Chapter Thirty – Amber Blue
December 9th, 2001
Unknown location
The first thing that Harris realized when he woke up was that he was still alive. That didn't surprise him much as memories started to come to his mind of long periods of time where he felt only dazziness and could only see blurry shapes moving around him against a everfilling white light.
It was a sharp contrast with the darkness of his cockpit after the plasma shot from the alien Battleships had fried all of the electronic systems onboard. And after a couple of seconds the Firestorm had hit the ground, sending him and the chair crashing into the electronic display in front of him. The last thing he could remember was a hissing sound coming from somewhere in the cockpit which told him that the fuselage had been probably breached. But afterwards there was only darkness to remember.
Opening his eyes he found himself looking at a nurse wearing a light blue and white uniform with her blonde hair caught in a tight fitting cap from which gold locks sprung out. She was pushing a metal troley full of cirurgical equipment and large glass flasks in front of him. As he started to move on his bed, she caught the motion on the corner of her eye. At first she seemed surprised but immediately called in German: "Doktor!"
Somehow X-Com had retrieved him after his crash and had brought him back to Mother One, he thought. Feeling the scar on his face itch again he tried to move his hand to assess the physical damage this time. His chest hurt and he could also feel that some surgery had been done to his belly. But his body also felt lighter, which struck him as strange.
But as he tried to get up, he found out that both of his arms were restrained, tying him to the bed. He found it bizarre and tried to lift his head to see where he was. His motion immediately brought it upwards much faster than he expected, as if it was lighter. Then he noticied that the infirmary didn't have any walls and that the medical equipment that was close all seemed to be several decades old. At that moment he started to think if he wasn't in a dream that he couldn't wake up from, no matter how much he tried.
The feeling got worse when an also blonde doctor come next to him with a look of suspicion and made him a full physical examination. He only bothered to remove one of the cuffs while he was checking Harris, so he stood sat on the bed and handcuffed to one of the siderails of the bed. As he tried to ask questions to the man while he was examining him but the doctor just ignored him and give indications in German that the nurse nearby would write down on a notepad she was holding.
He kept trying to get some response out of the physician but after a while exaustion finally made him stop.
December 11th, 2002
Sea of Japan
For the men and women onboard the ships of Task Force 70 the wait was close to unbearable as they monitored the sea and air lanes that separated mainland China from Taiwan. Five nights ago an American commercial airplane on its way to Southeast Asia had been nearly shot at by the Chinese fighters that seemed to be massing on the shore and getting ready to retake Taiwan back into China by force.
Then in the following day a KH-11 reconnaisance satellite that about to take pictures to determine the strenght of composition of the Chinese military had been shot down in space by an unidentified craft. NORAD had detected the attacker but had failed to determine if the UFO was Chinese or alien.
US President Vaughn had replied by ordering the naval task force out of its base on Japan, composed of the nuclear powered aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, four guided missile AEGIS cruisers, plus five escorts into the area. Their official propose was to maintain the communication lanes across the sea and air open, while the US still tried to bring the whole matter to the United Nations' Security Council. The carrier USS Constellation was also steaming towards the area with its escorts after being called off from exercises north of Hawaii.
The unofficial reason behind the top US leadership was to get ready for a possible war over China taking back control of Taiwan, a conflict more aggravated by the opposite philosophies that both nations held towards the aliens.
The Admiral in command of the force was feeling uneasy. He had been ordered to deploy to the area to be ready to hinder any attempts the Chinese made to strike at Taiwan. The Chinese Navy didn't bother him too much since it was no match for the concentration of American ships that was forming in the area. However the aircraft that were massing on the shoreline gave him nightmares, considering the classified information he had about the new Chinese advanced craft.
An air-exclusion zone had been declared two hundred miles around the task force and any hostile aircraft that entered it and refused to leave could be shot down. Still, he knew that if he took that action it would be extremely likely that a full-scale war might erupt between the US and China.
December 16th, 2001
Unknown location
Harris had stayed in the infirmary for a week now, being fed by the nurses while he was laying down. He was still restrained inspite of his demands and no one, either medical personnel or the other patients would talk to him. His ribs still hurt and he assumed that he had cracked a couple during the crash but besides some cuts he thought he had already gone through the worse.
He couldn't understand anything of what was going on and that was starting to get on his nerves. One day, as he had awoken he had found that he had a guard constantly watching over him, seated on a chair next to the bed in front of him. As his enquiries were again unanswered, he grudgedly came to the conclusion that he would have to wait.
Apparently his captors had decided something about him three days after. Two guards had sent to fetch him from the infirmary. They were all more than six feet high and had both blonde hair, although one was more browner than the other. They were plain grey jumpsuits, almost equal to the ones used by X-Com, with no indication of rank.
But as they arrived Harris knew for certainty that he wasn't back to Mother One or otherwise the whole world had gone through a quick change since they were red bands on their right arms with a circle on their middle where a Nazi swastika was on plain sight.
The guards didn't paid any attention to his surprise. They simply made him dress a white and blue stripped pants and jacket that one had brought. When he was done they handcuffed his hands and feet in front of him afterwards. As they went through the motion Harris turned to them and complained: "What the hell is happening here?" One of them reached for his holster but the other simply spoke in German: "Nein!" They finished their job and started to push him out of the infirmary.
