Fifteen: Disenfranchised
Solomon griped the sides of his chair. His eyes were narrowed, but kept his tone void of emotion. "How could this happen?"
Many spies, strategists, and some of his best agents stood at attention in a circle around him. As he slowly turned his gaze to each of them, all of them remained still and held eye contact, yet many obviously struggled with this. Solomon was in a cold mood.
"In all honesty, sir," one of his bolder spies spoke softly, "…it was only a matter of time."
Solomon stared at the reports; Steel had entered one of his soldiers into Sherman High. He had confiscated the announcing room in the school's field and set up a military operation.
Solomon's agent was right; it had been only a matter of time. Titan and the monsters often appeared in Sherman; it was obviously the center of alien activity. The direct attack a few weeks earlier on the school, by the black monster, had certainly been an indication of the school's importance in this alien activity.
Solomon exhaled slowly through his nose, wishing (not for the first time) that Lance and Ilana had chosen to settle anywhere but a high school. It was horrendously public and populated, by children no less. It made the place extremely difficult to operate in. Perhaps that was the point as to why the aliens had chosen it…a high school was the perfect place to hide.
Solomon cast that thought off quickly; they were there because they were children. There was nothing sinister about it. They weren't using the school as a cover; they belonged there, by their age standards.
Neither Lance nor Ilana were trying to put the school in danger. Ilana had already tried to help the school through changing the menu—a healthy menu that was still in effect and doing well.
"Should we call the general out, sir?" and agent asked. Solomon turned his head to the agent, pulling himself out of his thoughts. "We can claim jurisdiction and force him out of the school."
Solomon shook his head. "Then Steel will know the aliens are there." It was true; if G3 revealed their involvement and observation of the school, Steel would know for sure that something was going on there.
Solomon found himself afraid on Lance's and Ilana's behalf. If they thought G3 had been terrible, they didn't want to know what Steel would do. Solomon already felt that the relationship between earth and the Lunises was damaged after G3's kidnapping. Solomon did not want to hurt that relationship any more than he already had, or else place earth in jeopardy. It would only take one of the Lunises to decide not to help anymore and Titan would be weakened, if available at all. Solomon wouldn't put it past Lance to turn a blind eye to the monsters if he or Ilana were poorly treated. Why risk their own lives to save humans who were a danger to them?
Steel didn't know how fragile all this was. The general could ruin everything. He wouldn't spare the aliens because they were children…like Solomon hadn't.
Solomon folded his arms behind himself for a moment, and then decided. If Steel found the Lunises out, Solomon would make sure it wouldn't be G3's fault. So, spying on them could attract Steel's attention. "Cease all spy activity on the Lunises. Start tracking Steel and his men. Keep watching the Lunises' school attendance and absence and report it all to me."
Solomon swept his gaze over his agents, making sure each understood. "Move."
OOO
In less than an hour, Solomon had a full report on all of Steel's movements. First-Class Private Steve Stevens was the soldier acting as a student. His serial number was 457632. He had red hair and a young-looking face for his age, though he was extremely tall, six feet and five inches. Steel had two other soldiers with him, but only Private Stephens was inside undercover as a student.
G3 was poised on them. Every radio signal Steel sent was intercepted, even private ones. During the night, Solomon had agents break into Steel's temporary control room, the announcer booth. The agents found that every single student of Sherman High was documented there, and Solomon was alarmed to discover Steel's current prime suspect was 'Newton.' The robot G3 had been late in discovering.
Solomon was very concerned how Steel had focused on it so quickly—it had only been a week that the general had been investigating the school. Had Steel himself focused on the robot, or had another soldier pointed it out? Were Lance and Ilana struggling to blend in? Or was it merely their robot?
Solomon had to prepare for the possibility that Steel might figure out who the aliens were. Lance, Ilana, and their robot could all be discovered by the general. What would the aliens do? Steel would not stop until he had caught them. If the aliens wanted to keep their freedom, they would have to move.
G3 could provide help and a safe place, but Solomon knew Lance and Ilana would never accept it. He would just have to keep track of them no matter where they went.
Solomon's com buzzed; "Sir, the Portal has opened and there is a new creature entering earth's atmosphere."
"Watch Steel," Solomon ordered immediately. As the aliens tried to leave the school to face the monster, Steel would be watching out for them. Could they slip away unnoticed? "Hack into Sherman High's database and mark the aliens as present for their next classes." Solomon could help them have an alibi, at least.
Solomon sat down at the head of the control room, feeling the seconds tick by. He worried of how this would all play out. If Steel found the aliens, G3 would have to act quickly. If Solomon made the wrong choice, or timed his actions too late or too soon…
He needed council. He needed advice.
