Mission Origin View (Final Days Trilogy) (17 page)

“
We’ll have dinner first, Director Buru said. “Then you may speak with your captain.”

“
Very well, Director,” Commander Steward said.

“
I’ll send for you at seventeen hundred, and you’ll be escorted to our dining area,” Buru said. He turned and left.

Before the sliding door completely closed behind the
director, Gideon rushed over and, as quietly as he could, grabbed the edge of the door with his right hand to try to keep it from closing all the way. He was successful; the door sensed his hand and stopped, leaving a crack the width of his hand. Gideon smiled and signaled Commander Steward with his left hand to find something that could be placed in the crack to keep the door open. Commander Steward quickly grabbed a piece of plastic fruit, shaped and colored like a banana, off one of the tables and was walking toward the door when the door suddenly opened. A short CTU armored soldier stood at the entrance.

“
Is there a problem, sir?” the soldier asked through an armored helmet speaker.

“
No problem. I was going to catch up with the director and ask him what we’re having for dinner,” Gideon lied with a smile.

The soldier said nothing, stood back
, and simply closed the door. Gideon tried to reopen the door as soon as it closed, but it wouldn’t budge.

They were locked in. D
r. Harper and Dr. Jones said nothing, but both looked concerned.

Gideon looked at his watch and said with
a smile, “We have thirty minutes before dinner.” He then walked over to one of the tables, sat down, propped his right arm on the table, and started nervously tapping his fingers on the table. His tapping started randomly and loudly but soon settled down into a quieter, regular rhythm.

***

A few minutes later Commander Steward had had enough of Gideon’s tapping and walked over to the table to ask Gideon to stop. Commander Steward had enough to worry about without having to listen to the lieutenant’s nervous habit. Just as the commander began to speak, it suddenly hit him that Gideon was repeatedly tapping a message: a Morse code message. He listened to it over and over again and finally understood it. It had been many years since Commander Steward had used the ancient communication system and realized the lieutenant knew all naval officers still learned Morse code as a historic tradition, not a requirement.

Gi
deon’s tapped message was the following:

Let me know when you understand this by scratching your nose.

Commander Steward scratched his nose. Gideon cracked a smile and started another tapping rhythm.

I can talk as I tap and talk while you tap. Focus on the tapping and just agree with what I say with my voice. I’m sure we’re being monitored, so my talking should cover our communication tapping. Tap back that you understand.

Commander Steward tapped back.

Understood.

Gideon spoke as he tapped, “Well, Commander, I guess we’ll be here a little longer. I hope we can leave after dinner. I have some work to do aboard ship.”

As
Gideon spoke, he tapped this message:

I’m sure we are being held hostage. I will get us out of here as soon as possible, and we’ll link up with the extraction team. Follow my lead when the time comes.

Commander Steward verbally agreed with what Gideon had verbally said and tapped back while Gideon kept talking.

I agree, Lieutenant; you are in charge of getting us out of here. I’ll do whatever you say.

Gideon continued talking about the make-believe work he had to do aboard ship, and then tapped out another message to the commander:

We’ll go to dinner as planned and see if Doctor Kastriva happens to be there. I figure we’ll try our escape after dinner on our way back here; be ready.

Commander Steward verbally agreed again with what Gideon was saying and tapping.

Marine Extract Team, Canton Mie Biosphere

1645
—February 21, 2372

The extract t
eam entered the biosphere through the breach hatch with their armor camouflage enabled. They spread out in defensive positions behind some small trees and bushes that lined the circumference of the biosphere’s internal wall. They lay there for a few minutes to make sure their entry hadn’t been noticed before Captain Neubauer ordered them to move out.

Sergeant Manelly led the extract t
eam through the
Canton Mie
streets. Following him were Gunny Xia and Captain
Neubauer
. Corporal Gault covered their rear.

Manelly used as many side streets and all
eys as possible. The team moved slowly, allowing their armor to blend in with their surroundings. It would take someone with a keen eye to notice the vague outlines of their armor.

Minute
s passed into an hour when the extract team reached Dr. Kastriva’s home. The team kneeled behind some bushes across the street from the house. At least five men guarded the single-story house outside.
Sergeant Manelly noted a window on the right side of the house that was guarded by a single soldier and pointed it out to Captain Neubauer
.
Neubauer
acknowledged and used hand signals to say they would wait till dark to move in. The Gliese sun would set in forty-five minutes.

As they waited, CTU citizens
, dressed in the same-colored gray jumpsuits, walked up and down the sidewalk.
Sergeant Manelly
noted their bland facial expressions. It was as though every man, woman, and child lived a life of hopelessness and were bound to live that way until death.

Ten minutes later a couple of male teens passed by
, and before they reached the next block, a CTU security police vehicle zoomed in from behind them and came to a skidding stop on the sidewalk in front of the teens. Two uniformed men sprang out of the vehicle and, without a word, started beating the teens with clubs. The teens fell to the ground, curling into balls to protect themselves, as the police continued to strike them. Strangely, the teens never cried out or asked questions about their beating.

