The End of the Beginning

by Eichholz, Zachary

  “Maybe she hacked her way in,” presented Jake.

  “No. No. A hack would have been pretty obvious to me. This was a simple deletion on a personal account. Trust me, I tried. Remember when you said no one in ISAF would ever think it was possible for her to do something like this? They’re right, its not, that’s why it makes sense Hernandez did. He has complete control in his position…”

  Jakes face twitched.

  “I tried to delete an ISAF document using Hammond’s username and password, it didn’t work. It wasn’t her account that deleted the files Jake, it was Hernandez’s, at least, I think it was.”

  “You think,” snarled Jake.

  “Well, it was his tablets IP address that was in communication with ISAF servers that contained the deleted files so I can at least pin him down that far but…”

  “What do you need to confirm that it was him?” asked William.

  “I need a clear-cut log in via Hernandez himself, deleting a similar file set to definitively prove it was him. Whatever masking program he used that concealed his username and password with Hammond’s was good, I can’t crack it. It’s the one smoking gun I need.”

  “I think I have another,” William said, getting up out of the chair. “Actually, I think I have a few.”

  “What?” asked Nancy.

  “He said - ”

  Suddenly Nancy’s glass tablet unmuted itself, startling the group. The live news feed dissolved into static. The voice of the reporter who was commentating broke up into inaudible tones.

  “What the hell?” William said, picking up the tablet.

  Jake and Nancy crowded behind him. The static-filled screen turned an alarming primordial blood red atop silence. On this backdrop of red were five black symbols, four of which were the triangular symbols William and Jake had observed on Samir’s arm, each one taking up one corner of the screen. At the center of the screen was the fifth symbol. It was a hollow black circle that contained a black cross separating the circle into four equal parts.

  The screen changed again back to static, then to a series of flickering, grainy images of various world leaders, past and present, giving speeches and shaking hands. A low mutilated inhuman voice began narrating the video.

  “Fire, an element of rejuvenation and power. Our oldest creation.”

  Images and clips flashed across the lambent screen of the burning dam and of oil disasters in the past. The Gulf War. Deepwater Horizon. Exxon Valdez. Oil trains ablaze in countless countryside’s.

  “Prometheus did not intend fire for a few, he intended it for all. Yet, it is the few who wield it, the few who create with it, who destroy with it, who kill with it.”

  Pictures of stock markets crashing appeared. Images of recessions and depressions, of dictators and militaries and videos of social disorder and turmoil started repeating over and over again. The Second Korean War and its nuclear devastation gutted into the insidious video. William gripped the tablet tighter and tighter.

  “With this stolen power, the destiny of billions is determined carelessly and arrogantly by a collective corrupt and dysfunctional few that bicker about the truth of facts and distort the facts of truth. Governance no longer governs for the many, it governs for the perseverance of itself.”

  Clips of falling glaciers, burning landfills, nuclear plant accidents, and environmental ruin now filled the screen.

  “This is not governance, this is societal suicide. Those who supposedly rule above you do so through lies, fraud, greed, and the belief that they are too powerful to be touched. But no more…”

  A map of St. Lawrence Island appeared within the Bering Sea.

  “The world’s leaders cower together to fan the flames of their dwindling control through the false hope of UNIRO, a puppet of their inaction and vainness; their last effort to continue the world they built. To any and all hearing this message, should any world leader attempt to leave St. Lawrence they will be shot down without mercy or further warning. And, very soon, they will watch their disorder burn. Prometheus’s gift will be returned to its rightful owners, the people…”

  Images of burning and collapsing buildings appeared overlaid with burning national flags.

  “They thought we were scattered. They thought we were weak. They thought we were the representation of a few. They are wrong…”

  The blood red background and its black symbols reappeared.

  “We are here. We are you. We are the many who stand with nothing to lose but our oppressors. We are Terra Nova.”

