—Real.
—Yes. Thank you for sending me.
—Thank you for finding Fata.
—You’re welcome. I won’t forget her either. That poor woman. What she had to endure, it’s…I can’t find the words. It’s inhuman. What kind of monster would do such a thing to another person?
—War brings out the worst, and sometimes the best, in people.
—Speaking of war, I’m worried about what we’re doing here. We started this as a research project. I don’t have a degree in physics or anything, but it felt somewhat like science. This is not. It’s not a research project anymore, and I’m starting to feel like a soldier again.
There’s just too much money riding on this thing not to use it. At some point, we’re gonna take her out, and we’re gonna kill people, a hundred, a thousand…ten thousand. It’s hard to see it for what it is, because it looks like a person, a woman, but what we have is a weapon, at least that’s the way we’re treating it. If we had found a bomb, a giant missile…
—Would you be a part of this project if we had?
—Maybe. Probably. Somehow it would be easier if I weren’t the one driving this thing. I mean there’s no one else. Well, there’s one other person. But they’ll send us out there, and we won’t have a choice but to kill whoever comes at us.
You know they’ll have absolutely no idea what they’re up against, no clue that they don’t stand a chance. I guess what I’m saying is: It’s easier to be just one more soldier in a giant army than being the whole army by yourself.
—It does not matter whether you are all alone or one in an army of thousands. You have a choice. You have always had a choice. You should be grateful to be in a position to make it when the stakes are so clear. They rarely are.
—I’m not sure I understand.
—You are in control of a formidable weapon, but one that is designed for close combat. This means that you will always see whomever you choose to kill. That is a clear choice. Destroying a bridge in a night incursion is a much harder decision to make. You just never took the time to think about it. Removing it could prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the front line. That bridge could also be the only escape route for civilians. How many people will you save? How many will you send to their deaths? That is a complicated decision to make, especially without all—
—Is that your phone or mine?
—Yours, I believe…
—Then that must be yours.
—Indeed it is. We seem to be popular at the moment.
—What does yours say?
—North Korea just sank a South Korean ship in the Yellow Sea. They are moving troops toward the DMZ. I believe you…
—Yep. We’re being deployed.
FILE NO. 251
MISSION LOG—CW4 KARA RESNIK, UNITED STATES ARMY
Location: Paju, near the demilitarized zone, South Korea
—Can you hear me, Ms. Resnik? Please cough if you can hear me.
—Cough? How about I just tell you? I hear you loud and clear. I muted my comms with Alyssa. She can’t hear us.
—Good. Where are you now?
—We’re in Paju. We’re walking along the highway toward the border. We took a nice stroll in the river before that.
—Is the South Korean Army following you?
—No. There are some troops behind us across the river, but they’re not moving. This is our show now. Oh, except for that tiny jeep riding next to us on the highway. I think it’s escorting us, silly as it sounds.
—How are you feeling?
—Stiff. I’m sore all over the place.
—Has there been an incident I have not been made aware of?
—No, nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. Do you know how long it took for us to get here? Eleven days! Eleven days in a container ship, sleeping in that sorry excuse for a bunk they gave us.
We really have to do something about transport, or we need to find really patient enemies. It did give Vincent and me a chance to talk, though.
—Have you made any progress toward reconciliation?
—Eh…Can we do this another time? I’m sort of in the middle of something. Where are you calling me from anyway?
—Beijing. I still have a few friends here. I tried to win you a few extra days.
—I doubt you have any friends, anywhere.
—People who owe me favors are called friends. I asked them to stall Pyongyang for as long as they could.
—Seems to have worked. You know, I never knew it was this pretty.
—What is?
—Here. I’d never been to Korea, let alone to the border. I always imagined the demilitarized zone as something—I don’t know—rugged. Some half-plowed mine-filled dirt field with crooked barbed wire all over the place. This looks like a national park. There’s grass everywhere. It’s insanely green. Everything is really pretty, very well kept. I’m sure it would all explode if we walked over it, but still, pretty.
Can you hold on for a minute? I have to report in…
Yes, Alyssa. We’re entering the DMZ. We’re a little over a mile from the—what do they call it?—the MDL. I can see a checkpoint from here. I’ll go out on a limb and say they’ve seen us by now…No, nothing’s happening…Yep. I’ll let you know in a minute when we reach the border…
Are you there? I can’t keep turning my mic off. I can still hear you, but I won’t be able to respond.
—Very well. Just keep this channel open so I can hear you.
—All right. Here goes nothing…
Alyssa, I’m back. Yes, I was talking to Vincent…Things that don’t concern you. I thought you’d like to know we’re almost at the border. I can see troops about a mile away…I don’t know, I see a lot of tanks, maybe two hundred. I’m guessing that’s a brigade. Lots of infantry…
How am I supposed to know? They’re in tents. I can tell you there are no more than fifty thousand men here. They sure didn’t bring everyone. If they’re getting ready to march in, I don’t think this is where it’s happening. My guess is they’re just showing off…
You did ask for my opinion. You wanted to know how many troops there were. And since we’re supposed to be here to stop an invasion, I thought the fact that there just aren’t enough soldiers here to invade anything would be, you know, relevant.
