Neel Dervin and the Dark Angel (20 page)

“And now it is time to put all that training to use.”
Doctor Fahim said quietly. his voice
becoming grave as he looked at Neel. Everyone else in the room fell silent, listening intently.
“I believe Arjun has already told you something of what is being planned for your future?”

Neel nodded. “He told me the general idea.
He said I‟d would be helping the country.”
“That you certainly would be doing.” Doctor Fahimsaid. “And so it is up to you, Neel. I
do not want to put a false face on the matter. It will not be easy. And there will be more than
a little danger involved, even with your great power. The choice is yours to make. Are you
ready and willing to accept this responsibility?”

The same question was what Neel had wondered about as well, whenever he had
thought about what would come after the training. And yet, did he really even have a choice
in the matter at this point? He had already been working with the army for months. They had
helped him keep his mind and body together. They had aided him and trained him, to the
point that he could defeat Arjun and Negi without breaking a sweat. With the skills he now
had, Neel felt certain he could take on any number of criminals and beat them all. He was
already an Alpha soldier. It was time to put all that training to use.

Neel was nodding before DoctorFahim had finished speaking. “I want to do this,sir.”
he said emphatically.“I want to help.”

Doctor Fahim gazed at him thoughtfully, studying the young face for any concealed
doubts or uncertainty. Then he smiled. “Spoken with admirable enthusiasm.” He gestured to
the door. “Then let us move onto the next stage of this project. The final stage.” Neel felt a
thrill run through him at the Doctor‟s last words.

They filed out of the room and entered the elevator. Mr. Rai and General Bakshi had not
joined them. Doctor Fahim pressed the button for the sixth and topmost floor. Within seconds
they reached the level, on which a single room had been built.

Doctor Fahim entered a code in the combination lock outside the door. They entered the
giant chamber, and the door closed automatically behind them. Neel stared around the strange
room. He could hear a low buzz permeating the area on a frequency so high only his ears
were capable of picking it up. The room was almost empty except for a computer, a table and
a large, intricately built vault.

“
This room has been designed to ensure its complete security.” Arjun informed him as
they walked slowly in together.“All the vents and ducts have cameras installed which have a
direct feed into the computer. The windows are made of smart glass, which can change itself
from transparent to opaque on command to block long distance surveillance. The windows
have vibration maskers attached to set up a counter vibration on the glass surface.” Neel
nodded. Arjun had explained to him once how any conversation near a window pane caused
vibrations in the glass, which could be picked up by vibration detectors over large distances
and converted to audio signals. As he continued to listen to the list of security measures that
surrounded the room, he was conscious of the fact that he was standing in one of the most
secure locations in the country.

The wall at one end was lined with memory banks of computers, with a vast screen
fitted next to it. The huge vault was kept to one side. A solid wooden table was kept opposite
to the computer screen, along with a few swivel chairs. The room had a strangely airless
quality. Neel noticed the walls were built of the same soundproof material used in radio
rooms. There was very little echo of their footsteps as they walked on the floor.

Divya went to the monitor along with Doctor Fahim. She started the computer and
brought a file onscreen while the others gathered around the table.

“Everything we know about the serum, all the
effects we have observed in you, is kept
in this computer.” Doctor Fahim told Neel. “It only remains to put all this knowledge to
practical use. Divya, if you will bring up the file.”

Divya pulled up another file, and brought an image onscreen. It was a long range
photograph taken at an airport, and showed a man walking away from a private plane. He was
a slim man, dressed in a beautifully and perfectly fitting dress, and was deep in a
conversation on the phone. The face was calm and rather unusually pale. The eyes had a
strangely empty quality, and seemed devoid of any emotion. Studying the face, Neel was
conscious of feeling slightly unsettled without really understanding why.

“This is Mr. Alok Mehta.” Divya said. “Do you know who he is?”

Neel nodded slowly. “I‟d never seen him before
. But I‟ve heard about him.” he said.
“He‟s that man who owns that company Phlicer, right? They have that weird logo, and that
motto in their ads;„A name that truly represents the people‟.”

