“Once this biological agent is exposed to air, it rapidly permeates, indiscriminately killing every single living organism in a five-thousand-mile range within ten minute, spreading over a thousand miles every five minutes until eventually the entire planet is decimated. It takes no prisoner. No one is immune from its malevolence,” Murillo explained.
“Were you able to develop an antidote?” Cryder asked.
“No. Imagine the possibility of an antidote falling into enemy hands. It would render futile the engagement of a germ warfare since the adversary would be invulnerable.”
“Do you have any idea what that lethal substance is made of?” Barney asked.
“Only three people can answer that question. One was just found dead in his house and the other two are locked with your brother in that chamber.”
“Do you have voice access to that chamber?”
“We're trying to establish communication. The intercom appears to be out of order.”
“In the meantime, is there anyway we can deactivate this bomb or neutralize
its lethal effects?”
“Again, two people can answer that question.”
“You must have trusted them implicitly to blindly put the faith of the entire world in their hands?” Barney stated.
“I didn't. The president selected them personally. I was just following orders.”
Dawn had a breakthrough. “General! We've re established the connection.”
“Great!” He got on the intercom. ”This is General John Murillo of the United
States Air Force.”
Eric went to the intercom. “General Murillo, you ol’ dog you, how nice to hear your voice.”
“We know who you are.”
“I bet you do. But it certainly took you long enough. Your complex's security system stinks!”
“If you surrender now, I promise no harm will come to you.”
“Sure! Like I'm going to fall for that one! What do you take me for??? I'm aware of the consequences for insubordination.”
“You are not in the military, son. You cannot be court-martialled.”
“No, just gunned down,” Eric replied sarcastically. “If I'm going to die...I want to go out in style. And I'm inviting you all to join me.”
“This guy's a nut!” Barney remarked.
“A nut who's also a genius.”
“Deadly combination.”
”Is my brother alright in there?” Barney asked, concerned.
“Eric, is the hostage with you?
Eric looked at Steve, barely clinging on to life on the floor “Oh, he's here. But I’m afraid I had to shoot him. He’s been a bad boy. But he’s alive. Peter is also here with us. We’re having a party.
“We'd like to talk to him.”
“Can’t come to the phone right now. He’s a bit blue. Just have to take my word for it.”
“You're not playing fair.”
“I don't care. And you know, I'm kind of fed up of your hearing voice. From now on, all communications are terminated.”
Eric grabbed a solid object and smashed the intercom.
“What happened?” Barney asked.
“My guess is he broke the intercom.
“What now?”
“We wait.”
“We can’t! We’ve got to get my brother out before it’s too late.”
“They're working at getting the door open.
Barney was fuming. “That's what I've been hearing for the past thirty minutes!”
Barney went to the door and tried to pry it open with his bionic hands but the door was solid titanium.
“You can’t son. It was build against cyborgs who tried once to destroyed the complex. That man in there is the brainchild of this complex. One push of the button and he can blow us up to kingdom come. We have to approach him with the utmost circumspection.”
Barney kicked a chair aside, gripping his hair. Then an idea dawned on him.
“What about a computer virus?”
“What?”
“A computer virus will shut down the entire system.”
General Murillo and Cryder tittered.
“What? What so funny?”
“Son it has been awhile. You must have been hiding on a deserted island to not know that viruses are completely obsolete.”
“That method is a thing of the past. Our software is much more sophisticated.”
“Meaning it wouldn't work?”
“Sorry.”
“Well, hats off to advanced technology!!!”
Dawn stood in front of the computer, thinking
“He just gave me an idea. I could try an eraser.”
“An eraser? »
« Yeah, it's analogous to those old computer viruses, but twice as powerful in wiping out the memory of a particular program and thus enabling us to enter new coordinates.”
“Can you do it, Dawn?”
“Maybe. Eric may not be cognizant of this disabling toll's mechanisms since we designed it only two years ago.
“How long will it take?”
“If I succeed in inserting it okay... about five minutes.”
“Do it!”
Dawn got to work on the computer.
Inside the chamber, Eric looked at his watch.
“Minus ten minutes to go.”
“Why ten minutes?”
“Because in exactly nine minutes and fifty five seconds, it will mark the ninth anniversary of the first day I was recruited to develop this deadly gadget. Before that, I was a nobody, going from one odd job to another.”
