Mid-West Campaign
Session Thirty-Eight

Monday, 18 December 2000

After some discussion, the agents conclude that the book of I-Ching may yet be important. Summers was the one who talked to Kai, and Summers was the one who listened to his garbled nonsense. She was trying to make sense of it through this book. Unfortunately the book is in Los Angeles.

The agents know that Mao Sei Ben's headquarters is the Golden Jade Palace but they have no excuse the send in the SWAT. They spend a few hours chasing down ballistic reports to try and link Mao Sei Ben to the death of the west coast team, but to no immediate success. Perhaps it is not a fantastic idea to assault Mao Sei Ben on his home ground.

The agents reason they are missing something and remember another case the west coast team was working on, The Mirror Ghost in China Town (SF211). It was through that case the west coast team found the jade pendant of talent. It is tenuous, but there may be a link, so the agents bring up the details.

They contact Schult who tells the group that the west coast team had buried the mirror on the grounds of the headquarters, but removed it on 11 December to a save place with a 12 mile drive of the house. The agents deduce that this was the warehouse where the agents were killed two days later, but why do this? Donning their boots of conclusion jumping the agents guess that the mirror ghost had been imprisoned by Mao Sei Ben, and the team was trying to use it against the geomancer. It is possible the mirror is still at the warehouse. The agents return to Los Angeles.

On the flight they make full reports of their intentions in case they are killed by Mao Sei Ben when they go to retrieve the mirror. Jane also briefs McKraken on everything she knows about Lillian Winter should the Joker return for him. The information may save his life.

At headquarters the agents tool up for a possible confrontation with Mao Sei Ben and the three fathers. They believe that Mao Sei Ben can travel by dragon line so he could feasibly turn up very quickly. They get assault rifles and tremendously heavy body armour. Then they notice the other armoury door that they never got around to opening. Ecks picks his way through and discovers high explosive grenades, a large amount of C-4 and three stinger missiles! Jane decides to take the stinger to use against Mao Sei Ben. However, it is late by this time so opt to go in the morning.

McKraken examines the I-Ching using his rudimentary knowledge of ancient Mandarin. He doesn't think it is a language, he thinks it's a code. As there is no cryptologist on the team, Jane phones the east coast team and speaks to the recently resurrected Paco Baker. He tells her that Ashamiko is a cryptologist and asks them to fax the documents. Jane entrusts this task to Wainwright who proves unequal to the task, but with Ecks's help the job is eventually done.

Tuesday, 19 December 2000

At dawn the agents head back to the warehouse. They are accompanied by a police car that will wait on the road and radio them if a compact car with four Chinese men approaches the warehouse. Jane and Todd get on to the roof with the stinger to blast the car if it approaches, Burchill and McKraken are in the van with assault rifles while Ecks and Wainwright scour the warehouse with metal detectors looking for the mirror (well, Ecks does - Wainwright takes his apart because it doesn't seem to be working properly).

After a very short time Jane gets a message from the police that a car is approaching. Mao Sei Ben has arrived. Jane takes aim with the stinger and fires. The heat seeking missile seeks out the car and destroys it before the geomancer can react. Jane and Todd scurry down from the roof and head over the smoking wreckage in the van. Jane and Todd get out of the van and approach on foot as Burchill circles the van behind.

A charred and annoyed Mao Sei Ben steps from the wreckage. The three fathers were killed in the explosion but the taoshih is still alive. He gestures and the team's van explodes. Burchill manages to dive for safety but McKraken is caught in the blast and almost killed. He is flung dozens of feet in the air and is inches from death when time stops. McKraken has been injured and the Joker has returned.

The Joker sees McKraken and warns the agent against "playing him". McKraken sings like a canary and tells the Joker everything he wants to know. Mao Sei Ben seems a bit puzzled by all this as but doesn't have time to react as Jane, Burchill and Todd open up on him with a variety of firearms and grenades to no conceivable effect.

Mao Sei Ben gestures and sends the wreckage of his own car flying at Jane, Todd and Burchill and the wreckage of the van flying at McKraken. The agents dive to one side, and McKraken is saved by the Joker who is still pondering news of Lillian Winter's treachery. "Goodness," says McKraken, "was that aimed at you?"