Sure. We can walk to the border, but they can see us just fine from where we are if that’s what you’re worried about…We’re going. We’re going…
Vincent, that’s far enough. OK. We’re there. We’re right at the fence. There are about a hundred men, a couple trucks about two hundred feet from us…No, Alyssa. No one’s doing anything. They’re just staring at us…I’m telling you! No one’s shooting at us!…Where?
Oh, yeah. I see him. There’s one guy about a thousand feet to the side taking potshots at us with an AK…What do you want me to do? Yell at him? HEY YOU DOWN THERE! STOP SHOOTING AT OUR FEET! How’s that?
You’re kidding, right? I’m not walking into North Korea because of some kid with a peashooter. He’s probably just scared shitless…We can’t shoot back, Alyssa. We could squish him if he gets closer, but we can’t reach him from over here. No, Alyssa, we’re not under attack. I don’t care how much you wanna show off your new toy, there’s no imminent threat here…
Do you have bad reception over there? I said no. We’re not gonna pick a fight with fifty thousand men and an armored division for the fun of it…
—Do not cross that border. I do not care what Ms. Papantoniou is telling you. Do not cross.
—An order…Are you sure, Alyssa? It sounded more like a suggestion to me…
Fire me then! We were sent here to prevent something. Now we know it’s not happening. We need to pack our bags and go home…Vincent, turn us around. We’re out of here. Vincent?
—You cannot cross that border, do you hear me?!
—We’re not crossing that border! Vincent! Move! I’m not gonna say…What was that?…
Yes, I hear
you, Alyssa. I think we’ve been shot at, for real this time…I don’t know, an RPG I think. Don’t you have cameras up there? You tell me what hit us…I don’t know where it came from—close, I think. I just saw something in the corner of my eye…
In the shoulder…No, we didn’t feel an explosion, more like a hum. My suit tensed up for a second but that’s about…Wait…INCOMING!!!
—Ms. Resnik? What is happening? Ms. Resnik!?…
—…We’ve been hit! We’ve been hit!…An antitank missile. It came from a launching vehicle on the west side…I felt that one. I don’t think it did any damage, but my suit is giving me some sort of feedback. That felt like an electric shock. Vincent, did you feel that too?…
Yeah. Vincent felt the same thing. Vincent, we better turn on the shield. I don’t know how many of these we can take before we discharge…Oh, and can someone tell that idiot in the jeep to get the hell away from us?
Of course, they’re shooting at us, Alyssa. They have a twenty-story alien robot on their doorstep. They have no idea what…There’s another one! INCOMING!
Turn on the shield! GO! GO! GO!…To the left, Vincent! To the left!…GOT IT!
Did you guys see that?
—I assume that is a rhetorical question? I am on the phone in China.
—No, Alyssa, that was another missile, probably an AT-5. I meant, did you see the light? I raised my arm just in time to catch it on the edge of the shield. It was weird—the shield went flat, and it turned bright, and I mean bright. We couldn’t see through it at all for a second. I wonder why it changes shape like that.
All right. This is a whole lot of fun, but what do you say we get out of here before this gets out of hand?…Yep, take us back the way we came in. Alyssa, we’re heading back…
You gotta be kidding me. How long? OK.
Vincent, there are two MIGs under way. ETA three minutes…Yeah, I say we wait here. Turn us around. If they fire, I’d rather not get hit in the back. Alyssa, we’re about a thousand feet from where we were. We’re gonna sit tight until the MIGs get here. I’m turning my coms off for a minute…
Can you stop this?
—Are you addressing me?
—Yes, Alyssa can’t hear me. Any chance you can get those MIGs to turn around?
—It pains me to say it, but that is beyond my reach.
—OK…So, any good stories to tell? I got three minutes.
—What would you like to hear?
—Anything that’ll get my mind off two MIG 21s.
—I do not believe they can destroy you.
—You’re welcome to come here and take my place.
—I will have to take a rain check on that one.
—Tell me about Beijing.
—I am the wrong person to ask. This city is filled with bad memories. I can no longer see it for what it is.
—Fine. Tell me about your childhood. Talk about dogs.
—You have just disobeyed a direct order from your superior.
—Oh, that…Yeah, if by “disobey,” you mean not do what she asked, I might have done that.
—We talked about this before. You were trained not to question orders.
—Apparently, I wasn’t trained that well.
—…
—I don’t know what to tell you. This isn’t the Army.
—Would your response have been the same had Dr. Franklin given the order?
—Probably not. Look, I’m sorry! I won’t do it again. I won’t have a chance. I don’t think Alyssa’ll send me anywhere anytime soon.
—She may not have a choice. Perhaps this is not the right time, but I fear I may not get a chance to talk to you before you get back to Puerto Rico. There has been a development, and I believe you deserve better than to find out after the fact…
—Well, can you tell me in under a minute and a half?
—Alyssa has found replacement pilots. She will want you and Vincent to start training them as soon as you get back. The person who is slated to take your station is an Israeli pilot.
