by Saxon Andrew
“So, you’re trapped here?” Charles nodded. Nicole was silent for a moment and then said, “There is a possible way for you to escape long before nine million years.”
“Do tell.”
“My species might develop a stardrive and you can use it to escape.” Charles stared at Nicole and she saw his expression change. “What’s wrong with that idea?”
“Releasing your species into the universe would be the worse possible thing to ever happen.” Nicole’s head went back. “There are billions of civilizations that live out there in peace and every one of them would be in huge danger if humans moved out into the stars. Hell, even your species probably won’t survive much longer into the future, and I don’t really view that as a bad thing.” Nicole stared at him and Charles leaned forward, “Your species is the only one that kills each other in huge numbers. If you’ll kill each other, no one is safe from you.”
“But we can mature and move away from that as we continue to develop.”
“You’ve always been like this, even at the very beginning. I only have myself to blame for what you’ve become.”
“Why do you say that?!”
“Because I’m the one that made you.” Nicole’s eyes flew wide open and Charles looked into her eyes, “You say you’ve studied history.” Nicole nodded. “Why is it that no one can explain the sudden appearance of homo sapiens? The Neanderthals were flourishing and there was no driving need for a genetic improvement of their species but seemingly out of nowhere, homo sapiens suddenly appeared.”
Nicole stared at him and forced herself to ask, “That was your doing?”
“So were the Neanderthals.”
Nicole stared at him and said, “Are you saying that no other species kills other members of their society? I find that hard to believe.”
“No, I’m not saying that. What I’m saying is humans are the only ones that kill them in high numbers. There are individual disputes in other societies where an individual dies but no civilization out there has the largest part of their economies devoted to building weapons that can kill huge numbers of their species.”
Nicole yawned and felt her fatigue. Charles looked at her and said, “You can use the bedroom. We’ll continue this in the morning.”
“You can use it; I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
Charles waved a hand and snorted, “I seldom sleep. Take the bedroom.”
Nicole stared at him and wondered who or what she was with. She stood up and walked out of the living area toward the bedroom. “Don’t contact anyone.” Nicole stopped and turned around. “If you do, the satellites will be searching for you again.”
“But my parents must be devastated!”
“And there’s no way they can hide from a trained agent that you’re still alive and I’m certain their lines of communications are being monitored. If you do, our conversation is over.” Nicole stared at him, then nodded, and went to the bedroom.
Chapter Four
“Why did you change your mind?”
“About what?” Charles replied.
“You said you didn’t want to tell her anything about you but now you’re telling her everything.”
“What do you think she’s going to do with this information?”
“I’m not sure what you mean?”
“The moment she contacts her boss and reveals she’s still alive, what do you think will happen?”
The computer was silent for a moment and then began, “Well, the Eastern Governments will have to know that the only way for her to have survived that flyer explosion would require your intervention.”
“True.”
“So, since they won’t have heard anything about her being alive and none of their sources have learned she’s alive…”
“Go on.”
“Then they’ll know she hasn’t spoken to anyone.”
“That’s also true.”
“There is a good possibility that she will be hit by a missile from one of the orbiting satellites before she can be debriefed by the Intelligence Agency,” the computer mused.
“I suspect you’re right about that; they can be nasty, and they care nothing about loss of life. If that happens, nothing I’ve told her will get out. I’m only doing this to fulfill the deal we made.”
Nicole was lying on the bed and heard every word of their conversation. She wondered why the computer didn’t shutdown the link…but it didn’t. She realized that she couldn’t confront Charles until after all her questions were answered…but…she did not intend to die at the hands of the Opposition. She had no idea how she could avoid that.
• • •
Eric Mandel got in the car and Grant asked, “What’s going on?”
“Dad, are you absolutely certain we won’t be heard in this vehicle?” Grant’s eyes narrowed and Eric nodded toward the driver.”
“Yes, I’m certain, however, I’m due at the Skunk Works momentarily. Can it wait until after I speak with Dr. Weston?”
“Sure; it’s really not that big anyway.” Grant stared at his son and saw him link his fingers; he was telling Grant it was something big. He reached in his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a pocket watch.
“This thing never keeps good time, but your grandfather gave it to me, and I hold on to it for sentimental reasons.” Grant pulled the stem on the device and turned it staring at the face of the watch. He kept his expression neutral when the device reported a listening device in the car. He put it back in his pocket and smiled, “It’s good to see you Son.”
Eric sighed, “It’s taking me a lot longer than I thought to learn how to operate the Maxcomputer. Try to be patient with me.”
Grant patted him on the shoulder, “We all miss Nicole; she was a master at using it. Take your time and make sure you’re ready.” Eric nodded as the large black SUV stopped in front of a building with a sign out front that read, Electronic and Technical Services. They got out of the car and walked inside the building. The driver waited in the car and cursed at not hearing what the son was reporting.
• • •
Grant and Eric went to an elevator and Grant inserted a card in a slot. He pressed a button and the elevator dropped. Grant pressed the button again and stopped the elevator before it reached the bottom of the shaft, “What’s going on?”
