatever you wish.”
The captain said nothing. When Sue Ann looked closer, she noticed his dilated pupils. “He’s been drugged,” she said aloud, but no one answered. She repeated her invitation to the captain.
Suddenly the man lifted his head. It was as if someone had flicked a switch. Although his expression did not change, he started talking.
“I saw everyone I ever knew in my life floating in front of my eyes. They were all imploring me to, to, to-” he stalled.
“To what, Captain? The world needs to know what you experienced.”
“My dead grandfather appeared to me.” The soldier looked embarrassed. “I loved that man so much, it was a very emotional moment. I’ve never disobeyed him in my life. I’ve never disobeyed an order either. But my grandfather told me to drop my weapons and leave. I couldn’t ignore him. I can’t believe I am a traitor but I just couldn’t refuse. He spoke directly to my heart.”
Tears began streaming down the soldiers face. The dichotomy he’d faced was too much for him. He was a broken man. He sagged forward in his chair again, the invisible switch had been thrown and it was clear that he was going to say nothing more. Ironically it seemed that unburdening himself of the story had somehow calmed him and he fell fast asleep.
Sue Ann turned to leave, unaware that Thomas had snooped on her meeting by planting a molecule of his suit on her. He had learned how to manipulate his suit’s molecules much more effectively now, and his knowledge was paying dividends.
Thomas reviewed what he’d heard from Sue Ann’s implant. The fog got into the mind of each soldier and used his personal memories to convince him to surrender. Amazing, thought Thomas. He was preparing to put the next step of his plot into action.
Meanwhile Sue Ann returned to her limo. A plan of her own percolated to the surface of her thoughts. She was unaware that in planting the suit molecule on her, Thomas had exposed her to the risk that Lau would detect it and react unpredictably.
When nothing happened, Thomas felt sure Lau could not detect his newly recombined suit molecule. He was growing in confidence; he felt aspects of Sue Ann’s mind and through the molecule he could detect her plans for her professional advancement. Thomas probed and watched. He relaxed, it was clear she couldn’t detect his mind reaching into her. Although it had been a risk, some risks were necessary. They can’t detect the new molecule. I never understood what was meant by ‘the end justifies the means’ before, but I do now. I used her, but she survived. My Rubicon, I’ve just crossed my Rubicon. There’s no going back now, he thought.
****
When the limo dropped Sue Ann back at The Torch, she went straight to Thomas’ room where she laid out her plan for Thomas to paste together a video montage of the photos she took of the captain and present the result as subtitled video to the world. Thomas said he found it strange that the captain had spoken in English, but they resolved the dilemma by assuming Lau had found an English speaking officer for his own reasons. He used a nanofog to control the whole interview, thought Thomas.
Thomas, confident that his newly manipulated suit remained undetectable, turned the knob at his wrist and nanofog swelled into the air between himself and Sue Ann.
“Thomas, what the-!” exclaimed Sue Ann as Thomas touched her mind gently. This time she was fully aware of the intrusion, unlike the single molecular test that he’d carried out in the hangar. She was shocked. Was this the Thomas she knew? But even as she experienced the effects of the fog she felt a thrill of pleasure which she couldn’t quite explain.
Thomas communicated quickly; he wanted to get this particular operation over rapidly. Sue Ann resisted at first, but she quickly understood the futility of her instinctive reaction. She acquiesced and allowed Thomas to enter her deepest thoughts.
Thomas put his plan into place. He needed to understand every nuance of Sue Ann’s personality to be able to build a flawless impersonation. The strength of his connection to Sue Ann in some ways depended on her willing submission. Thomas massaged her mind, convincing her to trust him. He had not yet crossed the threshold of using his power to completely control her against her will, though somehow he acknowledged the possibility that day would come, not just with Sue Ann, but with everyone he contacted. Their friendship, their sibling-like relationship, gave him the level of trust he needed; she wasn’t fighting him.
Thomas gently put Sue Ann’s consciousness to sleep. He needed to be certain that she would not spring to life during his talks with General Lau while he impersonated Sue Ann inside an undetectable nanofog of his own creation. He became Sue Ann, her urges submitted to his control, and he constructed an impenetrable mental firewall around her personal sentimental reaction to the world out of respect for her privacy. That respect extended even to Thomas’ own probing; he did not search the private areas of her mind or memories that he recognized as sensitive.
Thomas used the two hours before Sue Ann’s appointment with General Lau to perfect his impersonation. He quickly realized that success depended on freeing up some of Sue Ann’s involuntary and reflex reactions. Learning how to walk in her Prada pumps would take too much time. The end result was a physical Sue Ann and a mental Thomas.
