Chapter 4
Parliament Buildings, Next Day, Majestic 12 Meeting
"….and so we have a problem." Chang finished.
There was absolute silence in the room. This was not what the gathered elite had expected to hear. They were used to getting their way, whatever the cost.
"So let's be clear," Rupert Gates, Chairman of the Blue Sun Corporation began, "one of the soldiers killed my two best agents and then escaped? Seriously?" He was shocked, he thought of the blue hand agents as being almost invincible, and yet they were dead. They would be cloned, but the cost in money, and especially time, would be high.
"Is there any good news?" asked Michael Gilchrist.
"Of course," Chang replied, "we eliminated those of the military whose knowledge of Miranda was a threat. We've used their gross insubordination shown in the vid capture to have them arrested. Even though we know better, they're officially listed as being detained at the New Gitmo facility pending charges. Officially alive. Unfortunately for them, there will be a skiff accident as they're transferred to the mainland tomorrow. There will no survivors. That's how we'll deal with their disappearance. As far as their families are concerned…."
"They all died in the skiff accident. Very neat. But what of the man who escaped? Who the hell is this zhan shi anyway?" asked Gates.
Chang picked up a pad. "Lieutenant Jay Curran, date of birth 18 August 2480, from New Melbourne. Expert in martial arts, explosives, weapons and tactics. Silver Star, Navy Cross, Purple Heart with cluster….he'll "die" in the skiff accident tomorrow as well, then we can cancel as his ID and bank chips. With no money or ID he can't do anything."
"Except go to the media." Gilchrist stated. "If he turns up alive…"
Gates pointed his finger at Chang. "He MUST be eliminated. YOU caused this, FIX IT!" he yelled.
"Calm down Rupert." Gilchrist ordered. "We in the Parliament will take care of this." Gilchrist pressed his communicator." Send him in."
The blast door to the MJ12 meeting room opened and a tall black man confidently strode in. "You wanted to see me Sir?" The Operative addressed Gilchrist.
"Yes, I have a mission for you. We need you to eliminate this man." Gilchrist said as he passed the pad with Jay's information to the Operative. "He is a danger to the people of the Alliance. The secrets he knows about…"
"Secrets," The Operative cut him off smoothly, totally unperturbed by the powerful men and women in front of him, "are not my concern. Keeping them, is." He took the pad, turned and left the room.
SEAL Base, New Melbourne.
Jay didn't feel like some bad ass super hero military guy right now. He felt like yī dà tuó dà biàn.
After leavin' that scene of utter carnage he knew he had to get as far away from the base as damn quick as he could if he wanted to go on livin'. The situation was so unreal, Jay was close to breakin' point. Years of trainin' and experience took over and from that he went on autopilot.
Luckily an important part of SEAL trainin' was in Escape & Evasion techniques. Sure, E&E usually meant you were runnin' from the enemy, damn if it weren't strange runnin' from your own side. Jay knew that he'd be just as dead a hun dan if they caught him no matter who was doin' the chasin'.
Before he left the base he grabbed what he could from his quarters. He'd need his ID to get off base, they'd be able to track that so he couldn't use it from then on. What else? He knew he'd only have a few minutes before the excrement hit the rotary impellor device. Credits, weapons... What did he have here? Only his 9mm automatic pistol and his Bowie knife. Go se. Will have to do. Jay threw those, a change of clothes, and spare boots into a duffel and was about to leave when he saw his portable Cortex device. It was military spec, couldn't be traced, or so it was told. He took it, anyway, not looking back.
Jumping into one of the Team's utility skiffs he headed out of the Base to hit the first bank he could. "Mayhaps they ain't frozen my account yet." he murmured. He hoped so – if he had any chance of escapin' he'd need the cashy money.
New Melbourne, One Week Later
The Operative frowned. He'd arrived a few days ago from Londinium to start the search for his quarry, and on arrival he had immediately noticed Jay had emptied his bank accounts. The idiots on Londinium had taken too long to issue the warrant to freeze his target's accounts. Never mind, a complication, to be sure, but the result would not be in doubt.
Picking up his pad, he turned to again read Jay's psychological profile. Hmmm, once captured by rebels on Ithaca and tortured for three days – did not break. Interesting. Perhaps more of a challenge than first thought. What would bring a man like that out of hiding?
