Chapter 11

                When Lock thought briefly of the transfer he shut his eyes.  I guess it was the unknown expectation that he probably couldn’t see anything anyway moving from here to there through the spaces between spaces that steered him in that direction.  At any rate when he opened his eyes he expected to be back in the Nexus departure area but what he saw when he opened his eyes confused him.  A young girl wrapped in what appeared to be just a towel with wet dripping hair and wearing fluffy pink slippers was standing directly in front of him with a look of total surprise on her face.  Not realizing it at the time, he must have yelled out some expletive that was immediately answered by the young lady in front of him with the loudest scream he had ever heard in his life.  Confused and not thinking very clearly, he looked for an avenue of escape.  To his right was a stairway leading down to a lower level and he leaped aside landing on the first stair tread.  In a blur he plunged down the stairs skipping as many steps as he could without stumbling.  At the bottom of the stairs was an entry that he thought was familiar but being obviously unwelcome here he darted out the door, took one leap off the porch and was running down the sidewalk, his heart ready to jump out of his chest.  After running for at least a couple of blocks he slowed to a stop trying to catch his breath.  As he turned in a slow circle attempting to get his bearings he realized with sudden clarity what had just happened.  Walking to the next corner to be sure and prove his theory in his own mind, he read the street signs and confirmed his hypothesis.  The moment he thought of transference, as he was instructed by the Probe’s intelligence matrix, he in deed had a destination clearly in his mind but not the Nexus point.  He had accidentally been thinking of the adventure he had had with his college friends and sent himself to the very Sorority house he was thinking of the moment he initiated the transfer.

                Now he was panicking as he continued to take deep breaths.  The Probe told him quite clearly that he must return to the Nexus point before initiating another transfer for a recharge and now he thought he was surely stranded.  What do I do now he thought?

Finally, a question. 

                Lock was awash with gratitude as the words formed so clearly in his thoughts and grateful to hear the voice he was beginning to be accustomed to.

                “I’m afraid I‘ve done it now,” Lock was absolutely beside himself. “You clearly instructed me to return to the Nexus point but I’m afraid that I kind of slipped up and was thinking of something else altogether when I initiated the transfer.  I ended up two States away from where I live and totally mortified!

Welcome to lesson 101, I fully expected to intercede in an error such as this.  When I said you must concentrate on a destination, this deviation was the perfect training experience to get you on track.  I couldn’t have asked for more.  My goal was to demonstrate to you that an errant thought would surely get you into trouble if you were careless.  It seems to have worked very well indeed.  You now understand that the simplest stray thought can get you into a major situation.

                “Are you kidding me?  You were monitoring this disaster the whole time?  You’re as bad as any teacher I’ve ever had.” Lock knew his face was red and was glad he didn’t have to face a real teacher.

                The next moment Lock blinked and found himself back in the Nexus departure area.

                “Hey, wait a minute, initially you told me that any outbound transfer was supposed to be followed by a return trip to the Nexus for a recharge.  What’s the deal?  You lied to me!”

If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s this……every New Director has to learn a lesson.  Some learn hard, you learned easy.  That lesson is simple, this is serious business and what I say matters.  What I say can keep you alive.  That simple side thought you had of pure nostalgia could have placed you in a situation that might have gotten you killed.  I don’t ask you to do things lightly.  I needed you to experience a failure of your own, causing you to think of the consequences of not thinking clearly when it involves a mission and to demonstrate to you in terms you could understand that the information I’m passing on to you is worth your serious consideration.

                “So, when you said I had to return to the Nexus point, to recharge the Key, you were lying?”

No, I simply was concerned with your safety….You are now my new Director, and I knew from past experiences that beings with free will could not be ordered to do much of anything without having  a real life experience to drive any particular point home.  You can actually transfer as many times as you need too without worrying about returning to the Nexus point.  Remember though, that every 24 of your hours you will have to return for recharge to the Nexus point. This is the real deal, and you will also be required to dump the data recorded of your exploits via your Key.  This is absolutely the truth, so take serious note.

                “The whole training thing has been a valuable experience but shouldn’t we be concentrating on repairing your system?” Lock offered with humility, “I think I can make the transfer to pick up the crystal that should be lying in the field not far away, without a hitch.  Let’s do this thing and get on with our greater agenda.” Lock needed to move on.   He was starting to get used to the idea of the adventures to come and needed to move on before he changed his mind.