  CHAPTER 67: Building Our Own Army

  After a bit of static the live news feed of the burning dam resumed. The commentator in the helicopter with the camera seemed unaware of the cyber intrusion that had just hijacked his feed. The news anchor back in the studio quickly broke into the feed upon its return however to address a no doubt terrified and confused public.

  William loaded other live streams from other news networks, all of which seemed to have also been intruded upon by the same foreboding message. Jake checked his glass tag, as did Nancy. Both found the message embedded and spreading through all forms of social media.

  “We need to act fast,” said William, making for the door. “He is going to arrest Colonel Morrison and Hammond upon their arrival here back at base. We’ve gotta stop him. That is what we need to focus on right now. We expose Hernandez then maybe we expose the rest of their plans.”

  “Woah, wait!” Jake cried. “We are at Sequence Red, full security lockdown. If you get caught outside they will take you in.”

  “I’m sure the lockdown and communications blackout is by design,” said Nancy, “so no one will interfere with him at the airport. No one will be around to see what he does. No one will be around to know.”

  “Which means we’re the only ones who can help,” William insisted at the door. “We can’t trust anyone in ISAF and tipping off outside authorities could give him the chance to run.”

  “We’re the only ones that know,” Nancy said faintly.

  “Well, not for long,” grinned William.

  “No. No, no, no, no!” asserted Jake. “I know what you thinking, Captain. You aren’t doing that. Your team isn’t doing that! They are neither equipped nor trained to take down an international terrorist with God knows how many other people on his side on this base!”

  “I know, that’s where you come in,” William nodded impatiently.

  From Nancy’s desk came a computerized voice. It said, “Incoming call from Colonel John Morrison.” It was William’s earpiece.

  “Oh, good,” said Nancy. “It looks like my unjamming efforts worked.”

  William shoved past everyone to get to the desk and answered the call. “Colonel! You hear me?”

  “Will,” said John, “I can hear you. Man, I’ve been trying to call you for days. You were right about Samir. He didn’t have drugs in his system, he was clean!”

  “We know, Colonel.”

  “You know?”

  “Yes, it’s a long story but listen, don’t come home! You hear me?”

  “What Will? You’re breaking up. Did you say don’t come home? Why shouldn’t we come home?”

  “Yes, don’t come home! It’s a trap. Hernandez is - ”

  The connection went dead.

  “Shit!” yelled William, throwing his earpiece across the room. “It’s dead. He’s on to me. He just wants to shut me up just long enough till the fireworks start.”

  “Well,” sighed Jake, “if he’s on to you, he’s on to me as well. You’re not walking out that door alone, Captain. Just as you don’t want him to take down UNIRO’s good name, I don’t want him to tear down ISAF’s. I swore to protect this base just as you’ve sworn to protect this world.” Jake smiled. “It’s my duty.”

  William smiled.

  “Let’s go get your army ready,” nodded Jake.

  “I think your growing bromance is adorable and all,” said Nancy, “but you’re still forgetting that there are ISAF guardsmen everywhere
outside! Sequence Red, remember.”

  “A distraction then,” suggested William. “We need a distraction.”

  “Yeah,” agreed Jake.

  Both men looked at Nancy grinning with the same idea.

  “What?” she asked innocently.

  Both men pointed to her and said, “Distraction.”

  CHAPTER 68: Distraction

  “We need something that will thin the guardsmen out across the base, something that will scatter them,” explained William. “We need to become needles in a haystack.”

  “There a couple of things we can do,” Jake said.

  “Like an explosion,” suggested William, snapping his thumb.

  “Uggh,” grumbled Nancy. “I never got why an explosion was a distraction. People run away from explosions, they don’t go towards them. We need something that attracts security. We need a distraction that keeps them on their toes and always running around.”

  William thought for a moment. “How about - ”

  “Got it!” Nancy yelled. She scrambled her fingers over her glass tablets rubber keyboard and pulled up some base schematics. “I got just the thing! We can - ”

  Someone pounded on the door. Everyone froze. The blinds were closed so they couldn’t see who was outside through the window. No one announced themselves. Another pound came.