Whilst searching the Lieutenant's Base Quarters the Operative had discovered the Jay had taken his military issue portable Cortex – and despite his best efforts he was unable to trace it. That is not be important. I willmake him come to me. Da chow jing ser…
The Operative now smiled. Yes, that's what I will do. Our hero Lieutenant Jay Curran will have no choice.
Next Day
The beeping of his portable Cortex brought Jay out of his fitful sleep. He'd been goin' from doss house to doss house, playin' the role of a hobo for the last week, while he waited for his black market ID to be produced. It was not an easy process, and took a lot of his credits, but if he had any hope of gettin' of this rock and out ta The Rim he'd need it.
Jay had blocked all outgoin' and incomin' signals on his portable Cortex, he'd turn it on at odd intervals and for very short periods, in an attempt to see what was happening out in the world. He'd learnt of the skiff "accident" that had killed his Team and Captain Dunne, the kuh wu General Chang and his minions seemed to have every angle covered. The only loose end seemed to be Jay hisself.
The gorram Cortex device was still beepin', Jay turned it over and it showed he had an incomin' message, text only. How the ruttin' hell was that possible?
TURN ON YOUR CORTEX DEVICE AT EXACTLY 1300 THIS AFTERNOON LIEUTENANT. Lao Gohng
Lao Gohng? Old man? Only one person called him that, his bao bei, Claire.
No ruttin' way she's hacked my Cortex, she's only a 20 year old College student, in journalism, not anything technical, for Buddha's sake. And daughter of the local Magistrate. But "Lieutenant?"
The lack of decent sleep for the last week had made Jay a bit slow on the uptake, but it took just a few seconds before he made the connection. "Lao tien foo!" he cried, "they've ruttin' got 'er."
Approaching 1300 (1PM) That Afternoon
Jay's mind had been racin' in the lead up to 1300. "Just what in the ruttin' hell is goin' on?" he asked his dank room for the twentieth time. And for the twentieth time there was no response. Only one thing to do – turn on the gorram Cortex and see what the WAVE would bring.
At precisely 1300 the Cortex device beeped – incomin' WAVE. Acceptin' the WAVE request Jay was greeted with the visage of a clearly core bred, dark skinned man. He was smilin' like the cat who et the canary.
"Ah, Lieutenant. I see you've done the sensible thing. Good, now…"
"Get on with it, you ta ma de hun dan!" Jay sneered.
"All business I see, very well." replied the Operative. "You will report to me immediately, Lieutenant, for re-assignment."
"Re-assignment? That's what they call murder in the feh feh pi goh you crawled outta? Why in the ruttin' hell would I do that?"
If any the smile on the Operative become even wider as he played his trump card. "This is why.." he said as he pushed a button on the console before him.
Beepin' again, Jay's Cortex screen split in two as another vid capture stream appeared. It was Claire, the beautiful 5 foot nothin' pixie with long brown hair and large eyes, bound to a chair in the middle on a dimly let room.
"You liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh ur-tze!" Jay cried in anguish.
"Lieutenant, I have no time for games and I will get what I want, which is you. There will be an Alliance VIP hover car at the north west corner of Alliance Square in Capital City at 1300 tomorrow. I won't insult you by trying to trace you, I imagine 24 hours is sufficient time for you to arrive?"
Jay didn't answer. He was to gorram angry.
Taking his silence as compliance, the Operative continued speakin' in that annoyin' Core bred, pansy ass, accent. "Excellent, I will look forward to meeting you tomorrow, Lieutenant. Oh, and please don't try and contact the media, or normal Federal Marshall's for that matter. The utmost discretion is called for. "
The Cortex screen went blank as the WAVE disconnected.
With no real choice to be made, Jay gathered his meager possessions and left to make arrangements with his underground contacts to get to Capital City by tomorrow.
1300 Next Day
"Well, there's the gorram hover car." Jay said to himself as he crossed the footbridge leadin' to the northwest section of Alliance Square.
Unable to sleep, or get any rest of any kind over the last 24 hours, Jay was powerful ornery. He'd gone without sleep before on missions but havin' Claire in danger was a different thing altogether. My little pixie…. Nothin' for it but to meet this hun dun, kill 'im and save Claire, be the Big Damn Hero. Jay didn't feel like no big hero, that's fer sure.
