Rise of the Fallen: Ascensionis
Chapter 3

Joshua opens the front door of his house in Westchester County and exits. He knows that his mother is in California enjoying a summer encampment with the wealthy rulers of the world. As he closes the door, he sighs and wonders why his mother has always put her job before family. While walking toward his blue 2012 Chevy Silverado, he takes out his phone and makes a call.

“Grandpa. It’s me. I’m on my way.”

The pickup truck used to belong to his grandfather. After getting hit by a drunk driver, instead of repairing the damage, he just purchased a newer model. Joshua offered to buy the vehicle and repair the damage with his own money. His grandfather agreed and now he is the proud owner of his very own pickup. He steps inside and turns the ignition. After revving it several times, he exits the driveway and makes his way toward the city.

Joshua looks at his phone and becomes upset with the fact that he completely forgot to charge it. He opens the glove compartment and tries to replace the car charger without having to take his eyes off the road. Not being able to locate it, he decides to take a quick look inside. As soon as he replaces it, his worst fear is confirmed as he hears a girl scream, “Look out!”

He looks ahead and sees a small puppy in front of him. The tires screech as it comes to a stop...but it’s too late. It felt like his front tire rolled over a speed bump. Joshua rests his head on the steering wheel as he prays that all of this is just a terrible nightmare. Realizing the harsh reality of what has happened, he opens the door and steps out to replace a mangled puppy underneath his Silverado.

Alexandria has her mouth covered with her hand as she looks upon the horrifying scene. She walks toward the pickup truck to give the driver a piece of her mind. It is true that she lost control of him as she was looking at the directions being provided by the GPS of her phone, but she feels angry at whoever was controlling that huge machine. She becomes paralyzed as soon as his face comes into view. He’s the same guy that she met last night! Joshua slams his fist on the hood and yells, “Fuck!”

Not knowing what to say, she tries to comfort him by touching his shoulder. This startles him and he asks her, “Is he yours?” All she can do is stare into his eyes. She finally nods. He looks down at the dead animal and says, “I am so sorry. This is my fault.”

“It’s my fault, too. I lost control of him.”

“I can take you a vet...but, honestly, he looks dead.”

Alexandria knows full well that Fluffy can be repaired so she is not too upset. She cannot tell him that, though.

“It’s sad...but don’t worry about me.”

Joshua senses something familiar about her. He sniffs and catches her scent. Has he met this girl before? He puts the thought out of his mind and looks into her beautiful eyes.

“Ummm...Can I give you a ride?”

She glances at her watch and agrees by replying, “Okay.”

“I’m Joshua Garrison, by the way.”

“I’m Alexandria...Schultz.”

He waits for the usual reaction from introducing himself, but sees that she is unfamiliar with his relation to a certain corporate executive. Either that or she just doesn’t care. He scratches his head in a state of confusion, and grins afterwards. Joshua reaches into the back of his Silverado and takes out a blanket. He then kneels down and proceeds to scoop the carcass into it. After placing the wrapped up puppy into the back of his pickup, he motions to Alexandria to approach the passenger door. She walks around the front and Joshua opens the door for her. She smiles at him as she enters the vehicle. He closes the door and runs toward the driver’s side door. Alexandria watches him enter and close the door behind him.

“Put on your seat belt, Alexandria.”

“Seat belt?”

Joshua replies, “Yeah, y’know....”

He makes a gesture with his hand as if he’s pulling an invisible object over his chest. She looks over both shoulders and then down at the belt on her waist. He dismisses this peculiar behavior to the fact that she may very well still be in a state of shock. He reaches over her right shoulder and Alexandria catches the scent of his cologne. She closes her eyes as she sniffs his neck and imagines herself kissing him passionately. Her eyes open upon hearing the sound of the clicking of the seat belt and turns her head to look at Joshua. He turns the ignition and shifts the gear to the drive position. The Silverado accelerates and disappears into the morning traffic.

In the meantime, Henry finally arrives at the majestic black gate which is the entrance to the Bohemian Grove. There are two guards on each side wearing black suits. One of them is a short, Hispanic looking man with a mustache and the other is quite tall, and muscular, without any hair on his head.

