Dreams of Deception by lborgia88
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It was still raining when Jason pulled up in front of his trailer. But when he got out of his car, instead of running inside he just stood there, stalled by indecision, letting the rain fall on his head and shoulders.

That guy could be a quack; I should go to one of the doctors at Center Neptune, he thought, feeling water trickling down his face, like tears. I have to know what's really wrong with me.

But I can't risk the others finding out –not before I know myself what it is…

He was glad he'd not used his real name at the doctor's office or worn his wrist communicator. The last thing he wanted was to be recognized as G-Force, or tracked by Zark. However, standing here getting drenched accomplished nothing. Back inside his trailer, he sat on the edge of his bed, slumping forward as one readying himself for bad news.

Why do I keep having that same dream, with that Spectran woman like the one that attacked the Chief and me, and those unconscious people at the table?

And I'm just a little kid in that dream, but nothing like that ever happened to me… Sure, there're big gaps in what I can remember, before the car accident, before Mom and Dad died, but I don't know who that man and woman are supposed to be. I can't remember ever being at a beach, before…

But suddenly he remembered something far more current and real. His eyes flew open as he lifted his head.

I forgot to meet the Chief today!

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The Spectran ship's insect-like head, targeted with precise laser fire, blew apart in a burst of flames as Mark watched with grim satisfaction from the cockpit of his jet.

G-Force had just announced its arrival on Tolak.

Six more ships came at him now, closing in, but with his jet's greater speed and maneuverability, it wasn't hard to pull up sharply and come around behind them before they knew what was happening.

His laser cannon fired anew, sending them to oblivion.

Elsewhere in Metropia, Keyop was busily dropping bombs from his buggy that fell upon those Spectran ships still clinging to the remains of destroyed buildings.

Princess, operating at street level from the vantage of her galacticycle, saw a Spectran ship loom suddenly before her, but she easily blew a hole clean through it, and as she sped beyond it, it exploded into pieces. The next one she encountered met the same fate.

On the Phoenix, Tiny was demonstrating that he didn't need Jason there –or anyone else- to fire missiles; he could do plenty of damage to these Spectran ships simply by ramming the Phoenix into them head-on. Their debris rained on the ground below, and any that Tiny was unable to bash, Mark shot down with his laser cannon.

It was all so easy.

"It's all too easy," thought Mark, now looking about suspiciously at the havoc he and his three teammates had wreaked. These ships weren't even firing back at them. And here, he had been concerned they'd be at a disadvantage with Jason absent…

Dozens more ships were still in the air, so he shot down a few more of them and then flew closer to inspect their wrecks, now on the ground.

They were almost completely empty.

He called into his communicator, "Princess, Keyop, meet back on the Phoenix –right now!"

This met with a "Huh?" and a "Mark?" but he led by example and docked his own jet first.

"There are no Spectrans here," he replied, "Or at least, not anymore."

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"It hasn't been two hours, but I'm sick of sitting here," said Jason to himself as he opened the door of his trailer to face the rain yet again. He was carrying his communicator in his hand, but made no move to return it to his wrist. "I'll go see Anderson as soon as I'm done meeting with the doctor."

He sprinted to his car and got inside hastily. His communicator he tossed into the glove compartment. If anyone tried to contact him right now, he had nothing to say to them. Not yet.

Water spraying from its tires, Jason's car now left the trailer behind and sped back into town.

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"So what do you think, my lady?" asked Dr. Ratold as he and Mala walked out of his office and into the hallway.

"If he's nineteen, how could that be?" She paused, frowning slightly. "You say there's an implant in his head, with old surgical scars -surely that's causing his problems, not 'latent physiological imbalances due to a hybrid genetic background.'"

She began to walk towards the elevator, as he followed at her side.

"From how you describe him," Mala continued, "he could be a soldier; perhaps his own military is doing experiments on him he doesn't even know about."

"Of course, my lady," Dr. Ratold hastened to agree with her as they entered the elevator, "But there's been a Spectran presence on Riga much longer, and there are articles in their medical journals that describe very similar cases…"

The elevator doors closed, just as Jason was coming up the stairs. His ascent complete, he paused. Now that he was actually here and on the verge of getting an answer to all the problems he'd been experiencing, that he'd tried to conceal or at least downplay to everyone else, he was more hesitant than he wanted to admit.

"I'm still too early," he said to himself, "and I hate waiting rooms. At least in my car I can listen to the radio."

Jason turned and began retracing his steps, listening to his footfalls echo in the empty stairwell.

Dr. Ratold and Mala emerged from the elevator into the lobby, and he dutifully escorted her to her car despite the rain.

"So, what is your decision?" he asked.

