‘The message’
"They're at it
again," spoke the Chief of Spectrum to his assembled officers in the
Cloudbase briefing room, "we have just received a message from the
Mysterons on channel Gamma-85."
"Only the one
channel?" asked Captain Ochre. “Isn't that rather strange?"
"Not only the single
channel, but also it is being sent from Sector Six on Mars. As you all well
know, that sector has been silent for the last three months."
"What was the message,
Colonel?"
"That's a good
question, Captain Scarlet, as it seems to be a lot of gibberish."
"You mean it's in
code," offered Captain Blue.
"Code, cipher, alien
language; your guess is as good as mine.
Here's a copy of the first line that seems to be repeated in various
permutations."
There was a moment’s silence
as the officers of Cloudbase were absorbed in the cryptic message on the
crystal projector (CP).
Lieutenant Green, who had
just joined the meeting from the adjoining Control Room, was the first to
speak: "I've just finished a preliminary electron scan of Sector Six and
as expected have found no evidence of abnormal ionisation or of any increase in
background dipolar formation."
"Would someone tell me
in plain English what he's talking about?"
"I think he's telling
us that Sector Six is unoccupied, Colonel."
"Captain Magenta is
nearly correct, Colonel. My analysis shows no build-up of personnel and it can
be considered 100% accurate for any organic life forms."
"Then what you're
saying is that the message didn't originate from that sector?"
"Not exactly, Colonel;
although that would be a highly arguable hypothesis. It would be my conjecture that the message came from a mobile
transmitter teleported to that location."
"Why would they go to
the trouble of transmitting from a dead sector, Lieutenant?"
"I'm sorry, Colonel, my
System Analyser tells only the 'how' and 'where'. I leave the 'why' with the
chaps in CRYPTO."
"I'd rather keep this
under the complete authority of Spectrum.
How about it, Captain Blue? You have a considerable grounding in
decoding and related investigations."
"Where would the
colonel wish me to begin? With the mystery of the dead sector or the gibberish
we've been looking at on the CP?"
"If you have pertinent
information, Captain, let me have it."
"No, Sir, I can't tell
you what it all means; but I can direct you where to look for the answer. There is no information to be discerned from
that so called 'message' on the CP. The real message is in the mode of its
transmission."
"Damn it, man! Get to
the point; what does it mean?"
"That is the point. Give me time; and I shall
also have the answer."
"How much time?"
"Inspiration is hard to
predict, Colonel; but something tells me it's going to be easier than I had
first suspected. The first and hardest problem is in knowing where to look and
I'm sure that I've solved that question."
"Captain Blue, I'm
giving you one hour to come up with some tangible information or I shall then
have to turn this over to CRYPTO and risk lower echelon army intelligence
getting underfoot. I don't want them involved at all, but regulations are very
clear on this point. We could be disbanded if found later to be in breach of
paragraph five of our Operation Code. Politics should be completely separate
from Spectrum; but it's not, and we must live with it. Spectrum is in your
hands, Captain."
‘Decoding Begins’
Captain Magenta didn't look
too convinced of Captain Blue's dismissal of the message as being meaningless
and was scrawling down the cryptics from off the PC when Lieutenant Purple came
rushing through the door and up to Colonel White with a transmission printout.
The colonel perused the message then read it out to
the assembled Spectrum Officers: 'This is the voice of the Mysterons,' he read,
'we have challenged you Earthmen and await your answer; failure to understand our challenge will end in one
country disappearing from the face of the earth, failure to meet that challenge will result in the
same fate.'
"Right then," said
the colonel, turning to Captain Blue, "I want you and Lieutenant Green to
get cracking on this from your transmission angle; the rest of you try sorting
something out of that mess on the CP."
Captain Blue and Lieutenant
Green left for the more relaxed area of the Archives Room to contemplate their
task while the remaining members of Spectrum delved into the series of numbers
and letters before them.
Captain Magenta was the
first to speak: "I am convinced that this transmission is more that a ruse
sent to confuse; and after that last epistle from the Mysterons, I am even more
convinced." He stood in front of
the CP and pointed at the first few entries of the message. "Note how the
series of numbers and a few interspersed letters are separated by commas and
semicolons."
The men each nodded their heads
in agreement as they followed his finger in the direction of a message that
looked something like: 54,55; c63,c36; a25,65; c33,p54; c54,45; ...
"It's almost like a list
or sequence."
"Yes, I agree Captain
Scarlet, and I would like you to help me try to find a pattern using only the
first few entries. And while we're looking at the individual trees, I would
like the rest of you gentlemen to try to find some pattern by looking at the
whole forest of words and numbers."
"I think that's a
superb idea, Captain," said Captain Scarlet, "and, unless anyone can
offer some better approach, I think we should give it a go."
The men broke up into groups of two or three and
before long, were lost in a world of systematic probing and speculation of various
permutations. Meanwhile, in the Archive Room, Captain Blue had just finished
presenting his ideas to an intent Lieutenant Green.
"What do you think,
Lieutenant?"
"It's worth looking at,
Captain," he said, as he moved to the White Board. "Let me just jot
down the basic facts which you've mentioned."
When he had finished, the
two men were silently studying the following:
TRANSMISSION: (a) WHEN (b)
WHERE (c) HOW (d) WHO (e) WHY
(a) Transmission date: Monday, March 25, 2069.
(b) From Sector Six on Mars.
(c) Mobile transmitter on channel gamma-85.
(d) The Mysterons
(e) As a challenge; and as a threat.
"First, I think we can
skip the date as being a part of the clue, don't you agree, Captain?"
"Almost certainly,
Lieutenant; not even the Mysterons can control what day it is."
"That's true, however,
they may have waited for a certain day; like 'Monday' as being used for a
clue." He walked over and tapped on
the date. "Or perhaps this date
could be a vital link to the meaning.
But I do think it's safe to say that the day and date combined have no
part to play in the solution."
"Not only do I
completely agree with your reasoning, Lieutenant, but I should also add that it
would undoubtedly follow that the inclusion of the year is totally
superfluous."
"That would go without
saying, Captain. Now, to the next point, (b)."
"This is perhaps the
biggest single clue. Remember,
Lieutenant, how perplexed the colonel was about why the Mysterons would go to
the trouble of sending a message from a dead sector? To me it was obvious, it had to be because it was part of the message. What part, I'm not yet certain: but I'm sure that item (c) will
shed some light on the matter."
"Gamma-85 almost looks
like a cryptogram, Captain. A Greek
letter and the number 85."
"Correction,
Lieutenant. Why not the numbers eight
and five? I'm positive that all numbers and words will transpose into letters
which can then be rearranged into a word or words."
Lieutenant Green nodded in
agreement and stepped back from the board to get a better look at what had been
written. In a flash he returned to the board, picked up a new marker and placed
two large red circles around 'Sector Six' and 'Gamma-85'.
"Excellent,
Lieutenant! Now let's convert those
words and numbers into letters. I think you would concede that the meaning of
the two numbers now become obvious; so then -
how's your Greek?"
"Almost nonexistent, but
I do remember that Gamma is transliterated in English as g."
"Yes, that's true, as
far as you go. However, it can also be
used in English as an n before g, k, or kh. Fortunately, it has another
meaning; being the third letter of the Greek alphabet it is sometimes
transposed into that position of the English Alphabet, which I think would be a
safe bet when we consider item (d) 'The Mysterons'.
"Which leaves us with
the last item ‘Why’?"
"Yes, why indeed,
Lieutenant? Why would they use a word like challenge?"
"It almost sounds like
a contest, an invitation."
It was Captain Blue's turn
to dash to the board and grab the marker. After a few quick determined swirls
he stepped back to examine his changes; then returned briefly to the board to
write out a word. Turning to his
comrade for a reaction, he was greeted with a broad smile.
"Come, Lieutenant,
let's find the colonel; we still have over 30 minutes left in our deadline;
maybe we can help the others break that message I was so convinced didn't
exist."