As they guided him, Harris wondered where he had been brought. He was led through metal corridors that had no openings and had a grilled floor. Surprisingly, he felt as if he had lost half his weight since he could take long strides with a single step. He found the sensation funny but when he hit one of the walls in one intersection, the guards made him stop and explained with simple gestures how he should pace his walking.
Moving down the corridors, they passed through more of its occupants, all men and women with the same Aryan features: tall, with blonde hair and facial features that seemed as if they had been schiseled. In some cases he was almost certain that he had passed through that person before but now it seemed that every five minutes the individual had changed clothes and hairstyle.
Some of them were carrying weapons, red and grey rifles connected by a cord to a power unit to their backs, looking extremely familiar to the laser weapons used by the security troops at Area 51. In other cases he would pass by individuals wearing the same clothes as him, which looked at the guards in deference and fear, and quickly moved away from their sight.
All of the light was artificial, coming from lamps overhead that gave a dim illumination to the corridors. But as they moved he saw a section of the corridor on the front more lightened than the rest, with beams coming from windows. He almost quickened his pace to see and discover where he was but one of the guards issued what sounded to be a warning to him. When he finally reached the windows, he noticied first how thick they were. And then he stopped as he saw the darkened sky, where stars could be seen glimming fiercely, with no atmosphere to filter their light. The rim of a small crater was in front of the windows, covered with grey dust with some parts illuminated by the overhead Sun. "I'm on the Moon?" He asked but the only reply was another push of the guards.
Finally one of them opened a door to a small room where a chair was standing in front of a table. Two officers were standing behind the table, wearing the same jumpsuits with red swastika band but their uniforms had black epaulets with a white skull on them. The guards made them with the Nazi salution, with their right arm lifted while calling the long dead Fuhrer's name. Then they made him seat and placed themselves at the door while he realized the Adolf Hitler portrait hanging above the officers.
They were a man who Harris thought might be an albino since her face was almost white, showing almost no colour and with deep blue eyes and a dark haired woman. Feeling that he had enough of the World War II act he demanded: "What is going on here?" The woman got up from the chair and gave him a slap on his face that sent him crashing to the ground. Taking a second to think she then shouted: "Silence!" as the guards grabbed him and placed him back on the chair.
Jesus, not another German ice-queen, Harris thought, feeling his cheek burn and a wet tinkle coming from the corner of his lip. He moved his tongue and tasted blood. "Who are you?" The male officer asked in heavily accentuated English.
He decided not to tell anything. "Me? I was just in the neighbourhood. Where are we anyway?" The woman started to move again but the other officer raised his arm and called. "Halt!"
Turning his head back to him, he said in a calm voice: "Mr. Harris, you don't have any rights as a prisioner of war because you are not one". He leaned over. "If we do not have the information we want, you will die by her hands". The woman looked at him in pure anger and Harris turned his attention from her. "How do you know my name?"
"It was written on the atmospheric suit that you were wearing when our crew retrieved you from the crash site of your Hannabu". The last reference made Harris wince in confusion but the officer made a sharp demand. "You are American yes?"
He nodded and the officer tone lightened a bit. "Very well. Now tell us what is this X-Com reference that was on your insignia and in the Hannabu and how come you are in a possession of one".
The reference against confused Harris. "I'm sorry but what is a Hannabu? I've never heard of it before". The woman gave a look to the officer but he made her stop with a movement of his eyes. "A Hannabu is the airplane that you were flying".
"You mean the Firestorm? X-Com developed it based on the UFOs used by the aliens". The reference to the extraterrestrials made a reaction on both officers. Leaning again closer on the table, the man studied him carefully before posing his next question. "You say that X-Com has contact with the 'aliens'?"
The implications that X-Com was allied with the aliens gave disgust to Harris who shook his head. "Hell no! The aliens did this to my face". He tried to lift his hands to his face to point to the scar but the chain holding them to the cuffs on his ankles only allowed him to bring him up to his chest. "We are fighting them!"
"What do you mean you are fighting them!?" The voice of the woman surprised Harris. "You're are lying! You have sold yourselves to them for more than fifty years to prevent us from being the natural leaders of man!" The other officer issued to her a shout in German and she suddenly shut up. Watching both, Harris was even more confused but he had no time to think as the man asked another question. "What is X-Com then? Who is behind it?"
"It's a worldwide effort to fight the aliens. All of the major nations are behind it". Harris decided not to tell more about the defections that had occurred. "That's impossible! The Semitic-Alien alliance would never have allowed it!" Giving the woman a straight stern, the officer simply told something that made her get up and leave the room, which she did but not before giving Harris a murderous look. "What's her problem?" Harris asked.
If the male officer was feeling anything, Harris discovered that he couldn't tell for he simply said: "She's a firm believer of the New Reich, Lieutenant Colonel. But I make the questions here and if you don't give me the answers I want, I will turn you to her own 'special' interrogation skills". Looking at the door through which the stiff officer had just left, Harris felt a shiver went down his spine.
December 19th, 2001
Frankfurt-Berlin IDE, Germany
"Do you mind if I seat here?" The voice came from behind Williams and made him almost jump on his chair on surprise. After an intense discussion with both Johnson and Davis he had convinced both of them that it would be best if he went to the meeting proposed by the email that he had received. He had spent the first two hours of the journey completely on the edge, looking for any possible gunman and had even refrained from using the restroom or going into any possible location where someone might try to kill him.
