Chapter 20: Against the time
Corso sighed. Sonny had been gone for days. Not to complain, his clone did his work, but still... it just wasn't Sonny.
To put up this sherade was growing difficult, Corso knew D'Jok had grown suspicious when he stoped by, cause the clone wasn't wearing the bracelet. All who knew Sonny, knew he didn't take it off, or if he did, he still wore it on his person.
Corso was going through all the mails with offers for Sectech, like Sonny had asked him to do. Normally, Sonny was in charge of this, but since he was away, it fell to Corso to oversee things in his absence. Corso smiled as he scrolled down the clientlist. Well well, The Arcadia channel network wanted Sectech's expertise in the area of datasurveilance, Corso would send in Artie on this, the kid needed something to do. The next request, made Corso gasp. What the..? Technoid! They wanted Sectech's services in securitysystems? Corso felt like laughing. This would make it all too easy for Sonny to enter. Or was that perhaps the thought? Corso couldn't free himself from the idea that this was a trap.
A sudden noise made him look up. There was someone on the door. At this hour? Corso looked at the watch on the wall, at this hour, it could only concern piratematters. Corso closed the screen down, but just in case, he armed himself.
The door opened, and someone entered the apartement. Corso relaxed when he noticed who.
«Sonny! You're back!»
Sonny turned around with a smile, as he reactivated the alarmsystem.
«Sounds like you missed me, Corso. Is everything as it should?»
Corso smiled.
«It's looking good Sonny. We even got a new client, I think you'll like this. We added Arcadia channel network to our already impressive list».
Sonny smiled when he heard that.
«Good work, that account is sure to bring in money. As well as the Aarch academy account»
Corso nodded.
«But, there is one request I'd like you to look at, and tell me what we should do about itr
Sonny frowned his forehead.
«Show me».
Corso reactivated the screen, and let Sonny see.
Sonny's eyebrows raised.
«That's strange, with our past history, this is just the oposite of what I'd do» he said to Corso.
«I agree, it's all very strange».
Sonny rubbed his chin.
« Corso, call Bennet, and have him look at this. Technoid would not do such a thing unless there is a catch somewhere. You know I only believe in what I see, and since I see no reason in this, I want to look further into matters, before i reply».
Corso nodded.
«Right Sonny, I'll call him right away».
As Corso went to take care of matters, Sonny stared at the screen.
« It seems it's time you and I have a private conversation, Duke, eye to eye»...
At the villa, Duke Maddox was having his dinner. He was being grumpy towards anyone these days. Since he had found out that Technoid had requested the security services of SecTech, the pirates security company, he had been scared. Scared that the rest of Technoid's secrets would be unvailed. Scared that when Sonny found out, he'd get furious. And he had every right to. What his entire family had been through.. Duke Maddox knew it was inhumane. They had used I'Son, because he had proven himself suspicious. The fact that he was a D'Arish, had been a simple fluke. I'Son was select for the project, because of his skills, and his personality. His loyalty to the firm had seen unquestionable. Untill General Bleylock talked him into parttake in a project. I'Son and Labnor was to create flux for their football team. Well, at least, that was what they were told. No one, not even Duke Maddox himself, thought this was possible to do. I'Son and Labnor proved differently, after many months of hard work. But, when Bleylock realised that the synthetic flux, The metaflux, could not be traced either, he knew that the two unsuspecting scientists, had created the ultimate weapon of war. Bleylock wanted power, he longed for it, desired it. And I'Son and Labnor had given him the means to sieze it. But I'Son wanted things differently. He was the one that stepped in, in a desperate attempt to stop Bleylock's attempt of starting a new war.
Duke Maddox still remembered the frightened Labnor, when he was questioned about things.
«I don't know where I'Son is, all I know, is that he's our last hope to stop a war».
Duke Maddox had been furious. He had ordered a search for I'Son. A search that seemed motivated by one thing alone. Get the metaflux back.
