Crimson: The Second in the Trinity Series Novels

by Blade, CG

  “This has not been easy Petra,” Nadine told her as a light mounted on her shoulder came on activated by a photo switch sensing the lack of light, “there are still hundreds maybe thousands of people still trapped in here. This is going to take weeks maybe months to clean this up.”

  Petra followed Nadine cautiously through the maze of collisions changing from her cobalt camos into her armor for protection. Nadine led her though the winding maze of twisted metal, body parts, and crushed memories. The familiar smell of death was in the air as they got close to the center of what used to be the Guidestones. Petra polished off the Twinkie. Tonka, Gristle, and a couple of workers were chatting nearby as they rounded a jagged corner of the cutaway tunnel system. The light appeared to get brighter as they stepped into a larger area now dubbed as the dig. Portable spotlights surrounded the interior walls of the thirty-foot wide ten-foot high torched out room, pointing inward at the ground as if mankind was on the verge of its greatest archeological find. Using tools, brushes, and other implements, the soldiers were assisting civilians in the excavation.

  “This is it,” Nadine said pointing to the eight-foot scraped out hole in the earth, “there seems to be a box in it. We’re just getting ready to pull it out now. There is the cracked stone that was laying on top of it.”

  Petra looked to her left where the three pieces that made up the Guidestones’ granite marker were leaning up against a shredded drone crushed by a crinkled bot. She turned and tilted her head piecing together the cracked script. Other small pieces of the once standing monument were everywhere. The incoming barrage of metal had decimated them and most of them were small nuggets of stone reduced to rubble by the collisions and subsequent explosions.

  “I can’t read the top of this Ter.”, she said tilting her head sideways. Her blue ponytail fell sideways past her shoulders, “I can read the bottom though.” Bold lettering that etched out of the face of the stone ninety-six years earlier read:

  SPONSORS: A SMALL GROUP OF AMERICANS THAT SEEK THE AGE OF REASON

  TIME CAPSULE: PLACED SIX FEET BELOW THIS SPOT ON

  TO BE OPENED ON

  “That’s it?” Petra asked aloud, “this doesn’t tell us anything.”

  “I am sorry Petra I am not able to help to you.”

  “Let’s see what’s in that box.” Petra turned around as Tonka and another big young civilian boy bent over, heaved the iron box out of the hole with homemade rebar hooks, setting it down on the ground. It had a metal handle on each side of it and it stank of fresh dirt and musky moisture.

  “I hope all this work means something.” Tonka commented as he wiped the sweat off his protruding brow.

  “Me too,” Nadine told him as she squatted, starting to brush away dirt from the box’s exterior, “I hope it’s not some kind of stupid joke.”

  Petra stood watching the crew as they cleaned and scraped away the clumps of dirt that had clung to the three-foot wide two-foot high iron box. The rescue efforts were still going on all around them outside of the makeshift cavern as the sounds of people giving instructions and helping others echoed off the walls.

  “I think there is an old keypad here,” Nadine said, excited that she had found something, wiping away the moist earth from in-between the metallic keypad’s numbers, “yes this is an old digital keypad they used for locks and safes back then.”

  Petra inspected the square chrome keypad on the top of the box stamped with red numbers nine through zero, standing next to Nadine, helping her brush dirt away with her fingers.

  “What do you think the combination is Petra?” Nadine asked standing up arching her back with her hands on her hips. A disc popped in her back. She let out a sigh of relief.

  “Ter what were the events in 1980?”

  “In 1980 the price of ground beef was one-dollar and thirty-nine cents a pound. A Pontiac Trans Am was 5,992 dollars…”

  “—major events Ter, what were the major world events at the time?” Petra asked interrupting Ter as the other six people in the room listened intently as if Petra was communicating through a headset.

  “It was the start of the Iraq and Iran war Petra. A failed operation of the United States to free hostages trapped in Iran. Zimbabwe gained independence. Japan became the world’s largest auto producing country. The United States led a boycott of Moscow Olympics in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The United States Olympic hockey team beat the Soviet Union in what would later become known as ‘The Miracle on Ice’. Mount Saint Helens erupted on May 18th. Ronald Regan was elected President of the United States. Serial killer John Wayne Gacy Jr. sentenced to death. Beatle John Lennon was shot to death. China abolished the Chairman of the People’s Republic post. China also joined the International Atomic Energy Agency. Shall I continue Petra?”

