“Why do they have these corporate logos on this computer? And what does this red symbol means?” Shannon asked them.
“Those companies are in league with the EOD.” Durante informed Shannon after he had walked over to take a look at what she was talking about.
“You mean to tell me that those companies, who has a long history of standing up against the EOD, is collaborating with them?” Shannon asked.
“No. What does all of those companies share in common?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is it that you don’t know or can’t remember?”
“The former.”
“All of them are private held family owned.”
“So why are they collaborating with the EOD then?”
“When the companies were first formed, each one of those families were members of the EOD High Command. It was the EOD that wanted those companies to be formed.”
“Why?”
“Because of those logos.”
“So what’s so special about those logos?”
“EOD have symbols that can mean a whole host of things. Some of them might be a particular shape of building, artwork, a statue, etc. Other symbols are in plain slight, just like those logos. Those type of symbols are more statement orientated, an order if you will.”
“So what about those logos? What do they mean?”
“The first one means Internal Secret, which is used to keep things a secret from other EOD personnel. The second one means Experimental. The third one means Cloning-slash-Cyborg. And the fourth one means Extraterrestrial. The color denotes that it means ‘an animal’ or ‘from an animal’.”
“So what does that red one mean?” Shannon asked about the one below the corporate logos.
“It means…” Durante was saying. He was so stunned when he saw it that he turned away. Vosler then came near to have a look.
“What? What does it mean?” Shannon asked both Durante and Vosler.
“The red makes it to mean Extremely Dangerous while the symbol itself means… Super Weapon.” Vosler informed her.
“Let’s go review that map.” Durante said to Vosler.
While Durante and Vosler was studying the map looking for anything of value, Shannon was messing around with the same computer. Although she didn’t know what she was looking for, she was acting like she know what she was doing even though she didn’t. And then she found something.
“Hey, do any of you know how to decrypt this?” Shannon asked them.
“Decrypt what?” Durante asked her.
“I was trying to find the source of who gave the orders to create whatever they’re creating here. But each time I found what I thought might be the source I found another encrypted message.” Shannon responded. Both Durante and Vosler smiled when they heard her say that.
“Lieutenant. Most likely a Space Core Lieutenant.” Vosler said.
“Yep. Most likely.” Durante said.
“What are you two talking about?” Shannon asked them.
“The EOD has it’s own encryption for each tier within it’s hierarchy. Because you’re smart enough to leap frog over one encryption, only to find another, that strongly suggest that you were a Lieutenant in Space Core. Now… if you can tell what department each of those encryptions come from that would mean that you outrank us.” Durante said with a smile.
“Oh. Well I don’t know what department they may come from, but I found what I think is the original source of the order.” Shannon said.
“Let me take look.” Durante said as he came over.
Durante didn’t know where the source came from even though he should have known. He then asked Vosler to come and take a look and Vosler didn’t know either. Even if it came from the Council, which they knew that it didn’t, they should have been able to recognized it. With all the secrecy that has been going on there, both Durante and Vosler made the assumption that it has to do with the cabal between the Council and High Command.
“So what do you want to do with it sir?” Vosler asked Durante.
“Make a copy and send it to Omori. Maybe she can figure it out.”
“Yes sir.”
“How long will it take for her to receive it?”
“If I go up to communications and send it to her through the main communicational array at our base, she will receive it in about fourteen hours.”
“Alright, get on it and report back here.”
“Yes sir.”
Twenty-two minutes passed between the time that Vosler downloaded the file to the time that he got back. Most of the time was spent on securing the transmission as it was being sent off-world. Although it wasn’t necessary for him to take those precautions he didn’t want to take any chances. He suspected that High Command might be monitoring all communications that leaves the base.
When Vosler got back they immediately headed to the heliport where they can get a good look at the gravity lift. Once there 1st Lieutenant “Eagle Eye” Dawson (no relation to Captain Dawson) used his sniper rifle to survey the crater. What he found proved that the EOD is hiding things from Durante.
“Sir, there’s a man-made tunnel on the far side of the crater.” Dawson said to Durante.
“Do you know what the tunnel is used for sir?” Vosler asked Durante.
“No. They never mentioned that it existed.”
“Sir you need to come and take a look at this.” Dawson said.
“What is it?” Vosler said after he got to Dawson’s position. Dawson then pointed at the gravity lift.
“Shit. Sir the gravity lift is too big to take with us.” Vosler said to Durante who was coming over.
“Fine. Destroy it.” Durante responded.
“With what sir? We don’t have anything that can, nor is there anything here that can do it.”
“I don’t care. You figure out a way to do it.”
“But sir…”
“No buts about it. It has to be destroy. If we can destroy it than the EOD cannot reverse engineer it. That will set them back between 30-to-35 years. Maybe as long as forty.”
“I know that sir.”
“Than if you know that than you should know why it must be destroyed.”
“Sir I can always get the explosives from our base.”
“Do you know what is in that tunnel?”
