by Stan Mason
‘What’s going on?’ I demanded angrily as they ushered me firmly towards an office.
‘You’d do well to keep a still tongue until we’re alone,’ advised one of the security men. ‘Don’t be concerned. You won’t be harmed.’
They guided me to a small room which smelled strongly of stale cigar smoke and one of them motioned me towards a chair.
‘Please sit down,’ invited the younger of the two officers pleasantly. ‘I’m sorry we have to go through the charade out there but it was advisable to remove you quickly from the main area. But firstly, tell me the name of the Commander whom you saw recently.’
‘Do you mean Commander Yasood?’ I asked somewhat bewildered.
‘And where did he meet you?’ He lit a cigarette with an elegant lighter and puffed smoke towards the ceiling.
‘In the Gaza Strip,’ I related become angry. ‘Look... what’s this all about? Why did you have to pull me out of the main area?’
‘We knew unofficially of your mission,’ explained the older man taking off his jacket so that I could witness the gun in its holster around his waist. ‘It’s essential that you recognised its importance as well.’
‘What does that mean?’
He adjusted the holster slightly to make it more comfortable. ‘Our information tells us you’re a reluctant bride unwilling to go to the altar. Is that how you see it too?’
‘If you’d been through what I’ve been through over the last few days you’d also have second thoughts of any further development,’ I replied. ‘The whole thing’s been handled very badly. I’ve almost been killed four times as well as spending a night in a lousy jail in Crete. If that’s how you recruit people to your organisation, forget it!’
The younger security officer blew smoke towards the ceiling once more. ‘Organisation?’ he muttered. ‘We don’t have an organisation. We know of your mission, that’s all. However we’re always interested in adding a new weapon to our armoury... especially if it’s a superior one.’
‘Where’s my secretary... Penny Smith?’
‘She’s fine,’ replied the elder officer. ‘You don’t need to worry about her.’
‘Tell me,’ I went on regardless, ‘am I being arrested?’
The younger man laughed and drew on his cigarette again. ‘Arrested! What for? You’re a VIP, didn’t you know that? In fact we’ve even paid your fare back to England for you. Let’s just say it’s a payment on account.’ He reached into his inside pocket and produced an envelope which he handed to me.
‘On account that you’re going to get the plans of a certain weapon,’ the elder man commented. ‘Look you’ve met a few people here and learned a little about the future of the world. We’d like to make sure you keep everything confidential. There’s a lot at stake. We don’t want some fink shouting his head off to the newspapers. If someone did that he’d have to be silenced. You understand?’ He ran the index finger of his right hand across his throat in a menacing fashion to indicate what might happen if I stepped out of line. ‘On the other hand, we know how to treat our friends.’
‘Well I’m glad I’m not one of your enemies,’ I told him, opening the envelope. It contained a single airline ticket on an El Al flight to London. ‘Hey... there’s only one ticket here!’
‘That’s right,’ declared the elder officer. ‘You’re only one person, aren’t you? Okay... we’ll take you back to the plane but don’t forget what you have to do. Get those plans for us. We will certainly be grateful.’
He motioned me to get to my feet and led me down the corridor to the exit lounge and out onto the tarmac. It was the first time I had ever been escorted to an aeroplane. It made me feel as though I was being deported. Within a few minutes, I found myself aboard the aircraft sitting in the seat next to Penny.
‘I was worried about you.’ I told her breathing a sigh of relief. ‘They gave me only one ticket’
‘They gave me only one ticket too,’ she related with a very lovely smile.
‘I also received a warning to keep my mouth shut about all that’s happened. I presume they said the same thing to you. They’re also after the plans of the new laser gun. The first thing I’m going to do is to find Jan and try to rescue her. But what are our plans after that?’
‘Over the past four years I’ve collected quite a lot of material about the weaponry division of Dandy Advanced Electronics. It’s all stored in a cupboard in my apartment. I suggest we go there and take a good look at it before deciding the next step.’
I stared at her with a certain amount of dismay. ‘You know, if it wasn’t for Jan’s abduction, I would let the whole thing drop.
This is not really my game. I know nothing about the 21st Century Crusaders... let alone risk my life for them.’
‘They want the plans... nothing more,’ stated Penny bluntly. ‘If you get them, the matter will end there as far as you’re concerned.’
‘And if I can’t get them?’
‘We could have another world war. One more horrifying than all the wars in the past put together. And you any never see Jan again. I don’t think you want either of those things on your conscience, do you?’
Suddenly, the whole future of the world seemed to rest on me successfully gaining the plans of the prototype laser gun developed by the company for whom I worked. How did I become so responsible in such a short time. I fell silent for a while, fighting the battle in my mind. Should I continue to risk life and limb or would it be more expedient not to help anyone? Was it worth risking my appointment at Dandy Advanced Electronics by becoming an industrial spy trying to steal the plans owned by them, or would it be more sensible to resign from the company and disappear deep into the countryside away from it all? What I really wanted is for no one to take any further interest in me but then what would happen to Jan? Penny was right. It would remain for ever on my conscience!
