The Phoenix Variant

Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Last message received: 07-Jun-1995.

HUGH: Guys this is bad

OWEN: What’s the problem?

HUGH: What isn’t the problem?

HUGH: This is getting crazy. I SWEAR they’re following me.

OWEN: It doesn’t matter. I need you to keep it together. Are you secure?

NAVEEM: DIE UNSTERBLICHEN

HUGH: As secure as possible, yeah. You got the lowdown?

OWEN: Everyone’s on the line. Guys, report in …

MAY: Just call it online, Freeman, not on the line. I’m on point in Denver. Valentina’s in the nest. Ready to blaze.

[TERI CONNECTED]

TERI: hiya guys

NAVEEM: DIE UNSTERBLICHEN

HUGH: What the f**k, Naveem?

OWEN: Naveem is gatekeeper at Desecheo. He’s off the line though, must be a glitch.

MAY: Offline.

HUGH: Off the hook more like.

OWEN: Teri, ready to download?

TERI: on the line in Brooklyn, born ready

HUGH: You mean Crooklyn.

OWEN: For the record May it’s two against one. On the line.

MAY: Whatever, my heart’s racing. Can we just do this?

OWEN: Just waiting on Nav.

MAY: Okay. Might pee my pants. Just a warning.

TERI: WOW thanks may, keep a diary for us!

HUGH: There was a van out the front of my place today.

TERI: and?

HUGH: Pretty sure it was there yesterday. They know about the Akhana, man.

TERI: that what we’re calling it now?

HUGH: That’s what Owen is calling it, yeah.

TERI: what the hell does it mean?

OWEN: Akhana is the female aeon of Gnosticism. It stands for truth.

TERI: fancy I like it

MAY: Is everyone … you know, ok with this?

TERI: having second thoughts may?

MAY: Fifth thoughts. What happens if things go south? We’re toast.

TERI: don’t think about that. don’t ever think about it.

HUGH: Death, man.

MAY: Ya think Hugh? Because I didn’t sign up for that.

TERI: yeah well who did

HUGH: They’re psychopaths, all of them. You’ve read the research, right? Owen transcribed it to English, he knows better than any of us.

HUGH: Nothing is off-limits.

MAY: Is there any way to restore them? You know, make them human.

OWEN: No.

[NAVEEM CONNECTED]

NAVEEM: DIE UNSTERBLICHEN

TERI: goddammit Naveem will you stop blazin that shit

NAVEEM: ???

HUGH: Ok let’s change the world brothers!

HUGH: And sisters.

TERI: you’ve always been the sister, H!

HUGH: Breaking my heart here.

MAY: Yep, one marriage at a time

TERI: right on

OWEN: Naveem, are you ready?

NAVEEM: Just setting up guys …

NAVEEM: Sorry I’m late. Couldn’t attract suspicion, had to be cool.

OWEN: We’re all here. Tell us when you’re ready.

HUGH: Do you think Denton knows?

TERI: unlikely

HUGH: He knows everything. That man is crazy on wheels.

TERI: he’s not a man

HUGH: I hear that.

MAY: Cleaned your ears this morning Hugh?

HUGH: No but I actually hear something. Just the wind I hope. You in the lab?

MAY: Yeah. Graveyard shift with Valentina. OpCenter is a little too quiet.

HUGH: At least you’re not home alone with strange noises outside.

TERI: been smoking again, H?

MAY: No seriously guys if Denton finds out we have the virus code we’re done for.

OWEN: Now is not the time to scare yourself. Stay focused. Stay on task. Everyone.

NEVEEM: OK, it’s raw and ready.

TERI: i bet

OWEN: May, enter your access with Valentina.

MAY: Standby.

HUGH: If this is the end, I just want to say I love you guys.

TERI: shut up H

TERI: we love you too

NAVEEM: DIE UNSTERBLICHEN

HUGH: I swear Naveem will you stop with that German s**t!

TERI: is he telling us to die? not cool

NAVEEM: I told you, it’s not me.

NAVEEM: I’m not doing it.

MAY: And … we’re in!

OWEN: Naveem you see clearance?

NAVEEM: No. I don’t.

TERI: great

NAVEEM: Disregard that, I have it. I’m in.

OWEN: Excellent.

NAVEEM: OK, ready to transfer.

TERI: waiting for it baby

MAY: Um, guys?

HUGH: What??

OWEN: Is everything fine?

MAY: Not really. I’m seeing activity from under Grand Central terminal that isn’t Naveem.

HUGH: What the hell does that mean? The OSS base?

OWEN: Is it ours?

MAY: Definitely not.

OWEN: Have Valentina kick them from the mainframe. Now.

MAY: OK on it.

OWEN: Naveem, I’ll need you to check the logs after.

NAVEEM: Will do.

MAY: OK we booted their ass. You’re good to go!

HUGH: Let’s blow this taco stand!

HUGH: I could go a taco right now.

NAVEEM: Sending. Teri, you should see it soon.

TERI: I see it alright

TERI: wow this is some crazy virus

HUGH: You can read that?

TERI: no not really

HUGH: Outer space. I bet it was aliens.

HUGH: Siberian aliens.

MAY: It is not aliens, Hugh. It’s from a mountain in Siberia for God’s sake.

TERI: two decades of analysis

TERI: Denton gonna be pissed!!

OWEN: He’s already been assigned to a new project.

TERI: how do you know that

MAY: We aren’t Owen’s only friends on the inside, Teri. He knows other people.

TERI: oh so betrayed right now

MAY: What project is ol’ Denton on?

OWEN: Project Genesis. Another enhanced soldier program.