Good, the crystal was just dislodged from its socket by the jolt from the hunter’s bullet striking our outer shield.  Once you retrieve it, hopefully it will only require a small effort to reinstall it.  With the missing crystal replaced, normal communications with Mission Central will be restored.  If your ready, concentrate on the location where you saw something fall to the ground……

 

  

 

Chapter 10

                Melman received a priority page via his implant, informing him that he was needed down at the transport level to receive the Elders that were now finally arriving for the emergency conference.  He excused himself from Kenfer’s presents, promising he’d return ASAP, and have armed escorts bring up all the Elders that showed up in the next hour or so.  His present duties were also divided to keep abreast of any data collected by the now infamous Probe 4’s tactical team and see that this information was passed quickly to Mr. Kenfer’s station.  The remaining watchers, those who kept close watch over all the other normal Probe missions, were still busy scurrying about the Center’s floor status hubs, oblivious to the drama playing out around them.  This turmoil did nothing to stop Melman from studiously navigating this mayhem and completing his long practiced information collecting routine.

                Melman then made his way to the rear service hall and took the employees private lift to the 13^th floor.  The 13^th floor doesn’t usually exit in most buildings but in the Center’s complex the scientists here just didn’t believe in any of the common superstitions.  Any mention of the floor existing by outsiders just brought hard stares.  The secure computer stations were in an unmarked office at the end of the hall. The door to the office had a DNA scanner terminal.  To enter, it was necessary to rub almost any body part against a rough surface to scratch off skin cells that fell into a diagnostic black box to establish authorized entry identification.  Once through the first door an entrant still had to look into a retinal scanner.  Melman sat down at the nearest terminal and keyed in his friend Benson’s communication code.  He could have gotten off at the eleventh floor and asked Benson for the information he needed but there were just too many ears without a security clearance.

                BENSON, THIS IS MELMAN…..IF YOU CHECK YOUR SCREENS SOURCE SIGNATURE YOU WILL SEE THIS IS A SECURE COMMUNICATION, CODE 8—CHECK THAT NO ONE IS WITHIN VIEWING RANGE OF YOUR STATION.  I’LL WAIT TO CONTINUE UNTIL YOU ADVISE ME THAT YOU’RE IN THE CLEAR.

                GO AHEAD MELMAN, NO ONE IS AROUND. THEY’RE ALL AT LUNCH.  I’M EATING WHAT I MADE AT HOME, RIGHT HERE AT MY STATION. YOU REMEMBER I’M STILL ON THIS BLASTED DIET!

                  RIGHT-GOOD, I NEED YOU TO BACK TRACE THE LAST INFORMATION YOU USED TO ASSEMBLE THE TRANSCRIPTS I PICKED UP A COUPLE HOURS AGO FROM YOU FOR THE PROBE 4 FIASCO.

                EASY ENOUGH I SUPPOSE BUT WHAT ARE YOU/WE LOOKING FOR?  THAT TRANSCRIPT WAS A DIRECT TRANSLATION FROM THE DATA BURST I TOOK RIGHT FROM THE ACTIVE PROBE, EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION RECIVER.   ONLY PROBES THAT HAVE TAGGED A TRANSMISSION AS AN EMERGENCY, WOULD BE COLLECTED SPECIFICALLY IN THESE FILES AND RED FLAGGED.  EACH SPECIFIC FILE IS IDENTIFIED WITH A PROBE UNIT NUMBER AS WELL AS MISSION RELATIVE TIME AND DATE.  YOUR PROBE 4 WAS THE ONLY ENTRY WITH AND EMERGENCY MESSAGE STORED WHEN I ROUTINELY CHECKED THE EMERGENCY FILES, IT WAS AN OBVIOUS FIND.

                FOR YOUR EYES ONLY BENSON AND THIS IS IMPORTANT!  KEEP THIS TO YOURSELF.  I NEED TO KNOW FOR SURE WHERE AND THE RELATIVE WHEN, PROBE 4 SHUT DOWN.  THE Q&A AT THE CRISIS CONFERENCE IS JUST STARTING AND ALL THE ELDERS WILL BE PRESENT SOON.  SENIOR ELDER LOOMIS ADVISED ME HIMSELF THAT HE WILL PROBABLY ARRIVE IN ABOUT AND HOUR GIVE OR TAKE.   I NEED WHATEVER YOU FIND OUT BEFORE LOOMIS GETS HERE, KENFER NEEDS EVERY EDGE I CAN GIVE HIM.  I DO NOT WANT TO BE STARTING ALL OVER WITH A NEW DIRECTORATE MANAGER ANYTIME SOON.