‘Captain Scarlet cracks the code’
Colonel White had already
rejoined the other officers of Spectrum when Lieutenant Green and Captain Blue
came dashing through the door.
"Captain Magenta, I
have something that should make your decoding a little easier."
With that, Captain Blue
handed the paper with the single one word clue scrawled on it beneath several
lines containing various steps in deciphering. "You can see how we arrived
at the clue: we get one 's' each from the initial letters in 'Sector Six'; an
'h' and an 'e' from the alphabetic equivalents of 8 and 5; and finally the 'c'
from the positional equivalent of the Greek letter 'Gamma'."
"Chess!" Gasped
Captain Magenta when he read the note. "This will make our task simplicity
itself; if what we are looking at is a chess score."
"Would the captain
explain what he means by a chess score?" demanded the colonel, who had
moved over to the table to have a closer look at the note.
"Quite simply, Colonel,
when a game of chess is played, a player writes down each move that is made,
using one of various codes, so that the game can be replayed or studied by
other interested people at a later time."
"Captain Magenta, don't
tell me you know this code on the CP?"
"Not in its present
form, but now that we know that it represents chess moves, it will soon become
apparent what it is." Captain
Magenta moved up to the CP and said: "Look, the first line has: 54,55;
c63,c36; a25,65; - each set of numbers and letters between semicolons must
therefore stand for one complete move by the white side and the black side,
respectively. As white moves first the
54 is his first move and 55 becomes black's move."
"So what does 54 and 55
tell us about the nature of the move?" was Colonel White's question.
"I'm not sure, but we
can make an educated guess and then refine the answer. The normal way to indicate the move is by
letting the horizontal rows of a chess board (ranks) be represented by numbers
and the vertical rows (files), letters. The most normal chess opening is when
both players move out their King's Pawns. This is normally shown as P-K4, P-K4
(pawn to King four) or using the method I just outlined: e4, e5. When a Pawn
moves, you only mention the square to which it moves, unless it captures; then
you name the square from which it moves followed by an 'x', for captures, and
the name of the square on which it finally comes to rest. This is sometimes
abbreviated by indicating only the file from which the pawn has moved and the
file to which it has come to rest separated by an 'x' to indicate a capture.
Thus, e4 x f5 could be abbreviated to exf5. If a knight made the same capture
it would become: Nxf5 or Knxf5.
Captain Scarlet had been
writing furiously while Captain Magenta was busily explaining the chess
nomenclature to the colonel. He quickly rose to his feet and addressed Colonel
White: "Sir, I think that I have the key to the first move. If we let 54
represent P-K4 or e4, and 55 as P-K4 or e5; then this would mean that the
Mysterons have substituted numbers for the vertical as well as the horizontal
rows. As the '5' means the fifth letter in the alphabet 'e', we get 54 = e4 and
55 = e5."
"Very well done Captain Scarlet, but what do you make
of the c63?"
"It must mean that 'c'
moves to 63. That is 'c' moves to f6.
And since 'c' has to be a piece and it can't, as you might expect, be the
Castle; it must represent the Knight as that is the only piece that can legally
move to that square."
"Not only that, Captain
Scarlet," interrupted Captain Magenta, "but when you remember that
the letter 'c' is used in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal to denote the horse
or Knight, then we have confirmation of our speculations."
"Pardon me,
gentlemen," said Lieutenant Green, "but could this not also indicate
that one of those countries might be the one targeted by the Mysterons if we
fail in whatever challenge they have offered us?"
Captain Scarlet was quick to answer: "I've no doubt that
that is the case, Lieutenant. I'm also fairly confident that the country in
question is Spain."
It was Captain Blue who was
frowning and scratching his head at that remark, but it was the colonel who put
it to a question. "How can you be so confident of that?"
Captain Scarlet gave a wry
smile and began his explanation: "If you look ahead to the next two
moves,” indicating his notes on the table, “then you will see that after the
two Knights are brought out to f3 and c6 respectively, we then have the White
Bishop 'a' moved to 25, or b5."
"The Ruy Lopez,"
Captain Blue half-murmured to himself.
"Yes, Captain
Blue," continued Captain Scarlet, "or as the opening is sometimes
known: The Spanish Game. When you couple that to the fact that in Spain the
Bishop is referred to as the 'Alfil' and 'a' has been used to denote the bishop
in the above move, then it becomes a certainty that Spain is the country being
pinpointed by the Mysterons."
"Captain Scarlet, as
soon as you and Captain Magenta have the complete text of that message printed
out, bring a copy to my office. The
rest of you men had better get back to your normal duties; but be ready for
anything within the next 24 hours. I want Captains Scarlet, Magenta, Blue and
Lieutenant Green to report back here at 1500hrs to go over Captain Scarlet's
Transcript and to plan our strategy."
A 'SAKI INSPIRED' ALTERNATIVE
ENDING:
No more was heard from the
Mysterons until the day after Spain slipped into the sea and disappeared
forever from the sight of man.
"You lose," came the voice of the Mysterons.
"Obviously you've never been to Spain, or met a
Spaniard," answered the British Prime Minister.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED:
“The game's afoot”
"So let's get this
straight, the Mysterons want to play a game of chess to decide the fate of
Spain and its 64 million inhabitants."
"As preposterous as it
seems, yes! That is exactly what they are proposing, Colonel. When you think
about it though, it's not that strange. Over the past year they have been
treating this on-going vendetta as a game, always warning us as to what they
intend; either straight out or in the form of cryptic messages. It's as though
they treat this whole affair as a contest and want to give us odds to
compensate our lesser technological development."
Colonel White continued to
stare at Captain Scarlet as the enormity of the proposal began to make itself
felt. Finally, he glanced briefly at the report on his desk before addressing
the four officers.
"So it would seem,
Captain Scarlet. Very well, gentlemen, I suppose we have to play their little
game; no pun intended. If nothing else, we know that they are true to their
word and we can be sure that if we win this match, then all will be well with
Spain. You have covered everything in your report, Captain Scarlet: the chess
score up to move 6; the means of transmitting our move over channel gamma-85;
now what else do we need to know or what other action do we need to take in
preparing for this daunting task? Not
being a proficient chess player, I'm not in a position to offer any
suggestions. Yes, Captain Magenta, what
is it?"
"Only that we still
need to find out the time limit being imposed and who is actually to represent
Earth."
"That's right, Colonel,
we know only that we have the white pieces and ..."
"That is appropriate don't you think, Captain
Scarlet?" quibbled the colonel.
"Yes, Colonel White -
very," answered an unamused Captain Scarlet, before continuing. "We
have the white pieces and it's our sixth move, beyond that we know nothing. I
would suggest that once the game begins we will come under a great time
pressure."
"What do you mean – time
pressure?"
"Colonel, most
tournament chess is controlled by clocks. Both sides are given a prescribed
amount of time and when one side makes a move, he stops his clock,
automatically starting his opponents. If you run out of time, you forfeit the
game."
"And Spain," added
Captain Blue.
"Yes, and that
too," sighed the colonel.
"So, what would you suggest we do, Captain Scarlet – send off our
first move and see what happens or can we somehow try to predict the course of
the game before tipping our hand, so to speak?"
"I believe that it’s
imperative to have a thorough analysis of all variations of the Ruy Lopez
Opening before we go any further; you can be sure that the Mysterons have
explored every aspect of the game from every angle."
"So, who are our
resident chess experts in Spectrum and will any of them have a ghost of a
change against the Mysterons and their infinitely far superior computers?"
"That depends,
Colonel," began Lieutenant Green, "on how well their computers have
been programmed and also, on how much time we get between moves."
"If I could make a
suggestion, Colonel."
"That's why you're
here, Captain Blue; what is it?"
"I know that the
Colonel wishes to keep this operation solely with the personnel of Spectrum,
but perhaps it might be pertinent to gain the help of a professional chess
player, a Grandmaster."
