Dulce Truths

“Didn’t see where he went? He’s not in the officer’s quarters.”

Bobbie laughs and throws up his arms in the classic ‘I dunno’ gesture.

“Well, hell!” Jake says, and with a sigh and a roll of the eyes, he turns around in frustration, slapping one hand against his thigh.

“Jake, what’s up?” Bobbie says now, a bit more concern in his voice. When Jake turns back around he sees that the young super soldier has even put his cards down to look up at him concernedly.

“Can I have a minute?” Jake says, and after narrowing his eyes for a moment, Bobbie nods and starts to get up from the table. The two men move across the room to stand near the pinball machine, a large window looking out onto one of the base’s tarmacs giving them ample light.

“What’s—” Bobbie starts, but Jake cuts him off.

“Mark’s been taken and the Dutchman is dead,” he says.

“What the—” Bobbie starts to say, and loudly, but then he glances around and lowers his voice “What the fuck?”

“Carl was there in Mark’s room when I just happened to walk by,” Jake continues. “Carl says that Mark killed his father.”

“You believe that?” Bobbie asks, his face screwing up in disgust.

“Not for one second,” says Jake.

“Then that means we’ve got a setup here, and though I hate to say it when aliens are involved, a conspiracy as well.”

“And that’s why I gotta find Donlon.”

“Why not Chargin’ Charlie… or even General Anderholt?”

“Because I don’t know who to trust, that’s why!”

“But you know you can trust Donlon?” Bobbie chuckles. “Hell, Charlie was there in the thick of it with us too, ya know.”

“Yeah, I know, it’s just…”

“Just what?”

“I dunno, Bobbie, it’s just… I dunno!”

Bobbie rolls his eyes to that, but seeing how much pressure and anxiety Jake seems to be under, he holds his tongue, and instead puts his hand forth and claps his friend on the shoulder.

“Take it easy, Jake — Donlon’s around and you’ll find him. Until then… mind if I get back to my game of cards?” Jake looks over and sees some of the base guards giving the two of them funny looks, and he nods. “Great,” Bobbie continues, turning away and starting to walk back to the table, though he says over his shoulder, “I’ll keep my eyes out for Donlon, get word to you as soon as I do.”

Jake nods to that, and then a moment later heads back out into the hallways, back out into the troubled world of the Blue Lake base.

13 — Past the Stars

Blue Lake

Friday, May 25, 1979

9:12 AM

Carl sits at the desk in the small room, frowning at Mark. So far the man has said nothing… likely because of what he just saw on the video monitor, the conversation between Aaron and General Anderholt. Looking at Mark, Carl knows he can’t believe it, but he can’t discount what his own eyes and ears have just told him, either. Clearly, there are traitors at the top. Carl knows that’s what’s going through Mark’s mind, and that’s what’s keeping him in quiet contemplation. Still, Carl has ways of making him talk.

“Now, before we get much further,” Carl says, leaning forward once again to look at Mark, “there are some things I want you to tell me.”

“I’m not telling you shit.”

“Things about off-world affairs,” Carl says, ignoring the comment, “things about what’s really going on out there between the Grays and Reptilians, the Sirians and especially the Collective.”

“What part of, ‘I’m not telling you shit’ didn’t you understand?” Mark says.

This time Carl turns and looks him in the eye. “All of it.” He turns back around, heads to a metal desk at the wall. “Now, do you want to talk, or do you want this to do the talking for you.” Carl turns back around, and this time he’s holding a large syringe. Mark doesn’t need to be told what it is, but Carl tells him anyway. “Sodium pentothal… truth serum.”

Mark says nothing, just sits there stone-faced.

“Not so glib anymore, are you?” Carl says, scoffing. “And you know what, I think we won’t take any chances today.”

“You’re—” Mark starts to say, but Carl jabs the needle down into his thigh, pushes the plunger with his thumb. Both men watch as the liquid goes into Mark, all of it.

“Now,” Carl says, taking as step back and brushing back his closely-cropped and graying hair, “let’s start with an easy one, a close one.” He sits down in the roller-chair opposite Mark. “Tell me about Black Knight. What does it know… what is it sending out?”

“Black Knight?” Mark says, his face screwing up in confusion. “No one controls that… no one on Earth, at least.”

“But someone is… who?”

Mark shrugs, and Carl frowns. He wishes the truth serum was taking effect, but it takes time. He decides to take a different approach.

“I’ve got a team working to take it over.”

“Take it…” Mark starts, before chuckling. “What the hell are you gonna do with that ol’ clunker?”

“We’ll use its instantaneous download feature to send a reverse signal, though one with a net attached. On the other end of the line, the Sirians will never know what hit ‘em.” Carl frowns and shakes his head. “I just wish it wasn’t so damn far away.”