  “Is there any information on the ‘Group of Americans that Seek the Age of Reason’ etched on that stone?”

  “I do not have any information on that subject Petra. I can only access previously uploaded information from our satellite array which is out of commission at the moment.”

  “I might have some information for you guys.” A familiar voice blurted out from behind them. They all turned to look at him. Rawbone was holding a Vidscreen in both hands in front of him. It lit up his chunky face as he smiled at them. “I dug up some old files from the Talon Drive on Eagle 1. I kinda sliced it a little if that’s okay?” He said cringing as if he was going to get in trouble for his transgression.

  “It’s okay Raw,” Nadine said smiling back at him, “whatcha got?”

  “Have you guys ever heard of the Crimson Alliance?”

  Petra’s eyes opened a little wider as her heartbeat started to increase—ever so slowly. “This is not going to be good.” Petra turned her head slowly looking straight at Nadine.

  “Petra what’s wrong?” Nadine asked curious about her response.

  “I have dealt with the technology these people have put out and it contained a virus that put me out of commission. If these are the same people all of you may be in grave danger. They might be capable of anything.”

  “Well according to these files I found hidden on the Talon Drive the Crimson Alliance was a trinity of countries who blamed the United States for a lot of shit back then,” Rawbone said with a half-frown, “sorry for the language.”

  “Who were they?” Petra asked him lowering her head as her facial muscles rippled showing her disgust.

  “Petra your blood pressure is at stage one. It is currently 150 over 97. Please do not enter stage two.” Ter was playing nursemaid now closely monitoring Petras vitals.

  “Well Petra it seems that the United States secretly thwarted several attacks but ultimately it resulted in one of this nation’s biggest catastrophes,” he wiped his mouth and forehead with the sleeve of his blue shirt as he continued, “the eruption of Mt Saint Helens in 1980.”

  “What?” Nadine yelled as her face scrunched up leaving an ugly scowl. She removed the flexible Kevlar helmet from her head and folded it up in her hands. “Are you serious? You gotta be fucking kidding me!”

  “Don’t kill the messenger here guys, I’m just reading these documents!” Rawbone exclaimed. He continued to read the files as he sat on the ground again with his beefy legs out in front of him. “According to this file the FBI and the CIA intercepted and confiscated a series of communications from a group calling themselves the Crimson Alliance. They infiltrated the group located somewhere in Asia I guess from what it says here.”

  “What else does it say?” Petra asked

  “The undercover CIA operative was Aski Anatak. She uncovered evidence of extensive plans against the US, something big. Let me see here,” Rawbone swiped through more screens, pulling up piles of information, “uh well it seems there were mass attacks in the works but they were ultimately stopped. Major cities and fault lines were the targets. The attacks were supposed to all go down at once. Only one attack was actually completed on May 18th. Assumed killed in the attack tha
t day, Aski’s body was never recovered.” Rawbone looked up at the group as they all looked back at him stunned by this new bit of information.

  “So you’re telling me that one of the nation’s worst natural disasters was intentional, a calculated attack done on purpose?” Nadine asked him firmly.

  “Uh yea Lieutenant Colonel, and Yellowstone, San Andreas, and Los Angeles, they were on the target list too. I guess if you believe this file that is.”

  “This is fucking crazy. Okay so what does this have to do with this box?” Nadine asked looking at Petra.

  Petra was thinking hard as she looked around at everyone. They were all looking back at her, expecting her to come up with an answer to this mystery soon. “I think, and this is only conjecture at this time, that this may have been a failed attempt to take over the United States or to damage our economy. Worst case scenario would be annihilation of the population at the time.”

  “So, the box plays what part in this?” Nadine asked

  “I do not know but were going to find out.” Petra told her staring at the dirt-covered mystery.

