Da’an was setting in the raised chair in the middle of his "office". Agent Ronald Sandoval entered through the doorway and gave the Taelon salute. Da’an returned the salute and asked, "What have you discovered?" "Data transmitted to us by Columbus Electronics confirms Boone's suspicions. It appears that this butterfly came from the probe." "Regrettable.", said Da’an. Sandoval continued, "I also cross referenced any reports concerning butterflies. There have been some reports of bizarre suicides where red and black butterflies were seen around the victim either before, or after, the death." "Is it not possible that these sightings are stress induced? Connected with some superstition. I believe that it called an ‘omen’." "Yes, Da’an. Normally, that would have been my conclusion.", said Sandoval. "But in this case?", asked Da’an. Sandoval nodded. "But in this case, one of the reports came from our very own files. It seems that Commander Boone reported that one of the suicides in the Amish village had such a butterfly in his mouth. The body was discovered when frozen near solid. The butterfly emerged from the mouth, unharmed, and flew away."

"I have read Commander Boone’s report on the incident at the Amish village", replied Da’an. "Could the butterfly from the Amish village not be the same one that is now in Columbus?" "It may be.", replied Sandoval. "However, we can't totally discount these other reports. Taken on face value, and pending further investigation, there are too many reports, over too broad an area, to be due to only a single butterfly. How many there are is unclear."

Da’an looked shaken. For a Taelon to look shaken means that he is actually terrified. He stepped toward Sandoval. "You must find them all and destroy them.", he said. "They pose a direct threat to the Taelons." "Yes, Da’an.", said Sandoval sharply. Agent Sandoval looked at the floor and shook his head. "We don't know how many targets that we are dealing with. We are not even sure where the butterflies came from."

"I am sure.", said Da’an. "They came from the probe." "Then you could tell me how many butterflies there were originally.", Sandoval said. "No. I could not.", said Da’an. Sandoval frowned. His expression is reminiscent of a puppy that has been kicked for no apparent reason. Sensing his mood, Da’an said, "It is not that I will not tell you. It is that I can not tell you because I do not know the number myself." Sandoval relaxed. He said, "We don't know then, if we are searching for hundreds of these butterflies, or thousands." "Certainly not thousands.", said Da’an. "Perhaps not even hundreds. If the number were large, reports of the anomalous deaths associated with the butterflies would have reached us before now. As it is, the number of deaths must be small enough to have gone unnoticed. It would not serve our interests if the public were to connect these deaths with the Taelons. It is important, therefore, that your continued investigation not arouse any suspicion." "Yes, Da’an.", Sandoval said. He saluted curtly, turned smartly on his heel, and strode purposefully from the room.

Lili, Boone, and Miraldi were walking back to the exit of the ZERO chamber, with Boone carrying the metal box with the dead butterfly inside. Lili and Miraldi were walking side by side with Boone trailing behind between them. Lili said questioningly, "So you can open a doorway between any two points at will?" "Not exactly.", replied Miraldi. "The doorway is opened between our location and any single remote point." "And that point can be anywhere you chose?" "Like my house, for instance?", interjected Boone. Miraldi just smiled. "Yes. And no equipment at all is needed at the far end. Walls, doors, locks. All meaningless." Lili let out a whistle. "Wow. This could make a real difference. We could get inside Taelon facilities and they would never suspect.", she said. Miraldi frowned and said, "Actually, they already suspect." "How?", asked Lili. Miraldi sighed. "Stupid mistake, really. During a two phase test, we had a subject go to New York and make a call home to verify his location. We then sent him to Los Angles and he made a call from there. The two calls were less than one minute apart. Some sharp eyed clerk in the billing department noticed the times and made a report to the fraud section. When, later, the same Link was used four times in one hour on four different continents, someone alerted Companion Security."

"What happened to your man?", asked Boone. "He was a person that had affiliations with several groups, the Liberation among them. He managed to commit suicide before he could be questioned. So now the Companions think that the Liberation is behind this somehow. The Taelons have used their influence to get this tracking software put into the Global Links thinking that it would lead them to the Liberation. It is leading the Companions to us instead." "Who exactly is ‘us’?", asked Boone. Miraldi took a deep breath before answering. "I am part of an independent group that has the interest of this planet at heart. We have been around for a very long time. Long before the Companions arrived, in fact. But no matter. The point is that we have accidentally placed the Liberation in jeopardy. Jonathan Doors and I are old friends, and old enemies. I would not cause him harm. The Liberation has been doing an excellent job of taking the heat and allowing us to make tremendous strides." "With all of your resources, you could have helped us!", Lili said angrily. "We have, Captain. Our work is done largely by helping those who protect earth and getting in the way of those who do not. All without anyone knowing that we exist at all. There has never been a reason for us to reveal ourselves, until now. Not even the threat of mutual nuclear destruction of the past decades was enough." Lili smiled. "So now your organization is ready to join with us?" "Not quite so fast, Captain. I need to meet with Doors and discuss our options." "So where do I fit in?"

"I need you to convince Doors to meet with me. Like I said, we are old enemies. If I just ‘popped’ in on him, he is likely to shoot first and ask questions later. I need you to be my witness. To tell him what you have seen, first hand. He will trust you." "Okay.", said Lili. "But I haven't see anything yet." Miraldi smiled. "I have a little demonstration arranged. Let us step out into the hall." Boone grimaced, shook his head as if to clear it, and said, "About time. This room hurts."

