Re: The War: Part 1, Opening Shots

Internal Security Division Case File 2200-LA-1
Reporting Officer:Agent Mackenzie Newman
Supervising Officer: Ellen Thompson

ISD Validation Needed. Sensitive information behind this point will be uncensored, agents of the division are granted full access to all information needed for investigation for the matters of internal security. Failure to produce proper valid identification will result in immediate detaining by ISD for matters of security. This is a reminder of division protocol.
Access Granted.
Proceed.

“So, let me begin, gentlemen-“
“No let us begin Mr. Vries. You have information and access to all areas that we need to begin the assault, and can grant key apostles access to these areas. We need to act now. No more talking aimlessly with gentle conversation. No more.”
“Proklos is right Mr.Vries, allow him-“
“I’m sorry can we switch to English? My Greek is rather rusty.”
“As you like Mr. Vries”
“Thank you. Now how soon would you like to begin the assault?”
“As soon as possible. We need to free our God-“
“Gods.”
“What did you say?”
“Gods. They are three separate entities. Which brings me to a question that has puzzled me for quite a long while; is your organization comprised of a sect of Mormonism?”
“Are you insinuating we are heretics!”
“No, it’s that you worship three separate beings that are not one and the same, so you are non-Trinitarians. The only popular sect that comes to mind that has this in as a paradigm are the Mormons which-“
(BANG)
“Shit…”
“We will not listen to sacrilege against the Lord, Our God.”
“Mr. Vries, I thought you believed in our mission. I thought you heard the voice of the Savior himself.”
“I… (Spitting up blood and wheezing to speak) didn’t. Christ is a man of peace, a member of the human race, not some bastard that pulls a fucking sword out of his mouth, shapes-shifts into a lion, and triggers an event that brings an end to the human race. What I heard was a blood-thirsty beast in the guise of some third rate interpretation of Jesus Christ monologueing about bringing about something I don't believe in. “
“You don’t believe in the end times?”
“No…. (Speaking clearly, and distinctly, but gasping) I don’t. I think they missed with his message. I think they, as in organizations like the various early churches, picked and choose what elements they liked. They took texts they liked and put them into the cannon, and tossed other out. Look at the First Council of Nicaea. I can’t remember the dude’s name that said that “the God” of the Old Testament wasn't the same god as-“
(BANG, BANG)
“We understand your regenerative properties, that doesn't mean we will stand here and listen to your heresies against the Fathers of The Church. Since this meeting place is on an isolated ship, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and you nearly un-slay-able, there are plenty of means to sway you to repent. You may have to meet with our Patriarch, as he is exceptionally skilled in conversions. But until then, as you and I are high ranking members of the monstrosity that is the Foundation, we aren't going to be under observation. As far as the 05 council is concerned, you and I are discussing SCPs that need to be decommissioned, and seeing as we have quite a long while till we arrive at shore, Proklos here can start opening you up to our message. Perhaps a baptism is in order for his conversion?”
“I agree Dr, what about a hollow point round to his lungs? To help ceases his incessant ramblings?”
“I Agree”
(BANG. Bullet stops. In mid-air across the table)
“Oh, I’m sorry; I forgot to mention the Gnostics. They weren't Trinitarians, nor were the Deists of the Enlightenment. Personally I believe that Christ was just a man. The birth and miracles don’t matter in the least bit. I also think that the Old Testament God is a cruel being not worthy of worship, as he is a hypocritical, pity, and wrathful being. He’s a butcher, with no love in him, and had an abusive relationship with the Jewish people. And I don’t think that Christ would come back only to leave a portion of the world’s population to burn without any chance of salvation. It defeats the whole purpose of being saved. The whole idea is that you can be saved and forgiven at any time, and the whole rapture thing is just getting your ticket punch early. I also think he only died to prove a point in non-violent protest. He was the messiah, one of peace and love, not of one of wrath and hate. You see humanity has free will, but we need some guidance, that’s where Christ comes in. So I don’t believe in original sin either. He died to show humanity how to live, how to live in the face of oppression. That’s what I believe.”
(Send bullet flying back to Proklos, hitting him the heart. Dr is frozen in place. He can still hear though)
“So when I see others trying to oppress and destroy, I have a tendency to get rather angry. I've got an extremely low tolerance towards ignorant buffoons that wish to take away the gifts of existence from others. The gift of feeling. The gift of joy. The gift of love. The joy to hold the love of your life in your arms as the low roar of the streets dulls and cafés of Amsterdam being to lite with the break of dawn…”
(He looks at the Dr with malice, and he returns focus to the matter at hand)
“And you fools want to end it all. End the beauty of life. Something I cannot allow. So I’m declaring war on your army. I’m going to execute every single last member of your puny organization that isn’t already informing on you as a triple agent, and I’m going to personally watch your David Koresh wannabe implode from the inside out.”
( Dr Unfreezes and lunges across the table, grabbing Vries by the throat. He speaks with a voice that isn’t his. One that is ancient, one full of power, and with a dialect that he cannot even begin to place)