Captain Magenta was on his
feet to give his full support to the suggestion. "The World Champion,
Mikhail Bogovahsky, is vacationing in Venice and could be brought here within
the hour, Sir."
"I hope you are not
proposing that we kidnap him?"
"Heavens, no! There would be no need for that, Sir, Mr
Bogovahsky is a resident of Spain, and would ..."
"Are you sure about
that, Captain?" asked Captain Blue. "Bogovahsky doesn't sound like
your typical Spanish surname."
"It's not; he's
French."
"French?' questioned
Blue, looking even more perplexed.
"Gentlemen, I find this
all illuminating, but we really have no time for a tour de force of French-Slovian genealogy. If you can get him here, Captain Magenta, do it.
Harmony Angel is on standby with the Helijet whenever you may need her.
Now I want all of you to move off to the Archive Room to plan your chess
strategy. Any questions? Good, off you
go then."
As they were making their
way out of the room, the colonel called out: "Not you Lieutenant, I'd like
a word with you." The colonel
walked over to the table and motioned the lieutenant to join him. "Have a
seat Lieutenant, we need to talk.”
"Look, lieutenant, I
don't have all that much faith in this chess match for Spain. I mean we're up
against a race that must be a century in advance of our technology and I hold
little hope in a contest between our computers and theirs; and even less
between a Mysteron and a Bereznikian."
"Is the Colonel saying
that Bogovahsky is from Bereznik?"
"Well, his father was -
he was a resistance fighter there before he was forced to flee with his wife
and daughter. His son was born in
France."
"Is Captain Magenta
aware of Bogovahsky's background? I
mean, considering his..."
Lieutenant Green was
interrupted at that moment as Captain Ochre and Lieutenant Vermilion came in
through the door and approached the table, it was the younger of the two who
spoke: "Yes, Sir, you wish to see us?"
"That's correct,
Lieutenant Vermilion, have a seat. I
was just starting to brief Lieutenant Green on our plans and wanted you two here
to fill in any additional details that you have perfected since our earlier
meeting."
Turning to the lieutenant,
the colonel opened a folder and took out six pages containing writing and
diagrams: "Study these, Lieutenant, and any questions you have, address
them to one of these two gentlemen. I want you three working very closely on
this operation; a lot is at stake. When Captain Magenta comes back, with or
without Bogovahsky, I'm putting him in Cloudbase Control so that you will be
free for this operation. For the moment, keep the details of this case under
wraps, I don't want the others to feel that their chess mission is being
questioned or sidestepped. However, we do need a military option – that's what
we're best at. Gentlemen, if there are no questions, I'll leave you to get on
with the briefing."
"Only one thing,
Sir." This was Captain Ochre. "What if we're wrong about Spain, are
we going to have time to reorganise?"
"We can't afford to be
wrong, Captain. If we are, I just hope
Captain Scarlet knows more about chess than the Mysterons do."
"This is the voice of
the Mysterons," came the metallic rumblings of the speaker in the Briefing
Room, "you Earthmen have solved the cipher and, thereby have earned the
right to play for the lives of a small segment of your people. Win and they
live; lose and they die. Captain Scarlet shall be making the moves in
consultation with one person of his choice; but be warned, for you are against
the greatest computer ever built. To make the game interesting we shall not
insist on a move every second: something beyond human capabilities. You shall have one hour to finish the game;
being sporting, we shall allot ourselves only one quarter of that time.
Transmit your first move at 2200 hrs GMT precisely."
The four men at the briefing
table sat stunned for some time before the leader of Spectrum addressed them
from the dais: "First, let me thank Captain Magenta for succeeding in his
mission in finding and returning Mr. Bogovahsky; and secondly let me, along
with Captains Scarlet and Blue, welcome you, Sir, to Cloudbase."
The Grandmaster gave an
embarrassed half smile and nodded to each of the officers in turn. "I am
proud to be here," he began in a tiny, high pitched voice which belied the
large burly frame that housed it, "and shall do all within my power as
World Champion to defeat the Mysterons."
"I'm sure that you
will," said the colonel. "I am leaving you in the capable hands of my
officers as I have an appointment elsewhere; and in any event, my limited
understanding of chess would only be a hindrance to your preparation.
Gentlemen, I can only wish you well."
"What a charming man,
your colonel."
"Yes, I guess he can be
when he tries," admitted the officer in the blue uniform. "Now, tell
me, have you two worked out a plan of attack or defence? And, by the way, what
happens in the case of a draw?"
"Let me answer the last
question and Mr Bogovahsky can take the first one. A draw (or even a stalemate)
is the equivalent of a loss; either we have a win or we lose, it's that simple.
The game will continue until one of the clock's flag falls or there is a
checkmate - the Mysterons have programmed their computer not to resign under
any circumstances."
"Yes, gentlemen, and
that is as it should be," put in the Grandmaster as he eagerly rubbed his
hands together. "I always play for a win, it's in my blood. Some people
would say it's almost a curse. I should have become World Champion one year
earlier had I not tried to win while playing the black pieces against a
brilliant opponent who had a slight advantage in position at the time."
"That's comforting to
know," said a droll Captain Magenta.
"Do not worry, Senor,
that was five years ago; I've matured much since then, and besides, I'm playing
the white pieces today."
"Yes, and against a
super-fast and super-smart computer," added Captain Scarlet.
"That is correct, Sir,
which is also to my advantage. A machine, no matter how well programmed, is not
capable of beating a Grandmaster - any Grandmaster. And certainly is no match for the World Champion. It can win only
if the human is intimidated by it and tries to beat it at its own game."
"Which is?" asked
a very eager Captain Scarlet.
"Speed and
complications," whispered the chess player. “There was a very brilliant
World Champion last century, probably superior to me: but he was beaten by a computer
that we would consider primitive by today's standards. Why? Because he tried to outthink the computer
over the board - that is not, gentlemen, how one sets out to beat a
computer."
"So how do you plan on
beating this Mysteron Machine?"
"I beat him, El Capitan Azul, by keeping the game simple;
analysing; referring to my books here on the Ruy Lopez. The Mysteron computer has the same
information as me, that is true; it can call it to hand quicker than I or
Captain Scarlet can turn a page, that is also true. But can it think?
Does it have anything closely resembling intuition? No, to both; because it is a machine."
"What if they have
programmed it with better books; or, maybe, given it the ability to programme
itself as it plays?" persisted the unconvinced captain.
"The Ruy Lopez is an
opening going back to the 1500's and takes up volumes. However, on move three,
the Mysterons played pawn to Bishop four or 'The Schliemann Defence'. This was
an important variation last century, but little used today. The total
information on it is carried in my head; however, I have these two specialist
books for back up. If it varies from these," he said, pointing to the
books, "then I use this," he continued with a wide smile, while
tapping his index finger to his head.
Captain Scarlet had worked
closely with Captain Blue on many assignments and could well read what he was
thinking. Those pinched eyebrows and almost imperceptible nod of the head were
clearly saying, "Now we are in trouble - this bloke's a nutter."
He might well have been
thinking that, but what he said was: "Gentlemen, I find this all very
interesting; if somewhat beyond me. Captain Magenta and I are required in
Control, so we shall leave you two to your analysis. By my watch, you have only
about five hours before your scheduled move. Good luck."
When out of the room,
Captain Blue quickly picked up his pace, "Hurry, Captain, we've got to
find the colonel before Spain goes the same way as its bulls."
"What do you mean,
Captain Blue?"
"I mean, would you want
your life hanging on which way Senor Bogo decides to shove a pawn? He's a
nutcase, or haven't you noticed? Damn, you flew all the way back from Vienna
with him; were you asleep?"
"He's just a bit
eccentric; but all good chess players are."
"I just hope he
is."
"What, eccentric?"
"No! Good, damn good!
‘The First Move’
"I can understand your
fears, Captain Blue," said the stern-faced leader of Spectrum, "That's
why I've set in motion Operation Checkmate. We're going to strike before they
know we are on to them"
"What's the plan,
Colonel?"
