The Seraphim Sequence: The Fifth Column 2 (13 page)

‘Food is already short, but the Fifth Column is covering it up,’ the Japanese elder said. ‘Soon the shortages will be difficult to conceal and people will know.’

‘And we are not finished with severe weather around the world either,’ Danbi, the Korean elder, said. ‘The Fifth Column’s manipulation of weather needs to be stopped. Project Seraphim needs to be stopped.’

Sophia opened her mouth to say that Seraphim had nothing to do with the weather, but remembered what Freeman had told her. She bit her tongue.

‘We also have the war on terror in the Middle East,’ Sara said from beside Freeman. ‘I know this is part of the Fifth Column’s resource grab, but as we speak armies are closing on Iran and Syria.’

‘In my opinion, this war is a smaller part of resource control than we first thought,’ the Japanese elder said. ‘And I mean not to make this sound … unimportant. But I think this pseudo-war is designed to hold the masses in a state of anxiety and to distract them. To induce them to agree with even more oppressive measures.’

‘I agree,’ Sharlen said. ‘The people of our Earth are already so traumatized that it really isn’t going to take much to push everyone into fascism.’

‘I think we have a more immediate priority,’ said a younger man.

He had a broad face and, compared to Danbi, thicker lips and darker skin. He wasn’t slapping on 70+ SPF, that was for sure. Sophia supposed he was from a Shadow Akhana base near Vietnam or Laos.

‘The Fifth Column have plans to eliminate millions, if not billions, of individuals competing for their resources,’ he said. ‘If they grow tired of waiting for us to starve or die off from a plague, they might speed things up. If we know anything about psychopaths, we know they will choose the most efficient option.’

‘What are we talking here, Hoang?’ Freeman asked.

‘Genetically engineered viruses,’ Hoang said. ‘We know of their existence. We know the Fifth Column have been playing with them for decades since Project Phoenix. And we also know they aren’t too fond of our planet’s overpopulation.’

‘Is a virus necessary though?’ Danbi said. ‘Last year we had birds falling out of the sky with no sign of disease, sinkholes in dozens of countries, a record-breaking cyclone in Australia, a devastating earthquake in New Zealand, an even more devastating tsunami in Japan and the resulting nuclear-reactor disaster—’

‘
Ongoing
disaster,’ the Japanese elder said. ‘And let us not to forget the massive eruption of an entire volcanic complex in Chile.’

‘And this year we’ve had snow hit the Sahara Desert!’ Sharlen said. ‘Flooding, tornadoes, supercell storms in the UK. Hundreds of meteors starting fires across the US and Russia, which the Fifth Column have been blaming on Al-Qaeda, and then when people stopped buying that, they blamed it on the polar jet stream going haywire—’

‘The Seraphim Project,’ Danbi said. ‘There is no question that the Fifth Column’s weather manipulation is the single greatest threat to humanity at this moment in time. There are only so many natural disasters they can blame on terrorists. Once people figure this out, we are looking at even more social upheaval. I believe this is of much higher danger than rumors of genetically modified viruses.’

‘We don’t have enough proof that Seraphim is the cause of these disasters,’ Freeman said. ‘Frequencies in the Seraphim’s range are normally used to communicate with deeply submerged submarines, not to generate a cyclone. We have no data on these frequencies affecting weather. But we have a small amount of data on these frequencies affecting humans. Perhaps we need to look closer.’

‘But we know Project Seraphim’s purpose is to manipulate weather!’ Danbi said.

‘Seraphim isn’t controlling weather,’ Sophia said. ‘I can tell you that now.’

The words came from nowhere, loud enough that everyone in the conference stopped speaking. Before she knew it, she was standing behind Freeman, completely in view of the webcam.

‘I do apologize, we have a new guest today,’ Freeman said quickly. ‘You all know or know of Sophia.’

Sophia could feel the glares of the Akhana’s last surviving elders. Their expressions ranged from confusion to irritation.

‘The planet’s weather is governed by solar and cosmic radiation,’ she said. ‘Charged particles from sunspots, solar flares, filaments. These particles affect our planet’s magnetic field. This is what affects the currents of our oceans and jet streams. You don’t need a weather-manipulator device to shake things up.’

‘Since you seem to be more knowledgeable on this topic, perhaps you can enlighten us,’ the Japanese elder said.

‘What you told me yesterday,’ Freeman said. ‘I think everyone needs to hear this.’

Sophia looked around at the computer screens. Everyone stared back, waiting.

‘I don’t know about the weather,’ she said. ‘It looks like we’re being bombarded by high levels of solar and cosmic radiation. Maybe the solar system is having a party. And we’re all invited.’

No one laughed.

She needed to get her point across as quickly as possible. ‘I have journal entries written by Leoncjusz Adamicz,’ she said. ‘He worked on Project Seraphim. The project’s aim was not to manipulate weather but to manipulate the brain, to influence moods, emotions and thought patterns.’

