[The Blue Sphere] VI - FPS & Ping

[Merovingian 656]

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living, dead, aliens or actual events is purely coincidental. Talk to my lawyer, I didn't do it.

 

Previously on TBS

Part I - The Notebooks 

Part II - CM Vs. TO 

Part III - Cardinal

Part IV - Ruckus in Berlin

Part V - Omega Formula: The Cimarron members carried on with the visit of Berlin, before meeting with Professor Rigge in Cologne. He featured in one of the pictures discovered within the notebook and was both the Physics Teacher and a good friend of Vik’s parents. The teenagers learnt more about the past of Kurt and his incredible Blue Sphere discovery, the Omega formula and the Goldilocks parameters. The old professor believed that the missing page contained the Goldilocks parameters and unfortunately asserted that without them the discovery is worthless. New details of the unbelievable Blue Sphere’s power were revealed, however, it remained theoretical because no testing has been performed to prove them.

 

VI – FPS & Ping

 

 

Cologne, Professor’s house

---

“Professor, do you know about Them? Who are they?” asks Cardinal.

 

“I can confirm, as your father already told you in his letter that Sergei is part of Them,” the professor replies. “However, regarding Professor Rabinovich, I do not think that he is one of them. It is all I know for now.”

 

“Back in France, someone attacked us and then warned us about the ‘Three Bears’,” she says. “Do you suppose that it is related to the Bears from the Goldilocks law?”

 

“Hum, that’s a stretch, indeed the parameter cannot arm you directly, although experimenting with the wrong value could create an unstable reaction in the Blue sphere that could stall it in the best case scenario or provoke a massive explosion and that would be the worse case scenario. However, I believe that the term Bear refers to people from Russia, it would therefore suggest that there are three Russians whom you need to be careful about. In that case, Sergei could be one of the Bear. It is all but assumption from me.” He pauses. “Nevertheless, you still need to be cautious as this discovery would attract a lot of opportunistic crooks and villains of all sort, that would sell it to the highest bidder with potentially catastrophic consequences.”

 

“Don’t you think that the notebook would be safer if kept in my care?” He asks Vik in a neutral tone.

 

The boy, finding this request highly suspicious, steps back to study the old man and firmly retorts: “No! My father gave it to me with the duty to look after it. It is his legacy and I want to comply with his will.”

 

“That is fine, I thought you would say that”, he replies in an amused way. Then suddenly he declares in a soft and weary tone, “It has been a long and fruitful afternoon, but you will have to excuse me, I need to rest now. We can still talk further over the phone that now we know each other a little bit better.”

 

The teenagers acquiesce and leave the house to travel back to Leonie’s place. In the train traveling back to Berlin, the teenagers were all keen to discuss the freshly gathered information confirming the importance of the Blue Sphere, nevertheless they did not dare to talk about it aloud nor in too many details in case someone eavesdrops. One particular revelation that puzzles them the most is the fact that they only possess half of the discovery. The second point of worry is that they still knew little about their adversaries who are operating in the shadow and probably have more resources than them, but they still have the advantage of secretly owning the precious notebook.

 

Kilian jumps in with a comment of his own: “You know what else we can never trust?”

 

“Wait, ... what?” Leonie asks.

 

“Atoms... They make up everything!” Everyone laughs at his joke.

 

“Seriously, are you ever going to grow up one day?” Leonie retorts. “Hugh, it is so frustrating not knowing whom to trust. In our online video game, everything is simpler: We are the blue team, and the red team is the opponent. Rules are defined, you score points, the team with the highest score wins. Everything is crystal clear. Simple.”

 

“While in the real-life things are far more complicated.” Says Cardinal, pursuing the philosophical conversation. “And it is not all blue or all red in this multifaceted world. We could build an alliance with strangers and make a bit of a journey together following a common goal. Of course, you are taking a risk embracing the unknown but at least it is an assumed choice, a calculated risk.”