As he approached the hover car the door automatically opened and Jay got in. It was empty, but as soon as he sat down the hover car's windows darkened and it leapt forward. "Automated, a' course." he remarked to the empty compartment.
The journey took longer than expected, seems like the hover car took every gorram corner in the ruttin' city. "Tryin' to throw me off so I ain't able ta guess where we's goin," he thought to hisself, "like I got time for this go se." Every minute put Claire in ever increasin' danger.
Finally, and not a moment too soon for Jay, the hover car stopped and the door opened, revealing what appeared to be a fancy, is seemingly empty hotel. Jay was mighty angry by this time and was achin' for the inevitable confrontation. Sooner this fancy talker was dead the sooner Claire would be free.
There was no one waitin' by the hover car. Jay was about to scout the area when the lavish front door of the old hotel opened, again appearin' to do so automatically. "That's my cue to make a grand entrance." he said to hisself as he approached the door, sighed, and walked inside.
There was no one waitin' inside neither. The innards of the fancible hotel were old, but in good repair. He supposed there'd usually be guests, but nary a soul right now.
Carefully notin' the layout of the building, Jay could do nothin' else but wait. The waitin' was startin' to wear a mite thin, but soon enough the dark skinned, fancy speakin', Coreified pansy ass made his own entrance.
"Ah, Lieutenant….so very good of you to join me." The Operative smiled, but there was no kindness in it.
"Seems like I ain't had much of a choice. So how about's we dispense with the pleasantries and get down to business. Where's the girl?"
"Oh, they'll be plenty of time for that, Lieutenant, I assure you. Please hand over your Cortex device." ordered the Operative.
Having no choice, Jay complied.
"Thank you Lieutenant."
"Go hwong tong!" Jay yelled. This guy was really beginnin' to get on Jay's nerves. "I'm here, you gots my Cortex, all the mission files are on it. NOW LET THE GIRL GO!"
"I'm sorry Lieutenant, I truly am, but a change of plans. My mission in life is to help the Alliance create the perfect society. No violence, no aggression, just peace and harmony. Not for you and I you understand, and unfortunately not for the girl. You see, her just being here means she already knows too much….."
Double crossed. Well, it weren't really a surprise as Jay was expectin' just that. He had planned to kill this guy to free the girl anyways, and he's just let slip that she's here, down in the plant room in the basement if the vid capture was to be believed. He was a confident one, this guy. No back up to be seen, thinks hisself some super secret agent type. And secret means no witnesses – good.
Jay smirked and stepped closer to the Operative. "Has anyone ever told you that you talk too gorram much?" he asked.
Whatever the Operative was expectin' from Jay it wasn't a smile. A pistol suddenly appeared in the Operative's hand as the smile disappeared from his own dark face. Supremely confident in his abilities, perhaps a mite over confident in Jay's opinion, the Operative took a step forward, pointin' his pistol directly in Jay's face.
The opening was there, and Jay took it. He struck like a cobra, one hand twisting the wrist of the Operative's gun hand whilst the other hit the pressure point in the Operative's elbow. The pistol fell to the floor, and although the Operative was a tall man, Jay was much bigger and he shoved the Operative back over a small sofa.
This didn't seem to faze the Operative as he rolled over and then jumped up in a fighting stance, ready as Jay advanced on him.
They met in a flurry of martial arts strikes, proving evenly matched. Neither able to gain the upper hand. Jay switched from wu shu to boxing, the change in styles catching the Operative momentarily off guard as Jay punched him in square in the nose, once, then twice, drawing blood. Surprised, one mighty kick sent the Operative flyin' back over the same sofa.
Although bleeding, again the Operative seemed unfazed as he came back up ready to continue the battle. They squared off once more, and although Jay was usually a man a few words, he'd use every trick he knew to get his opponent off guard, kill 'im and rescue Claire.
"Well, here we are." Jay stated. "You know, when you wake up in the mornin' and look inta the mirror, I think you're mighty happy with your own self." Smirkin' again, Jay continued. "Pleased at what you see, and that disturbs me….So I'm gonna take it on as my responsibility to make sure you never get to look inta the mirror again…."
Now it was the turn of the Operative to strike as he leapt at Jay, martial arts strikes and kicks rained down on Jay. He was able to deflect the vast majority, and the Operative became sloppy as his patience wore out.
