Chapter 10: Portal to Darkness
Jahan Starler carefully closed the door to his private office. He was agitated but this was not the time to let that show. He had just come from the Assistant Director's and had basically been called on the carpet to explain his recent expenditures. He was glad that he could shield his true intentions with the pursuit of Shego and her new accomplice, Kim Possible but it was growing more and more difficult to keep his technical superior in the dark.
Maybe if those two in the basement would start screwing up again! That would get Skinner off his back.
No matter. One of his targets was now in custody and would soon be delivered to his secret base of operations in the South Carolina Low Country. The other three could not be found. Parker had simply vanished. Not even the tracking devices they were secretly employing at the Middleton Space Center had been able to get a bead on her.
Then there was the latest problem with Max Evans. He had seen the report Pierce originally filed when he had the boy in custody some years before. It was clear then he was some kind of alien/human hybrid. Purely human physiology, but with blood cells that were anything but. Those results were corroborated with the tests run on the "Ava" alien. Unfortunately, this time around they could find absolutely no evidence the boy was even part alien. Just like with Argus, all the tests came back as baseline human.
Had Evans found some way to mask his alien heritage? Was this Argus another one of them? Perhaps the Master would know.
Starler was thankful to have a private office of his own. In the chain of command, he reported directly to the Assistant Director. In reality, he made his real reports to a group of military leaders and other secret agencies who needed the services of the "Special Unit." He knew what he was doing was patently illegal, but he didn't care.
What nobody else knew was that he didn't have any kind of notion that what he was doing was for the greater good of the American people. Maybe his predecessors had felt that way, but they were weak, and in the end, easily replaced. They had been stupid, trying to assassinate the four aliens at their graduation! Didn't they see the true value in those four?
In the back of his office was a room originally intended to be a large supply closet. It had no windows and was well insulated from the rest of the building. Special circuitry was employed in the structure to make espionage more difficult. Any known (and the FBI knew quite many) signal could be jammed, traced and otherwise dealt with. Still, he took a device from his pocket and waved it about the room, checking his watch, ever mindful of the time. Finally, he shut the door and turned out the light. He kneeled in the center of the room and bowed his head.
He was not praying.
A point of light formed in front of him, growing, spreading until a disk of watery light hung about a foot from the floor. If anyone from that early in the 21st Century had ever seen one, they would have thought the effect was created by a Chronal Manipulator. Instead, this was no such device, it was a lens, a portal opened by a being of great power and great darkness, from a distant world not yet visited by Earth-born mankind.
"Speak, my servant!" the voice boomed in his mind. Despite the utter silence of the chamber, Starler imagined that the very wall were shaken by the voice.
"All goes according to your plan, my Master. We have captured one of the Royal Four. Soon we will be able to force Kivar to do your bidding. I have also uncovered more information the agents who preceded me sought to conceal. There were indeed eight pods brought to this planet by the Antarian rebels. I believe they produced two sets of the Royal Four, though the Xan of the primary set is the only one to possess the Royal Seal."
"What of these duplicates?"
"We have found what we believe to be the duplicate of Xan's mate, Ava. This may be even more beneficial than relying on the theory that the Prime Ava's essence was transferred to Prime Xan's new mate."
"Interesting. Pursue this line of thought, but do not deviate from the original plan. We need the entire four, intact. If this second 'Ava' is of use, so much the better but I have foreseen the bond between Xan and his new bride is stronger than the original by far."
"I also see that there is another."
"Yes, my Master. When we first captured the secondary hybrid, she was rescued from our facility by an unknown champion. My physician is now trying to determine if he is indeed another Antarian, perhaps one of their genetically engineered protectors. I do not believe this, as these protectors only look human. So far he has proven to be perfectly human, but there is evidence he has been in contact with a psychokinetic healer at some point."
"What have you learned of him?"
"He appears to be an ordinary man running an ordinary business, but he is in fact some kind of warrior. We finally had to chain him up to keep him from injuring my men."
"He is unimportant. Learn all that is to be learned about him then dispose of him. Keep your focus on finding the Royal Four. They hold the key to revealing the Trinity of the Effurien."
