Project Bright Sky
Chapter 1
The 'sentient' I had experimented on was now well and truly, dead. I had cut out internal organs and various other bits while he was still conscious and screaming. When the screaming had become annoying I merely broke his jaw again. He had died with fear in his eyes though, as if he knew it would be the final death for him. I had also learnt that some 'sentients' remain as programs on the internet or in networks, he had proved most useful. I wasn't a hundred percent convinced about machines believing in a god. The number of times I had heard that same excuse, 'god commands you to kill, what bollocks! Merely a way to command the fearful masses into obedience!
Things were getting seriously surreal at the minute. I had encountered the 'Sliders' about a week ago, a strange event in itself and they had asked for my help in modifying their 'timer'. This was a device that allows travel between universes using advanced time travel. I had never really believed it was possible, but as Horatio once said about "Heaven and earth" and all that jig. In order to help them I had gone to the Bazaar and located another race called the Ieldra who were easily technologically advanced enough to help them, but rarely shared their expertise.
The Ieldra had agreed to locate the survivors of Kobol for me, in return for a favour, to copy Quinn's 'timer'. They would also help Quinn modify his 'timer' for controlled use. This could prove useful, travel into other universes, either before or after the one we were in now. Intriguing!
The Ieldra were a benign race, and quite a secretive bunch. I learnt that the one who had taken Methos to the other Galaxy was as much a legend among Ieldra as Methos was among Immortals; his name Enki, or Ea in Babylonian. They had also encountered the First Ones a long while ago, and severed contact with both the Vorlons and Shadows who they considered misguided after their last culling of what they believed were the 'Younger Races'.
They also knew of the location Kobol, and had once upon a time been worshipped as the Lords of the same planet. Mmmm…coincidence, I think not! But I wasn't about to look a 'gift horse in the mouth'. I had also wanted the Ieldra to double check my findings on the 'Sentients' or Cylons. I had developed a test that would confirm human or not by key enzymes in brain matter. They had found another method, blood test; but we did not possess the technology to make it feasible, yet. But there was a way around it. I could blood test for a 'normal' preternatural, if you'll excuse the oxymoron, and if it was a negative proceed to the brain. I had to learn where other Cylons had stored themselves as programs and destroy them, and the best way to do that would be to isolate the network, destroy any transmitters and fry it, EMP's were really useful for that kind of thing.
A plan was slowly forming and all I had to do was locate another Cylon. Angela had told of a government Project called 'Bright Sky', so that was my target. Senators I could influence, or kill; wouldn't be the first time for either, or the last. I had made the request directly to the President about 'Bright Sky', and was told that it was controlled through a medium sized company called Bright Sky Farms, but would not tell me the 'parent company'. It was unlike Jack Ryan to withhold information from me.
I set my resources to work on the 'holding company'. I then drove to the Headquarters for Bright Sky Farms, which took a sedate three hours through some of the night while I made a few calls.
It was just after some breakfast, and about 10am I arrived. I then started to walk towards the entrance of their main offices. It looked like any other modern company building; all glass and steel, with tinted windows. Nothing special, its own security but you expect that of a government run facility. Two of the dim wits were currently watching me, talking into their 'mikes'. I opened the door and walked in and produced my DoD badge to the very attractive bleach blonde Receptionist, with really lovely blue eyes that sparkled with an inner humour.
"I'm here to see the XO, where is his office?" I asked, although I already knew the answer. Had to try and be polite.
"I'll have to ring through". I didn't detect or notice any hidden agenda or 'tells' when she said this. I had looked at her name tag covertly and noticed her name was Anne-Marie.
"Sure" I said, "I'll wait. Can you mention it is urgent though?" I could hear her conversation with the XO's secretary, and the response. Preternatural hearing can be wonderful sometimes.
"He's currently in a meeting" Anne-Marie said. Now that was a lie, but one told by the secretary on the other end.
"Pass me the phone, and I'll speak to his secretary"
"I can't, it's not allowed" she replied a little sheepishly.
"This is a National Security issue, now pass me the damn phone!" I answered in slightly hushed tones so as not to attract security. She tentatively gave me the phone. I had overheard the name of the XO's secretary earlier during the conversation. It's amazing how many patriots there are when you say those two magic words, 'national security'; that or usually in fear as stories abound of those failing to comply, but who wants to debunk the stories. Fear can be a very weapon.
"Now Valerie, I intend to see the XO right now, and any other senior directors. This is a matter of National Security. Do you understand what this means?" She took a deep breath, and I could hear security starting to approach from both the external door and internally. I hadn't seen or heard the receptionist trigger any alarms, it must have been Valerie.
