Chapter 21: The new enemy
Sonny was reading through the files that Duke Maddox had given had seen urgent to the old man to let him have them.
«These will tell you all you need to know Sonny. I trust you to make a good decision based on the info I've given you».
Duke Maddox had struck him as frightened of what was going on within his own company. He could trust no one. So, in desperation, he turned to his former enemy for help, knowing Sonny had the means to solve the puzzle.
A puzzle wich would challenge Sonny's perception of things too, and make him realise that he too had been wrong on many things.
As he read, a tear could be seen in the pirate chief's hazel eyes.
«Niobe.. how could I have missed this?» he sighed.
Sonny came to realize why he had lost her, the love of his life, the mother of his beloved son. It wasn't due to Duke Maddox, nor Technoid.
Sonny had to confront old ghosts of the past. He hated it. And it hurt, immensely.
Corso walked into the room.
«We're ready Sonny, did you find out anything?»
«Yes, Corso. We have to rethink our strategies towards Technoid».
«What?» Corso couldn't belive what he was hearing.
Sonny was unnafected.
«till now, we have thought Duke Maddox ran the operation. I now know, this isn't the case. We're fighting an unknown enemy Corso. We have to be cautious, untill we know who is really running Technoid. All I can tell, is that it's not Duke Maddox!».
Corso was confused. If what Sonny was telling him was true, they were fighting blind. Corso started to think.
«Just how much did Duke Maddox tell you Sonny?»
Sonny stared at the screen.
«Everything Corso, and that is the scary part, cause what he knew, is very limited».
Corso nodded.
«Whoever it is Sonny, he or they had enough info on the pirates, to put a wanted poster for me too».
Sonny nodded. That poster had come very surprising. Now, he was starting to put all unusual events together, to form a picture. It wasn't looking good. The pirates were searching blind. It was looking for a needle in a haystack, but this time, they didn't even know who the needle was. It was frustrating.
On top of that, Sonny worried about Duke Maddox. Once the villain behind this realised what the duke had done, he would be in mortal danger. And despite the past, Sonny saw no reason for bloodshed if it could be avoided.
But, there was a bigger problem. The unknown enemy, was who initiated project Nemesis, disguised at Duke Maddox. To Sonny, it seemed he was getting too close to the villain's buisness, and they tried to neutralize him. But, for the safety of his men, friends, family, Sonny had no choise but to intervine.
He looked at the labdoors. They were new, but the system appeared to be the same. He couldn't bring Corso or his men this time. Duke Maddox had given him keycards, but warned him.
«The new system is made to recognize biological taces Sonny. We had your old file, and we were able to grant you access through that. But only you can enter, not your men».
Sonny had nodded.
«If someone have a simmilar DNA, would it be possible for them to enter?».
Duke Maddox had looked at him.
«Yes, but why?».
«This is too big for one man alone. If I can't get Corso and my team past the gate, maybe I can get D'Jok through!»
Duke Maddox eye widened when he realised what Sonny was saying.
«It would be possible, he is your son..»
Sonny had nodded. He wasn't going to tell of his plan just yet to the duke.
Corso looked at Sonny, then he wiewed the file.
«We have to get in to that lab Sonny, it holds more ghosts than you could possibly imagine».
Something in Corso's voice made Sonny take a closer look at him. Corso, his friend and compagnion through the rough and hard years, Corso, whom he owed his life to on more than one occassion. Clearly, Corso had experienced things in this building, this very lab.
«Corso?»
Corso looked at Sonny, concern was painted in his face.
«It was a long time ago Sonny, I can't change it now...»
But Sonny understood. He wasn't the only one that had suffered personal losess to Technoid's reign.
«Corso, whenever you want to talk things over...»
He smiled.
«I know!» he said with a sad smile.
As the moment passed, both pirates threw themselves at the task at hand.
Corso soon realised, he couldn't enter the lab normally.
«Sonny, you're not going in alone, it's too dangerous, if that's the option, drop it!».
Sonny looked up.
«I'm not going alone Corso».
«From the look of these doors, you'll have to. They're rigged so that you have to have a special keycard, with biotracking to enter. Do you have one of those?» he asked his friend.
Sonny showed him the card Duke maddox had given him.
«I've had it checked, it's valid».
«None the less, it's insanity Sonny, you don't know what you'll face in there».
Sonny understood Corso's concern. And he had to admit, he was right.
«There is someone that can follow safely».
«Who?» Corso wanted to know.
«D'Jok»...
