Happy Valentine's day! To you all my dear readers!
Please, bear in mind that I did not watch the second part of Season 3 so there might be some discrepancies from the series.
For the setting, the stories in the "Meanwhile" series will be in the same format as the five days sequence.
Enjoy!
A happy tune played somewhere. It was not loud but just enough to make out the lyrics. The air smelled of salt and sugar. He felt uncomfortably cold for some reason. His throat was burning, he craved water, gasping, as he began to return to reality.
Scott opened his eyes. His limbs were back under his control. It took him less than a minute to put his thoughts back together and spring up to his feet. He was dressed in a hospital gown; all of his belongings had been taken away. There was a sole mattress in the room: no bed, no furniture, no window. The only light was coming in was from the cracks around the door; it was barred tight with no handle on his side. It was meant to be a jail.
He was not going to let anything get in his way. The elder tried to kick down the door to no success. After doing a terrible ruckus and trying to force open the only exit, the door's speakeasy opened. It was small yet he tried to cramp a hand in it to catch whoever was on the other side. The person backed away and screamed. Startled, he pulled his hand away quickly, not without scratching it in the process. His sight was adjusting to the light outside his room; he could see she was wearing scrubs as she backed towards the opposite wall. The woman was very clearly afraid. The corridor was devoid of any decoration and painted in tones of beige. He then heard a man's voice.
- Please, calm down.
- I won't calm down! Where am I? What is this place? Let me out!
The man's voice was calm and comforting. At least he was trying to be. He remained out of sight.
- We ask you to calm down first. If you want us to talk, you'll have to tone down a bit.
He remembered having been strapped to a seat in Mei's aircraft as they took off. Did they drop him off at a hospital? He breathed in and out before sitting down on the mattress.
Minutes passed like an eternity. After about ten in complete silence, he heard the door unlock and slide slowly with a loud squeaking. The lights came back on, blinding him for a second before his eyes adjusted. A man wearing scrubs appeared in the opening: mid-twenties, laid-back, wearing piercings in his nose and brow. His hair was braided in a myriad of small, colorful braids. He brought a hand to his chest designating himself.
- My name is Nik. I'm your nurse. I don't want to harm you. Please, be calm.
Seeing that Scott was seated, he did the same but crossed-legged on the floor, near the door. He was facing the elder Tracy the whole time.
- I'm all ears. Tell me what's bothering you.
Scott sighed. Whatever that place was, he wanted to run out and escape. But that guy in front of him seemed so intent on listening to his plea… Maybe Nik was genuinely trying to help.
- What is this place?
The young man smiled.
- That's not for me to tell.
The nurse scrutinized him.
- Your eyes have gone back to normal. The withdrawal symptoms seem to be gone. Can you stand? Or do you still want to rip my head off?
Nik said that with a smirk. Scott did not smile in return but understood something might have happened. He had to ask.
- Did I do something bad?
- A straight punch to an intern; broke her nose. Hopefully, you won't be made accountable for that. Withdrawal is quite brutal on Acidosemine. Even with your hands and feet bound, you still managed to give us a hard time. I never thought anyone could throw a chair like that with his hands tied together!
Scott frowned. How did he know about that drug? He realized this place wasn't any regular hospital. He stood, knowing he had no choice but to comply in order to leave. Nik held his hands in front of him, rising at the same time.
- Easy. I don't want any trouble. If you've calmed down, we'll let you go have a well-deserved shower and lunch. Then you can meet the professor.
- What else can I do? Clobbering everyone in here won't get me anywhere. Might as well accept that invitation of yours and see where this leads me.
The nurse stood, smiling.
- That's the spirit.
The elder made his way through the corridor, holding the unruly back panel of the gown that kept flying away and show off his backside. He felt very uncomfortable and powerless, his modesty protected by a thin piece of fabric. The personnel must have stripped him completely of his drenched clothing upon arrival. What he was eager to know was where his stuff was. He was anxious and distrustful. He felt the need to talk to his brothers to ease his conscience.
