EVENT GROUP COMPLEX
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NEVADA
Niles looked up from his hushed conversation with Xavier Morales as the others sat down. The missing heads of all the departments suggested Niles had some news concerning their mutual friends in the North Atlantic. They were wrong.
“I want to say something about what is really happening. It’s not just about the colonel and his mission team in the Atlantic. The entire battle group is missing. This rumor you may have already heard, as I failed to stop the scuttlebutt before it started. It’s true. They are not lost, just missing. That is not why I asked you here. I figure you deserve a more detailed mission objective. Virginia may need some input from someone other than me or Xavier. She may need your input also. I put Xavier and Virginia in the clean room of Europa and sequestered them to do some very deep research through Europa. She did her job and may have a bread-crumb lead as to what the Russians are playing at where our field team is concerned. We suspect that things inside the Russian government are not as they appear. These facts are being forwarded to our friends in Britain, as they have suspected the same thing for the past thirty years. Virginia?”
Virginia stood at her normal seat at the conference table and cleared her throat and then nodded.
“The information we gathered through Europa and her cyber activities is not only disturbing, it’s terrifying. It seems we have been duped since the great military purges of Stalin’s in the ’30s. We have learned that not only is the Russian government not in control of that nation, they haven’t been since the spring of 1941. With the start of Hitler’s Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin became nothing more than a figurehead of that nation.”
“Tell them your suspicions, Doctor,” Niles said with encouragement.
“The people behind this charade since 1941 are now preparing for all-out war with the West.”
“We worked closely with them during the Overlord operation; we had no indication at that time of any deception,” Alice said.
“That is because we were dealing with people who had no knowledge of this hidden government outside the office of the president. Putin may not even know he is not in charge. He is nothing more than a mouthpiece but thinks it’s him calling the shots. Just like every leader that country has had since Stalin. They are all figureheads. They fall from grace, no problem, next man up as appointed by this hidden group,” Virginia said as she shook her head at the disbelief of her own voice.
“Okay, now you know as much as we do. Virginia, prepare a presentation, and I’ll speak with the president as soon as you have it.”
Virginia just nodded as a brief thought of Jenks and the others flashed through her mind. She was prepared to do as ordered, when she stopped and then pulled out her electronic notepad. “We do have one more item that is as confusing as the rest. It seems the Russians are out to acquire as many industrial blue diamonds as they can get their hands on.”
“And why are blue diamonds so important to the Russians?” Niles asked Virginia.
“That we don’t know. But one thing is for sure: the Russian government as we know it does not exist, and what their plans are for them we haven’t a clue.”
Niles remained sitting and thinking as Virginia sat back down. He looked at Alice in the hopes she had some advice as far as why the Russians would want blue diamonds, but her face said that she was just as stunned as he was. She just shook her head.
“We have to stand down for now until we have more information. I’ll get word to our friends in MI6 somehow and see what they can come up with.
“Captain, you haven’t commented since you came in. Is it that you’re worried about Jack and the others? Or is the thought of the Russian agenda for war against the West?”
Will Mendenhall gathered his briefing materials and then faced his director.
“I think war has already been declared here, Doctor, and we’re just learning who is declaring it. It might already be too late.”
Niles watched as they filed out of his office and conference room. He picked up the phone and made the connection to the Oval Office.
“How in the hell do I start this conversation?”
KIROV-CLASS BATTLE CRUISER SIMBIRSK
Master Chief Jenks watched as Professor Gervais covered the ground that he and Charlie Ellenshaw had already covered without the Russian scientist’s knowledge. Jenks wanted to see how up front the good professor was in telling the Americans the truth of the science of phase shifting.
“As you see, gentlemen, the phase shift occurs when the correct frequencies are struck between the field generator on board Simbirsk and the surrounding air. For a reason no one’s science can explain adequately is why the vessel vanishes at all. The electrical field generated around the ship disperses and then takes the ship with it into an adjoining dimension that fits the electrical field frequency. This world just happens to be on the same frequency as the phase shift field. Eventually, by adjusting varying frequencies, we can discover new worlds, new peoples, new assets for our own.”
