Nick bounced from foot to foot nervously, his stomach clenched in tight knots. He would've liked to have room to pace around and relieve some of the anxiety and tension he was feeling but there was no space for it. Glancing around, he tried to get a read on the small group of persons involved in the attack. Most people’s faces were stoic and impassive as they stood and waited to be transported to the surface. Some were obviously engrossed in conversation with others. Some had their eyes closed as they stood solemnly still, perhaps trying to quell their fears as he was, or just getting focused on the task at hand. Whether they were praying or meditating Nick didn’t know. Maybe they were just trying to catch some sleep before the assault he thought. He wished he could sleep right now. In fact, he wished he could do something to distract himself, however momentarily, from what was about to happen. It seemed that all he could do was feel intense and unabating fear. Most of the time he was trying to keep his outward appearance from betraying the fact that all he wanted to so was run screaming from the room and hide until it was all over. He was given the option to stay behind, but Nick felt his place was on Earth helping out in whatever way he could. Subconsciously he ran his hands over the only physical weapon he had. It was a strange device that reminded him of a cell phone that was now clipped securely onto his belt. His thoughts drifted back to his training with it and he shuddered as he remembered how devastating it could be. It could be used in a variety of settings, ranging from a non-lethal stun right up to the terrifying obliteration of its victim and a range of equally horrifying settings in between. Deep down he promised himself to try and not resort to using it unless it was to save his own life. His only other weapon was his mind. He had been feverishly training and honing his telepathic skills. They would form the main method of defense and attack. He had trained hard and learned things he never thought a human brain would be capable of. He could bend light around himself to make himself invisible. He could choke and render attackers unconscious with just his thoughts. The thing he thought would be most useful was the ability to distort a person’s reality. It was like starting a movie in someone else's mind so they would see what he wanted them to see, while a different reality would unfold right in front of them and they were left completely unaware of what had really happened.
He took a deep breath and tried to shift his focus away from what he was feeling and instead thought about the mission itself. As it was explained to him, attacking Dulce base would only be the starting point for mankind to remove the blindfold that had been pulled over their eyes. He asked but no one could, or perhaps, would, give him an answer as to what else would be required or how long it would take to achieve. Everybody’s focus was bent upon the beginning thrust that was mere moments away from beginning. The limited intelligence they were able to gather revealed that it appeared to be business as usual on the base. Perhaps they were used to there being long intervals without communication from the moon base and its leaders. Nobody really knew. It was hoped that this was the case and the planned assault would be unexpected. From out of the small crowd his trainer, Talarc approached him. Tall, handsome and athletically built, Nick was sure if Talarc was Earthborn he would be a movie star or a sports star or maybe even both. Come to think of it, all the Annunaki he had encountered shared the same powerful aura and striking physical attributes. He could see how primitive man would think them gods.
Nick suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe. He clutched at his throat gasping for breath as an invisible hand seemed to tighten around his neck. He closed his eyes to relax and slowly fought back the feeling, pushing it away with everything he had. He pictured the hand loosening and the fingers letting go of their vice like grip. Just as suddenly he could breathe again. As he sucked in refreshing lungful’s of air, he smiled at Telarc.
“Good try my friend” he said
Telarc returned the smile and replied “I see my training efforts were not wasted. You have come long way since we first met. I am duly impressed” and he nodded his head in salute.
“Do you think you are ready for this young Nick?” he asked eying him appraisingly.
Nick bristled a little at the use of his nickname. He had been ordained with it in training by Telarc and because of the fashion in which the Annunaki shared their thoughts it didn’t take long for the use of it to spread to the rest of the ship. Telarc knew he wasn’t fond of it and Nick was sure that was why he had used it. Ignoring Telarc’s playful jab Nick replied “I'm nervous Telarc”
“You wouldn’t be normal if you weren’t nervous. Everybody in this room knows that there is a chance they may never return here. All you can do is put it out of your mind as best you can and not let it interfere with your thoughts. Trust in your training Nick, you did well.” Telarc replied sagely, nodding his head. “Thank you Telarc, you flatter me” said Nick “but I am concerned that when I was training the circumstances were more in my favor. You know, perhaps people took it easy on me because I was in training. In the heat of battle things will be decidedly different.”