Still feeling unusual in Sue Ann’s skin, Thomas made his way to the elevator and the waiting Mercedes limo. Odd, thought Thomas, the guard/driver looks remarkably like the captured captain. Then Thomas reached out tentatively into the guard’s mind. Thomas pierced the guard’s nanosuit easily, his technology now far superior thanks to his own manipulations. The physical Sue Ann looked out the window as they passed Villagio Gondolina Theme Park, a kitsch replica of Venice in the desert. The short drive to the Emiri Diwan Palace passed uneventfully. Thomas inside Sue Ann melded int
o one effective unit.
Instead of arriving by the front entrance, the limo passed around back and the driver opened a high security entrance using a retinal scan. Thomas’ heart skipped a beat when they entered an elevator, which rapidly swooshed downward. Only two lights decorated the button panel. When the doors opened, a hallway lit by florescent lights without any apparent doors in it lay ahead. The driver nodded and returned to the elevator. As the elevator door closed, Thomas heard a hydraulic seal uncoupling somewhere off to the right. A tall patrician Chinese man stepped out of the opening created by the hydraulic suction. Thomas stared through Sue Ann’s eyes with incredulity. The newcomer was the spitting image of a young Mao of the posters of Sue Ann’s mother’s scrapbook. Thomas could not believe his luck. It’s Chou himself. I knew I had the right instinct to takeover this interview. The man was speaking.
“I am General Chou. General Lau arranged for us to meet. Please follow me. May I call you Sue Ann?” he said. His softly spoken tones seemed appropriate for a man in a blue silk pajama.
Thomas probed while his Sue Ann side kept up a conversation. General Chou’s motivations, plans, everything in his mind lay bare for Thomas to consume. He initiated a memory copy while they walked, saturating Thomas’ abilities with the suit. Just as he was completing the assimilation of General Chou’s thoughts, Thomas’ suit became aware of an approaching force field and signalled for him to drop into ‘stealth’ mode. Damn, I didn’t finish the mind copy, he thought. A bluish aura filled the hallway in front of them as they turned a corner. Chou led the way towards it.
“What’s that light?” Sue Ann asked.
“Nothing, really. It just prevents electronic spying on my inner sanctum,” answered the General.
The haze dropped for an instant at the wave of Chou’s hand and started again after they passed through it. Thomas felt a brief destabilising shock but his ‘stealth’ mode protected his identity. The mortal risk of coming within Chou’s grasp was beginning to pay off. My new molecule fools them.
“I must admit, General, I am surprised by the simple surroundings,” Thomas said through Sue Ann. The general smiled engagingly.
“I am a simple man thrust into the limelight by the machinations of history, young lady. By the way, I admired the relative objectivity of your reporting of recent events. Please keep the same tone in the future.”
As he spoke, Chou probed into Sue Ann’s mind and attempted to place a control on her ability to say anything negative about Chou’s plans in the future. His mental attack lasted only milliseconds but Thomas had to use all of his power to resist setting up a barrier. He still doesn’t suspect, thought Thomas, breathing a sigh of relief. He was pleased with his mastery of the new suit’s dynamics. But he wanted to press Chou.
“You used the past tense when you referred to my work – you ‘admired’ – and then you talk about the future? Are you expecting my work, or my reports to change? Or maybe both?”
“We live in unpredictable times. I am sure your wisdom will now permit you to write ever more supportive reports in exchange for continued access and professional success,” the general replied smugly.
“Objectivity is the hallmark of my profession, General.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” he replied, smiling in an odd way.
At that moment, an apparition of Sue Ann’s grandmother appeared in her mind. Thomas watched the scenario unfold. Although he could have blocked Chou’s manipulation he wanted to measure the process, to see how it worked. He passed control of Sue Ann’s emotions back to her, while keeping a close eye on her reactions to protect her if necessary.
The grandmother's ghost, placed into her mind by Chou, spoke softly and encouraged Sue Ann to trust the General. Sue Ann felt invaded and was unable to control her reactions. She collapsed a little onto the back of her chair and felt as though she were looking through a fish eye lens at the world. An insistent voice addressed her. Slowly she realized it was the general talking to her.
“Well, do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Trust me.”
“I don’t know.”
“What did your grandmother say?”
“How did you know about my grandmother?”
“Just answer the question.”
“She told me to trust you.”
“Do you trust her judgement?”
“Yes.”
“Then?”
“Yes, I trust you.”
“Good.”
Sue Ann noticed the light on the video camera behind the general as she awoke from his control.
“Did you film that exchange between us?”
“You might call it a security deposit. This part of the interview is now over. Good day, Miss Sue Ann,” said the general as he stood up an ushered her out of his electronic sanctum.
