AN: Okay, another exposition chapter. After the war, comes the politics. It's been that way in many movies and stories.
After The Planeteers spent an hour being processed and treated medically, the questions went on endlessly for almost a full day. They were questioned individually, with cameras on them every second. They told the truth, and they told what they knew over and over again. The questions got invasive after a time, picking apart their past, their associations, their records…
Having Wheeler's father involved helped, as he was able to put a stop to the insulting questions; or the terribly personal questions.
And then the questioning turned on the Colonel himself, demanding to know what it was that involved his son.
The Planeteers told the whole truth. And even with a new continent outside the window, it stretched the bounds of what seemed possible.
Once the individual questioning stopped, the five of them were brought into the Captain's conference room, and they were left to themselves for several hours.
Colonel George Johnston was watching the video record of his son's interview, for the fourth time.
"What is your name, for the record?"
"James."
"How did you come to be here?"
"Depends. Where exactly are we?"
"We have shown you on the map."
"The map shows empty water. I have some fair compelling evidence that your map is wrong."
"Do you know where that landmass came from?"
Wheeler was silent suddenly, and his eyes slowly glazed. "Yeah. I think maybe I do."
The Colonel had seen the reaction before, from combat veterans… It was the glazed look you got when something impossibly terrible worked its way into your memory again. It was the look former POW's got when asked about their experiences. It was the look all five of them got when asked about where the island came from.
It took The Colonel a moment to realize that he was not alone. The Captain had joined him. Colonel Johnston turned off the video. The picture returned to the live image of the Conference Room.
"Well George, what do you think?" Captain Walker asked, looking at the five of them pacing the conference room via the security monitor.
The Colonel sighed. "Cap'n, I won't pretend my son's some paragon of honesty here. I've heard him spin some pretty wild tales… but this… He's not some new age, earth spirit type. It's just not in his nature. If he was looking to make something up, Gaia giving him a mission would not be it. It's just too fantastic."
"Too fantastic? Look out the window! We're recharting the Pacific Ocean!"
"You're not saying you believe their story?"
"Your son lit my cigar for me. From across the room. Without a lighter. Answer that one!"
"I can't. But he's my son. I'm willing to take his word. There'll be plenty that won't. And a lot of the ones that won't buy it... They outrank us."
"I know." Captain Walker sighed and tossed a folder down on the table between them. "I didn't show you this."
"Of course you didn't." Colonel Johnston said instantly, and picked it up. "Full sized trees from every climate which apparently have been growing for centuries and not seen their first winter, full grown animals, no nests, no habitats… Okay, so the island makes no sense. Tell me something I don't know. It's a land that's hundreds of square miles and wasn't here last week!"
"This is my point. This wasn't some sudden earthquake or super-hurricane. Maybe a big enough undersea volcano could make land rise up from the ocean, but it won't make plants grow. Not that fast. And animals? No chance!"
"You're not saying you believe them?"
"I've never believed in anything supernatural before in my life Colonel, but… I don't exactly have a better explanation."
"So… what do we do?"
"My phone has been ringing off the hook for the last twenty hours. DOD, Pentagon, UN Ambassadors… The President rang himself, like he was expecting me to pull the answers outta my ass! We've got to give them something!"
There was a knock on the door, and in came a sailor with a clipboard. He presented it to the captain, and headed back out again. The Captain took a look. "Another two destroyers have joined the party. One Russian, one Chinese. Everyone who had a boat bigger than a fishing trawler in the South Pacific is coming here. I don't like it. You get this many people who don't like each other put in the same room with that many guns… World War Three could break out over this if we're not careful." He tapped the clipboard. "North Korea is sending a few ships. The President is taking us to Defcon Three. All military personnel have been recalled to ready status." He sighed.
The Colonel looked at the monitor, and studied his son. "Captain… the medical reports?"
Captain Walker looked shrewdly at his friend and sighed. "Yeah. The medical findings, as far as they go, support the story. They all have light wounds, evidence of smoke inhalation, tear gas… there are light abrasion scars around their wrists and ankles, consistent with handcuffs, they have bruising on their arms consistent with needle injections… Your son looks like he got hit with a full clip of rubber bullets."
Something dangerous passed over the soldier's face. "Somebody shot my son, and I'm gonna take it out of somebody's hide. Where do we stand on their claims about the Corporation?"
"It's no secret that The Corporation can basically do what they want. One way or another, we all work for them now. I'm not the least bit surprised about anything they said."
"Can we prove it?"
"We have all of Ma-Ti's pictures. The wreckage from the Rig is still there on the island. I've got my people combing it now. Between the Rig and the photos... We can track about ninety percent of their claims. Or at least give them the benefit of the doubt. The stuff about Stumm... no trace."
"If their claims about him were true... would there be?"
The sound of helicopters filled the room for a moment. "Who's that?"
"Depends who got there first." The Captain sighed, hating this. "Everybody's coming in. Interpol, JAG, NCIS, Coast Guard, USGS, CIA. And lawyers. A lot of lawyers. A slither of lawyers. Everybody who got a copy of our reports, our interviews, the transcripts, the recordings… everybody who's seen it is sending either investigators or lawyers. They all want first crack at your son and the other Merry Men in there."
"How did so many people get a copy? This report is labeled strictly confidential."
Beat. Both men rolled their eyes at each other.
"To say nothing of the fact that before we got here we managed to pick up a news team from the water. I'm running out of ways to keep that woman and her cameraman locked up."
"Well, if we can't tell anyone something concrete, let's tell them what we've heard."
"You trying to pick a fight with The Corporation over the accusations of illegal drilling, or with the Church over the notion of an Earth Spirit arming five kids, because I assure you, we can't beat either of them." The Captain retorted lightly. "Now look, I can put all the lawyers in a room, tell them what we know, and let them slug it out till they decide who goes first, but your son is under a microscope. You know that, right?"
The door opened, and in came a harried looking ensign. "Captain? I think you had better take a look at this."
Feeling the dread settle further on them, both officers ran for the nearest TV.
