<P>He approached the man in white and, moments later, vanished into the compound.
<P>
<P><JC>--- --- --- ---
<P>
<P>The luminescent glow of computer equipment draped across the light blue uniform of Tracer Tong. He had his back turned to Jock, and leaned stiffly with both hands pressed against the control panel before him. Through the large glass window he viewed the operation room a few floors down. The gargantuan machine within looked like something out of an old science fiction movie. It was unattended. The speech of the surrounding lab equipment was all that could be heard.
<P>
<P>Tong raised one hand to his forehead and brushed his hair back, following through with a loud cracking of the neck. He was largely uncomfortable. "I don't like it, Jock," he said. "I don't like it."
<P>
<P>Jock sighed. "I know. I don't either. It's complicated. And barely believable." He thought for a moment. "The man out there... Dominic... Yes. He's unstable. Yes. He's violent. But, damnit..." Jock shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you. I watched him put a gun... my gun... to his own head and pull the trigger. Jesus, he fell at least five stories and didn't have a scratch on him." Jock stepped closer. "I know everything's been shit lately, Tong, everything's just been really screwed up. But there is definitely something weird about this guy, and it's huge. It's very important, and I think it's bigger than anything else we've seen so far. I don't..." he suddenly realized he had been speaking very rapidly and took a deep breath. "I don't think he means any harm to anyone. I don't think he even knows what's going on. Hell, he was part of the NSF. At least he was fighting for the right cause. But now he's just broken, Tong. He's just battered and confused. He didn't even know about MJ12."
<P>
<P>Tong turned around. His aging face was very grim.
<P>
<P>"What else have we got to work with, Tong? We've lost Paul and JC. We're in pretty bad shape right now."
<P>
<P>Neither of them spoke. Tong seemed to be turning everything around in his head. Things had just gotten much more complicated.