Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
The Enigma Project. Ever since reading the words in Eric's email to Senator Socrates Chappelle a day earlier, the name had eaten at Beth, as she wondered what it meant. Now Sapphire Angel looked through the window into the room beyond, on the cusp of finding out, her senses tingling with excitement. Scientists in white lab coats moved among tables and large computer monitors, while other people huddled around other larger equipment. The larger gear reminded her of MRI machines and similar hospital equipment — large, sturdy, and nondescript. Various lights and what looked like sensors hung from boom poles over the tables.
Some scientists examined the objects on the tables with both the naked eye and under microscopes, while others manipulated the sensors above the tables. Yet more scientists pecked away at computer keyboards. In the far corner stood a massive computer, almost like something straight out of the seventies, taller than a man and as wide as a small car. A scientist stood in front of it, pulling levers, pushing buttons, and flicking switches. He had wavy, unkempt hair, a mustache, and a scruffy beard matching the gray of his hair. His large eyes sat behind a pair of thick round glasses.
"There are a few rooms like this one on this floor," Devlin explained. "This is my pride and joy."
"What are they doing?" Sapphire Angel asked.
"This is perhaps the most valuable work we do here, at least in the eyes of the United States government. Whenever our government gets its hands on the technology of a foreign military and needs to have it deconstructed, we do it. We have many ways to figure out what makes various devices and weapons tick."
"Enigma Project?" she asked, nodding at the sign.
Devlin shrugged. "My lead scientist came up with the name. I'm not sure there's any significance to it."
"How long have you been doing this?"
"The Enigma Project?" he asked. "It started about five years ago. One of our country's intelligence services obtained some strange devices that a foreign military was getting ready to produce. I can't say who, but it was a country with whom we're not on the friendliest terms. Our military didn't know what the devices were, let alone what they did."
"And you figured it out?"
"Yes. We developed some pretty powerful technologies to understand them. Nowadays, we can unravel just about anything, and find out what makes it work, and how to neutralize it."
"That's a good talent to have."
"Indeed. The public would be shocked to even know some stuff exists. How about a bomb sensor tied to the biometric footprint of its target, so it only triggers when that person gets close? That one has partially leaked out, thanks to our government, so I can talk about it. Our military had no idea what the sensor was, though. WarTech figured it out, and crafted a way to bypass the sensor, to keep our people safe."
"Do other companies do that sort of thing, too?" she asked.
"Oh, they try, with some modicum of success. But nobody is as good at it as we are."
Sapphire Angel's mind raced with possibilities. What had Eric learned about the Enigma Project to spur him to reach out to Senator Chappelle? Had WarTech discovered an ominous weapon when probing an enemy's technology? Or maybe the military was keeping secrets from the government? Or perhaps the military was digging into the technology of an ally, creating the potential for a diplomatic disaster?
As she pondered the possibilities, the gray-haired scientist on the other side of the glass walked toward them, opened the door, and stepped into the room. He regarded her with a wide-eyed curiosity, causing his eyes to appear even larger behind his black glasses.
"This is Dr. Roy Valik," Devlin said, nodding at the scientist who now stood a few feet away. "My lead scientist. He is the brains behind this operation."
Valik mumbled some incoherent words and stared at her as he rubbed his chin. His eyes traveled over her body, but not in the way many men's eyes ogled her. His gaze seemed more appraising, like a scientist studying an experiment.
"Hello, Dr. Valik," Sapphire Angel said, trying to pry his eyes away from her body. His head jerked up.
"Oh. Hello. Sorry, just studying."
"Studying?"
"Yes. I'm trying to gauge your muscle mass. From what I've heard of you, and the video footage I've seen, your feats should be physically impossible. You are much too petite and slight of build."
When he finished speaking, he wrinkled his forehead, rubbed his chin, and started appraising her again.
"Well, I can assure I'm one-hundred percent real," she said, holding her hands out to her side, palms up.
"Do you mind if I take some measurements?" he asked.
Momentarily taken aback, her jaw dropped, and she didn't reply. Devlin stepped in.
"Now, now, Roy. She's our guest. No experiments today. Why don't you get back to work?"
Valik sighed, nodded, and without a further word turned to the door and stepped back into the laboratory. After the door closed, Devlin turned back to face Sapphire Angel.
"Sorry about that. He's very inquisitive. You are the ultimate curiosity to someone like him. He's wondering how you possess such extraordinary powers. When he heard you were coming today, his excitement went off the charts."
"I understand. I get that a lot, even from people who aren't scientists."
"I imagine you do," Devlin replied, cocking his head. "And yet to date, nobody has unraveled the secrets of Sapphire Angel. Am I right?"
Sapphire Angel replied with a shrug and a smile, but said nothing.
"So tell me, Sapphire Angel," he continued. "What exactly were you hoping to learn here today? You said you wanted to get a feel for the lay of the land. Surely you had more of a plan than that?"
She stood with her hands on her hips, regarding him as she decided how much to reveal. On one hand, saying too much might cause him to clam up and hide information from her. On the other hand, he certainly wasn't going to reveal anything he didn't want to reveal, regardless of what she told him. Perhaps she needed to get him out of his comfort zone.
