A blast during a covert operation destroyed a Navy SEAL’s eyes and killed his best friend. He woke up six months later in darkness, his eyes wrapped. His only contact with the world a soft voice. When the wraps were removed, the world took on a different hue. His ruined eyes had been replaced with mechanical eyes. His new mission: Defend the defenseless on the home front with a young female prodigy scientist as his only lifeline during dangerous missions.
Disclaimer: The following blurb is fiction and for entertainment value only.
Danny R.O.S.S. ->
This story is about a Navy SEAL who…
what?…I’m not authorized to say anymore yet?
<static>
<official override>
Not yet authorized.
Do you have a need to know?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All right…I’m back. But I don’t have much time. You see…Danny went on a secret mission…and he…
Eek!
<static>
Cut the transmission!
<official override>
Not yet authorized.
Need to know not yet approved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I was saying, Danny went to on a secret mission to rescue-
Miss, you have to shut this down now! You lack authorization to divulge this information.
But I filled out all the paperwork.
<static>
It has been deferred until further notice.
<official override>
Not yet authorized.
Approval on Hold. Mission remains classified.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After filling out and signing my name to too many forms, I am still unable to relay the scoop on Danny’s whereabouts. I’m beginning to wonder if anyone really knows where he is.
So, until I learn anything I can talk about, I’m signing off until further notice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<static>
<static>
News flash: Just in. Successful mission in…
<static>
<static>
Transmission terminated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<static>
This just in…mission rerouted…destination unknown
And…
Transmission terminated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
08 Feb 2020 at 17:18
Less returned than departed, number unknown.
Awaiting news on whether mission was successful.
My source says intel isn’t forthcoming.
Stay tuned for more…
Transmission terminated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
29 Mar 2020 at 16:03
Team has gone dark.
Officials are tight lipped.
Transmission terminated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
26 Apr 2020 at 15:56
Just in.
Injuries reported.
Loss of life…
Hey, you’re not authorized to–
Transmission terminated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Leaked transcripts of conversations at a covert government laboratory.]
1 May 2020
“Will he survive?” #JD
“I don’t know. I can’t lose another one.” #DocZan
“Weren’t his surgeries successful? Why are his vitals worsening?” #JD
“Yes, but…he needs to hear a familiar voice. If you value secrecy most, we’ll lose him.” #DocZan
“Who do you want to call?” #JD
“His mother.” #DocZan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mid-June 2020
“Prognosis?” #JD
“I think it worked. He’s been stable since she spoke to him.” #DocZan
“How long before the next set of operations?” #JD
“Another week, maybe. To be safe, I’ll call her again right before I do the procedure.” #DocZan
“We have a lot riding on the success of this.” #JD
“I haven’t forgotten, but his well-being comes first. Otherwise, it’s all for nothing . I won’t go through this again.” #DocZan
“Understood. I’ll back off. Keep me abreast of his progress.” #JD
“You know I will. He’s strong. A fighter. There’s a good chance he’ll pull through this.” #DocZan
“And he’s got the best doctor in the country.” #JD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometime in August 2020
“The skin grafts are healing well. I’ll work on his eyelids next.” #DocZan
“Will your tech work?” #JD
“Theoretically, yes. But if there’s been nerve damage, probably not.” #DocZan
“Are you able to find out even though he’s…” #JD
“Please. Stop. I need time. This has never been done before. There’re many unknowns. I need time to perform tests I don’t even know about yet.” #DocZan
“Okay. I’ll back off. Keep me updated.” #JD
“I’ll let you know in a week or two.” #DocZan
“Or two? What do you need?” #JD
“To focus. I need you to let me focus. His future depends on me being my best.” #DocZan
“It has to work. I’ve invested a lot into this project.” #JD
“Right now, the bottom line doesn’t matter to me. He does. If that’s not good enough, then…” #DocZan
“No. I respect that. You’re his best chance. I’ll get you whatever you need.” #JD
“Thank you.” #DocZan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Early October 2020
“I appreciate you standing firm. It’s one of the reasons I hired you for this. I apologize for how much pain it’s caused you.” #JD
“I only want the best for him. No short cuts.” #DocZan
“Understood. He has a promising future ahead.” #JD
“We’ll just have to wait and see how he responds to all the changes when he wakes up.” #DocZan
“I’m sure he’ll be fine.” #JD
“Would you be fine waking up in a strange place after being in a coma for a few months?” #DocZan
“I can’t even fathom what’ll he’ll think of what we did to him.” #DocZan
“It was for the best.” #JD
“I really hope he feels that way too.” #DocZan
“I’ll leave you to it.” #JD
“I will keep you updated on his progress.” #DocZan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mid-October 2020
“It’s been a few days since we last spoke.” #DocZan
“I didn’t want to bother you. How is he?” #JD
“Progressing well. All organs functional, but I won’t know about his eyes until he starts using them.” #DocZan
“When do you plan on waking him?” #JD
“In about two weeks.” #DocZan
“Great. I’d like to be there.” #JD
“Not such a great idea. Waking up in this place to a new face will be enough of a shock.” #DocZan
“I never considered that.” #JD
“I’ll bring him to you when he’s ready.” #DocZan
“Thank you…for everything.” #JD
“Don’t thank me yet. We still have to verify he can still see. Everything I did is experimental.” #DocZan
“I have total confidence in your work. You’re the best there is. He’ll see again.” #JD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Declassified snippets from a recent mission.]
Danny crouched low in the dark, dank bowels of a special class 52-foot Landing Craft Swimmer Reconnaissance (LCSR).
He anxiously waited for a signal from the mission leader to let him know the time had come for the team to disembark.
A Navy SEAL never questioned his superiors, but the secrecy surrounding this operation unnerved him.
A rising figure redirected Danny’s focus toward the bow of the LCSR.
A quiet splash sent short ripples across the water’s surface. They made no other noise.
He donned the goggles and stood with his eyes just above the water’s surface until the last man had arrived.
McNeal took point position and motioned for Danny to flank him.
Danny tapped McNeal’s shoulder twice, but the commander shook his head and advanced.
His eardrums rippled in response to the boom of a blast.
[Full disclosure to be released 1 November 2020.]
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An excerpt from my YA SciFi Adventure, Danny R.O.S.S.:
Where am I?
What felt like cotton sheets slid against his skin as he shuffled around on some kind of bed. He bumped his arm on something cold. Everything ached. He grimaced at his stiff muscles and tight abdomen.
What happened to me?
“He’s coming round, doctor,” a silky female voice said. What kind of face could emit such a serious yet kind angelic sound?
Danny attempted to open his eyes, but only darkness remained. What the heck’s on my eyes? What is this place? Instinctively, he drew his hands toward his face.
“No, don’t do that. I’ll take the bandages off soon enough. Can you speak?” she said.
He paused, waiting for his hairs to stand on end. Nothing. He forced his most recent memories to mind. McNeal. He shuddered. Friend or enemy? Must remain compliant until I know which.
“I,” he began, his voice hoarse. “Yeah,” he continued and inhaled deeply. The air smelled sterile, a little too clean. “Where am I? In a hospital?”
“Not quite, but someplace safe.”
“On a base?” he asked, still receiving no signal from his special sense.
“No.”
“Where am I?” he asked again, agitation building.
“On American soil in a U.S. contracted facility. I will tell you more as soon as the bandages are off. You’re safe here,” she explained.
“And my team?”
She let out a slow audible breath that reached his cheek. Peppermint. “I’m afraid your commander didn’t make it. Another was shot in the water. No one found him.”