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"Alternative Directions: Options "Written By: Karina Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the lovely
boys and their girls in the series. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.
I haven't even got a brass razoo to give you. Rating: Deffinately PG in Australia, at the moment,
but probably safer to say R for later chapters. Not sure about international
ratings Warnings: It will be 6x2, even though it does
not start out that way. After all, Zechs and Duo never met in Gundam
Wing and only spoke briefly over a com line in Endless Waltz. I've
tried to keep them in character as I saw them in the series. A bit
of language creeping in under stressful conditions. Pairings: eventual 6x2, past 2xH, 2+H,6x9, 1+R
Summary: Directions is set post Endless Waltz
and roughly 2 years have passed. Zechs and Noin are on Mars and Duo,
after spending some time with Hilde in a relationship leaves L2 to
join Preventers. Hilde was not happy about his decision. I guess enough
said. Here t'is, and I hope you like it. This is also AU for the standard
setting, as well as the series and Endless Waltz. Spoilers: Gundam Wing Series and Endless Waltz Many thanks to Dulin for volunteering to beta this. //... // thoughts
"Alternative Directions: Options"
Chapter 132 Mars Colony Base Dome 2nd March AC 198 Time: 01: 32 [approx Sanc time 23:22] Polnar There was something wrong. Something not quite right about the situation. Something small but something that most probably would prove to be of importance. The more he looked for the anomaly the more certain he was that he had overlooked something that might prove a vital element at surviving this day. //There is something wrong with that picture.// At the thought his gaze snapped from Barker to the airlock and fastened on the readout on the display panel that clearly showed the cycle stage within the airlock. He was uncertain what it was that disturbed him but the more he watched that slowly rotating sequence of lights the more certain he was that something was wrong. The cycle was progressing normally, no alarm lights in operation and the oxygen meter was within normal parameters. //Probably not the airlock then. Maybe it is just that we never checked the freight elevators. I hate the thought of not having checked out our rear.// It was possible, even probable that that was what annoyed his subconscious but he was still not certain that that was the problem. While it bothered him it did not seem to have the immediacy of the crawling sensation visiting his nerves. He slipped back to the curve in the hallway where he could check out the hallway behind them. That stretch of hall was empty and he could hear no sound of movement or talking. With a small sigh he returned to stand near Barker and wait. //I wonder what it was they were talking about?// The ESUN operatives they were following at a more than discreet distance had to have stood outside the air lock and talked for a couple of minutes for the lock to be at its present stage of the cycle. Had they been discussing Merquise? Perhaps they had been discussing what they needed to do to take out the last of the terra formers. He rubbed at his chin. Maybe it was just that he was tired and time seemed to run so infernally slow. The cycle seemed to be making no headway. Certainly it should not strike him as odd that the agents should choose to stand at the entrance to the lock and discuss the events of the day or their plans for the remainder of the night. Hell, for all he knew they might have been discussing the mating habits of bumblebees. It made no difference to him other than the fact that it delayed him getting into the base and finding Merquise and Giles. Certainly they would have a great deal to discuss … or more likely the Commander would have a great deal of instructions to pass on to his subordinate They were outnumbered after all and all their plans would have to take into account the fact that there were combat veterans amid the terra formers. //Unfortunate that they seem not to have come across any of those with combat experience to date. Well, none that I recognized. Anyone can be surprised, especially when you are not expecting to have your so called allies cut you down from ambush. I'm not sure that I could take Simpson down but I'd have a bloody good try.// He glanced at his companions, wondering if they might not also sense that something was not quite right about this situation but Barker and Carter did not appear to be disturbed, merely thoughtful. He scowled at that but their ease did not give him an excuse to relax. Only when he had Merquise in a secured location could he afford to ease off on his personal paranoia. Small mistakes so easily led to bigger problems and he was not keen on making a stupid mistake that put them all in danger by denying that uneasy itch. Again his eyes flicked up to the lock readout and followed the cycle indicator, glaring at it as though it was the root cause of his unease and it hit him, his eyes widening as he realized what it was that bothered him. //Oh, shit! Why didn't I realize before?