As soon as we landed Penny headed for a telephone booth. ‘I have to make a call to my mother, she told me. ‘She never stops worrying about me.’
I nodded and waited at the exit waiting for her to complete the call. As soon as she rejoined me, we made our way to her apartment. As we entered I had a strange sensation that someone had been there in the past few days. The staleness that exists when a place is left unoccupied for a while was absent. I helped myself to a drink and sat down on the settee while Penny brought a large cardboard box into the lounge from her bedroom, leaving the door open behind her.
‘Much of the information is general,’ she began, lifting the lid to show that it was almost filled with papers, ‘but together it offers a reasonable account of what goes on in the weaponry division and its operations.’ She lifted out a whole sheaf of papers and started to sort them into separate piles on the carpet.
‘You’ll be disappointed when I tell you that I know nothing about lasers,’ I admitted. ‘As you know, my field is commercial computers. For the rest of the time I concentrate on bridge. I focus my mind only on the things in which I’m successful. Everything else gets blotted out.’
She looked at me as though I had commented casually about the weather. ‘You don’t have to know anything about lasers. All you have to do is to get the plans. Don’t worry... we’ll go through all this together. It should be interesting to say the least.’
I stared at her in amazement. ‘You’ve accumulated all this information on that division?’
‘I had five years to do it. Now... as you know the head of the division is John Packman. The company allows three years tenure in the weapons division for security reasons. He’s been there for almost that period of time and is about to move shortly. Why don’t you contact him and take him to lunch?’
‘Won’t he become suspicious?’
‘Not if you tell him that you’re on the short list to replace him. Even better, you can arrange to visit the division but
you’ll have to obtain a pass-card for access. If you contact Packman on some pretext... like an excuse that you’re working on a new idea for commercial computers to be manufactured by laser beam operation or of some development relating to lasers, he may invite you there.’
‘More likely he would try to talk it down by telephone. Do you really want me to lie to him for the sake of getting those plans?’
‘I don’t really care what you have to do to get them. We’re dealing with World War Three here, Jason. It’s not a matter of what I want you to do... it’s a case of saving millions of lives. And you can do it. As the clown said in Twelfth Night: “Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, while some have greatness thrust upon them.” You’ve been chosen for this role. Be it angel or Devil! You don’t have a choice, especially where Jan’s concerned.’
She wasn’t pulling any punches either and in my mind’s eye I could see her dressed in that brown uniform. ‘All right,’ I conceded. ‘Tell me about lasers!’
She picked up the first pile of papers and raised them to reading height before reading out aloud. ‘A laser is a device that strengthens light. It can burn a hole in a diamond or carry signals of numerous television pictures at the same time. Unlike other forms of light, laser light travels in one direction only. Lasers are used in communications such as radio and television, in industry for cutting and inspection, in medicine for use in surgical operations, in scientific research, and in military operations. In the past, laser beams have measured the distance and speed of enemy planes and ships. They’ve guided shells and bombs to their targets and have been used as navigational devices. Military research has been underway for many years to develop high-energy lasers that could destroy enemy aircraft, tanks and missiles. Such development would also include the destruction of ground troops. A number of organisation in the United States have been working on military research for the Star Wars programme which put such fear in the Soviet Union. The idea was to threaten everyone from satellites in space but no one seems to have emerged with a satisfactory solution. British ingenuity has come to the forefront again at Dandy’s weaponry division. Such an advanced laser gun is being developed there and a prototype is being tested albeit at the moment it is imperfect and erratic.’
I held up my hand to stop her, ‘Hold it... hold it there! If it’s imperfect and erratic why should Commander Yasood and the rest of the gang, whoever they are, want it? After all, if Penny Smith knows it doesn’t work properly, they must know it too.’
‘I think that’s where Schmuel Musaphia and Menel come in,’ she answered.
‘Really!’ I spluttered with surprise. ‘Would you tell me where they fit into all this?
She ignored my question and looked down at the papers again to start to read again. ‘There are many kinds of lasers but the one Dandy’s dealing with is a crystal laser. It employs a fluorescent crystal such as a ruby as its light amplifying substance. The power for a ruby laser comes from a flash tube often coiled around the ruby. The flash tube excites a large number of chromium ions which are electrically charged atoms in the ruby allowing it to melt hard materials. Such streams of light can burn through thin steel in short bursts because the flash tube can generate such intense heat in the ruby. There’s a garnet called neodymium yttrium aluminium which produces a continuous beam of light. This occurs because it uses less power to operate than a ruby laser and it can be cooled by water. It’s used generally as a drill. The first laser was built in 1960 and people have been researching laser guns since that time all over the world. But still they haven’t come up with the death-ray machine everyone’s after.’
‘If I could remember a quarter of what you told me I’d be happy,’ I told her. ‘Do you realise what would happen if such a weapon fell into the wrong hands. Imagine if Menel decided to auction it to a number of buyers.’
‘He told you he wanted to preserve a decent and safe life for his children and grandchildren... the whole family.’
‘That’s what he said but can anyone believe him? It sounded very much like bull-shit to me.’