While Durante and Vosler was arguing over how to destroy the gravity lift Shannon walked over to the edge and started to scan the crater and the sky. She was in deep thought over how she knew what was coming to her. Is it nothing? Does it come from something in her forgotten past? She’s about to find out which it is.
“Hey Dawson. How good are you at sniping?” Shannon asked him. Vosler was still arguing with Durante when she spoke.
“Why do you ask?”
“Because I think I know how the gravity lift might be destroyed.”
“What do you need me for?”
“Yeah, why do you need him?” Durante asked.
“I have this feeling that if he did something it would destroy the gravity lift.” Shannon responded.
“Do what?” Durante asked.
“I don’t know, maybe it’s nothing.”
“Just tell me.”
“When I look at the drop-ship it’s like… It’s like I know what the pilot will do when he, or she, takes off. That as soon as they get about twenty-to-thirty feet above us it will hover for ten seconds, with it’s back facing us. Doing so will expose a orange hose that connects to the secondary fuel tank. If Dawson were to shoot that orange hose it will cause the drop-ship to bank to the left. The pilot, in a desperate attempt to level the drop-ship, will change the angle of the right engine and reverse thrust. Doing so will expose a black hose above and behind the orange hose. If Dawson were to shoot that black hose the drop-ship will belly-row to the left and crash into the gravity lift.” Shannon mentioned. It caused both Durante and Vosler to smile.
“You were a pilot in Space Core.” Vosler said with a smile.
“I was? Why am I right about all of that?” Shannon asked.
“I don’t know about it spiraling out of control, only a pilot would know that, but you are right about what you said about it taking off and those hoses.” Durante said with a smile.
“Sir, if Eagle Eye is going to stay up here and destroy that gravity lift, I don’t mind taking a group and have a look at where that tunnel leads to.” Vosler said.
“You sure ‘bout that?”
“Yes sir. With Eagle Eye at our back I’m certain that if any trouble were to arise he would be able to take care of them.”
“Yeah alright, go ahead.”
“Sir, do you realize what we are doing here?” Dawson asked Durante.
“Yes. If we are successful, than we would have kicked the EOD so hard in the gut that we would have scored a touchdown at the Super bowl. And for that… we... are going… to die.” Durante responded. It was something that they wanted to hear, but at the same time they didn’t want to hear it.
Dawson, of course, stayed behind as everyone headed down to Archives. They were expecting that someone would be in there, but there wasn’t. Normally a gross violation of dereliction of duty, but given the circumstances it wasn’t all that surprising. If the Council and High Command is involved in a cabal (against the EOD perhaps) than they must expect the unexpected.
After deactivating the security that prevents the classified data from being transmitted, all of the data within Archives was transmitted back to their base and automatically downloaded to a large hard drive. There was so much data to be downloaded that six large hard drives were needed. It was obvious that whatever is in the tunnel accounts for two-thirds of the data. Including the data on the gravity lift, it is enough to equal 15% of all the data that they collected from their base. Needless to say, their desire to discover what lies within the tunnel grew quite rapidly when they saw the size of the data.
After all the files were downloaded they went downstairs to the laboratory to collect any samples and experimental equipment. To their amazement the laboratory was not only unoccupied but nobody was in it for days. It also appeared that the building remain unoccupied for days in reoccurring cycles. The strange behavior, plus keeping them in the dark about what is going on there, was further indication that they had no other choice but to see what is in the tunnel.
They spent the next several hours moving the samples (some of which were of a unknown biological source) and equipment to one of the trucks that they came in. They also took three PDA with reverse engineering notes on the cybernetic implants of the Dragon Clones. Durante knew that somebody in High Command had to acquire those implants without either Omori or High Command knowing about it. Or maybe, as Durante thought, that High Command did knew about it. Some of those implants are needed to control the Dragon Clones. It wasn’t necessary to reverse engineer it unless High Command wanted to create something that Omori wouldn’t. Although most people assumes that Omori created the Dragon Clones Durante knows better. She only created the implants. But if Omori didn’t have any problems in creating those implants, knowing what they are being created for and in what will it be put into, then why would she have a problem in creating implants for something else? Durante knows that the only conclusion that can be drawn is that the EOD is going to get rid of Lenkov, Omori and all of their contacts. But why not use someone like him to do it? Durante then had the thought that maybe it’s not them that the EOD is trying to get rid of but something else.
After they finished moving everything to the truck, Durante had Corporal Harris take the truck back to base since it was too full to carry any of them and then to come back. Durante gave permission to Vosler to check out what is in the tunnel after Corporal Harris gets back. Durante and Shannon went to the heliport after Vosler left, since they had no way of communicating with Vosler other than radio. (The laboratory had an communication jamming device that prevented them from using their helmet-com. Radio signals cannot get inside the tunnel.)
When Vosler and his team got to the entrance of the tunnel they saw that it had a electronic keypad on the right side of the door. As with all EOD security doors with a electronic keypad, if someone were to destroy it or attempt to bypass the keypad, the door will not open. In certain cases a second door will close in front, or behind the door to provide extra strength.
“Viper.” Vosler said to his Staff Sergeant.
