To win this one, I need to think outside the box. Way outside the box. I went through all the FBI files over and over again yet nothing grabbed my attention until…
I found something in the IASA records. Something buried deep.
IASA, as everybody knows, is the International Aeronautics and Space Administration. They’re very similar to NASA except the part of Cape Canaveral that they’re headquartered in kind of reminds me of Australia.
You may recall that we made first contact with several aliens about three years ago. They showed up with an astronaut who’d been lost in space for the three or so years before that. They made a pretty big splash – newspapers, science magazines, television, the media was all over it.
The astronaut was debriefed and the aliens were studied and then they left. They all headed back to the stars and everything got quiet again. The news went onto other things, the government locked away the information that they gained, and everyone generally forgot about the event.
Until now.
With this information in hand, I made my way to the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California.
“Agent Audrey Hanson, FBI.” I handed the lead scientist a sheet of paper with my message on it. “I want you to send this into space.”
“I can’t do this,” she protested. “This is insane.”
“No way, man,” her cohort added. “If he comes, Earth will like totally be destroyed, myan.”
“Don’t you have a lame romantic comedy to be in?” I asked. “Something where you can run down the beach without a shirt on and get into a bunch of contrived entanglements? Beat it you spazzo pothead.”
“Nguuh huh huh… Gotta go,” he said as he bolted out the door. “Hoobaloo boo.”
“I like you,” I said to the scientist. “You have this quiet confidence and steely determination in what you do. Just send the message and I’ll handle the rest.”
Reluctantly, the scientist acquiesced and sent the message. A day later, a small ship appeared near Earth. Undetected by anyone on Earth, the craft made its way to Sylar’s mansion and landed on the lawn. Its lone occupant stepped out and strode towards me. Though physically not very large, I found him nonetheless an imposing figure.
“You are Audrey Hanson?” he asked as he neared me. “You said you had information for me.”
“Agent Audrey Hanson,” I corrected. “And you’re the famous Scorpio.”
“That’s Scorpius, thank you,” he corrected. “The wormhole information?”
“Ah yes that,” I replied. “So tell me, have you been researching these wormholes these past few years despite the fact that you know their dangers?”
“My business is little concern of yours,” he replied. “I’ve traveled a long distance to answer your message. Your message said that you had knowledge of wormhole technology given to you by the Ancients. Now do you or do you know have that information?”
I drew my pistol. “I do not. I called you here because it is my duty to end a plague on the universe. That plague is you, Skorponok.”
“That’s Scorpius,” he answered as he stepped calmly towards me. “But I think you know that already. Do you really think that you can kill me? Kill me with that primitive weapon? I promised Chrichton that I’d leave earth alone. Because of you I may have to renege on my word. I’d hate to do that.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” I shook my head slightly at him. “It’s all over for you.”
“Really?” He stepped forward until the barrel of my pistol pressed into his abdomen.
“Really.”
Several minutes later, I stepped back into the mansion and walked up to Sylar.
“This is Scorpius,” I said as held his head up. “He is an alien. Half Scarren and half Sebacean and possibly the only one of his kind. He has, or had rather, the ability to read people’s heat signatures and see into the infrared spectrum. I want that power.