{"id":365,"date":"2015-07-13T12:32:40","date_gmt":"2015-07-13T12:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=365"},"modified":"2015-07-13T12:37:13","modified_gmt":"2015-07-13T12:37:13","slug":"legacy-of-the-guardians-part-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=365","title":{"rendered":"Legacy of the Guardians – Part 16"},"content":{"rendered":"

Legacy of the Guardians<\/span><\/h2>\n

by AJ Marks<\/span><\/p>\n

Part 16<\/span><\/p>\n

Morning came too quickly for Jack, and he wished he had a couple of extra hours of sleep. Yesterday had been a busy day with everything that went on. This morning he would talk to the prisoners that had been captured in Afghanistan. He knew that Osama bin Laden was not a Skartian, and he felt slightly disappointed in that fact. Of course sixteen captured Skartians ended up being more than anyone had expected.<\/p>\n

Jack made the decision to talk to bin Laden first. After that he would figure out what to do with the man, considering his name would go down in history linked with the attack on the World Trade Center.<\/p>\n

He looked up as Steve made his way into the office, followed by Captain Ahmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo Jack, who\u2019s first?\u201d Steve asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis bin Laden character, we can tell him he\u2019s been fighting on the wrong side, then the Skartian in cell A-6,\u201d Jack said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSounds good,\u201d Steve said, as the three of them made their way out of his office and down to the cells.<\/p>\n

They passed through several high security checkpoints. Everyone was scanned regardless of rank. If you did not submit, you didn\u2019t get in, that simple. They cleared the checkpoints and headed to the cell which housed bin Laden, entering as the guard opened the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see the pigs have shown themselves,\u201d bin Laden said, as they entered the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, you have one chance to live, I\u2019d suggest you listen,\u201d Jack said casually, taking a seat as if he owned the place. He watched the man in front of him scowl at the way he was talked to.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou American pigs all think alike, thinking you own the world, you don\u2019t,\u201d the reply came back, causing Jack to chuckle slightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, actually you were working with a group who wanted to take over the world,\u201d Steve said. \u201cCurrently you are several hundred thousand kilometers away from the planet Earth. You are actually on a space station owned by the EDF, and currently we are at war with an alien race called the Skartians, who you have been helping.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe you, you Americans will say anything to spread your lies,\u201d bin Laden said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy Allah you\u2019re stupid,\u201d Ahmed said speaking up. \u201cYou\u2019ve been brainwashed by Skartians, and the group you worked with are aliens, not even human.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter to be with them than Americans,\u201d bin Laden replied to Ahmed. \u201cYou are a traitor to your people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re a traitor to humanity,\u201d Ahmed said back to him, before turning to Jack. \u201cHe won\u2019t change, he\u2019s been too brainwashed by the Skartians. I suggest we go to the next prisoner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack watched as Ahmed left the cell before turning back to bin Laden.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack on Earth you are already a wanted man, dead or alive,\u201d Jack said to him, watching his reaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou Americans don\u2019t have the courage to kill me, besides, you need me alive for your courts. You have laws that prevent you from killing me,\u201d he said back to Jack, smug in his attitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we obeyed American laws, yes,\u201d Jack said, smiling at him now. \u201cBut you see, we don\u2019t report to any one country, so we\u2019re not bound by such laws. Enjoy your last meal, don\u2019t worry we\u2019ll make your death spectacular sometime in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t do this to me,\u201d he demanded, shouting at him as they walked thought eh cell door.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes we can, I already told you, we are not connected with any country, but are the defense force for Earth against all alien threats, like the Skartians who you were serving,\u201d Jack said to him. \u201cAnd we will use any means to keep humanity safe from those who wish to destroy us. Have a good meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