BREAKING NEWS:
"And now, the most startling update on the current situation. We can now confirm that the Navy's first landing team on the new land… found people. Five people have been brought aboard the first ship in the area, the USS Saratoga. Naval spokesmen, and the White House have remained silent on any further updates, but we are getting some pictures from the Gun Camera footage, and can identify the people in the image as being from several countries around the world.
Unnamed sources close to the investigation have suggested that these five people in fact created the new land themselves, though such fantastic claims have not been proven, and has yet been neither confirmed or denied by official sources.
As yet there has been no word on how they came to this place or why, but our own sources can identify the people in this footage as Linka Petrova, James Johnston, Kwame Deka, Gi Takashi, and Ma-Ti Costa…
Everyone reacted as the screen suddenly went blank, and turned to see who was holding the remote. He did not look happy.
"Okay." Captain walker chomped on his cigar. "I'm a reasonable man. Anybody want to offer an explanation?" He said politely to all assembled.
Dead silence.
The polite calm vanished instantly. "GODDAMMIT! WHO TALKED?" The Captain bellowed at the roomful of his people, who all looked anywhere but at his face. "I mean it! I want names! Are we in the habit of handing out our gun camera footage to the Press?"
Colonel Johnston was already on the phone. "I want an immediate protection team for my son in New York, before the press get to him. Move fast!"
The Planeteers reunited later that same day in the ship's Main Conference room. The quality of people holding them for Q&A took a nosedive after The Plaza Hotel, but was slowly working its way back up again. The Planeteers were given rooms to sleep in, one for the men, one for the women, and were brought food and changes of clothes as needed.
With the questions over, the five of them compared notes and agreed that it was a matter of waiting to see what happened next. They had all been glad to see each other in the Conference Room, and when they found that they had access to a television, they were beyond stunned to realize that they had suddenly started a global phenomenon. For over an hour they sat riveted to the TV as the news came rolling in.
The realization that their names were public knowledge sent them all into a panic, fearing reprisals. The Captain had visited them and made his personal apologies for the information leak, promising protection for their families. The Planeteers all had loved ones who were now under protective custody, away from the press, away from reprisals, away from people seeking attention. Early reports from their guards said that they were all stunned at the news they were watching. It was hard to tell if they were more stunned that the Island appeared, or that their absent family members were found alone on it. They had been briefed by their guards, as far as they could be. Gi had sunk into her chair at the news, feeling like she was about to be punched in the head.
The personal dramas however, were far from the most unsettling.
A new land appearing in the world was an unprecedented phenomenon. Various navies were circling, trying to get to its secrets first. There had been much dangerous posturing, with a number of warships that did not trust each other on the verge of firing.
The markets had taken a huge hit at the notion that a new continent might be a warning of the world ending; and then rebounded right back again at the suggestion that there might be some valuable things that could be taken or learned. Those who stood to gain the most were already talking about plans to colonize.
Millions had gone flocking to churches and temples, seeking answers that nobody knew the questions for yet. One theory after another had been put forward. One expert after another had been put on screen; debating, suggesting, tearing each other down. Nobody knew for sure what to make of it.
Millions had fled from the coastlines of the world, expecting the displaced water to roll over them. The fact that it hadn't come led some to wonder if it was a hoax, as the new land was far enough out into international waters that nobody had any legal claim to it, and couldn't get a look at it without a boat or plane. Since nobody had laid a claim to the mysterious land, everybody was making sure that nobody else could get to it first and plant a flag.
The UN had gone berserk, with over a dozen nations lodging complaints that the US Navy was the first to reach the unexplored isle without notifying the international community. Fingers were being pointed at the thought that the island was caused by a US experiment, and quickly there were assurances that it was a coincidence that a US Navy Carrier was the closest ship.
Deals and promises were being made back and forth by nations, governments, by various departments in the Corporation making agreements over who would get first dibs. Legal experts on all sides were swarming to figure out how to make a jurisdictional claim in International Waters. Public Relations were working overtime in every government warning that the new land might be inhabited, and that everyone had better be careful.
All eyes were on the USS Saratoga, who had a respected News Anchor on the scene, apparently trying to get through the military stonewall. But word had leaked out that the new land had been inhabited, and that five people had been brought aboard by the first exploration team.
The Planeteers were left stunned at the sheer gravity of what they'd unleashed.
"Why haven't they charged us with anything?" Gi asked.
"What would they charge us with?" Wheeler asked. "It's not illegal to control fire with your jewelery."
"What do you want to bet that it will be tomorrow?" Linka snorted.
The door opened and Wheeler's father walked in, close enough to hear that last part. "They might not. If they thought it was too much of a risk." The Colonel put in as he shut the door behind him.
"Why would it be a risk for them?"
"Because the environment is a hot-button issue at the moment, and you guys have power. A noble cause, a villainous enemy, an evil corporation, and an international team of young people with special powers?"
"He's right. We could have our own set of action figures if we wanted." Wheeler agreed.
"The Corporation has to be careful how they play this. At the higher levels... it's all political. And politicians know not to pick fights with celebrities, or with things they don't understand, or people who are more popular, or people who are more powerful. The five of you are all of the above."
The Colonel had been making friends in that room for some time, talking with his son about all the things that had happened. The others were glad to meet him, but slightly jealous. None of their families were close by. There were hints that they might be on the way, given that they were all publicly known…
"So what happens now?" Linka asked. "Colonel, we're on a US Navy carrier. It's technically American territory, and much of the Government and the Armed forces get supplied and financed by The Corporation. It's only a matter of time before somebody figures out what to do with us!"
"It'll be up to whoever moves next. If the Corporation decide to move against you, it'll be because they're confident of victory. If they don't it's because they've decided not to take the risk."
"Oh come ON!" Wheeler yelled. "We have fought mercenaries, and gunships and mega-corporations and massive explosions and otherworldly forces, and now we're at the mercy of the lawyers?"
"This is the exact same conversation I've been having with Captain Walker. He wishes that another ship had been closer to this point the other day. Any other ship."
"Welcome aboard the Saratoga." The ship Executive Officer called to the latest batch of investigators and lawyers to arrive by helicopter. "You'll understand that we're running short of rooms after everyone and his wife started storming our ship. We're fresh out of accommodation, but I do have several lovely hallways, and a few sturdy closets that haven't been booked yet."
