Silent
Mobius: Red Destiny
Book 1:
Chapter
3: Memories of a Shadow
Authors:
OSTOCOM
Email and
Website: See our profile
Rating:
PG
Disclaimer:
We do not own Silent Mobius or its characters, but we do own our own
characters. See Book 0 for complete disclaimer.
-----------------------------------
Calixta woke up surrounded by ethereal whiteness, with the music of pan flutes drifting around her. (This is what heaven is like?) she thought groggily. She lifted her head slightly and felt a dull throbbing ache. (But why am I so sore?) She rubbed her eyes, and her arm jerked against a cord. A mechanical blip broke through the music. As Calixta opened her eyes again, a sterile hospital room came into focus. She groaned. "Not again!"
"Oh, good, you're awake." Calixta turned her head and noticed Miakoda sitting across from her. Her visitor pushed a button on a small portable music player, and the pan flutes were silenced. "The doctor told me that even though you were in a coma, you could still hear things. I thought some Peruvian music might make you feel better."
Calixta smiled. "Thanks. It reminded me of home." She nestled down into her pillow, and then suddenly bolted upright. "Wait a minute—a coma? How long was I out?"
Miakoda gently pushed Calixta back down onto the bed. "Calm down. It's only been two days. Are you feeling any better?"
"No, I'm not! Two days? I need to get out of here!" She pushed herself into a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She winced, gritting her teeth in pain. "Ow…"
"Are you all right?" Miakoda looked at her, concerned.
"I'm fine. Quick, hand me my gun."
Miakoda sighed. "Calixta…"
"What, you think they're just going to let me waltz out of here? Ha! Not until they've drained me of all my blood and all my money. Hand me my gun. They'll never take me alive."
"Calixta, listen to me very carefully," Miakoda said. "One, you're in no condition to leave. Two, we need our computer specialist in good health, so you should rest and recover your strength. Three, there's no reason to make a spectacle of yourself and raise awkward questions. Four…your gun is back at headquarters."
"Oh." Calixta leaned back against her pillow. "In that case, hand me my watch."
Miakoda took Calixta's watch off the dresser. "Why?"
"It has a miniature holographic projector inside it, and a remote data link to my holomodule," she explained. "Push Mode-9, Set-1, Option-4, and you should get a realistic, functioning holographic gun beamed right over."
"Calixta, did you hear a *word* I said?"
"Yes, I heard that my gun is back at headquarters." Calixta examined her watch and handed it back to Miakoda. "You'll have to do this, because I can't quite see the buttons. Please hurry. Any minute now, this sadistic intern is going to come along and try to give me an injection. When he does, I want you to shoot him in the head."
Miakoda grasped Calixta firmly by the shoulders. "Calixta, *think* about what you're saying," she ordered. "What would Jesus do in this situation?"
"Jesus would have just died and raised himself three days later, so it's a moot point," Calixta replied. She grimaced. "Besides, I *really* hate needles."
The door clicked open and a tall, white-coated intern stepped inside. "Good, you're awake," he said brightly. "And how are we feeling today?"
Calixta's eyes widened in terror. "Fine…we're feeling fine!" she assured him. "Not nearly as schizophrenic as we were yesterday. Much, much better. We think you should let us go."
The intern chuckled. "She took quite a hit to the head, didn't she?" he asked Miakoda.
"It was pretty bad," Miakoda admitted, smiling slightly.
"Thanks a lot!" Calixta glared at her. She turned to the intern and smiled as convincingly as she could. "No, really, sir, I'm not schizophrenic. Under your watchful care, any little medical inconveniences associated with my accident have vanished, and I'm feeling energized! Fantastic! Better than ever! Like a completely new woman, but not in the psychotic disorders sense!"
"Mmm-hmm," said the intern noncommittally, tapping a syringe against his hand.
"Hey! Get away from me with that harpoon! I feel fine! Go away! Miakoda, stop him!"
"This won't hurt a bit," the intern insisted.
"Liar! Miakoda! He's a Lucifer Hawk—I just know it! Get away from me, you evil demon sadist! You'll pay for this! Get back! Back!" The intern ignored her and inserted the syringe into her vein. Calixta screamed.
"There now," he said, smiling. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
Calixta stared at her teammate imploringly. "I thought you were my friend," she whimpered.
Miakoda turned to the intern. "Is she going to be all right?" she whispered.
"Sure," the intern said. "That was just some codeine for the pain. She'll be a lot more comfortable now…and a bit calmer, too."
"How long until she'll be able to leave?"
The intern shrugged. "Possibly as early as tomorrow, assuming she gets enough rest." He looked at Miakoda pointedly.
"Right. I won't be long." The intern nodded and exited the room quietly. Miakoda turned back to Calixta. "I'm going to let you get some rest now," she said.
"That sounds good," Calixta said, looking off into the distance with a faint smile on her face. "You're really nice. That intern, he was a nice person too. Everyone's nice. Really nice. Yeah."
Miakoda looked at her quizzically. "Even the Hawk that put you here, blew up our building, and got away scot-free?" she asked. "I wouldn't exactly call him nice."
Calixta frowned. "Well, no…but I'm sure he's nice deep down. Everyone's nice. This is a very happy place." She smiled. "Very white. White is happy."
"Ahhh…" The light went on in Miakoda's mind. "I guess it didn't take long for the codeine to start working."
"Codeine is very nice," Calixta said, grinning. "Very, very nice."
"I see," Miakoda said. "Well, since you're so happy, I'm going to go back to work, okay?"
"Okay," Calixta said. "Work is happy."
Miakoda smiled reassuringly and slipped out the door. She
shook her head. Mackenzie would be glad to know Calixta was all right, but it
would still be nice to have a better report. She wasn't feeling as optimistic
as the intern. It didn't seem to her that Calixta would be back to normal by
tomorrow. (Then again,) Miakoda reminded herself, (this is about as close to
normal as Calixta ever is anyway.) The thought disturbed her, so she pushed it
gently out of her head as she stepped outside into the sunshine.
------
It was a beautiful Saturday in downtown
She
sighed as she realized she had been reading the same page for the past twenty
minutes. (Face it Jameson,) she told herself, (You still can’t shake what that
girl told you.)
