“They get you with the worst thing,” I told him. “For me it was my mom. What are they doing to you? What’s the worst thing, Nine?”
I had a feeling I knew, and that gave me an idea. I sat back down in front of his IBM ThinkPad and typed in “ABKHAZIA.” A box popped up on the toolbar: “WELCOME NINE.”
I clicked on the SATCOM folder. The screen flickered, then another message box popped up: “SATCOM DOWN.” Below it was the little e-mail icon, so I clicked on that and his in-box popped up. There was only one message.
From: Aquarius
To: Nine
Subject: RE: OPREQ
As you predicted, Research advises active agent cannot be cloned or synthesized. What an annoying habit you have of always being correct. Accordingly, unless conditions on the ground warrant otherwise, protect at all hazards the ACTAGE carrier. Do not put him in harm’s way unless absolutely necessary.
Aquarius
I read this twice. What was “OPREQ”? Operational Requirement? Operative Request? “ACTAGE” must be short for “active agent,” but what was the active agent he was talking about? Then I remembered the briefing, and Op Nine talking about the 3XDs and the active agent, the whatever it was that gave the ammo its bite. And I remembered asking him in the desert if the bullets were loaded with holy water and him saying no, it was something he hoped was more powerful.
Then I remembered my dream, of the gigantic Kropp Fish and the little suckers a
ll over my body, and how when I first woke up on the Pandora, I was dizzy and drank those big glasses of orange juice. I remembered the soreness under my arm, and suddenly it all came together. The sore spot must have been the insertion point for the needle they used. The needle to drain my blood.
I read the e-mail again: “. . . protect at all hazards the ACTAGE carrier . . .”
I clicked on the other boxes: Sent Mail, Trash, Drafts, but every file was blank.
So I clicked on the Compose button and wrote:
To: Aquarius
From: Nine
Subject: Help
I’m not sure who you are, but I guess you’re Director Merryweather. This is Alfred Kropp. I broke into this computer bcuz Op Nine is hurt. Still in Chi. City burning. Two days to get Vessel or world ends. Need help here. Send help.
AK
I hit the Send button and the message vanished. Then a dialogue box popped up.
Message Undeliverable: Unknown Recipient
“Wuddya mean?” I yelled at the computer. “ ‘Unknown recipient’?”
I hit the Compose button again.
To: Aquarius
From: Nine
Subject: Help
This is Alfred Kropp. We need help. No Hyena in Chi. Raining fire. Op Nine very hurt. 2 days or else. Send help!
AK
I hit the Send button and again the little box popped up. I clicked on his address book and a long list popped onto the screen. So I wrote a third e-mail to everyone on the list, a kind of bulk mail SOS.
To: ALL COMPANY PERSONNEL