"You two will be
brought up to date in about ten minutes when Captain Ochre and Lieutenant
Vermilion report in. Sorry about keeping you in the dark, but I didn't want to
upset our chess experts – if this strike fails, they remain our only
hope."
"Sir, if I might ask,
..."
"Yes, Captain
Magenta?"
"Could you give us some
background on what strategy or tactics are to be employed? We know that our
computers are no match for theirs in chess; but we also lag even further behind
in military technology. Where do we begin?"
"Good point,
Captain. Yes, the Mysterons are
materially superior to us in almost all aspects of war. However, they are not
invincible; as we have shown in past battles with them. And even the Mysterons
need a physical base from which to launch their attacks. They're not magicians
and they can be beaten – never let the
enemy intimidate you."
"Now you're sounding
just like Senor Bogovahsky," said a sombre Captain Blue.
"I hope that was a
compliment, Captain."
"Yes, so do I."
The colonel resumed his
explanation: "Knowing, without their knowledge, that they are planning a
massive strike against Spain works in our favour. From their announced threat,
we can be fairly sure that the means of attack will not be nuclear. The
Mysterons, like most who accurately use English as a second language, are very
precise in its use. When they say that one country will vanish from the face of
the earth, that is exactly what they mean; they are not speaking
metaphorically, and they do mean
that only one country will be affected."
"The Solar Ray."
"Yes, Captain, the Solar
Ray. And to foil them all we need do is
to work backwards and pinpoint where and at what time they launch the attack –
and we knock them out before they are properly set up."
"How?"
"I think these gentlemen
have the answer to that question," the colonel said, indicating Captain
Ochre and Lieutenant Vermilion as they entered the room and joined the other
officers at the table.
"Gentlemen, Lieutenant
Vermilion and I have verification that the Mysterons are planning a pre-emptive
strike on Spain and that they are intending to use the Solar Ray as the sole
means of carrying out the destruction. Lieutenant Vermilion has the print-out
that Lieutenant Green made from his electronic spying of the Martian Sector and
hence his follow up investigations via our Madrid Base."
"That's right,
Sir," said Lieutenant Vermilion, handing over the various pages of charts
and diagrams. "The Lieutenant knew that the chess match couldn't be
directed to Sector Six on Mars because of the time factor in relaying messages.
Our transmission on channel Gamma-85 is being diverted to H.M.S.S. Intrepid now
in stationary orbit above Newfoundland. It would appear that the Mysterons have
taken possession of it and have Mysteronised the entire crew of seven. From
there, the ship will be able to carry out a solar attack on its target, even
though Spain will be in total darkness at the time."
"Thank you, gentlemen,
this is crucial information – now, not only do we have a target ourselves, but
also a means of neutralising The Solar Ray. Captain Magenta, get me The World
President, Mr James Younger, on the Visual modulator. I had better bring him into the picture. We
might need back-up from the World Army, but I'm hopeful that we can handle it
alone from Cloudbase; with a little help from Lieutenant Green in Madrid, and
two of our Angels."
At this same time, one floor
above in the briefing room, a rather nervous Captain Scarlet was about to
transmit his first move. "I hope you've chosen the right move, Mr
Bogovahsky."
"My dear Captain, in
chess there is no right move or wrong move; only good and bad. Everything is
relative; a matter of degree. Maybe the move you are about to transmit is an
excellent move against Grandmaster Korvac, who falls into a flap over the
apparent pressure on c6. However,
Grandmaster Janovich finds it only a passing inconvenience and may even use the
move against me at a later time. Relative, Captain Scarlet."
"We're not playing
Grandmasters Korvac or Janovich; but a Mysteron computer who is not about to go
into a flap over any move that you might play. You can forget about applied
psychology in this game, Mr Bogovashsky."
"Captain, Captain, you
do not understand," muttered the Grandmaster while slowly shaking his head
from side to side. "Such an astute
and learned man too. You think I am playing a machine, but no. I play a, what do you say, a Mysteron. Yes,
I play a Mysteron through the facility of a machine. But a Mysteron is a living
being - maybe not a human being, but living.
My applied psychology is applied toward this living programmer, not the
machine. You see, the machine is only a means to an end."
"Right, Grandmaster
Bogovahsky, whatever the truth of the matter may be, it's 2200hrs and time to
transmit."
Captain Scarlet turned to
the transmitter and entered 6. Nxe5. "There it goes," he said with a
wave of his hand across the sensor, "there is no turning back now."
‘The Middle Game’
"The game's began,
Sir."
"Yes, Captain Magenta, I've been watching the progress on the monitor. That means that we have one-and-a-quarter hours at most to complete Operation Checkmate. I'm a bit worried about our ability to get units in place without being detected and giving away our element of surprise."
"It depends on how soon
they detect our movements, Colonel, for we know that sooner or later we will be
found out."
"Captain Magenta's
correct about that, Sir," admitted an intent Captain Ochre, "but if
we can get our operation far enough advanced before then, it shouldn't
matter. We know that the Mysterons have
commandeered H.M.S.S. Intrepid and Mysteronised the crew. We also have a
complete diagram of the Space Orbiter from the British Air Force Engineers, and
if we can somehow re-align the Perrin Satellite by 31 degrees, to enable a
re-directioning of its thermionic maximiser, then Lieutenant Green will be
able, from his location in Madrid, to use these pulses to disable the
depolarization capabilities of the Intrepid and, thereby, redirect the ray back
to its source."
"How confident is the
Lieutenant in accomplishing this mission, Captain?"
"He thinks it has every
chance of being carried out successfully. I'm sending Lieutenant Vermilion back
to Spain, to take some of the pressure off Lieutenant Green. He's in his
quarters now preparing.”
"There are too many
'ifs' and 'maybes' in that scenario for my liking, Colonel," exclaimed
Captain Blue from the white board at his leader’s right. "If I let this
'x' show the position of the Intrepid above Newfoundland, here, and represent
Spain with a circle, thus, then this line shows the trajectory of the Solar Ray
between the two. Now the Perrin Satellite is located in an orbit that is almost
completely oblique to the hovering ship, about here - how are we going to be
able to utilise it?"
Captain Magenta was already
on his feet and heading for the board before he began to answer: "It won't
be a problem, Captain Blue, we can use the World Communications Satellite
here," he said, so indicating with a green circle, “to deflect the Perrin
emissions without necessitating its re-alignment."
"And how do we keep all
this secret from the Mysterons?" queried Captain Blue.
"We will be keeping
them occupied elsewhere," put in the colonel. "We must remember that
the Mysterons have no idea that we are on to their target so their defences
will not be 100%. When they see us
active in New Zealand, they will be led into a feeling of false security."
"New Zealand! Why
there, Sir?" asked a perplexed Captain Blue. "Is the Colonel
concerned for the safety of all those sheep?"
"If you haven't
noticed, it's just about as far as you can get from anywhere, Captain, and
being in the Southern Hemisphere, we can pretend to be utilising the Sagan
Satellite in a vain attempt to detect Mysteron electrical activity; again for
the purpose of luring them into a sense of false security as their pirated
Space Orbiter cannot be detected from that location. The World Navy has already
begun operations off the coast, and the US Seventh Fleet has been taken out of
the Mediterranean Sea and should now be rendezvousing with ships from Australia
& Japan."
"It would appear that
we have about 99.9% of our men involved in diversionary tactics. Do you think
that wise, Colonel?"
"Maybe not wise,
Captain Blue, but under the circumstances - essential."
Captain Magenta was lost in
his own thoughts as he looked at the monitor screen of the world. "It all
comes down to one man: Lieutenant Green, and whether he will be able to work
his electronical wizardry.”
"Yes, Captain,"
interjected Colonel White, "and his success is going to be very much dependent
on the activities of two of our Angels. Destiny and Symphony are going to be
flying what will appear to the regenerated crew of Intrepid as a routine
recognisance flight from New York to Brussels.
