Alien Deception (37 page)

Greg received a nod from the chamber guard signaling that the translators located in each delegate's table had been activated. He cast one final look around the chambers to see if any members were absent. His eyes stopped when he saw the transport container in the center of the aisle that led to the tables. He had been so consumed by his thoughts of the past he hadn't noticed it before. It was a rather large container, six feet long and two feet on each side. Normally members of the Council used them to move their personal articles to and from their ships, but they never left them in the Council chambers during a meeting. He caught Reveb's attention and motioned for him.

"Reveb, what is that container in the middle of the aisle?"

"I do not know, Leader of the Council. It was here when I arrived. I assumed you had requested it be brought here."

"No, I didn't. I don't know anything about it." Greg felt suddenly uneasy. "Have it removed."

"Yes, Leader of the Council," Reveb said and moved off.

Greg addressed the Council. "Members of the Council, please begin the day's business."

The delegate from Aetea stood.

"The delegate from Aetea is recognized," Greg said.

"Thank you, Leader of the Council."

With the running translation of the Aetean's comments buzzing in his ear, Greg watched as Reveb ushered in three security guards to remove the box.

"…the matter of the planet Crosican, which has altered from its planned development…" the delegate continued.

The security guards gripped the corners of the box to move it. He felt a unexpected mounting tension, as if a static electrical charge suddenly filled the air. At that moment, as though the body heat of the guards had activated something in or on the box, one of the sides collapsed. Silence filled the hall as a body rolled out and thumped loudly onto the floor.

Greg leaped to his feet and raced the steps to where the body lay. On closer examination, it was apparent it was horribly mutilated. Whoever this person was, he had not died easily or quickly. Council members began to gather around the body to get a look.

Greg motioned for Reveb. "Bring an ID scanner."

The security guards moved closer to Greg, one on either side of him, their eyes fixed no longer on the body but on the Council members, as if fearing a possible attack on their leader's life.

"Sir," the one on his left said, "we should leave until this matter is cleared up. There may be danger here."

"I don't think so," Greg replied. "If someone was able to slip this box in, they had opportunity to kill me already."

Reveb returned with the scanner and was going to hand it to Greg, but Greg nodded for him to proceed. As his assistant scanned the body for identification, Greg noticed a piece of paper clasped in the dead alien's hand and bent to retrieve it as Reveb announced his findings.

"It is, or was, Peric, an initial contact agent. He and two others are supposed to be on Planet Beta-747."

"Peric," Greg repeated as he unfolded the piece of paper and quickly read its contents.

He swallowed slowly, staring at the words as seconds passed. When he lifted his gaze from the paper, he directed the security guards to remove the body for examination. Returning to the podium, still clutching the bloodstained paper in his hand, he stared at the delegates as they wandered back to their seats. He waited until they were all seated before he spoke.

"Members of the Council, in light of what has just happened, I am ending this session immediately. We will reconvene when we have more information." He quickly stepped from the podium and headed for his chambers. Reveb accompanied him.

"Leader of the Council, was there any information in the note that may help us find out what has happened?" the Monocian asked tentatively.

Greg answered the question as he reached his chamber door, his voice vague and distant. "It says—what it says, Reveb," he began, then stopped. "As far as shedding light onto what has happened, there is only darkness these days, darkness and confusion."

He stepped into his room and closed the door.

Chapter Eight

“Politics is just one ruse after another. The key is to make the deception work in the favor of the people, not the politician.”

President Edward Samuel

The President of the United States and Sarah McClendon were en route to the site of the United Council for Developing Worlds compound. Their official destination was logged and documented as a high-level retreat in a secluded area of the West Virginia Mountains reserved for senior government officials. The site was often used for meetings with representatives of other countries where a need for secrecy or discretion was required. Its capabilities were equal to that of Camp David, but less publicly known.

When developing the site for the UCDW, it had been understood there would be times when Edward or Sarah would need to be there. So the facility had to have a dual function: access to the UCDW and official use in a governmental capacity. Originally a secure communications base for the U.S. Navy, a large portion of the compound had several floors constructed underground. Its walls were concrete several feet thick built to withstand electronic snooping and eliminate any possibilities of destruction by usual means. The base had been shut down in the numerous rounds of closures that had swept the country in the mid-1990s. A military caretaker staff was already in place, so reopening it as required was not a problem, especially when accompanied by a Presidential Order.

It had then been connected by the Council’s engineers to the UCDW site about seventy-five miles away in government-owned, unoccupied territory of the Blue Ridge Mountains. An underground shuttle that would only operate when a complete bio-scan of the passengers had been completed connected the two sites. Only four bio-scans were in the computer system: Leumas, Greg, Sarah and Edward.

When the president, Sarah, staff members and the Secret Service contingent departed the helicopter, Edward always stopped to look at the landscape. The view was a panorama of mountains and valleys.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said to his staff.

They stood for several minutes taking in the view until the Secret Service agents asked them to move into the facility. They were ushered into the underground compound. The staff at the compound consisted of approximately one hundred, mostly military. Edward always made it a point to talk with some of them to make sure they understood what they were doing was important for the country. He knew that being president meant that the campaigning was never over.

They entered the large elevator and began their descent. There were three levels to the facility. Level one contained administration and security. Level two was the communications and monitoring group. Level three contained the living quarters and conference accommodations. The individual living quarters held all available secure electronic equipment and telephone communications. They had been designed as a working environment where a person could not be disturbed, but could still remain in contact with those they chose to. It was not unusual for people not to be seen for days, with the exception of meals, and even those had the option to be delivered. The rooms were periodically monitored in the event of a medical emergency. The president held two daily meetings with his staff in one of the conference rooms located near the living quarters.

