Ancient Origins: Books 4 - 6 (Ancient Origins Boxset Book 2)

by Robert Storey

‘We want what you know,’ a voice said, a voice that Joiner recognised as that of Agent Myers.

  ‘I don’t know anything, you have the wrong man.’

  ‘I thought you were an important person, a senior GMRC scientist?’

  The man’s expression turned desperate. ‘I lied, I work for a private company, I—’

  ‘Your name is Dr. Vladan Marković. You are a forty-five year old senior research scientist originally from the Ukraine and you work for the GMRC’s R&D Division. You were formerly a resident of EUSB Sentinel, but you are, according to your papers, on reassignment to EUSB Superior.’

  The man opened his mouth as if to say something and then closed it again.

  ‘Now, Dr. Marković, I work for the GMRC’s I.D., you know who that is, don’t you?’

  The doctor looked like he was going to pass out. ‘Intelligence Division,’ he said, his bottom lip trembling.

  ‘Yes. Now, if you cooperate with me I’ll ensure your transfer to your new base will go off without a hitch. Fail to cooperate and your dental records will be the only way the police will be able to identify your body. Do we understand each other?’

  A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Marković’s face.

  ‘I SAID, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!’ Myers shouted.

  The scientist shrank back in terror. ‘YES!’

  ‘Good,’ Myers said. ‘Project Ares, tell me what you know.’

  ‘Project what?’ Marković said.

  A loud bang and a flash of light made the scientist scream.

  ‘The next bullet goes in your head,’ Myers said, ‘I haven’t got time for games. Ares, what do you know? Live or die, you decide.’

  A sob escaped Marković’s lips. ‘They’ll kill me if I tell you.’

  ‘I’ll kill you if you don’t.’

  ‘Please,’ he said, ‘don’t make me do this.’

  Something fell onto the scientist’s lap, making him flinch.

  ‘Papers, a new identity,’ Myers said. ‘You know who I work for, we can make you disappear. Now talk.’

  Marković remained locked in his internal struggle before his shoulders slumped in defeat. ‘What do you want to know?’

  ‘Locations, personnel, goals, progress.’

  ‘Do you know about the other race?’

  ‘The Anakim?’ Myers said. ‘Yes.’

  Marković nodded in acceptance, bowed his head and let out a deep sigh. ‘We all come from different backgrounds, different fields,’ he said, his voice still trembling. ‘When it started we were all excited. We knew what we were doing was cutting edge, pushing the boundaries of science. But the more we discovered the more things started to go wrong. Some of us were scared,’ – he looked up, his face full of woe – ‘we should never have started, we should never have begun.’

  ‘Begun what?’

  ‘Anything, everything. The Anakim technology. It was far beyond anything we’d ever dreamt of. They’d harnessed the hidden dimensions. Forget the quarks and leptons, gluons and photons; they’d gone beyond, into a place we didn’t understand, may never understand.’

  ‘Where are the laboratories?’

  ‘You know two already, EUSB Superior and EUSB Sentinel, and there is one other I know of, USSB Sanctuary. There could be more, I don’t know it all.’

  ‘Who controls the project?’

  ‘There are many senior officials, but the whole programme is controlled by the division director.’

  ‘Dagmar Sørensen?’ Myers said.

  Marković nodded. ‘He oversees it personally. Every major stage goes through him, him and the generals.’

  ‘Generals? The military help shape the project?’

  ‘Yes,’ he said, his voice growing stronger, ‘but only the U.S. military; everything in Europe is purely scientific research. Had I known I’d be working for the U.S. government I would never have entered into the contract, but when I found out it was too late.’

  ‘You have no contact with anyone else outside the programme?’

  ‘No one, we’re kept under lock and key. You’re the first person I’ve spoken to outside the project for over a decade.’

  ‘So what is Project Ares for?’ Myers said. ‘What are its goals?’

  The scientist licked his lips. ‘Do you know how big Ares is?’ Marković shook his head. ‘No, how could you. We have thousands of scientists working on Ares, thousands. EUSB Sentinel has a separate compound just for our personnel, it takes up four per cent of the entire base and the one in EUSB Superior is three times the size.’

