Red Impulse got up and put his visor in place. He motioned for them to
follow him.
Jun and Joe got up and left the medical laboratory. They followed Red Impulse up several levels.
From what they had seen this "base" was well designed. It seemed to be about 8-10 floors. There was security everywhere. You didn't move around without security scans and id checks at every point.
Red Impulse led them to a meeting room. They sat down and waited for Red Impulse to begin. Red Impulse took off his visor and looked directly at them.
"Where would you like me to start?" He asked.
They both had the obvious question in mind. How was he still alive?
"Captain, I need to record this for Hakase. I hope you don't mind." Jun said as she set a recording device on the table.
"Go ahead. I think Dr. Nambu would like a record of this anyway knowing him." He smiled slightly.
Joe started first.
"Captain, how about an obvious question first? How are you alive?" Joe asked.
Red Impulse started at the beginning.
"The rocket had a primitive escape capsule on it. I escaped in the capsule shortly before the rocket blew." He offered as a very brief explanation.
"How come ISO didn't find you or any wreckage from the capsule?" Joe interrupted him.
"They might have found wreckage. You would have to ask Dr. Nambu if anything was found."
"We weren't aware there was a search. Hakase never mentioned it." Joe watched Red Impulse carefully waiting for his reply.
Red Impulse looked surprised.
"I can't give you any details after the rocket exploded. I was knocked unconscious. I only know what was told to me when I woke up five months later." He paused.
Joe nodded.
That explained the burn damage and newer scars Jun found during the examination.
Jun encouraged him to continue. "Go on Captain, please." She said softly.
"I awoke five months later in a hospital laboratory run by a man named Dr. Rafael. He was an ex-Galactor ISO had tried to recruit before he simply disappeared."
Joe and Jun looked at him stunned.
"We know who Dr Rafael is, Captain." Jun stated quietly. "Please continue."
Red Impulse looked at them curiously, but they said nothing.
He continued after a moment of silence.
"For the next several months I was semi-conscious. By the time I was fully aware I'd been through several surgeries and tissue regeneration. Recovery took a long time. My body had atrophied. I needed to retrain it again. It was about two years before I was fully functional again."
That made sense to Jun given what the exam had shown.
"Where did you go once Dr. Rafael released you?" Joe asked
"My first instinct was to go back to Crescent Coral. I tried to contact Dr. Nambu several times. I was shot at twice trying to make contact. Each time Nambu never appeared and someone took a shot at me. The third time I sent one of my operatives instead. He was ambushed and killed."
They looked at him stunned.
"How long after the V-2 incident was this?" Joe asked.
"About two and a half years after was the first time attempt. It took me a while to collect enough information to make safe contact again."
"How did you attempt to reach Nambu?" Joe asked.
"There were several pre-arranged call signals for the Red Impulse squad. I also tried to reach Nambu directly he never received the message. I tried three times over two years. After the third time I knew it was too dangerous to make contact."
"Do you know who was responsible?" Joe asked.
"I know one of the agents from my side. That party is dead. The mole in ISO still exists though. I don't know who he is. Only that it has to be someone high either in the Red Impulse squad or in intelligence."
"Do they know who you are?" Joe asked worried Red Impulse's or possibly Gatchaman's identities had been compromised.
"No, I don't think so. I've been careful. I am presumed dead, and intend to stay that way for now except for the team. I don't wish to be shadowed again. It is too dangerous now. There is the possibility that whoever this is knows relationship between Gatchaman and Red Impulse. I am afraid they could use it as a trap against Ken or myself."
Joe agreed with Red Impulse.
"Galactor tried to trap Ken exactly this way before. I think for now you should remain dead, Captain." Joe said
Jun nodded in agreement. "I think caution is warranted for now, Sir."
Red Impulse nodded knowingly. "Agreed."
Joe changed the topic.
"Captain, I spent some time with Dr Rafael when I was hurt at Cross Karakoram. How did I avoid seeing you?" He asked.
"You saw me, you just weren't aware it was me." Red Impulse replied. "You were recovering at the time. Rafael had said it would be detrimental to you. I believed him at first."
Red Impulse paused. He looked uneasily at Joe and went on.
"I learned later what he had done to you. There was nothing I could do then it was too late. I'm sorry I would have stopped him, if you had wanted."
He paused and looked at Joe. "He did a good job. I watched you carefully for a long time to make sure he hadn't changed you."
Joe and Jun looked at him stunned.
