Dome Surveillance
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AT ABYDOS UNIVERSITY
Dr. Bilden is at his desk reviewing statistics of last term’s grades. His assistant buzzes, and sounding a bit surprised, she says, “The chancellor’s on the line. He’s demanding to talk to you at once.”
“Okay, I’ll take the call. Thank you…Hello.”
“This is Supreme Chancellor Jerka. How familiar are you with the engineering and construction at The Dome?”
“Not much—why?”
“We’re having some problems, and I need fresh minds evaluating the situation. How soon can you accompany me? This is urgent.” His lie to Raefell Nuggen puts him in a panic.
“I don’t hold the required clearance.”
“I’ll get resolution within the hour. Who do I need to call at the university to get you released to me? You’re going to need some of your faculty members to assist you, but we can talk about the details when we go to the job site.”
“You get me cleared with my supervisor, and a security pass, and I can be ready first thing tomorrow.” He can’t get the approvals so fast.
“I’ll send my AeroBus to pick you up at your home in two hours, bring you to my office, and we’ll catch the MagnaTranz. You’ll need clothing and personals for at least three days.” He hangs up before Bilden can respond.
No wonder Marshon is stressed and under a lot of pressure.
He can’t let the supreme find out he is aware of the missing data. He must appear not to grasp the magnitude or severity of the problem. He can talk to the doctor when he gets to The Dome. He buzzes his assistant and, assuming Jerka arranges with his superiors, he says, “Something important came up, and I’m going away for a few days. I’ll check with you at times, and I’ll be leaving soon to go home and pack.”
He packs his portable computer, locks his desk, and walks out of the office. He hurries to the train and calls his wife. “I’ll be home before long. An emergency arose at The Dome Project, and the supreme chancellor is insisting I accompany him this afternoon. I’ll need three days of clothing packed when I get to the house. His AeroBus is picking me up in about one and a half hours.”
“You’re jesting, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not joking. This is urgent.”
“Does a crisis exist for real? I can’t believe he’s demanding you drop everything on the spot to do his bidding.”
“I’m unaware of what the emergency is—even when I find out, I won’t be able to tell you. All work inside The Dome is classified.”
“Fantastic—did you forget we’re hosting a dinner party here tomorrow evening? The event is your idea, and they’re your co-workers. You expect me to do what—entertain them by myself?”
“You’re right. I forgot—postpone the festivity. Tell them I went to The Dome to help with an emergency. Express my apologies.”
A short time later, Bilden stands in his foyer with his wife waiting for his ride. Tension is evident by the frowns on their faces. “I’ll be back before long.”
The AeroBus arrives. “Hold things together while I’m gone. I’ll be back soon.” He kisses her on the forehead and hurries out.
“The nerve of the chancellor—disrupting our plans with so little time,” she says, slamming the door.
The door closes, and the unit accelerates away with a blue light flashing, signaling others to yield.
The car did not come to a full stop before Jerka rushes out. He waits as the door opens and ducks and walks inside. “To the MagnaTranz...”
The transporter moves off the parking platform and begins to descend in a vertical motion. “Glad you came along, Bilden. Soon, the train will pass the checkpoint. Afterwards, I’ll tell you what’s going on. Here’s a temporary bracelet. You must wear the device at all times when in The Dome. The code in the…”
Inside the secured area, the chancellor begins to explain the dilemma. “We need to consider the possibility the data won’t be recovered—worst-case scenario. The engineering management at the project tells me they need several years, as a minimum, to recover from what little paper documentation remains. The length of time is unacceptable. Whatever resources you need, regardless of cost, I’ll provide, but time’s vital. I can’t imagine the horror and panic of the general populace if the word gets out we’re not close to a solution, to a possible environmental catastrophe.”
The delay will be a political disaster for the Integrity Party and you. Nobody is more dangerous than a cornered animal, and the chancellor finds himself in a corner with no obvious exit. Bilden realizes he, like Marshon, is in a precarious predicament. His anxiety returns.