Ramirez…that
was her name. Amber Ramirez. She was getting too close to things that were
better left alone. Jameson needed to know what she was dealing with. If she was
just a girl who had stumbled in during the wrong time, then things could be
fixed. But if she was someone with too much knowledge and experience, she could
be dangerous…too dangerous. Reaching a decision, she pushed a button on her
desk. "Lieutenant Nakai."
"Yes,
Chief?" Miakoda's voice sounded over the receiver.
"Did
the doctor say when Calixta could come back?"
"Maybe
as early as tomorrow."
"Good.
Think she'll be up for a little research project?"
"Um…"
Miakoda hesitated. "You might want to ask her."
Mackenzie
sighed. "All right, I'll do that. Keep me appraised."
"Yes,
Chief." With that, Miakoda signed off.
Mackenzie
sighed again and leaned back in her chair, wincing as it creaked loudly. The
Lucifer Hawk they had fought three days ago had done a number to the building.
Her office had received the least amount of damage, and it had been one of the
first places to be repaired, but there was still a lot to be done. All the
walls needed new paint and the floor on the left side of the room had a huge
hole in it, with only a piece of plywood for covering.
She had a
hard time trying to decide just exactly *how* the repairs were to be done. The
Lucifer Hawk they had fought had disguised himself as a member of the technical
crew they had hired in order to upgrade the holographic modules. This caused a
major dilemma when trying to decide whom they could call to effect repairs
after the battle.
Finally
Adara proposed a solution that everyone could live with, namely hiring a
company that her father used frequently and having Calixta do background checks
on *everyone* who came into the building. It wasn’t one hundred percent
foolproof but it was close enough to make everyone else relax…except for
Calixta. Mackenzie felt a little guilty about putting her computer specialist
into overtime right out of the hospital. Still, she was confident Calixta could
handle any obstacle in front of her.
------
"Ow!"
Calixta tripped over a steel beam and fell gracelessly onto the floor of the
main lobby. "Why didn't you tell me that was there?"
"I
*did* tell you to watch your step," Miakoda reminded her patiently.
"Are you all right?"
"Fine,"
Calixta grumbled.
"You're
sure? Nothing's sprained or broken? Any dizziness or lightheadedness?"
"No,"
Calixta snapped. "And I don't care if I'm seeing pink giraffes and have
five pieces of bone sticking out of my leg; you're taking me back to that
hospital over my cold, dead body."
"Hey,
Solaris!" Adara waved at her across the room. "Nice move. Are you
feeling better?"
"Splendid,"
Calixta mumbled. "When are we going to get someone to clean this place
up?"
"I
was just going to talk to you about that," Adara said. "How do you
feel about being in charge of the background checks?"
"I'm
not sure she should be doing that much work right away," said Miakoda.
"The doctor said—"
"The
doctor doesn't know anything about it," Calixta interrupted. "I'll be
fine." She crossed the room briskly and sat down at the main computer. Her
fingers flew over the keyboard and she looked intently at the databases popping
up on the screen.
"Look,
I just think you should take it easy for a while," Miakoda explained.
"You've been through a lot over the past few days, and there's no sense in
putting your body through more stress just because—"
"Done!"
Calixta announced. She motioned Adara over. "Okay, this should let you
access and cross-reference most government records, including the FBI database.
Our access password is JRX0018ECC. I've also linked to a few underground
criminal networks, so if you get a red X in this field, you'll know there's
something shady going on. Make sure you run all their information through to
make sure it checks out, and run their references through as well—they should
have at least five. Any concerns or technical questions, call me over."
She grinned at Miakoda. "Is that taking it easy enough for you,
doctor?"
Miakoda
and Adara stared at her. Adara's mouth opened and closed a few times, and she
finally blurted out, "If it's this easy, why didn't we do this in the
first place?"
"Well,
we could have, but we just got our access password yesterday." Calixta
shook her head. "Stupid bureaucracies."
"So
we couldn't have done any of this before yesterday?" Adara asked.
"Well,
not *legally,* no. Of course, in retrospect, we should have just broken the law
like a porcelain doll, but how were we supposed to know that?"
"Or
we could have waited," Miakoda pointed out.
"Yeah,
I guess," Calixta said. "Anyway, we have access now, which allows for
nice, simple, mostly legal background checks."
"Well
done." Mackenzie's voice rang out behind her, warm and full of authority.
"You seem to be feeling better."
"Chief!"
Calixta smiled and saluted. "Yes, it's *very* good to be back."
"I'm
sorry to spoil the good feelings, but I have a project for you, if you're up to
it."
"Well,
as long as it doesn't involve explosions, Hawk fights, late hours, or a
high-cholesterol diet, it should be fine, right, doc?" She winked at
Miakoda.
"No,
no, it's nothing like that," Mackenzie assured her. "I'll tell you
about it in my office."
------
Mackenzie
shut the door and perched herself on her chair. "I'd offer you a seat,
but—" She gestured around the dilapidated office.
Calixta
shrugged. "It's all right. What can I do for you?"
"I
need a favor. Give me everything you can find on Amber Ramirez—official
and…unofficial."
"Understood.
You think she's going to be trouble?"
"I
think I'd like to know what we're up against. I always like to prepare for the
worst. When do you think you'll be ready to start?"
A look of
mild annoyance crossed Calixta's face. "I'm ready now. You'll have a
report by the end of the day."
"There's
no rush," Mackenzie said gently.
"All
right. Tomorrow morning, then." She stared defiantly at Mackenzie, as
though daring the chief to challenge her.
Mackenzie
looked at her computer specialist and understood. "I'll expect it on my
desk first thing tomorrow," she said. "Dismissed."
Calixta
saluted sharply and withdrew to her workstation across the hall. She turned her
computer on and smiled as the blue-green glow lit her office. "It's been
too long, old friend," she murmured. "Let's see what we can
find…"
Now that
she had the access password, it was actually fairly easy to obtain Ramirez's
official files. Within minutes, she had everything from the girl’s
identification number to her college transcripts downloaded and waiting to be
perused. The unofficial stuff, though, that was going to take some work. (This
is a job for
"All
right," Calixta said to herself, cracking her knuckles, "put on
something black and sexy and prepare to do some funky hacking."
