The House on Infinity Loop

by Bonnie K T Dillabough

  At first Jenny had been appalled that these mental techniques could be used in this way. Lova had explained that, first of all, not every mind was able to do more than a weak shield, much less use their minds to attack another mind. Secondly, those who did have this ability, at least within the Alliance, would not consider using mental control to harm another person, unless they were under attack themselves.

  Liliath, for example had a very high level of mental control including the ability to coerce someone to do something against their will (It was one of the inherent traits of her species), although this kind of control could only be maintained for a short period of time, as it was very draining and could even damage the person doing the controlling. Another thing Liliath could do was something called "the shout.” This was a very mentally loud sending that could momentarily disarm another person. The problem with "the shout" was that it could not be made specific. It affected everyone in a certain radius from the person performing it. Secondly it also sapped the person doing it, so it had to be used sparingly and with some kind of immediate plan in mind.

  But Jenny wasn't close to that kind of power. yet. She was getting very good at shielding, but lacked the mental strength and will to use her mind to attack someone. Lova continued to help her hone her shielding and explained that when Jenny was away from Lova that Tarafau would continue her training.

  By this time, Jenny found that the bonds of friendship continued to grow for each of her team members in a way she had never quite experienced before. The people on her team, each with unique qualities, were more than even family to her. She felt she could entrust each one, not only with her life, but with her heart.

  This did much to soothe her disappointment and hurt about Sam. Even as angry as she still was with Sam's treachery, after years of believing she was her friend, the sense of loss was keen. Only the support and friendship of the people on her team made a difference in that. She couldn't very well talk to her parents or anyone in her family about it or any of her other friends from before.

  Jenny finally decided it was time to confront the LizzieAI with the mystery of the MDPs. She needed to know more about how they had been acquired and get counsel on how best to use them. In all of the hullaballoo of the past couple of weeks, she hadn't consulted her since that day in the gate office.

  She settled into one of the cushioned chairs in the lobby. She didn't feel that she needed to keep it completely private. After all, she would have to share everything she learned with her team at any rate.

  LizzieAI's cheerful face greeted her with the usual, "How can I help you?"

  "I need to know where the equipment and supplies in the MDPs came from and whether you have any advice on the best way to deploy the resources in them. I know you must have an inventory of what's in there. I intended to ask you earlier and there has been too much going on."

  "You know that I was a Guardian for over 60 years, but what you may not know is that I also was sent on agent missions with Tarafau during my training. Had your training been of the usual sort, you would have done the same thing. I was given permission to hold onto any resources we used in those missions for the use of the Guardians on Earth, if we ever had the need for them. The Council of that time felt that it was important that it not be held in the main headquarters, Sanglarka, so that our enemies wouldn't have access to them, if Sanglarka was ever attacked.

  The Los Angeles gate was one of the lowest profiled gates on Earth. As a result, it was unlikely anyone would expect that we would store them in my little backyard shed.

  I am up to date with your situation, as my algorithm is connected to the communications network of the Earth Guardian. You can use anything in the inventory to implement your strategies in combating the Groga. There is, however, a compartment in MDP number five that you should leave alone. It is a last resort and I won't even tell you about it at this time. You can't even access it without a key that I will give you, if it ever is necessary.

  The gold will be of little use in this project, but it is good to have resources when you need to travel outside the gates. I used to cash in a little every month into my bank account to give the appearance of a regular income and avoid suspicion. I never minded paying the taxes on it, as it gave me a nice addition to my cover. It is the reason the property taxes and other bills are able to be paid automatically. Consider it wages for your duties, as that is exactly what it is.

  Funny enough, it comes from a dimension where gold is as common as sand is here. They thought I was crazy when I loaded up with those 'yellow rocks' every time I went there. I acquired the rights to an old played out mine in Alaska and bought a derelict smelting facility. As far as they know, the coins they were smelting came out of the mine. I paid them well enough, in gold, that they were happy to keep my little secret.

  By the way, you own the mine and the smelting facility as well as the house and some other properties we haven't yet discussed. Ask me about it after things settle down.

  My advice is to trust your team. Each of them has been chosen, including yourself, for certain qualities that, when combined, make the Earth Guardian team a force to be reckoned with.

  We must gather the necessary data, if we are to succeed at any cost. You, in particular, have skills you haven't discovered yet, that may be the key to this conflict. Trust your instincts. They are very good."

  "So, we pretty much know all we can know at this time, then?" Jenny queried.

  "Until you get the intelligence we need, we can do nothing more," agreed LizzieAI. "Focus on that."

  Jenny signed out of her tablet and sat pondering the fact that she really didn't know much more than she did when she logged in. She sighed and went to check on the tactical team.

  They were all pouring over a large map, projected on what Jenny had decided to call an "air screen.”

  "The native population of this area have had little to no contact with the modern world. There are a little over a dozen small tribes in this huge area and their approximate locations are marked on the map. I can only guess at this part, because the camp will have been shielded from thermal scanning, but it looks like the most likely area is this part here," Burt said and he stabbed a finger at a space between the icons that represented the various tribes. "It's still thousands of square miles, but it would allow them to operate without impacting the little tribes, which are monitored very carefully by the Brazilian government, due to laws protecting the indigenous people, much like our endangered species laws.

