The Cross of Mithras Vol. 1: EOD Operation Welcome to Hell (16 page)

  “What?” Ramirez asked her. “What’s so funny? What did you do to get by him?”

  Vaistll started to laugh some more than she finally told him. “Oh, nothing much.               I gave him that look of, ‘Oh, wow. Whatever.’ Then I lifted up my shirt showing him that scar that I have. With him knowing the details, and the myths that everybody created about those details, concerning how I got that scar, it belittled him into a Girl Scout.” That caused both of them to laugh with Ramirez laughing out loud.

  Vaistll then continued on, “Seeing that guard isn’t gonna do anything, I smiled and patted him on the left side of his face and then left. I went back to that space-time traveler and dressed his wounds. He needed my help in getting his ship up and running again. It wasn’t easy for me in understanding what he was talking about. But I figured out a way to get his ship working again. What I did was, I got so frustrated with trying to understand him that I got mad and kicked one of the machines. And that’s how I fixed it.”

  “That’ll do it.” Ramirez said with a smile.

  “Later when I was in the escape pod, that’s when I noticed that there was medicine in there. I didn’t think much about it since he was injured in the right side of his head, and he wasn’t thinking straight. And you know the rest.”

  “Yeah.”

  “After Langston fall from grace, and I was able to come out of that shit-hole that I lived in, both Project 21 and myself could finally do our job. Project 21 was way too busy in protecting me to be concerned what the EOD was up to. And sadly, the EOD took full advantage of that. If Langston didn’t take Project 21 job seriously, the EOD sure did and it cost everybody dearly.

  Once Project 21 was able to do its job, they didn’t focus upon the EOD. Instead they focus upon all of that stuff that I brought with me from my planet. You know, I will always be eternally grateful for Project 21 in respecting my wishes concerning Llyysta’s sword and my Warrior Code Book of Honor, that they wouldn’t do anything to them. As for everything else, I really didn’t care... except for two things that I wished they destroyed... but they didn’t.”

  “What was it?”

  “I’ll tell you in a little bit. They got a good sample of DNA from all of that stuff. Although they never asked, and I had to persuade them, they got my DNA as well. I figured that they could learn a lot about Apollinarians from my DNA. So the geneticists then went to work on creating a genetic fingerprint on all the DNA. They then went to work on recreating those life forms, including an Apollinarian.”

  “What... you mean they even cloned you!?” Ramirez said in disbelief as he couldn’t even begin to believe that she would allow something like that to be done to her. He knew her well enough to know that she would never permit it.

  “No, no, no, no..., nothing of the sort. Look... it’s like when you modify a pig’s DNA in order for it to grow human organs. That’s what they did with my DNA. I should have used better choice of words. Sorry for that.”

  “That’s okay.”

  “Cloning all of those life forms wasn’t easy. It actually took them 25 years to do it, from 2011 to 2036. The hardest part was trying to replicate both types of whiskey. When they finally did, they did such a good job that I couldn’t even taste the difference. When they were finished, they gave me both of those bottles back. There’s still a lot left over.... in case if you ever want to get drunk off of some whiskey that comes from my planet.” She said with a smile.

  “We’ll see.” Ramirez had no intentions of doing that. He didn’t want to waste any of it, since it’s all that she has left that comes from her planet. He knew that she wouldn’t care, but he did.

  “After Project 21 picked a location in California that closely resembled the climate of my civilization. I went to check upon how good of a job they did. And I was impressed. So much so, that when I went into that huge aircraft hanger, the first words out of my mouth were, ‘Oh my God... I’m back home.’ I was sooo happy that I cried. I really did felt like I was back home.

  After that, I tried my best to talk Project 21 into creating an aerospace company with the single minded goal of creating a Martian colony. Then they, the aerospace company, could claim that they created some Martian life forms as a promotion gimmick. Once the aerospace company did that, it should able to smoke out any Apollinarians on the Earth. Or at least expose their plans. Project 21 was adamantly opposed to it, but in the end they cave-in out of fear of not knowing what the Apollinarians are up to.

