Vatican City

May 2013

There are hundreds of kilometers of catacombs lying beneath the Vatican City and Rome, dating back to the first century when Jewish communities constructed them to be used as cemeteries. Christian catacombs followed a century later, again being used as burial grounds. Today, the Catholic Church owns all the Christian catacombs and special permission is required from the Vatican for anyone who wishes to explore them. Such permission is not easily obtained, and they are guarded jealously to prevent any incursion from unwanted intruders. While some catacombs have been opened as tourist attractions to satisfy the general public’s curiosity, there are rumored to be many more yet to be discovered and researched. Only those working at the heart of the Vatican are privy to the information. Such is the aura of mystery that surrounds them; they have fed many legends and have been tied to a number of outlandish theories as to why they were built. Among the theories was that they were secret meeting places for those hiding from persecution. While that has since been disproved, a section of the catacombs has been commandeered by the Holy See and converted into a high tech complex reserved for the most secret of meetings.

Such a meeting was about to begin.

Pope Francis and the four cardinals appointed by him to form the Vatican Star Chamber made their way below ground, carefully descending the series of steps that led to the catacombs some twenty meters below the Earth’s surface. There, each one, despite their high rank within the Church and their having already been subjected to fingerprint and iris scans, stepped into a 3D body scanner, which captured their body shape, body measurements, posture and skin texture; all of the data was instantaneously transmitted to a central computer for comparison with previous scans. Each was also checked for synthetic tracking or recording devices. No cellular equipment was allowed in the star chamber, and all meetings were undocumented. Once each man was cleared, the door on the farthest side of the scanner opened and he was free to enter the air-conditioned meeting room. The room wasn’t large and possessed little furniture. A round oak table sat in the center, surrounded by half a dozen comfortable but functional executive chairs. On the table were six glasses and six liter bottles of water. There were no cupboards or shelves, and little decoration. Lighting was discrete but sufficient.

The Pope and four cardinals were, on this occasion, accompanied by a sixth party, a Dr. Nathan Thomas, one of the world’s leading experts on viruses, who obtained his medical degree before specializing in the field of virology, in which he earned a Ph.D. with post-doctoral training. Educated in the United States, he was widely published in the world’s top medical journals, while his conference appearances drew rock star-like attention and adulation from his peers.

At the request of the Vatican, the United States government used its considerable influence to encourage Dr. Thomas to leave his position with Global Virus Network (GVN), a body founded in 2011 to “strengthen medical research and response to current viral causes of human disease and to prepare for new viral pandemic threats,” to become the Pope’s close advisor. Dr. Thomas also had to pass through the same level of security as the Pope and his cardinals and was now sitting in the cool meeting room, sipping from a glass of water waiting for Cardinal Marucci to bring him up to speed on the recent events related to Septem Montes.

“Good morning, gentleman,” Cardinal Marucci began, casting a look around the table. “We all know the reason we are here this morning, so I won’t waste time. It is important that we’re all on the same page going forward and that Dr. Thomas, whom you have all met, is given the background information explaining why we are where we are today in order that he may best advice His Holiness, Pope Francis…” He acknowledged the pontiff with a nod in his direction. “… as to any future actions that may be appropriate to bring our current mission to a satisfactory conclusion. His Holiness will, after today, not attend any further star chamber meetings on the subject. In doing so, that confers him with plausible deniability in the event that, God forbid, the future does not unfold as we envision. Dr. Thomas will therefore be His Holiness’s eyes and ears, conveying to him whatever information we feel is necessary in order that he may make the best informed decisions.” Cardinal Marucci smiled as he acknowledged the sixth person in the room. “Dr. Thomas’s superior knowledge concerning viruses, bio-weapons and vaccines will make him a vital component of our tight-knit unit.”

Cardinal Marucci paused to take a mouthful of water. “Now having been more long-winded in my introduction than I originally intended, I will begin. Dr. Thomas, do you have any knowledge about Operation Paperclip?”

