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'The Penthouse Gang - but mainly Faunus - undertake to penetrate the mysteries of Area 51 in order to rescue Jim'
The 'Boss' gave a sigh of relief.
"Well.... for the moment - it looks as if they've made it.", the 'Boss' said.
"And they should be back very soon.....", Ethan added.
And sure enough, Josh spotted the Edsel parking up in the courtyard of the apartment block.
And Glaux twittered excitedly - obviously pleased to see that Faunus had returned - (but Glaux was still sulking about what Brody had said - and owls, and especially Glaux, have very long memories.)
And moments later Faunus and Brody came through the doors.
"Well done boys !", the 'Boss' exclaimed, shaking them both by the hand.
"Well I didn't do anything.. Sir.", Brody admitted.
"I just sat there, and tried not to let anyone know I was really scared.", he added.
"Don't be so self deprecating !", the 'Boss' said.
"Self whaty... ?", Ethan queried, making the 'Boss' smile...at last.
"Forget it, Ethan...", Josh said.
"Brody was important... Faunus needed an 'older brother' - someone that Brandt and Maria didn't know from before - and taking him to Brandt's office made it seem convincing.", Zac added.
"Anyway the whole conversation between Faunus and Brandt has been recorded, so all we have to do now is listen to it carefully, and make a plan to rescue Jim.", Zac said, scrolling through the transcript that the security detail had already provided.
"So what did you make of Brandt ?", the 'Boss' asked Faunus.
"Well.... he's not 'crazy' - which is unusual for a psychiatrist - any psychiatrist, and he believes in what he's doing - but he's a man who's badly obsessed.
Unfortunately, as you will obviously realize, he's very close to the truth - a truth that very few humans - even the smartest - are aware of.
It's a truth that we cannot allow to be generally known.
It must be kept as a subject for 'science fiction' movies, TV serials, and mythology.
Something that only the 'cranks' believe.
The dimensions of time are too fragile for mere humans to start tinkering with them- and if they do... well, the results could be catastrophic.", Faunus explained.
Ethan and Josh were both listening carefully, although how much they really understood was difficult for Faunus, or the 'Boss', to gauge.
Brody was not really listening at all, but then he was still recovering from his time in the waiting room of Brandt's office - fearfully contemplating an attractive receptionist, who was apparently about 100 years old.
"So, Faunus, how come we are not a problem with this time business ?", Zac asked.
"Well none of you knows the secret of moving through time, so it's unlikely that you will just 'take off' and change the past or the future.", Faunus replied.
"True...", Zac answered, nodding.
"So, that's all very well - but I want Jim back !", Ethan said.
"So what are you going to do about it ?", Ethan continued, petulantly.
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| Area 51 |
"Yes... quite right boys.", the 'Boss' said.
"So, Faunus, where do we go from here ?", the 'Boss' pointedly asked.
Faunus looked serious.
"What I need to do is to find out exactly where Jim is being held.", Faunus said decisively.
"And how do you propose to do that ?", Zac asked.
"That's really my problem...", Faunus said.
"But I'll be back soon..."
And with that Faunus slowly faded.
"I wish he wouldn't do that !... It's so creepy....", Brody said.
"Well, all we can do is wait.", Zac said.
"But meanwhile it might be and idea to use the Internet, and find out as much as we can about this Area 51 place.", he continued, opening up his laptop.
"OK, and I'll do some cheeseburgers, and some coffee.", Ethan said, making his way to the kitchen - pleased to have something constructive to offer.
And this is what Zac found out on the internet about Area 51...
AREA 51
The 'United States Air Force' facility commonly known as Area 51 is a highly classified remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base, within the Nevada Test and Training Range. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the correct names for the facility are 'Homey Airport (ICAO: KXTA)' and 'Groom Lake', though the name 'Area 51' was used in a CIA document from the Vietnam War. The special use airspace around the field is referred to as 'Restricted Area 4808 North (R-4808N)'. The 'call sign' is 'DREAMLAND'. The base's current primary purpose is publicly unknown; however, based on historical evidence, it most likely supports the research and development of various 'black projects'. Although the base has never been declared a secret base, all research and occurrences in 'Area 51' are Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI). 'Area 51' is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles (134 km) north-north-west of Las Vegas. Situated at its centre, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield. The amount of information the United States government has been willing to provide regarding 'Area 51' has generally been minimal. The area surrounding the lake is permanently off-limits to both civilian and normal military air traffic. Security clearances are checked regularly; cameras and weaponry are not allowed. Signs around the base perimeter advises that 'deadly force' is authorized against trespassers...... There are, of course, many 'conspiracy theories' proposed regarding Area 51, although there is little material evidence to support such claims
"Right, boys... I will return to the 'Club Jaguar', as I have business to sort out with Franklin..."