In the warehouse Ecks and Wainwright believe they have found the mirror in an oil sump under the floor and life the grate to fish it out. Jane rushes in to engage Mao Sei Ben in hand-to-combat (as does Todd who bitch slaps the sorcerer). However, these attacks have no effect. Burchill closes to taser range. The Joker seems to have made his decision and drops McKraken who scurries away.

The Joker attacks Mao Sei Ben throwing him backwards and opening three wound son his chest. Ecks calls in that they have the mirror, Jane orders him to wait before smashing it in case the Joker can bring Mao Sei Ben down. However, the Joker is unequal to the task as the geomancer casts a spell and banishes the demon!

Mao Sei Ben employs his magic to rip Jane in half, but only manages to remove her boots and then her trousers. He gestures and Todd is thrown fifty feet onto the roof of a nearby building (but is saved by his armour). Burchill tasers Mao Sei Ben, but this doesn't work either. Ecks and Wainwright grenade the mirror potentially releasing the spirit within.

Suddenly Jane is magically held and she can feel something invading her mind. Mao Sei Ben attacks Jane, who resists and loses the rest of her closes rather than her limbs (McKraken makes sure he gets all this on film). Suddenly Jane gestures and Mao Sei Ben goes flying. However, she shakes off whatever is possessing her and tries to grapple him. Burchill fires silver bullets to no avail.

Jane is told that the invisible spirit of Plum Blossom must have possessed her which is how she injured Mao Sei Ben, however, she fought it off. Reasoning that Plum Blossom is now the only chance they have of finishing Mao Sei Ben, Jane unwisely lets the spirit in and Plum Blossom takes full control. Plum Blossom/Jane gestures at Mao Sei Ben who freezes in place.

Wainwright takes the opportunity to shoot the geomancer with his pistol. The bullet wounds the man. Whatever Plum Blossom did, Mao Sei Ben is now vulnerable normal weapons. Ecks opens up on him with his assault rifle and blows Mao Sei Ben to bits.

But it is not over yet. The naked Jane is still possessed and now she strides away with no regard for her companions. Wainwright tries to stop her by waving shards of the mirror at her. Plum Blossom gestures and Wainwright's left leg is removed at the hip in a fountain of blood. Burchill tries to taser Jane, but it doesn't work and Jane's next gesture rips Burchill from sternum to stomach and he goes down.

McKraken, with his pendant-derived knowledge of ancient Mandarin, tries to calm Plum Blossom down. He tells her that Jane is on a vengeance quest of her own, and that the other agents are her servants and must be saved. Plum Blossom listens and Jane regains control of herself. She uses her surgery skills and manages to stabilise Burchill and Wainwright long enough for two air ambulances to arrive.

Burchill, Wainwright and McKraken are rushed to hospital, Jane rides in the helicopter with them and helps to keep them alive. Ecks and Todd remian to follow Jane's last command "whitewash it". The shards of the mirror are gathered up, the other three jade pendants are removed from the wreckage of the car when it is cool enough. Ecks sees to it that Mao Sei Ben's body is cut in half, removed and cremated in two different places.

At the hospital Burchill and Wainwright are rushed into surgery and settles into a bout of frantic pacing. She can still feel Plum Blossom moving in her mind, but her fears for the safety of her agents manages to eclipse this. Wainwright is stabilised, but Burchill is in surgery for nine hours, and all the time it is touch and go whether he will live. Jane waits for the results of the surgery and is relieved to find out that Burchill will pull through, although he'll be off active duty for months.

Bradley and Todd come to the hospital and drive Jane back to headquarters. As they pass through Schult's defensive force field that keeps out the Joker, Plum Blossom is forcibly evicted from Jane's mind. Jane slumps into unconsciousness blood streaming from her ears and nose and is put swiftly to bed on their return.

Ecks sends a full report of cases 0008-GCF, 0015-GCF, LA007 and SF211 to Eisenstein and to Artemis Black. Eisenstein returns with news that the mid-west team is now too large and agents are to be split between the west and mid-west offices.