Telarc gazed Nick up and down fully as he reflected momentarily before answering. “It’s understandable that you would feel that way Nick but you forget that I worked with you and I know the depths of your potential. What you will find is that during battle your abilities will be greatly enhanced because your adrenaline will be flowing, thereby sharpening your focus.”
Nick had never been in a battle before so all he could do was hope that Telarc was right. He swallowed hard and nodded solemnly at Telarc to show his appreciation of the attempt to assuage Nick’s feelings of fear. Telarc patted him on the shoulder and then moved off to converse with others gathered around. Nick took another deep breath and reached again to his weapon and shook his head. This was the last possible place he imagined himself when all this began.
Nick could feel in his head that someone was addressing him and everybody stiffened as the commanders voice sounded in their heads.
“The time is at hand everybody. Assume your positions as we will be transported to the surface momentarily.” There was a drawn out pause and then he continued. “My friends, this is not a training run; our enemies will be using lethal force against us. Bear that in mind as you defend yourselves. Remember what our mission is and why we choose to fight. May you all have the best of luck and return to the ship victorious!”
As his voice trailed off and his presence in Nick’s mind faded into the background, Nick took note of where he was supposed to be and joined the others in scurrying to get back to their spot in the formation. The lights in the cargo bay switched from their normal hue to a faded purple color that made everyone look creepy. Nick steadied himself and prepared for transportation. Using ships was out of the question so they were to be transported to the Earth’s surface by matter energy transmission. Nick most likened the procedure to the beaming he fondly remembered from watching Star Trek. As with his travel through the wormhole, being transported in this way was nothing like what you would see on television. There were no cool lights that flashed and twinkled as you disappeared or when you were reformed at your destination. Nick had done it a few times now for training and found the sensation to be somewhat alarming, although the Annunaki didn’t seem to mind.
A prickling sensation started to form on his skin and Nick, knowing this was it, concentrated on remaining calm. The prickling intensified and enveloped every last millimeter of his skin and then started to work its way inward, spreading through every part of his being. Bones, blood, hair teeth, flesh and organs were all sharing the same sensation. If felt like every last cell of his body was vibrating, ready to explode, and then in a fraction of a second it went dark and then light again and he was standing in the New Mexico desert. For a moment nobody moved and as the prickling subsided, Nick took a deep, reassuring breath of cold desert air. Memories surfaced for Nick as he looked around. Memories from months ago that showed him scrambling out of a door in the side of a hill that slid quietly shut and melted back into the hill,
all but invisible to the outside world. This had been the idea from the start. Based on Nick’s memories it was deduced that the best entry point would be where he had come out when he had escaped with Thralesh’s help those many moons ago. It was quiet and it also provided plenty of room to house the landing party until they could descend to the lower levels of the base. It would have been ideal of course to beam right into the facility itself. They had the technology to beam large groups of people. Unfortunately, there was some sort of a force field or jamming signal that was preventing them from doing just that. That was where the mission was to start. Find the source of the signal and destroy it. From there they could beam in the main thrust of the attack party and secure the access in and out of the base and gain total control. The existing infrastructure would be perfect to conceal them as they carried out the other missions necessary to reclaim control of Earth and free its people from their enslavement. To help man find the path they were destined for, embrace one another in unity and work together to achieve things they never thought possible.
Minimal noise made as the twenty in Nick's group readied themselves to enter the facility. Nick looked around, noticing the lights twinkling far off in the distance. He smiled to himself as he remembered his brief escape. He pondered for a moment what would have happened if he had chosen to run somewhere else instead of going home, what would have become of Bill’s and Leskal’s plan then. Perhaps they would have succeeded and mankind would have been doomed to a long enslavement at the hands of the Annunaki.