// The display showed the cycle position of the lock and the time of the cycles initiation. What it did not show was the access light, only the processing information. That could mean only one thing. The airlock controls had not been initiated from this side of the airlock as would be expected if the ESUN Agents were still within the lock, but even as the realization dawned the cycle chimed completion and the doors slid gracefully into the wall cavities and he found himself fronting a group of men. “Barker!” How he resisted the instinctive urge to strike out he did not know. A surge of adrenaline hit his body and he was ready to kill but something within him stayed his hand. Even as he was screaming at himself to take them out another part of him was trying to squash that instinctive reaction. He felt himself twitch, his hands curled into fists and his arms seemed to have a will of their own but though the urge was there he never actually hit out. Barker almost did, he noted. The Preventer agent had a definite twitch in his large hands, arms automatically raising and a step forward in a smooth motion abruptly cut off. At least it was not he alone who almost struck out first and Barker was just as quick to regain control of himself before they had a blood bath in the airlock. He hissed softly, aware that Carter was in a half crouch, ready to leap into a fight. From the airlock he distinctly heard a few choice words and some of the men took long steps back, away from the doors. At least some of them were aware of the danger. That in itself was worrying. There were six of them and to his quick inspection of faces he only recognized two with certainty though others of their number looked vaguely familiar. Those he could clearly identify he knew in something more than a passing fashion, having worked with them on more than one occasion though they were not in his circle of friends. Mighty Joe Lee, a native of L1 of Japanese descent and Paul Marcos, an African American, both engineers. “Stand down.” Barker managed to get the words out and he was looking a little sick as he glanced first at Carter and then at Polnar, holding a hand out towards the former who as yet had not seemed inclined to relax. //Can't say that I can fault him for looking like that. I don't feel so good myself. Damn it all, that is the kind of mistake we can't afford to make if we want to come out of this alive.// What was wrong with them? Not just him. Barker and Carter both must share the blame for this oversight that could have been so disastrous. They should have noticed immediately that the airlock controls had been initiated from the far side and with that recognition they would have known that someone was heading in their direction, not moving away from them. //Fuck. Stupid, stupid mistake.// He scrubbed at his face, trying to come out of the adrenaline surge without feeling the need to collapse into a heap on the floor. They were a long way from being finished. How had they become so lax? Was it because up until this point they had not encountered any appreciable resistance? Had they been so relieved to see that the emergency status within the sub base had not been lifted that they had relaxed their guard so much? They were becoming careless and that was unforgivable. At this rate someone was going to get killed through pure carelessness. //Shit. It's my mistake.// He could acknowledge his own errors. He had been taught by his instructors at Station One that to command men he must be aware of his own actions and the truth was that whether for good or ill he was to blame for this near miss. At least he hoped it was going to be a near miss. One or more of these men might yet prove to be a Sleeper agent. How was he to know if he could trust these newcomers or if one or more of them might not take the opportunity to betray them all? // My fault. Something was bothering me, even if the other two missed it and I should have realized earlier what it was. I should have realized sooner and while I know we are not infallible this was so glaringly obvious. I missed it. We all missed it. The important person here is the one that I can control. Me … and I missed it. We all presumed and since I am my own commander on this mission and I am here to procure the release of Merquise it is an unforgivable error on my part. To compound my error one of the Gifted is at risk. Giles is somewhere around here or in the dome above and he is my team mate. It is my duty to find out what has happened to him.// He glared at the men looking at them with open hesitation and he realized that he must look pretty hostile to them about now, but he could not help that. He had been badly shaken by his own mistake and it was going to take some time for him to recover his poise. // I have to find Merquise and I have to locate Giles. I have to find out if he is alive or … He's got to be alive. He'll have better luck talking to Merquise, even if he has to 'influence' him. I've seen him work before and to garner cooperation from the prince we may need to resort to his own peculiar method of persuasion. I need him. We can't afford to fail.// The six men had not exited the airlock, indeed most of them were stepping back deeper into its shelter and none of them looked exactly relaxed. He supposed that he could understand that considering the situation and he and his companions undoubtedly looked threatening but he was not going to relax, despite Barker's 'stand down' instruction. If the man could not understand that then he was no good as a commander and he already knew that Barker was a professional. Even professionals made mistakes. “Barker? Simon?” The one he presumed to be designated spokesman looked hesitant and then seemed to firm his resolve, stepping forward a couple of paces before coming to a halt. “Maybe you can explain what the hell is going on?” “Kurtz. Gentlemen.” Barker appeared to have himself firmly in hand now and his eyes roved over the six. It was obvious that he was placing names to faces and after a moment he seemed to relax, presumably because he could positively identify each man. Polnar could almost hear him thinking hard and fast as he tried to assess the threat level they might represent to the mission. // We had hoped not to meet anyone so that we would not need