Interference, Chapter Eight
Jess smiled, and slapped a guest id bracelet on Becker Senor's wrist.
"Guest?" he asked. "You have guests in a top-secret facility?"
"More than I'd like," said Lester. "Hello. James Lester, director of this facility, and the poor chap saddled with your son and these other miscreants."
The miscreants smiled.
"I understand you have a burning curiosity about what we do here," said Lester. "I'm afraid I don't appreciate your snooping. A top secret facility operates better without generals and government officials asking questions and whispering. You sir, are a trouble maker."
"I made a few calls," said Mr. Becker. He smiled as his son rolled his eyes. "I tell you, though, this isn't an easy place to talk your way into. No one seems to know anything about your little establishment."
"I hope not, that is the definition of 'secret,' after all."
"Really, Mr. Lester, what on earth could require so much secrecy."
Lester looked at Becker. "We voted on whether or not to show you," said Lester.
"I thought you ran this place."
"I do, I assure you I run this place like a dictatorship, but I was bored so I let them have a say."
Everyone chuckled, except Becker. "The vote wasn't unanimous, Dad."
"I assume you voted against?" asked his father.
"I did."
"As did I," said Lester. "However, you're in luck. The superhero fanatic, the animal doctor, the suffragette, and the beauty queen all voted to allow you access."
"I voted no, bye the way," said Matt. "If you're son doesn't trust you, then how can I?"
Becker looked at his father. "It wasn't a matter of you keeping the secret."
"Then what was it?" asked his father, with a surprising lack of anger.
"I was afraid you'd want to join us, enlisted or not."
Becker's father smiled. "I'm too young to sit back in retirement."
"You promised me you'd behave," said Jess to Mr. Becker.
"I meant I'd behave toward you, and I have."
"Too bad. I took it to mean you'd behave period, so you better," said Jess.
Becker's dad smiled. "I'm beginning to warm up to her."
Becker smiled slightly, but he was tense. He felt in his gut that letting his Dad know the ARC's secrets was a bad idea. Why had Lester given in?
"Very well, off you go, on your tour," said Lester.
"Jess, you and the team go. I want a word with Lester," he said and then smirked at her, "security stuff."
She giggled and nodded. "This way Papa Becker."
"Please don't call me that."
"Don't you like it?"
"No, Miss Parker, I do not."
"I'm so glad you told me. Now, like I said, this way Papa Becker."
Becker laughed as he saw his Dad scowl and Jess smile innocently back at him.
Once they left he turned to Lester.
"Before you ask me when I took leave of my senses, Captain, let me ask you if you've ever heard the old saying, "keep your friends close and nosy fathers of your security captain closer."
"You want to keep an eye on him by letting him in."
"Yes, hopefully, we control what he sees and keep him from making a ruckus, getting more people curious."
"I'm keeping a close watch."
"I should hope so. You're the head of security, so secure."
Becker nodded and went to join the tour.
Becker caught up with them in the menagerie. He smiled as saw the scene. His colleagues standing behind his father, all smirking and chuckling, and his dad, completely still, mouth open in shock, staring at the mammoth.
"We like to introduce him first," said Abby. "He's a sweetheart."
"Hilary?"
"Yeah, Dad?"
"Was I sprayed with some sort of hallucinogenic gas?"
"No."
"Did you slip some drug into my food or drink?"
"Have you had anything to eat or drink recently, Dad?"
"No."
"Then I guess that eliminates that possibility. What else you got?"
"Hypnosis?"
"I can't perform that, any of you lot?" he called to the others. "No. Any other suggestions?"
His father shook his head.
"Then, Dad, I guess you are looking at a real, living example of a prehistoric animal."
"How?"
"Connor?"
"Right, Dad Becker, see there's these rips in time, we call them anomalies, because well, that's what they are. Anyway, sometimes creatures from other times come through."
"And you keep them here?"
"Only some," said Abby. "We try to return them back through the anomalies, but if we aren't successful, then yeah, they have to stay here."
