Chapter 39
Jun held in the impatience she felt to get inside of the underground mountain base they had located a few hours before. She paced the ship waiting for Ken to wake up from his deep slumber. Wanting to shake him and tell him they had no time to waste yet she knew he needed to rest just to function after using the hypershoot to level he had on the last mission.
"Let's go Jun." Ken said flatly as he walked out the door of the medical bay still in full birdstyle. He looked awful even the tinted visor couldn't hide his illness- his normally flawless handsome features looked gaunt and aged his blue eyes had become dull and puffy from the desperate need of more sleep.
"If you need more time to rest I understand." Jun said quietly. Ken shook his head slowly and began walking past her, "We have already wasted too much time, and you should have woken me up the minute we landed Jun."
She didn't respond to his comment, she simply picked up her pace so she could walk beside him and began filling him in on Joe's observations of the base.
"We didn't just sit around while you caught up on your sleep Ken, Joe and Jinpei have been out looking for a more discreet way of entering the base than through the front door…" She said giving him a sidelong glance to watch his reaction.
"Joe's come up with a plan." Jun finally said, watching him raise an eyebrow with interest.
"What kinda plan is that Jun? Send in a few bird missiles… then race on in…"Ken sounding slightly cynical of Joe planning out an attack on a base.
"No," Jun frowned." There is only one way in and that's through the front gates…Sooo he located and has taken over a delivery van scheduled to take in food supplies. He spotted it about twenty minutes ago…"
Ken's stopped walking and looked at her with distant eyes." He has changed a lot over the years Joe's growing into a real leader…" Snapping out his sudden realization he began to smile. "I bet I know what he's up to…come on Jun we don't have any time to waste!"
Exiting the Gatchasparten Ken and Jun joined Ryu just outside on the grassy valley floor.
"The sun will be down in about an hour." Ken observed looking towards the sun.
Jun kept her eyes on the approaching vehicle with Jinpei in the passenger seat. Yes she thought. Ken's right Joe has changed even if he'll never see it in himself.
Joe jumped out and threw the rest of them white lab coats and a hat and moustache to Ken for an additional disguise.
"You'll need to hide in the back- Jinpei can ride with me upfront. We're transporting some grocery items and a few lab items like test tubes into the base. It's not heavily guarded, but a grand entrance might just hinder any chances we have of locating Dyami if they decide to do a shut down of higher security sections. We need to get into those…so you'll need these…"
Joe looked over at Ryu who pulled out a code breaking device. "Gotta give it to Dr Nambu, he figured this would come in handy one day I suppose that's why it was in the supply depot of the ship."
"This is how it works guys, all we do is scan our left eye it makes an imprint for identification…However we need Jun to get to a computer to 'update' it so we have easy access to rest of the base…I'm hoping we can get it accept eye scans from all us in the base computers, it's a vital part of making this work easily for us…then onto the next part of the plan. How we're going to get nosy scientists to leave us alone…" Joe grinned and looked directly at Ken.
"I figure you have something in mind? Keep talking Condor." Ken seemed to be listening intently to Joe's plan as he explained the rest of his plan. He even looked impressed at the finer details Joe had considered.
"Lets get moving…" Ken ordered, transmuting out of his birdstyle into civilian and throwing on his white coat like Jun had already done while Joe filled them in on his plan.
Surprised at how Ken had just let Joe basically take over the mission she crouched down close to him in amongst the supplies trying to find her balance when the truck hit a rock causing the vehicle to jolt.
"How are you?" She asked softly knowing it was a dumb question but she wanted had to ask.
"I feel like crap but I'm alright for the mission Jun…don't worry about me I can stay focused." He tried to smile, but it barely hinted at the corners of his lips.
"Emotionally…how do you feel emotionally…I know I'm terrified of what we might find…" Jun confessed.
"I'm blotting out any emotions I know I have about this Jun…I have to so I can function…Right now I feel emotionally numb…ask me again later after we…find him." Ken's voice dropped at the last few words to barely a whisper. "Joe knows what he's doing…we follow his instructions on this one…"
"We're approaching the front gates…sit tight." Joe said to the three in the back. She could see Jinpei puffing up his chest like he normally did when he was role playing on a mission.