Her mind
slipped into another world, a world of data, binary pathways, shortcuts, and
numbers flying by at lightning speed. She heard only the clicking of keys and
the frantic whirring of her computer. It could have been seconds or days. She
looked at her watch.
"Seven
minutes to hack into the CIA database?" Calixta exclaimed. "I must
have hit my head harder than I thought." She shook her head and began
reading. Her eyes widened as she scrolled through the information.
"Interesting…"
Calixta
sat transfixed, her mind continuing to absorb facts. She didn't see the sunset,
or notice her teammates leave, and her computer continued glowing well into the
night.
------
The
workroom in the New York Sentinel was strangely quiet. (Of course,) ace
reporter Amber Ramirez thought to herself, (I'm not usually here at
She was
so involved in her work that she never heard the footsteps come up behind her.
"What in the world are you doing here so late?"
She
started and whirled her chair around. "Daniels!" she exclaimed,
clutching a hand to her chest. Her eyes narrowed and she smacked him in the
arm. "Don't do that!"
"Sorry,"
Tad said sheepishly. "I thought you heard me coming up. And anyway, you
didn't answer my question. Why are you still here?"
She
gestured to the piles of paperwork that currently littered her normally tidy
desk. "I'm working."
"*Still*?
Amber, it's past
"Well
what are you doing here if it's so late?"
"I
just forgot something I needed," he dissembled, looking towards his desk.
(I can't tell her I got worried because she wasn't at home,) he thought.
Amber had
already returned to her work. "Who knew a simple story about mem-sweep
technology could turn into such a big hassle? My only sources won't talk, and
every time I find someone who *should* know something, they don't!" She
sighed. "I'm not going to get anywhere on this story."
"Maybe
you just need a fresh perspective," Tad suggested as he pulled up a chair.
"Let me see what you've got so far."
She
pulled up a few folders for him too look at. "See here. I got this name,
Mackenzie Jameson, from a reliable source that said she'd been involved in
mem-sweep stuff. But when I went to talk to her and her former commanding
officer, they both said that she'd been nowhere near anything involving
mem-sweep."
Tad
blinked his big hazel eyes. "Well, are you sure your source is
reliable?"
"I
know she is! At least, she *was* until she conveniently died a few days ago.
And I also think it's suspicious that Mackenzie Jameson was involved in a
supposed accident that left her with amnesia. She can't remember anything from
the time she was seventeen until she woke up from the accident when she was
twenty-nine. That's *exactly* what mem-sweep is supposed to be for,
Daniels," the young woman said intently. "I just can't shake the
feeling that she was a test subject and doesn't know it. But no one seems to
believe me."
The
dejected look on her face was hard for Tad to stand. "Don't worry, Amber.
I know you'll come up with something. And you have enough for a draft of what
Mortenson wanted you to cover, right?"
"Yeah,
I've got enough for a draft. I wrote a whole piece from a 'debate about'
point-of-view. But I *know* there's more to this story. And I won't rest until
I find the truth."
"Well
it's obvious you're not going to get anywhere with this
"She
refuses to even talk about the *possibility* that she was a mem-sweep test
case," Amber agreed.
"So
why don't you try getting information from someone else close to her? Maybe
someone who's as concerned as you are and would be willing to listen."
Amber's
brown eyes lit up with delight. "That's a great idea, Daniels!" She
threw her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug. "I've got the names of
some of her subordinates. Maybe I can talk to one of them…" She flipped
through one of her folders quickly before stopping and pointing to a name on
the page. "Adara Davis. She's Jameson's right-hand woman. I can catch her
coming off work tomorrow night, and hopefully she can tell me something! Thanks
again, Daniels! Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you."
She
hugged him again and didn't notice when he stiffened slightly, or the goofy
grin on his face when she let him go. She hastily turned back to her desk and
organized it quickly. "Okay, I'm off to get some sleep, and you should go
home too. Night, Daniels!" she called over her shoulder as she left the
office.
Tad
sighed as he watched her waltz out of the newsroom. It seemed like no matter
what he tried, he couldn't get Amber to even notice that he existed as more
than a friend. He shook his head somewhat self-depreciatingly as he headed over
to his desk and gathered a few files. Since he was already up, he might as well
finish the draft he had been working on earlier. At least one of them would get
a good night's sleep tonight.
------
\\"Blow
out the candles, Mackenzie!"
Mackenzie
looked over at her best friend and scowled. "I'm not three, you know,
Kendra. I'll blow out the damn things on my own." She stuck her tongue
out, but proceeded to laugh as Kendra returned the silly gesture.
"Come
on, Jameson," someone in the crowd called. "Don't keep everyone
hanging! Blow out the candles already!"
Mackenzie
took a deep breath and let it out, extinguishing the tiny flickering candles
that sat atop the white-frosted cake. Everyone in the room cheered and clapped
wildly, and she couldn’t keep herself from smiling. In the background, she
heard the phone start to ring, but she ignored it, figuring that her father
would answer it. She started to cut the cake, laughing and joking with several
of her friends who had gathered around her.
The scene
played out like a bad movie. She heard the phone drop and turned to see her
father staring straight ahead, a glazed look on his face.
"Daddy?"
She took a hesitant step forward. "Dad?"
"That
was Captain Kingsley. Nick…"
Mackenzie
felt the tears start to collect in her eyes. "No, Daddy," she
whispered.
He took a
shuddering breath and nodded. "Nick's dead, baby. Your brother died."\\
She felt
the world around her shatter…and woke up in her bed, gasping for breath.
"Damn it," she whispered to the empty room. She closed her eyes and
leaned back against the headboard. If she concentrated, she could almost see
Nick's face, the expression locked in eternal exuberance, the same way she had
seen him before he left for the last time.
She ran a
hand through her sleep-tousled hair, trying to put the dream, the memory, out
of her mind. She knew from years of experience that she wasn't likely to get
any more sleep that night, so she wrapped herself in a robe and poured herself
a glass of water before deciding to check her e-mail. Mackenzie noticed with
some surprise an e-mail with a large attachment from Calixta. She opened it.
"Hey
Chief," it ran. "Here's what I found about Amber Ramirez. I'll give
you my report tomorrow, but here's the more extensive information if you're
interested."
Mackenzie
smiled slightly. That poor girl was absolutely hell-bent on proving herself for
some reason. Still, she was grateful for the distraction. Anything to take her
mind away from the memories that couldn't seem to leave her alone.