                OK MELMAN BUT I HAVE TO GET ONE OF THE MAINTENANCE INTERNS INVOLVED.  I CAN KEEP HIM IN THE DARK BUT I NEED AN INCONSPICUOUS PERSON TO PULL THE INBOUND PORTAL LOGS FOR THE FILE IN QUESTION.  IT’S THE ONLY LEAD WE HAVE.  I CAN PLUG THEM INTO A PROGRAM I’VE BEEN TINKERING WITH THAT CAN TAKE THE RECEPTION CODE STAMP, ON ANY TRANSMISSION RECEPTION FILE AND REVERSE CALCULATE ITS MOST PROBABLE LOCATION SOURCE. 

                ONE MORE THING BENSON…..I’VE GOT A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS SITUATION.  YOU KNOW HOW I WATCH THE IN AND OUT BOUND PORTAL TRAFFIC FOR THE MISSIONS IN MY CHARGE.  I’M NOT ABSOLUTELLY SURE BUT I THOUGHT I SAW SOMETHING UNUSUAL.  AN ANOMALLY THAT DIDN’T REALLY MEAN ANYTHING TO ME AT THE TIME, ON PROBE 4’S STATUS SCREEN.  IT OCCURRED TO ME AT THE END OF MY RECENT PRESENTATION, A THROWN TOGETHER EFFORT TO HELP MR. KENFER KEEP AFLOAT IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM.  I THINK THAT WHEN I PULL THE TAPES FOR THE LAST 12 HOURS, I’M GOING TO FIND AN OIA CODE EMBEDED IN THE BODY OF THE PORTAL TEXT.  I HAVE TO BE SURE BEFORE I MENTION IT TO KENFER.

                WE BOTH KNOW THAT AN OPERATIONAL IMMMEDIATE ACTION CODE CAN ONLY BE ISSUED AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS AND IS A PROGRAM IMPERRITIVE THAT HAS TO BE ENACTED WITHOUT REGULAR CONFIRMATION OR VERIFICATION ORDER.  IT’S THE LAST IMMEDIATELY ACTIONABLE DIRECTIVE LEFT IN THE ACTIVE SYSTEM’S PROFILE LANGUAGE.

                ……AND I PLAN TO FIND OUT WHAT THE OIA CONTAINED AND WHO SENT IT! 

 

Chapter 9

                The thoughts of unknown possibilities were still on my mind when I cleared the barrier partition from the Control Room.   My eyes focused on my surroundings as I stopped to scan this new area.  The room was bathed evenly in adequate light that emanated from all the walls and ceilings.  In the center of the floor was a round locker type structure with all the individual openings uncovered for inspection.  Exposed were various type-groupings of clothing and outer wear obviously provided to be worn in all kinds of weather and particular local situations.  The circular clothing resource center was surrounded by padded benches also in a similar circular pattern with about 4 feet of open space between them and the locker fronts.  Every third section of lockers and benches were divided by mirrored partitions.  Visitors could use the areas to dress and check their appearance after donning the appropriate apparel.  I mentally estimated four or five people could dress in comfort and enjoy reasonable privacy.

                Off to one side and out of the seating circle was a booth, not unlike an old phone booth back in the day, just a little bit larger and with not a lot of privacy.  A sign indicated that custom or special need articles could be manufactured on demand by this device.  The shape of the room in general was octagonal with the barrier partition I entered through joined by two others seemingly randomly inserted among the other seven wall sections.  Beyond this centralized outfitting section with dressing area, was what probably could be a conference area, complete with viewing screens in front of each seating position.  My guess was that one or a group of travelers could discuss the plans of an operation before or after dressing.  The large screen at the head of the oval table probably could provide some awesome tales.

                The only other feature obvious to me in this space was an open floor area, with one of the barrier partitions closely adjacent to it.  This training session was to be a transportation lesson and this open area might be an arrival and departure location.  Ominous devices that looked like wall mounted video cameras surrounded this space but I suspected that they had other uses as well. 