***

The extract team watched the beating from the bushes for several minutes. Captain
Neubauer
knew his men wanted to intervene, as he did, but knew they wouldn’t because the mission came first. Just as a precaution, Captain
Neubauer
used hand signals to tell his team to remain where they were. If circumstances were any different,
he
would’ve allowed the use of deadly force to stop the beatings.

What seemed like an hour but only minutes later, the police stopped beating the teens and verbally warned them to begin properly acknowledging ranking CTU political members.
Captain
Neubauer
realized that on their way to the house he had watched several CTU citizens touch their heads and bow as they passed specific citizens. The teens undoubtedly hadn’t acknowledged a ranking citizen and were caught.

Captain
Neubauer
noted that Gault looked simply disturbed and probably mad by the beating while
Manelly, who had seen such atrocities before, looked as if he had chalked it up to a standard act of a typical totalitarian government. Gunny Xia smiled. Captain Neubauer
was sure Xia, if given a chance,
would kill a few CTU policemen before leaving the planet.

As soon as it was dark, the e
xtract team took up positions around the house and were ready to move in. Captain
Neubauer
sounded a execute chime, and the team began the assault.

Science Division Building, Dining Room

1715
—
February 21, 2372

The envoy t
eam sat at a table as they were served dinner. The two guards who had escorted the team to the dining room stood at attention inside the room by the door. The CTU scientists they had met during their earlier meeting were there along with several other people they hadn’t met. No one spoke as the servers placed food in front of the guests. Gideon scanned the faces of all the people in the room, noted that Dr. Kastriva wasn’t there, and knew the envoy team was in a bad situation.

When the servers completed their tasks, Director Buru stood.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the Communal Tribal
Union,” he said as he addressed the table, “it’s with regret that I inform you that I suspect our guests this evening are not here on a peaceful mission but are indeed United States insurgents sent here to destroy our society. They’ll be held under guard until I’ve interrogated them to discover the details of their mission.”

The members of the CTU
, seated at the table, remained quiet and just sat there, looking down at their dinners. It was as if they were afraid to show any type of emotion.

“
We’re not insurgents, sir!” Dr. Harper almost yelled in his Southern drawl as he stood. “We’re here on a peaceful mission, and I demand we be allowed to leave immediately.”

Dr.
Buru didn’t respond but gestured to one of the guards in the dining room to control the doctor. The shorter guard walked behind Dr. Harper, placed a hand on the doctor’s right shoulder, and forcibly pushed him back into his seat. As Dr. Harper began to stand again, Commander Steward placed his hand on the doctor’s left shoulder to keep him seated, and as he did so, he calmly addressed Director Buru. “Director, may I speak?”

Gideon
could see Buru was enjoying his control over the envoy team. Buru replied with a smirk. “Speak, Commander, you have my permission.”

“
Director, I respectively request that we be treated as a peaceful envoy until you’ve determined our guilt.”

“
By all means, Commander. You’ll be treated well until I prove you’re insurgents. I suggest you eat your meal as it may be the last you get for some time. I’ll begin my questioning with Doctor Jones tomorrow morning,” Buru said with a ghoulish smile, his eyes moved from Commander Stewart and focused on Dr. Jones.

D
r. Jones wobbled in her seat as her complexion turned white. Gideon, seated next to her, put his arm around her for reassurance and support in case she fainted.

“
I also request Captain Bowser be contacted and told we’re being held and that we’re all right,” Commanded Steward added.

“
The captain has already been notified, Commander,” Buru responded, paused, and then added, “No more questions or discussions! Eat your meal; you’ll need your strength.”

Once Gideon was sure D
r. Jones wasn’t going to pass out, he began eating. He knew it would be better to escape with a full stomach. Slowly, the rest of the envoy team and the CTU citizens ate.

After dinner, Buru abruptly left
, and the two guards herded the envoy team out of the dining room. Without the guards noticing, Gideon arranged how he wanted the team to be escorted back to the lounge. He politely allowed Commander Steward to follow the smaller guard, who Gideon had deduced was probably female. Gideon held Dr. Jones back a second to allow Dr. Harper to follow Commander Steward, and then allowed Dr. Jones to follow Dr. Harper. Gideon followed, tailed by the second larger guard. Gideon knew exactly where he’d attack and disarm the guard behind him and then take out the leading guard.

A few minutes later
, as they rounded a corner leading to the lounge, Gideon attacked.

Combat
Control Center, SRS
Stephen Hawking

1800
—February 21, 2372

“
Captain Bowser, Director Buru wants to talk to you,” Ensign Young said.

“
It’s about time,” Mary said as she selected the communications link from her console. “This is Captain Bowser. I demand to speak to my envoy team.”

“
You will, Captain, in time,” Buru said with an evil smile. “But first I think we can make the interrogations go smoothly tomorrow for your people if you’ll supply me with some information.”

“
What information?” Mary asked.

“
Doctor Harper stated he developed an antimatter drive system. I’d like you to provide me with engineering drawings and specifications for that technology. I want to verify this technology exists since your alleged mission depends upon it,” Buru said.

“
If I provide the engineering plans for the system, will you let the team go?” Mary asked, knowing she was negotiating a bounty for the release of the envoy team.

“
It would certainly help in my releasing them by providing some concrete evidence that they’re indeed on a peaceful mission and not insurgents,” he responded.