[Sticks]

Prologue

Note contains Season six and Mystical Realms Tales spoilers

It is said that when our universe was formed, it was one of the first membrane universes to do so, and became the world we know to this day

(A short clip)

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Much later as humanity developed, in the spaces between the undulating membrane universes another one came into being.. Time in that other universe was accelerated and ran at a different rate to ours. Humanity in our universe by this time had a collective unconscious and as these membrane universes can be as close to each other as a few centimetres somehow our collective unconscious influenced what beings would be formed in this other universe. Creatures in that universe were formed from our nightmares our fantasy and our folk law, and they were aware of our existence.

Of course when the first creatures crossed over to our universe, the flow of time in both was synchronised

Back in our universe, many years ago, so we are told, people came across the fossils of dinosaurs, creatures who had ruled the Earth for sixty five million years, before being wiped out by an asteroid impact.

On seeing the fossils of these long dead creatures these people developed legends of large reptilian monsters. Some said that our legends of such creatures came from a time before some global flood when dinosaurs and men co-existed.

How ever it happened, these creatures became the dragons we know to this day, and many a myth arose from them here on Earth.

In the Mystical Realms, this parallel universe formed somehow by our collective unconsciousness, dragons became real, but were not the dangerous predatory beasts of the nightmares of humans. These real dragons confined themselves to mountains and lived off of herbivorous beasts and the occasional adventurer that was foolish enough to stray to far into the mountains un protected.

Here on Earth people lived in fear of a beast that did not have an existence in this universe, and all sorts of powers were ascribed to them. In some cultures, it was believed that they were the cause of total solar eclipses when the dragon would eat the sun.

Indeed in the nineteenth century during one such solar eclipse, Chinese gunboats fired their cannons to scare the dragon away that was eating the sun.

A creature that could swallow an astronomical body?

In this age of rationalism and enlightenment, nobody in their right mind would believe such things, as there is no way that could possibly happen, could it…

[Sticks]

Episode I – Somnus Initium Tumultuosus

Translation: Sleeper Starts Stirring


Christmas Eve 1968

At an office in the Kremlin in Moscow.

A number of military personnel are watching a television set. The programme is from a feed from NASA, it is of Apollo 8 as it comes out from behind the moon with Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders. For their day, it will be the most watched TV programme ever. The Astronauts then proceed to read the first nine versus from the first chapter of Genesis with Frank Borman wishing everyone on Earth a merry Christmas.

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General Boris Chenyenko turned off the television set and stormed out of the room, and headed down the corridor swearing profusely, leaving the others in the room to nervously look at each other. It was clear that someone would be paying for this humiliation.

Karlov, Boris’ secretary followed hurriedly, Boris was not a man to upset, not if you wanted to avoid being sent to the gulag or worse. Boris had formally been KGB, but now he was in charge of one of the groups in the Soviet space programme. He was also a devoted and loyal communist and eager to beat the Americans to the Moon for the glory of the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic

“Those imbeciles have allowed the Americans to send their Apollo around the moon” Boris shouted.
Karlov, just kept his mouth shut.
“It should have been two of our brave cosmonauts extolling the virtues of Marx and the determination of the Soviet people” Boris continued, “Rather than Americans reading from some Jewish fable”

Boris then turned to his secretary, “I WANT TO SEE Mikhail Kuzmich Yangel, as soon as possible”

Karlov nodded, there was no use arguing, Boris was furious and when he was in this state, it was always wise to do as he asked, so he left to make a phone call. If Yankel celebrated Christmas, Karlov had no idea, but if he did, he would not be doing so this year.

+++

It is Christmas morning and Mikhail Yankel is in the office of Boris Chenynko.

“The Americans are close” Boris lambasts Mikhail, “We must win this space race, and we can”

“Comrade” Mikhail started, “Although we have a lander on the drawing board, we still have not developed the launch vehicle, the N! needed for this enterprise. And so far, Vasily Mishin has not delivered. If the Chief Designer, Sergey Korolov was still”

“I AM NOT INTERESTED IN EXCUSES” Boris shouted and banged his desk with his fist.

“With all due respect comrade Chenyenko” Mikhail persisted, “Without the N1, we will never be able to make the Trans Luna insertion we need to get to the moon”

Boris glowered at the engineer and then picked up his phone to his secretary, “Get me Vladimir Chelomei,”

“What do you want with Vladimir?” Mikhail asked, “He will only tell you what I have, we do not have the rocket to launch the Lunniy Korabl to the moon.”
“I disagree, comrade” Boris grinned, “Vladimir has been working on a suitable launch vehicle, the UR-500, and it was Vladimir that proposed using this rocket for this flight. It was only because our leadership switching to Korolev in sixty four that prevented him taking this further”
“But that is still being developed, and has had numerous failures” Mikhail responded, in shock at his preposterous idea, “Even the lander has not been tested” he added.
“What better way to test the lander” Boris began, “by landing a man on the moon”
“But comrade” Mikhail responded, “without proper testing you could be sending two men needlessly to their deaths”

“I was not appointed to be a snivelling coward like you” Boris sneered, “I do not know how you achieved your USSR State Prize last year”

Boris stood up and walked round to the back of Mikhail’s chair, and then bent down to whisper into his ear, “I still have friends in the KGB, I will get you the pilots, you will get me the lander, Vladimir will give me the UR-500. We have been humiliated already, and I do not want our first secretary Brezhnev having to congratulate President Nixon. I want the Americans to be still playing with their pathetic Apollo programme when we boldly announce we have beaten them to the Moon”
“I still” Mikhail tried to start
“IS THAT CLEAR” Boris yelled
“Perfectly Comrade” Mikhail
“Then you are dismissed comrade Yangle” Boris whispered into his ear.

Mikhail slowly stood up and left the general’s office, why was Boris coming to him, it was Vasili Mishin who was more active in this field, after the death in 1966 of Sergei Korolyov, the Chief Designer. Maybe he thought he had more influence, since Mishin lacked Korolyov's political authority.

+++

03 March 1969

NASA launches Apollo 9, and 70 hours after launch the astronauts start to run tests on docking and undocking the Luna module.

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General Boris Chenyenko is not happy, America is steaming ahead and progress is agonisingly slow from two of the design groups especially as secrecy is of the utmost importance.

He is visited by a KGB officer in his office, carrying a file.

“Dimetri” Boris beams at the KGB officer, “you have my pilots”
“Yes comrade” the officer replied and handed the general the file. Boris took it, opened it and looked at the papers. Then he took out a bottle of vodka and poured out two glasses.
“Tell me Dimetri”, Boris asked quietly as he put on a pair of metal rim glasses, “What did you have on them”
“They are both homosexual lovers” the KGB officer smirked
“Or really” Boris asked in feigned surprise
“I am not sure, but we have evidence that will suggest that they are if they refused to co-operate”
“And they have agreed?”
“Yes comrade, because if they succeed, we will produce evidence to exonerate them”
“Indeed Dimetri” Boris smiled, “It would not go down well to reveal that the first cosmonaut on the moon was a deviant”
“It is amazing comrade Chenyenko” The KGB officer replied, “They took all that trouble to select the right man for the first man in space, to make sure there were, as they say in the west, no skeletons in the closet, and here were are using possible skeletons to select your pilots, for what would be an even greater victory over the Americans”
“Well indeed Dimetri” Boris smiled, “This is a mission with a bit more risk than expected, and I expected that volunteers might not be forthcoming from among the usual pool of cosmonauts”
“They will be famous” the KGB officer remarked, “They will be true heroes of the Soviet Union and the revolution. I am sure after the mission they will thank us, and perhaps mend their ways so as not to disillusion the memory of the great feat they will accomplish”
“Indeed my dear Dimetri” Boris replied, as he handed the KGB officer one of the glasses of vodka.

And then the two old friends drank and toasted Mother Russia,

+++

25 April 1969

General Boris Chenyenko arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in a nondescript black car. Because of his high level in the Kremlin, he could have had an official driver, but due to the level of secrecy, he chose to drive himself.

[img=600x300]http://www.particle.kth.se/~pearce/pamela_launch/IMGP4033.JPG[/img]

He was greeted by the deputies of both Mikhail Yankel and Vladimir Chelomei, as the two leaders of the design groups had to be seen to be elsewhere. This launch was of the utmost secrecy. As far as anyone was concerned, this was yet another test of the UR-500 rocket, which had managed to get the nickname of Proton. The name "Proton" originated from a series of large scientific Proton satellites, which were among the rocket's first official payloads.

The two deputies showed the general to the mission control centre, both were expecting that the two pilots would be killed in a rocket explosion, given the current failure rate in previous tests of the UR-500, and both were afraid that should that occur, they would be sent to Siberia.

The general found his seat and sat down to watch the countdown.

-

Vitalik Nikitin and Oleg Sidorov, sat in, the Lunniy Orbitalny Korabl, the command module of one of the spacecraft designed to put a cosmonaut on the moon. They were waiting and listening to the telemetry and the signal feed from mission control.
“I wish we had been more careful Oleg” Vitalik whispered
“What was that?” came a voice from mission control
“Sorry Mission control” Oleg stepped in, “Vitalik was talking about that last test in the simulator”
Suddenly a voice they did not recognise came over the cap-com, “Sometimes being careful means being cowardly. You are going to be heroes because we are not like the Americans, afraid to do anything unless they do countless tests. We do not need to practice, we do”

Vitalik and Oleg sat in silence wondering who this voice was. After half a minute a familiar voice came over the radio, “That was General Boris Chenyenko, he is overseeing the mission”

“I have taken responsibility for this glorious mission” the general’s voice came over the radio

“We are honoured to serve, comrade Chenyenko” Oleg cut in
“You will be greater than Gagarin comrades” The general reassured them.

Vitalik and Oleg silently glanced at each other, if it had not been for the threats from the KGB, they would not have been sitting on what they both thought was a bomb on a launch pad. Even if it did not blow up, they were still both dubious that the Proton would be enough to get them to the Moon, and even more important, back again.

By rights, they were going too early, but the General had insisted that he wanted to announce the successful landing on the Moon by a cosmonaut on May Day. Oh how his beloved leader Leonid Brezhnev would be so proud to celebrate such a glorious May Day parade.

-

Finally the countdown reached zero and the Boris watched in mission control as the UR-500 rocket with its secret special payload took off, and listened intently to the telemetry as the rocket flew without a hitch, it seemed that Boris’ brilliant idea was paying off.

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The space craft finally achieved orbit after an agonising wait, it was going well, and yet again the Americans would be wrong footed by the glorious Soviet engineers. The LOK -Lunniy Orbitalny Korabl would soon be leaving low Earth orbit to go to Trans Luna injection.

General Boris Chenyenko was now certain his high risk strategy was working. Mikhail Yankle had been too over cautious, just as he thought.

-

Vitalik and Oleg both sighed with relief, they had made it safely into space, but it was not over yet. Ahead of them lay a four day trip to the moon, and then Vitlaik would have to do a space walk to the Lunniy Korabl, which would carry him down to the surface of the moon whilst Oleg remained in the command module. After which, the plan was to plant the soviet flag, dedicate the landing to the first secretary of the communist part, Leonid Brezhnev, collect some moon rock and return in the lander to command module. Then they would come home, and hopefully land safely to be rewarded by the destruction of certain incriminating evidence that suggested that Vitalik and Oleg were homosexual lovers.

It was about one hour into the flight, when Oleg noticed the problem. There was some strange interference on the radio communication with the ground. Oleg called ground control to ask if it was their end or at mission control.

After a minute, through the interference they heard the worrying news. It was not a technical problem on the ground. The source of the interference was in space, near their projected course.

“Solar flare?” Vitalik suggested
“If it were Vitalik” Oleg replied, “I think we would be dead”
“Satellite?” Vitalik asked ground control

“Stand bye” Came the instruction from ground control, “We are trying to get a radar trace on it now”

For a minute, Oleg and Vitalik endured the sound of the interference, it was like some kind of hiss, similar to the interference he had once encountered from the Aurora Borealis, and it was getting louder.

But that was impossible; as they drew away from the Earth it should get weaker

Just then Vitalik noticed some eerie light coming through the one window of the re-entry section of their space craft. Vitalik un hooked himself from the seat and propelled himself to the window to see if he could get a better look.

“Oh My” he uttered as he looked out at the source of the strange light and presumably the radio interference.

-

General Boris was now concerned, the launch and the flight so far had been text book and without a hitch, and now some pathetic glitch with the radio was threatening their chance of glory?

“What is wrong with the spacecraft?” he demanded to know of the flight director

“Nothing comrade” the flight director told him in an exasperated tone, “it is something local to the spacecraft causing interference”
“The Americans?” Boris asked, maybe someone had informed them of their plan and this was an American trick to destroy their spacecraft.

“No comrade” the flight director reassured him, “there is nothing we know of in that area, the Americans know nothing”

Just then another technician ran across to the flight director and said something into his ear which Boris could not quite here. Suddenly the Flight director’s face went ashen.

“General” the flight director then said, “I think you need to come and have a look at the radar trace”

In a stunned silence, and for the first time in a long time, Boris complied with another person’s wishes and moved over to peer at a green radar screen.

To his and everyone else’s surprise, the radar showed not just the blip representing the specially adapted Soyuz spacecraft, but some jagged line, floating in space, and it was closing in on the Soyuz.

Just then, someone put the audio feed from the cosmonauts on the main public address system at the mission control.

All of them were almost frozen as they heard Vitalik, and then Oleg describe what seemed to be a rip in space, as it was closing in on the craft. It was obvious from their description it was not man made, and definitely not an American satellite. As the seconds ticked by, the general watched the radar screen as the line moved ever closer to the blip and listened to the frantic shouts of the cosmonauts as the rip in space moved towards them to consume them.

Another member of mission control suggested they try and out run it, but then another member replied, that what ever it was, there was no way the Soyuz could out run it, and even if they did, it would mean the Soyuz being lost in deep space.

General Boris shook his head and under his breath uttered, “This can not be happening”

Everyone at mission control was powerless to help, and all they could do was listen to the screams of the two cosmonauts as the space rip bore down on their space craft.

Finally they heard the last transmission from the Soyuz, it was Vitalik shouting, “I can see two suns”

Then dead

In the radar trace the line vanished along with the blip

For ten minutes, mission control tried to contact the Soyuz, but it was to no avail.

What ever that line on the radar trace was, what ever the rip in space the cosmonauts described was, it had taken their space craft, and their one and only covert shot at a manned Moon landing.

Boris turned to the director, “You are to destroy all records of this launch. We will not bring shame of this failure on the first secretary”
“What?” asked the flight director.
“Just do it, as far as everyone is concerned, this was just another development test of the UR-500” insisted Boris, “I will accept full responsibility for what happened here”

With that, Boris turned on his heels and walked out of the mission control centre.

Boris walked over to his car and got in.

Boris just looked out from his official car at the Baikonur Cosmodrome

This had been the only chance for glory for his beloved leader and he had failed. It was only a matter of time before the Americans would beat them now. Vasili Mishin who was developing the N1, was ever hopeful that the Americans would suffer a serious setback that would allow them to beat them, but this was by no means certain. Already NASA had plans to launch a full dress rehearsal in Apollo 10.

With this failure, his enemies surly would capitalise on it and remove him, possibly send him to Siberia. What was certain, they would now make sure he left in disgrace.

There was only one thing to do. Boris took out his sidearm, removed the safety, put it to his head and put his finger on the trigger…

The present day

BANG!

“Damn!” Jenny Green exclaimed, as she peered down the shooting range at the target. She had missed the centre again. She was a crack shot with the short bow, but the nine millimetre automatic handgun she had been issued with was a different matter.

Carefully she placed the automatic on the bench and removed her ear defenders and safety glasses.
“Maybe I’m wearing a bit too much” she found herself saying. It was irrational and she knew it was irrational, but she did remember that when she was first at this place and helped deal with two doppelganger assassins and a treacherous lab technician, all she ended up wearing was a shortened skirt and nothing else, not even panties, and her aim with hand gun, a short bow and a jacket were spot on. She had managed to shoot a doppelganger assassin that had pretended to be her boss, Colonel Samuel Peters of the US Marines, with a similar automatic handgun, but she could not hit the centre of the target on the shooting range. The only other reason she could think of as to why she had hit her target back then was that it was at almost point blank range that time.

The home office had finally got round to authorising her to use a concealed fire arm as part of her job at the Facility for control of Inter dimensional Entities, more commonly referred to as just The Facility. It had been a while since she had handled a side arm and she was determined that she was going to get some proficiency level with this particular weapon, as the short bow was a bit to cumbersome to take on a mission, but she seemed to getting nowhere with her practice.

She looked around; nobody else was in the firing range, so she removed her jacket and placed it on the bench in front of her. Next she unbuttoned her blouse and took it off, and folded it neatly and placed it on the jacket. Next she kicked off her shoes. She was not wearing any socks. Jenny then unclipped her bra and quickly removed it, placing it on top of her blouse.

Jenny put on the ear defenders and the safety glasses and picked up the hand gun and took careful aim at the target. She stood for a moment like that and felt a cold draught from the shooting range’s over efficient air conditioning play on her bare back. She put her finger on the trigger and squeezed.

BANG!

She still missed the centre by a mile!

Once again, Jenny placed the gun on the bench and removed the ear defenders and safety glasses

“I’m still wearing too much” she muttered to herself, “I must try skirt and nothing else since that worked last time” she added. She then felt underneath her skirt to pull her panties off, leaving the skirt in place, then she would have to try and fold the skirt up some how so it was the length of the skirt the troll chamberlain had shortened that one time, that way she would be dressed exactly the way she was when she seemed to have better aim with the handgun.

The colonel, when he asked her to join his special team he promised she would be allowed to wear more than just a skirt and nothing else, but if whilst wearing more than that, she could not hit anything with the standard issue sidearm that she was issued with should she be in a combat situation then perhaps she ought to go back to what was described as the “Amazon look”. Her prized modesty would have to be sacrificed for the greater good, and she chided herself for being such a prude, like her friends had once called her, when she refused to go topless when they were on holiday together one time. It was cold in the shooting range, but she would have to put up with that as well. She needed to be proficient with a firearm if she was to be any use to the team at all, and if it meant that when she went with the rest of the team, all she wore was a short skirt and absolutely nothing else, then so be it, if that’s what it took!

“Whoa there Jenny” came a familiar voice. It was Commander Mark Johnson, also of the US Marines and the colonel’s second in command, “We never made that Amazon look dress code official you know” he remarked.

Jenny jumped; she had been certain she was alone and stopped what she was doing, and pulled her panties back in place. Suddenly she realised just how irrational she had been.

She turned to face Mark, instinctively covering her breasts with her arms. Then when she saw it was Mark, a fellow member on the team that dealt with issues of beings from the Mystical Realms, she lowered her arms and slightly held them out. She did not mind him looking at her in this state, in fact she would strip naked for him were he to ask, which he never did. Jenny found him quite a gentleman and highly attractive, even if he did seem at times like a ladies man, although she still occasionally had the twinge of guilt as she remembered from time to time, Darren, her fiancé who had been killed whilst on a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Mark gently took Jenny’s hands in his and gazed into her brown eyes. Jenny wanted at that moment for him to hold her in his arms, but he just held her hands and kept his eyes from looking anywhere other then into her eyes.

“Jenny” Mark continued, “Even though you do have a fantastic body”, you are allowed to wear a bit more than that” Then Mark let go of Jenny’s left hand and placed his hand on her shoulder.

Momentarily it felt wonderful to Jenny and instinctively closed her eyes, bent her head down slightly towards his strong firm hand on her delicate shoulder and waited for him to caress her where ever he desired, but then Mark said, “You need to put your clothes back on Jenny, your shivering”. Which was true as it was quite cold in the shooting range thanks to the air conditioning

Jenny opened her eyes, “But I just can’t seem to hit the target Mark” Jenny said in frustration, “yet when I was hardly dressed I was able to put three rounds into a doppelganger assassin”

Mark let go of her other hand, removed his hand from her shoulder and went and picked up her bra and held it for her to put back on, “So you thought you would strip off to see if your aim was a bit better if you had the Amazon look?” Mark asked her

Jenny could only nod as it did seem so ridiculous now, just like the horoscopes she slavishly read in the occasional celebrity magazine she would buy, but she had been desperate to hit the centre of the target. Jenny silently complied with Mark’s unspoken request given as he held out her bra. She put it on and then fastened it.

“Jenny, when you took out that doppelganger assassin in the shop, weren’t you fully dressed?” Mark asked her

“I forgot about that” Jenny conceded, “plus I managed to get a tent peg in it’s eye” she remembered, thinking back to when she had to tackle the doppelganger assassin who had assaulted her, as a ruse to get another doppelganger into the Facility, when an old style retrieval team had been sent to pick Jenny up.

“There you go, Jenny” Mark smiled, “You can use a weapon without having to strip off”

“Except a nine millimetre automatic” Jenny muttered

Next Mark picked up her blouse and held it for Jenny to put back on, which she duly did.

While she was buttoning up her blouse, Mark picked up the automatic, “So some idiot issued you with that one” Mark commented, especially emphasising the words “that one”, then he ejected the magazine from the gun.

Jenny put her jacket back on, now she was feeling a bit warmer, and finally she pushed her feet back into her shoes.
“Yes” Jenny replied, then asked, “They issued me with it this morning once my firearms authorisation came through”
Now that Jenny was dressed again, Mark gently put his left hand on her right shoulder, “Jenny, it’s not what you are wearing or not wearing that affects your aim with this type of side arm” he told her, then he showed her the gun, “The aiming on this one is misaligned” Mark explained, “I reported it a while back and I thought they had removed if from the armoury” he added.
“Could you get me a better one?” Jenny asked
“When we get back from our next assignment” he replied.
“Have they found another minor spirit?” Jenny asked
“Yes Jenny” Mark replied, holding up a talisman of permanence,

“And this one still has her natural mother” Mark added

Minor Spirits of Vice and Virtue were the product of a Major Spirit of Vice or Virtue and a human parent. They had low grade powers of empathic manipulation but although they physically appeared as human, they had no human soul. Part of Jenny and Mark’s job was to find these minor spirits and give them the opportunity via the talismans to give up their powers in return for their human soul, which they always were eager to do. Then, if they were in the UK, they would be spirited, if that was the right word, out of the country, as the UK was considered unsafe due to old lingering attitudes from those who previously ran The Facility.

Helping the minor spirits to become fully human were the main field assignments these days, since traffic from the Mystical Realms was light, as they were still rebuilding from some civil war they had had.

It was in fact this civil war, well kind of which was why the commander and the colonel were sort of in charge of operations at this top secret base in North London. Both had taken part in a black ops operation to take out a drug cartel in Colombia that had captured a device for travelling to and from the Mystical Realms and had been using it to trade crack cocaine for Orc’s livers with a clan of renegade trolls. Because of an earlier debacle at The Facility when it was under UK control, the Facility was under new management, and it was now a joint international operation, primarily under American control, and was also in partnership with the Trolls on the Mystical Realms. Jenny Green was the token Brit and a Leprechaun by the name of Hogan O’Brien from G2, the Irish military intelligence service was there to represent the Irish Republic, the first country to sign a treaty with the Mystical Realms.

“By the way” Mark then told her, “You will need to put this on”, and then he pulled out a small sandstone disc on a leather string.
“Is that to protect me from empathic manipulation?” Jenny asked
“You got it” Mark explained, “Some of these minor spirits just don’t know what they are doing”

With that the two of them left the shooting range.

-

Colonel Samuel Peters walked up to the chair that was in the darkened room and sat down. A bright spotlight shone down on it, just making sure that his eyes could not adjust to the dark to see The Committee, a group tasked with overseeing the running of The Facility and all inter-dimensional activities.

“Can we get on with this and quit playing games” the colonel spoke into the darkness

Silence

“Come on I did not fly all the way to DC to play stupid games” he then said into the darkness.

Suddenly to his left, a large television like screen flickered into life.

It showed first a picture of a teenager he had never met but had heard of, Fidelity O’Docherty, then it was a picture of almost the same girl, it was Caer O’Docherty. They had been the twin minor spirits of virtue, for Fidelity and Fancying. Their mother had been the Spirit of True Love, who had been murdered while she was on trial in the Mystical Realms.

The television momentarily switched off, and then it was of Rebecca Sands, the former Spirit of Kindness.

Next, another teenager, he had heard of and had never met, Mazy Schneider, formally the Spirit of Caring

“These inter-dimensional entities are still at large, why did you not continued with the policy of containment, inquisition and disposal” came the voice of an elderly man from somewhere on the left, “It was a policy pursued by the British, and it kept us safe from dangerous entities”

“Until they were found to have been torturing the daughter of an Irish war hero who saved some of our guys” countered Samuel.

“That was most unfortunate that, were it not for the involvement of Irish intelligence and two agents from the FBI on loan to the State Department, we could have covered that up”
“So would you have covered up Abu Ghraib if you could?” Samuel questioned with a large hint of incredulity in his voice.

Again silence

“As for those others” the Colonel started, “Mazy, the Spirit of Caring was a pure Irish venture and nothing to do with our section.”
“The Spirit of Kindness was one of yours” the elderly voice replied, “You had her at The Facility and you let her go”
“She had never even heard of the Mystical Realms until she met Mazy, and that was because of some screw up at New York. All Rebecca knows is that was where her natural father came from. She does not even know that the Mystical Realms is in a parallel universe, nor does she care. When I interrogated her, Rebecca wanted to have nothing to do with the special powers she did not realise she had. Rebecca Sands is not a threat to anyone and is more interested in getting good grades at school so her new parents will be proud of her, which they are. And it is thanks to her that a dirt bag that made child pornography was permanently taken out of circulation”

This time another voice, on the right spoke, “You have been liaising with certain inter dimensional entities known as trolls. You even arranged for Ex-NATO ration packs to be sent to them.”
“Yes I did, so what?”

“There is no need to take that attitude with The Committee to a simple question” came a third voice, a female, from the centre, obviously a chairman.
“Sorry Mam” Samuel apologised, “But I was due to fly back to England from a Court Marshall at Fort Carson where one of my people was rail roaded because some moron happened to misplace a D-O-D laptop and I got this call at the last moment to come and appear here”

“We are sorry you were inconvenienced, but as I have just taken over as chair of the Committee, I wanted a chance to see you face to face” The female chairman replied, “Plus my two colleagues wanted to put some questions to you in person”

“So” asked the second voice, “Why did you send the supplies to entities that have the ability in theory to appear in this very room, which could be considered dangerous”
“Well Sir” Samuel began, “If they are so dangerous and have such abilities, wouldn’t you prefer them on our side instead of the side of those who are hostile to our interests?”

Silence

“They had a civil war that was prolonged by opportunistic dirt bags on this planet, the least we could do is send food parcels to help out and prove our good faith” Samuel continued

“You make a very good case Colonel” the female chairman replied.

“I hope so Mam, I have been working with Captain Strang, I have been to their world and met with their leaders. These are people we want as allies”

“Not to mention” the second voice cut in, “the strategic position of having a bolt hole our executive can go to in time of national emergency”

“But can we trust them?” asked the first voice, “remember this female” A picture of Fidelity O’Docherty flashed on the screen, “worked was under an entity that was in league with another entity that sent doppelganger assassins to the UK who proceeded to murder four people, including two law enforcement officers. Not to mention that her mother was put on trial for manipulating two people on a British reality TV show to quotes fall in love”

“Sir” Samuel replied, “I trust and have trusted Captain Strang with my life. As far as the former minor spirit is concerned, she did not have much of a choice about who she was under and from what I heard that dirt bag abused her, but since she gave up her powers, she has lived a blameless life, just like the other former spirits of virtue. As for her mother, was anyone really hurt?”

Just then, Samuel heard the sound of a drinks carton, possibly one of those small orange juice cartons, being drained by the elderly voice on the left.

“We will take back your report and recommendations back to the rest of the committee” the chairman concluded, “that will be all”

“That’s all?” Samuel said indignantly, “What about Tania, she was a good officer and now she has been hung out to dry, because some dirt bag stole her identity. Even the police in Miami accepted that the crime those bozos in New York arrested her for, she didn’t do”

“We are sorry about the corporal,” replied the chairman, “but it would be inappropriate for us to influence the Courts Marshall system”

“So you are prepared to see her career destroyed, benefits revoked, sent to jail for who knows how long and dishonourably discharged because some other bozo in the department of defence could not look after a laptop properly and had to place on it unencrypted information?” Samuel pressed

“I am sorry, there is nothing we can do, to take action would be inappropriate plus it could compromise the secrecy of our dealings with IDW01”
“With all due respect Mam, where I come from we don’t leave anyone behind” Samuel retorted
“With all due respect Colonel, Tania is not a marine” the Chairman countered,
“That’s just semantic BS” Samuel retorted.
“You are lucky” the elderly man on the left chipped in, “That Miss Sands, was not extradited from where she lives in New Hampshire as her accomplice, they could still have done that”
“What?” Samuel said, hardly believing what he was hearing, “That’s BS as well, Rebecca was cleared by NYPD’s internal affairs and Miami PD of any wrong doing. In fact they have already said she was the victim of malfeasance by officers from the NYPD”

“That will be all Colonel” the Chairman repeated, “You are dismissed”

Colonel Samuel Peters shook his head and got up out of the chair, he still could not believe what they had done to someone who had been under his command. All he could do was try and see if Miami PD would help with an appeal, Matthew Sand’s, Rebecca’s uncle and now her adopted father had told him that he would try and get the report from NYPD’s IAB. His faithful army officer had been convicted of bringing the army into disrepute, for being arrested for a crime she did not commit.

But for now, he had to return to England and the Facility. Hogan O’Brian and Strang were in the Mystical Realms after being asked by the troll Clan Chiefs of the Rachtal and the Manjura to investigate some matter and he had to be there for the briefing.

-

Jenny shut the passenger side door and looked up at the low rent high rise buildings in London’s East end in the bright mid morning sunshine.

Commander Mark locked the people carrier with the remote control. He looked really handsome in his suit, so Jenny thought. For a moment she thought, if he ever wanted to have her, she would be so willing to comply in spite of the ten year age gap, in fact she would go all the way for Mark if he ever desired it.

Jenny suddenly came to her senses, “So which virtue is this one?” she asked
“The Spirit of Joy” Mark replied and headed over to one of the blocks of flat’s with Jenny in tow, faintly blushing, and feeling a tad guilty that she might be betraying her dead fiancé’s memory, but then Darren always said if anything ever happened to him, he wanted her to find someone else she was happy with, so why did she keep getting these feelings of guilt?.

They found the right block and found that the door was an intercom entry system. Just then another resident left the building, so Mark seized the opportunity and grabbed the door to stop it shutting. Jenny followed in, and was immediately hit by the smell of stale urine.
“Nice place” Mark remarked
“You should see some of the places up in the northeast” Jenny responded.
“I’d rather not” Mark replied, as he walked over to the lifts.

There was a sign apologising for them being out of order

Mark turned to Jenny, “How can you guys live in places like this” he asked her
“Mark, a lot of us don’t have much of a choice” Jenney replied, defensively, “How far do we have to walk up”
“They’re on the third floor” Mark answered
“Would that be our second floor?” Jenny asked with a slight grin, since she recalled that Americans counted the ground floor as the first floor.
“Sorry you’re right” Mark answered.

The two of them found the staircase and started to climb up. Just like some of the tower blocks back in her native north east England, there was the occasional needle from a drug user, but with the lifts off, not so much as there would be if the lifts were working, thus taking the bulk of the unwanted traffic away from the stairwell.

“So who was the father?” Jenny asked as they climbed the stairs
“The Spirit of Philanthropy” Mark replied
“What happened to him?”
“He was executed on the orders of the Clan Chief of the Manjura’s father, before he was deposed”
Jenny momentarily stopped climbing “Why?”
“They had a law, forbidding the involvement in the affairs of our world” Commander Mark explained, “By coming here and settling down with a human woman, that was classed as interfering. They were lucky they never new about his daughter”
“But the Clan Chief of the Manjura” Jenny started
“Is not like his father, he used to wear the title of Prince Low Troll, since his father was the Lord Low Troll, but he ditched it”
“So they didn’t get on”
“Not really, especially as the Lord Low Troll never formally married his mother, because of vanity according to the Clan Chief of the Manjura”

The two finally reached the second floor and found the address, and listened at the door for a moment to make sure they were in. There was some children’s programme on a television set, well that is what it sounded like, so they were clearly in.

“And we are not using tasers?” Jenny asked quietly
“Absolutely not” Mark confirmed.
“Do you want to do the honours?” Mark asked Jenny
Jenny understood this to mean did she want to knock on the door, so she gently hit the door with her knuckles.

Jenny could hear an adult walk up to the door, possibly to gaze at them through the security spy hole.

Then they heard a mild swearing, the television going off, a child crying and frantic movement.
“Just a moment” they heard through the door, “I need to put some clothes on” the voice added. Jenny could detect an Irish accent in the woman’s voice.

Three minutes later they heard the door being unlocked, and a young red headed woman of about twenty three sheepishly opened the door.

“Yes?” the young woman nervously asked.

“Samantha, it’s ok” Mark opened with, “We are not with the TV licensing authority”
“We’re here about your daughter Joy” Jenny added.

Suddenly Samantha’s face went ashen, “What ever anyone has told you, I have not hurt my daughter and I am quite capable of looking after her. You are not taking my baby away”

“We’re not social services either” Mark interrupted her, and then he produced an ID badge.
Jenny pulled hers from jacket pocket and showed it to the woman

Samantha looked at it, “I don’t understand, what does Homeland Security want with my daughter, she’s only four”

Samantha shook her head, “This has to be a joke, you must have the wrong person, my daughter is only four and all she does is brings delight to anyone who sees her”

“I’m sorry” Mark replied, “We know she’s only four and it is her we have come to see”
“Did her father pick her name” Jenny quietly asked

The woman seemed caught off guard and looked at Jenny, “Yes he did” she said quietly, “He was there when she was born, and she filled everyone with so much joy, that he suggested Joy and it seemed so right”

While they were talking, Mark spotted Joy coming to the door. It seemed she had wandered out of the living room and into the hallway out of curiosity.

Mark squatted down and pulled from his pocket what appeared to be a silver mirror, “Hello Joy, would you like to hold this?”

Samantha looked down at her daughter and tried to tell her to go back inside, but it was too late, Joy took the silver mirror, which upon her touching it, to Samantha and Joy’s surprise, it give a bright orange glow.

“Look at this mummy” Joy said holding up the mirror to her mother, “It’s magic”

Samantha snatched it from her daughter and held it at Mark. The orange glow vanished. “What is this?” she demanded
“Proof that your child’s father was not who he told you he was”
“What?”
“When he left you” Jenny started, “Did he say why he was leaving”

Samantha picked up her daughter and looked straight at Jenny, “He just disappeared three years ago. I went to the police to report a missing person, but they just thought he walked out because he did not want the responsibility of being a dad, they said they saw it all the time with people living in this estate and told me to contact the Child Support Agency and they would track him down. But he adored Joy, he would never abandon us”

Jenny glanced at Mark, but her glance was enough to give the game away. Samantha put the pieces together.
“He’s dead, isn’t he?”

Mark could only nod, “I’m Sorry Mam”

Samantha started to shake her head and tears streamed from her eyes,
“Why are you crying mummy?” Joy asked
“Please no” Samantha pleaded
“Come on” Jenny told her, “We are here to help the both of you” with this, Samantha allowed Jenny to come inside, as Jenny helped her to an old sofa that had seen better days. Then Jenny sat comforting Samantha, with Joy sitting between them.

“I had a fiancé who was killed” Jenny confided, “So I know how you are feeling”
“What happened to him?” Samantha, asked
“It was a roadside bomb in Afghanistan” Jenny answered, a tear formed in her left eye, Samantha and her seemed suddenly to have so much in common.
“I’m sorry” Samantha said, “I meant what happened to my Phil”

“I’m afraid that’s classified, it’s believe me Samantha, it’s best you don’t know” Mark interrupted, then he asked “Is Phil what he called himself”

Samantha looked up at him, “Yes, he said he preferred it to the longer version of his real name, I assumed it was Philip”
“And you never checked that out?” Mark enquired
“Why should I, I loved him and he loved Joy and me, it didn’t matter what he called himself, he was always very generous with everybody, especially Joy and I”

Mark exhaled, and then pointed to the mirror still in Samantha’s hand, “Let your daughter touch it”
“Why?” Samantha asked

“It’s ok” Jenny cut in, “I’ve seen it before, it’s quite safe, and it’s proof of what we have to tell you about Phil and your daughter”

Nervously, Samantha handed the mirror to her daughter. No sooner than Joy touched it, than it glowed orange.
Samantha looked up at Mark and then at Jenny, “I don’t understand”

“Your daughter’s father” Mark began, “called himself Phil, because his true identity was The Spirit of Philanthropy. Although he appeared to be human, he wasn’t”
“What?”
“He was what we call a major spirit of virtue, don’t ask it’s too complicated to explain right now, and I do not doubt he loved you and his daughter very much” Mark added.
“Mummy why is this glowing?” the child cut in
“I don’t know sweetheart” Samantha responded
“That’s a mirror of detection” Mark explained

Samantha was looking even more confused, so it was Jenny’s turn to speak, “Samantha, when you had Joy, even though she is physically human, because Phil was this major spirit of virtue, it means your daughter is actually a minor spirit of virtue, She is the Spirit of Joy, which means she projects that virtue into other people via a weak form of empathic projection, but she does not have a human soul”
“That mirror” Mark continued the explanation, “glows that colour when the person who handles it is either a major or a minor spirit of virtue”

Samantha shook her head and held onto Joy, “You’re not taking her away from me. Even if you don’t think she’s human, she’s my child and I bore her”

Jenny held up her hands, “Samantha, we are not taking her away from you; we are here to help her”
“How?” Samantha asked

At this Mark produced the talisman of permanence, “Samantha, this can help your daughter become fully human”

Whilst Samantha was looking at Mark, Jenny smiled at Joy, even though she was protected from what ever aura this young minor spirit of virtue might be giving out, she was still filled with a sense of joy, this was a young child after all, and Jenny loved children. “Would you like to be just a little girl or a spirit thing?”
“A little girl” Joy instantly answered, “Spirits are nasty things that frighten you in the night” she added shyly
Jenny realised Joy had got confused with ghosts, but still it was working in their favour

“Well” Mark cut in; “Joy, if you hold this and wish to be just a little girl” he then added and made to hand it to Joy.

Samantha snatched it away

“Samantha” Jenny said with a bit more force, “It won’t harm her. I know I have seen one of these things work before, it’s perfectly safe”
“You just have to make sure she is lying down” Mark chipped in.

Samantha looked at the talisman and eyed Mark and Jenny with suspicion.
“I want to be a girl mummy” Joy cut in, then she squealed “please”

“Are you certain this is safe?” Samantha demanded
“Totally” Jenny reassured her, and then she turned to Joy, “Take this pretty black disc from mummy and make your wish to be just a little girl. Then you will see a big yellow ball of light come out of it which becomes lots of pretty little yellow lights, which may seem frightening at first, but they aren’t and when the pretty yellow lights are gone you will see a big white ball of light coming down, which will make you a just little girl like you want, just make sure you are lying down, or mummy is holding you because it puts you to sleep for a few minutes”

Reluctantly Samantha handed the talisman to her daughter, and held onto her tightly. Joy then closed her eyes and mouthed a wish.

Instantly a yellow ball of light erupted from the talisman. “Samantha, this won’t hurt you or Joy” Jenny said loudly, and reached into the light to make sure she was holding Samantha.

Then the yellow ball started to lift and became a ring of yellow light, which floated up to the ceiling of the flat. All four of them were transfixed as the light reached the top of the ceiling and exploded in a mass of yellow stars.

Then a small ball of white light formed

“Samantha” Mark spoke out, “Here comes your daughter’s human soul”

Slowly and silently, the ball of white light descended on the four year old, and went into her. Then Joy passed out, and the talisman crumbled to dust in her tiny hand.

“JOY, JOY” Samantha screamed, and then she angrily looked at the commander and Jenny, “You said this wouldn’t hurt her”
“It hasn’t, she’ll come round in about two minutes and she will be fine and fully human” Mark countered, “Then you need to pack”
“What?”
“Samantha, we know you have relatives in Cork” Mark then added, “Who are only too happy to have you and your daughter come live with them”
“But I don’t have the money to get there” Samantha objected
“We have a private jet ready to take you to Shannon Airport” Mark reassured her, “Your uncle will be collecting you from there to take you on to Cork”
“We need to go now” Jenny, “I’ll help you pack some clothes”
“We will have a team come and pick up the rest of your stuff later today”
“Why?” Samantha asked, then looked at her daughter she was cradling and then looked up, “Are we in danger”
“Let’s just say” Mark replied, “While you are in the U K, yours and especially Joy’s safety can not be guaranteed”

Samantha started to panic, and Jenny recognised the same confusion she had when she was confronted with elements from the Mystical Realms, and the anger at how elements from the previous management of The Facility would consider a young pre-school child a suitable target for assassination, all of course in the interests of “National Security”
“Samantha” Jenny spoke, “As soon as you and your daughter are in Ireland, you will both be protected”

“All I ever wanted was to find my Phil and bring up my daughter without bothering anyone” Samantha told Jenny, with tears forming in her eyes.
Jenny put her right hand on Samantha’s left shoulder, to try and comfort her, “I’m sorry Samantha, but you will be able to bring your daughter up in Ireland in a much better place than here”

“Mummy?” Joy blurted out as she came round, “I feel funny” then she looked at the ashen remains of the talisman and then she started to cry. Samantha went from cradling her to cuddling her.
“If you feel funny, that’s because you have a human soul now” Jenny explained, “you’ll get used to it, it’s something good and it’s all yours now”
Joy held up the hand that had held the talisman.
“It’s meant to do that” Jenny told both Samantha and Joy
“Am I just a girl now” Joy then asked.
“Yes love” Samantha told her, “You’re mummy’s little girl”
“And you will still be a joy to all those that love you” Jenny reassured Joy, then looking up at Samantha told her, “She doesn’t need empathic powers for that”
Samantha cuddled her precious daughter and nodded in agreement, even without the field Joy would have been giving off without realising it, Joy was her daughter and the absolute centre of her life, especially now she had learned that her partner and her child’s father was dead.

Mark offered to hold Joy and look after her whilst Jenny helped Samantha pack clothes into two old battered suitcases. Jenny could tell that Samantha was still in a state of shock, just like she was. It seemed horrendous that this single mother and her child had to effectively run for their lives over to Ireland, in case there were still those from the previous administration bent on killing anyone connected, however loosely, with the world in alternate universe known as the Mystical Realms, but from what Jenny had seen of the estate, the two would be far better off away from here anyway.

-

It was another dry and cold day at Karam Tag Chou, the troll citadel in the Mystical Realms

The Clan Chiefs of the Rachtal and the Manjura were in the troll convocation chamber with the Troll Chamberlain and his retinue in attendance.

Also there was Captain Strang, a troll of the Manjura clan and Hogan O’Brian, a leprechaun, in the service of the Irish secret intelligence service.

The troll clan chiefs were examining an artefact that Strang and Hogan had found in the Mystical Realms

“Are you absolutely certain this came from there?” The Clan Chief of the Rachtal asked
“Indeed it is sire” Hogan O’Brien the leprechaun replied, “I recognise the type of writing, but I can not read it”
“Could it have been brought here by those humans that sold the poison to the Yataxal clan”, Asked the Clan Chief of the Manjura
“I don’t think so sire” Hogan replied, “The lettering is totally different from that area of their world”
“I suggest we take it to the world of the humans” Captain Strang commented, “The colonel is very wise, he may understand the writings”
“Or at least he might know someone who does” Hogan chipped in.

“It is disturbing that other humans might have made it to our world without us knowing” The clan Chief of the Rachtal observed.
“I concur” The Manjura clan chief conceded, “as we are keepers of the devices to cross between the two worlds, it disturbs me that there may be even one out there we do not have control of”

“How did you get this?” the Rachtal clan chief asked
“A dwarf child, an orphan from the war claimed he found it in the mountains” Strang replied
“He was vague on where it came from” Hogan chipped in, “He was trying to sell it for food, he claimed it was a good luck charm, but I detected no magics”
“But when I noticed the inscription” Strang interjected, “I arranged for the dwarf child to be placed with a loyal gnome couple, as dwarf seldom take orphans in”
“And he gave us the artefact” Hogan continued.
“I just hope that it was something brought in by those humans who sold that poison to the Yataxal” the Clan Chief of the Manjura remarked
“Or possibly by those who come from the place they call The Facility” the Rachtal clan chief added
“Those would be possibilities I would hope for as well sires” Hogan replied, “But until we get the humans to look at it, I will still have that horrible sinking feeling, that other humans unknown to us may have been meddling in our affairs”

“Getting back to the main matter” the troll chamberlain interrupted, “What did you find of that troublesome sect that has emerged, did you manage to tie them in to the shuddering of mountains several leagues south of here”

“Chamberlain” Strang replied, “I do not know if they are connected to the item we stumbled across, but we did find something disturbing about the symbols they have been using”
“Indeed we did sires” Hogan added, “The symbols are also used by the world of the humans”

“So we do have an unauthorised crossing between our two worlds” The Manjura clan chief said aloud
“I believe we do” Hogan agreed, “possibly opportunists like the last lot”
“They must have found out about the great alignment” Added captain Strang, “And are playing on fears and superstitions”
“Indeed” Hogan continued, “From my time with the humans, I discovered that they have knowledge of why the ground shakes”
“So” Strang butted in, “They could easily sway those who have not this knowledge and recruit them into the sect””
“How they intend to make profit out of it” Hogan jumped in, “I have no idea; the worldly goods of the adherents would not fetch much in the world of humans”

“You will both need to go back to the world of the humans and give them this briefing” The Rachtal clan chief responded.
“Get them to come and see us” Chipped in the Manjura clan chief, “maybe we can clear this up and prevent this interference in our affairs, like we did with those who purveyed the poison to the Yataxal clan”

-

Jenny waved goodbye to Samantha and Joy, as they were escorted by a man in his fifties, Samantha’s uncle and another man, apparently a dwarf away from the main entrance hall of Shannon international Airport.

Well Jenny and Mark at least knew the dwarf was really a leprechaun, by the name of Shamus McTuckle, but to the rest of the world he was a man with dwarfism syndrome.

While Mark was talking with some official, Jenny spotted someone she knew, a woman sitting down with a baby in a push chair and a young girl of six, going on seven.

It was her former boss at the coffee shop, Angela Roberts, except her married name was Angela Andrews, Sarah her adopted daughter and her young baby son Paul.
What was she doing here

Jenny walked over, nervously, she had not told Angela that she now worked for the organisation that once had one of their baristas, by the name of Fidelity, tasered, snatched by a secret government snatch squad and tortured.

“Hello Angela” Jenny opened with.

Angela looked up at Jenny, then she turned to Sarah and pointed at an elderly couple, “Sarah would you like to go and see granny and granddad over there, and tell them they need to check in with security soon for their flight back to Birmingham”
“Ok mummy” the girl replied and ran over to the elderly couple whilst Angela watched her making sure she reached them safely.