It would 'kick off' now I was sure.
The internal security guard checked behind me, that the external 'backup' was in place and approached.
"I don't know who you are but you are going to have to leave or come back here with a warrant" His two associates were halfway to drawing their pistols. In feudal Japan many Ninja would have gauntlets in battle to block sword strikes and also concealing shuriken. Not the usual four or five pointed ones. I have seven bo shuriken on either forearm, these are almost arrow shaped, and excellent for throwing and inserting into people, and yes I've have a lot of experience doing it. Before they could draw I let fly two in the direction of those about to draw, straight into their gun hands. The one behind me never had a chance either. I struck back into his stomach with an elbow, enhanced by a little preternatural strength and down he went. I walked over the two guards lying on the floor with pointy bits of steel in their hands and grabbed both shuriken and wrenched them viciously in the wounds causing two screams, one from either victim before I pulled them out. The guard on the left I hit with a boshi ken, or thumb strike directly to the temple, and the other got a shishin ken, or two fingertip strike to the forehead. Three unconscious guards, and a very frightened receptionist.
"I'm not going to hurt you Anne-Marie, but go home now". She sort of nodded her head and dashed straight out the door in fear.
Me for the most part, I walked through the internal doors towards the offices, and followed the directions of building blue prints I had examined and memorised only hours before. I knew exactly where the directors were. The problem with frontal assaults is that if there is no evidence of any untoward you look a prick, and can get into all kinds of trouble. I hoped it wasn't going to be the latter. I walked towards another security guard who looked unsure of me & stepped to block my way.
"I need to see your pass.." was all he got to utter before I knocked him unconscious with a punch in the jaw. My intuition was 'a fire' with possibilities, something was very wrong here. I had the same feeling as soon as I had walked into the building, hence my approach, but sometimes it can be wrong. I walked around another corner to find another security guard being complacent and not looking my way. I used another thumb strike to the cerebral cortex, compressing it enough to temporarily effect vital function. Any harder would have killed him. I caught his body before he could hit the floor, and left him where he lay. The XO of this company was an ex-CIA Black Ops killer called Martin Billerton, who was now in his forties, albeit balding and still a very shady character. I had trained him when he had first made Delta Force. He was going to get a shock! I had either trained or knew most of coldest killers in the last twenty generations, and was in turn known and feared by them. I opened his door to find him fetching something from a fax machine.
"Martin, sit down, and let me see your hands; now!" I said very slowly with lots of menace while closing the door. He turned and blanched a very nasty shade of pale when he saw me. Most people do this instinctively when they think they recognise me from long ago.
"You look just like someone I knew" he replied starting to relax while colour returned to his face. Pretty much the usual response I get as this point.
"Martin it's me, Mark. Now sit the fuck down or I will throw you into a nasty broken heap"
"It's not possible, you haven't aged" he replied as I walked towards him causing blanching once more, looking more like a ghost by the second.
"I need all papers and files relating to the Project Bright Sky right now, complete access no restrictions or I will rip your face off and leave you die"
I noticed his hands were trembling uncontrollably. The last time he had seen me rip some unlucky bastards face off, Martin had stood next me & watched and almost gagged as the prisoner slowly died. The other prisoner told me everything just for swift end, which I obviously obliged on, but that was almost twenty years ago.
"Here's the files you wanted" he said, reaching into a filing cabinet and handing me several large manilla files full of paperwork.
"What about project files & updates, objectives; personnel handling the project. Who you report to, that kind of shit?" I said & turned up my hearing.
"It's all in these files" he said & I heard his heart flutter and speed up. He was lying. I could also see the pulse on his neck mirror the beat inside his body, and smell the change in pheromones as he lied.
"Now now Martin", I said undoing my jacket & drawing a Shoto, "you know what happens when you lie" and neatly sliced off his thumb before he could move. He hardly made a sound, my Shoto is tremendously sharp, which left blood spraying all over his desk. He slowly reached for hanky and used it to apply pressure to staunch the wound. "Martin, what is missing from these files then?"
"Just research budgets and emails off Senator Perry". I reached inside my jacket and pulled a high tech item that looked like an IPOD, but it could contain ten times more information & designed to remotely copy the contents of a computers hard drive. While it was copying the information I wanted I pulled out my phone.