On the other side of the restaurant car he saw Davis suddenly looking at the figure beyond him and getting ready to act in case there was any threat. Although the message said that he should come alone, the former FBI agent had insisted in coming along and Williams had accepted it. He wasn't also too eager to go alone into what seemed to be a possible trap.
Slowly turning around his body, he saw a white-haired man on his sixties standing next to him. He wore a straight grey business suit complete with jacket and coat with a dark blue tie tied over a white shirt. The man's accent marked him as English and Williams tried to see if he could remember the face while he answered. "I'm expecting someone".
The old man gave a conspiratorial smile. "Then rest assured for you shall not expect anymore". The phrase made Williams' eyes went wide at the same time that they flashed towards Davis. He hoped that the other man was watching them and had realized the same thing.
Number Two caught the eye movement and looked at the same direction, speaking after a second. "Well, well, well. Now isn't that Mr. Davis? Don't worry, I pretty much expected that someone else would be presented here. I did not take you as a fool to actually come alone. Go and tell him to rest asssured: I don't intent to make any physical harm to you".
Williams decided to remain on his place while the other man sat himself. Picking up the folded napkin on the table, Two opened it and put it on his lap and then reached for the menu that was standing on the middle. "I can see that you've already had your dinner. Any recommendations from the menu?"
"Who are you?" Williams decided to go to the point. "You seem to know all about me but I don't have any idea of who you are".
Two gave an air of slight dissapointment and put down the menu. "Dear lad, one of life's lessons that I have learned to appreciate the most is to have patience. I have come here to discuss important matters with you and I would prefer to do it with a belly full. And as for my identity, it means nothing at this point. However, for the time being you may call me as Mr. Hood, although that is not my real one".
The waiter came as Williams was about to ask another question and he had to wait in silence while the older man made his choice. While he asked for the beef plate and a bottle of French red wine, Williams tried to place the face into any familiar face that he might have seen, either on the intelligence community or in the news. By the time the waiter went away with the request he hadn't found any match.
"Mr. Hood, why are you here?" He put it simply.
"Me? I'm just a traveler. I'm on my way to Berlin to take care of some professional matters".
"Do those 'professional' matters include me?"The older man's eyes flashed for one second before he answered. "They might".
"Are you the one beyond the messages I've been receiving on the past months?"
"I think that question is self-answering, Mr. Williams". He made a pause before continuing. "Please, forgive me if I'm not in the disposition to discuss smaller details but there are things more pressing at this point". He looked through the window and to the sky. "And while some of them aren't really from this planet, the other matters will dictate the future for many others here". After another moment of contemplation he turned back to Williams.
"See, I am here as a member of a group of men and women who have for long known about the extraordinary events that are taking place all over the world at the moment".
"And who have decided to keep that knowledge away from the rest through deception, assassination and other immoral acts. Who should have told everyone about what was about to come so that we would have decades to prepare, instead of only years".
"That is right". The lack of emotion on the other man's voice shocked Williams and gave him a deep anger but the arrival of the waiter made him repress the outburst that he was feeling forming on his throat.
It was only after the man had served the wine and when away that they resumed their conversation. Uncapable of holding out much longer, Williams spat out. "That is one of the major crimes ever done to humanity!"
The older man wasn't impressed by his outburst, which had drawn curious looks from a couple of passengers who were seated close to them. He lifted his glass of wine and took a sip before answering. "Don't be too quick on pass judgement please Mr. Williams. If I'm not mistaken you have proven yourself quite capable of deception also in the last years towards the people you work for".
He was about to respond but the other man's words hit true. "I did it because it was necessary".
"So did I. Good! Now as you can see what truly remains here to discuss is whose reasons are more valid".
"Go on. What are yours then?" The discussion started while the older man was eating his meal.
"The moment we had managed to establish communications with 'them' it was clear that Earth was doomed if we were to fight them militarily. So we designed a special plan that would ensure our survival as a civilization. See, ultimatly, wars are won by those whose culture survives and becomes dominant.
That's what happened over and over during History. The barbarians that took Rome had devised superior tactics that combined with the Empire's internal weakness allowed them to conquer Europe in decades. However, Rome's legacy survived because they adopted the Empire's culture.
The same happened with the Mongols and the Chinese when Gengis Khan and his superior hordes conquered the whole of Asia in the thirteen century. When the Mongol Empire finally crumbled after a century or two China naturally became an Empire again on its own. Meanwhile the Mongols went back into cattle herding and lost any importance in history".
"But we are only a planet while the extent of the aliens' empire is truly unknown. What's your point?"
"That an organized force can take an empire when it reaches a certain point of decay. We only need to survive until the opportunity arises.
See, we had long seen that Earth would never be able to achieve a military victory: we had neither the technology or the resources at 'their' disposal and it was doubtful that we would have the time to develop them.
They would move to prevent that from happening and would simply exterminate most of us before it was allowed to happen. So we took steps to ensure mankind's final victory, knowing that we would have to work undercover: if either the public or the world's leaders knew about what was coming there would resistance"
"Steps?" Williams was having trouble finding the words to express himself. "All of you have sold out Earth. You are responsible for the deaths of thousands, if not billions if they win". The man shook his head the way a teacher would correct a pupil.
Putting down his silverware, he finished his meal, although he had left a good portion of his plate uneaten. "See? That's the whole problem with all of you. 'They' have already won for now but you are too blind to see it. We had already antecipated how we would eventually turn into one another, due to 'their' manipulations and because of the hopeless fighting on which we tend to indulge between ourselves. But we recognized the need to maintain human culture intact if we want to survive".
