The Sol 3 Agenda

by Brian Kitchen

  Whilst waiting for the man’s body to change, JT searched the boat and found drugs, mainly heroin, stashed in a locker and also the sum of US $200,000 and guessed that the man had been a drug smuggler. JT had never had any intention of taking the man he’d just killed as a host. Well before leaving Great Conch Cay, JT had decided that he would have to put his alternative plan into operation. This would need him to become Mikhail Ivanov once more, an identity he’d used in the past. Having kept a set of the shape-changing nanobots and DNA samples, which would convert his present body form into that of Mikhail Ivanov’s, JT now injected them into his blood stream, along with the elements of DNA he’d taken from the drug dealer. These DNA elements would revitalise his present host body helping it to accept the transformation he was about to attempt. To tell the truth JT was a little concerned, as he hadn’t used a host body before for two different personas and he wasn’t sure whether it would work. He had no alternative however, as he couldn’t use a dead body and JT was pretty sure the drug dealer would have killed him if he’d not acted as he did.

  The boat had an autopilot and so JT set this on a route to the Bahamas where his journey to Russia would commence. From the Nassau International Airport there, JT would get a plane to London Heathrow and from there to Moscow. As JT would need to rest up for three hours whilst the changes to his own body took place, he set up a small portable proximity scanner. This would alert him to any threats in the immediate area and allow him to react to them and alter course if necessary. JT then started up the boats engines and set off. He couldn’t do anything about the boat’s engine noise and so would have to stop engines when anything got too near to him. He wasn’t going to be travelling in the main shipping lanes however and so shouldn’t have any problems. JT settled down to rest.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Three hours later, JT was two miles to the west of Goulding Cay and the drug dealer’s body had by now changed to that of William Geacher. JT’s present host body, much to his relief, had changed to that of Mikhail Ivanov, although an older version of the persona he had used before. JT now stripped the drugs dealer’s shorts and T-shirt from the man’s body and then dressed the man in the clothes that he’d worn as Geacher. JT ensured that he’d left Geacher’s passport and wallet with credit and debit cards in the zipped-up cagoule pocket. The drug smuggler’s shorts, and T-shirt just fitted JT’s new torso and reluctantly JT put them on. As soon as he got to Nassau, JT would buy some new clothes. He then put all that he needed, his technical equipment, his vaporizer, a passport and a credit card in Mikhail Ivanov’s name and finally the $200,000 which was fortunately in large denominations, into a large waterproof pouch that he now wore around his waist. Having left the body of Geacher on the cruiser’s deck, as JT needed it to be found and satisfied that he had all that he required, JT dived overboard and started swimming towards Clifton Bay. JT smiled to himself wondering what the police would make of the situation, especially as by now his laboratory back on Great Conch Cay would have been blown sky high and the androids acting on protocol, would have alerted the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Abbot’s House, Trentbury, England

  Thursday 15th September 2005

  The following morning Kate, Joshua and John, along with Morann and Padraig were teleported down to Abbot’s House at Trentbury. Conn had also accompanied them as he had to get back to VarTech HQ, for as he’d pointedly told everyone, someone had to run the VarTech Corporation whilst they were all off gallivanting.

  “I’ll make the necessary arrangements for one of the VarTech Corporation’s Veetols to be available to take you to Ireland, but I daresay that you’ll want something to eat first,” Conn announced as soon as they were out of the teleportation chamber.

  “Well I’m hungry,” John confirmed looking at the others who nodded. “I don’t expect you have any burgers?” John then enquired, he hadn’t had one for months and just fancied one.

  “We do actually,” Conn answered. “Cheeseburgers all round with fries and salad, everyone?” There was no objections and so Conn went off to organise the food.

  “Whose house is this?” Joshua asked as he and John walked together. Kate and Morann were walking behind them with Padraig and were in an animated conversation.

  “Well I suppose it might be mine now or my father’s,” John answered. “It belonged to my grandfather you see. He was the real John Trevaskis Senior.”

  “JT killed him then?” Joshua asked, shocked.

  “Yes, and my mother too. I just hope I catch up with him one day.”

  “I hope I can find out one day what happened to my mother and what really happened to my father,“ Joshua said. “He drowned in the Liffey in Dublin., three months after I was born. I wonder now whether he was murdered.”

  “That’s terrible,” John said.

  “Yes, I wished I’d known him.”

  “Do you think the Morrigan’s Depository is near to Sneem?” John asked.

  “It seems that it could be and especially as me and my mother travelled there a lot.”, Joshua answered.

  “Well, we’ll soon find out.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Kerry Airport, Farranfore, Ireland,

  Thursday15th September 2005

  It was late afternoon before Kate, Morann, John, Joshua and Padraig arrived in Ireland. The VarTech Veetol flew them to the Kerry Airport at Farranfore, where they were met by two Fianna agents, a female android with short, spikey black hair and Fergus, a tall, lean built man with short red hair in his mid-twenties.

  “Good to see you again, Morann and you too Padraig,” the man greeted them and then turned to Kate, “Badhbh in Waiting,” he inclined his head in respect, “John, Joshua,” he then greeted the two men in turn. “It’s ok,” he said having seen their quizzical looks. “Your photos were sent through to us by Oisin.”