One of them stormed right up to him and saluted. "Ivana Petrova, my husband and partner Stephan. We are with Interpol Special Investigations. When can we talk to the five young people in question?"
"Ma'am, that is currently being hashed out between the Captain and several dozen legal and law enforcement agencies currently on board. If you'll follow me, I'll be glad to let you make your case."
The Planeteers withdrew a little, most of them still a bit stunned at how fast their lives had taken this impossible turn. It was the first time since getting the rings that they had little to do except process what had happened.
Gi and Kwame had curled up on the couch and fallen asleep watching the news, waking up every half hour or so to get the latest updates. Ma-Ti was sitting cross-legged against the wall, listening to something that nobody else could hear; Wheeler was pacing and snacking in turns, and Linka had taken to staring out the window as more and more helicopters and aircraft built up in the sky around them.
"Thinking deep thoughts?" Wheeler asked.
Linka snorted. "Nothing very profound. It's just... I thought it would be enough. I thought that having the powers and using them together would be enough to-"
"To what?" Wheeler jumped in. "Linka, we actually redrew the map of the world. You want to talk about making a difference; you don't get much better than that!"
Linka smirked. Almost smiled. "I know. But Kwame's sister is still sick... my grandmother's getting older... I can't cure greed with a tornado, you can't fix poverty with a fireball, Kwame can't cure fatal diseases with an earthquake... I don't know what that thing we turned loose the other day was, but I doubt creating a new land to fight over is going to bring about world peace... There's only so much that even Planet-Force can do. I thought it would be more."
Wheeler took that seriously. "Mm. JJ sent dad an email." He said. "The kids at school... they're scared of him. Flame-Mage's brother? There are soldiers guarding whatever classroom he happens to be in. The teachers are afraid to call him into the Principals office. They all want him to look into home schooling for now. My dad was already on the way home. He's been given new orders assigning him here for as long as we're on board. Nobody in the military knows what to do with him."
Linka sighed. "I think... I think that's just what happens."
"Gaia snapped whatever metaphysical fingers she had and made the Garden of Eden out there. The reason she called us was to see if we could set things straight. If we can't, we know for a fact now that she can do it herself." Wheeler shrugged. "A doctor can operate, save a life. We can't do that. A politician can get food to hungry people; lawyers can help or fight corruption in business. But none of them can conjure a tidal wave. There's things that only we can do; and there's things that only they can do. If we're going to fix everything we want to... we've all got to be in this."
Linka sighed. "Tall order."
"I know." Wheeler agreed. "But you know what? We did a big thing, and we didn't suck at it. The Rig wasn't the only illegal action in the world. And not the only one that's strip mining either. All the others out there... They know about us now."
Linka shivered. "They'll be coming for us soon."
The door opened, and the Captain came in. "Well. The five of you have caused quite a stir."
"So we're realizing." Kwame conceded. "What happens now?"
"Well, your names have been announced. As of now, we have to make a statement, and you will have to be included in it. I'm personally very sorry for that, but it can't be helped."
"And what will that statement be?"
"We've investigated your claims, and we can't punch any holes in your story. The Corporation says that they have employees who match all the names you can give us, but they say that Devorux died in a hunting accident months ago, and that Bligh was assigned as personal security guard to a member of the Board of Directors."
Gi jumped up. "Bligh's alive?"
"She is." Walker confirmed.
Kwame glanced at Gi. She had an unmistakable look of relief at the news.
"She's already been in contact with the Authorities and has witnesses that can place her on dry land at the time of the incident you described." Walked continued.
"Are any of those witnesses not on the Corporation's payroll?"
"Not one of them." His father conceded. "If we try to push this, we will lose. But frankly, we don't need to push this."
"Why not?"
"Because on the other side of that door are about a thousand lawyers looking to make headlines pushing it for us." The Captain explained. "I don't know if you've been following the news, but the face of the world changed; and I mean physically changed a few days ago. Everyone's eager to find out where the next step leads, and there's no precedent to tell them what it is."
"The one argument in favor of putting you five in jail, or up against a wall and shot, is that you might use those magical powers of yours again." The Colonel explained. "People are freaked out that there are people in the world who can do this."
"Gaia…" Ma-Ti said quietly. "If you could do this, why would you call us?"
The Captain and The Colonel traded a look, and spoke quietly for several minutes. "You realize of course, that the… supernatural portions of this story cannot be made public."
"I fail to see how you can stop it." Kwame said honestly. "The map has been redrawn, and we did not fall out of the sky. We have people who know us. We know how chaotic it can make things if news about where these powers came from was made freely available, but we've got them, and for a good reason. We know how much upheaval we bring with us. That's the point."
The two older men traded a bleak glance. "What you suggest… is a very dangerous thing."
"We know, dad." Wheeler said. "But things have got to change."
"A lot of people won't be thrilled at the notion of 'change'."
Silence.
"Don't tell anyone about Gaia." Linka suggested. "The Rings and what they can do will become public knowledge sooner or later."
"We can't tell people about these kinds of… abilities, and not tell them where it all came from."
"Why not?" Wheeler asked suddenly. "People have been watching movies about witches and wizards and X-Men for decades. Superhuman abilities have been around since ancient cultures told their kids about Hercules fighting giant snake monsters. The idea of people who can go a step above normal is not a new thought."
"The point the Captain was making James, is that the X-Men weren't real popular." His father countered.
"Dad… let us handle it." Wheeler suggested. "It's our problem, and-"
"You're my son. Your problems ARE my problems." The Colonel insisted.
"And I'm telling you that any questions about 'how' can be directed to us. Unless we're being charged with something… There's no reason to hold us. Right?"
Silence.
"Are we being charged with something?" Kwame pressed.
"So far there's nothing to charge you with." The Captain admitted.
"Since when has that ever stopped anyone?" Gi said acidly.
"Touché."
Silence.
"Don't take questions about where it came from." Kwame said decisively. "We can handle those. What we need to know is… was any of this worth it? We have been to hell and back trying to do the right thing here. Is it for nothing? Are we going to have to do this alone, every step of the way? Because I can tell you… we are not even close to finished yet."
The Captain and The Colonel traded a look.