  Chapter 15

  REPREHENSIBLE

  Friday October 19th 1:33 AM

  “I will send help as soon as I can.” Petra told Nadine transforming into her fight suit climbing the ladder leading up to the cockpit of the F-35B. The engine started to whine as the turbine blades sped up sending dirt flying behind it. Golden flames lit up the night as the smell of burnt debris filled the air. “Get some rest and I will be in touch soon.”

  “Okay Petra, thanks for your help.” Nadine told her as she saluted, snapping to attention. Petra saluted back as she sat in the cockpit and closed the canopy. Crowds of people were waving goodbye to her as she lifted off and turned the jet north. With a thunderous roar, she disappeared out of sight into the star filled sky. She stared at the box on the floor of the cockpit between her legs.

  “We need to get this box to the lab Ter and get it inspected. We don’t need any surprises popping out of this thing.”

  “Great idea Petra, if the Crimson Alliance is behind this latest attack and the information we discussed is accurate then this box might be a warning, or worse.”

  Thirty miles outside of Meredith Petra noticed a haze in the cloud covered moonlit sky. What appeared to be a cloud mixed with smoke was thick and black. Thick smoke that made Petra wonder if a fire or an explosion had occurred at some point in time. As she started her descent towards the Med Lab area, she eased back on the throttle, giving the jet just enough power to hover as the engine pivoted away from the fuselage towards the earth. She was stupefied at the sight of what was below her. Tilting the jet on its side again, she did a flyover of what used to be her home. The enormous crater below her was caving in on all sides. She guessed it was about a mile and a half in diameter. The General store was gone. The runway was gone. All of it—gone.

  “Ter!”

  “I see Petra—I see it.”

  Petra thought she heard a hint of sadness in Ter’s tone. Petra had never felt that emotion coming out of her head before. She circled over the site and inspected the massive hole in the earth. The thick black smoke pouring out of the crater was wafting towards the southeast. She went through the smoke at 500-feet and leveled the jet over the center of the opening. Vertically she began her descent. It was as if something had blown the lab from the inside out. Slowly she descended past floor after floor as birds that were once part of the beautiful atrium escaped to the outside world. Massive fires were blazing as she turned the jet in circles on her way down to inspect the damage. She put her right index finger on the instrument panels touchscreen in front of her and swiped an icon. The landing lights on the outside of the Lightning II illuminated giving her a much different perspective. As she continued her descent, she saw workers, scientists, wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers—all dead. Each floor was a former workspace, a home for many great people. Good people Petra thought, these were good people. Jackie, what about Jackie, what about Norman?

  “Ter I’m going all the way down to the Preservation Room. We have to find Jackie. We have to find Norman.”

  “Yes Petra.”

  Lowering the landing gear, she set the jet down on a part of the floor that wasn’t completely decimated. Sparking wires and cables were shredded as the electrical system was starting to mix with the water filtration system that blew apart leaving pipes and conduit exposed to the elements. Crumbling pieces of the facility were falling apart right in front of her eyes, dropping to the floors below. There was just enough room for the wheels to touch a surface of what used to be an office across the hallway from the Preservation Room. The engine started to slow as it dried the floor below it. The heat from the engine began blistering and peeling the tiles directly below it. Furniture and office supplies were ablaze in a matter of seconds. Petra climbed out of the cockpit, bypassing the ladder. She jumped down landing on rubble and puddles of water. Inching her way around to what used to be the elevator area she looked down. Her proving ground had taken the major force of the explosion and was now a receptacle for the debris pile that once was the facility. Steel beams, girders, piping, and concrete all piled up, now nothing but a memory. Combined with the tangled corpses of the lost lives were the proud accomplishments of every single soul that worked here. Petra made her way to the hallway of the Preservation Room and pushed the broken double doors off their hinges with a grunt. Flipping over, they landed on the floor with a loud boom. Glass crackled under them as she walked over the top of the doors. The stench of burning bodies mixed with the fumes of burnt electrical wiring filled her nostrils. The room was hazy and difficult to maneuver around in. Several of the gel-filled tanks holding American heroes were now smashed and seeping fluid under them. Petra scanned the area with her HUD and thermal vision. There were no heat signatures. She walked up to the tank that held her friend, James Cooper, now quite dead as a concrete slab had landed on his tank from the floor above crushing him. Tightly clenching her teeth, Petra’s nostrils flared outwards. Her jawbone started to extend forward. Fists clinched at her sides, muscles tightening, she had that look on her face, and she could feel it.