Looking up he could see a few stars weakly puncturing the deep black night sky. Standing there looking up, Nick felt small all of a sudden because he knew what the stars looked like from space and he knew how much more was out there. He had been to another planet and encountered other intelligent life. What else is waiting out there for us he thought to himself? What heights is man capable of reaching. He didn’t have the answer; he just knew he wanted to be a part of it all. “I located the door” cut across his thoughts. Nick snapped his attention back to the hillside to see Telarc concentrating deeply on the side of the small hill, in which the door to the inside of the base was hidden.
“A few moments and we should be in” Telarc's voice once again.
Without warning a long vertical crack formed in the hill, and grew silently larger until the whole door was open, revealing a long corridor behind it.
“OK everybody ready. Here we go. Step lively, I don’t know how long I can override this magnetic seal” Telarc advised.
Everybody formed into a column, two persons wide and marched straight in, the last person stopping just inside the door as Telarc stepped in and the door started its quiet closure.
Not knowing how long it would be before all this was over, Nick chanced one last glance at the sky outside the closing door and tried to take a mental picture of the starry night sky. There was one star that was larger and brighter than the others that seemed draw his attention. He didn’t get to truly have a good look at it as the door shut completely and they were on their own. They all stood still for a moment, concentrating deeply on their surroundings. Nick couldn’t sense anyone else in the tunnel besides them. Telarc must have come to the same conclusion.
“Our path seems clear everyone. Let’s get to the elevator but keep your senses sharp. Since Nick escaped this way before they might be watching it more closely.”
They moved swiftly and quietly along the corridor. It was as dimly lit as Nick remembered but he had little time to reflect on that now. He was straining to search out any ambush or other signs of danger but nothing presented itself and they reached the elevator without incidence.
Telarc strode from the back of the column right up to the elevator door and reached out, gently placed his hand on it, closing his eyes and lowering his head in communication with the machine itself.
“Be at the ready, this could be a trap” Telarc conveyed to everyone assembled. After a few quiet moments the elevator door slid open to revealing an empty interior. The tension in the hallway dissipated like a big sigh as they could all see there was nobody in the elevator. Everyone refocused and embarked into the elevator. It was as Nick remembered and there was enough room for the small attack force now gathered inside of it. Telarc was the last one in, pausing briefly to convey their progress to the mother ship. As he entered the elevator he flashed everyone a big smile, his eyes wide with enthusiasm. As the elevator doors slid back into place Telarc addressed everyone.
"This is it people. This is where your training will pay off. You need to be aware at all times and remember that they will not show you any mercy so you have to attack and defend yourself accordingly. If you get separated from the group you need to find a place to sit tight. We will find you. Don't try and fight your way out by yourself. Good luck everyone.”
Everybody acknowledged his thoughts and Nick shifted nervously where he stood. Yes, he was scared, but more than anything he didn't want to let everyone down and be the cause of someone’s death. Let alone the job they were trying to pull off had huge repercussions for the whole planet. He wondered if he had bitten off more than he could chew.
He took a deep breath, turning his thoughts to when the elevator would stop. As there was only one floor that Nick had been exposed too, that was to be their starting point. He thought hard about when he was here last and was not relieved to remember how the room had been pitch black when he went through there. He didn't know if he wanted it to be the same way or not when the elevator doors opened.
Nick sensed the elevator stop. Everyone else must have as well because the tension in the room ratcheted up fast. The door opened and Nick breathed out a small sigh of relief to see the room beyond was lit, not brightly, but with a dim glow cast by recessed lights in the ceiling. Even more importantly, there was nobody in it. Nick couldn't explain it but he had this haunted feeling he couldn't explain. It was like when you watch a horror movie and expect the bad guy to be around every turn. He tried to shrug it off, to put it down to the fact that he had never been in this kind of situation before but it was there nonetheless, flitting along the edges of his sanity, looking for a niche where it could take control. On the plus side it kept his senses sharp to what was happening.