A black limousine with darkened windows slowly approaches the gate and the guards make their way toward it. The passenger window opens slightly and the Hispanic guard is heard saying, “Welcome, sir.” The gate creaks as it opens and the limousine accelerates. Henry takes this opportunity to run inside and successfully enters just before the gates close.

As Henry walks down the path, he marvels at the tremendous height of the redwood trees. They must be at least three hundred feet tall! The sight distracts him and he almost gets hit by the oncoming limousine. He jumps out of the way and whispers, “Jesus.”

Henry arrives at the parking area and observes the wealthy elite greeting each other while smoking their cigars. Weren’t there warnings by the California Forest Service if his memory serves correctly? They all seem to be dressed in classical attire from the fifties and their faces painted white with colorful designs. He almost laughs out loud as he watches one them completely remove his clothing and run into the woods screaming like a raving lunatic. He then whispers, “That has to be a high level jarhead.”

While walking along the dirt path within the Bohemian Grove, Henry is astounded by the amount of camps that are scattered throughout the redwoods. He then notices a campfire pit in the middle of a circle and the presence of carved redwood log benches. Two men are sitting down and kissing passionately while holding each other’s hands and drinking beer from huge mugs. They are interrupted by an overweight man (completely naked) that arrives behind them, releases a thunderous fart and quickly runs away laughing hysterically. Henry smiles and comes to the conclusion that this little retreat resembles a frat house party more than a place where conspiracies are conceived. The unearthly sound of a trumpet can be heard. It makes Henry’s hair stand on end because it bears a strong resemblance to what has been reported on the news as unexplainable noises that have occurred around the world. The Grovers suddenly rush toward another area and are heard mumbling something to the effect of, “Her initiation.”

Henry follows them until they all arrive at an amphitheater which runs up the hillside. This must be what is referred to as the Grove Stage. Mostly every single member is dressed in Celtic robes and either wearing Venetian masks or white makeup adorned with designs. At the center of the stage, there is one member dressed in a red robe and holding a long wooden staff. His face is painted in a way as to resemble a human skull. Henry whispers, “Okay. What the hell is this?”

Indrid’s ship rises above the clouds and remains hovering in a stationary position. Inside, Sajjad is observing the highly advanced technology with the curiosity of a child exploring a toy store.

“This craft is not of Earth.”

Indrid stands up and while walking towards him says, “Correct.”

Dr. Frankenstein explains to him, “This ship is from Indrid Cold’s home world, Sajjad. At the present moment, we must wait for Henry to complete his investigation of the Bohemian Club meeting.”

Sajjad understands and nods in agreement. He then shakes Indrid’s hand and says, “Thank you for assisting us. I always knew that we were not alone in this vast universe.”

Indrid grins and replies, “Those worlds in space are as countless as all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the earth.”

Dr. Frankenstein recognizes the quote and says, “Carl Sagan. Journeys in Space and Time.”

All of a sudden, his phone rings and he sees that it is David calling him. He quickly answers the call.

“David?”

“Ludwig! I woke up and can’t replace Alexandria anywhere! She might have went by herself to the Statue of Liberty!”

“Damn it, girl. You will be the death of me. I’ll go and get her. Thank you, David.”

As soon as he hangs up, Indrid knows right away what must be done and walks toward the cockpit. The ship’s engines hum and it disappears into the horizon in a blindingly fast speed.

Joshua asks Alexandria while driving, “Where are you heading?”

Alexandria has lost track of the time. She looks at her watch and replies, “The Statue of Liberty. It’s too late, though. It must be crowded by now.”

“Oh, ye of little faith. You’re about to witness one of the perks of being a Garrison.”

The pickup truck arrives at the parking area of the StarSun office building. Joshua shifts into reverse and skillfully maneuvers the vehicle into the empty space. He turns off the engine and takes a moment to admire Alexandria’s gorgeous aquamarine eyes. After a minute passes, he clears his throat and says, “Okay. This is it.” They both open the doors and exit the Silverado.

Moments later, Joshua opens a door and Alexandria steps through. She marvels at the sight in front of her as she walks across the top of the StarSun office building. Joshua arrives next to her and says, “Awesome view, huh?” Alexandria screams, “Yeah!” as she looks over the edge at the city bustling with activity below. She gets startled by the sensation of Joshua’s hand touching hers. Joshua stares into her eyes and says seriously, “We have met before. Haven’t we?”