Nik brought him towards an elevator. The upper floors looked more like a hotel than a hospital. He was shown to a room; small, yet, cozy. Scott could see the bright sun outside and feel the sharp warm breeze of the sea coming from the room's balcony door. He was on a tropical island, for sure. His clothing was folded on the bed, freshly laundered, his boots cleaned of the swamp gunk and his coat hung in the closet. His communicator was nowhere to be found. He breathed deeply. Nik noticed and approached him, patting him on the back and smiling.
- I was like you before, y'know. I really wanted to leave this place. They saved my life. You'll see for yourself. I'll have lunch brought to your room while you shower. Once you're clean and have a full belly, the professor will want to see you.
Scott turned towards him.
- And my family? I need to talk to them and tell them that I'm safe.
- In due time, friend. Go clean up and eat then meet me near the elevator. Got it?
Scott sighed, annoyed by the sudden friendliness.
As soon as Nik had left, he quickly inspected the room for hidden cameras, microphones, or communication equipment.
- Nothing.
No phones, no surveillance, no TV, no tablets, no clocks, not even newspapers or magazines. The doors were locked with old fashioned magnetic cards and mechanical locks. He sat down, relieved that he was not spied on but also anxious as he didn't have any idea where he was. Right now, his salvation rested in a warm shower, a copious breakfast and a large amount of water to quench his thirst. His throat was still hurting.
The bathroom looked recently renovated. The walls and floors were of polished concrete; not the kind of finish you expect to see in a hospital. He toured the place for more surveillance equipment: still nothing. "Paranoid, I'm just being paranoid…" he said to himself, hoping to ease his conscience.
He hopped in the shower, letting the water flow on his back for a long while. Cranking the heat a bit, he enjoyed the dampness of his surroundings and tried to relax. Yet, thoughts rushed back in his mind about everything that happened: his brothers, the GDF, Kayo… Why did he have to run after Mei like this? Stupid… childish… He refrained from hitting his head on the concrete wall, knowing all too well he would need another stay at the hospital if he did. This whole charade had to end quickly; he needed to return to Tracy Island and fast.
He heard the door open and the jingling sound of metal and glass in the other room. Wearing only a towel, he went to investigate. Just like had Nik said, food was delivered on a metal cart as it befits a hotel's room service. He had expected a plastic tray and cooking comparable only to Grandma's. On the contrary, the food smelled amazing and the variety of dishes was astounding. A large cut glass pitcher was filled to the brim with fresh, cold water. It was half empty less than a minute after. Satisfied, he dug in without any second thought. Everything was delicious. "This is no hospital food…" he acknowledged gladly.
After his copious meal, he dressed in his own clothes. The weather would be a bit warm for his attire but he could manage an hour or two under the bright sun. He was no stranger to resisting scorching heat during rescues, after all. A knock on the door surprised him: it was Nik, dressed in casual clothes. Scott thought of it a good moment to ask about his missing belongings.
- The place's your liking? And the food?
- Some of my stuff is missing. Where is my communicator?
- It's in a safe place. We can't let you have access to that until the professor says otherwise, my friend.
Scott felt annoyed. The young man was trying to be too friendly to his taste.
- Aren't you supposed to be working? Why the hell are you here?
Nik smiled.
- There is so much you don't know… I do work here as a nurse, that's my profession. Sometimes, they cut my shift short and ask me to do other stuff. Like keeping tabs on you.
- I do hope that professor of yours will have a VERY good explanation. I really don't get it.
- Guess it won't matter if I tell you a few things on the way. Come.
They both exited the room and made for an elevator. On their way, Nik activated every locked door with the back of his hand: Scott wondered if he had an implant. He became very suspicious of his new "friend". Nik, on the other hand, seemed pleased to show him around.
They went down to a lobby. The floor was of beige marble, polished to shine. The walls, scarcely decorated, were painted in a hue of yellowish-grey. It brightened the place but gave a weird antiquated vibe. A woman was busy behind the counter, not paying any attention to them as they passed through. The place was alive with people reading newspapers, having a coffee and workers busying themselves with everyday chores, quite the typical hotel lobby. Nik began speaking as they went outside. There was an immense garden surrounding a pool with large palm trees everywhere. He could see the beach further on.