Dr. Thomas put his elbows on the table and steepled his hands together. “From my research, I understand that it was originally called Operation Overcast until the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency, who were running the show, realized that they were dealing with some very unsavory characters who had committed the most horrendous war crimes – including experimentation on live human beings with biological and chemical weapons. The JOIA realized they would have to create new identities and histories for them, indicating the most notorious of those with paperclips on the dossiers in the files of the JOIA. Hence the name Operation Paperclip.”

Cardinal Marucci nodded in agreement.

“I also understand that in order to smuggle the Nazi scientists and their close families out of Germany to their safe havens in South America and the United States, the Allies used what were known as rat lines to keep the whole operation very hush-hush.”

“That is true,” Cardinal Marucci said, “and did you know that those rat lines were created and run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church?”

Dr. Thomas raised his eyebrows in a gesture of surprise. “No, I didn’t. Tell me more.”

“The SDA church was heavily involved with the Nazis and helped finance many of their appalling experiments. Towards the end of the war, they also helped some scientists defect to Stalin’s Russia, although that was only to put pressure on the United States. It was a kind of blackmail, saying to the US government that if it didn’t play ball with the Nazis and the SDA, all the scientists would be spirited away to Moscow to give the Soviets a huge scientific and technological advantage over the US. Well, of course, the US couldn’t countenance that, as it would likely result in communism engulfing the planet, so they were forced to play ball with both the Nazis and the Adventists.”

“So you’re saying the US didn’t actually want them.”

Cardinal Marucci made a gesture with his hands as if he were weighing two items in a scale. “I wouldn’t say that, no. Germany was light years ahead of both the US and Russia in terms of science and weapon development, to say nothing about their work on chemical and biological weapons, or germ warfare, so there were many in the US government who coveted that knowledge and their scientific resources, realizing that if it were to come under American control, it would put them in an advantageous position vis-à-vis Russia. After much debate, President Truman agreed to the plan, but with the condition that none of the scientists smuggled out of Germany had any connection with the Nazis, which is where Paperclip and the changing of identities came in .”

“So President Truman was kept in the dark.”

“It would appear that way, yes, but who knows with politicians? They often have to play for both sides in the same game. It was certainly hidden from the American public who were told that the scientists were…” Cardinal Marucci paused to make quotation marks in the air with his fingers, “… good Germans.”

“How many scientists were involved?” Thomas asked. “I’ve heard it was thousands.”

“Our records show that sixteen hundred went to the US with their families, and countless more to various countries in South America, such as Argentina, which is where Josef Mengele ended up. But I’ll come back to him in a few moments. You also have to realize that this scientific brain drain didn’t all take place at the end of World War II; it continued into the 1950s, under the watchful eye of what was then the recently formed CIA, into what became the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union.”

“That must have been one heck of a dilemma for the US,” Thomas replied.

Cardinal Marucci nodded. “You’re talking about the ethics and morality of the whole thing.”

“Yes. Quite a conundrum. What a choice to have to make. On one hand, if you leave the scientists where they are, they fall into enemy hands and you face certain defeat and subjugation of your people in the future. But if you take them and use them for your own ends, you’re turning a blind eye to the most heinous of war crimes and letting the perpetrators off scot free. I’m glad it wasn’t me!”

“Was it not Sun-tzu, the Chinese general and military strategist who said, ‘keep your friends close, but your enemies closer’?” asked Cardinal Marucci.

Thomas grinned. “I always thought that was Michael Corleone in The Godfather.”

Cardinal Marucci returned his smile. “Well, whoever said it first, I think that was what the US government was thinking after the war. And there are those who point to such things as their space program and moon landing and argue that it was justified. But we digress. It’s an interesting topic for discussion, but on another day, in another place.”

“Of course. Please, carry on,” Thomas said, opening his second bottle of water.

“Thank you. The majority of scientists who came to the US were biochemists and not rocket scientists as publicly stated, or at least heavily implied by the US government… another sop to the general public… and these biochemists were put to work on something called Project Whitecoat, which I’m sure you must be familiar with, Dr. Thomas.”

“I am familiar with the name and some of the facts, but perhaps you could just run through it so I can fill in any gaps in my understanding.”

