Location: The HanaPaloiFederalBuilding…Polynea…Ailana.
Ailanian Standard Time: 0800 Hours.
Captain Sprog Kanta, the biggest and most irritable Balguran in the Ailanian Civil Services, felt his eyes burning with rage as he watched the video footage of his police officers scraping up what was left of Jacob Colombe off the sidewalk and dropping the remains into evidence bags for the morgue.
He expressed his displeasure the best way he knew how, loudly. “I never did like you or the way you do things Captain Kalapana, but this time you have gone too far!” Saliva flew from his lips as he bellowed. “I have every right to march into the High Senate this afternoon and demand your resignation!”
The large, Balguran Officer saw how Audrey and Jack averted their eyes. Veins popped from his forehead as he realized how calm Moke appeared. To Kanta’s dismay, the Commander of the Ailanian CIA remained calm and collected as he said, “Sir, you were made aware of the request the Ailanian Attorney General made to Magistrate Hupo and that it was approved by the Magistrate himself…”
“Worm shit!” Kanta shouted as he pounded his fists on the table.
“Oh bring it on, big boy…” Moke thought as he realized how Captain Kanta appeared as if he wanted to leap out of his seat and grab him by his throat.
Kanta sternly said, “Kalapana, you may have figured out which ass cheek our good Magistrate likes kissed, but you still had no right to do what you did that night without my permission!”
Moke politely countered with, “The passage of the Magistrate’s Directive Orders Bill allows me that authority. We were doing this as a part of our own secret operation, which was approved and endorsed by the Magistrate’s office…”
“THAT IS WORM SHIT! I HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THAT CALL NOT YOU!”
Moke felt his poker face becoming painful to wear. He tried to look as serious as he could while he said, “Captain Kanata, our investigation was in a sense your investigation, but in order to extract information from your suspect about government corruption, we needed to inquire into evidence that we believed he might have had…”
“You have no probable evidence! This is worm shit!”
Moke said, “We have a documented case where a transmission was made from an archive within the High Senate Library Network to a private computer. It was a transmission that contained information about a High Senator under investigation by the Ailanian CIA, and because of that, we automatically get first dibs on a suspect, even if, according to you, he is public enemy number one. We still have to find out what he knows about such evidence…”
“Worm shit! My police officers would have been able to get any information he knew about that from him without YOUR interference!”
As Moke looked at Sprog Kanta’s angry face, he realized that his own anger at this very moment, was real, and he no longer had to act. Moke’s voice became firmer as he said, “How in the hell could we have properly conducted OUR investigation if YOUR police officers roughed him up the way they did to his other co-conspirators who they had managed to capture? By the time your jailers got done with him on the first day of his confinement he would never have cooperated with us…and do you know why? It would have been due to the fact that all that he believed about the Ailanian government would have come true…”
“Worm shit! Pure Poppycock! He broke into the High Senate’s network…”
Moke realized that he was now at a point where he could start telling the truth. With a bit of relief, he pounded his fist on the table and said, “He did not break in. That transmission was sent to him.”
Saliva sprayed from Sprog’s mouth as he yelled back, “Well then…WHO…sent it to him?”
Moke remained calm as he replied, “We do not know who was responsible for that…”
Sprog did not look impressed as he sneered, “again, you act without knowing what you are doing, or why you are doing it! It is this sort of action, Captain Kalapana that is getting you well on your way to getting indicted for official misconduct.”
Moke swallowed with fear as Sprog yelled, “Your Aunt, Ulu Jinkua, might have a lot of clout as a High Senator, but you are quickly making enemies in the High Senate out of people who she can’t control! And while your good standing with Magistrate Hupo may have protected you so far, if you keep doing things like, stepping on my toes, that makes lots of other people start to ask questions about who’s side you are really on…do you understand what I am saying, Captain Kalapana?” His eyes narrowed with scorn and his veins pulsed with hate.
Despite the threat, which Moke realized had a bit of legitimate importance, his face remained stoic as he said, “Believe me, I understand perfectly well, what WE…need to do.”
Moke smiled inside as he realized that he still held most of the cards in this blind man’s bluff game of chance he had just decided to play. His internal smile then melted away as he noticed how Captain Kanta was giving him the evil eye.
