Chapter 6: Revelation.
<<Major Flashback>>
Fourteen months ago, on March 24, 2004, a brilliant junior NSA analyst named Keith M. Logan stumbled upon an unusual pattern while conducting a surveillance backlog check of the 1990s law enforcement records. He noticed that whenever a promising cadet or rookie entered any law enforcement department, local PD and federal agencies included, the newbie officer often had a minor run-in with the law, such as misusing their badge for personal gain. Except for this minor hiccup, they went on to have great careers and would later become well-respected officers in their field. Initially, Keith brushed it off as a typical learning curve—transitioning from theory to fieldwork was bound to include mistakes. But something about it gnawed at him.
In his spare time, Keith started digging deeper. What he uncovered was that since 1995, for the past 10 years, this pattern kept repeating systematically. Before the end of their probationary period, the new officer would make a mistake or do something unconventional that would impact an ongoing investigation. Most of these incidents were minor, and cases were usually closed successfully, but the consistency was too strong to ignore. It almost felt deliberate. Keith presented his findings to his immediate supervisor, who outright dismissed the findings.
[NSA HQ, Fort Meade]
In a cramped office at NSA headquarters, Keith sat across from his supervisor, Robert Hayes, a stern-looking man in his late forties with greying hair and a permanent frown. Keith nervously laid out his findings on the desk between them—a series of printouts, charts, and graphs.
Robert raised an eyebrow. "Rookies make mistakes. It happens."
"Yes, sir, but this is different. It's almost systematic. It's been happening consistently for the past ten years,"
Robert sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Keith, What even is this? There are no suspects, no motives, and frankly, no case. Do you want me to issue a warrant to 1000s of respected officers for a mistake they made when they were newbies? And from your reports what I can see, all these cases were closed, and the perps were caught and punished."
"But sir," Keith insisted, "the consistency of these incidents is too strong to ignore. I believe there's some kind of force at play here, manipulating these situations."
Robert's frown deepened. "A force? Are you fucking serious, Keith? A FUCKING FORCE. You sound like a conspiracy theorist."
Keith shook his head. "I can't ignore this, sir. I want to keep investigating."
Robert's eyes narrowed. "Keith, I'm giving you a direct order to drop this. Focus on your assigned tasks and stop wasting time on wild theories. Am I clear?"
Keith clenched his jaw.
"Yes, sir."
"Good, you disobey a direct order, there will be repercussions", Robert said, his tone final. "Now, get back to work."
Keith gathered his papers, his mind racing. He knew he couldn't drop this, not when he was so close to uncovering the truth. As he left the office, he resolved to continue his investigation in secret, determined to find the evidence he needed.
Despite warnings, Keith persisted.
But in May 2004, he was involved in an unfortunate accident. A drunk truck driver crashed into his car, and the driver was charged with involuntary manslaughter and jailed.
Exactly six months later, the Deputy Director of the NSA, Lucille Porter, received an email on her personal account. The sender was Keith M. Logan. The email contained three files.
The first was a video file. It began with the typical "If you're watching this, Deputy Director Porter, then I am dead" message. He explained how he programmed this mail to be sent to her in case something like this happened.
In the monologue, Keith narrated everything he had discovered from the beginning, he also explained the contents of the other two files. The second file was an encrypted PDF, containing all the evidence he could gather—mostly circumstantial or speculative. The third and most crucial file was an algorithm created by him.
The algorithm was a predictive search engine. It factored in a constant outward intervention for all the racial, political, and federal disturbances in the past ten years and predicted future attacks. The algorithm was makeshift, but to the absolute shock of the Deputy Director, it had accurately predicted two major incidents that had occurred in the last six months with an accuracy margin of 65%.
This meant there could really be an invisible force at play. No suspects, no motives, and no case—yet the proof was right in front of her.
After Keith Logan's death, Lucille Porter felt compelled to take over the investigation. Her job description was unlike that of a junior analyst; she was one of only 110 people in the world with unlimited access to information. The world was at her fingertips.
At least, that should have been the case. Days, weeks, and months of research turned up empty. Eventually, she was ready to call it quits, but then two things happened that changed everything. First, the death of a recently retired police officer, and second, a bank statement from 1962—two seemingly unconnected events. The statement had a list of five names and the amounts of money to be paid as salary. The employer was JFK himself.
In the 1960s, the world, particularly the US, was on edge, teetering on the brink of nuclear war. The United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a massive staring contest, each side wary of the other's next move. Nuclear weapons loomed large over the conflict, and the stakes couldn't have been higher. Right in the middle of this geopolitical tinderbox was Cuba, a small island off the coast of the US but firmly in the Soviet camp.
The US was desperate to bring Cuba into its fold. Fidel Castro, the Cuban leader, had become a thorn in America's side, surviving countless assassination attempts and foiling every invasion plot. The situation escalated dramatically when the Soviets began shipping nuclear missiles to Cuba, unbeknownst to the US.