------
The next
day brought gray skies that added to her already sour mood. Deciding on a whim
to do something about it, Mackenzie called the office and told Miakoda to tell
Adara that she was in charge for the day. Then she made another phone call, to
a man that had acted as a father to her since she had awoken as a
seventeen-year-old in a twenty nine-year-old's body.
"Damien
Marshall, please," she told the young female secretary who answered the
phone.
"Captain
Marshall is very busy. May I ask who is calling?"
Mackenzie
rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to growl at the little twit. "This
is *Commander* Mackenzie Jameson, Petty Officer. Please inform the Captain that
I wish to speak with him. I assure you, he is not too busy for me."
"Please
hold," the young woman said in a small voice. Mackenzie smiled with some
satisfaction. At least she could still put the fear of God into a Petty
Officer.
The phone
clicked once and a new voice came on the line. "Well, if it isn't my
favorite commander. How are you doing, James?" Damien Marshall asked
warmly.
"Just
fine, sir. Just fine. Listen, I was wondering if I could meet you for lunch
today. Say
"Let
me check…" He trailed off and she heard the sharp sound of keys clicking
in the background. "I'm free this afternoon, so it sounds like a date! But
I've got to ask, James, what brought this on so suddenly?"
"Oh
nothing really," the dark woman dissembled. "Just feeling a little
nostalgic lately and thought I'd look you up. We haven't seen each other in a
while."
"Mm-hmm."
She
sighed. "Yeah. Same thing, except this time I remembered…we got the phone
call the day of my party, didn't we?"
There was
an uncomfortable pause. "Let's meet for lunch, James. We'll talk about it
more then.
"Right.
See you then." With a soft click, she set the phone on its receiver.
Turning the uneasy portion of their conversation over in her mind, she stared
out the window and wondered just what her old friend was going to tell her at
lunch.
Four
hours passed quickly, and before she knew it, she was sitting in a small booth
at the back of Café Diana's. A waitress came up to take her order, and she
thought a bit before finally deciding on a glass of lemon tea. She had just
placed her order when a tall black-haired man entered the restaurant and came
over with a smile. She stood as he approached.
"Hello,
Captain."
He smiled
fondly and shook his head. "We're off duty, James. You can call me
Damien."
She
smiled back. "Force of habit, I'm afraid," she replied as they sat
down. "How've things been, Damien?"
"Oh,
just fine." He smiled at the waitress as she returned with Mackenzie's tea,
and placed his own order of coffee and a turkey sandwich. Mackenzie also
ordered a sandwich, and the two of them chatted inconsequentially for a while
before the food came.
Mackenzie
frowned. "It's the dreams again. I think I remembered more. We were at our
house and I had a few friends over for my birthday. I could hear the phone
ringing and my dad came out. He said that Nick had died." She dropped her
gaze to her tea. "Can you believe I almost can't remember what he looked
like? It's been so long…"
Damien
placed a sympathetic hand over hers. "It's all right, James. You know the
accident played hell with your memory. It's only expected that some things
would be less clear than you want them to be."
The hand
that was currently not being held by her former commander clenched. "I
don't like it!" she whispered fiercely. “I hate having these…these *holes*
in my memory! I can barely remember what my own brother looks like!" Then
she turned with a hurt look toward the older man. "Why didn't you tell me
about when he died?"
"You
know what the doctors said. It's better if we allow your memories to return on
their own. I told you all I thought I could get away with. You're very
important to me, Mackenzie Jameson. Almost like the little sister I never had.
I didn't want to do anything to hurt you."
Mackenzie
broke away from his gaze. "All right, I understand." She took another
sip of tea before returning to her sandwich. "But it doesn't mean I have
to like it. Or that I'm going to stop searching for answers about my
past."
This
caused
"I
can hardly remember her," she sighed dejectedly. She turned an intense
gaze on him and tightened her grip on his hand. "Damien, please…tell me
about her."
His eyes
hardened. "You know I can't. The doctors said…"
"Damn
the doctors! I don't give a *fuck* about what the doctors said! I want to know!
This isn't fair!"
"Keep
your voice down," he hissed at her.
She
glanced around furtively and saw that they had indeed drawn curious stares.
"I'm sorry. But I need to know about her. And about my brother and my
past!"
"I
can't tell you anything, Commander Jameson. I am under doctor's orders, and I
won't defy them just because *you* want me to."
"Then
I don't see that we have much more to say to one another," she said
coldly. "Good day, *Captain.*" With those last words she stalked out
of the restaurant, not bothering to look back.
"Damn
it, James,"
------
Adara had
just gotten home from work and finished setting up for her favorite game when
the phone rang. She stopped, looked at the phone, looked back to the game room,
and sighed. Picking up the phone, she answered, "Adara Davis."
"Um,
hi," came a slightly nervous voice over the line. "My name is Amber
Ramirez and I'm a reporter with the New York Sentinel. I'm doing a story on
mem-sweep technology and I was wondering if I could interview you."
"Interview
me?" Adara asked as she frowned at the phone. "Why in the world would
you want to interview *me* about mem-sweep technology?" Then it hit her
just who was calling. "Oh. You're that reporter the Chief was talking
with."
"By
'Chief,' you mean Commander Jameson, right? I talked to her, but she didn't—I
mean she wasn't able to give me much information."
"Well
then, I don't see why you think I can help you. The Chief's more up to date on
government technology than I am. I'm sorry, but—"
"Wait!"
Amber interrupted her. "Please, listen. I think there's something going on
that involves Commander Jameson. I don't really want to go into it over the
phone. If we could meet somewhere…"
Adara was
about to tell the reporter to leave her alone and mind her own business, but
something in the young woman's voice made her change her mind. "All
right," she found herself saying. "Why don't you come over to my
place? We can have a drink and talk about things."
"Thank
you! I really appreciate this."
Adara
rattled off her address and gave the reporter a few last instructions before
she hung up the phone. "And it was looking like such a peaceful night
too," she sighed as she gazed at the game room forlornly.
A few
hours later found the lieutenant commander ushering her night visitor into the
house and serving coffee in the drawing room. Amber seemed awed by the lavish
decorations and the sheer size of the small mansion.