Cardinal Marucci took a sip of water from his glass. “Very well. I’ll try to be brief. Project Whitecoat was a biodefense medical research program carried out by the United States army over a period just shy of twenty years, starting in 1954. It took place at Fort Detrick, Maryland and relied on soldier volunteers to be guinea pigs, and while some stepped up to the plate, believing they were being of inestimable service to their country, numbers were thin on the ground until the SDA church made a deal with the army leaders concerning the young men of the church who had been drafted. Armed combat doesn’t sit well with Adventist principles, so in order to get around that, they volunteered the young men… all 2,300 of them… to join the Whitecoat program instead of seeing action in the field. That in itself shows you how influential the SDA church had become in the governing circles of the USA. It was also agreed that the church would not only be allowed to teach its 2,300 Day Prophecy, but also that the US authorities would turn a blind eye to its other teachings, one of which is that the United States is the second satanic beast mentioned in the Book of Revelation.”

Dr. Thomas raised a hand. “Wait a minute, please. What is this 2,300 Day Prophecy?”

Pope Francis, who had been silent up to that point, stepped in. “If you will allow me, Cardinal Marucci.”

“Of course, Your Eminence.”

“The 2,300 Day Prophecy is based on an interpretation of a few verses in the Book of Daniel, which a man called William Miller – an American Baptist preacher with followers called Millerites – foretold the Second Coming of our Lord in 1844, in what he termed the Advent. As we all know, that didn’t happen, but following that, he met with Ellen White, one of his students. She was being touted by some as a prophetess…” The Pope used air quotation marks when he spoke the word ‘prophetess’. “… who showed him that he had misinterpreted the verses in the Book of Daniel, and that 1844, in fact, marked the beginning of the Adventist movement, which was to see the formal establishment of the Seventh Day Adventist Church a few years later, in 1863. Both Miller and Ellen White are considered to be its co-founders.”

“Thank you for such a concise explanation,” Thomas said, “although I’m sure there is a much more complex version of events.”

Pope Francis smiled. “Maybe if you have a spare hour or so, I can provide you with a fuller account. It is most interesting.” He sat back and gestured with his right hand that Cardinal Marucci should take the floor once again.

“Thank You, Your Holiness. Project Whitecoat came to an end in 1973 when the draft ended, and there was quite a public outcry when details emerged. As a result of all the testing, several vaccines were developed to protect against biowarfare agents, and as for the 2,300 test subjects, nobody was reported to have died during the testing period, although long-term effects are unknown, as less than 25% of the so-called volunteers have since been surveyed. However, some claim that they still suffer from asthma and severe headaches. I think the conclusion is that the jury is still out.”

“Moving on, what was allowed to happen in the United States was bad enough, but that was nothing compared to what was discovered to have been happening in Argentina: a parallel Project Whitecoat overseen by Josef Mengele, who had escaped Nazi Germany via the ratlines and had gone to Argentina with its, let us say, less discriminatory entry requirements. There were many Nazi sympathizers living there, including President Juan Perón, who was not averse to smoothing the path of those who were ready and able to pay a reasonable consideration into his personal coffers. Had Mengele tried to go the United States, he would probably have been imprisoned and later put on trial and sentenced to death. But then again, who knows? However, we do know the reality of the situation and Mengele, through his contacts with the SDA church, who, remember were well in with the American government and Project Whitecoat, had Adventist informants inside Project Whitecoat in Maryland. These informants funneled him not only all the information he required to set up an identical laboratory, but also details of the experimentation being undertaken in the name of humanitarian scientific research.”

“This confirms rumors I’ve heard,” Dr. Thomas commented. “But I will admit to being short on detail.”

Cardinal Marucci coughed and took a few sips of water to wet his dry throat before continuing. “However, Mengele faced a problem they didn’t have in the US. He was devoid of volunteers, so he turned to his contacts in the SDA, who provided him with senior citizens, military age men, and toddlers – all to be used as he saw fit.”

The look on Dr. Thomas’s face showed his clear disgust as he shook his head in disbelief.

“As unpleasant a piece of information as you are ever likely to hear,” Cardinal Marucci said, “but unfortunately true. Mengele’s secret research was now able to mirror that taking place at Fort Detrick, and he was able to develop his own chemical and bioweapon defenses. However, he did have other interests, which was where the toddlers came in. He was obsessed with the secrets of youth and wanted to discover how to increase human longevity. In effect, he was just continuing the research he’d begun in Germany during the war when he experimented on thousands of sets of twins.