  So in the year 2038 the world was introduced to what was called... Martian life forms. Despite the blowback from that, it turned out to be hugely popular. Geneticists all over the world said that the DNA is so alien that it must have come from another planet. Although they also had to admit that those so called, “alien life forms” DNA, obviously had an Earthly influence and must have originated from the Earth.”

  Vaistll started to laugh out loud and then said, “All of those conspiracy nut cases were right all long. And nobody believed them. So now you know where Martian life, including both types of the Martian whiskey, comes from.”

  “Yeah... wow.”

  “Unfortunately my plan to smoke out the Apollinarians didn’t work. Nothing happened to suggest that they were on the Earth. Either that, or they are really damn good at hiding themselves.” She then stops talking because she just realizes something and started to think about it.

  Ramirez started to read her to see if she was joking with him, she wasn’t. He was both amazed and speechless; he then mouthed the word, ‘Wow.’ He then asked her, “So what were those two life forms that you didn’t want them to clone? And why is it that you didn’t want them to clone them?”

  “I’ll tell you later. I just realize something that happened after 2038. It’s so strange.” She paused because she started to think deeply about it, trying to figure it out.

  “What happened? What did you realize? Was it something about the Apollinarian life forms that they cloned?” It started to get Ramirez to think about what he knew about that time period. He thinks that he knows what she is referring to.

  “Two years after the world got their first taste of Martian life, President Stemson came to power. He was the one who wanted to take on the EOD and take them down. Even though he had questionable motives at heart. He turned out to be, not only America, but also the world’s first eschatological President. Everybody tried to warn him of the consequences of trying to take on the EOD. Everybody knew, like other companies and agencies that the EOD had nano-probes and they were not afraid to use them for sinister reasons. All he said was that Jesus would save humanity if the EOD tried to use their nano-probes for ill will. And that they did.

  The EOD created two different types of nano-probes: one that turned a person into a mindless zombie that ran around on instinct; and the other one was a military type of a zombie that preserves its smarts, intelligence, the ability in being clever, but not its humanity. The EOD then unleashed them upon the State of Florida for no other reason other than the fact that Florida is a peninsula. And therefore they could end it at will. Two years later in 2042 the EOD used genetic assassination on Stemson. That part is strange since Congress was talking about convicting him of treason. So why would the EOD kill him? Where they trying to cover something up?

  What’s even more strange is that somewhere between 2039 and 2043 the founder of the EOD went missing. He may have been old, but he was still in good shape. I mean, look at modern medicine at that time. So you know he should be in good shape. He had no reason to disappear like that. So why would he disappear? Did it have something to do with Stemson?”

  “I have no knowledge about any that. It’s just something that they always kept secret. So I have no idea why he would disappear.”

  “At one point Project 21 thought that maybe he was an Apollinarian. That would explain a lot though, like the timing of his disappearance. Or why the EOD unleashed all of those goddamn nano-probes on Florida. But after going over all of that data that was ever collected on him, with the most finest of fine tooth combs, it still said that he was a human being. Nothing more, nothing less.

  If the EOD could use genetic assassination to kill someone, and they have done that before as early as 2018, then why didn’t they assassinate Stemson as soon as he took office? Why wait two years to do it? Why would they want to do that to Florida, when that is the first, and only time that they ever did something like that? Why did the EOD behaved in such a paranoid manner like that? Where they trying to send a message? If so, then to whom were they trying to send it to?

  We even look at the possibility that the Apollinarians had infiltrated the EOD, but there were no evidence to support that. So that turned out to be another dead end. By 2047 we had to call off any further investigations since we had nothing to go by.”

  “Yeah... it would be highly unlikely that anyone, even an ET, could have infiltrated the EOD at the time period.”

  “Yeah. We figured that out, but it was just so hard to accept it. There where those within Project 21 who thought that maybe my plan to smoke out any Apollinarians did in fact worked. In the sense that the Apollinarians used some type of mind control technique. If that’s was the case, then what would they have to gain? It achieved nothing, other than killing millions of people. Before Stemson was killed he thought that maybe the Apollinarians where using some form of mind control on him. So he had me do a mind meld with him to see if they where, but no dice. And as for the EOD? One word: cyborgs. Mind control techniques just don’t work upon them. So what gives? How can anybody explain all of that?”