"Intact?" Williams's disbelief was plain to see. "Half the world is fighting the other half, at the same time that we are trying to contain 'them'. Our cities are being razed and our people killed or used for food or experimentation purposes."
"Call it to eliminate some undesirable elements of our society. We were already overpopulated for this planet to support us. And the chaos is also necessary to get ourselves into the right positions in several world governments.
From there we can truly unite the world under one government and all the fighting while cease. We shouldn't be fighting the aliens but instead be their obedient puppies, so that one day we can bite back."
"I doubt to see how we can throw them back after they have conquered us. And we are already fighting back if you haven't noticed."
Two shook his head. "It's utterly useless. In spite of all the breakthroughs you and your organization have managed, some of which I was responsible for, you will be eventually overwhelmed and defeated".
"What do you want from me then? Why did you helped us then?"
"Ah, the juicy part. Now we are talking about real business". He checked the bill that the waiter had left and took a wallet from his suit's pocket. Leaving a couple of Euro bills he said to Williams. "We shall continue this discussion on my compartment where we can't be heard. And please go and tell Mr. Davis that he isn't invited. I'm on carriage 102, compartment six". He got up and left, heading towards the exit of the restaurant wagon.
When he left Davis got up from his seat and moved over to Williams. The FBI men was dressed in jeans and a sweater and wearing knickers, trying to pass off as an American tourist in Europe. "I got most of the conversation. Hardly proves anything".
"What do you think? Should I go?"
"This guy brought company. I've picked a number of fellows who seem to be his bodyguards. And since you decided not to involve anyone else we are badly outnumbered here. If he wants I doubt that any of us will ever get out of this train alive".
Williams looked around to see if he could spot any of them. "Are you still in contact with Johnson?"
"Yeah, but Mother One is too far for any help to come here on time".
"I'm going". His decision was simple. "Try to be around in case I need help".
"You watch your ass. I'm not risking mine". Williams got up after he nodded to the other man and went to the passenger area. After passing two wagons he came by the compartment he was looking for.
He hesitated before knocking but then gave two simples rasps at the door. "It's unlocked". The reply came from the inside and he carefully opened the door, waiting for a trap.
Two was seated on a bench on the first-class compartment holding a glass full of an amber colored liquid on his hand. "Please seat yourself. Would you like some scotch?"
Closing the door, he replied. "On the rocks please".
The older man got up as he sat in front of the position that he was occupying close to the window. Mr. Hood had moved towards a small cabinet on the compartment and had his back turned to him. "I am glad you came. But there wasn't really any other option you know".
As he faced Williams again he was carrying a half full square glass on his left hand where a couple of ice cubes could be seen floating and a pistol on his right hand.
Williams immediately started to back away but found himself cornered. The other man feigned surprise at his reaction and raised the weapon. "Oh, I'm sorry but I had to startle you. But don't worry". He sat down and placed down the gun next to him.
"I haven't used one of these for years nor do I intend to do now. Think of it as a reminder". Passing the glass to Williams, who tried to hide the tremor on his hands as he picked it up, the older man opened the buttons in the front of his suit and relaxed himself on the leather bench. "Now we can really talk about the reason behind my invitation towards you".
Looking down at the pistol, Williams replied. "Why am I starting to think that you haven't told me the real reason about my presence here?"
"And I won't yet. There are still things that you need to know to understand what is going on".
Taking a sip in hope that it would calm him down, Williams tried to relax. "You got my full attention".
"You see, as you know the Starspawn, or as the aliens called themselves and their society, consists of several alien races that have been conquered and assimilated into their culture, under a unified control. We also believed at first that we were dealing with only the Sectoids, as you call them. However we discovered soon enough about the true picture and that piece of information gave us the key into defeating them.
Their strenght cames from the fact that they have absorved the physical and mental traits of several species, allowing them to conquer and control an empire that extends across the stars.
However, that is also their major weakness. Their heterogenous nature is prone to infiltration, even more than the one that is currently being done by their hybrids. Like X-Com has discovered, we have a degree of mental resistance that puts us above the majority of the species that compose the Starspawn.
And we believe that it is the key to defeat them. We allow the aliens to take over Earth without the resistance that would be expected without our intervention. So that later, when we are fully integrated into their empire we can shake them off or even take ourselves control of it. We can learn more on how to defeat them, if we are already a part of them. And there are ways to block their mental powers, if you don't know it already".
Realization of what the man was implying hit Williams. "That is insane. You talk as if you think we can actually dominate the aliens".
"Insanity is a luxury I cannot afford myself to, Mr. Williams.
Shaking his head, Williams put sarcasm on their voice. "You are talking about making deals with the aliens while holding a dagger hidden. How can you be sure that they are not doing the same?"
"But they are Mr. Williams". The man's cold certainty shocked him. "And amongst my collegues perhaps I'm the most aware of it. We can't rely on the promises made by them to us about the peace and prosperity their rule will bring. Unfortunately most of my opinions aren't shared by the majority of my associates".
"Since you bring that subject up". Williams put his glass down. "How many of you are there? Who are they?"
"If I told you I'd be signing my death sentence. In fact if they knew that I'm here with you they will kill both of us on the spot. See, to them you are supposetly dead. Who do you think that ordered you removed from the bottom of that river and planted a dead clone of you there?"
