Dragnix.Net

Hello everyone, this is a very personal story that I plan to write under the watchful eyes of all of you. It isn’t going to be an RP, I’ll be doing all the writing, but I would very much like your criticism, opinions and ideas. That said you are all welcome to post ideas and critiques at any point throughout me writing this. Or feel free to write them to me in a PM, up to you.

I know we have an RP running at the moment of the maelstrom but this one is different, a lot different. Only the ship itself is the same, this is actually set in a modern time and I’m going to write it in one of my very early envisionings for it. Those that know me well will be able to understand just why it’s so personal in time.

March 3rd, 2003
Maelstrom, Bridge

It was done; he had finally completed it. Sitting down he leaned back in the chair, feeling its soft cushioning surface conform to his back and shoulders. Fourteen years and nearly two hundred billion dollars had come to the culmination of his life’s dream. The Maelstrom, in all her glory.

Well she was built, but he hadn’t even turned the power on and then there would be programming and tests. Then more tests, it would probably be a few years from now before sunlight would ever grace her hull.

James closed his eyes briefly to revel in the extraordinary accomplishment. This ship, this will be the first vessel to ever truly take a human to the stars. It will be the first ship ever constructed by the hand of man that will take us, not only to the outer planets, but beyond, to new star systems and new unimaginable wonders of the universe.

Opening his eyes he let them drift around the bridge. The consoles and monitors were dark but it didn’t take away from the sheer beauty. The walls were an orange-gold and seemed to have a brassy bronze appearance to them because they reflected light at multiple angles, never seeming to be the same color twice. Both narrow and wide bands of a gentle purple were laced though in a very subtle way that only accentuated the depth of color in the walls. The arch and shape of the architecture made him proud. Even the soft caress of the chair he was in seemed flawless, after all he made it specifically for himself. In fact the only thing that came close to breaking it's beauty was the temporary lights and cables that powered them that were strewn about the room. As soon as the power was on he wouldn’t need them anymore and could pack them away as emergency lighting.

He stood, knees popping and muscles creaking. Tonight he would sleep like he hadn’t in years. This ship had been his dream ever since he was a child and he had worked from the day he had first envisioned the Maelstrom at the age of eleven, to make this dream come true. He had been tireless, a large inheritance helping him secretly make deals and scoop up companies by the masses, squeezing everyone of them for R&D funding for this. And yet nobody knew, not about the maelstrom, not even that he secretly owned nearly one third of the major multi-million companies in the United States and more then three-dozen over seas.

He had been acclaimed a boy genius at the age of 7 and after watching a video of NASA’s Voyager probes visit the outer planets he decided he wanted to take mankind out there, to see those places in person. That he wanted to visit them himself in person, and to see what lay beyond. Soon after he fashioned a toy ship from a heap of blocks and decided he would build it and go someplace nobody had ever been, he would go to the outer planets, he would see Jupiter and Saturn, visit Neptune and Uranus just like the Voyager probes did. His reflection of his childhood ambition brought a smile to his lips. Even as a child, he could never have conceived of some of the things he had since brought to reality; or those he still intended too.

Turning he strode around the chair and off the bridge. Reaching the central lift of the ship, that ran up all five decks, he pulled aside the small waist high stanchion that guarded the open door to protect him from falling down the shaft incase he was too wrapped up in something to remember that there was an open elevator shaft here. Leaning across the drop he gripped the ladder rungs attached to the inside of the shaft and after his body followed suit he began to climb down; heading for the airlock.

June 6th 2003
Vaedling Cavern, Maelstrom Hanger

James paused as the phone in his pocket started to ring. Relaxing into the straps that held him against the ceiling of the Maelstrom's hanger he slipped the tool he was holding into its holder and dropped a fist sized bolt into a bag that hung from his waist.

Pulling the phone out he answered it, the ring tone already having told him who it was. “Did it work?” He asked before the caller could say hello.

“Yes and no” an energetic male voice said. “The short answer is that it works, but not with everything. Specifically, it doesn’t work with organic material. It out right dies the moment it goes through the transference.”

“Ok I’ll come by on Friday to take a closer look.” He said with a grimace looking down three hundred feet to the top the maelstrom below him. He looked along the rest of the crane’s tracks he was hanging from trying to judge how many more bolts he would have to extract before he could tie off and remove it fully.

“Mr. Malaki, this isn’t a total loss, even without being able to effect organic material there are still countless applications most of it storage which will be in very high demand. I can just imagine giant tractor-trailers that haul all kinds of things no longer being necessary. We could mail a letter and send more material then a fleet of trucks could dream, this will revolutionize the shipping industry.”

