Chapter 3: Identify and Execute
December 19, 3241, 1040 hours
Office of Naval Intelligence
Seattle, Washington, Earth
"Is this information accurate?" Rear Admiral Hank Dougherty asked. He took a quick drink of water from a crystal glass on his desk and looked over the typed report in his hand. He scanned the document and flicked the page over. The document had detailed the encounter with the Dark Legion agent in Epsilon Eridani. "We have explosive-laced cyborgs walking about in the Inner Colonies?"
"Afraid so." Vice Admiral Gerome Andsworth said. "That little mission in Invos shed some light on something I think we'd all prefer stay hidden."
"Walking bombs, Gerome?!"Dougherty asked, shaking the page. "I thought Kintobor wasn't capable of something like this!"
"The report said he's not working alone anymore."
"Yes. Yes I saw this. I don't know who this is though."
"Neither does ONI. Finitevus. Described as being a Mobian, but he's been keeping his tracks hidden for a long time. We're trying to contact the Royals to see if the Secret Service can shed any light on his background, but it looks like this Finitevus character's been something of a boogieman to the Legion."
"So that bomb going off on Halla was one of their doing." Dougherty said. "The one in Prescot's Point."
"Yes. The one that left two hundred dead."
"That was out in the Outer Colonies though." Dougherty replied. He wiped his eyes with his hand. Dougherty had been promoted out of the NCIS division of Naval Intelligence here in Seattle. Andsworth knew Hank for seventeen years in the military. He was a desk man through and through, but it was clear that his recent promotion put him into a position he didn't seem comfortable with yet. All of ONI had a serious brooming in the past two years following the deposing of Troy Marshall. Corruption was weeded out and cast into the trash. Hank was one of the good ones, and there weren't many.
"We think so. However, the reports say that bomber was a Human. This means that Julian and this Finitevus character are attracting all kinds. It probably won't be long before he gets some of the other races involved."
"He'll have his own little Covenant." Hank laughed, and then coughed. He took another drink and stood up. Dougherty's office was located on the higher floors of the Naval Intelligence building in downtown Seattle. The giant curving window overlooked the city center. Cars streaked past on skyways and on raised roads. The morning sun blazed in a sky of icy blue. However, the city had not received any snowfall yet. The air was frigid outside of the building. Steam from exhaust vents caused columns of white to drift into the blue.
Dougherty looked at the Space Needle, an ancient building that was meticulously preserved. There were many buildings like it in the United States and the rest of the United Federation of North America. All of them offered a window into the past when all of Humanity had just this planet to call home. Dougherty looked out to the window and saw Vancouver in the distance. Seattle and Vancouver were so close together after centuries of growth that they were considered one big city. Dougherty thought of the people who lived in these cities. Americans and Canadians. Humans and aliens. People over the last ten or so years have been through a lot. Now explosive terrorists that were indistinguishable from the general populace.
"We have to stop them."
"I agree, and so does the Admiralty. We're considering upping surveillance in major cities. In some of the Outer Colonies, we're considering martial law."
"Won't fly."
"Admiralty doesn't care. Julian Kintobor is now a target that needs removal. Him and his legion. Remember Hank, there are still many people out there that don't like us. Besides, Julian wants the Prisoner. These bombings are just a diversion from the real mission."
"I was just briefed a week ago. As if it was scary enough already. This... this thing – it scares me shitless."
"It's kind of why I came today, Hank. You are now Deputy Chief of Naval Operations. I need you to sign off on a mission."
"Why?"
"Given the severity of the costs, all high ranking flag officers in the core are to be made aware of the mission. You're number two on the list."
"Have you seen everyone?"
"No, I've still got to be in New York by noon. There are still more that need to sign. Not to mention the President afterwards."
"You're serious?" Dougherty asked smirking. "You're talking to us before the President? What if he says no?"
"We've got the signatures. We'll just say 'fine, we'll take your official answer' and then proceed with the mission anyway."
"Wow."
"Not like we have much of a choice, Hank." Andsworth took his cap off and rubbed his scalp. "We've got something approaching a god in that void and I for one don't want it to get out. Just based on the fraction of information we were able to pull about it, I can say with one hundred percent of certainty that this planet won't last long when that Prisoner walks free." He replaced the cap and simply stood to wait. Hank couldn't say no.
"You're certain of this?"
"More than I've ever been in my life."
Dougherty looked out the window at Seattle again. It was his home. He had been born in this city. He didn't want to even think about what such a creature could do to it. Just what had it done so badly to be sentenced to the place where it was?
"Every second we waste here gives Julian another inch! Hank, if we give him an inch, we give him a parsec! We've already fought this guy before! He knows something we don't!"
Dougherty sighed explosively and his shoulders dropped. "You're going to need a physical signature. Protocols don't allow for the usual electronic stuff."
"Brought the papers." Gerome beckoned to a briefcase. He had brought it with him when he entered. He cracked it open and picked up a neat set of loose-leaf. It was a formal request for clearance of the mission. He handed the small stack to Dougherty. "It's short and sweet."
The papers essentially requested permission to send a military force through to an unexplored EUS, an Extra-Universal Space. In plainspeak, an alternate universe. An EUS was exactly like the one where Mobius was – physical spaces that were either mirrors of the world, or something entirely different. This paper requested immediate deployment to EUS-1840, the 1840th Extra-Universal Space detected by the UEG. The issue was that it had not been explored. So there was no telling what was on the other side. Hank signed the document without further question.
"There." he said. "I hereby green-light your suicide mission."
It was intended to be a joke, but both Andsworth and Dougherty knew that there was very real risk. Once the ships were across that jumpgate, there was no guarantee that they would be coming back at all.
"Thank you, Hank." Andsworth said. He picked up the papers and placed them back in his briefcase.
"Thank me by stopping Julian."
Andsworth smiled behind his mustache. "Before I go, how are your kids?"
"Oh?" his face split into a smile. "Terrific! I... haven't seen them face to face in months. Thanks for asking. I... needed that. I guess."
"Ask for leave."
"I thought you had to be on a plane."
"I do." he checked his watch. "Soon actually. Thanks again, Hank."
"Yeah." Dougherty's phone rang. "I have to take this."
"Of course. I'll be off." Andsworth said. He straightened his tie, turned on his heel, and left the office. A few more people and he would be sending his people into what could be the worst mission of their lives.
Dougherty saw the man leave and the door close behind him. Hank sighed and placed the handset to his ear. "Go ahead." He heard the response on the other end of the line. His eyes grew heavy. "Not another one. Where?"
Mars. Olympus City. The Aeolis Mall.
The Legion again.
"How many are dead?"