This story was originally published
in two parts in Issues 82 and 88 of the “Power Star” fanzine. It was posted on this website on 2000, without the authors’
permission, with respect to their beautiful work, and is re-posted now for
the 2009 Annual Halloween Challenge. We salute the authors, wherever they are.
– C.B. |
[The Mysterons...sworn enemies of Earth, possessing the ability
to recreate an exact likeness of an object or person--but first,
they must destroy. Leading the
fight, one man fate has made
indestructible. His name: Captain Scarlet....]
File-ID:
<1.05633.69.0C51514D@cloudbase.spectrum.gov>
Organization: Spectrum
Cloudbase (Colonel White, Commander-In-Chief)
Summary: Mission
transcript--contains background information, video data, and restricted
personnel information
Restrictions: EYES
ONLY--SPECTRUM RAINBOW CLEARANCE REQUIRED
Beginning transferral of
data pertaining to Spectrum mission codenamed "Pawns Of Evil":
Background--Pre-Spectrum
History
It
is 2068. The world's governmental
structure is now unified under one president, James Younger, and one congress
at the newly built fusion zone known as Unity City ("Futura City" to
its detractors). Yet the world is not
at peace. To the east of Europe lies
Bereznik, a small but predatory state.
Below the Pacific Ocean lies the hostile kingdom of Titanica. And the world is still reeling from a series
of Atomic Wars in the early 2000s which disrupted technical development and
lives worldwide.
The problems caused by the Atomic Wars resulted in a
proposal to bring together the finest elements of the military and paramilitary
forces worldwide into an elite planetary defense force that would take care of
extraordinary defense measures, similar to the Green Berets or the SEALs of the
20th century. The study resulted in the
signing of a charter by the World President on 10 July 2067 that founded an
organization that truly encompassed all the worldwide elements. Its name, appropriately enough: Spectrum.
Spectrum became the first truly worldwide organization with offices in
nearly every nation. Its command center
would not be in any country, but rather above all of them: A flying aircraft carrier that came to be
known as Cloudbase. Only the elite of
Spectrum would serve on Cloudbase, a senior core of officers whose identities would be protected by
code names taken from the colors of the rainbow. Its defense would come from five female fighter pilots code named
the Spectrum Angel Flight.
By 2068, humanity had embarked fully on its healing process along with
the planet. Thanks to extraordinary
efforts by such organizations as the unified World Military, the World Space
Patrol, the World Aquanaut Security Patrol, and Spectrum, mankind had reclaimed
its place in the universe. Even the
technologies stalled by the
global devastation of the Atomic Wars had begun to flourish once again. All seemed well and the world was once again
adhering to the peace so vigilantly enforced by Spectrum.
Then
came April 2068...the ill-fated Zero-X mission to Mars led by Spectrum's own
Captain Black...and the Mysterons...
<Attachment #1: Video
File #4871237-14D, dated 18 January 2069>
In the Conference Room on Spectrum Cloudbase, a meeting has been
called. Seated in the hollow center
section of the round conference table is COLONEL WHITE. In the seats around the circular table: CAPTAIN BLUE, CAPTAIN OCHRE, CAPTAIN
MAGENTA, CAPTAIN GREY, DR. FAWN, and Fawn's newest assistant, DR. JOYCE
HOLLANDER from Spectrum Medical Center.
LIEUTENANT GREEN sits in the recording secretary's seat off to the
side. One chair the seat next to
Captain Blue is noticeably empty.
LIEUTENANT GREEN
All requested personnel present and accounted for,
sir.
COLONEL WHITE
(to Green)
Thank you,
Leftenant.
(to the rest of the table)
Members of Spectrum...I have called this
meeting to discuss a very difficult issue that has the concern and attention of
the World President himself. The World
President has been in contact with me frequently as of late regarding the
ongoing activities of Captain Black and our efforts to track him down and
capture him.
(nods toward empty chair)
As you may have noticed, Captain Scarlet
is not in attendance. He is, at
present, in Sickbay, recovering from injuries suffered during our latest
encounter with the Mysterons. However,
rather than wait for his recovery, we are holding this meeting without
him...because it would be best if he were not in attendance.
CAPTAIN BLUE
Why? Captain
Scarlet is without a doubt the most important operative in Spectrum. Why leave him out of this?
White manages to convey
strong annoyance at Blue's impertinence despite his rigid expression.
WHITE
Because of the nature of the World President's
concerns... and the reason for this meeting.
Before the disaster of the Zero-X mission which resulted in Captain
Black's capture and this war of nerves against the Mysterons, Captain Black was
one of our colleagues...and Captain Scarlet, his star pupil. They were fellow officers and close
friends. This war with the Mysterons
has been hard on all of us...but it has been hardest on Captain Scarlet because
of his unique encounter with them.