Alexandria opens her mouth but not a sound comes out. She decides that she can no longer hide the truth from this nice guy and replies, “Ummm...”

Suddenly, the thundering sounds of helicopter blades interrupts her and she immediately wraps her arms around him out of fear. Joshua says in her ear, “Come with me. I want to introduce you to the pilot.”

Alexandria turns around and is taken aback by the huge flying machine above her. Joshua yells, “It’s a Huey!”

A soldier tosses out a rope ladder and motions to the couple to climb up. Joshua places both of his hands on her thighs and raises her with ease. She grabs onto the ladder and begins climbing up. The young soldier takes her hand and pulls her on board...soon followed by Joshua. A deep gravelly voice coming from the cockpit is heard yelling, “Josh! You got some explaining to do!”

Joshua steps inside the cockpit of the Huey and tells the pilot, “Sorry, Grandpa. I’ll make it up to you.”

Frank Garrison grins at his grandson and notices the young girl standing next to him. He can’t help but be mesmerized by her aquamarine irises. Joshua introduces her to him by saying, “This is Alexandria. Alexandria...this is my grandfather. GA Frank Garrison.”

Frank shakes her hand and says, “Retired GA Frank Garrison. It’s a pleasure to meet you, young lady. Well? Aren’t we going to the Statue of Liberty? Take a seat and enjoy the view.”

Alexandria sits down next to Joshua and the soldier assists her with her seat belt. The helicopter departs from the tall building and flies off into the direction of Liberty Island.

Henry watches the man in the red robe sit down on a carved redwood throne. Another man dressed in a brown robe appears and hits the floor three times with his wooden staff. A white robed man is seen standing next to the red robed man and asks in a very loud tone, “Who knocks?”

The man in the brown robe replies, “A stranger who is desirous of becoming a member of our Venerable Order.”

The man in the white robe lowers his head next to the man in the red robe and says, “A stranger is without who desires to become a member of our Order.”

The man in the red robe asks authoritatively, “Has she been duly proposed, seconded, and accepted?”

The man in the brown robe replies, “Yes, Worthy Arch.”

“Admit the candidate.”

Diana Garrison appears from the left and is being led by the arm to where the Worthy Arch is sitting. She is wearing a blindfold with a dark green robe. She gets touched on her shoulders which results in her kneeling down and placing her hands on her lap. The man in the white robe tells her, “Attend well to the instructions you are about to receive.”

The Arch explains to her, “What is required of you is a Declaration that you are desirous of becoming a Subscribing Brother of the Order, that you are willing to preserve its signs and secrets, to conform to all the Laws and Regulations now subsisting, or hereafter to be made for the proper governance and direction of the Society; and that, by your conduct, you will never seek to degrade or injure the Brotherhood. Are you willing to make such declaration?”

Diana replies, “I am.”

“Worthy Secretary, she may now receive the Obligation.”

The man in the white robe, the Secretary, says, “Place your right hand on your left breast, and repeat after me the following solemn Obligation: “I pledge myself before the Brethren now assembled by my faith and honor and my hopes of credit and respect from the Order to which I have voluntarily sought an introduction that I will, at all times, pay due obedience to the Laws and Rules of the Society and that I will never disclose or be the means of making known the signs secrets or proceedings of the Order of the Bohemians which may now or hereafter be entrusted to me.””

After Diana finishes repeating the Obligation, the Arch says to the Secretary, “Unbind the Candidate’s eyes.”

He then removes Diana’s blindfold as requested. The Arch taps the floor with his staff three times. He continues by saying, “Confiding in your integrity and honor, we have admitted you a Member of this Order; and I trust your conduct will reflect credit on the Society and promote the prosperity of our ancient Institution. We seek to be irreproachable in our own demeanor, and we consider it our duty to guard against the admission of the unworthy and unprincipled. We trust that, in adding your name to the roll of our members, we shall acquire accession to our strength and add luster to our Venerable Order. You will be granted permission to attend our annual meetings, provided you can do so without interfering with the claims of your family or your business arrangements.”

The Arch rises to his feet and hits the floor with his staff. He shouts loudly, “Bohemians, I declare this initiation duly closed! Midsummer sets us free!”