"As the senator mentioned, Mr. Devlin, Eric Stump was doing subcontracting work for your company. I was hoping to learn what exactly what he was doing, to see if it might have something to do with his disappearance."
"Hmm, that sounds almost accusatory."
"Not at all. I can imagine you have many competitors and enemies, who would like to get their claws into someone on the inside, to learn about what you're up to. It could be anything. I didn't mean to imply your company was guilty of any foul play."
"I'm glad to hear that. You are a confident and accomplished young woman who always ends up on top. I can understand why you want to know what goes on here. But I can assure you his disappearance has nothing to do with us. Our contract programmers work on trivial matters, so Eric Stump would be of no interest to anyone. And he didn't live here, either, so nothing bad happened to him here during his down time. Only our own programmers live in our complex."
"Still," she said, "I would love to know what kind of work he was doing here. What you deem trivial, others on the outside might see differently."
"Perhaps," he mused, nodding his head. "As you can imagine, Sapphire Angel, we have many programmers working for us. Some are employees, and some are contract workers. I couldn't tell you what a particular worker was working on, in most instances. The name Eric Stump is new to me."
"But you can find out, right? I'm sure you keep records of what everyone does?"
"I can, but if you're asking me if I'm able to share that with you, I can't. Even the workers themselves can't share that with you. All our workers, both contract workers and employees, sign non-disclosure agreements, because of the sensitive nature of our work. And it is because of that same sensitive nature that I can't disclose it. It would be criminally negligent on my part."
She nodded, not pleased with his answer but not having expected much more.
"So I guess letting me talk to some of your IT people would be out of the questions?"
He gave her a pained look. "I'm afraid so," he replied. "I wish I could accommodate you. Even though I'm the CEO, I'd have some serious questions to answer if I breached protocol. Even for you."
"I see," she said. "Is there anything else that isn't off limits?"
"Well, I could show you the office building, but it would put you to sleep. It's just like any other office building. I'm afraid I've shown you everything I can."
She nodded, but said nothing. Devlin walked back toward the elevator, and she fell in next to him. Dirk, the guard, brought up the rear.
"I hope our tour wasn't a let down," he said as they stepped onto the elevator. "We're pretty proud of what we do here."
"No, not a let down at all. It at least gave me some background. I appreciate you taking the time to show me around."
They reached the ground floor and headed back down the hall toward the exit. On the way, Devlin asked Dirk to make sure the sensors in the entry wall were still deactivated. Dirk rushed off into one of the side rooms, returning moments later. He gave a nod to Devlin.
Devlin led her to the exit, and from there to the gate.
"I guess this is where we part ways," he said. "It has been an honor meeting someone who does so much good."
"Thank you, Mr. Devlin. I appreciate what you've done for me."
They shook hands, and Sapphire Angel turned and sprinted off toward the woods.
Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
Whenever our government gets its hands on the technology of a foreign military and needs to have it deconstructed, we do it.....deconstruction....that's the name of the novel!
I was hoping to get some more information on what the overaII goaI of the Enigma Project exactIy is, but I suppose Iearning a Iot more about its backstory wouId be a good pIace to start for right now. So we know how Iong ago it started, how Iong it has been going on for, and the generaI practices that take pIace regarding it. It aIso deaIs in, weII.....deconstruction. I can see why; it is onIy naturaI for a country to want to know everything about its potentiaI foes and their arsenaIs, so they can be ready in the case of a war, but Iike the chapter says, Iooking too deepIy into the stockpiIes of an entity---especiaIIy if they're actuaIIy an aIIy and not an enemy---couId have serious dipIomatic ramifications.
Not too keen on Dr. Roy VaIik for the time being, but from what it Iooks Iike, it was probabIy just genuine curiosity on how Sapphire AngeI and her powers are even abIe to exist in the first pIace, and IikeIy nothing dirty or perverted. He is a scientist, after aII, and his job is to find out how things work and why they work that way. He didn't view her as an object, but rather as an experiment. Maybe we'II see him again Iater.....? StiII, I'm wiIIing to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he's a good guy---just curious---untiI he actuaIIy does something physically inappropriate.....just Iike everyone eIse shouId start doing! We'II entertain him for right now, but if he, say, grabs our hand or something---without asking permission first---nope. We are getting the heck out of there.
Looks Iike that's the end of the tour! WhiIe we did Iearn a Iot of information about what WarTech is and what they do---as weII as what the Enigma Project entaiIs, we stiII dont know what was so suspicious (or at Ieast out-of-pIace) about it that warranted Eric Stump to contact the senator. DevIin had his forces (particuIarIy Mantis) capture and imprison Stump at the beginning, but.....maybe DevIin and WarTech are on one side, ChappeIIe, Mantis, and Stump are on another, and Mantis is onIy acting Iike he's on DevIin's side. I mean.....we knew that Iast part aIready, but.....I guess it's more of a.....your interests aIign with mine.....for now.....kind of thing.
This is actuaIIy very interesting! Can't wait to see how Sapphire puts a stop to this skirmish. With the tour concIuded and her having no cIear pIace to head next, I wonder how Conner's doing at the senator's office.....Mantis is aIso stiII out there.