8 Months ago, somewhere in India
(All dialogues were spoken in Hindi)
The sky was dark and cloudy, the cold wind carrying shivers and a possibility of rain. There was a strange gloom in the air, which was denser around a tall wide structure, like a cuboid with 4 edges but tall in height, about 50 feet wide and 100 feet tall, made of shiny hard marble. And there were names; lines and lines of names all over the 4 sides of the structure. A few people were gathered around it, a few came, stood for a while looking at it, and left, all of them with sorrow and pain in their eyes, some with tears. Among them stood Karam, wearing a thick long trench coat and a hat, hands in pockets, a deep melancholy on his face, his eyes in the shadow of the hat's brim like they were dry from crying in pain for too long, looking lost at one single name on the structure,
Maya Shroff
A pedestal beside it said:THE BLACK SKY MEMORIALIn the loving memory of the people we lost in the Black Sky incident that happened on April 4th, 2023. Hope we find them again in good health someday.
He slowly walked to it. Taking his hand out, he kissed his fingers and touched them to the name, tracing along its letters, a faint smile on his face — a sorrowful smile, his lips quivering.
He took a deep, shaking breath and got hold of himself, steadfast, the smile fading and jaws tightening, a resolve in his eyes.
He pulled up his collar, adjusted his hat, touched the name one last time, and walked away.
It started to rain, and he pulled out an umbrella. He continued to walk, rain pattering loud against the umbrella as the clouds growled.
He reached a tall 4-storey mall, a huge glowing building under the black lightning clouds in the dark rainy environment, busy despite the rain. Its name was "Kmart."
The watchman's eyes fell on Karam and he looked like he was starting to recognise him, and Karam adjusted his hat to maintain anonymity. He folded his umbrella and shook the water off as he walked into the dark wide parking lot, bar lights lining above, through the bikes and cars. There were a few people there, some the parking security, but they didn't pay much attention to him. He entered the lift, and the metal door closed. It was bright inside, shiny walls and a CCTV in one corner above, the COP having buttons P, G, 1, 2, 3. He pressed a sequence of numbers on it in a pattern, and then looked at the CCTV camera, taking his hat off, showing his face. The lift then started to go down.
The lift stopped after a while and the door opened to a dimly lit hallway with yellow walls, rooms on the side. He walked out and the doors closed, the lift going up.
He took off his trench coat and hat and hung them on a hook rail by the wall, keeping the wet umbrella on a stand. He fixed his loose white shirt and went on, before entering a room full of people.
It was a dimly lit small room with unpainted cement walls and a pair of fluorescent light bars above. There was a board on one of the walls, with lots of pictures clipped to it, lots of stuff scribbled all over and threads tied around along the clips, the pictures including faces of the president of USA and other high commands, Volkov and several others, along with blueprints and satellite images. And facing the board sat about 20 men and women, one of them being 001, sitting upfront. Karam went and stood in front of them.
He cleared his throat and said, "Ok, let's get started."
*
Present, USA
(Spoken in English)
President Ronald Breuer stood in his office by the glass window, looking down at the city glittering beautifully in the evening, the lights from the bustling streets and tall shiny buildings outshining the stars. The evening city life, with all its lustre, still couldn't find any warmth in his heart, as he stared, his eyes distant.
"Excuse me, sir," said his secretary, Angela Harris, as she entered the dark room respectfully, "people from UDCRO are here."
He sighed heavily, turning his head to her. "Bring them in," he said with a gesture.
Led by the president's bodyguards, came in 2 men, wearing suits with hoods on, covered from hands to toes in black, gloves and shoes, and wearing masks with the symbol of UDCRO on them, carrying a suitcase.
They came in silently as Ronald Breuer sat on his chair at his desk, and opening their suitcase, they brought out a laptop, kept it on the table, opened it facing the president, and stood back straight in attention, hands crossed behind.
It turned on as the president adjusted his tie and sat upright. A man appeared on the screen, wearing the same suit as the UDCRO people with a hood on, and his face was hidden in the shadow of the hood as a dim light from above made him barely visible.
"Mr. President," he spoke in a distorted voice, not his own.
"Director," said the president, nodding.
"Are you sure about the Blue Book?" said the mysterious man gravely, "We understand the importance of the gamma ray sequence, we have been trying to attain it for a while now as well, but the Russians have managed to keep it hidden. But"—he said crossing his gloved fingers under his chin—"You are well aware what the real Blue Book contains as well… we can't afford having it in hands we don't trust. It will be difficult for me to issue the permission for the original Blue Book to be sent to you."
"I understand," he said, "We have our hands tied too, the deal is tight, and we need it. But please don't be worried, I can assure you it won't fall into wrong hands even if we do the deal. We… have a plan ready."