- We all owe the professor at some point. He saved our lives. My Pa was working at some sort of pharmaceutical plant. He was promised good pay. My Ma and I tried our best to support him until he became weird… almost possessed. We later learned that something happened at the plant, some sort of incident and that he had to be checked by a doctor. It was never disclosed, the entire thing was covered up. There was no way to get answers from the company. Even the media couldn't get anything. He changed afterward. Some days, he would not come home from work. Ma believed he was cheating, so she followed him and found out he was slaving at work for entire days straight. She was able to drag away and forbade him from ever going back there. After a few days, he went mad. As luck would have it, the professor found us and explained what was ailing Pa. He said we had to flee and arranged for transport. At first, we didn't believe him, but when armed men came and trashed our place, we gladly accepted the invitation and left with what little we still had. The professor saved my dad and welcomed us to live here. In return, we work for him and keep his secret.
Scott listened closely. He recalled the men in the encampment during Kayo's investigation. What if these men were trying to escape Holling's grasp and waiting for the "professor"? This could have explained why Artemis came and massacred everyone.
Nik waved at a man mowing the lawn. The worker replied with a smile
- See there? That's my Pa. He's never been happier.
- Do you ever leave the island?
- Never. That was one of the conditions. Fortunately, I only had my mother and father. We didn't have any other close family. It was harder for some to choose between disappearing forever and endangering the rest of us.
- That professor of yours saves people with learning chip implants?
- Of all things, yeah. He's done a lot. The success rate is 98%. We have a few deaths… some are already doomed or on the verge of mental collapse, can't do anything with them then. We remove the chip and rewire their cerebrum then help with their addiction. It takes a while, a few weeks. I usually monitor the progress of such patients and accompany them towards recovery.
His opinion of his chaperone suddenly changed. And the professor now sounded like a great man to him.
They came upon a villa. Nik instructed Scott that this was the Professor's residence. He showed him to a flight of stairs.
- He will be waiting for you on the second-floor balcony. I'll be on call.
Scott made his way up the stairs and into a corridor. Various photographs of historical events were on display, each depicting successful scientific projects that occurred during the course of the 20th and 21st centuries. His eyes caught the launch of the Zero X rocket; he smiled. One of the pictures was an homage to the signing of the peace treaty after the Global Conflict. He recognized a few faces he had seen on television, each one an important politician or General. Stopping an instant to read the names, one caught his eye. The name of General Dixon was written on the plaque but his face was different. The first names were not enounced, perhaps it was a different General Dixon. He did not bear further attention to the matter.
He resumed his walk towards an opened balcony. A man in a white and blue short-sleeved dress shirt and linen pants was sitting cozily in a rattan chair, obviously waiting for him. He had the features of an older gentleman under his clean-cut beard. His hair was grey, cut short in the military fashion. A waitress brought a pitcher of water and a platter of antipasto. While she was pouring the water, the man rose and greeted the pilot with an outstretched hand. Hesitantly, the elder Tracy shook his hand. The old man smiled.
- Welcome, Mister Tracy.
Scott frowned. How did he know his name? It was surely Mei's doing.
- Funny how you know my name but I know nothing about you. I've complied until now; I believe you owe me an explanation.
- True. Please have a seat. Help yourself to the platter if you wish.
Scott sat down. He had eaten his fill already. The old man grabbed a few olives and began to speak.
- First of all, welcome to Hawk Island Facility. I am Gregory Hawkinburg, physician, professor and philanthropist. This is a privately owned hospital where we treat the untreatable. We disguised the place as a resort in order to evade unwanted attention. Do not worry, we are not partnering with Marcus Holling.
The elder's eyes widened. How did he know that much? He was curious about how somebody could manage to make this place work and where the money came from.
- Let me apologize for my stepdaughter's attitude. From exposing your ward to letting your friend fall into the wrong hands, administrating a dangerous drug to you… She is erratic. A good doctor but with so much hate inside of her. Since her father disowned her, she has done things you cannot imagine. But, if you look at it with some hindsight, she has a good heart.
- Don't tell me you approve of what she did! It was dangerous and reckless. She has endangered me and even my brother, for what? Money? Pride? And what about Kayo whom she sent to Newcastle to be treated? Why did she send her directly into the tiger's maw?
He clenched his fists so hard his knuckles were white. The old man motioned for him to calm down.