Duke Maddox knew there was more to it. He had ordered a search for I'Son, because what he knew, needed be erased from his mind, but also, something far more important. He closed his eyes. Sonny knew of it now. It wouldn't help to make him go easy on his enemy. The Nemesis project had been carefully scrutinized by I'Son and a team of four. I'Son had been set to lead the team that was to rewiew if the project was safe. It was not. I'Son and his team had recommended the project shut down and put away untill better technology and more secure routines could be established. Bleylock had persuaded the board to go about things differently. When I'Son found out, he and Bleylock had a huge fight over it. Bleylock had accused I'Son of being an insignifficant scientist, who would still have been struggling to fullfill his dreams without his and Technoid's help. I'Son had retalliated, by naming Bleylock as a lawless scum. That would normally have been the end of it.
But Bleylock had persuaded the board to test project nemesis. They decided that they could sacrifice one man for this. Bleylock had picked I'Son as the testsubject. But to avoid problems, he had made sure to keep I'Son in the dark. I'Son didn't know that what seemed like a test of a drug, to better things for technoid employees, was actually the project nemesis being injected into his spine. Neither did he know, he was not the one that would be the victim. His offspring would.
Duke Maddox knew Sonny was still cautious about everything concerning Technoid. Calleigh Mystic had tried, to the best of her abillity, to get an interwiew with the former pirate chief, now head of Sectech. But Sonny had proven very difficult to reach. The pirates still were very protective of him. If you weren't affilliated with them in any kind of way, you would not be let in to the complex where they lived. Built in a circle, and with reinforced walls facing outwards, the pirates had built a stronghold. What would have taken months elsewise, had been done in just a few weeks. The pirates had worked hard and fast to make it happen, but they succeded. So was the case with their company. Sectech spanned a wide area, from computersecurity, to watchmanship, maintenance and protection. And they did good.
Duke Maddox was about to put yet another fork in his mouth, when a shaddow appeared behind him.
«Duke..»
Duke Maddox dropped the fork, shaking like a leaf.
Sonny came out of the darkness. His eyes was glowing from suppressed anger.
As Duke Maddox looked, he saw a green light surround Sonny's body.
«It's about time you and I have a long talk Duke, and then, you will tell me where the antidote is».
«An..antidote?» Duke maddox voice was shaking.
«Yes, the antidote. You didn't think I was just gonna stand silently and watch you kill my grandchild?»
Duke Maddox knew that the only way out of this situation, was to tell the truth.
«I'll tell you everything, sonny»...
There was hectic activity going on in the SecTech lab. When Sonny returned from his visit with Duke Maddox, he had woken up Corso, Bennet, Artie, Clamp and Dame Simbai.
When Sonny made demands like this, everyone did as they were asked.
Sonny had put on protective googles and a labcoat. To Clamp, this was the closest he'd ever get to seeing I'Son. But still, there was differences. Sonny was harder than I'Son, There was a darkness in him, alltough good and kind, Sonny Blackbones had a dark side.
Tonight, it seemed he was thinking of a million ghosts.
And he was.
Duke Maddox had come clean, there was many things the old man har revealed to the pirate chief. How he had lost control of his own comany, the company built by generations or Maddox dukes. How Bleylock had manipulated, and cheated him out of control, how Harris had continued down the line. Sonny had come to realise, that in the end, Duke Maddox was a lonely old man at the top. Had the pirates been wrong! The old man would act mad and in control on screen, but, when it came right down to it, it was all acting. They hadn't removed him from the spot as a leader.. yet. But Duke Maddox felt like it was only a matter of time. Duke Maddox admitted to having set project nemesis in motion, against Arendour's advice. Arendour had expressed concern about it to someone in the system. That, did not far well.
Arendour had chosen the wrong man. Even Technoid's board of directors was without real power within the firm. Duke Maddox was scared for the future. He had known, for years, that Sonny was innocent, that he was falsely accused. Duke Maddox knew Sonny hated him, hated all Technoid stood for, but now, Sonny knew that Duke Maddox was not to blame for what had happened to him, D'Jok and Niobe. Duke Maddox, the mighty head of Technoid, was nothing more than a pawn in a chessgame. Just like himself. There was no antidote for the project nemesis. But Duke Maddox, had given Sonny a sample of the serum called project nemesis. He counted on Sonny and his men to solve things. Sonny felt sorry for having to drag him before a court of law later on, to deal with the matter of the bombing of Shiloh. But Duke Madox had shown a different side to himself this time.