(remember Franklin ?) - the 'Boss' said, and Ethan couldn't help smirking.
"Meanwhile, Zac, if you get any information from Faunus, let me know on the secure line..."
"Yes, Sir...", Zac replied.
"Secure whaty ?". Ethan inevitably asked.
"It's in the study...", Zac replied.
"Oh yes...
Well I never go in there.", Ethan said.
(remember Franklin ?) - the 'Boss' said, and Ethan couldn't help smirking.
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| Franklin |
"Yes, Sir...", Zac replied.
"Secure whaty ?". Ethan inevitably asked.
"It's in the study...", Zac replied.
"Oh yes...
Well I never go in there.", Ethan said.
"That's no surprise, as you never study...", Josh added."The secure line is the red 'phone in the study - which should have a notice above it saying - 'Ethan must not use this 'phone'.", Zac added, sarcastically.
"So... why is it secure ?", Ethan went on, not seeing the sarcasm, and presumably not understanding the term, 'secure'.
"It's 'secure', Ethan, because no one can 'listen in' to conversations on it.", Josh explained.
"Unless they're in the study...", Ethan pointlessly added.
At that moment everyone else gave up on the subject.
Meanwhile, Faunus was making his way to Area 51 - zooming up US Route 95N in his newly 'acquired', and very 'flash' 'Plymouth Fury Convertible' - (remember, Faunus can get anything he wants).
Eventually Faunus reached the perimeter of Area 51.
This is the place where everybody (well almost everybody), gets stopped, and turned back - BUT - Faunus has a CIA pass ! (an imaginary one, of course).
The details of this 'pass' were sent to the main gate and, with lots of saluting and exaggerated politeness, Faunus - masquerading as agent 'James Smith' - (not a very imaginative name), was waved through.Then it was just a matter of finding Hangar 18 - but all Faunus, (agent 'James Smith'), had to do was ask for directions, and everyone one was only too happy to help.
Now you may be asking yourself, 'how is it that the guy in the photo (who looks suspiciously young for a CIA Agent), can be Faunus ?', (Faunus has dark hair - and looks....well different...) - but if you have been following these stories right from the time when Faunus first 'popped up' in the gardens of the 'Villa Pastoralis' (in ancient Rome), you will know that Faunus is able to manipulate the minds of the weak humans so that they see whatever he wants them to see - so the photo, and the biometrics, on the identity tag - and Faunus, all matched perfectly - and so no one suspected anything.
So now that Faunus was in - it was just a matter of finding Jim.
Now... as was explained in the 'Story of Gracchus' (the first part of this story), secret places, dungeons, prisons and such like are often portrayed in TV series, movies etc. as crumbling, dirty filthy places - mainly because creating settings like that is cheap.
In reality the ancient Romans would want their prisons, or accommodation for gladiators and such like to be clean and tidy, as they were very concerned about the spread of disease.
Equally, secret underground facilities in modern times are usually clean and well designed, and particularly when involved in scientific or medical research, well lit, and scrupulously clean for similar reasons.
So forget what you may have seen, or imagined about the underground facilities at places such as 'Area 51'..... in fact everything was very 'nice' - in a faintly 'creepy' sort of way, and not really sinister, (even if what actually went on there might have been.)
Once Faunus had left the ground level of Hanger 18 - where the 'alien' space vehicles were supposedly stored, the lower levels became progressively, more attractive and pleasant.
Faunus of course, unlike the humans who fantasize about 'Area 51', was not in any way interested in 'alien' technology - or 'aliens' - not at that moment, anyway.......
This was probably because he was, in fact, an 'alien', although not in the way that most humans used the term.
And so Faunus descended to the 'Level Three', where the facilities of the CIA Project 'MK Ultra' were located.
Hugh Everett III Project 'MK Ultra', also informally called the 'CIA Mind Control Program', is the code name given to a program of experiments on human subjects that were designed and undertaken by the United States Central Intelligence Agency - and which were mostly illegal. This project occurred not only in the world that most of our readers (like you) inhabit, but also in the numerous other 'Everett Worlds', (with variations) which are similar. Experiments on humans were intended to identify and develop drugs and procedures to be used in order to weaken the individual in order to achieve 'mind control'. The project was organized through the 'Office of Scientific Intelligence' of the CIA, and coordinated with the U.S. Military. The operation was officially sanctioned in 1953. The program engaged in many illegal activities, including the use of U.S. citizens as its unwitting test subjects, which led to controversy regarding its legitimacy. 'MK Ultra' used numerous methods to manipulate people's mental states, and alter brain functions, including the surreptitious administration of drugs, hypnosis, sensory deprivation, isolation, abuse, and other forms of what could be described as torture.