"Sir," said Angela, her finger on an earpod in her ear, and uneasiness in her voice, "He… is here."That's when a sound of a chopper landing was heard from the roof, and the president's eyes narrowed. After a while, the doors of the room opened and with bodyguards leading him, and two huge Russian bodyguards of his own, the size of a bear, he walked in, with his round glasses, lean body and curly hair, and the air in the room became heavier, denser.
"Who?" asked the man on screen.
"Ivan Vladimirovich Volkov," said Breuer.
The man on screen sat back, his head narrow.
Volkov went and stood in front of the president, bowing down saying in his Russian-English accent, "Mr. President" — but the high I-am-above-you smile on his face said a different story."Volkov," said the president low, with a sigh, slightly shaking his head in an I-do-not-want-this-but-I-have-no-choice manner, "The director of UDCRO is on."
The smile faded off Volkov's face and there was what seemed like hate, or resentment, maybe fear — and the disgust for feeling this fear — all behind his visible attempt at keeping these from his face. The face of a man looking at the only wound on his pride and arrogance, a man to whom everyone bowed to, looking at the only person who didn't bow and could actually end him if he willed.
"Director," he said, standing upright, clearing his throat.
"Volkov," said the man on the screen calmly, "What are your plans?"
*
8 Months ago, somewhere in India
(All dialogues were spoken in Hindi)
"Killing me," said Karam, folding his arms.
"I will discuss the deal and put forward my conditions, such that they will be forced to bring the real Blue Book when they come," he said firmly, a heaviness in his tone that barges deep into every ear that hears it, "They will come at midnight, to the front of the gate, according to the condition, and they are bound to follow because—"
"If they don't, you will call the deal off, and they will gain nothing from it," said a man with messy hair and skinny build, sitting at a corner wearing an oversized full-sleeve, dark circles under his eyes.
"Exactly 007, that and another thing which I will come to later," said Karam, "They will come to Rockshire orphanage gate at exactly midnight. And then I will call them inside, to the front door, and I am pretty sure they will come in. I will give them half the sequence, they will verify it, give me the Blue Book, I will verify it, and then I give them the rest of the sequence. Now, there are two flaws here, one in their plan, and one in ours, very important flaws, because these flaws will start the chain reaction that will lead to the success of our plan."
007 scoffed with a smirk on his face.
"And 007 has figured it out, haven't you?" said Karam, looking at him affirming, "Let us hear you say it."
He nodded silently and stood up, came to stand in front of them.
"The words of American intelligence, that they will verify the sequence we give them, the first half and then the second half," he said, "It's bullshit. Because they have no means to verify it, if they did they wouldn't even need the deal."
"They would never accept, even at the cost of losing the sequence, if my conditions were flawless, because they don't have any means to verify it, and Blue Book is too important to give away to anyone over a straight deal, UDCRO won't allow it," said Karam.
"And that's why," said 007, "Sir Karam will deliberately leave a major flaw in this deal."
"Which is?" asked one of them.
*
Present, USA
(All dialogues spoken in English)
"What after?" said one of Volkov's men, as Volkov sat in one corner silently, to the director of UDCRO, who listened intently, "The Blue Book will be handed to Mr. Karam as a hard copy, physically. Once he has given us the last half of the sequence and he, or his minion, has taken the Blue Book, they won't disappear into thin air, right?"
"We will take the second half, and then kill him and his minions," said one of the president's men, fixing his tie, "Our men, mine and Volkov's, will have surrounded the place from everywhere, waiting for the turn."
"We have prepared to release an electromagnetic pulse to disable any electrical appliances, network, and telephone lines, the moment we get the signal, and they will have no way to escape or send off any messages, completely trapped."
*
8 Months ago, somewhere in India
(All dialogues were spoken in Hindi)
"Ok, that explains how they will use the loophole you put to try and nab you and keep the Blue Book safe," said one of them, "But… they still have their own flaw, right?"
"Exactly 017," said Karam, "They won't even make the deal without covering that flaw, but if they do agree to make the deal, that will mean they have covered their flaw, which is possible only by one way."
"Which is?"
"Russia."
"Russia? But why would they help USA?"
"To get me," said Karam.
*
Present day, during the meeting of Karam and top American officials
(English)
There was a deep silence.
"Please stand outside for some time, Mr. Karam," said the president gravely, "we need to discuss before we make a decision."
Karam sighed and said, "Sure." He got up, adjusted his trench coat, bowed down, turned back and, opening the heavy wooden door, walked out.
As he closed the door behind, he noticed the guard with a scar on his face still standing there like a statue. Karam went and, leaning back to the wall, stood there beside him, and closed his eyes, waiting.
*
8 Months ago, somewhere in India
(All dialogues were spoken in Hindi)
Karam said, explaining, "If I am right, this is exactly what will happen…"