The End of the Beginning

ISAF Headquarters, Base Tranquility

Tuesday, May 4, 2027

William sat waiting in a box of white walls somewhere in the depths of ISAF’s headquarters building. A television was in front of him, a stark metal table in between. Behind him was a pane of one-way glass. A week after his team’s late night dinner party, it was time for William’s investigation interview, the last interview within his team. His right leg bounced up and down. As he sequentially tapped his fingers on the metal table he noticed a small security camera on the ceiling to his left. A blue LED was blinking on it.

“Captain,” Hernandez said, bursting into the room, “sorry to keep you waiting my amigo. I was attending to a small but urgent matter. Now, lets get this over with. You have enough to worry about.” Hernandez threw a glass tablet on the table. On its screen was Samir’s autopsy report and a few pictures from the incident scene. Instead of sitting down the chief just slowly circled the table.

“Where is Hammond?” William asked.

“She could not make it today unfortunately. She’s prepping to leave for Alaska tomorrow morning along with all senior base staff for the opening of the Bering Sea Dam.” Hernandez stopped behind William’s chair and leaned down close to his ear. “But I think we both prefer her not being here, hmm?” he said, tapping William’s shoulder.

“I don’t know,” sighed William. “I was kind of looking forward to doing something stupid in this room with her if this meeting started going south. I want answers from her, Chief.” “And answers I have for you, Captain. Answers you may not want to hear but answers none the less.”

“And what are those?”

Hernandez gave a quick look up at the security camera. Then he pointed to the glass tablet. “Our official autopsy investigation has found drugs within Samir’s body, specifically a mixture of synthetic amphetamines and hallucinogens. This mixture is known as bath salts on the streets. I’ve seen a lot it in my time; believe me, Captain. It isn’t pretty, what it can do to people.” William leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. He still did not believe.

“Who did the autopsy if you don’t mind me asking?”

“One of ISAF’s medical examiners,” said Hernandez, seeing something was bothering William. “All the findings are in the report before you. It has been concluded that the bath salts in Samir’s body caused extreme agitation, confusion, paranoia, and sadly, self-destruction. It explains him fighting his brother, Sergey, as your eyewitness account, which you have previously submitted, states. It examples him believing someone was out to get him, hence all the they talk. It makes perfect sense.” “Chief, I don’t think - ”

“Will, I know you wanted us to find something more, something that could…” Hernandez looked up at the security camera again. He lowered his voice. “Something that could implicate others. I know you were looking for connections, and trust me, I was too, but with this incident at least, there are none. The investigation ends here.” William grabbed the glass tablet and started scrolling through pictures of the incident scene. Some of the pictures were almost too gory to look at. Samir’s body was mangled in unnatural positions bleeding over a storm drain. The blood on his white uniform, combined with the flashes of investigators cameras, made for a dismal contrast in colors.

“With all due respect, sir, I do not believe the findings.”

“Captain?”

“I held on to a man four stories up who was not looking to die over stupidity. I was holding a man who was looking to die over courage to fight against something he knew he could not fight alone, a man who had the courage to want to die to expose something far greater than all of us.” Hernandez kindly smiled at the retort as he looked at the security camera once again, still circling the table. “I remember when I was your age, Will. I always wanted there to be a story, to be a meaning behind everything. But, after my service, I realized that a lot of things in this world don’t have any meaning. Things can sometimes happen just because. Samir was the victim of simple but deadly drugs. Nothing more. Nothing less. And that is fact.” “If you have this conclusion already then why did you need to do this interview? What purpose can this have?”

“Personal curiosity,” admitted Hernandez, speaking softly. “I wanted to know, simply, who it was you thought Samir was talking about? Who do you think he meant was coming?” “Terra Nova,” William said without hesitation.

“I see,” nodded Hernandez. “Why them?”

“Just jumping to conclusions I guess,” grinned William. “Terra Novan attack happens in India. Days later Hammond is in one of the warehouses all by herself talking on a landline to someone mysterious saying she can only hold off suspicion for so long. She says the name Toronto. Attack in Toronto happens, Terra Nova claims responsibility. Samir hands me a piece of paper saying ‘thou art amongst traitors’ as he appears scared shitless. Kills himself shortly after but before he does so he says that they are here and more are coming. Connect all that back to Hammond’s odd, guarded behavior, and she becomes the only other person I can think of that remotely fits into the category of traitor, and that is where you get my conclusion…” Hernandez rubbed his growing five o’clock shadow.

“I think Samir was involved with Terra Nova and with Hammond. He was her puppet, her spy. But, he wanted the strings cut, so he cut them.”

“And judging by your resolve it seems you will continue to believe this theory,” guessed Hernandez, finally taking a seat.

“Yes.”

“Do you intend to act on these beliefs yourself?”

William sighed. “No.”

Hernandez was pleased with this answer. “Good. Captain, do not interfere with the powers that be here. Let me do that. It would be in your best interest to know where you stand in our system. Push on the system and you may not like what the system pushes back... Exploration into this matter will only bring you more pain and confusion against your beliefs. Remember, fact is something one cannot just dismiss. Fact is not emotion, it is inherent truth.” “Very well,” said William. “Just give me a few days I guess, to let this all sink in. I apologize if I have come across as ungrateful for the work you and ISAF have done in this investigation. I know your only trying to help and find the truth, just as I am. I guess the truth really can hurt sometimes as they say.” “It certainly can,” Hernandez said, resting one arm behind his chair, the other outstretched on the table.

William stared at the chief for a moment. “Are you alright, sir?” he asked.

“Yes, of course. Why?”

“You’ve been biting your nails,” William pointed to Hernandez’s hand. “I used to do the same thing when I was tired and stressed. My nails would look exactly the same. That’s why I ask.” Hernandez chuckled, “Observant. But, not stress, Captain. Merely… an old habit.”

“Ah, well, that’s good then I guess.” For some reason William felt the moment getting awkward. He began to feel claustrophobic inside the tiny room. Something just felt, weird. “Well, are we are done here, Chief? I do have to get back to training.” “Oh, yes. Thank you for coming and for your cooperation throughout this entire process. As you can see, much progress has been made but we still must discover where he obtained the drugs from. The last thing I need on this base is a drug ring.” “Yes, sir. Have a good day, sir.”

“And you as well.”

William got up under an eerie gaze from Hernandez, one he had not seen the usually vibrant man ever give. He pushed in his chair and began to leave, slowly.

“Do you trust me, Will?” asked Hernandez, just as William opened the door.

William turned around, slightly surprised by the question. “Yes. I do.”

Hernandez nodded his head. “Good. I’m glad.”