The Ragnarok Protocol Pt 08

Zeb is a world class engineer living a life normally reserved for the super wealthy: traveling to exotic locations and bedding beautiful women. All on someone else's dime.

Then comes The Plague. Fifty million dead worldwide and no end in sight. After more than a year stuck alone in his house, he gets a cryptic offer: solve an impossible problem first and get a million bucks. But the strange missive is just the beginning. His mysterious new employer has loftier plans which will take Zeb around the world, and beyond, in a sexy science fiction adventure.

The Ragnarök Protocol is a tale of erotic science fiction about an engineer who, with the help of his beautiful companions, attempts the impossible in an effort to avert the end of the world. If you're a fan of the science fiction and spy movies of the sixties and seventies, but always wished they didn't fade to black when things got sexy, then this novel is for you.

Author's Note: This is a full novel (~98k words) which I'll attempt to break up into easily consumable sections. All characters are over eighteen. Enjoy!

*****

Chapter 24

I awoke to complete darkness. I felt around and decided I was probably on the floor. I had a headache, likely from the knock-out dart, but otherwise felt fine. I rolled onto my knees and determined by feel that the space I was in was completely empty and about two-by-two meters. I felt along the walls and found a door but nothing resembling a light switch or mechanism to open the door. I next felt along myself and discovered that I was completely naked. Just as I was starting to panic, I heard the door mechanism cycle, and I was blinded by the light in the corridor.

Before my eyes could adjust, I heard Hadley whisper, "You moron. Why'd you storm into his office like that? Now you've fucked everything up."

"I know. I just felt like I had to try to get Bonnie back, like I owed her the effort out of the love I thought we shared."

"And where did that get you?" Hadley said, disgustedly. "She's getting backdoored by that fucking monster and you're stuck in here."

I looked around the room while I pondered what she'd said. "When did you decide he was a monster?"

"I think I've always known. You have no idea what he's done, Zeb. But I thought I was so in love with him that I didn't mind. Then, the day after we got here, I told him I wasn't ready to have a baby yet. That I wanted a chance to settle in and make sure we wouldn't be doing more trips back to Earth. Then he changed completely. He's so anxious to father some kind of fucking master race that he has no time, or concern, for anything else. He ordered the supplements removed from my food and he effectively kicked me out. Now I just do his dirty work. That's all I'm good for now. I had hoped you'd help me get away from him, but now you've gone and flicked him in the dick, metaphorically, and you're stuck here."

"Can you help me out?"

"Of course not. If you got out, he would know I helped you."

I had finished looking around my jail cell, for lack of a better term. It was completely featureless. I played my last card in desperation. "Can you at least put me in a room with an environmental sensor? It's pretty chilly in here with no clothes on."

She looked both ways down the hallway before saying, "Ok, but don't try anything or I'll have to dart you again. You don't know what he'd do to me if I let you escape."

I said, "Scouts honor."

She forced me to walk in front of her as she held the dart gun on me. We moved three doors down a short, but featureless, hallway before she opened another door and motioned me inside.

I said, "Can you leave the lights on?"

She said, "I'm sorry, Zeb. I have specific instructions, and his terminal is wired into the whole complex. He'll know if I have defied him."

"I understand, Hadley. Thank you for the small kindness you've shown me."

She looked around again before she stepped into my cell and kissed me fiercely before saying, "He'll likely tell me to space you before the day is out. But if I can figure out a way to save you without killing myself I will. I'm sorry about everything, Zeb. You're such a better man than him. I wish things had worked out differently."

I caressed her face and said, "This isn't over yet. Do want you can for me and, failing that, do what you can for my family. You can still redeem yourself if you really want to."

She kissed me again and then closed the door. The lights turned off moments later, but I could see a tiny green light on the ceiling from the environmental sensor. I slowly counted to three hundred to make sure Hadley had left. Despite her assurances that she was on my side now, it would take more than words for me to trust her. When I finished my count, I whispered, "Ilsa?" The green light blinked once.

*****

It took about three hours for Ilsa and I to work out a plan, due mostly to the fact that she could only answer yes or no, and she was unable to ask questions or offer insight. I definitely wished I had taken the time in Boy Scouts to learn Morse code.