“Yes, it‟s quite a popular tag.” Divya
nodded. “Alok Mehta is one of the richest men in
the country, and his company is estimated to be worth eleven point four billion dollars in the
global market. He started out as a research scientist before forming his own company. He‟s
patented over seventy eight new designs and inventions, and the products his company
manufactures are used worldwide, from air ports and nuclear plants to everyday products
which we all use.”

Neel nodded. “So what‟s wrong with him?”

“Over the last few years, the government has been growing increasingly
uneasy about
Mr. Mehta‟s finances.” DoctorFahim said. “Tax matters that did not quite add up. Some
international ties in with untrustworthy characters. Dubious policies regarding land and
infrastructural laws. Nothing they can arrest him for, but disturbing nonetheless.”

“
Until last year, when some terrorists were caught with stealth technology that
incorporated certain ideas which had only been found in a prototype for a new engine that
belongs to Mehta.” Arjun said. “That technology was inaccessible to the general public, and
should have been under strict lock and key. It seems too big a coincidence that, if the
terrorists had succeeded, the resulting blast would have cleared the area around a village
which is on a spot that he wants to build a dam on. That was when it was decided to look
more deeplyinto his activities.”

“And the Government found out something bad about him?” Neel guessed.

“Bad
in the most unequivocal sense.” DoctorFahim said gravely. “For the past two
years Alok Mehta has been buying certain kinds of strange and potentially dangerous
equipment, from fissile materials to fourth generation nuclear reactor equipment. The
purchases were made from far flung corners of the world, making it hard to trace them all.
There was a recent theft of a batch of thorium at a military facility in Rajasthan which he is
believed to be responsible for. He has also transferred all his money to a foreign bank account
and has sold vast shares of his corporation and his houses in India. That means he plans to
dissolve his company soon, and might possibly mean that he plans to go into hiding as well.
But why would he need such dangerous equipment when he will no longer have a company
to make use of it? And why does he feel the need to leave for a secret, external location? We
need to know what all hispreparations are for.”

“Okay, so what‟s the plan?” Neel asked. “How can I help find out the truth about
him?”

“In normal circumstances, we would keep an eye on Mehta.”
Arjunsaid. “Keep tabs on
his dealings. Wait for him to make a slip and then catch him. However, Mr. Mehta is a very
careful man, and it‟s doubtful he will make any mistakes this close to the end of his plans.”

“There also isn‟t enough time to send anyone inside his company undercover.”
he
continued. “What is required in this case is an agent who can strike hard and fast. Who can
enter into the most strongly protected areas, and get the information we need. Someone who
can attack swiftlyand disappear before Mehta‟s army of bodyguards can react.”

Neel nodded. “I can do that.” he said confidently.

 

“Good.” Doctor Fahim turned to Divya, who went over to the large vault. “Then we
willget started.”

 

Divya opened the vault and brought out a suit of clothes in a plastic casing. She spread
the casing out on the table and opened the zipper.

“This,”
Doctor Fahim said, as the others gathered closer around the table. “Is the suit
you will be wearing during the mission. It has been designed to provide the maximum
protection possible, without compromising your speed or flexibility.”

“Y
our shirt and pants.” Divya said, passing both out to Neel. The pants were similar in
design to cargo pants, with multiple pockets along the legs and a roomy design which would
allow him to run and jump comfortably. The shirt was full length and contained two pockets
as well. The texture of both the items was strange and yet familiar as Neel ran a hand over
them. They were both colored completely black.

“Both are made of
nanofibre materials.” Divya said. “Like the cloth I showed you on
your first day here.It‟ll be able to suffer a fair amount of wear and tear without breaking, and
dirt won‟t stick on its surface for long.”

“Your jacket.” Arjun said, passing
it out to Neel as well. It was again jet black in color.
“It‟s made of sheets of carbon nanotubes.It‟s going to be of great help in case someone
shoots at you.”

Neel took the jacket. It was quite thin, and although strangely bulky, it did not seem
anywhere near as strong as the bulletproof vests he had seen policemen wear. “Are you sure
it‟ll work?” he asked dubiously.

