—You must have friends somewhere else.
—I have connections in several countries, but if by “friends,” you mean military-trained people who will foray into US territory for a rescue mission in a hostile environment, then no, I do not have friends at the moment. I do have access to substantial amounts of money. Given enough time, I can probably assemble a team of mercenaries, but it is not something that can be done in a matter of hours, even days.
—How long?
—Two or three weeks at best.
—She can’t stay in there for two weeks. She could die today, tomorrow. She might be dead already.
—There is time. They will not kill her. This might sound insensitive, but she is too valuable an asset to risk permanently damaging her. Her stay will involve some unpleasantries, I am sure. Ms. Papantoniou will do everything in her power to discover what makes her…special, but she will not kill her.
—I know Alyssa won’t kill her on purpose, but you know Kara. She can get a rise out of anyone. I’m worried she might do something stupid. I’m sure the guards were told not to harm her, but they won’t just stand there while she beats the crap out of them. There are a lot of guns in there, people on edge. A lot of things can go wrong.
—I suggest you accompany me back to the United States. We may be able to convince the Office of the President that it is in their best interest to help.
—What do you need me for?
—I will be arrested the minute I step through the White House gate. If they decide to let me sit in a cell for a few days, you can deliver the message yourself.
—They won’t lock you up before they hear what you have to say. You go. You convince them we need their help. I’ll stay behind and see what I can do from here.
—What could you possibly do? You do not know anyone and you do not speak the language. Where will you hide?
—Nowhere. You’re right. I’d have a hard time ordering coffee out here. I’ll go back. I think they’ll let me in.
—They will lock you in a room and never let you out.
—I don’t think so. I’ll tell them I realized that this project is all I have, that I have nowhere to go. They probably won’t trust me at first—I mean, it’s too obvious—but if I keep it up, they’ll want to trust me. It would be too convenient for them if I really wanted back in. It’ll be impossible to resist. I’m pretty sure they’ll give it a shot.
—If they do fall for this rather patent subterfuge, what will you do then?
—Wait for the cavalry. Make sure nothing happens to Kara.
—And if I were to be unsuccessful? You will have risked your life and lost your freedom again, for nothing.
—I’ll find a way, maybe. I’ll try to come up with something better than hiding in the trash. I’ll try to find out what Alyssa has up her sleeve. I mean, if she’s willing to treat us like prisoners, she can’t really expect us to cooperate that much. She must be really close. Maybe she has something working already.
—Before she evicted me from the premises, she suggested she might have found a way to keep the helmets working after you had turned them on. She made it sound more like a project than something functional.
—I doubt that. She has a big ego, but if you were that close, wouldn’t you step on your pride for a few more days rather than risk everything on a bet? And that can’t be all of it. She couldn’t keep the helmets turned on forever. She’d still need us to start her up from time to time. It would need to be something we don’t have to do voluntarily. It’s hard enough to get up there as it is, I can’t imagine trying to bring up someone who doesn’t want to go.
—Please forget about the investigation and focus on finding a way to escape again. I am worried that Alyssa may not be the only imminent threat to your life and that of Ms. Resnik. The cavalry, as you called it, might do more harm than good.
—Do I wanna know?
—There are a lot of moving parts to this plan. The United States government might simply decide to cut its losses and neutralize the threat.
—You mean blow us all to pieces?
—Nothing so dramatic. The public might frown upon the United States carpet bombing a national park in Puerto Rico.
—That’s reassuring. You had me worried there for a second.
—I would surmise that a few well-placed torpedoes near the sea-lock chamber would prove just as effective.
—Nice. If it breached, we’d all drown within seconds, and no one would have to know.
—Do you wish to reconsider your decision to return?
—I can’t leave Kara down there. Besides, just in case there is an afterlife, I don’t wanna spend eternity hearing how I let her drown alone in Puerto Rico.
FILE NO. 255
INTERVIEW WITH MR. BURNS OCCUPATION UNKNOWN
Location: New Dynasty Chinese Restaurant, Dupont Circle, Washington, DC
—I am on my way to the White House.
—I know. That’s exciting! And yet you wanted to have lunch. You must be famished.
—Time is of the essence so I will not waste it with pleasantries. I need your help.
—You, asking for help? You really can’t think straight on an empty stomach and you haven’t eaten since you left San Juan.
—Do I dare ask how you know so much about my whereabouts?
—Funny, isn’t it?
—What?
—How strange this must be for you. You’re usually the one who knows things he shouldn’t about other people.
—Perhaps. But everyone can guess as to how I am privy to such information. It seems logical to assume that you and I do not frequent the same circles, which would suggest a vast network of information that no one is aware of.
—I’ll take that as a compliment, coming from someone who specializes in vast networks of information no one is aware of…Did I ever tell you the story of the fisherman and…
—No, you have not, and you will not. I do not have time for stories or colorful metaphors. What I require of you now are facts, and expediency. If you are unable or unwilling to oblige, please do not delay me any further.
—No stories then, but it’s your loss, it was a good one. I should be on my way.
—Please stay. If you are concerned by recent events in North Korea, I can assure you I did everything in my power to prevent them.
—Me, concerned? If you knew what I’ve seen in the last…in the last years, you’d know it takes a lot more than that to worry me. Please don’t take this as a personal insult, it’s not, but I may have overestimated you. I really thought you understood. I wouldn’t have come forward otherwise. I’m sorry.
—What exactly have I so miserably failed to grasp?
—I don’t know where to start…Oh, yes I do. First, it’s not about you, you arrogant prick! In the grand scheme of things, no one gives a damn what you approve of, don’t approve of, what you try to prevent or what you have for breakfast. This is a grand scheme of things…thing.
Second, it’s not about me either. I’m flattered if you’re looking for my personal approval, but it doesn’t matter much in the end. They are worried. That’s your problem.
—I fully realize the extent of my insignificance in history, believe me. I have yet to form an opinion on the extent of yours. I suspect your place in it is more considerable than you would like me to believe.
Before you judge me, and by extension, all of us, you must understand that while I would do everything I can not to antagonize technologically superior beings and risk a conflict of apocalyptic proportions in a near or distant future, my first duty is to ensure that this discovery does not lead to pandemonium in the here and now.
—Of course! You have a job to do. You don’t need to justify yourself to me.
[Good evening gentlemen. Are you ready to order?]
—I will have the Kung Pao chicken, and a cooling tea.
—I’ll have the same…Maybe there’s hope for you after all.