- We cannot undo the past. They were lucky Athena was there to save them. After all, the Keepers were created to protect and serve. As for your friend, you mean the young Mrs. Kyrano?
- Precisely.
The old man reared in his chair and looked at the horizon.
- That was not solely her doing. I have contributed… directly.
Scott brought his fist down on the table, spilling his glass of water.
- The fuck does that mean, old man? You better have a good explanation for this.
The man took a deep breath. His tone of voice changed, becoming stern and serious.
- Listen to what I have to say, young man. Not all is black and white in this world. There are myriads of shades of grey. Surrendering your friend to Holling was not easy, but it was necessary. Mei knew her to be combative and in excellent physical condition. What's more, she had the right genetic mutations to catch Hanse's attention.
- I don't trust you. You say you're not with Holling but you're curiously acting just like him.
- Quite the contrary. I have dedicated my entire life in trying to reverse his experiments on people, going as far as saving entire families from his grasp. There is a risk, a big one, and I am willing to take it. But for that to work, we need help: courageous people playing a big part in a game too big for them alone to grasp. Mei has been screening the isles for a long time to find compatible individuals in her clinics: a good candidate who could cooperate and would be the key to the success of this mission. This is why your friend was chosen: to infiltrate Olympus and be our inside agent. She is unaware of her role and not yet able to achieve it, but everything will come to fruition in due time. Being a Keeper exempts her from harm, she is acclaimed, placed above even Holling himself in terms of survival. She is unique and precious to them.
Scott was still furious; the man rose as the water spilled towards him on the table. The waitress hurried to clean the mess. The old man joined his hands together, calm as a monk. His voice came strong and intimidating as he pressed on each of his words, looking at the young man straight in the eyes.
- Unfortunately, we cannot risk an emotionally unstable young man jeopardizing the entire operation. So, either you calm down or we will keep you in a cell until we are done. Am I being clear?
He swore he could hear his father scold him when Gregory spoke. It struck him as if it was not the first quarrel he had to settle. Mei might have tasted his medicine too. The elder Tracy calmed down, sitting on his chair. Water had splattered on his pants but he endured it. He was bent on listening now and nodded to the professor. Gregory helped the waitress by raising the platter from the table. As he saw Scott returning to his seat, his smile grew back.
- Good. Now, listen closely. Since you are here and have your share of experience with Holling, you can either accept to cooperate or not. That being said, if you refuse, you will have to remain here until we are done. If you accept, we have a job for you. Mei has told me you are quite the daredevil. We have need of people who like action and are not afraid to jump into the fray.
The professor did not mention International Rescue. Scott hoped that Mei had not disclosed their identity. This could be a major breach of confidence if she did.
- If this means to rescue my friend, I'm all in. But I'll have to call my family first to tell them I'm safe. Otherwise, they'll move heaven and earth to find me.
- You are advised that the nature of our operation is secret. Choose your words wisely. We have been lucky to escape both the GDF and Holling for this long, any estranged contact with the outside world may put us back on the radar. Any communication we send needs to be heavily encrypted.
Scott smiled. The old professor really had no idea who he was. Maybe he could get the upper hand of this whole situation after all. He grabbed a pickled pepperoncino and reared back in his chair as his host had done before him.
- What if I told you I possessed a communication system that rivaled the GDF's in both security and scope, that this said system also has the most advanced AI the world has ever heard of? I think it's my turn to make you an offer, professor.
- I do know of your father's company, Tracy Industries, and know you might be an asset for us too in the matter. But by all means, Mister Tracy, I am all ears.
This time, the professor hailed the waitress for beers. Scott did not refuse. After both had taken a good sip, the pilot began his story.
- If you let me go back home, we can make good use of your knowledge and my resources. You should know that we have communication tools you could only dream of. We also possess a lot more information on the subject of Holling and can contribute greatly to your cause.
The professor laughed for a long time. He calmed down and went on.
- I'm afraid we cannot do that. My time is precious, Mister Tracy. The whole purpose of this talk was to convince you to help us, not to let you go freely after disclosing important information. I require a compromise on your part. You remain here and assist us then I shall permit you to get in direct contact with your family. Until then, you should devise some white lies to address their concerns.