  This means getting in and out of there without attracting attention is going to be our first hurdle. It is doable, but it will require a great deal of coordination and considerable subterfuge on our part.

  Bob, can you have the robot force programmed and ready by tomorrow? And did you test to see if they will come up on normal tracking, such as radar if we fly them in?"

  "Yes, and we also found a replicating device that creates those little flying nanobots. We can have a huge supply within the next day or so. I already started producing them and storing them in my MDP."

  "Awesome. And, Gariel, do you have any suggestions about how to get your troops in under the radar as well? It's the solid humanoids we will have the most trouble with."

  "Yes, Burt, we have determined to launch from the Puerto Rico gate. No uniforms. Just camouflage gear, which is very common clothing in the rain forest. We'll be landing our transport plane on a private airstrip not far from the jungle. From there we will be using the transport hover cars found in the MDPs to get into the jungle in small groups. The hover cars have a chameleon circuit that will shield them from casual observation, and they make no noise. They will also leave no trails for others to follow.

  Communication will be handled through the Alliance network, which is not trackable by any Earth technology that we are aware of. We will provide the same transport for all of the participating Guardians and any of their teams who need to come along."

  "Great. That takes care of the first priority. I am
sending a report to Lova about our needs, so we can get all of our MDPs loaded tonight. She will be in charge of issuing equipment based on everyone's assignments.

  We will coordinate each stage via the Alliance network. For now, it's all about getting all of our teams in place as quickly as possible and gathering as much intel as we can get our hands on. As soon as we have answered as many of our questions as we can, we will hone the strategy." He turned to Jenny. "I will brief you a little later this evening, as soon as we have gone through our checklist. I understand you will be coming along. You, your Guards and Tarafau will be with the tactical team.

  Lova Arvid and Adelle will be coordinating communications between our forces in the field and the Alliance. We will be immediately updated if they receive any new intelligence. Their research departments are standing by to process anything we discover as we go. We only have about a week and a half to find the Groga forces, infiltrate their operation and get the portal coordinates, as well as do what we can to protect the dimension where they plan their next raid."

  "Thank you, Burt. I just talked with the LizzieAI about the resources in the MDPs. All of it is authorized for our use. There is a compartment in MDP number five that you need to leave alone. You can't get into it and it isn't authorized for this operation. That's all I can tell you about it," Jenny said. "What time do we want to leave in the morning?"

  "Sweden is 5 hours ahead of Puerto Rico, so we can start our troops through the gate at about 8 am here. That will mean that by the time we have everyone through the gate, it will be about 5 am there. Juan has arranged for a private charter plane to take us to an obscure private air strip, once used by smugglers, and since purchased by the Alliance, to offload. From there we have a very long overland trip in the hovercars to a certain place in the jungle from which we will have to proceed on foot, so be sure to bring your hiking shoes," he added with a grin.

  "If there are no additional questions, everybody can scatter to prepare."

  No one spoke, so he clapped his hands with a "Crack!". "See you in the morning. Get your stuff together and get some rest."

  Bob sidled up to Jenny. "I want to show you something," he said, beckoning for her to follow.

  She followed him to the library where they had been inventorying the MDPs. In one corner of the now deserted room, there was what looked like a statue covered with a sheet.

  He pulled the sheet off with a flourish. "TADA!" said the AI voice of Fidget, a happy grin and a wink on his digital face. "Hello, Jenny. So good to see you again. Do you like my new look?"

  Fidget's gleaming white body had been painted with camouflage. "You look like you're ready for combat." Jenny said.

  "I have been promoted." Fidget said enthusiastically. "I'm now the robot force battle commander."

  "I see Bob has been working on your emotion circuits again. You appear to be excited."

  "It is a grave responsibility," Fidget said, his face changing to a serious demeanor.

  Bob couldn't conceal his grin of delight when Jenny responded by nodding back soberly.

  "I think I've taken him as far as I can, but he definitely has come a long way, even since you first saw him. I've backed up all of his programming and his data, as well as all of my notes on his construction. Burt knows someone here on earth who might be able to help me put him into limited production."

  "I'm going to have siblings?" Fidget asked, his digital eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

  "You are," Bob agreed. "You will be the big brother to many siblings."

  "Awesome!" replied Fidget and Jenny giggled.

  "You've added some real personality to him. When will you make one for me?"

  "Oh! Now you've gone and spoiled my surprise. I actually was going to give her to you tomorrow before we left, but now…" He turned to a cabinet behind them and opened the door. There, an exact duplicate of Fidget appeared and opened what were obviously female eyes in a female face.

  "Meet Lizziebot," he said with a flourish. "I got permission to download LizzieAI into her. Now you have her experience and a very useful companion for the coming days."

  "Hello, Jenny," Lizzie said, her eyes crinkling. "It is good to see you."

  Jenny couldn't stop the tears of joy and overwhelm that streamed down her face. "Oh, Bob!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him with all her might. "You are amazing!"

