2.21.
Olivia sat nervously in the interview room of the police station where Morrison and Osterham had brought her. She knew that she hadn’t done anything wrong, but she still couldn’t help feeling a little bit like a criminal.
The FBI believed that it had identified John’s family. They wouldn’t say too much except that he had a family, and that they were looking for him, and that they required Olivia’s input in order to ensure that the situation was handled with the delicacy and discretion it required.
It had been made very clear that Osterham didn’t want her involved in the investigation beyond what she had already been, but Morrison and, apparently, their superiors had wanted to ‘read her in’ to see if she wanted to continue to be John’s advocate. She’d take all of two seconds to make her decision.
She had signed all of the NDAs that they had put in front of her, never once questioning why they were being so secretive until after all the paperwork was signed and she was waiting to speak with the agent in charge of the investigation.
She sipped the crappy jailhouse coffee that Morrison had left with her and waited patiently. Trying to ignore the part of her that thought she looked like she belonged in a scene from Law and Order .
Eventually the door opened, and a woman came in. She was middle aged. Tired looking, and wearing the uniform of a Major in the Earth Space Force. Olivia frowned to see a military officer – especially one that was part of the international cooperative forces that were tasked with defending Earth from extraterrestrial threats. The woman, however, seemed pleased to meet Olivia. They shook hands, and Major Mary Phillips introduced herself.
“I’m certain you’re wondering why the ESF is involved in this little operation,” Mary said once they had both taken a seat. “Before any of that, I would like to clarify something. You said that you couldn’t place John’s accent. I’d like you to listen to a recording and tell me if the accent is a match.”
The Major placed an egg-shaped object on the desk, and a hologram of a child with a sloped forehead appeared and began speaking in broken english. The child was bragging about her language studies and how hard she was working to learn the new Darkworld tongues. Several holograms flashed by providing a brief example of similar children making similar claims.
“I have to admit that yes, the accent sounds very similar to John’s,” she said after the fifth example. “I’m sorry, I’m just a little overwhelmed by the technology you just displayed, to be honest. Did we get that from the aliens?”
“Yes, doctor, we did,” Mary confirmed. “They’re shipping us these devices by the tens of thousands. We’re calling them PHDAs. Personal Holographic Data Assistants. They’re effectively alien cellphones with advanced communication features and holographic capabilities.”
“Remarkable. How long until that sort of technology makes it to the public?” Olivia asked.
For some reason, Mary made a face. “Anyway, Doctor Nunes, I am here to read you in to the situation in which you have unwittingly become involved. It is a very delicate and complex situation, and it requires a very soft touch. We are hoping that since you already have an established relationship with the subject, that you will consent to further involvement. There are state secrets involved, and I won’t be going into all of the information which we have on the subject, only that which we feel is necessary for you to make an informed decision.”
“John,” Olivia said. “Don’t call him ‘the subject.’ His name is John.”
“Okay, let’s start with that. We believe that his birth name is not John Doe. Obviously. We believe that his name is Eodar. And you may not believe this, Doctor Nunes, but we have significant reason to believe that Eodar is the clone of a hero from the wars which shaped the Yonohoan empire and that the aliens consider this child to be a significant cultural hero.”
“That’s absurd,” Olivia said immediately. “He’s not an alien he’s a human child. A twelve year old boy.”
Stolen novel; please report.
“Yes ma’am. His DNA is a 99.7 percent match for modern humans,” Major Phillips agreed. “And it is a very very nearly 100% match for our records of Neanderthal DNA. The DNA sample taken from a member of his immediate family has proven paternity conclusively. John Doe is Eodar, no last name, of the Yonohoan people. A clone created using advanced technology that is illegal even by the aliens who possess it.”
Olivia wanted to scoff, but she forced herself to pause and look at the evidence. The claims of aliens in the solar system weren’t going away. She’d seen their technology first hand now. She calmed herself and forced her to reexamine the evidence from a new angle. She had initially assumed that John’s abnormal behaviors were evidence of a learning or neurological disorder. Then she had assumed that they were eccentricity related to his extremely high IQ.
“Okay, let’s say that I’m choosing to believe you for now,” Olivia said. “How did he get here, why is he here, and what do you need me for? I won’t consent to anything unethical, regardless of whether he’s a natural born citizen of Earth or not. As far as I’m concerned he’s a child and one that I have chosen to advocate for.”
“That’s exactly it, doctor. By Yonohoan standards and our own, John slash Eodar is a juvenile who can’t advocate for himself. He needs an advocate who is concerned only with his best interests. Because of your existing relationship and your professional qualifications, we are asking for you to step into that role.”
“Okay. I’m in,” Olivia said without any hesitation. “Now tell me everything that you believe you know about John so that I can start doing my new job.”
Mary nodded, impressed by the woman’s dedication to her chosen profession. “The fact is, Olivia, that we know that Eodar possesses memories of being conscripted to scout worlds like ours for a defunct military organization. He was trained, apparently from age four or younger, to infiltrate a society while posing as a child in order to gather intelligence. While the military that is responsible for this act has been disbanded for a very long time, it is likely that Eodar believes that it still exists and that he is on a mission to infiltrate Earth. One which he would have gotten away with, if it weren’t for us receiving key information from the Yonohoans.”
“You think he’s a spy,” Olivia said. “My god, what are you people planning? He’s just a kid.”
“Yes, we are aware of that. We are hoping to take him into custody and convince him of the fact that the war he was conscripted into has been over for a very long time. Unfortunately we don’t know what sort of training he possesses or what technology he has access to. The Yonohoans believe that he might be dangerous, and considering what they are capable of that implies that he poses a significant threat. We want to treat him with the dignity that a child-soldier deserves, but we also have to keep in mind public safety.
“The jet-like vehicle that he used to infiltrate earth is still burning in Washington. We have to assume that, despite the conditions in which he was found, he retains access to some sort of covert weaponry. For those reasons and several others we can’t allow him to simply remain in place. We have to bring him in. But we’re trying to come up with a plan that will take into account both his unique situation, and at the same time prevent any collateral damage.”
“He’s just a boy,” Olivia began to argue.
“If he really is just a boy then we’ll all look pretty foolish when this operation comes to light and it looks like we’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars preparing to interview an innocent child,” Mary agreed. “The fact remains that we need to interview him and we need to go into the interview assuming the worst case scenario. The last thing we need is an alien infiltrator perpetrating a school shooting or hostage situation because he feels that he has been backed into a corner.”
Olivia looked down at her coffee, which had grown cold. “Okay. I’m not entirely convinced. But I know by this stage that you’re going to do what you’re going to do no matter what that means for John. So how do I help him? What do you need me for?”
Mary smiled at her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We’re not monsters, Olivia. We want to help Eodar. I view him as a victim, not a criminal. We just need to be prepared for any fallout if he decides that he doesn’t want our help and responds poorly to it.”
“Right. You’re right,” Olivia said. “So let’s go over it. How are things going to go down?”
Mary nodded, and she began explaining the plan in detail.