The Roswell Protocols

by Allan Burd

  “Yeah.” Chase understood.

  As Chase left, Stacy blinked, then her eyes opened slowly. “What happened?”

  “It’s all over. They took—”

  She remembered. Her eyes widened and filled with tears. Her face turned red. She slapped Logan hard in the face. “You bastard! I trusted you and you gave me to them—like I was a bargaining chip.”

  Logan’s guilt pained him more than the slap. “It’s not what you think.”

  She swung at him again. This time he caught her hand. “You lied to me. You bastard. You lied.” She yanked her hand free and inched away on the sofa.

  “Please, just let me explain,” Logan pleaded.

  Chase came in with the glass of water, instantly spotting the anguish on her face, and understanding it wholeheartedly. “Here, drink this. It’ll make you feel better.”

  Stacy took the glass and drank. She wiped the tears from her face and drank some more.

  When she finally calmed down, Chase took the glass and placed it on the end table. “I’d like to hear your explanation too,” he said.

  Logan stood up and faced Stacy. “The aliens never wanted to kill you. They just wanted to get home and you had the piece of equipment that could get them there.” He turned his attention to Chase, searching for the words to explain better. “When they first found the ship, there was an interference zone. We later learned that it was caused by the ship’s electromagnetic field when its power was turned on. So I figured the reason they were taking everyone’s radios apart was not to knock out our lines of communication, but because they were looking for a proper transmitter to send a signal back home. Unfortunately, the radios we use aren’t nearly as advanced as theirs so they were useless to them.”

  “Wait a minute. You’re telling me in that incredible ship they had, they didn’t have one transmitter capable of signaling home. Not even one emergency beacon,” Chase questioned.

  “Yes. Well … not these four anyway. Remember, when we got to their ship, it was essentially dead. They probably had sent a signal when they first crashed, before Gaines’ team arrived. But then, with the threat of them being overrun, they had to cut their power. Probably to keep us from learning their secrets, but that also cut off any signal they were using. Or even if that signal was still transmitting, they weren’t going to be on the ship any longer, so they needed a portable beacon. I’ll bet when we thoroughly examine the cargo, we’ll find all their portable emergency transmitters with the dead aliens. But these four that escaped didn’t have one, so they had no way to get home and no way of contacting home either.

  “Which is where you came in. They’ve been abducting you and studying you since you were a child. They even found you again when you moved to Prince Rupert. In order to do that, they had to have planted a device on you capable of transmitting a signal back to them, so they would know where you were at all times. That’s exactly the device they would need to get back home. Since you were only sixty miles from the crash site—probably their closest abductee—you became their primary target. It was much easier for them to come after you than to go back and try to get a transmitter from their ship. They weren’t trying to kill you. They just wanted your implant.”

  “How did you know they wouldn’t kill me to get it?” Stacy asked.

  “It’s not their way. They could have killed me and some other people today, but whenever a choice presented itself, they did otherwise. I let them have you because it was win-win. They get to go home. We get to live.”

  Stacy slapped him again. Then she punched him and kept punching him. “You used me. Just like they did. You’re no different from them,” she said still crying.

  Logan caught her hands. “In a way, and I’m truly sorry for that. But you don’t understand. I never give in on a negotiation unless everyone wins. That includes you. Your nightmares are over. They took away your implant. That means they’ll never be able to find you again. It’s over.”

  She stopped struggling. “You mean it’s really over.” She fell against him and wept.

  Logan held her tightly. “Yeah, it’s all over.”

  81

  Major Gaines had no idea how long he had been unconscious. He just wished he still was as agony coursed through his entire body. Slowly, and painfully, he got up. He wiped the dirty blood-stained snow from his face with his left arm. He had tried using his right, but it was completely useless.

  He searched for his cell phone, but as he suspected, it was gone. His eyes scanned up and down the dark highway. His Jeep had four flat tires and was driven into a ditch off the side of the road. He had no way to contact anyone and no one knew where he was. He was alone, stuck in the middle of nowhere, the brisk wind biting at his skin, stinging his wounds. He cursed himself for going after Rebecca alone.

  Figuring the nearest town was about a five mile hike to the west, he started walking. He made it around half a mile when headlights blared from the distance behind him, filling him with hope. The rumble of the approaching vehicle was music to his ears, like a glass of water to a dying man in the desert.

  He moved to the center of the road, waving wildly, and flagged it down, clearly relieved when the truck slowed down and stopped in front of him.

  Nikolai shifted the gear to park, pulled up on the emergency brake, and stepped out of the rig. Katrina opened the door on the passenger side and did the same.

  Gaines’ first reaction was defensive. He turned towards them defiantly and raised his hands, prepared to go down fighting.

  Nikolai respected that.

  Gaines noticed the woman beside him was not Rebecca. He dropped his hands in confusion.

  “Major, I would like you to meet my wife. She’s, how do you say … a very persuasive woman. I believe you two should talk,” Nikolai said.

  Katrina walked over to Major Gaines. He didn’t know what was going on, but whatever was, it had to be an improvement.