“Yes sir.”
“Can you bypass that lock?”
“That depends upon the lock sir.” Viper said as he came near. “Sir, with that type of a lock it is an insult to even have it there.” Viper said when he saw it.
Viper opened the keypad and with the skill of an electrician opened the door. Vosler, with his gun pointed at the entrance, checked to see if anyone (or a security station) was on the other side of the door when it opened. The only thing on the other side of the door was a empty hallway. Vosler then motion for them to proceed further.
“Sir.” Viper said out loud.
“What?” Vosler responded.
“Does anyone find it strange that they would use a hackable keypad instead of a more secure one?”
“Come on… let’s go.” Vosler responded.
As they entered the corridor Corporal Harris stopped and started to look around. Vosler then turned and gave Harris a dirty look when he heard someone tell Harris to “get a move on it.”
“What’s the matter Corporal?” Vosler asked.
“Why would they have all of these Electro rifles in here sir?” Harris said. There was a glass panel on both the left and right wall that can hold several Electro Auto-Rifle in them (the right side didn’t have any in it).
“I don’t know Corporal. We need to keep moving.”
“But sir…”
“What is it now Corporal?”
“They also have rubber boots in here as well sir.” Harris continued.
Everyone started to look around and couldn’t help but notice that the walls, the floor and the ceiling were made of metal. But they also knew the dangers of using an Electro in tight corridors like the one that they are in. Knowing that the EOD scientists are conducting some sort of biological experiment, and knowing that the Electros are probably used to control those experiments when they get out of control, left them feeling that maybe they should put on those boots and grab those Electros. But they didn’t. And they wouldn’t.
“Well Corporal… if you want one… then take one.” Vosler said.
“I would sir… but I’m afraid of friend fire.”
“Yeah, aren’t we all. Now shut up and move along.”
“Yes sir.”
At the end of the corridor, on either side, was an automatic gun that was pointed at the stairwell. What caught everyone’s attention was the fact that the guns were incapable of moving. Harris took one look back at those Electros and then continued on. The stairwell spiral down thirty-two floors. In the center there was a seven foot opening allowing them to look all the way down. There was an auto-gun on top of the ceiling and it was pointing downward over the opening. At each corner of the opening a auto-gun was pointing downward.
Realizing that they are trying to keep something in made everyone feel very tense and nervous. It made them feel like they were about to descend straight down into hell and never return. Knowing all that they know about the EOD made each flight downward feel like it was taking an eternity to make. They both did, and didn’t, want to continue.
When they went down three flights of stairs they came across a door with a window on it. Through the glass they could tell that there was nobody in the room. The room contained the list of all of the scientists who worked there. The name on the list is: Richard Bondsteel, the Lead Scientist and High Command representative; Michael Christianson who specialize in alien and human DNA and is the creator of both the Dragon Clones and Demon Xs; Philip “Bookie” Burns (he hates his nickname) is the Information Specialist; Dolores R. Greene is the daughter of Admiral Greene, she is
a specialist in the reverse engineering of cybernetics; Claudia Newman Medical Coryphaeus (head of a group of medical specialists); David Eberhart, Theoretical Incarceration & Control. And the group of alien specialists: John Nolan, psycholinguistics; Rachel Cox, civilization; Elizabeth Kennard, psychology; and Kennett McCoy who specializes in alien physiology.
Vosler couldn’t believe that an ultra secure place such as that would have such inferior security. It reminded him of the hubris of High Command and just how expendable the EOD treats its military units. He was able to download the information contained in the computers with no trouble. After he finished downloading the information to his PDA they left and headed downstairs. They went down five flights of stairs to the room with all of those scientists.
“Vosler… what are you doing here?” Eberhart asked him.
“Both Project 21 and Space Core have found us. Right now they are attacking some of our ships in orbit. Time is critical. Our orders from High Command is to make certain that all the scientists here, leave immediately. We also have orders to provide assistance for your security.” Vosler responded. It had an immediate effect.
Eberhart ran to inform Bondsteel of what Vosler said. Vosler heard someone yelled, “What!? No way no fuckin’ way!” Bondsteel came in to talk to Vosler while Eberhart ran to tell the other scientists who came in to here what Vosler had to say.
“Like I told him, time is critical. You have to leave right now.” Vosler informed them.
“I need to contact High Command.” Bondsteel said.
Bondsteel, unsuccessfully, tried several times to send a message to High Command. Vosler knew that Esters, from his ship, was blocking all transmission from the moon. Bondsteel had no way of knowing who was blocking the signal, so he believed what Vosler was telling them.
“How in the hell did they find us!?” Bondsteel yelled out of frustration.
“I don’t know sir, but I’m certain that High Command would know. Sir, you need to leave and board the drop-ship at the laboratory. We have a ship in orbit ready to take each of you to a safe place. Time is critical. If you don’t leave now there is the possibility that the ship might get destroyed.” Vosler said in a understanding tone of voice.
The Cross of Mithras Vol. 1: EOD Operation Welcome to Hell Page 64