THE DOME PROJECT
Soon, the MagnaTranz comes to a smooth stop at the CDC platform in The Dome, and Keiver Belan greets them. Introductions follow, and the chancellor says to him, “I must return to the city for several meetings this evening. Take the professor to Guest Quarters, and make sure he’s comfortable. Dr. Bilden, I’ll meet you here at 0700 tomorrow morning for breakfast. I plan to spend the day with you while we both get oriented and learn our way around.” Jerka remembers his recent chastisement by Raefell Nuggen. “This is my number-one priority. I’ll be spending much of my time here until this situation is resolved. Now, I must catch the outbound MagnaTranz—good day. Oh yeah, find and talk to Dr. Marshon if you can.”
Belan is polite but distant Bilden realizes as his AeroBus takes him to Guest Quarters. They arrive at the check-in desk, and he turns him over to an aide. “Put him in one of our finest rooms, and assist him as he gets settled. He’s a special visitor of the supreme chancellor. Take him to dinner when he’s ready. Sir, if you need anything, call the front office.”
He examines his new accommodations and sets his luggage in the closet. “I’m famished. I missed lunch in the rush to get here. The quarters are excellent. Will you escort me to the dining room?”
The cafeteria is a short walk down the hall. At the door, the aide points him to the serving line and explains the protocol. He detects a familiar voice behind him.
“Well, what’re you doing out here?” He turns and almost knocks Marshon to the floor. “Easy pal...”
Bilden blushes as he regains his composure. “The chancellor made me an offer I couldn’t refuse—he ordered me out here with two hours warning—he even escorted me. You’re exhausted—what’s going on?”
“We’ve made no progress finding the lost data. We uncovered no clues. As to where the missing files went or what malfunctioned, I’m receiving a lot more attention than I want. I’m not sure how much longer I can handle the stress. The chancellor, Keiver Belan, and others believe that if they’re not getting the results they want, they need to apply more pressure. Force is the single contribution they made to date. Their group holds no clue what’s going on—things are political, volatile, and not improving. Get your cuisine and join us.”
The nervousness in Bilden’s stomach almost overrides his hunger, but he gets a food pack and beverage and walks to the table where Marshon, Surtat, and Relo are sitting.
“You remember Surtat and Relo. Jadan and Rue left a short time ago.”
Bilden greets the group. “Kraymer isn’t here?”
“He’s back at Abydos U working on organic circuits. He can’t do much here with all the distractions. Should he be successful, at filtering out white noise, we hope to identify the electronic fingerprints of all computers entering or accessing information before and after the first DATA NOT FOUND error. We’re trying to determine if a rogue computer entered some of the transactions. The move is a gamble, but now, we’re about out of options. Tell us what the chancellor expects you to do.”
Relo asks to be dismissed and departs.
The team finishes dinner after another boring and uneventful day. Rue excuses herself stating she is going back to her room for the evening. Soon, Jadan leaves. He goes to his room, showers and puts on fresh clothing and walks next door to Rue’s room and knocks.
“Yes?”
“I’m here.”
She unlocks and opens the door. Prior to entering, he glances up and down the hall. He steps inside, and she throws her arms around his neck, and pulls his face to hers. Again, he closes the door with his foot and reaches back to make sure he sets the lock. Jadan spins her a full turn before kissing her on the lips and pushes her away. “We must talk. I’m not sure where to start with so many questions.”
“Ah.” She protests. “Must we discuss the project now?”
“Yes.” He takes her arms from around his neck. “I need to understand how and why I put your life at risk.” He detects rejection in her large hazel eyes. “Don’t fret. You possess a sizeable piece of my heart, but I want you to tell me about the Annunaki.”
They walk to the sofa together, sit, and gaze with intensity into each other’s eyes. She lets her passion override her discipline. One emotional and erotic interlude with Jadan and sensitive information pours off her lips in a steady stream. A lengthy briefing follows and she says, “I can’t tell you a lot of personal details about the Annunaki, but plenty more evidence exists proving they’re in control of the government and society. The facts are irrefutable, and they execute political dissidents without hesitation. The fact is we know little about them overall—the wall of secrecy is thick and dense—the disinformation tactics are powerful—we’ve not quite scratched the surface, but our objective is to learn all we can to understand them and their agenda.”
