Unknown Location
The Federative Noocracy of Solm
23:45 JST - Zero Hour
- The distinct sound of a police siren whined faintly in the distance causing Jack to shudder involuntarily. Two years of research, six months undercover in some of the worst criminal gangs in the Dominion and then a further four months spent dodging his pursues, from the Solmian Immigration Service and Police, to the Solmian Army, had all led up to this one moment; the crowning moment in his twenty-sever year career.
He had repeated this line to himself eight times now in the forlorn hope that it would grant him some measure of strength; grace him with the power to leave his car. Yet each time it had failed and he had remained stuck in his seat, too afraid to move. He had arrived at the designated meeting place nearly fifteen minutes ago and he knew that the window for this interview was closing quickly.
He let out a deep breath that he had been holding in since the passing of the police car several minutes ago. He had realized hours ago that he ceased thinking rationally, for after all, that police car was probably several kilometres away, they would not suddenly discover his location is his breathing became slightly louder. Yet, dispute the logic of this argument, he had held his breath anyway.
Jack Thompson was not a man prone to deep introspection, he lived his life to the edge and if other people didn’t like it they could go fuck themselves, was his traditional opinion. Yet in this very moment, if he was honest with himself, he knew that underneath all his layers of macho-boasting and bluster, he was a coward, a spineless coward who had allowed his brother to die.
Jack’s eyes began to dampen at the thought of his dead brother, yet he abruptly and violently shook his head, dispelling the corrosive thoughts before they could poison his mind any further. Recovering from the small episode, Jack took a deep breath and reached out for the fourth time, grasping the door handle in his sweaty right hand. With a slight click, the door popped open and Jack stepped out of the small car into the moonlit street.
Pulling his thick, black trench coat tightly around his body, Jack left the warm interior of his car and walked across the vacant street and into the motel compound. A slight breeze rolled down the empty road, piercing through his skin and into his bones. Teeth chattering he maintained his brisk pace and quickly covered the ground between the motel entrance and the ramshackle flight of wooden stairs next to the unlit entrance. He ascended the staircase cautiously; afraid of making any noise while also fearful that the dam thing would collapse right underneath him any moment.
As he rounded the corner at the top of the motel stairs, he was struck by the sight of a bloated rat corpse seeping yellowy puss into the stagnant pool. Though it was illuminated by a nearby streetlamp, light seemed unable to penetrate the piercing darkness of the pool. Jack tried to suppress a shudder at the confronting sight, yet his efforts failed and his body began to tremble. No wonder this place was referred to as the ‘Last Resort’ he thought to himself grimly.
He finally arrived at his destination, room B13. This door was no different to the previous twelve which had just passed. It had been painted a sickly vomit brown decades ago, a paint job which was beginning to flake off in large chunks. The metal handle was worn and rusted with age and there were scratch marks around the lock; clearly indicating that several pervious occupants of this room had been forced to entertain unwelcome guests. Yet despite these similar features, room B13 projected an air of malice and unease which he had not felt until this point. Hand visibly shaking, Jack reached out and slowly turned the metal handle, flecks of rust rubbing into his palm in the process, until he heard a click.
He cautiously pushed the door inwards; moonlight streaming into the dark room in the process. His eyes began to dart around the room frantically, looking for any signs of an ambush. Suddenly, from the darkness, a piercing voice cut through the silence, speaking at no more than a whisper, “Dit is ver genoeg meneer.” Despite the man barely whispering, Jack was able to hear him as if they were standing right next to each other.
Jack took a small step away from the door to show that he was complying with the man’s demands. Moonlight flooded into the middle of the small bedroom, catching the bright metallic outline of an automatic pistol. “Wel my vriend, jy beter 'n baie goeie verduideliking vir hierheen te kom. Anders sal jy ongelukkig nie live hierdie klein ontmoeting te vertel,” said the man, his tone even and measured. Jack’s body was tense and he could feel beads of sweat slowly tricking down his forehead, “Het jy 'n candy bar?” he asked.
The insanely ridiculous nature of the code word had not truly dawned on him until the very moment it had left his mouth. If this was not the man he was looking for, he knew for a fact that he would die in the next five minutes in a very slow and painful fashion. The room was silent for a moment, before a roar of laughter erupted from the darkness, “Weet jy hoe belaglik klink jy!” Jack had jumped at the unexpected sound but his feelings had abruptly changed from those of dread to embarrassment. “I didn’t know that Sali was common in Solm,” Jack said, trying to regain a measure of respect. “Dit is nie, dit is net vir my eie beskerming. Ek is seker jy verstaan hoekom,” said the man, gesturing for Jack to close the door and sit down on the tattered, light green couch near the door.
