(Excerpt from the journals of Nicholas Calen, Void Engineer. June, 10, 2003)
So, there I was with four days to myself - no deviant partners to look after, no talking statues, no puzzles to solve. Just a nice , relaxing drive through the European countryside. Two hours in, though, I got an alert from my routine Union monitors that a rogue agent had been apprehended in Vienna.
I carried on to Derblinkendermizzet, but my good mood was shot. Rogues are hardly a common occurrence, but it didn’t necessarily have to be one of myassociates, coincidental location or not. Somehow, though, I knew this was bad news.
The sky overhead burned blue against the whisps of clouds. He lay on his back, the tall grass of the meadow outside his father's ranch in Oregon reaching up past his shoulders. He'd just returned from his first year at MIT. He'd met a girl at the bus station. He was in love, and he was the most unhappiest man in the world.
She had been beautiful, intelligent and engaged. They'd shared coffee while waiting on the train, both bound for Portland. They both had a love of books and computers. She was studying psychology, earning her Masters. He was thinking of Computer Engineering. They both loved Italian food, and taking long walks during those wonderful Oregon moments between daylight and dark. Dusk.
He told her then how happy he was to have met her, and she responded in kind. They stood there in the terminal, holding hands. Slowly, their lips met. Fleeting. Stolen. Frozen. Until his brother Daniel approached - tall and lanky and sporting his usual smirk. Richard tagged along behind him. She smiled and ran to him.
To Richard. Her fiancé.
Something tugged on his right arm. Mac climbed from the dark, comfortable cushion of unconsciousness. He opened his eyes and was greeted again by the same blurred images of white and gray. Will I ever see again?
Someone moved about in the room, and again he felt pressure on his right arm. Now there was a sting inside the soft flesh of his elbow, below where the metal restraint held him still.
He tried to move away from the pinprick, but a hand grabbed his jaw and forced him to face his right. He blinked several times, and if he tried, he could make out the blurred image of a man's face. "Awake? Good. Now perhaps I'll get somewhere in all this." It was Burke, and from the tone of his voice, the doctor was not in a good frame of mind.
Oh no. Mac felt something warm enter into his veins. "Whuu...." again the words were there but his mouth wouldn't obey his commands.
"No, not yet." Burke said. "The only words I want out of your mouth are those that will tell me who and what you are. Your DEI could tell me much. But you've successfully locked me out of there." Something touched his right temple. "So, we're going to see how much Drapronomine it will take to loosen that tongue of yours. There's no reason you can't speak – and I think once the drug fills your system, you'll be more willing to tell me all I need to know."
Burke released Mac's jaw and the Adept moved it around experimentally. He prayed this madman wouldn't shove that soured cloth between his teeth again. I'm beginning to think the sick fuck gets off on it.
The warmth spread from his right arm and traveled quickly to his shoulder. Mac's eyes began to itch, as they usually did in the fall and spring. Only now he wasn't able to rub them. He blinked several times, trying to create tears. He then closed them and held them shut tight. Even laying prone he began to feel dizzy. What was it he shot into me?
"It seems Dr. Cooper has stayed my hand in your interrogation. Well, we'll see. I've sent word to Control suspecting his hand in your creation - I have to wonder why he would travel all the way from the states to Vienna for a simple Agent. My word alone will aid in over riding Cooper's interference. All I have to do now is wait on word from control."
Burke had hit upon the truth and didn't realize it. Mac gave an inward sigh of relief. At least this fool didn't understand his own brilliance. Either way I'm screwed - if Rebecca is successful in getting me to my father - I wonder if she knows what Burke's planning. Or does he realize she's working with Dad?
His heart started to beat faster, as if he were excited about something. Like when I was a kid, excited about a new toy. But this wasn't the same feeling. Mac's heart struggled to beat. Fast. Faster. It was getting harder to breath. Something pressed down on his chest, moving the air out of his lungs.
His chest heaved as he tried to bring in more air. The restraints held him to the table as tried to move away from the pressure. Harder it pressed. The Adept tried to speak, but it was all he could do to pull air into his lungs.
Something's wrong…there's a –
He couldn't breath.
Somewhere a buzzer sounded, and he heard an alarm.
I got to Derblinkdermizzet and, unsurprisingly, was the first to arrive. Checked in at the hotel and decided to see the sights. One sight in particular caught my interest – Fraulein Greta Schmidt. She certainly helped take my mind off of my concerns about the rogue.
Unfortunately, the night was not to be as enjoyably peaceful as the afternoon, as I was awakened by another alert from my taps into Union communications. Dr. Cooper, Mac’s father, had taken an interest in the rogue, put a suspension on the interrogation, and was coming in from the States to take custody personally.
That was too much to ignore. Whatever Cooper's intentions, even if they were to protect Mac, as I suspected, I couldn’t risk letting the fuckup spill everything he knew. Dr. Cooper wouldn’t care about the mission I’d agreed to help with, and he could make a lot of trouble.
I didn’t know how he’d managed to get himself into the shit so fast – all I knew was that it was up to me to get the Adept out.
