Chapter 55 - Puzzling Debrief?

September 6th, 2017

11.35 am, Naval Air Station Key West, Florida

"You mean to tell me that this young man is the same man who stood in my office a few days ago as an old man?" President Gertrude Pond asks, pointing at Fire through the screen.

This was a two-way video call with the President of the United States on one side while Director Nick Jones, Fire, Wave, Quake, Spectrum, Aviator, Kaori, Dr. Kabeer Wong, and General George Beggingson are assembled on a long table at the other side. Director Jones had spent a full minute answering the President's question as to why so many young and unknown faces were sharing the screen with him. Her shock at his answer is where we jump in.

"It's me, Ma'am." Fire says, "I stood in your office two days ago. I gave you my word that my team would rescue your granddaughters. We did."

President Pond looks at the young man who spoke up. Her eyes focusing on him, trying to peer past whatever veil of confusion suddenly exists. She wonders if her lack of sleep is to blame. Unfortunately, she is currently sitting all alone in the White House Situation Room with no coffee or tea and no one to send out on an errand.

"It's him, Ma'am." General Beggingson says, "I've known this man all my life and I was as shocked as you are right now but believe me when I say that it is indeed him."

"Hmm…" President Pond says, then looks at the rest of the team and asks, "And the rest?"

"I can testify to their identities, Madam President." Dr. Wong speaks up, "I witnessed all their transformations with my very own eyes."

"Dr. Wong, it's been a while." President Pond says with an exhale.

7 months back, when President Pond had been briefed on the existence of both Team Six and the TeeNS program, run out of the Orphanage, she had been introduced to Dr. Wong as an alternative civilian contact. Due to a long standing deal, she could only see Fire and Dr. Wong. So while this is the second time she is meeting Team Six, this is actually the first time she is seeing everyones' faces. Therefore, she wasn't as shocked by their transformation as Fire's.

"It has, ma'am." Dr. Wong says, "Congratulations on the safe return of your granddaughters."

"Apparently I've this group of young people to thank for that." President Pond says, "I can see why you went through the hassle of organizing a secure and off the books video call, Jones."

"Actually ma'am." Director Jones says, "There are two other reasons why. Best to show you."

As if on cue, Fire raises his right hand and enshrouds it in flames. Wave raises her left hand and summons a water ball. Quake raises his right hand and summons a ball of dirt. Spectrum raises his right hand and conjures a ball of pure light. Aviator raises his left hand and brings forth a churning ball of wind. Kaori gradually raises both of her hands and, with a determined look on her face, invokes a little ball of darkness.

"I was in utter disbelief as well, ma'am." General Beggingson says.

Staring in utter shock on the big screen is President Pond. Her face seems frozen. Her eyes are darting between the 6 displays of elemental powers. After a moment, she finally speaks.

"What in God's name is happening here?" President Pond asks.

"We don't really know either, ma'am." Fire says as he extinguishes his burning hand.

"I believe it relates to the final points." Director Jones says, "The rescue mission and the attack."

"Just give it all to me straight." President Pond says. The rest of the team shut off their powers.

"Our current intel suggests that the abduction of your granddaughters was a ruse to get to Team Six." Director Jones begins to explain, "We believe the corresponding attack on the base was a follow up by the same organization to finish the team and retrieve hard drives the team had secured from their facility."

"Woah, woah, woah." President Pond asks, "Are you saying that my granddaughters were kidnapped because of Team Six?"

"They are high value targets, ma'am." Fire says, "Important enough to draw us into a trap."

"And this same organization then followed your team to an American military base on US soil?" President Pond asks, "So what did they want? Revenge for your cloak and dagger antics?"

"They wanted us out of the way." Fire answers.

"Whatever Skull Reich is planning, they deemed attacking a military base to keep their secrets a worthy endeavor." Director Jones interjects.

"I've said it before. Wherever you go bodies remain, Colonel Jonathan Donald." President Pond sighs while looking down at her desk, "What's to stop them from trying again?"

"A second attempt would be too suspicious, ma'am." Director Jones says.

"Team Six, you've my most sincere gratitude. Thank you." President Pond says, lifting up her head to see Team Six simply smiling. No words need exchanging, merely polite nods.

President Pond asks, "Now, what is Skull Reich? How come I've never been briefed on them?"

"Seems they've done everything possible to maintain their secrecy, ma'am." Director Jones says, "Even going as far as using a shell group to throw off any direct links to themselves."

"Didn't you say that some rogue splinter group from some cartel was behind my granddaughters' abduction?" President Pond asks, "What am I missing?"