At this moment, he understands the fear in her eyes the evening before. Jadan shudders as chills overrun his body. Again, the question races through his mind. What did I get myself into? In the past, my life was mundane—in fact, boring.
“Tell me more about Opaque.”
“I won’t—uuh—can’t. I told you more than I should.”
He takes her hand. They sit in silence for a time, staring into one another’s eyes. Rue leans forward and runs the fingers of her left hand through Jadan’s hair. She gazes at her hand. “You lit a fire in me,” she says in a tender and passionate voice. “The first time my life—I want more.”
Jadan studies her face, and her expressions. She is an amazing young woman, and I will never do anything to cause her pain or harm?
“You should petition Opaque.” Her voice is soft but direct. She leans into him and touches him on the lips with a gentle, lingering kiss.
Their emotions melt into one. Jadan moves closer and places his hands behind her head. He pulls her to him with intense passion. She puts her arms around him, and without interrupting their embrace, she lies back on the sofa pulling him with her. Rue’s breathing accelerates as she runs her palms up and down his spine, sliding them under his shirt. The touch of his warm skin excites her. In Jadan’s hands, she becomes clay, and he is the master sculptor. He possesses the power to make her into anything he wants.
They lie holding one another, and he is aware she is touching more than his back. She is stirring his essence. Their kiss fades into a tight embrace. He can sense her warm breath in his ear, sending chills throughout his body. The digits on his right hand begin with gentleness to move up and down her back, pausing at the waist. With a slight tug, he pulls the bottom of her blouse from the waistband of her skirt and allows himself the privilege of touching her skin. Her breathing quickens as he explores the privacy of her body beneath the fabric, up her spine, he finds the clasp on her bra. He fumbles like an amateur. He succeeds and gives his fingers uninterrupted exposure to the entirety of her back and shoulders. He picks her up and walks toward the bed…
Who is this who captivates him? Jadan checks his emotions. She causes his passions to run wild, and she is a stranger. On the other hand, is this a fling to lighten the stress of the times? He is content, and he begins to doze. Rue’s communicator breaks the silence. He stares at her, but she makes no effort to move.
Seconds later, Relo says, “Rue—pick up—this is urgent. Okay, contact me when you get this. I need to talk to you.” The device beeps once, as the message is stored.
“Sounds important. Tell me not to call him back.”
“Don’t get back to him—”
“I must. Did you detect the tension in his voice?” She puts on her robe, walks to the desk, and enters Relo’s number.
“Rue, I thought you should be aware. The chancellor recruited Dr. Bilden, head of the Engineering Department at Abydos University. He arrived after you, and Jadan left. Where is he? I recorded him a message.”
“He’s here with me,” she says with a giggle.
“Oh—do you think he’s a good idea?” Relo’s mind replays the events of their earlier conversations.
“An excellent proposal…” she says with defiance. “Besides, what happens in The Dome stays in—”
“All right—okay—I get the point. Don’t let your vehemence override your judgment. Your emotions are rather fragile of late. When can I talk to you in person?”
“Tomorrow…”
“No—this evening—” Her reluctance irritates him.
“Okay, be here in one hour.”
“I should go.”
“No—I want you here. Relo will say if he is uncomfortable with you being present, but I want you to stay.”
She walks at a rapid pace into the bathroom. He makes out the shower. A short time later, Rue calls to him, “I saved enough of my hot ion allocation for you a quick one. Come on.” Jadan steps into the water while her eyes explore his unseen body. She detects scarring on his back and buttocks. “How’d you get the scars?”
“Let’s say my father isn’t a kind and gentle man.”
On the minute, he knocks. She opens the door, and Jadan’s presence surprises him. A quick glance reveals a rosy hue to Rue’s cheeks and a sheepish smile on her face. He leans forward and whispers in her ear, “Why’s he still here?”
“I want him to be.”
“I’m sorry, but considering our previous conversation. I need to talk to her alone.” The mood is tense.
“Let him stay.”