Every member in the League of Gentleman, has a separate team of varying numbers under their individual control. It keeps us safe, and means no one needs to operate independently or go into a potentially dangerous situation without backup. I pressed a button on my phone that sends a signal to my team to meet at a place designated by me, in this case the signal of my GPS. Standard procedure would require they arrive in groups of twos or threes for their own self preservation. Any leave would be summarily cancelled as 'bad guys' never chose to cause mayhem when we were all free. I knocked Martin out, and walked into the office of the next director. It belonged to the Finance and Sales Director- there were two titles that were slightly at odds to each other! He was at desk typing and seemed intent on whatever was on his slim line monitor.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked quite aggressively. While Martin was still had some of his build from his military training, this guy was a total weasel, slim with dark slicked back hair. His eyes showed that he was nobody's fool though and took in every detail. Namely that I was armed and wearing a BP vest.
"Where's security?" he asked a little nervously now.
"The ones I came across are unconscious. Now Pete", I had memorised the names of major directors, and managers and descriptions & files, "what do you have on your computer that you shouldn't. Keep your hands and feet very still or you lose one" I threatened. Now for a human he kept very still, usually only preternaturals could be that stationery which could really only mean one thing, Cylon! I sort of walked and part swaggered over to his desk, as I wanted him to use his enhanced strength or reflexes against me. He was fast, and would have overpowered a preternatural under 150 years old, but I certainly was a lot older. He moved fast and tried to draw a Shoto and would have stabbed me in the neck. I allowed the draw, and moved faster than he could anticipate at the last second. As the blade whizzed past my head, I counter struck the arm going by with my left hand and heard a satisfying snap of a forearm and the clank of a metal blade hitting the floor.
I could see he was obviously surprised by this and the subsequent pain. I stepped in and grabbed the broken forearm with my right hand and very painfully squeezed it while punching him in the ribs with my left hand several times in succession. I heard cracks and a definite punctured lung, and followed up with a strike to his elbow joint rendering one arm totally useless. While I held onto the afore-mentioned arm, and pulled out my copier, and put it next to his computer and waited for it to finish.
"Now Cylon, or sentient, whatever you prefer to be called you will answer quite a few questions" It would be a few hours before my team would arrive, unless I told them to teleport, or sidestep as only very powerful preternaturals can. None my team could do this, but we had purchased some items from the Bazaar. All looked different so no one could tell it was any one item, some wore rings, others a necklace, a belt buckle etc. I picked up my phone, and ordered all to jump to my co-ordinates directly. If there were any other Cylons here then I wanted a capture and restraint, and subsequent Q & A session. Within minutes they all arrived within two to three metres of my position.
Chapter 2
Within a minute of my team arriving we were placing everyone in restraints, and under arrest. In some cases the arrests were more permanent, like breathing for a start! My team consists of three 'Living Vampires'; three Shapeshifters, one wolf, a bear, and a tiger; half a dozen mutants, a feral, a fire elemental, a psionic, two moleculars, and an electrical elemental- her name is Gwen Raiden, and knows a friend of mine called Angel, one of the 'dead ones' another species of vampire. A little known fact is that 'Living Vampires' can walk in daylight without harm, but the 'Dead Ones' have an allergy to sunlight, causing temporary death.
Although my team are preternatural, they have all received military training; SAS & Seal, only 'Hell Week' lasted two weeks because of their increased endurance. They really hated me for that! A sad but necessary evil, and everyone of them seems grateful for it.
By the time the police arrived we had everything under control, and called in some of the humans in our teams. They brought up the rear, and came with transportation trucks, whether it be for people or equipment, and with Senator Perry being in charge I called in Chuck Taggart, and the future Odyssey 5 crew. We were all very busy examining every nook and cranny.
As we searched the facilities, we also found a little prison in an underground unit. This looked promising. I was down there with Kurt Mendel, former author and novelist, with a couple of vampires. Looking at the holding cells, the metal was not of human origin. I can say this as inside were two 'improved' human specimens. I could sense them quite easily through the vibes they gave off, and so did the vampires. You see the 'improved' no longer have a double helix, but a triple helix. Vampires, Shapeshifters, and Immortals, our cells are over 200,000 times more densely packed than a human cell and due to our unageing nature, we area veritable library of information, what I'm saying is that a triple helix is a step backwards for us not forward.
These 'improved' assholes seem intent on infecting every human being on the planet. If they could live in peace with humanity we would welcome them into the 'community', but life is never that simple and they can't, so we kill them. A couple of the vampires approached the cells and found a key to open the door with.
"Stay away from the prisoners Kurt, they're improved" one vampire said and walked calmly into the cell.
