MJ-12

by Michael J. Martinez

  “Jim, we’ve been over this,” the President said. “Spy planes are one thing. Getting an actual force over there? Dropping a bomb? That’s an act of war against the Soviet Union.”

  “So, we get the Chinese Nationalists to do it, or fund a rising of the Kazakh people,” Forrestal pressed.

  Hillenkoetter stepped back into the fray. “And how’s that going with your Operation NIGHTINGALE, Jim?”

  Forrestal frowned sharply. NIGHTINGALE was a Defense Department “special”—one of Forrestal’s pet projects, even though it really was a program that probably should’ve fallen under the CIA’s purview. The whole thing was an attempt to train and arm Ukrainian nationals to fight back against the Soviet Union, to create an internal insurrection that, Forrestal hoped, would blossom into a costly and distracting civil war inside the U.S.S.R. The problem was, the Ukrainian nationals Forrestal recruited were Nazi collaborators and sympathizers, more than a few of whom belonged on trial at Nuremburg rather than being trained to fight on behalf of the United States.

  “Operation NIGHTINGALE is proceeding as planned, Director,” Forrestal snapped. “Training went well, and they’re now preparing for insertion into the Ukraine to begin gathering support and material.”

  Truman leaned back in his chair. “All right, all right. Jim, you keep me posted on the Ukraine. But we’re not going to barge into—where is it, Kazakh?—guns blazing. Hilly, are there any special assets we can deploy to help get more out of the Reds’ nuclear program?”

  “Special assets” was Truman’s particular code word for “Variants.” For a while, the President had been in favor of using Variants sparingly in the field. But after recent successes outside Prague and elsewhere, the President seemed to be asking about them more and more frequently—which worried Hillenkoetter.

  “We’re more than a year away from infiltrating the Soviet nuclear program, Mr. President,” Hillenkoetter said truthfully. “Their security is just as good as ours was on the Manhattan Project, if not more so. And fully trained physicists don’t just pop up overnight. Stalin is very good at keeping close tabs on useful people.”

  Acheson coughed slightly, his little way of gaining the floor. “I’m sorry, Admiral, but we’re going to need better from CIA on this. Surely, you’ve read the Dulles report.”

  Hillenkoetter frowned. The Dulles report was a damning broadside against the CIA that criticized the quality of intelligence, the quality of its operatives and analysts, and Hillenkoetter’s own leadership. It was the work of Allen Dulles, a Republican lawyer with ties to folks from the old O.S.S. and the new Pentagon. Hillenkoetter had been politically cornered by Forrestal into cooperating with Dulles and his researchers, yet another example that the role of CIA Director was far more political than it needed to be. The results were as Hillenkoetter had expected from the get-go. After all, it was no great secret that Dulles, himself an O.S.S. veteran, had long wanted his name engraved on Hillenkoetter’s door.

  “I have, Mr. Secretary, and we’re still studying it,” Hillenkoetter replied. “Off the top of my head, though, we can’t give you better intelligence without better assets on the ground. And we can’t give you better assets on the ground without better people, but we can’t get them because A) we don’t have an official budget from Congress, so we’re left scrounging for leftovers from the Marshall Plan and the Pentagon; and B) Frank Wisner over at OPC is actually outbidding us for talent because he can use the State Department’s budget.

  “As for criticism of my leadership,” Hillenkoetter concluded, sitting up straight, “well, I serve at the pleasure of the President. Always have, always will. I’m not worried about impressing Allen Dulles. I’m worried about getting the best intel I can get.”

  Hillenkoetter leaned back and gauged the faces around the room. Acheson seemed, if not chagrined, at least appeased, while Forrestal just scowled. Truman, however, looked pleased. “We’ve got something cooking that’ll help get you the budget you need, Hilly. From there, you can take that report, follow through on the recommendations, and get the CIA up to speed.”

  That was probably the best Hillenkoetter could expect in terms of support. “Yes, Mr. President.”

  Truman nodded, and turned his National Security Council’s attention to other matters. Hillenkoetter listened as attentively as he could manage but couldn’t help but find his thoughts drifting. For one, it was his intel that formed the basis of the discussion, and he knew it cold. And he remained worried about any number of other things—the Russian nuclear program, instability in the Middle East, tensions in Berlin and Vienna … it was a long, long list.