Kanta sneered, “This is not over, Kalapana…the fact is, thanks to your misguided actions, we know nothing about Jacob Colombe’s plans and motives. Why did this, individual, commit suicide? Was he simply crazy, or was he afraid that some secret plan, which his terrorist friends are planning, could have been compromised had we caught him?”
Moke was quick to say, “The government has no proof that any members of The Evil are actually terrorists.”
“And you have no proof that they are not terrorists! And now, we have no idea of what they are up to.”
Moke licked his lips as he focused on remaining stoic and unwavering. His thoughts raced with words he would not soon forget, “What is this all about? Entertainment on a grand scale! News channels that tell you what to think while television acts as a pacifier and numbs the minds of those good people who would want to start a revolution if they knew the truth! Those of us who live under the heels of our fellow man must rise up and show them the error of their ways. We must show our fellow Ailanians the illogical nature of their thoughts and give them proof that the decisions they make are not their own. We must show them that they constitute a majority only because a small group of influential people within the government has tapped into their fears and given them something to hate. Our oppressors have sown the seeds of prejudice and mistrust and are now growing those seeds onto food that will cause the sheep to move in one direction! And when the sheep flock to those voting booths, their shepherds will have a way to ensure that Ailana will never be a planet populated by people who truly understand what freedom really is! Good people of Ailana, it is time to wake up and realize that those who condone and desire slavery, should have the grace to call it by its proper name!”
Moke closed his eyes and held his breath to keep his body from shuttering.
“And now, because of what you did that night at Jacob Colombe’s apartment…we have no idea what the members of The Evil are really doing… what is your response to that, Captain Kalapana?” Kanta sneered again.
“I guess only time will tell,” Moke said with a confident actor’s voice as he thought, “I might have really screwed up…and now I need make a major drug arrest, or find some real terrorists really soon to make up for this mistake. We’ve hit a string of bad luck and things need to start turning around for the CIA…or else I am going to be in some serious shit…think Moke…think hard…something big better happen soon.”
Location: The Kalapana Family summer home.
Ailanian Standard Time: 2300 Hours.
Moke tried as hard as he could to open the door quietly. It had been a long day and he simply wanted to rest as he thought, “Well, I guess if I had to miss dinner with my mother, I might as well come over, get a few hours of sleep… and enjoy some breakfast with her before I gotta go deal with this shit all over again.”
There was the crashing of breaking glass and Moke felt a surge of adrenaline that made his heart leap out of his chest as he stared walking as fast as he could towards the sound.
In the next room, he found his mother, her forehead leaning against a picture on the wall and a broken wine glass at her feet.
She was sobbing as she said, “he’s gone, Moke…he’s gone.”
Moke felt his face melting with pangs of guilt and terror. As her sobbing filled his ears, he quickly backed away from her and went into the kitchen.
“He’s gone, Moke!” Her voice trembled as he fumbled around in a cabinet until he found what he was looking for and strode back into the room where his mother was crying uncontrollably.
He wrapped his arms around her chest and put his face into her cheek. “It’s alright, Mother. I’m here,” he said as he felt her salty tears on his face. He patted her gray hair and felt her forehead. He gently caressed her as he took out the air-syringe and pressed it into her neck. With a quick press of the button, a dose of tranquilizers made its way across her wrinkled skin and into her blood stream.
“He’s gone, Moke,” She said as she went limp in his arms.
“It’s alright, Mother,” he said as he cradled her. “Let’s get you to bed.”
From the picture on the wall, the stern eyes of his father seemed to glare at him through the darkness that surrounded him.
After the hired caretaker came over to the house and made sure that his mother was resting peacefully, Moke longed for some fresh air and decided to take a walk down to the beach. The stress didn’t melt away as he had hoped when he saw how the moon sparkled upon the dark, calm water.
“Goddamnit!” He kicked the sand before he sat down and put his head in his hands.
“I knew I’d find you here.”
Moke cringed as he heard Audrey’s voice calling from the darkness.
She sounded sad as she said, “I’m sorry that things didn’t go the way we planned…with Jacob.”
“Don’t bother, Audrey…you and Jack did what you were supposed to do…it’s all my fault.”
She couldn’t argue that point. The heated debate she had with Jack an hour ago, had made her realize just how precarious things were getting. Jack was very frustrated with the rule-bending they had been implementing lately and seeing the agent from Earth had only upset him more.