  Bob hugged her back and then, pulling back looked into her eyes. "I always wanted a daughter. My son was an only child. May I adopt you? I mean, I know your parents are still alive and all, but could you use a bonus dad?" His kind eyes were serious, but full of warmth.

  "Oh, Bob! You have been such a good friend. Yes, by all means. Someone like me can use all of the love and support she can get. I could never tell my real dad about any of this, if for no other reason than that I wouldn't want to put him in danger. It will be good to have a guiding hand in addition to all of the support I have from our team. Is Lizziebot completely operational?"

  "I am," Lizziebot replied. "May I suggest I ride in your MDP until you're ready to use my many talents?"

  "Great idea," agreed Jenny. "In you go." She installed Lizziebot into her MDP.

  "You too," said Bob to Fidget and suiting action to words installed Fidget into his own MDP. "These things are amazing," he said, tapping his wristband with true awe on his face. "I have half of my laboratory in here now. Burt and I made a second trip through the gate the other day to pick up a few things."

  "This is an amazing gift," she told Bob. "I know you and my aunt were very close. Perhaps this is also a comfort to you? I had no chance to get to know my aunt, but now I can carry her everywhere I go and have the benefit of her experience as well as the innumerable skills I am sure you have programmed into her."

  "I have added a few surprises for you," he held up both hands, "Nothing alarming, I promise you. But I think you will find Lizziebot entertaining as well as useful."

  They headed out into the lobby. A line of troopers waited outside the library. Lova strode up, her nearly transparent hair in two long braids hanging over her shoulder. "Time to load the MDPs of our Troopers," she said to Jenny. "Aliki, Burt and Gariel will be aiding me. As soon as that is complete, I will help the rest of the team get loaded up. I'll let you know when it's your turn." She smiled at Jenny and beckoned to the first Trooper in line.

  She and Bob passed Aliki and Burt hustling past the Troopers into the library.

  The Lobby was filled with the Trooper's on line, so they went to the dining room where the buffet had been laid out.

  "We're going to miss all of this excellent food for the next little bit," Bob said to Jenny, "so, dig in and enjoy it while you can. An old soldier's advice."

  As they seated themselves, Jenny mused. "I really don't know a lot about you. My dad was in the military. When did you serve?"

  "It was just before Desert Storm," he said. "I only served a four year term, but it gave me the money to go to college and get my degrees. I was part of the team that manned the Patriot surface-to-air missiles during Desert Storm. Hotter than the devil's underpants and nerve-jarring to boot. I was glad to take off the uniform and use my skills for more peaceful endeavors."

  "And now I've dragged you into another war." Jenny said sadly.

  "It's what needs doing and I'm very glad you 'dragged' me into this. Other than Fidget, I haven't had a project that caught my imagination like this in a long time. At middle age, I'm just hitting my stride. Besides, what's a few grey hairs between friends?"

  Jenny laughed despite herself. "My dad started going grey in his thirties, to his great dismay. Mom kept telling him it looked 'distinguished'. I told him it made him look 'extinguished'. Now that's what he tells everyone if anyone notices how grey he is."

  Bob laughed. They finished their supper just about the time Tarafau and her Guards approached. "I hope you didn't fill yourself up too full. We're going to have a skirmish in the workout room to get everyone good and tired before w
e go to bed. Lova says she'll be ready for our loading when we're done…after we've showered, of course," he added with one of his catlike grins.

  Bob and Jenny took care of their dishes, changed into their Gis and arrived to find most of the team, with the exception of Lova and Adelle who were finishing up the last of the Trooper's load up. They started with the basic breathing exercise, went through the forms in unison, led by Arvid and then Arvid split them up into two groups.

  "Tap strength only. We need you all fit to leave in the morning. If you're tapped, you're out. Other than that, any move you wish to practice is acceptable. Remember, our enemies have no scruples or conscience. They won't hesitate to 'cheat' or harm you in any way they can think of." He rubbed his hands together. "This should be fun!" he exclaimed with his wickedest grin. "Begin!"

  Jenny's Guards had ended up in her group, with Tarafau, Aliki and Bob. The other group comprised Arvid, Burt, Gariel and Brendan. Jenny figured even though the numbers were uneven, counting strength and experience, the mix was about right.

  The air was soon filled with the noise of quarterstaffs colliding and the grunts of the participants. Lyra, Mynn and Nona took on Brendan. Tarafau and Aliki faced Gariel. Bob engaged Arvid and Jenny found herself up against Burt.

  He grinned at her, circling. Jenny didn't attack, but watched his eyes. His blue penetrating eyes. He swung almost casually at her, his staff meeting her block with a gentle tap. He pivoted, countering with the other end of his staff and soon they were exchanging blows, calculated only to leave small bruises instead of serious injuries, as they had been instructed.

  Jenny couldn't even watch the others out of the corner of her eye, but she heard Mynn exclaim, "I'm out!" indicating she had been touched. She kept her eyes locked on Burt's, intent on not being one of the first ones out. She held no illusions that she could defeat most of the more experienced fighters, but she wanted to reflect well on her mentors.