The guards were standing in the same spot as when they were left. Exactly the same spot. Carl was holding Boone’s Link in his partly outstretched hand, while John was holding Lili’s Link in one hand, and the energy cell from her sidearm in the other. Lili was not sure if she had ever seen the two guards even blink. Miraldi was the only one who did not seem to notice the frozen appearance that the guards gave. "Commander Boone.", he said. "If you would just stand over there, I will give Captain Marquette a quick demonstration stroll. We will be back in under two minutes. Captain Marquette, by my side please." He put his left hand out as if to take hers. She stepped beside him to his left, but pointedly did not take his hand. Miraldi smiled at Lili and put his hand back at his side. They were facing a blank wall about two feet in front of them. Lili thought to herself, "This is ridiculous." "Let us begin.", Miraldi said. He turned his head and looked over his left shoulder. Lili turned her head to the right in order to follow his gaze. Behind them were the two guards standing exactly as they had always been, looking nowhere in particular. Boone was standing with his back against the far wall of the hall, squinting, wearing a pained expression, and raising his hands to cover his face. "What is he afraid of?", Lili wondered silently. Miraldi said, "Phase one, Carl." Carl nodded his head once, without blinking. Only that and nothing more.

There was a thump. Lili felt it, rather than heard it. Almost like a sudden change in air pressure. The sound that followed was a continuous soft crackling sound that was barely audible, and reminded Lili of someone crumpling plastic wrap. She looked to her front. Where the wall had been, there was a gaping black hole about seven feet in diameter. Around the edge of the hole there was a sparkling rainbow effect. Miraldi was looking at the hole as one would look at a great painting. "It never fails to fascinate me.", he said. "OK, here's the procedure. We take one quick step to the doorway, and an even quicker one through it. Ready?" Lili swallowed hard and nodded. Miraldi reached out and grabbed Lili’s hand. She would have protested, but he had already started forward. Not wanting to be pulled through the doorway, Lili took two quick strides forward.

Lili did not even feel the transition. Simply put, one second she was in a hallway with Miraldi, Boone, and two things that looked like guards, and the next second she was in a room with just Miraldi by her side, still holding her hand. Lili’s vision was slightly blurred. There was another thump. Lili shook her head to clear her vision. She was now able to see the room in which they stood. They were not alone at all. The room was a very large laboratory with a number of people working at various stations. A short distance in front of them was a command console with its operator in attendance. She turned her head to look back at Boone. The hole had closed. No Boone. There was a wall, but it was a different wall. Miraldi said, "Sorry for the sensory distortion. The only side effect it seems. You get used to it. I have. Failed to mention it. Remember to close your eyes while going through, next time." Lili gasped a deep breath. She was still just a touch dizzy. She frowned at Miraldi. "Next time?", she asked.

The console operator said, "Welcome, Mr. Miraldi." "Thank you, Andrews. Phase two, please.", he replied. Miraldi let go of Lili’s hand. "About face, Captain.", he said. Lili pivoted around on her heel in perfect military fashion. Miraldi executed the same maneuver, though nowhere as smartly. They were facing a blank wall again. Lili saw, heard and felt the doorway open. Thump! The big black hole surrounded by the sparkling rainbow appeared instantly. Miraldi grabbed Lili’s hand and called, "Same procedure!" This time, Lili was ready for him. She shut her eyes. With two quick strides, Captain Lili Denner Marquette was through the doorway. Thump! The doorway closed behind them. When she opened her eyes, she could see that she was standing in her own office! "Good trick!", she said pulling her had from Miraldi's gentle, if unwelcome, grasp. "Familiar locations make the best evidence.", he said in reply.

Lili moved about her office examining its contents. Miraldi took a small coin shaped disk from his pocket, bent his knees, and placed the gold colored disk on the floor next to his right heel, and then joined Lili. "This demonstration is precisely timed, so we must move quickly.", he said. She looked at him questioningly. He said, "You must prove, to yourself, that you were, in fact, here. In your very own office. Not some fake, or replica." Glancing nervously at the office door, he added, "Without attracting any attention whatever, of course."

Lili strode to her desk, with Miraldi following. From the top center desk drawer, she removed a pad of paper and a thick marker pen. On the pad she wrote the word "Joshua" in block letters. Under that, she put a large plus sign. Under the plus sign, she wrote "Lili" in block letters. She finished by drawing a rough heart shape around the entire inscription. "Hmm.", said Miraldi. "Does Joshua know?" Smiling, Lili put the pad and pen back in the drawer and closed it.

Miraldi moved to place his left heel against the disk on the floor. He bent down, picked up the disk, straightened up, and put the disk in his pocket.. He extended his right hand for Lili. "Hurry, please", he said. She stepped up beside him. "Do we need to hold hands?", she asked. "No.", he sighed, returning his hand to his side.

Thump! The black hole opened in front of them. Lili noticed that it was not in, or even near, a wall. It just hung there in space touching the floor only at the bottom of the circle. "Now!", Miraldi said. With two quick steps, they were through. Thump! The hole closed. They were in the lab. Miraldi nodded to the operator who nodded back. Lili and Miraldi made a quick about face. Thump! The hole opened. Two more quick steps. Thump! The hole closed behind them. They were back in the Project ZERO hallway.

Commander Boone lowered his hands from in front of his face. Broadening into a childish grin he asked, "Did you have a nice trip?"
 
 


[ Scene 03 | Table Of Contents | Scene 05 ]