Most human restraints will not hold the 'improved', so we had developed magical restraints that would. We had designed handcuffs, leg restraints, all attached by very tight chains to a neck restraint. What I'm saying is that the leg restraints do not connect to the wrist restraints, and then the neck. There is one chain from the leg restraints to the neck, and a separate one from the wrist restraints. All the metal was marked with runes, that when the 'magic phrase' was spoken would become even tougher, plus to break the metal would require leverage, and would risk damaging themselves, i.e. probably their neck.
In the vampire walked, and one of the 'improved' tried to attack her. Stupid thing to do! The vampire, Katya dodged easily, and punched the attacker in the ribs multiple time, extremely hard, and then threw him off the cell wall.
"Whose next" she said. The other vampire Sanchez walked in behind her.
"Quietly or violently, its all the same to me" she threatened. The other alien prisoner came quietly, a good choice all things considering. Don't go thinking here that the 'improved' are pushovers, Katya is about 800 years old, and quite powerful.
"What's so dangerous about them?" inquired Kurt.
"They're aliens, the improved humans Threshold is dealing with"
"Is that why you told us about them" asked Kurt in my direction.
"Yep, wouldn't want you trying to fight a Cylon, sentient, whatever, when they were really changed humans"
"Good point. Mind if I examine the computer files?"
"Sure Kurt" and off they walked with the prisoners. Kurt stayed busy with the computer, trying to uncover whatever secrets it held. After about twenty minutes of coursing from Kurt, he was obviously getting nowhere fast.
"I wouldn't worry about the computer right now, we're going to take all the hard drives, and the servers back with us. But if you notice anything interesting let me know". At this point Angela came downstairs, to see me.
"What are you going to do about my dad?" she inquired.
"It depends what we find quite honestly. If it is bad he'll be arrested by me", remember I mentioned the emails connecting him?
"Then what, you'll kill him?" Angela asked quite anxiously.
"No, he'll either stand trial and be hung out to dry by his sources, or more likely be publicly humiliated with lots of negative media attention and fade into obscurity. I will of course place him under covert surveillance"
"What kind of surveillance?" I could hear Chuck Taggart coming down the stairs.
"Psionic surveillance if I have to"
"What the hell kind of surveillance is that" Chuck enquired.
"It means an associate of mine will enter his mind while he sleeps, covertly, and have a shifty around"
"Then?" I could see that she was worried about her dad.
"I will not harm your dad in any way, and neither will my associates. At worst we'll place a compulsion on him to avoid contact with any nefarious people he knows so we can take them out. Satisfied?"
"You promise?"
"I've not lied to you Angela. It would be helpful if you can find anything useful though, and tell me about it. It could take a while to examine every file in here. Okay"
"Okay"
"Good, can you start with the FD's filing cabinet?"
"Quite an operation you got here" said Chuck lighting up his cigar.
"Thanks. Can you help Kurt. We'll be packed in about another two hours, and head out back to HQ to examine everything with a find tooth comb"
"Gotcha". I helped with the loading equipment, just because I'm the boss I have to get my hands dirty occasionally.
Eventually I went back to my car and looked at everything being loaded into lorries, people included. I let one of my staff handle the police, as to why people were being herded into trucks. I opened up my laptop and opened some emails. I had recently employed a really capable human operative. In fact my time in the field with him had left me thoroughly impressed, but from his service record that is nothing unusual. There it was an email from Jack Bauer, he was investigating and 'digging dirt' on who the parent company was.
The League had a slight 'leg up' on the Government, as we had destroyed the Dominion; a very shady organisation that keeps every technological advancement until we are ready for its release. With this organisation we're talking above governments, and with multiple HQ's all around the world.
It was now a defunct organisation & we had left Adam Kane in charge. Their technology is about 10-20 years ahead on the technology curve over everyone else, and we had access to it, fantastic.
Anyway, the email Jack had sent me. There was an indirect trail to Senator Perry as he was one of the shareholders of the parent company, and also a contractor who got a large salary for doing a bus load of fuck all. According to the file he had never even done a job, but received a continued salary, amazing. Greed at it's best and just the link I needed. Time to arrest the Senator.
Chapter 3
"Jack Bauer"
"Jack, it's Mark. Can you see the Senator at this point in time?"
"I'm just watching him from an empty house across the street
"Good, stay put and let me know if he leaves; I'll be there in about an hour or so. We'll make the arrest together"
"Understood" and Jack closed the line.
"Katya", I called and the brunette vampire came over, "how long till everything is loaded up?"
"About another ten minutes, and then we'll be another three hours transporting to base, traffic pending"
"Fine, but be careful something doesn't feel right; and I'm sure we've pissed off some very powerful people doing this"
"I've been having the same feeling all day" she replied. I set off on my journey to where Jack was watching the Senator.