However, they are each carrying a 'chatter-box' in their Interceptors
which will enable intracommunication transmissions between them to have a
temporary static effect on the ship and its ability to pickup thermionic
emissions from the Perrin Satellite. The Angels should be in the air in 30
minutes; and Captain Magenta, you should return to the Control Room and
re-establish communications with Lieutenant Green on the scrambler. Our timing
over the next 45 minutes is of the essence."
It was Captain Blue who was
now focusing his attention on the Monitor Screen being projected from the
Control Room and thinking out loud: "You do realise, Sir, that if
Lieutenant Green fails in redirecting the Solar Ray back to the Intrepid, we
still have Grandmaster Bogovahsky."
"Let us hope it doesn't
come to that, Captain."
Meanwhile, in the
transmitting room, Captain Scarlet was looking at the transmission screen which
was showing the score of the game as it now stood. After the initial moves of
the Schliemann Defence the game had continued: 4. Nc3 fxe4 5. Nxe4 d5!
6.Nxe5 dxe4 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. Bxc6+ Bd7 9. Qh5+ Ke7 10. Qe5+ Be6
11.
It was White's move and a
confident Captain Scarlet had entered: 11. Bxa8 in anticipation of Grandmaster Bogovahsky's
approval for transmission, when he found himself being chided by a demure
Grandmaster.
"Do not be hasty, my
dear Captain. One does not always grab a proffered piece because it's there,
and by doing so winning the exchange. Rook for Bishop, yes, is very tempting;
especially when we are down the odd point."
"Grandmaster, we're
down two Knights and a pawn to his one Knight and three pawns. This exchange
will give us two points and, therefore, put us ahead by one full point. We'll
go from one down to one up."
"Captain Scarlet, we
are not playing a game of baseball or
cricket where he with the most points is crowned the winner. This is chess! And
points are sometimes misleading. A pawn that is supposedly worth one point by
your estimate, is worth a Queen when he reaches the 8th rank; and even more,
when in a smothered game, he gives checkmate to the King."
"But Grandmaster, if we
take the Rook he must take back with his Queen, yes?"
"Yes, but of
course."
"Then he leaves his
Bishop's pawn unprotected and we can capture it with the Queen while giving
check; thus, we not only gain another point, but a tempo as well for he will
have to move his King."
"Congratulations,
Captain Scarlet, you have analysed that very professionally..."
"Thank you, Sir, I did
play chess for West Point; topboard."
"Yes, very good, as far
as you go. However, the King is under no compulsion to move - why not bring back the Bishop to intervene between
the royal personages and break check with a gain in tempo for black? Also, with
our Spanish Bishop off the board, we have lost our natural means of removing
that pesky pawn on e4; not to mention, the loss of our only developed piece
except the Queen."
"So, what is our move
going to be?"
"I'm disappointed with
you, Captain Scarlet, for letting me intimidate you into relinquishing your
excellent move. In fact, if you were to
open that book in front of you, as I had occasion to do last year, page 137 as
I recall, you would find that its author gives your move an exclamation
mark."
"I shall transmit it
then."
"No, No! Please, Captain Scarlet, my heart is not so
strong as it could be, don't put any undo strain on it by any more sudden
assumptions. While your move is perfectly sound, it is also the type of move a
computer would expect. Let us not play into its hands, or should I say,
microchips. Pawn to King's Bishop four is more speculative and should lead to
sharper play. Besides, years ago, I lost in exactly the same position that your
move leads to. Of course, I've won many more times from that same
position."
"Very well,
Grandmaster, f4 it is."
‘Midgame Crisis’
"We have a problem,
Colonel," came the voice of Captain Magenta from the speaker in Colonel
White's State Room.
"What is it,
Captain?" snapped the colonel, as he began pacing the room.
"It's Lieutenant Vermilion. You had better get down here to the Control Room."
"What's this about
Lieutenant Vermilion, Captain?" asked the leader of Spectrum as he
literally sprung through the doors of the Control Room.
"He was caught by
Captain Ochre trying to send a message on Channel Gamma-85."
"Good God! Don't tell me that he's been Mysteronised."
"It looks as though
that's a definite possibility, Colonel.
In fact, almost a far gone conclusion."
"Where are we holding
him, in B5?"
"We aren't holding him,
Colonel. He threw Captain Ochre across the
room when he tried to stop him from sending the message and then bolted out the
door. Captain Ochre is in hot pursuit and Captains Blue and Scarlet are trying
to catch up with both. They have all left Cloudbase in three separate
helicopters."
"Captain Scarlet! But who's in the transmission room with Mr
Bogovahsky?"
"Harmony Angel has that
honour, Sir; and Lieutenant Purple is here, covering for Captain Blue."
"Was Captain Ochre able
to prevent the sending of the message?"
"He believes he was,
but he can't be certain."
"Has Destiny Angel or
Lieutenant Green called in?"
"No, Sir, I would have
relayed them the second they did."
Lieutenant Purple
interrupted them from across the room: "Colonel, I have Captain Scarlet on
the monitor."
"Colonel White, we've
caught up with Captain Ochre, he was able to force Lieutenant Vermilion to
crash his helicopter and has followed him into an abandoned Missile Silo at
Fort Hood. I'm about to go in. Captain Blue is staying here in case Lieutenant
Vermilion tries to make it back to one of the helicopters."
"Don't let him escape,
Captain. Nail him."
"SIG, Sir. I'm leaving the channel open."
"Captain Blue, this is
Colonel White – are you still there?"
"Yes, Sir, but I'm
keeping the monitor on the silo so you can follow events here."
"Thank you,
Captain. How do read the situation
there?"
"I would say it's
favouring us three to one. Not only that, but ask yourself, Colonel, why would Lieutenant
Vermilion choose to come here? The answer is obvious. He didn't have time to
send that message to the Mysteronised crew of the Space Orbiter and he's hoping
to get to some transmitting equipment here."
"Why wouldn't he just
use his telepathy to contact the Intrepid crew? All mysteronised slaves are given that power."
"Perhaps, Sir, he's
just out of range; maybe his batteries need a recharge. It's my bet that he
hasn't contacted the orbiter or the Mysterons."
"I hope you're right,
Captain; but remember that we're dealing with a programmed robot - maybe this
is what he wants us to think. If Lieutenant Vermilion were mysteronised when in
Spain with Lieutenant Green and Captain Ochre, then how do we know that the
Mysterons aren't already on to us? And
how do we know that they haven't gotten to Lieutenant Green as well – he hasn't
called in yet."
Inside the Missile Silo and
complex, Captain Scarlet was having problems of his own. His communicator had
malfunctioned and he was unable to contact Captain Ochre to pinpoint his
location. In the starkness of the half empty complex, each footfall could be
heard for some distance. As he listened
intently, he could discern the sound of footsteps moving off down a side
corridor; he immediately dashed off in pursuit.
Half way down the dim
corridor, he saw the shadowy figure of a Spectrum Officer disappear into the
near darkness of the silo itself. He knew that the silo could be reached
through a door at the rear of the security control room on the floor above.
Instinctively he moved up a flight of stairs, and raced to the door marked
'restricted - security personnel'. The door opened to his slight nudge and he
entered the remnants of a once busy control centre. At the far side of the room
was a one-way mirror that looked down on the floor of the silo. Unfortunately,
without the lights on in the silo, the mirror had taken on the properties of a
solid wall; he could not make out a single object. Captain Scarlet moved to the
steel door leading to the spiral iron staircase that wound its way to the silo
below - it wouldn't budge.
His eyes focused on a desk
chair, and in that brief moment, he formulated a plan. The next sound was that
of shattered glass as the chair flew through the mirror and to the floor below.
Before the sound of the chair's landing was heard, Captain Scarlet was through
the broken glass and moving down the stairs. A dark figure rushed past the
bottom of the stairs and was silhouetted in the dim light of the far window.