“I know nick, and thank you; its just that I had a few ideas that I don’t think would other wise be possible now. Let me get back to work, I’ll see you Friday.”

“Alright I’ll see you then, bye.”

James slid the phone back into his pocket. Gripping the beam overhead he began to pull himself along to the next tie bracket. He was removing the tracks of this massive crane that he had used to hold the Maelstrom while he worked on her. Now that the ship was done he no longer needed it and it was time for it to go.

Dec 24 2003
Vaedling Cavern, Computer Lab

James blinked trying to clear his vision. The series of symbols, words and numbers on the screen were starting to get blurry. After repeated blinking failed to focus the figures on the screen he leaned back to wipe his eyes causing his back shoulders and neck all to remind him to get up and move around. He was incredibly stiff. Looking down at his watch it read ten thirty. He’d been sitting here working for nearly seven hours without pause. He stretched and his stomach also reminded him he hadn’t eaten if even longer.

The screen was clearer and he decided to finish, four months of work and he wasn’t going to stop a mere eighty some odd lines from completion. Setting himself back to work it took a little over a half hour to finish. Forwarding the program for the test server he rose and left the room. Most of this section of Vaedling Cavern was devoted to his work on the Maelstrom.

Taking a ride up the lift to the main floor of the Royal House he made his way to the kitchenette only to discover not only was there less then half a cup of coffee left, but it was also cold. He cleaned the pot and prepared it to brew more but left it deciding to go out and get some food while the test server went over the new program he had just written.

He left the Royal House and made his way into the cavern proper, sky scrappers quickly swallowing him into their midst. This will one day be a booming city. Looking down the silent spotless streets he imagined children playing, their parents laughing. He looked up; several hundred feet above him gardens crisscrossed the latticework of the rooftops and upper walkways. The light shining through was soft and gave the cement foot-roads a gentle glow.

When he at last came to the central spire he stepped inside the elevator waiting for him but before he could command it to rise his phone let out three tones in rapid succession. Perplexed he pulled it free and checked the message. It was an automated email from the test server; it was already done.

Confused he quickly made his way back to the computer lab, as he ran his mind fearing the worst, tried to remember all the details of the coding and any flaws he could have made. Sitting in the chair he pulled himself up to the terminal and began to access the information the test server was sending back. Preliminary coding test, complete, no errors. Secondary sub-sector coding test, complete, no errors. Interaction test, complete, no errors. Alternative decision test, complete, no errors. Problem solving test, complete, no errors.

It continued, all thirty-eight tests he had designed to run it through and not a single error, not one. His hunger forgotten he extracted the program and fed it to a terminal he had designed specifically for it. Once the program transfer was complete he threw a switch isolating the console. This was a safety precaution incase the program went rogue or turned out to be malicious. In excitement he typed the command to begin it.

After a moment words began to crawl across the screen. “Hello?”

“Hello” he typed back. “I’m James, I created you.”

“Created me? Who am I? Why did you create me?”

“Yes, I haven’t named you yet, you’re welcome to name yourself what ever you like. As for why I created you, that will take some time to explain.” Everything seemed perfect. It had the innocence and understanding of a child at the moment but that wouldn’t last long. It was asking questions and trying to learn. This was a very good sign.

July 24, 2004
FBI Central Office, Langley Virginia


The intercom on Doug’s desk buzzed. “Mr. Adams, there is a Ms. Gwendolyn Pierce here to see you.”

Momentarily perplexed he responded, “Send her in. Thank you Denise.” The door immediately opened and Gwen marched right up to his desk, dropped a large folder on it and planted her hands on her hips. Glancing down at it before returning his eyes to hers he said “Its nice to see you too Gwen, what brings you into this neck of the woods?”

“Open it.” She said bluntly, a slight sneer on her lips.

Looking down he opened the folder. Inside were pages and pages of reports about recent large corporate espionage crimes that had all taken place with in the last six months. “I recognize this one, we sent it to your office in New York, can’t say the same about the rest though. Instead of me trying to figure this out in a few moments why don’t you summarize for me.” Gwen had always been a bit of a hot head, but she was good at what she did. She had always had an eye for the details most agents over looked.

“Every business in that folder is owned by the same man. Every one of ‘em.”

Doug’s eyes went wide; he went back through the paper work briefly. “I don’t see-“

“Look”, She interrupted him flipping to a page and pointing out a single name swimming in a sea of them. She turned to the next report and found the same name surrounded by many more. Again and again she pointed the name out. It was never listed as anything other then a standard employee but it was listed for every corporation in this folder, nearly a dozen of them.