"Skull Reich used Yao as a smokescreen for their real goal, ma'am." Director Jones says.

"But to what end?" President Pond asks, "What is their goal?"

"Ma'am. The Mad Scientist said the goal of Skull Reich was to rebuild this world and solve the problem of time." Fire answers.

"The Mad Scientist?" President Pond asks.

"He insisted on that name." Quake says, then quickly adds, "Ma'am."

"Apparently he wants to take over the world and live forever, ma'am." Director Jones says.

"That does sound mad." President Pond says.

"He said he gassed us with one of his experimental serums that kills people." Fire says.

"Unfortunately, I was unable to identify what compound was used on the team." Dr. Wong says.

"What if the hard drives and documents contain data on the experiment?" Fire says.

"A secretive organization would be desperate to protect its secrets..." Director Jones says, "The documents were damaged but I did read something about what I guess is a creature."

"Turritopsis dohrnii…" Dr. Wong says.

"The Immortal Jellyfish." Wave says with a nod.

Everyone looks at her with slight confusion.

"I'm a Marine biologist." Wave says with a massive smile, "Not just another blonde."

"You aren't blonde anymore though." Aviator says.

"Yeah, love." Spectrum says, "You need new jokes."

"So what's special about this immortal jellyfish?" President Pond asks.

"Ma'am. They can regress from fully mature to a juvenile. They're potentially biologically immortal." Wave says, "They don't die of natural causes but do from predators and diseases."

"Wonderful little critters." Wave continues, "They've been studied for over a hundred years as a cure for diseases as well as for stem cell research but no one is close to any breakthroughs."

"Sounds like the Mad Scientist wants to replicate that in humans." Aviator says.

"Impossible." Both Dr. Wong and Wave say at the same time.

"Human biology is simply too different to repeat a jellyfish's natural cycle." Dr. Wong explains.

"Clearly not." Director Jones says, "I mean look at the team."

"I might concede that the serum could have triggered their age regression." Dr. Wong says, "But absolutely not their powers. Apart from being purely illogical, their abilities are all different."

"So how else would you explain their powers?" Director Jones asks.

"Hmm." Dr. Wong says, "I have formed a hypothesis based on my preliminary observations."

"Let's hear it." General Beggingson says.

"Has anyone heard of Cosmic Energy Spectrum theory?" Dr. Wong asks.

The room is silent. Heads turn between themselves revealing puzzling looks to each other.

"Alright." Dr. Wong says, "A genius protege to a former colleague of mine does research into dark matter and dark energy, which in total constitutes around 96% of the universe."

"She theorized that such a major chunk of the universe can be harnessed into limitless clean energy amongst other marvelous applications if ever it could be accessed." Dr. Wong continues, "Unfortunately, dark energy and dark matter is simply unobservable by every measure known to man hence the name dark. This means research into the subject is basically theoretical."

"To compound the situation, her papers are regarded as fringe by the mainstream scientific community and she has all but vanished from the face of the Earth." Dr. Wong says, "Though I suspect she works for us, well, the American government."

Director Jones squints his eyes then asks, "Do you know her name?"

"Well, of course." Dr. Wong says, "Dr. Anna B. Worth."

"I know of her." Director Jones says with a nod.

"Is this one of the many projects I'm supposed to be aware of but unconcerned about?" President Pond asks.

"Something like that, ma'am." Director Jones says sheepishly.

"I really hate this cloak and daggers bureaucracy." President Pond says.

Director Jones coughs then says, "Dr. Worth is head scientist at our top secret facility, Area 51."

"Woah!" Quake asks, "With aliens?"

"Don't be daft." Spectrum says, "Aliens don't exist."

"Actually, they do." Director Jones says, "At least one of them."

The room looks at Director Jones in confusion, save for President Pond.

"Sam?" Fire asks, "You tell me this after all this time?"

"Compartmentalization." Director Jones says, "You know the rules. Need to know only."

"What do you mean by aliens?" Spectrum asks.

"Like little green men?" Aviator asks.

"Actually, a Big Grey Man." Director Jones says, "It's good to be the one giving the surprise."

"Back on topic." President Pond says, "Ya'll have given this old woman a long day."

"Right, ma'am." Director Jones says, "I can go ahead and contact Dr. Worth, with your authorization, ma'am."

"Go ahead." President Pond says, "Loop me in on the findings."

"Yes ma'am." Director Jones says.