"I suppose you could be right," said Mala, casually as if humoring him. She'd shut her car's door, but lingering in the rain and leaning closer, Ratold could still hear her. "When he returns, inject him with a tranquilizer –then contact me."

Jason didn't hear her words, but as he was just about to leave the building, he saw her and recognized her face. He lurched backwards, shocked, before she could notice him.

You have no idea, Ratold, thought Mala, just how very important he could be to me.

She smiled. It's been so many years…

As Ratold bowed, acknowledging her orders, she sped away. It was time to meet Chief Anderson again.

Still unnoticed, Jason glared now at the doctor, who was turning to reenter the building and pausing to flick something from his coat's lapel. But as much as he wanted to grab Dr. Ratold and shake him down for everything he knew about his sinister, blond visitor, Jason knew that would have to wait.

"I'm on your tail now, Mala," he muttered. But speed was vital.

He rushed out from where he'd been lurking. He didn't care what this doctor thought now and he didn't care if he missed his second appointment with him!

"Gotta run!" snapped Jason as he dashed forward to shove his way past the startled doctor. He had to get to his car, before it was too late to follow Mala.

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On Tolak, the Phoenix hovered low over the ruined landscape of Metropia. On the bridge, everyone was now staring at the view screen and seeing what Mark had already discovered. The wrecks of the Spectran ships that they'd destroyed without a fight were indeed empty.

"They must have had crews when they first arrived," said Mark, "Zark says their initial attack here was strong and we can see for ourselves all the damage they did. But now they're just automated –programmed to fly around, but not to do anything else."

"I can't reach Zark," said Princess, "Do you think they've jammed our comms?"

"Very likely," replied Mark, "Some of the Spectrans might have dispersed and gone into hiding here. Others might have managed, in the aftermath and confusion of their initial attack, to take some of their ships back to Spectra… or somewhere else –if Zark's picked that up on his sensors, he obviously hasn't been able to let us know. All I know for sure is that something really stinks about this whole situation."

Keyop, Princess and Tiny all stared at him apprehensively.

"I think," he continued bitterly, "That all this has just been a trick to lure us to Tolak and get us out of the way." Mark walked backed to the front of the bridge and settled wearily back into his chair, "The real action is going on somewhere else. Tiny, take us up into high orbit –quick! We'll try contacting Zark again from up there."

Princess and Keyop ran to their seats.

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At his desk, at Camp Parker, Chief Anderson stared down at the bundle of documents and intelligence reports that lay there. Their paper was slightly yellowed, but then, they were at least thirteen years old, most of them.

A female agent, he thought, wearing a mask, throwing roses. And her. All those years ago… could it really be her?

He continued to flip through the documents, the only source he had –except himself.

And now, maybe Jason too.

Late, again. Where was Jason? Why wouldn't he answer his communicator?

He couldn't be racing; not in this rain.

But maybe it's just as well he's not here…

So engrossed was he in his thoughts, he didn't notice the arrival of the insect-like Spectran ship until it loomed large in the window before him.

 

As he leapt to his feet in alarm, the window shattered and wind engulfed the room.

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As ever, Zark was pacing.

"I'm so worried, 1-Rover-1," he said, "I'm about to blow a capacitor. Ever since G-Force reached Tolak, I haven't been able to contact them."

1-Rover-1 yapped.

"Yes, I'm sure they're fine, but they don't know that another Spectran ship has come to Earth! I lost track of it when it entered some dense rainclouds, but I think it was headed for Camp Parker. That's where Chief Anderson and Jason are, and I can't reach anyone there either! "

"Zark, do you read me?" As Zark spun around, Mark's face was now visible on one of his monitor screens.

"Commander!" exclaimed Zark, zooming closer, "Am I glad to see you!"

"Glad to see you too," replied Mark kindly, before adding more crisply "Listen –we're leaving Tolak. The attack was just bait because Spectra wants us to be here, out of the way. What I need to know is where Spectra doesn't want us to be right now!"

"I'm afraid it's Camp Parker, here on Earth. You must go there immediately!"

"That's where the Chief is, and Jason, right?"

"Yes," said Zark, "I observed a Spectran ship heading that way but I haven't been able to contact them, and the rain storms are just ruining my orbiting sensors' view!"

"We'll be there on the double," said Mark, "Just as fast as the Phoenix can go! Don't worry."

With those words, Mark's image abruptly disappeared.

"Well," said Zark, spinning now to face 1-Rover-1, "If anyone can get to the bottom of what's going on, and foil Spectra's plans, it's G-Force!"

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Mala's car drove through the rain. She was outside the city now, and passing fields and country homes on either side of the road.

Perhaps it was the poor visibility that prevented her from noticing that a member of G-Force was closing in on her. Jason had transmuted now, and was at the wheel of his spacemobile. But for Jason, the rain didn't conceal two intensely bright lights that were the eyes of an insect-like Spectran ship, descending to land behind some abandoned buildings far ahead.