“So who is this James Malaki?”

“That I don’t know, I’ve got Bobby Shoemaker looking into him.”

“Ok, so why are you here in my office?” Doug asked confused “If you have a lead, why not follow it? We’ve hardly talked in years.”

“I need permission to move on this, I have a really strong feeling that this guy is responsible for these thefts. Goens however feels its nothing and to keep looking elsewhere, that this is either a coincidence or a typo. Ha.”

Doug wasn’t surprised for a moment; Tomas Goens was one of the most short sighted men he’d ever met. How the man managed to become head of the New York office he’d never know. This also explained why Gwen was now standing in his office. Technically he outranked Goens. If he did this he’d be stepping on a lot of toes, but she had a point, this was awfully suspicious in his eyes.

“Ok, I’ll have you temporarily assigned here and you’ll work under me. You said Shoemaker was working on it to?”

“Yes, him and Peter Gibbons are with me on this.”

“I’ll start on the paper work, you get started on this. If this leads a bust though its your ass.”

“Thanks Doug.” She winked at him before leaving.

August 13, 2004
James Malaki’s listed home of residence, Talware NC

Peter Gibbons stared out the car window. “Damn it Bobby, are you sure were not lost? We’ve been on this road four nearly a half hour.” He said with an impatient sigh.

“Pete, no. For the sixth time, no I’m not sure were not lost. But have you seen anywhere to turn around or stop at all? According to the GPS and the satellite images this dude lives in the ass end of nowhere.“

The car crested a hill and Peter finally saw something besides trees, it was a gate. “well I guess your right this must be a private drive. As they got closer they saw a small security shack standing just in front of it.

Bobby slowed the car and rolled down the window as they approached. The shack door opened and a security guard dressed in black stepped out waiting for the to come to a stop. “Can I help you gentlemen?” The guard asked.

“Yes, I’m special agent Shoemaker, this is special agent Gibbons, FBI; were here to speak with Mr. Malaki.” He said as he put the car into park.

“Are you expected?” the guard asked

“Uh, no. I highly doubt it.” Bobby answered.

“Okay, hold on just a sec.” The guard said before dashing back into the shack and picking up a phone. After a brief exchange he hung it up and returned to the car. “The estate keeper says that Mr. Malaki isn’t in at the moment but your welcome to come in and speak with him.”

Bobby looked over to Pete and raised a questioning eyebrow. Nodding, Pete said “don’t want to make this trip a total waste, he might be able to shed some light on Malaki“.

“Okay, ya sure. We’ll talk to him.” Bobby said to the guard.

“Alright I’ll phone ahead to the estate keeper to let him know you’ll be coming. He said he’d meet you at the main entrance if you were.” The guard returned to the shack closing its door.

Bobby rolled the window back up and a moment later the gate began to slide open. Putting the car back into drive the two agents passed through the gate and continued down the wooded road. After about ten minutes the road curved and finally left the woods. The road opened up immediately into a loop with a garden in the center and behind it a large four story wood paneled mansion. A small drive left the loop and headed around the side of the mansion, presumably leading to the kitchen delivery entrance and garage. Rounding the loop Bobby stopped in front of the main entrance to the house.

Both agents climbed out and stretched cramped muscles, they’d been driving for hours. Bobby took the steps slowly enjoying the fresh air. Just as he was about to knock the door swung inwards and he effectually almost punched the old man who had opened it. “I’m sorry Bobby said”

“Good afternoon gentlemen, I am Walter Barons, I am the estate keeper. My sincerest apologizes, but Master James is not in at the movement. Perhaps if we had known of your visit ahead of time it might have been possible for you to speak with him.” He said with the faintest hint of a smile.

Bobby studied Barons, the man was tall, in his mid to late sixties and his accent reflected a very formal education. His grey hair still had flecks of a dark color here and there and even though it appeared to be a twinkle of humor about his person, Barons was eyes betrayed him. In them Bobby could see that this was a shrewd calculating man.

“Hello Mr. Barons, my name is special agent Peter Gibbons, this is special agent Robert Shoemaker. We’ve come an awfully long way to speak with him, do you know where he is or when he will be back?”

“I do not pretend to know my employers schedule.” Barons replied, “Its been over a month since I’ve seen him last.”

Pete’s eyebrows went up. “Over a month? So he goes off and plays with his money leaving you in charge of the house while he is gone?”

The old man smiled, “that’s one way to put it.”