The west coast team will be headed by Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dominic Rocaan once he returns from Casper. In the meantime newly promoted Senior Special Agent Bradley Ecks will be in charge. Todd O'Connell and Philip McKraken will also be on the team. Once they return from hospital Jack Burchill and Mathew Wainwright will join them - although the one-legged Wainwright will be operating on restricted duties for the rest of his career. On the recommendation of Artemis Black, Bruce Campbell-Robson will also be assigned.

Jane Munroe, Benedict Oaxaca and Alex Drake will continue to serve on the mid-west team. Quentin Stone will be reassigned to another agency once he leaves Casper. Eisenstein gives no reason for this, but says he will be replaced by another (as yet unnamed) agent. In charge of the mid-west team will be Artemis Black.

Pleased with this news, Ecks throws himself into his new role and gets those seismic scanners he ordered to look at what is below the mansion. He discovers a lozenge-shaped cavern about two-hundred feet down containing a strange obelisk. Ecks leaves his investigation there, not wanting to anger S.C.H.U - L.T. (Sentient Computerised Holographic Utility - Lifepod Two).

Wednesday, 20 December 2000

Jane awakens to the news from yesterday. She is anxious to crack on with the Apache Joe case, but Eisenstein orders all agents to suspend their investigations until after Christmas. Jane phones Eisenstein to grumble about this, but there is nothing she can do about it. Jane takes the opportunity to ask Eisenstein what she should do about Todd. There is is real tangible evidence against Vitrano and Lavin (or at least Lavin and Siesmanski) - should they pursue this through regular channels?

Eisenstein doesn't see it that way: it's Todd and Mike Colefield's word against Lavin and Siesmanski's. No-one trusts what Jane has to say, and "Hunt" is dead.. Todd's blood test wasn't corroborated, and now it's too late so that evidence is inadmissable. Plus according to Jane's own reports the Vitrano's activities could be linked to commandos, Ukrainians, ray guns, ghosts and brain bugs - that's not the sort of thing that you want to take to court. Any move evidence response makes on this case, would have to be done on the QT - and Eisenstein doesn't want to know anything about that.

Results of Todd's DNA sample come back today. There is something strange about them. Todd isn't quite human. This mystery (along with why Todd wasn't affected by the timeline) could well be solved by looking into Todd's background. Todd is an orphan raised by his grandmother, Elsie. She was married to someone in Winterset. The team speculates that the archangels may have been a little too friendly with the inhabitants of Winterset a while back, hence the strange nature of the town.

Thursday, 21 December 2000

After a day's searching and talking to local agencies Jane manages to track down the location of Nathan Harlow's remains. After his body was removed from the Los Angeles sewer by police in 1946 it was eventually buried in the Ventura County Public Cemetery. Jane would like to have the body reburied properly with the hands that are currently in the freezer downstairs. However, at present she cannot think to get a judge to agree to this.

Jane contacts the family of David from Westburg Vaults who was killed by the Joker. She lies to them and explains how he was killed by Triads.

Friday, 22 December 2000

Artemis Black is discharged from hospital in Casper although he remains there to convalesce. There he receives a visit from Valerie Hudson. She tells him about the shake up in the teams and also informs him that Eisenstein has been promoted to deputy director, and has nominated Artemis as Assistant Deputy Director, Evidence Response. He effectively becomes Eisenstein's filter.

Hudson reads Black's future and is shocked by what she finds. He has a great destiny, but whether it is in politics or investigation is up to him. The rise and rise of Artemis Black continues unabated.

Hudson says she sensed the influence of the Joker had vanished, but now it has returned. Artemis explains what happened. Hudson had heard of Mao Sei Ben. She does not think the Joker could have returned to this world while Mao Sei Ben lived.

Hudson explains that her psychic powers cause her to pay a physical price, and that price necessitates regular bone marrow transplants. Artemis is a perfect donor for Hudson. He agrees to help her when he is called upon.

Hudson also gives the team a few leads to go on. She says that Hamblin, although dead, is still alive somewhere in the timeline and we may meet him again. She received a copy of the I-Ching diagrams sent to the east coast team and knows they are a computer programming language. She also tells us she has a record of Harlow attempting to hack Vitrano and Lavin's files in the NSA - she says that those files are incomplete.