The first phase of the plan was implemented immediately. Ilsa was able to find a suitable cubic in which the family could hide out for a short time. There was no food there, but it had power and water. She was also able to guide everyone, including the boys, there without them being observed. This removed the possibility of kidnapping or blackmail.

Ilsa obviously knew exactly where I was, but it took us a while to agree on a strategy for my leaving. She was unable to open the door remotely so someone would have to come get me out. We also had no way of knowing how hard it would be to open the door once they arrived.

Finally, we had no way of knowing how tight the timeline was. Hadley had said Sinnsyk would likely execute me soon, so we had to act with a degree of haste.

Once we had a seemingly workable plan, I told Ilsa to proceed and settled in to wait. It seemed to take forever but I was later told it was less than an hour where the door slid open. Lucy and Elin were standing in the hallway, with Lucy crouched in front of the door and Elin standing behind her. The former said, "No time to talk now, my love. Put these on."

She handed me some clothes, which I quickly put on, and then she handed over a phone with an earpiece connected. As soon as I put in the earpiece, Ilsa said, "It is good to be able to speak to you again, Zebadiah. I know this was not exactly the plan, but I will explain later. Please follow them, quickly."

The door slid closed as Lucy finished up fiddling with the access panel. She then hurried off behind Elin with me bringing up the rear. Ilsa must have been guiding her movements because she moved very quickly, frequently entering unmarked doors or darkened hallways. Twice we were told to hold position for over a minute before Ilsa once again told us to proceed. We walked for a total of nearly twenty minutes before, yet another unmarked door opened before us, and we found my family on the other side.

I was met on all sides in a mass embrace, including my nephews. I hugged Lucy and Elin the longest before kissing them and offering my sincere thanks.

I said, "Catch me up, I've just had Ilsa to talk to since I was locked up and she could only respond to yes or no questions."

Zoe said, "Ilsa called us four hours ago, about ten minutes after you left, and warned us that we might need to relocate. Sophie went to get the boys from school then and we packed up some clothes, your laptop, and as much food as we could carry. Right when we finished, Ilsa said you'd been detained and that we should move quickly. She led us through a series of empty corridors, sometimes in the dark, until we got here. Once we settled in, we've just been talking to her about how we could spring you. We felt better when she said she was able to communicate with you, but we were still very worried. We eventually decided, about two hours ago, that we couldn't wait any longer, so Elin and Lucy left to break you out. Lucy because she's the best with electronics. Elin because she's actually a bad ass, she's a black belt in taekwondo. Since then, we've been waiting nervously as Ilsa gave us updates."

My head was spinning with questions. I started with, "So you know about Ilsa?"

"That she's a self-aware computer who secretly runs this place? Or that she's completely amazing and none of this could have happened without her? Of course we know. She's part of the family now, Z."

"Indeed," I said. "Ilsa, it would seem that all of our one-sided repartee was for naught."

"I wanted you to have company," she said timidly, "to the degree it was possible. And some of your suggestions were incorporated into the plan. But, in essence, you are correct. In most cases the 'plan' you and I were discussing was already in motion before you brought it up."

I said, "Thank you, Ilsa. Sincerely. I don't want to imagine what could have happened to my family had you not taken such quick and decisive action."

Zoe said, "Our family, Z. Ilsa is part of the family now."

Sophie and Zoe led my nephews into another room while Margrethe walked up to me and hugged me. Her eyes were red from crying. She said, "What about Bonnie?"

"I'm so sorry baby," I said, tearing up myself. "I fear Bonnie is lost to us. When I entered Sinnsyk's office she was having sex with him. And the insults she hurled at me, and indirectly at all of us, left little doubt as to her loyalties. I think the drugs she was getting changed her personality, and it was that other person we fell in love with."

"I was afraid of that," she said, openly crying once more. "When I first met her, she was an angry, vindictive person. When I processed her onto the island, she was spewing hate on everyone. Then, a week later, our paths crossed again, and it was like she was a different person. Gone was the hate and anger and it had been replaced with warmth and compassion. It was the newer version of Bonnie that I became friends with and then fell in love with. I cannot believe I was so foolish."