  “Maybe its some weird coincidence or something?”

  “Yeah... maybe you’re right.” Somehow, in someway, Vaistll felt like that wasn’t true. That there was something more to it than meets the eye. She just couldn’t put her finger on what it could be.

  “You know Alex... some good did came out of it.”

  “And what could that be?”

  “When I first heard about nano-probes I figured that their impact upon human civilization would be the same as electricity. That one day, like electricity, they would be all around us doing a million things. Yes... some people would use them for evil purposes... but mostly they would be use for good intentions.

  But I also knew that first... people are going to have to solve the ethical problems that nano-probes would create. World governments especially, will have to solve and pass laws concerning their use. And that’s exactly what happened after Florida was turned into a graveyard. I was right all along. And nowadays, like electricity, we just can’t live without them in our lives.”

  “You got that right.”

  Ever since Vaistll came to the Earth, her life is filled with nothing but unanswered questions. Questions that she wished could be answered, but never is. If she ever came around and started to pray more often, than there would be only one thing that she would pray about - having those questions answered.

(8)

  Sanchez was driving one of those convertible robotic cars, traveling through a part of Roscadia that she should have known better. Her driving ability was mediocre at best, pathetic at worst. But that’s not why people were staring at her. People were staring at her for no other reason other than she was a stranger who shouldn’t have been there.

  It was indeed a dangerous part of town. Task Force ZH-3C, including Mad Dawg’s crew, was told not to travel into that part of town. The police department of Roscadia wouldn’t be much help, let alone come to your rescue, if you needed them. The place symbolizes the fact that Roscadia is a dying town where no one seems to cares. And Sanchez is traveling through that part of Roscadia. Why is she doing that? It is a shortcut to her destination.

  Is she a woman with a death wish? In all likelihood she doesn’t have one. Nor did she ever have one. Maybe she’s being stupid. Not Sanchez, she is a smart woman. It’s not like her to do something stupid like that. But it strongly illustrated the point about her. That she uses what Vaistll called “Convenient Deniability” to explain why she does things like that knowing full well it could get herself killed as well as others. It is also the fact that she doesn’t think about the consequences of her actions, and then she writes them off as nothing.

  Convenient Deniability is where a person (without any ulterior motives) sincerely believes in something (besides religion) that most people would consider flawed, and/or wrong. In an effort to defend what they believe in, they either directly or indirectly, put themselves into a situation that is convenient, or has a convenient outcome for them. Such as, using technology (that they created) to support their belief and the device seems to support it. Or they belief in something that can neither be proven nor disprove. When confronted with the truth (in the form of facts) that seems to contradict their belief, they than deny the truth.

  Sanchez desires to avenge what happen to her husband. But that action blinds her to those who need her the most. Like her children or those under her command. She has become obsessed with hurting those who hurt her. She doesn’t mean to hurt those who she should care about. It’s just something that happens. And yet the very people that she wants to hurt are those with evil intentions. Not those who she should care about.

  Sanchez’s action does more than just blind her to those whom she hurts. It also impairs her ability to think more clearly. As an officer it can cause her to unintentionally cause the death of those under her command. It can cause her to do stupid things, like driving in that part of town. All it takes is for her to take a wrong turn, or her car to break down, and then you never know. Choy may want revenge too, but even he is not that crazy.

  It would have been best for Task Force ZH-3C if Sanchez never joined them or Project 21 for that matter. But she did and now they are stuck with her. The sad thing about her is that she was once a delight to be around with, but not anymore. Nice, caring, sweet, and even considerate, was the way she was before her husband became an EOD guinea pig. And now she is just an uber bitch who gets on everybody nerves.

