Laura 02 The God Code

by Anton Swanepoel

  “It does not look like we are going to be able to send any messages.” Victor is busy checking the pulse of the marines on the floor as he speaks.

  “Uuhhh,” comes a moan from one of the men.

  “Take it easy, we’re here to help,” Ernest says as he bends down next to the man. Clearly the man has only minutes left to live. With effort, he points to a panel near the ground, locked with a digital combination. As Ernest moves towards it, the man writes the combination on the floor in his own blood. Quickly Ernest opens the door and to his surprise looks at the inside of the radio. There are wires and computer boards all over the place. He is about to ask the man what he is looking for, but as he turns around, his heart sinks. The man is dead.

  Ernest looks again at the computer system. Why did the man have him open the panel when there is no hope of fixing the system?

  “This is not going to work, how are we going to fix the system?” he asks Victor who is bending down next to him by the open panel.

  Victor looks back at the dead man, then again into the mess of wires and boards before responding. “The man wrote the combination of the panel with his blood and last breath. It must be important.”

  Without another word, he starts ripping the wires and computer boards out, kicking some to pieces that are stuck. When he has cleared a good portion of the opening, he asks, “Can you please get me a star screwdriver?” then continues to rip the system apart.

  “Left or right hand?” Ernest sarcastically replies as he looks around the room, finding a small computer toolkit inside a steel cabinet in the corner.

  “Smart ass,” Victor replies as he takes the screwdriver from Ernest and proceeds to crawl halfway into the opening. There are a few sparks followed by a “Shit” which makes Ernest laugh. Slowly Victor crawls out, and holds up a computer hard drive.

  “I think this is what he wanted us to find.”

  Ernest takes the drive, turning it over a few times before commenting. “We need to get this to the White House as soon as possible.”

  “Agreed, let’s burn some rubber,” Victor replies, getting up and following Ernest though the front door.

  ***

  Inside the secret archives Laura is staring at a small notebook written by a bishop. It is dated only two years prior. She found the notebook by accident, while looking for another document and mixing up the shelf numbers.

  Laura gasps. The notebook mentions that a complete translation of the language used on the scrolls was made and written down. If she can find that manuscript, she will be able to decipher the scrolls. Slowly she returns to the computer, still reading the notebook. She cannot find any name for the manuscript in the notebook, but there are dates mentioned and people who were involved in the writing of the manuscript.

  ***

  Deep below the icy Baltic waters, the crew of the Pegasus prepares to take on a Seal team as the submarine makes its way to the coordinates given. The submarine is busy undergoing a three months secret sea trial, and now she is to be tested in deploying a Seal team, a vital role for modern stealth submarines.

  Captain Lawrence Rinehart stands at the chart table, reading the decoded orders again. Original, using a fishing trawler to ferry the men to the location given. Lawrence looks at the map again where the coordinates given are marked. I can only imagine the seas and cold the men have to endure to get to the location, it must be one hell of a training mission for the Seal team. Those Seals must be preparing for one tough mission if this is part of their training. Lawrence looks at his watch, he intends to reach his target three hours ahead of schedule, and then lie and wait, see what shows up.

  ***

  Victor and Ernest bring their bikes to a standstill in front of the gates to the White House with tires squealing, making drag marks on the ground. Adrenaline is pumping strongly through their veins from the high speed ride. Victor flips his visor open and addresses the two Secret Service agents guarding the gate. “Open the gate, the President is expecting us.”

  Both Ernest and Victor expect them to immediately open the gates as surely the President would have informed them they may be expected. Victor takes his jacket off and hangs it over the handlebars as he is getting hot, forgetting about the pistol he has in the front of his pants.

  Secret Service agent Fred Cooper immediately pulls his service weapon and yells, “Hands in the air!”

  “What the hell for?” responds Ernest.

  “Your friend is shot and he has a weapon on him.”

  Victor looks down at his left side. His shirt is stained with blood.

  “That yours?” Ernest asks.

  “Yes, I was nicked in the shootout on the highway. Only a scrape, looks worse than it is,” Victor responds, pulling his shirt up to inspect the wound.

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” Ernest asks.

  “The mission is more important than a little discomfort. Besides, I trust the President’s doctor more than the ones in the hospital.”

  “Take your helmets off and get off your bikes, slowly!” Fred is slightly annoyed by the two men who are flatly ignoring him.

  “What is it with you people that you are so uptight?” Victor responds, removing his helmet slowly, placing it over the bike’s side mirror before continuing. “Okay, look buddy, I am going to slowly reach into my pants pocket and remove a piece of paper, just keep calm.” Victor slowly drops his right hand to his pants pocket, and pulls out the paper the President gave him. Holding the paper out, he continues, “Call the number on here.”

  “What for?”

  “So that they can tell you to open the gate.”

  “Fred, stay where you are, it’s a trap,” the second guard responds.

  “Okay, tell you what, I will call the number out to you, and you dial it on your cell phone, how about that? You have nothing to lose.”

  Thinking for a moment, Fred nods his head and removes his cell phone from his belt holster, keeping the gun trained on Victor with one hand. Victor starts to call the numbers out, and Fred punches it into his phone.