Scott smirked. He was getting there.
- They won't buy that; they are not that gullible. You have no idea who I am, professor. And by that, I do not mean to boast. Let's say we exchange secrets; would this appease you? Trust is something hard-earned, from your side and from mine. We have information that could benefit you and, what's more, we have technology so advanced that the GDF pales in comparison. In return, you have knowledge and science that could benefit us. This could also be payback for the problems Mei caused us.
The professor sipped his beer. He dismissed Scott's thought with the back of his hand.
- Are you asking me to believe you have such technology that could rival Holling's or the military?
Scott's smile dropped. He looked at the man with a deadly serious stare. The professor's smile faded. The elder Tracy went on.
- Professor Hawkinburg, you are standing in front of the leader of International Rescue. We saved Athena from the depths only to… let's say we had no choice in surrendering her to Holling. With our help, she recovered the black boxes from the other Keepers' laboratories. We were also able to recover Chronos from the depths of space, he is now a permanent resident in our space station. One of our special agents is working on gathering incriminating evidence to bring Holling to justice. We have been struggling with all this for so long now… You have no idea how relieving it is to hear we are not alone.
As he went on, the professor's grin melted in awe. His eyes widened and filled with tears as if Scott suddenly became a godsent revelation.
- Young man… where have you been for the past five years! Why did Mei not tell me about this?
- She did her job of keeping our identity secret. Now, we have to live with the fact that she betrayed us in order for your "plan" to take effect. Tell me, what was she trying to achieve by sending the pictures to Holling?
The professor regained his composure.
- Athena is required to activate the defenses of Olympus. Without her genetic code, nothing will be able to function properly. You see, the nanites in her body modify the genetic structure of cells and adapt to the ever-changing environment. This means that she will never have the same genetic sequence twice in a row. The defenses are programmed in such a way that they will react to the changes in her body, to a molecular level, which is processed through an infrared spectroscope connected to the main computer. For our plan to begin, we needed Athena to return to Olympus. It took longer than expected.
- Why has nobody found a way to bypass this?
- Many smart programmers and engineers have tried to break the code but always without success. It is said the programming is so complex and perfect that only the author himself can edit it without rendering the whole thing deficient. Unfortunately, Dennis Edwards died with his secret…
- Not quite.
He raised his head. Scott went on.
- Chronos. He said something about a "downloaded" conscience into the system. Could it be true?
The professor rubbed his chin.
- Knowing the extent of his intellect, he could have found a way to emulate a human brain with code. It could be him or simply an AI acting with a similar thought pattern. Fascinating. This means we could have a try at the code.
He rose his glass.
- Here's to you, Mister Tracy. You have brought joy and hope to this old man again. Knowing we have you as an ally in our fight for justice is a relief.
Scott did the same.
- I knew we could come to an accord.
They drank in silence, both looking at the horizon as if this sudden revelation had said it all. Something was bothering the pilot. He felt as if he had been unfair to Abigail the whole time. Looking back, he knew he was guilty of selling her off for John's safety, but he had no regret about doing the right thing to save his family. Until recently, he was ready to abandon the fight and carry on, as if nothing had happened. But his brothers would never have accepted this: after everything they had gone through, they had to bring Holling to justice and save the world. After all, isn't this what International Rescue does?
Having met people with similar goals revived his combativeness; he was certain now they could do something. He remembered what Penelope had shown him: documents linking Tracy Industries to the funding of Olympus. That meant some of the information Gregory was looking for might have been out of reach from him the whole time. And the black boxes so precious to Abigail had a more important significance now. Searching through the mine of information sitting at the base was the only way to make the plot whole. For that, he needed both Chronos's processing power and the professor's knowledge.
The waitress kept bringing in beers. After his third, Scott decided it was enough. He could have taken more but he had to keep a straight face. Worse: alcohol made him talkative.
- About Abigail... I... turned her in. It's not that I hated her but… so many bad things happened with her around. I betrayed the trust of my brothers, for the sake of saving our organization. This has led me nowhere… we're back at square one, and, moreover, grounded by the GDF.
A man came forward and whispered to Gregory who took on a dire expression. He dismissed the waitress and stood, ignoring Scott's laments.