They walked out of the cell to see Ahmed waiting for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that went about how I expected, though I held out hope for him,\u201d Jack said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe won\u2019t believe, even if he sees it for his own eyes,\u201d Ahmed said. \u201cSo what will you do with him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not that sure yet, have to talk to the others, but we can\u2019t let him go,\u201d Steve said. \u201cHe\u2019s too volatile, and I don\u2019t trust him to be a part of the EDF.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKeeping him indefinably isn\u2019t an option, and letting him go to the Americans isn\u2019t a good option either. A trial could do more harm than good for everyone. He could still communicate to his followers, a less we learned after WW2,\u201d Jack stated, recalling those reports. \u201cSome of his followers could view any result of the trial as a victory for them, strengthening their following in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what will you tell the rest of the world,\u201d Ahmed asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell wait for a good opportunity to use the Americans to kill him, can\u2019t make it too easy, might even release a few \u2018statements\u2019 as well,\u201d Jack said. He was thinking of it as a way to capture more Skartians, and he might be able to use bin Laden even if he didn\u2019t wish to help them.<\/p>\n

\u201cReady for the next interrogation?\u201d Steve asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t wait,\u201d Jack said, hoping they could gain some more information from the Skartian. At least he would not be dealing with the denial of the EDF\u2019s existence with this person.<\/p>\n

They made their way down the hallway arriving at cell A-6. An armed guard stood outside this time as they started their interrogation.<\/p>\n

Jack noticed the Skartian was sitting in a chair, bound so he could not move. His arms were tied behind him so he could not strike out. It was obvious the Skartian had tried to struggle.<\/p>\n

Jack walked into the room, and slowly walked around the Skartian taking his time as the other three stopped at the entrance of the room. The only sound was the clicking of Jack\u2019s shoes and the breathing of the men. Jack never took his eyes off the Skartian, and continued to pace around him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll never find us all,\u201d the Skartian finally said in anger.<\/p>\n

Jack circled one more time before stopping in front of the Skartian, and it seemed like he had not even heard it<\/p>\n

\u201cWho said we captured all of your kind?\u201d Jack asked, already having one question answered. There were more Skartians on the surface.<\/p>\n

He watched the Skartian flinch, they both knew how much information had been given from the last comment.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, was your entire mission to create a diversion for your invasion force, which would attack Earth hoping to not encounter a human war fleet?\u201d Jack asked, watching the Skartian look with determination on being quiet. \u201cLet me tell you what happened to that fleet. It was destroyed by one of our fleets, retreated in disgrace, as losers.\u201d<\/p>\n

He watched the Skartian remain quiet. They both knew the plan failed, but it was also apparent the Skartian did not know what happened to that fleet. They had done their plan only to be left in the dark.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf that fleet is the best your race has, then the war will be over quickly,\u201d Jack said, shrugging off the effort the invasion fleet as nothing, hoping to wound the alien\u2019s pride.<\/p>\n

Jack watched as his words had an effect on the Skartian by the face he made. However, he did not say anything.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me tell you something else,\u201d Jack said, continuing on his walk around the tied up alien. \u201cYou fell for our trap rather easily, did you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Skartian tried not to show any shock, but Jack saw it on his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see, we set you up, very nice trap if I do say so myself,\u201d Jack said, walking over to where the other two stood and pointed to Ahmed. \u201cWe knew if someone who you considered to be an American sympathizer came into your group asking a bunch of questions it would attract attention. We counted on you taking them prisoner, or trying to kill them, which is exactly what you did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack looked over at the Skartian, who only glared at him in anger. Jack knew the thought of a human out-thinking a Skartian would deeply wound their pride.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew where he was at all times, and his health,\u201d Jack said now pacing around the chair again. \u201cWe set up an the extradition of his parents, making it seem like he was part of a top-secret government agency. That would give him some credibility that he was part of a government agency with a long reach. Such actions would make the local leaders hesitant, sending him up the chain of command, right to you. You really are not that smart are you,\u201d Jack said, finishing up his speech.<\/p>\n

The Skartian\u2019s face went flush with anger at the statement as Jack again insulted his pride. But the Skartian refused to break down. Jack paused, then looked over at Steve and Ahmed and figured he would not get any useful information other than what had been blurted out in the beginning.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, you can either talk to me, or talk to our interrogators,\u201d Jack said to him. \u201cAnd believe me, they can\u2019t wait to talk to you. You see, they all lost someone they loved in that terrorist attack you pulled, and they are not in a good mood. So, what\u2019s it going to be?\u201d<\/p>\n