to face the problem of telling friend from foe. What the hell do we do now? // Carter stirred near him, not exactly relaxing but he was certainly loosening up a little. The Taurus pilot straightened from his crouch but he did so slowly and he did not look any less a threat. It was clear that as yet he, like Polnar himself, was not willing to trust anyone. Carter kept his gaze on the six men. // I suppose Barker expects me to at least try to look less threatening. Sorry, temporary boss man, but I don't feel inclined to trust anyone I have only just met that easily. // If Barker was any sort of decent Commander of men he would have to understand that just on his say so he was not going to procure instant trust from men who were not accustomed to working under him. How the hell was he supposed to accept the sudden appearance of these men? They had only just finished discussing what they would do about people they might meet and the Sleeper problem. Each and every one of these men might be Sleepers! One or even two of them could be Sleepers and patiently waiting for the opportunity to take the others down. If there was a Sleeper in their midst then that body now would be a greater danger as he could await an opportunity to report to his superiors on their appearance within the sub base. He was allowing paranoia to rule, overcompensating because of the stupidity with the airlock. Still, he could not have it both ways and he was going to have to strike a balance between paranoia and trust. // Do you honestly think that Barker does not know the possibilities of one or more of these men being Sleepers?// He asked himself. // He would know it only too well. That I know of none of them are Preventer Agents. I don't recognize them from the files Raydon provided. Barker's not exactly relaxed, but he's not exactly ready to gut any of them either. He knows them, that is obvious. I suppose they could be Preventer under cover agents? All of them? No way. One, maybe two, that is possible I suppose but … God. I don't think I will ever look at another person the same way again. I'll be expecting a knife in the back from every stranger I meet or pass in the street. If I make it off of Mars and back to Station One I am going to need to talk to some shrinks. I'm fucking paranoid enough at the best of times. // “Where are you gentlemen headed?” Barker watched the one he had identified as Kurtz, his gaze flicking over the others in the group as they backed another cautious step. “I believe that the emergency is still in effect.” “Christ, Simon, don't go all official Preventer agent on me. We need to know just what the hell is happening here.” Kurtz took a short step forward, out of the airlock and waved a hand in the general direction of the base behind him. “You know full bloody well that we are the emergency response unit. Everything is … weird. We are trying to determine just what is happening. We've heard nothing for hours about the alert and we can't contact the control room in the dome or the shuttle control. The communications system seems to be down and on to top it all off the main elevators have been blown. When we got the fire under control and cleaned up the area we decided to go to the upper dome and find out what the hell is happening. To do that we needed to check over the freight elevators. Mighty Joe claims they are wired to blow.” For a long moment Barker considered the man and finally nodded. A short and abrupt motion of his head. “He's right.” “Shit. Raiders?” As he had suspected Kurtz appeared to the elected spokesman as the other men within the dubious shelter of the airlock showed no inclination to ask questions. Polnar decided they were allowing their team leader to do the talking. “Of a sort. If you mean Reavers … Pirates, then no.” Barker studied the six and it was clear to Polnar that he was considering how much information was safe to share at this time. “It might be advisable for you to go to your designated …” “Cut the official crap.” Kurtz scowled. “Look, Barker, we need to know what is happening. There were people in the elevators when they blew. People died in that blast and I want to know why. We have lost all radio communication, the security systems are inoperative and I can't contact anyone who should know what the hell is happening.” he paused to level a cold glare at the Preventer. “Now there is a theory going around at this time that the ESUN is trying to wipe us out because they don't want witnesses to the base having been used as a penal colony for our high profile citizen. So cut out the shit and tell me the truth. Is this all because of Merquise or not?” //Oh shit. He looks pissed. // He glanced at Barker and sighed. //Well great, he looks just as bad.// Indeed, Simon Barker looked anything but pleased by Kurtz's outburst yet he made no immediate and hasty reply, his eyes drifting over each of the men arrayed before him once more as he reassessed the situation. The questions on his mind were obvious. Just how much should he tell them and how far could he trust them? Polnar did not envy the man his decision and he personally wanted nothing more than to get away from this group. How could any of them be trusted not to knife them in the back? //Don't know if I could turn my back on any of them.// “Before I answer that you answer something for me. There were two men in the airlock before you. They were in there only a minute or two before you must have entered. You had no problem with them?” // Good question.