Chapter 10: Eat It

I awoke refreshed and ready for the day, I was going with Nichole to meet up with Colonel Marlow at his London office. I had packed away the three parts of our security system along with the report that Nichole had created about our concerns regarding Anderson.

We signed out of the House and got into the car, Nichole pressed the communications button on the dashboard. "Control? This is Major Moodie and Advisor Beaker in CJ3. Radio Check." She said

"Major Moodie, signal okay 10 by 10. Please give destination?" A woman's voice sounded in the car.

"Coming back to base to meet with Colonel Marlow, will take normal route." Nichole said.

"Thank you Major, systems now activated." The voice signed off and then Nichole started the car.

She smiled at me, "I forgot to mention, if you need to use the car you have to log in at Control and get their clearance, or else the car won't start." She said.

I frowned, "But what if the car is stolen while the engine is still running?"

"Then the weight of the person is noted and any discrepancy causes the doors to lock and a silent alarm goes off, the car is then immobilised until our people turn up." She said and drove carefully to the main gate.

Again we had to show our passes before we were allowed to leave the driveway and then we were on the open road travelling towards London.

"So what do you think of our pupils?" I asked Nichole while we travelled.

She sighed and shook her head, "They're not the best we can expect are they? You have one who's a juvenile delinquent, a blind girl and a boy who's been so beaten up he won't even look anyone in the face, not to mention the maid and two children." She said as if that summed them up.

"Well I have hope for them all, Evelyn may be blind as we know it but she's adapted a spell to give her full vision of the world, that is high class magic as you are aware. Rachael ... I had almost given up with her from the start, but there is something inside her hidden. I think she's going to be our healer within the group and I wouldn't be too surprised if she doesn't create her own hospital." I said seeing Nichole's reaction.

"WHAT! But she's unmanageable? You'd never convince her to do that." She said.

"Oh, I won't be able to do it, but I think that Sur'ha will be able to, I've handed her over to help with Simon." I said.

"And what do you see in Simon?" Nichole asked.

"He's an enigma. The Casper's see something in him, so he has potential. Hopefully, once he's back to normal, we'll find out." I said

"What if this is 'his' normal appearance?" She asked me

I shook my head, "No, there is something deeper. He's had a difficult childhood and this was just the final straw. Once we gain his trust then he'll change." I said feeling this was right.

"And what's on the agenda for your school today?" She asked.

"Well they have to have normal lessons in the morning, self-defence with Rose in the afternoon and magic practice in the evening. Then tonight, they will have more studying in their libraries with us supervising them."

"So you're working then twenty four hours a day? Is that necessary?"

"These will be the core of our school. Once they are ready then we'll be able to teach more. These few will become the future Masters of the Art here on Earth. Aristotle is giving heavy hints that we're going to need them in the future, but he won't tell me what for." I said.

"Can't you make him; he's supposed to be your creation after all." Nichole said.

I gave a laugh, "Not at all, Aristotle's been around since man started writing in all his forms. He's told me he holds all the worlds' books, those that have been written in the past and the present. He also says he's got books from the future, but it seems he's been told not to tell us what's in them." I said.

"What idiot told him that?" Nichole asked not hiding her anger, "Don't they realise that we'd have information that would be useful now?"

"Well yes, but he pointed out that what might be a solution now, could cause problems later. It is better that we don't upset the applecart by second guessing the answers." I gave a smile, "and it seems that he was given that order by someone he respects and admires."

"I don't believe that, I think he's just giving you double-talk to protect himself." Nichole said but was then trying to cope with London traffic.

We turned into an underground station's access point and, after being waved through by a man dressed in a Transport Police uniform, we entered another caged area. We went through the normal checks before proceeding into a tunnel taking us under London into the main car parking area of Military Intelligence.

Colonel Marlow was situated behind his desk, he looked up as Nichole and I walked in. "Well Mr. Beaker, what do you think of your base?" He asked indicating to us to sit down.

I wondered if I should be diplomatic or not, decided on not. "It would be better if Captain Bolland wasn't always trying to find out what I'm doing there."

I saw Marlow was trying to hide a grin as he raised a folder in front of his face, "Ah, yes. I have a report from him. It seems that people are sneaking past the reception area without being checked out by security. You have made structural changes to the building without consulting either him or the local council. And finally he is unable to inspect that part of the building which he considers his right as being in charge of the facility."

"I haven't been sneaking people through the reception area ... they just don't enter the house that way. All visitors to my section arrive either through the portal that's been set up or by direct transportation into the training area. Since they don't arrive by the main gate they do not go through the main entrance. All I've done is to allow their presence to be recorded in the visitors' book as agreed with Captain Bolland." I said which didn't explain everything but gave him my version of the agreement.

"I see ... and the structural changes, what do you say about them?" Marlow asked but I heard the chuckle in his voice.

"The outside of the building hasn't been affected, only the personal appreciation of the structure is changed. To use a television metaphor, the inside dimensions of the area is larger than the outside, just like a particular police telephone box." I told him.

"So what you have done is to change Newton's laws with regards to the building without clearance from Captain Bolland?" He said.

"I'm sorry Colonel but I wasn't aware I had! And just who would Captain Bolland inform should that be correct ... the Guinness Book of Records? I'm sorry Colonel, but when I accepted your offer, I understood that I would have full rein to do what I needed in order to work for you, has this been changed?" I asked sounding concerned.

