The Assassination Factor (1)
Nathaniel A Miller

 

The Assassination Factor:
By Nathaniel Miller


“Major Christopher, this is Warrant Officer Anne Johnson, Liaison officer at Presidio Station Headquarters, I have news for you. The General has approved your request and needs to see you at Headquarters. Please report at fourteen hundred hours today. Please note, the Ambassador of Earth, and the Ambassador of Andromeda will be on hand during this briefing, so the dress is working uniform. Headquarters Out… BEEP~!”


Major John Christopher stood in the alcove staring at a mirror in silence, the message playing in his head over and over as he stood staring at the image in the mirror. He had just arrived here at Headquarters an hour ago and he now waits for his meeting with the General and his staff. John glanced and grimaced at the image in the mirror, at the sandy haired, blue eyed, grizzled face of a thirty year old who stared back at him. It is a face that had seen a lot in the last few years since he had enlisted in the Earth Defense Alliance back in twenty three thirty. There would be nightmares that he would never get over and the images of many around him being chopped to pieces during the many campaigns he had served off shore and even off planet. But now that was about to change into something drastically different.


It had been two months since his last mission and it had been a tough one where then Captain Christopher and his team barely got out. He and his team had completed the assignment, but not without seven dead and four wounded. It was a nightmare of a mission in which he had to assassinate a dictator on Rigel Colony, (almost single handedly when most of his crew was chopped to pieces) which proved to be the most difficult of his entire career. And the trouble of it all they had put him on a rest leave after his return, even though they completed the mission. He hated the entire affair being off duty as the higher ups reviewed the mission. They had indirectly blamed him for the team’s deaths but he had already proven the shoddy intelligence, and brief was responsible for the foul up for that mission that had slaughtered the team of young men and women.


 Now he was going crazy.


 The Major had made many requests, been praying for a mission, anything to break the monotony of being idle, wanting to get back to work, and reactive to duty to take his mind off the incident of last mission. And for his penance, Command finally gave him one. A mission that he did not know would deeply put the hook in him and be intriguing and test the very principles he stood for and his military career stood for.


Now he stood in the waiting room, a few minutes away from the meeting that would once again put him back into active status. The Major tugged at the neckline of the working uniform he wore at this moment, starting at the mirror at the image of a veteran soldier before him, a grizzled face, blue-gray eyes, the familiar green and black uniform and the gold clusters glistening in the fluorescent light. Major Christopher hated the working uniform of the Space Marines, and the mandarin cut neckline and trim Spartan cut of the uniform itself. But for this meeting, he would be meeting with Ambassadors of Earth, and a couple of Ambassadors from the Federation planets, who had taken an interest in Earth’s discovery, so first impressions were important.


John Christopher’s eyes trailed casually away from the mirror, and to the waiting room. The room that he occupies is open and airy, colored sterile white trimmed in a light brown with a familiar logo emblazoned on a partition that separated the outer passage and this waiting room. It has thick, blue carpets, and many plush furnishings. A tiled walkway runs through the center of it and an onyx desk sits in the very center of the room, manned by three people. Around him, standing against the walls, guards are posted and they are clad in nasty looking battle-armor, holding automatic weapons. The room itself reminds him of the office in which he reported to be checked out medically for his enlist in the alliance. He shuddered at the thought and sighed realizing that it had been a long time from that point. The waiting room made him feel uncomfortable, not welcomed as it was so designed to see Command personnel. He did not like the waiting or the room’s feeling and he did not know the reason why. In addition to its size and Spartan furnishings, the room also has two or more Bay windows overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, and the inlet of the San Francisco Bay’s power center. Others overlooked the city itself, and another set overlooked the campus of the Academy that was built here at this location.


“Interesting that this place seems so similar to when I enlisted.” He thought, and managed to shake his head in silence. It would be his fifth year in the Earth Federation, enlisting when he was twenty-five and working hard to complete school, earning him his commission into the service.


Stepping back, Major Christopher turned his head to the large bay window overlooking the city and the Bay. The officer took two steps toward the massive glass panels and his gaze panned out across the San Francisco Bay and his home. His reaction had been a grim look at the view before him, having returned from across the sea from the Tokyo Base where he had been living and working thus far in his military life. It is here that he now works on the peninsula of California, in the city at the United States Sector of the EDA, under Brigadier General Franklin Aruba and Colonel Theodore Spade who was in charge of his group and this part of the Federation base located here. His unit is assigned to protect this city, providing a strike team local to the inner planet colonies and stations of the local Solar System against intruders. They would keep the peace on these said stations.


The Major grimaced as he stared at the sight before him and at the city shimmered in the daylight, built up more on the peninsula than out as many skyscrapers make up the San Francisco Skyline than before in old photos of the city he had in his collection. It had changed a lot since those times, still subject to Earthquakes, but even that was controlled, given ample warning to the populace before one would happen. The skyline reminded him of a movie of the twentieth century, and TV show that he had enjoyed when he was young. It was like it, but far the same from the portrayal of the future.