I’m impressed, the central core is in fact an outfitting station with dressing facilities.  The apparel within will change as mission situations change.  The “Booth” as you thought of it, we call a “Transmutter”.  It is required to effect body image issues or what you might call camouflage.  It will change body appearance to others via your “Key”.  Your personal features like body coloring, ethnicity, physical size or body type and even speech or language issues can be addressed for a mission specific need.  No change actually occurs to your body but to anyone that does not possess the Key, they see and can even feel these changes as a type of mind illusion.  This is an extremely useful feature when needing to blend into a local situation. 

                Your skills of deduction were correct again for the conference area.  It is often necessary to discuss all steps in a research plan, including entry and escape routes.  Visual aids are often used in concert with research data and shown on the available screens.  The last functional zone in this section is the Transport Nexus.  I need you to listen very closely to the instructions I give you now.  What I am going to tell you will allow you to travel of “Transfer” to any location you picture in your mind but you must be in the Nexus area to make the initial transition.  The protection field outside my perimeter can only be breached by the Key, specifically in this case, your Key.  You have already notice the barrier partition in close proximity with the Nexus Zone.  It is the only barrier that will allow you to make a transfer.  Walking through the Nexus barrier will conduct you to your goal.  You must always return to the Nexus Zone before going to another location.  Do you understand?  To return just think “Nexus” or merely the thought “Return”. 

We need a trial run.  It will be light out in a few hours and your vehicle could draw unwanted attention to the Probe.  Before I send you out to retrieve the crystal for my repair I want you to transfer to your vehicle, drive it to your home and place it in storage as we discussed earlier.  Then return using the principal I explained to you.  This will give you a chance to prove you can operate the key correctly. 

                “Ok, seems easy enough.  I’ll report when I get to my apartment and again just before I return.” Lock was excited to try his new found power. “By the way, why can’t I travel to any other destination before coming back to the Nexus?”

The Key must be recharged to full capacity for safety reasons.  It is my responsibility to ensure the protection of the Director.

                I walked through the Nexus barrier thinking of my car.  In the next instant i was standing at the side of the road.  Turning to see how close I had gotten to my car I ended up with an imprint of the corner of my driver side doors mirror in my chin.  The shock coupled with the slight dizziness I felt after the transfer caused me to fall backwards on my butt in the dirt kicking up a cloud of dust.  Slightly embarrassed I got up, the dizzy feeling passed much quicker than when I was originally drawn into the Probe but now my chin hurt.  Man this was the only way to travel but I had to be a little more careful.  Getting into my car I studied the area where I knew the probe to be and could only see a very light outline of the cubes exterior.  I still couldn’t believe I had been in that thing and that is was so deceiving on the outside.

                “Can you hear me, I know I said I’d wait until I got to my apartment but I just need to know all this wasn’t just a dream.” I was just turning the car key in the ignition when the Probe answered clearly.

Yes, as I said Lock, we are always going to be able to communicate without interference.  I’ve decided to break my previous behavior and address you by your last name, is this acceptable?     

                “Of course, that will feel much more natural to me.  Contact you in a jiffy, I live only a few blocks away.” Lock sped off, his tires sending dirt flying out behind him.

                I arrived home without incident, put my car in the garage and went to the refrigerator for what might be my last beer.

                “Home safe and sound, do I need to bring any of my things back with me, like cloths, toiletries, money….anything?

All will be provide for you.  Just secure your residence as if you were going on an extended vacation.  When you are ready, you can return with a thought.  Time is short.

                Lock walked around his apartment slowly, sipping his beer.  As he headed back toward the garage to check the locks one last time, he stopped to dwell on an old picture standing alone in a beat up frame on his kitchen counter.  The photo was taken while on a panty raid with his two roommates from college, a lifetime ago.  He had found it in the bottom of a box when he moved in a couple years back and just couldn’t bring himself to throw it out.  As he turned toward the door he imagined his current situation might prevent him from ever having the opportunity to have fun like that again.  He starred into space, suddenly remembering the sounds and smells as he climbed the stairs in the Sorority’s foyer.  All the while hoping to get the prize he wanted.  He could see Cindy Howard as clear as day, the only girl on the Sorority roster that ever talked to him.  Lock was smiling as he thought of the transfer…….