“I know Jack…we’re getting ourselves in deep here…”
Audrey licked her lips as she recalled the mood in the car that night, after the failed attempt to arrest Jacob. She felt her head hurt as she remembered how he had made it quite clear that he did not want to lose everything he had worked so hard to achieve, because of Moke’s egotistical disregard for protocol. Audrey decided she wouldn’t even mention the brief encounter with the white haired man from Earth, who had made her heart race with an unexplainable fear.
Moke didn’t look at her as she sat down next to him. She wanted to change the mood of the moment and comfort him. There was so much she needed to talk to him about. However, she knew that he would want to avoid most of the topics they needed to discuss.
She took a shallow breath and said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you that your sister called me this morning…she said that she got the flowers you sent.” For a few moments, there was silence, broken only by Audrey’s curiosity, “Is she still angry…for what you did?”
“Jesus Christ, Audrey…why do ya have to be like this?” Moke felt annoyed, but he knew that he had to give her something. “I just gotta keep stringing her along…I need her to believe…”
Moke raised his head up and gave her a look that he hoped would make her feel sorry for him.
Audrey held her breath with anticipation. The desire to help him was overwhelming her.
“Yeah, she’s still angry with me,” Moke said as he thought about how his mother needed drugs to sleep and secretly wished that Audrey would just go away. “You can tell her that I don’t exactly approve of the way she is living her life either. With all that Liberal political ruckus she has herself all entwined in, she just might be the one who causes our poor mother to have a stroke someday.”
Audrey’s face froze for a quiet minute as she thought to herself, “it is just awful how the Kalapana family has been torn apart, because of pride, bruised egos…and arrogance.”
Audrey took a deep breath, she had been beating around the bush and now she realized that nothing that she could say was going to put this man into a better mood, thus, she might as well get straight to the point that she had to make. “Captain…I just received word that the Moralists in the High Senate are rallying to give the final series of approvals for Operation Shade. We can’t stop kidding ourselves anymore. This thing could really happen, and we have to be ready for it.”
Moke felt his teeth grinding as he said, “They can’t approve Operation Shade if High Senators Glik and Semnor, who we are investigating for corruption, are behind bars.”
“Yes, this is true, but we should really take into consideration they might get to vote anyway…”
Moke became impatient, and interrupted her, “Don’t forget that High Senator Rammy Klunka might not get to cast his vote, if he loses his seat to Mr. Keiki Karatau in this upcoming election.”
“Yes, but we can’t assume that Mr. Karatau is going to win…” Audrey sighed as she realized that he was not paying attention.
Moke seemed optimistic in his anger as he said, “But Karatau might beat Klunka! The Moralists have had a stranglehold on Ailanian politics for decades, but we have a new generation of voters out there. And we have a whole lot of people who are getting fed up with the way the Moralists have been operating in the High Senate. If Glik and Semnor go to jail, and if Keiki Karatau wins, that would break up the majority the Moralists have maintained in the High Senate for so long. Karatau is very popular with the Independents and Liberals and he is gaining followers among all those unemployed people who have realized that the Unions are not going to be able to give them their former jobs back.”
Audrey sighed and said, “Moke, we have been ordered to start finding potential targets for this Special Forces Team that is coming from Earth…and we have to be able to follow our orders if it does.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Moke said and bit his lip and thought to himself, “I just can’t believe it…Ailana, my home world, has become such a den of thieves, that the Earth’s government offered to help us by sending an elite, military strike force to plant some bombs…and blow the bad guys, who are selling Cutz, to kingdom come for us…why is this happening? Where did we go wrong?”
Audrey started to feel as if he refused to believe what she was saying was true. She wet her lips and said, “You seem upset.”
“Sorry,” Moke sighed. “I guess seeing a guy light himself on fire and jump out of a window tends to make me a bit edgy. What do you think he meant when he said he would rather burn his temple than let it fall into the hands of those who would desecrate it? Was he talking about his own body…or something else?”
“You wanna talk about something?” Audrey said trying to get his mind focused, “anything at all?”
“Why?” Moke asked sarcastically. “You want to use that Doctorate degree in Psychology that Liberal University gave you?”