“Don‟t let its appearance fool you.”
Divya smiled, taking the jacket and holding up it‟s
surface to show to Neel. “Carbon nanotubes are made entirely of carbon and are
approximately twenty times stronger than steel, and seventeen times stronger than Kevlar.”
Neel looked up at her in amazement.“This jacket can take multiple bullet shots without
breaking its surface once, as long as there is a small interval between the shots. The blunt
force of the bullet will be removed as well because the cone structure of the nanotube will
bounce the bullet offafter impact. It‟s much more efficient than any other material used in
bulletproof vests.”

“It‟s also extremely resistant to fire.” Arjun added. “It‟s a vitally important part of your
uniform. Always keep it zipped up to your neck so it can provide maximum protection.”

“Your shoes.” Divya said, bringing out a pair of black, unmarked shoes of the type that
marathon runners wore, except that they had straps instead of laces. “They‟ll be replaced as
you wear them out.”

Neel nodded, still running a hand over the jacket. He noticed a final piece of cloth lying
in the casing.“What‟s that?” he asked.

 

“The most important part of your outfit.” Doctor Fahim said, drawing the small piece of
cloth out. “Your mask.”

Neel took the mask from Doctor Fahim and drew it up. It was the same black mask that
Divya had shown him on his first day at Swan Labs. The cloth was still stretchable, but it was
no longer shapeless. It had been molded into the proper shape to cover his face without
having to be fixed repeatedly. Only a single slit with narrowed ends was kept open for his
eyes. It reminded Neel of a ninja‟s mask, except that this was more stretchable. Tiny holes
had been cut in to help him breath. The inside of the mask felt different from the exterior.

“What‟s it made of?” Neel asked, caressing the fabric.

“It‟s a new type of cloth
ing known as E-textiles, or wearable electronics.” Divya said.
She showed him the inside of the mask. “They‟re clothes that have built in electrical
properties. The mask has a patch antenna woven into it, and a wireless sensor receiver has
been sewn in front of the mouth to help you speak properly through the cloth. They‟re both
connected to your mobile. Everything that is said near the mask will be relayed to the phone.
It will keep you in constant communication with Swan labs, and we can advise you on how to
proceed with the assignment.”

Neel nodded, staring in wonder at the mask as he examined it. And despite the
confidence he felt, he was alsorelieved that he wasn‟t going to go into the missions
completely alone.

“You must wear the mask at all times, Neel.”
Doctor Fahim said veryseriously. “No
one can ever know who you really are. Secrecy is the key. That is why your outfit is
completely black. Most of your work will be done at night. You must go in and get out in the
minimum amount of time, and leave as little trace of your presence as possible.” Neel nodded
again.

Divya was now bringing out a black mobile phone with silver edgings.“This is going to
be your new mobile.” she said, handing it over to Neel.

Neel took the unusually thick smartphone and examined it closely, admiring the elegant
design and polished, jet black cover designed to protect it from bumps and falls. He had never
owned a cell phone before, even though mostof his friends had them. “SoI don‟t suppose I
can use this for calling my friends?” he asked half jokingly.

“No, this is to be used foryour assignments only.” Arjun said in a rebuking voice. “It
has a lot of specially designed apps which will be useful to you. We‟ll go over them today.”

“
It also has a 4G speed broadband access.” Divya added.“The lithium ion battery needs
fifteen minutes to charge fully and will store enough power to work for more than a week. It
also has a GPS tracking software installed so you‟ll always know exactly where you are, and
if you ever forget the map you‟ve memorized you can check your exact position on the
phone. It uses frequency hopping to provide a secure connection without worrying about
interception or jamming.”

“Right.” Neel nodded, fairly confident that he had understood most of it. He placed the
mobile back on the table and looked at Divya and DoctorFahim. “Is that all?”

“
Hopefully, that is all you will need.” Doctor Fahim said, stepping back from the table.
“Your main advantage during these missions will be your superior abilities, which should be
more than enough. Now it is time for themission briefing.”