He folded his hands behind his back and turned towards the door. "Alert me immediately if there is any change," he said on his way out. The doors slid closed behind him as he paced down the halls. He twisted and turned, heading deeper into G3 HQ, his path getting darker as he proceeded. Finally he reached the drop of the ladder. He swept down it and turned to face his superior.
"Sir," Solomon tipped his head down slightly, "Have you been watching the reports about General Steel?"
There was a deep, difficult breath. "Yes. I have."
In his pocket, Solomon fiddled his fingers within his glove. "I worry the Lunises will be caught. And I wonder what to do should that happen."
There was a thoughtful pause. "Steel has no evidence to truly pinpoint the Lunises as the aliens. And even if he did and he did confront them…his power to capture them is lax."
Solomon agreed with that, but it did not ease his worries. "If he confronted them, the violence that would break out would be—" Solomon searched for a word "—troublesome." He thought for another moment. "Public. Damaging."
A scenario came into Solomon's mind; Steel marching on Sherman High School, or perhaps the Lunis home, backed by soldiers and tanks. It would be open for everyone to see; Steel was a stealthy as an elephant. Surrounded, the aliens would need to turn on their armors to escape. As they carved a path to get away, they'd leave destruction in their wake. How would people react to seeing their planet's heroic defenders attack their soldiers?
"True," his superior agreed, "but he will not find them in the first place."
"What if he does?" Solomon finally was straightforward.
"I am certain he will not."
"Sir," Solomon insisted, "Steel has already focused on them as prime suspects."
"Be at ease, Solomon. It is good to prepare for the worst…" a labored breathe seemed to carry more meaning than usual, "yet do not lose sight of other possibilities. Watch, Solomon."
Solomon was brought out of his disaster visions by those words. It reminded him of how he'd disobeyed his superior, and captured Lance and Ilana. He still regretted it. He should have obeyed his superior.
He would, now. He would not dismiss the possibility that the aliens would be caught, but he would not be rash in his attempts to stop it.
Solomon nodded slowly. "Yes, sir." He then turned away and headed back to the control room.
OOO
When Solomon returned to the control room, an agent reported that G3 had intercepted a communication between Steel and his Private Stevens. Private Stevens had lost track of the prime suspect—which was the robot. Steel had ordered interrogations on all the students of Sherman High.
Solomon realized his jaw was clenched and forced himself to relax it. Steel still didn't have proof. And perhaps these military interrogations could benefit G3…
Solomon's agents monitored Titan's fight with the latest beast from the satellite. It was an interesting battle, even viewed from such as distance, as Titan created a chain and blade to use the monster's speed against it. The new creature resembled a dragon; snakelike, able to fly, and capable of shooting some kind of red laser from its mouth. Titan used the chain to latch onto the monster; as the beast turned to attack, its own movement pulled Titan out of the way.
The creature flew in circles trying to reach Titan, but Titan tugged on the chain and quickly avoided any attacks. The alien robot cut the monster down to size, shortening it more and more.
After a few swift slices, the battle was over. Despite being cut in half numerous times, the creature had still fought Titan with what remained of itself. Solomon wondered if it could regrow itself from its head, like a worm. He would have it studied closely when its body was retrieved.
With earth yet again safe from alien threats, Solomon returned to his agents spying on Steel. They were listening to Steel's communications when Solomon stepped in. He paused and listened.
"It appears there are three of them, sir," said an unfamiliar voice through the signal. Perhaps that was Private Stevens.
"Good work, soldier." Solomon would recognize General Steel's Southern-American accent anywhere. "Hmmm…three teens, three robots. Now all we have to do is catch them in the act." The transmission cut off.
His agents turned to him, obediently waiting for orders. Solomon had them. "Break into the announcer booth again tonight. Copy Steel's interrogation of the students to our database." They nodded and Solomon left the room.
OOO
His agents found and copied video interrogations ("yearbook interviews," was Steel's cover for them). Solomon was rather glad to have firsthand accounts of what had happened inside the school when the black alien had invaded it. It seemed to have been a team effort of Lance, Ilana, and their robot to defeat the monster.
But also interestingly, an agent had discovered that Lance had joined a band. Disenfranchised. Intriguing band name. The word meant 'deprived of the right to vote.' According to Solomon's spies, the band had existed for a few months now; Lance had recently joined it. Disenfranchised had three other members (none of them had been of interest to G3 before now); two guitarists and one drummer.