  “Petra there might be a way to find out what happened here.”

  “The new cameras Ter, can we use those, can I tie into them?”

  “Yes. If the Blade Drive is still intact. The core processor of the drive is all we need. We may be able to retrieve the data from it if the network link in your quarters is still available. If we do not have a hot link we will need to find the drive itself and retrieve the Blade processor.”

  “I’ve got an idea Ter.”

  “It’s down the hallway to the left Petra. The construction plans are at your disposal.”

  Morphing into her black armor Petra proceeded in the darkness guided by her HUD’s directional arrows to the cobalt storage facility dragging two bodies of former scientists behind her. She carefully placed body after body in a neat row with their heads all facing the same direction on the remnants of the crumbling floor of the storage room. Some of the bodies badly burnt while others were missing appendages. Every person Petra could locate was carefully uncovered, unburied, and removed from the wreckage of each floor until she could no longer find any more corpses that were intact or stood a chance. Thirty-three bodies remained out of the hundreds that formally worked at the facility on a day-by-day basis. Amanda’s beautiful face, scarred and crusted over with dried blood and concrete dust, was expressionless. Her inner abdomen was exposed. Petra squatted over her body inspecting the abdomen area. “This looks like it was blown-out Ter. Not damaged from the explosion but ruptured somehow.”

  “Yes Petra it would seem that way.”

  “They never stood a chance Ter. Something seems wrong with this picture. This was a massacre. Where are Jackie’s and Norman’s bodies?”

  “I do not know Petra. They may have perished.”

  “I’m going to need something very ‘poignant’ Ter.”
/>
  “Yes Petra.”

  Petra felt a shape forming in the palm of her right hand as her teeth clenched together tightly. The severity of the situation was causing an ugly imbalance in her perfect system. Her vitals were off the charts as she swung the fireman’s axe repeatedly piercing the storage tanks full of unused cobalt gel. The metal on the tanks ripped and tore as she swung the axe with all of the force her muscles had in them. The fifteen-foot tanks began to distort and collapse from the heavy blows. The large holes began to spew copious amounts of the fragrant blue gel covering her and the corpses neatly stacked in a row. Quickly emptying the cylindrical tanks, she began to smear the bodies with gel using her hands to spread the gel, making sure to cover all of the exposed wounds and gaping wounds where appendages had once been. The remaining gel on her fingertips beckoned her as she stared at them. Channeling an Apache warrior, she stood up, took her two forefingers from both hands, and smeared the remaining gel on her face forming two distinct cobalt lines covering her eyes like a mask pushing the lines to meet her ears. She snapped to attention and sharply saluted the dead below her feet. “Let’s find out what really happened here Ter.”

  Petra stepped over cracked Vidscreens, broken tables, and live wiring laying on the floor buzzing as she made her way to her quarters in the Preservation room. Jagged pieces of the building were exposed to the environment as she walked back across the doors lying on the floor and felt them crunch and buckle under her feet. Her quarters were mostly undisturbed with the exception of one steel beam that had made its way through the ceiling of the room at a forty-five degree angle. Her prior home pierced through her work desk; the unopened Twinkies that previously sat in a perfect pyramid, destroyed. Her nostrils flared with contempt at the sight. Up righting the only steel chair in the room, she sat as she always had staring straight into the wall in front of her. Only this time it was hazy with smoke and dark from the loss of power. Reaching down she picked up the end of the network cable and peeled back her hairline releasing her ponytail from its binding. She plugged the jack into the back of her neck with a ‘click’. Resting both of her hands firmly and calmly palms down on her thighs, she began to access the blade drives internal core. What she witnessed next was heartbreaking and unimaginable.