The Trinity? The peasants often talked about them. They called them the "Trinity of the Fury" and believed they would one day rise to defeat his Master. Starler had always been told before that the Royal Four were needed to force Kivar, the despot of Antar into a political alliance with his homeworld, the planet Arkonia. How were they involved in the mythical heroes the rabble prayed to?
"We are closer than ever before, my Master. The remaining three will stop at nothing to free their King. We will spring our trap when they make their attempt. Velondra, Rath and the bearer of Ava's essence will be in our control. I already have Doctor Oray preparing King Xan so he will summon them to him."
"Oray?"
"Yes, my Master. Doctor Arthur Oray. He is a decorated medical researcher who we recruited to aid in their capture. He has proven very dedicated to our cause."
"Be vigilant, my Servant. That name has great meaning to me. Be certain of his allegiance but be wary of him. This is too much of a coincidence and there is too much at stake. If you have any doubts about this Doctor, eliminate him at once."
"It will be done, my Master." As he spoke, the lens disappeared, leaving him alone once more in the darkened room.
Why was the Podondrin, Master of Arkonia, Living god of the Triune World so concerned about an ordinary man? Was it simply his name? He had heard that name before, but it had absolutely no connection to this world.
Arcus Oray, the Mage of the Trinity, had been dead for over eight hundred years!
Doctor James Possible was worried. The FBI made a show of pulling out of the Space Center but he knew the place was still being watched. The girl who was hiding in the mysterious space ship said they knew she was there somewhere. He only hoped that what he knew about the craft held true. Even with most of the internal systems powered down it had properties that made it difficult and perhaps impossible to track her inside. To all outside observers the ship looked like just another partially completed experimental rocket held in their storage yard.
It helped that it had an exterior coating just like his daughter had on her car. In fact, that was where they had discovered the chameleon paint Wade finished her PT Cruiser with. Once the vehicle returned to Earth, it's apparent owner had asked if he could hide it among the other rockets. James had immediately agreed, though he was concerned about a teal green and tan starship among the dull gray metal of his G-series experiments. Neil Argus had replied by giving the onboard computer a series of commands. The outer skin shifted color, until it matched the others in the storage yard.
The X.S.S. Trinity was hidden in plain sight!
Then came the unexpected call. Now he was once again waiting in the lobby of the center, wondering exactly why the young computer genius and master gadgeteer of Team Possible wanted to meet with him about a homework assignment! He would be more than glad to help the boy, but wasn't he working on his doctor's thesis? James Possible knew he was intelligent, but Wade Load was already a quantum leap ahead of him. He was far more likely to enlist the boy's aid to unravel the secrets of the hidden space yacht than to provide him help. Then there was the fact he had never seen him face to face. He was always the chubby little boy seen on Kim's pocket sized screen.
He was even more surprised when he spotted him in the modest crowd of visitors. Despite all that was going on he could not suppress a grin as he motioned him over to him. In all that time he figured Wade was short, even for his age. It dawned on him that he had always been seated in his computer lab.
Wade was tall enough to look him straight in the eye.
He was otherwise exactly the same rotund featured boy, just starting his teen years. Though he was just as tall as he was, he was almost twice as big, and not all of it was the result of the uncounted gallons of soda he consumed. Some of his bulk was actually backed up by muscle mass. He would never be described as ripped but he wasn't as soft looking in person as he always imagined.
"Wade, so glad to finally meet you in person. Your…taller than I thought."
"Actually, Doctor Possible, I've been going through a growth spurt. My Mom thinks I'm actually going to be even bigger by the time I'm done growing."
"What brings you here? I thought you spent most of your time in that computer lab of yours."
"I needed your help with the inducer routings on a chronal damping modulator."
James' jaw dropped just slightly. That was one of the more esoteric systems on the Trinity. How did he know about that? Of course Wade was aware of the ship, but none of the data he had gleaned was ever put on the mainframe. It was too dangerous to have that sort of thing where hackers, even one as benevolent as his daughter's young friend.