"Something straight out of Star Trek," thought the officer with a smirk. A bit of ironic humor in the least as it was just that, the sight taken from the very TV show and movies that he had grown up loving as a kid (one of many) that had been made in the past two hundred years ago, ironically about the future. Although now days, Star Trek and other Science Fiction programs of the twentieth/twenty-first century were mostly for kids now, today's technology had far surpassed anything those old Science Fiction TV shows portrayed of today’s time. It could hardly compare to the twenty-third century of the now than what he watched on T.V.


Turning his head, he glanced at the room, the desk in the center and then to the chronometer on his wrist when he realized the time. He realized they were late, his appointment was now and no one had come to get him. Major Christopher wondered if something had happened and there had been a change of plan.


“Just like Command if it did happen that way.” He thought, grimacing but he also managed a shrug. He had no trust thus far in the staff in which lead his team or the Base. The Commander was always too busy out fishing or on a boat rather than in the office.


“I wonder what is taking them so long, it is fourteen hundred hours.” Christopher thought, grimacing as he lowered his hand and returned his gaze to the Bay windows in silence. He did not sense a young woman sidle up beside him, a youthful twenty-two year old woman named Mariko Wakanabi, a Second Lieutenant assigned as a messenger for the Headquarter Staff out of Tokyo. When he finally sensed her, he did not turn his head, his gaze fixed at the spectacular view before him.


“Excuse me sir.” A voice said, and shaking his head he turned his head, to a young trim body, with formidable curves. His eyes fell upon a beautiful young woman and the proper salute of a young Second Lieutenant. He stared at her lovely Asian features, long black hair, brown eyes, and her formidable curves. She smiled as she saluted. He noted the familiar green and dark green uniform of the Space Marines.


He returned the salute casually.


“This is from you from the main Headquarters.” She said, and handing him the paper he quickly scanned it.


Thursday - November 12, 2356 A.D.


Christopher, J Major, SN 1125763 – EDA Command Order 15132


Order of Assassination


You are hereby instructed to report at sixteen hundred hours for project Gunship. Security: Classified – Transportation, Priority 1 is approved. Meet and brief Lieutenant Catherine Sparks, spotter for your assignment for immediate departure no later than 72 hours at Dry Wells Base, staging point for Departure.

Regards,

Brigadier General Thomas Hayden -- Tokyo Headquarters


Quickly, the Major flipped the page, scanning the blank backside before flipping it back to the front. He stared at the EDA logo hologram on the corner of the dispatch that seemed to shimmer in the light. She also handed him two envelopes which he turned them over in his hands and stared at them in silence, noting the emblem on the flap sealing them. He noted the words on both, especially for his spotter’s envelope, his accomplice for this mission.


“…For eyes of Lieutenant Catherine Sparks, Earth Space Alliance Marine Corps, opening penalty of Treason.”


“Jesus, that’s a fine how-do-you-do.” John muttered with a grumble and he turned his head after becoming aware that he was complicating the life of the young Lieutenant who was bringing him the dispatch and the envelopes.


“Is that all, Lieutenant?” He asked, “No other details that that or pages. It is just these two envelopes and the dispatch?”


“I don’t understand sir.” She asked, suddenly trying to decipher what he was asking. Finally realizing what he was asking, she managed a grin to nod formally after realizing his question.


“It is just the dispatch and the envelopes, Major.” She prompted.


“Very well, and thank you Lieutenant, that will be all.” He told her and she paused for a moment, staring at him with a questioning look.


“Thank you that’s all.” Major Christopher repeated, and the young woman saluted smartly, and properly. He nodded as she turned and walked away from him. Turning he glanced at the half-empty lounge, at the sprawling cavernous room, with sections of carpet and tile floor running through the middle of it before walking toward the tiled section leading to the desk. He grimaced and glanced at a nearby couch, and turning he walked toward it instead of the desk.


“I guess I’d better check out what this is all about.” Christopher thought, pulling the envelope, his envelope, from under his arm to turn it over in his hand several times.


Quickly, Major Christopher found a seat on one of the couches and he broke the seal on the envelope, sliding the paperwork from inside it. He began reading the data report and it contained a few maps and one photograph. As the Major read, it told him his mission, and it linked it to an anti-terrorism assignment against a known terrorist group of this century who had been keeping the Earth Defense Alliance on their toes. They had been hitting installations clear across the Federation, causing disarray and corruption, also chaos among planets. They had taken control of planets too, turning them against the Federation. John glanced at the faded picture provided of a kid and read on. His target would be this person, the picture the only available one possible after the holocaust on Earth to be preserved. His mission was to remove target from DOOM influence by any means necessary, including elimination.


