I Spy Mission Log - Entry 08/Team 1 Addendum


During a lull in your watch, between guard pass cycles, you check on your e-mails.

*****

The first message is from the Central Intelligence Agency's Information Bureau. Requests for information through official channels have been made by both Michael Kerr and Robert Brennan. As they are presently unreachable, you are instructed to forward the following agency encrypted messages.

The first is earmarked for Kerr, with note of authorization code: Faulken. It details another known CON member, what information suggests Atlantis II is involved in agriculture research, and how thick the ice is believed to be around Whiteout base.

"Colonel Martin Strikewell had been a well respected US military officer for many years, before we learned of his most recent exploits. Namely, heading a covert operation to build a floating dry-dock in the northwest pacific.

"Agents investigating the activities of Colonel Martin 'Mad Merc' Strikewell at a small atoll in the Northwest Pacific uncovered another CON construction. A floating drydock used to construct floating islands confirmed the existence of CON and increased the possibility of additional floating islands. The Mercenary Atoll Mission also hinted at the existence of another CON construction in Antarctica.

"Strikewell is currently working for Ambrosia Importers, a seemingly legit importer/exporter of teas, herbs and natural flavorings, based in Australia; although this is probably just a front for the ultra-survivalist group, CON.

"Colonel Martin Strikewell had been a well respected US military officer for many years. He got the nickname 'Mad Merc' due to his one-man army and decidedly non-chain of command approach to completing missions. His men were fanatically loyal, which contributed to how well his off-the-wall orders were executed, and thereby how well missions were accomplished. A note on Strikewell's file indicates the CIA had earmarked him for the Special Projects division, classified most secret."

"Atlantis II is believed to be involved in agriculture research as the CON organization practices natural food farming, supply hoarding, and other survivalist techniques. These activities, coupled with the shuttling of prefabricated heavily insulated housing units, components for a geodesic dome, thousands of feet of pipe, tones of assorted non-perishable supplies, live plants, food, clothing, and laboratory equipment from Chile, all seem to confirm the initial assessment."

"The ice in the area of Whiteout base is thick enough to provide ongoing geothermal heat and power for a base of its size indefinitely, given the proper steam turbine equipment."

The second message is for Brennan, and includes a background search of Miss Hemingway and her knowledge of William Billeter, and whether or not the SCAR scientists aboard Penguin One had noted Whiteout's armaments.

"Miss Hemingway is head of a freelance bodyshop currently working with the UN subgroup dealing with aid distribution, in the form of financial, information, and tangible resources to impoverished or natural disaster stricken areas. She is on loan to the UN Security Council because of previous experience working with Billeter in the business world. Aside from this recent information, very little is known about the woman."

"Penguin One had actually commented that Whiteout Base, for all intents and purposes, outwardly seemed like a legitimate civilian research outpost. The only weapons noted were personal weapons carried by a half dozen base security guards."

The remaining messages are addressed to yourself, from various folks you've contacted.

Concerning Shadowcat's capabilities, Kumango Pentjak-Silat is an actual martial art style.

"The loose and sandy soil found in the region of Sumatra has strongly influenced the development of this martial art. This version of pentjak-silat prefers to use an upright stance. This style uses an effective balance of arm and leg attacks, but often arm strikes only serve to distract the opponent, setting him up for a powerful kick. Stylists sometimes slap a free hand against a thigh or throw sand to distract their foe.

"The skillful footwork found in this style sets up the powerful leg strikes found in this system. The almost rhythmic movements of this style can lull the opponent to underestimate the fighting skill of the adept.

"This style's core martial arts abilities include: a greater adrenal defense (dodging/blocking attacks), degree 3 martial arts strikes, degree 2 martial arts sweeps, and Kris weapon kata (can use the style with a knife in hand). This style allows very skilled practitioners the use of a skill called 'Light Feet'..

"With 'Light Feet', the individual learns to focus the power of his mind to make his steps light and quick. Success will allow the character to run on snow, sand, or a similar unstable surface without penalty due to terrain. Also, the individual can avoid limitations associated with fighting on these types of terrain."

Only one known practitioner/teacher of Kumango Pentjak-Silat has achieved the kind of mastery that would allow them to walk on snow as if in snowshoes while wearing regular boots. He is a retired sensi who lives in the Chicago area. The message mentions that while this feat is nearly impossible in standard issue combat boots, perhaps your associate's equipment only appears 'regular'.

Information about the digital landscape pictures have finally come in. Too little, too late.

"All indications point to hole you encountered as being a natural fissure. Your present area is riddled with them, from small foot sized cracks to large gaping fissures. To make matters worse, constant storming in the area has concealed many of them. Be careful."

Your tech weenie buddies have replied on Sue's 'natural energy transfer/enhance/retention micro fibre tech', whatever the hell that is. Their answers make it clear why you don't have a pair of long-johns made out of THAT.

"We investigated some British intelligence reports we'd received about a year ago on a miracle hybrid fiber which potential would solve deep south outfitting problems. The idea was to convert the mechanical effort of body movement into heat and energy, that energy warming the micro coils in the fabric when the body's at rest.

"The problem is the sheer strength and endurance required both to move and to withstand the crushing forces of an outfit made from this first generation technology fabric, requires. The safety parameters were too narrow to be feasible within the US. Perhaps the brits have found a way to improve the system since then."

*****

You send your exact coordinates to your allies in the U.S. (in case there needs to be an extraction).

Your NSA contacts have already responded to the digital photo taken tonight of the 100' high antenna tower supports and guy wires, sent out earlier this evening. This setup is consistent with a radio tower connected to a standard radio unit, although technically speaking it could also be used for controlling/launching engines of mass destruction.

You send a set of Whiteout Base photos to a military analyst.

You light a fire under your contacts (and perhaps even your superiors) for information about Kristin Jones. Agents from other countries (or worse, freelancers) who manifest psychic phenomena are not something you want to overlook. Maybe this will be my in to the "X-Files" type guys (love those conspiracies). Maybe I'll try to get her to bend some keys or spoons...

Some additional information you receive before the end of your watch: Jones and Hemingway are very close, Hemingway doesn't seem to have any other staff on retainer, and it seems Hemingway is fronting Jones for some reason.

You contact some of your assets about Jones' idea that 'we MAY BE the 'purely military solution?' Or at least that Zeb & Co. had it as a possible backup plan?'

*****

Closing your laptop you finish out your watch. After Sue leaves for her watch, and you are settling in for a few hours of shut-eye, something that has been bothering you finally works itself out.

Back at the military airstrip in Christchurch NZ, you recall feeling 'something out of place'. Your mind's eye has finally worked out that one of the three transport plane's crew did not have a nametag patch. And of the three crewmen, two are unaccounted for (one was DOA in the pilot's seat).

Tim McHale