After several minutes of cheering and clapping, everyone disperses to their respective camps. Henry tries his very best to not lose sight of Diana and follows her while avoiding contact with the Bohemians around him. She enters a camp of Bohemian Grove referred to as Uplifters. This camp is designated to corporate executives and important individuals involved with big business.

Barbara is sitting down and leaning her back against a tall tree. She has gotten so bored that she is aiming her Springfield XD 9mm at a squirrel several feet above her. She asks while imitating Dirty Harry, “Do you feel lucky, punk?”

Henry’s voice is heard calling her in a low whisper. “Barbara.”

“I’m here. What’s up?”

“This shit is straight out of a J.R.R. Tolkien book. Diana just got initiated and now I’m about to enter her camp.”

“Be careful.”

Henry lowers his wrist and carefully walks toward the camp of the Uplifters. He can hear those sharing stories about their children and telling each other dirty jokes. Diana emerges from the enormous tent accompanied by retired CEO of StarSun, Theodore Reubens and another gentleman that Henry does not recognize. They all sit down on a wooden bench while firmly holding their mugs filled to the brim with icy cold beer. The gentleman raises his mug and says, “Welcome to the Order, sister Garrison.”

“Thank you, brother Jacobson.”

Of course! Zachary Jacobson! He’s the CEO of Halo Security. Makers of the widely used Halo Internet Security Suite for personal computers and smart-phones.

“I am aware that we are not to discuss matters of business here, but I feel honored that you have taken my advice.”

Theodore nervously takes a sip of beer and asks, “Are you sure there is no danger involved, Zachary?”

“As long as sister Garrison follows the Hegelian Dialectic to the letter, brother Reubens, there is no risk involved whatsoever.”

Diana explains by saying, “Problem-Reaction-Solution.”

Zachary raises his mug and says, “Just this morning, one of our hackers wrote some nasty code and is in process of releasing it to the masses. We’ll eventually add it to our virus definition database. The average user feels protected and we have him hooked.”

Henry is completely shocked at what he has just heard come from the mouth of one of the world’s most highly respected businessmen. Hell...Halo Security was close to the very top of the Fortune 500 list last year! Satisfied with the information that he has gathered, he begins walking backwards. He bumps into one of the Grovers and the loud thump of a body hitting the ground is heard shortly followed by the shatter of a beer mug as it impacts a nearby tree. Henry turns around to see the same man that he saw earlier running naked into the woods. The surrounding Bohemians explode into laughter and the man quickly stands up in a desperate attempt to locate the individual that knocked him down only to replace that there is no one in close proximity.

“What the fuck? Who the hell did that so I can rip your balls off?”

Henry does not waste any time and runs as fast as he can toward the entrance of the Bohemian Grove. Diana notices footprints being made on the dirt by an invisible force but does not say anything. Instead, her lips form a sinister grin and she takes a sip of her beer.

Meanwhile, Alexandria becomes overwhelmed with a feeling of wonderment as the Statue of Liberty comes into view. At this point, it begins raining heavily. Joshua says, “You didn’t answer my question earlier.”

Her expression becomes serious as she gazes into his eyes. She admits to him, “We have met before, Josh.”

He tries to remember but cannot replace that particular memory. She advises, “It’s no use trying to remember details. I’m curious as to how you remember my perfume.”

This makes him feel uncomfortable and changes the subject by saying, “Uh, there she is. Lady Liberty.”

Just as Alexandria is about to take a picture, her phone begins to ring. She sees that the person calling is her father and answers the call.

“Hello? Dad?”

Her father is heard screaming, “Alexandria! What is the meaning of this? Do you realize that it is raining, young lady?”

She becomes embarrassed and replies in a low tone, “Do you mind not yelling at me? I’m with a friend. Just give me an hour.”

“I will give you thirty minutes!”

She shouts, “Fine! Bye.” and disconnects the call. Joshua feels extremely guilty over the fact that he may have gotten her in deep trouble with her father.

“Your father didn’t sound too pleased.”

“Don’t worry about it, Josh. But I think I’m gonna need to head back home.”

“Yeah, sure. Let me go and tell my granddad.”

Alexandria watches Joshua walk toward the cockpit and can’t help but admire his physique. The way his firm buttocks fit perfectly in his jeans makes her fantasize what it would feel like to be in his arms to have the opportunity of squeezing him there with her hands. He sits back down next to her and gives her a warm grin.