 

Her last comment raises a couple of eyebrows from her puzzled teammate, yet she does not seem to care much about it. Vik is thinking about that characteristic trait of Cardinal he likes most; her direct and unfiltered speech, filled with conviction and poise. He wishes he had more of these. In a way, she is similar to Killian but without the lousy humour. She takes notice of his grin and sends him an interrogating look. The train-driver loud announcement of the imminent arrival saves him to explain himself. Quickly he grabs his bag and tucks the notebook in the front pocket.

 

It is rush hour and the train platforms are crowded with Germans in a hurry to leave the busy and grey capital for the peace of the green suburb. As they exit the wagon, Vik is pushed away by the uncontrollable commuter flow and gets separated from the rest of the group. In the process, he is shoved forward and falls hard on the pavement. He fights back to stand up as additional passengers topple over him. In the chaos, he hears worried calls from Cardinal looking for him. Although the incident lasted less than thirty seconds, it was quite intense. Eventually, he is happy to reunite with his friend, but his girlfriend still looks bothered, and she quickly rushes to check his backpack content, and then she mumbles angrily, “ДЕРЬМО! The notebook is gone.” Before he realises that something bad happened, she had jumped on the nearest high point to survey the crowd and look for the possible thief.

 

“ДЕРЬМО! ДЕРЬМО! ДЕРЬМО!” She shouts crossly. The team realises that the precious notebook has been stolen during the commotion by an expert thief, who get away unnoticed. They have lost their advantage and realised that They somehow knew the teenagers had it all along.

 

 

Berlin, end of the week

---

At Leoni’s house, the morale was low. Two days have passed since the loss of the notebook, which was quite a blow to their quest, especially for Vik. They try to cheer him up, but with little success so far; half of the time he is in a bad mood and the other half he is absent, detached. Cardinal looks also upset and she keeps saying that it is all her fault, … that she should have stayed close to him at all times, but she doesn’t look that bothered about the notebook being lost. Despite the setback, they still wish to carry on with their travel plan to visit Moscow and they are ready to leave the next day.

 

The doorbell rings and an unexpected parcel addressed to Vik is delivered by courier. Strangely, there is no stamp and no sender address to identify the sender. By the time they try to ask question to the delivery man, he was long gone. However, the odd delivery stirs the boy out of his melancholy. He is cautious while opening it and he finds a thin dossier all written in English with several papers, letters and pictures. The full Cimarron team is now surrounding the open package and is busy scanning through the fresh pile of information. The letters hold headers of a company or an organisation called Free Plasma Syndicate, FPS for short.

 

“Wow!!” says Killian. “Look, this letter is addressed to you Vik and signed by ‘Marcus Valk, a friend with a common goal’. Who are those people?”

 

After reading through the Marcus' letter it appears that the FPS is a non-governmental organisation with the aim to develop and share Plasma technology for free and for the benefit of all.

 

“Vik, the FPS has the same goal as your father,” Killian says. “Maybe we should share with them what we have learnt so far, they could also help us, I mean … to find more about your father.”

 

“This could be a ploy from the people after Kurt’s legacy, they try to look nice to get to us.” Warns Nikolay.

 

“Why would they do that now?” Asks Killian. “They already got the notebook! And why would they give away this amount of information about themselves? That would not make sense.”

 

The new set of information that was mysteriously provided to the teenagers, with unknown purpose, sheds light on many key points.

 

The document reveals that the “Three Bears” is a nickname of the Troika Organisation (TO) lead by a triumvirate with a common goal to gain more power and riches. The three individuals aim to seed conflicts between different countries with the prospect to sell military grade weapons. They also actively seek the latest deadliest technology to acquire - or steal - in order to create even more powerful weapons. Marcus, from the FPS, names specifically two of the triumvirate associates - Sergei Vonabalab and Vorik Noymes - while the third one still remains unidentified. The few available intelligences gathered hint to a person of influence in Russian currently highly placed in the government, either an old party member of the former Soviet Nomenklatura or a retired secret service agent from the KGB.