“Mengele’s Toddler Program produced a drug called Transpose, which was to be given to thirteen children in the United States as well as four hundred elderly men and women and three hundred children in Argentina.”

Dr. Norman raised his hand. “Hold on a second if you will. Am I correct in saying Mengele developed a drug he thought would bestow longer life and gave it to children?”

Cardinal Marucci nodded. “Yes, you are correct. Before I go into further detail, just let me say that although that was the intention, we have no idea if it has been or will be successful, as barely sixty years have passed since the drug was administered and it’s too soon to tell. Remember that as I speak, but also bear in mind that the situation is far from straightforward.” He gave Dr. Thomas a placatory smile. “All will become clear. Now, as I just said, in the US, Transpose was supposed to be given to thirteen children but was only administered to twelve. The one who didn’t receive it was the son of a former Seventh-day Adventist General Conference treasurer who didn’t want his son to receive the drug just in case it rendered him unfit to take up the position he’d been promised within the church. That implies that all the effects of the drug were unknown, which they still are, but I’ll return to that point in a moment.”

“All of the children survived, although none were the same later in life. But there was one – the last admitted to the program – named Samuel Summers who is known as The Thirteenth Child. He was promised a position and influence within the SDA church, but he subsequently decided that the church was so corrupt he no longer wished to be a part of it and left. What happened to him next is the subject of another talk at another time, but suffice it to say, the SDA church is big on vengeance and he suffered greatly at their hands. Summers has since gone into hiding, and the SDA church is desperate to discover his whereabouts and find out what he’s told us about the organization of the SDA church and its future intentions. You have to remember that Summers was being groomed for a very important role within the church and became privy to many, if not all, of its secrets. The SDA church is terrified of the effect any leak may have on its public image among ordinary members. Given their fanaticism to track him down, one can only assume that any such exposure would be catastrophic for them, and that Summers therefore holds the key to their ultimate survival.”

Dr. Thomas raised his hand again. “Sorry to keep interrupting, but do you or any of the others present here today know where he is?”

Cardinal Marucci coughed to clear his throat. “No, we don’t, and to be truthful, it’s better that way. The fewer people who know, the safer he is. However, he is in regular communication with agencies in the United States through secure means and trusted and highly vetted personnel. And I also believe that he used to be in contact with Pope Francis’s predecessor, Pope Benedict. It has been decided, however, that Pope Francis will distance himself, although, you, Dr. Thomas may well get to speak to him directly in the future. However, that is not my decision to make.”

Dr. Thomas nodded and sipped at his water, satisfied with what he’d heard.

“I would now like to return to the matter of Josef Mengele, as his work and ideas still have much relevance today. In a nutshell, his work, or at least, strains of his work, are still being developed, and not all of it for the well-being of the planet and the people living on it. Mengele may be gone, but the fingers of his ghost stretch far and wide like the tentacles of an octopus into the hearts and minds of people – many in trusted positions of power in government, international institutions, scientific fields and medicine – who should know better, but who appear to have been touched by his same madness. And I’m sorry to say that the SDA church, having infiltrated itself into those very same bodies I just mentioned, is very much the driving force behind a lot of the unsavory things we observe happening in the world today.”

“I want to go on record to say that SDA members are good, honest, Bible –believing people, innocently following what they are told by upper echelon church leaders. But there have been so many changes to the church’s teachings over the past 160 years that there is concern among those in upper leadership that ministers and members are becoming more difficult to control. What is also interesting is that what we know about the SDA church’s nefarious activities seems to be playing into one of Ellen White’s prophecies, which said that one day, the top leaders would become involved with evil doers, and that if and when they were caught, the leaders would be viewed with suspicion and the members would also become tainted with their deeds, leading the SDA church to become the most reviled group in history. It’s interesting to bear that in mind when looking at the SDA church’s involvement in world politics today.”