  Finally, Truman ended the meeting with a smile and his usual “Thank you, gentlemen,” but tapped Hillenkoetter on the shoulder as the others began to file out—the CIA Director was to remain there. Vandenberg, Gray, and Forrestal also stayed behind, which meant there could only be one topic at hand—MAJESTIC-12.

  “All right, then, let’s get down to it,” Truman said simply. “How are your trainees coming along, Hilly?”

  Hillenkoetter sat up and folded his hands on the table. “Our First Team is back from Vienna with a new recruit—I’m told she can walk through walls, but she’s an Austrian national, so we’re taking our time vetting her. You’ll have the report on her at your desks when you get back to the office. Our Second Team is almost ready to be cleared. And the others are still undergoing training with their Enhancements—most of them remain too unpredictable to use in real-world situations.”

  “And what’s this business about nuclear testing and a convicted murderer?” Truman asked sharply. “Area 51 is starting to sound more like the Wild West. That’s not how I want things done around here, Hilly.”

  Forrestal cleared his throat. “Actually, that’s something both Hilly and I signed off on, Mr. President. I know it sounds unorthodox, but we need to better understand the phenomenon we have at Area 51. And our preliminary data is promising. We’re making progress.”

  Truman turned to Hillenkoetter with surprise. “You actually agreed with Jim on this?”

  The CIA Director nodded. “I’ve already gotten an earful from the commander on the ground, but yes.”

  Truman sat back in his chair and ran a hand over his balding head. “Well, hell. I suppose if it worked … but let me tell you this, all of you.” The President sat up straight again. “No more of that nonsense. I don’t care if it’s Hitler’s brother you want to use, nobody authorizes any further deaths but me, and I’m going to want to see a mountain of evidence that it’s necessary. Are we clear, gentlemen?”

  Nods and murmurs floated around the ornate room and settled heavily onto Hillenkoetter’s already burdened conscience. He’d known what Schreiber was up to and what Danny’s reaction would be, and made the decision anyway. He knew it would haunt him for a very long time. What was worse, of course, was that Schreiber really seemed to be on to something. Even worse than that, the scientist seemed to be enjoying it a little too much.

  “All right. Now, I have a request from Dean Acheson here that you already responded to, Hilly. He’s got a couple of his OPC boys in Damascus who say they need some help from your shop, but Frank Wisner wasn’t happy with your reply? What’s going on?” Truman asked.

  This is not my day, Hillenkoetter thought. The State Department’s Office of Policy Coordination was a dirty-tricks department designed to disrupt Soviet machinations overseas without resorting to outright warfare. Some called it “creative diplomacy,” but Hillenkoetter knew it was more about propaganda, buying off local politicians, and creating scandals—all with the air of plausible deniability. Plus, Hillenkoetter knew instinctively OPC should be under CIA’s direct control, even if Truman had created it as a kind of joint office with CIA and State. It turned out to be a Frankenstein experiment with muddy bureaucracy at its core.

  But then again, most of what they were doing now was experimental. There’d never been a peacetime agency devoted solely to intelligence-gathering, let alone an office in
any civilian agency devoted to dirty tricks.

  “I gave him plenty of options, Mr. President. I’ve got a dozen different agents he can choose from. Not sure why he hasn’t yet, frankly,” Hillenkoetter said.

  “Any of the Variants on the list you gave him?” Vandenberg asked.

  “No, and before you ask, I’d prefer to keep them out of this,” Hillenkoetter replied. “They’re too valuable to use in things like this Damascus mess OPC has brewing.”

  Truman raised an eyebrow. “This ‘Damascus mess’ isn’t run-of-the-mill stuff, Hilly. We could seal off the Med coast entirely, keep Uncle Joe stuck in the Black Sea. Plus, we’d lock up all the oil they’re exporting. There’s a strong national interest at play here.”

  Hillenkoetter looked around the room and saw nods—and a small smile from Jim Forrestal that made him want to punch the man in the teeth. “So, we’re going to use Variants on OPC missions now? We just got through discussing the Russian nuclear program—I need them ready to move on any lead we get there. Isn’t that more important?”