  “So?” Victor asks as he gives the last digit.

  “Ringing,” Fred responds, putting the call on speaker.

  “This is the President, who is this?” Both guards almost come to attention when they hear the President’s voice.

  “Mr. President, this is Ernest and Victor. We need authorization to enter the White House grounds,” Ernest quickly answers, fearing Victor will make a smart ass comment.

  “Thank GOD you two made it back, put the guard on the phone.”

  “This is Special Agent Fred Cooper Mr. President, you are on speaker.”

  “Fred, open the gate immediately, that is an order. Victor, Ernest, I will have someone meet you at the building’s entrance, come see me immediately.” The call is cut off as the President puts the receiver down.

  “Well, are you going to open the gate or do you want me to ring the Pope as well?” Victor says, causing the two guards to jump to get the gate open.

  “You have the Pope’s personal number as well?” Ernest asks, playing along.

  “Of course,” Victor responds as he replaces his helmet and jacket, then makes a doughnut on the ground with the back wheel of the bike and leaves a black mark on the driveway as he burns the back tire by pulling away hard. The two guards shake their heads as they close the gate again after Ernest passes through, entering less dramatically than Victor.

  “Did you just do a doughnut at the entrance?” Ernest rather states than asks when they stop at the front entrance of the White House.

  “Yes, didn’t you?” Victor is climbing off his bike as he speaks, and then gives the bike’s keys to a young gardener standing to one side at the door, before continuing, “A wash and wax please.” The stunned man is taken aback, and bows his head as he walks to move the bike out of the way, while the other gardeners and security guards laugh at him.

  “Do you ever show some respect?” Ernest shoots at Victor angrily.

  V
ictor stops at the door before replying, “What do you mean, I do so all the time, and to whom should I show respect, the guards at the gate?”

  “Yes! But more to the President, making donuts in the White House driveway!”

  “I do respect the President, I risked my ass saving his, and I gave the guards at the gate something to tell their friends and family, they can add it to the story of how the President landed in a police helicopter in the White House garden after being kidnapped. They can maybe even write a book about it or sell the story to the news.”

  “You have a strange way of showing respect.”

  “And you are a prisoner of fearing what people think. I have been living outside the rules and regulations of society for 15 years, and you expect me to change? Only by living outside those rules can I do my job and get the people that also live outside the rules. Furthermore, people are just people, no matter whether they clean the streets or are Presidents, they are all just people. If you kill the President, another will take his place. We all die someday, stop treating people for their positions that they may lose tomorrow, and treat them for the people they are inside.

  “See the man I gave the bike’s keys to, he is maybe, what, 22? Did you notice how he was standing alone, not part of the group of older men on break when we arrived? Imagine how they are going to treat him when they find out he rode one of the bikes that was used to save the President.”

  Ernest thinks for a moment then replies, “You see the world so different than me. I see a young inexperienced gardener, and you see opportunity if given the opportunity.”

  “Exactly, if more people would give others an opportunity to grow, you and I will not be needed. Now come, we have work to do.”

  Half an hour later both men are standing in the President’s office, Victor with a new shirt and a quick patch from a medical kit to his side.

  “Victor, Ernest, I need you two to help me get control back of my submarine. It is vital that we do so before it disappears.”

  President Abraham sits down heavily in his chair. Clearly the last few days have taken a heavy toll on him. Concern is on the President’s face and he avoids Victor’s piercing gaze. It is useless to try and hide things from Victor.

  “What is so special about this sub? Why all the trouble to steal it and why the hurry in getting it back? What are you not telling us, what is on that sub?” Victor asks.

  “We have orders Victor. We do not need to know what is on that sub,” Ernest snaps at Victor. Victor annoys him due to the way Victor is talking to the President, but Ernest secretly has to admit that he is burning to know the answers as well.

  “He is your boss, not mine. If I am going to help out I am not going in blind, I want to know what I am up against and why I am risking my ass.” Victor does not take his eyes off the President as he speaks.

  Abraham looks away. Victor is scanning him, looking for any betrayal of emotions, any hint that this is a suicide mission, which it is.

  “Gentlemen, we need to work as a team here, time is of the essence.” Abraham slowly stands up before continuing. “Victor is right, you deserve to know what you are up against and why it is essential that you succeed.”

  Abraham walks around his desk to sit on the front right corner of it before continuing. “I do not need to remind you that this meeting and all the information from it is highly classified, right?”

  Ernest nods yes, while Victor just gives the President a sly smile, “Okay then.” Abraham turns around and presses the intercom button.

  “Yes, Mr. President?” Dora’s voice is pleasant yet professional.

  “Dora, can you please send Professor Jeremy in.”

  “Certainly Mr. President. Anything else?”

  Before Abraham can answer Victor chips in, “A Big Mac with cheese, and a soda. You want anything Ernest?”

  Ernest spins around to face Victor, anger on his face. “Are you crazy?!”

  “What? I am hungry, how do you suppose we start a mission with empty stomachs? Besides, then we can say the President bought us lunch.” Ernest wants to comment, but he just stares open-mouthed at Victor. Suddenly, the President bursts out laughing and replies, “Victor, you are exactly the man we need for this job. Dora, make that four orders please.”