“It’s all set, Alexandria. We’re going back to StarSun and I’ll drive you home from there.”

She nods and takes one final glance at the Statue of Liberty. She uses her phone to take a picture and feels the rain drops hit her face. Much to her delight, the second skin has shielded her from the water thus preventing the lower half of her body from changing. The Huey helicopter’s long blades are heard slicing the wind as it makes its way toward the StarSun office building.

Miles away, Henry arrives at the main entrance of Bohemian Grove and is completely out of breath. He is grateful to see that the guards have not been alerted to his presence and slowly climbs over the black gate. His feet gently touch the ground and he proceeds to take very careful steps until he is in a safe distance in order to run down Bohemian Avenue as fast as possible.

Barbara is still leaning against the tree while gazing at her artificial hands. She is fascinated with the fact that she can feel the slightest sensations with Dr. Frankenstein’s cybernetic implants. From the tickle of a feather to the sharp pain of a needle. As she glides her finger across her palm, she hears Henry say, “The doc nailed it, Barbara. Greedy bastards.”

She rises to her feet and replies, “Shit. Are you on your way back?”

Barbara activates her thermal imaging sensor and sees the body heat of a person running towards her. “Never mind. I see you.”

Henry materializes in front of her and rests his hands on his knees while gasping for air. She places her hand on his back and begins patting him. He raises his hand as if to indicate that he needs a moment to gather himself. She then notices blood dripping out of his nose onto the street below and becomes concerned for his well-being.

“Henry. You’re...”

“I know. This always happens when I stay invisible for a long time. It’s kinda like flexing a muscle. After a while, my head starts pounding something fierce.”

As Henry wipes his nose with a handkerchief, Barbara hears the faint sound of a vehicle approaching along with a silencer being placed on the tip of a gun. She grabs Henry by the arm and throws him deep into the forest. He screams as he flies, “Hey!”

Barbara stands in the middle of the road and aims her 9mm straight ahead. She may as well test her aiming ability with the new eye. This is going to hurt. They are, more than likely, professional assassins and she may get hit with several bullets but she’s betting on the probability of the wounds being nonfatal due to the distance and the fact that the car is moving at about eighty-five MPH.

“Come on.”

The car comes into view and Barbara can hear the bullets whizzing past her. One bullet hits her leg. Another hits her shoulder. Yet another grazes her left temple and blood rolls down her cheek. Her cybernetic eye zooms and focuses on the driver’s throat. She pulls the trigger and the driver gets hit right in his Adam’s apple causing him to hold his neck. A stream of blood gushes out and the driver loses control of the vehicle.

Barbara jumps to the right and the car zooms past her. She looks up over the tall grass to see the vehicle swerve and flip about ten times before finally resting upside down. She tries to stand up and feels the burning sensation of the bullet wound in her leg. Henry materializes and puts her arm around his neck to lift her up to her feet. Henry raises his wrist to contact Dr. Frankenstein.

While Dr. Frankenstein stares at his watch, he becomes startled by Henry screaming loudly, “Doc! I think now is a good time to get us out of here!”

“We’ll be right there, Henry.”

“What are you talking about?!?”

He disconnects communications and asks Indrid, “Where is she right now, Indrid?”

“They have landed on top of the StarSun office building.”

“As soon as the helicopter departs, I want you to bring her aboard.”

Indrid looks at Dr. Frankenstein in reaction to his decision of risking exposure. She has seen that adamant expression enough times in the past and replies, “Understood, Ludwig.”

Both Joshua and Alexandria wave goodbye at Frank Garrison as he pilots the helicopter upwards and then departs until it becomes just a small dot in the sky. Joshua turns around and walks toward the door on the roof of the building.

“I hope you had a good time, Alexandria. I know that it doesn’t make up for what I did.”

The lack of response from her makes him believe that she has become saddened by her loss. He turns around and says apologetically, “Listen. I really am...huh?”

Alexandria is no longer there with him. It is as if she disappeared into thin air. Joshua scratches his head and calls out for her. “Alexandria? Are you still here?”