‘I suspect you have outdated information, Sophia,’ Hoang said. ‘Project Seraphim has since expanded to a much broader scale with farther-reaching applications. There are installations throughout the United States and soon to be throughout the world. Without a doubt their current purpose is to disrupt weather patterns, cause earthquakes—’

 ‘You’re suggesting global mind control,’ the Japanese elder said. ‘That’s utter science fiction.’

Sophia leaned in toward the webcam. ‘Science fiction? Last year I was a mind-controlled super soldier. Most of what you think is science fiction was being fine-tuned by the Fifth Column while you were being breastfed.’

His face went a slight shade of pink.

‘While you’ve all been busy tracking the weather around the world, have you stopped to notice what’s happening with the
people
?’ Sophia said. ‘Have you noticed the shooting sprees, the violent, inexplicable rioting? Have you stopped to consider that the extremely low frequencies you’re blaming for the extreme weather are the same band of frequencies that can alter and disrupt human mental functions? Or maybe you’re too disrupted to notice.’

‘This conference is not a discussion of widely cast assumptions,’ Danbi said. ‘Perhaps we can schedule this in for next week—’

Sophia slammed her hands down on the table. ‘There won’t be a next week if you don’t listen!’

Danbi raised her voice over Sophia’s and continued speaking. ‘—when we have less critical issues to contend with.’

‘Sophia!’ Freeman seized her wrist, then relaxed it. ‘That will be all, thank you.’

‘No, it won’t be all,’ she snapped. ‘Adamicz’s diary—’

‘The journal you speak of is hardly substantial evidence,’ the Japanese elder said. ‘There is no proof other than the ramblings of an unstable old man.’

Sophia leaned in past Freeman, making sure everyone could see and hear her clearly. ‘As an unstable old man, perhaps you’d be able to relate,’ she said. ‘If I’m wrong, and I hope I am, then you can fix your weather and your social revolutions. But if I’m right, you’ll lose more than your crops. You’ll lose control of yourselves. Because as far as the Fifth Column is concerned, this is a war against our minds. If we lose that—’

Sparks popped in her peripheral. She ignored it. ‘If we lose that, then—’

Something was happening in the corner of the room, but it wasn’t in the room at all. It was her. Darkness crept from the corners of her vision. She retreated into it. Freeman was calling her name, but it was distant.

She blacked out.

Sophia opened her eyes. Benito was sitting beside her and DC was leaning on the doorframe outside, arms folded. She was lying on a hospital bed.

‘How long was I out?’ she asked.

‘About ten seconds,’ DC said.

She recalled Freeman and DC helping her out of the lounge room and up the road to the corner, where the town hospital was located.

‘Are you OK?’ Benito said.

She felt fine, if a bit lightheaded. She sat up. ‘Except for the part where I passed out in the middle of an argument with all the Shadow Akhana elders, yeah.’

‘I have good news and bad news,’ Benito said. ‘Bad news is you’re getting worse. That’s the longest you’ve been out.’

‘Good news?’

‘You’re alive.’

Sophia scratched her head. ‘I suppose that’s good news.’

‘How are you feeling?’ Benito said.

‘No worse since you asked a second ago. What happened with the conference?’

‘For what it’s worth, Freeman stuck up for you,’ DC said.

‘This weather manipulation,’ she eyed DC, ‘did you know anything about this when you were … still in?’

DC shook his head. ‘News to me. Could be a branch of Seraphim they started later.’

‘It’s disinformation,’ Sophia said. ‘We’re being misdirected.’

‘Either way, we’ll find out when you get that scientist back here,’ DC said.

She was about to respond when DC moved from the doorframe, allowing Grace to enter.

‘You know how to make an impression,’ Grace said. ‘How are you holding up?’

‘Fine,’ Sophia said. ‘Low blood sugar.’

‘Is that why you’re blacking out?’ Grace said. ‘Blood sugar?’

Grace overhearing that conversation was the last thing Sophia needed right now.

‘The operative diet should’ve cured your diabetes years ago,’ Grace said, crossing her arms. She wasn’t convinced.

‘We don’t know what’s causing my blackouts,’ Sophia said. ‘That information doesn’t leave this room.’

‘I have no issue keeping your secret,’ Grace said. ‘But I’ll need you to do something for me.’

Sophia breathed slowly. ‘This should be interesting.’

‘I’m collecting Dr Schlosser in two days. I want you onboard.’

‘I just blacked out and you want me on your babysitting team?’ Sophia said.

‘When was the last time you blacked out?’ Grace asked. ‘Before this.’

Sophia looked to Benito. He was keeping track better than she was.

‘About two weeks ago,’ he said. ‘Twelve days.’

