Chapter 1
Nevada - 1976
Location: Classified
In a fenced-in facility that supposedly didn't exist (at least according to the U.S. Government), something strange was happening. Odd silver craft had been showing up in the sky for several days leading up to the event the locals were whispering they felt would happen soon, but no one was certain just exactly what was going on or what was going to happen.
Little Timmy Johns and his dog, Foxy, were hidden behind a mound of dirt covered with wild greenery, and Timmy was doing his level best to survey the area on the other side of the fence with his toy binoculars. Timmy knew something was going on because his dad worked for the Air Force, and he'd heard muffled conversations about it from outside his dad's closed office door at night. He knew it was wrong to listen to grown-up conversations, but he also knew it was wrong to hide the truth, and he felt certain his father was doing exactly that. All he wanted to know was what was going on behind that fence, and why those silver discs had been seen flying over his home town. He took out his notepad and scribbled down his thoughts while the sun provided enough light, and was startled when the page he was writing on was suddenly shadowed by the towering figure that now stood behind him.
"You do not belong here," said the commanding presence, wholly devoid of emotion, and tinged with a strange metallic twang. The voice was almost robotic, but Timmy was too young to be able to identify it as such. He looked up to see who was addressing him, but the sun was shading the face of the being before him.
"You will submit, and there is no other option. Do you surrender, or shall you be...obliterated?" the voice asked coldly.
"I'll go with you," Timmy responded as Foxy began to growl. "Please don't hurt me. And please don't hurt my dog, either."
"Excellent," said the cold voice of the shadowed stranger, and nothing more.
Foxy lunged, and Timmy saw the being extend a silver arm with what seemed to be a weapon. A crackling shot of what seemed to be electricity rang out, and Foxy ran before he could be struck by the powerful jolt that flashed into the earth, further blinding the boy. Timmy, certain his dog was safe, raised his arms and was led to a strange platform that seemed to have opened up from beneath the ground. He had no choice. Timmy descended into the lair of his captor and, as he did so, the ceiling seemed to swallow him from above. For Timmy, everything seemed to be gulped down into darkness. He was scared, but emotional responses would soon be completely alien to him.
Oscar Goldman tapped his right index finger on the manila folder on his desk and waited for Colonel Steve Austin to arrive. He adjusted his huge glasses and pondered how to begin the conversation, especially since one of the visitors in his office was so eccentric. Three other men were seated in his office. One was Steve Austin's physician, Rudy Wells, but the other two were foreigners sent over from England, part of a military intelligence group that worked for the United Nations called U.N.I.T. One, a man who was supposed to be in charge was Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, better known as "Crackerjack" to Oscar and his associates, but the other was a grinning man who seemed to be all teeth and curly brown hair who referred to himself only as "The Doctor." When they'd first met, this "Doctor" offered Oscar a gummi bear-type candy he called a "jelly baby," and wore what seemed to be a never-ending scarf draped over his neck and shoulders. The Doctor also sported an odd floppy hat, and wore a long coat with huge pockets on the lower front that seemed to house an endless-supply of items, including a yo-yo, which he had been playing with as the men awaited Austin's arrival.
Steve Austin entered the room after a couple of friendly taps at the door, and his eyebrow rose with curiosity when he saw that strangers in Oscar's office. "Sorry I'm late," he said, "But you know how Jaimie and I get carried away on those rare occasions when we get to have lunch together." He smiled, thinking of the race they'd just competed in, both clocking record-breaking miles-per-hour, even for them.
The Doctor rose from his chair and greeted the Colonel with a huge grin. "Ah, our cybernetic friend is here. Very good. Let's get down to business, gentlemen." At this point Oscar shot him a stern look that silently put him in his place. The Doctor's face went slightly sheepish, and his smile vanished almost entirely. Almost, but not quite; he still looked quite friendly, and it was clear that he was excited to meet the famous astronaut and pioneer when it came to living with cybernetic implants.
"That's a good suggestion, Doctor," Goldman said, gently directing the visitor back to his chair. "I'll let Steve in on the preliminaries, but only after we've made the proper introductions." He looked over at Steve as he discerned that the Doctor was following his lead. "Have a seat, Pal," Oscar said as Steve sat down beside Rudy, a more familiar face.
And it was then that Colonel Steve Austin was introduced to two new comrades and a story that absolutely caused his worldview to shift a little.
TO BE CONTINUED...