  William tiptoed over to the closed blinds to try and see who it was. He crouched down on the floor. He slipped his fingers between two blinds and slid one over an inch. Looking up through the slit he had made, he saw two fully armed ISAF guardsmen in tactical gear. Both were holding Tasers. One was standing behind the other. The one in front pounded on the door for a third time. He did it so hard the window rattled.

  “It’s ISAF,” William whispered. “Two guards.”

  “Why aren’t they announcing themselves?” Nancy whispered to Jake.

  “We have to open the door,” said Jake. “Follow my lead.”

  “No wait, stop,” demanded Nancy but Jake was already at the door. He unlocked the door and turned the nob cautiously. William stood up and tried to look as causal as possible. Nancy did the same.

  “Gentlemen,” said Jake nonchalantly, “there a reason you aren’t announcing yourselves. That’s not protocol, you know that.” Neither guardsmen batted and eye. Jake cleared his throat and made himself as big as he could in the doorway, which wasn’t hard given his size. “Can I help you men with something?”

  “Chief Hernandez wants to know why you aren’t at your post,” said the first guardsman nearest the doorway.

  “I was just about to head there,” answered Jake, level faced. “I wanted to ensure my girlfriend Nancy was okay, especially after that video message.”

  “Not anymore your not. We are here to take Rescue Officer Lewis and Captain Emerson in for questioning, as well as yourself Sheroff,” said the second guardsman.

  “Gentlemen,” Jake chuckled, “may I ask why?”

  “Because the chief ordered it, that’s why,” said the second guardsman harshly. “Now, come with us, all of you.”

  “Gentlemen please, we’re all friends here,” said Jake. “The real enemy is out there, isn’t it? Are you sure you want to take us in?”

  “Let’s go Sheroff,” demanded the first guardsman.

  Jake twisted his head, cracking his neck. “Okay.”

  The first guardsman began to reach out for Jakes shoulder. Jake grabbed the man’s arm with both his hands, placing one on the guardsman’s wrist, the other at his bicep. He pulled his arm through the doorway and then banged it against the doorframe at the man’s elbow. Jake pushed against the man’s arm until it broke over the doorframe. The guardsman screamed in pain. Jake threw the man behind him into the room. William knelt down over the fallen guardsman and punched him in the face, knocking him out.

  While this was happening the second guardsman pulled up his Taser to a firing position. In a panic the guardsman fired it at Jake but only one of its two prongs hit his body, the other one embedding itself in the doorframe. The charge couldn’t be completed so it had no effect on the giant. Jake ripped the prong out of his body and punched the man’s uniform collar, causing it’s built in floatation device to inflate around his neck. Stunned, the guardsman didn’t have time see Jake’s fist land against his temple.

  The guardsman took the impact and brushed it off. He swung at Jake’s abdomen but Jake dodged the swing. He grabbed the guardsman by his tactical vest and threw him against the walkway railing then put his full body weight behind his fist and again rammed it into the guardsman’s temple, this time knocking the guardsman out cold.

  Jake ran back into the room. “You guys okay?” he asked.

  Both William and Nancy nodded. Both had their mouths wide open at the sight of what they had just seen.

  “Good. We need to go. Captain, help me get these two inside. We’ll put them under the beds. Turn their radios off. Take all their clothing, everything they have, and put it on. Leave all your own electronics here; that includes glass tags. I know a place we can go to get ready. They drove here in an ISAF patrol car. We’ll use that to get to where we need to go. Sound good?”

  “Uh-huh,” said Nancy and William, still shell-shocked at Jake’s fighting skills.

  “Come on, stop starring,” ordered Jake. “Terra Nova isn’t going to wait on us. Let’s go start kicking some ass!”

  CHAPTER 69: Let’s Make Some Noise

  “You look good, Captain. ISAF really is your color,” Jake joked, opening the driver side door to the patrol car. “I’m sure it feels good to wear that kind of stuff again.”