Many Worlds
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| Radio Frequency Generator - Montauk |
This project centered round the discovery that changing the repetition rates and amplitude of a radar pulse could effect different biological functions.
In this way a person's thoughts could be controlled, (which was the initial purpose of the 'MK Ultra Project').
With the 425-450 MHz of radio frequency power, it was discovered that a 'window' into the human mind could be opened.
Once enough data had been collected, Brandt began to make some sense out of which functions did what.
During this period, they also experimented with 'frequency hopping'.
This consisted of the transmitter instantaneously and randomly shifting around to any of 5 different frequencies that were being fed to the transmitter.
This technique became very important eventually, as it was the key to 'bending time'.
(Warning: do not try 'bending time' at home - it can be very dangerous.)
Eventually the equipment used was developed so that individuals could be transferred to other 'times' - which were essentially 'other universes' or 'worlds', as is postulated in Hugh Everett III's 'Many Worlds Theory'.
However, what Brandt was really looking for was a method of dispensing with the elaborate, power hungry, and often unreliable technology, and instead developing a technique that could facilitate 'time travel' ('Zeitreise' as Brandt would say - Austrian you see...) by the simple expedient of using the human mind alone - and this is why he was so keen to continue his research with Jim - who he (incorrectly) believed was a 'natural time traveller'.
Of course, the only real 'time traveller' in this story is Faunus...... however, the rather annoying little 'elementals' (often referred to as 'Greys') - posing as a 'mighty', and technologically superior group of aliens - with which the US Government thought it had made contact, were also involved in the rather risky business of 'Zeitreise'.
'Alien Greys', are low level 'elementals' posing as extraterrestrial beings. Usually they are assumed to be 'aliens', and their existence is discussed in ufological, paranormal, and 'New Age' communities. They are named for their unique skin colour. Forty-three percent of all reported alien encounters in the United States describe Grey aliens. Such claims vary in every respect including their nature, origins (extra-terrestrials, 'extra-dimensionals', time travellers, or machines[?]), moral dispositions, intentions, and physical appearances. A composite description would have Greys as small-bodied beings with smooth Grey-coloured skin, enlarged hairless head and large black eyes. They can be aggressive, and should never be trusted - being inveterate liars - so be warned.....!
Alien Grey
And so Faunus reached level three, and the accommodation allocated to Dr. (Professor) Brandt's 'research'.
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| MRI Scanner |
A quick flash of his CIA identity card got Faunus into the facility, and then an attractive female receptionist, (yes, female receptionist have even managed to infiltrate top secret, 'black project' facilities three levels underground - where they can be as just annoying, and as obstructive as receptionists working for doctors, or in hospitals or libraries and so forth),.
This receptionist, however, was instantly under Faunus' mind control, and was only too pleased to show him round.
This receptionist, however, was instantly under Faunus' mind control, and was only too pleased to show him round.
Pride of place, it seemed, was given to a 'hi-tech' MRI Scanner, which the (now sweet) young receptionist explained was used to monitor the brain's reactions to various 'stimuli', including drug treatments.
Whose brains were monitored, however, the receptionist did not bother to mention.
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| Nikola Tesla |
The physics of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) involves the interaction of biological tissue with electromagnetic fields. MRI is an imaging technique used to investigate the anatomy and physiology of the body. MRI is used to image every part of the body, and is particularly useful for neurological conditions, for disorders of the muscles and joints, for evaluating tumors, and for showing abnormalities in the heart and blood vessels. The 'Tesla' (T) is the unit of measurement quantifying the strength of a magnetic field, and was named after Nikola Tesla, 10 July 1856 – 7 January 1943), who was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist, and futurist who is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system.
This was obviously a machine that Faunus ('Agent Smith' - or any other normal and sensible person) needed to avoid.
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| Faunus as CIA Agent Smith |
It was at that point, as Faunus was inspecting the MRI Scanner, that Dr. Brandt appeared - bringing with him Jim - who was only wearing pyjama bottoms - and was undoubtedly about to undergo further investigation using the MRI scanner.
(now it is important to remember here that, at this point, anyone seeing Faunus will see him as the CIA agent 'James Smith', because of Faunus' ability to control people's perceptions and memories - as well as their behavior, and so Brandt did not recognize 'Agent Smith' as 'Douglas Spaulding' - the boy he had seen in response to a reference from Dr. Becker regarding amnesia - and of course both 'Douglas' and 'agent Smith' are actually Faunus.)
Jim did not look well, and obviously didn't recognize Faunus - which was good.