After all, for six hours, he was under their control and forced to obey
their orders... and much of what has happened since his awakening from that
control has been beyond our comprehension.
Captain Scarlet has been through experiences we can never
understand...physically and psychologically.
The World President fears--and it is a valid fear--that he could suffer
some sort of breakdown if pushed too far.
And what has been proposed could easily be that "push".
(turns to Dr. Fawn)
Dr. Fawn, if you
would care to explain...
DR. FAWN
Of course, sir.
(to the rest of the table)
What we must understand in dealing with Captain
Scarlet's ability to recover from injuries--some of which our best surgical techniques
could not hope to correct--is the tremendous stress under which his mind is
placed. Surviving death--the so-called
"near- death" experience--always has profound effects upon the
individual's mental state.
CAPTAIN OCHRE
But isn't it
true, Doctor, that Captain Scarlet has no recollection of his "death"
when he recovers?
FAWN
No conscious recollection, Captain Ochre. But we have no way of ascertaining to what
extent his subconscious is affected.
Despite extensive testing and numerous attempts at mental
stimulation--particularly after the Mysterons' hold on him was broken--those
memories remain locked away. But the
fact that he has an extreme sensitivity to the Mysteron presence at times--a
sensitivity that cannot be sufficiently explained physically, though it manifests itself in very physical
symptoms such as headaches or nausea--tells me that those memories are indeed
there and cause him some sort of psychosomatic trauma.
WHITE
Which, of course,
brings another puzzling consideration to mind.
FAWN
Indeed, Colonel.
Is it possible for Captain Black to be shaken from the Mysterons'
control the way Captain Scarlet was by his 800-foot fall from the London
Car-Vu? Or has Captain Black been too
long held captive by the Mysterons? Is he
now beyond help--beyond redemption? For
that matter, is it possible that Captain Scarlet might not truly be free of the
Mysterons--that he might one day slip back under their control? Is his current state merely temporary--or
worse, a devious plan to put an indestructible agent into the heart of
Spectrum, waiting to reactivate him at just the right moment?
BLUE
That's ridiculous!
I know Captain Scarlet...and I'd stake my life on his loyalty! I have, numerous times! Captain Scarlet feels he owes his life to
Spectrum and would do anything for any
of us...does that sound like someone still in the hands of the enemy?
Besides, there have been numerous times where it would have been in the
Mysterons’ best interest to have an insider-- why has this "reactivation"
you're worried about not yet occurred?
FAWN
Perhaps, Captain Blue, their plans for him are more
involved than any of us can conceive.
It could be that our Captain Scarlet may be the ultimate time
bomb...just waiting to explode.
The tension in the room runs high, as if Dr. Fawn's
words awakened an unspoken fear in all of them...except Captain Blue, who looks
incensed at the very idea of questioning his friend's loyalty.
WHITE
Thank you, Doctor.
I think you all now fully realize the importance of holding this meeting
while Captain Scarlet is recuperating.
As sworn protectors of the World Government, we can hardly risk the very
subject of our plans knowing about them.
CAPTAIN GREY
Plans,
Colonel? What "plans"?
White
looks toward Fawn and nods some sort of approval.
FAWN
We hope to use
Captain Scarlet's suppressed memories to finally locate Captain Black.
<end of Video File
#4871237-14D>
<Attachment #2: Video
File #4871237-14E, dated 18 January 2069>
In Sickbay, CAPTAIN SCARLET lies quietly in a bed in the hospital
area. He is hooked to both an EKG and
EEG machine, both of which register improving vital signs. Several minor wounds are still visible, but
it is obvious that his retrometabolism healing process is in full swing. Scarlet moves slightly, as if he has just
crossed the line from injury-induced coma to normal sleep...and the rest of the
wounds fade away.
<end of Video File
#4871237-14E>
<Attachment #3: Personal
journal of Captain Scarlet, dated 18 January 2069>
I have lately been remembering--if such a term is
applicable to the experiences I have during my retrometabolism-enhanced
recoveries-- more and more of my first encounter with the Mysterons...the day
Captain Brown and I were first killed.
I have had fleeting images at night as I sleep (which,
amazingly, I seem to do less of since my recovery from the Mysteron attack)
which take the form described in 20th century medical documentation as
"near-death experiences". In
my case, of course, they are actual-death experiences.
I remember the car crash...feeling the flames on the
back of my neck as I tried to struggle free of the burning wreckage...then
everything fading to blackness. That
much is not new. However, what follows
in my dreams is different from anything I had remembered in the past.