“Yeah, I do. I happen to have a lot of talents besides the ability to kick a bad guy’s ass,” Audrey said in a sarcastic tone. She felt irritated, yet determined to give him the help she knew he wanted from her. “Come on Moke, you’ve known me for five years now. You can tell me anything on and off the record. I’m not adapted with a cranial computer. I can’t record our conversations…no one can hear you bearing your soul. I think you need to, and…I think you want to.”
Moke slowly felt his defenses melting away. He took a deep breath, and softy said, “That guy, Jacob. He was just trying to prove a point. And yeah…maybe he wasn’t real polite about it…but he did what he did, because he was a true believer. Jacob organized street protests…he edited The Evil’s online magazine, created blogs and contributed to mischief that made the Moralists angry…and maybe they should feel uneasy…because they are not entirely in the right either.”
“I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be…ya see Audrey, it’s things like what happened with Jacob…that make me wonder what I’m here for. Sometimes, I just sit and wonder what my life might have been like if I had done things differently…if I hadn’t made such stupid, selfish choices. But sometimes, those feelings go away…and I realize what I am here for. I am here to protect the people of Ailana from harm. I may have been chosen for this position in the Ailanian government because I can lie with a straight face…but I truly believe…that I am in this position…because I wish to protect the people of this planet.”
Audrey realized that Moke was becoming more emotional than she had ever seen him before as he dropped his head, trying to hide his face. She felt pity for him as she said, “And you think you have failed, because of what Jacob did?”
“Exactly,” Moke said with confidence. He found himself looking her square in the eyes as he said, “I am supposed to protect all the people of Ailana, whether they are native or human, male or female…Moralist or Immoral…I’m even supposed to protect those who violently disagree with the Moralist majority.” He saw her looking back at him, with sympathetic eyes that held a great amount of conviction in them.
With the voice of a true believer, Audrey said, “Moke, you have not lost your ability to protect people. You are going to have many more chances to protect your people from harm. Think of all the people you’ll be protecting by declaring war on the Ailanian drug cartels. Moke, I know you are upset about Jacob, he had a good point, but he was a radical! Thinking the way he did would never be able to change anything for the better. Forget about him. Let’s concentrate on our part in Operation Shade, which is going to make Ailana free of the influence of drug kingpins, who manufacture Cutz and peddle it to our people, enslaving them in addiction. Come on Moke cheer up! Tell me about your friend, Captain Ronald James Harris, the soldier from Earth who is coming to Ailana. Don’t you think it’s great that he’s coming here to help us fight the bad guys? Aren’t you looking forward to seeing him again? Aren’t you looking forward to seeing some real bad people get what’s coming to them?”
Moke felt as if the world was spinning beneath him and he was floating farther and farther away from it.
“Not especially,” he said with remorse in his voice.
“Why? Wouldn’t it be great to see an old friend again and dispense justice with him?”
Moke felt his breathing come to an abrupt stop. He felt as if there were knives in his chest as his palms began to sweat. He heard a voice from the past cutting into his thoughts like a laser beam.
“So Moke…what happened to your friend, Harris? Was that his name? Harris?”
There was a bit of silence as Moke remembered how a stern voice had once said to him, “Ronald Harris…he was a bad boy…and he got what was coming to him. He got sent away. Far away…and he won’t be coming back. He got what he deserved, didn’t he? And soon…you’ll be getting what you deserve.”
After a bit of silence, Moke remembered how he had put a great deal of thought into what he was going to say next. “Justice was served.”
He heard her soft voice, “don’t you want to see your old friend?”
“Audrey,” Moke sighed, wishing he didn’t have to explain something that he really wanted to keep a secret, something, that he felt must be kept a secret. His thoughts were a silent panic, “I’m committing treason against the Ailanian government…and I believe that they might have ordered Captain Ronald James Harris, a man who was once my dear friend, to come back home to Ailana…and kill me.”
Moke paused to catch his breath. He allowed his mind to clear before he said, in a melancholy tone, “It’s been over ten years since Captain Harris and I last spoke or saw each other.” He paused to stare at the moon beams bouncing off the ocean as the pangs of guilt worked their way through his aching mind and body. “I doubt that he thinks much about me anymore…at least I hope he doesn’t.”
“What do you mean by that? Wasn’t he your best friend when you were growing up?”