From his vantage point, half way down the iron stairs, Captain Scarlet could
not be sure if the figure was that of the doppelganger or that of his friend
Captain Ochre. He raised his gun:
"Halt, Lieutenant
Vermilion or I fire."
At that moment, the door at
the far end of the room opened and a blur rolled through and disappeared behind
a large drum of fuel. "Give it up, Lieutenant," came the voice from
behind the drum. "You haven't a chance of escape."
The halted figure resumed
his run for the wall of windows and freedom. As Captain Scarlet took aim, the
figure whirled on the spot, holding his head in anguish; a loud and piercing
scream reverberated through the hangar - then silence as he fell lifeless to
the concrete floor.
"Good Shot, Captain
Scarlet," shouted Captain Ochre, coming out from behind the drum. "I
didn't even hear the 'puff' of your silencer when you fired."
"That's because I
didn't fire," returned Captain Scarlet as the two moved toward the fallen
body, "the Mysterons have released their electronic hold on him and with
it, his power of retro-metabolism."
The two looked down at the
lifeless body of the Mysteron. It was a
perfect duplicate of their friend and fellow officer who had died to make this
copy possible. Captain Ochre was half thinking aloud: "If only I had stayed with him in Madrid. He had to leave
the base for some personal business in the city; a birthday present for his
fiancée, I think it was."
"You aren't psychic and
if you had have been with him, then you may have shared his fate too."
At that same time in the
Transmission Room, on Cloudbase, Grandmaster Bogovahsky and Harmony Angel were
studying the game as it had progressed in the course of the last twenty
minutes. The complete score for the game so far was shown on the screen as: 1.
e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5?!
4. Nc3 fxe4 5. Nxe4 d5! 6.Nxe5
dxe4 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8. Bxc6 Bd7
9. Qh5+ Ke7 10. Qe5+ Be6 11.
f4 exf3 12. 0-0! Rb8 13. d4 Kf7 14. Bxf3 Nf6 15. Bh5+ Ke7 16. Bg5 Kd7 .
"So my Dear Little
Angel, what do you fancy - shall we push the Queen's Pawn forward to d5 or
shall we play safe and let the Bishop capture f6?" asked the Grandmaster,
as he pursed his lips while never taking his eyes from off the chess board in
front of him.
"I'm afraid, Sir, that
I haven't the talent of a Captain Scarlet for this game, my opinion would not
be of any help whatsoever."
"Oh, what a shame, Miss
Harmony, I thought you were here to advise me and to act as my second in case I
should, heaven forbid, have another heart attack and lapse into a coma. Your Captain Scarlet is quite an
accomplished player, for an amateur – you understand. If I gave him Knight and
move he would give me a very challenging game, indeed. Do you play at all, My Dear? he asked,
indicating the board in front of him.
"Yes, I'm most
fascinated by the game; but I haven't had the time to study it as I should have
liked. I am surprised that the Mysterons have chosen the Schliemann Variation,
which can sometimes lead to such sharp encounters."
"Miss Harmony, you are
too modest, your knowledge of the openings must be more profound than you are
willing to admit. But I'm afraid that
the sharpness of the game was due more to my influence than theirs; though, as
you say, the opening variation is not one you would expect in World Class
Tournament Competition. But, of course, we are only playing for Spain - not the
world.” Mr Bogovahsky, shifted his
great weight self-consciously, in an attempt to break the momentary silence
which had met his last remark.
"You must forgive my attempt at humour. I know that it is in poor
taste, but it helps to relieve the great pressure under which I now find
myself."
"But, you seem so calm
and relaxed, Grandmaster - almost blasé."
"All part of the
profession, Miss Harmony. We cannot
allow ourselves to show too much emotion, even though under our calm exteriors
we are all wanting to scream out. But, still, I love the excitement of the
Tournament and Match Play - even now. So, let us be brave, bold and determined:
17. d5."
"We're letting the
Knight live, then?"
"Yes, Miss Harmony, we
let the Knight live for now."
‘End Game’
It was a grave-faced Colonel
White who was addressing his Spectrum team: "Then we have to assume that
he had sent his message to the Mysterons by telepathy and our vital element of
surprise has been lost. Working from this assumption we must ..."
"Sir, if I may interrupt?"
"Yes, Captain Scarlet?
You don't agree with this assessment?"
"I agree, in as much as
the Mysterons were aware of their agent's immediate danger and eliminated
him. Though they were in full control
of him, there is no way of knowing, for sure, that he was in telepathic contact
with them."
"And there is equally
no way of knowing that he wasn't, nor is there any reason to assume that he
wasn't in contact with them."
"What other reason,
Sir, would he had for going to the Old Base except to communicate with them or
the Intrepid crew through more conventional means? Surely, this, in itself,
would suggest some flaw in his telepathic powers."
"I must agree with
Captain Scarlet, Sir. If you recall;
what put me on to him was the fact that he was trying to send a message to the
Intrepid on the Gamma-85 channel."
"Maybe, Captain Ochre,
he was out of range for telepathic communication?" offered the Colonel.
"Then why not relay the
information telepathically via the Mysterons?"
"Good point, Captain
Scarlet, but still I'm going to adhere to the facts as they stand. I think it's
safe to assume that the Mysterons are on to us."
"Why not find out for
sure?"
"How do you suggest we
do that Captain Scarlet."
"Destiny and Melody
should be in position; have them start their 'chatter boxes' and begin
Operation Checkmate. If the Mysterons are on to us, this will get them to show
their hand."
"I don't want two
Interceptors blown out of the sky; nor do I intend to place in danger the lives
of two Angels to test a theory. The Angels purposes are, one: diversionary; and
two, back-up if the Perrin needs to be re-aligned because of any failure of the
World Communication Satellite.”
"What other choice do
we have Colonel?” asked Captain Blue, "It's a bit late to come up with a
new plan."
"But we do have a new
plan!" Captain Ochre nearly shouted as he leaped from his chair.
"Captain Magenta came up with the idea of superseding the re-alignment the
Perrin Satellite, by the intervention of the World Satellite, when Lieutenant
Vermilion was not in the room. The Mysterons could not possibly know of this
plan.”
The colonel of Cloudbase looked
at the clock in the Conference Room; it showed 22:43hrs. Then without
hesitating, he said: "Get me
Lieutenant Green on the VM."
"Begging your pardon,
Colonel, but do you think it's wise to communicate over the VM? Shouldn't you be using the Scrambler?"
"No, Captain Magenta,
what I have to say to Lieutenant Green will be in code and carried out almost
immediately; when the Mysterons figure it out, it will already be done."
Moments later, a life-size
image of Lieutenant Green appeared, looking out at them from the VM on the
wall: "I have the Lieutenant on, Sir."
"Lieutenant Green, we
are on code two."
"SIG, Colonel White;
code two."
"Rescind current
orders; delay 15 minutes then initiate Plan B. Code two, out."
"SIG, Colonel White; code two. Received."
"Why the puzzled look,
Captain Blue?" asked the colonel when he had turned from the modulator to
address his men seated around the table.
"I'm not aware of any
Plan B."
"And for a good reason,
there is none," smiled the colonel, who enjoyed the rare sight of a
perplexed Captain Blue. "Let him in on the secret, Captain Magenta."
"Code two is a simple
little 'in code' for Control Room personnel, to my knowledge it has never been
used formally on air. It works, quite simply, on the basics of all verbs taking
on an opposite meaning. One must be very sure that the idea of an opposite is
precise and not some vague approximation."
"I see," said
Captain Blue. "Let me try this one. The verb 'rescind' becomes 'initiate';
'delay', 'speed up' or 'advance'; and 'initiate', 'rescind'. That gives us:
'Initiate current orders 15 minutes early and rescind Plan B that doesn't exist
anyway.' You two should be upstairs playing that chess game."
"Sir, what about
Destiny and Symphony? Should they not be notified of the change as well?"
"No need, Captain
Magenta. Their communications are not due to start for another 15 minutes; and
with the use of the World Communication Satellite, there is no necessity for
realignment of the Perrin, its emissions will be deflected to the Intrepid
without the Mysterons' knowledge."