You can run but you can't hide, Mala, he thought.

He braked abruptly, pulling his car behind a massive tree for temporary concealment. But he was surely going to storm that ship and soon. After all, it had to be exactly where Mala was heading now.

What he couldn't know, was that Chief Anderson had already encountered this very ship…

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Chief Anderson slowly raised his head, struggling to muster his wits from the grey fog that enveloped them. The last thing he remembered was…

Spectrans!

His eyes flew open now. He was seated in a large chair inside a chamber whose walls resembled the multi-faceted eyes of an insect –eyes like those of the Spectran ship that had attacked Camp Parker.

As the last remnants of oblivion clouding his vision dispersed, the figure of Zoltar loomed before him, confirming what he dreaded.

He was now Zoltar's prisoner.

"Did you have pleasant dreams, Chief Anderson?" asked Zoltar, his voice oozing triumph.

"G-Force will rescue me!"

"Don't be so sure of that," smirked Zoltar, "An attack on planet Tolak has lured G-Force there. By the time they learn they've been diverted, it will be too late for you."

"So you think you'll succeed where Mala failed?" replied Anderson, determined to sound calm. He would not let Zoltar see any sign of the fear that now gripped him.

"Mala's plan to destroy you on that train was brilliant," declared Zoltar, sweeping his arm dramatically, "You were merely very, very lucky that day. I assure you, that won't happen today."

"You weren't there that day, Zoltar. Let me ask you this -do you trust your sister?"

"What?" demanded Zoltar.

"You see, I've since realized that I met Mala before, long before that day on the train -many years before, in fact. And now I think she recognized me too that day. And those masked Galaxy Girls -I know now that at least one such female Spectran agent has been to Earth before. Many years before. Again, do you trust your sister, Zoltar?"

"What nonsense is this?" laughed Zoltar, "You couldn't possibly have hard proof of any disloyalty on Mala's part!"

Outside the Spectran ship, the gun of Jason's spacemobile opened fire on one of the ship's eyes, unleashing an explosion and causing a chunk of it to shatter and fall away.

Hearing the noise, Zoltar turned suddenly. "What was that?" he demanded loudly, "Report!"

"It's a member of G-Force!" responded a Spectran soldier, "The one they call G-2!"

"Ratold was right!" gasped Zoltar.

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Outside, Jason accelerated his spacemobile as hard as he could and tore across the rain soaked grass towards the Spectran ship. Using a low rock ledge as a ramp, he launched his vehicle into the air and soared straight through the hole that he had blown through one of the ship's insect-like eyes.

Inside the ship, Jason found himself speeding down a long corridor, flying past Spectran soldiers too stupefied to do anything but stay out of his spacemobile's way. He had to find Mala, but first…

He lifted his wrist communicator.

"Mark, if you're there, track this signal!"

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The Phoenix had just reentered Earth's atmosphere. As it sped towards Camp Park, Mark was anxiously staring at the view screen. Hearing Jason's voice suddenly coming over his communicator was both a relief and a cause for further consternation.

"About time! What the heck's going on?"

A second later, he called over to Princess, "We can't wait for an answer –just track Jason's location now." To Tiny he ordered "Follow the coordinates she gives you."

"I'm on it!" replied Tiny grimly, momentarily pulling back on the thrusters in preparation for a sudden change in course.

"Everyone get ready," said Mark, frowning, "I think we're about to find out what we've been missing out on."

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Chief Anderson stood up.

"Thirteen years ago, I was the sole contact for a woman who wanted Federation protection in return for information about a planet with long-range plans to attack us."

"If you want to trade information for your safety now," said Zoltar, smiling, "You're going to have to tell me something I don't already know."

Chief Anderson's brow wrinkled, but he spoke again quickly even as panels in the floor slid aside before them.

"We arranged to meet, but she was abducted. No witness but a drugged and traumatized boy, babbling about a masked woman throwing flowers and-"

But Chief Anderson was rendered silent at the sight now before him. What had risen up from the floor compartment was an anti-transmutation ray gun –just like the one that G-Force had faced during their last mission.

And now Zoltar was speaking again.

"I don't think you've seen this yet, but surely G-Force told you all about our latest weapon?" he said.

Anderson didn't answer; he could only stare, stunned. A glass partition suddenly descended from the ceiling –trapping him and separating him from Zoltar, and the ray gun.

"You didn't think Dr. Glock could make only one of these, did you?" continued Zoltar. Pointing at Anderson, he added, "That boy that you found –did you put a cerebonic implant in his head and wipe his memories? Did you turn him into a member of G-Force? I think I'm about to find out!"

Chief Anderson couldn't keep his face from grimacing.

Jason…

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