Jenny sat down next to Angela and looked at the baby, “He’s lovely” she remarked
“Yes he is” Angela replied as she picked up a dummy and offered it to her baby.
“What brings you to Shannon Airport?” Jenny asked
“Graeme’s parents came over to see their grandchildren; we are seeing them off at the airport because Graeme has to work today”
“How are you and Graeme” Jenny then asked, “I know your marriage announcement was rather sudden and the wedding came rather quickly, because you wanted to give Sarah a home”
Angela cut Jenny off, and it seemed that Angela her old boss could read where she was going, “Graeme and I are fine, in fact Jenny, I’m pregnant again, only about five weeks now, but I’m definitely pregnant. We both want to have more children”
“That’s wonderful Angela, congratulations” Jenny said, no knowing what else to say
“By the way” Angela then said, “I know you were there”
“What?” Jenny queried
“You were at at Karam Tag Chou, just like we were”
“How?” Jenny asked, suddenly caught off guard
“Shamus told me”
“I’m sorry Angela, it is a state secret there was no way I could say anything” Jenny apologised.
“And you work at the same place that Fidelity was taken to I hear” Angela added.
“Angela” Jenny pleaded, “They’ve changed, and we don’t go tasering or beating up children like Mr Blue did”
“So I heard” Angela responded, “That was really awful what they did to Fidelity”
“I know Angela” Jenny agreed, “They grabbed me the same way when I encountered a doppelganger, but that was a mistake, they’ve stopped the snatch squads now, look we just found another minor spirit of virtue, helped her become human and took her and her mother to start a better life here in Ireland”

Just then Mark came to the pair, his face was Ashen, “Mrs Andrews, I need to speak to Jenny” he said with an urgent tone.

Jenny stood up, “Mark, what is it?”
“We have just had to get an extra security detail for Samantha and Joy” he told Jenny, then he spoke to Angela, “We are getting you extra security too, a special leprechaun squad”
“Why?” Angela asked, “We have already said, we are having nothing what so ever to do with the Mystical Realms”
“Look at the TV screen” Mark said with a tone of exasperation.

The three of them then looked at one of the television sets put up in the airport for those waiting to look at. They could hardly hear the sound above the din of the airport, but it was on a twenty four hour news channel, and the ticker tape was saying.

“Huge Lorry bomb in North London – A Home Office Forensic laboratory has been destroyed - Number of dead unknown at this time”

“That was at our place” Mark explained, “Someone has taken out The Facility”

To be continued

[Sticks]

Episode II – Diluvium Eventus

Cataclysm Aftermath

It is said that on 11 September 2001 the world changed forever. It was the first time America had been attacked on its home soil by foreign terrorists. (Well actually the second as the bomb at the World Trade centre some years previous must count). People became more conscious of security and New Yorkers developed an underlying fear that persists to this day.

What is not so widely mentioned, as it is an appalling thought to most in the western world, that in some parts of the world, people celebrated as the twin towers came down, and cheered as people died. Palestinians in the occupied territories held parties, celebrating the attack on the Great Satan, the source of all evil and backer of an even worse country in their eyes, Israel.

How can people support such atrocities? Desperation, hopelessness? Possibly. But when we see eight year old children being used as bombers, where the bomb is detonated by remote control. When we see people with downs syndrome being used to bomb a crowded market in Baghdad it seems that there is some guiding force of evil using who ever they can to achieve their aims.

Was it really just those nineteen hijackers that day? Was there not a controlling mind, in the shadows, plotting? What about the Seven – Seven bombers on the London underground, was it only that team or was there someone higher up a chain of command pulling the strings?

Nine eleven was such a shock, as it brought home to people, that such plotters existed. Cold and calculating, striking when we are not aware.

The Seven – Seven bombings were a shock as well, as the bombers were British born Muslims, ordinary people who had been living ordinary lives before they carried out their mission. How could we know who they were?

Now another shock has occurred, at the secret UK centre where they monitor the crossing between Earth and those from the alternate universe and dimension of the Mystical Realms and other related issues. This secret base in North London, known to those in the know as “The Facility”, has been levelled by a lorry bomb, while by good fortune, the special operations team were elsewhere on other duties and now must pick up the pieces as it were, even worse they could be potential targets for whoever has perpetrated this latest atrocity

Rochester, New Hampshire
United States of America

Matthew Sands checked his watch as he went to answer the front door, it was five thirty in the afternoon, and he had just been home for ten minutes. Matthew had been about to take his son Frank to the baseball ground for practice, while Susan his wife helped his daughter Rebecca with her homework from school, (Originally she was his niece, his dead sister’s daughter, but he and his wife had legally adopted her as their own daughter).

Matthew opened the door to see two men in business suits, dark glasses and one of them had an ear piece in his ear.

“Who are you?” Matthew asked, slightly unnerved

“We are here for Miss Rebecca Sands” said one of the men.

Matthew was incensed, and he could tell a federal agent when he saw one, as in his job as a lawyer he had dealt with them. In one sense he was relieved that it was he who had answered the door and not Rebecca, (who had shown herself to be a very good, loving and helpful daughter). If she had opened it, it would have reopened nightmares for her, when she was seemingly being persecuted by the NYPD for a crime she had not done in Miami, a state she had never been to. Matthew also remembered the time when, as they were trying to leave for the airport they had been approached apparently by two NYPD detectives, although later they tunred out to be from internal affairs, and the shock had put Rebecca in the hospital with a severe panic reaction.

“What do you want with my daughter?” Matthew demanded, and then went on “She was cleared by the New York Police Departments own internal affairs bureau. My legal firm also got her cleared by the police in Miami. In fact we are due to have a meeting to finalise the settlement the NYPD are paying her because of the malfeasance of some of their own officers”

The other man in a suit slowly shook his head, and then he and the other man pulled out their badges, “We are not here to arrest your daughter, we are part of her protection detail”

“What!” exclaimed Matthew, and then he looked at the badges.

They were from the United States Secret Service

“Why?” Matthew asked in disbelief, “I thought you only protected presidents and their families”
“This is a special assignment” replied the first secret service agent.

“You two take watch outside and I will call you in later” came a female Irish sounding voice from behind Matthew; worryingly this one was inside the house

The two secret service agents replied “Yes Mam” and turned and headed back to their car

Matthew turned around to see a familiar face, he had first seen her in a hospital in New York, when Rebecca was under sedation and then when he had shared a dream experience with Rebecca.

It was a female leprechaun by the name of Rosie O’Brien

Matthew was speechless

The leprechaun pulled from a pocket a small crystal amulet on a silver chain and handed it to Matthew

“Get Rebecca to wear this” Rosie ordered, “under her clothes if she has to”
“What is it?” Matthew asked
“It is an amulet of protection” explained Rosie, “It protects against spells and deflects distance attack weapons”

Matthew looked at the amulet in his hands. Something was up, especially if the Department of Homeland Security saw fit to send a protection detail and now a mythical and magical creature normally found only in the pages of books of fairy stories to protect her. “What’s going on?” he demanded.

“Remember that your niece was a minor spirit of virtue” Rosie questioned
“Yeah, she was the Spirit of Kindness” Matthew replied, “But she gave that up, she has a human soul, and my wife and I adopted her so she is our daughter now”
Matthew so liked emphasising the that she was now their child
“And it was jolly decent of you two to do that” Rosie countered, “but I was referring to the place where she became fully human”
“Why? It is someplace in London , England. What about it?”
“It was bombed today” Rosie answered, “We believe by a lorry bomb”
“You’re kidding” Matthew said with a touch of unbelief in his voice
“I only wish I were Mr Sands” Rosie said forcefully, “A lot of good people died today”
“But why?”
“We don’t know, all we know is that when the management of the place was changed, there were a few individuals who disagreed with the change in policy, and we have not yet accounted for them”
“Are you saying Rebecca’s life is in danger?”
“Mr Sands, we would not be here if that were not a possibility.” Rosie explained, “Some of those individuals believed in killing anything that was not fully human. They would kill Rebecca with not a moment’s hesitation and claim it was for national security. Now go and give that amulet to Rebecca, and I will do the talking”

Meekly Matthew followed Rosie into the living room, this was something Rebecca did not need especially after all the troubles that had befallen her when she first touched American soil, and even here in New Hampshire, when she was by luck saved from two men, by her grandfather, after some interfering old woman had turned her away from the safety of a church building, just because her biological parents were never married.

Susan his wife was sitting at the table with a protective arm on Rebecca’s shoulder. Rebecca looked up.
“Rosie” Rebecca squealed with delight
“Who’s that love?” Susan asked
“It’s Rosie O’Brien” Rebecca quickly explained, “She was nice to me”

“Those were better times” Rosie replied, “But Rebecca, I have something important to tell you, and it is not going to be pleasant…”

***

Dulles International Airport
Washington DC
[img=600x300]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/13/Jonescrusher.JPG[/img]

Colonel Samuel Peters sat down on a seat in the Midfield concourse C to put his shoes back on after he had cleared security to go airside while he awaited his United Airlines flight back to London.

[img=600x400]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bc/Inside_Concourse_C.jpg[/img]

The heightened security since the bombing in London that took out the Facility meant he did not have his carry on luggage. Even his keys and his watch had had to go in the hold. Whether he would see them at Heathrow would be anyone’s guess

While he was doing up his laces, he became aware of a person behind him, standing over him.

He stood up and turned around; it appeared to be a young woman in a grey hooded cloak. The hood was up and on her forehead was a strange tattoo, looking like the letter M and the letter T merged into one character.

“Can I help you?” He asked the woman
“You are Colonel Samuel Peters of the Inter Dimensional Entity Control” she replied in a strange accent, the colonel was not familiar with.
“I’m sorry Mam, you must have mistaken me for someone else” The colonel coolly said, trying his hardest to conceal the alarm he felt that someone knew who he was.
“Don’t try that with me” the woman replied and from nowhere pulled a large knife made of crystal glass. The colonel also noticed it was hollow with some green liquid inside. “You are an enemy of our lord the Magnus Timor” she exclaimed as she brought the glass dagger down on the colonel.

The woman was obviously some amateur as Samuel was easily able to block her first lunge, pin her to the ground and wrest the glass dagger from her hand.

Suddenly the woman muttered a short incantation, and the colonel was sent flying across the concourse.

This woman was using magic!!

As the colonel lay on the floor he saw the woman stand up, and the hood fall from her head and then he noticed the shape of her ears. She was a female elf

The female elf walked towards the colonel on the floor as he tried to crawl on his back to get away.

All the while she was chanting an incantation.

Then lightning started to arc around her body.

The colonel realised he still had her glass dagger in his hand. He had no choice. He threw the dagger at the female elf and struck her in the lower abdomen. Suddenly the lightning stopped as the female elf sank to her knees. Wisps of smoke started to appear as she started to smoulder, then suddenly she erupted into flames, and in seconds she was ash.

“What the hell was that?” shouted a security guard who had seen the confrontation.
“That was someone trying to kill me” Samuel replied.

Several police officers arrived and Samuel was ordered to stay on the ground while he was handcuffed and pulled to his feet, protesting that it had been him that had been attacked.

The airport security was having none of it, one of them had witnessed him killing a woman in a fight, well it seemed like a woman, even though there was a small pile of fine ash instead of a body

+

The colonel was in a cell for about forty five minutes when the door was opened and an elderly man came in.

“Who are you?” Samuel asked
“All in good time Colonel” the elderly man replied.

The colonel recognised the voice; it had been the man who had sat on the chairman’s right when she had called him to appear before The Committee.
“So what’s The Committee doing listening to police broadcasts from the airport” Samuel asked
“You are good colonel” The elderly man started, “I must grant you that, but you must see now why some considered the Mystical Realms a threat”
“Did you set that up?” Samuel demanded

The elderly man shook his head, “no Colonel, we are as confused as you are” Then he added, “By the way did you see what type of I-D-E it was?”
“It was an elf”

The elderly man went hmm, then asked “I thought the elves were in the service of the trolls and therefore working for us”
“You mean our partners” Samuel corrected

The elderly man grinned, “If you like to put it that way” then he thought a bit. “Are you sure it was not a drow?”

Samuel shook his head, “Drow are darker skinned, this was definitely an elf, and she had some kind of tat on her forehead”
“That is odd colonel, isn’t it” the elderly man commented.
“Yeah” retorted the colonel, “but I need to get back to see how much of a team I have left”
“Indeed, and you are booked on the next flight. I have dealt with the LEO’s and we have obtained all footage that was caught on the CCTV”
“That’s much appreciated sir” Samuel replied with a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice.
“Colonel” the elderly man continued, “We may have been on opposite sides, indeed I was in on the Facility when the Brits were in charge and I was terribly disappointed at the way Mr Blue let the side down, but we both have one aim in common”
“And what would that be?”
“We do not want entities from the Mystical Realms threatening the national security of this country”
“Or our allies” Samuel chipped in.
“As you wish colonel or their existence becoming known to the wider public”
“From my understanding sir, the leadership in the Mystical Realms want the same thing, the prevention of their people from interfering with our world and staying hidden”
“So they say Colonel, so they say”
“Is that all sir?”
“For the moment colonel” elderly man conceded, “But between you and me, I have to say, the involvement of an IDE in attacking you suggests it might not have been Al Qaeda who attacked the Facility in London. But that is what we will be leading the British police to believe”

With that, the elderly man pulled from his pocket a small carton of orange juice and pierced the small silver dot with the straw and started drinking and then left.

A minute later another security guard came and released him, and he was sent on his way to catch his flight, which for some reason had been delayed, although Samuel suspected the elderly gentleman from the Committee had had a hand in it.

***

Slowly Hogan came round.

He was lying on a couch, in what looked like the private apartment of the Troll Clan chief of the Manjura, with the Clan Chief of the Manjura sitting by the stone fireplace, resting his eyes.

“What happened?” Hogan mumbled and then sat up.

The last thing he recalled was following Captain Strang into the wormhole to go to the Realm of Mortals, or Earth as the humans called it, and then he was waking up here.

Then he noticed his clothes were blood stained. On a small table was an empty vial of the total healing potion that the trolls carried, but had got loyal elven apothecaries to make up.

He had obviously been administered it while he was unconscious.

“Sire?” Hogan said quietly

No response – the troll had obviously dropped off to sleep in his chair

“Sire?” Hogan repeated, a bit more loudly.

The troll clan chief started to stir. Opened his eyes and then shook his head. Next he rubbed his eyes and yawned.
“Sorry Leprechaun” The clan chief mumbled, then corrected himself, “I mean sorry, Mr Hogan O’Brian. I must have dozed off”

“What happened sire?”

The clan chief blinked a few times as he completed waking up.

“Sire?”

The clan chief looked wistfully at Hogan, “I’m so glad you have recovered”
“What do you mean, recovered sire, what happened?”
“Hogan what is the last thing you remember before waking up here” the troll clan chief asked

Hogan tried to wrack his brain, then said “Strang and I were going back to Earth through the crossing tunnels to speak with the humans at their place called the Facility”
“That’s all?”
“Yes sire, I can only remember, we had created the wormhole as the humans call them, and Strang went through first, I followed on because I forgot the artefact that we wanted to show the humans and had to retrieve it from the table. Otherwise I would have been at Strang’s side”
“You were most fortunate Hogan for that lapse of memory” The Clan Chief of the Manjura sighed
“Why? What happened”

The clan chief of the Manjura stood up and went to look at the window, and gazed out at the rest of the citadel. Then he turned back to Hogan, and Hogan noticed a big tear in the clan chief’s eye.
“Strang’s dead” The Clan Chief of the Manjura said bluntly,
“How?” Hogan asked, clearly shocked at this news
The Clan chief of the Manjura then explained. “There was some kind of explosion that came through from the world of the humans. Strang took the full blast of it, which was why you survived. We were able to pull you both out before the crossing collapsed because of the explosion, but Strang was killed outright, you were just barely alive”, then the troll whispered, “I never got to say goodbye to him” and stifled a sob

Hogan was silent for a moment. “You loved him, didn’t you?” Hogan ventured
The troll clan chief just nodded, unable to speak for the moment.
“And nobody ever found out” Hogan asked
“No, because we were careful, so please don’t say anything, I do not want Strang’s memory sullied by citadel gossip”
“I understand sire, it is like that with some of the humans I have encountered, but some are more what they call progressive, but any how Sire. How could this happen, crossing is so routine nowadays”

The Clan Chief of the Manjura thought for a moment, “It came from their side, the humans that is”
Hogan thought for a moment, then asked, “You’re not saying it was a deliberate attack on us”
“I don’t know what to think, Mr Hogan O’Brian. Nothing in what you and Strang have ever said has indicated that the humans have gone back to there way they were under the Spirit of Malice”
“That would be Set, the entity that took over the human known as Mr Blue?” Hogan asked
“Yes” the troll answered, “But we have him imprisoned and I know that the Colonel is an honourable man, he would never have done this to us”
“Assuming there has not been another, change of policy” Hogan ventured.
“Is that possible?” The toll looked alarmed, “Could there have been an overthrow at their Facility place”
“I don’t know, I would have to try my G2 contacts in Ireland”

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

“Enter” yelled the Clan Chief of the Manjura

The door creaked open, and in walked another leprechaun.

[img=200x300]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Leprechaun_ill_artlibre_jnl.png[/img]

“Shamus McTuckle?” Hogan said in surprise, “What brings you away from Ireland to Karam Tag Chou”

“I bring grave news from the realm of humans” Shamus said in a hushed tone
“So the humans have turned against us once more?” The Clan Chief of the Manjura jumped in with.

Shamus was suddenly very irritated with the troll, “Absolutely not, don’t be a fool”

Hogan’s jaw dropped, he would never dare address a troll clan chief as a fool, but the troll took it in his stride.

“Sorry Mr McTuckle” the troll apologised, “I lost my best captain today when Hogan and Captain Strang tried to gate into that place called the facility. We wondered if it had been some kind of weapon tested against the dimension jump devices we use to make crossings”

Shamus shook his head, “No Clan Chief”
”A bit more respectable form of address” Hogan thought

Shamus went on, “Persons or entities unknown drove what the humans call a lorry bomb into the underground part where they park their wheeled devices known as cars. It was a fearsome weapon and it destroyed not only the whole building of the Facility, but a few other buildings around the area sustained damage. We still do not know if there were any survivors, and over a hundred humans and five leprechauns were working there at the time”
“What!” Hogan exclaimed
“Indeed” Shamus continued “And from what we can work out, is that the weapon used against the Facility, was there for a while as it was disguised to look like some kind of lorry they would be expecting, some kind of army transport. The moment you gated in, it was triggered”

“Coincidence of timing?” the troll asked
“Indeed not Clan Chief”, Shamus replied, “A leprechaun who was out to lunch at the time, picked up the tell tale sign of a locator of dimension jump orbs”
“What are you saying?” Hogan asked.
“The device was set to trigger as soon as someone gated in. Probably to as they say on Earth, kill two birds with one stone” Shamus explained.

The troll shook his head in disbelief, “The building they gated from here was almost destroyed, it was just lucky that the work of the stone giants just about withstood the blast that came from the crossing, plus the fact that Captain Strang caught the brunt of it” then the clan chief thumped his fist on a nearby table, “How has someone got hold of a Mystical Realms device and taken it to the Realm of Mortals?”

“Clan Chief” Shamus then asked, “Could this have been a rival troll clan, or indeed one from your ranks wishing to usurp your authority”

There was an awkward silence as the Clan Chief of the Manjura eyed Shamus McTuckle.

“My clan is fiercely loyal to me and my family, I know of no troll who has even uttered mumblings against my leadership” the Clan Chief of the Manjura snarled and then he added, “And as for those loyal to my dead father the Lord Low Troll, they were either killed when the Arch Orc took power with the help of the Spirit of Lust or they swore their allegiance to me”

“Never the less my dear clan chief” insisted Shamus, “It has to be asked. If you had died, who would take your place? You have no wife or concubine and no heir”

This is not getting us anywhere” Hogan chipped in.

“Indeed it is not” Shamus added, “So what about rival clans”

“They have no access to the known orbs” The troll answered in a flustered manner, “Even the Rachtal trolls who garrison this citadel do not have access and nor do they want it. They only wish to rub the collective noses of the clan of the Delethon in the fact that they are now the custodians of Karam Tag Chou and the Delethon are not”

“A ha” Shamus uttered, “What about the clan of the Delethon, surely during their tenure they could have obtained an orb on the Q T”

“Q T?” queried the troll, then realised what he had meant from his own time with the humans before his father had had his head severed and placed on a pike, “Oh you mean quiet. Well for your information, the Rachtal insisted we do an audit of the orbs, which I did personally and none were missing”

“So it is not the Delethon” Shamus replied, slightly backing down.

Hogan then interrupted, “Sire, Excellency, could it have been the Sect?”

“Who?” Shamus remarked, and then asked, “Who is this sect?”

***

Colonel Samuel Peters walked through the front door of Paddington Green Police Station

To say Samuel was not a happy person would have been a gross understatement. He walked up to the front counter and flashed his ID badge at a middle aged woman at the front desk.
“I’m Colonel Samuel Peters of the United Stated fifty third Marine Corps, on secondment to your homeland security, and I want to see the bozo that has arrested what is left of my people”

The female clerk at the desk looked up at the badge, “Do you know the name of the arresting officer sir?”
“If I did that I would be asking for him by name” Samuel retorted
“I do have to ask this sir” the clerk persisted; I’m afraid you have to ring and make an appointment?”
“Look I have just got off of a plane from Washington DC after hearing that a lot of people under my command have been murdered by terrorists you Brits allowed through, to be met by a member of our embassy instead of my second in command, because an officer here arrested him and another member of my team when they showed up at the crime scene”
“You still need to ring in and make an appointment, it’s the new policy” the clerk insisted, then the clerk picked up a card, “here is the number of our customer service call centre”

The colonel took the card in total disbelief, “No wonder you needed our help in World War two” he retorted. Then the colonel insisted “I want to see your supervisor”
“If you ring the number you can make an appointment to see him too” the clerk responded without batting an eyelid. She was the gate keeper and it was a matter of pride that nobody would get passed her without an appointment booked well in advance, no matter who they were

It seemed clear to the colonel, that even his gift for pushing things through had met its match in this woman at the police station. This was one of the things he hated about the UK, this obsessive insistence on pre-arranged appointments. He turned and left, the police station, he would have to go to the embassy, like the official who had met him at Heathrow had said, and put himself at the mercy of the diplomats. He was confident that Commander Mark Johnston, who he served with in Iraq, would not crack under police interrogation, but Jenny Green he was not so sure. She had never been a Special Forces agent, and indeed before she was recruited, she had just been a manager of a coffee shop in north east England.

Samuel had to walk well away from the police station before he could hail a taxi, as traffic around the police station had been banned in the wake of the bombing of The Facility. London had not seen this level of security since the seven-seven attacks back in 2005.

Samuel got into the taxi and asked to be taken to the American embassy or as near as he could get to it. He had to go there anyway as he had got the embassy official to take his luggage from the plane there, while he tried his luck with the police station, unsuccessfully as it had now transpired.

The taxi drove along Marylebone Road until Regent’s Park and then turned right onto Park Crescent and then onto Portland place. Then left onto Mortimer Street and then right onto to Great Titchfield Street, finally turning onto Little Portland Street to arrive at the American Embassy.

All along the journey, the taxi driver was talking about the bombing in North London and how the security clampdown had been swift. There had been raids on a number of mosques as the assumption it was an Al Qaeda operation. Samuel kept his counsel on that one. It could have been Al Qaeda attacking a government target, after the Mr Blue debacle it did for a time operate as a forensic laboratory working on the conventional war against terrorism, but that was a cover story for the rest of the intelligence and law enforcement community, to the rest of the public the Facility was just another data processing centre. The building had been chosen because it was non-descript.

The attack by the elf at Dulles international airport, like the unnamed member of The Committee had said, suggested there was an element from The Mystical Realms. The real puzzle was who on the Mystical Realms had the capability of travelling between the two worlds. The only groups with that capability were the trolls, who were now their allies and the special unit in G2, the Irish intelligence service unit employing the leprechaun agents. All the other orbs that allowed travel had been collected. Not even the humans had been granted the capability to move between the two worlds and to Samuel’s knowledge it had not been officially sought, apart from that black ops project started under the previous administration of the Facility, which had now been cancelled after the last person working on it had gone rouge and had been sent to an unknown dimension when he tried to escape.

Samuel got out of the taxi, walked up to the special entrance reserved for staff and showed his ID.

He was let in and saluted by the marine on duty. Samuel saluted back and then asked, “Is Robert in?”

“I believe so sir” the marine answered, then asked “do you need me to summon someone to escort you sir?”
“That won’t be necessary son” Samuel replied, “I know where his office is” he added and then headed off to find the ambassador.

***

The Reflecting pool outside the Lincoln Memorial
Washington DC

(Midnight)

An elderly man sat looking out over the reflecting pool, sipping on a carton of orange juice.

A younger man in his thirties approached and sat down beside the elderly man

“I got your call sir” the younger man replied, “That was a dreadful business in London sir; I heard we lost over a hundred people”
“Exaggeration by the press, a lot of them work in the field or from home, most likely the death toll will be about seventy” the elderly man replied
“That’s still a lot sir” the younger man replied, “We have not lost that many people in one go to an IED since Beirut in eighty three”
“Oh we lost a lot more than that in eighty three” the elderly man answered, and then asked “So has Skyguard been re-activated”
“Yes sir” the man replied, then hesitated and then asked, “Do the rest of the committee know about this”
“I might brief them at our next meeting” The elderly man replied, “after all, all we are doing is trying to track down those who took out the Facility in London. I’m sure other members would have done the same if they were able”
“Have you told the colonel?” the younger man asked, “After all he was in command when it happened”
The elderly man drained the last of his orange juice and then replied “Davies, my dear boy, the colonel may be a fine marine, and he certainly helped take out those irritating drug lords in Columbia, but he does have a tendency to go, as the British say, native”
“What do you mean sir?”
“Well this trusting of those from IDW01, this alliance with the trolls”
“But I heard that was working quite well sir”

The elderly man sighed, “Really, so why did an entity from there try and kill the Colonel at Dulles? For all we know, it was an entity from that world that destroyed the Facility”
“No idea sir, may be a rival faction of trolls?” the younger man ventured
“Hardly likely from the colonel’s latest report, assuming they are telling him the truth”
“Why not sir?” the younger man asked, “After all before Mr Andrews was taken there and made their token emperor, they were at each other’s throats. From what I read sir, they were still at it when they had supposedly united behind the new emperor”
“If they are to be believed, only one faction has the capability to travel here and back, and they have another faction making sure that remains the case” the elderly man explained
“You’re forgetting the Irish” the younger man chipped in
“And why would they want to bomb a UK mainland facility?” the elderly man replied, “Sometimes Davies, you do fail to make sense”
“Sorry sir, I was just saying that it is not just the trolls who have that capability”
“Davies my dear boy, did you ever hear of a person called Timothy Zachary?” the elderly man then asked

“Wasn’t he the lab technicians who brought in those doppelganger assassins?” the younger man replied.
“The very same” The elderly man responded “I believe he was working on an artificial means to travel to IDW01 and other dimensions”
“Yes sir, and after he was sent to some unknown dimension while trying to escape, the trolls requested any machines and designs to be destroyed”
“Which Davies my boy, our beloved colonel acquiesced to”
“But I managed to find a copy of his notes sir” the younger man grinned, “I got one of the technicians in South London to build another device”
“So I found out, my boy” the elderly man replied.

The younger man’s jaw dropped

“There is not much that get’s passed me and the committee, Davies my boy, and there would be some on The Committee who would have had you done for insubordination for going against the wishes of a signed up ally of the United States”

“But sir, I thought we should still have the capability” the younger man responded, “Like you said sir, can we really trust the trolls”

“Don’t fret so, Davies my boy” the elderly man reassured him, then he turned and smiled at the younger man, “I admire your initiative and your thinking on this. I agree it only makes sense that if they can intrude into our world, we should be able to do the same, so I managed to persuade certain members that it would be in their best personal interests, not to oppose this or cause any trouble for you”

“Thank you sir” the younger man replied, looking quite pale.

“And Sue-Lim was an excellent choice” The elderly man then ventured.

“You know of her?”

“Yes Davies my boy, I read her psychological profile when I found out she was assigned your little task, she has no desire for riches and power like Mr Zachary, and is only interested in getting things to work. I heard that her progress was most encouraging. And should she be able to recreate Mr Zachary’s work, we will be able to take the war back to IDW01 if they indeed have betrayed us and struck the blow in London in the first place”
“The colonel is not going to be happy when he finds out sir, about the project, perhaps we should…” the younger man started
The elderly man interrupted, “Let me deal with the Colonel if that becomes necessary, in my way” the elderly man replied and then stood up, walked over to a litter bin and placed his empty orange juice carton in it.
“But sir, if as you say he has gone native, perhaps it is time we”
“I said let me handle it Davies my boy, anyway I believe the Colonel has other problems at the moment, from what I heard from our man in London” the Elderly man then said, before he walked away leaving the younger man to ponder how his secret plans were not as secret as he thought.

As soon as the elderly man appeared to be out of sight, the younger man fished out his cell phone and hit a speed dial button.

The phone was answered, so the younger man spoke into it, “Kelly, sorry to wake you, I need the first flight to London you can get. And also arrange for a IDE clean up squad commander to meet me there” he said into the phone
Then in answer to a question by person on the other end of the phone said, “No, don’t inform him at all, or him this is a surprise inspection so we do not want them being tipped off to my visit”

***

Colonel Samuel Peters was dropped off by the official embassy car back at the Paddington Green police station.

This time a uniformed officer took him through to an interview room where he was left, so he sat down on the sole chair left in the room.

After five minutes he still had not seen anyone, it seemed obvious the British police detectives were stalling and he still had no idea if Jenny Green and Commander Mark Johnston had broken under police interrogation overnight, not that they would be believed if they did. The idea of an alternate universe upon which all the creatures from folklore and fairy tales had a real existence seemed hard to believe himself, and he had visited there!

“Hello” Samuel yelled, “I believe you were ordered to render all co-operation”

A brown haired man in his fifties and wearing a grey business suit, white shirt and black tie sauntered in.
“I’m detective chief inspector Stewart Hayes” the man introduced himself.
“And I’m” Samuel started, but was interrupted
“I know who you are” Stewart responded in an irritated tone, “And I don’t appreciate some Yank going above my head because he failed to brow beat our receptionist and thought he did not need to book a proper appointment like everyone else. I have a major terrorist attack to investigate and I can do with out this”
“And I don’t appreciate it when you have my people arrested” Samuel replied
“They were obstructing justice and withholding information from the police” Stewart countered.
“How were they obstructing justice” Samuel asked, showing equal irritation
“We need to know what exactly went on in that building” answered
“That’s classified” Samuel batted back
“Oh really, so secret that you can not tell us, when we are geared up to dealing with terrorists and are covered by the official secrets act ourselves” Stewart countered
“It’s very highly classified” Samuel insisted, “You do not have high enough clearance”
“And a former manager of a coffee shop has then?” Stewart snapped back.
“There are extenuating circumstances with Miss Green” Samuel said quietly
“Which are?” Stewart pressed
“Classified” Samuel responded.
“They would be!”

The detective chief inspector sighed, then tried a different tack, “Your people were conveniently in Ireland when your place was bombed. that seems more than a coincidence.”
This time Samuel had anger in his voice, “They were on official business which was why they were in Ireland. I sanctioned it myself. And guess what, I was in the US attending a courts marshal hearing for another one of my people who has been railroaded and then I was called before an oversight committee in Washington when this happened, are you going to say that that’s a more than a coincidence too?”

“Last year Mr Peters” Stewart said, dropping his voice this time, “I have visited a number of Home office forensic laboratories in the course of my duties, and last year I attended at the scene of an arson attack on another home office forensic laboratory, and what I saw in the remains of your building was nothing like what I saw then. Now I have a forensic team waiting to go in when the fire service give the all clear, so we need to know if there are any nasties, so My team can take the right precautions”

Samuel shook his head “That’s not gonna happen detective” the site is classified, “We have our own team flying in from Langley”
“We are not yet another state of America” Stewart retorted, then added “I can keep Mr Johnston and Miss Green for up to forty two days on suspicion of terrorism if I don’t get answers”

Before Samuel had a chance to respond, Stewart continued “We have testimony from a survivor who was leaving the building at the time of the explosion, that he saw Miss Green stripped half naked being caressed by Mr Johnston in your firing practice range”
“And this witness volunteered this piece of innuendo up?” Samuel questioned, He had some kind of inkling what Jenny Green may have been up to as he remembered how she was dressed when she had helped take down a doppelganger assassin that had been let loose in The Facility, but he had promised her she would not have to dress like that again, it wasn’t necessary to go for what was euphemistically called the Amazon look

“No” Stewart explained, “he was barely coherent due to shock, but when we asked if there was anyone who was absent he mentioned this incident after saying that they had gone off together, I suppose he thought they had departed to take things to the next level”
“Post Traumatic Stress is a funny thing detective” Samuel said confidently, “I have seen it make men imagine all kinds of strange things. I have my full faith in the professionalism of Marine Commander Mark Johnston since he was my right hand man in Iraq”
“And Miss Green?” Stewart asked
“Absolutely, she saved the life of the commander one time and proved herself in an unexpected combat situation. I would not have recruited her if I did not believe I could trust her with my life”

There was a knock on the door

“I’m busy” Yelled Stewart

“I’m sorry sir” said a young male constable with what appeared to the colonel to be a letter, “But the deputy chief constable has received release orders for the two people you took into custody”
“Who from?” Stewart demanded to know

“Orders direct from the Home Secretary’s office sir” the young constable replied, then added, “and the investigation has been handed over to the MOD police until a specialist team arrive”

At this, Samuel stood up, “Looks like we’re done here” he said to the detective chief inspector
“This is not over” Stewart replied, “I intend to put in a complaint that this is usurping the authority of the Met in London policing”
“File what ever protest you like” Samuel replied, “It won’t get anywhere”

With that Samuel walked out to the front desk, leaving the detective chief inspector to fume.

At the front desk he met with Commander Mark Johnston and Jenny Green, both standing with police officers and both in handcuffs. Mark looked fine, as he was used to such scrapes, but Jenny looked gaunt and shell shocked, just like the time when he first saw her when a retrieval team had left her naked, blindfolded and trussed up with cable ties on a cold interrogation floor all those months ago. Jenny could barely lift her head

“I want those off of my people” the colonel ordered

“And you are?” asked one of the police officers
“Colonel Samuel Peters” the colonel replied, “Head of the laboratory that was blown up” he added showing his id

The young police officer who had delivered the message came through and informed the officers that the two were being released without charge on orders of the home secretary.
“We don’t carry the keys for these” said the other police officer, “we are waiting for the custody sergeant”

“THEN GET HIM” The colonel ordered

“He’s busy processing other prisoners” the first officer replied.

The colonel gave him a look of disdain

It was about ten minutes before the custody sergeant showed up with the keys to the handcuffs, it was almost as if the officers were being deliberately obstinate since the DCI in charge of investigating the bombing had been overridden and pulled from the worst lorry bombing in London since Bishopsgate in 1993.

As they were released from the handcuffs, Jenny could not bring herself to look at the Colonel and Mark; she had almost let them down. She had been about to tell all about the Facility when her gruelling interrogation was halted. They had kept her up for forty eight hours, working in teams to try and break her as she was seen as the weakest link. They had even told her that if she had been in America she would be on her way to Egypt or some other country on Extraordinary Rendition. They seemed convinced that she and Mark had been responsible for the murder of the majority of the colleagues she had grown to know and like. She was not trained to resist interrogation techniques like the colonel and the commander and so she was almost on the point of admitting to planting the bomb herself.

“Come on” Samuel told the two of them, but Jenny was still in a daze.

“Jenny?” Mark said as he took her by the hand and lead Jenny out of the police station.

Hand in hand Mark lead Jenny as they followed Samuel to the official car, Jenny just kept quiet and just looked at the pavement, she thought she was stronger than this, but maybe she was not cut out for this life after all. She should never have agreed to give up being a coffee shop manager, as she had not mucked that up.

The colonel came to a stop at the edge of the pavement, and called someone on his cell phone, Jenny could not make out who it was, probably the driver of the car that was coming to pick them up.

Samuel put the phone away and turned to Jenny and Mark, “Mark, did you ask Jenny to adopt the Amazon look on the firing range?”

Jenny went red with embarrassment and whispered, “No Sam, Sorry sir”
“No Sam” Mark replied, “Someone issued Jenny with a handgun with a misaligned site, which meant she was not hitting the target. She didn’t realise this and..”
Samuel was able to guess the rest, “thought she would have better luck if she went Amazon as she was like that last time when she had a better hit rate”
“I was so frustrated Sam” Jenny whimpered, and tears started streaming down her face, “I suppose you want my resignation Sam”.

Samuel looked her in the eye, she was in for it now she thought, but then the colonel told her, “I don’t want your resignation, I want your focus, I have lost too many good people to that bomb two days ago, I don’t want to loose anyone else

Then Mark held her in his arms and kissed her on the forehead, “I don’t want you to leave either” he whispered.

Just then a light blue Vauxhall Cavalier pulled up

The colonel got in the front passenger seat, while Mark opened the rear car door on the right hand side for Jenny to get in. Jenny got in and did her seat belt up and laid her head against the car’s head rest. Mark closed the car door and then went round the back and got in beside her in the back and did his seat belt. Unconsciously Jenny moved her hand across to Mark, hoping he would hold it, she was not really thinking straight.

Then her luck was in as for a brief moment Mark clasped her hand, and she wished that she was his.

Fighting her fatigue, she looked forward as the car pulled out into the traffic but could only make out that the driver was another woman of about her age.

“Long time no see” Mark said to the mysterious woman driver.
“Well they kept me busy with the files down at the Annexe” replied the woman, with a touch of an oriental accent, “which was really lucky given what happened at The Facility”
“I take it we are going straight there Sue-Lim” Samuel interrupted.
“Yes Colonel” she replied
“Sue-Lim” Mark then said, “This is Jenny Green”
“Hi Jenny” Sue-Lim then responded, “I heard about you, they say you managed to take out a doppelganger assassin”
“Which one?” Jenny asked
“The one that attacked you, that was some move with a barbeque fork” Sue-Lim answered.
“Oh” was all that Jenny could say, and then she asked, “What’s the Annexe?”
Mark turned round and looked into her tired eyes, “It is usually just an offsite file storage depot for The Facility, with just one lab from it’s previous incarnation as a public health laboratory”
“How far is it Mark?” Jenny asked quietly, she so wanted to kiss Mark, but was that the tiredness talking
“It’s about fourteen miles away in South London, near the London Borough of Bromley” Mark replied, then added, “It will be just under an hour or so, so I suggest you try and get some sleep”
“Yes Mark” Jenny replied, then rested her head against the head rest and was soon out like a light.

+-+-+

Jenny slowly woke up and rubbed her sore neck and looked around. The car was in a more rural setting than where the Facility had been before it had been attacked. She was still quite groggy, so Mark helped her get out of the car, and then the two hugged each other briefly, or to be more accurate, Mark helped steady Jenny on her feet.
She wanted to say how much she had feelings for Mark, but yet again she could not find the words, so he let him lead her by the hand as they followed the colonel and Sue-Lim, who as they walked in front were quite clearly not a couple.

Sue-Lim unlocked the front door of the old building they just called the Annexe. Compared with the Facility this was very much low key.

“Jason and Pete are out purchasing a new server” Sue-Lim said to the colonel, “we need one since we have lost the one at The Facility”
“So it’s just you” Samuel asked, as Sue-Lim opened the door and switched off the burglar alarm
“Yes Colonel, but the visit from a representative of the Committee will be dropping by sometime today”
Samuel looked visibly shocked, “That’s news to me, why was I not informed?” he asked
“I don’t know Colonel, I thought you knew” Sue-Lim replied, “I only heard about it myself this morning after Jason and Pete left to pick the server up”

Jenny and Mark followed Samuel and Sue-Lim into the building, and Sue-Lim beckoned them to come to what seemed like a very poky kitchen, again very low key, but for three people, it was all they needed.

Sue-Lim went to a cupboard on the wall and took out a small bottle of tablets, and gave it to Mark, “You two look like you need one of these”

Mark took one without hesitation, but Jenny asked what they were.
“They’re wake up pills” Sue-Lim replied, “a present from the trolls and their elven apothecaries”
Nervously Jenny popped one in her mouth and swallowed it. Within a minute she felt like she had had a good night’s sleep and all trace of tiredness left her.
“Jason tends to use them when he pulls an all-nighter doing the monthly back up run” Sue-Lim volunteered.

“This way” Samuel then told the three of them, and Jenny followed Mark and Sue-Lim as they went through a maze of old corridors until they found what seemed like a conference room with a large table in the centre.

The four of them sat down, with the Colonel at the head of the table, and Jenny sitting next to Mark.
“We need to get hold of our troll allies as soon as we can” Samuel stated
Mark then replied, “Sam, Strang and Hogan were supposed to report back from some business in the Mystical Realms the day the Facility was attacked, since we were arrested when we arrived at the scene of the explosion, we have not heard from either of them”
“Excuse me colonel” Sue-Lim, “I think I have something that might help in the lab”
“And what would that be?” Samuel asked
Again Jenny could see a puzzled expression on Sue-Lim’s face

“It’s Project Tango-Zulu” Sue-Lim explained, “I thought you knew about that as well”
“Obviously someone has been keeping me out of the loop deliberately” Samuel replied, “Who have you been getting orders from, because I thought you were under my command”
Sue-Lim looked flustered, “The orders came from the Committee” then she qualified her reply, “Or at least Mr Davies the aide to the committee”
“So what’s Project Tango-Zulu?” Mark asked
“I think it would be best if I went and got the experimental prototype” Sue-Lim replied and quickly scurried out of the conference room.
“Sam what’s going on?” Mark asked after Sue-Lim had gone
“I have no idea” the colonel replied, “All I know is that I was dragged from that Sham of a courts marshal that hung Tania out to dry to DC because the new chairman wanted a get to know you session”
“We heard” Jenny interrupted, “That was so unfair, Tania didn’t do anything wrong”
“Unfortunately Jenny” Mark cut in, “she was visibly in uniform when she was arrested and for some appearances matter more than justice”
“But we are not here to discuss Corporal McCaskey” Samuel broke in, “We need to work out why The Facility was targeted and by who”
“Could it have been a straight forward terrorist attack?” Jenny asked, “After all our cover story was that it was a specialised forensic laboratory working on counter terrorism”
“I would have thought that might be a possibility Jenny, if it weren’t for a female elven assassin with magical powers and a strange tattoo on her forehead who tried to kill me at Dulles Airport”
“Looks like we need to get in touch with that troll that heads up the Manjura clan in the Mystical Realms” Mark suggested
“How do we contact him?” Jenny asked, “We gave him all the details of that Timothy Zachary’s device”

Suddenly Colonel Samuel Peters had a moment of realisation, “My G_d” he whispered, and “I think I know what Sue-Lim was working on”

At that point a breathless Sue-Lim returned to the conference room carrying what to Jenny looked chillingly familiar, it was a device that looked like a Geiger counter but was in fact an artificial way of creating dimension doors or wormholes to the Mystical Realms.

It was a similar device that the psychotic lab technician Timothy Zachary had used to bring to Earth two doppelganger assassins, one of which had attacked her to trick the staff at the Facility into bringing one back into the Facility while it disguised itself as a member of the retrieval team that had originally abducted Jenny.

“So” Samuel said, “Project Tango Zulu is another wormhole generator first devised by Timothy Zachary”
“So you did know about it after all” Sue-Lim panted
“No, but the initials for Tango and Zulu are the same as Timothy Zachary” The colonel replied
“Sue-Lim” Mark then spoke, “We gave whatever details of the original device to the trolls as part of our cooperation agreement we have with them”
“So why have you built a duplicate, and how have you been able to build a duplicate”

Sue-Lim was confused, “Like I said Colonel, Mr Davies ordered me to. We found detailed plans in the archive back up tapes and we have been working on it down here at the Annexe ever since we were asked to recreate it”
“Why did you not tell me” Samuel pressed
“Like I said Colonel, the orders came from Mr Davies aide to the committee so I thought you knew, and he said it was ultra secret”

“Does it work?” Jenny asked.
“We have done preliminary testing, but yes it does” Sue-Lim replied

“Don’t blame Sue Lim Colonel” came another American voice from the corridor and then in walked a man in his thirties wearing a grey suit, “She was following my instructions”
“Mr Davies I presume” Samuel growled
“The one and the same Colonel” Mr Davies replied, “I took the liberty of ordering a replica device, because we too need the means to cross between our two dimensions”

Nervously Sue-Lim set the wormhole generator on the table and sat down and whispered “Sorry Colonel I honestly thought you had been told”

“What are you doing here Mr Davies” Samuel asked, glowering at the man
“I am here to investigate for the committee why a multi million dollar secret base was totalled, among other things”
“Other things?” queried the colonel

Before Mr Davies could answer a sudden breeze developed in the conference room, and two mini bolts of lightning arched from the wall.

A wormhole from the Mystical Realms was arriving

“I got a message through via our Irish allies we would be meeting here” Samuel explained above the noise of the vortex

Out of the wormhole came Hogan O’Brien the leprechaun, alone.

Then the wormhole dissipated.

“No Captain Strang?” Samuel asked
“I’m afraid not Colonel” Hogan replied, “The blast that took out The Facility killed Captain Strang as we tried to gate in at the same time”

There were looks of shock on Mark, Jenny and Samuel’s faces. Captain Strang had been part of their special operations team, a part of their family, and now he was gone?.

Hogan then continued, “From the special Irish intelligence unit of Leprechauns we established that it the bomb was set to trigger as soon as our wormhole connected with Earth”

“So er Mr O’Brien” Mr Davies interrupted, “Was this trigger an Earth invention sort of like the defunct Skyguard detection system”
“I sorry to say, Sir, it looks like a device from our world” Hogan replied, slightly confused at who the new individual was, “We believe it may be connected with a new sect in the Mystical Realms that has been agitating against dealings with the world of humans”

Mr Davies interrupted again, “That’s all I need to hear”, and then he pulled out a gun like object and fired it at Hogan.

Jenny recognised it; it was a taser, like the one they had used on her when she had been abducted from her shower all those months ago.

Hogan collapsed as Mr Davies fired the voltage through him with glee

“What the Heck are you doing” Shouted Samuel, “Hogan is an ally and a member of the Irish secret intelligence service”

“Colonel, this Mr Hogan is an IDE, and as he has admitted that an IDE was responsible for the attack, then we have no choice but to neutralise all IDE’s. And I did not want him telepathically warning all his co-conspirators”

Suddenly in walked six armed men in black balaclavas with assault rifles.

“As of this moment Colonel I am terminating this so called alliance, since it is clear it has been a ruse to attack us all along and we are interning all IDE’s” then Mr Davies grinned, “And all the human IDE hybrids we can find, from New Hampshire to New York.”

Colour drained from Samuel’s face as he realised what this Mr Davies was planning, “You’re going after Rebecca Sands and Mazy Schneider,”
“Indeed Colonel, we can not take the risk with national security, they could be dangerous fifth columnists”
“But they are just children, they are fully human now as they gave up their special powers willingly and they have never even been to the Mystical Realms and they want nothing to do with it”
“Colonel, you are too trusting, you only have the words of the IDE’s that that is the case, I’m sorry but we just can not take the risk. As for the ones in Ireland we will be requesting that they be handed over, along with the Andrews family, but if they are reluctant then we will be setting up a special Delta Force team to neutralise those threats as well, permanently”

“Mr Davies” Sue-Lim interjected, “Why are these men here?” she asked pointing to the armed men, “This is a civilian base not a military one”

“Oh sorry, I forgot to mention” Mr Davies replied, “In light of the attack by a the IDE’s on the Colonel’s watch, I am hereby relieving Colonel Samuel Peters of command and placing him under arrest on suspicion of gross negligence and gross misconduct. I am also relieving Commander Mark Johnston of command and placing him too under arrest on exactly the same charges.”

To be continued

[Sticks]

Episode III – Domus Separare

House Divided

In times of civil emergency people can do pretty horrendous things, all in the name of national security and paranoia. Even the so called “good guys” are not immune from committing atrocities in the name of public safety and national security In Britain during World War Two citizens of the axis powers, even refugees from Nazi Germany, were interned on the Isle of Mann, and of course today we have Camp X-Ray run by the Americans at Guantanamo Bay.

In 2001 after the attacks on the twin towers on nine eleven, there was a great fear of a backlash against the Muslim community and in the US a pilot refused to allow an Arabic looking man on his flight by the name of Walied Shatter who just happened to be a bone fida secret service agent for G W Bush.