“Professor, trust me when I say we have had some experience in this area.” Jenks paced around the glass separating the field coils for the phase shift engine and placed a hand on one of the large lightbulb-like electromagnetic pulse projectors. He removed it quickly when he remembered Charlie’s hypothesis that it was these innocent things that burned sailors to death when their electrical field was released. “The Simbirsk cannot hit the same frequency twice, much less continuously send it to the same dimension. It would be random at best. So why does the Simbirsk travel to the same one every time?” Jenks turned and faced the small Russian, and Charlie saw that the man was apprehensive at best. “You would have to have a targeted transponder to guide the shift to that same location, thus here we are in Candyland with the purple sea. So, you see my concern here, Professor? The electromagnetic field and the frequency of this world cannot be random, as you suggest. You don’t know the frequency. You would need a transponder, a signal to lock on for that correct freq.”
“How do you know it would take a corresponding beacon or transponder? Maybe this is the only other dimension there is,” Gervais said, thinking his argument was sound enough for the Americans to become believers.
“I don’t want to get into the whole Einstein thing about there being a varied world of differing dimensions. That stuff gives me a massive headache. But rest assured, Professor, we know for a fact that dimensions are vast and varied. Time, space, all that E = MC2 crap, while not proven”—Charlie smiled as he glanced at Jenks—“is a fact of life.”
Jenks saw the worry on the face of Gervais. “Believe me, we’ve been down a lot of roads, and we suspect Mr. Alien Brain Einstein was pretty accurate.” Jenks moved back to the small worktable with the diagrams Professor Gervais didn’t know the Americans already had. “Now, why don’t you tell us what it is you people are really up to here?” Jenks lit a cigar, knowing that was forbidden to do inside the phase shift engine area.
“I don’t understand,” the Russian said as he glanced toward the main hatch, where a Russian commando watched them.
Jenks reached into his pocket and produced a second blue diamond that Jack had given him for this little confrontation. “You have a field element here already, don’t you, Doc?”
Gervais looked from the filthy diamond to Jenks and Charlie. Ellenshaw was smiling, as he loved confronting people about the truth or lie of their predicament.
“Field element?” he asked, looking again at the Russian watching them. He seemed more attentive than he had been just a moment before.
“What ship is out there, Professor?” Jenks persisted.
“I don’t know what it is you mean.”
Charlie stood and did his best prosecutor pose as he faced Gervais. Jenks allowed the cryptozoologist to have his moment.
“I think it’s time you come to the side of the Lord, Professor. That man you have calling the shots is a maniac sent to cover up the fact that your government, or whoever he works for, has known about this place for a very long time and has sent people here to gather up industrial blue diamonds. For what purpose?”
Gervais clammed up.
Charlie leaned on the table, his hands only inches from the Russian scientist. “You know, I have learned a lot about people by accompanying the very best while they were doing what they do best, discovering who the real bad guys are.” He looked at Jenks, who nodded. “You, my good man, are in the company of very bad people, who in turn are being ordered around by more, even worse people. Why are you here?”
“You know that Salkukoff is here for one reason. He cannot allow anyone to learn the real truth of what’s happening here. He is going to try to kill us all,” Jenks added.
“He will succeed. He always does.”
“Now, was that so hard? Being human is hard sometimes, and I know that for a fact,” Jenks said.
“So, you have been in this dimension before?” Charlie asked, surprised Gervais had given up so readily.
“Yes, twice.” Again, they saw him look at the Russian commando, who was overtly watching them. “Certain elements inside Russia have discovered a new and improved way to destroy mankind. During the rush to find new weaponry for the common good during this outer space incursion, we discovered a way to destroy organic material and leave the surrounding area—buildings, cities, and geological formations—untouched.”
“Neutron physics?” Jenks asked.
“That’s been outlawed by international agreement,” Charlie said, and for some strange reason, that elicited a small laugh from Gervais.
“With industrial diamonds, we can now generate power from a laser platform in space. We can target entire cities or countries. But the power it takes will require abundant industrial blue diamonds to operate. Salkukoff has information on your strange group under the desert and knew that you had recovered every available blue diamond on the planet for Operation Overlord and some other mysterious project in Brooklyn conducted a few weeks back.”