"Then there's nothing
more we can do here, Colonel?"
"No, Captain Scarlet,
the die has been cast."
"However," added
Captain Blue, indicating the chess game in progress on the CP, "perhaps
you could be of some assistance there, it's beginning to look drawish or
worse."
The game did look hopelessly
drawn and the time showed that the Mysterons had used only forty-three seconds
while Grandmaster Bogovahsky had only 16 minutes thirty-three seconds remaining
of his designated one hour time limit; and his clock was ticking.
"It might be a good
idea to get up there," Colonel White indicated to Captain Scarlet.
"Lieutenant Green is going to need about 15 minutes to prepare for the
deflection. We don't want the Grandmaster sacrificing a Queen in a grand
gesture of defiance; we need the time."
"Just get him to sit
there and watch the board until his flag falls; and lose on time."
suggested Captain Blue.
"I don't think there's
much chance of that happening," said a startled-looking Captain Magenta,
pointing to the CP. "Look!"
The board had become almost
animated with pieces moving at a rate of one every five seconds. "Get up
there, Captain Scarlet!” roared the colonel.
"On the double, and use physical force if you have to; tranquilize
him, but keep him away from the transmitter."
"Ah, Captain Scarlet,
you have come to witness the glorious finish."
"Whose finish,
Grandmaster?"
"That, we shall not
know for a few minutes," sighed the chessplayer as he turned to study the
board in front of him. "You must pardon my back, Captain Scarlet, while I
re-think my position. I'm afraid that
the last series of quick exchanges has left me somewhat exhausted."
"Grandmaster Bogovahsky
was just saying that he may have tried for too much with his 24th move," whispered
Harmony Angel, hopefully, out of earshot of the Grandmaster.
"It doesn't look too
promising after his 36th," returned Captain Scarlet in the same low tones,
indicating the game being viewed on the screen.
"Nonsense!" came
the tenor voice from the far side of the room. "I had to do something
dramatic at that stage of the game or we should have been hopelessly drawn ten
moves ago; and I fail to share your rather gloomy assessment of the game,
Captain Scarlet; but then, you have hardly had time to consider it
properly."
"I'm afraid that the
game is of no consequence, Grandmaster. That is aside from its diversionary
merits, which are essential. The colonel wishes you to keep it going as long as
possible; lose on time if necessary.”
"Captain Scarlet!"
exclaimed the World Champion, rising from his chair. "Grandmaster
Bogovahsky does not throw a game. No! Not for any reason."
"We need more time,
Grandmaster, and besides," he continued, pointing in the direction of the
board, "it looks a bit of a lost cause anyway. No one is asking you to
throw the match, just play more slowly for a draw."
Grandmaster
Bogovahsky fell back into his chair as though he had been hit by a brick.
"This is the first time in the history of chess that a Grandmaster has
gotten into time trouble by playing too fast. Don't worry Captain Scarlet, with
victory still in my grasp, I shall use my remaining minutes wisely. Turning to
Harmony he said: "Quickly, My Little Angel, we have another flurry of moves
to transmit, starting with Pawn captures Pawn at b5."
Captain Scarlet, realising
that the obviously drawn game could go many harmless moves more, nodded his
acquiescence to Harmony as she turned her attention to the transmission control
board. Over the next minute a whirlwind
of moves were exchanged over Gamma-85 as Pawns and men advanced and fell on the
chequered battlefield.
Lqvrmp
Meanwhile, in the room
below: "What in the name of Zeus is going on up there!?" yelled an
irate Colonel White as he watched the chessboard come alive on the CP
screen. "Captain Blue, get up
there and put an end to this nonsense, sabotage the transmitter if
necessary."
As Captain Blue started out
of the room, the chess pieces on the screen flickered and were replaced by a
blue line. A loud metallic voice halted Captain Blue in his tracks and gained
the attention of everyone in the room.
"This is the voice of
the Mysterons," boomed the speakers as the blue line on the screen traced
out each spoken syllable. "We have overestimated the intelligence of you
Earthmen. You must know that we have uncovered your foolish battle plan to
destroy the Intrepid by the use of the Perrin Satellite, and yet you persist in
its implementation. Call back your Interceptors or we shall destroy them and
the Perrin Satellite. Our retaliation shall begin in five minutes unless you
desist. Your fate lies solely with
Captain Scarlet."
As the screen faded before
taking on its normal appearance, Colonel White was barking out orders to his
men: "Captain Magenta, get on the scrambler to Destiny and Symphony; have
them break off their flight path and return to base at precisely 23:0l
hrs."
"Yes, Sir."
"Lieutenant Purple, alert
Base Concorde and get Major Jarvis to launch their two Variable Geometry
Rockets at precisely 22:57hrs – he has the co-ordinates for the Intrepid. They haven't an ice cubes chance in Hell of
getting through, but it will keep the Mysterons occupied for a minute or
two."
"Yes, Sir."
"Captain Blue."
"Yes, Sir?"
"Why are you standing
around here? Get up there and ensure that that blasted game goes for another
six minutes."
"Yes, Sir, Colonel
White."
"We've got them on the
run, Captain Scarlet."
"Yes, Grandmaster, but
do you have enough forces to make a checkmate?"
The Grandmaster's whole face
lit up in a glow of excitement: "Just watch," he said, and began
moving the pieces in rapid succession, only being slowed by the sending and
receiving of moves. As fast as he would make a move on the chessboard, Harmony
would transmit it and the reply would almost instantaneously appear on the CP,
and the appropriate piece would move to its new location on the projected chessboard,
while the Grandmaster duplicated the moves on his personal chessboard.
Captain Blue had joined them
in the transmission room just as the rapid transmission was commencing; he was
still standing in that same position a few moments later when a red-faced
Colonel White pushed his way past him, and went flying up the transmission
board.
"Harmony, step away
from that board, now!"
"Yes, Sir," she
said automatically, as she left her chair to stand next to Captain
Scarlet."
"You two
Officers," he snapped, waving his finger from one to the other in
succession, are openly in defiance of a senior officer's orders. You both were
sent to ensure that this game be continued for the duration of the time limit;
at this rate it will be over in a matter of seconds."
"Begging the Colonel's
pardon, Sir," began a hesitant Captain Blue, "but I had only just
arrived and was waiting for the proper moment to speak. I know how
temperamental Chess Masters are and didn't want to cause Mr. Bogovahsky to make
a wrong move."
"I don't want him to
make any move! Captain Blue,"
snapped the colonel as he turned his attention to Captain Scarlet. "And
you, Captain, I thought I could count on you to follow a simple order to
control the actions of a civilian. Apparently I was wrong."
"With all due respect,
Colonel White," stated a firm Captain Scarlet, "you would be the
first to admit your limited knowledge of chess, and you know that I would never
blatantly disobey any of your orders."
"I'll grant you both of
those elements, Captain. Come to the point."
"The point is, Colonel,
that Grandmaster Bogovahsky is in a drawn game; he has a slight advantage but
little real hope of nurturing that into a win. A man of Mr. Bogovahsky's chess
genius, in this position, could play on for hundreds of moves with little
chance of blundering away a game: but with still a lingering hope of a win. I
cannot order him to play beneath his ability, it would be immoral, and under
the circumstances - unnecessary as well."
The colonel looked at the
courageous officer for a moment longer than necessary, letting the silence
speak for him, before turning his attention to Mr. Bogovahsky: "Sir, can
you guarantee me that this blitzkrieg method of yours will not lose the match
before the time limit is reached?"
"Almost without
question, Colonel White."
"Almost is not good
enough, Grandmaster."
"Sir."
"Yes, Captain
Scarlet?"
"Colonel, I can safely
guarantee that Grandmaster Bogovahsky could not possibly lose from this
position in less than ten minutes, and all we need ..." He paused to look
at the clock on the CP, "...is four-and-three-quarters."