“But I have digressed and must return to Josef Mengele, the Angel of Death. Mengele didn’t just develop vaccines out of curiosity; rather, he had a longer term, more sinister purpose in mind. Each vaccine he developed was just one small building block in what he saw as a way to achieve domination of the few over the many.”

Cardinal Marucci continued. “He strongly believed that vaccines held the key to controlling the masses in the future because they could be engineered to contain ingredients that the general public would a) not be aware of and b) even if they were aware of the ingredients, would have absolutely no idea what they were anyway, which could be used to give the State the ability to track and trace people at will, as well as monitor their physical and mental health, and possibly influence and change their behaviors. That would be coupled with an ongoing, low key, drip-drip campaign of propaganda to socially engineer behavior and thinking to coerce the public into compliance, compelling them to relinquish their freedoms without being aware of how they were being manipulated, in what would essentially be a campaign of psychological warfare. Under this relentless onslaught, fear and anxiety would increase to levels that would see the masses become so docile and trusting they would take the vaccines recommended by their governments, believing that those very same governments wouldn’t allow them to be fed a vaccine unless it was okay. In other words, they would acquiesce without question. In order to persuade any not convinced by the indoctrination, vaccine certificates or some such equivalent would be produced, without possession of which one’s life would be severely curtailed, creating a new underclass, shunned by the rest of society.”

“Furthermore, Mengele envisioned a time when there would be vaccines for everything… not just to prevent disease, or even to introduce disease, if required, but also to prevent old age and improve cognitive ability, which would be given to the chosen ones, while the masses would be subjected to the opposite, rendering them even more malleable and isolated. Society really would be ruled by Orwell’s Big Brother, with most people’s lives becoming a living hell.”

Cardinal Marucci’s voice was becoming croaky, so he paused to take another drink. “None of what I am telling you is pleasant or easy to hear, but we have all seen developments over the past 50 to 60 years which point to the way the world is going. With modern technology, we can be sure that the rate of change in the future will be much faster than ever before, and while in the right hands, the change can be beneficial to mankind. In the wrong hands, it will be the end of everything we have grown to know and love. Our way of life, our families, our societies – everything will be turned on its head and destroyed.”

“The SDA will be, or is, involved in all of this, because yes, gentlemen, it’s happening. The SDA church uses its medical arm to dovetail with the US government as it follows Mengele’s vision. For example, they have made an agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to encourage vaccination and provide vaccines where appropriate.”

“In addition, it’s heavily invested in the big pharmaceutical companies, again following Mengele’s advice, something it has been doing for many years in a covert manner. As you can see, the SDA church has influence everywhere and is intent on using the power that it bestows to put its plans into action. Of course, they aren’t necessarily directly involved but utilize other agencies to carry out their…” He paused a second to use air quotation marks. “Dirty deeds.” They are determined to see all their prophecies carried out, even if it means engineering situations to make them happen.”

“In fact, just over a week ago, a convoy of trucks carrying a shipment of chemical and biological weapons was tracked from a base in Argentina and intercepted by American forces. The weapons are currently being destroyed, but unfortunately, one truck managed to escape and has yet to be found. It’s believed that the trucks were headed for Brooklyn in New York, where they were to be handed over to a third party, understood to be the SDA church. It’s vital that the truck is located, but because the perpetrators of this crime are now aware that the Americans are in pursuit, it isn’t going to be easy. Apparently, the caravan of trucks contained enough chemical and bio agents to start a worldwide plague, and what’s left in the truck that got away will be deadly if released. However, now that the Americans know what they’re dealing with, possibly the outcome will not be as calamitous as if all the trucks had made it to their destination.” Cardinal Marucci paused and emptied his water glass. “And that, Dr. Thomas, concludes my briefing.”

“Thank you, Cardinal. Very enlightening, although very disturbing. It would appear that time is not our friend in this instance, which makes our job even harder. Would it be possible to arrange a meeting between myself and the relevant parties in the States, as I would like to know more about the agents that were destroyed?”

“I’m sure it would,” Cardinal Marucci replied.

“Good. In the meantime, there is a lot there for me to digest.”

“Indeed. And talking about digestion, I think it’s probably time for lunch. Your Holiness?”

Pope Francis smiled. “If you follow me, I’ll take you to the dining room.”