“Okay, but all I’ll tell you is this.” He censors his remarks and repeats what he told her earlier. “Jerka recruited Dr. Bilden, head of the Engineering Department at the university. He’s here to evaluate the possibility of recreating the missing files from scratch. On site engineers say the project will take several years, but the chancellor wants the job done in half a year or less.”
“Why is the time a problem?” Jadan asks.
Relo glances at him but does not answer. He turns to Rue. “The others need to be warned.”
GUEST QUARTERS DINING ROOM
“Somehow, I thought this would happen.” Marshon confides. “Where do you plan to start?”
“I’m not sure. Things happened too fast. One minute I’m sitting in my office reviewing charts, and the next, Jerka calls and informs me his AeroBus will pick me up…”
“Oh—didn’t they tell you? You can’t communicate with the outside. Our communicators will work within The Dome but not to the exterior.” He places his hand in front of his lips and whispers to Bilden, “I believe we’re being monitored. One of my students found what she believes to be three bugs in her room.”
“Fantastic—the little woman is irate I left with no warning. She must reschedule a dinner party we planned to host, and she isn’t happy. She’s going to be livid when I don’t contact her. Do you think they’re bugging our quarters?”
“I’m not sure, but I plan to inspect my room. The other members of my team are to do likewise. You find anything suspicious, call me, and let the communicator buzz once and hang up. I’ll check the caller ID for you, and I’ll come over.”
Bilden considers the remarks. “I hope you’re overreacting. They must consider us trustworthy.”
Marshon glances up. Jadan is walking across the room toward him. He greets the doctors, bends over, and whispers into his ear. “We’ve found bugs in Rue, Relo, and my rooms. What’s going on out here?”
The revelation and the reality jolt him. He realizes the three in question are Commonuers, but the fact does not justify bugging his team. “Who the—?”
Jadan interrupts him and says with softness, “Cover your mouth when you talk to eliminate the possibility of someone reading your lips.”
He complies and speaks with gentleness into Jadan’s ear, “Who found the bugs?”
“Rue did.”
“Ask her to meet me outside my room in one-half-hour and check my room.” His stomach tightens, and he excuses himself and says to Bilden, “I’ll catch you later.”
Not aware of what Jadan and the doctor discussed, he is perplexed at Marshon’s abrupt exit. He finishes his food, beverage, and leaves. He harbors an unsettled sentiment about the circumstances in which he finds himself.
Marshon scans his door lock with his PIC and security bracelet. A click is audible as the entry unlocks and pops open. He steps inside and closes the door. He stands in silence and stares about the room for anything he perceives to be a bug, but nothing catches his eye. Am I going mad? They wouldn’t put the bugs in plain view.
Soon, he makes out a gentle tapping and walks to the small display. Rue is in the hallway. He jerks open the door. “I—uuh—” she holds her index finger in a vertical position in front of her closed lips. He steps into the corridor out of sight from within the room or hall cameras.
“Speak as if I brought you something you requested. Tell me thanks. We’ll go into the room.”
“Thank you, I appreciate you bringing this by. You’re kind.”
They walk inside, and Marshon closes the door with abruptness. She removes her shoes and begins the search of the room. Thirty minutes later, she gestures for him to step into the hall. “I found three bugs in your room in almost the same location as the other rooms.”
The doctor is furious. The veins are standing out on his neck with an abnormal flush on his face. “What the hell are these people doing? I can fix this.” He signals for Rue to follow him back into his quarters. He enters the kitchenette and fills three glasses with water. He goes to the location of each bug, pulls, and drops them into a glass. “The liquid should take care of the problem.” He smiles.
“More of them will be in place tomorrow, but in different locations.”
“Perhaps so, but we may get the last laugh.”
She returns to her room. Jadan and Relo waited. “I found three bugs in Dr. Marshon’s.” She chuckles. “You’ll never guess what the good doctor says about the bugging. He’s furious his integrity’s in doubt. I’m not sure what he’s thinking, but he said we may enjoy the last act.”
“How interesting—Jadan and I talked, and he’s asked me to support his petition for membership in Opaque. I agreed, and he’ll take the blood test, as soon as we get back,” Relo says.