‘How many times have you blacked out so far?’ Grace asked.

‘Twice,’ Sophia said.

‘Three times,’ Benito corrected her.

‘I can work with those odds,’ Grace said.

‘She’s not fit to go anywhere,’ Benito said.

‘She won’t even need to walk. This is more a … precautionary measure.’

‘Under one condition,’ Benito said. ‘I drive.’

‘I have our drivers,’ Grace said.

‘He’s better,’ Sophia said. ‘Trust me.’

‘Advanced driver training?’ Grace asked. ‘Evasive driving module?’

Benito nodded. ‘Tactical vehicle commandeering, precision immobilization.’

Grace looked surprised. ‘How—’

‘I trained him,’ Sophia said. ‘He used to drive rally cars. Fast learner, he’s good to go.’

‘It’s either Sophia and me,’ Benito said, ‘or no one.’

Grace chewed her lip. ‘Fine. You can take the jeep with Sophia. Schlosser will go in the van, with me.’

Sophia watched her leave, then said to DC, ‘I’ll need you on this.’

DC laughed. ‘Freeman already assigned me himself. Whether I like it or not, I’m in.’

Sophia hauled herself over to sit on the edge of the bed. She heard multiple footsteps. More visitors. Nasira appeared, followed closely by Jay and Damien. DC nodded to Sophia and stepped outside to give them room.

‘Hey,’ Nasira said. ‘How you holding up, cap’n?’

‘You heard what happened?’ Sophia asked Damien and Jay.

They nodded.

‘You were ripping into the Akhana and then you passed out,’ Damien said.

Jay grinned. ‘You went out with style. I like it.’

‘What did the doc say?’ Nasira asked.

‘Low blood sugar.’

Nasira didn’t question it, but Sophia knew she wasn’t buying it for a second. Benito and DC were the only ones who’d known about the blackouts up to now, and the only reason DC knew was because he’d witnessed all three of them.

‘I need to fill you guys in,’ she said.

Jay disappeared, returning a moment later with three stacked plastic chairs. He handed them out. Everyone sat, except for Nasira who always preferred to stand. Jay sat on his chair backward.

Sophia ran them through a quick list of the many threats discussed by the Akhana, then gave them a full run-down of Project Seraphim, including everything she’d read so far from Leoncjusz’s journal and online, and Schlosser’s involvement with the project, which was why Grace needed a team to collect him from Manila. She left out the part where DC had been a test subject in Project Seraphim, programmed but without the pseudogenes. They didn’t need to know that yet. Not that she knew much herself.

‘That’s pretty heavy,’ Jay said. ‘And they’ve tested this stuff already?’

‘Two test subjects that I know of. An ex-MI5 agent and a well-known Hollywood actor. Both were mouthing off on TV about 9/11 being an inside job. They were starting to annoy Denton so he gave Leoncjusz Adamicz the order to blast some focused ELF waves into their bedrooms. Easy to do when they lived alone in big houses. The Hollywood actor lost not only his job but also his grip on reality, and the MI5 agent underwent a interesting transformation.’

‘How interesting?’ Nasira asked.

‘He became a cross-dressing messiah.’

‘That is interesting,’ Damien said.

‘You mean the Fifth Column can turn me into a cross-dresser?’ Jay said. ‘I’m out.’

‘Since you apply moisturizer and pluck your eyebrows, you’re already halfway there,’ Damien said.

‘That was just one time. And it was a cover ID.’ Jay scratched his chin. ‘Not the best one, in hindsight.’

‘So you’re on Grace’s team?’ Nasira asked Sophia.

Sophia nodded.

‘Not without me, you’re not,’ Nasira said. ‘Someone with balls needs to watch your ass.’

She slapped Benito on the shoulder and laughed. It got a smile out of him.

Sophia turned to the boys. ‘What are your plans?’

Damien stood. ‘I don’t think Grace likes me.’

‘I don’t think Grace likes anyone,’ Jay said.

Damien glared at Jay, then said, ‘We’re catching a ride with you guys.’

‘Then we’re off,’ Jay said.

‘Unless you need us,’ Damien said.

Jay shot Damien an irritated stare. Damien shrugged.

‘It’s fine. I’m sorry for dragging you into this,’ Sophia said.

Damien nodded and walked out.

Jay got up too. Nasira glared at him.

‘I’d love to join you,’ he said, ‘but babysitting isn’t really part of my skill set.’

‘Are you this selfish with everyone you meet?’ Nasira said.

‘No, just my friends.’ Jay saluted them. ‘Ladies, a pleasure as always. But I have a beach that needs lying on.’

He lingered for a moment, as though waiting to be convinced to stay. When it was clear they weren’t going to object, he walked out. Sophia wasn’t going to force anyone to stick around if they didn’t want to.