"What the hell are you doing?!" He heard Rebecca scream from somewhere in the room. Had she been there the whole time?
Hands groped at his chest. His chest heaved and he struggled against the restraints. I can't breath! He tried to call out, but his body wouldn't respond. He could hear voices from somewhere, as if listening in on the backside of a tunnel as people traveled away from him.
And then the pain came, and there was little he could do. He felt the tears in his eyes, knew when they streamed over his cheeks and down the sides of his face.
"Get away from him – it's all an act. He's perfectly fine -" Burke's voice was clear enough, and Mac fought against a total breakdown as he focused on the voices. I have to know what he just did. What the fuck did he do?!
Darkness. His body collapsed. His eyes open. But he still heard their voices.
"You idiot!" Rebecca's voice was filled with panic. There was a tapping sound. "This is Agent Cooper. I need a team in Five B, STAT."
"Miss Cooper," Burke's voice was closer now. "What are you doing? He's simply in – "
"He's in anaphylactic shock, Doctor. You've stopped his heart."
I slipped out of bed and took off, back to Vienna. En route, I pulled all the pertinent files. Mac was still listed as a John Doe, so ItX still hadn’t put together the implants and Cooper’s interest. The AIC was a Dr. James Burke, ItX, and he was definitely not one for finesse. One of ItX’s nastier interrogators, he favored the brute force approach. But, he was a by-the-book sort, which meant my forged records showing that I was simply an intrusion clone seeking information pertinent to my mission should suffice to get me in to see Mac. I just needed to figure out a way to get him out. A clone would have no standing to override someone of Cooper’s status.
The world is disappearing...
There was a bustle of more noise and the subtle commotion of voices. I'm dying... He couldn't move. But he could feel them moving around him. Removing the restraints, pulling his head back, shining a light in his eyes. There was something cold and wet on his chest and then...
Something tore through the darkness behind his eyes. It felt as if he were being stabbed through the heart. He screamed as he felt his back arch, his chest heaved forward.
The pressure lessoned and he could move. He gasped for air and flailed out as he found he could move again.
"He's good," came a male voice, "the eppy seems to have worked."
Good? Mac was sobbing openly. He felt his chest heave and felt soft hands on his arms, running themselves over his shoulders. "It's okay, it's okay.." it was Rebecca's voice in his ear. He still couldn’t see, though the shapes were back again. He tried to speak but found his control over his speech hadn't returned. He could only sob and feel his shoulders shaking.
He clung to Rebecca, afraid of being restrained again. He needed something to cling too now – something warm and real.
"Miss Cooper, could you please disengage yourself from my patient?" Burke's voice was so close and all of Mac's thoughts focused on taking Calen's plasma cannon and shooting this madman.
"What were you trying to do?"
"I'm trying to learn the truth, Agent Cooper."
"Learn the truth? What did you do – shoot him with more Draponomine? Burke – weren't you paying attention yesterday when he was brought in? He reacted poorly the first time your people injected him." She cursed under her breath. "I put it in his report this morning."
"You did? How did you know?"
"Because I read his file."
Mac clung to Rebecca as she pulled he away. He didn't know if she retreated on her own, or she was lead away as strong arms pulled at his wrists and legs. No, they were fastening him down again. No! He fought weakly and sobbed openly. Rebecca…I can't take this anymore. Please…
They had his ankles down first, and the metal bit against his skin. Next was his waist and wrists. Knees and elbows were next and he screamed at them as they pressed his head back and reclamped his neck.
I can't take this anymore…make them go away
"Burke, the man is weak and unable to function. Are the restraints necessary?"
"Yes Agent Cooper, they are." The man's voice was cold, calculating. "Once you have him down again, readminister the sedative."
"This is ridiculous. You just nearly killed him. Is this what you want me to report back to NWO? If you intend on bringing him to Control, he is a lot more valuable alive, not dead. Flooding his system with Draponomine wasn't going to help – and even if it did, how is he going to communicate? He can't speak, Burke." Rebecca's voice changed, lowered. Her tone even frightened Mac. "I'm almost convinced you want this man dead."
"I want what's in his head, Agent Cooper He shouldn't exist. I want to know why he does. The DEI might be locked out, but his mind isn't. He has those secrets inside of him and I want to know them. He's controlling us here, and I don't like not being in control."
"Then let me make myself clear, Dr. Burke," Rebecca's own voice rose a notch. "I am taking control of this patient, as of this moment. You are not to lay another finger on him."
Mac felt the sting of something again in his arm. He moaned softly, afraid. What if it's the same drug? But warmth flooded into his veins and he felt the now calming effect of zolpidem. His heavy breathing eased and he felt his muscles relax, once again sedated and under control.
Another name jumped out at me then. The NWO Agent assigned to prep Mac for his father’s arrival was one Ms. Rebecca Cooper, Richard’s wife. This just kept getting better and better. No wonder he was still officially a John Doe, she had been running interference. On orders from Mac’s father, I wondered?
"You can't do this!"
"Listen to me Burke," Rebecca said in a much more calm tone. "I heard from Control this morning. It seems they agree with you that he should be brought in directly. I've been given permission to transport him."