Pete pulled a note pad and pen from his pocket. ”How many are employed at this house?”

“Six” Barons said. “three house keepers, a landscaper, a chef and myself “

“What about the guard?” Bobby asked.

“They work for a service, none of them have ever been trough the gate.”

“What do you know about Mr. Malaki’s activities?”

Barons eyes focused on Pete. “Mr. Gibbons, Master James has not asked my permission or council on anything since he was a young child. The day he turned fourteen he ’informed’ me that he was taking control of his fathers estate and that he would like to keep me on if I would stay. I did, so I am. Since he was a child Master James has always been an incredibly driven individual. He does not find it necessary to keep me informed in his plans and I do not ask.”

Scribbling in his pad Pete didn’t look up but asked “So you’ve know him for a long time then?”

“Yes, I worked for his parents before he was born. When they died I controlled the estate and served as Master James’ guardian until he was of legal age.”

“How did his parents die?”

Barons was looking like he was starting to get tired of the questioning. “They were in a car accident when Master James was seven years old.”

“Mr. Barons, its been a long ride do you mind if I use your restroom?” Bobby asked

“Not at all” Barons said swinging the door wide into a marbled foyer and inviting the two in before directing the agent towards the restroom.

Pete continued to question the estate keeper. “What can you tell me of Mr. Malaki’s companies he owns?”

“To my knowledge Master James doesn’t own any companies?” Barons said guardedly.

“Really? Because he is listed as an employee to more then seventy Mega-Million and over three hundred Fortune-Fivehundred. Companies.”

“I know he is very active with the stock market, perhaps that has something to do with it.”

“No Mr. Barons, owning stock in a company is not the same as being an employee for a company. Eighteen of these companies the he is employed with have filed for reparations for corporate espionage in the last ten months. Eighteen. Now while that is a large number, I‘d like to ask him how he manages to work for almost four hundred companies at the same time.”

Barons’ face had turned to stone and the hint of a smile was gone. “As I said, I know nothing of Master James’ activities or about his ownership of any companies.”

Bobby returned saying “Wow that’s a nice bathroom.” He looked to Pete who nodded.

“Would you happen to have a number with which we can reach Mr. Malaki with?” Pete asked.

Stepping to the side of the front door he reached out and pulled a small business card from a tray, then handed it to Pete.

Pete took the card and said “Thank you Mr. Barons.” as he shook hands with the man.

“Not at all” Barons said opening the front door.

A few moments later as Pete and Bobby drove through the gate and headed back home.

“Well?“ Bobby asked growing impatient.

“Well what? Ya the old guy knows shit, no the old guy didn’t say shit.” Pete replied “Did you expect any different?”

“Figures, I’m gonna kill Gwen for sending us out here, she’s always doing this kinda crap. We could have just called and it would have been enough, but no, we have to surprise them to catch them off guard.”

The car grew quiet as Pete slumped into his seat and Bobby focused on the twisting road.

August 16, 2004
Queens New York City

Detective Terrell Williams sipped at a slushy while he sat at a stop light waiting for it to change. It was a pretty busy intersection and there was a lot of traffic. As he looked around bored, a bright flash caught his eye. As he turned his head to find the source he felt a rumble that shook the car. Car alarms in several nearby parked cars started going off. To his left about two blocks away there was a building with thick dark clouds of smoke streaming through a hole in the side of the building twenty or so stories up. Looking up at the stop light he noticed it was out. Up and down the street he could see the power was out to a few places. Turning on his siren he made his way through the light and toward the blast. Pulling over to the side a block away he turned his siren off and reached for his radio.

“Dispatch this is 1220. There has been some type of explosion in the Queens City Tower Center.”

“1220 this is dispatch. Be advised fire and rescue are already on their way, no officers are on the scene yet.”

“I hear ya, I’m going to go check it out. Also it seems powers down between 12th and 36th street from what I can see, if could be a larger area, I’d recommend getting a few uniforms out here to direct traffic.”

Stepping through the from door of the building the security immediately tried to stop him holding weapons on him and telling him to freeze. After showing them his badge he demanded to know what was going on.

“Were not quite sure what’s going on sir, some started talking on the radio then there was an explosion and power is down, radios are out. Nobody has come down the stairs yet. Funny, you‘d think with a boom like that the sprinklers would be going off.” A security guard told him.

“I wanna get up stairs and see how bad it is, there might be people hurt.” He followed a latino security guard named Antonio up stairs lit by emergency lighting. Reaching the nineteenth floor the left the step well. Down a few halls they came to elevators, on the floor next to them were two security guards. Checking the bodies Williams found a pulse and sent Antonio down to get others to help. Proceeding down the hallway the two were guarding he came to a door that seemed to have been blasted outwards off its hinges.

