At first neither Marquette nor Sandoval spoke a word. The shear impressiveness of the underground Taelon complex would have stunned and impressed anyone. The complex was the size of an aeroplane hanger and was packed with technology the likes of which even Sandoval had never seen. In the middle of the space rose three crystal staircases that seemed to shimmer and move as if alive. They led to a second balcony level. Both levels were occupied by a large group of Taelons and humans feverishly working. A complex combination of human and Taelon technology filled the vast room. But all could see that the attention was clearly focused on one area of the room. The central platform upon which stood a unique bio-organic suit. It shimmered like the crystalline staircases and the Taelon Mother Ship.
Moneo stood on the platform in front of the suit, supervising everything and directing the movement of all in the complex like a queen bee to the workers in her hive. The discussion continued between Taelon and Taelon about the proper course of action. But unlike the deliberations in the Synod, their arguments were more public, something neither Sandoval nor Marquette had ever seen. Marquette thought for a second that Jonathan would have loved to see this. Taelons fighting with Taelons. How would he exploit this conflict? The wheels would sure be turning in his head!
Sandoval stood some ways back from Lili who stayed close to Moneo. He was content to just stand aside, taking everything in. Analysing and analysing again with the speed that only his CVI would allow.
Sandoval had waited more than 40 minutes for Marquette to be alone. In that time he watched her interact with Moneo and the Taelons in the room. He watched as she laughed and appeared transfixed on their host and his charms. But he felt no jealousy. He would never allow such emotion to interfere with his assignment. Moneo excused himself from Lili and left with two Taelon scientists to a nearby anti chamber. Sandoval took this opportunity to speak with her now that she was alone.
"What have you discovered Captain Marquette?"
"Huh?...Oh Sandoval. I have little to report. You know what I know."
"And what is your evaluation of our host?" His tone was still matter of fact, cold and remote.
She moved away from him. "You felt it. His power. His magnetism and magnificence." She looked back in the direction Moneo had left. "He IS impressive. Don't you think?"
Sandoval pulled out his pocket watch, opened the outer case and put it to his ear. "You are acting like a schoolgirl Captain Marquette. It is interfering with your ability to complete this assignment." He closed the
case of the watch and returned it to his pocket.
"I am doing no such thing. LOOK around you? You see how all these people hang on his every word and the respect the Taelons afford him. Why can't YOU give him that same respect? What is it that bothers you the most about him? His position, the power he wields, or is it something more?" Sandoval as usual stood stoically failing to reveal his emotions in any way. "I need to contact Zo'or. He needs to know about the video footage of Ka'el and what we suspect."
"And what is it that we suspect? We know less now than when we first were brought here. I suggest we wait, gather more facts. We both know what Zo'or will suggest and I know 21 Taelons who will not enjoy his idea." Whispered Lili.
Ignoring her last comments, Sandoval pulled his global from his belt and attempted to make a connection to Zo'or. The instant he tried several alarms came up in the complex and suddenly all attention was on him. Even Moneo returned from the anti chamber. This time half wearing a futuristic Taelon body suit much like the ones worn by all Taelons that appeared to have several sensors on it. There was also a hood that had not yet been placed over his head.
"I am afraid I cannot allow you to call out Mr. Sandoval. We have a sensitive operation at work here."
"But I am late in contacting Zo'or - and Zo'or is a stickler about such things. He will wonder why I am overdue."
Suddenly Marquette, who was listening a short distance off approached them both. "That is not true. There are nearly 42 hours left before we are due to check in." Sandoval looked at her but retained his composure. He eyes however spoke volumes. And his anger was clearly evident. He had always been sensitive to such betrayals.
"He is lying to you" said Lili as she looked to Moneo who gave Sandoval a short glance before motioning to nearby human guards to remove Sandoval's Global from him. Sandoval gave it up without resistance.
"I can let you contact Zo'or in 48 hours. By then we will know the truth and the future will unfold as it should, WITHOUT your interference. I am removing you from the game Mr. Sandoval.".
"And what of Captain Marquette?"