The band had a performance—tonight. At the park where the mechanical dog's legs, the second monster to come to earth, still remained. G3 had left the legs because they had been too difficult to move and seemed to have nothing of interest to them. The population of Sherman also wished to keep them as a memento, and had even done a protest to their removal. G3 had allowed it, unwilling to expose itself by forcing the city to give up the monster parts.
Solomon was certainly interested in this band—what kind of music did aliens enjoy?—but his attention needed to be on Steel.
Solomon paused in the middle of the report. Steel was watching the Lunises, which meant Steel would certainly have some men at the concert. G3 needed to be there and know what was going on.
Solomon was selecting which spies to send when another communication between Steel and Private Stevens was intercepted.
"What do you mean you lost them?" Steel demanded of his private.
"Sorry, sir," Stevens whispered guiltily. "I had to use the latrine. I don't know where they went."
Solomon leaned forward towards the radio device as he heard an odd humming. He'd heard it before…the robot's energy. That odd power object that G3 had found in Lance's car, and that the robot was made of. That material made this sound.
Solomon had just recognized the noise when the communication screeched. Static and high-pitched whistling made the agents beside Solomon jump in surprise. Solomon thought he heard Steel growl through the sound, yet the general's voice was covered up by it.
The robot was blocking off Private Steven's communications. What were the aliens up to? Were they about to reveal themselves? Would they hurt the spy?
No, they were too smart to do that. Solomon didn't think Lance and Ilana would be willing to hurt someone who hadn't hurt them first. So what were they up to? Had they realized their classmate, 'Steve,' was a spy?
The screeching continued and Solomon's men looked at him for any orders. But Solomon stayed still and silent, and so they did as well.
The screeching went on for less than a minute. It cut off, and then Solomon heard Private Steven's heavy breathing. It sounded like he was running, and hadn't realized his communicator was back on. Solomon listened intently as the breathing carried on for a few moments as Stevens ran.
"…Sir?" an agent beside him asked Solomon questionably.
Solomon merely raised a gloved hand for silence, and it was so.
There was a bang like a door closing through the com. "I can't go back there," Private Stevens said through his deep breaths. "It was horrible! There was a bright light and—"
"Snap out of it, soldier!" barked Steel.
Solomon frowned; he was rather interested in what Private Stevens had to say. What had the young man gone through? What had the aliens done? A 'bright light'?
Apparently they'd done something to scare the private, but it sounded like the soldier was uninjured. The Lunises were certainly aware of the military spy, then. Solomon hoped they would be on better guard from this point on.
"Did you lose the subjects?" Steel said slowly, emphasizing through his private's panic.
"Yes," Private Stevens said nervously, "but I know where they'll be tonight." There was a slight pause where Solomon assumed Steel motioned his private to go on. "One of them is in a band, and they have a concert tonight. The subjects will be there, sir."
Another pause, and Solomon thought he could hear Steel thinking on the soundwaves. "We'll get 'em tonight, then." Another pause in which Private Steven's breathing steadied. "Soldier, your com is still on."
As the signal went dead, Solomon slowly pulled away, thinking deeply. This was developing oddly. G3 would be going to infiltrate the concert tonight, with three very important goals. They would spy on Steel, they would spy on the aliens, and they would not get caught. It was vital this time that G3 remained completely secret in this mission. If either Steel or the aliens noticed the spies, while surrounded by the audience of the concert…
The mission would be delicate, but G3 had to be prepared for the worst.
"Yet do not lose sight of other possibilities…" Solomon's superior's voice echoed through his mind.
Solomon kept the words in mind as he began to order his soldiers to prepare for tonight.
OOO
It took Solomon an hour to arrange his best spies for the concert. His strategists prepared the disguises for infiltration. Solomon doubted the teenagers of Sherman High would notice anything. And he didn't think Steel would see the spies either, but Solomon didn't want to underestimate the general.
Solomon decided to check the labs where the latest monster was being examined. When the alien creatures were too large to examine all at once, G3 scientists split into groups to study parts of it. They took turns with each section. As Titan had sliced this particular monster into pieces, it made the division easy.
The sliding doors opened for Solomon into the largest lab. It was bright white and well lit, and though it was only half as tall as the Titan prison, it was very nearly as big. The monster was in slabs. Its body was diced like a carrot or cucumber. Sections of it were different parts of the room, each piece surrounded by scientists who examined it very closely. The tail end of it was particularly crowded, as the piece had a small mouth.
"Sir," an agent—scientist—stepped up to Solomon immediately. He wore a white lab coat and looked worried—but not about speaking to Solomon. "We have a problem."
