PART NINETEEN : " Cabal "
"He isn't human..."
Alec looked around at the group at the table. Max and Lydecker at the head, Mole and White at the end, accompanied by Joshua, Cindy and Beck on the side chairs.
He continued. "He's not transgenic. Frankly, we're not sure what he is. The disc containing the sensor readings didn't show anyone there at all... not anything or anyone you'd invite out for a beer, anyway."
Mole, Joshua and Cindy chuckled. The rest waited.
"Right. OK, this Legion person comes across video as a normal guy, but the only thing along the band sensors is dead signal, except for a weird background resonance. Before you ask; it's not the sensors. They picked up Max just fine."
Lydecker motioned to the display, "Then let's see her readout, so we can tell what it's supposed to be reporting."
"All in good time, Commandant Manticore." Alec replied, without giving the man a second look.
"Alec..." Max said sharply.
Alec glanced at Max, then rolled his eyes. "All right. Hold on a sec." He punched a couple of buttons. "It's not easy operating this stuff without your boyfriend around, he put it together you know."
Joshua brought the question into the open. "Do we know where Logan is?"
Max answered. "The Conclave is holding him. Or this Legion guy is."
"How do we know that for sure?" Mole challenged.
Max fixed her gaze on him, "One of my gut feelings. The premonitional bogeyman visited again. Whatever it is, I know he or they have Logan. As usual, I'm a little foggy on the details. If I think something's not right, you'll know it."
Alec interrupted "Ok, here it is."
A frame image of Max appeared, and split-screened was information that looked to Max like genetic sequencing codes.
Donald Lydecker was already standing up, putting his glasses on. Reading the lines, he nodded. Sharply, he asked; "White, what kind of sensors are these? I've never seen detailed readouts like this, even at our prior labs, without detailed microscopic examination."
White started to stand, but a throaty growl from Joshua changed his mind. "Top of the line genetic samplers. Like I told her before, the Conclave doesn't exactly consider artificial eugenic manipulation the acceptable norm, but they have technological advancement par none. If 452..."
A glare from Max made him pause momentarily...
"Ok, if 'Max' hadn't been extremely lucky, we'd have had her and most of the rest of her genetic buddies long ago." he continued. "If my brother hadn't interfered before the Jam Pony incident, when I had her at a holding facility; I would have had sufficient time to have similar equipment brought in."
Grudgingly, he looked at Max. "Eventually we would have caught you. But I have to admit, Manticore did a fair job for you to have evaded the Conclave as long as you did. If you don't do something about them, they WILL eventually take over. That will mean death for the transgenics and vassalage for the rest of the world."
Mole interjected, "So we don't have any readings on this so-called pal of yours on the screen. What good is it then?"
"More than you'd think." Beck answered. She nodded at Alec.
Alec brought up a couple of charts. "We ran a check on the background harmonics that came through on this guy. Something seems to be there, it's just not showing up through the sensors. Either the guy's a phantom, or he's the best natural signal jamming catalyst I've ever seen. His voice is another matter. On typical audio reception of human or transgenic, his speech sounds fairly typical." He smiled a mysterious smile at Max. "What we discovered however, was a level of sub-frequency tracks that effects neurological and subliminal impulses."
He motioned to White. "When you were interrogated, before Max returned; you said he controlled your body. Max reported that he stopped her from moving completely." He motioned to Beck.
Beck cleared her throat. "We believe that this individual has some kind of psionic abilities, but that his voice is the key. It may open the mind to suggestion or infiltration, much as a safecracker opens a combination lock. However, he's too old to be a Manticore PsiOps transgenic and I can't explain yet why he can block the sensor from reading him and not prevent it from getting readings from others at the same time."
Lydecker looked thoughtful. "Would audio inhibitors on our soldiers prevent him from enabling control over them?"
"Our PEOPLE might be able to be protected," she corrected, "Then again they might not. I'm going on theory here, based on fact. Given time I might have more information for you."
Until now, Lydecker had not directly looked at White. His line-of-sight now fell solidly on him. "Where is the Conclave located?" he ordered.
As the two men locked eyes on each other, Max felt the tension in the air rise exponentially. Though Lydecker had learned of the Conclave almost two years ago, White had known of Manticore all his life. If circumstance hadn't brought the two former enemies together in the same room for a similar purpose, it was doubtful both would have survived such a meeting.
Taking his time, White responded. "Locally, the Conclave has a gathering on the western side of the Puget Sound, in a community called Belfair. You should know the location well, it was built just over the hill from the ruins of Manticore. And incidentally, Colonel, you would be best suited to remember that I am here in opposition to everything I believe, for the safety of my son, and as it turns out; for the safety of your transgenics as well. A more respectful tone might be in order."
Lydecker leaned over the table directly towards White. "Your organization betrays the foundation of the government and people of the United States and, incidentally, every government on the face of the planet. You're a traitor not only to your people, but also to the world and mankind. If you want respect from them," he waved his hand around the room in gesture, "...you'll have to earn it. But don't expect to see it from me, ever. And if this is a trick to lure my kids into a trap, you will definitely discover what I'm best suited for. Do I make myself clear, Mr. White?"
A grim expression wove a pattern on Whites face. "Indeed I do."
Max decided this had gone on long enough. "Once past the Seattle checkpoints, Belfair is about an hour, maybe an hour and a half drive on public roads. White, I want you to work with Lydecker and Mole on entry strategy and Conclave perimeter securities. Both of you pay attention, as this part is very important: if you and Lydecker get into it and either of you gets killed, I'll terminate the other personally. And you..." she pointed at Mole, "...will go on latrine duty for months just for letting it happen. After this is over, I don't care if you kill each other but right now you both are on probation here; do I make myself clear?" She looked back and forth between the two. Neither looked happy about it, but both nodded.
"Good. Beck; you and OC see if there's anything more you can come up with on this guy or anything we can use as a defense against what he did to me at the Needle. Alec, get an infiltration unit grouped. If details work to our advantage, we're going to form a plan and go in to get Logan. Joshua, you're with me." Joshua stood as she headed towards the conference room door.
Mole lit up a cigar. "And if details don't work to our advantage?"
Max paused at the door, "Then I go in alone."
Then she turned and walked out.