Chereads / Oblivion: The beginning is the end / Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: The Bargain in the Shadows

Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: The Bargain in the Shadows

 

"I just want to talk to the one in charge," Vergil yelled.

"Why not go to the Oval Office?" a figure asked.

"That would be seen as a declaration of war." Vergil explained.

"And hacking into a secret government facility isn't a declaration of war?" the figure asked, walking closer to the front.

"Well, that's one way of looking at it." Vergil said.

"What's the other?" the figure asked.

"An opportunity." Vergil claimed.

"For?" the figure pressed.

"Information that would aid me in my goal." Vergil clarified.

"What goal is that?" the figure asked.

"Liberation." Vergil said.

"Of?" the figure asked again.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Vergil replied.

"I am speaking to an extra-terrestrial, so anything you say won't make me question reality or my existence." the figure remarked.

"A demon." Vergil said simply.

"Ah, yes. But what is confusing to me is, where do we fit in this biblical plan of yours?" the figure asked.

"I know it doesn't sit well with America—the success of Africa and interplanetary travel being dominated by the continent. It's like rubbing salt in the wound. That's where I come in. I would help the country in this regard, which is something I believe would be of great interest to your government." Vergil explained.

"What exactly are you talking about?" the figure asked.

"Your very own spaceships at the standard needed for interplanetary travel." Vergil pulled out an A4 blueprint, "Words alone do nothing except invite doubt, but this right here... well, it's tangible proof."

"Okay, I'll make some calls. By the way, my name is Jackie Smith." Jackie introduced herself.

"I am Vergil Anansi, and here." Vergil handed her the plans.

Jackie hurriedly made calls to verify the authenticity of Vergil's claims and the provided blueprints, while Vergil stood calmly amidst the military squad. After what seemed like an eternity, Jackie returned with a group of officials, including a high-ranking officer. They approached Vergil cautiously, their expressions a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

"Mr. Anansi, we've confirmed the validity of your claims." Jackie announced, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"Excellent. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to discuss the terms of our agreement." Vergil responded.

The high-ranking officer stepped forward, eyeing Vergil warily, "What assurance do we have that what you want won't be detrimental to the U.S.?"

Vergil raised an eyebrow. "My intentions are not hostile. I seek only to aid in the advancement of U.S. capabilities in interplanetary travel. In return, I ask for your cooperation in my endeavor."

Jackie remained skeptical, but after a brief exchange with her colleagues, she reluctantly agreed to hear Vergil out, "Very well, Mr. Anansi. Let's discuss the details of our collaboration." Jackie conceded, gesturing for Vergil to follow her.

As they disappeared, the military squad relaxed their stance, relieved that the situation had diffused without bloodshed. Within minutes, Jackie took note of Vergil's request, quickly leaving the facility to contact the Secretary of Defense.

"I've spoken with our visitor, and he's agreed to provide the missing components of the spaceship plans in exchange for information." Jackie explained urgently.

"What does he want to know?" Robertson asked, his voice betraying a hint of concern.

"He's seeking information on a subterranean named Troy and any potential contacts he may have had with fixers or heads of crime syndicates within the last 80 years." Jackie informed him.

"I'll reach out to the Vice President to determine how much we can disclose. Keep me updated." Robertson instructed.

Jackie hung up, feeling a wave of uncertainty. The stakes were high, and the outcome could have far-reaching consequences for the U.S. economy. All she could do now was wait for a response.

Moments later, Jackie's assistant Whitney entered her office with a file. "This is all the information I could find about Troy," Whitney explained, handing it over.

Jackie called Robertson. "Thanks, Whitney. Rob, what he wants is information about a subterranean named Troy… Shit."

"What?" Robertson asked.

"He's the ambassador of subterraneans." Jackie explained, fuming.

"This is manageable. We can deal with any blowback by saying we were watching the people he was meeting with because they were on our most-wanted list." Robertson clarified.

"So, a meeting did take place?" Jackie asked.

"No one in their right mind would hack into a secret government facility and possibly start an interplanetary incident on an assumption. He's certain a meeting happened, or else he wouldn't have come to bargain." Robertson answered.

"Okay, but who has the information?" Jackie asked.