"State your business." The bored goon said to Joe, as he approached the open window. "And who are you?" He indicated to Joe and Jinpei. Joe flashed a fake ID, which the goon looked at and then handed it back to him sporting his fake moustache he kept for disguises.
"Good afternoon…" Joe greeted him with a friendly smile." This is Professor Johnson from the Oxford University…he hitched a ride with the supply truck to the base."
Jinpei looked disdainfully at the goon. "I'm late." He huffed.
"He's a bit young to be a professor." The goon said suspiciously.
"What?" Jinpei's eyes flared with the insult the man just delivered. "I'll have you know my IQ is 240 on a bad day…I've been part of Oxford Universities child genius program since I was three years old…my services have been called upon to observe and resolve issues in a secret project at the base that an underling like you-"
He gulped when stuck a shuriken in his side to shut him up before he went too far.
"Ahh…ummm…it's just your name isn't on the list…" The goon faltered.
"Look on the other list…" Joe said calmly. "It was a last minute deployment from the order I received when I picked him up."
Joe looked confident when the man came back confirming it.
"I'm sorry about the delay…" He said opening the huge wire gate to allow them in.
"How did he get the name on the list?" Jun frowned.
"Easy…"Jinpei looked over his shoulder and grinned." The real professor is tied up in a toilet at a service station about an hours drive from here. I just stole his ID, changed the picture. The man said he was being called in at the last minute before Joe knocked him out."
The van stopped inside a loading dock and Joe gave the signal for them to move out into the main hallway of the base.
The base looked like an old bunker from the way the corridors ran in a circular route with elevators to take them to different levels. Jun ran into an empty computer room followed by Ken and Ryu while Jinpei and Joe stood watch outside.
"It'll take me a few minutes to do this." She said logging in and she began to look for the security links. After that she had to use her code breaker to enable to her access the data base to up load the new information. "Damn it…its not accepting the code…"
"Now what Sis…" Jinpei said looking towards the door.
"Bear with me, I'll try something else." She mused punching in another code and then twigging it to see if there had been a change in the last few minutes. Then the code came up for a scan to be done for new personnel. "Good, Guys get in here I only a few minutes to do this before it asks me for another code. I might not be able to access it again after this."
Quickly the five of them did an eye scan, Jun managed hers and set up the file just before it asked for a clearance code to continue.
"I'll see if there's anything in the computer on where he is…" She said before Ken could ask her. Again she looked in a different file for higher security access.
"I need to do an eye scan to access any information about projects being conducted in labs…If it denies my eye scan we'll know about since it set off all sorts of security alarms."
She did the scan and waited, a flood of relief went through her when it worked.
"Cybernetic and brain implant research …one scientist on duty." She Read out loud. "Patient list…Dyami Butler, and another boy called Jason."
"What in the world is that about…" Ken said leaning over her shoulder. "What's the location?"
"Its in high security…you need eye scans to get into the area." Jun said.
"I think its time to get the rest of Joe's plan into action." Ken said walking towards the door.
"One more thing Joe and Ken, we need to make this authentic…like we're really in a panic." She said grinning. Then a red alert went off in the base.
Ken stumbled wildly towards the front entrance on his own when he began to deliberately falter in his steps like he was drunk. One of the scientists near by started to approach him when Joe and Jun ran towards them in alarm.
"Don't go near him or you'll be exposed to it too." Jun screamed.
The men recoiled from his and stared questioningly at Joe and Jun.
"Its loose…the virus. Get out of here! NOW." Joe yelled. "You have five minutes before it becomes infectious…When starts coughing up green slim and chokes on it…that's when it'll become deadly…sent off the evacuation alarms damn it I said NOW."
"Virus what virus?" One of the men said to his friend. "We only research robotics and genetics history and manipulation and other related areas on this base…"
"Secret weapons research in sector H, don't ask questions that I might have to kill you over." Jun threatened him, conveying her threat with her eyes and body language.
Ken began to act like he was choking and collapsed to his knees. He forced himself to stand up so he could stumble closer to the guards.
"Don't come near us…we might be infected by now too from exposure." The older man began to fret. "I'm getting outta here…Can't you hear the alarm, these guys are serious if I knew viral technology was being conducted here I would have never taken up a job!" The older man shouted at the front door security guards.
"Shouldn't we stay here…I mean if it's a deadly virus... we could kill everyone if it gets out." His friend began to question.