Moke sighed and said, “That was so long ago. We were different people then. Something happened…and we ended up not speaking to each other…and then before we knew it, we were both off to fulfill our destinies. We set aside our childish ways and set upon the roads we needed to follow to become the men we are today. No one stays friends forever Agent Winters. People move away. People drift apart. We grew up on a Military base together. When people moved away, it was just a part of life. Never seeing someone ever again was just the way things were. We all thought like that. I’m sure he thinks like that too. So why would a reunion between us, make any difference?”
“But you knew this guy since you were five years old,” Audrey said in a caring tone. “You two did everything together, I saw all those pictures…you went to school together, you went to the beach and would go surfing together. He lived with your family after his parents died…you two were practically brothers since you were young kids. I don’t think ten years of separation can erase well over ten years of good memories and feelings from a solidly forged friendship.”
“I think it could.”
Audrey felt her curiosity growing as she said, “What do you mean?”
His voice was gruff and annoyed as he said, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
She kept prying, “come on, Moke. I know you are harboring a lot of pain right now, and I just know that Ronald Harris is part of that pain…so please…tell me why.”
Moke said, “Let’s just say that Ronald Harris used to be a good friend of mine, a very good friend. And the reason why he is where he is today…and doing what he is doing right now, is because of me…and something I did a long time ago.”
“So what’s really troubling you about him?”
Moke paused and felt his mind going numb as he took a deep, contemplative breath. And in a soft, almost cathartic tone, he said, “I just hope he can forgive me for what I have done.”
Location: A Penthouse in Uptown Polynea.
Ailanian Standard Time: 2315 Hours.
Cigar smoke permeated the room as a small group of rich, well-dressed men and some Ailanian High Senators watched a large monitor while footage of Keiki Karatau’s earlier campaign speech played on the late night news channel. Karatau was an older Hokupi gentleman with streaks of white running through his shiny, purple hair. He looked handsome and regal as he said, “for far too long, the Ailanian economy has sunk into despair, and the richest people involved with its biggest corporations have profited from the Ailanian government’s corporate welfare system. And even though these corporations continue to take money from our government’s coffers, in the form of tax breaks and bailouts, they continue to lay off workers, while the High Senators in charge of it all, still get re-elected despite the fact that the broken system, which they have implemented, has proven to be a failure…”
An old, Bontune High Senator turned down the volume and looked around the room at the other Elite men and High Senators, who appeared to have solemn looks on their faces. After taking a puff from his cigar, the wrinkled High Senator said, “and this is just the beginning…it appears that Liberal candidates, like Keiki Karatau, are gaining popularity and political strength…while we continue to defend and support the unpopular likes of High Senator Klunka, along with scoundrels like High Senators Glik and Semnor, because we have no other choice in the matter.”
Another High Senator said softly, “I agree with you, High Senator Brawnsworth. It appears as if our ability to hold onto power, is becoming questionable.”
The old, Bontune High Senator said, “And might I warn you, gentlemen…this power, which we cling to, is important for many reasons which we cannot discuss or even question. For many years we have been able to follow the leadership of Wram Karamotzain, our Majority Whip in the High Senate, and we could trust that men such as High Senators Klunka, Glik and Semnor would remain popular because they appeared to protect the ideology of respected Moralist leaders like High Senator Ulu Jinkua. The Moralist voters adore Ulu for her ability to keep Ailanian morality in the spotlight of our cause. However, times seem to be changing…and as we enter this new era…we are facing new challenges to our power. We must keep in mind, gentlemen, that we have been appointed leaders of this planet, because we took an oath to serve an even higher power…if you know what I mean.”
Another man spoke from the darkness, “and is our devotion, to this higher power, becoming an issue we must worry about?”
“Yes…I believe so,” High Senator Brawnsworth said as his wrinkled, Bontune face began to appear worried. “That is why I believe we must now reach out to The Clandestine One, who entrusted us with this power…and join in a plan, which one of his agents has crafted…in order to keep our power.”
The room became deathly silent for a few moments as the men contemplated his last statement. Muffled discussions and mumblings soon broke the silence as Brawnsworth held up his hand and said, “Gentlemen…I believe we all knew it could potentially come to this.”