Three hours later, the traffic had been dire! I was pulled up just outside the Senators house, and Jack Bauer walking out of the house he was observing from.
"Jack"
"Mark" as we exchanged greetings we shook hands. I had a small backpack on with the strengthened restraints, why did I have these? Just in case he had been 'improved'. We arrived at his house. It must easily be eight bedrooms, and surrounded by an ten foot wall with huge wrought iron gates. CCTV was also present around the house and at the gates, a couple of 'in house' security, a couple of which were also at the gates. I stood at the gate with Jack, and pressed the buzzer.
"DoD agent here to see Senator Perry" and flashed my badge to the security. As the guard approached the gate, I had the urge to grab his arm and pull him through the bars until he squealed and died. Sometimes I get these violent urges, and the only way to sate them is extreme violence. I was about to arrest a Senator, and I had to be all decorum and politeness. Damn!
"What is your business with the Senator?" asked the security guard
"That's classified. But tell him Bright Sky Farms has been raided and I'm here to escort him to safety as quick as possible" I replied.
"Can you also tell him that we expect NSA agents here to arrest the Senator at any minute. We have plane waiting at the airport to transport him and his family to a safehouse, while the matter is cleared up". It is the ability to bullshit and his superlative ability as a field agent that I employed Jack Bauer. At this point neither me nor jack had drawn firearms, yet. The security agent was talking rapidly into his 'mike' and I think we were getting progress, that and the gates were opening; always a good sign.
In walked both me and Jack. The Senator came running out towards us.
"Senator, we need to go, now" urged Jack. At this minute we heard sirens coming in our direction, they were either after me & Jack, or to protect the Senator.
"Senator do you have everything you need?" I asked.
"Yes, what's going on" he inquired.
'Your company was raided this morning Senator. Project Bright Sky Farms. We need to leave Senator" I urged grabbing his bicep and slightly pushing him forward. Jack did the threat assessment, making sure it was safe. I kept an eye out for anything else. If the Senator died Angela would be extremely pissed off with me. Eventually we got him to the car, the sirens getting ever closer. I could tell from the pitch, and sound they gave off, they were not 'black & whites', but cars full of agents. One turned the corner, no sirens on. Shit! It's not very often I get caught flat footed, but hey I'm human enough that it happens. After a fashion anyway.
Someone was leaning out of the car window, and had an MP5 and started firing. Jack dived for safety, and so did I. A shot caught Jack straight in the arm, a glancing blow but nothing serious, lots of blood though. One shot caught me in the arm, I got one in the neck-ouch! Jack did get a return shot though, hitting his target, not that it did any good. These guys were not human! Both me and Jack had been caught out.
"Get in my car Senator, it heavily bullet proofed. Now. While this happened, I drew both pistols preternaturally fast, and ran at the oncoming car. I flicked the guns to full auto, so it shot like a sub-machine gun. Numerous bullets went through the windows, and still they wouldn't stop. As the car got close I hopped onto the bonnet, and flipped over, putting yet more shots through the roof. I landed on my feet five feet from the end of the car, and reloaded with preternatural reflexes. To normal humans, it would seem like old stop motion photography. One minute my hand was in front of me holding a gun, the next at my belt getting a reload, etc.
As I ran around the car, they were definitely 'sentients', cylons-whatever. My anger was a tangible thing at this point. The air became thick like treacle.
'Incendia daiblo" I uttered, and the car exploded into flames behind me. The temperature was getting uncomfortable to me, must be easily a thousand degrees or hotter now. The Senator was in my car. The security guards were a little taken back by me leaping over a moving car.
"Get out of here. The other agents that arrive will kill you, RUN" I shouted, while the damage done healing in front of their eyes.
I got into my car & started the ignition, and spun the car around and drove like a son of a bitch at top speed. I had this bright idea once of not having all the turbo charging paraphernalia properly secured, and protected. Needless to say, a decade or two ago I went over a large hill and literally took off. That wasn't the issue, but the agent who shot the underside causing the car to explode. Guess who was in the car at the time? That's right, me. Burning is a very horrible way to die, at least until the fire suffocates you of oxygen and you pass out.
We were driving away really fast, and it took all my concentration and power to not hit anything or anyone. I could see that Jack was applying pressure to his own wound. Hopefully we would make it out alive; it had been a close call. It is not very often someone like Jack is caught out, and even rarer I am. Today wasn't as good a day as I thought it would be after the raid.