Author: Warning! Some blood with little bit of gore in this chapter.
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Naturally, the disappearance of Baldr is a big blow to the organisation. An "abort all capture operations immediately" memo is put in place immediately after it becomes apparent that Baldr cannot be found. Next, the agents in charge review the site security and are trying to piece together a picture of the disappearance. Because of various explosions that ripped through the building the emergency services are working through the damage as well. But those explosions are probably just a smoke screen because the bomb locations were quite poorly chosen.
The handler in charge is professionally and efficiently issuing instructions in rapid succession with his game face on. But underneath this calm mask, his mind is racing. The damage of this escape is huge. Sure, he made contingencies for this. Mindful that other powers internal or external to his team will want to capture his resource or at least want to disable it. So the number of planned resurrections has always been limited and spaced out. All contact and interaction with Baldr with anyone was also thoroughly controlled. Anticipating such an event, he had always refused to increase Baldr's work load or to wide the service. And he was right. In his opinion, without a another resource, it was just too dangerous. Yes, see, he was right!
He is fully aware of the number of deaths that are currently in the pipeline and the damage this stop of service causes. In his mind he runs once more through the options. Then he pauses for a moment before nodding to himself. He opens a safe in his office and retrieves a large sealed envelop. Without hesitation, he rips the seal and flips through the content.
With quick steps he leaves the office onto the operations floor. Scanning around, he spots the deputy handler and waves him over.
"Engage operation steel net.". The stack of paper changes hands. Leaving these words behind he walks back into his office and closes the door behind him.
His deputy confirms the orders and immediately puts in place the single most sophisticated manhunt the country can muster. Standing behind the door, the handler listens to the hustle outside his office. He makes sure that he won't be disturbed for a few minutes. The handler plunged into the leather seat at his desk. He sighs deeply. With this order, he condemned every living person that Mar every had significant contact with to a painful death. The protocol initiated is intended to dispose of all evidence after securing all information available through all means necessary. The aim is to find him but more importantly to wipe out any trace of Baldr's existence. This should slow down or even deny any third party to trace Baldr but also to hide his action to protect his clients and the committee.
It contains a list he made. He knows the list by heart, the list of possible enemies, acquaintances and friends numbering in the low dozens. He slightly regrets to never have told a hint of this plan to Baldr. But he was concerned that any knowledge of this contingency plans would have been a risk to Baldr's cooperation rather than solicit compliance.
However, 'steel net' is all but damage limitation. If Baldr is able enough to escape their tight surveillance then this manhunt has only a 1 in 10 chance to find any trail. The handler is well aware of the freak's capabilities. Over the last year he submitted that freak to various clandestine tests for this very reason. And he has yet to find a chink in his scary abilities. On his desk is a computer screen, an old 80x25 character terminal directly connected to a purpose build computer system that has information about Baldr. It is the only one of this kind. Other than the server in a secret vault this terminal is the only access to this system. The connection is secured using state of the art encryption and even Baldr with his abilities was not able to detect the presence of this system. Well, maybe he never looked for it hard enough, the handler thought bemused.
After he switched on the terminal, he is greeted with the usual blank screen
> _
Then, after another, deeper sigh he is using his typical two finger style to enter the only command this system is designed for and capable off:
> OPERATION STEEL HOOK IS A GO _
The system immediately queries
> TARGET ? _
The handier types it in
> BALDR
There is a long pause as the blinking cursor appear to be thinking. The handler is all to familiar with what he just set into motion. After a long minute the system responds
> CLEARANCE ? _
The handler swallows hard whilst anticipating what comes next. A compartment in his desk opens and a glove like object extends from underneath the surface. Sweat starts running down his brow. Shaking the sweat off he unlocks a desk drawer, takes out a letter and closes the drawer carefully. Nervously, he wipes his forehead with the sleeve. Then, the letter flops on the table and gets neatly pushed in place dead centre on the table. Then with two fingers, he places the drawer key on the centre of the envelope. Finally, he holds up his left hand and looks at it intently whilst wiggling his fingers. He seems to collect his thoughts. Suddenly, with a light scream he jabs his left hand into the glove. Immediately his hand is locked in place and he can feel the sharp pain of several needles drilling into his wrist.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
This is the mechanism for the maximum security authentication the handler has designed himself. The mechanism is programmed to extract blood from the arteries of his body. This authentication system is a one time thing. He designed it to provide clearance only after confirming a lethal amount of blood has been drained. Over my dead body is no longer an empty phrase here.