// Polnar mused. His eyes flicked over the six men quickly, looking for the smallest signs that might offer him a clue as to the standing of each. All of them looked serious, watching and following the conversation in silence. None of them looked guilty or hesitant and none of them looked particularly happy. He flicked his gaze back to Barker and noted the Preventer's eyes were firmly on Kurtz, as though he had marked him as being the dangerous one. Perhaps he was right. He personally had no knowledge of the man so he could not judge him honestly. Mighty Joe Lee and Paul Markos were known to him though he did not have much more than a passing acquaintance with them but they had never struck him as being a threat. Which, if he was honest, had no baring on this situation. The Sleepers at the base had been buried deep with psyche conditioning to enhance their cover. He had heard of happily married couples where one partner had been a conditioned Sleeper. The mess had not been pretty when the agent had been activated. “The ESUN Agents, I presume? Yes, we know they were in the lock before us but they never saw us. We were in the engineering bay checking on this story of Lee's and we saw evidence enough there to convince us to stay out of sight until we could be more certain of what was going on. We waited for them to pass before entering the lock.” Barker's gaze flicked to the engineer mentioned. “What about the bay?" Lee inclined his head slightly to acknowledge the Preventer's attention. “Merquise turned up some hours ago claiming that there was a series of bombs set on the dome and asking for help to find the detonator. I found the radio detonator and he disarmed it. Later I followed two men to the freight elevators and found the explosives packed on the hydraulics and the platform itself. I took a sample and showed it to the others. I don't know what is going on but I believed Zechs when he said we had infiltrators. You should know that the two men I followed earlier were the same two that were here a few minutes ago.” “What we need to know now is if these two men are the ESUN agents in from the shuttle or not? Do we have Raiders-as in Pirates- attacking the upper base and if so, what the hell are you doing about it?” Kurtz glanced from Barker to Lee and nodded, motioning Lee to stay back. “What is happening with the maintenance crews outside? Did they get back into the dome? Are they safe?” Paul Markos interrupted, stepping forward and ignoring the scowl Kurtz threw his way. Barker hissed a soft breath and checked his watch, considering the best course of action. These men were obviously not inclined to run away and hide but they clearly had time constraints. “We have to keep moving.” He flashed a glance to Carter and then Polnar. “Into the airlock now and we can explain as we go.” Polnar balked. He was not an overly trusting soul when he was assigned away from Station One and in such a situation as this to voluntarily walk into the airlock with those six men and their unconfirmed allegiance was asking a lot. Nor, he noted, was he the only one. Carter gave Barker a wide eyed look and refused to move. The Preventer snarled a curse and impatiently waved toward the lock. “We don't have the time for this. The lock takes time to cycle through and we are going to use that time to our advantage, not to our detriment. We are going to talk while we have the chance and pray that those bastards are not on the other side when we open the doors. Now get in unless you want to stay behind.” The six men backed deeper into the airlock and waited, exchanging glances that clearly said they were uncertain they wanted to be sharing the space. Polnar stifled a growl and glared from Barker to the lock. This was a big ask by Barker considering the current situation but the man was still his best bet for finding Merquise. He was going to have to chance one or more of them being the enemy and Barker had better not have a complaint about him keeping his hand close to his weapon. Reluctantly he stepped past the Preventer into the lock and once within he immediately slid sideways, pressing his back firmly against the welcome solidity of the steel wall, not willing for anyone to blind side him. He was amused to discover that Carter too had his back pressed to the cold metal and his faith in Barker returned a little when the Preventer stopped just within the doors and signaled for Carter to activate the locks, standing with his back hard to the doors when they closed. “Alright. We are all inside. So what is going on?” Kurtz stirred, still standing a little in front of his men, still eyeing them as though he expected to wake from a very disturbing dream at any moment. //Guess we all might look like that. I don't like this. I need to get out of here and find Giles. Together we can find Merquise.// “You asked for it and I'll tell you what is happening but be aware that you won't like it and that by knowing the truth you will have painted a massive target on your back.” Barker glared at each man in turn. The unspoken words 'I tried to warn you off, now you will pay the consequences' hung in the airlock. A few uncertain glances were exchanged but then resolved into determination and Barker sighed. “We have been infiltrated, but not by Raiders. ESUN Sleeper agents amongst us have been activated to cover the forced removal of Merquise and his children from Mars. To your question,” he nodded to Markos, “The maintenance team was locked out of the dome with the clear intent of ensuring that the numbers within the dome remained low and easier to handle. We have the maintenance teams in the caves equipped with sufficient emergency supplies to see them through the night. For now they are uncomfortable but safe. What is now needed is for us to take out the last of the ESUN Agents and regain some control over our own computer systems. The base is booby trapped and as yet we don't know even half of the traps that