A big smile lightens her face as she skips across the room and jumps into his unprepared arms. With her clinging around his neck, they bump into a table and fall to the sofa. She says with a giggle, “You’re going to need to be more prepared if you’re going to run with Relo and me.” She gets up and straightens her clothes.
Dr. Bilden finishes unpacking and hanging his clothing. He takes a walk around the suite with care. Where would be a good place to hide bugs? He scrutinizes the rooms once more with the detailed orientation of a true engineer. Again, he finds nothing. He is finishing his second pass when Marshon and Rue arrive. He opens the door, and the doctor speaks before he can say anything. “Here are the snacks and beverages you requested. You’ll not be able to get an allotment of Vino until you’ve been here more than two days. He walks into the room and sets a tray on the bar with a clank. “Will there be anything else, sir?”
“No—thank you,” Bilden says.
He motions for Rue to come into the room. She enters closes the door with a noisy thud, and signaling him to be quiet, she goes to the areas of the bugs in the other suites. She gives an affirmative nod at each location. The two doctors stand by, and she scans the rest of the suite. At least, they are consistent.
Rue takes a cue from Marshon. She ambles into the kitchenette and finds a large beverage tumbler in the cabinet. She fills the container two-thirds full with hot ionic water. She traipses to the fridge and removes three soft textured food packs. She reconsiders and pours most of the water from the glass and adds the contents of each packet to what remains.
The doctors are puzzled.
She casts an evil smile toward them as she goes to the location of the first bug, and extracts a false logo on the screen by the door. She holds the thing about a meter above the container…with a grin on her face. She continues to the other two. She walks to the microwave oven, puts the beaker inside, sets the timer for ten seconds, and hits the start button. The fireworks begin in an instant. Soon, with smoke coming out of the vent and with an expression of satisfaction, she says, “I believe we can talk now.” She takes a bow and motions as though tipping a nonexistent hat. She turns and struts out the door.
“Damnation what’s going on out here, Marshon?” Bilden asks, anxiety evident in his voice.
“I wish I understood what this is about. I’m becoming more suspicious the data loss is no system malfunction. The security’s rigid and tight here and with the bugs, cameras in hallways—people scrutinize our every move—must be more going on than meets the eye.” The appearance of bewilderment and fear on Marshon’s face is not helping comfort him.
“How shall we proceed?”
“I don’t understand, but where did Rue learn to find the devices with such efficiency?” She is too confident—and schooled in what she did. No doubt she’s performed the exercise before—but, for what purpose?” The longer Marshon talks, the further the plot grows and the more unknowns enter the equation.
“You’re aware destroying the bugs made the mysterious WHO’S WATCHING alert we’re conscious of them. We may be in deeper than either of us can imagine.”
“Yep—we’ve let the proverbial feces out of the crapper. What now…?”
RUE’S ROOM AT GUEST QUARTERS
“Where is Jadan?” she asks, glancing around the room.
“He went to the break area to get some snacks and Kava. He’ll be back soon. We must talk fast. With bugs in Marshon and Bilden’s rooms, no doubt Surtat and Kraymer are as well. Things may be spinning out of control. We don’t enjoy the luxury of waiting to test the programs. Day-after tomorrow we will activate the automatic extraction when we leave. I still want my ancient records extracted first.” The pre Great War files remain an obsession.
“I hope my encryption program masks the movement of input as planned.” She experiences anxiety from the inability to test the encoding transmission under live conditions.
“The transfer of information will appear to be going through The Spider to the remote computers. At the handoff point, the records are siphoned and stored. Random fill digits will feed back into the system, bit for bit so the backup data will be the appropriate size. The single potential problem will be a crash of the CDC and the need to recall the backups from the remotes before we finish.”
“We will leave The Dome soon, send an encrypted message to Kaamren, and arrange for him to meet us at A7. He should bring Seth and Mika. We need copies of the instructions hand carried to each of the holding locations.”
KIZZIE’S OFFICE
Kizzie arrived with a Kava Royale in her hand. Her assistant is at her desk. “Good morning,” she says, “Did you enjoy your days off?”
“I did. We spent the time at my parent’s place in the Bozza foothills. I’m so anxious for warmer weather. My husband loves to fish. He passed the time staring out the window at the frozen lake.”
