To Forgive is to Forget
Chapter 2
by
Hunter
DISCLAIMER: When my plot for world domination comes into effect, I will buy Marvel comics, 20th Century Fox, and all characters attached thereto, but until then, nothing is mine, only the lame characters I make up to play with the X-Gang.
DEDICATION: With major hugs to Leylue, All Great and Powerful Wolverine Lore Protector and Guide. . . without whom, this little South African wouldn't of even have gotten this far. And to Barbara, Tyger, and whoever gets this site next. . . excellent job grrrrls.
Her stomach churned with anxiety. This was taking a lot longer than she assumed it would. Heather was sitting in General Portman's office waiting with Captain Resta as the General sat at his desk reading Lloyd's papers. She thought she would scream if that clock in the corner didn't stop its incessant ticking. Heather focused on the clock and tried to will it to tangle its long pendulums with one another. Pity her power didn't work like telekinesis.
She began to silently curse Lloyd for having a soft place in her heart.
The dry scratching sound of paper turning suddenly stopped, "Uhmmm, Captain Wallace?"
The sound of her "name" made Heather turn her head sharply towards the tall lean man behind the desk. Various paraphernalia, papers, awards, and such, decorated his desk. He also had several large game heads who stared down from his walls. One statuette in particular caught her attention. It was a warrior standing with a large wolfhound cast in bronze. Heather wondered how much it cost.
"Captain Wallace, are you with us?"
"Yes, sir!" she answered, but thought, "Stay focused, dammit!"
"Good," said General Portman. "Let me just say that this is a superb report. Short and to the point. I'm not afraid to say that I'm interested in its potential and I am willing to give it the go ahead." He nodded his head to confirm what he had just said.
"This guy was so army. Just like the movies." Heather took a deep breath to stop her heart from exploding in her chest.
"Thank you, sir," she said. "He fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Better not tell Lloyd just how impressed he was with the report though. He would never shut up about it."
From the corner of her eye, Heather saw Captain Resta stand up, "General Portman? May I just state that her calculations on this entire project is founded on one material which is impossible to get."
"What the hell was he talking about?"
Lloyd had warned her about this guy. Captain Resta was one of those men who couldn't bear the thought of the army turning from troops into button pushers. He had opposed the planning of Lloyd's project from its infancy, vying for more direct approaches, keeping his eye on the science wing, just to see what the lab rats were busy cooking up. He had already been waiting in the reception area when Heather had arrived in her Wallace Haze. She had thought that his silence was a good thing, maybe he even admitted to himself that this bomb was a good idea, but apparently he had put some effort into his objections. He was now prepared to try and sway the General.
"Is this true, Wallace?" the General asked swiveling away from Resta who was now glaring at Heather from his corner
"Shit! Lloyd better have a good one prepared for this."
"Practically impossible, sir."
"Improvise when faced with a lack of knowledge. Try to think of what all Lloyd had said."
"Captain Resta enjoys his bit of histrionics. He would take great pleasure in shutting this project down."
Heather ignored the fuming man in the corner.
"The truth is, sir, that Captain Resta has shown disfavor with this project from the very beginning," she added in a smug sounding voice. "Was she pushing it to far?"
The fact that the General had used her "name" instead of "Captain" must be a good sign that he favored her.
"I have never stated any disfavor with this project Captain Wallace," countered Resta, "but now that you mention it, yes, I do think it rather ill founded."
"I. . . " Heather started.
"Would you care to explain why you do not approve of this project, Captain Resta?" General Portman interrupted.
"Yes, sir," Resta said, "First, this 'project' will cause a huge eruption in the ranks of the military, and not just army, sir, but Navy, Air Force and most definitely within the UN when they find out about it. Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, Captain Wallace forgot to mention that the metal 'adamantium' is probably the rarest and most expensive element on the planet. Not to mention the fact that there is no record of any being found in the last twenty years."
Now it was Resta's turn to look smug.
"Shit, he had done his homework! Adamantium!? Oh yes, the reactor metal or something." Heather's mind worked overtime. "Why would Lloyd's project require something he couldn't get a hold of?"
"Sir, if I may explain," Heather began.
"Go ahead, Wallace. And please sit down, Captain Resta. You look like you are about to take off." The General gestured towards Resta, who moved back down into his seat.
"Sir," continued 'Wallace,' "the team that worked on this project would not have spent thousands of dollars of the military's money if they had not fully validated their research. One of the key members of the team had previously worked for the Canadian Government in many top-level projects, one of which involved adamantium. He has stated that he can easily reacquire the substance from this source."
"That sounded good enough. Lloyd would just have to make something up to cover her lies."
Heather stared at the general's face trying to read his expressions, but he gave nothing away.
"I see, Captain Wallace."
"Oh, no! He was using her full name again!"
"Should you not have acquired this element from it's source before having me pass the go-ahead? If I have learned one thing in my years, it is to never count your chickens before they hatch. But I'm still willing to give my go ahead for this project if you can assure me that this 'adamantium' will be available in time for all key demonstrations."
Heather stood up as he handed the folder with Lloyd's papers back to her.
"Yes, sir. The Project will be on schedule as indicated in the report. May I have your authorization on the procurement of the source, sir?"
Heather held the file to her side trying to look military and hopefully, sound military.
"Yes, full authorization and endorsement is given to this project until such time as I deem it not viable. I expect you to handle it in its entirety, Captain Wallace."
Turning to Resta, the General said, "Captain Resta, you are to assist Wallace with the adamantium's procurement. I trust you to give her the full cooperation of your troops. I suspect that the source is not within our walls, and will probably require some force. That is acceptable as long as no trace of our involvement is left behind. Doctor Cruin's project status is now labeled "classified", as is the mission to retrieve the adamantium. I expect to receive full reports. You are dismissed."
"Sir!" Heather and Resta snapped in unison.
* * * * *
Resta sped up to catch Heather as she marched out of the room and down the corridor to find Lloyd in the labs.
"You can't do this," he hissed at her. "It's not right, and you know it."
Heather stopped mid-stride to face him. She hated male power mad pricks like this guy. She had been itching to put him into his place since the time in reception area. Glaring down on Resta using her five foot, nine inch frame to push him up against the wall, she bellowed at him.
"And just what is not right about it? Are you so self centered that you can't face the fact that maybe you're losing a cushy job because the military might not need as many people? Never mind the fact that who knows how many lives will be saved?"
"Now she sounded like Lloyd."
"You know that's not what I'm talking about," Resta said. "What happens to us when someone else figures it out? Our army will be decimated due to your little project. Who needs us when you can flick out the enemy with one bomb? Neat and tidy until they use it on you." He pulled away from her and stormed off.
Heather sighed and carried on to the labs. "Why were men were like that?"
"Minimal lives lost, no bloody wars, just one simple fly over with one small bomb."
Heather grimaced; it sounded a bit like Hiroshima or Nagasaki. "No lives lost. Or was it was the fact that huge armies would no longer be needed that destroyed power mad mongrels like Captain Resta?"
Heather was deep in thought when she reached Lloyd's lab.
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