"Hell." Walker said finally. "I knew I was going to be put in front of a court-martial for something one day. Might as well be this." He picked up the phone. "Lieutenant, get me the Justice Department." He sent a grin at the Planeteers. "Might as well have warrants issued and waiting, right?"
BREAKING NEWS:
"This just in. The Navy has allowed Captain Walker of the USS Saratoga to make the first official statement regarding the details of the current situation. The press was denied entry, but we have confirmed that this statement has not been doctored or altered in any way. The full text of the statement can be downloaded from our website. Here now, we have the complete statement for you."
"We can now confirm the source of this new land mass. It was created by the combined extraordinary powers of five young men and women from across the globe; that call themselves the Planeteers. The nature of whatever abilities they possess is at this time unknown, but irrefutable. The evidence of it can be seen out the windows of this ship.
The identities of these five people have already been announced by the world's media, but policy dictates that we can neither confirm nor deny. They have already shared with us a wealth of information, and will be made available for interviews once legal matters and ongoing investigations have been closed.
Upon arrival at this land, dubbed Hope Island by the Planeteers, the five of them came onboard willingly, and they were interviewed by myself and several members of my crew. What information they choose to share with the general public is up to them, as they do not at this time work for the Navy, the US Government, or any other official organization.
They were taking part in an independent investigation of illegal strip mining, and uncovered a mobile oil drill, working illegally at this point in the ocean. They took steps to stop the criminal action; taking great personal risks in the process. The Mobile Drilling Platform was destroyed, and as a consequence, this new land mass was created.
We have examined all the available evidence, and found no discrepancies in their story. I personally have been in constant contact with the Justice Department, and several independent investigations into the matter. We have evidence enough to swear out warrants for several key members of The Corporation, including Corporation CEO Alexander Appius…"
Appius turned off the television and turned to his assembled Board of Directors. "I have it on good authority that we can expect the authorities to have this building surrounded, and arrest warrants for each of us within ten minutes. We will face these charges, and we will respond with every weapon in our arsenal. We will present a united front, or so help me, I will give you all something a hell of a lot worse than bad press to deal with."
"How did they ever get warrants for us?"
"We've made as many enemies as we have friends. The wind changes and so does everything else."
One of the Board Members raised a hand. "Sir, is there any truth to these allegations?"
"Of course not." Appius said smoothly. "But everyone likes to paint the big wealthy corporations as evil, so we have to waste time and money getting the allegations cleared up. Needless to say, Captain Walker will be an ensign before next week."
"Actually, that's not true."
A murmur went through the room. Appius looked his Directors up and down. "Who said that?"
"I did." Stumm stood up, looking eager and filled with barely contained energy. "As a high ranking member of the Corporation, I became aware of several illegal operations. Without evidence, I was unable to pursue it, and I was afraid to search for it myself, knowing as I did how dangerous Mr Appius could be."
It was such a rehearsed statement; everyone knew that this had been long planned. Everyone sat up a little straighter, realizing that there was a coup happening.
"When I came across five young people who cared as much as I did about the world, and who were willing to take great personal risks, I took a chance and shared what I knew with them, hoping that they would take decisive action. And they did. What is left now is to weather the storm that our CEO has forced upon us."
Appius glared at Stumm. "You think you can take my job you little slug? You don't have the stones, let alone the stock."
"Wrong on both counts." Stumm sneered. "You see, the stock is irrelevant. Read the Corporation's charter. It says that any member of the Board proven to be involved in criminal activity can be removed by a majority vote. And you sir, are about to be convicted of a great many crimes."
"You know I'll never be convicted of that. My lawyers will take those charges apart-"
"They aren't your lawyers." Stumm countered. "They're the Corporation's lawyers."
Appius was silent for a moment, feeling a knife edge of fear. "Where's Bleek? He'll back me. And he'll have all the papers to show who really was behind the Mobile Rig. And it's drill sites."
Stumm looked curious. "Who was really behind it?"
Appius sent the room in general a glare. "Anyone stupid enough to cross me."
Uncomfortable silence as the Board looked at each other. The two opponents were fighting dirty, and could take everyone down with them.
Stumm wasn't concerned. "Mr Bleek? Ahh yes. Tragedy that. You see, he... hanged himself this morning."
Appius paled. "When did that happen?"
The doors to the Board Room opened dramatically, and in strolled Bligh. "Roughly ten minutes after I got back from the Pacific." She snarled, and strolled to her place right behind Stumm.
Stumm barely spared her a glance. "And those private papers of his? His Dossiers? His Black Lists?"
Bligh shrugged. "Who's to say they ever existed?"
Stumm turned back to Appius. "I understand his suicide note expressed his remorse for the part he played in your grand conspiracy to strip mine the world for your own profit, unbeknownst to the rest of us."
Appius was suddenly white as a sheet.
The rest of the Board was notably silent, realizing how complete the shift in power was.
Stumm moved slowly around the table, speaking to all of them, but seeming to look at each of them in turn. "It's truly a crime. And more than that, a tragedy, that a man we all respected and admired, Mr Alexander Appius, would do something so selfish as to break so many laws, destroying our natural heritage, and betraying the trust of his employees, and his shareholders. I know that in times to come, I can count on each of you to show a united front as we do our level best to move forward." His sincere look turned icy. "Can't I?"
Checkmate. Stumm had any dirt that Appius and Bleek may have gathered on any of them, and had neatly removed any chance of Appius talking his way out of a criminal charge. It was now a matter of survival.
One of the Board, Mr Bransford, spoke first. "I call for a vote. I move that Mr Appius be removed from authority, and that he be turned over to the Authorities at once."
Appius was back in his chair, shrunken in on himself, looking like he'd already died.
"I second the motion." Stumm said calmly. "All in favor?"
It was unanimous.
Military and governments forces had all gone on alert; at the notion of five young people from different countries with different allegiances having such impossible abilities.
Protesters had marched in Washington, convinced that the Planeteers were being held illegally by the Military against their will. Banners with slogans like 'Free Earth's Heroes', 'Planet-Power' and 'Make Islands; Not War' were being waved. Clashes had turned violent between them and Corporation employees, who took the strike against their employers personally. Police were out in force to stop the violence.