"Are you stupid, she gave us five minutes and he's not coughing up green slim yet…we can get outta here in time…"His older friend bellowed over his shoulder and without any more delay he also ran towards the main doors run after him.
Joe and Jun picked up Ken and dragged him further down the corridor.
In the confusion that followed the evacuation alarm with goons and scientists fleeing the invisible threat the five of them ran further into the base towards sector C. The normal security guards had left their posts making it easy to get through lower level security to the higher level elevators. The eye scanner worked successfully and they all gained access to the level Dyami was listed to be held on.
"He has to still be here…I deliberately cut off the alarm to this section when I accessed the data base…unfortunately the eye scanner was cryptic…" Jun said looking around they began their search of the level.
Some of the things Jun saw in the labs make her sick, Ken became angrier the longer they search. It didn't take them long to find the lab, looking through the glass door window she saw a little boy laying on a bare steel table wearing a simple white robe to cover his body.
She opened the door without hesitation and ran into the room followed by Ken.
"Dyami what have they done to you." She gasped. Checking his pulse, he had a steady heart beat and his breathing was normal bringing her only marginal comfort. He was unconscious, pale thin and his head shaved with stitches down one side. An indication of recent surgery.
"Don't move him yet." Ken said walking around the other side." We have to make sure he can be moved…"
That's when they spotted the older wiry man walking through the door. "What are you doing my lab…?" He demanded. "Who are you? Show me some ID or get out of my lab."
"So this your handiwork?" Ken said in a dangerously low voice. His eyes glowered at the man standing before him.
"He's mine to do as I please with…I'm a brain surgeon as well as a scientist." The arrogant scientist stated. "What we do here will help people in the future what's one boy's life over saving thousands through my research."
Before the scientist could utter another word Ken changed into his birdstyle and he flew across the room gasped him by the throat and threw him against the wall. Jun also transmuted to add to him impact but stayed with Dyami.
"Here's my ID asshole…Now you know who I am…now start talking…what-did-you-do-to-him?" Ken growled.
"I…I…can't talk…its…top…secret…Count Egbossler's personal project…he'll…kill…me…if…I…tell…you…" The scientist protested and began crying when he looked over at her for help only to met with a cold green gaze through her visor.
Ken tightened his grip on the man's throat ignoring his questions. "Cybernetics…brain surgery…I want details and I want them now or you'll die a slow painful kind of death...And then I bet you'd rather it was Egobossler doing the job of ending your measly life."
The man looked into Ken's livid eyes and began to shake and the babbled. "He made it through the surgery healthy, no brain damage at all, we confirmed only today the implant is functioning like it should according to prior notes we found about it…remarkable actually…but that's why he's unconscious at the moment…see no real harm done…"He tried to cover, but Ken didn't change his imitating stance so he kept babbling." Remarkable how it works in a small child over an adult…he's just right for it genetically we decided when seeing why it failed on other subjects. It's like…it was made for him…and the other boy has good genetics…"
"Ken get in here." Joe called from across the hall. "We found the other boy Jun mentioned…"
"Dyami's in here…" Jun called back to him. "Is it safe to pick him up?" She turned her gaze on the terrified scientist. "Will I hurt him if I pick him up?" She said more firmly to get him to respond.
The man simply nodded and then wet himself when he looked back at Ken.
Jun waited for some indication Dyami was okay.
"He…he's alright to be picked up I was coming into carry him back to his bed when you arrived." The man tried to look at Jun, but Ken blocked his view.
Taking the cue Jun gently picked him up into her arms and walked out of the room leaving Ken to finish questioning the scientist and walked into the next lab. She frowned when she saw the expression on Joes face.
"Joe, what's wrong?" She asked looking at his stunned face with Jinpei and Ryu standing near by all of them now in birdstyle.
"Its not possible…it just isn't." The Condor kept saying starring at the little boy who looked to be about a year older than Dyami lying on a metal lab table in the middle of the room.
Silently Jinpei and Ryu walked over to her and looked at Dyami, she gave them a small smile and indicated he was still alive, just unconscious.
When Jun looked into the little boys face she could see why Joe looked so stunned. The boy looked just like him, even with his eyes closed- tuffs of fine hair growth indicated the same burnt caramel colour as Joes…the growing shape of his face and even the small cleft in his chin.