  ‘So you’re saying you don’t know?’

  Marković gave another shake of his head. ‘No, I know. The main goal of Ares is to break down Anakim technology into its component parts. To get it working, and understand how it works when we do.’

  ‘So you’ve succeeded? You’ve powered up the ancient tech?’

  Joiner sat forward in his chair, his interest growing with each passing moment.

  ‘Some,’ the scientist said, ‘but never for long and not properly. Many think we’re using the wrong power source, others think we should quit altogether.’

  ‘Why?’ Myers’ voice said. ‘What has you all so spooked?’

  ‘Accidents have happened. A lot of people have died and …’ Marković stared into the camera’s lens, his eyes distant.

  ‘And what?’

  ‘Strange things have happened.’

  ‘Strange things?’

  ‘Yes, we’ve had a lot of people go down with psychosis, hallucinations, whole teams at a time. They say it’s to do with the God Device, but I think it’s more—’

  ‘The what?’ Myers said.

  Marković gave a blink as if remembering he was speaking to someone outside of his decade-long incarceration. ‘The God Device. It’s what we call the single piece of Anakim tech that actually works and keeps working.’

  ‘I thought you’d failed to make anything work properly?’

  ‘We had … we have.’

  ‘Then how—’

  The scientist laughed, the sound verging on the hysterical. ‘We didn’t get the God Device working. It was working when they found it.’

  ‘Already working?’

  ‘Yes. For all we know it’s been active since the Anakim still roamed the Earth.’

  ‘What is it, this God Device? What does it do?’

  Marković chuckled again. ‘We don’t know what it is; we don’t really know what it even does to a large extent.’

  ‘You’re trying my patience, Doctor,’ Myers said in warning.

  The scientist sobered. ‘Some think it’s a way to speak to the Anakim, like a voice through history. Others say it could have been responsible for wiping the Anakim out, a doomsday device.

  ‘What do you think it is?’

  ‘It could be either of those things, or an advanced artificial intelligence. Or it could just be a living creation given the breath of life by the Anakim themselves.’

  ‘It’s alive?’

  ‘Oh, yes. At least, as far as we can tell it has conscious thought. The scary thing is we don’t know what it’s thinking, but sometimes it seems to know what we’re going to do even before we do it.’

  ‘Hang on,’ Myers said, ‘this thing speaks?’

  ‘No, not in the usual sense. It communicates through imagery. Sights, sounds, smells, feelings, sensations. It’s like living plasma, it—’

  The scientist jerked in his seat.

  ‘Doctor?’ Myers said.

  The scientist’s head snapped back and his body arched in spasm.

  Myers swore and appeared on camera as the man thrashed in his restraints.

  The struggle continued before the video footage stopped.

  Joiner returned his focus to the room.

  ‘Marković died a few minutes later,’ Myers said. ‘I did all I could to bring him back, but it seems speaking about his work triggered a device implanted in his brainstem. He was dead as soon as he opened his mouth and he didn’t even know it
.’

  ‘Basic mind control,’ Joiner said, ‘Dagmar always was old school.’

  ‘It’s my fault,’ Myers said, ‘I should’ve had him scanned beforehand.’

  Joiner removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. ‘Yes, you should have, but it’s still good work. It seems Ares is much larger than we envisaged. Sørensen has done well to keep it hidden for so long; half his efforts must go on information control. Which will be who one of those networks belongs to. At least one of those hidden groups the hacker found will be the R&D Division trying to keep everything under wraps.’ Joiner was impressed at the enormity of the cover up and livid his teams hadn’t been wise to it. And it was only since the asteroid had hit that the veil of secrecy had begun to lift, the cracks appearing as chaos on the surface reigned. I’ll need to clean house, he thought. No, then they’d know I was on to them, better to keep the status quo and play them at their own game. The truth would always find its way to the light, it was inevitable.

  ‘So Ares centres around this God Device?’ Joiner said. ‘Intelligent life that knows what we’re going to do before we do it.’

  ‘Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen,’ Myers said.

  Joiner couldn’t agree more. ‘There is only ever room for one dominant species, one superior intelligence. Whatever they’re playing with, it could end us all.’