"I'll come to that in a moment, now what about this final complaint that you are not allowing him to inspect the area, he is supposed to do so you know."

I frowned as if in concentration, "I'm sorry Colonel, I didn't know he'd signed for it ... how much does he have to pay should the house be damaged? Anyway I told him that if he needed to enter the area, with authorisation he would be able to do so, but if he had malicious intent then he couldn't enter. I would say that his actions have answered that question - since he hasn't entered at all." I said.

"I have to admit I'm not clear on that point either, he reports that when he tried to enter your section of the house he ended up in his office? He has no answer for how that happened." Marlow said and looked at me expecting an answer.

I scratched my head, "Perhaps he just got lost ... it is a big house." I said.

Marlow put the file down and then got up from his seat; he walked to the window, taking in the view of Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square. "I understand that you have been working hard Mr. Beaker, the number of people you have allowed into your section shows that you are gathering a team, I just want to know of what race is this Sur'ha of Ool'n a member of?" He asked.

"I had a medical emergency and had to call for outside help, Sur'ha was kind enough to offer to aid us until we have a healer trained in the Art ... she is from Zorba'n." I said

"So she is an illegal alien, I take it you have informed the UK Border Agency about her arrival and working here?" Marlow asked but his back was still facing me.

I looked at Nichole who shrugged her shoulders, "I'm sorry but no, I haven't. She's arrived without papers and we have no way of contacting her embassy except through the portal I've created at the house." I said.

"And if you didn't have her to act as your medic? What would be the result?" Marlow asked me turning to face me.

"If that was so, then we would have a seriously injured youth to be taken to the nearest hospital where he would be treated and then returned to the place from where we rescued him. He's one of mine and I'm not going to lose him ... Sir." I said emphasising the 'Sir' part.

Marlow looked from me to Nichole, "Well Major, aren't you going to say anything?" He asked.

Nichole looked puzzled, "Sir?" she said in response to his question.

"Do you agree with Mr. Beaker's views about this team of his, are they all needed?" He asked her.

"I would say yes, sir, but they will need time to ... to ... mesh with each other." She finished.

Marlow thought for a moment, "I see ... very well I'll tell Captain Bolland that you are not to be disturbed." He sat back in his chair and then regarded us. "Mr. Beaker, you were given a task to perform, can I ask how long it will take you to develop a safety system for our computers?" He asked.

I held up the USB dongle that housed Odin, Valkyrie and Loki. "This is the best I can come up with at this time, I also have a report that is considered to be highly important but confidential, can I ask how secure your systems are at the moment?" I asked him.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at Nichole who nodded her head. "I see ... maybe we should take this to the Technical Support guys downstairs." He said and got up; we did the same and followed him.

Before we left his office he pressed an intercom on his desk, "Janet, I'm down in Section G, if anything important comes up then let me know, if not ask them to wait for me." He said and after receiving an acknowledgment.

Section G created an image of a vast area with gadgets and gizmos, but instead you can picture Mulder's office from X-files, small, cramped and a few computers in a corner as an afterthought.

A man looked up from a keyboard and waved his hand, "Hi there Colonel, problems?" He asked casually.

"I think Mr. Beaker here has a solution to the main one, can you set up a virus attack for me." Marlow said with restraint.

"Oh yeah, no problems ... Beaker you say? Didn't you do the graphics on Sarah's world?" He said looking at me.

"That's me, what did you think?" I asked him.

"Not bad, I broke the code on the game and checked through the module, very well worked out I thought." He offered his hand, "Kyle Chambers." He said.

"Chris Beaker, how did you get over the protection?" I asked as this interested me.

"Oh, I'm supposed to check everything that comes out, just in case there's codes imbedded in the progs." He said, "We've got hacks to break anything. Come with me I'm sure you're going to like this." He said waving me over to the corner.

He showed me two top of the range computers, "We've got these set up in a LAN, between both we can simulate any WAN network. I've just got a new virus in from Asia and I'm hoping to try it out on these, see how long it takes to work."

I held up the USB dongle, "I've a new protection program installed on this stick, can we try it out?" I asked him.

Kyle looked over at Marlow who nodded his head, "Okay, I've been burning these virus killers so often that one more won't be a problem." He said with a smile.

He powered up the two systems and checked the connection. "Right, so how does it install?" Kyle asked.

"Just plug it in and the program will do the rest." I said.

"What's involved with this?" Kyle said looking at the dongle.

I smiled, "Well it's a threefold program, a monitor system, a defending system and an attacking system to trace the source and kill it, plus the system if it needs it." I said.

"Ah, a hunter killer mix? I've never heard of one before. Been working on it for long?" Kyle asked, "Because you're going to be disappointed." He added with a smile.

"Some time, but the proof of the pudding..." I said and gave him another smile.

"Okay, show time. I'm inserting your stick now." Kyle said.

A small portion of the screen displayed my logo and then added, "Odin installed" came from the speakers.

Kyle checked the memory stick and shook his head, "This stick is empty, it's transferred the contents in that short time? But I can only see one program running, this Odin thing." He said.

"Odin is the watchdog program; I've got this thing about Norse Mythology. The defence program hides away until needed, that one is called Valkyrie. And the attack spell is called Loki." I told him.

"Oh yeah, that's nice. The god of mischief. Well we're going to see what he can do." He said and went to the other system. "Now I'm loading the virus onto this system, what it will do is to infect this computer and then it will search out any links to others systems, which is this one here."