The Blackfire Protocol by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 7

His schedule was packed. If he was to graduate in four years, he had no choice but to carry fifteen credits each semester. In high school, he was thought of as being highly gifted. College, on the other hand, would bring a set of challenges unique to that level of academia. But Frank was ready, and his newly acquired solitude would ensure uninterrupted work. Occasionally, he found the need to venture outside and explore downtown DC. He had to. After all, when does one find themselves’ living in the nation’s capital? He planned to take classes during the summer, but between semesters he would visit as many landmarks as possible, spending at least a week wandering the halls of the Smithsonian Institute. As anxious as he was for these adventures, he also planned to return home for a few days before the summer semester. He considered a part-time job—just a few hours a week. But upon reviewing his finances against his budget, Frank determined that even part-time employment was not necessary.

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If he felt the need for extra money, he could always apply for work within the college itself. It wouldn’t be much, but it would help if the need arose.

One of his classes was chemistry. He honestly didn’t see why he should take any science classes at all given that he was majoring in pre-law, but that was college. According to the Jeffersonian model of higher education, one should become 'well-rounded' before graduating and, thus, be truly educated. So, he would have to put up with taking classes he wanted nothing to do with. But chemistry turned out to be something different after all. It wasn’t the subject that caught his attention; it was the instructor. Like the rest of the students, Frank arrived to his first class on time. All that was needed was the instructor, and after a few tense minutes that person made their entrance. Even in high school, he had never seen a woman so strikingly beautiful. She walked into class wearing a white blouse covered by a red jacket and matching skirt, stopping at mid-thigh. She was thin, with curly blonde locks flowing down over her shoulders and the back of her neck. The skirt she wore effectively showed off a beautiful pair of nylon-covered legs. Had he believed in God, he would have thought she was the product of divine creation.

Her name was Ava. She had been hired as adjunct faculty after graduating with a Master’s Degree from a college in Upstate New York. In addition to teaching, Ava was working on earning her Ph.D. in biochemistry. Her thesis was about the molecular behavior of CBD as a carrier for psychotherapeutic

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drugs. She supposed that once she received her degree, she could present her idea to the pharmaceutical industry. If her idea was taken seriously, Ava hoped it might revolutionize the field of psychiatry by making the drugs doctors prescribed more effective. But for now, her life centered around teaching and classes. Not only did Frank admire Ava for her wonderful physique, but also for the aggression she possessed in the pursuit of her goal. He imagined that if she pushed hard enough, she might change the world. In a way, this was his goal as well. However, his methods would be far more aggressive, surpassing what would be considered ethical. In order to obtain ‘his’ goals, he would be willing to step on anyone who got in his way.

For a pre-law student, chemistry was more than boring. It was painful -- molecules, atoms, valence levels, and the periodic table of elements. The only thing about the course was when Ava drew out an illustration of how the atomic bomb was created. This left Frank wondering how easy it would be to build one, with the only catch being the securing of the weapon’s grade plutonium. But its development could certainly be useful as an object of political control, and he surmised that was the reason the Cold War had survived for as long as it did. It was obvious to him now. Aggression was not the only tool he would need. Somewhere down the road, when the time was right, he would need something tangible—something to instill fear. Although this was to be years away, Frank still relished in the idea of taking control of as many people as possible within the shortest period of time. This, he

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concluded, was the true nature of power, regardless of how one acquired it.