The official statement had cooled a lot of military and political tensions. The island was inhabited. Nobody had claim to a land in international waters; especially one that had people on it. Truthfully, most people were still a little leery of going to a landmass that wasn't there a week before. Legalities were settled quickly with this new information.
Not everything was wrapped up neatly, with legal experts swarming over the accusations made like locusts. Appius had been served up on a plate by The Corporation, and while there had been no official word on who was going to be the new CEO, law enforcement agencies across the world were racing to keep ahead of Appius' people, covering up whatever shady dealings he had been up to.
But there were still an amazing number of questions to answer, and focus shifted to The Planeteers.
The Planeteers had escorts, but were not considered prisoners. With the ship filling up with various people who wanted first crack at the Planeteers, they were happy to keep to themselves. Their rooms were small but comfortable, and they were split up by gender, space becoming tight as the available room filled up.
Kwame broke the silence. "So, do we make a break for it? The statement's been made. If there's anyone out there who wants a piece of us…"
"The Captain won't lock us up." Ma-Ti said with certainty. "He's been in the Navy his whole life. He loves the ocean. He cares about it. He's sympathetic."
Wheeler shook his head. "We've shown them powers they don't have. They'll want us on their side, or they'll want us dead."
"You're pessimistic." Kwame advised. "They want power they can control. They don't know what can make an island appear from nothing. And frankly, neither do we. We had no idea what was about to happen when we combined our Powers. We didn't make that land appear Wheeler. That was… whatever it was that came out of the Rings."
All three of them shivered a little. They didn't like to talk about that moment. It was just too… great and terrible to comprehend.
The door opened and the Captain stuck his head in. "Gentlemen, the various agencies had sorted out their squabbles. The first one has sent representatives. If you'll come with me, they would like to debrief you."
The three of them stood and followed the captain and their guards as they made their way to the Conference room. Linka and Gi joined them en route. "So who got first dibs?" Gi asked.
"Interpol. They'll be with you shortly."
The Planeteers were brought into the room and left to wait.
The door opened, and in came an older white man. He sat down calmly, and pulled a small box from his pocket. He pressed a button on it, and everyone felt something inaudible go through their ears. "This will let us talk for a few minutes, before they decide it's more than just random interference." He took in each of them. "Well. This is exciting."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Lucas Brubrand." The man said. "I am not from Interpol. I snuck on board with one of the many loads of people coming in. You have four minutes before the Interpol agents get here. I need to be gone by then. I shouldn't even be on board."
Kwame sat down across from him. "And, what can we do for you Mr Brubrand?"
"I was CEO of the Brubrand Corporation. When the Great Merger happened, I was shown the door. I wasn't hurting for money. The money I had I have since invested and I have become a very wealthy man. When I was denied my lavishly overvalued severance package, I took it... badly. I didn't fight, because they had... information, about some... How shall I say this?"
"Youthful indiscretions?' Wheeler volunteered.
"That will do." Brubrand agreed blandly. "A man named Bleek came to see me, made what he knew clear, and suggested that discretion was the better part of staying out of jail. I… surrendered. And I don't like to surrender. In the years since the Merger, I investigated, and I discovered that Bleek, may he rot in hell, got his information... from my own children. They didn't know why. The fact that it cost them some more potential inheritance made them nuts. But... quite frankly, I didn't need another hundred million. Once you get past half a billion, it sort of loses its allure." He checked his watch. He pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket and slid it across the table.
Kwame picked it up and unfolded it. "Oh my. That's... quite a lot of zeroes."
Brubrand reached across the table and unfolded the paper properly. Kwame's eyes bugged out. "Quite a lot more zeroes..."
Wheeler leaned over. "Oh wow."
Brubrand cackled. "It's yours. I've put it into a Cayman Island Account; details are on the back."
Linka looked disdainfully at him. "Well, thank you very much, but we aren't in this for the... money." The last word was spoken with such disdain that Brubrand actually smiled at her.
"Wouldn't dirty your pretty hands with cash, would you dear? Well, as it happens, I don't care. Better you than my kids."
"But why are you doing this?" Wheeler asked.
"You guys are the game changers. The world just had it all laid out for them. Your 'coming out' was loud and clear and quite literally earth-shaking. If this little mission to save the world is going to work, you're going to need resources. And I doubt anybody else will be willing, seeing as you've just dramatically pissed off the most powerful, most well connected billionaires in the world." He grinned toothily. "If nothing else, consider it a thank you for taking out Bleek and Appius in one stroke."
"Try again." Wheeler said bluntly. "Why are you doing this?"
"Okay… the truth." Brubrand shrugged. "I have been diagnosed with a very virulent form of liver failure. I can get myself at the top of a transplant list... but at my age, you start to wonder if you care." He sighed. "So here's me, negotiating the ultimate deal. I will be dead in the next two months. And I can either leave my uncounted millions to my kids, who screwed me over because they didn't care... or I can give something back to the world that has given..." He stopped himself, and smiled ruefully. "...from which I have stolen, so very much." He stood up. "I'm running out of time." He was looking at his watch, but they knew the statement could be taken either way. "And if your grand mission does become about the money... well, I won't be here to care."
Kwame stood up. "We're going to do good things with this." He promised seriously.
"That money came from dishonesty, from strip mining, from greed. And it will be used to save the world. There's no way in god's heaven that I'll get into god's heaven. So at least there will be some irony when I die." He cackled a little. "The face of the world changed. That's unprecedented! The major players are setting themselves up to play the game of the millennium. And the five of you will not even get a seat at the table." He tapped the check. "I've been shown the door long ago. Consider this my final act of flipping the bird at the self-appointed gods who dismissed me far too soon. Spite is such a delicious feeling to be on the winning side of." He cackled like a lunatic and left the room.
The Planeteers gathered around the table and held a quick conference. They could access the account online, and since they were not considered prisoners, there was no reason to keep them away from a computer...
Each member had a few ideas on what to spend the money on. They spent a few minutes debating it.
"There are people back where I live that could really use some of this money." Linka said. "There's enough of it to go around."