In my dreams, I see myself floating above my battered,
burned, and bleeding body, lying a few feet away from the wreckage, and I see
Captain Brown's body, twisted at a grotesque angle. I sense Brown's spirit nearby...and even recall non-verbally
communicating with him. I cannot recall
what was said, but I can still feel our mutual shock and confusion and a
strange realization that we were, indeed, dead; not even a chopper ride to
Cloudbase would be able to save us.
Then I feel something strong nearby...something
cold...something evil. At one point, I
might have thought I was in the presence of Satan himself. Now, of course, I know it was the cold,
calculating evil of the Mysterons. They
had found the tools to execute their vicious plans to kill the World
President...us.
The next thing I see is another body...whole,
unbroken, but lifeless and cold.
It bears my face.
Not much is clear after that. I recall feeling pulled inextricably toward
that cold, lifeless body...and then everything else is lost to me. I wake up in a cold sweat, shaking
uncontrollably.
Someday, I hope to pierce that last veil and see what my
consciousness endured during those six hours I was under the Mysterons'
control. Perhaps then I shall have the
key to unlock the remaining experiences that occur during my numerous deaths
and recoveries.
Perhaps then I will truly be free of the Mysterons.
<end of Personal
journal>
<Attachment #4: Video
File #4871237-14F, dated 18 January 2069>
The time stamp on the video image reads "17:30--18/1/69" as
Drs. Fawn and Hollander enter the Sickbay.
Both cross toward Captain Scarlet, now visibly completely healed but
still unconscious.
DR. JOYCE HOLLANDER
Amazing. If I hadn't seen him when he was brought in,
I would never know he was on the verge of death just two hours ago.
FAWN
It never ceases to
amaze me. As many times as I’ve
witnessed it, it never ceases to amaze me.
(looks at monitors)
Pulse is still a
little thin. Probably some unresolved
trauma. He'll sleep for a while.
Scarlet stirs, then opens his eyes and looks around
the room, trying to get his bearings.
FAWN (continued)
Or maybe not.
CAPTAIN SCARLET
Hello, Dr.
Fawn... Dr. Hollander.
FAWN
Welcome back,
Captain Scarlet. How are you feeling?
SCARLET
Hungry.
FAWN
(slight laugh)
Not
surprising. It takes a lot of energy to
rejuvenate a body. But you do have this
knack for reviving close to mealtimes.
What would you like?
SCARLET
(starts to sit up)
I can go to the galley on my own, thank you...
FAWN
(holds him down)
Not till I release you. And I can't do that until I've completed the fitness-for-duty
exam. Now, you can lie here and be
hungry...or you can eat something and get your strength back so the results of
the exam will be better. Which will it
be?
SCARLET
You're enjoying
this.
FAWN
Keen observation.
(pulls out a notepad)
Your dinner
order, Captain?
As Scarlet rattles off a
list of food better suited for a group than an individual, Dr. Hollander looks
strangely distracted, as if mesmerized by something.
FAWN (continued)
Dr. Hollander?
HOLLANDER
(jumps, as if startled)
Wh-what?
FAWN
Are you feeling
all right? You seem...distant.
HOLLANDER
Oh, no, I'm
fine. Guess I was just thinking. You were saying?
FAWN
I was asking if you'd mind terribly ringing the galley
and asking them to send the items on this list down here for Captain Scarlet's
dinner. While we're waiting for them to
arrive, I can start the usual exams.
HOLLANDER
Oh, of course.
(studies list, then looks up at Scarlet)
You must have
quite an appetite, Captain Scarlet.
Scarlet meets the woman's gaze...as intense as his own. It almost seems as if she is trying to stare
through his eyes into his soul. They
hold the gaze for a moment, then Scarlet breaks and stares at the ceiling, his
eyes reflecting an inner disturbance of some sort.
As Fawn begins the exam,
Hollander leaves the hospital area and heads into Fawn's office.
FAWN
Now, then,
Captain Scarlet... let's begin.
He presses several buttons to reset his monitors.
<end of Video File #4871237-14F>
<Attachment #5: Video File #4871237-150, dated 18 January
2069>
In the other room--Fawn's outer office, away from the hospital
area--Hollander snaps off the Spectrum intercom, then retrieves a pen radio out
of her pocket surreptitiously. She
looks around for a moment, then twists the pen to activate it and whispers into
its microphone.
HOLLANDER
Black Knight to King's Pawn...the
fox is in the henhouse. Repeat: The fox is in the henhouse. Operation Twister should commence on schedule. Will update progress at 2300 hours. Black Knight out.
FAWN
Oh...there you
are.
Hollander quickly hides
her radio in her pocket and turns around to see Fawn standing in the doorway
between the hospital and his examination room/office.
FAWN (continued)
I was beginning
to wonder if you'd gone round to the galley to deliver the order in person.