 

Chapter 8

                Loomis was not used to being summoned anywhere.  He was after all, the most Senior of the Governing Elders and this upstart Melman, actually had the temerity to call him directly on his personal com line!  Who did he think he was and now the whole damn research department was all stirred up, probably the result of that incompetent Center Manager Kenfer.  He never should have confirmed this guy’s appointment as head of the Centers Directorate Staff.  Loomis had been told that when Probe 4’s Director died of what would surely be believed as natural causes, the Probe would go into lock down, unable to function.  Gone missing somewhere in time, no muss and no fuss.  Nothing was said about any automatic system allowing the Probe to deal with the matter without direct Center authorization.  This situation was growing into a disaster, fast.

                He had to tell this Melman person that he needed at least an hour to respond to the emergency summons, due to his personal driver taking the night off.  Melman immediately offered a staff car to pick him up but Loomis played the cranky insufferable old man to the fullest and advised Melman that his driver was on call and if he wanted his presents at the conference, a long standing superstition dictated that he ride only in his personal vehicle.  That bought him some time but he had to hurry. 

                His personal vault was in the bowels of his estate, an old panic room installed by the previous owner, invisible to anyone that didn’t know of its existence and with the original owner as well as the architect long deceased, his secret was safe.  The panic room was built to withstand anything short of a nuclear detonation.  The wealthy and powerful, at the time the manor house had been built, would do anything to protect their interests.  The place had enough room to convert half into an office and the other half into secure storage for valuables and secrets.  Loomis made his way into the office portion and sat down at his desk.  He pondered the risks involved in contacting his mystery mentor, a silky female voice on the other end of a com line.  He first heard that voice over 30 years ago.  She was happy to help him she said back then, he would surely get the appointment to the Directorate’s ruling body as an Elder she said too.  All she wanted was just a simple favor one day and she could guarantee his placement.  Sure, he said, what could be the harm?  Loomis had forgotten that voice until a few days ago when she contacted him to collect that simple favor and now all hell was breaking out. 

                Com service to his office was both secure via his government connections and by encrypted equipment not available to the masses.  Feeling confidant, he decided to make the call before he traveled to the Center and had to pretend that he was completely surprised and outraged that an event like this was even possible.

                “Do you realize the risk your placing us both in by contacting me?” The woman on the line, spat the words at Loomis. “This will all blow over after the Center’s eggheads all do what they can and fail.”

                “This favor of yours, this simple little favor….has ballooned into a serious problem.  The Probe had a failsafe protocol embedded into its operating system.  The minute its Director ceased to function, it shut down, sent out a communication burst and implemented a self preservation directive to recover a new Director.  The new replacement has been found and is being trained as we speak.”

                “Not possible, I was assured that the loss of a Director was the one catastrophic event that could render a probe inoperative.” She was talking calmly but Loomis could hear the fear in her voice.

                “I’ll tell you what’s possible, I’ve been summoned to the Center for a conference,” Said Loomis, “and the other Elders along with the Center’s gung ho Directorate Manager Andrew Kenfer, are all going to be there.  This make shift collective think tank they’ve assembled, will be expected to come up with a scenario to help get our troubled Probe back to the fold.”

                “Just listen to me will you….you have to find out what’s actually happening.  If this Probe has found itself a new Director, will it return for debriefing?  Will the body of its last Director have been stored for the investigation that’s sure to follow?  We may have to destroy the Probe before it can return.  This goes way over your head Elder Loomis and I’m here to tell you both of our necks are on the chopping block if this surreptitious plan sees the light of day!”

                “When I arrive at the meeting I can get every bit of information available from technical support.  I’ll find out what the Probe is doing and what it plans to do.  I have top clearance for all operations at the Center and can go anywhere necessary.  If there’s a way to stop this thing, I’ll find it.” Loomis was having a hard time keeping his voice calm. “I can get the programming outline from engineering and look for a self destruct.  If we need to go down that road we’ll need the facts.  I should have known technology as sophisticated as the Probe fleet would have every safety measure possible.  How could we both have been so naive?

                Loomis headed for the transport deck in deep thought.  He was going to find out who was behind his current predicament.  This woman was a good place to start and he was sure she would inevitably lead him to his target, one way or another.  As he walked he placed a call to an operative that was no stranger to his black operations and Loomis needed to be prepared to move fast.