May 17, 2020 2:17 am
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1981, 1200 HOURS
It is noon when Administrator Burman welcomes you into his office. The place is rather spartan, with a desk, a single chair, a filing cabinet, and a coat rack. Yet somehow, it seems fitting for Burman, a strong man in his late 50s with salt-and-pepper hair kept short and a clean-shaven face. He is very curt and no-nonsense and has a well-deserved reputation for being strictly by-the-book.
"Welcome, agents. There is a new danger facing the civilized world: the incredible new chemical substance known as ZN-25, or "Zucor". This recent discovery, a mind-expanding drug of incredible power, has been developed under the direction of Genevieve Larreau, a noted French villainess who has long harbored elaborate schemes to subvert Western civilization. This latest plotting has dangerous undertones, however, because of the drug's peculiar properties and the mass subversions of the mind that are possible through its proliferation.
"The substance has apparently been developed by Dr. Felix Fendelmann, the Nobel Prize-winning chemist who disappeared six months ago from his laboratory in Switzerland under mysterious circumstances shortly after a visit by Mlle. Larreau. Dr. Fendelmann is believed to be working at the island research laboratory of Mlle. Larreau, apparently against his will. Furthermore, the development of this powerful substance is directly attributed to Dr. Fendelmann's earlier research on chemicals and the mind, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize several years ago.
"The drug is known to affect several areas of the brain, causing greatly heightened sensory perception (hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch). Initially, usage of the drug induces a euphoria of unbelievable dimension, causing users to demand.further doses which shortly lead to addiction. The senses are sharpened to such a high degree that certain areas of the brain are overloaded, causing a mental "short circuit" after prolonged use. Withdrawal is believed to be fatal in some instances; others suffer greatly reduced sensory abilities when usage of the drug is stopped.
"Word about the drug's incredible properties, and a small sample of capsules containing it, have reached our agency through a source on the island. This source, code-named "Gregor", has also furnished a hand-drawn sketch of the facility for reference. Unfortunately, it shows few details.
"The island research facility is located off the western coast of Africa among the Archipelago Dos Bijagos. The island is small and relatively barren, though the research building itself is obscured by some amount of vegetation. The building is of fairly recent construction and seems to be self-sufficient and well-guarded. Local authorities avoid the area and seem to take no interest in the activities of Mlle. Larreau.
"Our agency has learned that Mlle. Larreau intends to mass-produce Zucor and make it available to dealers in cities all over the world. Not only will this distribution generate tremendous income, but the proliferation of the drug will advance her plans of subverting Western civilization. This development will lead the way toward her own plans for eventual geopolitical domination.
"Since the time is fast approaching when enormous quantities of this new substance will be shipped off the island, it is essential that the entire operation of Mlle. Larreau be neutralized. Your team of agents will undertake this mission with the following objectives, in order of priority.
"First and foremost, you are to destroy or neutralize existing quantities of Zucor. This is your primary objective. You must not fail in this. Your secondary objectives are to rescue Dr. Felix Fendelmann and retrieve any existing copies of the formula for Zucor. Third, obtain information regarding Mademoiselle Larreau's current or future activities, and finally, locate and rescue "Gregor". If, and only if, you have the opportunity, the capture of Mlle. Larreau should be considered a tertiary objective.
"Your team will approach the island at 0100 hours using scuba equipment. After burying the gear, you will have a limited amount of time to penetrate the defenses of the research station and accomplish your mission. At a predetermined moment of your choosing - from 15 to 45 minutes after beginning - a rescue helicopter will arrive at the research station's helipad to pick up your team of agents, Dr. Fendelmann, and possibly Gregor. If for any reason you and your team are not at the contact point, the helicopter has orders to leave immediately, stopping only to drop a small pontoon boat on the north shore of the island. The pontoon boat can be used to escape and rendezvous with the mother ship as an alternative. The area's reefs and tides make boating quite dangerous, so the pontoon should only be used in an emergency.
"Intelligence places both Mlle. Larreau and Dr. Fendelmann on the island at this time. However, because of her many other activities, the length of her stay is undetermined. It is imperative that we strike now, while both are present, to give us the best chance of neutralizing the drug ring and rescuing Dr. Fendelmann. Do you have any questions?"