Lucy said, "Never regret loving someone, Margrethe. You made world better place through your love. We must mourn loss of Bonnie we loved, but do not regret having loved in first place. That love is best part of you."

Margrethe hugged Lucy tightly, saying, "Thank you, Lucy. You're right, of course, but I think I just needed to hear someone say it. I love you so much."

I wrapped my arms around both of them, kissing them both on the head. Then I looked up at everyone else and said, "Ilsa, I think we need to have another talk. And this time I promise to listen to your advice. Elin, could you go grab Zoe and Sophie real quick? We can sit in the living room."

When we were all seated, I began, "I believe that Oskar Sinnsyk presents a clear and present danger to both the colony and, specifically, to ourselves. It is possible, even likely, that the only way to guarantee our safety will be to remove him. But, before we proceed, I'd like to make sure we're on the same page. It's not just that he locked me up, or that he's involved in the drugging of everyone's food. By the way, his excuse for that was to ensure no one got homesick. I suspect there's something even more sinister going on. Hadley mentioned that I had no idea what Sinnsyk had done. This is worse than his sexual depravity or his eccentricity."

Sophie said, "What are you saying Zeb?"

"I'm saying that we need to be prepared for this to come down to him or us. It's not like we can do a citizen's arrest and hand him over to the police. Both legally and realistically, he's the god damned emperor of the moon and the only thing keeping him from doing whatever he wants is someone forcing him to do otherwise."

Margrethe said, "I agree that extreme measures may be required, but we should find out what exactly he has done before we proceed."

"But how do we do that?" Elin implored.

I said, "Ilsa, what's Hadley doing right now?"

"She is in her office," our newest family member answered. "I believe she is crying."

"Is she alone?"

"Yes."

I thought for a long moment before continuing. I said, "Ilsa, can you place a cone of silence, or whatever you call it, over Hadley's office, and then can you arrange for me to make an untraceable phone call to her?"

"Of course, Zebadiah. Would you like to speak to her now?"

I said, "One moment. Most of you know Hadley already but, for Zoe and Sophie's sake, she is essentially Sinnsyk's right-hand woman. She did a lot of the recruitment of beautiful people for the Enclave, including everyone here save Zoe and Sophie. She is also the person who knocked me out and locked me up in addition to other unsavory things she said she's done for Sinnsyk. However, she showed genuine fear and contrition when I last spoke to her. Apparently, she was really hoping I would save her from Sinnsyk. I intend to offer her a chance to redeem herself, any objections?"

Margrethe said, "That question is unanswerable until we find out what she, and he, have done. But we must know, Zebadiah."

Everyone else nodded, so I said, "How about you, Ilsa? Any insight or objections?"

"I have been trying to find out more information for you Zebadiah. I am trying to access Mr. Sinnsyk's personal terminal but the encryption he uses is very good. I am unlikely to break it in the time frame required. My only advice is to not allow Ms. Kristiansen to know your location, or even that you have rejoined your family, until it is more likely that she can be trusted."

I said, "Agreed. Ok, Ilsa. Please put through the call."

The phone rang several times before disconnecting. "Ilsa said, "I am unsure why she did not pick up. I am observing her office and am certain the correct phone rang."

"I bet she's screening her calls. What did the incoming number show up as?"

Ilsa said, "It showed nothing."

"Can you make it appear to come from my phone?"

"Of course, program running."

The phone started ringing again and Hadley picked up on the second ring. She didn't say anything for a few seconds, but then quietly said, "Zeb?"

I said, "I'm here, Hadley?"

"Where are you?" she whispered fiercely.

"I prefer not to say, let's just say I found the accommodations you provided not to my liking. The question is, do you still want to redeem yourself?"

She whispered fiercely, "Mr. Sinnsyk could be monitoring this call right now."

"Hadley, I can't be very specific, but I assure you this call is not being monitored by Mr. Sinnsyk. Neither is your office, or your terminal currently being monitored in any way. I can't tell you how. You're just going to have to trust me."

"Oh Zeb! I'm so scared. He would kill me if he knew I was talking to you."

"I'll do my best to prevent that. But first I need to know the rest. What could you not tell me earlier?"