"So, see Dad, you were afraid I was a glorified guard. I'm not."
His Dad nodded.
Becker smiled. "I'm a glorified zoo wrangler."
"He's teasing you," said Jess. "He's much more. Some creatures aren't so friendly. Becker saves people from them."
Becker smiled at her.
"Yeah, single-handedly," said Matt, as Emily elbowed him.
There was a roar, and Abby ran over to a cage.
Everyone followed. Mr. Becker looked incredulously at a bearlike creature, but it was clearly no bear.
"It's not happy," said Abby. "Predators never are. The instinct to run, fight and conquer its prey is too strong. I hope we can send it home soon."
"What is it?"
Connor answered, "Borhyaena, it's a marsupial predator."
"It looks like a bear."
"Yeah, but it isn't," said Connor.
"It's a killer. That's all I need to know," said Becker.
"A human casualty?" asked his father.
Becker nodded. "We were too late."
"They saved the other person who it attacked," said Jess. "She's recovering, and is going to be fine."
Becker smiled. "Jess likes to remind me of the good we do, because sometimes I just can't see it."
She smiled.
"It's hard accepting that you can't save everyone," said his father.
Jess beamed. "I've heard that before."
Becker smiled. "Yes, Jess. You're Miss Optimistic."
"I am."
"What else have you got?" asked Becker Senor.
"The raptors are just down here, next to the t-Rex," said Abby, walking ahead, the others all followed, but Mr. Becker had stopped.
"Excuse me?"
Abby smiled. "Yes, we have a t-Rex, and he's a pain in the arse."
The others laughed.
"I've never heard it described like that, exactly," said Mr. Becker.
"We have it secured, and have procedures to feed it without any human contact, but that thing keeps tearing up the feeding robots. It's a pain," said Abby.
Becker smiled. "Not what you expected?"
His dad shook his head. "I owe you an apology," he said.
Becker nodded. "You do."
They continued the tour, until Mr. Becker looked like his head was spinning.
Jess and Becker took him to the canteen for a break.
"I just can't believe it," he said.
"I know," said Jess. "And those were just the ones from the past."
"You're kidding. Future animals?"
Both his son and Jess nodded.
"Can I see them?"
"I'd rather you didn't. There don't seem to be a lot of future butterflies or koalas."
Jess' tea came out her nose.
"I've told you to watch what you say when I'm drinking!" cried Jess.
The men laughed.
"Honestly, Dad, the future creatures are something I'd just as soon forget."
"That bad?"
Becker and Jess both nodded.
"Now I have to see them!"
Becker grunted. "They're beyond dangerous, Dad. They're nightmares, frankly. If you have to see them, find someone to show you, because I won't."
Mr. Becker opened his mouth, but Jess put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I wouldn't press," she said gently.
"I'm going to get Jess some chocolate," said Becker.
After Becker left Jess said, "We've lost too many of his soldiers to the future creatures. He almost died himself."
Mr. Becker watched her face. "They scare you."
"They terrify me. I was trapped once, and I thought I was going to die, alone with an injured colleague. The first face I saw after the ordeal was Becker's. He told me I was safe, that he was there."
She had tears in her eyes, and hand was shaking.
"I won't press then."
"I'd be grateful."
"This job is what changed him, isn't it? He was always a good soldier, and with that comes a certain acceptance of death, but the last year or so, he was different."
"Yes."
"And he still wanted to stay."
Jess smiled. "He can't leave innocent people to face these creatures, knowing that they are out there."
"No, I raised him to serve and protect."
"You did a good job."
"OK," said Becker strolling in, "one milk, one bittersweet, and one with nuts and fruit, hold the orange."
"My goodness, Becker, three?"
Becker smiled. "I felt like splurging."
Jess smiled.
The alarms went off, Jess grabbed the chocolate and she and Becker, with Mr. Becker chasing after, all ran to OPs.
End of Chapter Eight
