Ghosts Of The Past
Posted on Wed Apr 18th, 2018 @ 3:40am by Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun
997 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Academy Days
Location: Undisclosed Location - Italy Earth
Timeline: 1944
Senior Chief Leslie Calhoun was assigned to the OSS offices in Italy. He had been working for the US Strategic Command for two years and had been all over the world. Right now he was to find out the layout and plans for Benito Mussolini's compound. What follows is an account of his handler Howard Goldberg, Leslie to this day maintains his oath of ultimate secrecy.
"I had been assigned as handler to ole Billy, the old man we used to call him. He really wasn't that old but he maintained that he was older than dirt itself and we should leave it at that. Later when my wife met him she stated that he had an old soul, but I digress. My cover was quite simple I was a guard for the US Embassy in Rome. Billy's was a little more shall we say intricate."
The recording pauses for a moment and then Howard resumes speaking. "You see, he has two uncanny abilities. The first is an ability to kill off an persona and then, birth a new one within minutes. The second is a unique way of getting people to tell him anything and everything. I imagine that it was the latter that got him the job at the Office of Strategic Services. So he was hired to be a cook in the kitchen's of the compound, and then when the cook died from suicide, he became the handyman, then the handyman died of a fluke accident. Eventually Billy found himself on Mussolini's personal guard. He used to sit and have wine with the dictator and Billy would be..."
Howard is interrupted by a gruff voice that grumbled about making it sound like he was sitting and having tea. This was Calhoun "Listen here Howie if you are going to tell the story tell it right. Moose and I did not sit and have wine, we drank scotch and smoked stogies to all hours of the night. He was desperately afraid of Hitler and would constantly pick my brain about how to avoid him. I told him that he should punch Hitler straight in the mouth. But I am not allowed to talk about my conversations." At this point you can hear both Howard and Billy laughing boisterously.
"See he is not allowed to talk about it but he will make the corrections when needed." Howard said, and then continued. "Anyway it was during this time that Calhoun was able to ascertain the entire layout of the compound and relay these plans to Allied Command. This information allowed the Brits..."
"GOD DAMN BRITS.... They were so stuck up and full of themselves. We had the Italians practically begging us to free them from fascism. But noooooooooooooo.... Politically it had to be the teetotalers... Just like Berlin had to be the commies... And there two the US was there first... It is dammed annoying." Calhoun interrupted with a rant.
"May I finish the story now..." Howard's voice resumed. "Anyway, Billy is an honest to god hero. When the British troops arrived and took over the compound they were simply ransacking the place and killing anyone who even spoke to them. Billy led all of the servants to safety. They were honest people just trying to make an honest days pay, he would say to me. Billy was responsible for saving about 135 people that day. His actions and information led to the removal of Italy's fascist government and later Hitler." Howard paused and some sniffles could be heard in the background.
Through wet eyes and a wavering voice Calhoun spoke. "You don't understand... The bodies... My orders were to get out the minute the Brits arrived. But I couldn't, I couldn't leave those people there to die. Like they weren't even sentient, not even worth a second look. So I made sure that there was a voice for those people without even speaking. I LISTENED and I took them away from all of that. And I am not even from this godforesaken piece of pla...."
The tape recording went dead and a deep male voice started speaking after about two minutes of static. "This recording is the property of the Centeral Intelligence Agency United States of America. It is deemed classified in perpetuity." Then the recording went totally dead, nothing but static.
***********
Qo'nos - Year 2200
The young Klingon girl laid in her bed an looked up at her father. He did not look like her, and she knew he was not Klingon. Her mother had told her that, but her mother also told her that he was a mighty warrior in his own right. Her eyes were alight with wonder and fascination at the recording that her father had just played for her. "Father mother says warriors care not for the deaths of those around them, they care only for the glory of battle."
Billy smiled down at his daughter. "You listen here Talia and listen well. A true warrior cares for the glory of battle and the honor of victory. However, they also care for innocents those who are not in the fray. For if the innocent die there is no honor, no glory."
The girl smiled broadly and spoke softly for she did not want to admit that some of her father's stories scared her. "Will you tell me another tale of your glory?" Billy eyes welled up briefly "Of course I will my puqbe' but not tonight. Glory will have to wait until tomorrow. Sleep well." He kissed her on the forehead relishing the short contact with her cranial ridges. "I shall dream of being with you in this place you call Europe during those glorious days." She said as she rolled over and closed her eyes.
As Calhoun left the bedroom he whispered "Of course you will..."
Senior Chief Petty Officer Leslie Calhoun
Data Systems Analyst, USS Pioneer
RSS Feed