A voice said, “But High Senator Brawnsworth, we were supposed to be able to run this planet without such assistance…and the fact that we need to convince the Aurorians to invest in our economy in order to save it…how does this make us look?”
A handsome, Elite businessman in a blue suit said, “this plan could force exactly what we need to happen…the Aurorian Economic Revampment Program, which our allies have offered to us… is not in the bag just yet.”
Another High Senator stated loudly, “and don’t forget how incredibly difficult it will be to adopt their economic agenda, to fit our needs, since the Aurorians are sending Chezui Banka, who just happens to be one of the most honest and respected Ambassadors in The Alliance…the man can’t be bought, he can’t be bribed or even made an example of!”
A worried High Senator said, “Ambassador Banka’s honesty and willingness to serve the common good instead of our interests is just one of our worries. Right now, our biggest problems are with Liberals like Karatau…not to mention that we have an online resistance movement supporting his cause and undermining our efforts to lead the people of this planet as we have deemed necessary…it is because of this, we need this plan to work.”
Another rich man said, “High Senator Brawnsworth…will this plan allow us to rid ourselves of all these obstacles and problems we have been coming across lately? Will it allow us to deal with the fact that we could lose our majority in the High Senate, all because some radicals are flooding the Internet with propaganda that our own CIA is allowing to happen?”
Brawnsworth calmly said, “If we do this…our problems will be one step closer to being solved. However, no one must discover what we have gotten ourselves involved with. We are about to sell our souls, gentlemen…and someday, there might be consequences for doing so.”
“Even so, this must be done,” A voice said softly from the darkness. “All of those in favor of doing whatever it takes to keep what is rightfully ours, raise your hands to vote.”
One by one, High Senator Brawnsworth could see hands being slowly raised. After the unanimous vote was cast, he sighed and said, “very well…I shall make the arrangements. We are about to enter a new era, gentlemen. And after this plan comes to fruition, a brave, new world will soon be given to us to lead and protect once again.”
Brawnsworth looked towards the back of the room and nodded his head as a pair of bright, red lights appeared. The man in black stepped forth from the darkness like a demonic aberration. The Bontune High Senator swallowed his fear as he said, “Please, tell your boss…that we are all prepared to do what is necessary…and that we are all onboard. We all want to be included in his plan.”
As the man in black buttoned his trench coat as he walked out of the room, a few moments of silence hung in the air as the well-dressed men contemplated what would have happened had they not raised their hands in agreement.
Location: The Go-Go District…Downtown Polynea.
Ailanian Standard Time: 0230 Hours.
Wallace hunkered down in a booth that was located a few meters away from the main bar of one of the Go-Go district’s seedier clubs. He needed cover and he prayed that the loud music, flashing lights and multitudes of intoxicated people would hide him from the men in the black suits and ties that had taken away his friends. He had barely been able to sleep, and when he was able to, it was only for a couple of hours at a time as he pretended to be a bar patron passed out at the tables of the clubs where the party never seemed to end.
As he sat there, drifting in and out of consciousness his memories were saturated with voices he had heard through his com over the last few days. “Wallace, dude! You are in some serious shit now man! I just went to your apartment…it’s been trashed! They must be looking for that data you stole!”
“Wallace…you have to hide yourself! We can’t afford to lose you and let them find out what you know! Stay in the lower levels of the city…we’ll try to find you…we have people that can hide you, but you have to stay out of sight for now! We need you, Wallace! Don’t let them capture you!”
Over the last few days, his sleep deprived mind tortured him with thoughts, “Oh my gods…what am I doing? This shouldn’t be happening to me! I’m University educated…I should be working in the lab. I should be doing what they tell me and collecting a nice paycheck for it…and now I’m broke, homeless and a fugitive all because I made a choice to be an individual. Why did I stand up for what is right? This might be too heavy of a price to pay for the freedom of my fellow Ailanians…oh gods…help me! Every time I look over my shoulder…I feel as if the men in black are staring at me…following me…watching my every move. This is too much for me to take! But I can’t let them do this…I can’t allow them to win…”
Location: The Go-Go District…Downtown Polynea.
Ailanian Standard Time: 0230 Hours.
“Let me get this straight,” the frustrated voice said as it poured out of Van Dien’s com, “you know where he is and you refuse to go and get him. What about this missing data that could destroy our plan if it gets into the wrong hands? What are you going to do if he has access to it?”