  It wouldn’t be so bad if Commander Taylor wasn’t one of those types of an officer who ignore his own safety just to keep those under his command alive. It’s just a matter of time before he gets himself killed. That leaves Vaistll and Ramirez who outranks her if Taylor did died. Vaistll is the type who if it would help in achieving the mission, she would take off leaving everybody behind. She does that only because she’s good at it and because of her training back on her planet. The problem with Lieutenant Hayes is that he is the same rank as she is. Everybody under him may like him, but he is not a good combat officer. Sanchez is. She is the type of an officer who remains calm and makes better decisions in extreme combat situations. And as for Ramirez? As a former EOD agent he is mark for death. This is especially true since he was in their Special Forces.

  It would have been in both Project 21 and Task Force ZH-3C best interest if Sanchez never joined them. Both Sanchez and Vaistll have been known to go at it at times, arguing over this or that. Sanchez isn’t questioning Vaistll’s authority; it’s just that both of them don’t get along. Nobody likes Sanchez; she can’t get along with anybody. And yet it is Vaistll who comes to her rescue saying that, “Divine providence had decided that she should be with us. So, all of you should put your fate into the hands of God and accept his higher reason.”

  If Project 21 knew what waited for them on Golden Hyperion, what the big mystery is all about, they NEVER would have let Sanchez go with Task Force ZH-3C. But then again if they did knew, they, like Sanchez, would develop Convenient Deniability as they are paralyzed with indecision in not knowing what to do.

(9)

  It was 16:38 hours, both Vaistll and Ramirez just got back to her room at the Roosevelt. They spent part of the day shopping for souvenirs. They catch a movie, eat lunch, and trying to enjoy what little time that they will spend on Roscadia. They were having a good time until they learned what Sanchez did. After that everything went downhill. They went from having a good time, to both having their day ruined, and being furious with her. Both of them were so furious with Sanchez that they strongly considered having her court-martial. The only reason why they didn’t was because of how important their mission was. They didn’t want to go through a court-martial proceeding before their mission.

  What both of them learned was that Sanchez tried to hire the mafia to go after the EOD. Then to have them try their best to find out what happened to her husband. At first the mafia thought that she was joking. But when they realized that she was being serious, they decided to mess with her head before they told her to piss off. The mafia wasn’t stupid. They know what would happen to them it they try to take on the EOD.

  Sanchez drove through a very dangerous part of town just to see the mafia. She wanted to strike some type of deal with them and was turned down. There was absolutely nothing that she could offer them to get them to change their minds. Sanchez was willing to throw everything away. For whom, for what - revenge? Yes, she will. Lucky for her, both Vaistll and Ramirez (without her knowing it) gave her just one more chance.

  Both Vaistll and Ramirez were sitting down upon the couch thinking about what Sanchez did. After awhile, Ramirez spoke, “Why don’t you tell me more about your past upon your planet? I mean... you don’t have to mention any of the bad things that you went through. I’ll understand.  I was just thinking that you could mention something, anything... like maybe you could mention what your planet was like. That way neither one of us has to think about that bullshit that Sanchez pulled.”

  “Alright.” Vaistll thought for a few moments than said, “Since I did extensive traveling all over the continent that I was born upon, I have a fairly good idea about the basics about it. A rough guess about how large it is. Any land masses, or continents, near it. Bodies of water on, or near it. The different types of environment. And the people, tribes, languages, and civilizations that existed upon it.

  The name of my birth continent is: Iraxxan. When I was between ten to twelve years old I could have told you what that meant, but I forgot it. It might have meant something like Ice Lords, or something else that deals with ice. I guess it had something to do with the fact that there was once an ice age on my planet. And the people of Iraxxan remembered it.

  I did travel upon the nearby continents, but not that much. What I learned was that civilizations existed closer to Iraxxan. It becomes more tribal as you travel further away from it. The knowledge about those continents, which comes from my people’s Great Library, is inconclusive. That knowledge exists mostly in the form of myths. What’s more, those myths tend to contradict, rather than support each other. I do, and I don’t, remember those myths.

  To the east of Iraxxan was the ‘Sea of Fire.’ It was called that because there was a lot of earthquakes and volcanic activity surrounding it. ‘Only monsters, ghouls, and wicked goblins, and all other sorts of evil vices and temptations come from the Sea of Fire. For what lies beyond it... is the birthplace of hell.’ So goes the saying about it.