"She is free to help me in discovering the truth. And I am sure she will do her duty when the time comes." Lili stiffened her stance at that declaration of confidence in her abilities and character. "Something you are incapable of Mr. Sandoval. Your personal agenda has no place in this battle. I only wish you were on our side. We could use your energy focussed on this problem and you are more important in all this than you would like to believe."
The human agent of the complex led Sandoval away, the last words of Moneo still echoing in his ears. Suddenly he stopped and turned back towards Moneo whose back was to Sandoval by this time.
"What are my alternatives?"
Moneo turned quickly, startled by the question. But his answer came quickly.
"Sitting in a room for 48 hrs until after this crisis passes. But more importantly you would miss the chance to glimpse the future." To Sandoval it was only when he heard those words that he realised that he could not miss what was going on. Zo'or would have to wait. He was on his own on this one. With uncharacteristic humility to asked Moneo directly. "Can I stay if I promise to follow all your rules and regulations?"
Marquette was thrown by the strange turn is Sandoval's mood but before she could say anything, she was preceded by Moneo who replied, "That would be entirely acceptable. Join us all please." Once again Moneo impressed them both with his graciousness and total control of himself.
Sandoval moved closer towards the crystalline suit on the platform and away from his guards but he was still very aware that he was not in control here. Suddenly he felt shame. But was it from being humbled with the display of Moneo's influence and power or Marquette's betrayal? Both possibilities were foremost on his mind and he found himself fighting to push them aside. It only made him feel more uneasy. What was happening here?
He refocused his thoughts by doing what he did best, gathering data and analysing information to solve complex mysteries." What piece of Taelon technology is this? I have never seen anything like it. It resembles the energy matrix of the Taelon Mother Ship."
"Very perceptive Mr. Sandoval. The energy from the Taelon central matrix does fuel the suit." replied Moneo.
"Fuel it to do what?"
"To move through the dimensions - maybe even through time itself!" Moneo was clearly proud of his accomplishment. But Sandoval suspected it was not entirely his idea. "How does it work Agent Moneo?"
"A short while ago Ka'el discovered that a human scientist had perfected a means of personal teleportation a thousand times more accurate and powerful than the clumsy transportal network the Taelons have already created around the world. He became obsessed with this technology and the ideas of the human scientist..."
"Dr. ____. We know of his work. I thought however that no one had been able to copy his research? Certainly we have not. Is this what you are trying to replicate here?" inquired Sandoval, tipping his hand as he stepped up to the platform to examine the technology of the suit further. "This was Ka'el last project wasn't it? It was the project he was working on when he disappeared? Are you not afraid that a similar fate will befall you as did the 21 if this suit was responsible for their disappearance?"
"Not entirely. Show him Lili." She dutifully responded to Moneo's command and motioned Sandoval over to a nearby monitor. At her signal a Taelon scientist waved his hand to activate the view screen. Once again a still picture of Ka'el from the Taelon facility in the jungles of Borneo was brought up. "Magnify please - focus on the area around the neck" she commanded
The Taelon scientist responded and when the image magnified she pointed out the bar of energy around Ka'el's neck. It flashed and blinked at a much more chaotic frequency than the rest of the suit. Clearly this was the control panel and clearly it was identical to the command module on the crystalline suit which stood before Sandoval.
"It does work" Sandoval whispered under his breath as he caressed the suit and passed his hand through its energy matrix with no harm to himself. "They are all alive"
"What are you saying?" asked Moneo. Sandoval needed a quick answer.
"You are going to test the suit yourself, aren't you?" Referring and pointing to the sensors all over the body suit Moneo was wearing. The hood was clearly evident. "You think that the suit will lead you to Ka'el, don't you? Then what will you do? How will you confront him all alone?"
"First I find him - talk to him and then we come back to get him and the rest with a larger force. With this suit and its capabilities we can destroy the Resistance forever and return the 21 to the commonality"
"Unless they don't wish to be returned." interjected Lili who was ignored by both Moneo and Sandoval.
"And this energy suit will allow you to do this?" asked Sandoval.