A knowing look between Charlie and Jenks belied the fact that the Russians had an inkling of the Wellsian Doorway. How much they knew, that would be for Colonel Collins and Niles to figure out later.
“Salkukoff and others believe the Americans are on the same trail for the same technology. You are correct in one regard—he knew your group would be coming to the North Atlantic when the Simbirsk mysteriously arrived out of nowhere.”
“And his plan is to…?” Jenks persisted.
“His plan is to discover what you know and then to make assurances you never get back home.”
“What assets from your nation are here?” Charlie asked.
“I don’t know. They don’t take me into their confidence. The two times I came, I was blindfolded and kept in isolation. It seems we were transported by ship, but every time I was allowed to depart, again I was blindfolded. I do know it was a ship, as I am prone to seasickness. That fact they couldn’t hide from me. I am also aware that with the original transport to this world by Simbirsk, she had a well-equipped library. One of the books in that library was one Dr. Ellenshaw mentioned in passing yesterday. It was Treasure Island. Somehow, Salkukoff uses that book, which was found by our aquatic friends, and used it to his advantage. He interfered most assuredly in the development of this species toward an aggressive nature. He uses that pirate nature to secure the diamonds.”
“Come on, Dr. Zhivago, we figured that out when we saw the damn pirate flags on those boats. Now tell us something useful before that maniac kills more innocent people,” Jenks said angrily.
“All I do know is that Salkukoff and his higher management use one species against the other. That they use the indigenous life-forms here to gather the diamonds for transport back to our dimension. One group gathers; the other group secures and then transfers the diamonds to their new masters.”
“So, you people have enslaved one group and given power over them to another. Do you ever stop and think before you do something as shameful as slavery, no matter what the cause is?” Charlie looked at Gervais, and Jenks could see that the kind and gentle cryptozoologist was furious. “All of this for gathering the science to kill your fellow man?” Charlie said with indignant outrage.
“Professor, why do you suppose the villagers greeted us with caution but not outright fear?”
“Because they are your slaves, and they were used to seeing men from our world in theirs,” Charlie said as things started to fit. “They dig the diamonds, and the aquatic species keeps them in line. Amazing inhumanity.”
Gervais hung his head. His shame was apparent. “I believe the mission here is coming to an end. Salkukoff and his people have grown paranoid that their mission has been compromised. They are still far short of acquiring enough of the diamonds for any extensive weaponization purposes, but they have decided the risk of exposure is now too great to continue. Now, that’s all I know, gentlemen.”
Jenks looked at Charlie. “That’s all we’re going to get from Mr. Wizard here.” Jenks slapped the small man on the back hard. “Thanks, you sniveling little coward.”
Gervais now knew he had been ambushed by the Americans. Once more he looked up, and he saw that the Russian commando had vanished.
“Looks like the cat will be out of the bag soon enough, Doc.” Jenks also saw that their guard had vanished. It was obvious the Russian commando had more important things to report to Salkukoff. “I hope you have a good reason ready as to why you spilled your guts.”
Charlie paused and looked down at Gervais.
“You make me ashamed of being a scientist. Our jobs are to explain and teach the rest of the world to everyone. Here you have enslaved a gorgeous people and raped their land so you can possibly kill other innocents.” He slammed his hands down on the table. “You deserve what’s coming to you.”
Jenks puffed on his cigar and then paused at the spot the commando had occupied moments earlier.
“You have an offer of sanctuary aboard the Shiloh. I suggest you make use of it.”
Jenks and Ellenshaw left the professor alone to contemplate his future.
* * *
Jenks and Charlie reported to Jack and Carl. His suspicions were confirmed, and as he looked out over the violet seas, he knew the Russians had an unknown phase shift asset out there somewhere. He turned and faced his two intrepid interrogators.
“So, these sea creatures are attacking us and the villagers in support of the Russian game here? And you are convinced the Russians already have what amounts to an occupation force? And he now has a suspicion that Salkukoff is finished with this little experiment and is packing it in?”
“According to Gervais,” Jenks offered.
“Radar from neither Shiloh nor Peter the Great has shown anything that could be considered an asset here, Jack—no ships, no aircraft,” Carl reminded him.
“A nearby island?” he asked.