"What about where I live?" Kwame pointed out. "Are your neighbors any less deserving than mine? The people who are trying to help over there at the Mission where my sister is get paid next to nothing. Imagine what paid doctors could do with new equipment..."
"Easy you two, there are homeless in Brooklyn as well." Wheeler pointed out. "There's a lot here, but not enough to feed the whole world. This money came to us. There are things we need, and can't get alone."
"Like what? A big screen TV?"
"Like a new glider for Gi so we can get around without being tracked by an army of reporters. Like a satellite hook-up so we can still communicate when we get off this ship. Like construction supplies so that we don't end up sleeping on the ground for the rest of our lives…"
"You're convinced that we're staying on the island then?"
Wheeler nodded.
"Wheeler's right." Gi agreed. "We can't get dragged into this. Brubrand said we wouldn't even get a seat at the table. And looking at the TV, I don't know what we'd be able to do."
"Gaia said we would need a place. Well, now we have one." Ma-Ti said softly. "It's a place nobody has ever touched. If we go to any other country, the circus that seems to have started will follow."
"The Captain came to see me before. In private." Kwame said quietly. "My government has demanded that I be returned to them. They want an answer about what this ring can do. They want to have power over the earth..." He shivered. "If I go home, I really don't know what will happen to me. And if my Government is demanding that I get sent back, yours won't be far behind."
"We don't even know if we'll get off this ship." Linka interrupted. "That land mass is being eyed by the whole world. It doesn't even have a name yet and we-"
"Hope Island." Ma-Ti said with quiet authority. "That is its name. We were summoned to be the hope of Gaia. We know that she has power greater than ours. If the five of us can make that land, what can she do if her hopes for our mission are dashed?"
Nobody wanted to answer that one.
Wheeler suddenly started laughing.
Everyone looked at him, waiting for the joke.
Wheeler got himself under control and grinned at them. "I was thinking about that 4x4 we rented in Alaska. It's probably still by the side of the road at the edge of ANWR. I don't know how much we owe in overdue fines..."
The Planeteers cracked up.
After a few minutes, the door opened again. "Everyone, this is Stephan and Ivana Petrova from Interpol."
Two middle aged, well dressed people strode into the room powerfully, taking them all in at a sweep. Both of them put their eyes on Linka first. "Well. This was unexpected." The man said in Russian. "But it's good to see you."
The woman was not so subtle. She strode into the room, and threw her arms around Linka.
Linka returned the hug, somewhat reluctantly. "Hi mom. It's been a while."
The rest of the Planeteers all went buggy-eyed.
Ivana pulled back from the hug just enough to smile fondly at Linka. "My girl. Look what you did."
Stephan came closer and wrapped up both of them. "You wouldn't believe the strings we had to pull to get on this ship. We missed you so much."
Linka smiled happily at her parents and suddenly remembered herself. "Oh! Um, everyone, these are my parents, Stephan and Ivana Petrova."
"My god, those are some good genes." Wheeler commented blandly.
Linka and the two Interpol agents turned as one to glare forbiddingly at Wheeler. The American seemed to shrink under their gaze, and after a moment, they broke off and everyone took their seats at the table.
"Before we begin, a few background facts. First of all, we are Interpol agents. We were not involved ourselves, but there was an ongoing investigation into a number of things The Corporation was doing. You managed to unearth one of them before we could."
"You knew about the Rig?"
"We knew that one was being built, but it vanished before we could locate it. We knew that the drill in the Mediterranean Ocean was a fake, but the oil was still pouring in. We just didn't know from where... or who was behind it."
"The Corporation is huge, and has many people in charge." Ivana picked up the thread of the story. "It was likely that only one or two people in charge would know what was happening. It's a hard beast to slay."
"So we'd like you to fill in a few blanks for us. For instance, how did you tumble on to the illegal drilling?"
"We found out largely by accident. A blog in ANWR that Gi followed mentioned oil along the coast, and that post was then deleted. We went to Alaska, and using our abilities, we were able to confirm that the off-shore oil deposits had been drilled." Kwame started to explain.
"We can give you some names and such, but I should tell you, we've already told all this to the ship crew." Wheeler said, a little impatient.
Ivana looked at him sympathetically. "I should tell you, you'll have to tell it many more times."
Gi sighed. "No doubt. Anyway, after we confirmed the drilling at ANWR, we looked into who might have killed the blog. We started tracking IP addresses, and it led us to the name Bleek."
Stephan looked up sharply. "Wait. Bleek? Is that Argos Bleek?"
"If there isn't more than one of him it is." Wheeler confirmed.
Stephan swore. "We've been trying to catch that guy for two years now. We've never been able to find him, then this morning, he shows up face down off the coast of Long Island."
"He's dead? That was fast."
There was a knock at the door. The Captain stuck his head in. "I don't mean to interrupt, but you may want to take a look at the latest news. We have a television in here if you want to..."
"No need." Ivana interrupted. "I can pick it up on my laptop."
BREAKING NEWS:
"Since the Captain of the USS Saratoga made his startling statement yesterday, a number of skeptics have decried his claims. The footage you are now seeing has been studied by experts for several hours, and has apparently not been doctored in any way."
The image was unmistakable. It was the five of them, in pitched combat with The Corporation Security teams. It took them a moment to figure it out, but it looked like gun camera footage from the helicopters that came for them at ANWR.
The fire and earth movement was visible on the screen, clearly under control. Ma-Ti was running across the field, with a pack of wolves following him. Ma-Ti was gesturing at the survivors on the ground, and the wolf-pack split up to guard them...
"How did they get that footage?" Linka demanded.
"It must have been Stumm. There was nobody else that could have got it..."
"Why would he release it?" Kwame asked.
"To make it clear that we have powers." Ma-Ti said perceptively. "It is his way of distancing himself from the destruction of the rig and the creation of Hope Island."
Stephan and Ivana traded a glance. "Is… that what you're calling it?"
"That's what it's called." Ma-Ti nodded.
"Check and see if there's any record of how Linka got to America." Wheeler said urgently.
Ivana turned to her computer and tapped away for several minutes. "Nothing. Nothing before being taken into custody here."