MAY: Like Phoenix? His father’s project?

HUGH: Hey, if you believe the rumors, his father is actually him.

TERI: shut up H. yeah except this project isn’t based on some fairytale written on silk

HUGH: So, not like the Bible then?

TERI: would be funny if this Phoenix code we’re risking our lives for didn’t even do anything

HUGH: Yeah. Hilarious, Teri.

MAY: We can’t risk Denton testing it.

OWEN: We can’t risk Denton even knowing he had it in the first place. He’s been hunting them since WWII.

HUGH: Hey the Phoenix virus could just be the flu!

TERI: shut it H

HUGH: Yeah that is definitely not wind outside

HUGH: I’m going for the safe.

MAY: The safe?

TERI: he has a revolver

TERI: ok I think I have all of it

TERI: that’s all of it Owen

OWEN: Naveem, check and shut down.

OWEN: Forget the logs.

NAVEEM: Ok if you say so.

MAY: I have activity again guys

MAY: Definitely Grand Central

TERI: Denton?

NAVEEM: Shutting down now.

OWEN: Good.

NAVEEM: Gotta book, catch you later.

[NAVEEM DISCONNECTED]

HUGH: so I can’t remember the combination to my safe

TERI: hahahaha well done H

HUGH: It’s not funny. Or well timed.

TERI: like most of your jokes I guess

OWEN: Teri, what’s your progress?

TERI: packaging now. might take a sweet while for May to get it across the pond.

OWEN: OK. Keep me posted.

HUGH: what are you doing with the code?

OWEN: I can’t tell you the answer to that, Hugh.

HUGH: You need to!

OWEN: It’s for your safety. No one can know.

HUGH: Hey man it’s alright for you on the other side of the world, we’re the ones in the line of fire.

HUGH: Speaking of fire,

HUGH: what the f**k was tt4grsu78bgv c

[HUGH DISCONNECTED]

MAY: Um.

TERI: fuck

MAY: well that doesn’t sound good

TERI: let’s hope he just fell over and banged his knee on the power switch

MAY: or something

OWEN: How much longer, Teri?

TERI: packaged

TERI: hey may are you seeing this

MAY: interference

MAY: weird

OWEN: Keep reporting guys.

MAY: received the package looks good

TERI: hope those cables under the pacific can handle this

NAVEEM: DIE UNSTERBLICHEN

MAY: yep totally f*****g CREEPED OUT NOW

OWEN: Never mind the glitch. Are you sending?

MAY: in the dead drop now posting

TERI: great now im hearing sirens

MAY: its brooklyn isnt that normal?

TERI: maybe

TERI: they got naveem didnt they

MAY: it took you that long to figure it out

TERI: shut up

OWEN: Don’t think about it now. We need to finish this.

MAY: still posting to the board and holy s**t this virus is big ive never shunted this much code before

TERI: you know denton was trained by james bond right

MAY: yeah right

OWEN: He was trained by the man on whom James Bond was based. Not quite the same thing.

MAY: youre actually serious

TERI: told you

MAY: sending the whole damn Phoenix virus 50 seconds to go

OWEN: Patience.

MAY: oh no

MAY: This is not good

TERI: ???????

OWEN: What’s happening, May?

MAY: theyre here

MAY: blue berets they shouldnt be here

MAY: f**k it

MAY: weve locked ourselves in

MAY: emergency seal why not right

TERI: can they get in

MAY: not yet

MAY: 35 secs

MAY: s**t THeyre everywhere

NAVEEM: DIE UNSTERBLICHEN

OWEN: Cancel it.

OWEN: Wipe the computer. You can deny everything and live.

TERI: oh my god

OWEN: I don’t want you to die for us. We can extract you.

MAY: valentina says goodbye

TERI: send it

TERI: f**k THE FIFTH COLUMN

TERI: f*****g SEND IT

MAY: they have Naveem its too late to turn back

MAY: im seeing this through

MAY: lets break the devils dishes

TERI: im crying

MAY: 10 secs

TERI: this cant be happening

MAY: 5

OWEN: You did good, May.

TERI: are you there

TERI: anyone

[MAY DISCONNECTED]

OWEN: It’s just us now, Teri.

TERI: what happened

OWEN: My guess is they’re waiting for the Blue Berets to take them now.

TERI: ok

TERI: i dont know what to think

OWEN: I have the virus. She got it out just in time.

TERI: guess it was worth it

TERI: was it worth it

OWEN: Teri, this is worse than I thought.

TERI: is there another phoenix virus

OWEN: If I’m reading this right, there are three. And the Fifth Column already has the second one.

TERI: what?? where?

OWEN: They’re collecting them right under Denton’s nose.

TERI: he doesnt know

OWEN: Not yet, anyway. But that’s not the worst of it.

TERI: what the hell is then?

OWEN: We have a live one.

OWEN: A child from Czechoslovakia. Blood work. Zophia Novotný. Three years old. Denton has her on some sort of list.

TERI: what a psych out

TERI: knock on the door

OWEN: Denton has been waiting for this.

TERI: which denton

OWEN: That doesn’t really matter anymore.

OWEN: But he’s been waiting for a long time.

TERI: knock knock

TERI:

[TERI DISCONNECTED]

[TERI CONNECTED]

TERI: Owen Freeman. Hello.

OWEN: You’re too late.

TERI: Teri really is quite the screamer, you know.

OWEN: Goodbye, Denton.

TERI: You can’t take this.

TERI: Not from me.

OWEN: I just did, mate.

TERI: I will track you down.

TERI: And I will pry it from your dead hands.

OWEN: Good luck with that.

[OWEN DISCONNECTED]