  “Please call me Kate,” Kate said. “I’m not used to all this formality.” Fergus and Aithne nodded.

  “Pleased to meet you all,” Aithne then said stepping forward to shake their hands in turn, “and welcome to County Kerry. We’ve transport awaiting, if you’d like to come this way.”

  Aithne and Fergus led them to where two black Range Rovers waited.

  “I suggest that Morann, Kate and Joshua go with Fergus and you and John come with me,” Aithne looked at Padraig, “That’s of course if you trust my driving.”

  “You drive like a maniac, Aithne,” Padraig replied half-jokingly.

  “Like you do, Padraig,” Aithne retorted.

  “Aye, I taught you well,” Padraig agreed and got in the front passenger seat, leaving John to get in the back. In the other car, Morann got in the front, whilst Kate and Joshua got in the back. Fergus set off, Aithne following behind.

  “How far is it to Sneem?” John asked as driving out of the airport they turned onto the N23.

  “About 64 kilometres,” Aithne replied.

  “About 40 miles, John,” Padraig told him before he asked. “John doesn’t do Kilometres, Aithne, he’s old school.”

  “About an hour’s drive,” Aithne said, as John settled down to admire the countryside.

  Soon they’d joined the N22 and before what didn’t seem too long, they were passing through Killarney and joining the N71.

  “You’ll soon see Lough Leane, over there on the right hand side, John,” Aithne said. John saw Padraig had nodded off to sleep. Aithne’s driving obviously wasn’t that bad. In fact, John thought she was a very good driver and she obviously knew the roads well.

  “Are you based around here, Aithne?” he asked,

  “Yes, John, in Killarney. Fergus is from Dublin, but he knows this area well, or I’d I’ve taken the lead car.”

  “Wow, it’s beautiful,” .John exclaimed, catching his first glimpse of the lough.

  “It is,” Aithne agreed. “Its name translates as the lake of learning, it’s one of the star tourist attractions of the Killarney National Park. We’re about half way
to Sneem, John.”

  Chapter 29

  Sneem, County Kerry, Ireland

  Friday 16th September 2005

  Sneem lay at the head of the estuary of the River Sneem and was a very picturesque village laid out around a village green. Immaculately kept, the pubs, shops, restaurants and houses were all painted in a whole kaleidoscope of colours, including green, red, blue and pink. The sun had gone down, and it was rapidly getting dark by the time that they had arrived there and so it was decided to find somewhere to stay and then the visit the home of Etain the following morning. They found a good pub which did bed and breakfast and booked in. The next morning, they set out for Etain’s cottage which was situated a mile or so outside the village. Joshua was able to give Fergus directions to it and so they took the lead again.

  “Doesn’t look like anyone’s at home,” Fergus said as they drove up the track which led off the road to the cottage, followed by the Range Rover driven by Aithne.

  Joshua looked ahead at the two storey stone built cottage, which he remembered well from his visits there as a child. The small garden that Etain had taken great pride in appeared to have gone wild, with large areas of grass and weeds now occupying the beds that flowers had once grown in. Pulling up outside the cottage, the two Range Rovers parked up and everyone got out of them. Joshua went up to the front door accompanied by Fergus and knocked on it.

  “I’ll check around the back,” Padraig announced and walked off, accompanied by Aithne.

  Kate and Morann came and stood with John, who was looking all around.

  “The garden’s neglected, but not as overgrown as I would have expected it to be, if Etain disappeared the same time as Joshua’s mother,” John said.

  “You’re right, John,” Morann agreed. “Someone’s given the cottage a lick of paint too. Those window frames look freshly painted.”

  “No one seems to be at home, “Joshua announced walking back with Fergus to join them. “The door’s locked, too.”

  “The back door is as well and there’s no sign of the station wagon you said Etain drove. The garage is empty,” Padraig told them, returning with Aithne from the rear of the cottage. “We need to get in the cottage somehow. I don’t really want to break in, if it can be avoided.”

  “Etain used to keep a spare key, if I can find it,” Joshua said walking back to the front door. The others followed him.

  “What, under a stone?” Kate asked. Joshua shook his head and felt around on top of a wooden box that was fixed to the wall at the side of the door.

  “No, she kept it in this Ladybird nesting box if I can find it,” Joshua said, lifting one section of the sloping roof up and feeling around inside it. “There’s a secret compartment at the back of the box. Here it is,” he triumphantly said, holding up a door key. Joshua walked back to the door and opened it up.

  “We’d better go in first,” Padraig told him and signalled that Aithne and Fergus should join him. “The rest of you wait here until we’ve checked the place over.”

  “You think there might be trouble?” John asked.

  “If JT’s been here, there could be booby traps,” Padraig answered and followed by the two Fianna agents went into the cottage.

  “You’re not joining them, Morann?” Kate asked, sounding a bit affronted on Morann’s behalf.

  “I’m protecting you three, Kate, ” Morann said drawing her immobiliser. John took her lead and did likewise.

  A minute or so later, Padraig put his head round the door.