Wheeler swore. "He did it. Stumm killed all trace of us meeting him, and meeting each other, just like he said he would. At the time it seemed like a good plan, but now it means we can't pin him to anything…"
"Why would Stumm need to distance himself from us?" Kwame asked. "He was after Appius, not us."
"You haven't heard." Stephan said. It was not a question.
"Heard what?"
Linka's father turned the laptop toward him and tapped away at it quickly. Another news update was on screen.
"The Corporation today announced that it was indeed liable in the criminal activities in the Pacific. Mr Alexander Appius, CEO of The Corporation has been formally charged with thirteen counts of criminal liability." Kwame read. "The Corporation was quick to turn Mr Appius and all relevant information to the authorities, assuring them that none of the Board members had any prior knowledge of the illegalities of Mr Appius' private affairs. Newly appointed CEO, Mr Stumm announced that he was shocked and saddened at the news."
"Stumm!" Gi hissed in shock. "How did he get put in charge so fast?"
Wheeler swore. "He played us! He wanted the top job, he couldn't get past Appius alone, so he got us to take Appius down! He played us!"
Kwame looked over, unconcerned. "So what? We don't work for him. We wanted the drilling to stop. It is now stopped. We got what we wanted out of that agreement. What do we care about who runs The Corporation?"
Wheeler took that in and nodded. "I guess so."
"So he uses us to expose The Rig, and hopes that we get blown away with it. The move puts him in charge of The Corporation, but we survive, so he has to deal with us too. And his first move is to show the world what we can do."
"Everyone who supports your actions will think it's incredible, but nothing to do with him. And everyone who opposes you will try and use this as evidence that you're dangerous, and Stumm can make it clear that nothing you can do comes from him."
Silence.
"What do we do now?" Wheeler asked.
"Not a whole lot. Wait and see which way the wind blows."
The computer made a sound, and Stephan checked it. "Stumm is making a statement."
As one, they came around the table to get a look at the laptop screen.
Stumm stepped up to the podium as the image changed from the anchor desk to the Corporation offices. Stumm took a moment to glance at the cameras, and made the statement without so much as looking at his notes.
"In my position as one of The Corporation's Board of Directors, I became privy to several confidential conversations and memorandum. While it was never stated outright, even within the confines of the Company itself; it slowly became clear to me over time, that a pattern of corruption and illegal activity was at work in the largest source of money, employment, and prosperity that the world has ever seen.
"Limited though I was in my ability to look into other departments, and having no evidence to base my beliefs upon, I nevertheless began an investigation into these rumors, and found, much to my dismay, that it was not limited to merely embezzlement of money, or the actions of a few members of the hierarchy. I was deeply shocked and saddened to discover that the reach of corruption extended much higher.
"Mr Alexander Appius, a good friend, and a man to whom the world owes much, has been directly involved in a number of illegal activities, including waste dumping, strip mining, obstruction of justice, and any number of other smaller crimes to cover it up; for the sake of his own profit.
"Coercion was forced on regulators, records were destroyed, and theft and bribery became so commonplace, that there was nobody within the Corporation, whose involvement could be fully trusted.
"When it came to my attention that there was a group of young people in the world with powers and intentions that could be both strong enough, and honorable enough to confide in, I took steps to share whatever information I could with them. This allowed them to make their way to one such illegal project; and expose Mr Appius and his conspirators for what they were doing.
"In the wake of these extraordinary events, the truth was brought out, warrants were issued, and the choke-hold of corruption and criminal wrongdoing has been broken within The Corporation. We plan to hand over more members of this criminal alliance to the proper authorities in the near future, along with whatever evidence and proof we can provide.
"In the meantime, all employees, and all citizens of the world can be grateful for the good intentions of honest people who care for the future and the beauty of the world that has already given us all so much. My personal thanks go out to you Planeteers; in gratitude for what you have helped me to do, in saving my Corporation, and protecting the resources that less honourable men would take for granted, and steal from our children…"
"Turn it off." Kwame said quietly.
There was a moment of silence as the screen went blank.
Wheeler punched the table. "Sonofabitch, I knew he was screwing us over somehow!"
Gi jumped. "What? What?"
Linka sighed and answered her. "Stumm lied to us. He wasn't scared of Bleek, he just couldn't find him. We caught him rigging the blog report, which flushed him out. So Stumm sent us to expose the Rig, and sent one of his own people to kill Bleek. With Appius' project exposed, and the blackmailer dead, he can take charge and make it look like he's saving the day."
"And if we happened to get killed doing it, he doesn't care." Kwame finished.
"He sends two enemies against each other, and when we survive he gives us full credit. No matter how it played out, it would only be good for him. Everything he said was true. If we had a recording of the meeting we had with him, it would still support his side of the story. He's let himself off the hook by letting us off the hook"
"In any event, that dead ends our investigation." Ivana summed up. "He gave us Appius on a platter. Appius will give us whatever he thinks he can to help himself, and the rest of The Corporation will close ranks against his testimony. That'll tie up lawyers for the next ten years. The Rig is destroyed, the blackmailer is dead, the CEO is in custody, and the five of you are free of every criminal charge you might have been tagged with."
"It sounds like a good day's work." Gi summed up. "So why does it feel like we lost?"
"Because we aren't finished yet." Kwame said with authority. "There's still a long way to go."
"Well, that's for tomorrow." Stephan said firmly. "For today, we have what we need. The next group will probably want to question you soon, but with that announcement making the rounds, they might not want to risk upsetting the stalemate; which is as good for Stumm as it is for the five of you."
Linka stood with her parents. "So. You're going again?"
Stephan and Ivana smiled and took her in a tight hug. "For a little while. The Captain is keeping us all on the clock with the interviews. We'll see you again before we go, don't worry. Love you."
Linka smiled a bit and hugged them both back tightly.
The door to the briefing room closed behind them, and everybody spun on Linka in one movement, screaming their questions over each other in a barrage of voices that had been building since they came in.
Wheeler put a stop to it finally with a shrill 'Hey Taxi' whistle. "People! PEOPLE! If Linka had anything to say on the subject of her parents, she would have volunteered it."
"Right. Thank you Wheeler." Linka added.
"And if she has nothing to say, then we should take that as a hint and not make it worse by forcing it."