He waited a few minutes in silence watching the Skartian think about everything he had been told. The silence gave Jack his answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo be it, remember, I gave you a chance, more than you ever gave us,\u201d Jack said, as they left the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m confused,\u201d Ahmed said, after walking out the door closed. \u201cHe didn\u2019t say anything, and it seemed like you knew he would, why did you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSkartians are prideful, think they are the best strategist. I wounded his pride, especially if he was one of the leaders,\u201d Jack said. \u201cI hoped he would say something in anger, they are known to do that from previous interrogations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Steve said, speaking up for the first time. \u201cThat first statement told us there are more we have to keep a look-out for. And that also means they will probably try something like this again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was hoping they would mention who else is helping them. They know militarily we are an equal to them, perhaps even stronger now. So for them to attack like they did, it must mean something changed,\u201d Jack said to them. \u201cThe entire situation doesn\u2019t feel right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, you\u2019re right,\u201d Ahmed said, pausing as they walked down the hallway. \u201cI\u2019ve felt this odd restlessness. That calm before a storm you know is approaching.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but what is about to happen? How big will it be? And are we in the middle of it?\u201d Jack asked, listing off a couple of questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWish I knew. Intelligence is working as hard as possible,\u201d Steve said, as they went up the elevator, getting off on the senior officers level and headed to Jack\u2019s office. \u201cI hear that you\u2019re going to be taking command of the first patrol fleet, congratulations captain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, yes, thank you sir,\u201d Ahmed said. \u201cI have one last check up with the doc before being fully cleared for duty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one thing I learned, trust your gut,\u201d Jack said. \u201cAnd thanks for volunteering for that mission, it must have been hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReturning home, it was, very different,\u201d Ahmed said. \u201cI also realized it\u2019s no longer home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack nodded in understanding as Ahmed turned and walked out of the office leaving Steve and Jack.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe should work out well,\u201d Steve said to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, now we get to wait until after the interrogators do their job,\u201d Jack said, resigning himself to waiting once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll stop by for lunch,\u201d Steve said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, maybe we\u2019ll have some information by then,\u201d Jack said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee you then,\u201d Steve said, heading off to his office, as Jack turned to reports waiting for him.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Sam could not shake the feeling. He had it for a while now, but could not describe it. It felt like something grand, scary and awesome was about to happened yet he had no idea what that might be. The only thing he knew for sure, was it had to do with the building in front of him, the same one he became fascinated with.<\/p>\n

He had already been down to see it once this morning. And decided to make his way back down to view it again. He thought some piece of the puzzle was missing, and could not figure out what that might be. He thought somehow by looking at it he might gain some bit of insight to solve the puzzle.<\/p>\n

He stood, looking once more at the Sphinx, his obsession wondering what he was doing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see you are back my friend,\u201d a person said behind him in perfect English. Sam turned slightly before replying to see a man stand there. He had seen him before.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, there is something there, mysterious,\u201d Sam said, looking back at it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, yes, there have been many who thought so. My father told me about one man who came here because of a shadowy figure,\u201d the man said. \u201cIt was just before what is called the Second World War. Before this man left he told my father that a great evil was coming to visit the Earth. The man was right, Hitler could be considered evil.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he give a name?\u201d Sam asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerican, like you, and I think his name was Mark, or Matt Johnsson, something like that,\u201d the man said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarcus Johanson?\u201d Sam asked,<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds right, did you know him?\u201d the man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot personally,\u201d Same replied. Marcus had been one of the first members of the EDF, and an active member until his death in 1978. There were also rumors that he had psychic abilities but never allowed anyone to test him. \u201cThanks,\u201d Sam said to him, hurrying off to get a taxi and head back to his hotel. He had some new information to search for.<\/p>\n

End Part 16<\/p>\n

Continued in Part 17<\/a><\/p>\n

Comment below or send to AJMarks01@aol.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Legacy of the Guardians by AJ Marks Part 16 Morning came too quickly for Jack, and he wished he had a couple of extra hours of sleep. Yesterday had been a busy day with everything that went on. This morning he would talk to the prisoners that had been captured in Afghanistan. He knew that […]
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