HOLLANDER
Oh, I was
just...making sure I got the order right, Dr. Fawn. I...had a little trouble making out some of the items...
FAWN (sarcastic)
You must be a
dedicated doctor indeed to spend that much time on a patient's room service
order.
(takes list, reads it to himself)
Of course, I do
admit to sloppy penmanship. Too many years of hastily scribbled civilian prescriptions
and battlefield logs, I suppose.
HOLLANDER
You wanted me for
something, Doctor?
FAWN
Oh...yes, I did.
I was wondering if you would assist me in completing Captain Scarlet's
fitness-for-duty exam. There's so many
blasted monitors to read, and Captain Scarlet is so impatient to get back to
work that he hates any kind of delays.
HOLLANDER
Oh, of course, Doctor. I'd be more than happy to.
They leave the room together, heading back to the hospital unit.
<end of Video File
#4871237-150>
<Attachment #6: Video
File #4871237-151, dated 18 January 2069-- from security cameras, 5th Street
Diner, New York City, New York, United States Of America>
Early
in the morning in the largest city in the world, customers come and go from the
5th Street Diner. This day, a new
customer dressed all in black--black overcoat, black broad-brimmed hat, black
shirt and pants--enters quietly and sits in a corner booth. A WAITRESS comes
over to serve him.
WAITRESS
Can I help you,
sir?
The man looks up toward the camera...and his face is that of a walking
corpse. His eyes are sunken, his skin
is pale, and his heavy five-o'clock shadow accentuates his gaunt cheeks. It is Spectrum agent-turned-Mysteron
terrorist CAPTAIN BLACK.
The
waitress backs off and heads behind the counter, getting the attention of diner
owner SOL BELLATORA. Bellatora looks
scornfully at the stranger in his diner, then gets out his baseball bat and brandishes
it menacingly as he heads for the corner booth.
BELLATORA
All right, pal...I don't know what you're sellin' but
I ain't buying! We don't serve bums
here. Get yourself on down to the shelter
or somethin', but get outta my diner before I make that cheesy hat a permanent
part of your head!
Black glares up at him,
almost sneering, as if death has no true meaning for him. He stands to face Bellatora, unfastening his
coat as he does.
BELLATORA (continued)
(backing away in horror)
Oh, my God...I
saw your face on the news...you're the guy Spectrum's lookin' for... Captain
Black!
BLACK
Very observant.
With that, he whips out
a sub-machine gun and shoots Bellatora in cold blood. Bellatora drops to the floor, dead.
The diner patrons begin
to scream in panic...but Black's non-stop shooting silences all of them until
only the waitress is left.
WAITRESS
(cowering by the counter)
Oh, no… oh, God,
please, no... please don’t kill me...
BLACK
I am sorry...but
I need all of you.
He
fires one last time, and she falls dead behind the counter.
Black
holsters the gun as an eerie hush falls over the diner. Then, two circles of greenish light pass
over each dead body, then seem to draw paths on the floor.
Clones
of the now-dead victims begin to materialize, then slowly come to life.
Black
nods his approval as the replicants rise to their feet and begin clearing the
floor of the dead bodies. When they finish,
they stand before him, mindless Mysteronized soldiers awaiting orders.
THE VOICE OF THE MYSTERONS
(echoing, in voice-over)
The Mysterons must avenge themselves against the race
which attacked them on Mars. They must prevent
their spread and their inevitable intrusion into space. Ours is a true mission of the only justice
known to exist, one we must undertake.
You are the privileged few chosen to engage the enemies of the Mysterons
in a grand battle. Together, we will
destroy Spectrum itself...and its glorious hero and "secret weapon", Captain Scarlet!
In the stillness that
follows the declaration of war on Black's former friends and the enemies of his
masters, one image becomes striking:
A single tear rolling
down Black's cheek.
<end of Video File
#4871237-151>
<Attachment #7: Video
File #4871237-152, dated 18 January 2069-- from security cameras onboard local
Security Patrol Cruiser 451>
With
sirens screaming and light-bar flashing frantically, Patrol Cruiser 451 speeds
through traffic and stop lights in an almost reckless fashion in response to a
silent alarm tripped at the 5th Street Diner...the same 5th Street
Diner that Captain Black has just attacked.
SECURITY OFFICER BRYSON is driving; his partner, SECURITY OFFICER
SIMPSON is checking his handgun.
SECURITY OFFICER BRYSON
Better have your weapon ready, partner! The silent alarm was a Code Three--no
tellin' what we're headin' into at Bellatora's!
SECURITY OFFICER SIMPSON
Yeah, that guy knows how to take care of himself! I've been in this precinct for over five
years and I've never known him to need any help! Maybe we should call in some backup...
