|
Post by Tomahawk on Dec 30, 2004 12:08:58 GMT
CHAPTER I
The Agency X "Ready Room"... Tuesday, 0900 hours[/b]
"We have known for quite some time that the Directorate- a sinister espionage organization with plans for nothing less than global domination- has been conducting secret experiments on human beings and other 'naturally-occuring' PNE's. We had suspected that there must exist somewhere a database or mainframe computer which contained the data on these experiments, but up until yesterday we had never been able to even get close to discovering it's location.
We managed to intercept a courier on his way to update their computer, and with some assistance from other departments within the Agency managed to ascertain the whereabouts of their mainframe. The data which we retrieved from the courier was rather limited. We do, however, know of the location of 5 'mutant' PNE's in the Chicago metropolitan area who have been targeted, and agents are already underway to make contact and secure these individuals.
The Mainframe, however, is located in the sub-basement of the Genopharmtech Research facilites just outside of Bern, Switzerland. We have not been able to ascertain what security measures are in place at this facility, but it is rather certain that Genopharmtech is just another of the many front operations of the Directorate. We have also learned that the data from the mainframe will be transferred to another location within 72 hours if a courier fails to make delivery. That leaves us just under a day, gentlemen- or we'll be back to square one. Director Jameson..."
"Thanks, Agent Bobberts. Alright you two, this mission is so cut and dry there should be no way you can screw it up. Janson will be in the van, linked into our satellite feed to monitor the building and try and hack into the buildings security systems. Shrike, when you get the go-ahead, you'll enter the facility, get to the mainframe, download all the data from it and upload the virus to wipe things clean. You guys can decide for yourselves if you wanna maintain radio silence or if you want Janson to be your eyes.
Try and avoid engaging any of the guards there- chances are, they're just rent-a-cops who have no idea they're working for the bad guys. I don't want any casualties if we can keep from it. To get into the room, you'll need a cardkey and retinal scan. Fortunately, we've already got guys working on hacks and duplicators for both. Get in, get the data, and get out, undetected. That's it. Pick up your equipment down the hall. Any questions?"
|
|
|
Post by Tomahawk on Dec 30, 2004 12:15:31 GMT
- 1 Tranq-pistol with silencer; Range 25 feet. - 2 5-shot clips (for tranq-pistol) - single use Retinal Duplicator, pre-programmed, disposable. - PDA (with braille capabilites) - Cardkey hack attachment for PDA - 2 MemSticks (for data download) - 1 MemStick with Virus upload - Comlink
|
|
|
Post by Silverback on Dec 30, 2004 12:29:11 GMT
Leo listened to both the briefing and the little nuances in the commanders voice, little peaks and crests in his tone highlighted the seriousness of the matter beyond the words spoken. This was an incredibly important coup for the Agency if they could pull it off.
"Would it be possible to get an airlift into the vicinity?" Shrike queried, "if we can get close enough without being detected I can probably glide in over the outer perimeter security defences and gain entry from the roof."
Pausing momentarily as he gathered his thoughts, "from my military experience it's usually the roof that has fewest security measures and the least expected point of entry. That is unless you have information to contravene with?"
|
|
|
Post by Tomahawk on Dec 30, 2004 12:43:48 GMT
Director Jameson appeared thoughtful for a moment.
"Hmpf. I didn't want to split you guys up unless I absolutely had to, but you got a valid point. We don't have any info on what sort of radar they might have at that facility, but there is a fair amount of air traffic over the area anyhow. Dropping you off in the air above shouldn't be too much hassle- We'll just have to get Janson in position beforehand."
He paused for a moment and frowned.
"Three stories from the roof, plus a basement before you get to the sub-basement. Ya really think you can get down there without someone seeing you?"
|
|
|
Post by Silverback on Dec 30, 2004 12:56:47 GMT
"Three stories from the roof, plus a basement before you get to the sub-basement. Ya really think you can get down there without someone seeing you?"
Shrike smiled behind his eyes not letting a flicker of amusement register on his face. "As long as the security hacks work without a hitch I'll be able to hear a mouse coming never mind a clumsy security guard!"