"You did that? How? And why?"
"As for the how, I'm sure that by now you have already figured out that we have enormous resources at our disposal. As for the why, we will come to that in a minute. First we need to discuss something, namely X-Com". Williams waited for the man to continue.
"When the organization first appeared we weren't surprised or even count it as a disestabilizing factor on our plans. We had told the aliens that there would be some organized resistance and that it would be impossible to stop it by us.
However, as time went by our original assessement changed. And while someone saw X-Com as a threat to our plans and demanded your destruction, I saw future possibilities. You are exactly what we are going to need in the future:
A well trained and equipped force that understands and knows how to fight the aliens, when the necessity arises in the future. You also have managed to integrate the best of alien and human technology into your benefit and that skill will be necessary. I don't trust the aliens to stick to their plans. It is better to always have a safeguard Mr. Williams".
"Do you think the soldiers will follow your orders willingly, knowing that you have sold Earth? That they will be ready to serve you?"
"They will have no other choice if they want to survive Mr. Williams". The other man's voice took a dark tone. "Their plan is already on its final steps as you know from the alien you have captured at Antartica. And ours also. Anyone who opposes their rule will be ruthlessly exterminated". The mention to Antartica made Williams froze. How did the other man have access to that information? And what else did he knew them?
"What I'm offering is a chance to retreat and fight back later in the future. One day our time will come. Until then, we must save the best soldiers and scientists of Earth from destruction. We must make the aliens believe that there are no more threats to their role".
"Why are you talking to me then? Shouldn't you be having this conversation with Commander Illyuschenko or any of the higher leadership?"
"No and the answer to that question is quite obvious. You are from the intelligence community and are used to dealing with secrets: the best way to keep them is to keep silent about them. And you have been silent about them, other than that Davis character out there.
As for you, I need men who are placed into the right places to act on the right time. I don't need to get full control of X-Com nor would I want to. In fact it's better if the organization just dies when the aliens take over, although the personnel and material will be saved. It will draw a lot less attention that way".
"You want me to work for you?"
"Yes. And it's a simple choice actually". He casually dropped his right hand to the weapon to show what he meant. "And you will have to decide now since some matters have brought new necessities".
Williams had a terrible thought, remembering the near departure of the mission to Cydonia and how it was above top secret. "What if there's another way to defeat the aliens?"
The old man in front of him smiled. "I seriously hope that you don't expect that the mission to Cydonia will ever leave Earth". Williams face become petrified and he tried to hide it, but couldn't. "Yes, I even know when it is scheduled to launch, at the end of February".
Something very wrong had happened, Williams could tell, a leak so great that could only mean the worse for the outcome of the mission. "I know all your little secrets Mr. Williams. X-Com surprised me by your ability to discover the alien base but luckly I've managed to even restrain that information from the rest of my associates.
However, this foolish attack on the aliens is putting into even jeopardy the plan to maintain human survival even under alien rule.
It case it occurs there will be a genocide and the human survivors will all be reduced to slave condition. That's what the aliens told us fifty years ago: help us to submit your species or…."
"Or……?"
"We will all be destroyed, including me. And that's why I've restrained the knowledge of X-Com's plans hidden from my associates. They would immediately move to destroy your force if they knew about it.
And have no doubt about the aliens, Mr. Williams. If they see that we have become too much of a threat they will launch a mass invasion that will utterly destroy Mankind".
Williams frowned. "In case you don't know, they have a fleet waiting on the Moon to do just that". Two dismissed it with a wave of a hand. "You misinterpret their intentions. That fleet will be used to make a flashy appearance to convince the masses of what their leaders already know: resistance is futile. However, it will also be used to anhilate any form of resistance, as an example to the others".
"What makes you sure that our attack to Mars will fail?"
"Besides the fact that is something no one has ever tried to do or that the intelligence is completely sketchy? Or that this is something hastily planned as the result of you learning that the aliens are about to take control of Earth?
Lad, you will have to learn that uncertainty here is a deadly liability. It is better to eliminate all sources of uncertainties and chose the course that gives you more assurances. We are talking about the survival of the human race here. You can't be even allowed to try, specially since the end result will be most likely a complete failure.
"If they fail". He tried to put as much confidence as possible on his voice.
"They will". Two put a blank smile on his face. "You won't achieve anything even if the mission takes off and gets to Mars. See, there's something X-Com doesn't know: even if you kill the Brain, the alien civilization will not die there. You will be merely postponing their conquest plans. And if you fail, we will all be dead as the aliens react to it".
In any case, X-Com will never be allowed to strike at the alien base, that I can guarantee you. I have placed safeguards to prevent it even if you chose not to join me. And if any of my associates would know about this mission they would act quickly to prevent it, destroying X-Com by force if necessary.
Now that is something that I would like to prevent and that's why I've come here to have a little chat with you." Making a pause for effect, he continued. "You are the only one on X-Com, or for that matter, outside our group that knows more about the whole scheme of things. There are others of my trust inside the organization but they hardly know everyhing about what's going on and they are more engaged into riding X-Com from…." He paused trying to find the right words. "….other influences".
"What if I refuse?" He already knew the answer before the older man spoke it. "You and Mr. Davis will never be allowed to leave this train alive".
"At least I have a choice".