“Try heretic, just try. The end is coming, the Lord will be released, and you shall watch your world be consumed in flames.”
“Not if my hell-fire envelopes your army’s first. You will never see your false Gods free. That much I can assure.”
(The Dr is then turned into a million bloody particles that spray everywhere, except onto Vries. He gets up, and walks away, evaporating into smoke. The ship can be seen from the shore. It was later discovered by the Greek Navy. No one was aboard, and all documentation of the case has been destroyed, and the ship is now in Foundation custody)
*
“Are you ok Mac? God it's 2 in the morning. What happened?"
"My flight got canceled, so I had to arrange another. Just go back to sleep. I'll wake you, well go walk a few blocks over, get a cup of coffee, and I'll take you to your first class."
"Ok… are you coming to bed?"
"No I'll be up. I need to make a few calls. I'll see you in a few hours."
**
"Yeah, what is."
"I need to know how I did."
"Fine I guess, a bit amateurish, you didn't have to bust out all the stops."
'I sent the message didn't I?"
(Sighs)
"Yours. Not ours. You aren't impartial; it's much too personal for you. I assign you to this case because of your abilities, not because of your beliefs or convictions. We have limited knowledge on this John of Patmos. We not do not know where he is, what he looks like, what his full capabilities are. The only thing we know is he is out of our reach. Most likely what you would have seen if you came into full contact with him would have been an illusion. He's got t complete rein over the minds of all the handlers we've captured from our informants info. He's only able to influence those that have opened their minds to him, hence why he wasn't just order a O5 to open all of the doors of XXXX. Any person that he has had infiltrate into the Foundation that hasn't been one of ours has been terminated. The only way we can get to him, is by smoking him out, i.e getting him fired up enough so we can detect him-"
"And?"
"And when he spoke directly to you one of Clef's boy's indicated over twenty different place of interest. All of which we are investigating at this very moment."
"Are you going for the kitchen sink?"
"No, we aren't. This whole thing isn't that dire. We sent Xi-13, since we don't know exactly what this guy is capable of. We've raided 10 locations so far, three in Greece, three Italy, three the U.S, and one in Ireland. All members taken into custody from the European raids are former members of the clergy of The Eastern Orthodox Church and Catholic Church. All of who were relieved of their duty due to their constant preaching of the end times. The American members all had been associated with sects of Protestantism that focused on the Book of Revelations."
"That's great process-"
"No, because all of the captures were found to be brain dead. He got our message. And he replied. I'll debrief you later on Mac, but listen this was a shot in the dark. You did well, but remember, you aren't Clef, and you aren't his student. You’re my student. I'm trying to teach not only to rely on your wit, but also to make sure you don’t have rely completely on bending. You are to be reserved and subtle. Allow your enemy to strike first. Clef's tactics of busting balls works on unstable level 4 reality warpers greens, not on skilled, aged, veterans level three’s. You maybe hunting your own kind, you maybe talented, and you maybe skilled, but your just a fledgling. Remember that,"
"Yes sir."
“You can call by my first name from now on. You aren't a grunt living in my shadow. You are a now a acting operative of the Internal Security Division. We aren't a task force that goes in guns a blazing. We a are cloak and dagger operation. Make sure you keep it that way. Do you understand Agent Mackenzie?
"Yes Commander Ellen. I do."
"Good. Go sleep."
"I will commander, thank you."
***
I didn't sleep at all. My first assignment was a bust. It took months of intensive concentration for all members of the research department to finally believe in my cover as a Dr. Vries. I had to channel a field that would allow any within it to believe my cover, and then forget immediately once they left it. After that I had to do a permanent bend to the mind of DR___, who I had only meet on two occasions, for brief 30 minute meetings. When I was told to stir things up, I was. As myself, not as some cover ID I bent reality to make true. I released all my frustration that was built up from lying. Now I have to wait even longer to do so again.
I hate being in ISD. I miss the days in which I could hunt down creatures of the night as part of Omicron-9. Burning and blasting monstrous foes in alien environments, and then going on leave back to Amsterdam to take classes at the University, my absents where of course excused. There I meet Danielle, who I fell in love with, and lived with in between missions. She believes that I am on call as ghost writer to many clients across the globe, and given my skills, this claim is more plausible with each passing day. Once Clef told me my skills were no longer need for combat and I was to become an agent of the fable ISD, I told Danielle I would gone for longer periods of time, as my clients, pleased by skill writing articles for them, wanted entire biographies. I hate forcing lies on her and I hate myself for it. She hasn't left me, and hasn't cheated on me, as far as I could sense. But I don't allow myself full access to her mind. If she is, then left it be. She is here when I need her, that's all that I care about. So I'll keeping paying the bills for this apartment, as long as I don't walk in on her with another man, like that Simon and Garfunkel song, I'll be fine. Until that day, my war is a war that I fight for her. And every war was it opening shots. These where mine.