One day, a US spy plane flew over the island and captured a seemingly mundane photograph. At first glance, it looked like a random field in Cuba. But zooming in revealed something far more sinister: canvas tents, trailers, and missile launch equipment. The US government immediately recognized the gravity of the situation. The world's most destructive weapons were hidden under these tents, just 103 miles from the US coastline, ready to launch at a moment's notice. It was a crisis a, Cuban Missile Crisis.
This demanded immediate attention. The President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, was faced with an incredibly difficult decision. The pressure to invade Cuba was immense, with military advisors urging action. Yet, in a surprising move, Kennedy chose not to stay and deliberate at the White House. Instead, he travelled across town to a cocktail party in Georgetown.
This wasn't just any social event. The party was hosted by Joe Alsop, one of the nation's most influential newspaper columnists, and attended by some of the most powerful figures in Washington. These were the people Kennedy trusted, the real power brokers of the time. Georgetown was home to a clandestine circle of influence, far removed from the formal seat of American democracy at the Capitol.
At this party were key figures like William Colby, the Far East Chief of the CIA and future director of the agency; Chip Bohlen, a former ambassador to the Soviet Union; Allen Dulles, the longest-serving CIA director; Frank Wisner, one of the CIA's founding officers; and Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter. Even Kennedy himself had a residence in Georgetown.
Kennedy's decision to attend the party highlighted a crucial reality of Washington's power dynamics. The real decisions were being made not by elected officials but by a shadowy group of unelected men wielding immense, secret power.
In Georgetown that night, as the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war, the fate of millions hung in the balance. Two world-altering decisions made in those dimly lit rooms, far from the Capitol's glare, would shape the course of history.
The first was to unleash the CIA on the world with minimal restrictions, and the second was the initiation of Project Failsafe.
JFK was cautious. He didn't want a repeat of what happened in Germany to happen in the US. Nazi intelligence, the Gestapo, crumbled under the weight of its own arrogance and strength, taking Germany along with it. That is why Project Failsafe was sanctioned. Its sole purpose was to watch over the CIA, ensuring they never crossed the line. Failsafe had only five members, carefully selected after rigorous vetting for their brilliance. These five had direct access to the White House and the President's ear.
The CIA did its job. The Cuban Missile Crisis was averted, and for the next decade, they ensured the US would never even come close to such a disaster. While it was America's greatest weapon, for others, the CIA was their worst nightmare. In ten years, they expanded beyond recognition. By the 1970s, they had become the single greatest militaristic department in the history of mankind.
But then came 1975, and for the first time since its inception, Project Failsafe viciously bore its fangs. The then-project head, Senator Frank Church, investigated and exposed abuses by the CIA, FBI, and NSA, including domestic spying, assassination plots, and infiltration of the media. With the world as his spectator, Church destroyed the credibility and brand of the CIA. At this time, the total number of members in Failsafe was just eleven.
Failsafe became a nightmare for federal agencies. But nothing major happened afterwards. It was as if they never existed in the first place. The general populace, well aware of Senator Church, had no idea he was a Failsafe. Only the top agents, deputies, and politicians knew and never let anything slip.
The only other time a Failsafe came up in the records was when a young P1 officer named Joshua Hartom, who was recently deceased, was then questioned for an illegal stop of a Black civilian in 1985.
One of the reasons Lucille Porter felt something off about Project Failsafe was because of Joshua Hartom. His name came up in the report sent by Keith as one of the officers who reported their juniors. There were three different reports in his early career spanning twenty years. Three young officers who broke the law indeed reported other young officers as well when they became senior officers. But there was no further repetition of the chain after this.
Several hundred other rookies made mistakes and errors that went into the reports, but not one of them connected back to Joshua.
Months of research and investigation yielded only a few concrete pieces of evidence she had. Amongst the thousands of reports, the only common link was Joshua Hartom, and he was somehow connected to Project Failsafe. She altered the KL (Keith Logan) Algorithm, assuming Failsafe as the shadow organization.
To her horror, the more details she added, the more accurate the algorithm became. She recalled all the major political events from 1985 to the 2000s, assuming Failsafe was the origin and ran the program; the result was unmistakably positive. In fact, the only variable was that as the years progressed, they became more sinister and domineering. Failsafe was the single common factor that connected several bombings and several more civil unrests.