- I understand you have a moral dilemma to discuss but we will have to continue this talk later. An urgent matter has arisen. Tomorrow, you shall make for London; be ready at no later than 5 AM. You will be briefed upon departure. A courier will fetch you at your room.
- Yes Sir.
- Good. Then have a good day. Nik will escort you back to your room.
As the professor left the balcony, Nik arrived, whistling. Scott rose and stretched.
- Want a quick tour of the place so you know your way around? I can show you the areas you can access: pool, bar, café, gym…
- I'd rather go back to my room. There are a lot of things I need to think about.
The young man escorted Scott back to his place then left him alone, clearly disappointed that Scott did not share the same enthusiasm as he did.
Sitting on his bed, the elder tried to gather his thoughts, wondering what type of mission he would be sent on in the morning. If it was some kind of rescue mission, he would be in his element and his experience would clearly come in handy.
Dozing off, he thought about Kayo: what could they have done to her? After everything Abigail had said about the treatment she had to go through, he could not bear to imagine Kayo going through all this. She was strong and capable to withstand a lot but just how much was he capable of seeing her bear on her own. If only he could hold her in his arms and tell her that he was coming to save her. But that would be a lie… right now it was impossible to do anything.
A knock on the door startled him. He tried to ignore it, and sincerely hoped it was not Nik again. The knock was persistent: he got up and answered. A young woman brought him an unlocked safe box and left. Examining the content, he found his communicator. Finally, he could call his brothers. The unit tuned in to Thunderbird Five's systems almost immediately after booting. Unfortunately, the geo-tracking could not give him his exact location. Hawk Island is equipped with a strong field capable of scrambling small devices. At least it did not block the clocks. With the time zone, Scott estimated he was near the Maldives. He looked at the time and date. It relieved him to see he had only been away for about thirty hours
Barring the door, he selected the most secure frequency he could think of before calling Tracy Island. It did not ring long. John picked up, hair disheveled, a blanket slipping from his shoulder. From the looks of things, he had been sleeping on the couch. He was relieved to see his brother's face again.
- Scott! Thank goodness you're safe! Where the hell are you?
- Long story John. I can't go over details like this.
- You'll have to tell me more about it. Where can we pick you up?
- That's the thing… You can't. I'll get in touch with you guys tomorrow with more details, hopefully. Recall my aircraft but don't try to locate me in any circumstances. Wait for me to call back. I'm in no danger. I've eaten my fill, drank and showered.
- Sounds like you're having a good time. All right then, I'll follow your instructions.
- How is everyone?
- Hanging on. Virgil's anxious to act as our leader in your stead. A few rescue calls came in but the GDF insisted we remain grounded and they take over. Penelope stumbled on more interesting papers you should take a look at. And Chr…
Scott interrupted his brother, motioning a hush.
- I'd really like not to discuss this over the comms. In due time, I'd like to hook "his mighty greatness" or whatever he calls himself to their system. They can help us and I want to know more about them.
John was puzzled. His brother had never been that secretive before. He was not used to him not spilling out information straightforwardly.
- Just be careful. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for anything new.
- Great. Glad you guys are holding on. Wanna do me a favor?
- Sure, what's up?
- Get some sleep. You look horrible.
John laughed as he hung up. Scott let go of a sigh of relief. His brothers were safe. He could rest easy and try to enjoy the rest of the evening. Yet, he could not. Kayo inhabited his thoughts.
Nik came knocking and tried to get him out for lunch but the elder politely refused, using the pretext of "getting some rest". At one point, he wondered if he could talk about his concerns to Nik. After all, the nurse had open heartedly offered to listen to him. He took note and told himself it might be a good idea to do that later.
Scott awoke quite brutally to the sound of loud banging on the door. He turned to his communicator: 4:30 AM. It was not what he had expected in terms of "early". He shouted "Coming" and hopped in his clothes. In a matter of seconds, he was ready and headed for the door. To his surprise: it was Mei, clad in a tight black full bodysuit.
- Good morning. Time is not on our side, hurry.
Her voice was cold and full of resentment. She turned around and left him at the door. He caught up with her.
- Wait, Mei! I'm… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone all out at you.