«Sonny, don't feel bad about it. I had to do what I was forced to do, to try to make you retalliate, in order for Technoid to recapture you».
Sonny had been confused.
«Why, Your Excellency? Because of project Nemesis?»
Duke Maddox shook his head.
«No Sonny, but there are forces within Technoid, who I don't know who are, that would like to have you permanently gone. You're concidered a high risk threat».
Sonny nodded, this was not new to him.
«I can't stop the forces within my company Sonny, they're too powerfull. All I can do, is to try to give you the upper hand, and at best, an early warning, before they strike against you and your men».
Sonny nodded serious.
«I would appreciate that, Your Excellency. But, this is dangerous for you as well».
Duke Maddox looked at him.
«I'm an old man Sonny, I never intended to capture you. I enjoyed the cat and mouse game. My life at the top would have been pretty boring without you and your men as my enemies».
Sonny had to smile.
«I would think your little peaceoffer in your box at the allstar match wasn't too appreciated with your men?» he smiled.
«They felt intimidated. I knew all along that you wouldn say no, and had you answered differently, I would have made sure to offer you protection».
Sonny's gaze locked Duke Maddox.
«So, it wasn't you that ordered me captured and imprisoned before the trial? Or ordered the proceedure to have me implanted with the chip in my brain?».
Duke maddox shook his head.
«You're dealing with stronger forces that me on that Sonny, that's all I can tell you».
The memories of the conversation haunted Sonny. He was up against dangerous and unknown people this time. Duke maddox wasn't the enemy, someone else was. And he had to find out who, fast.
Sonny turned his attention back to the labwork. Corso was sitting at the mixer, checking that all the spesifications given was correct, Dame Simbai and Clamp was aiding Sonny in the measuring process. Some of these liquids could potentially be dangerous, especially to a newborn, and time was of the essence. Mei was only a few weeks away from giving birth.
Sonny knew he had to get this right, since the mix needed to settle.
You could hear a needle drop, the room was that silent.
Sonny carefully added the last of the ingredients to the mix. Dame Simbai, for the sake of the baby's health, had added some herbs, that was harmless, and would strenghten the immunesystem.
«It's all done Sonny!» Corso's voice was thic with emotions.
Sonny took the tube.
«If we did anything, even the slightest thing, wrong with this mix, it could come at the pirce of my granddoughters life» he said.
All understood how danegrous the liquid he held in his hands could be.
«While this settles, what do we do?» Bennet asked.
Sonny looked at them.
«We will do surveilance on Technoid, by Duke Maddox request».
«Huh?» the pirates stared at him.
«I thought we agreed that it was somekind of trap?» Corso said.
Sonny nodded.
«both yes and no. I learned things from Duke Maddox, things that makes me want to have a closer look at certain files, amongst them, the project nemesis, and the old Metaflux files».
«The Metaflux?» Clamp looked scared.
Sonny was quick to calm him down.
«Don't you worry Clamp. It was never aimed at you. Whoever these people are, they aimed to harm my family».
Sonny had decided to talk to his grandfather, now that he had talked to his father. It was time to fix things, and heal old wounds, and if no one else wanted to make the first step, it fell to him and D'Jok to do so.
Sonny was still wondering how to put it forth.
But first of all, it was time to seek some kind of justice for the many men, women and children killed in shiloh.
Sonny sighed. He did not like this, but what the duke had told him, gave him no option. He had to request Duke Maddox placed in SecTech's custody, for his own safety, as soon as they had the case up.
And then, they would undertake the most dangerous job so far. An enemy unknown. Sonny knew that he would risk his own life, in order to ensure D'Jok, mei and the baby's safety for all eternity...
What is sonny planning? Will D'Jok and Mei's baby survive the evil project nemesis? And will the mighty Technoid crumble at the feets of the pirates, or will the threat this company represents, remain towards the Zaelion Galaxy? Keep reading my friends, and the answers are soon to be revealed.