  “No,” William groaned, trying to fix his vest. “Your stuff is a little tighter than the Air Force’s was. This is like the Gucci of tact gear. Jesus, what is this, like a kids large?”

  Jake smiled as he turned on the vehicles electric motor. Nancy got in the back. She was on her glass tablet.

  “You almost done with that distraction, Nancy?” asked Jake.

  “Locked and loaded,” she excitedly replied.

  William closed the passenger door and placed his P90 on the dashboard. “Ready,” he said.

  “Time check,” requested Jake.

  “Twenty-three o-five,” said William.

  “Alright,” said Jake turning, around in his seat to reverse. “Let’s make some noise!”

  Nancy pressed enter on her tablet screen.

  ...

  “Chief,” said a guardsman sitting at a computer console inside ISAF’s main control room.

  “What is it?” asked Hernandez distractedly. He was overlooking the room’s 3D digital base model.

  “Sir, we have a biohazard alarm going off inside the base hospital. Second floor, infectious disease ward, room 216. Computer says anthrax.”

  “What?” rumbled Hernandez. He hurried over to the guardsman’s console to see the alarm for himself. Sure enough, it was there, and spreading.

  “Alarms now going off in multiple rooms, sir.”

  “Seal off the affected areas. Evacuate the rest of the building. Get a biohazard team out there to assess the situation and institute level four containment protocols. Dispatch six guardsmen units over there now.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Hernandez looked across the control room wearily. He felt the inkling of a ruse. “Have Captain Emerson, Rescue Officer Lewis, and Guardsman Sheroff been brought in yet?” he asked the room.

  “No, sir,” answered a guardsman at a computer console directly above where Hernandez was standing. “The two guardsmen you assigned to get them last checked in at twenty-two forty-seven hours saying they had arrived at Rescue Officer Lewis’s quarters.”

  “Hm. The second they are brought in alert me immediately please.”

  ...

  Jake sped the patrol car across the empty BLOC Section, running red lights. He had the cars sirens and warning lights off.

  “Is it working?” asked William.

  “Yeah, I think so, sir.”

 
“One way to really be sure,” said Jake, switching on one of the guardsman’s radios they had taken.

  Over the radio the three heard exactly what they wanted to hear. “Unit 2 and Unit 5 are now in position at the hospital. It’s a mess. We’re going to need more than six guardsmen units to contain this situation. Requesting Chief Hernandez’s presences on scene as well, over.”

  “Copy incident commander, back up is on the way. ETA ten minutes, over.”

  “Perfect,” smirked William. “The distraction is working.”

  “We have to pick up your team, Captain. I can do that,” said Jake.

  “How are you going to do that with the base on lockdown?” William asked. “How are you going to find them all? I mean, most are probably in their quarters at this time of night but still you never know, especially with Mambiri. He’s probably still eating dinner; bottomless pit that one.”

  “Leave that to me. I’ll get them. You take this patrol car to this location.” Jake input coordinates into the cars GPS on its center dashboard display. The coordinates zeroed in on somewhere in the middle of the bases Port Section, in what should have been just acres and acres of container yards.

  “What the hell is there?” asked William, looking at the destination.

  “You’ll see, just get there. You should be fine in these uniforms and in this car. No one should stop you.”

  Jake turned onto a road heading northeast. The smooth electric drive barely made a sound as they broke sixty miles per hour.

  “Uh, Jake. Where are you going?” asked William, noticing the direction.

  “ISAF Headquarters.”

  “May I ask why?”

  “I need one of our twelve passenger vans to pick up your team. I’ll squeeze them in there.”

  “Can’t we find a van somewhere else?”

  “No. I also need to gather some supplies and uniforms.”

  A light rain began. Jake turned on the cars windshield wipers.

  “A little help from nature never hurts,” he grinned. “You ready Nancy?”

  “You bet Jake,” she said, her face covered by her tablets light.