  Truman stood, with everyone else in the room on their feet an instant later. “You have enough Variants that we don’t have to choose one or the other, Hilly. I’m ordering you to send some of your agents to Damascus to help out. I’ll leave the duration up to you and the OPC’s man on the ground. The OPC folks won’t know what they are, so they’ll have to keep a low profile but still get the job done. Let’s see what they can do. Understood?”

  The CIA Director could barely mutter a “Yes, sir” before Truman left the room, the others filing out in his wake.

  “And get me more on those Russian nukes!” Truman called out as he exited. “I won’t be caught flat-footed!”

  Hillenkoetter suddenly wished he was back at sea, rather than adrift in Washington.

  CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY MEMORANDUM

  DATE: February 3, 1949

  CLASSIFICATION: TOP SECRET-MAJIK

  TO: POTUS, SECDEF Forrestal, SECUSA Gray, GEN Vandenberg

  FROM: DCI Hillenkoetter

  CC: LCDR Wallace (USN), Dr. Detlev Bronk

  RE: Second Team overview

  The following report details MAJESTIC-12 staff and evaluators’ opinions on the individual Variants currently assigned to MJ-12 Second Team. Overall, we believe this team is near operational efficiency and may be ready for assignment in a matter of weeks.

  While the evaluators believe this team will coalesce well, with Enhancements that complement each other, CMDR Wallace believes pairing Second Team individuals with more experienced agents--Variant or otherwise--may also prove fruitful.

  CHRISTINA VANOVERBEKE

  BIOGRAPHY: Vanoverbeke (DOB 3.21.17, Bowling Green, Ky.) was working as a lounge singer in New York prior to discovering her Enhancement. Her parents are alive, she has a brother and sister, and she is twice divorced. Her career success was limited prior to her Enhancement and subsequent discovery by MAJESTIC-12.

  ENHANCEMENT: Vanoverbeke has the super-physical ability to leap great distances in any direction. Her forward leap has been measured at 776 feet, with her vertical maximum was measured at 547 feet. These leaps are also quite rapid and high speed-she can cover ground quickly and sustainably for several minutes, and climb mountains in a half-dozen leaps if need be. Furthermore, her body suffers no damage from the speed or impact of her movements; an explanation for this effect, which defies basic physics, has not been reached.

  DRAWBACKS: Initially, Vanoverbeke had trouble with spontaneous effects, much like other Variants; her ability would manifest at inopportune moments. Training has mitigated this somewhat, but it remains an issue for the time being. Our analysis indicates these spontaneous effects may not be fully controlled.

  TRAINING: Upon entering training, Vanoverbeke had a minimal high-school education and slightly below-average physical fitness. Her spycraft skills have improved considerably, though she has drawn attention to herself and her looks at times when such is inappropriate. Her physical skills have improved slightly, though her Enhancement does not seem tied to her fitness. Her firearms skills are slightly above-average.

  EVALUATION: Vanoverbeke’s Enhancement lends itself well to reconnaissance and movement. She also has a talent for social interaction and infiltration based on charm and looks, though the evaluators recommend against covering her as a singer, as her talent is somewhat wanting (hence her relative lack of success in that area). Combat operations are not recommended, except for scouting.

  TIMOTHY SORENSEN

  BIOGRAPHY: Sorensen (DOB 6.12.12, Milwaukee, Wis.) was an electrician in St. Paul, Minn., prior to his Enhancement. He is married (wife Jessica) with two junior-high-school children (Bill and Amy), who remain in the St. Paul area. Parents deceased. High-school education and vocational training. Sorensen owns his own business, which has since been sold to augment his government salary.

  ENHANCEMENT: Sorensen has the ability to essentially turn invisible. His skin changes color and texture to match his background, and also seems to bend light waves. In shadow or darkness, he can move freely without detection. In bright light or within crowds, his form may appear as a blur or silhouette if he moves too quickly. This ability may be kept “on” even while Sorensen sleeps or is rendered unconscious. It does not, however, mitigate any sounds he might make.

  DRAWBACKS: Sorensen’s clothing and items carried do not become invisible when he does. Thus, Sorensen must be completely naked and unencumbered prior to activating his power, thus preventing him from entering his Variant state while observed. Even the smallest item, such as his wedding ring, stands out.