"Doubtful. You think you have free will? Even I with all my power I don't have free will. You are bound to what you feel you should do. And that is survival, the essence and instinct of every live being. And if you fail the consequence is simple: death".
Williams was about to answer but the sound of the compartment door being unlocked made him stop. As the other man turned in surprise he realized that something was wrong as Mr. Hood grabbed the pistol standing next to him.
In a quick movement the door opened revealing a figure standing on the corridor. The tall man wore the grey and blue uniform of a ticket collector, together with a cap on his head and a satchel that was on the ground next to his feet.
However the figure was holding a small submachine gun on both hands with a silencer attached to its barrel.
With almost no sound the man sprayed the inside of the compartment with an automatic salvo that caught both Williams and the older man. The window glass broke as a slug hit it, with shards falling both inside and outside the train.
Several shots hit the older man before he could even point his pistol towards the assassin, catching him on the middle of its turning motion. A bullet caught the side o his neck artery sending blood sprouting all over the compartment, some over Williams. He felt to the ground with a pool of blood quickly forming on the carpeted ground.
Williams had also started to get up but the fake railway worker was too fast. He directed the stream of bullets towards him and several hit his chest and waist making him wince with pain. He fell with his face facing the ground and his mouth felt the metal taste of blood.
As the clicking sound of an empty clip was heard the assassin took out another from one of his pockets. Then suddenly something he caught on his peripheral vision made him turn to the right.
A red light appeared on his shoulder as if somebody was targetting him with a laserscope. As he looked he saw someone with a strange pistol at him from which the light came. Suddenly he felt a burning sensation on his chest that almost made him drop his weapon. However he brought the subautomatic weapon up and sprayed the corridor of the wagon with bullets before rushing back inside the compartment.
The next thing Williams felt was the pain of having one of his legs crushed by the boot of the assassin. The pressure quickly dissapeared but after two seconds he screamed in pain unable to keep himself immobile for more time. His body hurted from a number of locations and as he opened his eyes he found them sticky from the blood that was flowing from the older man whose face was turned towards him.
Apparently he wasn't dead yet since his eyes moved as Williams tried to raise himself. He started to mumble. "….see? Always have a contingency plan".
Moving closer Williams tried to move him but discovered that he missed the strenght. The older man kept talking in fragments of sentences. "…ironic how now it will only serve their purposes….". He coughed blood. "The game is over for us".
"What do you mean?" Williams demanded. "Tell me!"
A flash of realization came to the other man's eyes. "….precarious I see. Doesn't matter. Amber Blue….he's…" His mouth droppen open in the middle of the last sentence. Williams tried to make him talk but discovered that he had died.
"Jesus!" Davis' voice came from the doorway. "Are you allright?" He moved over and grabbed Williams, checking his injuries.
"I feel like somebody took a trashing at me". Davis hands ran through his chest, ripping his shirt open and revealing a white vest underneath.
"You're lucky the alien alloy seems to have stopped all of the bullets and that I arrived on time before the guy could finish his job. You're not bleeding from anywhere from what I can tell".
Davis moved to check the older man but only found what Williams already knew. "What happened?" Even breathing brought pain to Williams, not to mention speaking.
"Well I noticed that the guys that were preventing me from getting here suddenly dissapeared out of sight. When I found one of them dead in a toilet I knew that something was wrong so I immediately raced here. I found what I think is a hybrid filling you and this guy with bullets so I tried to take him out".
"A hybrid?"
"Yeah, the thing took a laser hit that would have disabled anyone and still responded. It looks as if it jumped off through the window to escape. Let's get you out of here before anyone notices this mess". Pulling Williams arm over his shoulders he lifted him up.
The whole motion sent shivers of pain down his body but he refrained from shouting. "Where are we going?"
"We need to find a safe place to clean you up from the other guy's blood and get off this train as fast as possible". They moved into the corridor. "By the way, who was that guy?" Williams shook his head. "I don't think we will ever know".
December 21st, 2001
Forbidden City, Beijing, People's Republic of China
The Premier of the Chinese Communist Party wasn't pleased. The civil servants on the old Imperial Palace knew that and they had avoided contact with him unless they were called upon.
Zhu was standing in the middle of an large foyer, contemplating the garden that was visible from the large windows that covered one side of the room. The message from the alien liaision at Lhassa had arrived two days ago and it had been quite clear: there would be no further support from them in the question of Taiwan. But more irritating was the fact that the words of the communication made it look more than just a request and more of an order. He felt humiliated by having to comply with the alien's demands and could only think about following his own plans for the matter.
But his generals and admirals had told him that it would be insane to directly threaten Taiwan with the presence of the American task force in the area. Only the few Dong Shen craft available would be able to break through the air defense cordon of the carriers but even then they would be outnumbered. They needed the alien's air support, the fools had claimed, in case the invasion force that was massing in several ports on China was ever to try to disembark on Taiwan.
And that was something that now seemed completely impossible. He was waiting for Chen to get back from his visit to the alien liasion at Lhassa to try to convince them otherwise but he knew the odds of such a try. What had made the aliens change their plans, he wondered before a wave of anger flushed through him again.
When a knock was heard by him he ordered the person to enter but stood with his back facing it and looking towards the garden. Chen cautiously opened the door and closed it afterwards, bowing shortly. "Comrade Premier?"
He kept his back towards Chen. "What was their reply?"