“Are we safe in here?”
“Yes, this elevator is shielded and constantly scanned for electronic devices or waves.”
“I understand that you are having Captain Kelly to go out and round up all the Opposition Agents we currently know about.”
“That’s correct.”
“Are you going to try and interrogate them?” Grant’s eyes narrowed and Eric held up his hands, “The reason I’m asking is that I doubt you’ll be able to do that.”
“Why?”
“The Maxcomputer analyzed the suicide device that was found in James and that agent in Plymouth. It says that it will kill any agent that is stunned or has a drug injected that causes the captured agent to lose consciousness. I suspect everyone you capture will die before you can question them.” Grant’s expression turned hard and Eric asked, “Why would you want to question them anyway.”
“To find out what they know!” Grant retorted.
“They will have already sent everything they know to the Opposition and you could waste a great deal of time and expense neutralizing the suicide device. The Maxcomputer is suggesting that the device can’t be tampered with without killing the person it’s in.”
“We still have to make the effort.”
“That will warn any agents you don’t know about your plan to remove them. They’ll disappear and be impossible to find.”
“I feel like we know the vast majority of agents operating in the United States,” Grant replied. He saw Eric’s expression and asked, “What have you not told me?”
“Dad, the Maxcomputer printed out a list of Opposition Agents that are not on the list of agents you’re going to go after.”
Grant’s eye
s widened, “How many names are on that list.”
“Six thousand, four hundred, and seventy-two.”
“That is not good!”
“One of them is the driver of your Limo.”
“But he’s been checked out and passed all the tests!”
“It appears the Opposition has developed methods to beat our tests,” Eric replied. “However, that isn’t the most serious issue.”
Grant nodded, “Go on.”
“The computer printed out another report and the evidence to support it is pretty convincing; I’d suggest it’s incontrovertible.” Eric paused and then said, “If the report is accurate, the Opposition has ten satellites above the United States that are carrying missiles on board.” Grant’s eyes flew wide open and Eric quickly continued, “The Max suggests that rounding up all the agents might cause the Opposition to launch missiles and take out every intelligence building in the United States in reprisals.”
Grant’s eyes narrowed and he nodded slightly, “We can’t remove those agents until we deal with the threat of those satellites.”
“That’s also the conclusion of the Maxcomputer’s findings.”
“Do you know if any of their agents are operating inside this building?”
“There are none here but there are fifteen operating in the Main Intelligence Agency’s building.”
“Is it safe to assume everyone not on that list can be trusted?”
Eric sighed, “I don’t know.”
“Why not?”
“Because those names came in over a secure transmission line and the Max has not been able to determine who sent them.”
Grant smiled, “I’m going to assume everyone not on that list is safe.”
“How can you do that Dad?!”
“Trust me; I believe the information is accurate and complete. I’ll assign some of my people I can trust to start working with the fifteen in my building and I’ll have all the monitors and scanners across the country to keep tabs on the others. I’m calling off Captain Kelly for the moment until Tech Services can come up with a means of dealing with those satellites.” Eric stared at his father and wondered how he could trust the list was complete.
• • •
Nicole was sleeping and she heard the door to the bedroom open. She opened her eyes and saw Charles peeking in, “It’s close to ten; get dressed. We’re going out to get a bite to eat.”
Nicole sat up, “Give me a moment to get ready.” Charles nodded and closed the door. Nicole opened her suitcase and pulled out some of the items she purchased in New Port.
• • •
Charles was staring at the television when Nicole walked into the living area. His eyes narrowed and Nicole raised a shoulder, “I know how satellites find people. It looks for three things; hair color, body shape, and facial features. Two of the three elements must match before it locks on a person.”
Charles stared at the purple colored wig Nicole was wearing and asked, “What happened to your…?”
“Boobs?” Nicole stated.
“Yeah.”
“I’m wearing a sports bra; it reduces their size to the point where there is a huge difference in body shape.”
Charles nodded and stood up, “Let’s go.” They walked out of the camper and got in the mustang. Charles drove them to a restaurant named ‘To the Moon and Back’ in Plympton. Nicole thought it looked like a hole in the wall, but the breakfast was extraordinary. The cheese grits were as good as any she had growing up in Georgia.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Took a while to fall asleep but once I did, I slept soundly.” Nicole watched Charles eat a large breakfast and commented, “You have to eat to live?”
Charles looked at her and smiled, “Not really. But I knew I’d have to do it to live among humans. My body converts food to energy so there are no issues in eating and, truth-be-told, over time I’ve developed a taste for many foods.” Charles looked around and said, “Why don’t we hold off on our discussion until we get back to the camper?” Nicole nodded.
After they got back in the car, Nicole turned to Charles, “According to my computer, you might be the richest man on the planet; is that true?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You don’t appear to be using your wealth. That camper, though it’s 30 feet long, is still small.”
Charles smiled, “And do you think anyone might be looking for an alien living in a campground out in the woods?”
Nicole shrugged, “Probably not.” Charles continued driving and Nicole said, “Why did you do it then?”