"The patient list said his name is Jason." Jun said trying to get Joe's attention.
"Jason." Joe repeated the boy's name and he picked up his small hand in his. Then he gently cradled the toddler in his arms. "I…he…I can't have a kid…no way…it's just a coincidence…he looks like me…has to be…I…no way…" Joe reasoned to no one in particular. "He can't be mine…"
"We can find out Joe through a DNA test…later we have to get them out of here. With everyone evacuated it should be easy to leave with the boys without anyone to stop us." Ken said in the doorway holding a disk in his hand and something that looked like small coins in the other. "The scientist gave me the information I needed about the implants and this is what they put into their brains…did you know others they tried this on died…including older kids…" Ken said horrified of what had taken place in this lab.
"You should see what's down the hall…" Jinpei shuddered and so did Ryu, tears forming in both of their eyes at memory of what they witnessed. He didn't elaborate and Jun really didn't want to know what else lay in the labs further down. She's seen enough to give her nightmares for weeks.
A glimpse in the doorway of the lab they found Dyami in gave her indication of the fate of scientist at Ken's hands that did the surgery on Dyami. She didn't question Ken about it, he deserved his fate. From the way he acted when they walked in he had no regard for human life what so ever.
The base was devoid of people as the walked towards the front entrance. Dyami began to stir in her arms, muttering something in toddler language then he began to whimper in fear.
"Mummee…scared…food." He whispered desperately. Jun choked up and stifled her real response. "Soon…we'll be taking you home soon to her." Her soothing voice calmed him instantly.
On the way back to Gatchasparten in an abandoned van little Jason began to stir. With Ryu driving this time the little boy still lay in Joe's arms. He stared up at the Condor with big wide grey eyes. He didn't talk or move he stared.
"I found some food…just bread." Jinpei said picking up a loaf from a box of unpacked supplies.
"It'll do." Jun said taking a slice and breaking off a piece and she offered it Dyami. He wolfed it down and waited anxiously for more like a sparrow in a park.
"Any water?" Jun asked the Swallow.
"No, there's some orange juice…looks like its fresh in the small ice box whoever had this last kept back here." He smiled and pulled it out of the box and offered it to her, she looked over at Ken sleeping heavily in the corner.
She tried to get Joe's attention by waving in his face. "Joe…Ken mentioned about going to Jafaru straight away. It's not a bad idea considering his wife is a doctor and he's a scientist…They can protect the boys and Dyami will be back with Matt and Natasha…Just like we promised."
"Ahhh…yeah sounds like a plan Jun." Joe's tone had become distant like his thoughts had gone into la la land.
"Joe snap out of it!" She said lightly punching him in the arm. The Condor looked like she'd jolted him out of a deep slumber by his reaction.
"Hey kid do want to eat something?" He offered taking some of the bread from the Swallow. Jason nodded and accepted to whole slice Joe handed him and bit a chunk out of the middle of it then threw the rest into the corner with Ken and waited for the next slice to come his way.
Joe's brows knitted together in annoyance and he addressed the toddler's actions. "Why do you think you'll get more if you didn't finish the first piece of bread I gave you?"
Jason just glared angrily back and folded his arms in defiance. "Want more." He stated.
"That kid has to have your gene's bro…he's got your glare and temper." Jinpei smirked and laughed.
Joe levelled a threatening finger in the Swallow's face. "You'll keep Jinpei…"
Jinpei handed Jason another piece of bread. "So will you daddy."
"Cut it out Jinpei or I'll sware you won't make it to your fifteenth birthday." Joe said pulling out a feather shuriken to add weight to his threat. The van can to a halt close to the Gatchasparten.
"Do as he say's Jin…stop teasing." Jun scolded her brother. "It's been a long day for all of us."
"Lets all get some sleep before we go to Jafaru's house. We'll all be in a better state, and the kids look like they need more sleep anyway." Jun said stealing a look at the exhausted Eagle.
"Okay, sounds like a plan…we'll sink a missile into the entrance of that base, that's should be enough to put it out of further use to Galactor. Any more than that we could cause an avalanche of dirt and rubble on the village on the other side of the mountain. No use putting innocent lives at risk." Joe ordered.
Jun couldn't agree more. "Then we'll find a spot to camp for the night in the Gatchasparten…"