"I'll tell you, but I swear to you I had nothing to do with it. I only found out a few days ago while I was digging through his personal files."

I said, "One moment. You have access to his personal files?"

"Of course," she said, cynically. "I'm his most trusted assistant."

"We'll see about that. What's his username and password?"

She said, "His username is World's Greatest Lover: all lowercase with no spaces or special characters. His password is Ragnarök: make sure to use an o with an umlaut."

Lucy looked down at her phone and then showed me the screen. It was a text from Ilsa saying, "I'm in"

I said, "Thank you, Hadley. Can you tell me the rest now?"

She let out a long sigh, punctuated by a sob, before saying, "It's just so awful, Zeb. I still can't believe he could do it. How could I have missed this? I knew he had some pretty fucked up ideas about intimacy, but I never imagined he could go this far."

"What is it, Hadley. What did he do?"

"The Plague, Zeb! He's responsible for the Plague."

Chapter 25

Zoe was sobbing softly, as Elin and Sophie tried to console her. Lucy and Margrethe had the expressionless faces of a person who is trying to come to grips with something unimaginatively shocking.

I said, "How? I mean, why? Why would he do that?"

Hadley said, "He believes the human race is too sick to survive. Between climate change, neo-fascism, overcrowding, hunger, you name it. So, he decided to rid the Earth of humanity for a generation while a handful, chosen by him, were selected to survive in this lunar colony. But it's worse than that, Zeb. Once his plan was put into action, he decided that his initial plan for humanity to repopulate the Earth, namely everyone here making a bunch of babies with an eye towards returning to Earth in fifty years, wasn't good enough. Once he got here, he decided that he was the only one worthy of fathering humanity's future, hence the contraceptives."

"So, he's just completely fucking insane?"

She said, "Pretty much, and a sociopath to boot. The last entry in his journal, which he maintains religiously in the belief that future generations will view him as a cross between Noah and Moses, he was lamenting how slowly the Plague was killing people. He posited that he could try to build pods which he could deliver to Earth's atmosphere using his rockets. The pods would contain an aerosolized version of the virus to increase infection rates by an order of magnitude."

"Who is helping him?" I asked. "This is too much for him to do on his own."

"Diana is the project leader. She has a team of about twenty people. They're doing everything in the Old Dome, which was the first part of the colony they built and is only accessible to select personnel."

"What have

you

done about all this?"

"The honest answer is that I haven't done anything yet which cannot be undone. I know that makes me a terrible coward. However, my plan was to download the formula for the vaccine from his terminal and then get it to the United Nations on Earth. There is a communications blackout, but I figured I could bluff my way onto a shuttle and up to the space station. From there I was going to somehow steal a rocket and head for Earth orbit so I could transmit everything."

"He has the vaccine?"

"Of course," she said. "That's something else I found in his files. When you were processed onto The Enclave on Earth by that brunette smoke-show you've now shacked up with, she didn't test you for the virus even though I'm sure she was convinced otherwise. The needle she used to take the blood sample was coated in the vaccine. You were never tested because it would be a waste of time, not to mention that it was irrelevant. Mr. Sinnsyk developed the vaccine and the Plague simultaneously. That's why he was so cavalier about safety protocols, because he knew no one on the island could get sick."

"I'm going to put you on mute for a moment, Hadley. Don't go anywhere."

In that moment, my mind was made up. I looked around the circle of the women I held most dear. I said, "Anyone still have any reservations about this being him, or us?"

Sophie said, "What a fucking asshole. We're talking about a

literal

genocidal maniac. Hell no, I don't have any reservations.

Margrethe, Lucy, and Elin nodded in agreement.

Zoe said, "He killed Mom and Dad, Z. He fucking killed them. And now he wants to kill everyone else. He has to be stopped."

I said, "What about you, Ilsa?"

"As you know, Zebadiah, I have no inherent morality. My core programming instructs me to preserve life. Mr. Sinnsyk seeks to destroy life. His continued existence is counter to the continued existence of the majority of humanity."

"Does that mean you would feel comfortable participating in his removal."

"That was assumed in my original answer."

I said, "Ok, Ilsa. Is Sinnsyk alone right now?"