"We need to talk in my lab" James said, leading him away from the crowded visitor's center.
"Now, just what is this about Wade? Why on Earth do you need something that is intended to keep a space craft in sync with normal time when it is traveling faster than light? Not to mention, how you know about the system."
"Oh, I've been talking to the AI on the Trinity fairly regularly. I had a dedicated, shielded line tied directly to it."
"You had what?" Then what the young man said clicked "You had, as in past tense?"
"That's what I really needed to see you about. Yesterday morning the FBI showed up at my house with a warrant for all of my equipment. I'm effectively cut off from the rest of the world, Kim included."
That wasn't good. That meant Kim was not only on her own, she was effectively incommunicado. Most of the special features of her Kimmunicator would not work unless routed through the system. All the real computing power was located there, the hand held was only a remote receiver/sensor package.
"Hold the phone! Does that mean they can tie into the Trinity's AI?"
"No. For security's sake I only created the link from scratch every time I connected to it. Without me, they can't do it, they won't even have any idea that I was doing it. I was excessively careful not to leave a trail on any of my hard drives."
James relaxed a bit. If anyone in the world knew how to do that, it would be Wade.
"Then why are you here?"
"I think the only way I can get back online is to access the AI directly. It uses a communication system that transmits through something called Space Minus. It's like the opposite of hyperspace. The upside is that nothing in this century can detect it, let alone intercept the signal. I'll be able to reactivate the Kimmunicator and the Feds won't even know I'm doing it."
"Then by all means, let's get to it!"
Frustration.
Neil knew how to summon his powers. All he had to do was concentrate.
The other James Neil Argus, the one from the other universe, the one who for some unimaginable reason went by "Jimmy" had shown him how to do it.
So far all he had been able to do was heal minor scratches and turn Shego's appearance back to normal.
He should be able to do so much more! His counterpart was able to heal massive wounds, to move objects with his will, to even rip apart the fabric of space and time. He was supposed to be the same person, the same soul repeated for this universe. He was supposed to have the same powers.
Jimmy had failed to mention it took thirty years for all those powers to develop!
He was trying to use a power called "tactile telekinesis." Somehow he was supposed to be able to affect an object by touching it. How was that supposed to work? If he had to actually touch something to make it move, what good was that? He was a big, strong man and if he could touch something, he should be able to move it with his muscles!
No, that wasn't helping anything. There wasn't anything he could touch, let alone move that would help him in his current situation. The chain had finally been lengthened, but only enough for him to lie down on his cot or go to the stainless steel privy. The electrodes were still stuck to his bare chest, though the wires had been detached. Disgustedly he started ripping them off, throwing them at the drain grate in the middle of the cell.
He looked at the heavy chain again. Strong as he was, he was still just a plain human being. There was no way he could break them. Not that he hadn't tried. His wrists were raw from straining against them, hoping against hope there was some weakness.
Giving up for the moment, he sat back down on the cot. At least his meager powers had some use. There wasn't any glow or other outward sign as he extended his will through his finger tips, but the pain and sting the ravaged skin beneath the locked manacles slowly changed, the open wounds closing, the skin turning from angry red to health pink once more.
There was something fascinating about doing this. He could actually sense the individual cells of his body. It was almost as if he understood how the molecules contained within those cells worked. Flesh lost cohesion and flowed, first repairing the damage, then returning to normal, scar tissue fading away until all that was left was plain healthy skin. He even caused his light colored arm hairs to return. It was amazing. He could even sense the cold steel of the shackles.
He could feel the inner workings of the lock!
Hesitantly, he pushed with his mind. Somehow he knew that one of the tumblers dropped into place! His mind raced. Lock picking was one of the skills he once practiced, yet here in his cell he lacked any of the tools he needed. They made sure of that. If he had even a pin he would have been out of them long ago!
The second tumbler popped into place.
His mind was now the pin. Slowly he worked his way around the mechanism. So this was tactile TK! He kept two fingers on the ring around his wrist, pushing just so on each tumbler.
The manacle popped open with an audible click!