"So to summarize, a secret organization, calling themselves Skull Reich, was started by a Mad Scientist." President Pond says, "They wanted Fire and Team Six dead badly enough that they not only kidnapped my grand babies but they also followed Team Six to a US military base."

"Yes ma'am." Director Jones says.

"Any ideas on how they knew the location of Team Six?" President Pond asks.

"No ma'am." Director Jones answers, "That's why I asked for a National Security gag order."

"I see." President Pond says.

President Pond rubs her right hand on her forehead to nurse a headache, "How did they get in?"

"They snuck in by digging underground, ma'am." Director Jones says, "Unfortunately, they destroyed the vehicles they used to infiltrate the base."

"What in God's name are we facing here?" President Pond asks.

"Whatever they are, we are here, ma'am." Fire says.

"I thought you were going to retire and disband." President Pond says.

"Skull Reich brought the fight to us." Fire says, "They endangered others, killed others, all to get to us. To clear us away for their plan. But we survived and we are stronger."

President Pond sits silent with a pondering look then asks, "How many dead?"

"One confirmed casualty." General Beggingson answers, "Many wounded and in critical condition so that number may rise."

"May God watch over them." President Pond says, then asks, "So what's your plan, Colonel?"

"We've all agreed to fake our deaths." Fire says.

"A little overboard." President Pond says.

"They want us dead. We have new faces." Fire says, "So we will go into hiding and train. When we re-emerge, we will drag Skull Reich from their darkness straight to the trash."

"Hmm…" President Pond says, then asks, "What about the TeeNS program?"

"It'll be shut down effective immediately." Fire answers.

"Do not worry, Madam President." Dr. Wong says, "I will watch over the little ones."

"Good." President Pond says, "That program should never have been greenlit in the first place."

"We also need to transport the harddrives and prisoner to Langley, ma'am." Director Jones says.

"Prisoner?" President Pond asks.

"Yes ma'am." Director Jones says, "Of the dozen insurgents, the team killed 11 and left one alive for intelligence extraction."

"What's the likelihood of that panning out any useful information?" President Pond asks.

"We have to try ma'am." Director Jones says.

"Do what you must." President Pond says with a nod.

"We'll need a military transport with an escort." Director Jones says.

"You've my authorization." President Pond says, "Get it sorted with Clark."

"Will do, ma'am." Director Jones says.

"An American base was attacked on US soil. Many are wounded, one is dead." President Pond says, then asks, "What am I to tell the American people? How am I to soothe the bereaved?"

"I believe Skull Reich will provide a smokescreen." Fire says, "They've gone through a lot of trouble to maintain their secrecy so far."

"Why not just name them now and be done with it?" Dr. Wong asks.

"Then they'll know they've completely failed." Fire says, "A cornered enemy is twice the danger."

"In the meantime, I will have my most trusted people looking for intel." Director Jones says, "After all, the lack of information falls on my head. We need data on what we are facing."

"What about Bridges?" President Pond asks.

"Right now, the smaller the circle the better." Director Jones says, "Dr. Wong has collected samples from the dead insurgents so we'll run them through all our systems, ma'am."

"Then I'll say it's under investigation." President Pond says, then asks, "Who was the casualty?"

"Her name was Alena Smith, ma'am." General Beggingson says, "She was a 20-year-old college student working as a janitor in preparation to serve in the navy."

"Oh poor child." President Pond says with sympathy, "And her parents?"

"They've been informed by Captain Keyes, ma'am." General Beggingson responds.

"I see." President Pond says, then asks, "How did she die?"

"Ma'am, as far as the MPs could tell, she spotted the intruders and ran to the alarm, triggering it as she was gunned down from behind." General Beggingson says, "Unfortunately, the area is now completely submerged so deeper investigations might not be possible. But her corpse was recovered before the flooding."

"A brave young woman." President Pond says solemnly.

"Ma'am, without her alert, many more could've died." Director Jones says, "The insurgents placed bombs all around the CIA gray site which Fire mostly disabled. Two explosives still went off but the damage was contained and no one was injured. They might have repeated a similar move with this clinic and no one would have known until it was too late."

"So Alena saved a whole lot of lives." President Pond asks, "When is her funeral?"

"Could happen as soon as two days, ma'am." General Beggingson answers.

"I'll authorize Captain Keyes to give her a military funeral." President Pond says, "It's the least her nation can do for her."

"Yes ma'am." General Beggingson says.

"Find these little rat asses calling themselves Skull Reich." President Pond says as she stands up, "Show them what it means to go after Americans."

"Yes ma'am." Everyone says, standing up. The call ends.