She remained silent, looking straight in front of her as she called the elevator. She did not answer.
- I mean… I can't understand what you did. At least explain.
They entered the elevator and headed for a lower floor; one Scott had not visited yet. Mei swapped her card beforehand and the lights changed from white to blue. Still, she did not speak.
They stumbled upon a large opened basement where a multitude of crates was stored. It looked like the entire building's lower part. At one end, a mobile platform was being loaded by Mei's "large" bodyguard with whom Scott had a brush-up. The man did not even look at him when he passed through. The other bodyguard from Fairbanks, the one who looked more like a soldier than a goon, was waiting on the other side "This should be fun.." Scott thought, sarcastically. The man threw him a bulletproof vest and a full bodysuit.
- Welcome to the team. It seems you are out new star. Put these on. Don't want to be swiss cheese on your first assignment, don't you?
Scott caught the heavy uniform, wondering just how good the man was good at keeping a poker face. Mei began checking the content of a military plastic case. She ignored everyone. It was probably better that way. The elder Tracy turned towards the soldier who was cleaning a pistol.
- So… what's this mission about? Can I at least know what we're going for? I'm not really a shooting type of guy…
The soldier sneered.
- They all say that before they hold a gun and have fun shooting with it. Might as well bury the hatchet now before it backfires in our faces. I'm Coldy. That big guy over there is Reid. He's not much of the talkative type. Get your shit together and board the platform.
Coldy began reassembling the pistol. Scott hurried the suit on: it was heavier than his uniform and larger. He strapped what he could in order for it not to get in the way then boarded the platform. The soldier seemed satisfied as he holstered his gun and did the same, followed by Mei and Reid.
The ride took less than five minutes. They ended up in a hangar where five other soldiers waited. An aircraft was parked there; as soon as the platform stopped, the soldiers began loading the crates into the cargo bay. It was a hybrid aircraft, between a GDF carrier and a large cargo ship, similar in design to Thunderbird Two. The size, however, could not rival the green giant as it was much smaller.
Scott took a crate and followed the others inside. Mei passed through, heading for the cockpit when the elder Tracy grabbed her arm.
- I'd like an answer. Going into this kind of mission blindly with no ground training makes me a bit nervous. Are you expecting to get me killed?
She sighed.
- What an impatient youngster you are! Your job is to stay alive. Simple. You're our backup pilot. Once we pick up our parcel, I'll have to tend to it. That means someone else will have to fly this monster.
- I can take the controls right now. Unless there's a good reason for me to remain in the bay, I'd be happier up there.
- You still have to go through debriefing. This is not some rescue mission, there might be resistance… armed one. Remain in the cargo bay until the end of the briefing then maybe I'll let you take over... maybe.
- FAB. I mean, as you wish.
The doctor went back towards the cockpit. An alarm sounded: it was time for departure. All the material was loaded and the soldiers were strapped in their seat, awaiting takeoff. Scott had missed his chance to look at his surroundings through the cockpit window. Knowing technical information about the whereabouts of the runway could have helped a lot if he needed to make a quick escape. He dismissed the thought, having already agreed to the professor's conditions. Hopefully, his "comrades" would not let him get in trouble. He was not dumb though; he was wearing his communicator, hidden under his clothing.
Once the aircraft was in the air, Coldy came back in the cargo bay. Reid and the other soldiers began setting up the content of the cases: a medical table over which towered UV light set in a plexiglass dome. Cylinders of medical gases were attached to the table. Scott did not understand much of it, but it seemed to him that the others did. Once they were done, Coldy spoke.
- Briefing. That's going to be a brief one.
The soldiers smiled. There was nothing to smile about. It was a terrible pun. He resumed.
- The map was sent to your mini-computers. Follow your assigned group and formation. Try not to shoot the medical personnel. If there are any armed security guards, shoot to disable. Any military-like individuals, shoot to kill; they won't hesitate to do the same. Once we get the parcel, merge back together and protect. Try to secure a stretcher or something with wheels, there's a good distance to go. Questions?
Nobody raised a hand. They all looked very satisfied with the explanation and went to check on their arm-mounted computers. Scott had questions, but he decided it was not worth asking any. He was not eager to get into the fray.