BRYSON
No such luck, Simpson. Everyone's up to their
eyeballs in this precinct...and you know the others aren't gonna offer any assistance without some kind of
up-front bonus!
SIMPSON
Kinda makes you
wish this was the kind of thing Spectrum had jurisdiction over.
BRYSON
We'll manage.
Hey, in my great-grandfather's day, there were actually cops on these
streets! And they didn't need any
fancy-schmancy Spectrum to bail them out, either-- they did it all on their
own!
SIMPSON
Wasn't your
great-granddad around during the time of that terrorist bombing at the World
Trade Center back in `92?
BRYSON
Sure was! So was my granddad...course, he was just a
rookie at the time. And my dad was an
impressionable young lad...
SIMPSON
Later with the
memories, partner. 5th Street just
ahead.
Bryson slows down, then
stops before the diner.
BRYSON
Head's up,
buddy... we may have to "come out shooting".
SIMPSON
Ready.
The two men release the
safety catches on their guns, then head into the diner.
<End of Video File
#4871237-152>
<Attachment #8: Video
File #4871237-153, dated 18 January 2069-- from security cameras inside 5th
Street Diner>
The armed and armored Bryson and Simpson enter the diner, gun arms
straight out, guns aimed into diner.
BRYSON
Everybody freeze!
SIMPSON
Nobody move!
The diner, full of apparently normal patrons having apparently normal
meals, gets very quiet. Everyone turns
toward the door. Sol Bellatora quickly
comes around his counter to confront the confused officers.
BELLATORA
What is
this? What's the matter with you
Security guys? You crazy or
something? Put those guns away--you're
scarin' my customers!
BRYSON
(reluctantly relaxes his stance)
Now, wait a minute...the Precinct's auto-dispatch
system registered a silent alarm from this establishment, Mr. Bellatora...and
we're not goin' anywhere ‘til we get
some answers.
WAITRESS
Oh, I'm afraid that was my fault, Mr. Bellatora... I accidentally bumped into
the "panic button" when I was
serving these gentlemen at the end of the counter. I didn't think it was hard enough to set off the alarm!
Bellatora turns an angry glance at his waitress... a
glance seemingly out of place for the offense.
Bryson and Simpson relax a little more but notice the tension in the
room and appropriately do not re-holster their weapons.
SIMPSON
No harm done,
ma'am... accidents happen, you know?
Truth be told, we're kinda glad it was a false alarm.
BRYSON
Sorry to trouble you folks. Please, go back to enjoying your meals. We'll just report back to the auto-dispatcher and cancel the
alarm. Of course, Mr. Bellatora, you
might want to consider getting a shield or something for that button so this
sort of thing doesn’t happen again.
BELLATORA
Good idea. I'll get on it soon as the stores open. We don't want you boys-in-blue on wild goose
chases, now, do we?
He chuckles hollowly...an unnerving laugh
which is parroted by first the waitress, then the other patrons in the
diner. Bryson and Simpson begin backing
toward the doorway, looking more and more uneasy.
BRYSON
Uh... yeah. We'll be on our way...
SIMPSON
...We’ve got a
lot of ground to cover on our patrol before we get off for the day.
Both officers hurry for the door...then notice the
black-clad stranger seated at a table by himself. The man appears to be making a conscious effort to conceal his
face.
SIMPSON
Come on,
Bryson...
BRYSON
In a minute.
(turns to the man at the table)
I think I've seen
that guy before.
SIMPSON
(looks at the same man)
Him?
Bryson nods, then moves closer to the table where the stranger is
sitting. He grips his gun a little
tighter.
BRYSON
Excuse me, sir...
would you mind answering some questions?
BELLATORA
Hey, hey,
hey! Quit bothering my customers! You guys need my permission to talk to
anybody in here, in case you forgot the law...
SIMPSON
...Only if we
walked in voluntarily. We were called,
remember?
BELLATORA
But that was an
accident!
SIMPSON
Doesn't
matter. Once we're inside on a call, we
pretty much have carte blanche to question anybody who even looks suspicious.
BRYSON
And this guy's
definitely suspicious.
(turns full attention back to the table)
Now, friend, I
said I wanted to ask you some questions...now!
The man at the table
slowly raises his head to reveal the gaunt, pale, unshaven face of Captain
Black.
BRYSON (continued)
Oh, my God... Captain Black!
BLACK
Very good.
As
the wanted man holds the officers' attention, Bellatora and his waitress walk
up behind the two officers. Bellatora
cracks his baseball bat on the back of Bryson's head; the waitress thrusts a
carving knife into Simpson's back. Both
men drop to the floor, dead.
Black stands and nods his approval to his servants, then looks at the
bodies.