"The liaison has refused our demands. He has plainly spoken that the Hierarchy will never engage in actions that they consider contrary to their own interests and that the nature of our alliance with them doesn't require them to do so".
"And what were your arguments?"
"Comrade, I mentioned that we would be very much appreciated for any help they could give us on this issue since we considered them as friends". Zhu turned to Chen and the other man was quickly to correct himself. "I obviously used that expression to try to gain his simpathy but it was to no avail. Then I mentioned how we have a common enemy in sight, namely the Americans and how it would be wise to curb their power in the region.
At that time the liaison started to make veiled implications that I would take more as threats. He spoke that China should be grateful for their generosity in the upgrading of our society and technology. And that they expected more acceptance of their decisions in the future".
Zhu nodded and Chen stopped, understanding that enough had been said. "The aliens are untrustworthy as allies, what we need to know now is how much we have to fear from them. Go back to Lhassa at once. I dread that this whole thing isn't over yet".
December 22nd, 2001
Moon
As Harris was brought up again into the interrogation room where he had spent countless hours in the past week he started to realize how disturbing his story must be to his captors.
A new Nazi officer now sat between the man and the woman he had seen before and he looked as if he was of a higher rank than the other two. As his blackened eyes started to look for the chair to sit down he found out that it was gone this time. He felt like collapsing to the floor but he managed to stand up after a couple of misshapen steps.
They hadn't allowed him any sleep in the last six nights, since there would be always a guard that would hit him the second he dozed off while hanging chained to a wall on the prision area. One of his eyes was almost swollen shut and his face was covered with blood coming from several cuts and bruises. The beatings from either the woman or the guards had been severe and they had also broken his left forearm. He had broken a couple of nights ago and had stopped to conceal anything from them and had told them everything about X-Com. He only wished now that they would let him sleep or kill him.
As the Lieutenant-General sitting in the middle watched him stumble he turned to his left to the almost albino Major and asked in German: "Herr Mann, he looks as if he is about to die in front of us".
The man looked at the female officer who seemed more relaxed now. "The Kapten did a most excellent job on him. He gave us all that we wanted to know, didn't he?"
"Yes, but I'm still having trouble confirming or even accepting it. How is it possible that there is a force out there actively fighting the aliens while we have waited here for more than forty years preparing ourselves while their fleet looms over us?"
The man's voice showed surprise and disbelief. "General, you mean that there hasn't been any reply from the Fuhrer?"
The lack of a response gave him the answer he need. "How can it be? It has been five full Earth days! Doesn't he understand the gravity of the situation? The alien's Hannabu have been probing the area around our base. They must be preparing something!"
"Something is wrong here Major. That it why I want to hear the prisioner's claims by myself so that I can believe them".
To Harris it seemed as if he was in a dreamlike state as he overheard the conversation but could make no sense out of it. Nothing seemed real except for the scar on his face that would occasionaly itch and bring him back to the cockpit of the Aurora before it was shot down by the UFO.
A voice made him focus again on the table. "Prisioner, identify yourself!"
After a couple of seconds to recollect his thoughts, Harris started speaking. "Andrew Willard Harris, Lieutenant Colonel. Serial number 59154-1034. Born on April 15th, 1959 in Wakefield, Iowa, United States. Formely of the United States Air Force, now currently under the service of Extraterrestrial Command, based in Area 51, Nevada, US, flying Firestorm fighters…:"
"That is enough prisioner". The albino Nazi made him stop. "What is Extraterrestrial Command?"
"It was created in 1998 under the auspices of the United Nations to investigate and fight alien activity on Earth. There were originally sixteen nations who signed the X-Com charter but six have abandoned the force, with five joining the alien's side and the United States decided to fight them on their own".
"Unbelievable!" The comment from the General made the Major stop before he could state the next question. "What of the rest of the world?" He demanded to the officer.
"The prisioner told us that a number of states have also joined the Zionist-Alien alliance".
"How is it possible? We fled Earth because we knew that we couldn't fight them from there. Our new Fuhrer told us that all of Earth's goverments were becoming corrupted".
The pause on the interrogation gave Harris time to clear his mind and start to think about what really was going on. Then, all of a sudden a loud voice was suddenly heard coming from an unseen speaker inside the room: "Achtung!"
"Alien Hannabus have been detected heading towards the base. All personnel man the battle stations! Achtung!" The warning made all three officers looked in bafflement towards one another. They quickly got up from their seats and sped off to the door, giving no further attention to Harris as they left.
He couldn't understand what the announcement had been but the frenziness that had erupted around him was familiar. As the guards moved to his sides and grabbed his arms to quickly get him moving his broken arm sent him a deep searing pain.
They ignored his shout and brought him outside the room to the corridor that would lead him into the the containment area. As they stepped outside Harris got the confirmation that something big was about to happen. Nazi stormtroopers wearing EVA suits with laser rifles attached to their backs were running everywhere. The base could only be under an attack by the aliens. Or could it be X-Com that had detected his location?
The idea gave in a little of hope, only to be dismissed as he remembered the alien fleet that was parked on the other side of the Moon. They would never pass it or even try to approach the satellite.
Suddenly the rumble of a blast was heard and the three men stopped on their path. The metal ground beneath their feet shook for a couple of minutes as one of the guards started to shout in German with a panicked voice. They were in the corridor with the viewports to the lunar surface and Harris moved his head so that he could have a look at the outside.