"This
is amazing," the reporter breathed as she took in the sights.
Adara hid
a smile behind her coffee mug. "Thank you, Ms. Ramirez. I'm afraid I'm
somewhat of an elitist when it comes to architecture and interior design."
"You
really have done a wonderful job. But I guess that's not really why I came
here, right?" She set her coffee mug down and turned a serious gaze on the
auburn-haired woman. "I wanted to talk to you about Commander Jameson. I
think she's been mem-sweeped."
Adara
blinked. "Excuse me? You think the Commander's been mem-sweeped? What gave
you a ridiculous idea like that? Don't you think we'd notice if she suddenly
lost her memory?"
"Not
recently," Amber said exasperatedly. "Six years ago. The accident
Commander Jameson was involved in on the _Victorious_…I don't think it *was* an
accident."
Adara's
eyes narrowed. "Ms. Ramirez, that accident is well documented by Navy
records. I'll admit it's a bit suspicious the way she lost those memories, but
it certainly doesn't mean she was mem-sweeped! What possible reason would someone
have for using mem-sweep on Commander Jameson, anyway? She was a simple
Lieutenant Commander serving on the _Victorious_."
Amber
chewed her bottom lip. "I'll admit that I'm not sure *why* someone would
mem-sweep her," she said hesitantly. "But I know what my instincts
tell me, and they say that there's a lot more to Mackenzie Jameson than what
the records show. The _Victorious_ is an intelligence ship, isn't it?"
"Yes,
it is. But I still don't see what that has to do with the Commander being
mem-sweeped."
"Look,
I'm just suggesting that maybe things aren't as clear-cut as the Navy records
make them out to be. I got Commander Jameson's name from a source I trust. You
have more resources than I do, so what could it hurt to do a little checking
and make *sure* everything's on the up and up?"
"Ever
heard of a little thing called invasion of privacy?" Adara said
sarcastically. She sighed. "Look, I don't know whether I should trust you
or not. All you've done is raise questions and speculations that are completely
unfounded."
"I
can't give you more than that! But I *know* that Captain Marshall was being
less than honest with me when I talked to him. And I also know that Jameson
won't disbelieve anything he says because *she* trusts him. I just think it's a
bit suspicious that all the information on her accident is filtered through him
in some way."
The
mention of
"What?"
"Nothing.
Never mind. I can't promise anything but…I'll try to look into some things. Do
you have a number I can reach you at?"
Amber
immediately brightened as she flipped open her ever-present notepad and
scribbled down a few things. "Thanks a lot, Adara! I can call you Adara,
right? Of course you can call me Amber. Trust me, you won't regret this."
The
auburn-haired woman sighed as she shut the door behind her guest after ushering
her out. "I certainly hope not," she whispered to the empty room. It
was time to call Calixta.
------
Calixta
was in the middle of brushing up on her black-belt tae kwon do form when the
phone rang. She did two handsprings across the room and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"I
hope I'm not interrupting anything," Adara said.
"Nah,"
Calixta said. "I was just in the middle of an unsanctioned martial arts
practice. Not exactly what the doctor ordered. So what's up?"
Adara
sighed, not exactly sure where to start. "I got a phone call from a
reporter, Amber Ramirez. She'd been talking to the chief—"
"About
the mem-sweep story, right?"
"Right.
How did you know?"
"Well,
when the Chief had me research her, I took a look at her latest story drafts.
Really interesting stuff. Did you know that the first mem-sweeps were conducted
in
"No,
I didn't," Adara said, a little annoyed at the irrelevant information.
"But anyway—"
"Yeah,"
Calixta interrupted. "And no wonder they had it, too, what with all the
uprisings and terrorist attacks. Basically the soldiers had to enforce a
military state and attack dissenting civilians. Pretty brutal. I could see how
you'd want to forget that. And of course the military ate the mem-sweep idea up
because it made the soldiers easier to control. Of course, this is where a lot
of the debate is coming in—"
"Calixta,
I don't give a damn about the debates. The point is, Amber Ramirez thinks the
chief was a test subject."
"Ahh…so
*that's* the missing link." Calixta paused reflectively, then shrugged.
"Well, if she says so, it's probably true."
"Am
I the only one around here who needs *proof* before accepting these ridiculous
theories?" Adara exclaimed.
"No,
no, no," Calixta assured her. "It's just that—the girl has
razor-sharp instincts. She…has a way of knowing things. It's uncanny."
"You
have a lot of faith in her, considering she's a total stranger."
"Well,
obviously you don't completely distrust her either, or you wouldn't have called
me." Calixta sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Look, if
you promise not to tell anyone, I'll tell you why I believe her."
Adara
leaned back on her leather sofa, curious in spite of herself. "I'm all
ears."
"And
no mouth, right? Fine. It has to do with Tico Hernandez Garza."
The
socialite flipped through her mental catalogue of names. It sounded familiar,
but… "Who…?" she murmured.
"The
Peruvian president about five years ago."
"Oh,
right." It clicked now. "The one who was assassinated by terrorists,
right?"
"That's
the story up here, anyway. But Ramirez wrote an editorial about two years ago
indicting the CIA for his death and advising against further US interference in
the Latin American Coalition."
"That
just proves she's a political power broker and a conspiracy theorist,"
Adara said tartly. "It probably *was* terrorists."
"No,
it wasn't," Calixta insisted. "I lived in
"But
that doesn't mean it *was* the CIA, or that Ramirez had any special knowledge
of what happened," Adara argued.
"That
isn't conclusive, no," Calixta agreed. "But then when the polls pulled
out Pablo Romero Muñoz as Tico's successor, and when he was so eager to work
with American businesses at the expense of Peru's indigenous economic
development…well, that indicated a few things. And then there are the CIA
records themselves."
"What?"
The word fell with a dull thud. "Don't tell me you hacked into the CIA's
computers."
"Well,
I prefer to call it, um…" The computer specialist searched for a suitable
euphemism. "I guess there's no way of getting around that—which is why you
can't tell anyone. Anyway, Ramirez has a CIA file as long as your arm, dating
back to that article. If she keeps going at this rate, they're going to have to
either recruit her or kill her."
Adara
shuddered slightly. "Well, despite her brilliant record, the fact remains
that she doesn't have any evidence about the Chief one way or another."