 

Vorick is at the head of a wealthy and growing Industrial empire based in Solikamsk in Perm district. His companies’ prospect and exploit energetic resources, such as natural gas and petrol, as well as mine ground minerals deposits of magnesium and potash. He has no known family members or off-springs. In contrary, Sergei’s business is currently in decline due to fewer wars and the lack of Russian military budget following the end of the so-called Cold War. He owns many properties across the country including a datcha in Aleksandrovsk. He has lost his wife long ago and had to raise his daughter.

 

“Incroyable, I might have seen this man before,” says Vik seeing a picture of Sergei Vonabalab for the first time.

 

“Are you sure?” Asks a worried Cardinal. “When? How?”

 

“I am not sure, but it was long ago during my childhood in Russia when I was about five.” He tries to recall. “It was during winter and he was accompanied by his daughter. She seemed sad and lonely. This is a too old memory, I could be easily mistaking it with another one.”

 

“Don’t worry, you were just a small cute boy back then and I don’t think that it is important for now.”

 

Among the other documents, they find additional general data. A map of Perm District marking the location and nature of the company assets of Sergei and Vorik. The pictures featuring the members of the ISIDA project team including professors Ping and Rabinovitch. But most importantly a complete list of the scientists with their contact details which will come handy in order to pursue their investigation. The mysterious package from FPS brought them with new leads reviving the motivation in their quest and lifting up the mood just in time for their next, and last, leg to Moscow.

 

 

 

Solikamsk, Russia

---

A man, with a strong build and a nasty look, enters the office of Vorik Noymes in Solikamsk. In front of him, by the window, stands a small shadow with an imposing presence and expensive clothes: His boss. Vorik is overlooking the many factories of the huge industrial zone spreading afar behind the large window of the room. More than half of them belong to the Noymes Industry Mining consortium. Noe Doomdog approaches the desk and hands over a small package. Vorik opens it and the corner of a blue notebook appears, he scans it and eventually smirks.

 

“Hahaha,” he laughs sardonically. ”At long last, after so many years. The missing piece of the puzzle.”

 

“Sergei was not happy about our interference with the agreed plan.” Neo says.

 

“I don’t care about this old git” He sneers. “His plan took too long, we could not wait any longer, we needed to act. Bring the formula to Ivan at the Electrolux’ experimental lab and do not waste time on your way. Order professor Ping to perform the testing at once as we have already done all the necessary arrangements. The hydropower plant on the Kama river is ready.”

 

A strong feeling of satisfaction mixed with joy emanates from the man in suite.

 

 

Moscow, Russia

---

The Cimarron team is finally in Moscow after a lengthy 5-day journey by train, an 1800 km journey slithering through the East Europe landscape, exploring unfamiliar territories and sightseeing two remarkable European Capitals: Warsaw and Minsk. They first stopped in Warsaw (Poland), and stayed there for a one-day tour: In its old town they lingered in the Market Square in Praga District, with its pastel buildings and open-air cafes, and made acquaintance with the local town’s symbol: The Mermaid.

The second stop was Minks (Belarus), renowned for its monumental Stalinist architecture and other cultural attractions like the KGB Headquarters and the Red Church, to the delight of Nikk’s camera.

 

In Moscow, they settle in Nikolay’s place, on the first floor of his father's garage located in the northern part of the capital. They rest there to regain strength after the exhausting five days trip on the uncomfortable seat and crowded wagon. At dusk, during the dinner, Cardinal suddenly announces to the team that she is leaving the tour due to important family matters, without adding further details. She expresses her sadness and apologies for leaving the party in the middle of their quest, and she wishes them to complete it with success. Vik tries to recover from the news, but the boy is stroke harder when her taxi parks in the garage’s court and honks abruptly. He pulls a gloomy face and follows her like an empty shadow down to the car.

 

“Vik, I don’t know what to say.” Her hazel eyes are shining and she looks away to hide them. After taking a deep breath and she hands over a carefully packed gift. “This is for you, so you would remember me and the good time we had together.”

 

“What is it?” He asks looking curiously at a glossy wooden box decorated with shapes of ornamental flowers and birds (mainly swans) painted with red, gold and black colour.