Solomon blinked under his googles—a problem? The concert was in less than two hours. He hoped it was something small.
"What kind of problem?" Solomon folded his hands behind his back.
"The head is missing."
…Solomon must have misheard him. He didn't move, not understanding at first. "What?"
"The head of this monster is missing." Solomon noticed the scientist swallow, but his voice was steady. "We are missing a piece—the head."
"How?" Solomon demanded. Had Steel gotten his hands on another piece of alien material?
"Unknown, sir," the scientist glanced off to the side. Solomon didn't look, but he had noticed the head of the retrieval team in that direction when he had walked in.
The retrieval commander came up to them now. So Solomon had been correct. The commander stood at attention; his helmet was off so Solomon could see his face. "Sir, the body of this monster was scattered throughout the park. We scanned the whole area, and had to separate into teams to retrieve it all. There was miscommunication, and each team thought another had the head." The commander took a deep breath. "Even so, we did search the park and found nothing."
"The head might have been destroyed by Titan in the fight," the scientist intervened. But he looked doubtful.
"We need to be sure," Solomon said firmly. But he tensed when he remembered; "Steel will be at Sherman Park tonight, along with many civilians and the Lunises."
A few agents in the room turned to Solomon, looking to him for leadership. They waited while Solomon thought this through. The head of the monster could still be alive—it had survived being cut up. It was attracted by Titan, meaning Lance, Ilana, and their robot. In which case, as all three would be at the concert, the creature would certainly come. And all the people who would be there would be in jeopardy.
But if G3 did anything—shut off the park or move in to search—Steel would immediately be suspicious. No; Steel was a rash man and would likely see G3's actions as reason enough to assume the Lunises were the aliens.
If G3 did nothing and the monster showed up, the Lunises would need to fight it. Yet Steel would be watching them, so how could they without revealing themselves?
The aliens were smarter than Solomon was giving them credit for. They had handled Private Stevens. According to G3 spies, the private refused to return to the school (the park where the performance was taking place was not the school, however). Perhaps the Lunises would find a way to combat the monster and remain hidden. Solomon would give them the opportunity to, at least.
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
"Assemble Team Delta."
OOO
Solomon was aboard the Motherbird in the deeper woods of the park. The ship's presence was closely masked as it hovered silently above the forest trees, its dark color blending well into the night. From its position, the city of Sherman was a bright light on the horizon. The two black legs from the monster, where the performance would be, were invisible in the darkness except through G3's night-vision technology. Even with that, the legs looked small from this distance.
Solomon was in constant communication with his spies. They alerted him when Lance's band Disenfranchised arrived, along with Ilana and the robot. Solomon knew precisely how many people were at the concert, and was updated with each new arrival.
Ten minutes before the concert began, Solomon's spies alerted him to eight new cars surrounding the clearing of the monster's legs.
"I count two dozen adult males exiting the cars," Solomon listened to his spy intently. Two dozen—if it were a military unit, that would be a small platoon. "I have visual on General Steel. He is in civilian clothes, as are the new arrivals that are currently stationed behind him. They march professionally in sync." Pause. "They are dispersing into the crowd, separating into pairs."
"Where are the Lunises?" Solomon asked his spy.
"Ilana Lunis and her robot disguised in its Newton form are at the front of the audience," another spy pitched in. "I am watching them now. Lance Lunis should be up on the foot of the creature with his band—no visual yet."
"Sir," the other spy piped up, "Private Stevens has just seen Ilana Lunis and the robot—he's just behind them."
"I see him," the second spy said. "Ilana Lunis and her robot have noticed him, too."
Good. So Ilana was aware that Steel's spy was at the concert. Hopefully she would be able to keep herself and the robot hidden.
"Concert is about to begin, sir, I have visual on Lance Lunis."
Solomon glanced up through the Motherbird's windows at the lights off in the distance. His communicator picked up some of the music; drums and guitar, eventually vocals. The whole concert was being recorded for later study.
"Sir!" a spy barked over com, "Ilana Lunis and the robot are leaving!"
Solomon sat straight up—was the monster nearing the concert? Was Ilana heading to fight it? Would Lance have to abandon his position on stage to join them? How could Steel not notice that?
"Follow them, and watch Steel's men," Solomon ordered.
"In pursuit," the agent agreed.
"No, I see them," a third agent stepped in. "They've come back and have returned to the front."
Solomon tilted his head. Was it a perfectly normal reason for them to leave the concert? A need to retrieve something or one of the robot's 'bathroom breaks?'
A thin flash of bright red streaked the sky only a short distance from the dog monster's legs. Solomon stood immediately and went to the window as the area flashed again.