“They took the bait…along with the hook, the line and the sinker…” Van Dien thought as he cleared his throat and sat back in his comfortable limousine seat and said, “Have you ever played chess? You don’t knock over and destroy your opponents’ pawns and other pieces just to get them out of the way…there is a strategy to it.”
“Well, we don’t like your strategy! It’s stupid to throw a fish back after you’ve caught him…”
“And believe me,” Van Dien said as he forced himself to remain calm. “The idea is to make him believe that he is going mad…to make him question his own sanity…but you are not the first to object to my way of doing things.” Van Dien sighed as he hung up. The words coming from the other end of the com had triggered a memory he suddenly found himself being forced to deal with.
The events in the memory had taken place years ago. He closed his eyes as he remembered how his small transport craft had landed on the ship. He nervously ran his tongue under his front teeth as he remembered how the bearded Captain seemed angry when he met him.
“I told you…I warned you,” The Captain said, his nervous mouth quivering. “Your policies have upset the natural order of things…and now, we are going to have to own up to what we have done here.”
Van Dien remembered looking around the ship and feeling furious as he saw the obvious signs of unproductivity. Quotas had not been met in months. He remembered seeing signs of discouragement on the faces of the crew members as he said to the Captain, “You will continue your assigned course of action. Your diligence has brought me what I need…but I still need more…”
“There is no more! We have taken too much!” The Captain tried to keep the volume of his angry voice low as he said, “What we have done here is unforgivable…what we have done here was…”
“Completely justifiable….”
“That’s bullshit! Someday, someone is going to hold you accountable for what happened here!”
“I know, but there are ways of keeping that day far, far in the future…”
Van Dien felt his heart racing as he recalled looking out the window of his transport craft. He reflected upon how he felt relieved as he watched the ship explode, killing the Captain and every crew member on board instantaneously.
“There are still people, who know what we really did to this world, in order to win the war so that this planet could someday be a paradise once again…and there are people, who know what I will have to do in order to make sure this planet stays a paradise…and soon, all the witnesses shall be silenced,” He thought as he shifted his weight and tried to get comfortable as he stared at his floating monitor, which had an image of the club where Wallace was hiding in plain sight, “but not just yet…”
Van Dien felt his hand shaking as he reached into the inner breast pocket of his black suit coat. His fingertips quivered as he felt for his cigarette pack, desperate for some relief from the stress that was overtaking his mind. With his other hand, he pressed a few buttons on his remote control and the monitor flashed to a series of files, which he had recovered from Jacob Colombe’s computers. He pressed play and his hands shook as he pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his lips while the voice of a madman poured from the floating monitor.
“I know we have the power to stop him, Wallace…we have the knowledge, we have the technical skills and we have people within our ranks, who are willing to pay the ultimate price for the freedom of their fellow Ailanians.” Van Dien felt his heart racing as his shaky hand retrieved his lighter. His eyes fixated on the spark, which wouldn’t light the flame as he heard Jacob saying, “this plan of ours…some people will condemn us as terrorists for it…some people will praise us for it and call us liberators…but in the end, it is only us who need understand what we are doing and why. Do you want to know what our plan is all about, Wallace? Well, you’ll just have to decide what real freedom means to you if you want to find out…but since you’re so curious and all, here’s what we plan on doing in a nutshell…”
His lighter clicked loudly drowning out the sound of the monitor.
Van Dien sighed as the flame finally appeared and lit the end of the cigarette. From the taped conversation on monitor, he could hear Wallace’s panic filled voice shouting, “NO! Are you people insane? You can’t do this!”
“But this plan of mine, which you denounce as evil, is the only way to save Ailana from the inevitable destruction that is coming…and who are you to judge me? You vermin… you ingrates…I’ve only got one thing left to say to you…” Van Dien thought as he felt his hands stop shaking as the chemicals built up in his bloodstream and his ears filled with the words that he finally wanted to hear.
“…so ya see, Wallace, we have the power to defeat that white haired man, who has haunted our nightmares for so long…but why should we stop him…when the death he will bring…could be what gives us our ultimate victory?”
“Checkmate,” Van Dien thought as his cigarette drooped from the smile crossing his lips.