have been set nor do we know the exact head count of agents we need to deal with. You should be aware that people have already died. I don't know the exact number of fatalities at this time and a headcount of the dead will have to wait until we can secure the dome. That is the situation as it stands at this time.” “Why? I mean, why should they want to remove Merquise from Mars at this time and why involve the babies?” Mighty Joe Lee stirred looking from Barker to one of the other men in the airlock Polnar did not know. The man was looking thoughtful but not nearly so surprised as others in his party. Polnar scowled at the team members, wondered who this man was and noted Barker stir and quickly scan the six newcomers. He appeared to have realized that he was remiss in the social niceties of the situation because he straightened his stance and nodded his head briefly to each man in turn as he made the introductions. “Preston Kurtz, Engineer, Mechanic and head of the emergency response team.” He indicated the groups spokesman. “Paul Markos, engineer and Mechanic. Mighty Joe Lee, engineer and mechanic. Bryce Palmer, Systems analyst.” This man was the one who had asked why. “Dan Curran, Computer Analyst.” This was the one Mighty Joe had looked to as though he expected him to explain the 'why'. “Marcus Risch, Shuttle Mechanic and mining consultant.” He indicated first the Taurus pilot and then Polnar as he continued the introductions. “Daniel Carter, Pilot and Chris Polnar, Pilot and maintenance. It might set your minds a little easier to know that Polnar was on the locked out maintenance team.” He was only too aware of the attention that focused on him and was inclined to snarl at Barker but the attention shifted quickly enough back to the Preventer after he nodded once, a short and sharp action. He was uncomfortable and he wanted out of what was feeling more and more like a death trap to him. “We have no time for a blow by blow analysis of the situation. The agents who came in on the shuttle from Earth earlier today were members of Blue Squad. I don't imagine that any of you know that reference but suffice it to say they do not have a very savoury reputation and they were the dirty tricks boys of the Alliance. What concerns us now is that it is possible those men noticed you enter the airlock and that they might be waiting outside for you when the doors open. To answer your questions will require more time that we have. Yes, the maintenance team outside the dome is safe for the moment … it will be necessary for them to remain the entire night outside but while they will be uncomfortable they will at least be safe. Yes, some of them are dead. Casualties could not be helped, but the majority of them are alive and will remain so until morning. We need to open the dome to them before those supplies run out. The majority of them are alive but I can not say the same for those who were working in the enviro dome itself. It has been a massacre up there. While we were in the dome we found no survivors but we were not actively looking either. We needed to get down into the sub base. The Alpha Dome is now clear, we managed to retain control there and now we are working on getting back control of the Base Dome. Understand that the death toll and the casualty rate is going to be high, so get use to that idea.” The silence in the airlock was oppressive and the listeners looked at each other with sombre expressions. No one seemed inclined to comment and Polnar flicked his gaze to the cycle indicator. They were fast running out of time. “Fucking nightmare.” Kurtz whispered. “Why? I can't believe anyone would think this kind of action was necessary.” “It wasn't.” Palmer was visibly shaking and nervously ran a hand through his hair. Barker seemed to be willing to permit them to work through their individual reactions without interfering, glancing at the cycle indicator himself and nodding slightly. That he was aware of the constraints of time and unwilling to give a blow by blow account of the events leading up to this moment suited Polnar well enough. For the moment he was willing to go along with Barker but only until someone made a false move. He would be watchful for that move and when it came he would need to separate himself from the group and go about his personal mission. Raydon's assignment, namely finding Merquise and seeing him safe, came first. “It was. It was necessary.” Dan Curran stirred, hardly looking surprised by Barker's evaluation of the events. He looked as though he had had confirmation of something and he was quick to forego the very vocal protests that a few of his companions looked to be about to voice. He waved a hand in the air to cut off the protests and motioned to the sealed doors through which they would shortly be moving and enlarged on his evaluation. “To those now gaining positions of prominence back on Earth it is not only necessary but vital to have control over anyone who has the knowledge and power to pull them down. I have already explained to you the changes in the political arena that are taking place with this latest round of elections. Gaining control of Merquise at this time is the expedient thing to do for those now jockeying for position as it not only ensures his silence but also gives them leverage against one of the Prime voices in the pacifist movement. By controlling him they have leverage against Relena Darlian and if they are moving against him now then I would expect them to take measures against the Preventer Commander-in-Chief within days. That is if they have not already done so. I expect that they know exactly what type of leverage would be needed to bring pressure onto her and effectively give them the ability