This seems to be happening all over again after the bombing of the main Inter Dimensional Entity Control’s UK base, tasked with dealing with the world in an alternative universe, known as IDW01 or the Mystical Realms.

Colonel Samuel Peters has just managed to get the release of two of his surviving team from a London police station where they had been detained because they would not reveal to the police officer leading the investigation into the bombing, the nature of the work that went on at The Facility. The three of them have all been driven down to an out of the way annexe of the former Facility, by another civilian employee. It is here that a Mr Davies, aide to a member of the Inter Dimensional Entity Control Oversight Committee, has unexpectedly arrived informed them that in light of the bombing, Colonel Samuel Peters and Commander Mark Johnston have been placed under arrest for gross negligence and gross misconduct

Also he is instituting a change in policy, in light of possible involvement in the bombing of entities from the Mystical Realms, all entities from there, including the former minor spirits of virtue, who are just children are to be interned or possibly worse, all of course, you understand for the greater good, in the name of national security

-

Rochester, New Hampshire
United States of America
(Twenty four hours previously)
[img=600x400]http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicc/cfiles16604.jpg[/img]

Susan Sands carefully opened the front door of the house, making sure Rebecca was behind between her and Rosie O’Brian, some special protection agent who appeared to Susan as someone who suffered from dwarfism, (so why with such a disability was she assigned? She had wondered privately not realising that Rosie was really a rare female leprechaun).

For some reason the secret service detail assigned to them were not present.
“Rosie?” Susan said, “Do you know what has happened to the secret service agents?”
“I have not heard a thing Mrs Sands” Rosie replied, “I am usually informed of everything, but as I mentioned earlier I can not even get through to our office in Ireland”
“Mum, I’m Scared” Rebecca uttered, being told that someone out there might try and harm her and possibly her new family had certainly made this former Spirit of Kindness nervous, and both Rosie and Susan had to keep telling Rebecca that this was not her fault.

Susan closed the door, then turned to Rosie, “Can you try and get through to see what is happening, if we don’t go now Rebecca is going to be late for School, but I don’t want to put my daughter at risk”

Rosie pulled out her cell phone and looked at it, “That’s odd Mrs Sands; I can not get a signal”

Susan pulled out her own cell; it too did not seem to be getting a signal, so she tried the main telephone in the house which was a landline.

It was dead

“Rosie, I don’t like this” Susan said
“Neither do I Mrs Sands” Rosie replied
“I feel like a sitting duck” Susan added
Rebecca started to cry, “They’re coming to get me” she wailed.

Susan took out her car keys and remotely switched off the car alarm on her jeep.

“Rosie” Susan said in a commanding voice, “When I open the door, I want you to get over the Jeep and check under it for anything that should not be there, then when you give the all clear, Rebecca will come out to the Jeep, and I will open the driver’s door and help Rebecca into the back”
“Ok Mrs Sands” Rosie replied.

Susan opened the door, and Rosie ran out as fast as she could to the jeep sitting in the drive and looked at the underneath.
“It seems clear to me” She yelled

At this, Susan grabbed Rebecca’s hand and went through the front door, then grabbed the door to pull it shut. The two of them raced to the Jeep and quickly Susan opened the car door on the driver’s side, pulled the seat forward and lifted Rebecca so she could climb into the back of the Jeep.

Rosie somehow managed to get into the front passenger seat and closed the door.

Susan got in the jeep, closed the door, buckled up and started the jeep.

All of the occupants held their breath as the vehicle started, still half expecting it to blow up.

Rebecca was in tears, if being accused by police in New York of a crime she had never heard of, committed in Miami, a place she had never set foot, had been bad enough, having someone trying to kill her was a lot worse.

Susan drove the Jeep into the road, still glancing at her mobile, hoping to get a signal to call her husband Matthew, who had left for work earlier, but no, something or someone was still jamming the signal.

They had driven for about a hundred meters when a large grey van coming the opposite way deliberately turned to block them. Susan tried to reverse, but another grey van came up behind and blocked them that way as well.

They were boxed in.

Suddenly out of the back of the van in front, several men in balaclavas and combat fatigues got out with M16 rifles and pointed them at the Jeep.

Several men did the same with regard to the van behind the jeep.

A man in a helmet and dark sunglasses got out of the passenger side of the van in front and approached the Jeep with a bull horn and then put it to his lips.

“We know about the amulet of protection Miss Sands, if you don’t want your aunt riddled with bullets, take it off and toss it out of the vehicle”

Rebecca was terrified, How did they know?
“I wish I had got one for all of us” Rosie muttered under her breath.
“Don’t do it Rebecca” Susan urged

Then they saw one of the men take from the van in front, what looked like an anti-tank weapon.

“I’m waiting Miss Sands” yelled them man with the bull horn.

Without further thought, Rebecca did as she was told by the man and took off the Amulet of protection, wound the window down and tossed it out of the jeep.

Immediately one of the men from behind came and grabbed it, at the same time, another man came and with a sledge hammer smashed the front passenger side window, showering glass over Rosie, while yet another fired a taser gun at her, thus incapacitating the leprechaun.

The man with the sledge hammer then smashed in the rear passenger window, while yet another man fired a taser gun into Rebecca.

Rebecca felt the pain as the two sharp barbs pierced into her flesh through her school clothes, then she screamed in agony briefly as the current was passed through her as she was incapacitated.

One of the men from the front came and pulled open the drivers side door and pointed his M16 at Susan, and ordered her to switch the engine off.

Susan had no choice but to comply, then she was forced out at gunpoint. As she saw two men come and give both Rosie and Rebecca some kind of injection.

“Why are you doing this?” she yelled, but she was just pushed to the ground and her hands tied behind her back with cable ties.
Only while she was on the ground, did anyone give her an answer, “You are being arrested for harbouring dangerous terrorists under the Patriot Act” said one of the men who had forcefully pinned her to the ground
“What terrorists?” She yelled, but nobody answered her

For a brief moment Susan wondered, if she ever saw him again, what Matthew would think of her now for loosing Rebecca like this. Even though both of them considered Rebecca to be their daughter, especially as they had both legally adopted her as such, she was after all the biological child of Matthew’s dead younger sister.

As Susan continued to lie face down on the ground, she heard the man who had spoke to them by the bull horn, who must be the squad leader, talking on the radio.

“Have you got me Mr Davies” he yelled

Then it sounded to Susan that the person he was after was not available.
“OK” she heard the Squad leader shout, “Get me the chairman, I don’t think we have any other choice”

“McClure, keep those civilians back” the Squad leader then shouted.

“We are not terrorists” Susan insisted to the man holding her down, but all the man did was bring a hand held taser and placed it against Susan’s neck.
“Keep quiet” He growled, and Susan screamed in pain as he briefly fired the current into her body. “Any more sound out of you and you get that again but longer”

All Susan could do was nod her head and try and listen to the squad leader above her as he called in to discuss her fate and that of her daughter and the small lady who had been assigned as her daughter’s body guard.

“Sorry to disturb you Madame Chairman” The Squad leader said into some kind of communication device that Susan could not see, “I tried to reach Mr Davies, but he seems to be out of contact”

inaudible talking on what appeared to be a cell phone

“We are in Rochester New Hampshire and we have made the capture as ordered. I wanted to know if you wanted the IDE and the IDE hybrid interrogated first before we euthanize them, the orders were not clear on that point”

“Euthanize them?” Susan thought, So they were going to kill Rebecca after all, and after what she had been through before Susan and Matthew had took her in to be their own daughter

more inaudible talking on a cell phone
“But Mam we definitely received orders to pick them up, we were told to use overwhelming force and make sure the non human’s were stunned and sedated in accordance with standard pro”
“But I did receive the orders from your committee Mam”

more inaudible talking on the cell phone
“It came from the office of Mr Vee”

more inaudible talking on the cell phone
“Well not Mr Vee himself, it came via by his aide, Mr Davies”

more inaudible talking on the cell phone
“So you were not aware of these orders Mam”

more inaudible talking on the cell phone
“So, do you want us to continue Mam, the IDE and the IDE-Hybrid are both sedated and the my men are ready right now to carry out the euthanization on your command”

more inaudible talking on the cell phone
“You don’t, do you want them brought in for interrogation then?”

more inaudible talking on the cell phone
“Let them go? But mam we were told they were to be considered highly dangerous and possibly in league with

The Squad leader was interrupted by more inaudible talking on the cell phone
“At once?” The Squad leader replied to the voice on the phone, and then chillingly, so it seemed to Susan added, “But we have a slight problem, there is a civilian travelling with them, the aunt of the IDE Hybrid”

”Oh no they are going to kill us all after all” Susan thought as tears streamed down her face

more inaudible talking on the cell phone
“She is in custody, she did not resist arrest so we did not have to take aggressive action and we have her on the ground now, but it would take a while to revive the IDE and the hybrid”

more inaudible talking on the cell phone
“We broke through both windows on the passenger side of the civilian’s vehicle to ensure the IDE and the IDE-Hybrid were”

The Squad leader was again interrupted by more inaudible talking on the cell phone
OK Mam we will do that”

Then Susan heard the squad leader order the men from the van behind to return to it and for that van to withdraw, from the sound of it he was not happy.

Then the squad leader ordered the man keeping her down to get up, and then she felt the squad leader pulling her sleeve up. “Sorry Mam, the squad leader apologised, “but we have to do this, it is a matter of national security”

So this was how it was going to end, she would be injected with poison, so would Rebecca and they would make it look like a car jacking on bad.

Susan felt the prick of the hypodermic needle, and then everything went black.

* * *

The Annexe
Some where in Kent, England
The present

“So” muttered Commander Mark, you are taking the organisation back to the days of Mr Blue.

“Maybe commander, given the involvement of IDE’s in the attack on The Facility, the late Mr Blue appears to have been vindicated and it seems he was right all along.” Mr Davies sneered, then he added, “As I have just mentioned I have already ordered the IDE Hybrid you let go to be dealt with, plus one other to be intercepted by clean up squads, it’s what Mr Blue would have wanted”

Mr Davies then ordered two of the guards, “Take these two away” pointing at the colonel and the commander.

Mr Davies next ordered two men to collect the unconscious body of Hogan O’Brien. One of the two men pulled out a syringe and stuck it into Hogan and injected him. It looked like to Jenny the sedative the retrieval team had once used on her.

The Colonel sat resolute in his chair, “You don’t have the authority Mr Davies., only a committee member or the chairman We are going nowhere”

At this comment, the six men in balaclavas and combat fatigues pointed their guns at the heads of the colonel, the commander, Jenny and Sue-Lim

“Oh, but I insist” Mr Davies replied, “I can take you back under arrest or I can authorise the clean up squad here to do a total liquidation on all of you, it’s your call Colonel”

“How do you expect to get away with this?” The colonel asked, “such a policy shift would have to be passed by The Committee and they would have to hear from me, it’s the policy”

“Well colonel, in times of emergency we do not have time for such niceties” Mr Davies replied, “I will count to two and if you do not submit to arrest then the Clean up squad will be authorised to”

The colonel did not let him finish and slowly stood up, as did Mark. Two guards came and handcuffed the colonel’s and the commander’s hands behind their backs, and then marched them out of the room.

Mr Davies then speaking to the remaining guards, “I think we had better take Miss Green into custody as well”

Jenny shook her head, unable to speak, as they seemed to be going back to the dark days when they had sent a snatch squad to taser girl she knew as sixteen year old Faith, who had turned out to be the Spirit of Fidelity. She had heard how this Mr Blue had stripped her of her clothes, burned them in front of her and beat her black and blue, trying to get information, and all he got out of her was that by the dating system she had been brought up with before her time at Jenny’s coffee shop, she was really only fifteen.

Sue-Lim spoke up, “Mr Davies, sir, I understand you may have jurisdiction over the colonel and the commander, as they are US military personnel, but as Miss Green is a civilian and a British citizen, protocol dictates that she should be taken into custody by MOD police”

Mr Davies then grinned at Sue-Lim, “Sue-Lim, you are absolutely right, I was forgetting my protocol”, then he walked over to the table and picked up the artificial wormhole generator. “Sue-Lim is this complete and self contained?” he asked

“Yes Mr Davies” Sue-Lim replied.

“I sure the Committee will appreciate you did not die in vain” Davies replied.
“What?” Sue-Lim replied, “I don’t understand”

Mr Davies ignored her and turned to the two remaining men in balaclavas, “After we have gone, make sure these two and this place is deep cleaned”
“Yes sir” the man replied.
Mr Davies then turned to Jenny and Sue-Lim, “I’m so sorry you have to end like this, but we need to keep this contained as we have to formulate the counter strike against IDW01”

Just then the two men who had removed Hogan returned.

“Oh yes, is it stowed safely?” Mr Davies asked them.

The men answered in the affirmative.

“That is excellent news men” Mr Davies, “As I mentioned to your colleagues here, the two women and this place needs to be deep cleaned”
“We understand sir” the man replied in an American accent, “What do you want done with the building”

Mr Davies grimaced for a moment, then said, “The problem with these old buildings is that old electrics can lead to so many fires, which in this case claimed the lives of two unknown females”
“They’re bound to suspect arson sir” the man in the balaclava replied
“So we will just blame it on whoever blew up the Facility or possibly hobos, think of something, that’s your job isn’t it?”

Sue-Lim tried to protest, “But sir I did as you said, I made the device”

“And As I said” Mr Davies grinned, “your sacrifice will be duly noted, you may even get a posthumous commendation”
“Why?” Jenny asked
“Let’s just say, you Brits tried to run it on your own and you got caught with your proverbial pants down over that Spirit of Fidelity affair. You got us in, and we tried to run it with you, and you get the building blown up. We are taking the operation back to the US where it should have been in the first place and where we have better resources, and now we have this” Mr Davies held up the artificial wormhole generator, we will be able to complete Mr’s Blues dream of sending through a few tactical nukes and remove the threat from IDW01 once and for all”

Then Mr Davies left the room

The men then took the safety off of their assault rifles and pointed them at Jenny Green and Su-Lim

“But this is cold blooded murder” Sue-Lim objected

“Sorry Mam” the man who had previously spoken said, “But we have our orders”

* * *

An Undisclosed location
Washington DC
United States of America
(sixteen hours previous)

Kathryn came into the room and sat down at the head of the conference table and looked at all the men seated around. There was one empty chair. She was in her late forties and she was not happy.

“I’m sorry to call you in at such short notice” Kathryn told the group, “But I am very disturbed that action was taken in our name without consulting me at least by a certain member of this committee, who I see did not have the grace to attend”

“Excuse me Madame Chairman” a man in his fifties, “But our colleague in question is on the conference phone”

“Oh is he” Kathryn snapped back, and then asked, “Is he live at the moment or on mute”

“It’s on mute at the moment Madame Chairman” the man replied

“Ok” Kathryn replied, “Before I speak to him, you should all be familiar with what has happened in New York and New Hampshire”

All the men around the table all answered in the affirmative

“Good, then we need not waste any more time” Kathryn started and then continued, “Since the time Mr Sepia handed over control to us, we have been dealing with IDEs in I hope a more enlightened way, compared with Mr Blue’s time under British control. Now it seems that one member has decided to take us back to that regime in light of the loss of the IDE control facility in London. I am new to this, since the death of Gregory due to his stroke, but I have to ask, do you agree with the change back to the old more repressive way of handling IDE’s and IDE hybrids that our absent colleague appears to have taken us?”

A man in his seventies at the other end of the table lifted his hand; he was the oldest member of The Committee. “I think I speak for all of us, when I say how appalled I am at Mr Vee’s actions. Many years ago, the CIA were banned from carrying out assassinations, and rightly so. I find it abhorrent that two young American citizens were so targeted”
“I agree” said another man, “From my contact in New York, the IDE hybrid, Mazy Schneider, aka the former Spirit of Caring sustained a serious leg fracture when she fell after being hit by the taser dart gun. I only heard because the commander in charge rang me to authorise her euthanization.”

“You of course said no” the oldest man interjected

“You’re darn right I said no, I will not be responsible for the cold blooded murder of an American citizen on American soil” the man continued, “At the moment she is under sedation, as I was not sure if we had had a policy switch, and if we have, I would like to offer my resignation before anyone orders her termination. I will not have her blood on my hands”

Kathryn coughed, and then asked, “So to reiterate, we do not want to go down the path that our absent colleague has taken us back to the days of Mr Blue?”

Another man spoke, “Madame Chairman, it is like I told the colonel, IDW01 is of great strategic benefit, and as the colonel told us, we should have them as allies. It would be madness to go down that path again, and if we do, I will be tendering my resignation too”

The oldest member then spoke again, “These IDE hybrids as some have been calling them, if anything were victims of other IDE’s and once they are processed as our Irish partners have shown with Mazy, Fidelity and Caer in Ireland, they are not a problem. We monitored Mazy covertly a month after she became fully human and we were able to establish that she indeed was human. Plus my esteemed colleagues, who have made the effort to be present, these former IDE hybrids have an overwhelming desire to be model citizens and wish to have nothing to do with IDW01. So please let’s not persecute them like they were, under that renegade Mr Blue”

The first man who spoke then butted in, “I believe that IDE’s may be behind the bombing in London, so that may have been why Mr Vee has so acted in sending out the Clean up Squads”

“But that’s crazy” another member said, “That would have been like interning every Arab American or every Moslem after nine eleven”

“Even if an IDE did bomb the facility” the oldest member interrupted, “That does not mean that our troll allies are behind it, for all we know there may be another civil war there and this was one side trying to deny the trolls access to the Facility”

“I agree” Kathryn asserted and put her hands up to get everyone to shut up, “We seem to be all agreed, not to terminate the IDEs and the IDE hybrids, or to be more accurate, former spirits of virtue. We are not going down that dark path once more and nobody here at least needs to resign”

The rest of the committee nodded.

“Put me through to Mr Vee” Kathryn ordered.

The first man to speak pressed a switch on the telephone conferencing equipment.

“Are Madame Chairman” came Mr Vee’s voice over the telephone conferencing speakers, “I am so sorry that you were caused such embarrassment”

“Why did you authorise the clean up squads to target the Schneider and the Sands girls Mr Vee” Kathryn asked, with a air of anger in her voice, “Do you realise you have traumatised two young girls and put one in the hospital?”

“I did not authorise this Madame Chairman” Mr Vee replied, “My committee aide exceeded his authority for some reason and authorised them in my name”

“OK - So why are you not here Mr Vee when I summoned you?”

“As it is my aide Madame Chairman, I have decided to see to the matter personally, and as my Aide has gone to England, I was unable to attend your emergency meeting in person. As for the unfortunates back home, may I suggest dosing them with Propranolol before releasing them if you so choose to do so”

Silence then, “Sorry Madame Chairman, but I have to go now, but let me say, in spite of my known reservations in the past, I do support you and the enlightened way we now handle IDE’s and I look forward to apologising in person to the Committee on my return”

Then the line went dead.

“OK” Kathryn said to the committee, “I propose we recall all clean up squads and release all parties taken in by the clean up squads, and reasonable offers of compensation need to be made, if we have to, with a cover story that they were arrested by special anti terrorist officers acting in good faith on a false lead given by an unidentified malicious third party, after sufficient dosing of this Propranolol

At this the room agreed, except for one man who raised his hand, “Should we not just terminate these individuals, and just resolve not to repeat the error in future, as propranolol is not really effective, and ”

“Are you serious?” the oldest member interrupted in a menacing tone

“But we need to maintain secrecy” the man insisted, “and with such action taken, they are hardly likely to keep their mouths shut now, I mean look at the uncle of the Sands child, he is a lawyer”

“And so was I” the oldest member retorted, “They were aware of the existence of the major spirits of virtue and our organisation and kept quiet before. All we need to do is tell them know it was a rouge unit which we have dealt with, which is not a total lie, and I am sure they will not want to raise the matter further”

“But they might” the man went on, “This was a complete fiasco granted, but can we take the risk?”

“So you would have us murder American children on American soil? Or do you want us to ship them to some other place and kill them, is that what you want?”

Another man, the one who had brought up the plight of Mazy chipped in, “Look with regard them taking the matter further or contacting the press or whatever, why don’t we cross that bridge if we come to it. We need to release them now as I am not convinced that these former IDE half breeds are a threat, the intel on both of them indicates they made no mention of their former abilities or identities. And to put it bluntly, you are making an idiot of yourself by even suggesting we terminate American citizens on American Soil and putting us in an Ultra Virus position”

The man who had raised this objection suddenly realised, even if Mr Vee had authorised the cleanup squads they were still out voted on what after all was a bit of paranoia on his part. “Sorry” the man said, “I withdraw that last suggestion and will agree to go along with what you and the majority think fit Madame Chairman”

“OK” Kathryn stated, then the matter is settled, “Make sure Mr Vee put’s in a full report when he gets back and deduct any costs from his department’s budget as it was his aide who caused this mess”

* * *

An isolation cell in an undisclosed location
Somewhere in the United States of America
(Fourteen hours previous)

Susan felt really groggy as she came round and slowly she sat up.

She was in some kind of prison cell. Susan was normally a strong woman, but she burst into tears, she had lost her daughter, even if she was only an adopted daughter, she still felt the loss as if she were her biological mother. Rebecca most probably would be dead, murdered by the state, if she had not been killed by the taser gun, and for what? Because her biological father had been some kind of angel as she saw it, the embodiment of the virtue of friendship in human form?

Susan noticed that all she was wearing now was a white hospital style gown that was open at the back. Why had they taken her clothes. In fact why, when she was certain she over heard the force commander being told to release them was she still confined. Would she even see her husband and son Frank again?

Suddenly the door opened and a large male warder came in wearing a white coat.

“What have you done with my daughter” Susan demanded
“All in Good time Mrs Sands” the warder replied and then produced a taser gun, “I won’t have to use this will I?”

Susan froze, “I won’t be any trouble” she pleaded, “I just want to know is my daughter still alive, what are we accused of, we have never done anything to do with terrorism”

“Then give me your arm” the warder replied and another man came in with a hypodermic syringe.

Susan shook her head in disbelief as she presented her arm. The man with the syringe found the vein and injected Susan with some compound without saying a word.

This was obviously the end, as Susan felt suddenly weak as everything went black.

* * *

Outside the Annexe
Some where in Kent
South East England
(The present)

“I look forward to instructing the prosecutor at your court marshal Colonel” Mr Davies gloated, as he held the door to the unmarked black van of the clean up squad.
“In your dreams” Colonel Samuel Peters retorted.
“You’ve got it wrong Mr Davies” Commander Mark Johnston insisted, “The trolls and the leprechauns are not the enemy here”
“I believe it is you that have got it wrong” Mr Davies replied, “It seems you went native and were just too naïve for this posting. I suppose you were useful when we were alerted to that Columbian drug cartel who were dealing in cocaine with one of those troll clans and we needed them taken out, but to lead a base dealing with the threat from this other world, I think that was a big mistake. One I aim to put right”

Then Mr Davies slammed the door shut.

“And how, Mr Davies my dear boy, do you plan to do that, take command of the section yourself”

Mr Davies jumped back, as he saw the elderly man, wearing a large coat and a fedora hat. He was just finishing off a carton of orange juice with his gloved left hand while the other was in his coat pocket.
The elderly man then handed the empty carton to a member of the clean up squad who had escorted the two marines, to dispose of, and then put his left hand in his coat pocket.
“Sorry sir” Mr Davies immediately replied, “I didn’t expect you to leave Washington”
“Obviously Mr Davies my dear boy, obviously”
“You don’t have to worry sir, there was no need for you to come, I’m handling everything for you” Mr Davies replied.
The elderly man gave a brief sigh, “Davies my Dear boy, it seems that a number of people are upset with me about your actions”
“There only jealous sir, because we had the guts to act when they have acted like headless chickens”
The elderly man tut tutted, then said “Davies my dear boy, there is an old expression, Act in haste, repent at leisure”
“I believe in striking while the iron is hot sir” Mr Davies countered
“I’m afraid there are some that do not share your confidence in your abilities, and they are quite frankly concerned, as am I”
“But you needn’t be Sir, I have the matter well in hand”

The elderly man looked at the van and with his left hand patted the door lightly then asked, “Tell me I see you have got the colonel and the commander in custody in this van, so where are the others, Miss Green and Miss Wang?”
Mr Davies, grinned, “That’s being dealt with sir, the clean up squad should be deep cleaning them right now as we speak. There will not be any loose ends to tie them to us; when the locals find their bodies, they will just be considered tragic victims of the fire I have ordered the clean up squad to set”
“Oh Really, Davies my dear boy, Excuse me while I must make this urgent call” the elderly man said, and then quickly took from his left pocket a small black box like object”

* * *

The Wal-Mart parking lot
Rochester, New Hampshire
United States of America
(Ten hours previously)

Susan awoke with a start. Her car door was being opened. It was her husband Matthew
“Thank the Lord your safe” Matthew told her
“Where are we?” Susan said still feeling weak
“The car park of Wal-Mart, the one on Farmington Road” Matthew replied, “An anonymous call said I would find you and your jeep in this car park, so I got the spare key and Dirk from next door gave me a lift and oh!.”

As Matthew’s flow suddenly ground to a halt, Susan then noticed although she was in the driver’s seat, her shoes and clothes and were still gone as was the gown she had been wearing when she had briefly came to in the cell, leaving her naked. whoever was part of this ultra secret organisation must be really sick to do that Susan thought Instantly Matthew removed his coat and passed it to his wife, so she could put it on while she was still in the car and at least cover her top half.

Susan, as she came more to her senses, suddenly remembered Rosie and Rebecca and turned to look for them, but they were gone. Then Susan noticed that the windows that had been smashed in the raid had been repaired, some small consolation.

“I’m Sorry Matthew” Susan wept, “They took them and killed them” she could only get out, “They must have” she added.

Matthew held his wife in his arms; he still loved her and did not blame her for the loss of Rebecca and Rosie. Who ever did it must have been pretty high powered, just as Rosie had said, from the former regime that had run that place over in England called the Facility which had also been taken out. Maybe he should be thankful that they had spared his wife, but why leave her naked in her car?

Matthew’s cell phone sounded. Matthew wanted to pick it up and throw it in the nearest river; he did not feel like answering it, especially after his wife had been missing for twenty four hours and left like she was, and his daughter was still missing.

It stopped

Then Susan’s mobile phone in her purse rang

This was too weird, especially as Susan usually had it turned off except when she was calling.
“I think you better answer that” Matthew said
Susan retrieved her phone from her purse and flipped it open and put it on speaker phone on the dashboard.

“Greetings Mr and Mrs Sands” came an electronic voice, “We are so glad that Mrs Sands has recovered from her ordeal”
“What have you done with our daughter?” Matthew demanded
“Nothing yet, she is still alive” said the voice, “But first of all, I need to inform you that as you can see we have repaired the damage to your jeep and also we have credited each of your bank accounts with four hundred thousand dollars as ex gratia payments for inconvenience. You can check if you want to”
“We don’t care about the jeep or your money, I want our daughter back” Susan sobbed angrily
“We need to know if you will be talking about what happened to anyone” The electronic voice replied.
”What were they playing at?” Matthew wondered
“It would be decidedly unhealthy if this got out to a wider general circulation” the electronic voice continued.
“What do you want?” Matthew replied, “Why are you doing this?”
“We want your silence about this incident Mr Sands” The electronic voice replied, “One of our operatives over reacted to the news of the bombing in London which resulted in your wife and niece’s detention, and we need to clean up their mess”
“Daughter” Matthew corrected, “We adopted her so she is our daughter”
“And that was very noble of you Mr and Mrs Sands. We rarely have problems with our covert organisation and we would hate to see it brought down due to the actions of an over zealous operative, as we do form a vital role in the interests of national security”
“We don’t care about bringing down any secret organisation” Susan pleaded, “I want my daughter back”
“But what do I tell the police, the neighbours” Matthew asked, “They saw my wife and daughter taken by what they described as federal agents”
“Leave the police to us” The electronic voice replied, “You are to tell everyone that Homeland Security made an arrest in good faith, based on miss-information from an unknown malicious source, and it took until now to verify that the information was bogus”
“They want us to lie?” Susan whispered to Matthew in disbelief.
“We could just tell people someone made a mistake and we would rather not talk about it” Matthew suggested.
“That would be another good idea” said the electronic voice over the cell phone, “So you are going to keep your mouths shut?”
“We don’t want to cause any trouble sir” Matthew replied, “Please just give us back our daughter”
“All in good time” the electronic voice replied
“Ok I promise not to say a word” Susan sniffed, trying to regain her composure.
“And we have your word on that?”
“Yes” Matthew replied, “My father was in the US Air force so I understand the need for national security”
“Very well, Mr and Mrs Sands” the electronic voice droned on, “When was the last time you went to Roger Allen Park?”

Then before either Matthew or Susan could reply the voice added, “Your niece or rather your daughter is getting rather cold” then the phone cut off

Matthew and Susan looked at each other, Rebecca getting cold; did that mean they had killed her after all? As it was the fall the weather was on the turn, but Rebecca had been well wrapped up the day before when they had left, what was going on? Then it occurred to Susan, perhaps she had been dumped naked as well. At least Susan had been dumped in a nice warm jeep. In this weather there was no time to lose.

“Are you up to driving?” Matthew asked
“I’m not sure” Susan replied,
“Move over then” Matthew instructed
“But Matthew your night blindness” Susan objected.
“There is still plenty of light” Matthew reassured her and then pointed out, “plus I don’t think you’re supposed to drive in bare feet”,
“I have a spare pair of shoes I use for the office in the back, I will just get them”
Susan got out of the jeep to go round the back, but found she had not recovered enough, and Matthew had to catch her as she almost collapsed.

Matthew helped his wife to the passenger side and made sure she was safely buckled up, went round to the back and opened the back, located the spare shoes and found his wife’s gym kit so pulled out her track suit bottoms, time was of the essence and has she had his coat, the tracksuit top was not a priority, and then he got into the driving seat and handed them across to Susan. Susan pulled on the track suit bottoms and slipped on the spare shoes while Matthew started up the jeep.

Driving the Jeep was a lot different from his car, as he had automatic transmission and this was a stick shift, but he had insisted on practicing and while not as proficient as his wife, he was able to get the jeep moving as the drove out of the car park and headed for Roger Allen Park, which was known as one of the best ballparks in New England

+

Rebecca was cold, and sore from being pushed out of the van blindfolded with some kind of nylon strap, luckily the vehicle was not moving. She could not move her hands, as they were tied behind her back with plastic cable ties, like when she was attacked some months ago by two guys when she had been forced to try and walk home in the rain and the darkness. Her feet were also tied up with cable ties. She had been gagged with some kind of adhesive tape. She was also naked as for some reason the men who had arrested her had taken her clothes. At least when she had been arrested in New York the police there had not done that. Even when she was made to hand her clothes over at the orphanage run by the New York City Administration of Child Services, they had given her at least minimal clothing to put on. All they had given her was her amulet of protection which they had hung around her neck before pushing her out of the vehicle.

Rebecca felt the cold grass under her as she lay there helpless and shivered in the cold, unable to yell for help. All she knew was that the place where she had got rid of those special powers, special powers she so hated, which could control people, had been destroyed and that someone could be after her. She thought they had caught her, but one of the men had been angry that no sooner had they taken her than they were told they should not have taken, and that they worked for the same people who ran the Facility. It was so confusing, and maybe it was because Rebecca had done something wrong.

In one dark moment she wondered if her new parents, her Uncle Matthew and Aunt Susan, would still want her with all the trouble that had followed her all the way from England where she had been born. She just loved referring to them as Mum and Dad, and how she would hug them and they would hug her, and the thought that it had all been blown away drove her to tears, along with the pain of the cable ties, and the cold.

After a while, Rebecca tried to move and found her self rolling onto some tarmac. A sharp stone caused her pain, so she did her best to roll away, although she was on the point of passing out with the cold.

Suddenly in the distance she could hear someone running across the tarmac towards her. For an instant she thought whoever it was, was coming to finish her off.

But no, she felt the blind fold being pulled off and then the adhesive tape. Rebecca then heard an unfamiliar voice, but in the local accent, told her, “Keep still and I’ll cut these cable ties off miss”
Rebecca blinked and tried to focus her eyes, while the man used a knife to cut her hands free, then slowly she tried to cover herself as best as she could with her hands, with the sensation of pins and needles in them. Next the man cut her feet free.

“What’s you name miss?” the man asked her
Rebecca tried to answer, but she was shivering too violently with the cold to be coherent.

The man next removed his own jacket and put it around Rebecca. It was like a musky tent but at least it was warm as she wrapped it around her. Then she tried to stand, but the man was having none of it.
“You better keep sitting down miss, until I can call nine one-one” the man said, “If the ground is cold, try and make sure you are sitting on the coat.

Rebecca looked up, he looked almost as old as her grandfather, Thomas Sands, and this man even had a moustache, but his face was kind.

“Do you know who did this to you?” the man asked, trying to be kind but at the same time angry at who ever had done this to a vulnerable child.

“No” was all Rebecca could say as she sobbed

Just then Rebecca heard the sound of an approaching car, and the screech of breaks and the squeal of tyres. It was her mother’s red jeep, but it was her father driving while she was in the passenger seat.

“Mum, Dad!” She yelled through her tears, and once more tried to get up. This time the man helped her up, since these seemed to be the child’s parents.

Rebecca was elated at first, but then she felt ashamed and just looked at the ground, still in floods of tears.

Susan leapt out of the car first, as she was recovering from her ordeal, closely followed by Matthew as he made sure the jeep was safely at a stop.

“Rebecca” Susan screeched, “Sweetheart” she added as she ran and hugged her daughter.
“They took all my clothes away” Rebecca said weakly, “I’m sorry Aunt, I mean mum”
Susan just held on to Rebecca tightly, “That’s not your fault do you hear, that’s not your fault, so don’t let me catch you thinking it is, and besides, they took all my clothes away as well and I don’t feel guilty about it. The people that did this were sick and twisted, not like you.” Then Susan lovingly kissed Rebecca on her forehead and whispered, “I so love you Rebecca”
“I love you too mummy” Rebecca wept.
Susan also found herself crying.

Matthew came over and was intercepted by the man who had untied Rebecca, “I found her like that sir, I am one of the grounds keepers and I was preparing one of the fields for a softball match when I heard the sound of some truck come by” the man said, then added, “Is she your daughter?”

“Yes” Matthew told him.
“So that lady” the grounds keeper continued, “Must be your sister” The grounds keeper had obviously picked up on Rebecca’s Freudian slip
“My wife actually” Matthew told him, “Rebecca was my younger sister’s child, but she died last year and as her biological father was dead as well, my wife and I had her brought over from England where she was born and adopted her” he explained further.

Matthew always felt uncomfortable mentioning this in front of Rebecca as he always wanted Rebecca to think of him and Susan as her parents, which they were in law if not biology

“So what was going on?” the grounds keeper asked, “We need to call nine one one?”
“She was abducted yesterday, so the police are aware, we were told she was being dropped off here” Matthew answered
“A kidnapping huh!” The grounds keeper concluded, Matthew did not correct him, as it was easier for him to think that.
“I wish I had seen that van” the grounds keeper said wistfully, “I would have been able to have given a description to the FBI”
“Believe me sir” Matthew told him, “From what I have been told, you were lucky you weren’t here when they made the drop. These guys play hardball”

“But why did they take our, I mean my child’s clothes?” Susan interrupted has she held the weeping Rebecca.
“They are probably just a load of sickos” the grounds keeper replied, “I suspect you better get her checked out at the hospital, in case they”
Matthew interrupted, as he could guess what the conclusion the grounds keeper was jumping to, “I think they probably destroyed them so that they could not reveal any forensic evidence that might lead to them. There was a case in England many years ago where a man stripped naked to kill someone, and then showered because he thought it would hide evidence”

Matthew then went to the back of the jeep and opened the back and took out a blanket. Then he passed it to Susan. “Wrap Rebecca in this” he instructed, “Then we can give this man his coat back”

The grounds keeper held up his hands, “That’s just an old thing, I’ve been meaning to replace for some time, now I have an excuse”
“If you’re sure?” Matthew enquired.
“Matthew” Susan interjected, “We can return it back here later after we get Rebecca home”
“Aren’t you going to the hospital or waiting for the police?” the grounds keeper asked
“The guys who did this were real pros” Matthew told him, “The police were aware, and as you didn’t see the vehicle, there is not a lot for them to find, and I just want to take our daughter home, we can call the family doctor from there if need be”
The grounds keeper then handed Matthew a card, “Just in case you need me as a witness” he explained”
“Thank you” Matthew replied and then herded Susan and Rebecca back to the Jeep.

Susan helped Rebecca into the back and then got in the back beside her, while Matthew drove home.

When they arrived, there to greet them in the driveway was not their son Frank, but Rosie O’Brien. In the roadway Matthew noticed that the car with the secret service agents had returned.

“I’m so sorry this happened to your family Mr Sands” Rosie told Matthew as he got out first, “I understand if you would like to see the back of me sir, but the fact remains, someone did blow up the Facility London and we still do not know who it is so for the future you will still need to be protected”
“And who protects us from our protectors?” Matthew snapped back, then stopped, “I’m sorry, it’s been a bad twenty four hours”
“I understand sir” Rosie told him, “Believe me I understand, we have had our share of as you humans say bad apples as well.”

Susan next climbed out the car and then called Matthew to carry Rebecca to the door, so she would not hurt her bare feet on the gravel driveway. While he was doing that, Susan came round to talk with Rosie.
“Are you alright?” she asked, remembering how Rosie had been first to be shot with the taser gun”
“I’ll live my dear” Rosie replied, “I believe the US government is sending some secret but formal apology to the Irish government, since that is who I am on secondment from”
Rosie and Susan looked on as Matthew lovingly carried Rebecca to the front door. She was still wearing just the groundskeepers coat and was hanging on to Matthew for dear life while Matthew constantly reassured her that they still loved her and that she was safe.
Rosie then turned to Susan, “I have to drop out of sight for a while, now you best give Rebecca a hot bath, a good meal and put her to bed, she needs it the poor thing”
“I suppose you are right Rosie” Susan answered, and then she looked up as Matthew gently put Rebecca down on the doormat in the front porch so he could get the key to open the front door. In one of those bizarre moments when people wonder about trivia, Susan looked at Rebecca’s bare feet, realised unlike her, Rebecca had no spare outdoor shoes and then quietly asked, “If we are not going to go out again today Rosie, I wonder if the school will mind Rebecca attending in bare feet for a few days until we can get her new shoes. They don’t allow them to wear her gym shoes outside the gym

When there was no answer, Susan looked down, and discovered that Rosie was gone. Susan tried to see where she could have gone, but it seemed as if she had vanished into thin air.

Shaking her head, she followed Matthew and Rebecca into the house. Rebecca went straight upstairs to hit the shower and get fresh clothes, while Matthew went to telephone his father Thomas to let him know that Rebecca and Susan had turned up alive after their shock abduction.

Susan went into the living room, where her son Frank was. Frank gave her a big hug, “I’m back Frank” she reassured him, “And so is your sister, but I would let her get dressed before you see her Frank, the people who took us, took our clothes”

Frank let go of his mother and then went to two large packages on the coffee table, “Mom, these were left in the porch by someone” he told his mother, then he showed her a post it note, “This was on one of the packages, but fell off when I picked them up”

Susan looked at the post-it-note, and on it, it said “Was unable to find where other team had left Mrs Sands and the girl, so took packages here to her home address”

Susan then looked at the packages, one had her name and one had Rebecca’s name printed on a label in a non-descript font, so she opened the one with her name. Inside were her clothes sealed in a cellophane bag and brand new shoes, identical to the ones she had been wearing when she had been snatched. Susan opened the cellophane bag and from the smell emanating from it, it smelled like they had gone through some dry cleaning process.

Susan opened the package marked with Rebecca’s name; it too contained Rebecca’s clothing in a cellophane bag which on opening had the same smell of some kind of dry cleaning process. There was also a brand new pair of shoes identical to the ones she had been wearing. Maybe Matthew was right, they had been stripped so their clothes could be processed to remove forensic evidence implicating whoever had grabbed them, but as that could not be done with shoes, and they had merely replaced them. It also seemed that the team returning their clothes after all incriminating evidence had been removed had not communicated with whoever had left her naked in her jeep, which seemed just typical of government run organisations.

Whoever this covert organisation was, even though they had trouble speaking to one another, it seemed a very bad idea to get on the wrong side of them, so as they had agreed to the electronic voice on the telephone, it was probably safest to keep quiet and just tell friends and family that some federal agency had made a mistake, which resulted in them being arrested, it had now been sorted out and they wanted to put the awful experience behind them and get back to being a family, if that was possible.

* * *

Inside the Annexe
Some where in Kent
South East England
The present

Jenny Green looked in terror up at the four armed men who were the members of the clean up squad as they took the safeties off of their guns.
“But we are British citizens” Sue-Lim insisted, “We do not come under the jurisdiction of American clean up squads”
“Sorry mam” the lead squad member replied, “it is nothing personal, now please stand up by the wall, both of you and we will try and make this quick”

Jenny realised that there was no use arguing, this Mr Davies had won, and anyway by rights Jenny should have been killed all those months ago when she had been attacked by a doppelganger assassin. Jenny stood up and walked to the wall of the conference room, as she was told, to face this firing squad.

Sue-Lim hesitated and then went to stand next to Jenny. Before she reached the wall, Sue-Lim turned and said, “If you are expecting investigators to believe we just died in a fire, aren’t the bullet holes going to be a dead giveaway”

“You’re right” the leader replied, “I can give you a choice” he continued as he took out his combat knife, “Do you want your throat’s cut”, then he pulled from his pocket a nylon ribbon, “Or the garrotte”
“I don’t like knives” Jenny found herself mumbling before she could stop herself.
“Ok” replied the squad leader, “The garrotte it is” and the four of them walked over to the two women.

One squad member made sure that Jenny and Sue-Lim’s hands were firmly tied behind their backs with plastic cable ties, and then they were forced to their knees.
“What authority do you have to kill us” Sue-Lim angrily asked, “Even the CIA is banned from assassination”
“The Inter Dimensional Entity Control Oversight Committee is given the authority to use all mean necessary to keep the knowledge of the existence of IDEs secure, which therefore includes the taking of lives if required” the squad leader replied, “and this is a deep cleaning, not an assassination”.

Then two of the squad members, not the leader, stood behind each woman, and looped their nylon ribbons around the front their necks, and then crossed the ribbon ends over at the back of their necks, so each man could get enough force to collapse their windpipes and terminate them, and held them taut, but not yet strangling them.

“Do we need finger on trigger confirmation?” one of the squad asked.

Jenny remembered this term from before, it usually meant a target was in gun sight, the assassin’s finger was on the trigger, and he was getting the final ok to squeeze that trigger. She had heard that expression when she had heard that an assassin from the Facility, on his own initiative had had the five year old adopted daughter of her former boss, Angela Andrews in his sights. Luckily that time the request had been routed to the previous head of The Facility who had the decency to veto the sanction. It had been that incident that had lead to American control.

“No” came the leader’s chilling reply, “We already have this from the Committee’s representative. Now men, on three, I want you to do a steady pull, not a sudden jerking action as that could lead you to pulling a muscle. You also need to hold it tight for about four or five minutes to ensure suffocation” then the squad leader spoke to the two women about to be killed, “Miss Green, Miss Wang, sorry you have to die like this, but this is nothing personal, just orders, as you work for the organisation you must appreciate that”

“Only obeying orders, where have I heard that one before” Sue-Lim remarked

All Jenny could think of, was her family, and how they would never know how or why she died, and tears flowed down her cheeks, “But I won’t talk” Jenny whimpered, “You don’t need to do this”

“I know you would keep quiet, but that’s not the point Mam, we have our orders, you are ordered to be killed” the squad leader replied, trying to sound sympathetic to Jenny’s plight. Then he spoke to the two men with the garrottes in position. “One” said the squad leader

At the back of the room where the other member of the clean up squad stood guard by the door, Jenny heard a burst of sound on the radio

“Two”

Jenny could just make out that the squad member was talking back into the radio

“Three – steady pulling now men”
“STOP, DEEP CLEAN CANCELLED” yelled the squad member at the back of the room.

Jenny felt the ribbon quickly tighten around her neck as the man behind her began pulling on the garrotte with increasing strength and she could no longer breath. Along with her own chocking as she was being strangled to death, she heard that of Sue-Lim as she was being strangled as well.

“STOP – STOP, RELAX THE GARROTTES” the squad leader immediately ordered, then added, “Just don’t release in case we still have a go for their termination, I just need to authenticate this. He may just want to see them die so he can report that he has witnessed their deaths in person”

Suddenly the garrotte was relaxed as the squad leader was still talking, and both Jenny and Sue-Lim could just about breathe again, but it was still there, tight around their necks, only just allowing them to breath, but ready to be used to constricted, should this just be stay of execution, so Mr Davies could come in and get his jollies watching them be executed.

“Here he is” Jenny heard the squad member with the radio say.

Jenny listened as the squad leader spoke to some voice on the radio as he confirmed the other person’s identity and authority to cancel their execution.

“It’s your lucky day Mr Vee has overruled Mr Davies and told us you are both to be allowed to live” the Squad leader told them, then he told the squad members still restraining them with the garrottes, “Release them, and help them up, and pull out”

Immediately, the garrottes were removed from their necks, and the cable ties were cut, and the squad members pulled both Jenny and Sue-Lim to their feet.
“Sorry” said one to Jenny, “This would have been the first time I would have had to take a life and I really was not looking forward to it”
“But you were prepared to do it” Jenny snapped back, trying not to let him see how emotional she felt
“I’m a soldier” the man replied, “It’s what I may be called upon to do”

Sue-Lim just slapped the squad member who has been about to strangle her, around his face

Before the squad member did anything, the squad leader just told him, “Leave it, she’s upset”

As the clean up squad left the room, Jenny looked at Sue-Lim and went and threw her arms around her, and Sue Lim reciprocated.
“I really thought I was going to die” Jenny told her, as tears streamed down her face
“So did I Jenny” Sue-Lim replied and she too started shedding tears


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[Sticks]

Episode III continued from previous post due to some post size limit being exceeded

* * *

The elderly man put his two way radio back in his pocket and stared blankly at Mr Davies
“Why did you over rule me sir” Mr Davies asked in a confused manner, “They are loose ends and we don’t need them”
“Mr Davies, my dear boy” The elderly man began, “The use of an executive sanction is not something to use lightly, and we use it sparingly if at all, usually against terrorists or those of hostile intent to our country, someone, if it came to a hearing we can at least make some semblance of justification”
“But Sir” Mr Davies countered, “This just hamstrings us, it stops us from clearing things up and getting the job done”
“How long have you been my aide Mr Davies”
“Five years this Fall” Mr Davies replied.
“And yet you still have not learned anything”
“I don’t understand”
“Indeed you don’t, my dear boy”
“What do you mean?” Mr Davies asked, “I have learned all sorts of things by being your aide”
“Sometimes when we rush into things we can end up making more of a mess”
“I still don’t follow sir” Mr Davies replied, “I was just about to clear up this mess made by the colonel, which you yourself approved of”
“By executing two women who work for us and destroying our own property?” the elderly man queried
“Two potential security leaks, Sir, and we don’t need this base; the organisation should have been in DC all along”
“And what were you going to do with the colonel and the commander?” The elderly man asked
“How about, shot in the back trying to escape?” Mr Davies responded, “It would save the problem of a troublesome court marshal”
“Is that your response to everything, Davies my dear boy?” the elderly man asked, “killing everyone in sight, or shall I say having them killed”
“Sir, remember what Napoleon said about omelettes and eggs?”
“And if I remember my history, Davies My dear boy, where did he finish up?”