 

“It is a traditional Russian craftwork called hohloma, it is less known by foreigners than the Matryoshka nesting dolls, but very popular in my region.”

 

“Thanks, I …, it is so sudden, why do you have to leave? Especially now when I need you most?”

 

“I wish I could tell you, unfortunately I can’t. We… had bad luck from the start. We both come from two different worlds. Maybe in a different circumstances…”

 

“Still …”

 

She quickly reaches for a goodbye kiss to silence him and shorten this painful breakup. “Do svidaniya Vik. Take care of yourself.”

 

She tears away from him and gets in the car, both departing in the opposite direction. Vik eventually looks back, to see if Cardinal was looking back at him, to see him looking back at her. She does. Now, he knows that there is a chance that they will meet again…but when?

 

When Vik comes back upstairs, he finds Killian and Leonie hidden in a dark corner and before they realise that the boy sees them he explodes. “Bro! How can you? I hate you.” And he runs off the premises and flees into the heart of the cold night.

 

 

Epilogue

---

What is this Electrolux lab? Will the troika organisation succeed?

Will he meet Cardinal again and will he find out the reason for her sudden departure?

What did Vik saw to trigger him like that?

Let’s find out in the next Part.

 

* * *

 

Extra: Confidential Dossier

The Free Plasma Syndicate (FPS)

Leader: Marcus Valk (from ███████)

Objective: The syndicate primary objective is to promote the Plasma Technology for the good of Humanity. It also aims to fight against individual, manufacturer or organisations that intend to keep it for themselves and misuse it. The FPS was founded in the aftermath of the Chernobyl's nuclear catastrophe of 1986. This dramatic incident exposed the danger of such unstable and dirty technology, promoting the necessity to seek and develop openly a clean and safe alternative.

How: The organisation is mostly financed by donations from private benefactors. However, a selected number of benevolent organisation (████████, ██, ███) are contributing by providing logistics, intelligence and expert agent when required.

Founders: ███████ ███████ and ██████████ ███████

Known members: They are mostly chosen volunteers and representative of government: ███████ ███████, ██████ ███ ██████.

 

 

Translation of foreign words

French:

Incroyable: Incredible

 

Russian:

ДЕРЬМО (DER'MO): Crap.

Nomenklatura: A category of people within the Soviet Union who held various key administrative positions in the bureaucracy.

Datcha (дача): Russian Country house.

Do svidaniya: Goodbye.

Hohloma (Хохлома): It is a Russian wood painting handicraft known for its curved and vivid, mostly flower, berry and leaf patterns. The mythical figure of Russian fairytales Firebird is also a part of Hohloma painting.

Edited May 14, 2019 by Merovingian

[Flexoo 6,980]

Approved.

 

Edits:

- a couple of small grammar fixes here and there (mostly related to possession 's)

 

---

 

Nice continuation. I am a bit confuzzled about this chapter. A lot has happen in it (the loss of a notebook, the sudden departure of one of the protagonists) so i am curious how it will be explained in the future chapters.

[Merovingian 656]

 

Thanks :)

All I can say is brace for more drama: betrayal, nobody loves you and Chernobyl.

[r_Given6 859]

What did Vik saw to trigger him like that?

He saw them playing Tanki?

[Merovingian 656]

He saw them playing Tanki?

LOL, Not quite :)

Unless "playing Tanki" mean something else to you  :ph34r: 

​Please, Tanki is not for meeting your soul mate.

Edited May 12, 2019 by Merovingian

[JIUKBUDATOP-Andrey-7 1]

Cool  . I liked it. 

[Jade 1,420]

Great work!

[ILiveOnTheChatBox123 936]

Nice disclaimer (its quite thoughtful) but why in the first line you wrote "events and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination..." and then you wrote "Any resemblance to... actual events.."-without writing incidents? Is it included in events or not?

Sorry for getting into the details-but nice work.

[Merovingian 656]

I might need to finish this story, I naïvely thought that Tanki would die very soon...