"Against my better
judgment, I'll let you go ahead. Sir," White said, turning to address, the
Grandmaster. "Draw or lose, we are in your debt, and Spectrum thanks
you."
"You are most kind,
Colonel White,” spoke the Grandmaster, rising from his chair and giving a
polite bow. “But do not ever give up on victory, as that great Statesman of
last century is renowned to have said: ‘...for without the victory, there is no
survival.’"
"I believe that even
Mr. Churchill would be happy with a draw in this case."
"With respect, Sir, I
do not think that you do justice to that great gentleman or me. I, like the great man, himself, have a set
plan of action."
"With due respect to
you and the late Prime Minister, I hope yours steers clear of the
Dardanelles."
With that the colonel of
Spectrum moved toward the door: "Harmony, Captain Blue," he snapped,
"let's leave the experts to their game, we have pressing matters awaiting
us in the Control Room."
Before they had left the
room, Grandmaster Bogovahsky was hunched over his ivory men and completely lost
in his small world of 64 alternate light and dark coloured squares. Captain
Scarlet, too, was engrossed in the same array of men as represented on the CP
above the transmission bench.
"Quick, Captain, we
must move in all haste."
As the chess expert deftly
moved the various pieces from place to place on the board, not waiting, but
anticipating the moves of his opponent, the pattern formed by the placement of
the various pieces continually changed as they plodded, slid or galloped on the
battlefield, depending on their rank and station. Some charged through enemy
lines as other fell in the attempt. The battle raged through twenty rapid moves
but the sum of the clocks showed less than a minute had passed. After the dust
of the last skirmish had begun to settle, the White King was to be found deep
behind the enemy lines on the last rank; his bodyguard having been forced to
leave his side in an effort to ward off an attacking Rook. The sides were even; but the white Rook was
en prise.
Three more lightning moves
and the board looked like this:
"Grandmaster! You're
down by a Rook."
"Very observant,
Captain. Now quickly, I'm advancing the pawn – as you can see, it cannot be
stopped."
"No, that's true, but
it can be captured as soon as it's Queened. They can force a draw."
"Nonsense, my friend,
but ... the clock, hurry I do not wish to lose on time."
Captain Scarlet transmitted
61. d7; and the reply was instant: 61. ..., Rf5+.
Captain Scarlet looked over
at the Grandmaster's board and since his King had been moved to Knight One,
sent: 62. Kg8. There followed 62. ...,
Rf8+; 63. Kxf8 was forced. Then the answer: 63. ..., Nc5 forking the advanced
pawn and the bishop.
Captain Scarlet looked at the clocks. Over two minutes remained and the
game was all but drawn. He sent move 64. Be4+.
Yes, it was very beautiful. A piece en prise but protected by the fact
that the pawn would become a queen and quickly checkmate the weakened Black
King. The pawn was safe for the moment. The reply took four seconds instead of
the usual one: 64. ..., Kh5. Had the
monarch gone to either of the black squares then he would have fallen victim to
a check by the newly created Queen on d8. Mr. Bogovahsky had already moved his
pawn to his Queen eight and had replaced it with a Queen.
"She will enjoy only a
one second reign, Grandmaster."
"But a glorious one, El
Capitan."
"I'm sorry,
Grandmaster, but I cannot transmit it. We still have over two minutes and the
game is now drawn. The Mysteron Knight will fork both your monarchs; you move
the King; Knight takes Queen and you grab his Knight. Drawn. I've given you
every chance; but I have my orders."
"Think! Captain
Scarlet. If you are correct, then neither The Mysterons, nor I are capable of
winning. I shall be free to run around
the board until my clock runs out - there are no adjudicators in this
game."
Captain Scarlet gazed at the
board for a few seconds and without further discussion transmitted the move:
65.d8[q]. The Queen and King were
immediately forked by the Knight and the move: Ke7 was transmitted. One second
later the newly crowned Queen was dead and the Knight occupied her square.
Captain Scarlet reached for the transmitter.
In the Control Room there
was a flurry of activity as information was being relayed across the globe and
into the vastness of space itself. Destiny and Symphony had broken off their
flight and were returning to base. The World Satellite was functioning as was
the Perrin. The rockets were on target and set to impact in less than two
minutes. All was ready and on schedule.
"Colonel."
"Yes, Lieutenant
Purple, what is it?"
"On screen, Sir."
As the colonel watched the
Operations Board, the two blips representing the two Variable Geometry Rockets
were being intercepted by four Scout Rockets fired from the Intrepid. At that
moment, one of the Scout Rockets veered from its course.
"What's happening,
Lieutenant?"
"It's Lieutenant Green,
Sir, he must be scrambling their guidance system from Madrid."
"I wasn't aware that
the Madrid Base had such capabilities."
"It doesn't, Sir, he
must be improvising."
The Variable Geometry
Rockets were closing in on the Intrepid with each passing second, as another of
the three remaining Scout Rockets veered from its course toward one of its
sister rockets.
"Look, Colonel! They’re
going to collide."
As the pair watched the
blips on the screen draw nearer and nearer, they were joined by a press of
other officers. A cheer went up as the two blips, for an instance, became one
bright dot then disappeared from the screen.
"The other Scout is on
target," murmured the colonel, as they all watched the two dots move rapidly
toward each other; then, as before, they both merged momentarily before fading
from view.
"Let's hope that one
Variable Geometry Rocket will be enough to take out the Intrepid."
As they watched its fast
approach, the silence was broken by a loud static coming over the speaker
system. "What in the blazes is that?" roared the colonel, above the
hum.
"It's the Solar Ray,
Colonel!" shouted Captain Magenta, from across the room. "They have
it operational."
"Let's hope that
Lieutenant Green's equipment is operational as well."
As he spoke the blip,
representing the last Variable Geometry Rocket vanished from the screen.
"Do not take the Knight with the King, Captain
Scarlet!"
Captain Scarlet looked at
the anxious face of his companion and then back to the board. Ten seconds later
a beaming young officer was out of his chair and clasping his co-conspirator’s
hand.
"You're a genius! I
know that such a move is impossible; but there it is."
"I know, it is
wonderful – it is the most beautiful of all my creations; and but for you, it
would have been stillborn."
Quickly, Captain Scarlet
rushed back to the transmitter and entered: 67. Kf6.
"Yes, yes, El
Capitan," concurred the expert. "Send it at once!"
"Grandmaster, come over
here, please. I think you should send this last move."
The Grandmaster brushed his
index finger across the sensor causing the Bishop on the screen to slide across
the battlefield to g6. Almost immediately a ten centimetre high word flashed
across the screen beneath the chess game: CHECKMATE.*
At that moment, in the Control Room, the officers of Spectrum watched
the Control Operational Board as the blip representing the Intrepid vanished
from view. On the CP was seen the victory of Grandmaster Bogovahsky. The two
events that should have been mutually contradictory were happening
simultaneously.
"Colonel White, mission accomplished."
A confused colonel looked up in the direction of the voice to see the
face of Lieutenant Green smiling down at him from the VM.
"Congratulations, Lieutenant, but how did you do it? Mr. Bogovahsky has
apparently won the contest; the Solar Ray should not have been fired."
"It was the Variable Geometry Rocket, Sir. When it was destroyed by
the ray, I had just completed my co-ordination with the Perrin Satellite via
the World Communication Satellite and was able to deflect the ray back to its
source, the Intrepid, before they could shutdown completely."
"Spain will forever be in your debt, Lieutenant," spoke the
colonel of Spectrum. "And yours, Grandmaster," he added, as he moved
to greet the pair of chess players who had just entered the Control Room.
"My only regret, Colonel White," said the Grandmaster, in
almost a whisper, "is that I have been most curious how Portugal would
have looked and fared as an Island. It should have done wonders for its
tourism."
*From
an endgame by Platov. By
Dan Wills - January 2000.
Any comments? Send an E-MAIL
to the SPECTRUM HEADQUARTERS site