Mr Davies for some reason was feeling annoyed with his one time superior and mentor. “Listen Sir”, he deliberately emphasised the sir, “We played it the way of the Committee and the Colonel, Be nice to these alien invaders into our universe and the potential fifth columnists hybrids they leave with us, and look where it has got us. Seventy five killed in a lorry bomb in London of all places. You yourself sir said you did not trust them.”
“And you would add how many more to the body count?”
“I would do what ever it takes, to keep our country safe, Sir” Dr Davies retorted
“Which is why, Davies my dear boy, I have continually vetoed your request to be on The Committee and why I blackballed you when it was either you or the colonel who were short listed to take over at The Facility”

Mr Davies was shocked by this revelation, “You” he shouted, “You hypocrite, you wanted the Chairman’s position just as much”
“And I am glad, that I was not Saddled with it” the elderly man replied, still keeping tight rein on his temper, unlike Mr Davies, “Sometimes, Davies my dear boy, not getting what you want can be the best thing to happen to you”

“Stop calling me boy” Mr Davies insisted, and then he stopped to catch breath, “It’s not just me who think like this”
“Oh” interjected the elderly man
“Yes, sir” Mr Davies sneered, “There are a number of us, ready to replace those weak and pathetic excuses on The Committee, it is only a matter of time, Old Man, and then we will show those IDE’s who is boss”

The elderly man nodded, “I suppose you have a point” then after a pause, “Have you tried to contact any of them recently?”

“Yes, but they have been unobtainable so…” Mr Davies replied, before his words came to a stop in a cold realisation, that something might be untoward.
“The last one was dealt with, a few hours ago and now it is just you” The elderly man replied, “You were all so amateurish at this”
“You Judas” Screamed Mr Davies, “I followed you, I looked up to you, you taught me not to trust any IDE’s”

BANG

Suddenly Mr Davies felt a searing pain as a bullet penetrated his upper abdomen and went through his heart. He sank to his knees, and died

“And you, Davies, my dear boy, reminded me that humans can be even more untrustworthy” the elderly man commented as he pulled his revolver from his right coat pocket, then he added, “And I accept your resignation”

The rest of the clean-up squad appeared on the scene quickly responding to the gun shot, and the leader seeing the elderly man stopped and saluted.
“Are Miss Green and Miss Wang still alive?” The elderly man asked
“Yes sir” the squad leader replied, “but a few seconds later and it would have been too late”
“That would have been most unfortunate, I am so glad they are alive, especially Miss Wang”
“Why’s that sir?” the squad leader asked
“I don’t want her to know, but she is my daughter, it was me who got her this job and I would hate for something to happen to her”
The squad leader sucked his teeth and shook his head, “I’m so sorry sir, I didn’t know”
“You weren’t to know” the elderly man told him, “I met her mother first when we were clearing out of Saigon in seventy five, and I used some of my British contacts to place her here in England”, then he pointed down at the dead body of Mr Davies “Be a good man and clean that up”

The elderly man then opened the door to the van, “Release them” he ordered, and then added, “and if it is not too late revive and release the leprechaun”.

After the colonel and the commander were released from the van, the colonel glared at the elderly man, “You!” he exclaimed with some venom.

“Yes it’s me” the elderly man replied, “I am so sorry about my aide, he has of course been fired”

Just then another van arrived and two men got out, they were Jason and Pete back with the new server “What’s happened?” Pete asked.

“There was a bit of a misunderstanding by my aide” the elderly man answered, “Please go and see that Miss Wang is ok Mr Smith, I know you and her are an item, as you put it over here and I approve, just don’t mention at this time about my aide’s sudden exit”
At this Pete ran to the Annexe
“Commander, you had better go and see to Miss Green” the elderly man then said, “And like I told Mr Smith, she need not know yet that I have dealt with Mr Davies”
“Ok” Mark said warily and left, leaving the colonel alone with the elderly man.

“Why?” the colonel asked, “I thought you and Mr Davies believed the same thing”

The elderly man looked up into the sky, “Do you know Colonel, what the Good Lord said about a house divided?”
“Yeah sure” Samuel replied, “It can’t stand”
“Precisely, it was my aide, who was the problem; he had us at each other’s throats and was prepared to split what remains of the organisation in a time of great emergency, when we should have been dealing with who ever attacked the Facility”
“But I thought you shared his belief, that IDE’s were not to be trusted, you first recommended Mr Blue to run the Facility”
“I am merely sceptical about all our allies Colonel, human or otherwise, plus he ordered the death of my daughter, and I could not let him do that”
“She’s a good worker” Samuel said in a more sympathetic tone, “If she were not so wedded to this place, she would have been on my team”
“And she would have been killed by who ever destroyed the Facility”

Samuel let out a sigh, “Along with a lot of my other people”
“As for Mr Blue, well he was, so I heard, possessed, by a major spirit of vice” the elderly man continued, then said “Colonel, with what ever authority I may still posses back with The Committee, I want you to find out who took out the Facility and take action to neutralise the threat”
“That was what I was going to do before your aide showed up”
“And if it turns out to be an IDE”
“Then we will handle it with our troll allies, and yes I do still trust them, after all who ever planted the bomb designed it to take them out as well and they lost people there too, including Captain Strang”

“OK Colonel” the elderly man replied, “I have to return so I will leave to you to it, just watch your back. I may have seemed bad, but as you can see, there are others waiting in the wings, making trouble for those of us who have been wary of this alliance with another world populated by beings with dangerous powers, and some are more extreme than Mr Davies was. And by the way, I understand my colleagues have taken some remedial action concerning the Sands and the Schneider girls and they have been released.”
“By the way” Samuel asked, “What about that artificial wormhole generator”
“Oh I am sure Sue-Lim can produce another one for you if you need one, as for the one she has already constructed, I think it would be best if it went back with me, after all I still think we need the capability to travel to IDW01 at our own choosing should we need to, rather than being dependent on the trolls or the leprechauns. You have my word; it will not fall into the wrong hands”
“For what that’s worth” Samuel uttered, before he could stop himself
The elderly man just smiled, “You are still sceptical of me Colonel, well there’s hope for you yet”
With that the elderly man got into a clean up squad van and left.

* * *

It was about an hour before Hogan O’Brian had recovered from his tasering and sedation, and he was not happy at all, but at least he was glad that Jenny and Sue-Lim were still alive, from what he had heard.

Samuel had asked Sue-Lim and Jenny if they wanted to go home, given that they had been on the point of an execution, But Sue-Lim was adamant, that that would for her mean they had won, Jenny after some hesitation opted to stay.
“Ok“Samuel replied, “But the offer is still there”

Finally they were all back sitting in the conference room, Samuel, Mark, Jenny, Hogan Sue-Lim and Pete. Pete refused to leave Sue-Lim’s side, and it was obvious to Jenny why she had always preferred the annexe out of the way down in Kent, it was where her boyfriend Pete lived, and sat with his arm around her shoulders. Jenny grasped at Mark’s hand under the table, and it seemed that Mark was reluctant to let her go too. Did he feel the same way, she had been feeling about him?

Jason was elsewhere trying to set the new server up

“So” Samuel asked, “This cult or sect, you think they might be responsible?”
“Indeed we do” Hogan replied
“I have to agree” Samuel then said, “especially as an elf with a strange tattoo tried to kill me at the airport” Samuel then sketched the tattoo he had seen, a T superimposed on an M
“That is definitely their symbol” Hogan replied after the colonel had showed everyone the drawing

Suddenly Pete spotted an item on the floor and picked it up, it was some kind of metal square with characters on it.

Hogan spotted this, “Oh that’s some trinket we found on an orphaned dwarf child, we wondered if it had belonged to those humans who brought in that poison for the Yataxal troll clan”

“Uh Uh” Pete responded, ”This is not Colombian, this is Russian”
“Maybe the drug gang had Russian items with them” Mark suggested
“Not really Commander, I recognise this, this is from a Yastreb
“And what pray tell is one of those?” Hogan asked
“It’s an early Russian Space Suit from the days of the Cold War”

“Russian Space Suit?” came a voice from the door, it was Jason, “I came to see if Pete could help me install the new server, but I could not help over hearing, you found a part from a Russian space suit on IDW01”
“You mean the Mystical Realms” Hogan cut in
“Whatever” Jason said, holding his hands up in submission.
“What of it?” Samuel asked.
“Colonel” Jason began, “I have a friend, who is bit of a conspiracy theorist”
“Swell” Mark interjected, “Just the kind of friend to have when you work for an ultra secret organisation”
“Well at least it allows us to keep tabs on them Commander” Jason retorted, “But anyway, my friend is convinced that he found a recording of an intercepted communication with a Russian space craft that was launched in 1969 that disappeared in space.”
“That never happened” Samuel replied, “The fatalities were on launch or re-entry”
“Well I told him it was probably a fake” Pete continued, “especially as it referred to a rip in space and the last part where the alleged cosmonauts were speaking referred to two suns”
“Sam” Jenny cut in, “The Mystical Realms, it has two suns”

Samuel asked Pete to hand him the piece of metal, which he duly did.

Samuel looked at it, and then asked, “Can I get to hear that recording”
“Sure” Pete replied, “I digitised it for my friend from the original tapes so I have a copy on my memory stick, and once we have the server up I can play it for you”
“But what has this got to do with that sect?” Hogan asked
“Possibly nothing” Samuel replied, “But I have a gut feeling about this, what is a piece of space debris from the old USSR doing in your world?”
Suddenly Hogan went pale, “Oh my, the alignment”
“What alignment?” Mark asked
“Around the same time as your 1969” Hogan explained, “All our moons lined up, one behind the other”
“And?” Mark pressed
“And the same thing is due to happen in a weeks time, because the Sect have been banging on how justice will be served at the next alignment, and the last time this sect plagued the Mystical Realms was before the time of the Lord Low Troll, at the time of that alignment” Hogan continued
“That settles it” The colonel interrupted, “We don’t have much time we have to go to Karam Tag Chou and find out more about this sect, as I have a bad feeling about this”

To be continued

[Sticks]

Episode IV – Bracchium Incursio

Tentacle Invasion

What is history, and who writes it?

The second part of that question has a fairly easy and trite answer, the victors, which usually mean Europeans or Americans. But when that happens, what of other people’s history? Why in schools do we not hear of ancient India or the history of the aborigines before European settlers arrived in Australia? Is this because someone somewhere has decided what history is to be? For a syllabus for an exam, we suppose someone has to select what is taught and what is not to maintain a standard across the board, but how do they decide?

As for the first part, what is history, is it just a list of kings and queens and battles? Does it not include the way ordinary people lived? Well yes of course, but when people use the cliché of “History in the Making” they refer to events rather than the people who contribute.

The problem is that the people can be overlooked, and are forgotten, as for events, they too can sometimes be distorted by ignorance, as the belief that some of the fictional battles in J RR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings actually happened, which to the more educated may make them groan or smile. What is more insidious though, with regard to history is when events are denied, like those who deny the moon landings or the holocaust. They would say that some history is fiction, when it is not. Is this not worse than those who proclaim some fiction is history?

But history is written by the victors, and sometimes they have an agenda, and it is surprising what is left out of the “official account”

As Colonel Samuel Peters and the rest of the elite team, dedicated to dealing with those from the alternate dimension of the Mystical Realms, recover from an attempt to take their organisation back to when they persecuted those with connections to that dimension, an attempt which saw former spirits of virtue, like Rebecca Sands former Spirit of Kindness detained, they have now come across a big leaving out from history, a Russian Space mission that vanished several decades earlier, at the same time a certain sect in the Mystical Realms made a previous appearance. A certain sect, which has a new grouping that has emerged and may have been responsible for the bombing of the Facility, the UK base that dealt with affairs concerning the Mystical Realms…

---

The Annexe
Some where in Kent
South East England

Colonel Samuel Peters, and his team watched on as Pete Smith and Jason Turner slaved over a thin client server, to get it installed, everyone except for Sue-Lim.

“Once we are up and running” Jason promised, “I can play that file”
“Jason what are you doing with an old recoding of cosmonauts on a memory stick?” Pete asked, “I thought I was the space nut”
“I thought it would make a cool ringtone” Jason replied as they worked, “Well at least the part where they allegedly are being sucked in by some rip in space”

Sue-Lim walked in to the computer room carrying a lap top, “This is my personal laptop Sir” she told the colonel, “I normally leave it in the boot of my car, since this is meant to be a secure site and this counts as recording equipment”

“I won’t tell if you won’t” Samuel replied, “Boot it up, I want to hear that sound file, and then I want to know how this friend of yours, Jason, got hold of it”
“That’s easy to explain colonel” Jason replied, “His grandfather was a bit of a ham radio enthusiast in those days and was also into astronomy so he tried his hand at radio astronomy. He was forever telling my friend how he tried to track the early space missions from Russia and America”
“And he intercepted the signal?” Mark asked
“Yes commander” Jason continued, “My friend says his grandfather tried to record everything on the old style reel to reel tape. But he never knew Russian so the tapes of the Russian missions were just filed.”
“So when did he discover what was on that tape” Samuel asked.
“He inherited them when his grandfather died a few years back, and his girlfriend is the daughter of a former Soviet defector. While she was waiting to give birth to their baby boy last year, she translated and transcribed the Russian tapes. He says when she heard that tape she was quite freaked out at first, and then assumed his grandfather must have picked up some stray broadcast of a Russian play, but as I said he’s a bit of a conspiracy theorist so he checked with the list of former soviet launches, since the files were opened up with the fall of communism”
“And?” Samuel pressed
“All the record shows, was that day there was a test of a UR-500, a forerunner of what they use today to send up supplies and relief crew to the International Space Station. There was one other thing”
“Which was?” asked Jenny Green
“Apparently according to a cutting from Pravda one of the high ranking Generals of that time, General Boris Chenyenko was reported to have been killed in a car accident that very same day. My friend is convinced there was a connection due to the fact they were all on the same day”
“But he’s a conspiracy theorist” Mark remarked dismissively
“I never thought there was anything in it either” Jason replied, “until I saw this” he added picking up the piece of metal that Hogan the leprechaun had brought back from the Mystical Realms.

“Its ready sir” Sue-Lim interrupted, as she stood ready by the laptop

Jason stopped work on the server and plugged his memory stick into the laptop, and they waited whilst the laptop recognised the device and then put up Windows Explorer.

Jason Navigated to the file, then turned to the group, “How is your Russian”
There was quite a few shaking of heads, except for Hogan, Sue-Lim and the Colonel
“We did 5 weeks at Norfolk Virginia three years ago” Samuel replied, so I may be a little rusty
“Well it’s all in Russian I’m afraid” Jason replied, “And for most of it, it sounded like a routine flight, the exciting bit is at the end. According to my friend’s girlfriend, the most haunting bit is after the space craft has vanished and for a while they try and call it”
Pete shrugged his shoulders, “If I knew Russian I could probably tell you what they were doing”

“Well you can Mr Smith” Hogan chipped in and produced from his waistcoat a metallic pendant on a leather thong, “wear this and you should understand anything in any language”
“Does it make me speak Russian?” Pete asked
“I’m afraid not” Hogan replied, “It is just for understanding folk”

“Do it” ordered Samuel, “I want someone else to tell me if this is a missing space ship, or that piece of metal may have been brought in by other means”
“Well if it did colonel” Hogan interjected, “It was nowhere near where those drug lords were”

Jason started to play the file and everyone in the room sat in wrapped attention

Towards the beginning of the recording, Samuel, and Pete, both exclaimed that there was a reference to a General Boris Chenyenko speaking, but was that the one who had apparently died that day due to a car accident?

The rest of the recording seemed to Jenny’s ear fairly routine, even if it was in a language she did not understand, there were no stressed voices and all seemed to be going to plan, in fact it was almost hard to keep focus and she kept drifting off to thinking about how close to death she had come, as the clean up squad soldiers had started to strangle her and Sue-Lim with garrotte, only for a second later to be told to stop, she thought of Mark, and her growing feelings for him, which she had tried not to show, except briefly at the gun range in The Facility.

“TLI?” Yelled Pete in disbelief

Jenny snapped back from her thoughts to the recording playing on the laptop, “What’s TLI” she asked
“Trans Luna injection.Jenny” Pete replied, “What ever this space craft was doing, it sounds like they were going to go to the Moon”
“They never had that capability” Samuel cut in
“Excuse me sir” Pete replied, “I’m the one with the magical translation device, that was definitely the Russian equivalent of TLI”
“Those soviets” Mark commented, “They almost beat us”
“It could be an unmanned space probe” Jason suggested, “The soviets sent up plenty of those”.
“No Jason, there are definitely two cosmonauts on board” Pete contradicted
“Yup, I have to agree” Samuel confirmed
“It would have to have been the LK lander” Pete added, “but that was never flown until 1971 until they flew an unmanned test version”
“Officially never flown” Samuel chipped in

Jason paused the file, “An hour of it is just routine stuff” he explained, “The juicy stuff is near the end of the file” Jason then moved the cursor through sixty minutes on the media player. “Here is where it gets kind of spooky”

“Some interference on the com channel” Pete explained
“Now they have established it is not a ground based problem” Pete added
“Ooh – Your right Jason, this is spooky” Pete commented
“Erie glow” Samuel chimed in

More Russian, this time it sounded like panicked speech, even Jenny could tell that much

“A rip in space?” Sue-Lim exclaimed in a puzzled manner, “That doesn’t make sense?

Jenny listened to the two Russian voices jabbering away in panic as the interference in the com channel from the spacecraft got worse.

“It’s coming for us they are saying” Pete said as he was commentating on the file.

Suddenly there was a burst of static and then silence.

Next it was just the voice of ground control, no interference, no cosmonauts”

“Shut that off, I’ve heard enough” Samuel ordered.

Jason closed the file and then went through the stop process to retrieve his memory stick

“From the description of the rip in space” Pete spoke up,
“Is a lot like a large version of an inter dimension wormhole” Sue-Lim chipped in.
“The rip” Pete continued seemed to be about four times the size of the space ship

“But” Hogan objected, “To open such a worm hole would require more magic power than available in any dimension jump orbs”

“But if that was a real Russian space craft” Pete suggested, “There should be more than this” he said holding up the piece of metal from a Russian space suit
“But after all this time?” Jenny asked, “And even if we cold find it, what would that tell us”
“It will confirm that something very powerful was able to grab a space craft” Samuel answered
“Well it was somewhere in the mountains that overlook the Central city in the Mystical Realms” Hogan replied, “We were given a vague description by an orphaned dwarf child, I suppose we could visit the gnome family Strang and I placed him with, but I am loathed to do that”
“Why?” Samuel asked
“Because I don’t want the sect to come after him, just in case these two things are connected”
“Seems connected to me” Samuel replied, “This sect of yours seemed to have a previous group at the same time the space craft vanished, which as you say happened at the same time all your moons lines up on the same side of your planet. If the sect has returned, they may have been behind the bombing of the Facility and your moons are lining up again”
“Sam” Mark asked, “Do you think they may be after the International Space Station or the Shuttle”
“I don’t know Mark”
“But why?” Hogan asked, “How would going after a space craft today be seen as wreaking justice, from what we know of them, they talk like justice is to be visited upon the whole of humanity and sometimes on the leaders of the Mystical Realms”

BEEP, BEEP

Samuel’s mobile sounded to indicate he had a text message. Samuel swore under his breath, retrieved the mobile and looked at it. He shook his head, then told the rest of the group, that he had to go and make a phone call, and while he was doing that they were to get ready for a long mobilisation into the Mystical Realms, and this time it would not be training at Karam Tag Chou.

“I can’t wait to go” Sue-Lim chipped in, “I have never had the chance to go there”
“Your staying on Earth” Samuel told her quite bluntly, so Jenny thought
“Why?” Sue-Lim asked, suddenly being uncharacteristically defensive, “Did my father tell you that?” she asked, then before Samuel responded, “I know he is on the Committee Colonel, but he doesn’t know, that I know”
“Your mother tell you that?” Samuel asked
“Before she died last year” Sue-Lim replied
“It was him who most probably got you this job” Samuel ventured
“Probably guilt for abandoning us here in the UK while he went off to America”
“It was also him that cancelled your execution”
“So that was him, Mr Vee?” Sue-Lim asked
Samuel hesitated, like he was going to say something, but then just said that he had to make a call, and then reiterated his order to mobilise, all except Sue-Lim
“Never mind love” Pete told her, “It means we have the place to ourselves again”

* * *

Somewhere in the Utah Desert
United States of America

Jake had arrived at the co-ordinates, just as ordered with his van. He had made sure he was not followed. He was now walking in the heat while his partner Alex waited in the van.
“Where are they?” he muttered.

After fifteen minutes of waiting he was about to call it a day, especially with the cargo he was carrying, when he saw in the distance, a cloud of dust coming in front of him. Jake yelled at Alex to make sure the van was ready to move in case they were the authorities.

Jake moved next to the van, just in case, but in the end the vehicle turned out to be an old battered van.

The van pulled to a stop, so its back was close to the back of Jake’s van, and two figures got out, each wearing blue grey robes.

One man had his hood down, the other had it firmly up, even in this heat. The man with the hood down had a tattoo on his forehead, the looked like a T super imposed on a M. No matter, money is money.

“Hello?” Jake said

“Will you accept gold as payment?” the man with the hood down asked.
“Sure, with gold prices as they are, that should cover the price of the merchandise, but most of my clients pay in cash”
“We do not trust the banking system so we prefer gold” the man replied

The man then went back to the van, pulled out a small trolley, placed it on the floor and proceeded to place gold bars on it. All the time he was doing this, the figure with the hood still up stared at Jake, remaining silent.

Finally the other man wheeled round fifteen gold bricks, “I’ll get the rest from the van on the other cart” he told Jake
“Ok” Jake replied, and then he scanned the desert horizon for other traffic, “No sign of the ATF, which is why I picked this place, you can see them coming for miles”

Jake stood there while the man brought another cart with another fifteen bricks of gold. Jake then called Alex, and opened the van

“This is the order, thirty Kalashnikov rifles with eighty thousand rounds of ammo, with the piece de la resistance, twenty Lockheed Martin FGM-172 Short-Range Assault Weapons”
“That is most definitely what we need to defend our commune” the man with the hood down.

“Ok, my partner and I will help load your truck up” Jake replied.
“That would be most kind, but my friend over there has a back condition, so it will only be me helping”
“That’s fine” Jake reassured him, “he can look out for any unwanted attention”

For the next fifteen minutes the three men heaved boxes from one van to the other. After that, the three men loaded the gold into Jake’s van.

After all this was done, at last the hooded figure spoke in what Jake thought was a strange and possibly European accent, “I trust we can rely on your discretion?”
“Sure” Jake replied with a big grin, “Alex and I never ask questions and supply weapons to whoever has the money, or the gold. We never talk”

The hooded man nodded slowly, “I know you won’t” he said with a tone of menace

Suddenly Jake found he could not breath, it was as if his windpipe had been blocked off. As he choked, he noticed his partner was also choking. Slowly they sank to their knees and then ended up lying on the ground. Just before he blacked out in the final stage before death, he noticed that the hooded figure was pointing to both him and his partner.

Then it was over.

Both arms dealers were dead.

The man with the hood down looked at the two dead bodies, “Zathan, should we recover the gold?”
“Leave it, they earned it” the figure with the hood up replied, “Besides we can always get more from the dragons in the Mountains of Karam.”

The two figures got into their van, and the man who had had his hood down started the van. The other figure finally threw back his hood as he took from the glove compartment a pulsating orb. He was not a man, he was an elf and he too sported the strange tattoo.

The elf chanted an incantation, and instantly in front of the van a swirling blue vortex appeared.

The man drove the van through it without flinching.

The vortex collapsed, leaving behind, the two dead arms dealers and their van with thirty bars of gold alone with the vultures.

* * *

An office of a prestigious legal firm
Rochester, New Hampshire
United States of America

Matthew Sand sat at his desk looking at the pile of files from a deposition the firm was dealing with. For some reason he found it harder going than normal as he was distracted, possibly because of what his family had been put through.

The phone rang

Matthew answered it, it was the secretary
“Mr Sands, I have a call on line one from England, says his name is Colonel Samuel Peters and you too have met”

Matthew was feeling very ambivalent, this was the man who had helped rescue his niece from a desperate situation in England and had helped get her, her US citizenship, a passport and entry to the US so she could come and live with his wife and son as their daughter. (And she was a very loving and eager to please as well, and utterly grateful to him and his wife for adopting her as their daughter) However, the organisation he worked for was the one who had grabbed his daughter and wife, used a taser gun on his daughter, an eleven year old child for goodness sake. Even when they released them, they were both dumped in public places, naked. Susan his wife, in the driving seat of her Jeep and in Rebecca’s case she had still been bound gagged and blindfolded and left in the open at a sports park.

Matthew sighed; he had to see what weasel justifications he was going to be given. “Put him through” he told his secretary reluctantly.

The phone clicked
“Well?” Matthew asked in an angry tone
“I can tell you are as angry as I am at the guy who put your family through hell” Samuel replied
“You can say that again” Matthew seethed
“He even had the nerve to arrest me and ordered two female members of my remaining team executed”
“Is that what you rang me up, to say we were all victims of just one man? Didn’t you have safe guards against such things?” Matthew went on, “Do you realise we were almost up half the night with Rebecca, she was terrified that your organisation was going to change their minds again, just like what happened when the ACS handed her back to the NYPD.” Matthew continued, he was in full flow now. “She was even blaming herself for what happened, because she allegedly made people be kind to her when she was sleeping on the streets in London”
“If you want, I could speak to her again about that, I could let her know it was not her fault at all” Samuel suggested.
“I don’t know” Matthew replied hesitantly, “we were hoping we could put this behind us” he added, but still Matthew was not done, so he continued. “I can not believe how the people you sent to protect us from some terrorists who hit your base in England suddenly turned on us and treated my family as if we were responsible. Thank G-d that Rebecca was unconscious when my wife heard they were asking if my daughter was to be killed or not”
Matthew’s emotions started to overwhelm him, so he paused, It seemed to Matthew that the colonel sensed that at that point jumping in would not have been a good idea

Matthew recovered and continued, “When she finally got to sleep we half expected her to have nightmares”
“Did she?” Samuel asked
Matthews tone dropped, “No thank G-d”
“Probably Rosie or another leprechaun” Samuel interjected, “One has been assigned to prevent her from having bad dreams for a while. They call it trauma reduction”

“Well that’s something to be grateful for, I suppose” Matthew responded, although still put out that his family were still being interfered with, even if it was to help his daughter sleep. Matthew then remembered how he had found his wife and daughter. “And when they were released I can not believe how your organisation did that”

Suddenly Matthew was interrupted by a woman’s voice
“And Mr Sands, I would like to personally apologise for the way that part of the ordeal your wife and adopted daughter suffered, I did not realise they had done that until after they told me, and I was horrified and furious at what they had done”
“Who’s this” Matthew asked suspiciously
“My name is Kathryn, and I am the chairman of the oversight committee in charge of the organisation that did this to you”
“So you ordered it?” Matthew asked incredulously
“No Mr Sands, I was informed what had happened only after they were apprehended by the special operations unit. I personally vetoed your daughter’s termination and ordered their immediate release, but the unit commander in charge informed me that Rebecca and Miss O’Brien had been tasered and sedated. My advisor informed me that it would probably be a while before they could be brought round from the sedative used, so I asked that they all be taken to one of our medical facilities where they could be all checked out by doctors, while I made sure with the rest of the committee that we were not going to revert to the older repressive policy once promoted by the British. Mr Sands, when I asked them to take them all to the medical facility, I assumed that your wife would be accompanying your daughter so she could be sitting at her bedside when your daughter recovered. Unfortunately, because it had been a while since those units were last sent out, they were working to the older set of procedures from that repressive era, and your wife was sedated too, which was totally unnecessary. I may be new in this job, but I suppose should have checked the procedures or been more clear in my instructions”
“Don’t be to hard on yourself Madame Chairman” Samuel interrupted, “You were caught off guard, just like we were.”
“That’s an understatement if ever I heard one” Matthew snapped back, “But why did you violate my wife and my daughter, by stripping them naked and dumping them. My daughter could have died from exposure and what if the person who found her had wanted to”

Kathryn interrupted, “And like I said, I was horrified by that as well, but I assure you, while they were in our custody your wife and daughter were not sexually violated in anyway, however their treatment was unacceptable, and I have made that known to the people involved”
“But why, why did they do that” Matthew asked, still seething and still incredulous that a government organisation could behave this way.
Kathryn continued “I asked one of our committee members to handle their release. I expected him to have had your wife’s vehicle delivered to your home and you wife and daughter delivered, fully clothed to your home, unbound and not gagged. The blindfolds would only have been required for the first part of the journey for security purposes, if that”
“So why did he do what he did?”
“He botched it, there is no way around that Mr Sands. He thought that it was his priority to protect the organisation from disclosure, so he ordered your wife and daughter to be stripped, and their clothes and footwear destroyed, so there would be no trace on clothing to be found under a forensic examination. Apparently his aide suggested that could be constituted as an unlawful seizure of private property and that thorough dry cleaning of the clothes would remove such traces, and as shoes could not be deep cleaned, your wife and daughter should be furnished with new footwear, identical to those being destroyed. The clothes and footwear were sent by another team who did not have contact details of those releasing your wife and daughter, so they dropped them of at your house instead of leaving them with your wife. But even if they had left them with your wife, that would still have been unacceptable”

“But why was my daughter dropped off elsewhere to where I found my wife, and why were we blackmailed into promising to keep silent before they would release her”
“That should not have happened either Mr Sands” Kathryn answered, “again the committee member was over zealous in trying to avoid disclosure, he thought he would use your daughter as leverage to obtain your co-operation. I informed him what he did was unconscionable.”
“Right” Matthew could only utter, “And what happens now? Are you going to try and buy me off as well?”
“Well nothing so crass, Mr Sands, although I do have the authority to offer you a six figure settlement” Kathryn replied, then after a pause, “This morning, I requested and received that committee member’s resignation, so now there is a vacancy”

Matthew frowned, “And?”

“Mr Sands, I am inviting you to become a member of the committee.” Kathryn told him, “As someone who took into their family, a former spirit of virtue, we believe you would have the perfect background to counter balance those on the committee who are from the various security agencies. I think we have too many members from these federal agencies, and we need someone like you, someone who champions the rights of those who are weak, just like when you did with your Rebecca that time when the NYPD messed her around”

Matthew sighed, ”What, me a member of an ultra secret oversight committee?” he thought
“Would this mean having to move my family down to DC?” Matthew asked
“Not necessarily Mr Sands, we will be investing more in secure video conferencing, you would only need to come to DC a few times a year, and you could still keep your job with the law firm. That way you can keep a firm grip on the real world”
“May I talk this over with my wife this evening after work” Matthew asked
“Absolutely” Kathryn replied, “I can get my secretary to ring you at home or at work tomorrow to find out what you decide
“I won’t mention it to the children” Matthew then said, “I don’t want them to have to keep secrets like this”
“That would be wise” Kathryn agreed, then she added, “I realise the colonel has made this offer, but I too also would like to reassure her in person that she was in no way to blame for any of this. By the way Mr Sands, how is Rebecca? Since I heard what happened I have been worried about her”
“She’s very nervous, withdrawn, and keeps apologising for just about everything, crying a lot of the time, hiding in her room thinking we might be angry with her and not want her any more.” Matthew got out before yet again emotion threatened to overwhelm him, after a pause, “Susan even got worried that Rebecca might start self harming herself and even”
With a sense of urgency Kathryn interrupted Matthew “Mr Sands, if you need any help, with Rebecca’s or Susan’s recovery from this ordeal, let us know and we will do what we can and we will pay for any medical bills you incur. And once again I unreservedly apologise for what happened, and I really would like to tell Rebecca in person, that she is a wonderful person and she did nothing wrong and we have taken action so this never ever happens again. I also feel more than ever that we really need you, on board to help keep us straight”
“Thank you Madame Chairman” Matthew replied still high on emotion, as he fingered a photograph of Rebecca on his desk.
“Has she been able to go back to school yet?” Samuel cut in, “do we need to speak to them?”
Matthew then recovered slightly and answered, “The school has given her the rest of the week off Colonel, as far as they are concerned my wife and daughter were wrongly arrested by some federal agency due to some screw up and as it was such a violent arrest Rebecca needed medical treatment and is recovering” Matthew then added “We had made so much progress helping her recover, and now it looks like we have to start all over again.”
“I think you should be on the committee as well Mr Sands” Samuel pressed
“I’ll talk it over sir” Matthew replied, “If I can help people like my daughter that is what I would like to do, but I do need to consult my wife first”
“Perfectly understandable Mr Sands” Kathryn cut back in, “I look forward to speaking with you tomorrow”
“Yes Madame Chairman” Matthew replied
“And tell your daughter from me, how sorry we are, she did not deserve to be treated this way and she is, from what I have heard one of the kindest and caring individuals I have ever heard off, and tell her to just hang in there, we are putting things right”
“Thank you” was all that Matthew could reply

With that the phone cut out, and Matthew replaced the handset and realised he too had been crying, so he quickly wiped his face on a paper tissue. If he could help to prevent what had happened to Susan and Rebecca, the two most important females in his life, that was what he wanted to do, and the woman did seem sincere.

* * *

Just outside the Annexe
Some where in Kent
South East England

“I hope that went well” Kathryn said over the phone to Colonel Samuel Peters
“I hope so, he’s a good man and just what we need” Samuel replied, then, “How did you get on with Mazy in New York?”
“I got in touch via the Irish Embassy” Kathryn replied, “They got one of their leprechaun agents to secure some troll healing potion and pass on to her”
“So her leg is healed now?” Samuel asked
“Yes, totally and she is now back living with her step-father” Kathryn replied
Samuel thought for a few seconds then asked “Oh Madame director, about that other matter?”
“Yes Colonel, I have now sent out a directive to all clean up squads to inform them, they are bound by the same CIA rules that prohibit assassinations and they can only fire back if fired upon in accordance with standard rules of engagement that are observed by our law enforcement agencies”
“Much appreciated Madam Chairman, and now if you excuse me, I have to redeploy my people to a safer location here in England, and get ready for another visit to IDW01 to follow up a lead”
“I look forward to your report Colonel and good luck with your mission. I need to go too, I have to catch a flight to New Hampshire, I would rather see Mr Sands for his reply in person, persuade his wife if she needs convincing and if they will let me try, convince a traumatised little girl, what a wonderful human being she is, and we are not out to get her.”
“Are you sure that’s wise Madame Chairman” Samuel asked, “Rebecca is highly sensitive, and you don’t want to make matters worse”
“Colonel, After all the years we have known each other, you should remember how good I am with children”
“It’s your call, Madame Chairman, but I would take things slowly”
“I take note of your concerns, I will be as sensitive as I can”
With that Kathryn rang off, so Samuel closed his mobile and placed it in his pocket and went back inside the Annexe.

Pete and Jason had gone back to trying to install the new server, while Sue-Lim sat fuming in the conference room with Mark, Hogan and Jenny in there trying to calm her down.
“Mr Davies did have a point” Samuel told the group
“And what do you mean by that?” Sue-Lim snapped back
“We need to pull out of the Annexe, it is just not secure enough” Samuel explained
“Where else do you intend to go?” Hogan asked.
“RAF Welford” Samuel replied, “It’s used by the US Air force 501st Combat Support Wing, it’s about a two hour drive from here along the M4”
Mark looked at his watch, “Sam, it’s kind of getting late in the day, Jenny and I are fine as we live in London, but Pete, Jason and Sue-Lim all live down here”
Samuel gave him a long silent stare
“But” Mark back tracked, “as it is an emergency”
Samuel interrupted, “Sue-Lim, Pete and Jason can use the van to drive to their homes and collect clothes for an overnight stay, and clean-up squads can collect the rest and deal with relocation issues, then I want you to report to Welford. Mark, you can get a pool car, and do likewise from yours and Jenny’s flats in London and report there as well”
“What about you colonel?” Hogan asked.
“We have an annex to decommission” Samuel replied, “An old retrieval team chopper will take us there”
“So that’s it?” Sue-Lim objected, “Pete, Jason and myself we’re not special agents, we are archivists and lab-techs”
“And your redeploying to Welford” Samuel cut in, “These are my orders not your father’s. The Facility had tighter security than this place and they still got through, we have been given temporary accommodation at Welford for all of you and survivors from The Facility”
Samuel then threw a set of keys at Mark, Mark caught them with his right hand, “get my just in case bag from the closet at my apartment as well”
Samuel then looked at his watch, and then asked, “Why are you still here?”

Mark and Jenny left the building, Mark first with Jenny following on.
“How is he going to decommission the Annexe?” Jenny asked
“The leprechauns have access to the ability to spirit items away” Mark explained, “I suspect that is what he will do the files and any other items, as for the buildings, they will just be turned over to the local authority for development”
“Mr Davies wanted them to be burned down” Jenny started
“Well that would be arson and not how we do things” Mark cut in, as he opened the door to the pool car.

Jenny and Mark got into the pool car, and Mark started the engine, and they drove out of the Annex
“Mark?” Jenny asked
“What Jenny?”
“Are we going to yours or mine first?”
“It would make sense for us to go by Sam’s place first, he has a bag packed just in case we have situations like the, and so do I” Mark answered
“It might take me a while; I was never told I needed one”
“It’s a Marine thing” Mark replied

The light was fading so for the first ten minutes of the car ride, Jenny was quiet to let Mark concentrate on his driving. Even though Americans normally drove on the wrong side of the road, to Jenny Mark seemed quite skilful at driving on the left.

“You’re quiet” Mark finally said to break the silence in the car
“Mark, when we get to my place” Jenny opened with, “will there be time for me to have a shower? – Especially as it looks like that will be the last time I will be in my flat?”
“I think so” Mark replied, “it’s not far from your place to the outer London ring road and the M25”
Jenny waited a few seconds then added, “And you would be very welcome to shower with me”
Mark was caught by surprise at Jenny making a pass at him, and only just held his nerve, “Jenny?” He asked, “What brought this on, I know you have a thing for me, it was kind of obvious on the shooting range when I put my hand on your shoulder”
“And weren’t you tempted to just to hold me, or even caress me” Jenny asked, “I would have let you, I would have let you touch me anywhere, I was so ready for you”
“I know you would have done Jenny” Mark replied, “Believe me it was so tempting as I had my hand on your shoulder I just knew you would have melted at my touch, but we were on company time, and remember someone saw us in that brief moment, imagine if we had taken things further, that would have made matters a whole lot worse than it was, and that was bad enough”
“And if we weren’t on company time?” Jenny asked

Mark chose not to answer the question, but instead asked, “Like I said Jenny, what brought this on?”
Jenny looked at the road as they drove up through the Kent countryside, “While I was waiting to be strangled, I just thought of the people I would never see, the things I would never do, things I would never get to tell people.” Jenny paused a few seconds, “You’re the only other person since Darren was killed that I have ever wanted to be with, but as we work together now, I didn’t know if I should say anything, and it has been so hard, not telling you that I have feelings for you Mark, how much you have meant to me in getting over Darren’s death”. Jenny now realised she was in tears, “I’m sorry, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable, if need be I can ask for a transfer” she apologised.

Mark was silent for a moment. Sighed then spoke, “Jenny I care about you a lot, and you don’t have to leave, I want you by my side” he reassured her “what happened back at the annex, was that you faced death when you were powerless to prevent it. It’s not like facing the enemy when you have a weapon to defend yourself, or maybe it is, that does something to you”
“So I’m being silly?” Jenny
“No Jenny, not at all, I’ve been there myself a number of times, Iraq, Afghanistan, Columbia and at the Facility that one time I was critically wounded by a doppelganger assassin, where I remember a certain someone sacrificing their modesty to save my life. Thank you”
Jenny blushed, “You’re welcome”
“You’re the first woman to do that Jenny, and I can never forget” Mark said, “But I would never take advantage of it, especially of a woman who was able to flip me like you did”
Jenny briefly smiled as she remembered how she had thrown Mark to the floor with a move her dead fiancé had taught her, when he tried to stop her interrupting the Spirit of Kindness getting her human soul, all those months ago at The Facility.

Then she tried to speak “But I want you to” she started, but then stopped. Mark was right, the experience of nearly being executed by garrotte had made her loose her reserve, and she should just have let it go at furtive holding hands occasionally. He was most likely just being friendly and gallant, just like when they first met, and she had probably ruined it by voicing that she had feelings for him.
“I’m sorry Mark” Jenny choked out
“Don’t be” Mark replied, “There is something I have not told you, but Sam probably knows”
“What’s that love” Jenny replied without thinking, using the northern term “love” so frequently banded around in the north of England, then she corrected herself, “Sorry I mean Mark”
Mark seemed not to notice this slip as he replied, “Jenny, I have not looked at or dated any other women since I met you”
“Really?” Jenny asked, with unexpected glee
“And I used to date a lot”
“And you have feelings for me as well?” Jenny enquired
“I suppose so, especially as we have worked together, I can not imagine being with any other woman now, apart from you Jenny”
“So when we get back to my place, can we still share that shower?”
Mark smiled at Jenny briefly before looking back at the road, “well you haven’t got anything I haven’t seen, and it’s only right if I returned the favour”
Jenny suddenly had a cheeky idea, she reached under her skirt and pulled her panties down and then off and then she held them up. “When I am with you Mark, I don’t want to wear these”
“That’s great when we are alone, but I think when we are with the others, you had better keep them on” Mark replied, “Especially around Sam”

Jenny was really in the mood and was about to try and lean forward in her seatbelt to try and unclip her bra, when suddenly Mark had to do an emergency stop
“What the heck?” he shouted

There were several figures in the road wearing hoods.

Mark tried to reverse, but a car blocked his way
Two of the figures in front raised up shot guns, one aimed at Mark and one aimed at Jenny

BANG

BANG

The front windscreen of the car dissolved in shards as it was hit by the two shotgun blasts.

* * *

Somewhere in the Utah Desert
United States of America
[img=600x400]http://web.mit.edu/carol/www/UtahNevadaArizona/WindingDesertRoad.jpg[/img]

The state trooper looked on as the two bodies were loaded into the coroners van.

Just then a car drew up and the man driving flashed an ID badge
“Wesley Jenkins, ATF” he told the state trooper
“The said you were coming” the state trooper replied
“Who called it in?” Wesley asked
“Power line chopper on a routine inspection, saw the two dee-bees and the van.” The state trooper answered, “We ran the plates and it popped out a federal arrest warrant, that’s when we notified you”
“Jake Logan and Alex Petrov” Wesley announced, “Arms dealers specialising in heavy weapons to the highest bidder”
“All we found so far were thirty bars of what appears to be gold bullion with no hall markings, we are taking one away for analysis”
“That doesn’t make sense” Wesley replied, “Why make a pay off, kill the arms dealers and leave the payoff behind”
“Well at least there are two less illegal arms dealers off of the streets” The state trooper suggested
“Maybe, but what happened to their cargo, we believe it was stolen military hardware”

The van door of the coroner’s van slammed shut, and the medical examiner walked across, “This one is odd gentlemen” he spoke in a soft Welsh accent.
“How so?” Wesley asked, “I thought it was a straight forward shooting, after a deal went bad”
“It’s odd because of the preliminary cause of death, which was not gun shot, in fact there were not shot at all”
“What was it doc?” the state trooper asked
“Well from the pertikia in the eyes, it looks like asphyxiation, but there are no signs of ligatures, or bruising from strangling or smothering or even an inserted obstruction in the airways and they were hefty built grown men, not the way you would take them out. I will do an autopsy of cause, but I have never seen anything like this”

The coroner shook his head and went back to the coroners van.
“Do you want to process the van?” The state trooper asked Wesley
“I’ll let you do that one, just send us the report. I will have to report back, that whoever their client was, they did not want any witnesses tying them to what ever they are doing”
“I would suggest we call in Homeland Security” Suggested the state trooper
“Given what we believe they were selling, not a bad idea” Wesley replied

* * *

Mark and Jenny found themselves lying on the floor in some kind of interview room, with a leprechaun they had not seen before, and he was holding up Jenny’s panties with a quizzical eyebrow raised, “I think you better put these back on Miss Green, before the Colonel arrives, and by the way I’m Paddy McGurty of the G2”
Jenny’s face went red, and she took the underwear and hastily put them back on
“Mr McGurty” Mark asked as he and Jenny stood up, “what happened”
“Sorry I could not get word sooner, but the sect from the Mystical Realms has spread to Earth like tentacles on an octopus, they have been using disaffected elves to track survivors of the bomb, they killed five before we realised they had crossed over. I was just able to pull you out of the car in the nick of time”
“Where are we?”
“At RAF Welford and here are your passes” Paddy replied handing two base passes to Mark, “I got all your gear, now sorry, must dash, others to get”
Then he vanished into thin air.
“Looks like we won’t be able to have that shower – love” Mark told Jenny as he handed her, her security pass, “And I was so looking forward to it”
“The offer is always open Mark” Jenny said coyly, “Just like my offer to forgo any underwear when we are on our own”
“Jenny” Mark began “you look good in anything and if you want to I don’t mind, but you don’t have to do things like that just to please me, I would never ask a woman to do that for me, especially one I care about, like you”

Paddy suddenly popped back out of thin air, “By the way you two, have been assigned the same room on the base here, I hope that’s ok” then he vanished again
“That ok with you Jenny?” Mark asked, “If there’s a sofa I could easily take that”
The only reply Jenny could make was to wrap her arms around Mark, lift up on her tiptoes and give him a passionate kiss, which Mark briefly reciprocated, as he then held Jenny in his arms.
“We could always make room in one bed” Jenny whispered, “I’m only little, and if we need extra space, we can always sleep as nature intended”, her brush with death had definitely made her more proactive in pursuing Mark
Then the two let go of each other, and Mark lead Jenny by the hand as they went to find where they were supposed to be.

Eventually Mark and Jenny were directed to a mess hall, where Samuel was standing in front of a number of marines, and some surviving members of The Facility bombing. Also there were the staff from the Annex, Pete, Jason and Sue-Lim

“Glad you two could make it” Samuel remarked as they entered the room
“Sorry Sam” Mark replied, and he and Jenny sat down at a table with Sue-Lim, Pete and Jason.

Then Samuel spoke up, “A few days ago The Inter Dimensional Control Facility in London was attacked, by beings unknown. This attack was designed not only to take us out, but from Hogan O’Brien our G2 representative, it was also designed to cause damage at Karam Tag Chou on IDW01. We have subsequently been attacked by individuals with a tat on the forehead. I myself was attacked by an elf at Dulles. This elf referred to some entity known as the Magnus Timor and said we were it’s enemy”

Jenny noticed Sue-Lim was whispering something, and then Samuel caught sight of her mouthing something

Samuel broke off from his speech, “Care to share something with us Sue-Lim”
“I’m not sure sir” Sue-Lim replied, “It’s just that that name sounds familiar with an obscure legend I once came across when I was studying Roman mythology”
“Any more on this?” Samuel pressed
“I would have to look through my notes sir, somewhere on my laptop”

“You do that” Samuel ordered, then went back to his speech, “We have reason to believe that who ever is behind the bombing and the murders, are some religious cult that has arisen on IDW01, according to Hogan, periodically their moons all line up on the same side of their planet, and this group is active during that time. We have about four days until that alignment, which could mean they are going to use it as a major attack”

Pete raised his hand

“What?” Samuel asked
“The space ship?” Pete replied
“Oh yes, we have evidence that in 1969 a manned soviet space ship leaving Earth orbit, encountered some large dimension gateway and was drawn into the universe of IDW01. I suspect a connection with that and the attacks, the nature of which is to be determined. The plan is, that at oh seven thirty hours tomorrow, a group of us will travel, courtesy of the G2 Leprechauns who are liaising with the trolls, to IDW01. Our mission will be to one locate more possible wreckage of the space ship and two assist the trolls forces in tracking down and neutralising the threat from this sect. Some of you, like Sue-Lim and Pete will be remaining here on Earth, one group will be based at Karam Tag Chou to assist with dealing with the cult, and I will be leading the expedition to the area where remains of that spacecraft were found. Any questions”

Sue-Lim lifted her hand, “Sir I would like to at least be based at Kara Tag Chou”
“I know you would, but I need you here” Samuel countered

Sue-Lim shook her head, “This is just because my father is on the committee” she muttered
“No” countered Samuel, “It’s because you are not a trained field agent, you have no experience of field work, and I need you here, to look after the temporary replacement Facility here until we can get a new base”

Jenny gently held Sue-Lim’s hand and smiled at her, “I’m so sorry, I wish you could come” she whispered
“That’s all right” Sue-Lim, “This always happens to me”

The colonel dismissed the staff, and they all filed out, leaving Mark and Jenny, after Samuel motioned for them to stay behind

“Something wrong Sam?” Mark asked
“I hope not” Samuel asked, “You two work together, just be careful”
“You know then?” Jenny asked
“It was hard not to miss” Samuel replied, and then grinned, “Mark ever since you first met her and were thrown on the floor by her, I knew you were smitten”
“If you think our relationship is a problem Samuel” Jenny cut in, “Then you will have my resignation, I don’t want to break you two up, since you go way back before you even met me or endanger the mission”
“I don’t need your resignation, but remember, this job could mean making hard choices, and I know we don’t leave anyone behind, but”

Mark interrupted “Sam, I will be professional; maybe Jenny could stay behind here on Earth”
“In your dreams” retorted Jenny, “give me a short bow and I can look after myself”
“I’m sorry Jenny” Mark apologised, “I know you are just as much a soldier as Sam and I, even if you don’t have the uniform”
“That can be arranged” Samuel cut back in
“Sir?” Jenny replied in confusion
“I want you two on my mission to find that soviet space craft, so I can make you Jenny an honorary marine, just for that mission”
“Yes sir” Jenny replied,
“I will have some dog tags delivered to your billet for tomorrow”

Then Samuel left, leaving Jenny and Mark in the room together, and then they too left for their billet

* * *

RAF Welford
Berkshire / Wiltshire Border
England

[img=600x400]http://stratojetman.googlepages.com/HQBomb.jpg/HQBomb-full.jpg[/img]
05:30hrs

Jenny looked down at Mark as he was still sleeping, as she slipped naked from the bed they shared. She and Mark had finally made love, and he had been wonderful and gentle.