"Yes, the crystalline suit is really a complex transportation device. A personal teleporter attuned to specific frequencies of energy."
"Like the energy of a particular Taelon for example?" asked Marquette.
"Like Ka'el's energy!" exclaimed Sandoval.
Moneo looked at both of them without addressing their comments further. With determination Moneo stepped up to the platform next to the crystalline suit and directed Sandoval to step back. A Taelon scientist approached Moneo and gave him another control panel like the one at the neck of the suit. Moneo placed it over his heart and it stayed there. He then touched one of the lighted panels. It cracked open silently and soon energy leaked out of it and started morphing around his body. When that process started, Moneo grabbed the hood and fitted it over his head. It was totally black and covered his entire face. There were no mouth or nose holes. The eyeholes were covered by thick glass pieces. The morphing process continued up the body and soon enveloped Moneo's head.
With the activation sequence complete the suit shifted in what seemed like a thousand Colour spectrums. Like a chameleon it adapted to the items behind it and around it so that from any angle in the room it was virtually invisible to anyone looking at it except for a slight distortion effect. If you didn't know it was on the platform you could not see it.
Then is a flash Moneo was gone. Every monitor in the room suddenly clicked on to a live camera shot of the Borneo jungle facility. Or more accurately, the ruins of it.
Moneo was standing in the midst of the destruction. His suit shifting and adapting, trying to camouflage itself against the jungle. For short moments it seemed to fade out as it adapted to the new environment around it. The inhabitants back at the complex adapted their technology to view his heat signature since visually he was totally invisible. Moneo was moving quickly though the jungle and within moments he found himself near a hidden entrance deep within the dense jungle brush.
An external camera sensor on the suit gave everyone the same perspective and view that Moneo himself had as he entered the underground portion of the complex. Most of it was still pristine except for the missing human components. All the Taelon equipment was left behind. A sure sign that this was a Resistance operation. They would never take anything Taelon unless they wished to study it - find a way to exploit it. Inside the suit Moneo could see the various readings the suit was taking. But it was his own eyes that caught the most important artefact as he entered the main control room. Something that called to him; something familiar. It was an ornately carved wooden walking stick. It was leaning against a corner table nearly out of sight. But Moneo knew exactly what it was and who had owned it. It was the exact kind of thing he had come looking for. Standing before it the suit suddenly retreated from his head and extremities until only the underlying sensor body suit remained with the neck control panel. He removed the facemask.
In the Taelon's underground complex the monitors suddenly went blank. Marquette moved closer to them, unable to reactivate the picture from Borneo. Her concern was clearly evident. Sandoval pondered what he had just seen with a stern expression on his face.
Back in the jungle and with some trepidation Moneo picked up the walking stick. It was beautifully carved and made of teakwood - the hardest of the hardwoods. The images on it portrayed a great journey. A journey Ka'el had taken around Africa. It was the event that had brought Ka'el to Moneo. And each image on the walking stick was another reminder of the importance of Ka'el to the planet. For a moment Moneo let himself drift to the sentimentality of memories. But then just as quickly as he let his attention lapse he mentally commanded the suit to reactivate. In the underground complex the monitors blinked back on. Marquette was visibly relieved. They all watched as he made his way back up to the surface.
In a flash Moneo was back in the complex. The apparent reliability of the suit and its obvious potential were not lost on Sandoval. Ka'el and now Moneo had perfected the ability to move from one place to another nearly instantaneously, without the bulky technology of a portal. The balance of power had clearly shifted to the Taelons with this invention. And he knew from experience that Zo'or was not beyond exploiting such shifts against humanity.
Upon returning to the platform Moneo once again made the suit retreat and this time he removed the control collar, handing it to one of the Taelon scientists standing near him. Immediately several started to analyse its data. Moneo opened the underlying body suit as he removed the hood/face mask.
Moneo stepped down from the platform with the walking stick in his hand. He stood before Sandoval and Marquette and holding the walking stick out to them to observe he exclaimed "Now we find our lost little lamb and bring him home"