He reached inside the empty pocket of his trunks. The liner was made of the same mesh that lined the inside. It wasn't much use to carry stuff around in, but he sometimes liked keeping his hands tucked in there. Now he grabbed the liner and ripped it straight out. With his teeth he tore it into smaller fragments, stuffing a tiny scrap into the workings of the clasp. He was then able to close it without the lock reconnecting.
His confidence growing, he set to work on his other wrist.
Michael was growing more and more agitated. Even Maria was now convinced Max and Liz had been taken. "Have you had any luck?"
Isabel just shook her head. Her own power was the ability to enter the dreams of another person. Usually, though, it only worked when her target was actually asleep. "I can't get anything from Max. That means he's either been taken too far away for it to work or…"
"Don't think like that." Kyle warned. "What about Liz?"
"I think I got a couple flashes from her. Somehow I think she's still in there." She pointed at the Space Center. They were in an abandoned storage building, using a small office on the second floor with windows facing the massive complex.
"That's good news, then." Maria said, hoping to calm them all down. "If something bad happened to Max, Liz would know. She always knows. Their souls are connected somehow. If they got to Max, then her feelings would have been a beacon, even in just short flashes."
"I hope you are right, Miss Deluca."
Everyone turned toward the new voice. Michaels' hand went up automatically, summoning a telekinetic blast.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Mr. Guerin. Or you, Mrs. Ramirez." The speaker turned to face Isabel, who had raised her own hand, though slower than Michael."
The woman was tall, almost stately. She was dressed in a crisp, dark blue uniform. Her neat, dark brown hair was parted to one side. Her most distinctive feature, however, was a black patch over one eye.
"I mean you no harm. In fact, I may be able to offer you the means to be rid of the Special Unit once and for all, allowing you to return to your former lives in Roswell."
"What? Who? How?" Michael stammered.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Doctor Director, the head of Global Justice and I intend to enlist your aid in bringing down the illegally formed Special Unit once and for all!"
Strike Force Agent Millard Bedarest was tired. Not so much physically. Work with the FBI was demanding, but nothing compared to the deserts of Iraq. Here there were no insurgents ready to deal death at every corner. Here most people who passed you on the street paid you no more attention than they did anyone else, with the possible exception of his stature.
No, he was getting tired of Tybor and the rest of the unit he had been assigned to. This wasn't what he thought he was trained for at Quantico. It rankled him to be going after someone like Kim Possible, somebody who had clearly saved the world on multiple occasions. His unit had taken on several of the Diablo bots that had been carried into the Middle East by soldiers, hoping to take them home to their children.
He had just finished chewing out one of his team members. It had technically been a good shoot. They were under attack and he acted within his training and within the rules of engagement. But he expected more from his men. There was no reason for the boy to be shot. They knew going in that the most dangerous one would be Shego. She was the real fugitive in the situation. It was clear that once they established who they were, someone as smart as Possible would have immediately surrendered. Sure, they had a warrant for her arrest, but she would know the best way to deal with it was to go through with it, to clear her name by the proper channels. Besides, it was looking more and more like her old nemesis was calling the shots and had even probably gained some sway over them. The end of the fight looked all the world like a kidnapping instead of an escape.
He was also starting to get a glimmer that something else was going on here. Something truly wrong.
He found himself in the cell block at the bottom of the hidden complex. Why had this been constructed? Prisoners were supposed to be handed over for proper trial, not kept in a secret base. He stopped in front of one cell. This particular prisoner had been subjected to some kind of tests. Tests? Heck, those weren't tests, those looked much more like torture.
He looked at the prisoner. The main was chained up like an animal. He had a haggard look to him, not being able to shave in days nor even take a bath. He was still clad in the long swimming trunks he had been wearing when they captured him. Now he was sleeping on the cot, his back turned to him, the chain draped across his waist.
Bedarest opened the cell door with his key card and stepped inside.
"Wake up, I need to ask you something."
Special thanks to the good folks who have been reviewing! I've now got up much better picture of Neil Argus on DeviantArt. You can access my page from my website (on my author page) and the pic is in "Scraps"