Jack closed the door quietly before walking over to the couch. He sat down and began to fumble around for the light switch on the lamp which he had seen at the end of the couch earlier. The man remained quiet and eventually Jack found the switch and flicked it downwards. The lamp spluttered to life, emitting a weak aura of light which barely pierced the darkness of the motel room. Convinced that this was as much light as he was going to get, Jack retrieved his small notebook and a pencil from his right jean pocket. After scrawling a few preliminary notes, he began to tap his pencil against the notepad softly, a habit of his that never failed to help calm him down, even in the most tense of situations. Finally, after roughly two minutes of silence, the man spoke again in the same even, measured tone, “Jy het 'n lang pad Mr Thompson. Wat doen jy wil weet?”
Jack paused for a minute, thinking about the question before replying eagerly, “Let’s start at the very beginning...”
***
International News – The Judean Sanctum – Elected Government or Solmian Pawn?
March 9th, 2011
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Reprints & permissions Corruption at the Highest Levels of Government!
By Jack Thompson
- PRETORIA – Rumours have circulated for years regarding the existence of a secret cabal of individuals representing the true power behind the Judean Sanctum. [1] These ‘faceless men’ are alleged by conspiracy theorists to have the resources, motive and ability to alter the very fabric of nations within Judea. I vowed to uncover the truth behind these often ridiculed rumours, no matter the cost.
My dedication to the syndicate was tested several times during my incarceration and after my time was up and I was released, the syndicate leadership had decided that I was trustworthy enough to become a drug mule in the lucrative and highly illegal Solmian black market. [2]
After being smuggled into Solm through Hobit, I managed to integrate myself with the local criminal underground. It was here, in Solm, that I learnt the truth behind this conspiracy theory. At one meeting of the Solmian branch of the syndicate leadership which I had been instructed to sit in on; it was revealed to me that ‘faceless men’ which I had been hunting did not exist. At this point, I had accomplished my original aim; I had debunked the myth that a secret cabal of individuals was responsible for the real decision-making in the Judean Sanctum. What I discovered, was far worse.
A secret society influencing the course of events in Judea did indeed exist, yet it was concentrated in one nation as opposed to the clandestine group of individuals from every nation as outlined by conspiracy theorists. A ‘shadow’ government, a vast organization operating behind the scenes to influence the Sanctum and control the fate of every nation in Judea; the Solmian ‘shadow’ government.
Comprised of highly-placed officials in a range of fields, this ‘shadow’ government is predominantly made up of individuals from Solm’s armed forces, as well as intelligence and diplomatic communities; the true rulers of the Noocracy. After unearthing this startling revelation I pledged to discover how deep the tendrils of this clandestine group extended into Judea.
I spent the next four months evading the Solmian security agencies who were intent on tracking me down and silencing me while simultaneously searching for someone who could provide a window into the ‘shadow’ government’s activities. Out of the blue, after weeks of searching with nothing to show for it, I was contacted by a high-placed individual within the ‘shadow’ government; codename Redwing.
When asked for a comment, the Solmian Borough of Foreign Affairs[3] released an official statement stating that:
"The Tergnitz Global News Agency is fabricating ridiculous allegations in an attempt to spur a conflict to gain power in the regional administration. The Noocracy is fully open in everything it does and has no corruption pertaining to its leadership of the Judean Sanctum"
TGNA fully refutes the Solmian Governments claims and petitions the Dominion, on behalf of all Judean nations, to demand that the Convocation conduct an independent inquiry into all Solmian dealings and actions within the Sanctum over the past ten years.
[Page 1 2 ]
[1] [Official Inquiry in Sanctum Practices Terminated Mid-Investigation]
[2][Narcotics From Abroad – Prelude to Invasion?
[3][Free Speech Crackdown In Solm?]
[1] [Official Inquiry in Sanctum Practices Terminated Mid-Investigation]
[2][Narcotics From Abroad – Prelude to Invasion?
[3][Free Speech Crackdown In Solm?]
Copyright 2011 Tergnitz Global News Agency. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with express written permission of TGNA.
URL: http://www.tgna.trg/articles/38736657/
© 2011 Tergnitz Global News Agency