Two
greenish light circles trace both bodies, then two empty spots on the floor.
Seconds
later, clones of the two officers stand before Black.
BLACK (continued)
Get rid of the
bodies. It is time.
Obediently,
the diner's patrons carry the two dead officers out of the dining area and
clean up the blood, then proceed as an army of zombies out of the diner.
Black
starts to follow, then turns toward the security camera, aims his pistol, and
fires...ending the video with static snow.
<End of Video File
#4871237-153>
<Attachment
#9: Video File #4871237-154, dated 18 January 2069-- from security cameras
inside Spectrum Cloudbase, Sickbay section, hospital area>
The timestamp reads "19:00--18/1/69". Captain Scarlet, sitting up in bed, finishes
a hefty meal that would have satisfied four or five men as Dr. Fawn and his
assistant, Dr. Joyce Hollander, watch in amazement and amusement. He takes one last sip of coffee.
SCARLET
Mm-m-m... That hit
the spot. I feel much better now.
HOLLANDER
I should think so...you've eaten enough to replenish a
platoon, much less one man! I don't
imagine you could have eaten that much before all this happened.
SCARLET
I suppose Dr. Fawn
should have warned you...full-bore retrometabolism regeneration burns a
substantial amount of calories.
Hollander looks at Fawn, irritated that she was not informed. Fawn shoots Scarlet a look of irritation at
the Captain's all-too-correct deduction.
FAWN
Well, I didn't
think it was significant.
HOLLANDER
Dr. Fawn... I am here from
the Spectrum Medical Center to research retrometabolism with the foremost
expert in the field and the only known
survivor of the process. There is no
such thing as an insignificant fact when it comes to retrometabolism. If Spectrum ever expects to be able to
combat the Mysterons on even ground, we must gain a greater understanding of
their ability to reverse matter. You
owe it to me to provide complete disclosure...if for no other reason than as a
professional courtesy.
Now Scarlet is genuinely amused...and makes no effort
to hide it as he watches the two doctors squabble. Fawn gives Scarlet another exasperated glare, then turns back to
Hollander.
FAWN
Very well...during
Captain Scarlet's first retrometabolic incident, we discovered that certain
aspects of his physiology were accelerated to a previously unimaginable
degree. We noticed that his body was
consuming up to 150 calories per minute during the height of the regenerative
process.
HOLLANDER
(not certain she heard him right)
Per minute?
FAWN
Precisely my reaction. A human body could not possibly burn calories to that degree and
still survive. A human body with the
genetic ability to re-engineer matter, however, could...and does,
obviously. But even Captain Scarlet
needs to replenish that fuel in order to shorten the recovery time...something
we did not know that first time and only discovered by accident during a
subsequent incident.
SCARLET
I woke up extremely hungry once from a recovery and
asked for something to eat. I ate
continuously for almost an hour but felt worlds better afterward.
FAWN
Thus, the
"mega-meal" you were asked to order, Dr. Hollander.
SCARLET
Most of the time, retrometabolism has no effect on my
everyday activities...save for the fact that I seem to tire less easily and
need less sleep than I did before. But
now...I can almost feel the calories burning off from that large meal,
replenishing my body’s stores.
HOLLANDER
Talk about a
"binge-and-purge" diet... I’d wondered how you were able to stay so
slim. Must be a piece of cake.
SCARLET
Please don't
mention "cake". I'm stuffed.
She laughs, amused at Scarlet's deadpan joke, then
immediately forces her reaction below the surface, as if afraid to form an
attachment to her research subject.
HOLLANDER
Well, it's nice
to see that your experience as a Mysteron "puppet" hasn't diminished
your sense of humor, Captain Scarlet.
SCARLET
(mildly irritated)
One needs a sense
of humor to deal with difficult situations.
HOLLANDER
Yes, but most
Brits don't show theirs. Did you show
yours before?
SCARLET
(more irritated)
I did a great
many things before, Doctor. The only difference
between then and now is that I can cheat death and I can't remember doing it.
HOLLANDER
Well, of
course. I didn't mean to imply...
SCARLET
(cuts her off)
Of course you
did. That is why you're here, isn't
it? To study the differences between a
"normal" human and a Mysteron clone of one?
HOLLANDER
(guilty as charged)
Now, Captain Scarlet, there's no reason to get
upset. This is, after all, very
important work if we ever are to hope to understand the Mysterons and find a
way to stop them and cure their unfortunate victims...
SCARLET
I don't enjoy being gawked at as if I were some
microbe in a petri dish in your lab. I
also have the same feelings I had before...and they include a need for a
certain degree of dignity. Now, if
you're going to do your research, get on with it. Ask the questions you need to ask. Take the samples you need to take. But don't imply that I'm a "victim" in need of a "cure". And don't act as if I’m something from
another planet...only my immunology is.