Jenny went and showered and then looked at some of her bags of clothes that had been delivered, in there was the old shortened skirt, that the Troll Chamberlain had shortened when he had disintegrated all her clothing, save for this, so she could, according to troll custom, be fit to be seen by the Clan Chief of the Manjura. The Clan chief she remembered castigated the troll chamberlain for doing so, because she was human and not a troll.

Jenny slipped the skirt remnant on and nothing else. Next she found her carbon fibre short bow and quiver of arrows, each one tipped with meteoritic iron from the Mystical Realms, and slung it across her shoulder.
“Mark” She called.

Mark started to stir, and then he rubbed his eyes and looked at Jenny, standing there, making no effort to cover any of her body up.
“Jenny Green ready for duty sir” Jenny said, and then saluted.
“Amazon look” Mark said, “my your beautiful in that get up”
“Do you think Samuel will approve of my battle dress” she said with a cheeky grin, “It’s the Amazon look.”

Jenny suddenly heard the door click open behind her

With in seconds Jenny grabbed an arrow and immediately strung her bow and pointed at the intruder
It was Samuel “Do you ever lock your door?” he asked
“Don’t you ever knock?” Jenny retorted instinctively, then lowered the bow and remembered who she was talking to “Sorry sir” she apologised, and crossed her arms, more for his benefit than hers.
“Sorry Sam” Mark spoke up, “I thought I had locked it”
“It’s easily done Mark” Samuel replied, “The door needs to be lifted slightly for the lock to catch totally”

Samuel then held up a carrier bag, “I brought Jenny her combat fatigues and dog tags he explained”
“I have mine Sam, so I’ll shower and change” Mark said, then slunk out of bed towards the bathroom, leaving Jenny alone in the room with Samuel

Samuel looked Jenny in the eyes, “If I were you Jenny, I would put very supportive underwear and this lot on”
“Yes sir” Jenny replied
“By the way Jenny”
“Yes”
“If the Amazons were around today, they would be dressed with what I have just brought you, nothing less. So let’s just say, I prefer you in the twenty first century Amazon look””
“Yes sir”
“One other thing”
“Yes sir?”
“Your draw on the short bow has improved a lot, keep it up Jenny”
Jenny used her left hand to keep her self covered and saluted, “Yes sir”
Samuel smiled saluted back and then left, closing the door.

Jenny removed the skirt remnant and put it in a pouch on the side of the quiver, just in case she and Mark had time alone

As soon as Mark got dressed, the both of them grabbed a quick breakfast in the mess hall and then arrived at the assembly point

Hogan was there with Paddy and a troll captain

“Will we be able to get our vehicles through?” Mark asked the troll
“Only just Commander” the troll answered.
“We can get the jeeps through no problem” Hogan chipped in, “but the army lorry may be a tight squeeze”
“What part of the citadel are we landing in?” Jenny asked
“The courtyard out side the imperial palace” the troll replied, “It is the only open space big enough at the Citadel”

Sue-Lim Pete and Jason also showed up

“You’re not going anywhere” Mark told Sue-Lim
“I know that commander” Sue-Lim replied with dejection in her voice, “I wanted to see Pete and Jason off”
“Pete’s staying here as well” Came Samuel’s voice from behind
“But sir” Pete protested, “I studied the Soviet space programme, if that is a downed soviet space ship you need me”
“No Pete” Samuel insisted, “I want you here to look after Sue-Lim”
“It’s ok Pete” Jason chipped in, “I’ve been mugging up on it, so I can help”
“Jason, you are going to be at the Karam Tag Chou base camp” Samuel told him, “we can use our coms if we need anything from you”
“Ok Sir” Jason replied
“One more thing sir” Sue-Lim, “I dug up that information on this Magnus Timor”
“Keep it brief” Samuel insisted
“It was some kind of dragon like monster that came into being in Sicily” Sue-Lim explained, “It was supposedly killed by someone, who the locals used to accuse of being a coward, because the monster demanded his children as food. He killed it sir with a spear tipped by an arrow head fashioned from a rock that came from the sky gods”
“A meteorite?” Samuel asked
“It would have to be” sir Sue-Lim replied
“But why the name Magnus Timor?” Jenny asked
“It’s Latin” Samuel explained, “It translates as Great Fear”
“Being a Roman legend, rather than a Greek one, I’m not surprised” Sue-Lim chipped in

Just then a sergeant interrupted to say everyone was ready, so Samuel left Sue-Lim and gave the mobilisation orders while the troll captain opened up a wormhole.
“Come on love” Pete told Sue-Lim, let’s get our end sorted out” and he lead her away from the others.

Sue-Lim looked back as those assigned to the Mystical Realms stepped or drove through the wormhole, Sue-Lim fumed with anger at being left behind “It’s my father again” Sue-Lim muttered to Pete, “He’s even controlling what you do”
“At least he has given his blessing on us” Pete replied as he put his arm around her shoulder
“As if we needed it” Sue-Lim responded, and put her arm around her Pete’s waist.

Then the wormhole collapsed as the last person stepped through and Sue-Lim and Pete went to the building allotted to be their temporary HQ in England

The MTAC was flashing indicating an important caller

Sue-Lim put on the headset and got the operator to put the caller through

It was Kathryn, the chairman of the oversight committee, by the look of it, on an overnight private jet
“Is Colonel Samuel Peters there?” she asked with an expression of urgency
“No mam” Sue-Lim replied, “He just deployed to the Mystical Realms”
“That’s unfortunate” Kathryn replied, “Is there anyway you can warn him”
“No, mam” Sue-Lim replied, “We do not have the capability to open a gate to the Mystical Realms, that Mr Davies took the only other prototype wormhole generator”
“That’s just great!” Kathryn exclaimed
“What’s the matter Mam” Sue-Lim enquired
“We have just heard something disturbing on the inter agency chatter” Kathryn replied, “our expeditionary team maybe in danger”

* * *

Karam Tag Chow
The Mystical Realms
Citadel of the Troll Emperors

Jenny looked around, the last time she had been in this part of the citadel it had all be closed, but now it was due to be opened up. The imperial palace was to be the command post for those staying at Karam Tag Chou.

Jenny had ridden in the back of the Jeep while Mark drove, with Samuel in the front passenger seat, and had been among the first people to arrive. It had been about a quarter of an hour since the deployment had finished, as they had been kept waiting for some reason waiting for the trolls to open the palace up

Jason Turner was in the lorry with some of the equipment and some of the remaining technicians from the Facility on Earth. Additionally there were members of a squad of British and American marines, on foot.

The Clan Chief of the Manjura was there to meet them

“Greetings, Colonel, Commander and Jenny” The Clan Chief said, “I’m sorry to keep you waiting, I asked the troll chamberlain to make sure everything was ready. I do wish we could be meeting under different circumstances”
“Yep” replied the colonel, “I agree, when we get the palace open we will make a it base HQ as agreed. Any news of the Rachtal clan chief?”
“No colonel” the troll clan chief replied, “He must still be on business in the Central City, where the senate sits, it is so unlike him not to be in contact”

“So this is IDW01” Jason yelled from the open part of the back of the army truck as he started to take pictures of the area on his camera phone.
“Mr Turner” Samuel yelled back, “Put that thing away and get ready to help set up the coms system when we get someone to open the palace”

Jason closed his camera phone up and moved further back into the back of the truck to get a look at the equipment.

“Clan Chief” Colonel began, “Sometime we need to work out how to get a”

Suddenly he was interrupted as the army lorry in front of them exploded into a fire ball, incinerating everyone in it, including Jason.

Next the palace exploded in flames as something from the sky hit it
“What was that?” Screamed the Clan Chief of the Manjura

Two more explosions started to hit the citadel, the Clan Chief looked around, and put his hands on his head, “They have hit the billet where the Manjura trolls reside and the place where we store the dimension jump orbs

Jenny looked up, “Colonel” she yelled, “Dragons”

They all looked up to see a flock of dragons heading their way with riders on their necks, along with the tell tales streaks of two more missiles being launched
“Those look like they have come from Earth” the Commander yelled, and put the Jeep into gear.

One missile impacted on the great hall, the next one one the billet housing the Rachtal trolls

As some of the dragons reached the citadel, some of the marines and trolls were cut down by what seemed to be machine guns fired by figures on the dragons, some were cut down by cross bow bolts

It was beginning to look like wholesale slaughter of the expeditionary team.

Another dragon swooped down on the other Jeep and blew a fireball at it, the occupants were not able to get out in time, and were incinerated. As the dragon flew overhead the rider let loose with a Kalashnikov rifle, and took out two more of the human soldiers, who had been trying to find hard cover

Jenny, without thinking was only just able to get an arrow of and hit the rider in the back, causing him to fall. The dragon, now with out its rider simply wheeled around and flew back to the Karam Mountains.

But more were coming

The Manjura Clan Chief quickly looked at the body, “He’s human he yelled”

Jenny sat there mortified, she had killed doppelganger assassins before, but never a human, even though she had trained to kill if required, “I didn’t know he was human” she whimpered
The colonel turned round and put his left hand on her shoulder “You did good Jenny” he reassured her, “He was trying to kill us, don’t forget that”
Jenny nodded, with tears streaming down her face
“We all go through this on our first kill Jenny” Samuel continued.

In the distance they heard the sound of more machine gun fire, the citadel was now being assaulted by ground troops dropped into the city by other dragons that had been tamed.

“We are going to have to withdraw” Mark yelled, “We are just sitting ducks here”
“Clan chief get us back to Earth” Samuel ordered

Quickly the Clan Chief of the Manjura tried to work the orb he had on his person to open a portal back to Earth “It’s not working” he shouted, “I can not open a gate” he replied, totally perplexed.

“That’s because we are blocking all magic means of connecting with the realm of Mortals” came a voice that Jenny recognised, it was the Troll Chamberlain, the one who had previously stripped her of her clothes that one time she had been in the citadel on her own. The troll Chamberlain was carrying his staff which had a glowing red ruby at the top of it in one hand and in the other hand, something large in a bundle of rags, with blood seeping through it

“Chamberlain” the Manjura troll chief shouted angrily, “Why, you ,you are even more Treacherous than the Clan Chief of the Delethon was”.
“Treachery” sneered the Troll Chamberlain, “Treachery” he repeated, “It was you, you and the Rachtal clan leader who were the real traitors”

Then the troll chamberlain opened the bundle and onto the ground thumped the severed head of the Clan Chief of the Rachtal

“Behold, one traitor has been executed” the Troll chamberlain snarled at the Clan Chief of the Manjura, “And now you and your conspirators are going to die, in the name of our new master, the Magnus Timor, and then the Master will finally get revenge on this treacherous world and the world of the humans”

To be continued

[Sticks]

Episode V – Proditor

Betrayer

What is betrayal?
What is treachery?

If you sell someone out for money, like Judas did when he betrayed the Son of God with a kiss that is clear cut.

If you pass secrets to a foreign power, so is that

But if an Asian girl or boy wants to find a partner out side of their faith or not one that is arranged, is that betrayal. From the number of honour killings, it seems that to some the answer is a definite yes. If one is good and marries the person chosen for them, even though they do not want to, is that betraying themselves, a hard one.

Now it seems that the troll chamberlain believes that the Clan Chiefs of the Rachtal and the Manjura are guilty of treachery, and has replied with a betrayal of his own, the murder and decapitation of the Clan Chief of the Rachtal, and the throwing in his lot with the sect of the Magnus Timor, in such a was as to join in the wiping out of the troll citadel and the slaughter of the human team sent in to investigate the sect. A sect that has procured American military hardware and has been using them to deadly effect

- - -

Heathrow Terminal Five
(International Departure Lounge)
London, England

The elderly American gentleman sat on the seat, drinking from a carton of orange juice as he looked at the display board for his flight to be called.

Suddenly someone tapped him on the left shoulder

The elderly man turned round to see a man in his thirties in a black jacket, shirt and tie. He was also wearing an earpiece, “Can I help you?” the elderly man replied
“Mr Vee” the man in the jacket replied
“I’m so sorry” the elderly man answered, “You must be confusing me with somebody else”
“I’m afraid not sir” the man pressed, “The Chairman has requested I intercept you”
“I really must insist that you are confusing me with someone else” the elderly man insisted
“Sir we don’t have time for this, we have a code Delta Orange”

The elderly man paused and then stood up, “Identification” he demanded
The man in the black suit produced a badge and showed it to the elderly man
“Well I was heading back that way” the elderly man replied, “And since we no longer have Concorde I am getting back to DC as fast as I can”
“We don’t need your presence in DC” the man in the suit countered, “We need the device in your hand luggage, the one you used diplomatic privilege to get through security”

The elderly man glowered at the man in the suit, “Did the colonel ask for this”
“No sir, he is out of touch, the Chairman ordered it personally”

The elderly man picked up his travel bag and put it on the seat, opened it and pulled out something looking like a Geiger counter and handed it to the man in the black suit. “Anything else?” the elderly man asked
“Yes”
“What”
“I hope you have a safe trip back to DC”

Suddenly from behind the man in the black suit came a smaller man, who appeared to be suffering from dwarfism, the man in the black suit handed him the device.
“Greatly appreciated” the little man said, and then vanished.
“You do realise we have just given up a capability we should have for ourselves” the elderly man said with a hint of anger
“No we haven’t sir” the man in the black suit replied, “We’re using it”

* * *

Karam Tag Chou
The Mystical Realms

The Clan Chief of the Manjura stared in disbelief at the severed head of the Clan Chief of the Rachtal, the clan chief that was responsible for the upkeep of Karam Tag Chou, since the treachery of the clan chief of original holders of that duty, the Delethon.

All around them were the sounds of automatic weapons fire as dragon riders mowed down troll guards and human soldiers and technicians alike. The burning army truck just in front seemed to provide a partial cover from the attacking dragon riders and their Earth originated missiles.

“What do you mean we were the real traitors?” the Clan Chief of the Manjura snarled, “I was ever loyal to the emperor, the Rachtal proved his loyalty several fold”
“I am not talking about loyalty to a weak pathetic human stand in” the Troll Chamberlain countered, “I tried to uphold the tradition of the trolls and you humiliated me”

“What are you talking about” the clan chief retorted

“When I made sure that that female” The troll chamberlain continued, pointing at Jenny Green, “Was properly attired to see you, you castigated me and even took the sacred sash so she could wrap herself in it instead of displaying herself as she is not pledged”
“You betrayed us, because I and the Rachtal Clan Chief told you off for stripping almost naked a human female, who was not subject to outdated troll traditions and was passing out from the cold?” The Clan Chief shouted with incredulity
“That is only part of it, you have been defying other traditions related to how we ran things. Those traditions are what made us great, and I can not bear to see you defy them and allow that human to defy them” the Troll Chamberlain screamed back, “For that you will pay”. Suddenly a flash of light darted from the staff and hit Jenny square on as she tried to get up and turn around on the back seat of the jeep she was in
“JENNY” Commander Mark Johnston screamed

The shock of the blast caused Jenny to fall over and she lay across the back seat.
Suddenly Jenny noticed all her clothes dissolving into nothing, this troll chamberlain definitely had a thing against women wearing clothes. As she lay there stunned and naked, she realised that she still had her short bow and quiver with her in the back, but first things first. Jenny grabbed an arrow and her short bow, quickly strung a bow and loosed one off at the troll chamberlain, and then ducked behind the back seat of the jeep, just in case he was wearing an amulet of protection. While she was hiding she retrieved the skirt fragment from the side pouch on the quiver and quickly pulled it on.

“Good Shot” Jenny heard the Clan Chief of the Manjura yelled.
She had hit her target, the Troll Chamberlain was down

“Clan Chief” Colonel Samuel Peters yelled, “Get in the back, Mark get us out of here”
“Where Sam” Mark shouted, “There are armed units coming up from the main gate”

“Through there” Samuel ordered as he pointed towards the palace gardens, “There’s an exit into the mountain pass”

The Clan Chief troll climbed into the back left passenger seat with Jenny on the right, “I wish I had my trusty cross bow he lamented”

Mark put the jeep into gear, and steered to the left of the burning truck, and through a delicate fence into the palace gardens.

Most of the team from Earth were now dead, killed in the initial missile attack or cut down by the dragon riders, and it seemed all that were left were the Colonel, the Commander and Jenny. The surprise airborne attack with dragons, missiles, crossbows and machine guns had proved decisive.

Jenny saw a female lab technician and a British commando running for their lives from the palace across the palace garden, yelling at them to stop and pick them up. To Jenny’s horror she then witnessed as a dragon was brought down to use it’s breath to incinerate them with a fireball.

Jenny so much wanted to put an arrow into that rider, but the dragon was pulled up, to put it between Jenny’s arrow and the rider. He had obviously seen Jenny’s first kill

The Jeep ploughed over the flower beds and headed for the fence. It seemed odd that the Citadel at the lower end had massive stone towers to defend against attack, yet this end was hardly defended at all, but then they always thought the attack would have come from the lower end, and the Karam mountains were to be the defensive barrier at the upper end.

Beyond the fence lay a road up the Karam Mountains, only just wide enough for the jeep, and it was a hard mountain pass for anyone to navigate, hence there had never been the need for fortifications at this end. Well it was until now, with tamed dragons and riders with modern weapons from Earth it was an open door to attack.

The dragon that had incinerated the couple wheeled around in order to get another attack run.

“Why are they not firing missiles at us Sam” Mark asked, “We are sitting ducks on this road”
“Most likely they are reserved for razing the citadel” Samuel suggested
“Or they need them to attack the central city” the Clan Chief of the Manjura chipped in.

The dragon was getting closer, and getting ready to blow another fireball.

Suddenly bullets started to hit the road to the side of the Jeep. The rider was choosing to use a machine gun while the dragon was forming a fireball to launch.

It was now or never, Jenny loosed an arrow at the rider, but he dodged it and it sailed passed harmlessly.

She grabbed for another arrow, if she did not score a hit, this time, they were dead

Suddenly a lightning bolt came from nowhere and hit the dragon. Jenny saw the rider suddenly scream and then fry as the electrical discharge ran through his body.

There was a flap of wings and another dragon seemed to be in play, this one was bronze in colour instead of red or black like the others
“Bronze dragon” Yelled the clan Chief of the Manjura, “sworn enemy of reds and blacks” then he added “Jenny get down, these dragons are no friend of trolls or humans either”

Jenny turned around and sat facing forward in the jeep as one is supposed to.
“Buckle up” Mark shouted
“What if we get attacked again” Jenny countered, “I’m the only defence we have”
“Do it” Samuel ordered, “they seem to be concentrating now on securing the citadel”

Jenny did her seatbelt up, which felt odd, given that the Troll Chamberlain had yet again removed her clothes, just to satisfy some misogynist tradition.
“The Troll Chamberlain, did I kill him?” Jenny asked the troll clan chief
The troll clan chief nodded. “Yes indeed, you hit him in the neck” the clan chief beamed, “Are you sure you are not Athena of the Spirit of the huntress”
“No clan chief” Jenny replied, “I told you, junior champion in 2000 Northumberland Archery finals”

As they drove up the mountain pass, Mark looked at the fuel gauge, “We only have enough fuel for ten clicks” he yelled
Samuel turned around in his front seat to speak to the troll clan chief, and spotted the way Jenny was now dressed, “I thought I said twenty first century Amazons”
“Sorry Sir” Jenny shouted back, “The troll chamberlain had other ideas, so maybe I’m supposed to just wear this” Jenny added putting her hands on the shortened skirt, the only piece of clothing she had.
“Well he’s dead and he’s not your CO, I am, and I prefer you to wear more than that when on duty”
Jenny shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t have anything else to put on sir”
Samuel realised there was not a lot Jenny could do, so he spoke to the Clan Chief of the Manjura, “Clan Chief” Samuel pressed, “Will that orb work now”

The Clan Chief of the Manjura tried again, but nothing, “Sorry Colonel, something is still blocking it”
“Mark” Samuel then ordered, “Do we have any blanket’s in the back, Modesty and decency aside, Jenny is going to be in danger of hypothermia in these mountains”

Now that the colonel had mentioned it, Jenny was feeling cold, since all she was wearing was a shortened skirt and nothing else.
“Our gear was in the lorry that was hit Sam” Mark replied
“I wish I had brought my clan chief robe” the troll chipped in, “I could have given her that to keep warm if I had”

Suddenly the bronze dragon flew over them and upwards, eyeing all those in the jeep, then it flew down to pull level with the Jeep as the vehicle drove up the mountain path by the side of a cliff. The bronze dragon had now dealt with the red dragon and was obviously pursuing them for its next meal.

Samuel pulled out his automatic to try and shoot the dragon.
“Their hide is too thick” The troll shouted, “Even an arrow from Miss Green would not penetrate”
“I’ll have to try when it opens its mouth” Samuel shouted back.

“Colonel Peters come in, over” came Sue-Lim’s voice over the colonel’s walkie-talkie

The bronze dragon over flew and whirled up into the sky, and then it flew round and landed on the road in front of them looking mean, forcing the commander to stop the jeep.

“Colonel Peters come in, over” Sue-Lim was again heard over the radio

The colonel grabbed the radio, “I thought I told you to stay on Earth” he yelled
“I have” Sue-Lim replied, “We’ve opened an artificial wormhole just outside the citadel”
“Close it” Samuel yelled, “We were ambushed there by the sect”
“OK I have your position Colonel” Sue-Lim replied, “Stand by she added” then the radio once again fell silent

They were all eyeing the bronze dragon as it glowered at the Jeep

“It is wondering how we taste” the Manjura Clan Chief whispered, “The Reds and the Bronzes normally keep each other in check”

The bronze dragon started to inch forward, it seemed hungry for humans and troll

Suddenly there was the sound of a wormhole vortex behind them, Jenny craned her neck round to see it, to her surprise this one was green, just like the one that the lab technician Timothy Zachary had vanished into after his dealings with the doppelganger assassins had been exposed some months previously.

“Is that generator outside or in a lab” Samuel yelled into the radio.
“Inside an adapted store room Colonel” Came Sue-Lim’s voice.
“Everyone out and go for the worm hole” Samuel ordered and slowly opened his door, all the time looking at the bronze dragon

The dragon lifted its head up

Suddenly it pointed with its claw at another dragon in the distance with a rider that was closing in on them.

Mark looked up at the approaching dragon, “I think they may have a missile launcher of some description” then as he looked at where the bronze dragon was, it had gone and in its place there was an elf, a healer by the look of it.
“Hadal my friend” The Clan Chief of the Manjura exclaimed with some joy, “I thought you were killed in the attack”

Suddenly from the sky, came the tell tale sound of a missile launch, and the sound of beating wings as the dragon change course away from then.

“That’s fire and forget” Mark remarked with out thinking
“RUN” Yelled the colonel

* * *

RAF Welford
Berkshire / Wiltshire Border
England, Earth

[img=600x400]http://stratojetman.googlepages.com/HQBomb.jpg/HQBomb-full.jpg[/img]

Mark and Jenny emerged through the green vortex at speed followed by the Clan Chief of the Manjura at RAF Welford, and were only just able to stop before crashing into the wall of the converted storeroom,

The Colonel and the elf were last through, seconds before the missile was due to strike the Jeep, “Shut that down” the Colonel ordered Sue-Lim, “NOW” he added

Sue-Lim immediately flicked a switch, and the green wormhole dissipated instantly
“What happened?” Pete asked
“We were betrayed by the Troll Chamberlain” The Clan Chief of the Manjura added, “I am so sorry about the loss of so many of your comrades, we have lost many good trolls this day too”

“What do you mean loss of comrades?” Sue-Lim asked “Where is everyone else? I need to open the gate to look for more survivors” she added, trying to make an adjustment on the artificial inter-dimensional wormhole generator
Samuel walked over to Sue-Lim and gently pulled her hand away from the controls “I’m sorry Sue-Lim” Samuel told her, “They’re gone, it’s just us, we were ambushed with dragons, missiles and automatic weapons, it was a massacre, the rest were just wiped out”
“What about Jason?” Pete pressed

The colonel sighed, and then spoke, “I’m sorry, he was in the truck when the first missile hit, he never stood a chance”
Sue-Lim started to shake her head, “No” she kept repeating as she turned fled from the room in tears

“I’ll go after her” Jenny volunteered
“Not like that you won’t” Mark cut in, and then removed his military jacket and held it out to Jenny so she could put it on to cover herself, she had forgotten she was almost naked.
“I better go” Pete offered, still shell shocked himself at the news, and then he turned and ran out the room

Jenny put down her bow and quiver of remaining arrows and slid one arm into the sleeve as Mark held the jacket, then the other and then closed it up and buttoned it up. In normal circumstances, she would have made a comment about liking his smell, but this was not the time or place, so she just gave out a “Thank you Mark” and continued into a shell shocked state, as what had happened began to sink in.

“Were they close?” The Clan Chief of the Manjura asked pointing at the door where Sue-Lim and Pete had left
“Sue-Lim, Pete and Jason ran our former annexe, so you could say that” Mark answered
“And Jason was her beloved?” the Clan Chief pressed
“No, he was her friend, Pete is her boyfriend” Mark replied, “But I think they all grew up together, did the same course at university and were recruited together”

Samuel found a chair and sat down, bent over and put his head in his hands, and then he straightened up.

“What the hell happened?” Samuel asked
“We were betrayed by the troll Chamberlain” The Clan Chief of the Manjura replied
“I’m not talking about that b******d, how did people from your world get hold of hand launched missiles with fire sand forget capability”

There was a cough

It was Paddy McGurty, a leprechaun in the service of the G2 special section, the Republic of Ireland’s intelligence service.
“Colonel” Paddy said softly, “I believe a certain Kathryn wants to speak to you on that MTAC thingy of yours”
“What?”
“It was she who ordered that the artificial wormhole generator thingy be obtained from Mr Vee”

“That’s an irony Sam” Mark cut in, “since it was his aide who ordered its construction and at the same time tried to kill us”

Samuel, just looked up at Mark and Jenny next to him, wearing the commander’s jacket, “That was some driving Mark, and that was some shooting Jenny, now Mark, take Jenny back to your billet so she can get dressed and equip her with new combat fatigues”

“Sure Sam” Mark replied and gently guided Jenny out of the room by the arm
As they left the room and stood in the corridor Jenny asked, “Is he ok?”
“He is always this way after a mission when we have taken casualties” Mark explained, “But we have never had it this bad”

Just then, next to exit the room were Hadal the elf and the Clan Chief of the Manjura.
The elf looked around, “So this is the Realm of Mortals?” he said in a European sounding accent.
“Is this your first time here?” Jenny enquired.
“It is for me” Hadal replied.
“The last time I was in your world, I was in your city of London, that time I worked with our emperor to defeat the Spirit of Lust” The Clan Chief of the Manjura added

“If you excuse us” Mark broke in, “Much as Jenny has a great body and looks fantastic in her Amazon warrior outfit, Sam wants her to have a bit more to wear”
“By all means” Hadel replied, “The Clan chief and I have much to discuss”
“Then I suggest we try the mess hall” the Clan Chief of the Manjura said, “Human food is so wonderful”
“Before we go” Jenny then asked the elf, “Weren’t you a bronze dragon?”
“A mere polymorph spell” Haden replied
The troll was suddenly quizzical “So magics were working on the Mystical Realms, my orb would not work so I thought all magics had been blocked”
“I had no problem” Hadal replied, “Perhaps it is magic that applies only to opening gates”

At this Mark called over a base security guard and requested that he escort the troll and the elf to the reserved mess hall, just to make sure that they were not spotted by the wider world. After all, there existence was supposed to be ultra secret.

Then Mark took Jenny back to the billet they shared, where she had some spare underwear and a few of her civilian clothes, which she put on. What she did not have were spare shoes. Next Mark took her to the base stores for new combat fatigues, and US Air Force issue boots for security guards.

The replacement of underwear and shoes, that had been disintegrated by the troll chamberlain, although not a priority, would have to be sent out for, a job that would eventually be assigned to a female member of the base staff who was Jenny’s exact size.

Mark and Jenny finished acquiring the replacement clothing and then returned to their billet, where they just sat for a while, on the bed holding each other, both still in some shock at the loss of so many comrades on such a short mission. Then they left to try and find Sue-Lim and Pete.

This sect certainly played hard ball.

* * *

An Undisclosed location
Washington DC
United States of America

Kathryn was sat her desk looking at her LCD flat screen monitor when she received the call from the secretary on the intercom.

Kathryn pressed the button to allow the secretary to connect through.

“He’s online now mam” the secretary’s voice came through the speaker
“Is Keith there?”
“Yes mam”
Kathryn closed her computer down, got up from the desk and went into the outer office, where a general in the US Marine Corps was waiting.
“How bad was it Kieth?” Kathryn asked
“It was bad Madame Chairman” the general replied, “All that returned were Colonel Peters, Commander Johnston, the British civilian and two allied IDE’s”
“The rest of them?” Kathryn asked with concern in her voice
“Slaughtered” the general replied
“What?”
“From what I have heard mam, it was a Turkey shoot, they were not expecting a surprise attack on the troll citadel”
“The moment I heard that ATF report” Kathryn began, and then paused, as her anger threatened to get the better of her, “OK let’s get to MTAC and get this over with”
“As you wish Mam” the general replied and opened the door of the outer office into the corridor and held it open for Kathryn.
“When are our agencies going to start sharing things with each other” Kathryn said in an exasperated tone as she and the general walked briskly down the corridor.
“I wish I knew Mam” the General replied
“It is because of these stupid turf wars, we have lost so many of our people today” she continued
The general kept his council
“I mean” Kathryn railed on, “We are meant to be in charge of a multi agency task force, and hardly anyone talks to us”

Together they reached the outside of the special MTAC communication room, technology recently shared by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Kathryn took a few breaths to calm down then asked the general, “How is Samuel taking this Keith?”
“Badly, we don’t usually leave anyone behind, and he was lucky to get out at all”
“My father was a marine in Vietnam” Kathryn then said, “And he was haunted to his dying day over those they left behind, so I can guess what he will be going through”

Kathryn, placed her face against the retinal scanner, which confirmed her identity. The general did the same and the two were admitted into the MTAC room.

Up on the main screen was the live feed from England, with Colonel Samuel Peters waiting to talk.

Kathryn and the general were handed a pair of headphones with a microphone, which they put on

“Can he see us?” Kathryn asked a technician
“Not yet Mam” the technician replied
“Then put him through”

Samuel blinked, then said, “It must be early morning over there Madame Chairman”
“I got back to DC pretty late, so I have been here all night” Kathryn responded
“I thought you were flying to New Hampshire”
“I was Colonel, but I had the plane turn back when I was given information we should have had a lot earlier”

Samuel looked away from the camera on him for a moment, paused then said “Madame Chairman, as I was leading the expedition to IDW01, where we lost almost all of the entire team, I feel it is my duty to tender my resignation. I believe Commander Johnston should be made the acting director of UK operations”

Kathryn cut him off, “That’s very noble of you Colonel to offer to fall on your sword, but your resignation offer is refused”
“Mam?”
“Colonel, it is easy when we mess up to walk away and let someone else clean the mess up. I believe in taking responsibility and clearing up our own mess, just like I am doing with the unnecessary assault, detention and shoddy treatment of the former minor spirits of virtue and their families. Also to be frank, the commander may be an able deputy, but I need someone of your calibre and we do not have time to search for someone else. Plus in your case I do not believe it was your mess”
“Mam, I was...”
Kathryn was still cutting the colonel off, “Colonel, this tragedy was caused by the reluctance of the ATF to be a bit more forthcoming in the sharing of intelligence.”
“What did they have?” Samuel asked
“The ATF were investigating two arms dealers who stole twenty Lockheed Martin FGM-172 Short-Range Assault Weapons and a number of automatic small arms. The bodies of these arms dealers were found dead yesterday and the autopsy performed by the local M E indicated that their windpipes had been collapsed with no sign of visible trauma on the skin”
“That sounds very much like how Darth Vader killed people in Star Wars” Samuel responded, “or telekinetic powers found in some elves in IDW01”
“Exactly, and they were asking their friends in the FBI and the CIA if they knew how it could have been done. We only picked it up when a contact of ours in the NSA picked it up when the M E’s assistant was talking to one of his friends in Jordan who was on their watch list. The ATF, the CIA or the FBI did not think to consult us”
“Hardly surprising Mam, since we are classed as Ultra secret” Samuel replied.
“But the top people in those agencies were told when the organisation was set up, if there was anything unexplained by conventional means, they were to report the matter to us, and the ATF hierarchy were aware of these unexplained deaths of a notorious gun runner and failed to pass this on”
“So why the hell did they not tell us?” Samuel asked angrily

“Two words Colonel” Kathryn replied, “Turf wars”

“So what now?” Samuel asked, “We can’t blame these losses on insurgent action in Iraq or Afghanistan to the relatives as some of them will know they were not deployed there, we don’t even have the bodies and what about those morons who kept this important detail about this group being armed to the teeth from us”
“Leave that to the Committee Colonel” Kathryn insisted, “We still have this threat from the IDW01 based Magnus Timor sect to deal with, especially if they are obtaining heavy weapons, carrying out assassinations in both worlds and detonating bombs in London. I can’t begin to express the strategic importance of having an off world bolthole should we need one”
“We also have another issue Madame Chairman” Samuel then said
“What’s that?”
“We have found evidence both on Earth and on IDW01 that in 1969 a secret manned soviet spacecraft bound for the moon was brought from our universe to theirs. That was the last time this sect made a bid to overthrow the trolls, except that time they did not have the ATF letting them have heavy weapons from Earth”
“I never heard of such a space mission”
“Neither did we until we found physical evidence from IDW01, it looks like the history of the Soviet space effort was heavily sanitised”
“Do you believe they are linked to the current situation?”
“Sure do, that was part of what we were going to do, find the area where an artefact from that space craft was found, see if there was any more of it”

“OK Colonel, see what you can find in terms of evidence, and take what ever precautions you see fit. We will send you any details on how to defend against those missiles if we can find any”

At this point the general spoke up, “Colonel, is there anyway we can send in troops to retake Karam Tag Chow for the trolls”
“No General, the only means of reaching IDW01 seems to be via the orbs controlled by the leprechauns and the one artificial wormhole generator. They do not provide a big enough wormhole to get even a jeep through. Only the troll ones could just about do that and the trolls lost most of their orbs in the attack, even the Clan Chief of the Manjura’s orb is being blocked somehow”

Kathryn briefly glowered at the general for interrupting, then turned back to the main screen, “Colonel, I know what we agreed with the trolls, but get Sue-Lim to construct more artificial generators, and see if they can be scaled up to allow heavy equipment to be transported”
“Understood Madame Chairman, although I hear the Clan Chief of the Manjura is glad we had our own inter dimensional wormhole capability”
“How is he?”
“Angry, the Clan Chief of the Rachtal was murdered by this group and he is worried about the long term stability of the troll and gnoll alliance as he is not sure how progressive the successor clan chief will be”
“Let him know Colonel, we will do everything in our power to restore the troll government to IDW01 and that the US will not stand for such outrageous armed aggression against the legitimate government”
“I’ll tell him that Madame Chairman, but I think he knows that.”
“OK Colonel, Committee Chairman signing out”

At that the screen went blank as Kathryn and the General handed back their headsets

“I need to start bashing some heads together” Kathryn told the general as they walked up to the exit.
“Good luck on that Mam” the General replied
“About those we lost?” Kathryn asked
“Ascribe the losses to training accidents or say they were working with special forces” The general replied, “We sometimes did that when some of our guys once got shot by a husband in Central America who thought they were cheating with his wife”
“Can you sort that out Keith?” Kathryn
“Already on it Madame Chairman”

The two left the MTAC room and entered the corridor and were about to go there separate ways, when there was the sound of lightning in the corridor.

Suddenly a blue spot appeared in mid air, which grew into a swirling vortex.

“Mam” said the General, “They don’t open friendly wormholes in this place and they already said the trolls have lost that capability”

Kathryn and the General started to run down the corridor as the wormhole continued to grow, Kathryn shouted at the various guard in the corridor to get clear, while the general tried to use his radio to send out a warning, but it was being jammed.

They managed to reach a bend in the corridor when they heard the sound of a large fireball approaching. Even here they would be incinerated, and at the rate it travelled there would be no way they could escape it.

“Come with me Madame Chairman” an unexpected male Irish voice sounded
“You too General” said another Irish voice.

Suddenly Kathryn and the General were outside the building in the early dawn with two leprechauns; as they witnessed a wall of the building they were in explode.

Then there was another explosion, where the MTAC was held.

“Oh My goodness me” said one of the leprechauns

Suddenly another set of leprechauns appeared with the staff from the MTAC room.

“That was a close one” one of the leprechauns said as he mopped his brow.

“What the hell just happened?” the General demanded
“Isn’t it obvious sir” the Leprechaun retorted
“What he means” Kathryn cut in, “Why were we attacked and how did they manage to find us, and how did you manage to find us”
“Well Madame Chairman” Began the leprechaun, “To answer the last part first, since the ambush at Karam Tag Chou we in G2 have been monitoring for wormholes, and we detected the one that just appeared in this fine building of yours. This sect seem to be trying a classic military tactic, they are trying to take out anyone with the remotest capability of stopping their supposed big boss the Magnus Timor, from doing what they believe he wants to do, what ever that is. All we know is that it would not be good for Earth or the Mystical Realms.”
“But how did he find us here?” pressed the General
“I suspect there may have been another survivor from the troll citadel massacre who knew of the existence of a some kind of HQ based here in America, and the elven magician involved with this sect must have read his mind, because whilst you were speaking another wormhole opened near that base in England where the Colonel is and did nothing. I suspect they were back tracing your communication to here”
“But that’s a secure com channel” the General objected
“Not to elven magic and a bit of hacking from a computer literate devotee. This cult has recruited humans as well as folk from the Mystical Realms. As soon as we detected they were coming here, instead of stopping it, as we could, we dispatched every leprechaun we had to pull you out, and so they could think their attack was successful”

“Mr Leprechaun” Kathryn said in a stern voice
“Mr McTuckle” the leprechaun corrected
“OK Mr McTuckle, who is this Magnus Timor?”
“Oh him, according to the legend he was a very powerful monster, but he did not come from the Mystical Realms, he came from this world, and he was banished to the Mystical Realms a long time ago, but nobody apart from that sect seriously believes he exists”

“I’m not so sure Mr McTuckle” Kathryn replied, then pointed to the building that was in flames, “especially if they are prepared to attack American targets on American soil in his name”

“With all due respect Madame Chairman” Mr McTuckle countered, “Does that mean you believe in the existence of Allah after nine eleven?”

* * *

CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research
The Franco – Swiss Border

Two scientists, Frank and Pierre were pouring over the latest data and images from the Large Hadron Collider

Pierre ran some computations through the computer program he had developed himself

While they were waiting for a result, Charlene came back with the coffees. “Next time get your own” she told them, “I have a PhD you know and it is not in making coffee”

“Sorry” Pierre replied, “I have been getting strange results from a little side calculation of the data, and I did not want to break my train of thought by going to the coffee machine”

Charlene handed Frank and Pierre their coffees and pulled up a chair to sit down.
“Charlene, why are you here?” Frank asked.
“Because I work here?”
“No, you are one of the best research students into string theory and M Theory and you have been assigned to our team?”
“Someone pulled the funding” Charlene replied, “I understand it was a government order, my professor never explained why, only that if I wanted to continue, then I would have to do it under government supervision. There is no way I could agree to do that, because I suspected they wanted me to work on the Quark bomb or something like that, so I switched to looking for the Higgs Boson”
“That must have upset your family?” Frank said, “Weren’t they a military family”
“Doesn’t mean I have to be” Charlene retorted, “When I told my mother I was coming to CERN to work on the LHC, she even asked if I cared that I might be bringing about the destruction of the world”
“Not that old chestnut”
“I know Frank, I tried to explain that there were more energetic particles hitting the atmosphere and the Moon, and we have not seen any strangelets or micro black holes gobbling us up. I even tried to explain Hawking Radiation, but I think it went over her head by the way her eyes glazed over”
“Some people are just stubbornly ignorant” Frank sighed

“It has finis!” Pierre exclaimed, and then sighed, “But as before, something does not add up”
“Well I can not see what you are doing wrong Pierre” Frank told him, “Maybe there is a dodgy detector somewhere”
“Mais Non!” The engineers are adamant, “There is nothing wrong with the equipment” Pierre insisted
“Can I have a look?” Charlene enquired, “I would like to try a hunch, based on my former work. If it gives out just the same duff results, we can go back to what you were trying”
“Be our guest” Pierre offered and let Charlene in at the terminal.

It took about twenty minutes before Charlene finished the amending the program to analyse the data, saved it under her name to preserve the original one and then she set it to compile.
“Your trouble guys” she enthused, “Was that you were thinking in only three dimensions and not eleven”
“String theorists” Frank muttered

After five minutes, the program reported that it had compiled ok, so Charlene ran it.

After another five minutes, it gave a read out that finally added up.

“Oh My” Pierre exclaimed, “There are decay products going off into the eleventh dimension”

Frank leaned forward to look at the display, then scrolled it down, “This is even more odd” then he invited Pierre and Charlene to look at the extra data.
“Sacra Bleu, that is impossible” Pierre uttered
“Echoes?” Charlene added then pondered “It looks like, some of your decay products were hitting something in another universe and being bounced back”
“Another Universe?” Pierre questioned
“Yes” Charlene chimed, “Another universe, did you never look at M-Theory”
“That I did Mademoiselle, but it was all theoretical, there has been no way of proving that these other membrane universes exist”
“Until now” Charlene replied.

Frank closed the program and then deleted Charlene’s revised program

“Why did you do that for?” Charlene asked him
“Maybe that is why the government wanted you off of the case of M-Theory, in case you found another membrane universe”
“But we found it anyway?” Charlene insisted, “This is Nobel prize material, the final proof of another universe”

“Charlene, I think you are a bright and intelligent research physicist, but you still have a lot to learn, sometimes we have to hold on to what we know because of the political climate”
“But..”
“The government wanted this hushed up, and we have had enough problems from doom mongers saying this project will destroy the world, and we do not want anyone pulling the plug. So we need to keep this to ourselves”

“But what do we say about how the data does not fit the three dimensional world models?” Charlene asked, indignantly
“We will just ascribe it to what we always do, experimental limits of the equipment”

* * *

RAF Welford
Berkshire / Wiltshire Border
England, Earth

[img=600x400]http://stratojetman.googlepages.com/HQBomb.jpg/HQBomb-full.jpg[/img]

Samuel came and sat at the head of the conference table in the board room for the afternoon briefing.

Around the table the humans were Jenny Green, Commander Mark Johnston, Sue-Lim Wang and Pete Smith; of entities from the Mystical Realms were Hogan O’Brian and Paddy McGurty the leprechauns from G2, Hadal the elf and the Clan Chief of the Manjura

“First of all” Samuel open with, “You may or may not know that just after I spoke with the chairman of the Committee, their building in DC was attacked by someone in the Mystical Realms and destroyed”
There were gasps and murmurings from around the table
“The sect no doubt” interrupted Paddy McGurty
“We believe so” Samuel continued, “But thanks to the intervention by our Irish partners, no lives were lost” then he paused and added, “That time thank G-d”
“The idea, I was told” Paddy interjected again, “Was that by making them think they succeeded, we prevent any further attacks on the office of the chairman of the committee”
“Well” Samuel went on, “It means it is not just us who have had to find an alternate base of operations. But we still have a problem; this sect is planning something big, and we need to find out what it is and stop them once and for all. I need not remind you, that this sect is dangerous and those in it are killers”

Pete raised his hand, “Does this mean we are abandoning the hunt for the remains of the soviet space craft. I mean the presence of the piece from the space suit, has to mean that it made a successful entry onto the planet”
“Are you referring to the legend of the two men from the sky?” Hadal cut in.
“You never told me this legend when I was growing up” The Clan Chief of the Manjura interrupted.

Samuel banged a pen on the table, “Can we have some order here please. We have a lot to get through”

The room fell silent

“Thank you” Samuel replied, “According to what we know, a previous version of this sect occurred back in 1969 when this space craft vanished, which was also the last time all the moons around the planet Mystical Realms were in alignment”
“That is not quite accurate” Hadal cut in.
Samuel briefly glowered at him.
Hadal then continued, “There was an alignment, but it was not quite the full alignment due in a few days, our nearest moon was one half of a thumb’s distance in the sky ahead from true alignment by the time the furthest moon lined up.”
“It was enough of an alignment to bring the sect out, all those years ago” Hogan countered, and then he looked at the Colonel staring at him and shut up.