There was a pause. Mac fought to stay conscious. Oh Rebecca…what are you doing?
"You?"
"Yes. Surprised? I handed in my report last night, after I examined John Doe. Seems they were pleased with what you've done. Only now I come in here to find you in the process of killing the patient, instead of readying him for transport."
There was the sound of someone tapping a pen on a metal surface. "Why you?"
"Because you have research to conclude and a plane ticket to purchase. You're to meet us there in two days. You got your possession, Dr. Burke – but as a price, you have to explain things to Dr. Cooper. He'll be here tomorrow."
The door suddenly opened again.
"What is it?" Burke barked at whomever it was.
"We just got a message from Control, sir," a young, male voice said. "An intrusion agent is on his way here to examine the rogue. Apparently, they think Mr. Doe has some information that will be useful."
Burke snorted. "And they think a clone will be able to get information out of the subject where I’ve failed?"
There was a pause and Mac imagined some pimply faced kid shrugging. "I’ve no idea why, sir, I’m just relaying the orders."
Burke sighed, and shot a look at Rebecca. "Fine, whatever. I assume that will meet with your approval, Agent Cooper?"
Rebecca paused and Mac felt her hand on his right arm. He wanted to return the touch. "He should really be left to rest before transport, but as long as I oversee this clone’s interrogation, it should be allright."
"Make it happen, then." Burke threw over his shoulder as he and the tech left the room.
Mac felt himself nod off. He didn't understand what happened or why, only that Rebecca had turned on him. She was taking him to Control after all. He fell back into the drugged sleep that had become his world, and he was comforted a bit.
Until someone was shaking him again, a hand on his chin. He opened his eyes and smelled Rebecca's perfume. Lilac. "He's gone, Alan."
He nodded as best he could around the brace, though he was sure it was tighter than before. "Uhn…."
She sighed. "He has them locked, I'm afraid. I tried to have him free you. But you have to listen to me. Did you hear what I told him?"
Mac nodded once. His eyelids were heavy and he wanted to sleep.
"It was a lie."
That woke him up. A little.
"Alan, I have to get you out of here. I was able to forge a direct release into my custody, and it'll stand until Burke's real agents from Control are dispatched and he gets the wire. I'm running on guesses here. Malcolm's orders were clear in that Burke wasn't to touch you again, and with him here with you, that seems an impossibility. So I have to get you out and to safety until I can rendezvous with your father."
Mac shook his head. "Nnn…"
"Look, I don't know what it is between you, okay? I never have. I only know he sounded very relieved on the phone when I told him it was definitely you. He was also a bit surprised that the implants were in and they were VE registered."
"Mussst….. goooohhhh…." He cleared his throat and fought to tell her something important. "Miiiisssssss… shhhonnnnn."
"Alan, you need to stay quiet. If Burke keeps hearing you speaking even remotely clear, he'll be back in here again. I'm going to have to get some help in transporting you, okay? I can't move you by myself, and without legit orders to hand out, I can' requisition an ambulance. I can give the order to get you ready. That means they'll have to put you on a gurney. No more metal straps, though they'll probably apply something – especially if Burke has any say in this. The sadist. They'll also sedate you with something stronger. Do you hear me?"
She sighed. "And I have no idea what this clone thinks he'll get out of you, either. All I can do is make sure he doesn't hurt you any more."
He nodded. Rebecca... sweet Rebecca. I'm sorry it didn't work out between you and Richard. I guess I'll never know why. I'm sure it's all a part of Richard's vendetta to fuck up my life.
This is it for me…and I never really thanked Calen for all he'd done…
I got to the hospital where they’d taken Mac and pulled his charts from the admitting nurse. She gave me the same disdainful look we always give clones. Almost makes me wonder if they’re offended by it. Or if they can be. So far so good, though. Made my way to the ICU and stopped in at the security station. The on-duty agent ignored me as I examined the monitors until I pointed out the one that was offline. Told me that was where they were keeping the Doe – it had shorted out right after he’d been brought in and they hadn’t managed to fix it yet. I nodded, went down to Mac’s room and stopped to review his status.
DEI offline, senses impaired. Concussion. Broken leg, but the quick heal had that mending fairly well. Severe allergy to Draponomine. Apparently they sent him into anaphylaxis. Lovely. The various monitors on the screen outside his room indicated that he was fairly heavily doped up, though. No help there, it was all up to me to get him out.
The thought occurred to me that it would be easiest to simply administer another Draponomine dose. It’s a fairly standard tactic, and would look like he was killed by accident. It would have been easier, certainly, than getting us both out alive. Unfortunately, I needed him on this mission. He had skills, and information, that could very well be invaluable in finding the library.
Yeah, now if I could only just convince myself that was the only reason I wanted to save his life.
Standing in the middle of a Progenitor facility with no heavy weapons, no backup, and no idea how to get my target out alive; up against Iterators who would just as soon kill him, Progenitors and NWO teaming up to get him into protective custody; and I’ve got nothing but a forged record of an intrusion clone created from the genetic sample of a disgraced and deceased rogue VE.
No problem.
Written with Blake Sorenson
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