  “All clear folks, you can come in now,” he told them. They walked in. “No one is at home and it doesn’t look like anyone has lived here for some time.”

  “It looks clean and tidy,” Kate interrupted him casting her eyes around the large open plan room which obviously served as a kitchen, dining and living room. “There’s no dust anywhere, someone’s obviously been keeping it clean.”

  “There wasn’t any piles of post on the mat either,” Padraig said. “This is a Fianna house, however, there’s the proof,” he nodded in the direction of the fireplace. A framed tapestry hung above the mantelpiece.

  “It’s the Trinity Knot!” Kate exclaimed.

  “Yes, Kate it is,” Padraig answered. “Hung over a fireplace, it denotes that this is a Fianna safe house to those who need to know. It also explains why the cottage is kept in a good state of repair and the garden in a reasonably tidy state. Someone will be coming in to clean and also keep the garden tidy.” By now Aithne and Fergus had joined them, coming down from the upstairs rooms they’d been searching. “Find anything? ” Padraig asked.

  “Not a thing,” Aithne replied.

  “Beds are made and everywhere tidy,” Fergus added.

  “Etain’s station wagon is missing and so I’m surmising that she went to meet your mother somewhere,” Padraig said, turning to Joshua. “I need to contact Conn, we need satellite data from over this area dating back to 1974, when your mother disappeared,” Padraig then announced, taking his communicator out of his inside jacket pocket.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The Beagalltach

  The same time

  Fionnuala and Fenella had accompanied Oisin and Iseabail when they had returned to the Beagalltach.

  “What class of Deltoid is this, Oisin?” Fionnuala had wanted to know. “It’s not any kind that I’ve been on before.” They had all teleported between the two craft and so Fionnuala and Fenella hadn’t seen the exterior of the craft which was ten times bigger than their Galaxy Class Deltoid.

  “It’s a new design of Deltoid, capable of interstellar travel like the Galaxy Class and has been designated the Infinity Class. It was designed by Diarmuid, you remember him Fionnuala?” The Nemhain nodded her head. She well remembered the rather pedantic Android, who was even more annoying than Conn, which she would once have thought impossible. “It was built at the Fianna’s secret shipyard, on the dark side of Earth’s moon. More are under construction, but it will take a couple of Earth years to build them. Time we may not have, if as we suspect the Andromedans are on their way here. However, having said that, if we are able to build as many Infinity Class Deltoids as we can before they get here, then we stand a good chance of defeating the Andromedans.”

  “The Andromedans have the Fomoire’s worm hole drive technology, Oisin,” Fionnuala pointed out.

  “As do we. We have it on board the Beagalltach,” he replied. “We were able to reverse engineer the drive in one of the Fomoire ships that the Morrigan, your mother captured,” Oisin added, half-turning to Iseabail. “The Fomoire ship was too damaged to be salvageable, but Diarmuid managed to get a lot of information from it. It’s mineral in construction, as you know,” Oisin turned back to Fionnuala, who nodded. “It’s interpreting the Fomoire’s navigational charts which is proving to be somewhat of a problem, but I’m sure Diarmuid will succeed. He has the VarTech Research and Development Z Division’s supercomputers working on it. Now, we will shortly be having a guest join us, who may be able to give us some answers as to what JT is manufacturing in Building 66 at Area 51.”

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Sneem, County Kerry, Ireland

  Around the same time

  Whilst Padraig made the call to Conn, the others continued to search Etain’s cottage, but found nothing that might explain what had happened to Etain and Joshua’s mother.

  “It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack and that would be if we knew it was a needle we were looking for,” Kate said in exasperation. “We have no idea what we’re looking for!”

  Padraig ended his call to Conn and looked around at Kate.

  “You’re right Kate, this is a waste of time,” he agreed as the others joined them. “I think we might as well drive back to Sneem. Someone there might know something.”

  They all left the cottage and whilst Joshua locked the door and replaced the key in its hiding place, the others started to walk over to the cars. They’d just reached them, when Padraig’s communicator bleeped several times, a
nnouncing an incoming call. Padraig answered the call and then turned to them all.

  “That was Conn. He’s found something and wants us to see it. He’s on the Beagalltach. We’re being teleported there. Conn will . . . .”

  Before he had time to finish what he was about to say, John felt the familiar sensation he felt each time he was teleported and the next moment found that he and his companions were now in the Beagalltach’s teleportation chamber. John immediately saw that someone else was in the chamber, obviously having teleported from another location, as they were still standing on the transit pad. It was a very beautiful woman with long, silky, ash blonde hair, who was staring aghast at him. Her appearance had changed since John had last seen her, but he instantly recognized her.

  “Hello Susan, what the feck are you doing here?” He icily demanded to know..

  “John,” the woman managed to stammer. “I could ask you the same!”

  “Do you know this woman, John?” Kate asked perplexed, seeing that John was giving the woman a venomous look and that Morann had an enigmatic look on her face.

  Just then Sceolan entered the teleportation chamber. “If you would all please follow me. That’s everyone,” he added when he saw that the woman that John had addressed as Susan was hesitating.