  “A pleasure to meet you, Major,” Katrina said, as she extended her arm outward to shake his hand.

  Though her face showed signs of battle, Gaines found her smile irresistible. He cautiously and wearily shook her hand with his left. He looked at her, then Nikolai, then back at her. He was completely bewildered. “I’m charmed,” he responded, for a complete lack of anything better to say.

  Katrina’s smile grew brighter. “Yes. Yes you are.”

  82

  THE NEXT MORNING

  YUKON BASE FIVE

  Nikolai drove the truck up to the first guarded security gate. Gaines sat beside him in the middle, and Katrina was next to him, pushed up against the passenger door. He stopped the truck at the guard booth and rolled down the window.

  “My name is Nikolai Rasputin. We have special delivery for Admiral Brock.”

  Katrina laughed. It was good to see her husband relax a little. Of course, this was his idea of fun.

  The rookie MP immediately drew his firearm.

  Major Gaines reached over and showed him his credentials. “It’s OK, soldier. You can stand down. They’re with me.” He wondered what the rookie must have been thinking. A Major, whose face looked like pulp, coming into a top-secret base with two Russians who didn’t look much better. Heck, he thought, the guard probably won’t even be able to identify me by picture ID.

  “I’ll have to check with the Admiral. It’s the first time we’ve ever had a Russian come to visit us.”

  Nikolai looked directly at the guard. “No. It is not.” He looked at Major Gaines, and for the first time in a long time, Nikolai smiled.

  Major Gaines hoped he was kidding, but deep down he knew he was not.

  “You’re all cleared, Major,” said the guard with a salute.

  “Thank you,” said Gaines.

  The gate opened. They drove down the road in silence, stopping five miles later at the end. Lights flashed and the ground shuddered. “Don’t be alarmed,” Gaines said. “This is the entrance.”

  Nikolai looked at him and smiled again. “I know.�
�

  “You’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?” said Gaines.

  The ground in front of them began to rise as they descended into the base. When they reached the bottom, they drove to an underground loading bay. A man directed them into a parking space and Nikolai pulled in.

  Gaines was glad to see Carlson, Blaze, Logan and Colonel Chase waiting for him. They seemed glad to see him too, which meant the ship was safely secured. He was also glad to see Commander Smythe at their side. Katrina and Nikolai exited the cab. Gaines limped out after them.

  “Jesus Christ. Let’s get a medic team up here—now!” Smythe ordered.

  Gaines nodded.

  “You look like shit,” said Chase.

  Gaines chuckled. “You should see the other guy,” he said, pointing to Nikolai.

  “Pleased to meet you,” said Nikolai with a smile, a hand clutched over his bullet wound. “This is my wife, Katrina,” he added. “I think we have much to discuss.”

  EPILOGUES

  83

  THE FOLLOWING DAY

  TOKYO, JAPAN

  Twenty heavily armed soldiers stormed the offices of Japan’s defense ministry. Everyone knew why they were here, even before they reached General Sato Yamakazi’s door.

  News of the Tsunami’s destruction traveled fast. The Prime Minister of Japan received a call from Canadian’s Prime Minister just minutes after he found out about it. Upon hearing the explanation, and the offer of proof, Japan’s government sprang into action. Within two hours, the party responsible for this tragedy was found and his arrest order issued immediately.

  But Sato had friends who warned him. He barricaded the door and sat on his knees in front of his desk. In his hand, he held the short sword which he formerly displayed proudly in his office. He pondered a moment as he heard the stampede of footsteps run through the halls.

  He couldn’t fathom how his plan failed. It must have been the incompetence of the men beneath him, he thought. He had done nothing wrong. He was Japan’s greatest hero, but now he was going to pay the price for the failings of others. In his mind he cursed his fellow government officials, branding them cowards. He would not allow himself to be disgraced by the likes of them.

  As the door burst open, he thrust the sword into his belly and cut sharply across, leaving his entrails for the armored soldiers as they aggressively charged into the room. The final thought that raced through his mind was that he would die as he lived—a courageous and honorable man.

  When the newspapers printed the story the following day, the citizens of Japan would learn the truth.

  84

  NOVEMBER 10, 3:34 A.M.

  SOMEWHERE IN THE NORTH PACIFIC

  The light from the crescent moon reflected brightly off the dark blue surface of the Pacific Ocean. It was cold, though the winds were relatively light and the seas were calm. Among the small, white-crested waves, four aliens swam gracefully about, playing with their newfound friends, two bottlenose dolphins who flitted beside them throughout their journey. They had spent the entire day traversing the icy waters, bringing them as far away from land as they could possibly get. A signal was activated.

  As they expected, a swirling royal blue light appeared from above, dimming the magnificence of the stars. The ocean stirred under unseen forces. A spaceship, undetected by any earthbound radar, dropped silently from the heavens. The aliens and the dolphins rubbed past each other and an alien spoke. The dolphins emitted similar sounds in return. One alien hugged a bottlenose and patted its head lovingly before a beam of white light appeared to whisk the aliens away. The spaceship hovered enticingly a few seconds longer, as if contemplating its next move, then without warning, sped away into the darkness of space to return home.