Seeing his opportunity, Jay kicked, the Operative in the knee and he fell to the ground, however this time as he rolled back up Jay grabbed him in a bear hug and threw him at the wall, the Operative bouncin' off and landin' across a table. Jay advanced on him and laid blow after blow into his head. He then threw him, once again, over the sofa.
The Operative roared as he came back up and charged at Jay, and they fell in a heap as the Operative tried to squeeze the life out of Jay, who was taken aback by the increased strength of the man. Beginnin' to fade, Jay thought of Claire and was reenergized. Reaching for somethin', anythin', his hands found of all things a can of peaches, which he smashed against the dark skinned man's head, knocking him off Jay.
They faced it other, again, as "Jay taunted, "Take ya best shot hun dan.".
The Operative kicked out, once, twice, three times…..all blocked by Jay, "I said best shot," he once again taunted. Again the Operative kicked out, and again Jay blocked. This enraged the Operative but before he could continue his attack Jay kicked 'im in his man parts and he went down.
Surprisingly, he jumped up with renewed vigor, and landed one punch, two , and blood streamed out of Jay's now broken nose. Spittin' blood Jay once again taunted. "Is that the best you got ho tze duh pi gu?".
They collided as each man put his hands around the others neck. They squeezed tighter and tighter as Jay pushed him back and yelled "IS THAT ALL YA GOT!"
Once again hands went around each others throats as guttural yells came from each man. Veins appeared and eyes went wide as they choked the life from one another. Then as they both dropped to the ground a female scream echoed throughout the empty hotel.
"CLAIRE!" Jay yelled as he jumped away from the bruised, battered, and bloody Operative, Jay feeling exactly the same his ownself. Even though the now upright Operative was between Jay and the door, he knew what he had to do.
Aimin' to get to Claire quick like, Jay was stopped by the sight of the Operative removing a device from his pocket. Clearly a remote control of some sort, the hun dan offered a grotesque smile as he activated the unit.
"Two minutes." he said. "You have two minutes before your lovely Claire dies in a tragic fire….you see I have placed a series of thermite charges in the plant room.." Fire was a necessary evil The Operative thought, only the intense heat of a thermite charge would guarantee no DNA traces remained.
Trap thought Jay, but in reality he had no choice. He had to get down to Claire, had to rescue her, had to…
"1 minute and 45 seconds…"
leave, right now. Curiously the other man did not try and stop the former SEAL Team Leader as he sped past. Yeah, trap. Headin' for the service entrance that would hopefully lead down to the plant room, Jay continued a silent countdown in his head, 90 seconds….
The Operative, for his part, watched Jay race for the service entrance. Satisfied that events were proceeding as planned, he limped from the building and got into the hover car, intending to watch the chain of explosions from a safe distance.
Although time was critical, Jay carefully went through the door that led down to the plant room, searchin' for booby traps. There was none, and as he closed the door behind him it clicked, auto lockin' itself.
"Well, we ain't gettin' out that way." he muttered to himself, he'd just have to hope there was a ventilation shaft or somesuch they could use to effect a darin' escape.
The silent countdown reached 75 seconds as he entered the plant room. Scannin' the area for Claire, and for a way outta this ruttin' mess, he first spotted a large inspection hatch that led to the oversize waste pipe that emptied into the sewer system. Standard equipment for any decent buildin'.
His smile at findin' the hatch grew into a large grin as he spied Claire strapped down to a chair not 15 yards away on the other side of the furnace. She wasn't lookin' his way, but she looked OK from what he could tell, and there was only 60 seconds left…
Holdin' back his first instinct to run to Claire he knew that he had to ensure their escape route first. If he couldn't get the inspection hatch open they was humped anyway. With only 45 seconds on the gorram clock he hefted the hatch open, shocked his ownself how easy it lifted.
Thirty seconds was cuttin' it close, but doable. "CLAIRE!" he yelled and she turned his way, their eyes lockin', relief evident in both pairs. As Jay went to move towards her the first thermite charge detonated, 28 seconds early.
The intense fireball engulfed Claire completely and she died instantly. The second charge ignited on the far side of the room, and the pressure wave from this explosion, combined with that of the first, blew Jay backwards into the open maw of the inspection hatch.
"Tian xia suo you de ren dou gai si" was his last conscious thought as the seriously injured former SEAL slid down the pipe and into oblivion.