“You said you used to be an OSI agent”
Steve reacted.
“That was a long time ago. Nineteen seventy-seven I joined the organisation. There I met Steve Austin and Barney Miller. During a mission in Madagascar, something went wrong. Mitchell, my partner, was killed with my gun.
“Did you kill him?”
“Are you kidding? He was my best friend, my pal. He treated me like his own brother. No I didn’t kill him but Austin here and Miller didn’t back me up. Noooooooo…instead they let me take the rap.”
Peter looked down at Steve. “Is that true?”
“Wait,” Steve rasped out painfully. “You said nineteen seventy-seven? We are in nineteen seventy-seven.”
“No lad, we’re in nineteen ninety-two,” Peter informed.
Steve started to laugh, not knowing of how to make sense of what was happening to him. He began to choke.
“Take it easy, Steve. Calm down.” Peter took his lab coat covering Steve’s body and pulls up to his shoulders.
Outside the chamber, Barney was racking his brains. “He said he shot him, with what gun? I thought weapons weren’t allowed on the premises?”
“Doctor Anderson has one for protection,” Dawn informed as she continues to work on the computer, waiting for a signal. “It's done! The memory has been erased.”
“Punch in the new coordinates,” Murillo ordered.
Dawn followed orders. She entered the new coordinates into the computer.
“Done! Now the prints.”
The Security Chief pressed the palm of his right hand against a dark panel by the computer. The computer confirmed the prints with the new code.
“Cross your fingers, folks!”
Barney, Cryder, General Murillo and the Security Chief all move toward the ironclad sealed door.
“Everyone ready?”
Guards stood on alert, weapons drawn. The Security Chief entered the new code, slid in a pass card and pressed the palm of his right hand against the dark panel by the door.
The GREEN LIGHT came on and the door unlocked.
Eric was startled by the opening of the door.
Barney, the Security Chief, General Murillo and Cryder rushed inside the chamber, but before they could jump on Eric, he took out the small flask from of his pocket and waved it the air while pointing his gun at Steve. “Don't come any closer or I’ll finish him off.” He waved the flask. “I think you know what this is?”
Peter gently laid Steve’s head against the floor and poised ready to lunge at Eric, whose attention was momentarily diverted.
“You are better than I thought. How you've managed to open that door, I
have no idea. But that won't stop me from launching that bomb.”
Eric entered the launching code.
Just as the Security Chief made a jerky move, Eric waved the flask in the air. “I wouldn't try it if I were you. We’re all going to wait here to meet our destiny.”
The countdown was winding down to four minutes fourteen seconds.
Peter pounced on Eric whose back was to him. He managed to grab the flask from out of Eric's hand.
Barney kicked Eric in the stomach. He doubled up in pain and was quickly apprehended by the security guards.
Barney went to Steve, ashen and unconscious on the floor. “God, he’s must have lost a lot of blood. We’ve got to get him to a hospital.”
Steve groaned and opened his eyes.
“Lie still Steve. Everything’ll be alright.”
“We're all going to die together. You can't stop the countdown,” Eric shouted before being taken away.
“Take him out of my sight!” Murillo said.
Dawn went to her computer. “Dammit! He's right. I can't override it.”
“What about your eraser?” Barney suggested.
“There isn't time. Just need the right password”
Steve tugged at Barney’s sleeve. Barney bent down closer to his friend’s face. “What is it, Steve?”
“Tr…try the password…Mit…Mitchell,” Steve whispered painfully before passing out.
Dawn entered the name. The screen flashed “Access granted”. Quickly she stopped the countdown at minus forty seconds.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Dawn and Peter were at the computer, frozen in fear, looking at each other, beads of perspiration pearling down their foreheads. Barney lifted an unconscious Steve in his arms.
“What are you doing?” Cryder asked.
“I’m taking him out of here.”
“The paramedics are on their way.”
“I’m sure they are but by the time they get here, he’ll be dead. I’m going out to meet with them.” Barney took a firm grip of Steve’s body and carried him outside the complex.
Steve briefly regained consciousness in Barney’s arms as he was being carried away. He focused on the same dark haired man I’ve seen before, taking notes. He looked at Steve and smiled before everything went black again for the wounded man.
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