The tense silence in the room seems to last forever...even though the
timestamp on the videofile indicates it only lasts 2.38 minutes. Both Scarlet and Hollander are angry and
suffering from wounded pride...and Fawn is uneasy.
FAWN
Look, both of
you...we do have a job to do here.
(turns to Scarlet)
You're not
released for duty yet.
(turns to Hollander)
And you have
research you wanted to accomplish. Now,
both of you, settle down. Have this
argument on your own time.
Hollander turns a frosty gaze toward Scarlet.
HOLLANDER
I think I've said
all I need to say.
SCARLET
(equally frosty gaze)
Likewise.
The tension is still high. If such were recorded on the videotape, the
temperature in the room would probably be akin to that inside a meat locker.
FAWN
Perhaps, Dr. Hollander, it would be better if you went
into my office and called up Captain Scarlet’s medical records on my
computer. They might be more
cooperative in answering your questions.
(glares at Scarlet)
I'll deal with
our "patient".
HOLLANDER
(Incensed anger detectable)
I'll do that.
She leaves the room. Scarlet
watches her go, his gaze still icy.
FAWN
(to Scarlet)
Now... just what
the Devil did you think you were doing?
That is one of our most respected scientists, not some lab technician
you can brush off!
SCARLET
I grow very tired
of being treated as if I'm some freak of nature instead of just another
Spectrum officer who happens to have a unique medical condition.
FAWN
I already know
that. But what made you explode at
her? Honestly, man, if I didn’t know
better, I'd swear you liked the girl and she hurt your feelings.
SCARLET
(scoffs, perhaps a little too quickly)
Rubbish.
FAWN
(eyes widen knowingly)
Well, I'll be...
<End of Video File
#4871237-154>
<Attachment
#10: Video File #4871237-155, dated 18 January 2069-- from security cameras
inside Spectrum Cloudbase, Sickbay section, Dr. Fawn's office>
Seated at Dr.
Fawn's meticulously kept desk, Dr. Hollander proceeds to access data pertinent
to Captain Scarlet's condition, including sensitive Rainbow Clearance
material. She hesitates a moment, then
types in a command on the keyboard, and the red lights on the secondary cameras
in the medical suite wink out, leaving only primary security cameras that are
controlled through Lieutenant Green's console in the Control Room--from which
these records were taken.
She then returns to studying the files on the screen intently.
HOLLANDER
(to herself)
No, that's not
it...it's got to be here somewhere...ah, there it is. Psychological profile.
She reads the section
intently, noting the color-coded graphs that accompany it. She takes out her communication pen and
twists its top to turn it on.
HOLLANDER (continued)
(surreptitiously, into the radio)
Black Knight to
King's Pawn...I may have found the chink in the armor. Repeat:
I may have found what we've been looking for.
<End of Video File
#4871237-155>
<Attachment #11: Video
File #4871237-156, dated 18 January 2069-- from security cameras at Precinct
Central #59, New York City>
The
"usual suspects", as the line from the old movie goes, parade through
this modern police precinct as several computer operators keep tabs on the
Auto-Dispatch System that now practically runs the station. Officers Bryson and Simpson--or rather, the
Mysteronized clones of them--ENTER the station and walk through it as if
hypnotized, ignoring everyone around them as they head toward the office of the
Precinct Commander.
<End of Video File
#4871237-156>
<Attachment
#12: Video File #4871237-157, dated 18 January 2069-- from security cameras at
Precinct Central #59, New York
City--Precinct Commander's office>
Bryson and Simpson ENTER and stand before PRECINCT COMMANDER DUGAN's
desk, covered with paperwork. The
Commander barely acknowledges their presence.
PRECINCT COMMANDER DUGAN
What's on your
minds, fellas? I'm up to my eyeballs
today...
(gestures over paperwork)
I thought the
computer age was supposed to bring with it the "paperless
office". Does this look
"paperless" to you? Lousy
punks and their vandalism "initiation rites"...more arrest reports in
triplicate, all in some finicky computer's specialized format...
BRYSON
I don't believe
you'll have to trouble yourself with such insignificant details any longer,
Commander Dugan.
The chill in Bryson's voice makes Dugan stop working with the
papers. He looks up at his officers.
DUGAN
Bryson? You O.K.?
Simpson slowly and
discreetly slips his weapon out of its holster.
BRYSON
Of course,
Commander. And you will be as
well. But we are in need of your body
for a task that you could never hope to understand.
DUGAN
Now wait a minute...
Simpson fires his
weapon. The report of the bullet is
absorbed into the office's soundproof walls.
Dugan drops to the floor, dead.