to keep her under control. Some subtle type of threat I would imagine and they would be handling her with the utmost delicacy considering her very public profile. Yes, they would want undisputed control of Merquise considering Mars will shortly no longer be a closed world. They are treading a fine line and they would have it planned down to the last detail.” Barker scowled at the man, no doubt deeply disturbed by the idea that his Commander in Chief might be influenced to act against the best interests of the people but personally Polnar found nothing wrong with his assessment. This was a man who obviously was a follower of current and past political events and was an astute analyst of said events. A damned fine political analyst and now that he knew that he would have to remember him. Special agents such as himself had a standing mandate from Raydon to always be on the alert for anyone who might make an agent for the Stations in the future. He would have to look for the chance to talk to Curran in more relaxed circumstances and take the time to sound him out on his views, both personal and political. He very well might have the right requirements to make an agent for the Station Alliance when it came time for them to be revealed. His background would need to be thoroughly scanned and without a doubt Raydon would have the man checked by the Gifted as a security measure against ESUN agents being inserted in their intelligence system. He would have to remember this man and pass the information on the first chance he received. “Preventer Earth is not a fool.” Barker growled. “No politician is going to find it easy to get the best of Lady Une. She had the best possible training under Kushrenada himself.” “Even Kushrenada lost to the politics of the times.” Kurtz responded scowling at the floor and perhaps not truly aware of what he said. “You think?” Curran grinned. “I certainly doubt it, but this is neither the time nor the place for this type of discussion.” Barker eyed both men with a look that said clearly enough that they would talk later. “You are right about that. This is not the time for a recounting of events in the war. I admit that we have troubles but we are not out of the picture by any means. We have our people outside the dome safe until morning and we have control of the Alpha Dome. What we need to know now is where those agents went and what they are intending to do.” “From what you have said it has already become bloody in the dome. I need to alert the medical unit and have them prepare for casualties.” Kurtz muttered, considering the floor of the lock as he sorted out his priorities as head of the Emergency Response Team. “I should also check on Jenny Santos' condition. With the communications problems we have been having there have been no progress reports and I admit that silence is beginning to worry me.” Polnar frowned far from pleased. More delays in carrying out his mission but … It was true that the medical unit would be needed if they … when they came to blows with the ESUN Agents. He had no doubt there would be a bloody conflict and he needed to know if he had problems securing Merquise that he had medical professionals in the wings if the man proved difficult and would not stay out of the confrontation. Yes, it made sense to have the medical centre on alert and he was not surprised when Barker nodded his agreement. “Yes, we should stop by the med centre and ensure that arrangements are made for any casualties that might be incurred. There are a number of dead in the enviro dome and while the exact number at this time is unknown I have no idea if there are injured up there. The dome at this time is under emergency shut down, the buildings in lock down mode due to contaminates in the vent systems. We need to get on top of that problem before things go from bad to worse.” Kurtz's scowl deepened but he nodded his understanding. “If it is a computer problem we may be able to offer you some help. We have some pretty good computer geeks with us.” Palmer and Curran both shot glances at Kurtz, neither pleased by the description but neither making a comment on it. If it had been meant to lighten the atmosphere it failed miserably and they were not pleased to be considered a joke, but they had been called worse in the past. They had worked together repeatedly on the base computer systems and had a fair understanding of each others capabilities and the bases individual master network and the offshoot isolated systems as well. “Can't guarantee anything until we can determine the cause of the problem.” Palmer fairly grunted his response, clearly not in a happy mood. “May not be able to do anything.” “Fucking virus.” Curran sniffed. “If you want help with a computer problem I seriously suggest you find us some working computers. We will need a decent system, isolated from the main network to analyse the virus and exactly what it is doing before we will have any chance of getting around it or killing it. It is possible that our systems may need a total rebuild and if that is the case then it is feasible that it could be days or even weeks before we can restore full functions to the base.” Barker looked far from happy with that and Polnar was in total agreement. They needed working systems as quickly as possible. “Understood. We take it as it comes. At this point in time that is about all we are capable of doing. Our order of business then is reaching the Medical Centre and discovering some means of accessing a working computer system. Then we find those Agents and we end this.” Barker looked to the door as the warning chime sounded, alerting them to the imminent opening of the doors.
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