  ‘You want to destroy it?’

  ‘It’s the only course of action.’

  Myers nodded and remained silent as his director digested the information he’d just provided.

  After a while the CIA operative spoke again. ‘I did find out one more thing about Ares.’

  Joiner looked up, intrigued.

  ‘I know which general in Sanctuary is aiding Sørensen with his work.’

  Joiner’s expression grew hungry. ‘Tell me.’

  ‘A man you recently became acquainted with … General Stevens.’

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ‘You’re sure? General Stevens? The man’s a buffoon.’

  Agent Myers nodded. ‘As sure as I can be. That network is very specific and Stevens features on it prominently.’

  Joiner knew the general worked alongside the SED to procure Anakim artefacts, so it should have come as no surprise the man was up to his neck in a project that sought to profit from the ancients’ technology. That he himself had been blind to the fact was far more galling. His problems with Steadfast, Steiner, the hacker, the Morgan woman, S.I.L.V.E.R., and ultimately the Committee, had clouded his mind, compounding errors upon errors. Coupled with his other duties as GMRC and U.S. Intelligence Director, some might think it wasn’t surprising, and yet in his younger days he would have taken such an onslaught in his stride. He looked at the ageing skin on his hand and looked away.

  ‘Where is the bloated fool?’ Joiner said, standing.

  ‘I have no idea.’

  Joiner pressed a button on his desk.

  ‘Re-routing,’ said a computer generated voice, ‘re-routing.’

  An image of Joiner’s primary aide popped up on-screen. ‘Director?’ Debden said.

  ‘Where’s Stevens?’

  ‘The general? Isn’t he at the SED with you, sir?’

  Joiner scowled in realisation at his mistake. ‘Have you arranged my escort to the tower?’

  ‘Yes, sir, everything’s standing by.’

  Joiner nodded, switched off the transmission and then depressed another button on the desk.

  ‘Yes, Commander – I mean, Director,’ said Dresden Locke’s personal assistant.

  ‘Find me General Stevens and get him here, right now.’

  ‘The general, sir? I’m afraid he’s busy down in the shuttle bay, if you can—’

  Joiner released the button and looked at Myers.

  The CIA agent stormed from the room and as the doors slid closed behind him, Joiner could hear his raised voice barking out orders.

  Joiner paced over to the opaque window and turned it transparent. He looked down into the shuttle bay below and it took a moment before he saw what he sought: the cigar-toting U.S. Army General, waddling around like an oversized blimp. He studied the man until a civilian rushed over to him and gestured back the way he’d come.

  Stevens turned to look up at Locke’s office and visibly stiffened when he saw Joiner staring back at him.

  The general held Joiner’s distant gaze for a moment and then puffed out a cloud of smoke before ambling into the building.

  Five minutes later the oaf had finally made his way to the office.

  Joiner closed the folder on his desk and minimised Myers’ on-screen files, before giving his agent the go ahead to let the military man enter.

  The doors to the room swished open and General Stevens wandered in, looking wary.

  ‘You called?’ Stevens said, glancing behind as Myers followed him in.

  ‘Take a seat, General,’ Joiner said.

  Stevens held up the palm of his bandaged hand. ‘I think I’ll stand, if it’s all the same with you.’

  Joiner held the man’s gaze and then turned away to look back out of the window. ‘I hear we have a mutual friend, General.’

  ‘I didn’t think men like you had any friends,’ Stevens said, his tone guarded.

  Joiner chuckled. ‘Come, General. Shall we not let bygones be bygones? We’re all on the same side, aren’t we?’

  The general didn’t reply.

  ‘Dagmar Sørensen,’ Joiner said, turning back round to pin Stevens under his icy glare, ‘you two have been working on something I’m interested in: Project Ares.’

  Stevens paled at the name and glanced in Myers’ direction.

  ‘Don’t look at Agent Myers,’ Joiner said, ‘he won’t help you. Tell me what you know and we can all get on with our day.’

  ‘I’ve never heard of Ares,’ Stevens said, ‘and if you know what’s good for you, neither have you.’