It is noon when Administrator Burman welcomes you into his office. The place is rather spartan, with a desk, a single chair, a filing cabinet, and a coat rack. Yet somehow, it seems fitting for Burman, a strong man in his late 50s with salt-and-pepper hair kept short and a clean-shaven face. He is very curt and no-nonsense and has a well-deserved reputation for being strictly by-the-book.
"Welcome, agents. There is a new danger facing the civilized world: the incredible new chemical substance known as ZN-25, or "Zucor". This recent discovery, a mind-expanding drug of incredible power, has been developed under the direction of Genevieve Larreau, a noted French villainess who has long harbored elaborate schemes to subvert Western civilization. This latest plotting has dangerous undertones, however, because of the drug's peculiar properties and the mass subversions of the mind that are possible through its proliferation.
"The substance has apparently been developed by Dr. Felix Fendelmann, the Nobel Prize-winning chemist who disappeared six months ago from his laboratory in Switzerland under mysterious circumstances shortly after a visit by Mlle. Larreau. Dr. Fendelmann is believed to be working at the island research laboratory of Mlle. Larreau, apparently against his will. Furthermore, the development of this powerful substance is directly attributed to Dr. Fendelmann's earlier research on chemicals and the mind, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize several years ago.
"The drug is known to affect several areas of the brain, causing greatly heightened sensory perception (hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch). Initially, usage of the drug induces a euphoria of unbelievable dimension, causing users to demand.further doses which shortly lead to addiction. The senses are sharpened to such a high degree that certain areas of the brain are overloaded, causing a mental "short circuit" after prolonged use. Withdrawal is believed to be fatal in some instances; others suffer greatly reduced sensory abilities when usage of the drug is stopped.
"Word about the drug's incredible properties, and a small sample of capsules containing it, have reached our agency through a source on the island. This source, code-named "Gregor", has also furnished a hand-drawn sketch of the facility for reference. Unfortunately, it shows few details.
"The island research facility is located off the western coast of Africa among the Archipelago Dos Bijagos. The island is small and relatively barren, though the research building itself is obscured by some amount of vegetation. The building is of fairly recent construction and seems to be self-sufficient and well-guarded. Local authorities avoid the area and seem to take no interest in the activities of Mlle. Larreau.
"Our agency has learned that Mlle. Larreau intends to mass-produce Zucor and make it available to dealers in cities all over the world. Not only will this distribution generate tremendous income, but the proliferation of the drug will advance her plans of subverting Western civilization. This development will lead the way toward her own plans for eventual geopolitical domination.
"Since the time is fast approaching when enormous quantities of this new substance will be shipped off the island, it is essential that the entire operation of Mlle. Larreau be neutralized. Your team of agents will undertake this mission with the following objectives, in order of priority.
"First and foremost, you are to destroy or neutralize existing quantities of Zucor. This is your primary objective. You must not fail in this. Your secondary objectives are to rescue Dr. Felix Fendelmann and retrieve any existing copies of the formula for Zucor. Third, obtain information regarding Mademoiselle Larreau's current or future activities, and finally, locate and rescue "Gregor". If, and only if, you have the opportunity, the capture of Mlle. Larreau should be considered a tertiary objective.
"Your team will approach the island at 0100 hours using scuba equipment. After burying the gear, you will have a limited amount of time to penetrate the defenses of the research station and accomplish your mission. At a predetermined moment of your choosing - from 15 to 45 minutes after beginning - a rescue helicopter will arrive at the research station's helipad to pick up your team of agents, Dr. Fendelmann, and possibly Gregor. If for any reason you and your team are not at the contact point, the helicopter has orders to leave immediately, stopping only to drop a small pontoon boat on the north shore of the island. The pontoon boat can be used to escape and rendezvous with the mother ship as an alternative. The area's reefs and tides make boating quite dangerous, so the pontoon should only be used in an emergency.
"Intelligence places both Mlle. Larreau and Dr. Fendelmann on the island at this time. However, because of her many other activities, the length of her stay is undetermined. It is imperative that we strike now, while both are present, to give us the best chance of neutralizing the drug ring and rescuing Dr. Fendelmann. Do you have any questions?"