"You know." Joe choked out.
"I know." Red Impulse nodded.
"I was worried at first. He had assured me, you had complete free will, but I didn't trust him by this point. His hatred had eaten him alive. His thinking was distorted beyond reason."
Joe nodded at this. Some things started to make sense. Joe had never figured out how Rafael got his intelligence. Now it made sense, it had Red Impulse's stamp on it.
"I'd always wondered were Rafael got his intelligence. It was too good for his abilities." Joe said. "It all makes perfect sense now."
Red Impulse nodded and explained.
"It was a natural pairing. We both wanted Galactor dead. It gave me someplace to put my energies. I helped him to establish a working network. He gave me knowledge of the inner workings of Galactor."
Red Impulse paused and looked at Joe before continuing.
"You made my job easy, Once I realized you weren't going to run off half- cocked, I just had to provide you with information. You generally did the rest. You also started acting as a backup to the team. I owe you for that a few times over." He stressed
Joe laughed. "Don't blame me if he has your temper and lack of intelligence."
"Don't remind me. I wanted to wring his neck for a few of the stupid stunts he pulled." Red Impulse shifted uneasily.
"You and me both." Joe added.
"I thought all of you knew better than that." Red Impulse stated.
Jun spoke.
"We do." She said softly. "Ken just forgot for a while. It came back to him."
"No one is immune from being stupid including me." Red Impulse thought ruefully.
He looked at her, and his face softened. She saw several emotions cross his face.
"True enough." He said.
Jun looked down the disk was almost full. They had been talking for hours.
Jun interrupted "I need to change the disk. We can probably all use a break as well."
Both Joe and Red Impulse got up and stretched.
Joe checked the time. "Captain, we've been up almost 24 hours now. We're going to need some rest soon."
Red Impulse agreed. "Let's get some sleep now. I have some guards on the G-2. It will be safe for now. They'll alert me if the security forces try anything."
Joe looked slightly startled. In all excitement he had forgotten about his car.
Red Impulse put his visor back on and led them down several levels to the living quarters.
"These rooms are connected. I figured for security reasons you'd prefer the arrangement." He stated and then headed for a room across the hall.
Joe nodded. He entered and checked out the rooms thoroughly. Satisfied they were clear, they both fell into bed exhausted.
Jun and Joe got up and left the medical laboratory. They followed Red Impulse up several levels.
From what they had seen this "base" was well designed. It seemed to be about 8-10 floors. There was security everywhere. You didn't move around without security scans and id checks at every point.
Red Impulse led them to a meeting room. They sat down and waited for Red Impulse to begin. Red Impulse took off his visor and looked directly at them.
"Where would you like me to start?" He asked.
They both had the obvious question in mind. How was he still alive?
"Captain, I need to record this for Hakase. I hope you don't mind." Jun said as she set a recording device on the table.
"Go ahead. I think Dr. Nambu would like a record of this anyway knowing him." He smiled slightly.
Joe started first.
"Captain, how about an obvious question first? How are you alive?" Joe asked.
Red Impulse started at the beginning.
"The rocket had a primitive escape capsule on it. I escaped in the capsule shortly before the rocket blew." He offered as a very brief explanation.
"How come ISO didn't find you or any wreckage from the capsule?" Joe interrupted him.
"They might have found wreckage. You would have to ask Dr. Nambu if anything was found."
"We weren't aware there was a search. Hakase never mentioned it." Joe watched Red Impulse carefully waiting for his reply.
Red Impulse looked surprised.
"I can't give you any details after the rocket exploded. I was knocked unconscious. I only know what was told to me when I woke up five months later." He paused.
Joe nodded.
That explained the burn damage and newer scars Jun found during the examination.
Jun encouraged him to continue. "Go on Captain, please." She said softly.
"I awoke five months later in a hospital laboratory run by a man named Dr. Rafael. He was an ex-Galactor ISO had tried to recruit before he simply disappeared."
Joe and Jun looked at him stunned.
"We know who Dr Rafael is, Captain." Jun stated quietly. "Please continue."
Red Impulse looked at them curiously, but they said nothing.
He continued after a moment of silence.
"For the next several months I was semi-conscious. By the time I was fully aware I'd been through several surgeries and tissue regeneration. Recovery took a long time. My body had atrophied. I needed to retrain it again. It was about two years before I was fully functional again."
That made sense to Jun given what the exam had shown.