No response. He even decides to look over the edge of the tall edifice all the while hoping that she did not commit suicide by plummeting straight down to the pavement below. Thankfully, this not the case as he sees that there isn’t a dead body with blood and gore splattered everywhere. What the hell is going on?

Henry is providing support to Barbara as she limps toward the wreckage of the automobile. After a minute passes, the bullet embedded in her leg pops out and falls to the street. Upon catching a glimpse of the brutally mangled occupants, Henry informs her, “They’re the two guards from Bohemian Grove.”

The sirens of two police cars are heard followed by the screech of their tires as the officers slam on the brakes. They open doors and point their shotguns at them while yelling, “Drop your weapons and get your hands up now!”

The irony of it all. Barbara used to be a police officer and now she’s the one that’s about to get arrested. She sighs and just when she is about to drop her Springfield XD, a deafening high-pitched scream makes everyone cover their ears. Henry instantly recognizes the sound and yells to Barbara, “Close your eyes and don’t open them!”

The police officers look up at the sky and see what resembles a giant star approaching them. Within it, the figure of a large and dark creature spreads it wings. Their eyes become so watery and so extremely irritated, that they shut them tightly. After two minutes, one of the officers opens his now bloodshot eyes and wipes the tears off of his cheeks. To his astonishment, the two suspects have completely disappeared from sight.

Meanwhile, on board Indrid’s ship, Barbara is sitting down as Dr. Frankenstein cares to the bullet wound in her shoulder. He grins as he sees her flesh gradually push the bullet out. He catches it with his hand and shows it to her.

“No surgery for you, my dear.”

Alexandria gazes at Barbara’s wound as it heals and says, “That is so awesome.”

Henry steps closer and asks her in a perplexed manner, “What even made you do that?”

Barbara looks up at him and replies honestly, “My aim is better than yours...and you’re my partner.”

Dr. Frankenstein stands up and asks, “So I have assumed correctly, Henry?”

“Yeah, doc. StarSun’s planning on getting everyone sick and then releasing the vaccine later.”

“The Hegelian Dialectic.”

“That’s what the CEO of Halo Security called it.”

Barbara’s unfamiliarity with the terminology makes her ask, “What does that mean?”

Dr. Frankenstein takes a deep breath and explains. “Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was a 19th century German philosopher and prominent member of the Illuminati. He devised this particular dialectic as an effective tool to control the masses and maintain a certain order. You present a problem such as the manufacturing of a crisis to get the desired reaction and the public immediately cries out for a solution. Problem-Reaction-Solution.”

Sajjad tells him, “I propose that we go directly to the person who is currently working on this virus, doctor. We can try to stop this tragedy before it has a chance to happen.”

“I would not be at all surprised if Gary Jaeger played a part in his father’s assassination, Sajjad. The God Complex can push a scientist to perform unspeakable acts for the sake of leaving his fingerprint in history. Therefore, I believe that the virus has already been prepared for mass distribution and what he is working on now is the vaccine. That would explain why an outbreak has not been reported yet. No...our best hope is communicating with Diana Garrison. She may not be aware of how potentially lethal that virus can be.”

Henry sits down next to Barbara and says, “You know, doc? You never did explain what exactly this virus is and what makes it so dangerous.”

Dr. Frankenstein sits down again and prepares himself for the recounting of events which were intentionally omitted from the history books. “Let me assure all of you that certain details of what I am about to say cannot be found in history books nor in your local library. Joseph Jaeger was a scientist specializing in the field of virology. He was a member of the NSKK, a Nazi motorist corps, from 1938 to 1942 and worked directly for the head of the Schutzstaffel as the lab chief of the Nazi’s leading bio-weapons facility on Riems Island. The Nazis used the cover of a research institute for animal diseases in order to conduct biological warfare experiments and employed about twenty scientists. In 1944, there were two cases of a viral outbreak reported from Tajikistan and Turkey. Soviet scientists were sent to Tajikistan and discovered Crimean hemorrhagic fever while Joseph Jaeger was sent to Turkey to pick up a strain of Rinderpest which was later claimed to have been inactive. Those were, of course, cover stories to prevent the real truth from reaching their enemies. What was discovered in reality was a bacterium which was responsible for several of the world’s most devastating pandemics in human history...including the Black Death. Yersinia pestis.”