Pausing with a little frown creasing between his eyes, "but seriously I don't have to go down through the building if security is too tight on the roof, I can easily glide down to one of the other floors. Mmmm . . . perhaps that would be even better. Who would suspect someone to enter the building from a floor beyond normal reach of the ground?"
|
|
|
Post by Tomahawk on Dec 30, 2004 13:05:21 GMT
"Well, for the hacks you'll have to rely on our boy Janson, here. As for the rest of the logistics, I'll leave that up to you guys to figure out in the field. No sense fixing a plan in concrete here in the Ready Room, when the situation on the ground is something totally different. Now, if that's it, I've got other appointments to keep."
Director Jameson pushed his chair back and stood up, cigar perched perilously between his clenched teeth.
"If there's nothing else, you gentlemen are dismissed."
|
|
|
Post by Silverback on Dec 30, 2004 15:25:24 GMT
"If there's nothing else, you gentlemen are dismissed."
Leo slowly unfolded his lanky frame from the slightly too small chair and fumbled for his cane. His fingers brushed the cold brass tip of the guide stick and slipped out of his grasp as he made a clumsy grasp for it. With a loud clatter Leo winced at the loudness of the mahogany as it created a short-lived rat-a-tat-tat as it settled and rolled on the floor.
"Scheklat' ebalom", swearing under his breath in Russian he leant over and began searching with his finger tips on the cold, almost textureless, hard vinyl flooring. Again he cursed the Spetsnaz scientists who took away his sight, he wasn't sure that he could ever get used to living again without colour in his life. 'There!' Just at maximum reach he could feel the warmth of the wood and, leaning forward he managed to grasp the shaft of the cane but not before the chair bucked and tipped the blind man onto the floor, the cane skidding out of his grasp as he reached out to break the fall.
|
|
|
Post by Tomahawk on Dec 30, 2004 15:44:15 GMT
A slight Whooosh was all that was heard as seemingly from nowhere a figured appeared. Sturdy arms caught Leo and prevented his inevitable collision with the floor, sturdy, albeit not overly strong.
"Here sir, I have you- you have dropped your cane also, sir, here it is." Leo recognized the thickly accented latino voice immediately as that of Geraldo, commonly referred to only as 'Gerry', resident speedster and go-fer.
"Are you ok now, sir, or are you in need of some assistance perhaps?" Gerry steadied Leo, who quickly regained his footing and composure.
Whispers floated about...
"Guy can't even get off a chair, how's he supposed to..."
" ...heard he once took on 5 guys unarmed, kicked their butts..."
"... wouldn't be anything without that suit of his... "
|
|
|
Post by Silverback on Dec 31, 2004 3:28:43 GMT
"Spasiba!" He half-shouted his thanks in frustration as he shrugged off the helping hands of Gerry. Switching back to english the russian repeated his thanks.
"I'm perfectly fine, thankyou." He offered, half-realising that his abruptness may have offended his colleague. "But please don't help me like that again unless I ask for assistance. I am not a child or a cripple my friend."
"Come on Janson, we've got work to do. Ass to kick and not a very nice persons to prove wrong." He pitched the last part of the sentence at a slightly higher volume for the benefit of those agents doubting his abilities.
|
|
|
Post by Tomahawk on Dec 31, 2004 9:03:06 GMT
"Ah, yes sir, sorry sir..." Gerry said, stepping back somewhat.
"I mean no offense sir."
And he stood watching as Agent Janson and Leo strode from the room.
END CHAPTER I
|
|
|
Post by Tomahawk on Jan 3, 2005 21:30:06 GMT
CHAPTER II
Just outside of Bern, Switzerland... Tuesday, 2355 hours[/i]
The steady, monotonous whuup- whuup of the helicopter's rotors set a starkly contrasting cadence to the symphony of sounds playing out below. The wind, whipping down through the alpine passes, whistled and piped out their sad and lonesome tones, while at the same time buffeting the 'copter and creating significant flight "noise". Indeed, to any but the most trained of ears it would all be but noise, but for one whose sight has been stolen from him, the subtle sounds become all-the-more important. If nothing else, the man known as Shrike had gained much more appreciation for the subtleties of sounds around him.
"We're just about in position for the drop-off, sir. Sir? Is everything ok?" The co-pilot said- or rather, shouted- back to the man standing in the doorway, breaking his wordless reverie.
Before Shrike could respond, however, the radio crackled and sputtered to life, and all in the 'copter heard Janson's voice, saying,
"Eagle Owl, this is Earthbound, do you copy, over."
"Roger that, Earthbound, go ahead, over."