The facts she uncovered made Lucille realize how formidable an enemy she was facing. This fight was too much for her to handle alone. Hence, she personally vetted several candidates who might be unaffiliated and started forming a task force consisting of military officers, politicians, and law enforcement agents. At present, there are eleven members in the task force, known as "The Unaffiliated."(UA)
[May 27, 2005 Location VII, a.k.a The Morrow Guest House, Washington DC]
In a small guesthouse on the suburban outskirts of Washington DC a few hours past midnight, several key players in the US bureaucracy were gathered. The attendees included. This included the NCIS former Director and the current Deputy Director of Homeland Security, Thomas Morrow. The Deputy Director of NSA, Lucille Porter. Clayton Jarvis, a US Senator, Lt. Alexander Bishop (Pantheon rank 3) and finally Lt. Natalie Cook(Pantheon rank 15). Nat was the expert who disassembled the nuclear bombs captured from Warehouse no. 12
These were five of the eleven members of the UA. All of them were hand-picked by Lucille after a thorough and extensive background check.
"I guess this confirms it. The algorithm works," said Morrow, his voice steady but grim.
"And that only makes things worse," Lucille replied, her tone heavy with concern. "This is the worst version of deepstate yet, a tyrannical shadow government that is based on corruption and fear."
The room fell silent, the significance of the situation weighing on everyone present. The KL algorithm had predicted a national-level disaster in May at the DC metro station, and the bombing attempt by Ari had provided the final proof they needed. This was no coincidence; it was a calculated move orchestrated by Failsafe.
Lucille broke the silence. "We need to discuss the implications. If the algorithm is accurate, then it safe to assume that Failsafe can manipulate events on an international scale. ."
Morrow nodded. "Several LEO's indirect involvement was verified. But how are they doing it? The level of coordination required is staggering. They're somehow corrupting officers and using them as pawns. We have theorised that many of the compromised officers are unaware of each other. That's the only way to explain how they've remained hidden for so long."
Lt. Alexander Bishop leaned forward, his expression intense. "It's like domino. Each officer/pawn sets up a piece, unaware of each other's roles, and when everything's set up, Failsafe flicks it. It's an intricate dance, and they're the puppet masters."
"Exactly," said Senator Clayton Jarvis, his voice tinged with frustration. "But we need to understand the mechanics. How are they corrupting these officers in the first place? What's the trigger?"
Lucille took a deep breath. "From what we've seen, it starts small. A minor mistake, a moment of weakness. They exploit these vulnerabilities and slowly gain control. It's subtle but effective. Once an officer is compromised, they're used to set up the next piece of the puzzle."
Lt. Natalie Cook, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up. "We need to find a way to disrupt their network. If we can identify the pattern of corruption, we can learn more about their inner working."
Morrow agreed. "But we also need to be cautious. Any move we make could alert them that we're onto them."
The conversation continued, each member of the Unaffiliated contributing their insights. They discussed various hypotheses, examining the evidence they had gathered over the past months.
Lucille pulled up a report on her tablet. "Look at this pattern. Every compromised officer had a minor infraction within their first year. It's almost like a rite of passage. Failsafe uses these incidents to gain leverage."
Senator Jarvis frowned. "But how do they ensure that these infractions occur? Are they orchestrating situations to push these officers into making mistakes?"
Bishop nodded. "It's possible. They could be creating high-stress scenarios and manipulating circumstances to increase the likelihood of errors. Once an officer slips up, they swoop in and offer a way out, gaining their loyalty or control in the process."
Lucille added. "Or maybe they are taking a more direct approach. They might be forcing or threatening them to do it."
Nat added, "And it doesn't stop there. Once compromised, these officers are likely given tasks that seem innocuous but contribute to the larger plan. They might think they're just repaying favours, but they're actually setting the stage for something bigger."
Morrow looked around the room. "We need to start mapping these connections. Identify the officers who had these early infractions and track their careers. See who they interacted with and how their actions fit into Failsafe's larger scheme."
Lucille agreed. "We also need to dig deeper into the history of Failsafe. Obtain deeper understanding their origins, their goals, and their methods. The more we know about them, the better equipped we'll be to dismantle their operations."
The meeting continued late into the night, the members of the Unaffiliated working tirelessly to piece together the puzzle. They knew that time was of the essence. Failsafe was powerful and deeply entrenched, but they were determined to expose and neutralize this shadow organization.
As the discussions wrapped up, Morrow summarized their next steps. "We need to work on two fronts. First, continue gathering evidence and mapping connections. Second, start developing a strategy to counterstrike. We'll need to be careful and methodical, but we have the advantage of knowing they're out there. Let's use that to our benefit."
"In order to maintain that advantage, we have made a few changes to the original plan."
Originally, Alex was supposed to follow Morrow and become a Homeland agent. Lt. Nat was to be the inside woman for Lucille. But as things are now. They revised the plan in which Alex will become an official NCIS agent, and Nat will join Homeland, with Morrow becoming her handler. Lucille felt that if Alex immediately left with Morrow, it could set off a red flag.
"Are you sure about this, Lucy? You lead this team, it is unsafe for you to be without support," asked Morrow, worry evident in his voice.
"I am aware of the risk Tom, but this is the best course of action for now." It was obvious to everyone that she wouldn't budge.
The meeting adjourned. All of them had their own mission, and they could not afford to fail for the safety of the nation.
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