  Joiner’s eyes glittered with danger. ‘Are you warning me, General?’

  ‘Call it good advice,’ Stevens said.

  Joiner fixed the general with a stare, his expression unreadable, before he broke the silent impasse by strolling out from behind his desk.

  Stevens followed his movement with suspicious eyes as Joiner reached Myers, who remained looking at the general with an uncompromising air of hostility.

  Joiner walked behind the CIA operative and slid the agent’s silenced sidearm from his holster.

  ‘You’re going to shoot me this time?’ Stevens said, taking a step back. ‘We both know there are people just as powerful as you that consider me a valuable asset.’

  ‘Is that so?’ Joiner pointed the weapon at the general.

  Stevens stood up straighter in defiance. ‘Shoot me and—’

  Joiner whirled round to point the gun at Myers and fired.

  The CIA agent’s eyes widened and he looked down in shock at the blood that had begun to seep through his white shirt, before crumpling to the floor.

  Joiner walked over and stared down at him as he bled out from a gunshot wound to the stomach. He crouched down and placed the gun to Myers’ forehead. ‘Tell me, Agent,’ he said, ‘are you my leak?’

  Myers stared into Joiner’s eyes and opened his mouth, but no words came.

  ‘Think it over,’ Joiner said, looking down at the wound, ‘you have a few minutes.’

  ‘Are you out your mind?!’ Stevens said, staring in shock at Myers on the floor.

  ‘Quite possibly,’ Joiner said. ‘It seems some people can be too helpful. Now, General,’ – Joiner raised his gun – ‘tell me about Ares.’

  ♦

  General Stevens eyed the man before him in shocked disbelief. He’s insane, he thought, I have to tell him what I know and be damned with the consequences. Sørensen can deal with him, I have no choice.

  The door to the office opened and Locke’s P.A. stood in the doorway. ‘I thought I heard—’

  ‘Get out!’ Joiner said, turning the gun on her.

  The woman
screamed and fled.

  ♦

  ‘You’ve been keeping secrets, General,’ – Joiner cocked the pistol – ‘it’s time to share them.’

  Stevens glanced at Myers, who moved weakly on the floor, and then turned frightened eyes back on the gun. He held up his hands in supplication. ‘Fine, on your head be it, but you didn’t hear it from me, understand?’

  Stevens moved to the wallscreen and looked to Joiner. ‘I need to access some secure files.’

  Joiner sat down on the edge of the desk. ‘Go ahead.’

  The general entered some military codes while Joiner reflected on how well his plan was going. Myers had sidestepped the leak issue when he’d arrived, diverting Joiner’s attention elsewhere. The man had learned too much, too quickly. It might be that he was as faithful as he appeared to be, but Joiner had taken the opportunity to find out for sure. He looked over at the dying agent, hoping he would live long enough to either confirm he was the leak or prove his innocence. Either way, Joiner would have to decide whether to keep him alive.

  Apart from exposing Myers’ potential duplicity, the act of violence had also served a far more important service: convincing Stevens to fess up. Two birds with one stone was a phrase made for this moment and while Joiner tried to suppress a feeling of superiority, it was hard not to revel in his own magnificence. It must be a rare man who could utilise such a situation to his advantage, he thought, it’s a shame I can’t share this moment; how my reputation would soar.

  ‘Are you watching?’ Stevens said.

  Joiner looked back to the wallscreen where the general had loaded three separate video recordings of Sarah Morgan conducting her illicit incursion into the military’s vaults and laboratory complex; uncensored videos that Joiner wasn’t supposed to have seen.

  ‘I think you know as well as I,’ Stevens said, ‘that the pendant and the orb this woman stole are much more than just artefacts.’

  Joiner watched the footage unfold as he had many times before. One showed Morgan activating the massive Anakim shield. In another she became incapacitated by the palm-sized orb. And in the final and perhaps most tantalising of the videos, she approached a fifty foot high pentagonal prism, which towered above her. Joiner couldn’t help but be immersed in the scene once more as Morgan reached the front of the monolith to activate a large, rectangular vessel housed within. A blue glow blossomed into existence inside the transparent container until the liquid inside sparkled like a distant star.