Running was a pastime that Colonel Mika Solane enjoyed. It kept her in good shape and saved her life plenty of times while doing field work. She ran to relax and escape whatever was bugging her at the moment. She ran to help her think of things that her division needed to do and plan military tactics.
She always took her cell phone with her during her runs just in case her brother needed something or if there was an emergency back at the U.S.N.M. headquarters. It rarely rang and when it did, most of the time, it was her brother want some mundane thing.
That's why Mika was startled when she felt the vibrator on her phone go off, signaling a call. She checked the Caller I.D. while slowing down to a walk. She was surprised to see the number for the captain's office.
"Solane speaking," she said in a winded way, trying to regain a normal breathing level.
"I need you to come to my office, Solane. A.S.A.P," the voice of the captain rang out angrily.
Mika blinked, "Sir?"
"I want to discuss just what was going through your head when you ordered the termination of the GELFs. My office, Solane. Now," said Captain Watson. The call was terminated with those last words
Her breath hitched in her throat as she ran full speed toward New Delphi's U.S.N.M. headquarters only a few blocks away. Her mind was jumbled as she thought of what he just said, what it could mean.
'Termination of the GELFs'
She had sent a small part of her squadron to the GELF facility last night. Their objective had been to delete the information on the GELF project and filter the GELFs themselves to various points around the world to be schooled on humans and the real world. With that done, they would then be released back into the world to contribute to society.
She had asked for permission to go along with the operation from Captain Watson himself. He had agreed and approved that it was for the best, though both of them hadn't wanted to hurt Dr. Whitehead. The man viewed his creations as his children, something Mika had found to be literally correct; he did bring them to life after all.
So why would the captain be so upset? What could have possibly happened..?
"Termination of the GELFs'
She could feel her heart stop for a moment then pound wildly within her rib cage, making her chest hurt. The team had killed the GELFs..they had succeeded in killing what were supposed to be perfect beings. And she was the one who ordered them in the first place.
"Oh shit," she let out in a half sob, trying to hold back her tears. She had unknowingly committed a mass-homicide.
Tank
Maj. General Henry 'Hank the Tank' Merrick sat behind the desk in his darkened office, leaned back in his chair with his chin resting on his chest and his fingers steepled in front of his face. His black eyes were hooded and not a single muscle in his body twitched. It was a familiar pose for those who knew him, the posture a man deep in thought.
Currently, his mind was focused on the Indian Lake Project. It had been his orders to destroy the Compound and the GELFs, but only he and a few of his most trusted officers knew that. The ERASer team had been a squad under the command of Colonel Mika Solane, which was the only thing that worried him. Solane had risen quickly through the ranks owing to her dedication and ability to think quickly on her feet. She was competent and tenacious and would likely insist upon an investigation. God, how he despised her.
The destruction of the Compound was supposed to have looked like an accident, but something had gone wrong and word had gotten back that the ERASer team had been given orders to kill the GELFs and the scientists. He hadn't expected that fool Whitehead to put up a fight, and it had cost the lives of most of the ERASer team. In the aftermath, all of the scientists had been accounted for by DNA tracing, but not all of the GELFs. The fact that some of them may have survived didn't concern him overmuch. Without someone to tell them what to do they were mindless drones.
The destruction of the Indian Lake Compound had been necessary in order to ensure that there would be no force that could equal his own. Several years ago, under the guise of advanced field training, a hundred GELFs, the Series 5, had been removed from the Compound and taken to a little-known military installation in Colorado, directly under his command. For the past three years, they had been receiving is own special brand of training. What good would it be to have his own secret personal militia of super-soldiers, if the USNM could counter it with their own? So it had been imperative to destroy the other GELF series so none could stand against him.
The mission had been a success, more or less, and a ghost of a smile passed across his face. He closed his eyes and pondered what to do about the more immediate concern of Colonel Solane.
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