> CLEARANCE TEST RUNNING
As he feels his life rapidly flowing out of his clamped hand he is desperately hoping that it works. His body is feeling colder and his heart is racing, struggling to keep him alive.
> CLEARANCE GRANTED _
> OPERATION COMMENCING _
Just before his consciousness drops away he can just about make out the last message and a proud feeling of accomplishment swells up in his chest. He never had a chance to test this system fully. Of course, there was a small chance it would not working. After all, this cruel method is meant to prevent the system accidentally or maliciously from activating. Only in specific conditions, with his own blood and moreover the right amount of his own blood the seal will unlock. And to keep this mechanism a secret he never dared to test it end-to-end. He could not risk someone else finding out the activation volume.
But he was able to perform several partial tests. He got himself captured and tortured by different enemy forces. He really made sure that they applied various different torture methods. During his interrogation at a suitable time he leaked the information about a secret location with a dummy system. Of course, the enemy did make him enter the site and attempt to access the system. Because of contamination of his blood due to drugs or even simple blood loss during the interrogation, the system failed clearance every time. Conveniently, his death also meant that the enemy lost interest in the system considering it lost 'the key'. Afterwards, he had Baldr resurrect him again.
The handler can feel the now familiar signs of death and with a last rough gasp he died. "Baldr, come find me….", were his last thoughts.
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Detecting no further live signs the glove clasp releases the hand and with a whack the arm falls on the table followed by the rest of the upper body. Some of the blood is still oozing out from the wounds. Then the glove retracts into the table.
> ESTABLISHING PARAMETERS . . . DONE
> SELECTING SCENARIO . . . DONE
> LAUNCHING PROTOCOL . . . DONE
> PROTOCOL: ENEMIR COMMENCING
> PROTOCOL LAUNCH CONFIRMED, PENDING ACTIVATION SEQUENCE
> PREREQUISITE FOR FINAL ACTIVATION: SELF DESTRUCTION OF ADMINISTRATOR TERMINAL
> PRESS KEY TO ABORT SELF DESTRUCTION OF ADMINISTRATOR TERMINAL . . . . . . . 3 . . 2 . . 1
The screen switches off and a small explosion can be heard from within the desk.
Then the room turns silent. Yet somewhere in the country the most sophisticated software in existence is launched and starts to infiltrate every surveillance system possible. All major and minor civilian, military, satellite and other networks start the automated manhunt. Banks, government departments, corporate headquarters, hospitals, every known information sources are penetrated. With a time limit of 60 days the program is like a parasite or virus getting to every computer available from number cruncher via mobile phones to intelligent refrigerator. At the top of it all the computer is a secret server cluster seeding the advanced AI program to the world like a virus. Every microsecond of everyday, this program is now relentlessly hunting. Without distraction, deviation or rest it does nothing else but to learn, adapt, develop and execute strategies to search for Baldr.
# # #
Oblivious to all of this the deputy handler is walking along the rows of desks on the operations floor. An assistant provides him with a cup of coffee whilst he is checking the first results of the operation on his tablet. Just then, he gets disturbed by a phone call on his private mobile phone. Grumbling, he puts the phone to his ear clipping it under his chin so to hold both the coffee and the tablet. It is a call from an unregistered number. It is an automated message. "You are the Operator for codename ENEMIR, please standby. Run time remaining 1439 hours.". Then the line went dead. At this point his hands loose all their strength and the coffee, tablet and phone drop on the floor.
Turning on his heel, the deputy handler runs into the handlers office only to find a dead body and a large amount of blood dripping off the desk. With an ashen face he proceeded to close the eyes of the dead handler. He then notices the letter with his name. He looks at the key. With shaking hands he opened the last will of his manager finding the lines he did not want to read.
"You are hereby promoted to principal handler. Congratulations. I know of none who deserves it more.
PS: the key is for the desk."
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