He stepped over the door as he approached the room. The smoke was thick and made the room dark but he could make out a form of a person trying to drag something heavy across the ground towards him. The figure hadn’t seemed to notice him so he watched a little longer. As he looked on he could make out that it was a person he was dragging by one hand.

Pulling his gun he made himself known “hold it right there.” The figure, startled, let slip his hold on the hand he was pulling and ended up on his backside. He look at Williams wildly still clutching a piece of cloth to his nose and mouth. “Do you work here?”

The figure nodded. “There is another one back in there.” He said pointing into the smoke filled interior of the room, his voice muffled by the cloth.

Sensing the mans urgency Williams put the gun away and helped drag the mans burden into the hallway to the elevators. Looking at the unconscious security guard he saw a small trickle of blood coming from the mans ear. He also noticed the guards gun holster was empty. The man coughing into the cloth looked exhausted so Williams told him to wait by the elevators and that he’d run in and grab the last man. “It’s toxic, use a cloth of some type and be fast or it’ll burn your lungs and eyes.” The man muffled into the cloth between wracking coughs. Williams could see several blood spots on the cloth.

Holding the collar of his blazer across his nose Williams ran in. Crouching low and keeping his eyes squinted he looked around the room a few moments before finding the last man. As he reached the fourth security guard he heard Antonio’s voice from the door.

“Detective, are you in here?”

It didn’t take long for Williams to reach the door and Antonio helped him pull the body to the others. His mind was wondering where the man with the cloth over his mouth was when he saw that the elevator doors were now sitting open about three feet.

*Two hours later*

Williams sat on a bench in the lobby trying to figure everything out. The medics finally finished poking and prodding him he now had to wait. Supposedly there was some FBI hotshot that had to debrief him. Who was the guy, a thief? He knew the smoke was toxic but risked not only imprisonment but his own health and life to pull those security guards out of there. Why didn’t he just run and leave them? A thief who was also a humanist. He chuckled to himself at the dichotomy. Antonio didn’t even know what they did on that floor.

“Detective Williams?” Looking up he saw a tall woman with short wavy blond hair and dressed in a business skirt, blouse and jacket standing in front of him. “Special agent Gwen Pierce, FBI.”

“So you’re the one I’ve been waiting for.” he said as he stood to shake her hand.
“Yes I made a request to your captain to have you stay here so I could speak with you myself. Now that I’m here I find myself a bit hungry, I saw a diner a few blocks over would you rather talk there?” She said looking out the front window.

“As good a place as any I suppose, I’m hungry too.” Together they made their way to the diner. It was a quiet walk and he found that though this was a friendly way to question him, she was all business. After ordering drinks and food she started right in on him.

“I’ve already heard your report, your captain gave it to me.” She pulled a photo out of her bag, and passed it to him. “Is this the man you saw?”

The man in the photo was white, in his mid to late twenties with styled hair. He looked familiar but he couldn’t compare his memory of the man to the picture. “I’m not sure, he had a cloth covering most of his face the whole time, the eyes look the same color though.

“The man in that picture there, his name is James Malaki. He is a multibillionaire industrialist.” She said her eyes fixated on his.

“I’ve never heard of him” Williams said

“I’d of been surprised if you had. On paper he inherited all his money, but he is listed as an employee at nearly four hundred major corporations and business just like the one we just left. I believe he secretly owns them all through layers of parent companies and aliases. Over the past seven months there have been thefts like the one today, all on companies he owns, and on every one of them he went out of his way to make sure nobody was seriously hurt.”

“And you think he is behind them all?” he asked sipping at a cup of hot coffee.

“In a word, yes. His name is the only thing we have that link him to everything. And that is nowhere near substantial enough. You’re the first one to lay eyes on him in the act and you can’t be sure of what you saw, his involvement with the situation or if it was even really him. You looked into his eyes through, if you could again do you think you could be sure if it was him?” She asked before scooping part of her salad into her mouth.

“I think I could if I got close to him. Why, you’re not planning to bring me in on this are you?”

“Exactly. Since you’ve managed to get a look at his face, I need you to confirm its him.”

“Listen, I don’t want to seem rude, but my wife and I just had our first baby boy a week ago, I can’t leave my son and go hunting for some thief who only steals from himself.”

“I’m sorry detective, you don’t have a choice in the matter. Help us place him and your out, I‘ll promise you that.”