Ok guys i know it has been a while but college has been keeping me very busy, so without further adeu Chapter 6
Chapter 6
6/16/2517 thirty five years ago
“What does he mean? ‘He hasn't told Halsey. that is ridiculous.” Vince said, however his voice lacked any conviction. (I am sure he is happy to finally have something to do)
“I think it is his way of telling us that he has not told anyone.” replied Alexis, “He clearly doesn’t want us here at all; so he might be hoping that if we get caught we are going to be kicked out.”
“Or maybe he has told everyone and this is just a test to see if we can do it?” stated Edward, “It would be possible. Wouldn’t it?”
Finally I had deemed that there had been enough discussion. “Enough!” I shouted. “I think that the issue here is whether or not to go through with the mission.”
I looked at each of them in turn, gathered my thoughts and said, “We were selected for a reason. It is my belief that Mendez has in fact told Halsey. With that in mind the challenge becomes then not only the retrieval of the package, but also being completely undetected for the duration of the mission. So we can’t even be perceived as being gone from this room.”
That was when Edward chimed in, “I guess this might be useful then.” He said as he raised his hand revealing a key.
“Is that what I think it is?” I asked.
“it is.” Edward replied, revealing that the key was for the only door in the hanger.
“How did you get it?” asked Alex.
Edward told us that he had removed the key from one of the guards on one of their routine surveillance checks.
“Well then what is our next step?” asked Nick, “Just because we have a way out means nothing in the grand scheme of things if we have no way to trick or neutralize the cameras.”
A smile came to my face as I thought ‘my turn’ looking at the group I said, “This is where I think I may be able to help. I have had a history with electronics, all I have to do is trigger a massive problems diagnostic in the server to make a section of the system crash. And while the system is down record a section of us going around our daily routine.”
Vince nodded, “it could work, now what do I need to do?”
“Well,” I said, “you need to work on your acrobatic skills with Alex and Nick. Ok team let’s get to it.”
As the team dispersed to their various tasks I wondered just how I was going to short out the camera system and then start a simultaneous recording without any tools or equipment. About an hour later I had my answer, my original idea had involved taping into the system by accessing one of the main cameras in the hanger, but after about 30 minutes of covert surveillance of these cameras, I found that it would be near impossible to reach any of these cameras without being seen. But later I realized that the sleeping pods have several linked cameras, providing me with my target. After another hour or so I had successfully tapped into the system by using the pad on the pod. After about another 10 to 20 minutes I had prepared a virus that would trigger a system shut down and restart. Triggering the virus I quickly set a program to automatically record 24 hours and loop starting at the restart and cleared my tracks and left to inform the others.
When I finally got the team together it was obvious that the camera system had gone offline, primarily by seeing that the lights on the cameras were now off, as we gathered I said, “Ok the system is going to restart and record. We need one full day of normal procedure to fool the guards while we are away, including a recording of our guard’s check-ins with the security office. I was allowed to keep a small recording device for the purpose of maintaining a journal, so I can make use of that here. So everyone go about your regular training for the next day, and then we will make our move.”
The next day progressed without incident, and as the day dragged on the team was starting to formulate a plan. Tomorrow we hijack the guards outside the hanger and head for the objective; it was that simple.
6/17/2517, 0200 hours.
As it turns out simple is relative; for while we had a very clear understanding of our little hanger, we had very little intel on the hallways and areas outside it and therefore needed to improvise. That night we made our move, after incapacitating the two guards at our door, we then had to retrace a path that we had not seen in more than a week. Expecting some trap, snare, or some other trick or surprise that Mendez had prepared specifically for the purpose of catching us; yet they didn’t come, and as we approached the outer door I began to worry that we were about to walk right into a trap.
“Hold here for a second.” I ordered, “We need to get our bearings.”
I pulled out the map that Mendez had given us and began to look for a route to avoid any traps of any kind; especially given that Mendez had given us the map himself increased the likelihood that traps would spring up in the least obvious of places. Finally reaching a decision I turned to the others and said, “You are not going to like this but we are going to have to go right through the center of the compound.”
“WHAT!?!” the word came almost simultaneously from the others.
“Hear me out,” I said, “Mendez has most assuredly left traps in the areas most likely to normally be unsuspecting, which also means that the main force of the base of going to be working those specific areas; which leads to the undeniable fact that the main area of the base us now unguarded.”
“It could work,” agreed Edward, “I suppose anyway.”
“Ok then stay close and follow me,” I said.
I rolled up the map and walked up to the door. “Stack up,” I ordered. (This allows us to move much faster through areas where there might be the potential for hazards or any other form of difficulty) as I slowly opened the door to peek the gap I could already see that I was correct. There were less than one fourth of the guards that should have been stationed on the wall. I scanned the yard and quickly determined the path of the lights. “Ok follow me,” I said, and quickly darted across the yard to a safe zone where the lights do not cover. As the rest of the group arrived I picked up a small rock and hurled it over the wall next to the nearby guard. The rock landed with a satisfying crunch as it bounced along in the dark, and was made even more successful by startling a small creature as I heard it scurry away. This of course grabbed the guard’s total attention as he turned and tasked the light to try and find the source of the disturbance.
“Ok move, move, move,” I whispered, as I sprinted towards the wall and the ladder mounted there, racing up the ladder I glanced around for any other guards or incoming spot lights. As I reached the top of the ladder I saw that the guard had lost interest in the noise and had returned the light to its normal operations; but this was going to bring the light right past the ladder. “Step it up, the light is coming!” I urged. The team raced up the ladder as the light came ever closer, as Nick bringing up the rear of the group began his accent the light was less than 15 feet from crossing the ladder he climbed as fast as he could and just crawled over the lip of the wall as the light flashed past.
I looked at him leaning against the short wall, “That was too close,” I said letting out a sigh of relief.
After a moment Nick and I dropped over the exterior wall and into the forest beyond. When we reached the bottom of the wall and met up with the rest of our team I noticed that Vince had grabbed a length of rope from one of the crates that had been sitting in the open yard.
“Good,” I said, “That will allow us to scale the wall on our trip back into the compound. Now let’s get that package.”