“Do what?”
“Collect all those gold coins over the years.”
Charles smiled, “You’re a smart woman; figure it out”
Nicole stared at him and wished he’d just answer the question. She looked out of the windshield and after several minutes she said, “It’s easy to convert gold to currency.”
“Bravo! Do you know that most countries on this planet value gold?” Nicole nodded. “I have gold coins converted to currency in whatever country I’m in. Gold coins have worked to pay for things for more than three thousand years.”
“Are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Wealthy?”
“I suppose.” Nicole looked back out of the windshield and Charles waited for her to question him further…she didn’t. “Do you just take my word for it?”
“Not really. But my computer said you might be the wealthiest person on Earth, and I do take its word on the matter.”
“How would it know?”
Nicole turned back to him, “All of those shipments you signed for while you lived in Washington were insured against loss. Max says you received enough gold coins in Washington alone to make you a billionaire several times over at today’s current valuations. You continued to receive shipments over the following hundred years.”
“Max?”
“The computer is called Maxcomputer; I call it Max for short.”
“I never anticipated those shipments would be traced.”
“You should have.”
“Oh?”
“You know how long you live and once humans started building computers, no paper trail would ever be safe. Your long-range planning crown just lost some stars out of it.”
Charles laughed out loud, “Right you are!”
• • •
They arrived back at the camper and Nicole went to the bedroom and removed the sports bra and wig. She took a bottled water out of the refrigerator and sat down at the small dining table. Charles sat on the sofa and saw Nicole wasn’t wearing a bra. He ignored it and smiled, “Are you ready to start asking questions?”
Nicole nodded and said, “You said last night that you are responsible for the creation of Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens.” Charles nodded. “What caused you to do that?”
“You don’t want to ask questions about American History first?”
“Not yet. You said you could cover everything in ten days, so I’ll start on that after several weeks.”
Charles shrugged, “Ok. This might take a while so if you need a break, let me know.” Nicole nodded. Charles sat back and said, “When I finally arrived at this planet, it was far different than what you see today. The planet’s surface was covered in forests, deserts, and a huge abundance of wild animals. There was no intelligent species that dominated the planet, and everything could best be described as wilderness. I spent the first fifty thousand years just looking around the planet at the wide diversity of life trying to guess which one would emerge as the planet’s masters.”
“I thought there were intelligent human ancestors living at that time.”
“There were several species of hominids living at that time and some of them were using stone tools. However, their intelligence wasn’t much higher than a chimpanzee; would you describe a chimp as being an intelligent life form?”
Nicole thought about it and shook her head, “No, not really, I guess.”
>
Charles smiled, “There was one small group of early humans living in Africa and I started keeping an eye out for them. A young male was born, and he was hilarious.”
“What do you mean?”
“He just loved poking the adults with a stick, then laugh, and run away. They tolerated him and I must say the group were quite loving of each other. I watched him grow up and one day take a mate; his name was Amug. I decided to go down to the planet’s surface and watch the tribe from close up. I used the genetic manipulator to convert my outer appearance to one of them and took a small ship down to the surface.”
Charles paused and Nicole asked, “What’s making you smile.”
Charles waved a hand, “I’ll never forget that day. The tribe inhabited a large cave and kept a fire going at the entrance to protect them from predators. Amug and the other men were out hunting for food when a sabre tooth cat jumped off a rock above the cave and roared. All the women and children instantly fled into the cave. However, Amug’s mate and daughter were too far away from the entrance and the huge cat was between them and safety. The men came rushing from the plain below the cave when they heard the cat’s roar, but I saw they wouldn’t make it in time. I came out of the rocks and rushed in between the cat and the woman and her baby.”
“I thought sabre tooth tigers went extinct long before then,” Nicole remarked.
“That species did but there were other species of large cats that had tusks similar to the tigers.”
Charles paused and Nicole said, “Please, go on.”
“I think the cat was enjoying the fear it was causing the woman; she fell to her knees and screamed. She knew there was no possible way for her to outrun the cat, especially carrying her baby; she refused to leave it for the cat to consume and try to escape to the men running toward them.
The cat stared at me and I held a spear out in front of me and the woman. The cat snarled and rushed in on us. I went to a knee and put the butt of the spear in the ground. The cat rushed in and the spear caught it in the chest. It pushed me on my back but not before I turned the handle on the spear sending one thousand amperes of electricity into it. The cat stopped, shook violently, and fell.” Nicole stared at Charles and saw he was reliving the event in his mind. “The men arrived a moment later and Amug rushed up and took his mate into his arms, daughter and all. He had a stone knife in his hand, and he stared at me with an expression that worried me. I feared I might have to use my laser to defend myself. He put his mate and daughter down, placed the stone knife across both his hands, walked forward and knelt extending his hands. I stared at him and he pushed his hands toward me. I took the knife out of his hands and he stood up. He hugged me and then went to his mate and tried to calm her.” Charles paused and said, “I knew in that moment that Amug’s species was going to one day become the master of this world.”