Thomas returned Sue Ann’s emotions to normal. Before the interview ended, He tried a forceful probe against Chou which would have killed an ordinary man. Chou blinked but did not return the attack. Thomas succeeded in his probing but discovered that the general had constructed a new firewall in his suit making any attempted assassination futile. Damn, why didn’t I anticipate that change? My technology’s better but they’re still one step ahead of me.
At the door, where the electronic haze started, Sue Ann’s driver awaited. General Chou waved and the driver escorted Sue Ann back to another elevator. Sue Ann wasn’t sure exactly what she had given up, but she knew her life had changed forever. Damn, thought Thomas, Chou’s not coming. I’ll never get to finish that mind map. Thomas returned even more control to her and assumed the role of spectator.
As she boarded the luxury elevator, Sue Ann noticed that her driver was wearing a very shiny, supple suit made of unusual material. Her hand reached out and touched the cuff of his jacket. A surprised, but happy smile crossed his face.
“Your suit is beautifully cut. What is it?” she asked.
“I am happy to see the curious journalist back. You have exceptional taste. It’s a Brioni,” replied the driver.
“What’s your name?”
“I never thought you’d ask,” he said, as he spun a perfect pirouette to end facing her.
“General Lau, at your service,” said the transformed driver.
Just as the elevator door opened, Sue Ann took a deep breath, trying to recover from the multitude of unusual things happening. I don’t know what’s real anymore. A lush room decorated in gold and red rococo trims confronted her. An unfamiliar cameraman stood about 20 feet away. He nodded to her when she looked in his direction. Placed about fifty feet to her left was a salon which was a perfect copy of a room at Chateau Versailles. The theatre of the absurd continued when the door opened to admit a Chinese Louis ‘Quatorze’ in the person of General Chou.
General Lau encouraged her and she felt him touch her mind with an admonition. Using telepathy, he communicated: “It may be wise to humor him.”
Thomas took note of the telepathic communication and smiled to himself when he realized that this was the opportunity he needed. He would have the chance to complete his mind map of General Chou and with any luck General Lau too. Their arrogance concerning the superiority of their nano technology had worked against them, preventing them from imagining his subterfuge.
A plasma screen replaced a painting, displayed live coverage of Sue Ann and Thomas’ montage, a work completed with Thomas’ instructions at Al Jazeera while he and Sue Ann conducted this out of the ordinary interview.
“Your ingenuity continues to impress me,” said the Chinese Louis the 14th.
“You didn’t give us much to work with, but Thomas is a genius with technology,” replied Sue Ann.
A flash mock up of the morning interview with the captured captain, cleverly spoken in Arabic and subtitled in English, showed the world about the power of a nanofog. All Sue Ann could think of in the surroundings was an interview from the 70's she had seen at Columbia Journalism of President Mitterrand, then President of France,
and Muammar al-Gadaffi, during which the Colonel, a Libyan revolutionary, played with children’s Dinky toy cars throughout the interview.
Trying to get some grounding, Sue Ann turned to the photographer and made a hand gesture to be sure he was filming. He nodded his assent. General Chou spoke: “You circumvented our technology to make a video without our permission. It may be a simple montage, but you went against my intent.”
Sue Ann found herself bowing, something she hated doing, without her knowing how it happened.
“Sir,” interjected General Lau from a respectful distance, “Ms. Sue Ann and I have already addressed this problem. She assured me it won’t happen again.” Sue Ann remained bowed and Louis the 14th stood up. While in motion his appearance adopted an olive green uniform complete with four stars on his epaulets.
“The world will see unprecedented changes,” said the general.
“What changes, Sir?” asked a suitably humbled Sue Ann.
“They are coming. A new power rises. They will get what is rightfully theirs.”
“They? Are you their commander, General?”
“All will be clear soon,” he said, waving his hand in the air to signal the end of the interview.
General Lau escorted Sue Ann to her waiting car. There, a new driver held the door open for her. Guards, strangely passive men, lounged everywhere. A gray cloud hung near the ceiling. Thomas, invisible inside his suit and sitting beside Sue Ann, gently touched her mind. A confused woman accepted his intervention. He talked soothingly to her as he addressed the mental implant General Chou had placed in her mind. I’m not sure I should undo the mental implant, which I placed myself, it might be necessary to use her again, thought Thomas, realizing but accepting that he was sliding down a slippery slope.
Chapter Five
Armageddon Valley Nuked
Ekaterina awoke at 2 am to a phone call from the Prime Minister of Israel. She stared at the phone and listened. After a moment she recognized the voice, which belonged to the PM’s secretary.
Diamond Rain: Adventure Science Fiction Mossad Thriller (The Spy Stories and Tales of Intrigue Series Book 2) Page 11