She paused. "Which is where you come in."
------
Calixta
stared, bleary-eyed, at her computer. (I can't believe I'm doing this again,)
she thought. (Why can't I just say no? No, I won't hack into the CIA database.
No, I won't risk my job by illegally accessing classified Navy files. No, I
won't pry into things that aren't any of my business.)
ACCESS
DENIED.
The words
flashed prohibitively in red on the screen. "And furthermore," Calixta
wondered aloud, "why can't I just take no for an answer?"
She
stretched out her fingers and began exploring the network's back roads. In that
moment, she understood. (I can't say no, because I want to understand,) she
realized. (I have to know, and I understand that other people have to know,
too. Seek, and you will find.)
But there
wasn't anything there.
Calixta
blinked and looked again. Where the file should have been, there was a black
empty space. (Someone deleted it. But if it was recent enough…)
Calixta
plunged into the hidden depths of the database, her eyes searching for the
slightest glimmer. She would find what she was looking for. She had no
intention of coming up empty-handed.
------
Darkness
had fallen without Mackenzie noticing. She sat at the bar in her apartment
nursing a neat scotch and thinking about the words that had passed between her
and Damien Marshall. Part of her felt remorseful for her treatment of her
superior officer. The rest of her was really too drunk and pissed off to care.
She couldn't believe the nerve of Damien. After all they'd been through, the
fact that he could still refuse to tell her about her past really hurt.
Downing
the rest of her drink in one swallow, she set the glass heavily on the bar.
That was the fourth or fifth such drink she'd had. And since she wasn't one for
heavy drinking, she decided that it would also be the last. She took another
look around the large, empty apartment and decided that she would try to get
some rest. Sitting around and being depressed just wasn't her style, and
besides, she had work to do tomorrow. ECC wasn't going to run itself.
She slept
fitfully. In her mind's eye, she saw the faces of everyone she had known, one
after the other. The images started to blur together until she couldn't
recognize any of the faces she saw. She cried out in her sleep.
["Take
the shot."
"I'll
take the shot when *I* deem it appropriate, not when you order me to. Just a
little closer…"
"Who's
there?" Mackenzie asked the surrounding darkness. Was this a dream?
Suddenly,
a face popped out of the darkness. Mackenzie stifled a scream and jumped back
as she saw the pale face and sightless eyes. The body dropped heavily to the
floor as a feminine laugh echoed in the empty space.
The
darkness started to dissipate and she could make out vague shapes surrounding
her. A rustling noise sounded in the distance, coming closer and closer until
it was almost on top of her.
A heavy
hand fell on her shoulder, startling her and making her whirl around. A black and
green face stared back at her. "You still with us?"
"What—"
"Take
the damn shot!"
She was
breathing heavily as she looked down on the crowd of people below her. No one
knew just how close she was. She was the best. And she was going to…
Her
attention was distracted as a brown and white Saker Falcon flew overhead.
She
looked up into a barely recognizable face. The edges were blurred and the
features softened almost to the point that she could not distinguish anything.
A soft voice was humming a half-remembered tune.
"That's
because she's the best. She's got a reputation to live up to, remember?"
(That's
the whole damn problem, isn't it?) she thought bitterly. (I *don't* remember.)
"Mackenzie?
Hey, sis! You coming or not?"
"Nick?"
she asked as she turned her head. She saw a young boy of fourteen gesturing to
her from a bright field of grass.
"Come
on! Dad's going to beat us there!"
"Nick!"
She ran toward him, but as she watched, something tore into him from the side,
splattering blood over the peaceful scene. His body fell to the ground.
Mackenzie turned to see a shady figure holding a gun that was leveled at where
her brother had been standing.
"Why?"
she asked brokenly.
"I'm
the best," a woman's voice answered.
"I
don't understand…"]
Mackenzie
woke up and found her pillow drenched in tears. She felt like a little girl
with her mind caught in a nightmare, and no one was around to tell her that it
was only a dream. And even if there had been, she wasn't sure she would have
believed them.
------
"Well,
here's the information you're looking for." Calixta threw a sealed
envelope onto Adara's kitchen counter.
Adara
nodded and handed Calixta a cup of coffee. "Good. Amber should be here in
a few minutes. The traffic isn't usually too bad at this hour of the morning."
She leaned forward. "Is the Chief on the list?"
"I
have no idea," Calixta said. "I didn't look at it." At Adara's
look of surprise, she explained, "I figure that if someone finds out,
they'll only need a little torturing before they realize I haven't seen
it."
"Torture
is a little extreme," Adara pointed out. "They'll probably just
inject you with sodium pentathol."
Calixta
shuddered. "That's even worse."
The
doorbell rang, and Adara left to answer the door. When she came back, the short
Hispanic woman was with her. Adara offered her a drink, and Amber accepted a
cup of coffee.
"Thank
you *so* much for helping me," Amber said volubly. "I really
appreciate it, um—" She faltered a little when she noticed the computer
specialist.
"Calixta.
Computer specialist and expert stable cleaner."
"I
see." Amber looked less than confident. Well, Calixta couldn't blame her.
It wasn't as though she had offered a promising first impression.
"Calixta
got the list of mem-sweep test subjects," Adara explained, gesturing to
the envelope on the counter.
"A
partial list," Calixta corrected. "Someone had deleted the file a few
days ago, but I was able to restore about 75 percent of it."
Amber
tore open the envelope. Her eyes skimmed over the list of names. "She's
not on here," she said dully.
"Well,
that's good news, right?" Adara said hopefully.
"Not
really, because she could still be in the 25 percent," Calixta said.
"We don't *know* anything."
Without
warning, Amber banged her fist on the table next to her so hard that the mugs
sitting on it shook. "Damn it!
I—I just wanted to *know!*" Anger flared in her eyes for a moment
before she schooled her face back into a semblance of calm and smiled
apologetically at the other women. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over
me…"
"Well,
you have a list of sources now," Adara said sensibly. "And besides,
you still have the source you got the Chief's name from, right?"
"Well,
no," Amber said. "She's dead now. She probably died while I was
talking to her."
"Ah."
Something clicked in Calixta's mind. "Admiral Henderson, I take it?"
