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Description
An hour later the Changeling and Cynthis set off for Globex headquarters on stealth motorbikes. Arriving silently, they stashed the bikes out of sight. Cynthis had also equipped the Changeling with a Polygirl bio- molecular transmitter able to transmit to the Changeling even when she was in liquid or gas form. Instead of testing the transmitter or observing the tight security at the complex, Cynthia was preoccupied with her embrace with Cynthis and her clumsy explanation to her mother afterwards that it was not a sexual advance.

Her distraction ended when Cynthis reminded her of the mission. “They are well prepared for you. Motion detectors and molecular spectrometers are scattered throughout the main plaza.”

Unconcerned, the Changeling replied, “They always think I’ll repeat what I did before. That will work in my favor.”

Transforming to gas, she drifted over to the line of vehicles waiting to go through the GLOBEX security checkpoint. Finding a large, black security SUV, she invisibly enveloped the rear in her vapor, and then flowed into the cargo space through a cracked window. Condensing on the floor, she then poured into the spare tire well below, out of sight. The SUV’s suspension sagged imperceptibly with the added weight. A few minutes later, after the guards had shined lights and aimed sensors over and under the vehicle, it pulled around the headquarters into a rear garage, and a half dozen more armed security men exited the car and trotted up the steps to the lobby. Unnoticed by them, a stream of black liquid flowed from under the SUV into a dark corner. “Talk about fighting the last war – all those detectors and money are trying to catch me the last way I got in here,” Cynthia pondered.

As she transformed to a transparent gas, preparing to enter a nearby duct, Cynthis reached her over the communications device. “Avoid ventilation system; they have rigged the junctions with high intensity, short-range EMP devices. The elevator shafts appear to have sensors but no EMP’s. ”

Unable to answer in vapor form, she followed an air current leading to a freight elevator shaft. Changing to solid form at the grill guarding the open shaft, she pulled the grill open and looked up, then down for the elevator. “Any idea how many floors up the records complex is?” she asked over the communicator.

“Actually, it’s five floors underground. The elevator cab is currently on the 5th floor, heading for the bottom. You may want to be in gaseous form to…”

“I got it, Cy,” she replied as she transformed into a thick mist and slowly drifted down the elevator shaft.

For a moment Cynthis experienced something close to irritation with the Changeling’s brusque manner, but then turned to a new information feed coming in on her stealth bike’s browser.

“I have that information from the C.I.A. There are some important new data on Invictus,” Cynthis reported. Just then, however, the Changeling reached her floor, and whooshed through the door seams ahead of the approaching elevator cab. In the corridor, she coalesced rapidly into human form.

Able to talk again, she asked, “What do you have?”

“Apparently the connections between Project S.H.A.D.O.W. and Invictus run deep. Alexis Thorn was a 2nd lieutenant in the Army six years ago, and became the initial test subject for the project. After the exciter went out of control and she was vaporized, she was though to be dead. But you may remember that eight months later in Monaco the French Surete recovered Luis Pinto.”

“Yes, the international terrorist.”

“The file I just received stated that Alexis Thorn caught him and handed him over without cooperating with the CIA. Since then, they and other agencies have been trying to capture her, without success. In the last five years three agents have gone missing and many others have been incapacitated.”

“So this Alexis Thorn is Invictus?”

“The files make that clear, and say she has gone into bounty hunting. It appears she is now after you, and the reports are that she has never failed.”

“There’s a first time for everything. Can you get a scan of the layout down here?”

“Negative, they set up a dampening field. Perhaps I should join you.”

“No, it will take too long, just hold tight. See if you can access more of their security systems.”

“I will need to get into the building to do that.”

“Well, fit yourself for a uniform, I need someone to cover my back down here.”

Cynthis is property of

The Changeling is property of

Description
An hour later the Changeling and Cynthis set off for Globex headquarters on stealth motorbikes. Arriving silently, they stashed the bikes out of sight. Cynthis had also equipped the Changeling with a Polygirl bio- molecular transmitter able to transmit to the Changeling even when she was in liquid or gas form. Instead of testing the transmitter or observing the tight security at the complex, Cynthia was preoccupied with her embrace with Cynthis and her clumsy explanation to her mother afterwards that it was not a sexual advance.

Her distraction ended when Cynthis reminded her of the mission. “They are well prepared for you. Motion detectors and molecular spectrometers are scattered throughout the main plaza.”

Unconcerned, the Changeling replied, “They always think I’ll repeat what I did before. That will work in my favor.”

Transforming to gas, she drifted over to the line of vehicles waiting to go through the GLOBEX security checkpoint. Finding a large, black security SUV, she invisibly enveloped the rear in her vapor, and then flowed into the cargo space through a cracked window. Condensing on the floor, she then poured into the spare tire well below, out of sight. The SUV’s suspension sagged imperceptibly with the added weight. A few minutes later, after the guards had shined lights and aimed sensors over and under the vehicle, it pulled around the headquarters into a rear garage, and a half dozen more armed security men exited the car and trotted up the steps to the lobby. Unnoticed by them, a stream of black liquid flowed from under the SUV into a dark corner. “Talk about fighting the last war – all those detectors and money are trying to catch me the last way I got in here,” Cynthia pondered.

As she transformed to a transparent gas, preparing to enter a nearby duct, Cynthis reached her over the communications device. “Avoid ventilation system; they have rigged the junctions with high intensity, short-range EMP devices. The elevator shafts appear to have sensors but no EMP’s. ”

Unable to answer in vapor form, she followed an air current leading to a freight elevator shaft. Changing to solid form at the grill guarding the open shaft, she pulled the grill open and looked up, then down for the elevator. “Any idea how many floors up the records complex is?” she asked over the communicator.

“Actually, it’s five floors underground. The elevator cab is currently on the 5th floor, heading for the bottom. You may want to be in gaseous form to…”

“I got it, Cy,” she replied as she transformed into a thick mist and slowly drifted down the elevator shaft.

For a moment Cynthis experienced something close to irritation with the Changeling’s brusque manner, but then turned to a new information feed coming in on her stealth bike’s browser.

“I have that information from the C.I.A. There are some important new data on Invictus,” Cynthis reported. Just then, however, the Changeling reached her floor, and whooshed through the door seams ahead of the approaching elevator cab. In the corridor, she coalesced rapidly into human form.

Able to talk again, she asked, “What do you have?”

“Apparently the connections between Project S.H.A.D.O.W. and Invictus run deep. Alexis Thorn was a 2nd lieutenant in the Army six years ago, and became the initial test subject for the project. After the exciter went out of control and she was vaporized, she was though to be dead. But you may remember that eight months later in Monaco the French Surete recovered Luis Pinto.”

“Yes, the international terrorist.”

“The file I just received stated that Alexis Thorn caught him and handed him over without cooperating with the CIA. Since then, they and other agencies have been trying to capture her, without success. In the last five years three agents have gone missing and many others have been incapacitated.”

“So this Alexis Thorn is Invictus?”

“The files make that clear, and say she has gone into bounty hunting. It appears she is now after you, and the reports are that she has never failed.”

“There’s a first time for everything. Can you get a scan of the layout down here?”

“Negative, they set up a dampening field. Perhaps I should join you.”

“No, it will take too long, just hold tight. See if you can access more of their security systems.”

“I will need to get into the building to do that.”

“Well, fit yourself for a uniform, I need someone to cover my back down here.”

Cynthis is property of

The Changeling is property of