***

Jay sat on the Chico Inn balcony nursing a cup of coffee. It was almost 2200 hours but the darkness wasn’t really darkness for him; he could still see the mountains and the houses below. Through his enhanced vision, their brightly colored rooftops shone in peculiar shades of grayscale.

He heard footsteps ascending the stairs. They creaked out onto the balcony.

‘Hey,’ Damien said.

‘I know what you’re trying to do,’ Jay said.

Damien slinked into view and took a seat nearby. ‘I’m on the team,’ he said. ‘The retrieval of that German scientist.’

Jay was sure he’d misheard. ‘What?’

‘I put myself on the team.’

Jay rolled his eyes. ‘You mean Grace asked you to jump and you said how high?’

Damien was staring out into what would be darkness for him. ‘She didn’t ask me,’ he said. ‘I wanted to do it.’

‘She got you under her spell?’ Jay said. ‘You’re doing it because of her, aren’t you?’

Damien chuckled. ‘That wouldn’t be very smart. She’s warming to me like a glacier. And not a melting one either.’

‘She’s different,’ Jay said. ‘I told you.’

‘I’m doing it because they need me, Jay.’

Damien turned to look at him. Jay pretended not to notice and sipped his coffee.

‘They’d never say it but they need
us
.’

‘And after that?’ Jay said.

‘I don’t know. I guess I could use a vacation.’

Jay smiled before he could suppress it. ‘Then I’ll see you on the beach.’

Damien nodded and stood. ‘I’m off to bed. Catch you in the morning.’

Jay waved him off with a goodnight and drank his coffee. The caffeine had no effect on his wakefulness and he relished the fact he could drink it whenever he liked. The mountain coffee here was especially good. He watched Damien walk up the hill under the balcony, his limbs blazing orange in Jay’s infrared vision.

Nasira suddenly appeared beside him. He almost spilled his coffee, but did his best to hide it.

‘Didn’t you hear me coming?’ she said. ‘What about your super hearing?’

‘That’s Damien. I have the vision.’

‘I never got the chance to thank you,’ Nasira said. ‘For saving me.’

Jay laughed, a little too loud. ‘After killing you.’

He looked at her. The tightness across her jawline and eyes was gone. Her lips were parted slightly as she stared out into the night.

‘I never got a chance to thank you for returning the favor,’ he said.

Her lips moved slightly. She smiled. ‘Yeah. I’m sorry for dragging you into this. It’s not Sophia’s fault, it’s mine.’

‘Needed a change in scenery anyway,’ Jay said. ‘And the extra training.’

‘You were getting a bit rusty. And fat.’ She laughed.

He wasn’t expecting that, and snorted coffee from his nose. He gave her a slight grin, then took a peripheral glance at his stomach to make sure it looked flat in the moonlight.

‘So I guess this is it then,’ she said.

‘Not really.’ Jay slouched back, reclining his legs over the balcony. He couldn’t believe what he was about to say, and he knew he’d regret it as soon as he’d said it. ‘You’ll have to put up with me a couple more days.’

Nasira stared at him as though his head had turned into a giant croissant. ‘What?’

He drained his coffee and smiled to himself. ‘I’m on the team. Couldn’t pass up another chance to irritate you some more.’

Nasira seemed speechless for a moment, which was rare. ‘I wasn’t coming here to ask you to join us.’

‘I know, right? I was offended. Grace asked. Well, she asked Damien to ask me, but still.’

Nasira stood suddenly. ‘I don’t want your help.’

Jay glared at her in disbelief. ‘Well, you know what? I don’t care. You got it anyway.’

‘Do you like a challenge, is that it?’ Her smile had long since faded. ‘Because I’m not the sort of challenge you want.’

Jay shook his head. ‘It isn’t about you.’

‘Really? Because it’s looking that way from where I’m sitting.’

‘Standing,’ he said.

‘Not everything’s about you, Jay.’

‘Not everything’s about
you
,’ he said.

‘Why do you want to help?’

Jay stood, frustrated, and faced her square on. ‘Do you need a reason? Because last time I checked, your team of operatives was down to two. I don’t think you’re in a position to be picky.’

She nodded. ‘You’re right. Because if I was, I wouldn’t be picking you.’ She walked inside, leaving him standing on the balcony.

He was hoping to do the dramatic exit first, but she’d beaten him to it.

‘See, this is why I wanted to leave,’ he said to no one. ‘Fuck.’

He sat back down and stared out into the night. Trees gleamed with orange flecks: birds sleeping until dawn. Why did he want to help? To look out for Damien, watch his back? He shrugged that idea off immediately. It didn’t fly any more, it was more than that. And as curious as he found Nasira and her colorful social skills—tonight being a case in point—that wasn’t enough of a reason either. Truth was, he didn’t know why he was joining the team tomorrow. He just hoped it was the right decision.