Now Artemis puts Hudson to work. She analyses the cigarette butt found with Hamblin. It was smoked by a man called Vasily Naborakov. Vasily is not privy to a great deal of information by knows that generals in the Ukraine are installing American technology. She then touches Benedict and tells him something about the green mineral. She says that it has a protein-like ability; that it binds itself to structures in Dominic's body. His nervous system now works differently - better in some areas, but worse in others. The bad the mineral came it was sent from the Dynamicorp headquarters in Pennsylvania. Finally, Artemis asks Hudson to see what is so fishy with Bruce Campbell-Robson. She touches him as she leaves, but doesn't reveal what she felt.

Back in California, Michael Levin turns up at the west coast headquarters and asks to speak to Jane in private. He says that he was on his way to spend Christmas with his mother in Orange County and thought he would "pop in". Of course, this is a business call. The brain-bug possessed Richard Quail has been seen picking over the ruins of the Prentice farm in Idaho. Levin thinks he is heading to another Department of Agriculture sponsored farm in Kansas (not far from Wichita). The farm is called the Twin Valley Ranch, and it is owned by a small holding company for the D of A.

Levin cannot spare the resources to check this out. Quail has been keeping a low profile and is not considered a large threat, but he is intriguing. He doesn't seem to be on either side of the brain bug civil war - not the scientists or the mystics - he is working solo.

Levin cannot stay and quickly takes his leave. Jane fires a few questions at him. He acknowledges that the Ukraine is a good candidate for being controlled by the brain bugs, but he has no firm information either way - neither does he have any suspicions regarding Dynamicorp. Levin departs in his limousine driven by the impressive Monty. He suggests Jane should wear the necklace he gave her more often.

Saturday, 23 December 2000

Artemis Black donates $1,000,000 to a random charity. The cynical would suggest he has only done it for the publicity. Already the sponsorship deals from industry are rolling in for the would-be politician. Lockheeds Martin sends his a cheque for $250,000 and it won't be long before a grinning Artemis Black is gracing the tail-fin of many domestic aircraft.

Artemis then has a splendid idea. He suggests that all the new teams (east, west and mid) go to the west coast headquarters for Christmas. All their families are invited (of course) and Artemis promises that he will be there just to make Christmas go with a swing!

Jane invites the Faber family to the west coast headquarters and they are happy to attend, pleased not to be spending their first Christmas with the memories of Kirsty hanging over them.

Sunday, 24 December 2000
Christmas Eve

The guest arrive at the west coast headquarters for a Californian Christmas. For the first time all the agents are together in the same place at the same time, but nowhere is safer than under S.C.H.U. - L.T.'s watchful eye.

Artemis, Dominic, Benedict, Alex Drake, Quentin Stone and Bruce are finally released from the watchful gaze of the USAF. Everyone apart from Black heads to Los Angeles. Black has to record The Artemis Black Christmas Special that is going out live on this evening. Fortunately, he now has his own private jet to whisk him away to the TV studio.

Following the filming Black's plane touches down in Wichita where Black collects the statue of Joshua Blackthorne. Oozing with smarm and with a big far cigar in his mouth, Artemis proceeds to tell Blackthorne all about his success during the several hours it takes to reach Los Angeles.

It is almost the stroke of midnight when Artemis Black bursts into the evidence response Christmas party. He is dressed as Father Christmas and begins handing out outrageously expensive presents to his friends and co-workers, with a grin on his face that C-4 couldn't shift. Black has his minions wheel Blackthorne in on a small trolley and place him by the Christmas tree.

Dominic takes the opportunity to have a look around his new command. Taking in the opulence with a steady, cynical eye. Jane takes the opportunity to get riotously drunk, particularly as some of the photos McKraken took of her fighting Mao Sei Ben seem to have found their way into the room.

Monday, 25 December 2000
Christmas Day

Schult outdoes himself in a fantastic spread for more than fifty guests. After dinner, Artemis feels the need to make a speech. He draws the attention of the assembled to those FBI agents who could not be with the team to day. They raise their glasses to Nathan Harlow, and Jane thinks that maybe Artemis isn't all bad. Then the walking smarm factory puts on a video of his Christmas special and gets everyone to sing "I'm dreaming of a Black Christmas" and she wants to kill him.

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