“Gather around everyone”.
Nick took a place in the tight circle forming around Telarc and actually had to lean in to see what he was doing. Telarc took a small, flat circular object from inside his jacket, laid it in the palm of his hand and extended his arm out into the middle of assembled group. He touched the object with his thumb and a holographic image appeared. It depicted what Nick would describe as a vertical cylinder with seven layers that formed what looked wheels surrounding it. Each of the wheels was distinct and separate from the rest. Nick took a moment to think how cool it looked and then snapped to as Telarc addressed them.
"From intelligence that we have been able to gather, this is the layout of the base. There appear to be seven levels with layers of rock in between each one. At the heart of each level is this cylinder." he said, indicating the long cylindrical core that extended through all seven levels.
"We believe it is the central source of power and communications for the entire base. We need to find our way to the central core and then we can disable the shields that are preventing us from transporting the rest of our troops in." he said.
"Do we know where we are?" the burly Rinalx asked.
"We do not have an exact location. Nick's memories were very incomplete in this area as he was quarantined to his room or the lab. It's not important anyway, as the central core runs through all of the levels. Provided we can get to it, we can disable the shields” Telarc replied.
"Are we going as one team then?" Linaad threw in.
"No, we will divide into two teams" Telarc replied.
"Each team leader will have one of these" he said, as he brandished a small square device with his free hand.
"What are they?" Dreknel asked
"These devic
es need to be attached at the main core where there is a convergence of power and communications. Once activated it has a dual purpose. First it will send out a powerful electro-magnetic pulse that will disable all the electrical services to the different levels. This will, in effect, cut off each level from the other and make it easier to take over. Its second function is to send out a homing beacon to the orbiting ships and they will have the coordinates they need to transport down the bulk of the invading force." was Telarc's reply.
Telarc glanced around at everyone and stood up. "That's everything." he said and the hologram disappeared as he pocketed the device.
Telarc efficiently organized them into two teams and handed Dreknel, the other team leader, one of the square devices that Nick referred to as bombs as he had no other frame of reference. Dreknel's squad consisted of himself, Linaad, Querok, Vindal and the brooding Kreand. They were huddled together in a small circle, silently nodding as they undoubtedly went over finite details of the mission with one another. Nick turned his attention back to his group, which consisted of himself, Telarc, Rinalx, Frinvl and Kefrun. Nick marveled at how at ease everybody was. All the Annunaki were tall and strong, exuding an unwavering sense of purpose and ability, as if they all knew that this mission would be completed as planned, without complications. No sweat. Nick, however, felt nervous, very nervous. He thought perhaps it would have been better if he had stayed back on board the ship until the facility had been secured. There was nothing he could do about it now. He had to suck it up and do the best job he could no matter what he was feeling.
Telarc signaled that it was time to move out and they made their way to the door. Opening the door they made their way out into the hallway with quiet precision. It was long and deserted, just as it had been when Nick had last walked down it. They crept along slowly and surely, senses alert, attentive for anything out of the ordinary. It was a tense yet uneventful walk down the hall to the point that Nick recognized as being where the gray left him when he had escaped. They pressed on, encountering no one. At the first branch of hallways Telarc ordered a halt.
"This is where we split up. Remember to use your senses to guide you to the core" he advised.
"Good luck to us all"
They nodded at each other in salute and Dreknel's team turned to make their way down the left hallway. Nick's group watched for a moment as they slipped slowly down the hall and then turned and made their way down the hallway on the right.
Leaning back in his chair, Bill rubbed his eyes. What time was it? He didn't have a clue. Bill had been in his office even more than he liked as of late. They hadn't had any contact with the moon base in five days now but he was still forging ahead with their plans. It wasn't the first time that they had not had contact from the moon. There were other occasions: such as when the com system was being worked on, or when they wanted to observe radio silence because they thought perhaps the system had been compromised. Then there were the solar flares that would knock communications out for days at a time as well, so on the whole of it Bill wasn't overly concerned about it and was sticking to the schedule as planned. A soft knock at the door broke his brief reverie.