Coldy reached out in a crate and distributed large armbands to everyone. Scott asked:
- What's that?
The soldiers smiled and laughed in a low voice. Coldy looked at Scott.
- Forcefields. The best kind. But they only protect you from the side the lens is facing. Be wary. Wear it on your arm at all time. That way, if it shatters, you'll be lucky with only losing a finger or two.
He pointed at the lens, showing Scott how to wear it. He then motioned for him to go up in the cockpit.
- You're clear, rookie. Let's hope you're better at piloting than soldiering.
Scott smirked and nodded, making his way towards the elevator.
Up in the cockpit, Mei was at the command. She was doing an okay job if not for the fact that she was relying on auto-pilot a little too much to his taste. He sat down behind her. They were alone. He remained silent for a while, looking at the instruments, trying to find words that would not be either aggressive or sarcastic.
- You still haven't answered me. We have time to talk.
She sighed deeply, swearing in Chinese under her breath.
- You are an annoying prick, Tracy. I don't have anything to say to you.
- Hey, you owe me an apology. Turns out Holling sat foot on our island because you told him where Abigail was in the first place. Don't you have any remorse?
She remained silent. He knew she was fuming, it showed in her actions. It was not the time to get her mad while piloting; she was good but might not be able to recover from a false manoeuver. He tried to play the apologetic card.
- I'm sorry for what I've said at Fairbanks. I'd like to know; it would ease my conscience. What you did not only endangered Alan but also backfired on us terribly.
He was to blame for that too but she didn't have to know. In truth, he regretted what he did after seeing the reaction of his brothers. Virgil was decimated, Alan disappointed, John mad as hell. Only Gordon looked like he did not have a straight opinion about the situation but he quickly sided with his brothers after Penelope's perilous abduction and his adventure in Bereznik. "Dad wouldn't have acted like this. He would have known what to do, what to say. I'm not him… I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry" he whispered to himself.
After a moment of silence, Mei only said a few words:
- Apologies accepted.
That was all. It was not going to be a joyride. He continued double-checking the instruments, correcting the course twice without her knowing. Eventually, she opened up.
- I hate Holling. I hate Olympus, the Keepers and everything they represent. My father lived and died for that project, ignoring my mother and me for too long. The devastating effect it had on my family… It needs to go down and disappear forever. Whatever you choose to do, don't get in my way.
- You understand that you doomed Kayo in the process, right?
She laughed. He flushed in anger but breathed in.
- She's not doomed. Stop worrying. Hanse's fresh new toys always get the rich treatment. If they don't turn against him that is…
- Is that supposed to make me feel better?
- Relax. All in due time. Gregory is never wrong and his plans play off perfectly every time. Mine don't. Let's keep it to that. Help me with navigation, we've reached land.
The commercial flight ban had cleared the skies, giving them some extra airspace to fly through. Unfortunately, this did not exempt them from the regular controls of the countries they flew over. Scott had seen the identification requests populate the nav screen; they were filled and returned by an automated reply as if they were a freight cargo. All the paperwork was accurate to the last detail.
They were approaching their destination. Coldy came back to the cockpit.
- Ready for landing.
Mei nodded and flicked a few switches. The main power went off, switching to auxiliary. Semitransparent panels moved down to cover the aircraft's windows.
- Done. We are now in shadow mode.
Scott was impressed. Advanced reflective cloaking was something owned only by wealthy military companies. This really piqued his curiosity; how could the professor afford such technology?
After landing, Mei rose and left for the cargo bay. Scott was about to follow her when Coldy stopped him.
- You stay here, rookie. We need you to fire the engines as soon as we tell you to. Don't let anyone in. Keep your comms open at all times. Don't get out of the aircraft or approach the building. That's if you want to live, of course. Capiche?
The elder nodded, annoyed by the fact that he was going to stay put. Although considering gunfire was implied, he preferred the cockpit to anywhere else in the vicinity.
- I'll stay here and familiarize myself with the aircraft. Don't worry, there is nothing that motivates me more in staying inside than gunfire.
Coldy smiled, tapping Scott's shoulder and whistling between his teeth "Good boy" as he left.
"An easy mission, nothing to worry about. This is going to be a piece of cake."