‘Jason... we haven’t any choice!’ She was becoming very desperate into trying to win me over.
I shook my head slowly. ‘Without the plans of the laser prototype, it hardly matters whether we have a choice or not. I can understand where Menel fits in as Chief Advisor on weaponry to the 21st Century Crusaders but you haven’t explained what use Musaphia will be. What has that old man to do with all this?’
‘He’s an expert on diamonds and jewels. Rubies are used in lasers. If you get those plans he can experiment to perfect the weapon. He has a lot of expertise in that field.’
‘I’m not convinced about any of it,’ I grunted.
‘I’m sure we’ll meet him again,’ she predicted, lowering the papers to face me.
‘Not in the King David Hotel I hope,’ I rattled sharply. ‘I don’t want to go through all that again!’ I yawned and rose from the settee, walking towards the bedroom. I did not intend to look inside but the door was partly open. Beside the bed were a pair of two-tone black and white shoes of the kind that Jan wore. Very few women wore two-tone coloured shoes. As Penny collected all the papers, I stepped inside to examine them. They were size five... Jan’s size!
‘By the way,’ I asked, keeping my voice on an even keel when I returned to the lounge, ‘what size shoes do you take?’
She looked at me with a surprised expression on her face. ‘Five... why? Are you going to buy me shoes for my birthday?’
I shook my head and made a feeble excuse but I refused to accept her reply as the truth. It was too much of a coincident that both she and Jan wore two-tone black and white shoes size five. I had never seen Penny wearing them. But it was something I had to push to the back of my mind for a while. ‘I’m going to visit John Packman at the weaponry division,’ I told her. Theory is one thing... practical knowledge is another. I have to see this weapon for myself.’
‘It might be a good opportunity to learn the rules and the layout of the division while you’re there,’ she advised.
‘Rules, I echoed. ‘What rules?’
‘You won’t get past the main gate without a pass. You’ll have to get that from Packman. Then there’s a procedure before you can get to the area you want to visit. That laser gun is very well guarded as you’ll find out.’
‘I’m not interested in the gun itself. Where are the plans kept?’
‘There are two sets on microfilm. One of them locked away in the Chairman’s office. The other’s in a safe in the factory.’
I stared at her icily. ‘And you know the combination of the safe, I suppose.’
No, I don’t. The plans are also on the computer system. It’s a special programme but access is restricted and it requires a double password. Packman has one of the passwords, I have no idea who has the other one. There’s also another problem. You might find your way into the computer system but, for the purposes of security the weaponry division has a separate computer completely independent of the main system. To work on that one, in order to crack the passwords, you’d have to break into the security zone itself.’
‘That’s great!’ I muttered in annoyance. ‘Two sets of plans in safes fitted with alarms and a separate computer system with barred access and dual password in a security zone. How the hell am I going to get in there and copy the plans?’
She stared at me coolly. ‘There is a way. I know a computer expert who’s first-class at breaking passwords. He lives and breathes computers. He’s also brilliant on security devices which prevent people from entering secured premises. He could help you to do it.’
‘Is he a 21st Century Crusader as well?’
‘He’s an old friend of mine. He’s just been released from prison where he was jailed for three years for computer hacking.’
‘Oh brilliant!’ I guffawed. ‘A jailbird to
break into a security zone with me!’
‘I couldn’t think of anyone better. You see the problem is how to break into the security area where the computer is located.’
‘I could get Packman to let me have a pass to gain access to the plant,’ I suggested naively.
‘If everything was that simple,’ she retorted. ‘The pass is a sensitised plastic card. Once placed into the machine, a security device makes certain it can’t be used again for twenty-four hours. You’ll need two passes. On for you and one for Chris Devon.’
‘Packman won’t give me two passes,’ I growled. ‘We’ll just have to copy the one given to me.’
‘That won’t work either,’ persisted Penny, ostensibly destroying every suggestion I made. ‘The card’s designed so as it can’t be copied. It’ll corrupt if you try to do so. But there is technology to overcome the problem.’
I sighed loudly to show my dissatisfaction. ‘What sort of technology?’ I asked tiredly.
‘Chris Devon will have it all in hand. I’m certain of it.’
‘But he’s been incarcerated for three years. He may not wish to become involved, let alone have the expertise to do what you want.’ By this time I was become rather exasperated.
‘You’ll just have to trust me,’ she went on.
‘Don’t keep saying that!’ I felt my blood surge through my veins as anger welled up inside me. ‘The risks are too great! I can’t do it!’ I walked to the door and opened it. ‘I’m going to the
East End... St. Katherine’s Dock. I have to check whether Jan is there.’
‘Very well,’ she nodded. ‘But it’s essential we see Chris Devon, my computer expert, as soon as possible. I’ll meet you at Leyton underground station in, say, two hours time.’
I glanced at my wristwatch to note the time. ‘If we have to,’ I groaned. Two hours. But then I must get some sleep. I feel I’ve been awake for a hundred years.’
She came to the door and kissed me sweetly. ‘We’ll see it through,’ she told me, brushing my hair back gently. ‘See you soon!’