“Ok Hadal” Samuel continued, “You mentioned something about legend of two men from the sky”
“Indeed Colonel” Hadal began, “It was an obscure one, and seldom believed by those who heard it”
“But what is the legend” Samuel pressed
“A metal vessel came down in the mountains over looking the central city, slowed by large sheets of cloth. In which there were two human males, who spoke in a strange language when a troll patrol found them. They were captured by a brave troll party, after they had used some kind of metal tube to spit death at them”
“That would have been a rifle” Pete interrupted, “The Voskhod 2 capsule in 1965 came down in Russia off target and the cosmonauts had to spend the night in a forest surrounded by a pack of wolves, after that it was said all soviet missions carried a rifle”
“Thank you Pete” Samuel cut in, “Do continue Hadel”
“Well the Clan Chief of the Manjura’s grandfather so it goes was given the task to interrogate the men, to find out who they were and if they had any connection with the sect, which by then had started to disband. Some from that sect were to say under torture that their leader, the Magnus Timor had not been able to fully awaken but his promise of a new world out of two was merely postponed. But as to these two men, it was believed that they were quietly executed as they were of no further use, for we never hear of them again”
“But what of the spacecraft” Samuel asked, “Did the trolls do anything with it?”
“For all I know, if this ever happened , they saw no use for it, as they found no treasure, so they left it to the wild beasts of the mountains” Hadal answered

“So what do we know of this sect’s leader, the Magnus Timor, apart from it meaning Great Fear in Latin”

Sue Lim raised her hand and Samuel invited her to speak, “Well according to an ancient obscure Roman legend, the Magnus Timor was some dragon like creature that appeared in around four hundred BC. One man claimed to have found a rock he saw fall from the sky, probably a meteorite, but he also went around saying that his grandfather had seen evidence of dead monsters and was ridiculed for believing in them, the way the legend goes, I suspect his grandfather had just seen dinosaur fossils. Well one night after telling tales of these monsters as he sat around this meteorite, the legend says, one of them arrived, in the form of a winged reptile”
“Like a dragon?” Samuel asked
“Yes sir, well this dragon was called by the people of the village the Magnus Timor, because it filled the locals with a great fear, and it seems according to the legend the creature adopted the name for itself. It then demanded the villagers pay it tribute in the form of sacrificing their children to it. The villagers were on the point of casting lots as to whose child would be first to be sacrificed, when the man who found the meteorite, decided he could not allow his own children to be sacrificed to the beast. He reasoned that somehow this meteorite may have held the dragon imprisoned, so used a bit of the meteorite to make a spear head and he also he ground a small piece of it and ate it”

“Yuck” Pete exclaimed
“Well” Continued Sue-Lim, “The legend said that he became almost like a ghost as he went up against the dragon. The other members of the village believed that there might be some power in the meteorite, so they gathered around it and prayed to the various local gods they worshipped for deliverance”
“And what happened next?” Samuel asked
“According to the legend, their gods answered them, and a giant vortex dragged away the dragon, with the man who had just speared it in it’s back, and even the meteorite was pulled away, and so the people of the village were spared, until a hundred years later when they were slaughtered by the Romans, which is probably why the legend is not well known. It only surfaced in 1937 but the Second World War meant that it was never followed up”

“Until now” Samuel commented, then looking at the non-humans asked, “This sect of the Magnus Timor, must mean he is known to your lot on the Mystical Realms

“Colonel” The Clan Chief of the Manjura opened with, “All I know, like others on our world, is that our world was shaped by something called the collective unconscious of humans in this universe. That was how we also got the major spirits of virtue who either became, or assumed the identity of gods to ancient peoples in your world. They were the embodiment of virtues or vices, in human form, and they came from near the dawn of our time”

“Sam” Mark cut in, “Maybe this meteorite somehow was responsible for the creation of the Mystical Realms universe”
“I don’t see how Mark” Samuel replied, “How can a rock create a universe”
“Thiotimoline!” Pete interjected.
“What?” Samuel asked with irritation at yet another interruption from Pete
“Thiotimoline, it was a fictitious substance invented by the late Isaac Asimov in 1948” Pete explained, “It supposedly dissolved 1.12 seconds before water was added, because it had chemical bonds going into the fourth dimension”
“What has that got to do with anything” Samuel asked
“Suppose this ancient meteorite was made out of something that existed in more than three dimensions and all this guy saw was it’s projection in to 3-D space. And suppose this meteorite was radio-active in those extra dimensions, so the guys thoughts and those of the others caused it to…”

“I think we get the picture” Sam interrupted, “Somehow the origin of the Mystical Realms universe, and this dragon legend are linked to some obscure legend, but why has a cult arisen in the Mystical Realms, around this creature twice now, and why have they been attacking both us and the troll authorities”
“And what has this got to do with that missing space ship?” Pete added.

Samuel glared at him for a second, then added, “and that too, if anything”

There was a cough

It was Hadal

“Colonel, Clan Chief” Hadal asked, “If I may, I may have an answer to some of this, since as an elven healer and magician, part of my learning was in ancient lore and ancient myths of our world”
“Yes” Beamed the troll clan chief, “And I remember you telling me some of the stories as a child”

“Not all of them my liege” Hadal replied, “Some were kept from you as a troll youngling to save you from terrors of the night”
“You mean nightmares?” Jenny asked.
“Yes Miss Green” Hadal answered, “As you say in your world, nightmares”
“I think we are all grown out of that phase” Samuel cut back in.
“My Regrets Colonel” Hadal said, and then went on to continue, “Our legend of the Magnus Timor starts when at the dawn of time when he crashed into our world, with a spear in his back, locked in combat with a mortal man. Needless to say the mortal man was defeated, although some legends say he was absorbed into the Magnus Timor, but the beast was severely wounded, and had to hide in the Karam Mountains to recover. In time as he recovered, a number of elves, dwarves, gnomes and other races came across him, and so fearsome was he, that they brought tribute and sacrifices. The Magnus Timor was a vain creature and delighted in the attention, but deep down he wanted revenge on the Realm of Mortals as he called them for not worshipping him”
“Oh great!” Pete commented, “A dragon with a chip on its shoulder”

Hadal glared at Pete and then continued, “The Magnus Timor claimed that it had the power to open a gate to the realm of Mortals and was building an army when a number of the early Major Spirits of Vice and Virtue joined forces, as they had the ability to travel to the Realm of Mortals where they delighted in playing the role of deities invented by the humans, and used magics to subdue and imprison the Magnus Timor and scatter his followers. They did try and kill him, but such was the fear exhibited by the races on Earth and in our world, that they could only detain him in the fire mountains. With his power to open up portals, they got powerful elven wizards to place an eternal sleep spell upon him, but as he was succumbing to the spell he promised vengeance against both worlds, even threatening to destroy them both and take his loyal followers to a new world he would create. In light of this threat, the trolls came in, at the request of the high elf, and those who had followed the Magnus Timor, were hunted down and killed. In return, the trolls took scales from the back of the Magnus Timor”

“What would the trolls want with a batch of dragon scales?” Hogan asked, “There are plenty of other dragons around”

“Are, my Leprechaun friend” Hadal went on, “Where do you think the dimension jump orbs came from”

At this the Clan Chief of the Manjura took out his dimension jump orb.
“Does that think work here?” Samuel asked
“Barely, as soon as a gate forms in our world, it closes down”
“The artificial one only worked” Sue Lim chipped in, “Because in this universe it’s physics which dominates rather than magic, which so far they have not found a way to block”
“Our means of travel between worlds is based on a slightly different form of magic, but is limited in what we can take through on our person” Paddy McGurty added as he took out a ring with a small gemstone on it

COUGH, COUGH

“Sorry Hadal” Samuel said, “Was there more?”
“Only that the elven spell was placed when the moons happened to be most spread apart”
“Meaning?” Samuel asked
“When the moons align, then the spell is at its weakest” Hadal explained

It was Mark this time who interrupted, “But come on, since this spell allegedly was done on this mythical Magnus Timor, how many times have your moons been in alignment?”
“A good many times commander, and although the spell was weakened at those times, it was still enough to keep the Magnus Timor asleep”

“Until 1969” Pete ventured
“What do you mean by that Pete?” Samuel asked
“This soviet space craft vanishes through some big rip in space, you heard the sound file Colonel” Pete insisted. “It was at the time of another alignment, and a previous incarnation of the Magnus Timor sect.”
“But even with a weakened spell” Hadal insisted, “He was imprisoned under the Fire Mountains, nothing could get through to stir him from his perpetual slumber”
“Something must have” Pete countered, “And maybe something else maybe waking it up right now, otherwise why would this sect bother”

“What do you want to do Sam?” Mark asked
“I’m not quite sure Mark” Sam replied then asked “If we found more wreckage, is there any way we could determine if the rip in space were some kind of wormhole generated by this Magnus Timor?”
“I might be able to detect some residue” Hadal suggested, “But we know it would have to have been him, he was the only being powerful enough to create such a crossing”
“There might be something in any onboard recording equipment” Pete suggested, “Plus in order to enter the atmosphere they would have had to have ditched the lunar module somewhere. It could either have burnt up in the atmosphere, in orbit”
“Or lost in deep space” Mark cut in.
“OK then” Samuel told the room, “Our first job is to locate the wreckage if we can with a small expeditionary force, while Sue-Lim and Pete stay here on Earth and beef up the artificial wormhole generator”
“Then we send in the cavalry?” Mark asked
“Something like that” Samuel replied, “Right we need to get on with this now”

“What can I do?” The Clan Chief of the Manjura asked
“Sit tight here on Earth” Samuel replied,
“But I have fought at your side before” the troll insisted
“That time was different, once we stop this sect, since they have killed the Clan Chief of the Rachtal there’s a power vacuum” Samuel told him, then added, “We will need you to help restore order and try and prevent another civil war”

“Jenny and I will go with Hogan and find that space craft” Mark offered
“No Mark, not this time” Samuel told him, “I want you and Jenny with me and Hadal in case we can find this Magnus Timor if it exists, so we can take it out, or at least the leadership of the Magnus Timor sect”
“So who gets to go hunting for the space craft” Pete piped up, “Since you want Sue-Lim and I to stay on Earth”
“Sir” Sue-Lim said, raising her hand, “I have passed my notes to what is left of fabrications to make more generators I”
Samuel cut her off, “I want you here, we need make a bigger wormhole generator to send in heavy weapons like Tanks, MLRS, attack choppers”
“With all due respect sir” Sue-Lim replied, standing up and leaning over the table, “I am tired of you cow-towing to my father on the Committee, Pete and I could help out in the search for the space craft. Pete here is a virtual expert in”
Samuel stood up and once again cut in, “Sue-Lim, what combat experience have you got”
Sue Lim shook her head, “Why do I need combat experience to hunt for the remains of an old Russian space ship”
“I thought not” Samuel replied, “Sue-Lim, this has nothing to do with who your father is, because of the activities of this sect, the whole of the Mystical Realms is a theatre of war, and no place for non combatants like you”
“But” Sue-Lim spluttered pointing at Jenny
“Jenny Green has proven herself in combat, here on Earth and on the Mystical Realms” Samuel countered

Pete stood up and gently took hold of Sue-Lim’s arm, “Come on Sue-Lim, the Colonel’s right, we would only be in the way, let’s go and work on the generators”
“I just wanted to, for Jason” Sue-Lim told Pete in a quieter voice that trembled as she mentioned her dead friend’s name.
“Come on Sue-Lim” Pete repeated, and put his arm around Sue-Lim’s shoulders and gently led her out of the room.

Once the two were out of the room, Mark spoke up, “He has a point, who are we getting to investigate the space craft”
“Well Hogan knows the area, and we can get the details of the craft from our Russian counterparts” Samuel explained
“The colonel is right Commander” Hogan added, “If too many enter into the Mystical Realms at one time, the sect will be onto them like a shot, just like last time”
“Except” added the troll clan chief, “You won’t have a treacherous Troll Chamberlain to betray you”

* * *

CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research
The Franco – Swiss Border

Frank walked outside in the open air and pulled out his pack of cigarettes, he approached on of the security guards. “vous avez une lumière?” he asked in French, “Je semble avoir le mien gauche à l'intérieur”
The security guard pulled out his lighter and lit the scientists cigarette for him
“Merci” Frank responded and then walked away to ostensibly smoke the cigarette.

As soon as he was out of sight he pulled out a small crystal rod and a mobile phone, and held both together in his right hand whilst he held the cigarette in his left hand.

Without dialling, the mobile connected.

Then Frank spoke into the mobile

“Hello, Zathan?”
Then he heard an acknowledgement over the mobile phone

“I thought I would let you know of progress”
A voice replied over the mobile

“Oh yes, I have scheduled more testing at such an intensity that he will most definitely be awakened”
another reply on the mobile

“Remember our deal; you take my son and his family to the new world”
another reply on the mobile

“Me, I have a terminal cancer, my doctor only gave me six months at the most”
another reply on the mobile

“No I have not told anyone else it”
another reply on the mobile

“You can? That would be great; I could be around on the new world with my grandchildren, that’s wonderful news”
another reply on the mobile

“Nobody suspects, but we had a near miss today”
another reply on the mobile

“One of the research assistants along with my colleague spotted that some of the collision decay products were leaving this universe and echoing back off of something”
another reply on the mobile

“I managed to dissuade her and my colleague from going down that avenue, by citing politics and suggesting we ascribe anomalies to equipment problems”
another reply on the mobile

“OK if they are a problem, I can arrange an accident if I need to, but I don’t think it will have to come to that”
another reply on the mobile

“No not even that research assistant or my colleague suspects anything”
another reply on the mobile

“OK will do, it’s a pleasure to do business with you Zathan”
another reply on the mobile

“By the way Zathan, last time when you almost awoke the Magnus Timor, which particle accelerator was the cause of the rousing?”
another reply on the mobile

“Oh the Bevatron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in America?”
another reply on the mobile

“Well there won’t be any slip ups like last time, Zathan, the LHC works at higher energy levels than those particle accelerators in the 1960’s. Zathan I guarantee, the LHC will be sufficient to full wake the Magnus Timor, and then he can have his revenge, and we will be living on a new world, wiped clean of all the dross we have both had to put up with”

With that, Frank put the phone and the crystal in his pocket, stubbed out the cigarette and headed back into the building.

To be continued

[Sticks]

Episode VI – In Vicem Oppugnare

Counter Attack

It has been said that nothing has caused more wars and suffering than religion. The atheist will point to the crusades, the thirty years of conflict that plagued Northern Ireland, the continuing problems in the Middle East, the Tokyo Subway attack in 1995, Nine eleven and the Seven - Seven attacks.

But atheism has had its own fair share of atrocities with the purges under communism and Stalin through to its collapse in the 1990’s, so it has no right to stand in righteous judgement

If people want to commit acts of violence, then they will seek any excuse and clothe themselves with any justification. But examine the teachings of these established religions and most of the time; it would condemn what is carried out in its name.

Problems arise when a single personality arises and draws off followers either deliberately or not. Then we have a cult or a sect, built around a personality, and here lies the danger.

The wise see this and insist their followers return to the proper path. The evangelist Billy Graham was once asked by a TV reporter how many followers he had, so he told the reporter he did not want any, he wanted people to follow Christ, not him.

However, not all have this integrity, some may even be corrupt, insane or worse, just like Jim Jones of the People’s Temple.

Some may be fanatical, waiting on some kind of promise, and like so many cults, eager to bring on the Armageddon they are waiting for, and they become doomsday cults. These cults who stop at nothing to achieve their distorted objectives, whatever they maybe.

Such a sect has remerged in the Mystical Realms. They follow a leader, described as a dragon like creature, banished from Earth, imprisoned in the Mystical Realms since just after its beginning and locked in perpetual slumber. The followers have been promised a new life on a new world after vengeance has been wreaked somehow on Earth and the Mystical Realms. This sect has even recruited followers from Earth as well, to mount a successful “coup de tat” against the Trolls and their stronghold of Karam Tag Chou, assassinated the Clan Chief of the Rachtal, destroyed the Facility in London, and attacked the Chairman’s office of The Committee in Washington DC. Now as the moons around the world of the Mystical Realms all start to line up, the object of their devotion, they believe, will escape as the imprisoning spell as it weakens .and unleash the dreadful vengeance of the Magnus Timor

- - -

An undisclosed location
Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Four days to alignment on the Mystical Realms

Captain Gregory O’Doyle entered the briefing room, where a number of leprechauns were waiting. Gregory O’Doyle was a mere human himself, but he had worked with the special section of G2, Ireland’s military intelligence service for about ten years.

“Gentlemen” Gregory began, “In light of what has happened to our American allies, we are relocating out of Dublin”
“Where too?” asked one of the leprechauns
“Limerick” Gregory replied
“So what makes you think we will be any safer there?” the leprechaun asked back
“It will at least be away from the capital should anything happen like what happened in London and in Washington” Gregory answered.
“So we can be blasted by a fireball so long as Dublin goes unscathed” Another Leprechaun, “There’s gratitude for you”

“That’s a bit unfair” Gregory protested, “You are our elite, and while you are in Dublin, you are a target for the sect of the Magnus Timor”
“With all due respect Captain” Yet another Leprechaun added, “Why don’t we go and kick these cultists collective…”

“Because” Said another leprechaun as he teleported in t the briefing room, “They have a mix of heavy weapons stolen from America, tame dragons and a very powerful elven magician”

Gregory was un-phased by this sudden appearance, he was used to it. “Glad you could make it Mr McTuckle” he said, “I was just informing them of the impending move”

“Shamus” The first leprechaun butted in, “Even if we move out of Dublin, the sect could still track us down like they did the Americans”
“Maybe so, but where we are, if there was an attack, civilians outside could very well be caught up” Shamus told him, “Remember how many were killed and injured by flying glass and debris in London”
“It doesn’t feel right” the third leprechaun chimed in, “Running for cover instead of fighting back”
“I know” Shamus replied, “I don’t like it either, but these guys took Karam Tag Chou and the central city, and they have heavy weapons stolen from the Americans and the Russians. The whole of the Mystical Realms is now under their rule. The British and the Americans suffered heavy losses when they were ambushed over there. It is down to us now to hold the line.”
“So we wait for them to come and get us”
“No, we hold the line, while others try the counter offensive”
“Any news of Hogan?” Gregory asked
“Not yet Mr O’Doyle” Shamus replied, “Not yet”
“So” Asked yet another leprechaun, “What does holding the line mean, we kind of aren’t big and mean like trolls”
“We monitor for cross dimension activity that is not leprechaun, troll or the human’s new artificial wormhole generator” Shamus explained
“An artificial wormhole generator?” a leprechaun questioned
“Yes O’Riley” Shamus answered, “These humans are more resourceful than you give them credit, and it’s thanks to them that the Clan Chief of the Manjura was saved the same fate as his Rachtal counterpart”

Just then a female leprechaun put her hand up.

“What is it Clover?” Shamus asked
“I was not sure it was anything Mr McTuckle” she nervously said, “It was too small to carry even a leprechaun such as myself, but I distinctively traced an opening, or to be more accurate a crack”
“Tell me more Clover, Tell me more” Shamus said, his interest peaked.

* * *

A dwarf owned tavern
On the outskirts of a goblin village
The Mystical Realms

The two hooded figures walked into the tavern, one of them had a Kalashnikov in his right hand.

All of the goblins in there suddenly fell silent, Why had the sect of the Magnus Timor come here? They all wondered. They had all heard what had happened at Karam Tag Chou and how it fell to the sect, and how the central city, where the assembly sat had been attacked. The entire assembly had been wiped out by some strange weapon from Earth, fired from the back of a dragon, and now it was patrolled by men, young elves and orcs in contraptions on four wheels with a big metal pipe that spat death at high speed.

The goblin elected as leader of the village had offered surrender, as there was no way they could defeat them, but the leader was taken by two men from the sect and nailed onto a cross beam with nails through the wrists and his ankles, and left to die slowly. Crucifixion they had called it, and they promised, one goblin would be taken at random and crucified each day, until after the alignment, and they kept their promise. They said it was their sacred duty to instil fear into the villagers as an offering to the Magnus Timor. It was obvious that the next victim was to come from this hostelry

An elderly goblin was serving food to a customer, so he was away from the bar, leaving it momentarily attended by the dwarf landlord.

“May I get you anything?” the landlord nervously asked

One of the figures looked around and then pointed at the elderly goblin who had been serving food, “Him” he spoke a strong elfish accent.

The elderly goblin froze in terror, he could remember the screams from the goblins who had been crucified over the last few days, and now it was his turn. Then his thoughts went to his son and his wife and two younglings, would they fall victims as well to this unstoppable sect of the Magnus Timor. The last he had heard from them was when they had brought the eldest a youngling of just less than five seasons to visit. Although she was not originally his son’s youngling, as her parents had been slaughtered in the troll civil war, he had taken her in to his home as his daughter, and eventually married the youngling’s aunt, with whom he had had another youngling with

“Chidal isn’t it?” the elf said to him

Chidal put his hands together and dropped to his knees, “Please” he pleaded, “I am old. Please could I not just die by the metal rod that spit’s death”

The elf came over and roughly lifted him into the air, “The next offering to the Magnus Timor for your village has already been nailed up, and her screams of terror and pain were most gratifying” the elf grinned

“But what do you want of me” Chidal asked
“I want to know where the troll’s emperor is hiding” The elf snarled
“I don’t know my lord” Chidal pleaded
“YOU WERE AT KARAM TAG CHOU, YOU MET HIM, WHERE IS HE” the elf shouted, then in a whisper, “Maybe little Shaval that youngling that your son adopted would make a good subject for tomorrow’s offering?”

Chidal went white with terror, there was no way the goblins could fight back against this mix of men, elves and other races who had joined themselves to the sect of the Magnus Timor, especially with the weapons from the realm of mortals.

“I swear my Lord” Chidal pleaded, “I was but a scullery slave there and he summoned me to answer questions about the human child he took in as his own. That was the only time I spoke to him, after that business with those humans that sold the white poison he disappeared, they never told me where”
“Because you were a scullery slave” the elf completed

There was a cough, a goblin that had been sitting by the hearth came forward, “I know where he went my lord” he told the elf

There was a gasp from the other goblins, indicating shock that someone would even think of betraying the troll emperor.

The elf placed Chidal on the floor and turned to this goblin, “And how do you know where the troll emperor is.”
The goblin explained that when the trolls sent a crew to help repair the village he had asked about the emperor and if he would make an appearance then went on to say “After the three troll clans pulled out of the convocation, they said he went home, back to the realm of mortals”
“So the troll emperor is no longer here in the Mystical Realms?” the elf sneered
“Yes my lord” the goblin replied, “he has long gone, along with his queen and princess”
“That is most pleasing to hear, as we did not want him rallying support for the trolls or any of the other races. Tell me goblin, did they say what part of the Mortal Realms he had gone to?” the elf then asked
“No my lord” the goblin answered.
“It matters not where he tries to hide in that realm, his judgement will come along with all the others from that world which betrayed our lord, the Magnus Timor” Then the elf paused, “You must be rewarded for your pleasing information”

The elf motioned to his other hooded colleague

Suddenly there was a burst of gunfire from the Kalashnikov, and the goblin that had spoken to the elf was dead.

“But he told you what you wanted to know” Chidal said before he could bide his tongue

“Yes he did” Replied the elf, “Because of his treachery I decided that he was tomorrows offering, so I mercifully rewarded him with a quicker death”
“You are too kind Zathan” the figure with the gun grinned.
“I know Jack” the elf replied, “I so enjoy the screams from this intriguing form of ritualised death you once had on Earth”
“Maybe we should pick another from this room or that goblin brat of the son of that elderly goblin” Jack said pointing towards Chidal.

Chidal shook his head, dropped to the ground on his knees and pleaded, “Please crucify me, kill me, but spare Shaval”

“Chidal my dear goblin” The elf said as he knelt down to be at Chidal’s level, “Where would the fun be in that?” then he stood up and ordered his colleague to remove the dead body of the goblin, as they were leaving.

Then just as he was leaving, said “Maybe I will pick her, maybe I will pick your son or his wife or recent new born, or maybe someone else who knows”

Then they were gone

Chidal went to the dwarf landlord, “Please may I be excused” he pleaded, “I need to warn Keval”
“You may go and warn them my friend” the dwarf said, “but how can you save them against what they have”

“Maybe I can help” a voice came from behind.
Chidal turned around, it was a leprechaun.
“What?” Chidal asked
“The emperor was told this morning of what has been going on, and we have been giving him and his family extra protection. His eldest daughter, Princess Sarah remembered you were kind to her and asked how you were, so I was asked to find you” the leprechaun replied, “I’m sorry I did not get here before that elf traitor” he apologised, then he asked the dwarf, “Can you get by without your cook for a few days?”

“I could try” the dwarf replied, “He has been a very hard and loyal worker since he started work after my daughter left for the goblin city, so I suppose he deserves a break”.

“Oh good” the leprechaun replied, grabbed Chidal’s arm and suddenly Chidal found the room swirl into some kind of weird pattern.

Then the swirling stopped and Chidal was in a large and strange bare stone room with the leprechaun.
“Welcome to Earth” the leprechaun told him, “Known to the locals as Earth”, he added and then promptly vanished.

Suddenly into the room came a swirling green dot that grew and grew into a vortex.

Out of the vortex came another two men, who he did not recognise, wearing some kind of uniform with a helmet and another form of death spitting metal rod.

Then followed Keval holding Quern, his male youngling born to his wife Lupin, but quarter of a moons cycle ago, followed by Lupin carrying Shaval, and another two men dressed as the other two men, with one of them carrying a strange box. The man with the box like object, flicked some switch and the vortex vanished

“Keval” Chidal shouted and ran to embrace his son and his youngling.
“Father” Keval replied, “These men came to take our family here to be safe from the sect terrifying the village”

Suddenly another man entered the room and the four men saluted him, and he saluted them back. The men then left the room leaving this one man looking at them. Chidal thought he recognised him, but could not think of his name. He was certainly not the emperor Graeme.

“Hello?” Chidal asked, “Thank you for bringing us to the realm of mortals, but why only us”

The man walked forward and held out his hand, Chidal recognised this gesture as a friendly one from the emperor and from when humans had trained at Karam Tag Chou, and reciprocated.

“Sorry Chidal” the man said, “We needed to test a new artificial wormhole generator we just had fabricated, and as Mr Andrews and the Clan Chief of the Manjura mentioned you, we thought a good test would be to send a small team and bring you back here”

At this Lupin walked forward still holding Shaval, who was terrified, “My Lord, to whom are we addressing, and what will you want from us in tribute” then she knelt down, still holding Shaval and looked at the floor, “Please do not take our Younglings if that is possible”

The man came over bent down and took Lupin by hand and gently lifted her up, and when she was standing released her hand and stood back.

“First of all, my name is Colonel Samuel Peters of the United States Marine Corps” the man replied, then added, “Second we are here to help your people and we will not be requiring any tribute from you, especially your children, this is our job”
“You’re not going to eat us are you?” Shaval blurted out all of a sudden and then burst out crying and trying to hide her face in Lupin’s chest.

The colonel knelt down, and in his softest voice, “Absolutely not Shaval, we don’t eat goblins or goblin children, we’re here to protect you and keep you safe”

The man then stood up, as there was a knock on the door. There was a human female at the door. Chidal thought he recognised her as well but could not place her.

“People” the colonel then told them, “This is Miss Jenny Green, she will show you to your quarters while you are here”

“Colonel” Chidal piped up, “I am grateful for you bringing us here, but what of our village?”
“Chidal, now we have established that, the unit is working, the plan is to send in a covert Special Forces team, to take out those who have captured your village, without incurring any airstrikes from dragon riders, so we will be round later for any Intel you have”
“Intel?” Queried Chidal
“Sorry, that’s short for intelligence, information that might be useful to the team going in” the colonel explained
“Oh” was all that Chidal could say, not quite sure he understood the answer, and then he gestured to his son and Lupin, it was safe to follow this human female, and so they were led out to find their temporary accommodations.

* * *

An ordinance warehouse
Somewhere in the United States of America

It was seemingly a quiet day at the warehouse. A shipment was being prepared to be delivered to the US Army of thousands of rounds of machine gun ammunition for 50mm guns and a number of hand launched fire and forget missiles.

Suddenly there was a sudden wind inside as a blue dot appeared in mid air, one of the workers looked at it in disbelief as it turned into a swirling blue vortex.

Suddenly a machinegun round went right through him killing him outright.

Several men, gnolls, orcs, troglodytes and hobgoblins poured through the blue vortex into the warehouse.

“Grab what you can and get out” one of the humans shouted as they walked passed the body of the dead worker.

Suddenly the wormhole collapsed without warning.
“Get that back up” shouted the man who had been giving orders.

An elf fiddled with an orb, “Something is blocking us” he shouted.

At this the men took of the safeties on their automatic weapons, “This sounds like a trap” he yelled as all the unarmed non human creatures stood around in confusion

Suddenly the base alarm sounded.

One of the men looked around, and saw a female worker who had tripped the security alarm. “He swung his gun round to riddle her with bullets

Suddenly she was not there, as his bullets hit the wall behind where she had been standing.

“Didn’t your mothers tell you it’s not nice to shoot at ladies” came an Irish sounding voice.

There was a burst of gunfire in its direction

“Missed me” came the voice from another direction

“You are only delaying the inevitable” then lead man shouted, “The Magnus Timor will crush you like an egg shell” he added

“Oh will he?” the Irish voice sounded from yet another location

“Leprechauns” the elf whispered to the lead man, and then the elf took out what looked like a metal triangle and held it above his head
“Try teleporting now Leprechaun” the elf shouted

No response

“Here is the deal Leprechaun” the elf continued, “You unblock the jamming of the orbs of dimension jumping, and I will allow you your teleportation ability”

“No here is the deal” came his voice from behind a crate of armaments, “You lay down your weapons, we send the non humans back and we don’t blow this warehouse to kingdom come, as the humans so elegantly put it, with you in it.

The lead man signed for his other men and the gnolls to circle around to where the voice was coming from.

“So what’s it to be?” the leprechaun’s voice persisted

The elf saw what the humans were doing so played along, stalling for time, “If you were to have this place destroyed you will be killed as well, you can not whisk your puny self away, let alone anyone else”

“We can’t let you take anymore weapons to feed your little overthrow in the Mystical Realms” the Irish voice went on.
“We are only doing the will of the Magnus Timor who was grievously wronged by both these pathetically corrupt worlds” the elf replied, still trying to stall the leprechaun
The first gunman arrived on the scene at where the voice was coming from.

It was a walkie talkie

He handed it to the leader, who keyed it, “Cute” he sneered

“Well I would not want you trapping me inside there would I” the Irish voice replied through the radio, “Not with what we are about to do”

The elf took the radio from the lead man, and keyed it, “You can’t do anything, we control the dimension jump orbs now, and in three days it will all be over. The Magnus Timor will have his revenge on both these wretched worlds”
“Mr Elf” the Irish voice persisted, “The thing about blocking dimension jump orbs, is that in order for you to use your own, you have to lift the block. Now your friends will be waiting for you back on the Mystical Realms, so they will have lifted the block there end. But if I lift the block at this end, like right now”

Suddenly, another blue vortex appeared, but this time a squad of twenty trolls poured through, each armed with repeating cross bows and swords.

One of the men tried to take a shot at a troll, but he was beaten to it as a crossbow bolt landed in his chest, killing him out right.

The non humans, apart from the elf tried desperately to flee, but they were locked in the warehouse, and there was no escape, so they surrendered to the trolls. The rest of the men started to drop their weapons.

“You think you have won” smirked the elf
“But we have” came another elven voice, a female one as she came out through the blue vortex. “And by the way” she continued, “Your telepathic attempts to contact Zathan through the crossing is being blocked by me”
“Not for long” the male elf countered, and before anyone could react, he pulled out a dagger and flung it at the female elf.

The dagger flew at her, but then flew back straight at the elf and into him.

The male elf sank to his knees as he was dying, “Magnus Timor will be avenged” was all he could utter before his body burst into flames as he died.

“Never throw a dagger at a woman wearing one of these” the female elf smirked as she held up a small crystal amulet.

Suddenly five leprechauns appeared in the warehouse and got the trolls to march the non human prisoners back through the vortex, while some of the trolls held their cross bows on the men, and the leprechauns used hand held machine pistols to ensure compliance from the human sect members.

As the vortex ended, the human security team entered into the room with their weapons drawn, to arrest the intruders. Once they had done so, the leprechauns vanished leaving one behind to instruct the security guards on where to send the men they had apprehended.

“You will get nothing from me” one of the men shouted
“Don’t be too sure” retorted the lead leprechaun, and then vanished.

* * *

The Mountains near the Central City
The Mystical Realms
Three days prior to the alignment

Hogan O’Brian finally sat down from his long climb up the mountain side. The Colonel’s strategy of opening several wormholes at once seemed to have worked. If the sect had been detecting them, they would not have known which ones were the false ones and which ones were wormholes in operation. Also it meant that they had not detected Hogan use the special leprechaun personal device to move from Earth to the Mystical Relams.

He was lucky to have found the orphaned dwarf child again and the gnome family he had been placed with. He had made sure he was not followed, especially as the sect had managed to bring army surplus jeeps from Earth with 50mm vehicle mounted machine guns to patrol the city.

The imperial courts of justice and the troll senate had been levelled by the missiles that had been brought across from Earth

The sect of the Magnus Timor were definitely in charge

He just wished he could have taken the child and his foster family to Earth, but with some of the elves having gone over to the Magnus Timor, he could not risk the crossing being detected.

Now he was in the location, according to both the dwarf child and Hadal where the former Russian Space craft was supposed to have come down.

Hogan took out a photograph that Pete Smith back on Earth had printed out for him, so he knew what to look for, if he could find it.

Suddenly he heard a sound of flapping wings, and quickly hid behind a boulder as a large red dragon flew over.

As it flew down the mountain Hogan peered at it and sighed with relief. It had no rider and was therefore still a wild dragon, still potentially dangerous, but at least not consciously hunting him.

Hogan watched as the dragon pounced on some hapless creature in the distance, which looked like some grazing beast of some kind. This dragon at least would not be hungry for a while.

Hogan scanned the terrain again with a pair of micro binoculars given to him by Commander Mark Johnston.

In the distance, about a mile away he thought he could see what appeared like dull metal. Ordinarily he would teleport straight across, but that could be detected by elven magicians working for the sect, so he had no choice but to walk.

As he walked, he had the eerie feeling he was being watched, but every time he looked around, all he could see were the mountains, the wildlife and smoke in the distance from the parts of the central city that had been destroyed before it surrendered to the sect and their over powering heavy weapons they had stolen from Earth.

At least during the civil war, some dared to fight back, but the sect had been ruthless at instilling fear. The sect had even borrowed from Earth’s brutal past, with the roads into and out of the city lined with wooden constructions, where residents were nailed up and left to die. It was called crucifixion. Hogan remembered how some people on Earth who followed a person called Jesus, who had apparently been a victim of this ancient form of death, but had risen from the dead after three days, and how these followers of Jesus would carry jewelled representations of this instrument of death. If they had seen the horror, would they still wear such jewellery?

No matter, no time for such ponderings, Hogan had a mission.

After about twenty minutes of running between the rocks, trying not to be seen, and trying to catch what or who might be following him he reached the item that he had been looking for

The old Russian Soyuz re-entry capsule

His mission was simple, gain entry, find the recording devices and see if there was anything in it that might explain how it got there and what the connection was to the sect and the legend of the Magnus Timor.

The hatch was open and the capsual had been left open to the elements, so Hogan was dubious that they might find anything, although the Clan Chief of the Manjura did point out that the air up here was dry and cold by human standards so it might be preserved.

Hogan was about to go inside when a voice came from inside
“Hogan O’Brian isn’t it?” the voice said in a strange accent.

Hogan pulled out his side arm, only for it to be yanked out if his hand and thrown down the mountain slope.

“That’s no way to greet to a master of the magical arts” came the voice as the owner climbed out It looked like an elf, but darker, it was a notorious dark elf

Hogan sneered at it, “A Drow, I might have guessed”

“Dobian at your service” the drow said

“So just like with the long dead Spirit of Lust, may she be never missed, you have thrown your lot in with the Magnus Timor sect” Hogan snarled, “And how did you track me he then asked”

“Well to answer the last part first, I’m sorry, but I must keep that to myself, one does need an edge now and then” Dobian sneered, “As for the Magnus Timor, oh please, We are Drow, we have taste and no drow has thrown their lot in with that rabble. As for the M T himself, hmm empty, quite a good description of that jumped up Major Spirit of Vice”

Hogan gave a brief laugh and shook his head, “I thought you drow were evil versions of the elves, after all you threw your lot in with the Spirit of Lust and the Arch Orc”
“Maybe we are” Dobian countered, then he continued “but we saw right through the Magnus Timor at the beginning. It was the drow that suggested we kill him outright, but no, the High Council of the Elves and Drow at the time decided they did not have the stomach to do what had to be done, and so they put him into eternal slumber, the stupid fools. As for the Spirit of Lust, we merely saw an opportunity to take back from the High Council of the Elves what was rightfully ours”

Dobian then cocked his head, and with a grin said, “Had he not been visiting the humans at the time, my job was to kill the Prince Low Troll, sorry I forget, the Clan Chief of the Manjura as he now prefers to be called, and put his head on a pole along with his father the Lord Low Troll”

Hogan raised a finger, “You are not going to touch him, he is under the protection of.”
Dobian interrupted him, “Oh please Hogan, the war is over, I no longer have an interest in his extermination, and the High Council has all been wiped out now anyway by Zathan’s treachery. I am here to help offer my services to you and the humans this time, to deal with this annoying little sect and that jumped up Spirit of Fear. I mean, using the human’s Latin for a name, meaning Great Fear, how pretentious is that”

“Us working alongside drow?” Hogan said with incredulity
“And why not” Dobian grinned, and then pulled from his pocket a yellow orb, “After all, I have one of the few dimension orbs that they don’t know about, and from my mind reading of you, when you let your guard down, I know that certain humans would love to get their hands on this pile of metal”
“Maybe I could just get what’s needed, and not use you at all”
At this Dobian pulled out from his other pocket a small crystal rod, “Or maybe I could disintegrate this piece of metal, it’s your call”

* * *

CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research
The Franco – Swiss Border

Frank walked up to the entrance after parking his car, through into the building and headed to his office. As he reached it he noticed his office door was open and made a mental note to have a word with the company that handled the contracted out cleaning.

As he walked in he found Charlene the research assistant and a woman who was incredibly short in height.
“You lied to us” Charlene told him abruptly
“What?” Frank replied
“What the lass means” the short woman began, “is that you were holding back that you already knew your experiment here was sending stuff out of this universe into another one”
“You told us to keep this to ourselves, to sit on it” Charlene continued, “You knew what was wrong with Pierre’s data before I even touched it and you said nothing”
“I told you” Frank replied, “We have had a lot of people trying to close us down saying that we were going to destroy the Earth, the political climate is not ready for this”
“But” the short woman continued, “It’s interesting how in the last few days, you scheduled extra time on this contraption of yours, above the norm for such devices”
“We were behind schedule” Frank responded, “We need to catch up”
“Or you needed to boost a wake up call” the short woman countered
“What do you mean wake up call?” Charlene asked, “what are you talking about”, but to her surprise, her supervisor seemed to know what this lady was referring to by his reaction.

“Well” Frank started, “What are you, a gnome a fairy or a leprechaun?”
“A what?” Charlene replied
The short woman pulled out an ID badge, “Clover O’Leary, G2 Special section, so what do you think”
Charlene just shook her head in disbelief, “Miss O’Leary, I thought you were from the IAEA”
“A leprechaun” Frank said ignoring Charlene, with a hint of disgust in his voice
“What are you talking about Frank?” Charlene asked, “Leprechauns are just fictional creatures, from fairy stories, looking after crocks of gold at the end of rainbows”
Clover seemed to ignore Charlene’s outburst and pointed a finger at Frank, just then Charlene noticed a small crystal rod rise from his outside jacket pocket, “A crystal of communication I see, not something the everyday scientist has on his possession” Clover remarked. Suddenly the crystal darted at Clover and she caught it in her left hand, “I think I will have that” she told him.

Charlene just shook her head and looked at the pair of them; it seemed she had been kept in the dark about more than just the results from the LHC. “You mean leprechauns are real”
“As real as you are” Frank told her, “And from this other membrane universe you discovered”
“But why Frank, another universe with intelligent life and you knew about it all along?”
“It is a bit more than that” Clover cut in, “Isn’t it Frank” then to Charlene, “Your supervisor here has been working with a very nasty group who’s leader has sworn to destroy both our worlds”
“Correction” Frank uttered, “Has promised to make a new and better world out of the dross that these two have become”
“Why?” Charlene asked, still trying to take in something so incredible
“When my son lost his wife and baby daughter because of wrangling over health insurance, leaving him to raise his son and other daughter on his own” Frank went on, “When the local health authority delays and prevaricates over who is responsible for treating my cancer I got while working for the defence industry, you get a jaded look at our governments. I was promised my son and his children would have a better life away from those who can not see past a balance sheet, I was promised that I could be cured of what they told me last month was now an incurable cancer, which could have been treated, had the health authority not been so penny pinching”
“Oh Please” Clover uttered, “You think you are the only one hard done by”
“So you would kill us all Frank” Charlene spluttered, “What did I do to you that you wanted me dead as well?”

Frank looked defensive, “I would have asked them to take you with us. We will need people like you”
“Tell me Frank” Clover then asked, “How did they say they would accomplish this feat”
“Oh no” Frank said, “You won’t get that from me”
“You’re absolutely right” Clover replied, “It won’t be I that gets it from you”

“Why is that glowing?” Charlene suddenly shouted

Clover noticed that the crystal rod in her hand had started to emit a blue light, and then she looked up. Charlene saw where she was looking to see a blue vortex a foot across hovering in mid air.
“Get down” she yelled, but it was too late.

A sudden bolt of lightning came out of the vortex and struck Frank, killing him instantly.

Charlene dropped to the floor as further bolts of lightning started to fly from the vortex. Charlene tried to crawl under a desk as the bolts got more and more ferocious. Suddenly the small woman was there on the floor with her grasping at her arm. “Time we got out of here my dear” she told her.

Suddenly Charlene felt dizzy and the room seemed to dissolve away.

Next she was in some kind of store room with this mysterious lady who claimed to be a leprechaun.
“Sorry my dear” Clover apologised, “I should have known, the crystal of communication must have been booby trapped in case anyone else got a hold of it”

Charlene shook here head, “Miss O’Leary” she asked, “Where am I?”
“Your back in England my dear. At RAF Welford to be precise, where I was going to take you anyway”

Charlene stood up and looked around, “But why, what have I done”
“We need your expertise my dear, to help save our worlds” Clover explained

A door opened and in walked a young woman who was of slight Chinese appearance. “Is this Charlene Henshaw?” the woman asked
“Yes” Clover told her,”I’m afraid they got to the professor, he’s dead”
“Bother” the woman replied, “We were hoping we could find out from him how the Magnus Timor planned to destroy our worlds”
“Can you please tell me what is going on” Charlene demanded
“Sorry” said the woman in an English accent, “My name is Sue-Lim Wang, I understand before you switched to CERN you were an expert in M-Theory and String Theory”
“Until they cut my funding for that” Charlene countered
“I’m sorry; I believe that may have been our lot trying to keep people from discovering this other world called either IDW01 or the Mystical Realms”
“What?” Charlene uttered.
“Excuse me Miss Wang” Clover butted in, “I need to deal with the clean up crew back at CERN and arrange for Miss Henshaw’s belongings to be shipped across”

Suddenly the small woman vanished into thin air.

Sue-Lim walked into the room and put her hand on Charlene’s shoulder, “We are working on boosting the power and efficiency of an artificial inter-membrane wormhole generator, and with your expertise in the field, and we could do with your help on it”
“Is this some kind of super weapon?” Charlene asked suspiciously “I don’t do weapons”
“Not really” Sue-Lim told her, “Just a means of transport between the two worlds, we need it to try and stop this Magnus Timor from destroying our world and the one Clover comes from”

For a moment Charlene hesitated so Sue-Lim pressed her, “Come on Charlene, we know about all the anti-war demos you went on, but trust me, you will be saving lives”
“After this, I can go back to CERN?”
“If you wish, but you could also join our organisation, we monitor the interchange between to two worlds to make sure nobody interferes with each other’s world”
“Look I will go along with this, until we save the world” Charlene told Sue Lim, “And then I’ll see how things go”

With that Charlene followed Sue-Lim out of the room.

* * *

RAF Welford
Berkshire / Wiltshire Border
England, Earth
Two day to alignment

[img=600x400]http://stratojetman.googlepages.com/HQBomb.jpg/HQBomb-full.jpg[/img]

Samuel finally entered the video conference room at the air base. On the monitor on a secure communication video channel was Kathryn, the chairman of the Committee overseeing the Inter Dimensional Entity Control Agency.

Around the conference table from the human side were Commander Mark Johnston, Jenny Green, Pete Smith, Sue-Lim and Charlene Henshaw. Of the non humans were Dobian the Drow, Hogan O’Brian, the Clan Chief of the Manjura and opposite the Drow, Hadal the elf.

Hadal glowered at Dobian. Elves and drow did not usually get on. Dobian decided to rise above things in a smug arrogant manner. Earlier when they had first met, Hadal had wanted to kill Dobian there and then, but had just been able to control himself. Dobian for his part taunted Hadal on how the High Elf Council had been assassinated by one of their own number, by use of Sarin gas, stolen from Earth. Hadal had agreed to work with Dobian under protest. Dobian took great pleasure in rubbing Hadal’s nose in it.

“Sorry to keep you waiting madam Chairman” Samuel said to the monitor, “I was checking on some of our guests”
“Would they be the goblin family or the men that were taken prisoner in the US and transported by leprechaun to Welford”
“Both” Samuel replied, “I wondered if the goblins would like to sit in on the briefing out of courtesy, but the one call Chidal did not think there was a lot of point, and I agree with him”
“Ok Colonel” Kathryn answered, “Were the goblins able to provide useful intelligence?”
“Yes, the team is in place, Hadal provided some amulets to protect against telepathic discovery”
“What about the human detainees” Kathryn asked
“All they know is that the Magnus Timor, once awakened will somehow destroy both our planets and create a new one for the devoted few” Samuel answered, “Apparently the elf with them knew more, but he was killed in the capture operation”
“Ok Colonel, what is the main battle plan you have in mind?” Kathryn asked
“Well remember in Lord of the Rings, they used a battle to decoy the forces of Sauron away from Frodo and Sam,
“I’m familiar with that story” Kathryn replied, “I read the book in high school”
“Well as the decoy” Samuel continued “we hope to send in troll troops from the Yataxal and the Delethon clans to retake the Central City”

The Clan Chief of the Manjura interrupted, “Most of our trained troops and those of the Rachtal were killed or captured in the attack on the citadel, and the Delethon and the Yataxal have agreed to help as atonement for the earlier treachery of their former clan leader and deputy clan leader”

Samuel waited a moment and then continued “while we send in British and American commandos to deal with the heavy weapons. We have just about scaled up the artificial wormhole generators to allow two Apache helicopters for limited air support”
“So” Kathryn then asked “Who is the proverbial ring bearer”
“Myself, Commander Johnston, Miss Green and Mr O’Brian will be investigating one of the volcanoes to the south of Karam Tag Chou, apparently as the sect was starting to spread there were tremors reported in that region”
“With all due respect” Dobian interrupted, “Madame Chairman, I do not doubt the spirit of the colonel and his team, but he is planning to go up, if he finds him, the very first ever major spirit of vice. It was us drow who saw him for what he is, even though our elf brethren at the time refused to see the danger in allowing him to live”

At this Hadal just glowered

“I would propose, that I accompany the colonel and his team”
“So you can stab him in the back like all treacherous drow do” Hadal cut in, unable to contain himself any longer
“Treachery” Dobian countered, “So far, no drow has touched the sect with a long troll pike, unlike the elves who are divided and leaderless thanks to the treacherous Zathan who was once on the High Elf Council”

“Hadal” Samuel interrupted, “Dobian has a point, now I am aware of your racial animosity but both of your peoples are at risk from this threat, so we need to join forces, and if Dobian has expertise with the Magnus Timor”
“Then I will be coming with you as well” Hadal interupted, “to keep an eye on him” he added glowering at the drow

“Listen to yourselves” Jenny blurted out, “you are just like squabbling children, when both our worlds are in danger” Jenny then remembered where she was and uttered a feeble apology to the colonel and shut up.

“I am more than willing to work with Hadal” Dobian spoke up, and then added, as a dig at the elf, “even if he can not bring himself to utter my name”

Next to speak was Hogan, “Colonel, if you are taking an elf and a drow, perhaps I ought to be involved in the attack on the city, you can’t have too many people traipsing around in the fire mountains, besides the more people gating in, the more chance they will discover you.”
“Hogan” Samuel replied, “I still make the decision of who goes with whom, and we may need someone with your teleport skills”
“But colonel” Hogan replied, “If you have an elf and a drow, you don’t need me for that, they can do those requisite feats”
“Well if the leprechaun is afraid” Dobian cut in.
“I am not afraid” Hogan shouted back, “I have been decorated for more battles than you have been involved in treachery. There are only so many who can travel to the chambers under the Fire Mountains”
“Enough” Samuel shouted, then in a quieter voice, “Sorry madam Chairman, Hadal will be with the forces involved in Central City. Hogan will come with me, as will Dobian, Mark and Jenny”
“Don’t worry Hadal” Hogan muttered, “I will watch the drow”
“Oh Hogan, you wound me, what can I do to win your trust” Dobian said in a smug and feigned tone of hurt
“Quit breathing” Hogan muttered under his breath.