"Come in" he barked, irritated at the interruption.
The door opened and Fred Schopf, his chief security adviser, came walking into his office, his gait slow and measured, his face inscrutable as he neared Bill's desk. Fred had been with Bill for so long now that he couldn't count the years but father time was starting to show on Fred. His face weathered and unreadable, gray tinges tainting the edges of his hair. Fred had been a perfect recruit. No living relatives, never married or had children, kept to himself when not at work. Reliable and trustworthy to the end. Bill motioned for Fred to take a seat. Fred groaned under his breath from some unseen ache as he sat down. Bill looked to Fred, slightly confused, as he didn't know what to expect. Fred had been at his job for many years and needed little direction from Bill so he could only conclude that something serious must be happening.
"To what do I owe this honor at such a late hour my friend?" Bill questioned.
"Well sir, there has been a breach at Dulce base" Fred replied, his monotone voice even and unrevealing.
"I thought as much. More of those conspiracy theorist web site operators looking for another story?" Bill said jokingly.
"If only it were sir."
Bill's interest piqued a little. "What exactly do you mean Fred?" he asked his tone more serious.
"You remember when Nick escaped from Dulce?"
"Yes"
"Well after you brought him back we set up some extra security in that exit. It was an old and seldom used point but we thought it best to beef up the security, so we added some extra measures to it. Well, one of the alarms was just triggered."
Bill was sitting bolt upright in his chair now, all signs of weariness drained away.
"Are there any more details available" he asked
"All the extra systems that were put in place were bypassed, except one. It was an old human made RFID scanner. It picked up just one person" Fred said "Nick"
Bill sighed heavily, his train of thought derailed. Yes, after he had escaped and they brought him back, they put an RFID locator in him just in case he managed to get out again.
"But, how?" a flummoxed Bill asked "Was it only him?"
"We only picked up his device but he had to have had help sir. The extra systems were designed and put in place by your friends from Dulce, except for the RFID transponder, that was a little inspiration of my own. So it had to be someone from the inside." Fred deduced.
Yes, help, but from whom Bill thought? After the incident with Thralesh they had done a surprise sweep, alien and human alike, to try and weed out any more infidels. The sweep had turned up a few more and everyone else had checked out. This is what had him confused about help coming from the inside. And what would make him want to come back here, unless, and a suspicion occurred to Bill that crystallized his thoughts and made his stomach tie in a knot. What if everything didn’t go as planned and Nibiru was still en route to Earth, fully under native control?
"Has Dulce been alerted?" he asked tersely, his thoughts racing ahead and forming a plan.
"I notified them sir, but told them to wait for your direction before taking any action" Fred informed him.
"Excellent work Fred. Thank you. Can you meet me at the train level in fifteen minutes; I want to get over to Dulce as soon as possible. Nobody is to do anything other than monitor the situation until we get there. Have a security detail meet us when we get there and make sure they are all humans, no aliens. If my hunch is correct any alien presence will give us away." Bill ordered.
Fred stood up and with a "Yes sir", turned smartly, and made his way to the door and left Bill alone in his office.
Bill watched the door shut, exhaling deeply once it was fully closed. He was exhilarated and confused all at once. There was always the intangible that you could never account for in a mission, and if Nick was back on Earth either the mission was partially successful or Nick had escaped before the mission was completed and now he was trying to exact some measure of revenge. So many questions and Nick had the answers he needed. He hastily shoved all the papers on his desk back in their folder and filed it away in his desk drawer. From his other desk drawer he pulled out a hand held tracking device and his weapon then hurriedly made his way out of his office, down to the train level. Bill didn't know exactly what was going on but the feeling in his gut was that Nick's reappearance at Dulce had something to do with the silence now coming from the moon base.
Chapter 18