Outside, Same Time
The Operative was a patient man, mostly. Right now, pain had reduced his patience somewhat. He didn't show it, but he was anxious for this mission to be over. It had turned out to be harder, and paradoxically also somewhat easier, than he expected. In any event, it will all be over in a few moments.
The explosions, when they came, were muffled – it was something of an anti-climax. Smoke poured however from the building and in moments it was truly alight.
Knowing no one could survive the hellish fire now raging, the Operative smiled as he WAVED Parliamentarian Michael Gilchrist.
"Yes?" the politician answered curtly. "Ah, you. What can you report?"
"Curran is dead Sir." The girl was of no consequence.
"Are you sure?"
"Quite sure. I regret I cannot provide a body for verification, no DNA was to be able to be recovered under any circumstance you see."
"Excellent!" Gilchrist was very pleased with himself as he disconnected the WAVE.
Later That Day, Underground Independent's Facility
"How is he Doctor Zimmerman?" The bald Doctor looked up at the Independent Officer, irritated to be interrupted whilst working.
"Fortunate to be alive Captain, it was lucky you found him in time."
"Luck had nothing to do with it Doctor. When he came to our attention while he was on the run and lookin' for help we implanted him with a subcutaneous tracker. Once outside that Alliance operated facility the signal was no longer being scrambled and we picked it up."
"Yes, lucky." the Doctor repeated. "I've got him in an induced coma for now.."
"Good." Captain Armitage had a plan, an important use for the wounded man lyin' in front of him, but that don't include arguin' with feisty doctors. "Let me know when he's strong enough for the procedure Doctor."
"Yes Sir…" he replied as he looked down at his patient.
July 2506 - One Week Later
Captain Armitage had discussed the plan in detail with the Independent High Command. The Independent Movement was reachin' a critical stage. Support out on The Rim and in a lot of Border Worlds was powerful high. They would soon make their move. War was inevitable, but necessary, to secure the freedom of the outer worlds from the clutches of The Alliance.
They needed Jay's inside knowledge and experience. Armitage believed that the Alliance thought Jay was corpsified. They couldn't take the chance though, Jay's knowledge of the Alliance through his high level security clearance was too important.
Jay couldn't stay on New Melbourne, that was plumb loco. Although a Border World, it was Alliance heavy, with Jay too well known locally to be of much use. He'd be of more use on another world, preferably a Rim World far from the eyes of the gorram Alliance, where his knowledge could be used to the full.
So they had to get him off world. And that was the problem. Well, one a them.
The other being they weren't sure a Jay's loyalties. They had to suss that out.
Ain't no guarantee just 'cause the Alliance screwed him over he'd be Browncoat friendly. Ain't a chance worth takin'.
Armitage put his musin's on hold as the Doctor entered.
"Well Doctor? Was the procedure a success?"
The Doctor was not impressed with the apparent lack of confidence in his abilities. "Of course. We've successfully suppressed his past memories and personality and implanted the one you requested. You've now got yourself a perfect example of a Rim bred back berth." The Doctor shook his head.
"I know you ain't comfortable with the procedure Doc, but we ain't got a handle on his loyalties as yet, and we need 'im. And who says anyways he could act his way past any Purple Bellies he were to come across on the way to the Rim?"
"Well I'm a doctor, not an acting coach." was the Doctor's only reply.
Captain Armitage wasn't too concerned about the Doctor's misgivin's. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. He picked up "Jay's" new ID Card and read the name:
Cobb, Jayne Cobb.
A/N And so, Jay Curran is reborn as Jayne Cobb. My Jayne will still be a mean, tough merc, but he'll be softer with his crew, more obviously loyal and dependable, and in return he'll be more appreciated and respected. It'll still be a rough ride for all concerned, but that's what family life is like, dong ma?
Chinese:
Zhan shi Soldier
Yī dà tuó dà biàn A big pile of crap
Hun dan Jerk
Go se Crap
Da chow jing ser Agitate someone out of hiding
Kuh wu Despicable
Bao bei Sweetheart
Lao tien foo! Oh My God
Ta ma de hun dan Mother humping SOB
Feh feh pi goh Baboon's butt crack
Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh ur-tze! Son of a drooling whore and a monkey
Go hwong tong! Enough of this nonsense!
Ho tze duh pi gu Monkey's butt
Tian xia suo you de ren dou gai si Damn everyone in the 'Verse