—Is he any good?
—She is the best they have. I have never met her, but I have read her file, I believe you two will get along. I am more concerned with whom they found to substitute for Mr. Couture.
—Who is it?
—Ms. Papantoniou has been—shall I say—less than forthcoming on the matter, but I have learned that a certain Army pilot has just received an early release from the confinement facility at Fort Carson.
—An Army pi…Ryan? You’re joking…
—I wish I were. Unless you can think of another reason for Mr. Mitchell to book a flight to San Juan the day of his release. I am sorry. I know this must be upsetting.
—You think?! How do you think Vincent’s gonna react?…No, Vincent, it’s nothing! Well, it’s not nothing. I’ll tell you later, OK?…
She’s just nuts if she thinks he’s gonna train him…You were right, though. You picked one heck of a time to tell me…
—I know.
—Oh, shit, they’re here. Gotta go.
—Good luck…
—…
—Ms. Resnik?
—…
—Ms. Resnik. Are you there?
FILE NO. 252
INTERVIEW WITH ALYSSA PAPANTONIOU, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER, GAIA CONSORTIUM
Location: Undisclosed location, near San Juan, Puerto Rico
—She’s gone. Ka…Kara’s gone.
—That is not true.
—She’s gone! Get it thr…through your head!
—You have resented her from the very beginning. It must be frustrating for you.
—Don’t tell me you agree w…with what she did? She disobeyed a di…a direct order! If this had been the Army, she’d have been…court-martialed. She’d already be in jail. You know that.
—Indeed. Were this the United States Army, she would most likely be dishonorably discharged after serving her sentence…unless, of course, her orders were illegal. You had no right to ask her to walk into North Korea. I was very clear about this. No offensive action. I think we can all agree that a direct strike inside the borders of a sovereign state qualifies as offensive action. I would give Ms. Resnik a medal for standing her ground. I am much more concerned with your complete disregard for my directives.
—I don’t report to you. She does to me. I gave her an order! She d…didn’t just refuse, she made a fool out of me!
—You are being paranoid.
—She defied me!
—You were trying to start a war! Are you so egotistical to believe this was all about you?
—She won’t get away with this.
—You do realize that you need her a lot more than she needs you?
—Not for long. We’re close. We’re really close. Believe me, she’ll never s…set foot in that thing again. Ever.
—Are you saying you have found a way to unlock the helmets?
—Yes…Well, no. Not exactly. I still need her head to get it working, but I think I’ve found a way to make the helmet believe she’s still…still in it, even if she’s not. I’m also pursuing more permanent solutions.
—Could you keep it on indefinitely? I am only asking because she might be less enthusiastic about helping if you take her pilot station away from her.
—I hope so. I need more samples to find out.
—You may not have noticed, but Ms. Resnik does not like to be probed.
—She doesn’t have a say anymore. I’ll g…I’ll get what I need one way or another.
—I am more than willing to talk to her. I can probably persuade her to undergo more testing, but you will not subject her to anything that she has not volunteered for. I hope this much is clear.
There are very few certainties in this world. One of them is that you are replaceable, in this project or any other, and she is not. There is a line you cannot cross. It is very well defined. You are welcome to call me for clarification, should that line become ever so slightly blurred.
>
—I’ll run this project as I see fit. I d…didn’t wanna do this now, but it’ll have to do. I spoke to the board, and it is my…my duty to inform you that your services will no longer be needed, as of today. We appreciate everything you’ve done for this project. We realize we couldn’t have gone this far without you and we’ll always be g…grateful for all your help. Security will ask you to leave your ID on your way out.
—You spoke to the board?
—Yes.
—The “board,” you realize, is a low-level officer from Russian Intelligence, a retired South Korean general, the son of an Arab prince, and four lawyers who represent private companies but are not allowed to tell them anything they see. If you were to write down a list of all the people who are ill equipped to deal with the current situation, the “board” would undoubtedly have its name somewhere on the first page. Granted, yours would certainly appear farther down the list, but you are, nonetheless, incapable of facing what is bound to come very soon.
—W…What are you talking about?
—You really have no grasp of the situation, do you?
—Enlighten me.
—Approximately twelve days ago, you unveiled to the world, for the second time, an alien device powerful enough to tip the balance of power in any ground conflict. You marched it to the North Korean border against my specific instructions and effectively taunted the North Korean Army to attack you so you could demonstrate just how destructive that machine can be. In doing so, you have not only considerably raised tensions amongst Asian nations, but you have also antagonized the United States, and perhaps—pardon the pun—alienated forces infinitely more powerful.
—We didn’t do anything against the US. North K…Korea isn’t exactly a friendly state.
—The government of the United States spared no expense to locate and secure the pieces of that alien device. Staggering amounts of money and resources were allocated to this project. After the robot was revealed to the world, they also went to great lengths to avoid an international conflict and to ensure that, if they could not have it, no one else would. You essentially stole it from them, took it out for everyone to see, and left a hole the size of a small town along the Korean DMZ.