“Excuse me Mam, Colonel” came Sue-Lim’s voice as she raised her hand.

“Yes Miss Wang” Kathryn replied over the video link

“We may not have got the information from the elf about what the Magnus Timor plans to do, but due to the investigation of the Soyuz re-entry capsule carried out by myself, Pete and Charlene, we did find some things that could indicate what he might be trying to do”
“Go on” Kathryn said
“We managed to download some of the telemetry and the audio logs from the old soviet capsule brought back” Pete chimed in at Sue-Lim’s prompting
“But I thought those Russian jobs were seat of the pants technology in those days” Mark interrupted
“The others may have been” Pete responded, “But this one was built differently, it may have been one of those originally built to be unmanned like those that were flown in 1971 before the soviets cancelled their manned lunar programme in 1974 so we had some data. From what I can tell, as soon as the spacecraft passed through what the cosmonauts called a rip in space”
“An inter-dimensional wormhole?” Kathryn asked
“Yes” Sue Lim replied, “That is exactly what it was since the craft was sent to the universe of IDW01”
“Where?” Dobian asked
“It’s our official designation for your world, which some of you call the Mystical Realms” Samuel interjected
“Seems like a strange name for a planet” Pete commented, “Why don’t you adopt the name say Planet Mystercon”

At that the room went silent

Pete suddenly looked sheepish, muttered “Oh, where were we, oh yes” and then continued, “Anyway, according to the logs we were able to recover, as soon as they passed through to the Mystical Realms the interference on some of the logs just stopped indicating that the wormhole collapsed”
“Don’t they do that anyway?” Kathryn asked
“No Mam” Sue-Lim answered, “The ones done by the orbs which were captured under the previous administration when they were reverse engineered showed that they still stayed up and required the user to actually shut them down”

“That is indeed true” The Clan Chief of the Manjura volunteered, “You open the crossing, travel through or send someone through and close it after you have done so”
“It is the same with the artificial one” Sue-Lim added

“But” Pete cut in, “Here is the really interesting bit, the radar data on the Soyuz, if you couple it with the data recorded about the propulsion data, given weight and mass taken from the soviet archives”
“Get to the point Pete” Samuel interrupted
“The rip, it was moving at the time the space craft intercepted it” Pete answered, and then he added, “And the radar also showed that it was also widening”

There was a hush, as a sudden unspoken realisation began to permeate the room, and the temporary office of the Chairman of the Committee.

“Which direction was it moving” Kathryn asked

“Given the” Pete began, then stopped, “It was heading straight for Earth”
“Mam” Sue-Lim spoke up, “If it had not been for that Russian space craft, the rip would have hit Earth at a size wide enough to take the Earth through to the other universe twenty minutes later”
Pete then spoke, “I suppose it will be cold comfort to the families of those cosmonauts, if they are still alive, that by going through the rip, they collapsed it and saved the Earth”

“What do you mean saved the Earth” Kathryn asked.

“Mam” Pete began, “According to the audio logs, when they hit the wormhole they were travelling away from the Earth, but when they passed through the wormhole, they were approaching Mystercon, sorry IDW01 with a slight increase in speed towards it. They had to use all the fuel in the lunar lander just to get down to a speed they could safely enter the atmosphere”

This time it was Charlene who spoke up, “Mam, what Mr Smith is trying to say is that”

Kathryn interrupted, “If the space craft had not been there the Earth would have been dragged into the other universe and collided with the world of the Mystical Realms”

“Yes Madam Chairman” Charlene answered

“Given what the sect members have been saying” Hogan chipped in, “It sounds very much like what the Magnus Timor is trying to do”
“But what about this new world he is promising” Jenny asked
“Simple” Charlene replied, “They believe in the early days of the solar system, a Mars size planet hit the early Earth, creating the Earth and the moon as they are now”
“But that would take thousands of years if not millions before any planet formed or remaining after such a collision could support life” Pete objected
“Maybe that is something the Magnus Timor is keeping from his followers” Samuel suggested
“Do not under estimate him” Dobian chipped in, “He does have the power to keep them in a form of suspension until such a new world was ready”

“So bottom line is” Samuel said, “This Magnus Timor is planning to destroy us by smashing our two worlds together”
“And he is two days from doing so” Sue-Lim observed.

To be continued

[Sticks]

Episode VII – Duplicitas Se Gero

Duplicitous Conduct

It’s the end of the world as we know it (And I feel Fine)
R.E.M

Youtube video

(1987)

The end of the world is one of the things that haunt the human psyche because we can conceive of a time when the Earth will be no more, or some cataclysmic event that will wipe out all life on Earth

Some wonder how it will happen, and many a myth has arisen, for instance impacts by celestial bodies, such as asteroids and comets. As recently as 1910 people believed that comets might have poisonous compounds in their tail, as Halley ’s Comet made it’s periodic return. People were advised to lock themselves indoors to be safe from these nonexistent toxins.

But these fears are not totally without foundation, as there are, what astronomers call NEOs out there, or Near Earth Objects. Many times a year large objects cross the path of the Earth’s orbit, but we are safe because the Earth is not there at the time.

But sometimes that is not always so.

In 1908 we had the Tunguska event when a vast area of Siberia was flattened by what is believed to be a comet. Nobody was killed, but it is said that if it had hit a few hours earlier, a major city could have been obliterated in a second, such was the force.

Many attribute the death of the dinosaurs to a single collision of an asteroid in the Gulf of Mexico, and movies such as Deep Impact and Armageddon play on these fears. Some have even produced computer simulations of what could happen should a massive asteroid were to hit us, such as this one originally done in Japanese, to which one person added the song “Casino” from “Run Lola Run”

Youtube video

(A version with commentary in English)

Thankfully such collisions are rare

However, at RAF Welford, the temporary home of the remains of the Inter Dimensional Control Agency, the analysis of the remains of an old Soyuz space craft that ended up on the parallel world of the Mystical Realms, has yielded evidence that is chilling. The evidence suggests that the Magnus Timor, the figurehead leader of a dangerous sect that, with stolen heavy weapons from Earth, has initiated a coup de tat in the Mystical Realms, intends, when all the moons around that world have aligned on the same side of the planet, causing the spell forcing him into eternal slumber to be at it’s weakest, to open up a massive wormhole, in order to smash the planet of the Mystical Realms, into the Planet Earth. This is to wreak revenge for his banishment from Earth and imprisonment on the Mystical Realms

And there are only two days to the alignment, and the sect is firmly entrenched.

+-+-+

RAF Welford
Berkshire / Wiltshire Border
England, Earth
Two day to alignment

[img=600x400]http://stratojetman.googlepages.com/HQBomb.jpg/HQBomb-full.jpg[/img]

“Two days to the end of the world?” Kathryn asked over the video link
“Yes Mam” Sue-Lim replied, “That is when all of the moons around IDW01 all line up”
“That’s not a lot of time to hunt for him” Kathryn then said
“Which means” Samuel interrupted, “We need to get started”

Pete then interrupted, “Dobian?”
“Yes?” the drow replied
“Back in our 1969 when the space ship passed through his large wormhole and closed it, would he have known what had happened?” Pete asked
“I would believe he would” Dobian replied
“I can not believe” Hadal the elf snarled, “That I would be agreeing with a drow, but I would have to concur. The Magnus Timor would have known his wormhole would have collapsed and that the much smaller object than the world of the Realm of Mortals had come through”

“What are you going with this Pete” Samuel asked
“Colonel, Madam Chairman” Pete began, “We have established that if an object goes through the wormhole opened by the Magnus Timor, it collapses the wormhole”
“Yes” Samuel said slowly
“Well” Pete continued, “What he had not reckoned with was the advent on Earth of the Space Age, and if he knew, before he was sent to sleep again, the nature of the space craft, he would have to assume we were putting such objects into orbit around the planet”
“Meaning?”
“Colonel” Sue-Lim broke in, “What Pete is pointing out is that if the Magnus Timor were to open the wormhole in this universe again, it would be shut down as soon as it encountered a fairly large satellite or piece of space junk, so he would have to do it the other way around. Send IDW01 through a wormhole to hit the Earth”
With an air of realisation Samuel replied, “Because those on the Mystical Realms don’t have a space programme”
“Exactly sir” Pete cut in, “So we need to get a space ship, launch it in our world and using one of the extended size wormhole generators, send it into orbit around IDW01, so it is the opposite side to the moons.
“So that is why the alignment is so useful” Mark cut in, “The moons are all on one side leaving the other side free to bring in the wormhole as it were, to that side”
“One problem Peter” Samuel said, “Where are going to get a space ship, even with the extended size wormhole generators, the space shuttle would be too big”
“Not to mention the stress on the vehicle of the travel through the wormhole” Mark added
“Why not do what was done in 1969” Pete chimed in, “Use another Soyuz, like the ones they use to visit the International Space Station, that would be small enough”
“Is there one ready to fly though?” Kathryn asked.

Pete thought for a moment, then shook his head, “No Madam Chairman, the next flight on the launch pad according to one website is that of a Progress Space craft”
“But that’s just an unmanned re-supply craft” Mark responded
“Yes” Pete confirmed, “But even so it does have a pressurised forward module and it is still small enough. All they have to do is remove the cargo, and retrofit a flight seat, but we have to get them to do it now”
“Why?” Mark asked, “Are you planning on flying it”
“Well it has to be manned, we have to have someone who can steer it to wherever the wormhole begins to appear” Pete explained
“Why not get one of their guys to fly it, after all they will have trained with that technology” Mark then asked
“Would they know what to look for? I do” Pete insisted
Samuel turned back to the video link, “Do the Russians know of our IDEC programme?”
“Well if I can get the help of G2 special unit, we could”
“Mam” Sue-Lim spoke up, “They would need two seats”
“What do you mean?” Samuel asked.
“Colonel, we have only two of the extended wormhole generators and they need an operative with them. One has to be used for the Mystical Realms assault team and the other for any spacecraft we might use”
“Well train someone up” Samuel insisted
“With all due respect sir, Mam” Sue Lim insisted, “there is not time. Only Charlene and I know how to work these things as we have been working together on them”
“So you want me in the space craft Sue-Lim” Charlene asked her
“Charlene, you may know about string and M theory, but you do not speak Russian” Sue-Lim told her, “I do” Then Sue-Lim turned to Pete and gently stroked his face, “I love you Pete, I so wanted to be with you and yes I would marry you like you asked last night, but Mark is right, I don’t want you flying this mission, it has to be a trained cosmonaut”

Next Sue-Lim turned to the colonel, to head off any objections, “And Colonel, I don’t care if my father is Mr Vee, Double-you Ex, Why or Zed, I have to fly that mission, I am the only logical choice”
“Is there another option?” Samuel asked, “We could try and take out the Magnus Timor before he can do anything”

This time Dobian interrupted, “That is all very noble colonel, but the female is right, you can not count on getting to him before he opens that wormhole as you put it, and even if you did, you may still not be able to stop him. Colonel, what ever your feelings for this female, prudence demands you have a back up plan”
“NO!” Pete insisted, “The progress space craft does not have re-entry capability, they are designed to burn up after leaving the space station. If you get stuck in orbit around IDW01”
“Pete” Sue-Lim interrupted, “We will have the wormhole generator that would get us back to orbit around Earth, and we just rendezvous with the ISS”
“But Sue-Lim, honey” you wont have the fuel or the trajectory” Pete insisted

“Mr Smith” Dobian broke in, “You may love her but as I just said, she is right, there is no option”, then the drow turned to the video link, “Madame Chairman” he addressed her, “You must get this spacecraft contraption”
“I will do what I can” Kathryn replied.

At this Sue-Lim got up, “I need to pack and try and get a flight to Baikonour”
“If you wait a moment Sue-Lim” Hogan told her “We can get a leprechaun to take you there, especially as we not only have to convince the Russians, but placate them for keeping the Mystical Realms from them”
“But they weren’t” Dobian cut in
“But we never told them about you” Kathryn cut in

“But we did” the drow replied, “The Drow High Council after the end of the civil war when they saw how effective your United States of America was, decided to make overtures to the other superpower on your world, just in case we ever ran up against you”
“This is news to us” Kathryn responded
“Well you kept them out of your little alliance, what did you expect?” Dobian asked
“So” Hadal muttered, “The treachery of the drow extends beyond the Mystical Realms”
“I would not say treachery, my dear elf friend, I would say prudence, and I must add, Madame Chairman, just pass greetings from Raxon our leader of the Drow High Council, then I am certain you will find the Russians more amenable to our request for one of their space ships”

“Thank you Dobian” Kathryn told him, “But I must add, since we are working together we appreciate all your co-operation on saving our two worlds .Looks like we all have a lot to do”

With that Kathryn signed off

Everybody stood up to go to their assignments

Suddenly on the table, Shamus McTuckle appeared, “I’m here to take Miss Wang to Baikonur in Kazakhstan” he announced.
.
Pete gave Sue-Lim a big hug, “I love you Sue-Lim” he uttered
“You just stay safe, here on Earth” Sue-Lim replied. With that she went and took Shamus’ hand, and was teleported away.

Jenny Green and Commander Mark Johnston walked up to the Colonel, “We’ll suit up and be with you in half an hour Sam” Mark told him
“Make that twenty minutes” Samuel replied, then he turned to Jenny, “Remember twenty first century Amazon look, I want you wearing more than just a skirt”
“I’ll still bring my short bow Samuel” Jenny told him, “It seems to be the most effective weapon I’m good at sir”
“Maybe Jenny, I just wish I had been able to get you up to speed with the M16” Samuel told her
“Is that much different from the SA80” Jenny asked, then added, “Before my fiancé Darren died, when I visited his barracks once, he showed me one and I had a chance of pulling the trigger after he removed the ammunition”
“Did you get a chance to actually fire one on a range with live ammo?” Samuel asked
Jenny shook her head
“Jenny, there is a world of difference between dry firing and live firing” Samuel told her softly, “Now go and get ready”
“Yes sir” Jenny replied and left the briefing room with Mark as they locked fingers as they left.

Another two leprechauns appeared, “I’m here to take Hadal and Charlene” one of the leprechauns said
“What about the wormhole generator” Charlene asked
“Already there” the leprechaun replied

Charlene went to take the leprechaun’s hand, but first spoke to the colonel, “I can not believe, that for years I have been protesting about military involvement and now I am a key part of it?”
“And it’s because of military involvement down the years Miss Henshaw that gave you the right to protest” Samuel replied.
With that Charlene took the leprechaun’s hand and along with Hadal was teleported away.

“I will wait outside to go with your expedition with Hogan” Dobian said, and the two left.

All that were left in the room were Samuel, Pete and the Troll Clan Chief of the Manjura.

“What can I do?” the troll asked
“Like I said, sit tight here at Welford” Samuel replied
“But this does not seem right, you, the commander Jenny, Hogan and even that drow are going into battle and me hiding away like a coward” the clan chief objected
“I feel the same way” Pete chipped in.

“Look! I have already lost several non combatants” Samuel replied, “I do not intend to loose any more. Clan Chief, when this is over, if we can stop the Magnus Timor, you will be needed to help bring governance back to the Mystical Realms. Pete, you can co-ordinate with the Russians via the MTAC here on Earth. That’s my decision, and it’s final”

With that Samuel walked out of the room leaving Pete and the Clan Chief to look at each other and sigh. It was as if there was a big party, and they had been told they were not invited.

* * *

United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Jacksonville, North Carolina, United States of America

Charlene sat in the co-pilot gunner position, in front of the first Apache helicopter as it hovered near the ground at the marine camp, and dialled in the controls on the extended wormhole generator, they had to appear five miles from the city.

They were ready to go, they just needed the signal. Several other wormhole generators needed to be set in motion as decoys to try and swamp anyone in the Mystical Realms who might be detecting them.

“We have a clear to proceed” came a voice through her headset in her helmet.

Charlene engaged the extended wormhole generator, and a massive green vortex appeared in the air in front of them. Slowly the lead helicopter inched through.

After what seemed like a massive green-wash in the helicopter, the Apache emerged in what seemed like a mountain pass, but Charlene was not looking at any of the scenery, as she was closely monitoring the wormhole generator to keep various readings in equilibrium to allow a safe crossing.

The second Apache emerged from the vortex, and the one with Charlene set down on a flat piece of ground whilst the second one remained in a high guard defence.

Four armoured troop carriers drove through the wormhole, followed by one Abram’s tank.

At this point Charlene switched off the wormhole generator.

A man got out of one of the troop transports and ran to the helicopter Charlene was in and opened the cockpit so Charlene along with the wormhole generator could get out of the helicopter and allow it’s gunner to get in place.

Charlene handed him the helmet, it was cramping her platinum blonde hair anyway.

As the helicopters flew out towards the city, Charlene carried the wormhole generator back to the troop transport the gunner had got out of, to be met by Hadal.

“I am impressed with your heavier than air machines” Hadal told her, “And you are sure they do not use magic spells to fly”
“Nah we don’t use magic” Charlene replied, “It’s pure physics, chemistry and aerodynamics”

The two them stood watching the marines get ready to mobilise, until Hadal was called to get into one of the troop carriers heading for the city.

The plan was simple for the first attack; the helicopters were to locate all the machinegun mounted jeeps being used by the sect and to take them out.

Should any dragon riders show up, well the helicopters had been armed with an anti missile defence system, plus the cannons would make mincemeat of any attacking dragon.

The pilot and gunner of both aircraft had been kited out with amulets of protection from spells, made by both Hadal and Dobian, and Hadal hated the fact that he had had to work with a drow, a dark elf, the sworn enemy of all elves.

Usually, Charlene had heard the next tactic would have been a bombardment of the city with a multi launch rocket system, but due to the high number of innocent civilian casualties that would generate, it would have to be hand to hand fighting, although they were to be joined in battle by the Troll clan of the Yataxal, now clear of the crack cocaine that they had once been addicted to, sold to them by Columbian drug dealers who had found an orb of dimension jumping.

The tank was to lead the way, for fire power, and hopefully to psyche the humans who had joined the sect from Earth into surrendering.

One of the armoured troop carriers was to hold position where they were, this was where Charlene was to stay, away from the combat zone and hopefully out of harm’s way.

Hadal was to go into battle, to defend against any unexpected spells.

It was not how the Americans usually did things, normally they would have more for “overwhelming force“ but even the extended wormhole generator was limited, and besides, apart from the heavy calibre machine guns and the missiles, the sect did not have the kind of weapons the Americans usually came up against.

Clover the leprechaun who had collected her from CERN got out of one of the troop carriers and made her way to Charlene.
“I’m your backup my dear” she told Charlene, “in case we need to get you and that wormhole generator gizmo out of the way”
“Clover” Charlene began, “I spent ages studying string theory and M-theory, theorising the possibility of parallel worlds”
“And now you off to war in one” Clover completed, then added, “Life’s funny like that”

* * *

Baikonur Cosmodrome
Kazakhstan

Ivan Alekseev entered the room where Sue-Lim was being suited up, “So you must be the specialist“ he told her in Russian
“And I believe you must be the pilot“ Sue-Lim replied, also in Russian
“Where did you learn your Russian?“ Ivan asked
“The Soviet Embassy in England” Sue-Lim replied, “My father abandoned us in England and my mother could not afford a child minder when she got the cleaning job there, so she took me along and I picked it up”
“And now you work for British intelligence” Ivan observed
“Not quite but close enough” Sue-Lim answered back in Russian

Just then they were interrupted by the person suiting Sue-Lim and another person who wanted to suit Ivan up.

“I have to leave you now and suit up as well” Ivan said, “I understand they were not happy working through the night to retrofit the Progress to carry two people as there was no time to replace it with a proper Soyuz” with that he left, not bothering to wait for a reply from Sue-Lim.

It took a further hour for both of them to be suited up, and then it was time for the ride to the Progress craft sitting atop the Proton rocket in the twilight. This was to be a night time launch, as they had no time to loose. It would be this rocket that would be taking them in to orbit, except, during the launch it would be Sue-Lim’s job after the final stage separation to activate the other extended wormhole generator, to send the progress craft into the universe of the world of the Mystical Realms, so it would be in orbit around that world.

This would not be as straight forward as any other deployment of the artificial wormhole generators, as they would have to make sure their speed after exiting the wormhole would be suitable for the higher orbit they were due to land in. This was to save fuel, so the Progress craft would have fuel to briefly break orbit and head for any rip in space, should one occur, and if one should not, then after a return through another wormhole the plan would be to make it to the International Space Station, dock and shelter aboard the station until the USS Endeavour could collect them.

Sue-Lim did her breathing exercise as she was strapped into her seat, the engineers had done an excellent job, but it was still a retro-fit. If only a Soyuz had been ready to fly, they at least could return safely to a planet surface, whether it be Earth or the Mystical Realms.

“This will be my third mission into space” Ivan said to Sue-Lim, again in Russian
“Only three times?” Sue-Lim countered
“Why Miss Wang, how many times have you been into space”
“I haven’t, I just thought I would be getting someone with more experience”

Ivan thought for a moment as the pre-flight checks were being carried out, “Unfortunately they all thought this would be a suicide mission” he joked
“And why are you flying it” Sue-Lim asked in Russian
“Because I want to see another planet before I die” Ivan replied, “I would not miss this for the world”

After another moment Ivan then said, “In the briefing I could hardly believe what I was hearing, until that sprite appeared with you and disappeared in front of us”
“You mean Shamus McTuckle the leprechaun from the Republic of Ireland’s special diplomatic service” Sue-Lim replied
“Yes Miss Wang”, then he said, “Do you know what my favourite bit was?”
“No?” Sue-Lim said, questioningly
“That Armstrong was only able to walk on the moon because in 1969 it was the Russians who saved the world”
“Well, it looks like it is down to the Russians again” Sue-Lim suggested.
Ivan Grinned, “Just like in World War two, it is down to us to save the western world’s butt”
“As long as some one does” Sue-Lim commented.

Then it was the final moments until the launch.

Just before the Progress ship took off, Ivan yelled in English, “Good Luck”

Youtube video

Then the flight was off

It seemed like a perfect textbook launch, mostly because until the last separation it would be controlled from the ground, as a Progress space vehicle was normally unmanned.

Sue-Lim then found it hard to work the controls of the wormhole generator as she fought against the G-forces of the launch, but she was persistent and the machine started to build up power, as she entered the co-ordinates and the speed and velocity the wormhole was to put them in the other universe. She was also tense as she monitored the energy and radiation levels, which were more critical than on the smaller versions.

If anything went wrong, because of the early launch, they were in the wrong position to get to the ISS.

Finally the last stage fell away and immediately Sue-Lim engaged the wormhole generator. In front of the space craft a massive green vortex appeared, and the Progress craft sailed through. Both Sue-Lim and Ivan experienced a green wash as they passed through the wormhole.

Suddenly they were through, and were looking down from a high orbit at the world of the Mystical Realms, above them were the moons, as they were beginning to line up. By the time they did, the progress craft was due to be on the other side, to intercept any rip in space. The main anxiety had been, if it were to occur, would it be in time, or would they be travelling away from it in the orbit and unable to reach it in time to close it, before it swallowed the planet to send it crashing into Earth.

Just then there was the sound of something shorting out.

To Sue-Lim and Ivan’s horror, the wormhole generator had fused.

They were now trapped in orbit, unable to make landfall as the Progress craft was designed to burn up and unable to return to Earth, should the rip not appear.

* * *

An undisclosed location
Washington DC
United States of America

Kathryn sat at the desk of her temporary new office and stared into the distance. She hardly noticed when the figure of General Keith Jackson entered the room

Kathryn noticed him and looked up, “This is the second time we have sent people into action”

Keith just nodded and approached Kathryn.

“We lost just about everyone the first time” Kathryn went on.

Again Keith seemed strangely silent.
Kathryn looked up at the general, “Are you ok Keith?” she asked

Keith grinned, and suddenly morphed into the form of Kathryn, “Time to replace you and call off your pathetic forces” the new Kathryn sneered in Kathryn’s own voice. The new Kathryn darted at the original Kathryn and grabbed her right arm in a vice like grip before she could activate the panic alarm.
“Don’t worry” came a metallic sounding voice, “I will be quick in killing you”, and then it placed another hand above Kathryn’s head, ready to twist her head of and snap her neck, although this hand had morphed into a claw.

BANG, BANG, BANG

The sound of a rifle split the office as the new Kathryn released it’s grip on the original Kathryn and stumbled backwards and collapsed against the wall of the office.

Suddenly it was not Kathryn’s shape but suddenly looked like some grey skinned and tall skinny creature

Then no sooner had it changed into this form, did it spontaneously burst into flames, while Kathryn looked on in horror.

Then she turned to look at who her saviour was, an elderly man, in an old style coat, and holding a semi-automatic rifle so that it was pointing up.
“Armour piercing bullets” the elderly man said, “The only way to stop an HIDE47”
“A what?” Kathryn replied, still in a state of shock.
“A Doppelganger Assassin, they come from IDW01” the elderly man replied, “I went to see the general and found his body, with the classic tell tale signs of one of these creatures, so I grabbed this” at this he waved the rifle, “From his office and headed over here”
“Keith’s dead?” Kathryn uttered.
“I’m afraid so” the elderly man replied, “Somehow whoever hired the assassin knew where he was and where you are, we have a leak”

Suddenly three armed military policemen arrived at the office, the elderly man handed one of them a rifle and showed a pass with the other hand. “We just had an assassination attempt on our chairman” The elderly man told them and pointed to the pile of ash where the doppelganger had been, “But the situation is under control, please take care of this rifle”

One of the MP’s looked towards the much shaken Kathryn, bit Kathryn just nodded in agreement with the elderly gentleman.

The man then told the MP’s where to find the general’s body and that he had been killed by an HIDE47

The MP stared at him blankly, before the elderly gentleman explained further what it was.

After the MP’s were satisfied and left, the elderly gentleman closed the door.
“Well Mr Vee” Kathryn opened with, “I suppose you are going to say I told you so”
“And why would I say that Kathryn?” the elderly man replied in a polite manner
“You were sceptical of the intentions of those from the Mystical Realms” Kathryn explained
“So I was” Mr Vee responded, “but it would be churlish for an I told you so’

“I hear you dealt with Mr Davies who hijacked our organisation” Kathryn then said.
“Let’s just say I terminated our relationship with extreme prejudice” Mr Vee smirked, “He was loose cannon”
“So now you save my life, so I don’t ask you for your resignation” Kathryn countered
“Oh Kathryn, Kathryn, Kathryn” My Vee muttered, “You are so cynical” Mr Vee added, before pausing and coming back with, “There’s hope for you yet”
“You didn’t come here to just save my life, I know you, what do you want?” Kathryn asked him, then before he answered, “And before you ask, no I will not be interning the former minor spirits of virtue”
“Well saving your life was just an added bonus; I just wanted you to know of my continuing loyalty to you, the committee and this wonderful country, as for those former minor spirits of virtue, I have no further interest in them, now it is quite clear from the examination of the one in New York, that they are completely divested of their powers, though if we ever found one, do you think we should be so quick to turn them into normal humans, if they have powers we could”
“NO” Kathryn cut in, “That was not the deal we cut with the trolls, if they continue to have their powers here on Earth; the trolls would consider them guilty of meddling in our affairs and have them arrested to face trial on IDW01”
“With all due respect Kathryn” Mr Vee pressed, “The rules of the game have changed, the trolls are not in power at this time, once we deal with that sect, we could put our own people in”
“Our people will be the troll government” Kathryn insisted, “And they will be grateful to us for putting them back in power and keeping them there

Mr Vee thought for a moment and then smiled, “OK Kathryn, I see you do know how to play politics after a fashion. Well I better go away and start looking for a new aide, one that is less ambitious than the last one”

Just as Mr Vee was leaving, Kathryn said to him, “Just one thing, outside of this office, it is Madame Chairman”
“As you wish Madam Chairman, As you wish”

As he left, Kathryn sat down, she could not believe it, not only had a doppelganger assassin killed her friend the general, it had almost got through to her. As bad as that was, the situation was worse, they were facing almost certain death from a planet being about to be smashed into the Earth, and people in the know, in DC were still playing political games.

Including her

* * *

A goblin village
The Mystical Realms

[img=600x400]http://gwvault.ign.com/images/Guides/preapocascalon/Ashford_Village_big.jpg[/img]

The lone figure of the hooded man stood out in noonday suns among the other hooded figures of troglodytes, gnolls and disaffected elves, as he carried his favourite Kalashnikov rifle by his side.

They were leading two goblin younglings who were near to adulthood, a male and a female who had been forced to carry a wooden cross beam on their shoulders.

Behind them drove a jeep with a 50mm machinegun attached

Other goblins looked on, some crying, some shaking their heads. None of them wanted to be there to witness another execution of goblins picked for no reason. Yet again they would be forced at the point of the “metal rods that spat death” as they called them, to watch as metal nails would be used to drive through the hands and feet of goblins would then be hoisted up on wooden staves, with the wooden crossbeams affixed. There the victims in immense pain would take hours to die of shock and suffocation. Crucifixion the human’s had called it.

The man Jack positively delighted in having goblins tortured in this way, he was a sadist after all.

They reached the place of execution, and the two goblin younglings were forced to the ground and the wooden beam was fixed to the long stave that would be hoisted up. The female goblin was in hysterics, a good sign for the members of the Magnus Timor sect. The more fear induced, the stronger the Magnus Timor would become.

The troglodytes brought out the nails and then forced the two goblin’s hands into position and placed the nails over their wrists. The gnolls brought out the hammers to the troglodytes, who took them, and then with glee drove the nails through both wrists of both goblins simultaneously and into the wood of the cross beam.

Then while both goblins were screaming in pain, the troglodytes grabbed their legs, and forced them down against the long stave so the feet were held together.

More nails

This time the nails were put in position on the ankles.

BANG, BANG went the hammers to drive the nails through the goblin’s ankles into the wood. More screaming

Now with the goblin victims, screaming in pain, the staves were pulled up, into the vertical position.

“Behold” Yelled Jack above the screams, “Two more offered to the Magnus Timor. May their terror as they die be an acceptable offering and provide sustenance to help bring vengeance on the treacherous worlds”

Suddenly the jeep exploded as a rifle grenade hit it in the gas tank.

Jack turned round to face the direction where the shot had come from. Coming through the village was what looked like a British SAS officer

Jack reached for his Kalashnikov, which turned out to be his last ever action as the SAS officer shot him dead.

The goblin villagers took advantage of the confusion to flee

Two more SAS officers came from the other direction, and some of the gnolls and the troglodytes scattered, into the waiting arms of a squad of trolls from the Delethon clan, armed with cross bow bolts as they stepped out of a green vortex that suddenly appeared.

The elves stood their ground and strung their bows, and fired at the SAS officers. The arrows hit them, but failed top penetrate the Kevlar they were wearing as part of their body armour.

A second later the elves were cut down by the bullets from the SA80’s carried by the SAS officers.
Another group of gnolls turned up out of a green vortex to deal with more fleeing sect members, cutting off their avenue for retreat from the trolls.

Faced with the pincer movement, and loss of their leader, their surrender was swift.

One of the SAS officers identified himself as the commander and called over two of the trolls and ordered them to lower the staves with the two goblins nailed on them to the ground.

The SAS commander felt on the necks for pulses as the goblins had just about passed out, while the troll’s then pulled out the nails from the ankles and the feet.

Just then another elf emerged from the village carrying a satchel, and ran up to where the SAS commander was with the goblins.
“There still alive, barely” yelled the SAS commander

The elf reached inside his satchel and pulled out two green vials

“Administer this to them” the elf told them, “It is healing potion”
The SAS commander looked puzzled
“It is as he says” one of the trolls said as he took the potion from the elf, opened it and put it to the lips of the male goblin for his reflex swallowing action to kick in.
The SAS officer did the same for the female goblin.

Then they watched as the physical injuries miraculously healed as if they had never been.

Then the elf got between the two goblins, placed a hand on each of them, “I am removing the memory of the crucifixion” he told the SAS commander

Then the elf asked, “Why did you wait until these two had been nailed up before acting”
“Sorry sir” the SAS commander apologised, “We had to wait for the GO signal that the trolls were ready”

The two goblins recovered and hugged each other, thanking the SAS commander, the elf and the trolls at the same time.

The commander of the troll squad then called for one of his trolls to escort the goblins home.

“This village has suffered badly”, the elf then said to the commander, “Their leaders were butchered by the sect, so we may have to stay until they can set up new...”

Suddenly his words were drowned out by the sound of a new explosion, as several of the trolls along with some of the prisoners were incinerated by a fireball.

There was the flap of wings as out of nowhere, a dragon with a rider swooped down.

Then the SAS commander and the elf was brought down in a hail of machine gun fire as the dragon rider shot them as he flew passed them, with his machine gun.

The remaining SAS officers opened fire at the dragon and the rider, but he was skilful and flew down below some of the buildings.

Two of the trolls still left picked up the goblins and rushed to find cover.

There was more flapping of dragon wings, coming from somewhere, as two of the SAS officers grouped together and tried to workout from where the dragon would be coming.

Suddenly it reappeared, as if from thin air, and let loose another deadly ball of flame at the SAS officers.

Direct hit – they were incinerated in seconds

Just then another dragon rider flew in and joined the battle

The remaining sect members took this as an opportunity to overpower the gnolls that were guarding them.

With in a short space of time, the two dragons whirled around in the air, finding trolls and gnolls, and either incinerating them or allowing their riders to cut them down with machine guns.

The trolls with the two goblins were among those incinerated.

One remaining SAS officer found partial cover, and was about to go to grounds as his training had taught him, when he found himself unable to move.

“Looks like” said the voice behind him, “We will have today’s crucifixion after all”, then he said into what sounded like a radio, “This is Zathan, our inside contact was right, bring down the others, and arrange for ten more crucifixions to punish the village and to show we mean business. I have other business to attend to”

* * *

Central City expeditionary force landing site
The Mystical Realms

Charlene looked around at the mountains that surrounded them as she walked briefly outside the troop transport, with Clover following close behind. It seemed quite peaceful, if somewhat cold, and in the distance she could see various exotic avian creatures flying over the mountains.

“I wonder how the others are doing” Charlene asked, “It should be a walkover for the Americans”
“Don’t forget the Yataxal” Clover responded, “This is a joint operations”
“Yeah I know” Charlene answered, “But we are talking about near medieval technology against twenty first century weaponry”
“Once they take out the armed jeeps” Clover noted.

One of the marines called out that they had managed to pick up the communications traffic from the helicopters, the tank and the other troop transports that were entering the theatre of operations.

Charlene and Clover got back into the troop transport and sat down to listen to how the battle for Central City was going.

“This is Sky-Bird One to Sky-Bird two” came the report from one of the Apache helicopters over the radio, “The Jeeps seem to be moving in the alleyways between the buildings so we are finding it difficult to get a clear lock without the risk of collateral damage here”
“Same here Sky-Bird One” the other helicopter reported over the radio, “Any sign of dragons”
“Negative Sky-Bird two”

“That’s odd” Clover commented, “The report from Hogan was that there was at least three dragons in patrol at all time”
“Maybe they have realised that they are no match for an Apache” replied one of the marines assigned to the base camp.

“This is Abram’s one” came the sound of the tank over the radio, “We are nearing the city limits and getting ready to deploy the”

Suddenly the transmission was cut short

Next over the radio, “My G-D, this is Transport one” came a voice with panic in its tone, “The Abram’s was just hit by a” and then that transmission was cut short.

“You better get that wormhole generator back on line” Clover told Charlene.

Charlene went to the device, and started the power up procedure. Suddenly there was a smell of smoke and it fizzled out. Charlene asked the marine for his knife and used it to open the generator up to look inside.

“That’s not supposed to be in there” she exclaimed and took out a blackened crystal that was five centre meters in length.

Clover took it from her, “I recognise that” she said, “It’s a crystal of heat, we use them in G2 as they can be enchanted to go off under certain circumstances or at certain times”
“The generator’s fried” Charlene stated, “We are stuck here”
“Somebody’s sabotaged us” Clover said forcefully, then to the marine in charge of the radio, “Get them to pull the forces out, it’s a trap”

“This is Sky-Bird one” came the sound of the helicopter over the radio with an urgent tone, “We’ve detected a missile lock, are taking evasive manoeuvres” then “This is Sky-Bird One, we have been fired upon, We have been fired upon”

Clover grabbed the radio, “This is Clover, pull out, this is a trap” she said as she keyed the mike

Then they heard over the radio, “This is transport three, The Abrams and the first transport have been hit by an EID, am pulling back, has any one heard from base camp”

“Clover” Charlene whispered, “We aren’t transmitting”

All they could do, it seemed was listen to the sounds of the expeditionary force as it was picked off
“THIS IS SKY-BIRD ONE, the Missile counter measures are not working, they are not” Then static

“This is Sky-Bird Two, to anyone, Sky bird one is down, Sky-Bird one is down We are pulling out.

“This is Sky-Bird Two, someone has locked a missile on us, am” Static

Suddenly the marine pointed out side, through the hatch, Charlene could see the figure of a dragon coming through the mountains with a rider on it.

Suddenly, a streak of white left it.

Clover Grabbed Charlene’s hand and Charlene found herself and Clover high up one of the surrounding hills, as they watch in horror as the troop transport they had been in, as it was destroyed by a missile, killing all the other marines in it and destroying what was left of the sabotaged wormhole generator.

The dragon swooped over the crash site arched around and as it flew off, appeared to vanish

“Oh My Lord!” Clover exclaimed, “Someone has been using invisibility magic, just like”

BANG

Suddenly, Clover collapsed as a bullet ripped through her head

Charlene in a panic scrambled away from Clover’s body, half running and half running down the hill.

BANG

Another shot rang out as a bullet just narrowly missed her

She noticed a boulder and ran behind it as yet another shot hit the ground just behind her.

There Charlene waited, for three may be five minutes with the sound of the mountains and the burning troop carrier. Whoever shot Clover was still out there, and was now either waiting for Charlene to move, or moving to find a shot to take her out, once and for all.

Suddenly Charlene felt a hand on her shoulder, but before she could turn round, everything went black

* * *

The Fire Mountains
South of Karam Tag Chou
The Mystical Realms

Samuel and Dobian seemed to be trying to out do each other as they hiked through the mountains amongst the dormant, but still active volcanoes.

Mark said that he could easily keep up with Sam, but as he was the only other member of the part trained in the use of an M16, he needed to stay behind with Jenny and Hogan, plus he was also carrying on his back a launch tube for an anti-tank weapon, the one thing they thought could kill a dragon sized creature.

“How do we know which of these fire mounds or volcanoes, as you call them, this Magnus Timor is supposed to be held in?” Hogan protested as he puffed his way.

The air was heavy with the smell of sulphur as they picked their way through cinder cones. Jenny was feeling quite warm, due to the combat suit she was wearing, as well as the heat from the volcanic action. At least she had been allowed to bring the short bow along with a good selection of arrows; there were even three that had been rigged with exploding arrowheads. The last time, she had been on some kind of pursuit on foot, was at the Facility in London, well before it had been destroyed by the truck bomb, when they had been stalking a doppelganger assassin, but it had not been as strenuous as this was. Some of the time, because of the heat, she caught her self actually wishing to be dressed as she was then, in a short skirt, with nothing else on, not even underwear, or Amazon style as it became known as.

Hogan had a point, for most of the time the residents of the Mystical Realms had treated the Magnus Timor like the mythical bogey man on Earth, only a legend. Now they had been told it was a real entity capable of real power, great enough to rip a planet size hole in space and charismatic enough to inspire followers both in the Mystical Realms and on Earth.

“Colonel” Jenny shouted above the noise of the volcanic action around her.
“What?” Samuel shouted back.
“How do we know which volcano he is in?” Jenny asked at the top of her voice.

Dobian and Samuel stopped walking
This time it was Dobian the drow who answered before Samuel could speak, “What do you mean child, which volcano is he in”

Jenny was slightly miffed at being called a child, but she remembered that elves and drow lived a lot longer than humans, so to them she might as well be “a child”. “Hadal said he was imprisoned under the fire mountains”
“Hadal is a fool” countered Dobian, “It was under the shadow of the fire mountains he was imprisoned, not in them”
“That would make things easier” Hogan retorted

“So” Samuel asked him, “how do we find this overgrown lizard”
“Well for one thing my good colonel” Dobian went on, “He may not be in the shape of a dragon, we drow believe he merely took on that form as it induced fear, which is what he feeds on”
“Whatever” Samuel answered back, “How do we find him and take him out”
“Have a bit of patience my dear colonel” Dobian replied, “We have yet another rise before we drop into the Deadly Valley, where according to the accounts, the cave where he is kept is located”

While they were standing, Mark took the opportunity to scan the horizon with his binoculars, in the distance he could just make out the Citadel of Karam Tag Chou, by now the smoke had cleared. It was not certain if the sect had taken it over after they had cut down the trolls with machine guns after they took it. However Mark was more interested in dragons, even the wild ones, not under the control of the sect could be just as dangerous.

The sky seemed suspiciously absent of them.

“Dobian” Mark asked, “How much cover will we have going over the rise”

Dobian grinned an evil grin, “Why we will be terribly exposed, until we go into the valley”
“Great” Hogan chimed in, “And you drow would like that I suppose”
“Dobian squatted down to be at eye level with the leprechaun, “Oh my, you are mistrustful of me”
“As I am with all drow” Hogan countered
Dobian stood up, “But contrary to popular belief, we are not evil” he insisted, “We just have a darker complexion, work underground instead of the forests and have a pragmatic philosophy of survival, which means in the past we took advantage of various situations in pursuit of our own interests”

“We don’t have time for this” Samuel cut in, and continued in the direction that Dobian had indicated.

Jenny just kept quiet and held on to Mark’s arm

The climb to the top of the rise was nerve-racking, as they continued to watch out for dragon riders, surely there must be some, and the previous reports indicated that they had been criss-crossing to main population centres, maintaining control by the sect.

For some reason, they still had plenty of armaments, well beyond the known ones that had been stolen from Earth. Hadal and Dobian had suggested that the sect leader, Zathan, may have cast a replication spell of some sorts. Hogan and Samuel had wondered if they were still getting further weapons from Earth, like they had tried to do in the warehouse in America.

For the moment the only sounds they were hearing were those of the tremors and the volcanic activity from some of the craters.

Jenny ran up to Dobian and he acknowledged her presence, “What may I do for you my child” he asked.
“Do dragons normally come over here?” Jenny asked
“Not normally my child” Dobian said in his condescending manner, “dragons fly where their prey is and if you notice, the terrain is not that conducive to the elk they feed on”
“Dobian”
“Yes my child”
“A year or so ago, you threw in with the orcs so you could be rulers of the Mystical Realms, how come you did not make use of the sect to do the same”
“Simple my child, we want to rule the Mystical Realms, the sect and the Magnus Timor want to destroy it with the Magnus Timor supposedly ruler of a new world and not us.”
“Oh” was all Jenny could say
“I do find it odd to be on the side I am on” Dobian went on, “As do my fellow drow, and even odder that we are trying to raise some kind of resistance, such as it is”

It took an hour to clear the ridge before descending down into a valley, made dark by various gasses that spewed out of the volcanoes.

Samuel pulled out a testing kit, “CO2 is ok, we’re good to go” he shouted
“CO2?” Dobian asked Mark

This time though, it was Jenny who also knew the answer and cut in before Mark could speak, “That’s Carbon Dioxide, it’s usually a gas, we covered it when I did GCSE Science” she proudly stated
“Yeah” Samuel chimed in, “In some volcanic processes large amounts of CO2 gas can be given off, and it usually sinks and becomes toxic and kills”
“Would we not see it?” Dobian asked
“It’s invisible” Mark explained, “You can’t see it, hence the detector and the gasmasks just in case” Mark added as he showed the gas mask and small oxygen cylinder assigned to him
“Which is probably why they called this area the Deadly Valley” Dobian observed

It took about two hours before they reached the base of the valley, and there was hardly any vegetation. Jenny could see evidence of ancient lava flows, and dotted here and there were hot springs and hot mud.

“We’re here Dobian” Samuel told the Drow.

Dobian looked around very slowly.
“We’re waiting” Hogan insisted, “Or have you lead us on what the human’s call a wild goose chase”

“Your faith in me is most touching” Dobian retorted, then shouted, “Over there, that is the cave of fire rock where he is meant to be”

Mark went up to Samuel, “Looks like an old lava tube to me” he whispered

“So that is what you call them” Dobian said, then added, “Commander, there is no need to whisper, drow have the same excellent hearing as elves”
“I’ll bear that in mind” Mark replied.

The group headed towards the lava tunnel, which took about twenty minutes in that terrain. Finally they were standing at the entrance.

There was another violent tremor, and it was all they could do, not to be thrown to the ground.

“Are these tremors due to the alignment?” Jenny shouted
“That theory was debunked on Earth” Samuel shouted back, “The mass of the moons even on one side of the planet is not enough to cause stresses on the tectonic plates”

Samuel switched his electric torch on and entered the lava tunnel, torch in one hand with his side arm in the other.

As they walked in, the heat was becoming stifling

Five minutes into the cave, they found a large iron door that had been fastened shut with a large iron bar.

“So this must be where the Magnus Timor is” Hogan said
“It’s so unguarded” Jenny observed, “Why did they not just come here and rescue him?” she asked
“Because my child” Dobian answered, “This is the Deadly Valley, maybe because of this Carbon Dioxide gas you speak of, that keeps the curious away”

“Any way we can shift that” Samuel asked the drow as he pointed to the iron bar on the door
“Well” Dobian suggested, “If Hogan and I join spells, we might be able to use a moving object magic, I believe you humans call telekinesis”

“Well do it” Samuel ordered.

Suddenly a bolt of energy came from the direction of the entrance and hit Dobian, throwing him to the ground.

Samuel and Mark moved to either sides of the Lava tunnel and pointed their side arms to face what had sent the energy blast. Hogan ended up with Mark, While Jenny was behind Samuel, as she strung an arrow to her short bow.

“Sorry about that” came what sounded like a familiar voice from the entrance. Then an elf walked into view, “I did not want that drow to defile our Lord and Master’s confinement area”

“Hadal?” Mark asked as he lowered his side arm, “I thought you were supposed to be with the attack on the city” he added with confusion.

“But I was” came another voice from the entrance of the lava tube, and in walked Hadal, looking identical to the other elf.

“I’m sorry” said the first elf, “Did I forget to introduce myself, I am Zathan” then he clicked his fingers and both side arms were wrenched from the two marine’s hands, and the weapons flew towards the first elf and landed at his feet.

Jenny turned around briefly and quickly unstrung the short bow and rested it against the side of the lava tube, then turned and faced the entrance again. It seemed that the elf had not noticed.

The first elf then continued, “I am Hadal’s twin brother”

“He was born first” Hadal told them, “So naturally my brother had the seat on the High Council of Elves for our family, while I worked as an elven tutor to the troll emperors”
“So backward looking of the High Council of Elves” Zathan cut in
“Indeed my brother, we should both have had a seat on the council” Hadal continued, “So I bided my time”
“Until” Zathan cut in, “It was time to awaken our Lord and master”

“Oh by the way” Hadal came back in, “That pathetic expeditionary force you had sent to try and retake the city has been swatted like a flying insect, I saw to it that the magical protections would not work”

“Along with your futile attempt to liberate that insignificant goblin village” Zathan added

“What do you mean” Samuel demanded to know

“Observe” Zathan grinned, and there in front of them on the floor were played out the scenes of the two helicopters being shot down, followed by the destruction of the tank and two of the armoured troop carriers just short of the city limits, and then the one at the landing site. Then the scene shifted to the goblin village, of the road lined with crucified goblins and one human, an SAS officer, and then the dead body of the SAS commander strung up by the feet.