The Moon had gone around the Earth and the planet was now blocking the sunlight, turning the whole area into a deep darkness where only the stars could be seen. The overheads light flickered for a second then went off, bringing more stressed words from the guard.
As the red emergency lights came up both of them let go of Harris and drew their laser pistols. They were looking at both ends of the corridor, unsure of what to do.
Meanwhile he continued to stare outside, trying to understand what was really going. When the luminous shape of a Terror Ship came over the horizon he realized what was happening and sat down on the ground, wanting to have some rest before the inevitable. One of the guards ordered him to get up but he ignored him.
Then, as the man was moving towards him, the whole ceiling of the corridor suddenly glowed and dissapeared afterwards. In less than a second Harris saw the guard raising himself on the air as the explosive decompression sucked everything that was loose inside the corridor. His own body followed a moment afterwards and as it cleared the hole carved by the UFO's weapons his body fluids exploded, killing him.
January 1st, 2002
Geneva, Switzerland
Three had been surprised by the sudden request for a meeting by Eight, which had been completely unexpected. Before the appointment he had wondered for hours about the purpose of such a meeting. A trap? A deal?
It had aroused his curiosity then, to the point that I was impossible to hide it from the younger man as they both finally met. And he had blatantly admitted it, together with his surprise to see what mistakes Eight might do if his ego was inflated enough. The man's psychological profile surely had indicated that there might be such a possibility.
"I have information of extreme importance to the group". That had been the first indication that some big was about to happen. A major change of power was probably about to occur on the organization and he had better been prepared for it. "You have my full attention. Proceed".
"You know about Williams still being alive?" At the mention of the CIA officer, Three felt dissapointment. He already had that information relayed from him by Seven. Still he could use this meeting to start making Two distrusting Eight.
"And the reason why you were fooled was because someone we know ordered him taken out of the car and to replace his body with a clone". The revelation had sent a nuclear blast inside Three's head. A deep sense of anger had gone by him at that moment but he ignored it, knowing that he needed more proof of the other man's claims.
"Our agents at Area 51….." He started but Eight didn't let him speak. "Have been secretely reassigned or have been feeding you false reports. As you might have discovered by now".
"You realize that such a claim must be proven with more than words???"
"And I will". Eight simply replied. "Days ago a secret communication was sent to Williams proposing a meeting between both. I have the location and the date of that reunion. Someone is conducting their own agenda and risking the integrity of all of our plans. We can't risk any association with X-Com at this moment".
When Three's silence had extended itself for more time than it would be natural, Seven had started to wonder if he had overextended his hand and revealed too much without stating his price. But Three was already seeing the near future and how all pieces of the puzzle were falling into their right places on his mind.
Check-mate, the coup de grâce, a thousand words were coming to his mind to describe his next movement. No, he had corrected himself then, the group's next movement. He only needed for the pieces to naturally place themselves in position. And they had. Both in Earth and on the Moon.
Looking at the table he now occupied Two's chair. He now had the other man's position by taking advantage of his mistakes. Across the table Eight was now Seven. His ambitions had been clear: he wanted to raise his position. And he also wanted to be on the winner's side.
At the end of the table there was an empty chair, the twelfth one that marked the demise of one of the groups' members and reminding him of his victory. Even if Williams had survived the attempt and was now hiding in Area 51 back again where they had no means to get him for now. It didn't matter. The clock was ticking and even if the former Two had given him any revelant information about them he would be powerless to prevent them or even discover who they were.
Looking to the other side, his eyes focused on Number One. He was the last obstacule to be removed before he finally could get what he wanted and the other man knew it. And nothing would stand on his path. Even his effort towards the Nazi fools on the Moon had been sacrified. A worthless ideology, something that should belong to the past buried alongside its now dead followers on the Moon.
One started to speak and he listened to him. "We stand on the threshold of a new path to mankind. This is truly a New Year that will mark the beginning of a new era. We all have taken a long and perilous path to get here and the fruits of it are now only start to truly blossom". Every member of the group nodded in approval, although some, including the former Three found them too poetical for his taste.
"And those who deviated themselves from the plan will never enjoy them". That brought a smile to Three and Number One noticed it, looking at him. "But in order to be fully prepared we need to keep our number. Competition is what drive us to our best as we all know. Therefore we need to recruit another junior member to our cause".
That had been one of the major reasons for the assembly and Three already had some suggestions. Several of his own agents inside the US Government had proven themselves more than reliable. It was time to bring one of them into the circle and strenghten his position.
But as he was about to speak, another voice suddenly overcome him. "I would like to propose a name". Searching for the source of it, Three found it to be the former Eight. "No matter who misguided a former associate of ours were, he knew the value of that person. He has been in contact with the alien situation from the beginning and will bring new perspectives for us to consider. Not to mention the knowledge that X-Com has collected over our 'friends'. We can't afford to loose it".
As he realized of whom they were talking, Three was appalled by the proposal. "That is preposterous! That man is a danger to us!" Number One didn't even seemed to pay attention as he replied. "A very interesting option".
Three suddenly realized that the whole thing had already been set up against him. In no doubt the others who didn't support him were fearing his sudden elevation and trying to contain his increase of power. "I call the vote. Who agrees with this proposal?"
A couple of minutes later the voting was all over and Number Three could only watch in anger as his plans were completely frustrated. It didn't matter, he told himself. Only the strongest should survive and he was sure that he could pass any new challenges ahead.
André Galvão 2002