"Where did you go once Dr. Rafael released you?" Joe asked
"My first instinct was to go back to Crescent Coral. I tried to contact Dr. Nambu several times. I was shot at twice trying to make contact. Each time Nambu never appeared and someone took a shot at me. The third time I sent one of my operatives instead. He was ambushed and killed."
They looked at him stunned.
"How long after the V-2 incident was this?" Joe asked.
"About two and a half years after was the first time attempt. It took me a while to collect enough information to make safe contact again."
"How did you attempt to reach Nambu?" Joe asked.
"There were several pre-arranged call signals for the Red Impulse squad. I also tried to reach Nambu directly he never received the message. I tried three times over two years. After the third time I knew it was too dangerous to make contact."
"Do you know who was responsible?" Joe asked.
"I know one of the agents from my side. That party is dead. The mole in ISO still exists though. I don't know who he is. Only that it has to be someone high either in the Red Impulse squad or in intelligence."
"Do they know who you are?" Joe asked worried Red Impulse's or possibly Gatchaman's identities had been compromised.
"No, I don't think so. I've been careful. I am presumed dead, and intend to stay that way for now except for the team. I don't wish to be shadowed again. It is too dangerous now. There is the possibility that whoever this is knows relationship between Gatchaman and Red Impulse. I am afraid they could use it as a trap against Ken or myself."
Joe agreed with Red Impulse.
"Galactor tried to trap Ken exactly this way before. I think for now you should remain dead, Captain." Joe said
Jun nodded in agreement. "I think caution is warranted for now, Sir."
Red Impulse nodded knowingly. "Agreed."
Joe changed the topic.
"Captain, I spent some time with Dr Rafael when I was hurt at Cross Karakoram. How did I avoid seeing you?" He asked.
"You saw me, you just weren't aware it was me." Red Impulse replied. "You were recovering at the time. Rafael had said it would be detrimental to you. I believed him at first."
Red Impulse paused. He looked uneasily at Joe and went on.
"I learned later what he had done to you. There was nothing I could do then it was too late. I'm sorry I would have stopped him, if you had wanted."
He paused and looked at Joe. "He did a good job. I watched you carefully for a long time to make sure he hadn't changed you."
Joe and Jun looked at him stunned.
"You know." Joe choked out.
"I know." Red Impulse nodded.
"I was worried at first. He had assured me, you had complete free will, but I didn't trust him by this point. His hatred had eaten him alive. His thinking was distorted beyond reason."
Joe nodded at this. Some things started to make sense. Joe had never figured out how Rafael got his intelligence. Now it made sense, it had Red Impulse's stamp on it.
"I'd always wondered were Rafael got his intelligence. It was too good for his abilities." Joe said. "It all makes perfect sense now."
Red Impulse nodded and explained.
"It was a natural pairing. We both wanted Galactor dead. It gave me someplace to put my energies. I helped him to establish a working network. He gave me knowledge of the inner workings of Galactor."
Red Impulse paused and looked at Joe before continuing.
"You made my job easy, Once I realized you weren't going to run off half- cocked, I just had to provide you with information. You generally did the rest. You also started acting as a backup to the team. I owe you for that a few times over." He stressed
Joe laughed. "Don't blame me if he has your temper and lack of intelligence."
"Don't remind me. I wanted to wring his neck for a few of the stupid stunts he pulled." Red Impulse shifted uneasily.
"You and me both." Joe added.
"I thought all of you knew better than that." Red Impulse stated.
Jun spoke.
"We do." She said softly. "Ken just forgot for a while. It came back to him."
"No one is immune from being stupid including me." Red Impulse thought ruefully.
He looked at her, and his face softened. She saw several emotions cross his face.
"True enough." He said.
Jun looked down the disk was almost full. They had been talking for hours.
Jun interrupted "I need to change the disk. We can probably all use a break as well."
Both Joe and Red Impulse got up and stretched.
Joe checked the time. "Captain, we've been up almost 24 hours now. We're going to need some rest soon."
Red Impulse agreed. "Let's get some sleep now. I have some guards on the G-2. It will be safe for now. They'll alert me if the security forces try anything."
Joe looked slightly startled. In all excitement he had forgotten about his car.
Red Impulse put his visor back on and led them down several levels to the living quarters.
"These rooms are connected. I figured for security reasons you'd prefer the arrangement." He stated and then headed for a room across the hall.
Joe nodded. He entered and checked out the rooms thoroughly. Satisfied they were clear, they both fell into bed exhausted.