“Why are you doing this?” Mark asked in disbelief.
“Fear” Zathan smiled, “The fear as these humans who believed they were invincible, suddenly realising they were being snuffed out en mass, with not a thing they could do to stop it. Your fear at how you would explain this to those left behind on your wretched Earth”

“But how could you overpower the might of the US Marines” Hogan asked

“I did my bit” Hadal smiled
“And I did mine” came a third voice from behind them, “I got the sect the weapons it needed and gave the dragon riders the secret of invisibility, the British and the Americans never saw what hit them until it was too late”.

The remaining group turned round to see the leprechaun, Paddy McGurty, standing there with a machine pistol in his hand.

“You traitor” Yelled Hogan

“Call me what you like Golden Boy O’Brian” Paddy retorted, “But I’m the one with the gun now, and I’m the one that will be the leader of all the leprechauns on the new world of our Lord and Master the Magnus Timor.

“But Paddy, why?” Jenny asked in disbelief

“I was always being passed over by Hogan here, the golden boy, when they wanted a leprechaun to serve at the Facility, I was in the running, until this golden boy stuck his nose in and took even that from me. That was when I signed up”

“And a good little sleeper agent he was” Grinned Zathan, “Not one of you suspected”
“I even arranged to quote save your wretched lives close quote that night when your car was shot up the other night as part of my cover” Paddy went on, “I could not believe Golden Boy here did not see through me. Maybe he’s not so golden after all”

Suddenly the cross bar locking the door flew off and smashed into the side of the lava tube, and the door swung open with tremendous force. As they peered into the darkness, two yellow-green dots stared out at them.

“The spell is broken” came a voice sounding like a raging fire and rushing waters combined; “I am free to wreak my revenge at last” it added

“Ah” Zathan said out loud, “The Magnus Timor, has awakened” and moved forward, stepping over Dobian’s body and walking past the group to meet his leader

“Zathan” the Magnus Timor said with what could sound like joy, “You have been my most faithful of servants, ever since my first attempt to break free of this accursed spell”
“It was an honour to serve” Zathan said as he knelt down.

The Magnus Timor finally walked out into the light, but instead of looking like a dragon, his appearance was like that of a Minotaur.

“You will all be rewarded for your loyalty” the Magnus Timor said, then lifted his arms, “And now I will place all of you my loyal followers into suspension, plus those who have fallen in my name” Then the Magnus Timor turned to look at Samuel and Jenny, then at Mark and Hogan. “As for you” he snarled “I will rip open space and thrust this worthless rock into the other worthless rock and we will have as you say in that human language you have called Latin, Orbis Terrarum En Concursus”

“Worlds in collision” Samuel muttered.

To be concluded

[Sticks]

Episode VIII – Terminus Venatus

End Games

Sometimes you have days when nothing goes right. You could say that this has happened to the Earth expeditionary forces to try and liberate areas of the Mystical Realms from the grip of a deadly sect. Both the SAS and even the might of the US Marines Special forces have been wiped out by sect forces, thanks to the assistance of a disaffected leprechaun from G2, Ireland’s military intelligence, who has gone over to the sect, and a elf tutor and mentor who happens to be the twin brother of Zathan, the high priest of the sect, who single-handedly assassinated members of the High Council of Elves with Sarin gas obtained from Earth.

And now the Magnus Timor has awoken, and now it is time to open up space and send the world of the Mystical Realms through to our universe to smash into the planet Earth

+-+-+

RAF Welford
Berkshire / Wiltshire Border
England, Earth

[img=600x400]http://stratojetman.googlepages.com/HQBomb.jpg/HQBomb-full.jpg[/img]

Pete was waiting in the mess hall when the troll clan leader of the Manjura burst in.

He was not happy

“Mr Smith” he asked, “Any news?”

Pete shook his head, “The team sent to the goblin village are overdue, the same for the taskforce sent to Central City”
“What of Miss Wang in the space ship” the troll asked.

Again Pete shook his head, “They were supposed to have opened a wormhole to allow for a transmission, but like everything else, nothing”

“The colonel?” The Clan chief asked
“Nothing” Pete told the troll, “Nobody has been in contact”

“Mr Smith, This is not good”
“Your telling me” Pete replied, “I was at MTAC an hour ago, someone sent a HIDE47, sorry a doppelganger assassin to try and kill the chairman of the committee”

The troll looked deeply concerned, “Did that treacherous creature succeed”, he asked

Pete sighed and looked the troll in the eyes, “He killed the General, but was stopped, ironically by Mr Vee”
“Mr Who?” the troll queried
“Long story” Pete said dismissively, and then added, “Nobody was meant to know where she was, it’s ultra secret. They’re talking about a leak, and given that nobody who crossed to IDE01, sorry Mystecon, er I mean the Mystical Realms has called in”

The troll saw where he was going and completed his sentence, “You are wondering if someone has betrayed us?”
“Well it happened before Clan Chief, you were there”
“Yes I remember, that Mr Zachary” The troll frowned, “I was so glad we dispatched him when he tried to escape” he added with a brief smile
“But he’s long dead” Pete insisted, “He would not even know we have this chairman”

“I wish to return home” The Clan chief then insisted, “I can not stay here, while others are dying or even worse”
“But the Colonel’s orders” Pete objected

The troll narrowed his eyes, “You may be under his command Mr Smith, but I am a troll clan chief, I answer to my clan, not the Colonel, no matter how honourable he may be”
“But your orb doesn’t work” Pete reminded him, “And the artificial wormhole generators are under lock and key, and before you ask, I do not have access”

The Clan Chief dropped his head and shook it, “This is so frustrating”
“Tell me about it”
“Tell me Mr Smith” The troll then asked, “How come yours work and ours don’t”
“Your world is governed by magic” Pete replied, “So perhaps they have cast a spell against their working, where ours uses physics, which can’t be blocked”

Suddenly, there was a rushing of wind, and a small blue dot appeared in the mess hall, getting bigger and bigger

“I think we better go” Pete yelled, “That’s how they attacked the Chairman in Washington”

Pete and the Clan Chief rushed out of the mess hall, and Pete found a fire alarm button and activated it, to evacuate the building, in case this was another attack by the sect.

As they rushed outside, a guard gave the troll a blanket, to try and cover himself from unauthorised prying eyes. Pete shouted a warning about the incoming wormhole

A number of other marines came running with their automatic weapons drawn, to meet what ever was coming through, assuming it was not another missile or a ball of dragon breath.

For ten minutes, it seemed they were in a stand off.

Then a door started to open, prompting all the soldiers to take aim.

“DON’T SHOOT, DON’T SHOOT WE ARE NOT ARMED” yelled a familiar voice.

“COME OUT SLOWLY AND DROP TO THE GROUND AND KEEP YOUR HANDS UP” Yelled an RAF officer.

Slowly the door continued to open, and a naked woman with platinum blonde hair, stepped out with her hands raised and dropped to her knees.

Flying close behind was what looked like another naked female, but one foot tall and with wings on her back. She landed and then she too followed the RAF officer’s instructions. And then there was what looked like a naked female elf that came and knelt on the ground along with what appeared to be another naked female that was one foot tall with wings and flying. Both of them complied with the instructions to kneel down with hands in the air.

“Charlene?” Pete yelled as he recognised the human lady, then he told the RAF officer, “That’s Charlene Henshaw, she was with the American action on the city”
“We have yet to confirm that” the officer replied, the human and the elf could be doppelgangers.”
“We are not doppelganger scum” said the female elf, “I am Jairus, the daughter of Remond, the last leader of the High Council of Elves”
“Excuse me for not believing you” the RAF officer replied
“What will convince you we are who we say we are” Jairus asked with an air of irritation

Then with weapons trained on them, two American marines went over to what appeared to be Charlene and the elf and pulled their hands behind their backs and tied them up with plastic ties. While two RAF security guards did likewise with the one foot high females

“But that’s Charlene” Pete insisted.
“We need to do a blood test to establish that” the RAF officer replied and then got his radio to call the base medic

“Officer” The Clan Chief of the Manjura intervened, “If these were doppelganger assassins, then why are they naked? I know such creatures, they never wear clothes themselves but when they mimic, they always recreate clothing.”

“Maybe they never got the chance to see what person they were mimicking was wearing” suggested the officer
The Clan Chief then beckoned a US Marine over to ask him in front of the RAF officer, “Tell me soldier, when your females go into battle, do they remove all clothing and fight naked”
“That sure would look nice sir” the Marine smiled, “But I don’t think we have made that policy yet sir”
“Charlene went with the Americans” Pete interrupted, “So they would not have made her take her clothes off, would they?. If that were a doppelganger, it would not appear like a naked woman”
“And you forget the little creatures, which are fairies” the troll added, “Only a doppelganger newborn youngling could mimic them at that size, but they do not learn to mimic until adulthood. They can not change size that much and they could not do wings that fly”

The RAF officer exhaled loudly, and then lowered his weapon, “Release them”
“I’m glad you got that straight” Jairus retorted as the officer cut the cable tie from her wrist, “Appearing before other’s unclothed is bad enough!.

Then Charlene and Jairus stood up. The Fairies took to flight, fluttering around head height. Pete made to pull off his T-Shirt to hand it to Charlene, but he was stopped by the RAF officer, who took off his coat and handed it to Charlene, who thanked the officer and put it on.

A Marine did the same for the female elf, who also put the jacket on, although by her face, she did not find it too pleasant.

“What happened to your clothes?” Pete asked
“That was our doing” squeaked one of the fairies who was now flying, “Coming through to your world takes such a lot of effort with an adult for us fairies, so clothing had to be left behind”
“Also” chipped in the other fairy, “If we had it and used more energy to bring through clothing, the sect would have found our hiding place for certain”
The first fairy then interrupted back, “As for us, we hardly ever wear clothing as it gets in the way of our wings”
“We are normally invisible anyway” the second one cut back in, “So modesty is not an issue like it is for the other races”
“We can only carry young babies through with some clothing” said the first one
.”Like two of our kind did with the Spirit of Fancying several years ago, when they took her as a baby for her protection to a police station in Dublin on your world” said the second fairy
“Shame they were unable to do that with her twin sister the Spirit of Fidelity” chipped in the first fairy
“Sorry we don’t have time for this” interrupted Pete, “What happened to the expeditionary force?” Pete asked, “We have not heard from them”

“They were wiped out Pete” Charlene replied.
“What two Apache helicopters, one Abrams tank and four armoured troop carriers stuffed with US Marines?” Pete asked with incredulity
“Gone Pete, it was like nothing I had ever heard” Charlene answered, “They even targeted the troop carrier I was in at the landing site. It was only Clover who got me out”
“So where is Clover” Pete asked
“Someone shot her dead” Charlene replied, “They also tried to shoot me”
“It was the leprechaun” squeaked one of the fairies
“Yes” squeaked the other fairy, “We saw him give the dragon riders the secret of invisibility, so we followed him”
“And we saw him shoot one of his own kind dead and try and kill this female human, so we rescued her”

“Excuse me” the RAF officer interrupted, “We need to escort these visitors to the quartermaster stores for replacement clothing, although I don’t think we have any female underwear”
“That’s fine” Charlene replied, “I hardly wear any anyway to avoid VPL, and I prefer to go braless when I can, I don’t even pack a bikini top when I go to the beach”
”Too much information” Pete thought

“I will accept what you have” Jairus said, “But answer me this one thing”
“What’s that?” Pete asked
“Why was that traitor and sect leader Zathan riding in the oxen-less carriage”
“You mean the ATC” Pete corrected then said, “That wasn’t this Zathan guy, that was Hadal”
“My friend and mentor when I was a youngling” The Clan Chief of the Manjura beamed.
“Then you do not know my Liege” Jairus uttered with an expression of genuine surprise.
“Know what?” The troll clan chief said with a frown
“Hadal is Zathan’s twin brother” Jairus explained, “And they were quite close when they were growing up, it was only because Zathan was born a needle’s worth of candle wax earlier that he got his seat on the High Council of Elves. He recognised me on the road to the Central City and tried to get the machine in which he rode to run me down, it was only the help of the fairies here that I am still alive”
“Me too” Charlene spoke up ”They saved me too”

With that Charlene and Jairus were lead away, whilst the two fairies opened another wormhole and returned to the Mystical Realms.

The troll clan chief just shook his head in abject disbelief, “I never knew that my mentor and my friend could betray us so”
“And what about this leprechaun” Pete asked, “Do you think that Hogan”
“NO” Snapped the troll, then in a more gentler voice replied, “I knew Hogan, plus he was almost killed when the sect attacked your Facility. Whoever the treacherous leprechaun is, it was not Hogan”

* * *

The Cave of the Magnus Timor
The Deadly Valley
The Mystical Realms

Commander Mark Johnston looked up at the Magnus Timor and shook his head, “I thought you were in the form of a dragon?”

Jenny Green looked at Mark in horror and mouthed at him to not anger the creature any more.

The Magnus Timor put his arms down and gave an evil sounding laugh, “You are so naïve you wench” he told her in his voice that sounded like thunder and rushing waters, I can feel your fear for this” Then pointing at Mark, “Your lover”
Mark ignored this and shouted out, “Answer the question”

“SILENCE Before our Lord and Master” Zathan shouted and stood up from kneeling before the Magnus Timor.

“Do not worry my Zathan” the Magnus Timor said to Zathan, “I am not insulted by this question. I will answer it”

The Magnus Timor backed off a bit, and then grew and morphed into a large red dragon.

“I can take on what ever form I choose” The Magnus Timor went on, “This was the first form I learned”

The Jenny could see the dragon smile if that were possible

“Are you afraid of spiders” The Magnus Timor asked, and then instantly morphed into a giant spider

Jenny breathed in sharply!

Colonel Samuel Peters quickly placed his hand over Jenny’s mouth to stop her from screaming.


Immediately the Magnus Timor morphed back into the form of the Minotaur.

Then he pointed a claw at the colonel, “Are you so scared of a wench screaming?” he sneered

“Perhaps a large snake?” the Magnus Timor continued, and transformed into a giant cobra snake

“Is that all you got?” Mark sneered, “shape changing? Is that supposed to scare us?”

Zathan turned round to look at the commander, “SILENCE BLASPHEMER” he shouted, then smashed Mark around the face with his fist. Mark was knocked to the ground.
“Getting others to fight your own battles Magnus Timor” Mark smirked as he wiped blood from his nose as he sat up on the floor of the lava tube they were in

Zathan walked over to Mark with a look of utter disgust. The Magnus Timor seemed content to see his number one follower handle this apparent infidel. “Our Lord lives off of fear” Zathan began, and then said, “and to whom you will all bow and ”

Before he could complete his sentence, a knife appeared in his chest, and he sank to his knees clutching it.

Dobian the drow, a kind of dark elf had rolled onto his left side after recovering from being stunned by the earlier energy bolt, and had thrown a dagger at Zathan with pin point accuracy.

“We Drow bow to no-one especially jumped up spirits of vice” Dobian retorted
Immediately and in a rage, Hadal drew his short sword, rushed over to Dobian on the ground and after rolling Dobian onto his back with his foot, ran Dobian through with the sword.
“You are avenged my brother” he muttered as he drew his sword out.

“So are you going to run us through as well” Hogan cut in.
“And here was I thinking you did not like drow either” Hadal replied
“He was a darn sight more honourable than you or this miserable excuse of a leprechaun” Hogan spat back, pointing at Paddy McGurty

Paddy McGurty raised his machine pistol and waved it first at Mark and Hogan and then the Colonel and Jenny, “I hope you all have the same idea” Paddy snarled, “As I would like to drop every last one of you, especially Golden boy O’Brien”

Paddy lowered his gun, then raised it, “in fact I will anyway” he muttered and pointed the gun at Hogan.

“ENOUGH MY GOOD LEPRECHAUN” Boomed the Magus Timor, “I want these infidels to experience fear as I bring these two wretched worlds smashing together”

“As you wish my Lord” Paddy replied.

“Brother Of Zathan and Son of McGurty” the Magnus Timor boomed, “Stand by me” as he transformed back into his Minotaur form.

At this, Hadal and Paddy walked round and took their positions one on either side of the Magnus Timor.

Suddenly a crossbow bolt sailed past Jenny’s head and into the chest of Hadal, the force of it sending him tumbling backwards.

A familiar figure came into view at the entrance to the lava tube, it was the Clan Chief of the Manjura carrying his trusty crossbow, “No one betrays the clan of Manjura and gets away with it”

“I thought I told you to stay on Earth” Samuel yelled

“Oh really?” Paddy asked and lifted up the machine pistol to fire at the troll.

Jenny could see no option, in the brief window when Hadal had been shot, and in the semi gloom of the lava tube, she picked up the short bow and the arrow she had surreptitiously laid against the wall, strung the bow as fast as she could. Now she turned round and released it at Paddy.

It hit him in the neck, death was instantaneous.

The troll chief stood at the entrance, while two other armed trolls pushed past him and advanced. Suddenly a blast wave knocked them down.

“The Moons are now in alignment, it is time” The Magnus Timor uttered, raised his claws upwards, and immediately a bright green light enveloped him and part of it shot upwards, blasting a hole through the roof of the lava tube, with such force that the rocks did not have a chance to fall back in.

“The doorway has begun” he boomed.

Jenny, the two marines and Hogan, immediately found themselves almost paralysed by the green light. Jenny tried with every fibre of her being to select an arrow with an exploding tip from her quiver, but it was like pushing against very strong molasses.

* * *

The Russian Progress Spacecraft
In Orbit above the Mystical Realms

Ivan Alekseev finished looking at the gauges then in Russian, said to Sue-Lim, “We have two, may be two and a half hours of air left”
“If the Carbon dioxide does not finish us off first” Sue Lim replied in Russian then added, “I’m sorry you had to be dragged into this”
“I would not have missed this for both worlds” Ivan reassured her, again in Russian.
“I just wish I knew who sabotaged the wormhole generator” Sue-Lim told him in an angry tone, “Why not make it so it would not let us travel here, why set it so it packs up after one crossing”
“I don’t know Miss Wang” Ivan replied, “This sect we have been fighting is very powerful I hear”

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, Sue-Lim noticed a green light coming from out side. She turned and looked; it was a long beam of green light coming from the planet surface. She pointed it to Ivan
“Is that a laser?” he asked
“Can’t be” Sue-Lim replied, “Unless there is a medium around like smoke to reflect the light, you won’t see laser light.”
“So what is it?” Ivan asked

Sue-Lim craned her head to try and see where the other end of this beam was going, and then she saw it. Several miles from their position, a long line of greenish yellow light perpendicular to the beam started to grow.

“That’s it” Sue-Lim yelled in English, then she repeated what she said in Russian, and then asked “Ivan can you get us to that”

Ivan looked at a computer display on the retrofitted instrument panel, “We have just enough fuel Miss Wang, assuming the engines will relight”
“We have to” Sue-Lim insisted very forcefully.

“Put your helmet on” Ivan insisted, as he reached for his helmet.

Sue-Lim grabbed at her helmet for the pressure suit and fixed it to the rest of the pressure suit, but for the moment left the visor up.

Ivan then started flicking switches in a certain order and then grasped at a joystick control

For a tense two minutes, it seemed like nothing was happening, then suddenly Sue-Lim felt herself pushed into her seat as the spaceship started to accelerate. Ivan flicked on a radar display which showed that the line at the end of the beam was definitely growing. Now his primary focus was keeping the Progress spaceship, normally an unmanned supply ship for the International Space Station headed for the growing rift.

Sue-Lim gripped the edge of the armrest; there was nothing more she could do. It was down to Ivan now. She half expected to feel turbulence or more vibration than that generated by the third stage they were now using, but with no or little atmosphere, there was none.

Steadily as they approached the rift under power, they could see it getting bigger and bigger. The craft was now lit by the greenish yellow light

Suddenly there was shaking after all
“I am having trouble with the Vernier Thrusters” Ivan yelled, “I may not be able to hold this course”
“Try Issac Newton” Sue-Lim Suggested
“Estimated position where rift will be” Ivan stated, and then he switched off the engines, “I just hope Newton works out here” he then uttered, and then added, “The main engine will never work again”.

Sue-Lim held out her hand for Ivan to grab hold, and hand in hand they sat in the spacecraft as it coasted to the part of space they hoped they would meet with the rift as it drifted towards the world of the Mystical Realms and widened.

Suddenly, they felt another shudder, like a gravitational pull, the rift was actively pulling them in.
“This must be why those other cosmonauts failed to avoid it” Ivan said in Russian.

Sue-Lim just gritted her teeth and said nothing as the rift grew larger and larger and as the yellow and green light grew brighter and brighter.

Suddenly everything became white

Sue-Lim and Ivan found themselves one what appeared to be an infinite plane, which was somehow a total whiteout

Both of them were completely naked, but they did not feel cold, and for a moment Sue-Lim did her best to cover herself with her arms. Ivan did not bother to try and cover himself and complimented Sue-Lim on her body and that she had the finest pair he had seen. Sue-Lim went red with embarrassment, and commented about how well endowed he was. Then she gave up on trying covering her modesty and held her arms out to him, and with a cheeky smile asked if he wanted to have a feel of her assets.
Now it was Ivan to feel embarrassed as Sue-Lim gave a nervous laugh.

Suddenly, coming in the opposite direction were two other people, two men who were also naked. They too made no effort to try and cover themselves, and were walking hand in hand

A minute later they were face to face, and one of the men spoke in Russian, “I am Vitalik Nikitin and this is Oleg Sidorov we were supposed to be on our way to the moon, when we flew in to this big rip”
“Who are you” asked the other man asked

Ivan was about to speak, but Sue-Lim waved at him to stop, “I’m sorry, we can not say, but we do know who you are”
“Why?” Vitalik asked
“Because we are from your future and therefore we can not disrupt the timeline” Sue-Lim explained
“Where are we?” Oleg asked
“I’m not sure” Sue-Lim replied, “Maybe we in the eleventh dimension or are outside of the universe, maybe even outside of time”
“It is like that Never, Never land” Ivan suggested.
“But what happened to our clothes?” Oleg asked
Sue Lim thought for a moment, “Maybe we are in the collective human unconsciousness, and maybe we are just our essences, which are naked before our creator”
“Creator?” Vitalik queried
“I’m sorry” Sue-Lim apologised, “I forgot in your time religion was suppressed”

“We were supposed to have been heroes” Oleg cut in, “Now I suspect they will erase our names out of the shame of our failure”

Ivan shook his head, “You are true heroes of the soviet era, even if at the time they do not recognise it”
“But we will fix that” Sue-Lim added and then said in a stern voice, “There is one thing you must never do”
“What is that?” Vitalik asked
“Mention in any log you take, or tell anyone you meet on the other side that we have met here” Sue-Lim responded, “The timeline depends on it”

Then Ivan went to shake hands with Vitalik, his predecessor, but as soon as he touched him, there was a brilliant white out

* * *

The Cave of the Magnus Timor
The Deadly Valley
The Mystical Realms

The greenish yellow light around the Magnus Timor suddenly vanished, and an expression of anger formed on his face, “NOT AGAIN!!” he screamed.

“Something collapse your little space rift?” Samuel asked, “Looks like you’re not infallible after all” he added sarcastically

The Magnus Timor fixed his angry gaze upon Samuel and suddenly the colonel was thrown backwards towards the mouth of the lava tube into one of the trolls. The Clan Chief of the Manjura scrabbled past his trolls and administered to the colonel his last bottle of elven made, troll healing potion”

Jenny saw the opportunity and fired an arrow with an explosive tip at the Magnus Timor, but instantly he was able to snatch the arrow out of mid air. “Do you think mere arrows and guns can kill me” he asked, “I am immortal to all who fear” he added and then he snapped the arrow in two and the arrow erupted into flames. The Magnus Timor then walked menacingly towards the mouth of the lava tube and reached the body of the drow. He pointed at it, and instantly it was ash.

The Magnus Timor started to glow green again, “You fools” he said, “Did you think that by collapsing one of my doorways you could defeat me?”

Samuel had just about recovered from being thrown into the troll and stood up. The troll tried to get between him and the Magnus Timor, but Samuel blocked him with his right arm. “We will defeat you by all available means” Samuel shouted.

“Your little plan to position a metal can above this wretched world will fail” the Magnus Timor replied, “Soon I will be able to create another doorway”

“But what about the alignment” Hogan asked, “It’s got to be over by now” That was the last thing he said, as seconds later he was vaporised by a bolt of lightning from the Magnus Timor’s claw as he turned round to look at the leprechaun..
“I am no longer bound by elven spells” the Magnus Timor sneered

Samuel quickly made a grab for his side arm that was lying on the floor in front of him. Then he noticed the Magnus Timor, still with the green glowing aura around him that was growing in intensity was looking again in his direction.

“You Colonel” the Magnus Timor said slowly, “Will witness as I once again open up a door from this world to yours, and this time I will smash this worthless world into yours and I will finally have my revenge for how I was betrayed by those who should have worshipped me as their god”

Jenny could contain her self no longer, “But why?” She blurted out, “The people who sent you here and the people here who rejected you are long gone. You will only be killing billions of innocent lives who never harmed you”

The Magnus Timor turned round and fixed his eyes on this young adult female, wearing similar clothes to the male human warriors, but carrying a weapon more attuned to the Mystical Realms.

“Do you question my right for justice” he asked slowly and menacingly, “Do you question my right to be avenged against the descendents of those who betrayed me?”

Jenny looked up at the Minotaur shaped entity that was now glowing with a bright green and yellow aura. “I question the fact you are taking it out on those who had nothing to do with what happened you” Jenny replied
“They are the descendents of the betrayers, for that they must perish” the Magnus Timor counted, “And there is nothing any of you can do to stop me”

Jenny looked up at the Magnus Timor. He was fierce and lived up to his name in Latin of Great Fear, Jenny remembered however, that sometimes the only thing to do with fear, was to face it head on.

She pulled yet another arrow from her quiver and strung it to her bow and aimed it at the Magnus Timor.

“You pathetic creature” the Magnus Timor laughed, “After last time do you think I will be afflicted by such a miserable creature as you, a female one at that”

“Magnus Timor” Jenney shouted angrily at this blatant sexism, “We believe in equal opportunities now” she added and launched the arrow.

It hit it’s target, right in his left eye

Jenny just stood there, it seemed because she had fired out of anger instead of fear, his force field did not stop the arrow.

Now he was angry. He pulled out the arrow and in a rage pointed both arms at Jenny

“NO!” Mark shouted, suddenly realising the danger the love of his life was in and ran to try and knock her out of the way.

But he was too late.

The very moment he reached Jenny, the Magnus Timor released the energy he had been building for the new space rift right at Jenny, and both she and Mark were caught in its full blast. Then they were no more, and there was not a trace that they had ever been there.

Samuel looked in horror at the dispatching of his right hand man for over ten years and the woman he had personally recruited, shaking his head and screaming “NO!”.

Suddenly a rage over took him, and he scooped up his former commander’s gun and ran at the Magnus Timor firing both weapons screaming at him and questioning it’s parentage.
“I’m not scared of you, you coward” he shouted.

The Magnus Timor stumbled back as suddenly he was unable to stop the bullets, his power came from fear, and if anyone did not fear him, then it seemed that they could get through.

The Clan Chief of the Manjura was also stunned at the death of Jenny and the commander and loaded up his crossbow.

The accompanying trolls tried to go into battle, but the clan chief shouted at them, “He’s mine and the colonel’s”

“BACK OFF TROLL” Colonel Samuel Peters shouted, “HE’s MINE” as started beat upon the wounded Magnus Timor with the butt of his firearm with tremendous anger.

The Magnus Timor started to glow green again.

“OH NO YOU DON’T” shouted Samuel, and with all his might, and leg work, used his unarmed combat skills to push the Magnus Timor to the ground, where upon he jumped on him and placed his hands around it’s thick neck.
“You think you can strangle me?” the Magnus Timor asked with derision, “I will change into a dragon and blast you all to ash and then crash these puny worlds together”

Samuel suddenly reached with his left hand to his left boot and brought out a combat blade and with a shout of “Go to Hell” rammed it into the throat of the Magnus Timor.

The Magnus Timor started to gurgle, as the lack of fear in the colonel, driven out by his anger, made his attack more deadly than he realised. The green glow ceased. Suddenly instead of being in the form of a Minotaur, it was a dead human, in clothes reminiscent of those worn in the early days of Ancient Rome.

Samuel stood up and wiped his eyes, only realising now he was in tears. Tears of anger and tears for his best friend and the one woman he had recruited, plus his other friends, who had been killed on account of this entity.

As they gazed at the body, suddenly it decayed rapidly, and became what a body would look like if it were over two and a half thousand years old.

The Clan Chief of the Manjura, came up to him, “What was that?” he asked
“I suspect his last form was that of the original man who brought him into being” Samuel replied, and then he turned and headed out of the remains of the lava tube.

* * *

The Russian Progress Spacecraft
High above the surface of the Planet Earth

Sue-Lim and Ivan suddenly found themselves back in their pressure suits in their space craft, but now they were above the planet Earth.
“What happened?” Ivan asked
“I think I know why the rift closed in 1969 and just now” Sue-Lim replied
“How?”
“Maybe when you touched Vitalik, you created some form of temporal paradox” Sue-Lim guessed, “maybe if neither of us had entered from either side, or just one maybe the planet would have been drawn into the other’s universe as the Magnus Timor planned. I’m not sure”
“This makes my brain hurt more than ten vodkas” Ivan commented
“Where are we now?” Sue-Lim then asked, “Any chance of making it to the Space Station”
“Niyet” Ivan replied, “We just do not have the fuel, even if we could restart the engine, plus we are heading in the wrong direction”
“What about jettisoning the third stage” Sue-Lim asked.
“At this trajectory, it would just follow us, and we still do not have the fuel to change course and head for the station” Ivan answered in Russian.

Suddenly over the radio in English came a transmission, “Houston, this is USS Endeavour, there seems to be a Progress supply ship approximately three thousand yards from our two o’clock position, it just appeared in front of us, heading at twenty degrees from our current trajectory”

Sue-Lim grabbed the retro-fitted radio mike and keyed it, “This is the Russian supply craft to Endeavour. Can you help us”

“This is Endeavour” came over the radio, “What are you doing aboard an unmanned supply ship, and where did you come from?”

“Sorry that’s classified Endeavour” Sue-Lim answered, then she asked, “Can you pick us up? We are not going to make it to the ISS and we can not survive re-entry in this space craft”
“We can tell that, but we do not have space in the cargo hold” the commander of Endeavour told them”

Sue-Lim turned to Ivan, “Will these pressure suits keep us alive if we did a space walk?
“Only just” Ivan replied, “We only have about say fifteen minutes of air as we do not have the life support packs, twenty minutes maximum”

Sue-Lim keyed the mike, “If we did an EVA would that work”
“Only just, but we don’t have much time if we want to pick you up and make it to the station” the Commander replied, then he added, “We have just been given a go for rescue by Houston”
“Commander, we will only have fifteen maybe twenty minutes of survival time in our space suits” Sue Lim told the commander.
“Then that will be very tight on timing” came back the reply from the shuttle commander.
“We don’t have much of a choice” Ivan said in English as he grabbed the mike, “Commander of Endeavour, we will use an explosive decompression to send us some of the distance”

Sue-Lim was shocked, “I never knew you spoke English” she said in English
“You never asked miss Wang” Ivan grinned as he replied in perfect English.

The two of them waited for Endeavour to let them know that two astronauts were on their way using the SAFER units to propel them, and then closed up their visors on the helmets, unbuckled themselves and got into the airlock. Ivan took a small cable and hooked himself up to Sue-Lim’s suit, then keyed a sequence, and a warning light came on. Then Ivan spoke a code in Russian, and suddenly the outer hatch blew off and to two were blown out of the spacecraft into space.

Only now could Sue-Lim see the Endeavour obiter, as it had changed course slightly, with the two tiny astronauts in the distance coming to get them.

“Try not to panic Miss Wang” Ivan mouthed as they floated together in space.
Sue-Lim found the experience both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

It was about ten long minutes as Sue-Lim and Ivan floated helpless in space, watching the astronauts getting closer and closer, until finally they reached them. The astronauts grabbed them and then immediately headed back to the shuttle, with no time to lose. By now Sue-Lim was really feeling awful and was sweating due to the build up of Carbon dioxide in her suit. She was at times trying to hold her breath.

The return trip seemed like an eternity, and Sue-Lim found herself almost passing out, just as they were entering the airlock of the space shuttle. Ivan and Sue-Lim went in first due to lack of room, while the astronauts waited outside As soon as the indicator showed they had pressure, the inner door was opened by a crew member and Sue-Lim’s visor as well as that of Ivan’s were opened by two other members of the shuttle crew, and oxygen masks was placed over their mouth and nose

Once again Sue-Lim was able to breath. They were then pulled through into the main crew compartment, so the airlock was available to recover the two astronauts who came to rescue them.

As Sue-Lim recovered from anoxia, she spoke to one of the male shuttle crew, “My name is Sue-Lim Wang and this is Ivan Alekseev” and then asked, “Permission to come aboard sir”

* * *

The Common, Rochester
New Hampshire, United States of America
(One week later )

It was a Saturday afternoon, Rebecca Sands sat between her maternal uncle and his wife, now her adoptive parents, Matthew and Susan Sands on the stone seat with their back to the flowers at the Common, an expanse of Grass in Rochester New Hampshire. They were eating their packed lunches while Susan took her lunch break from working at her Real Estate office. Frank, Rebecca’s cousin, but now her brother was away somewhere in the park talking to his new girlfriend, Sarah.

It had been their first trip out together as a family without Rosie O’Brian the leprechaun body guard. She had been called to Ireland, to arrange the funeral of her brother, Hogan who had been killed in action somehow. Rebecca had also been upset by this news, even though she had only ever met him when on two occasions he entered her dreams the time she had been stranded in New York. Rosie had had to make sure Rebecca understood, that her brother’s death had been noting to do with her, or her once being a minor spirit of virtue. This was something, Rebecca was very sensitive about.

The secret service detail had also been called off, and they had been told that they had caught those who had bombed the place over in London where Rebecca had voluntarily given up being The Spirit of Kindness, to become just a normal human eleven year old girl.

“There’s somebody to see you Rebecca” Matthew suddenly said and pointed at a man in his fifties and a woman in her forties walking down from the bandstand.

Rebecca peered out, and spotted Colonel Samuel Peters. Suddenly the colour drained from her face and she started to breathe very rapidly, What had she done wrong, she wondered? Were they going to taser her again?.

Matthew put his arm around her and whispered, “It’s ok love, they’re not here to hurt you or take you away. Slow breaths remember”

“That’s right sweetheart” Susan reassured her, and lovingly stroked the back of Rebecca’s head “They rang ahead to make sure it was ok” she added, and then leant over and kissed Rebecca on the top of her head. “We love you Rebecca and would never let anyone hurt you” Susan whispered.

Slowly and nervously looking around, Rebecca walked up the path towards the colonel and the lady.

The two adults stopped walking

“Hello” Rebecca said to them, trying to be as polite as possible, then just to make sure she added, “Please sir, I never meant make those people be kind to me and I swear I was not involved in that cheque fraud in Miami”, her voice was trembling with emotion.

The colonel interrupted her, “We know that Rebecca, that’s not why those men hurt you and your mother”
“But I thought it was because I had done something wrong” Rebecca began

This time the woman interrupted her, “Miss Sands, may I call you Rebecca” she began.

Rebecca just looked up at her, with tears forming in her eyes and just nodded.

The lady then knelt down on one knee and pulled out a handkerchief and passed it to Rebecca. Rebecca said a thank you and took it and started wiping her eyes.

“Rebecca” The woman continued, “You did nothing wrong whatsoever. What happened to you and your mom was not your fault, it was one individual; in our organisation who was bad and ordered it”

“What did I do to him?” Rebecca asked in all innocent, “If I said I was sorry”

“You don’t need to Rebecca” the lady interrupted, “You have nothing to be sorry about and you never did anything to him at all. Rebecca you are special, which makes you different, and sometimes people are just afraid of people who are different”
“He’s gone anyway” The colonel added, “I was there when he was fired, kind of”
Rebecca looked up at the colonel, then at the lady, “Are you the colonel’s wife?” she asked.

The two adults laughed, and then the lady answered “No Rebecca, I’m not his wife. My name is Kathryn and I am the head of the organisation the colonel works for”
“Are you his boss then?” Rebecca asked
“Yes, kind of” the lady replied, then she put on a more serious tone, “Rebecca, I just wanted to come up and see you in person, to say sorry to you, for how our organisation was miss-used to hurt you and your mom and for the disgraceful manner in which you were released”
“I was frightened” Rebecca told her and then as she started to cry added, “I really thought I had done something wrong and I promise I don’t want to cause anyone any trouble” she sobbed

The lady stood up and gave Rebecca a hug, “Rebecca, Rebecca you never caused anyone any trouble” she whispered.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rebecca noticed the colonel was beckoning someone to come over. A few seconds later, her mother was with them, and she knelt down beside Rebecca, and took over hugging her daughter.

“Let me just reiterate this Rebecca” the lady went on, “You never did anything wrong, you have nothing to be sorry for or be ashamed of. The fault was with our organisation and the man who did this to you and your mother here has been punished for what he did. You are the most wonderful child I have ever met, and you are a credit to your parents who I know are devoted to you and love you so very much”
“I appreciate that” Susan cut in, and then to Rebecca, “You Father will also be working part time for this lady, just to make sure what happened to us never happens again” and then looking up at the lady and the colonel added a barbed, “ever!”

The Lady then turned to the Colonel, “You wanted to speak to Rebecca about something else as well” she told him, “I’ll wait in the car while you break it to her”

”Break it to her?” Rebecca was worried, Had she done something wrong?

The lady said her goodbyes and left, and the colonel waited and watched her leave until she reached the bandstand.

Susan stood up and gently guided Rebecca back to the stone seat by the flower bed, and the two of them sat down next to Matthew. This time is was Susan putting a loving arm around Rebecca.

Rebecca looked nervously up at the colonel as he stood in front of them and hesitated at bit, then pulled from his coat pocket a bundle of letters.

“Rebecca” the Colonel began, “I know that you and Jenny Green wrote to each other on a regular basis”
Rebecca nodded, “She was nice sir” she told the colonel, “She offered to find me a home with her friends before you told me about I was coming here” Then a worry crossed her mind, “Have I upset her?” she asked
“No” the colonel said softly, “She told us all about your correspondence and about how you were making friends as school and at church”
“What’s wrong?” Rebecca asked, she could tell something was up.
“Rebecca, you heard that someone attacked the place where you were taken to when Tania and Mark collected you from living rough”
Rebecca nodded, “They said the people who did it might come after me” she said with worry in her voice.
“Well we finally got those responsible” the colonel told her.
“Are they going to prison?” Rebecca asked.
The colonel sighed, “Some are Rebecca, but they were what we call foot soldiers, and not what we call the brains behind it” The colonel stopped, sighed then said, “Rebecca, there’s no easy way to tell you this, we had to engage in combat to get the main bad guy, and in this action” The colonel stopped and looked up. Breathed in and out, and then Rebecca could detect a hint of emotion in his voice as he continued, “We lost some of our people”

Suddenly the truth of what the colonel was trying to say hit her like a lump hammer, and her face crumpled as she began to cry asking “Is Jenny dead?”

Susan put both arms around Rebecca and Matthew put his arms around both of them to comfort his upset daughter.

The colonel waited a moment, then said, “I was there, if it helps, it was very quick, I don’t think she felt anything. I also lost my best friend Commander Mark Johnston and I understand Rosie told you about her brother Hogan O’Brien, he was killed in the same combat action”

The Colonel then handed Matthew the bundle of letters, “Rebecca, these are the letters you wrote to her, I think she would like you to have them, plus there was one she never got to send”

Matthew thanked the colonel for the bundle, and then the colonel told Rebecca, if she still wanted to keep writing letters, she could always write to him.

Rebecca tearfully mouthed an “OK”

Frank suddenly turned up with his girlfriend Sarah in tow, “What’s up with Rebecca” he asked
“She just heard some bad news” Susan replied, “A friend of hers in England was killed in action”

The colonel then said his goodbyes and left, while Matthew and Susan comforted Rebecca, and Susan, with tears in her eyes read Jenny Green’s final letter, while Frank and Sarah stood holding hands in respectful silence.

+ + +

Samuel got into the back of the limousine, with Kathryn. Kathryn closed her cell phone she was talking into and then ordered the driver to take them to Skyhaven Airport.

“Rebecca’s just like your daughter Andrea” Kathryn commented
“Before some drunk slammed his car into her in ninety eight and killed her and her mother” Samuel replied

“By the way” Kathryn said, swiftly changing the subject, “I just heard from Florida, Endeavour landed safely with Sue-Lim on board”
“And the Russian pilot?” Samuel asked
“He stayed aboard the ISS, as a cover for his being in space, he will return in a month or so in the Soyuz capsule” Kathryn answered
“So when will she be flying back to London” Samuel asked
“She’s not” Kathryn said abruptly, “We are moving IDC operations to DC, she’s being granted permanent residence along with her fiancé Pete Smith and Charlene Henshaw”
“What?” Samuel asked, “I thought we were going to rebuild The Facility”

“Samuel” Kathryn said with uncharacteristic assertion, “I know that the sect attacked IDW01 as well as us, but it almost played in to the hands on Capital Hill of those who think like Mr Vee and especially Mr Davies and his co-conspirators. I’m glad you kept Paddy McGurty’s betrayal secret that would have handed them victory on a silver platter”
“It was hard to convince the Clan Chief of the Manjura, but there is no way I am going to let things go back to the days of Mr Blue” Samuel replied, “We owe G2 a lot of favours, even if it does stick in the craw that they are going to treat him as a war hero”
“Samuel” Kathryn continued, “They tried to make a lot of capital over the casualties sustained by the expeditionary forces, I only just managed to get them to pass them off as casualties of Iraq and Afghanistan or training accidents.”
“I sense a but there” Samuel interjected
“Samuel” Kathryn went on, “The price I paid was to keep Mr Vee onboard the committee and at his request get the whole organisation moved to Washington DC”
“I suppose you had to do what you had to” Samuel reflected then continued, “At least Mr Sands should be a good counter balance to the likes of Mr Vee and his crowd and help keep us from going down that dark route again”

“I hope so” Kathryn answered, “He’s a darn fine lawyer, and a good man, but even so, I have arranged with a few friends of mine, that if our current policy of co-operation with IDW01 is changed back to the previous repressive regime Mr Davies tried to take us back to, that Rebecca and her family will be taken to somewhere safe from them”
“The Mystical Realms?” Samuel asked
Kathryn shook her head, “I think it would be best if you did not know”
“I guess you’re right, anyway, the trolls and the elves have their work cut out rebuilding after the sect was finally routed”
“How are they coping?” Kathryn asked
“They’re coping” Samuel replied, “The Clan Chief of the Manjura says they managed to find a third of the dimension jump orbs that were undamaged in the raid on the citadel. That goblin family we rescued have been returned to their goblin village”
“I heard the sect upped the number of crucifixions as punishment for us removing them to Earth, so I thought they would not be welcomed back” Kathryn commented.
“The elderly goblin finds it difficult, but from what I hear they seem to understand it was not their fault and they were told to blame us if need be”
“Anything else to report from our IDW01 allies Samuel” Kathryn asked
“I hear that the new Clan Chief of the Rachtal has been selected” Samuel answered, “It was the previous one’s son and he is grateful for what we tried to do” then the Samuel turned to Kathryn and in a more urgent tone told her. “If anyone on Capital Hill questions our policy Kathryn, tell them that we made powerful allies. Also tell them of the alliance between the drow and the Russians”
“I’ll try that Samuel” Kathryn replied, “I’ll try that” she repeated, then added, “I suppose we should be thankful we managed to defeat the Magnus Timor”
“He fed on fear”, Samuel observed, “As soon as that was removed from the equation, he was taken down”
“And it was you, a human from Earth that did it” Kathryn told him, “You beat him Samuel, you beat him”
“I know” Samuel replied and then looked out of the car window, and sighed, “But at what cost”

Then as the car drove through to the outskirts, Colonel Samuel Peters could not help thinking of those that had been lost

The staff in London at the Facility
Captain Strang of the Manjura Clan
The survivors of the Facility bombing and troll allies who were lost in the attack on Karam Tag Chou
The SAS team, the elven healer that went into the goblin village
The US Special Marines lost in the attack on the Central City
Numerous allied trolls, gnolls goblins and elves
Dobian the Drow
Jason Turner from the Annexe
G2 officer Hogan O’Brien
Jenny Green

And his right hand man and best friend

United States Marine Commander Mark Johnston

Kathryn asked the driver to put the radio on, as it was almost time for the hourly news bulletin. It was slightly early, and the station was playing Kelly Clarkson’s song, “Because of You”

At the lyric, ”I watched you die” Samuel looked out at the window, thought about Hogan, Strang, Jenny and Mark, the special operations team he had trained, and who had fallen in the fight against the Magnus Timor and the sect. He breathed a deep breath and sighed, “I sure miss you, you guys”, and continued to listen to the song, fighting to hold back his tears…

Youtube video

* * *

Under an alien red sky
Location – Unknown

Jenny Green regained consciousness and shook her head to try and shake of the feeling of disorientation from the blast that the Magnus Timor had thrown at her.
“Jenny, are you ok” Mark asked her.
Jenny felt his loving arms around her, she was obviously lying in them as he held her. She thought it was such a noble, but stupid thing to do, to try and shove her out of the way, which was why she loved him.
“Jenny, are you ok” Mark repeated and kissed her forehead
“Yes love” Jenny groggily answered, and then she opened her eyes and saw the strange alien landscape.

Up in the sky was a red sun, and the sky was a crimson shade. It was nothing like a sunset or sunrise Jenny had ever seen, as the sun was high up and not at the horizon.

They were on some kind of plateau and in the distance they could see strange plants and what seemed to be flying creatures. Behind them were more of these strange towing plants.

Jenny stood up assisted by Mark.

“Mark, where are we” Jenny asked and hugged Mark.

Mark put his arms around Jenny, “I don’t know Jenny” he replied, “I only came round a few minutes ago myself”

Just then, in the distance they could hear someone approaching through the plants. Mark and Jenny stood to face them. Jenny still had her short bow and quiver, so strung up an arrow.

They listened carefully, it sounded like two individuals.

Suddenly Jenny felt the short bow ripped from her hands, the arrow with it by some unknown force.

Then Jenny and Mark came face to face with someone who was supposed to be dead. A certain man in his twenties, in jeans and trainers nothing else.

It was the former lab technician from the Facility, that had turned traitor and had used doppelganger assassins to attack Jenny outside her former coffee shop as a ruse to get another one into the Facility.

“Timothy Zachary” Mark said in disbelief

“At your service Commander” Timothy replied with a smirk, and then he turned to Jenny, “A little over dressed are Miss Green, I hardly recognised you with your clothes on” he sneered, “Please could you remove all your clothes, I much prefer the Amazon look”
“In your dreams” Jenny retorted
“I thought you were dead” Mark replied and approached him.

Timothy pulled out a small derringer and waved it at the commander and then Jenny, “I forgot all about this at the Facility when I had the other gun” Then Timothy grinned and added, “Well as you can see commander, in spite of your best efforts, I’m not dead after all. I am very much alive and well and living here on what, if I remember our cataloguing convention, should be called Eye-Dee Double-you Oh, two”

Then the other person emerged from the alien forest. She was what looked like a woman in either her forties or fifties, and she had very cold dark eyes and was wearing black dress that clung to her figure.

“Who are these people?” the women in black asked.

Timothy walked to her side, still keeping the gun trained on Jenny and Mark, “They are old friends of mine from Earth” he said sarcastically, then he spoke to Jenny and Mark, “Commander, Miss Green, allow me to introduce my new partner in crime as it were” then he paused

Timothy then grinned, “The Spirit of Lust”….

To be continued in Season Eight
Sometime in the New Year

Assuming I can get to do season eight

[Sticks]

Season Seven is dedicated to the memory of Wendy (AKA Romantic Old Bird)
1951 - 2008

RIP