“Not that shows up on radar. Compton’s Reef is the only substantial island for seven hundred miles that our limited resources can tell,” Carl explained. “There is an above-water reef thirty miles to the southwest. Coral mostly. We’ll get the drone to overfly it as soon as we can. That may well be a place for our Russians to hide. Now we know why Salkukoff wants the Simbirsk back so badly. They need it for this occupation force to get home with their plunder.”
“Could they be hidden on the island we just visited?”
“Possible, but improbable,” Charlie said. “Those people were not concerned about us because they were used to seeing men of our dimension because of the Russian incursion. They would have guided us to that element if they had them there, thinking at the very least we were together. They are too innocent to be any sort of ally in this.”
“I agree,” Jack said, lightly hitting Ellenshaw on the arm as he moved past him. “Okay, we have some time to track this Russian element down. Until then, we have two problems. One, how can we defend these ships against the force of aquatic attackers we faced last night? Two, can we discover if Kreshenko and his crew are a part of this? If not, do they have an inkling of what is really happening not only here but in their own country?”
“My suspicion is that no one in the Russian military is aware of this secret society that runs things over there. Kreshenko believes his orders still originate in Moscow. We know that they don’t, but do he and his crew?”
They turned and saw Henri Farbeaux as he stepped in from the shadows.
“Can Kreshenko and his men be convinced that he is on the wrong side of this?” Jack asked the only man in the world who knew this form of criminality.
“My honest evaluation?” Henri asked as he looked at the strange sea surrounding Simbirsk.
“If that’s possible,” Carl said as he jabbed Farbeaux one more time.
“Sometimes it is, Captain, but rarely,” the Frenchman said as he turned back to face the group of Americans. “I must stay true to form, at least in Captain Everett’s opinion, and say we cannot take that chance. Peter the Great and her crew are now the enemy no matter which way you play this. Kreshenko will follow his orders. The same orders I have for Colonel Salkukoff must apply to all Russian military personnel from this point on.”
“What are you saying?” Charlie asked, almost afraid of the answer.
“What he’s saying, Doc, is that Peter the Great and her entire crew have to meet the same fate as the man they answer to, and that is to eliminate them all if possible,” Jack answered for Henri. “See what you can do, Henri. I don’t relish the thought of a sea battle here and now. We have to find a way to convince the Russian Navy of our intent to save their lives.”
“And the hidden asset they have in this dimension. Even if we convince Kreshenko, they all have to be destroyed and all access to these blue diamonds removed. Whatever that asset is, they may have extensive firepower. The one advantage we have is the fact we know they need the Simbirsk.”
“One little flaw in these theories, gentlemen, is the fact that these so-called allies from the sea attempted to burn Simbirsk. Why would they do that unless our friend Salkukoff had another way home?”
Henri had just thrown the proverbial wrench in the works by saying what everyone else had overlooked.
“My God,” Ellenshaw said aloud.
“In my experience, Professor Ellenshaw, God has very little to do with what we do for a living. He abandoned men like us long ago.”
Henri Farbeaux walked away after giving them all the hard truth of the day.
Jack faced Jenks, Carl, and Charlie. He saw Ryan approach. He looked hot and sweaty. He stepped up to Collins.
“What did you find out, Jason?”
“Well, you won’t believe it. It’s like visiting a wartime museum down there. Colonel, this ship is packed full of ordnance. The damn Russians never removed a thing.”
“Are you going to let us in on it or what?” Jenks asked.
“I sent Mr. Ryan on a small tour of the facilities on Simbirsk. Tell them, Jason.”
“The turrets are fully functional. They have over a thousand rounds of sixteen-inch projectiles in her magazines. High and dry, and fully functional, and as deadly as the day the old Soviet Union made them.”
“What does that mean?” Ellenshaw asked.
“It means, Doc, we now have something a little more substantial in case we need it, either against our fish-faced pirate friends or…” Everett just nodded toward the anchored Peter the Great.
Charlie Ellenshaw walked away, shaking his head. Collins knew the old hippie well enough to see what was coming.
“Where does this madness end?”
Not one of the career military men had answers to Charlie’s question, especially Jack Collins.
He was also not the only one to know that the United States and Russia were already in a state of war.