As the contingent exited the elevator, they walked to the end of the corridor along the polished white cement floor. There they branched off to their respective suites. Secret Service agents took up their lonely posts directly outside of the doors of senior staff members.

The rooms for Edward and Sarah were at opposite ends of the corridor. In each, their bathrooms had been modified to provide access to the tunnel located behind a cement panel that would only open if the correct bio-scan had been received. Edward and Sarah could then enter the tunnel, and in their places, the Council provided two robots that looked exactly like them that remained in the quarters carrying out simple movements to indicate occupation. There was no intelligence in the two machines and all movements were controlled by robotic link back at Council headquarters.

In the event of an emergency, the president could be shuttled between the two sites in a matter of minutes. His quarters at the Council site were linked to all of his communication equipment at the facility, so for all practical purposes, he was not seventy-five miles away but in his own quarters where he was supposed to be.

Sarah and Edward each headed to the shuttle along the tunnel, which was large enough for two people to navigate and retained the feel of an old mining tunnel. Lumber appeared to shore up the walls and ceilings. There were even the creaking sounds of dried wood and dirt drifted down; all simulated in the event someone who was not supposed to be in the tunnel found their way in. The only lights were motion sensor and bio-scan connected. As long as the correct body was detected, low amber lights illuminated the way. Otherwise, it was totally black.

The shuttle station consisted of one large area cut out of the rock. Two enclosed chutes, like large pipes, jutted from the solid rock wall. The shuttle contained two seats side-by-side. The overall shape was torpedo-like, only much larger. A clear canopy covered the top when it was sealed.

"Ladies first, " Edward said as he helped Sarah into her seat.

"Thanks."

Edward sat in the other seat.

"Bioscan in progress. Please stand by," said a computer voice.

Ten seconds later, the shuttle was underway, quickly accelerating to the Council headquarters. The trip would take five minutes. Although the speed of the shuttle was several hundred miles per hour, gravitational dampers eliminated all effects of the speed.

Edward was silent as he flipped through some papers he had brought with him. Sarah closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift back to that odd sensation she had felt earlier talking to Greg. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something clearly was not right.

Normally, the anticipation of seeing Greg would inspire thoughts about how their relationship had been moving toward a serious state. She smiled at that which momentarily relieved her of the empty feeling.

What's that--a serious state? Come on, Sarah, you're in love with him and he with you,
the inner voice said.

The only reason they had not married before this was because of their commitment to the Council and Earth's future. It was an understood thing between them. They had talked about it several times and thought it best to hold off until things settled down.

"Pleasant thoughts?" the president asked with a smile, bringing Sarah out of the depths of her thoughts.

"Does it show that much?"

"You might say that. You're thinking about Greg, aren't you?"

Sarah blushed. "As a matter of fact, yes, I am."

"You two make the perfect couple," he said with honesty and sincerity. "Just one thing."

"Yes," Sarah asked, amused.

"I reserve the right to give the bride away," he said as he touched her hand.

Sarah blushed again. "Consider it done." She tried to return to her thoughts, but she couldn't. The empty feeling had reappeared twice as strongly as before.

What is it making me feel this way? The uncertainty… I'm missing something. What?

The shuttle slowed into the docking bay and came to a stop. This shuttle bay was much larger; the area was open to accommodate the number of tubes that entered into it. Its appearance was similar to a large train station or yard, with tubes instead of tracks. There were many shuttles parked, indicative of the level of Council activity.

The president and Sarah got out and were greeted by Reveb. It was customary for Reveb to welcome them on arrival and escort them to Greg.

"Greetings," he said in his usual unemotional voice.

The president and Sarah were accustomed to his demeanor and took no slight at his voice mannerisms or disposition.

"Reveb," Sarah said. "It's good to see you."

"And you, Ms. McClendon, and Mr. President."

"Where's Greg?" Sarah asked, noticing his absence. She had been hoping that he, too, would be here to greet them.

"He is in his quarters," Reveb said, then indicated they should follow him.

As Sarah took two steps, she suddenly felt her legs become wobbly and her energy escape from her body. She staggered slightly. Edward, seeing her falter, grasped her elbow.

"Are you okay, Sarah?" he asked.

"I'm fine." She began trying to compose herself. "I probably just need to eat something. I'm feeling a little drained and light-headed."

They began to walk again. Sarah could now place the empty feeling she had inside. It was the feeling that a vital part of her was…missing. Something she had grown accustomed to over the past two years which provided a constant emotional comfort and a sense of belonging.

Greg had broken their psychic connection, the one they had maintained since it had developed over two years ago.

Chapter Nine

“Fear, and the power to use that fear, is all that matters.”

Copolla

"It has been done as you asked," Ren said to the silent, cloaked figure only known by the name of Carnis sitting across from him.

Ren's nose moved nervously back and forth, the moisture glistening off of his elongated ursine snout. Tufts of unruly hair stood out from the sides of his chubby face as tiny insects crawled through the hair looking for a place to nest. Although his large body found it difficult to fit on the small chair, he carefully balanced himself on it by using his short stubby legs.

"Do you have the other half of my money?" he asked, his large pointed teeth nipping at his bottom lip.

Ren could not see Carnis' face, but it was obvious he was humanoid. The long brown robe had a hood that overhung his mysterious face, causing it to be completely enveloped in dark shadow. Without a word, Carnis slid a pouch across the table as a musical accompaniment played in the background in the smoke-filled bar.