  Actually... the Sea of Fire was probably an ocean. It had to have been either the same size as the North Atlantic, or the South Atlantic ocean. I don’t know if Iraxxan, and the continent to the east, was connected in the arctic region, but it wasn’t connected in the southern part. The Sea of Fire was longer running north to south, than east to west. The southern part was slightly wider than the northern part. It had a string of small islands going north to south. Surrounding the sea are tales of the god of that sea, who got angry with the people one day... so he threw the sea at them. And that’s all that I know about the myths about that god.

  To the east of the Sea of Fire was the continent, Xiy’o’tlo (zee-eye o toe-low), which was of unknown size. There were many different meanings of Xiy’o’tlo on Iraxxan; mostly it was death, or hell. In the northwestern part of Xiy’o’tlo is the Land of Fire. Basically it was a geological hot spot like that of Hawaii. To the southeast of that is a region that must have been a lake at some point in history. What little water there was, in that valley, is poisonous. The place was hot like that of Death Valley, and to be in it... it was like going to another planet. In the eastern part there were caves with what look like dinosaur bones in them. If the wind blew just right in the caves, it sounded like ghosts. I guess you can imagine why people would call the place, ‘The Gates of Hell.’ Especially since there were white noxious fumes that came up from the ground at certain parts of the region.”

  “Have you been there, to Xiy’o’tlo?”

  “Yes I have. Spent five years there. And I’m glad that is all the time that I spent there, since that continent really gave me the creeps. You know the story about the Noble Warriors?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well... the Castle of the Damned is on one of the islands in the southern part of Xiy’o’tlo. Near one of those caves in the Gates of Hell region, is the remains of an abandoned village. The cave that is closest to it was converted into a temple. The people who founded that village were refugees from the island of the Castle of the Damned. That village is the birthplace of Natas Ovast.” Ramirez was quite surprised to hear that.

  “I was with a team at the time, and while we where searching for Natas birthplace, something strange happened to us. It was something that, at the time, seemed supernatural to us. When I got to the Earth, and I was watching some TV program, I realize that it was nothing more other than some weird force of nature. That place, like this one spot in Death Valley has boulders that actually move by themselves. A scientist in that TV program explained how that could be, but I long since forgot about it.

  To the west, and south, of that valley is a desert like that of the American southwest. East of all of that is a forest like that of British Columbia. That might explain our saying of, ‘One must go through the Gates of Hell... in order to find true hope and salvation. Then, and only then, can you enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.’ I do not know what lies beyond that.

  In the southeast of Iraxxan there is an archipelago like that of the Philippine Islands, but twice the length running north to south. They ran diagonally with the southern part being further east. Also in the southeast of Iraxxan there is a peninsula roughly the same size as Florida. The difference between the two is that its southern part was further west. One of the islands in the archipelago was very close to the mid-part of the peninsula. It had to been at least ten miles from it. On the peninsula, maybe twenty to twenty five miles south of that point, is a natural harbor. And that’s where Natas’ palace was. To give you an idea of the distance between Natas’ palace and Iomiyya, it would be the equivalent of the distance between Athens, Greece to Marseilles, France.

  To the west of Iomiyya, on the southwestern part of Iraxxan, is a large group of a chain of islands. If you where to take Japan, Korea, and the Russian mainland around the Sea of Japan, and then invert the direction, you would then get a rough idea of what that part of Iraxxan looks like. I have no idea of what lies to the west of that.

  In the northern part of Iraxxan there is a group of lakes like that of the Great Lakes of the United States. I think there are seven lakes. Either that or I saw one of the lakes at least twice and didn’t realize it. North of those lakes there is an arctic island roughly the size of Greenland. It could have been part of a peninsula, or it might have been a part of a landmass that on one side had a very large lake like a bay, and on the other side it bordered an ocean.

  I once had a mission on that island tracking down a man who committed; not only regicide, but he also stole the crown jewels. He then had the fuckin’ nerve to flee to that god forsaken island. Why in the known universe should he flee there? Out of all the places that he could have went, why would he go there? I’m like anybody else born around Mediterranean Sea; used to hot summers, not 40-plus below weather.