Amber
turned abruptly and stared at her. The redhead was obviously sharper than she
looked. "That's right, but how—"
"I
keep an eye on the obituaries," Calixta explained. Amber could sense there
was more to it than that, but she didn't say anything. "I wondered about
her death…heart failure, I think they said."
"The
timing was very convenient," Amber said bitterly. "But I can't
*prove* anything." She picked up the envelope and tucked it into her
purse. "I'm sorry. I meant to help you—I *wanted* to help you…"
"You
did your best," Adara assured her. "And now we know to keep our eyes
open, so we will."
A new
fire blazed in Amber's eyes. "So will I," she said.
As she
left the kitchen, she felt someone catch her by the shoulder. She turned and
saw Calixta standing next to her. "Look," she said. "I like you.
And I know you want to understand what's going on. But I don't think you know
what you're up against."
Amber's
eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to warn me away?"
"No,
it's just—cuidate, Ramirez."
Be
careful. The Spanish advice took Amber by surprise, but she remained firm. "I'm going to figure this out," she
insisted. She made her exit and shut the door behind her before Calixta could
say another word.
Calixta
sighed. "Then God help you."
------
Amber
looked up at the tall apartment building with a little bit of nervousness.
Mackenzie Jameson definitely had the ability to intimidate her. But, the young
reporter vowed, this was the last time she was going to stick her neck out for
the older woman. Gathering her wits about her, she strode up confidently to the
front door.
"Good
evening, madam," the stocky doorman said to her, tipping his hat over a head
of jet-black hair. His dark eyes glittered dangerously.
Warning
bells went off in Amber’s mind. This was the exact same feeling she had gotten
right before the explosion last week. She clutched her necklace and afforded
him a nervous smile. "I'm here to see Mackenzie Jameson."
The man’s
eyes narrowed. "Is she expecting you?"
"We
have a standing appointment," Amber replied evenly.
"By
all means then, go on in, and I hope you have a pleasant day." He bowed as
he held open the door for her.
His last
sentence having confirmed her suspicions, Amber entered and headed up the
stairs with one last nervous glance in his direction. (I've got to warn Commander Jameson,) she
thought to herself.
She
reached Jameson's third floor apartment and knocked. There was no answer. She
knocked again and spent a nervous few minutes hoping that Mackenzie was
actually home. Just as she was about to leave, the door opened and the
apartment's owner stood on the other side, scowling. "What are you doing
here, Ms. Ramirez?"
Swallowing
her nervousness, Amber put on a cheerful smile. "Aren't you going to
invite me in?"
The scowl
deepened as Mackenzie stepped aside, allowing the younger woman to enter the
apartment. Once the door was closed, Amber dropped the cheerful façade and said
intently, "I think your doorman might be a bad guy. What is it you call
them? Hawks? He’s got the same feeling as that guy from last week, right before
the explosion."
Mackenzie
blinked. "You think my *doorman* is a Lucifer Hawk? And just how much do
you know, anyway?"
Before
she could answer, they were interrupted by the door being blasted inward.
Mackenzie cursed as she beheld the glowing red eyes set in a partially human
face that was now transforming into something otherworldly. The ECC's commander
shoved her guest out of the way as the Hawk's long arm shot forward. It missed
its target, but slammed into a cabinet, breaking dishes and scattering other
small knickknacks.
Mackenzie
raced towards her bedroom, and her gun, leaving Amber alone with the Lucifer
Hawk. The reporter screamed as it turned its attention to her and grabbed her
by the throat in one of its overly large, clawed hands. She felt it squeeze,
and she brought her hands up to try to force him to let go. She could feel her
lungs burning with the need for air, and the pressure on her throat was
becoming almost unbearable. Just as she thought she might pass out, a red
streak shot past her head and collided with the monster's arm, causing it to
howl in pain and release its hold. Amber sank to the floor, taking in a huge
lungful of air as she tried to recover.
"That
was a mistake, human," the Lucifer Hawk said, its voice dripping with
malice as it held its injured arm.
"It's
you," Jameson breathed. "You're the same Hawk that blew up our
office!" She gritted her teeth in anger. "Damn it! Do you have any
idea how much damage you caused?"
Amber
looked at the other woman askance. This thing was here to kill them, and she
was worried about the amount of property damage?
"Puny
human. You have no idea what you face. I am Isheth Mannos do Kauas! *I* will be
the one to defeat you and open the gates to Nemesis!"
Then he
looked at her with his deep red eyes, and Mackenzie let out a stifled shout as
she felt the headache from earlier coming back with a vengeance. "Face your
deepest fear, Mackenzie Jameson! Face
the truth you have run from for so long."
It felt
like her mind was shattering. A thousand thoughts, memories, and dreams
intersected at one point in time. All of them were equally strong and all were
equally demanding her attention. Blackness was closing in on her vision, and
she knew that it would soon be too late for either her or Amber.
"Call
them," she managed to gasp out through the pain. She threw something at
the young reporter weakly; a small communication device. Then the pain overtook
her and she collapsed onto the floor.
"Hello?
Hello! Is anyone answering this thing?" Amber pushed buttons frantically
as she tried to get the device to work.
"Get
away from that!" Mannos roared. He tried to grab her in one of his claws,
but she managed to dodge, and he needed all his energy to keep Mackenzie in the
debilitating state he had her in now. He growled as tried to focus more effort
on the spell he was casting.
"If
anyone's listening, you have to get to Commander Jameson's apartment now! We're
being attacked…" She was cut off as Mannos managed to hit her this time,
smacking the communicator out of her hand and breaking a few bones in the
process. Amber clutched her injured hand and snarled.
"That's
my writing hand, damn it!" She saw Mackenzie’s discarded gun lying a few
feet from her, and wondered if there was any way she could get it before the
monster could notice and kill her for trying. Things were definitely *not*
looking good.
(Think,
Ramirez, think!) She grabbed wildly and felt something smooth brush against her
hand. Grabbing it, she winced as she felt the sharp edge of a broken piece of
glass cut into her palm. She tightened her grip on it, however, and plunged it
directly into the monster's arm.
Mannos
cried out in surprise and looked down, allowing Amber just enough time to
scramble for the gun. "Insufferable human!" he roared as he tore the
glass from his arm. The wound sealed itself up quickly. He started towards the
young reporter, who had backed into a wall and leveled the gun at him.
"Stay
back!"