Indrid steps forward and explains further. “It is from the Enterobacteriaceae family. The lethal pathogen, Ebola, is in actuality a strain of that bacterium. An outbreak in a typical city would be almost impossible to control. There’s no known cure and a ninety percent chance of death if contracted.”

Dr. Frankenstein says in addition, “With Project Paperclip, the bacterium passed from the hands of the Nazis to the Americans. As outrageous as it may sound, the Russians and the USA refuse to destroy their stocks of yersinia pestis in case of a bio-terrorist incident. And now...it looks as if Miss Garrison is attempting to release another viral disease based on this particular bacterium and make a profit from the vaccine.”

Henry says bitterly, “Jesus. Me and my big mouth.”

Barbara cannot believe what was just revealed to her. She leans back and wishes that she could return to her previous simple, daily routine like any normal person. She remembers how she would shoot down all of the conspiracy theories thrown at her by her fellow police officers. Things are so different now. How can you discredit what is being explained if all that what was believed as truth are nothing but lies? Dr. Frankenstein becomes aware of Barbara’s sullen state of mind and places his hand on her knee in an attempt to provide emotional support. She looks at him with a sense of disillusionment and shakes her head.

“I just don’t know what to believe anymore. The truth is a lie and the lie is the truth.”

“This is an Orwellian world that we live in, Barbara. You have awakened from a deep slumber and now...you can see the sad reality in which humanity replaces itself.”

Alexandria is standing next to her father with her hands folded behind her back and, after having attentively listened to the bleak history lesson which was given, suddenly comes to the realization that Fluffy is still wrapped inside of the blanket and in the rear of Joshua’s Silverado! She softly touches her father’s shoulder with her finger which makes him look at her.

“What is it, konfect? I have not forgotten what you have done so do expect to be grounded as soon as we arrive.”

“I know, dad. There’s just a little thing that I forgot to mention.”

Dr. Frankenstein’s demeanor shifts from that of curiosity to sheer distraught. He buries his face into his hands and says, “I am afraid to even ask.”

“Fluffy got hit by Joshua’s vehicle and we put his body in the back of it. I just need to go and get him real quick.”

He raises his head and, while pointing his finger at her, says, “It is to retrieve him and that is all.”

Alexandria understands and turns her head to look at Indrid who also seems to be disappointed with her. She frowns and lowers her head while slowly walking towards Barbara. She sits next to her and says, “I really screwed up.”

“Everyone screws up from time to time, Alex.”

Indrid’s space craft spins until it is facing east. The engines hum and the ship rapidly accelerates toward New York.

Twenty-eight year old Rikki Hillman is inside of a coffee shop in Sandy Hook, Connecticut waiting for her cup of espresso. She is an attractive young woman with long, brown hair that is always tied into a ponytail, and eye glasses. As soon as the cup gets placed on the counter, she receives a text message and reads it. Afterwards, she puts her phone back inside of her purse and pays for her coffee. While looking for a place to sit down and enjoy her beverage, a mysterious man dressed in a luxurious business suit with slightly long black hair, which is slicked back, and wearing circular sunglasses captures her attention. He finishes reading his newspaper and stands up to offer Rikki his chair. She expresses gratitude by nodding and asks, “Are you finished with the newspaper, sir?” The man grins and hands it over to her. As he walks away, she notices a pen attached to one of the pages.

“Excuse me, sir? You forgot your pen.”

“It’s from my law firm, miss. You can keep it.”

Rikki sits down, takes a sip of her coffee and opens the page of the newspaper from which the pen is attached. She takes the pen and places it inside of her purse. On this page, ten random letters are underlined and various numbers from other pages are circled. She casually closes the newspaper and takes out her touchscreen tablet from her purse. Rikki accesses a CIA web site which is requesting a user name and password. She enters the user name obtained from the ten random letters and the password obtained from the circled numbers. What is next presented on the screen are pictures of a rather average looking, bushy-haired sixteen year old Caucasian male named Adam Eastman. She reads the details of the mission that is to be executed on July 13th, 2015.