  “Yes, Mr. President.”

  Suddenly someone knocks on the door and Ernest walks over to open it. A tall thin, partly bald man with round rimmed glasses is standing in the doorway. From the man’s body language it is clear that he is no stranger to being in the President’s company. Victor looks the man up and down. Concern is clearly visible on the man’s face.

  “Jeremy come in. This is Navy Seal Commander Ernest Young, and Victor, a civilian and specialist in the skills we need for this mission.”

  Jeremy nods his head and shakes each one’s hand before placing a number of folders on the desk next to the President.

  “Jeremy, they have full clearance, anything they want to know or should know to ensure the success of this mission.”

  “Understood Sir. Gentlemen, questions?”

  “What makes this sub special? What weapons capability makes it so valuable that people will want it?” Victor goes straight to the point.

  “This is a one of a kind super submarine; it was built for one purpose only, to defend America from nuclear attacks, and as such no expense was spared and the latest technology was installed to fulfill that mission.” Jeremy opens up a folder on the desk as he speaks. Carefully, he removes some pictures showing outside and inside views of the submarine.

  “This is a big submarine, must have set you back a few bucks.” Victor shuffles the pictures around on the desk as he speaks.

  “Try 40 billion dollars, over 10 times the price of an attack class submarine. She is 50% larger than the Russian Typhoon submarine.” Abraham stands up as he answers and walks to the water cooler in the left corner of the office to get himself a cup of water.

  “Wow, that is a massive amount to fork out for one submarine.” Ernest is now also studying the pictures, and looks at Abraham as he speaks. The expression on his face is clear, is it worth the money? As a grunt he runs the figure in his head and thinks of all the equipment his troops could have and the devastation they could do with it.

  “A bargain at the lives it can save, not just American lives, but those of the enemy as well. Jeremy, give them the short version of the intended use of the sub.” Abraham’s voice sounds tired.

  “Right, one of the biggest threats of mass destruction is nuclear bombs, especially intercontinental ones that can be launched from inside an enemy’s country and reach another country. Not just from current super powers, but from emerging governments and terrorists who hide among innocent people with mobile nuclear missile launchers. This is where the submarine comes into play. If we suspect an imminent launch of a nuclear missile, we can disable the nuclear site before the launch.

  The submarine will approach the enemy’s coast and fire a nuclear missile into space over the country while still submerged. When the nuclear missile explodes, it creates an EMP wave similar to a massive solar flare from the sun and destroys all unprotected electronic equipment.”

  “Yes, but you already have dozens of nuclear submarines that can do that, as well as a number of land based nuclear missiles that you can use for that purpose.” Confusion is on Ernest’s face.

  “I think there is a bit more to this, buddy.” Victor is holding a picture with a top down view of the submarine and is about to ask what the massive launch tube hatches are for, including why there are large Gatling gun like weapons mounted on the top of the deck, when the phone on the desk rings.

  “Yes?” Abraham holds down the intercom button as he speaks.

  “Sir, the food has arrived.”

  “Oh, cool, let’s eat. I will go and get it.” Victor walks to the door with a big smile on his face as he speaks. Ernest just shakes his head at Victor, who opens the door and takes the food from a delivery person. Victor then return
s and hands each their food parcel. Just as Ernest is about to take a bite, Victor blurts out, “Are these things checked for poison? I would hate to be poisoned by a hamburger meant for the President!” Victor winks at Abraham and smiles, but Ernest misses the motion and the joke. He does not know about the history Victor and Abraham share, or that Victor had saved Abraham’s life on a previous mission.

  “Yes, we have very strict control of where we get food from for the White House.” Abraham smiles back at Victor, remembering when he himself got deadly sick from drinking water that was poisoned and meant for Victor, when Victor was guarding him on a trip to Africa on his previous Presidential run.

  Victor was brought in, due to threats received against the President, as an anti-sniper with local knowledge of the routes the President would take. Victor’s room adjoined the President’s, linked by a door, and the President had gone in to ask Victor his thoughts about the route they should take the next morning. Victor was in the shower, and the President took a bottle of water from the fridge as he waited for Victor, a bottle that was poisoned. Luckily Victor recognized the symptoms, and rushed to a nearby local herbal healer, who gave him a mixture of plant leaves and root extracts to counter the poison.

  “You are such an idiot.” Ernest takes a bite of his burger after replying.

  “Victor is right,” Jeremy continues. “The EMP wave only takes out unprotected electronics, such as cell towers, field radios, cars, and so on. Nevertheless, any devices protected by what we call a Faraday cage will be unharmed. Both mobile nuclear launchers and nuclear missiles that are inside thick bunkers will not be harmed as they are protected against EMP attacks.”

  “What about aerial attacks such as a bunker buster?” Ernest is again only thinking of solving problems one way. If something does not work, get a bigger bomb.

  “That is a possibility; however, very slim as they can shoot the missile down before it hits its target, and even if you manage to hit the target, there will be a loss of life. Remember, this submarine was designed to protect against mobile launchers that are hidden in populated areas.