  TRAINING: Sorensen has a keen mind, with aptitudes in science, mechanics, and engineering. His physical fitness is somewhat above-average, and his training in hand-to-hand and firearms has gone well. His spycraft lessons have been less successful, as he is somewhat unsubtle and, at times, clumsy. Extra training in silent movement has been recommended.

  EVALUATION: Reconnaissance and infiltration likely will be Sorensen’s strengths, though this will be of limited use until means are developed for him to render carried items invisible as well. He may also serve well in combat operations, particularly while invisible. Social interactions are not a strength; though he is friendly enough, he remains too straightforward and “folksy” for such work.

  RICHARD YAMATO

  BIOGRAPHY: Yamato (DOB 9.4.30, Sacramento, Calif.) is of Japanese ancestry, and was interned with his family during the war. They returned to their home after the war, and Yamato was about to start his final year of high school in 1948 before his Enhancement took hold. His parents and three siblings remain in Sacramento, and he has told them he enlisted in the United States Army. (Note that this cover may take work, as Yamato’s family remains somewhat embittered by their internment experience, as does Yamato.)

  ENHANCEMENT: Yamato has the ability to generate and release exceptional amounts of electricity from his body. Over the course of his training, Yamato has produced currents as low as 7.26 milliamps and as high as 10.316 amps, with voltages ranging from 0.37V to 2,127V. In simple terms, he can produce effects ranging from mere static electricity to an overload that could theoretically cause a localized blackout in an urban area.

  As part of his training, he has learned to generate shocks that can incapacitate the average person for several minutes, but he can also thoroughly destroy living tissue with greater outputs. Yamato can transmit electricity with a touch, or can cause arcs of electricity to erupt from his body, with a directed range of up to 75 yards. However, the further he is from a target, the less subtle his emanations become. At distant ranges, he can only produce high-voltage, high-ampere lightning arcs.

  Yamato has a limited ability to affect existing electrical systems; he can cause burnout quickly, but less subtle manipulation has been only partially successful. While he is immune to the electricity his body generates, all other forms of electrical exposure harm him normally. The source of his electrical generation and output remains unknown at
this time.

  DRAWBACKS: Yamato’s presence among electrical devices can at times prompt small malfunctions--a blown lightbulb in a lamp, a brownout in a home, a loss of power in a car battery. These occurrences can be random, though the evaluators theorize that they may be related to his emotional state.

  TRAINING: Yamato is a bright student with an aptitude for history, language, and tactics. He already speaks Japanese and English fluently, and has taken on Chinese and Spanish since arriving for training. His physical fitness and skills are above average, and he has taken to physical training and combat practice. He has shown occasional flashes of minor insubordination, likely a result of his youth and background.

  EVALUATION: Evaluators believe Yamato would be an exceptional combatant, given his Enhancement. Despite his facility with language and a certain innate charm, his Asian background and young age would make it difficult for him to engage in non-combat covert activities. When the idea of covert action in Asian countries came up, Yamato noted that he would be an ill fit in any country other than Japan. In his words: “We may all look alike to you, pal, but trust me, I set one foot in China and they’re gonna know I’m not from around there.” Evaluators also note that Yamato may need additional supervision due to his attitude and past insubordination.

  JULIA MEYER

  BIOGRAPHY: Meyer (DOB 4.23.15, Strasbourg, Austria) is an Austrian national and former homemaker. She is estranged from her husband and family and has no children. Most recently, she had engaged in major thefts and other criminal activity throughout central Europe, thanks to the nature of her Enhancement. She has the equivalent of a high-school education and was a photography and fine art model before meeting her husband prior to the war.

  ENHANCEMENT: Meyer has the ability to become immaterial, and can move through solid objects. This allows her to walk through walls and sink through floors with ease, and she can move underground or through other solids for as long as she can hold her breath. (She does not need to hold her breath while immaterial so long as her respiratory system is not occupying the same space as a solid.) She remains visible during this process. Tests on any number of materials have yet to result in a limitation to this ability, and she also is immune to fire, electricity and other energies while immaterial. Furthermore, she can control the ability to the point where only parts of her body, such as a hand and arm, become immaterial while the rest of her stays corporeal.