“I’m with you. I love to hike in the Mountains, but warm conditions are a way off. I hiked around the area you’re talking about, and I understand why he likes to angle the waters. At quarter orbit, the climate is terrific. Oh yes, I scheduled a meeting for 0800 to last about two hours. Call Mr. Eas and tell him we will pick up at 1000 where we left off last time, if the time is good for him. I want the rest of the day kept clear,” she says.
Her session with Dr. Leland bored her in comparison to Astronomy. The brief is ending, and she walks the doctor to the door. Bannon is sitting on the sofa in her waiting area. “Thank you, I appreciate the thorough briefing. Good morning, I trust the timing isn’t a problem for you?”
“I rescheduled a few things, but I’m anxious to continue our discussion.” He stands and collects his belongings. He enjoys sharing his knowledge, and he carries his computer under one arm and a stack of star charts and other documentation in an attaché in his other hand.
“I’m eager to pick where we left off.” The intelligence she studies puts her mind in high gear. The subject is so interesting and exciting—she must control her emotions.
They go to a table in the corner of Kizzie’s office, and he begins to organize the documentation. He places his computer in the middle and motions for Kizzie to sit. He takes a seat beside her so the screen is visible to both. “Do you recall the photos I showed you at our previous sitting?”
“The ancient black-and-white star maps?”
“Yes. I want you to hold this chart in your hand.” He gives her the document sleeved in a clear protector. He turns on his PC, and after a few commands, a display appears on the monitor.
She examines the one in her hand and the other on the computer. Her face displays confusion, and her eyes flit from the page in her hand to the one on the screen. “These maps are of different areas of the sky—oops.” She blushes as she realizes the item in her hand is upside down. She turns the document and scans back and forth between the two.
“Tell me, what do you recognize?”
She studies the two in detail and holds the sheet in her hand next to the screen. “They’re of the same section of sky?” she still does not understand the relevance.
“Yes, the image is the same place in the galaxy, made about twenty-five thousand years apart and adjusted for stellar drift.” He views her facial expressions as she begins to comprehend.
“Is this one of the ancient exhibits you showed me last time?”
“Yes—the first one. Do you detect the spot on the picture in your hand?”
She studies the chart and points. “The dot is the planet of olden times, which caused havoc on the close flyby of Nibiru.” She pauses as she analyzes the map on the computer. “The speck is on this slide.” She motions to the tiny image on the display. The expression on her face becomes one of dismay as the implications come into focus. “We appear to be on a collision course.”
“We can hope the next flyby, and the rogue planet will be much farther away than before. The same distance as before or closer, we can speculate at the horror to take place. The government is preparing to put a satellite in orbit to monitor the approach.”
“I didn’t realize we could launch spacecraft.”
“Few in the bureaucracy and academia are aware. By accident, I overheard Dr. Zea discussing the topic with a high-ranking official. He told me the subject was classified Top Secret.
She sits in silence staring into his face. The brunt of his statement holds a moving impact on her. He is horrified about what he knows—facts he should not. She does not yet understand the full shock of the data. How can she commit to the safety of Mr. Eas, his wife and children? She is searching for an inner strength she may not possess. “I promise I’ll do my best to prevent any harm to you or your family.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you positive this is the same planet?” She is seeking an explanation to contradict the obvious.
Little doubt exists he assures her. He shows her several slide comparisons. All support his conclusion.
Kizzie decides she is ready to end their discussion at this time. The bombshell of information put her mind in a state of pandemonium. Her compassion goes out to Eas and his concern for his family. “I should like to meet them,” she says with sympathy. “Would you like to come to my condo for dinner and drinks day after tomorrow?”
He is surprised. Never in his wildest dreams, did he expect a social invitation. “I’ll need to contact my wife.”
“Yes, you can use the communicator my desk.”
Soon the call is completed, and the invitation is accepted. Kizzie stands and advises Eas. “My mind can’t absorb more today. I’m in a fog, and I hope I’ll wake to find none of this is real.
“Quite real—I’m afraid. We’ll pick up here next time.”