“Jesus, I have to kill a kid??” He asked himself, and he shook his head negatively. He was s sniper, and a very good one, but something inside told him that this would be a violation of his principals and military honor. He wondered how command expected him to eliminate a child if that was his target and if they knew.


Looking up he saw an older officer walking toward him, surrounded by two guards and a younger woman. He slid the paper work back in the envelope and stood when realizing that it must Colonel Spade walking toward him. He saluted formally and held it. The Colonel only nodded.


“T-this w-way, Major.” He told him and motioned him to follow, which John Christopher did so quickly, staying close on his heels. As they walked along the corridor, passing the guards the Major glanced at the Colonel in silence.


“I apologize for being late, but we will start your briefing immediately.” He told him, nodding two times in silence. The Colonel, to the Major, is an older man in his fifties, clad in the familiar green and black uniform like Major Christopher. The Colonel has dark eyes and white hair, and a sparse goatee on his chin. On his uniform are many ribbons of the campaigns he had been in and a gold braid that is attached to his uniform. It made the Major very uneasy, walking with the Colonel.


A moment later, Spade motioned to a set of doors to a conference room that opened, in which he stepped through and they closed quickly behind him. The briefing room is large with a huge table in the center of the room with fixed chairs around it, and on one end a computer station is located on one side. A screen in the center of the table made of gray metal dominates the table. John grimaced, and he walked the room silently, pacing and fuming as he reread the dispatch order given to him by the Second Lieutenant. The doors opened with a whoosh, and a young Yeoman named Josephina Banks entered first, followed by the Colonel, and a couple of scientists whom Major Christopher had recognized from the unique experiment they were conducting here on Earth.


"Thanks for coming Major Christopher." The aide told him politely, "We will dispense with any formalities, and have need of your unique services immediately. I will also explain your assignment. By now you received the envelopes?”


"Yes sir." Christopher replied simply, remaining silent afterward and not elaborating or chit chatting. He just waited.


"The assignment is that of a rescue mission, slash an assassination mission. Your skills here are very well known and it will really take the very best we have to complete this assignment."


"You will be working with Doctor Connors on this assignment and he and his team will be your transportation, utilizing the archway we found in the Pyramids based on ancient Babylonian legends we relocated from Cairo, Egypt to Area -51 of the Nevada desert.. Your mission will be tr…"


"I am to travel through time." He said with mock enthusiasm, cutting off the Colonel and he let out a silent exhaled breath.


"Yes, exactly right Major."


The expression of Major Christopher’s face was a grimace, making it known than he certainly did not like where this was going or what this meant. He would be going through time would put him at risk of the mission of failing due to technical circumstances in which he and whoever was assigned with him could be killed without even meeting the enemy or the target.


“You will be traveling through time for your mission, and it is a removal of a high level target from the influences of DOOM.” He said. The Major nodded, just as he had read in the paperwork in the envelope.


“I am just curious of this target, sir.” John replied, pulling the papers, and a tattered, old photograph of what appeared to be a kid, perhaps ten years old. He motioned to the picture. “I will be eliminating a kid?”


“Oh, that is your target.” He intoned, “That is the only photo we have of the target. He is the high level target we must keep from DOOM...”


"With all due respect sir," The Major said frankly, "I am an assassin yes, with over four hundred confirmed kills, but one thing I won’t do is to kill kids."


"I doubt you will be eliminating a child, but this is a person is going to be brought to the other side and our enemy, DOOM has targeted him for recruiting. He is a powerful player within the Federation and if it is changed, the Federation will be weakened and will fall as we know it."


"Your mission is to protect him from just that, remove him from being recruited to the other side, but also to eliminate him if no other recourse applies and are not able."


"Meaning, with extreme prejudice?"



"Yes, you could say that Major Christopher." The Colonel intoned, "Study what data we have on the target, and brief your spotter to ship out no later than three days. Failure is not an option here. You must either remove the threat to the target, or eliminate him yourself. It is of vital importance for the Earth Federation. This is not a mission that you can back out, Major. It must be completed as soon as possible and you leave as soon as you brief your spotter, and deliver her that envelope.” The Major gripped Lieutenant Spark’s and his envelope tightly. He stood fast as the people filed out and he grimaced at the lack of presence of the Ambassadors that were supposed to be on hand. He only noted only science personnel and the Yeoman had been present during this brief with the Colonel.


“Carry out your assignment. Hand carry the envelope to Lieutenant Sparks, she is currently working at a Recruiting Depot in Oakland. Dismissed…"


"Aye sir." The young Major replied, flipping him a stolid, crisp salute before turning to the doorway, already looking at the information from his envelope again. It was very spotty intelligence, all based on patchy records that had survived the ancient Holocaust on Earth. Bits of Intel and places he had never heard of.

 

 

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Copyright © 1991 Nathaniel A Miller
Published on the World Wide Web by "www.storymania.com"