Hours later, Frank Garrison is at his home in North Brunswick on Birchwood Court, New Jersey browsing through his collection of family photo albums stored on his laptop. As he sips on his coffee, he fondly reminisces on the memories of his daughter, Diana. She was so sweet and innocent in those times. He laughs as he glances at one photograph of her when she was five years old. She used her brand new white t-shirt as a way to clean her hands of the chocolate ice cream and displayed the brightest smile he had ever seen. Frank realizes that he did adopt her...but, at the same time, feels a love for her that clearly goes beyond that fact. He then selects a photograph of a top secret document from his black-op days. It’s this photograph that changed everything. Now, she won’t even send him a text message. Frank folds both of his hands and rests his chin on top of them contemplating whether or not he did the right thing by showing her this picture.

Joshua opens the front door of the house and quietly enters. He walks toward the living room and is about to call out to his grandfather but sees him working on his laptop. He decides not to disturb him and, instead, tries his best to look over his shoulder. Even though he has heard a lot of war stories, he’s curious to see if there’s any government secrets that he did not reveal yet. To his disappointment, he sees that his grandfather is involved in an on-line game of poker.

“I heard you coming from a mile away, son.”

Joshua shakes his head in disbelief. Even at his age, his grandfather still possesses impressive survival skills. He replies as he shakes his hand, “Not even a ghost can sneak up on you, grandpa.”

Without warning, a bright flash lights up the entire neighborhood-similar to the effect of when lightening crashes. Frank replaces it odd that thunder was not heard shortly afterward so he stands up and runs toward the front door followed closely by Joshua. They step outside to replace all of the neighbors trying to figure out what caused that bizarre event. A few of them shout as they point their fingers upward, “Look! What is that?”

Joshua and Frank look up to see what looks like a moving star in the sky. Before they even have a chance to blink, the celestial anomaly is already gone. Their eyes meet a minute later and neither can replace any kind of reasonable explanation for what was just witnessed.

Alexandria kneels down to pick up the blanket covered body of Fluffy and, once again, sits next to Barbara. She fully understands how upset her father is at the present moment and remains silent. Her chances of going out with Joshua are now zero. Barbara wraps her arm around her and tenderly says, “Sorry about losing Fluffy, Alex.”

“I can fix him, Barbara. I’m so stupid for doing what I did in the first place. He’ll never trust me again.”

“I can’t even remember the amount of times I sneaked out of my house when I was about your age. Yeah, it does take a while to build the trust again...but it’ll happen because he loves you.”

Barbara’s advice makes her feel somewhat better and she leans her head on her chest. She would feel even better if there was some way of seeing Joshua again. At the very least one more time.

Henry remembers the special moments he shared with Eleanor Weller while he used to live here in New Jersey. Those romantic walks along the boardwalk in Atlantic City and listening to the soothing waves of the ocean. He decides to gather up the strength to ask Dr. Frankenstein for permission to remain here just to see how she’s doing. That is, of course, if she’s still alive.

“Ummm...doc?”

“Yes, Henry?”

“I know it’s against the rules but...do you mind if I stick around here for a bit?”

Dr. Frankenstein can’t help but notice Henry’s attachment to his previous life. To be in one moment in time one minute only to have it all taken away from you the next is a torment that he would not wish on even his worst enemy. His transition to this time period has indeed been commendable. Many would have gone into a deep depression and eventually commit suicide.

“All right, Henry. I believe that after what you accomplished at Bohemian Grove, you do deserve some time off.”

“Thanks, doc. This really means a lot to me.”

“Which city in particular?”

“Corbin City. I’ll take it from there.”

“Indrid?”

Indrid replies without looking at him, “Initiating teleportation, Ludwig.”

Henry gets surrounded by the familiar light and vanishes from sight. Dr. Frankenstein takes a moment to observe the remaining members of his team. They have all suffered enormous pain in their lives at one point or another. Including himself. Whether it be mental or physical. The most frustrating aspect of this is that it never seems to subside no matter how much time has passed.

“Indrid. Let’s go to Area 51.”

Indrid senses in his tired voice a touch of melancholy. To the point that a rare feeling of hopelessness flows throughout her mind. If only there were something that she can say to comfort him. Her fear is that any kind of effort that she makes to express her feelings may come off as unnatural and could therefore be misinterpreted as condescending. Especially after giving him her dreadful premonition of human extinction. She takes control of the ship and closes her eyes in an effort to push aside her emotions and listen to the humming of the engines. The craft illuminates the surrounding clouds and vanishes into the dark horizon.