The monster was here—and alive, and moving.
"Begin approach," Solomon ordered. He swirled on his heel and stalked back to his chair. The Motherbird began to pick up speed, heading for the concert.
Solomon tightened his grip on his chair a little. It seemed the worst was about to pass. Perhaps G3 would have to handle this monster, as the Lunises were spied on and couldn't face it without revealing themselves. Solomon was willing to help them, but in his quest to keep the aliens hidden, he might expose G3. How could he fight the monster secretly with the band's audience so close?
They were halfway to the spot when the monster emerged from the forest, taking to the sky. It was a small fraction of what it had once been.
Yet to Solomon's astonishment, Ilana in her armored form and her robot both appeared, flying after the monster.
"Stop approach!" Solomon shouted. He braced himself as he was nearly wrenched out of his chair as the Motherbird abruptly began to halt.
Solomon lifted a hand to com his spies. "Agents; where are the Lunises?"
"Unmoved, sir," a spy said calmly, unaware to what Solomon had just seen. "Ilana Lunis and her robot remain at the front, and Lance Lunis is still preforming."
Solomon dropped his hand and looked out towards Ilana and Octus. They were flying low for a moment, but then, in a flash, Lance's armor appeared in midair.
But Lance hadn't been there.
A thought occurred to Solomon; "Turn on infrared vision."
His agents obeyed, and the screen turned mostly pink with the night sky. There were three puddles of other colors, however; one showed up as the yellow-red silhouette of Ilana's armor. The second was the robot, that appeared green and slightly yellow, except for its core which showed as red. The third was the monster alien, which was a mesh of colors between its fur to its occasional laser from its mouth, which was white in the infrared.
Lance's armor did not show up.
Solomon returned to his spies' com. "View the Lunises through infrared."
"Yes, sir," an agent said, his voice little questioning and curious. Solomon waited and felt the agents around him in the Motherbird listening in. The spy spoke again a moment later, now sounding confused and awed. "Sir, they…they aren't appearing on infrared. It's as if they aren't there."
"Lance Lunis appears," another agent said.
Solomon looked back up at the Motherbird's screen, still showing the infrared view. Ilana and her robot lifted their arms and shot streaks of white at the monster.
"They're holograms," Solomon breathed. "Lance's armor, and Ilana and the robot at the concert…they are holograms."
Solomon slowly leaned back. Ingenious. With the holograms as decoys, Steel would not discover the Lunises. But a hologram could not play an instrument, so Lance had to remain behind. Ilana and her robot fought the monster, with a hologram of Lance's armor.
Solomon hadn't even known they had this technology.
"Turn off infrared," Solomon said softly. "Maintain position, and watch."
"Sir," a spy reported through coms just as the infrared viewing was shut off. "General Steel is ordering an evacuation…he is not being listened to. The children believe the fight above is a part of the concert show." Pause. "He is leaving with his men."
Good. Solomon was glad the general was leaving; with the trigger-happy general out of the way, everyone was much safer.
So, the aliens had handled it, without the help of G3. Steel was off their trail. Solomon couldn't have hoped for better.
Solomon took the opportunity to watch the fight with the monster. He rarely got to watch one in person. He was confident Ilana and her robot would win, even without Lance or Titan. They had beaten so much already and proven their strength and skill. This was a chance to marvel at the aliens before him without worrying about the dangers.
Solomon admired their technology yet again. Ilana's shields, powerful lasers, and the robot's electrical zaps still awed him. The hologram of Lance's armor was flawless as it flew beside them, occasionally lifting its arms as if it were attacking. It dodged the monster's lasers very realistically, and flew alongside the robot. Perhaps it was the robot that was projecting the holograms…
Ilana, her robot, and the hologram of Lance's armor dived under the monster's blasts and swirled around the concert's legs. The light of the concert caught on their metal, leaving brilliant streaks behind them as the flew. Solomon couldn't blame the audience for thinking it was a show rather than a deadly battle.
Ilana and her robot were easily avoiding the monster's blasts, yet their own attacks had little effect. Solomon was considering stepping in to help them after all. Lance and Ilana still hated G3 for Solomon's kidnapping of them—perhaps assistance would build goodwill?
But then, just as the monster's mouth began to glow with a new laser strike, Ilana and the robot fired on it together. The energy within the monster built up, and the creature exploded.
As the white light began to fade, Solomon relaxed. The Lunises remained hidden, Steel had failed, and the monster had finally been vanquished. There wasn't even any of it to retrieve. G3 was done here.
"Return to base."