  85

  NOVEMBER 12, 2009

  OTTAWA, CANADA

  Major Gaines had endured a long morning, and had a longer afternoon still ahead of him. He had called all the families of the men who died to personally express his condolences and to let them know they did not die in vain. He couldn’t reveal the specifics, but he assured each of them that their sacrifices would result in the betterment of all Canadians, and eventually all mankind. He also told them how proud he was to have served with each and every one of them.

  This afternoon he had a more difficult task. He would visit the Le Buc family, who he got to know quite well over the years, and express his sympathy in person. He rubbed the cast on his arm as his skin underneath it began to itch.

  Smythe walked into his office. “How did it go?”

  “About as well as you could expect,” frowned Gaines. They both knew it was the worst part of the job. “I can’t believe I was the only one who made it. It’s wrong.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up over it. These things happen. I know it’s tough, but each one of those men knew the risks going in—just as you and I did.”

  “It doesn’t make it any easier,” replied Gaines.

  “I know. That’s why I came personally to give you this.” Smythe placed a gold star on his desk. “You’ve just been promoted.”

  Gaines left it there. “I don’t deserve it.”

  “Of course you do,” replied Smythe.

  “Didn’t you read my report? Everybody under my command died. I involved the Americans. Rebecca played me for a fool. Heck, if it wasn’t for Nikolai’s wife showing up at the last minute, I would’ve lost it all.”

  “You always were too hard on yourself,” responded Smythe.

  “That’s what happened.”

  “That’s the way you see it.”

  “I see it that way because that’s the way it was.”

  Smythe shook his head. It was just like Gaines never to see the good in anything he did. “Let me put it for you another way. Your mission was to recover the alien spaceship. You completed that successfully, but you also accomplished a hell of a lot more. You uncovered the leak we’ve been experiencing for years. You turned an invaluable Russian agent over to our side. You managed to get us a prototype of Japan’s newest stealth helicopter. And you recruited the top scientist in the world, Dr. Blaze, to lead our research effort, aside from getting the Americans to share with us all their knowledge. You earned that star, David. It’s just a matter of changing your perspective.”

  Gaines thought about that for a minute. This was why he was never any good at politics. He didn’t see things quite as gray as everyone else did. He got up, leaving the star on the desk. “I’ve got a funeral to attend.”

  “I understand,” Smythe said. He left the room, closing the door behind him.

  Gaines sat back down. He picked up the star and stared at it for a moment. A tear rolled down his cheek. It was all he had left.

  86

  NOVEMBER 24, 2009

  YUKON BASE FIVE

  Dr. Blaze entered the main staging area. In front of him on the huge warehouse floor was the spaceship in all its glory. He smiled. He never imagined getting a better assignment than the one he had, but after being named project coordinator responsible for researching the spaceship, he was proven wrong. This was his dream come true.

  Another man entered the staging area behind him. “Good to finally meet you, Dr. Blaze,” said Claude, whose face beamed even brighter.

  Blaze looked at his face but didn’t recognize it. The voice, however, was familiar. “Do I know you?” he asked.

  Claude shook his hand. “Yes. Perhaps you know me better as Lynx.”

  Blaze smiled back. It was a pleasure to meet the man who saved his life. “Nice to finally see you face to face.” He tightened his handshake and cupped his other hand on Lynx’s shoulder.

  “You’ll be seeing a lot more of me, Dr. Blaze,” said Claude, his smile growing broader. “I’m your test pilot.”

  Claude too had his dream come true.

  87

  TWO MONTHS LATER

  The UFO returned, once again evading any radar detection. It hovered silently over the house at thirty-five thousand feet. They had lost Stacy Mi
chaels as a test subject, so they needed another to take her place. An invisible beam hit the house below. In the bedroom of the man sleeping within, it turned blue.

  Five aliens appeared out of nowhere. The man woke, startled by them briefly, before all of them disappeared into nothingness. Two hours later he awoke again. He was back in his bedroom, unable to remember anything that had just happened. He looked at the digital clock—4:23 A.M.—and growled. Exhausted, he decided to go back to sleep. An hour later he awoke, sweating from a horrible nightmare. Once again the exact details slipped his mind, just a vague recollection of being helpless. A scary, yet familiar face, flashed into his consciousness.

  He got out of bed, deciding to get an early start. He showered, got dressed, and then walked to his door. He thought about the face that just haunted him, embarrassed by how much the aliens he encountered two months ago just frightened him to the core. He shook his head and pushed the image from his mind. Then Colonel John Chase grabbed his cap off the stand, closed his door, and went to work.

  88

  6 MONTHS LATER

  PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA

  Rinngggg … rinngggg …

  “Goddamn it! Who the hell is calling at this hour?” Logan Grey mumbled to himself.

  “Shut it off,” said a tired female voice.

  Rinngggg … rinngggg …

  He quickly grabbed for the phone. “Yeah.”

  “Is Fox there?” the voice said.

  “Fox?” Logan was puzzled.

  “Yes. This is Dana,” the voice said. “You won’t believe what I discovered?”