"Copy. I am in position, switching over the secure channel beta-three-niner-niner. Satellite feed is hot, Shrike, I'm ready when you are. Over."
|
|
|
Post by Silverback on Jan 4, 2005 13:20:21 GMT
"Copy. I am in position, switching over the secure channel beta-three-niner-niner. Satellite feed is hot, Shrike, I'm ready when you are. Over."
With the door open the cold wind probed the helicopter cockpit its fingers lifting and waving around the loose cables, straps and papers trying to tear them free of their mountings.
Stepping out onto the skid Shrike kept his arms firmly closed and locked in tight to the side od his body. It wouldn't do for the wind to catch his fins at this time and vlow him into the blades above. Opening the channel to Janson Leo gave his instructions, "give me thirty seconds to clear the helicopter then bounce a sub-sonic ping off the target so I can get my bearings."
"Ready? Mark!" He called loudly as he let his body tumble backwards into empty space his arms folded across his chest as he watched the helicopter disappear rapidly from view. Flipping over Leo pointed his body towards the ground and opened his foils with a loud snap as air rushed to fill them and slow his descent to a gentle glide. All his concentration was focussed on the single burst of sound that would identify his target this night.
|
|
|
Post by Tomahawk on Jan 4, 2005 21:44:30 GMT
The wind whipped and buffeted him about, shuffeling him here and there ever-so-slightly as he gracefully descended like some silent, mysterious creature of the night.
And then he heard it, over the whining of the helicopter's engines, over the dull whuup of the rotors, and even more subtle than the wind whipping down through the mountain passes- the highly pitched sub-sonic "ping" as it had come to be known, lighting up the facility- his objective- like a glowing star to his sonar-enhanced senses.
"Ok Shrike, target is painted. I'm monitoring your descent- seems like you're coming a bit faster than we'd talked about. With that wind out there... Be careful man. I'm still working on remote-hacking their security system- 65% and still going steady. Looks like it's multi-layered on at least three different levels. I'm not sure I'll be able to disable all the systems, but by my estimate we still have a few minutes before you make contact. Any info you might need in the meanwhile? Over."
|
|
|
Post by Silverback on Jan 6, 2005 11:11:38 GMT
Leo pitched his body slightly higher to counter the speed of his descent then smoothed out and enlarged his circle of flight slightly to increase his time of arrival at the facility. "Okay you should have a few extra minutes time to crack that security perimeter. If I slow my descent any more I'll probably fall out of the sky." He concluded as way of explanation.
"Any info you might need in the meanwhile? Over."
"I need to know the best point of entry into the building. Anywhere will do with minimal or zero security. If any of the walls or structures in the building are weak enough I can probably enter forcibly but that's a risk I don't want to take. Stealth is better."
As a gust of wind caught his breath and tore his voice away from him Shrike had to catch his breath before continuing. "Can you give me a status report on the personnel in the building and who they are? If this facility has taken security precautions then I assume that the central computer will register who's where and when. Get that information and we may be able to enter and escape without being detected."
Pausing briefly as he regained his bearings on the target building he concluded his requests. "Once I have the goods I'll need an exit. A safe exit at that. The quickest way for me to get away from the facility would be launching off the roof but that may not be practical. Over."
|
|
|
Post by Tomahawk on Jan 6, 2005 16:30:01 GMT
"Copy that. Ok, I'm in. Looks like the top floors would be the easiest to get in through- the door on the roof itself has an alarm I can't get rid of remotely- probably key-card or something. Looks like they have a helipad up there too. I'm relaying that data to Eagle Owl as a back-up evac plan in case something goes wrong. Looks like all the above ground floors are fairly simple- standard IR motion sensors and electric eyes- just a sec... Ok, I can disable them one floor at a time. The two upper floors have only have alarms on the windows northern side- conference and presentation rooms, I'd wager. Security on the other windows up there is pretty intense, and I can't even access it from here- must be a seperate system. Getting down into the basement may be tricky- the only entrance I'm seeing goes right past the guard sitting in the lobby. Wait a sec- there's an elevator that goes down there too, but it's only access point is an office on the third floor. Shrike, looks like it's your call. Quickest way would be taking that elevator, but unless you can get rid of the alarms on-site, you'll be looking at at least 15 guards on your butt as soon as the door opens. I'm still going to need a few more minutes to get into the schematics for the basement and sub-basement. The encryption they have is pretty intense. Of course, I could always maintain an open channel, and give you the updated info on-site. You're call. Over."
|
|