He
snorted in amusement. "You think that weapon will hurt me?"
He
advanced towards her and she tightened her good hand on the gun, gasping as she
felt the cold metal cut into the already painful wound on her palm. Without
thinking, she fired a shot, and her eyes widened as she saw the round slam into
his shoulder, spraying aquamarine blood a short distance.
He hardly
paused. Amber started to shake as she realized that she was probably about to
die. He advanced again, and she fired another round. This time he growled and
shot out his hand, grasping her around the throat once more. "No more
playing, human. This time I'll snap your neck like the bug you are."
She felt
his grip tighten, and then heard a cacophony of sound. She wondered if that was
what it sounded like when you died. Then she felt his grip loosen, and she
sucked in a grateful breath of air. As her eyes refocused, she could see that
he had turned to face three new women who had entered the battle.
"First
you damage our headquarters, and now you have the *nerve* to attack our
commander? You're going down, ugly," Adara stated as she faced him down.
"A
bit dramatic, but you can't argue with the sentiment," Calixta agreed.
The three
spread out and Miakoda cast a quick spell, forming a shield that served to push
the Hawk in her teammates' direction. Adara followed up with a small burst of
flame, and Calixta took her time before aiming and firing three simultaneous
rounds into the Hawk's head. Mannos roared in anger and confusion. Finally
realizing that he would not win this battle, he growled and teleported away to
heal himself.
"Are
you all right?" Miakoda asked as she knelt next to Amber.
"Mostly,"
the young woman croaked as she rubbed her sore throat. "Right hand's
broken, and I've got a nasty cut on the left one, but other than that, I think
I'll be okay."
Miakoda
nodded sympathetically and pulled out the emergency medical kit they had
brought. "We'll fix you right up," she assured Amber as she started
to work. "Don't worry about a thing."
Meanwhile,
Adara and Calixta were checking on Mackenzie. Calixta sighed as she ran a
portable scanner over her commander. "Well, this thing isn't exactly set
up for a medical scan, but it *looks* like she's mostly okay."
Adara
nodded. "All right. Let's get the paramedics in here and get them both to
a hospital. We got pretty lucky this time."
To that,
Calixta could only nod in agreement.
------
`
Calixta
was getting awfully sick of seeing the inside of a hospital room. (At least
this time I'm not the patient,) she thought to herself. She, Adara, Miakoda,
and Amber Ramirez were gathered around the small hospital bed where Mackenzie
was recovering from her ordeal.
"So
when do you think they'll let you out of here, Commander?" Adara asked.
"I'm
just being kept overnight for observation," Mackenzie assured the
lieutenant commander. "I'll be taking tomorrow off, so you'll be in
charge, but I'll be back the day after that."
Adara
saluted smartly and grinned. "I'll be sure to keep these two in line for
the day," she said, indicating Miakoda and Calixta. Both of them shot her
mock glares.
"Actually,
I'm hoping you'll be able to keep these *three* in line," Mackenzie
replied as she looked in Amber's direction.
"Me?"
the reporter squeaked.
"If
you think you're up for it, I'd like you to become a member of our team. The
ECC could use your skills and your instincts in the fight against the Lucifer
Hawks."
Amber looked
quickly at Mackenzie, wondering just how much the ECC's chief knew about where
her so-called "instincts" came from. (Not that I have anything to be
afraid of if they know…Adara throws fireballs and Miakoda casts spells, so it's
not as though they're exactly what I'd call normal,) she thought. She glanced around at the encouraging faces
that filled the room. These women were all people she could definitely see
herself liking...although the redheaded crazy girl was going to take some
getting used to. And she found that she would really like to get to know them
better. Add that to the fact that she'd be helping to save the world, and there
was really only one reply she could come up with. "Sure."
The
others smiled and welcomed her to the team one by one. When it came back to
Mackenzie, she shook the younger woman's hand gently and said, "Welcome to
Equine Cleanup and Control. Adara and Calixta will start your training first
thing tomorrow morning." She paused to get everyone's attention. "I
want you all to be alert. That Category One we dealt with managed to escape,
and he may turn up again."
"Someone
should stay here, then," Amber suggested. "After all, he seems to be
targeting you. Although I'm not sure what the connection between the Hawks, the
government, and mem-sweep technology is…"
Jameson's
eyes hardened. "We have no evidence that he was involved in anything
having to do with mem-sweep. He was probably targeting me because I am the
ECC's commander. Taking me out would be quite a victory for the enemy."
Adara,
Amber, and Calixta exchanged an unreadable look. Finally, Adara spoke up. "Commander…I
know it's odd, but I think Amber's theories might bear some investigation. I
mean you can't be one hundred percent sure about Captain Marshall, right? Some
of the things he said were really suspicious."
"The
subject is closed," Mackenzie replied in a tone that brooked no argument.
The others fell silent.
"I
guess we really should be getting back to the office," Calixta said
finally, breaking the tension. "We'll keep an eye out for everything while
you're gone, Chief."
"Thank
you, Lieutenant. Good night, everyone."
Miakoda
lagged behind as the other filed silently out of the room. "James, are you
sure you're okay with all of this?" she asked seriously.
Mackenzie
cracked a small smile. "It's been a while since you've called me that,
Miakoda
allowed herself a small smile. "And it's been a while since *anyone* has
called me
Mackenzie
broke her subordinate's gaze and stared out the small hospital room's window.
"I don't want to believe her. I've known Damien Marshall for a long time,
Miakoda
was silent for a long moment. Finally, she chewed her lip slightly and said,
"I guess…I think everyone needs something or someone to believe in. For
me, it's Jesus Christ and the saving power of the cross. But for you, it's your
faith in order and the chain of command. But James, please remember that people
are not infallible, and the chain of command is only as good as the people who
make up that chain."
"I'll
remember. But I *know* Damien Marshall. He's been like a brother to me,
-----------------------------------
Next
Episode Preview:
Amber: All
my life, I have watched. Reported. And now I find myself on the front lines of a
fight I don't completely understand. I'm trying to find a balance between my
old life and my new one, but it isn't easy. And keeping the ECC a secret
without lying? Also tough. Sure, my new
job is stressful sometimes, but that's nothing a healthy dose of homemade
Mexican food won't fix!
Next
Episode: Veritas