A dark shaddow watched the updated keycard lists of Technoid. So, I'Son's old card was reactivated? That card was old, without the control devices that the new cards of today had. But the use of biology was added as a safetyfunction. A smile formed. This was the perfect place to trapp Sonny Blackbones. How fitting that his life would end in the same lab that he fled from.
«Sir, the electronic protectionshield for the tabs at sublevel 7 are ready. But I don't see the reason to open lab 12»
The mysterious man smiled.
«Good, also Baldwin, have a cell programmed at the deepest levels. If I'm right, we will soon have a guest here, you'll know him as I'Son, a former employee».
Baldwin scratched his head. He should have stayed clear of projects like these after working with Bleylock. Bleylock had made him do things he still suffered nightmares from thinking of. Especially came to mind the situation he put the pirates leader, Sonny Blackbones in, after he surrendered to save his son. And something about the name I'Son, made Baldwin think he knew this man.
«Sir, may I ask, who was I'Son? And why do you want him imprisoned?»
«I'Son is a knowledgeble man. He knows alot about technoid, but even more so, he knows of our research, and how we would use it to rule supreme in the galaxy. Duke Maddox doesn't realise the danger, he thinks he can trust the man I'Son is today, that I'Son will help him win control of his company again. What will happen, is that Duke Maddox will rot in the Sectech's prison. A prison run by pirates, pirates with a need for vengance. They'll treat him far worse than we ever treated Sonny Blackbones when we had him in our custody. Maddox is afraid, he worries Sonny Blackbones is out seeking revenge».
Baldwin could hear the insanity in the man's voice. He had seen this before. The pirates obviously made a real threat to Technoid now that they were running their buisness legally. And further more, He had never seen Blackbones attack anyone. Sonny seemed quite relaxed, he used a non violent approach and someone arrested, would rather be taken by Sectech than technoid.
«It still didn't answer my question as to who is I'Son?» he replied.
The other turned towards him. Now that the mysterious man was in the light, Baldwin could see who he was.
«You should already have guessed Baldwin. I'Son was the one that got away with the metaflux. While on the run, he sought refuge with the pirates».
Baldwin nodded. He understood.
«So, I'Son and Sonny Blackbones are one and the same?»
«yes, and it's time Technoid claims Sonny as their own again»...
Mei would not have agreed to D'Jok working with the pirates on this break in, so Sonny had asked Tia to make a distraction. Tia had gladly helped, she knew Sonny wouldn't have asked her, unless it was absolutely necessary. She had gone to stay with her friend, with lots of fun ideas, whereas D'Jok had snuck out, under the excuse that he didn't like to stick around when the girls was up to their tricks, because he ususally ended up with the bill for it.
He met Sonny and the team close by.
«What's up Dad?» he asked when he arrived.
«Son,» Sonny put his hands to D'Jok's shoulders and looked him deep in the eyes.
«I would not have dragged you off for this unless I had no other options. But this break in into Technoid's office building, demands I have help».
D'Jok was confused.
«But Dad, you got Corso and the team, they helped you before, they'll help you again».
Corso intervined.
«D'Jok, this time, we can't help him. Technoid placed somekind of security device in the areas we need to enter. Thanks to a special Keycard, Sonny can enter, but whoever goes with him, needs to share certain things with him to enter».
«Like what?» asked D'Jok.
«DNA, D'Jok. My partnes needs to be related to me by blood to enter» said Sonny silently.
Now, D'Jok understood.
«I'll help Dad» he said.
Sonny smiled.
«I knew I could count on you, D'Jok».
The pirates led D'Jok into a waiting car. As Artie drove off to the Techoid building, Sonny briefed him on what they had to do, and on one of his suspected fears.
«It won't be easy D'Jok, you need to do exactly as I tell you to, or this could end disaterous, understand?» he asked his son.
«Off course Dad, anything you say» he said.
The car stoped.
«We're here Sonny!» Corso informed.
Sonny nodded, and pulled the hood close around his head. Something felt right about putting it back on.
«Here!» he handed one to D'Jok.
D'Jok didn't have to ask, he put it on without a sound. Sonny opened the door, and waved for D'Jok to follow. Bennet had already prepared the corridors for them.
«You'll be a ghost Sonny, invisible to radar and visual» he smiled.
«Good work Bennet, I knew I could count on you!» he smiled.
Bennet gave them the thumbs up, before father and son entered the building of the enemy...
a new player is causing trouble for both Maddox and Sonny, who is he? Read the next chapter, wich holds several surprises.