specific missions. Although he never spoke about it, he was proud of every merit he had. Especially the ones for breaking up protests with bio-weaponry, and merits for successful bombing of third-world countries long time ago.
Vomiting hippies, gross underdressed whores, all kinds of waste of space.
The general hated waste of space.
The whole time he was walking up to them, both Frank and Weiss were half expecting to be pepper-sprayed in the face, but he barked at them instead:
“Both of you, come with me.”
Obeying was the only option.
He wasn’t shopping for another severe beating, and this guy looked like he could whip one up fast.
Around a few bends they entered a command room of some sort. Four young bespectacled men were surrounded by screens. Each station had several screens both up and down in their peripheral view.
“This is our team.
They will brief you and take care of you.”
Before either of them got a chance to speak, the general was halfway down the hall. Somehow it all still didn’t make sense. He didn’t even have a dwindling idea of what was going on.
One of the men, wearing military issue glasses came out, hand outstretched towards Frank.
His hair was blown away from his face and his face looked far more welcoming than all of the other staff he’d met up till then, combined.
Even though he had the slightest manic look in his eyes, his hairstyle was just CRAZY.
“You must be Mr. Cabella!”
“..And you are?”
“Oh! Sorry. I see you weren’t treated as a VIP.”
He must’ve noticed Frank’s bloody lip because he had a torn lip of his own, now scabbed over.
“I’m Nikos.”
After several minutes of listening to him drone without catching so much as a single word, the shock of it all slowly wore off.
When he noticed Nikos had pulled a flat flask from out of his pants' back pocket, he finally gathered the confidence to speak up.
“That’s quite a mouthful you’ve got there.”
“Oh. Yeah.” Nikos said, taking a swig.
He was a kindred spirit.
“So where the hell are we?” he asked, waiting for Nikos to swallow, and half hoping he'll share.
“This is an underground military base.
Here, liquid courage."
“You guys aren't afraid of the light?
Where are we?”
“Nevada.”
Hmmm.
“That’s what I said when they let me in here. Have you been introduced to what we do here?”
Did he just hear me humming on the inside?
Frank held up the pamphlet from his contract,
giving Nikos an immediate idea.
“Alright … well, there’s quite a bit more to know. That’s the disclosure book.
I know what you’re thinking- this is what every UFO nut is after,”
Frank really was thinking just that.
“ … so, if a single copy ever went public … “ Frank thought he knew where he was going with the sentence, but Nikos concluded “ … nobody would give a shit.”
That was't what he was expecting.
“Anybody with a printer and a little bit of free time could put something like this together.”
“So that’s your way of keeping secrets?
Plausible deniability?”
“Hey, the ‘truth’ just sounds crazy. In fact, nobody would believe it, unless they understood it. And that, unless I’m mistaken, is why you’re both here.”
Both Frank and Weiss had reserved themselves from speaking at all, especially to Nikos, who Weiss was absolutely smitten by. As Nikos was blathering on and on and on and on, they watched him the way they used to watch saturday morning cartoons as kids and grown adults. Almost none of the new information actually got through to either of them, except they now understood that what they were about to learn would change their work, and lives, forever.
“Do you understand what’s going on?” Weiss asked Frank, for the first time, acting casual.
“I’m still trying to figure out the guy’s name.” Frank assured him, though he was starting to understand a little.
Nikos shot Frank an uneasy look that made Frank’s insides
Vomiting hippies, gross underdressed whores, all kinds of waste of space.
The general hated waste of space.
The whole time he was walking up to them, both Frank and Weiss were half expecting to be pepper-sprayed in the face, but he barked at them instead:
“Both of you, come with me.”
Obeying was the only option.
He wasn’t shopping for another severe beating, and this guy looked like he could whip one up fast.
Around a few bends they entered a command room of some sort. Four young bespectacled men were surrounded by screens. Each station had several screens both up and down in their peripheral view.
“This is our team.
They will brief you and take care of you.”
Before either of them got a chance to speak, the general was halfway down the hall. Somehow it all still didn’t make sense. He didn’t even have a dwindling idea of what was going on.
One of the men, wearing military issue glasses came out, hand outstretched towards Frank.
His hair was blown away from his face and his face looked far more welcoming than all of the other staff he’d met up till then, combined.
Even though he had the slightest manic look in his eyes, his hairstyle was just CRAZY.
“You must be Mr. Cabella!”
“..And you are?”
“Oh! Sorry. I see you weren’t treated as a VIP.”
He must’ve noticed Frank’s bloody lip because he had a torn lip of his own, now scabbed over.
“I’m Nikos.”
After several minutes of listening to him drone without catching so much as a single word, the shock of it all slowly wore off.
When he noticed Nikos had pulled a flat flask from out of his pants' back pocket, he finally gathered the confidence to speak up.
“That’s quite a mouthful you’ve got there.”
“Oh. Yeah.” Nikos said, taking a swig.
He was a kindred spirit.
“So where the hell are we?” he asked, waiting for Nikos to swallow, and half hoping he'll share.
“This is an underground military base.
Here, liquid courage."
“You guys aren't afraid of the light?
Where are we?”
“Nevada.”
Hmmm.
“That’s what I said when they let me in here. Have you been introduced to what we do here?”
Did he just hear me humming on the inside?
Frank held up the pamphlet from his contract,
giving Nikos an immediate idea.
“Alright … well, there’s quite a bit more to know. That’s the disclosure book.
I know what you’re thinking- this is what every UFO nut is after,”
Frank really was thinking just that.
“ … so, if a single copy ever went public … “ Frank thought he knew where he was going with the sentence, but Nikos concluded “ … nobody would give a shit.”
That was't what he was expecting.
“Anybody with a printer and a little bit of free time could put something like this together.”
“So that’s your way of keeping secrets?
Plausible deniability?”
“Hey, the ‘truth’ just sounds crazy. In fact, nobody would believe it, unless they understood it. And that, unless I’m mistaken, is why you’re both here.”
Both Frank and Weiss had reserved themselves from speaking at all, especially to Nikos, who Weiss was absolutely smitten by. As Nikos was blathering on and on and on and on, they watched him the way they used to watch saturday morning cartoons as kids and grown adults. Almost none of the new information actually got through to either of them, except they now understood that what they were about to learn would change their work, and lives, forever.
“Do you understand what’s going on?” Weiss asked Frank, for the first time, acting casual.
“I’m still trying to figure out the guy’s name.” Frank assured him, though he was starting to understand a little.
Nikos shot Frank an uneasy look that made Frank’s insides
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