Two greenish circles of
light pass over the body, then trace a spot in space.
Bryson reaches up to the
security camera and grasps it firmly, then pulls hard.
<End of Video File
#4871237-157>
<Attachment #13:
Video File #4871237-158, dated 18 January 2069-- from security cameras at
Precinct Central #59, New York City>
Bryson, Simpson, and
Dugan ENTER the working area of the precinct.
Bryson and Simpson head toward the Auto-Dispatch computer.
DUGAN
Listen up, people...we've got a situation developing
that's going to require some immediate and irregular changes to our current
setup! First of all, Officers Bryson
and Simpson will be reprogramming the Precinct Patrol Perimeter in the Auto-Dispatcher. Secondly, these officers and I will be requisitioning heavy-duty arms from the
Ordinance Cabinet and taking them out on a special reconnaissance mission.
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
But, Commander, according to regulations, no one can
break out the heavy stuff without a special O.K. from the World Police
Commander and formal notification to Spectrum Headquarters Cloudbase...
DUGAN
And what makes you think I haven't already done all
that? Now...anybody else who wants to
question my authority, speak up now...and prepare to go cash your final
paychecks!
The room falls silent. Dugan
nods to Bryson and Simpson, who begin reprogramming the Auto-Dispatcher.
<End of Video File
#4871237-158>
<Attachment #14:
Video file #4871237-159, dated 18 January 2069-- screen snapshot of
Auto-Dispatcher at Precinct Central #59,
New York City>
The image is of a large grid map of New York
City. Patrols that are normally
clustered close together are now suddenly spread out all over the city. The image is that of a fine spider web
instead of a tightly woven net.
<End of Video File
#4871237-159>
<Attachment #15:
Video File #4871237-15A, dated 18 January 2069-- from security cameras at
Precinct Central #59, New York City>
Dugan
walks over to the arsenal cabinet and enters a multi-digit code into the
electronic combination lock on the heavy doors. The lock "clicks", and Dugan opens the cabinet and
issues high-powered firearms to Bryson and Simpson, then takes some for himself
and relocks the cabinet. The trio head
toward the exit carrying enough firepower to hold off an entire World Army
platoon as the rest of the officers look at their colleagues as if they had
lost their minds.
<End of Video File
#4871237-15A>
<Attachment #16:
Video File #4871237-15B, dated 18 January 2069-- compiled from security cameras
at various points around New York City>
Two
construction workers casually cross the fenced-in foundation of what would one
day be yet another towering tribute to untold tons of steel, concrete, and
glass. With strides as devoid of
humanity as their eyes were of some spark of a once-free spirit, they enter the
on-site trailer of the construction foreman.
Once inside, they proceed to murder the unsuspecting boss in cold
blood...then allow the Mysterons to resurrect him as yet another "Pawn of
Evil". The trio then calmly exit
the trailer and calmly walk over to a shed containing explosives and detonators
used in construction duties, gather a substantial amount in canvas bags, and
stroll boldly out of the area.
In a hospital several blocks away, a nurse and the handsome
young orderly with whom she had been sharing breakfast at Bellatora's proceed
to overpower the physician-in-charge with a lethal injection...turning him into
a deadly pawn as well. The Mysteronized
medical professionals then gather enough deadly painkillers to stock a small
pharmacy and exit the hospital in plain view of everyone, as if listening to a
call louder than any voice around them.
A
bus driver climbs into his bus and drives past his stops, picking up several
pawns from Black's attack at Bellatora's, including Bellatora himself, all
armed with whatever weapons they could carry--Bellatora's baseball bat, his
waitress' meat cleaver, a lead pipe clutched by a financier whose usual prey
consisted of his fellow stockbrokers on Wall Street--as a predetermined plan of
dastardly proportions begins to unfold.
<End of Video File
#4871237-15B>
<Attachment #17:
Video File #4871237-15C, dated 18 January 2069-- compiled from security cameras
atop the Empire State Building, New York City>
Captain Black looks on at the streets below through the
powerful-but-antiquated observation binoculars that were normally used by what
few tourists still went to the Empire State Building. He watches his slaves converging on a predetermined area of New
York...an area where the highest concentration of people live and work, from
lowly janitors and fast-food vendors to highly-paid VIPs and decision-makers,
the movers-and-shakers and those moved and shaken by them. It is a microcosm of the human
race...exactly as the Mysterons intended.
BLACK
(into the air, as if to his Mysteron masters)
The pieces are
falling into place. Soon a blow of dark
victory will be struck. Spectrum will
most certainly respond...and send the great Captain Scarlet.
(a beat)
And then, the trap
will be sprung...and Spectrum, Scarlet, and all of Earth will fall.
<End of Video File
#4871237-15C>
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