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| Dr. Brandt and Jim at Area 51 |
"And who is this, Monica ?", Brandt asked in his slightly sinister Austrian accent, looking annoyed and puzzled.
(and yes... the Level 3 receptionist was really called 'Monica' - apologies to all Monicas who may be following this story - but it does seem a bit bizarre).
"Oh .... I'm sorry, Doctor.
I thought that you knew.
This is CIA Agent James Smith - and he's fully accredited, and checked by security.", Monica replied.
"I see...", Brandt replied, unaware that Faunus was once again taking control of his mind.
"Pleased to meet you.
And what do you think of our set-up here ?", Brandt asked, boastfully.
"Very impressive, Sir." Faunus replied, trying to be as polite and pleasant as possible.
"And to what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit ?", Brandt inquired.
"Well, I have instructions to take a young man known only as 'Subject 33' to the CIA headquarters at Langley.", Faunus said, very formally.
Brandt looked puzzled.
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| CIA Headquarters - Langley - Virginis |
"Here are the appropriate papers.", Faunus said, handing Brandt a sheaf of blank sheets.
Of course Brandt saw the blank sheets as official CIA Documents - but that was simply Faunus 'screwing around' with Brandt's brain.
"So I would be grateful if you could get the boy dressed, and return any possessions that he had on him when he arrived here, as I need to transport him back to Langley, Virginia as quickly as possible."
Brandt looked surprised and concerned, but 'orders were orders' - and as a good, 'one time SS officer', Brandt felt that he was obliged to obey.
He curtly turned to Monica.
"Take Jim here back to his room, Monica.
Get him dressed, and make sure he has the things he had when he first came here...", Brandt said, almost completely without emotion.
Then, while Jim was getting dressed, Brandt 'phoned the upper levels to tell them to clear Jim's departure from the facility.
After a few minutes Jim returned, dressed and apparently ready to go.
Agent Smith (Faunus) then offered a hand to Brandt, and the two men shook amicably.
"Thanks for your co-operation, Dr. Brandt.", Agent Smith (Faunus) said in his best official manner.
"I will keep you informed of any developments when I return to Langley....".
In next to no time agent Smith (Faunus) and Jim arrived at the first floor (ground floor UK style), where Faunus' Plymouth Fury Convertible was parked in the vehicle compound of Hangar 18.
"Well that was nice and easy...", Faunus said to Jim.
"Yes Sir...", Jim replied.
"May I ask you where we are going ?", Jim said, obviously somewhat confused.
"Well first we are going to Los Angeles, and then to Las Vegas.", Faunus replied.
"I see, Sir.", Jim said mechanically, but it was obvious that he didn't see, or understand.
Once they were in the auto, and had left the security area of the Groom Lake facility, Faunus put the radio on - mainly to avoid any conversation that would probably cause problems.
Jim was quiet for the entire journey, simply gazing, almost unseeing, straight ahead.
Faunus knew that Brandt would do nothing about the fact that Jim had left his research facility, as Faunus had completely removed from Brandt's brain any memory of Jim ever having been at 'Area 51'.
In addition Brandt had been hypnotically instructed by Faunus to shred all files and notes referring to Jim, and delete all computer data .....Simply, Brandt had no record of Jim being at 'Area 51'.
In addition, Faunus had left an imperative suggestion in Brandt's psyche that he should return that evening to his office in Las Vegas, and should continue his private practice as usual.
The only thing that Faunus couldn't reach in the short time he had with Brandt was Brandt's deep seated obsession with 'Zeitreise', and his vague memories of a 'time traveler' called 'Jim' - but hopefully those memories would be so vague that they would quickly fade of their own accord - which shows just how wrong even Faunus could be.
The only thing that Faunus couldn't reach in the short time he had with Brandt was Brandt's deep seated obsession with 'Zeitreise', and his vague memories of a 'time traveler' called 'Jim' - but hopefully those memories would be so vague that they would quickly fade of their own accord - which shows just how wrong even Faunus could be.
So then it was just a matter of getting Jim back to the 'Penthouse', and then deciding what to do about Brandt in the long term.
'Jim returns to the Penthouse - with no memory - again"! Faunus successfully 'reboots' Jim's 'wonky brain' (to quote Ethan), providing him with many new memories of his time as a Roman slave-boy and a patrician 'dominus'. Later the 'Boss' sets off with Jim and Max on a seemingly relaxing trip to the the 'old confederacy', while Zac tries to ensure that a 'final solution' catches up with Brandt.'
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All text - © Copyright Peter Crawford 2021
All Images - © Copyright Vittorio Carvelli 2021
Graphic Design - © Copyright Zac Sawyer 2021