"That's right. Thank you Wheeler."
"And if she feels that the simplest of personal details about her life, such as the profession of her own parents, is too much to share with us, her team, her bunkies, her friends, her soul mates, her comrades in arms... well then, who are we to be offended at the choices she makes?" Wheeler continued without a trace of sarcasm.
"Thank. You. Wheeler." Linka said tightly.
Linka checked her watch in the dark. Gi was snoring in the bunk below her... Yeah. It's late enough.
She slipped out of the bed and crept to the door, careful not to wake Gi.
Her guards were instantly alert as she opened the door. She signaled them to stay quiet, as she crept across the hall, and let herself into the other room.
She shook Wheeler awake, and clapped a hand over his mouth before he could say anything. "Shh."
Wheeler was instantly awake and remained silent as she pulled her hand away. He glanced around the room, took another look at her and apparently decided there was no immediate danger. "Linka. Well, this is a recurring dream come true."
Asleep to suggestive in two seconds. Linka thought. Gotta admire that spirit.
"Want to get a snack?" She whispered.
Their guards had remained silent when the two of them slipped out and went to the ship's galley.
Wheeler made coffee; Linka found some fruit and brought it out.
Their guards insisted they go to the conference room instead once they had their little snack gathered, and waited discreetly at the door.
They didn't speak for a while.
"I felt bad." Linka confessed finally. "I'm not one to talk about... things. In my town... a lot of the people who live there have left behind some hard times. Nobody rubs salt in old wounds. Nobody talks about things they can't change. It's just how it is."
Wheeler nodded. "I figured it was something like that. After a while."
"You were upset though." Linka said. It was not a question.
Wheeler shrugged. "I knew I shouldn't be... but... I looked after my little brother, I had to become the adult. I didn't have a lot of things that... that I considered to be personal and private. I'm no angel, but… well the things I do that I don't want JJ doing when he grows up a bit… they're public knowledge. I told you about my mom, and the Patch, and the Container Garden in mom and dad's old room. The stuff that doesn't come up in conversations unless you volunteer it. I told you everything. And... When your parents walked in... I suddenly realised that-"
"That I gave you nothing in return." Linka finished for him. "I feel bad about that."
Wheeler nodded.
Linka set the coffee cup down, pushed her plate aside. "My parents were... I think the word is activists. They did a lot of protests against the government when I was very young. A few of the marches got broken up. Sometimes violently. There were casualties. My grandfather was one of them. So my parents shipped me off to the most isolated corner of Russia they could find, and my Grandmother went with me. I was maybe... five or six at the time. Maybe a bit younger. And when we got there... well, we weren't the only ones running from things if you know what I mean. My parents... They went underground. Instead of marches, there were petitions and press stories. The KGB had files on all the people involved, so they couldn't contact me or my grandmother."
"Cold War's long over Linka." Wheeler said quietly.
Linka nodded. "After the Soviet Union collapsed... mostly what changed was a letterhead. We never stopped looking over our shoulders, or watching what we said. Old habits, y'know?"
Wheeler nodded.
"But there was wealth, there was new things coming in. Most people couldn't afford it. A lot of us were starting over with nothing. My parents... during their time underground, they amassed a great deal of information about people. People in government, police, industry... When the Union fell, a lot of those people suddenly realized that they may be called to account for some of the things they did when they were in power. They ran. My parents... they got offered a job at Interpol to track them down. And... I was settled with my grandmother and my little town, and my forest..."
"They left you there." Wheeler whispered.
"I was proud of them. Off slaying dragons." Linka offered. "It was something that had to be done. Fascism is a history lesson to you Yankee; to me it's why my parents were never home, why my grandfather was dead, and why the people in my home town were afraid all the time. I wanted those people caught and punished too."
Wheeler nodded. "I believe you. But you can't tell me that you didn't wish it was someone else's job."
Linka couldn't deny that. "I missed them. But I knew it was important. I knew they were part of something bigger than me. I got over it." She reached out and touched his fingers. "JJ will too."
Long silence.
Linka jerked a thumb back toward the door, toward the others, still sleeping. "I've never told anyone. Most people where I live knew about it already anyway."
Wheeler had a small smile, recognizing the words. "Why tell me?"
Linka smiled, recognizing it too. "We're the hard luck cases Yankee. Maybe it makes it harder for us, but it makes it more real. You and me are something real."
Wheeler didn't answer for a while. "Yeah. But you never really got over it."
Linka didn't answer for a long time. "No. I guess I didn't. But I was proud of them just the same."
They were silent for a long time, and Wheeler realized suddenly, that she was still holding his hand.
The door opened, and Linka pulled her hand away instantly. Too late. Kwame, Gi and Ma-Ti came in and saw it.
"We were just talking about the-" Wheeler started to say.
"I don't wish to intrude, but we all see the way you've been looking at each other." Kwame said gently.
Wheeler and Linka were staring at them with their jaws hanging open.
Kwame held out a hand and squeezed Linka's shoulder. "We just want you to be careful. After all, we have to work together. Your happiness is always the most important thing to us, but you have to be responsible and consider how what you do affects the team…"
"These are high pressure times we're living in, and your private life is of course your own." Ma-Ti said, equally gentle and reasonable.
With Ma-Ti joining in on 'The Talk' Wheeler and Linka got it. Ma-Ti was grinning; Kwame's lip was twitching as he tried desperately to hide a smirk.
"You're growing up, and it's natural that you may have certain… interests." Kwame said gently.
"We're so happy for you, that you decided to take this step… but if you ever need to talk about anything, you know that we'll always be here for you…" Gi laid it on good and thick. "And speaking of being responsible, your father and I should really explain to you about..."
"Oh PLEASE!" Linka could take no more.
The three others cracked up.
AN: We aren't done yet. The point of a Pilot is to set up a series. I have no plans at this point to make this an ongoing tale beyond this story, but the time may come. What's left is still interesting, I hope.
I hope this made sense. I was worried the unraveling conspiracies might be a little confusing.
To change the subject, I would invite those of you so inclined to look at: vimeo Dot com/22655744
Thank you all for reading this far, but we've still got a chapter or two to go.
Read and review!