"That would be the head of the CIA. I got the green light. I'll contact him and get you that information. The person who documented the encounter will call you in a couple of minutes." Robertson replied.

"Okay," Jackie said, hanging up. "Jesus Christ, why is this happening?"

"Look on the bright side; at least we've avoided an interplanetary conflict." Whitney responded.

"But this information could kickstart something worse. Why him, though? Where would they even meet?" Jackie wondered.

"I can't say, but—ah." Whitney stopped, suddenly realizing something. She began browsing through her tablet.

"What?" Jackie asked.

"When I was looking for information about Troy, I found out that Vergil was one of the first extra-terrestrials to get approval to live on Earth. He owns a property with Nebula in New York." Whitney informed Jackie.

"I don't know who that is," Jackie replied.

"She's the one Troy was seen with in France, and they aren't just friends," Whitney explained, showing Jackie her tablet.

"Wow, full-on second base? And how did we get this?" Jackie asked.

"A little girl vacationing with her family took the picture and uploaded it online. They were hit with a lawsuit for taking a picture of a noblewoman." Whitney responded.

"I remember Nebula from when I worked in the lower levels. We were under strict orders not to take any pictures of her. If she owns property with Vergil, this could be a love triangle. Thank God it poses no risk to the country." Jackie concluded.

Just then, the phone rang. Whitney looked at the caller ID. "It's an unknown number. Should I patch it through?"

"Yes, it could be the person who discovered the information." Jackie replied.

Whitney answered the call on speaker. "Hello."

"This is Bic Iron, yeah, that's my last name. I was the one working on the case against the cartel when I documented Troy and his meetings with high-ranking members of the Peru cartel." Bic explained.

"What were the meetings about, and where did they take place?" Jackie asked.

"In Mexico. We were tracking them because we believed the cartel was trying to enter the North American market. They wanted to build ties with Mexico to make the transition easier. As for why Troy was meeting with these people, we couldn't figure it out. But he met them four times over five years. The first meeting was June 12, 1979, and the last was August 31, 1984. We couldn't follow him because he appeared out of thin air and disappeared the same way." Bic explained.

"Thank you for the information, Mr. Iron. We appreciate your cooperation." Jackie replied.

"No problem. Just doing my job." Bic responded.

Jackie ended the call and turned to Whitney. "This doesn't add up. If we dig too deep, we'll create unnecessary problems. I think we should leave it alone and just watch for now."

"Okay. I just received the all the files about the meetings. Should I send it to him, or put it on a flash drive?" Whitney asked.

"Just to be safe, use a flash drive." Jackie replied.

Whitney handed over the drive, and Jackie headed back outside to Vergil. "I've got what you wanted." she said.

"Here's the rest of the plans." Vergil responded, and they exchanged information.

"May I ask you something?" Jackie asked, confused.

"Okay," Vergil replied.

"Why would you trust someone you don't know? I mean, these plans have been verified, but the information I gave you might be fake, and you wouldn't know. Your nonchalant body language makes it seem like you already knew I'd hold up my end of the bargain." Jackie said.

"I have an ability that allows me to see a person's true self. Once I saw you, I knew nothing untoward would happen." Vergil replied. He then walked closer and got and he lowered his body and whispered something that brought Jackie to tears.

Afterward, Vergil slowly ascended into the air before a sonic boom echoes throughout the field as Vergil took off flying directly to New York. He landed in front of an apartment, took a key from his bag, and unlocked the door. As it swung open, an alarm went off. Quick to react, Vergil entered the code to disable it. He set his bag down and picked up the mountain of letters on the floor, glancing through them before closing the door behind him.

Most of the letters were addressed to Nebula. Some were official documents, others personal letters and invitations. Vergil sighed, a pang of guilt in his chest. Composing himself, he set the letters aside, took a small box from his suit, and Vergil builds a computer and right after he reads the files he recivered from Jackie and starts searching for everyone mentioned in the files using an Ai to search the whole internet while this is happening Vergil finishes working on an specialized program he had been working on for years; a couple hours later the computer was done and he looks up at the screen, "Alaska huh well guess it's about that time I pay ghost a visit."