Shadow Sun Expansion

by Dave Willmarth

  Sam, Lars, Logan, and a few of the others helped load up the volunteers with their half billion in gold. First, they all turned over their belts to Sam, who verified how much they’d already gathered. Then, one of Allistor’s people filled the belts with five hundred and ten million worth of gold, which Ramon helpfully calculated to be one thousand and sixty-four bars. That was actually almost a million extra, but Allistor wasn’t going to quibble. These people had earned it.

  When the gold for the volunteers was loaded, and all of his people had gotten their share, Allistor sent them upstairs to be flown back home. He gave the dead Texan’s share to his comrade, and Richard’s share to Virginia. And had Sam load up a pair of the extra belts for Gene and Kira.

  When they were on their way, Taylor approached Allistor.

  “We’ve already decided to purchase a teleport hub with the gold you gave me. How do we connect our hub with your pad?”

  “That is a very good question, my friend.” Allistor clapped him on the back. “Nigel, how do we connect teleport pads with different owners?”

  “Permission must be given by both parties. Restrictions are normally set for direction, number of parties allowed, and duration of authorization, down to as little as a single teleport basis.”

  “Okay, how about this. I give permission to connect this pad to Captain Taylor’s hub as soon as he has one. For the sake of experimentation, we will make it for one day only. And only one direction, from here to his Stronghold.” He turned to Taylor. “You’ve got plenty of men here, and you can use the kiosk upstairs to purchase a couple of those industrial hover pads. Then you can use the teleport to take your men, and the gold, home with you. We can work out future connections for trade or support later. Sound okay with you?”

  Taylor nodded. “Nigel, I authorize the connection between your pad and mine under the conditions Allistor just set. Is that sufficient?”

  “It is. As you do not have an active AI at your Stronghold, I will establish the connections on your behalf.”

  “Nigel, how many gold bars are in this facility?”

  “When you claimed the depository, there were three hundred sixty-eight thousand, three hundred and seventy-nine bars. Since then, nine thousand six hundred and eighteen bars have been removed by the volunteers from other Strongholds.”

  Alright, thank you Nigel. Some of those were from my own share that I gave as rewards. So, please use the total number of bars at the time I claimed the depository, and divide it by ten. That would give us each group’s total share. What would that be?”

  “Each of the ten Strongholds are entitled to thirty-six thousand, eight hundred thirty-seven bars in total, Sire.”

  “Thank you, Nigel.” Allistor turned to Taylor. “As I’m sure you can guess, it will take quite a while to move even one group’s share through the teleports on hover pads. Several days, I’m sure. So, we’ll need to set up some kind of rotating schedule to keep from tripping over each other.”

  Taylor was nodding his head and about to speak when Nigel spoke first.

  “Sire, General Prime wishes me to inform you that your two battalions have arrived here at Fort Knox. Also, if I might offer a suggestion, Sire?”

  “Certainly, Nigel. Hit me!”

  “I understand the need for efficiency and the short time frame available to you before this facility might be put at risk. I have the ability to transfer funds directly from your vault to another Stronghold or Citadel with an upgraded AI. Much the same as with the teleport connections, it requires authorization for each transaction. If the other groups were to upgrade their AIs today, the transactions could be completed within a matter of minutes. The system charges the receiver a set fee for such transactions of one half of one percent of the total transferred amount.”

  “That’s a huge fee.” Allistor grimaced, and Taylor mumbled an agreement. But the man was thinking it over.

  “But it eliminates the risk of this place falling to aliens and all the gold being lost.” Taylor mused.

  “Well, it’s up to you and the others. I’m certainly willing, as it costs me nothing. I’ll be defending this place either way, because my share will still be here.”

  “I would also add, Sire, that having an upgraded AI offers many benefits to your allies, including improved communication between you. You would be able to call each other directly through your AIs from anywhere in your respective facilities. Much as you called Airman Redd earlier. This would allow you to instantly coordinate common defense and troop transportation if needed. Not to mention all the day to day facility management a properly upgraded AI offers.”

  Taylor smiled up at the ceiling. “Oh, you’ve sold me already on the AI, Nigel. I’m just debating whether to pay the fee to have you do our transfer.”

  Allistor looked up at the ceiling too, though he knew Nigel wasn’t in any single location. It just felt right somehow. “Nigel, would you please contact Redd, have her dial up the other leaders, and share this information with them?”

  “I would be honored, Sire.”

  Chapter 25

  Every Girl’s Crazy ‘Bout A Well-Dressed Orc

  Allistor remained at Fort Knox through the evening. After Nigel’s explanation of the benefits and fees, and with the hours speeding past before the end of Stabilization, all of the other leaders chose to upgrade their AIs and execute the transfers. By the time the sun set the next day, only Allistor’s gold would remain in the facility. He made sure his people all received their ten million bonus, and retired back to the Citadel with Amanda. Andrea arranged for a couple hundred of Allistor’s people to move to Fort Knox to guard it along with the battle droids. Dean and his wife actually decided to relocate to the Stronghold, saying they preferred the milder winters in Kentucky anyway. Most of his original group from Cheyenne went with them.

  The morning of their last day alone on Earth dawned, and Allistor awoke with a feeling of dread. Not fear of the aliens so much as a feeling he’d forgotten something. He spent an hour talking to his advisors over breakfast in the conference room, going over all the defenses and details that they could think of. Still, something was bothering him.

  Finally, after he’d paced back and forth across the room about fifty times, Amanda grabbed him and pulled him into a hug. “It’s just your mind playing tricks on you. You’ve covered all the bases you can. Everyone agrees. Now we just have to sit back and wait. If the aliens who land near us turn out to be hostile, we’ll deal with it. We even have a plan to abandon the outlying Strongholds and consolidate everyone at the Citadel, Silo, and Bastion if things go horribly wrong.”

  “I know. I just can’t shake this feeling. I need a distraction. Maybe if I stop thinking about it, it’ll come to me.”

  “Then let’s go fishing. Knowing you, you’ll catch that big honking sea monster that almost ate Bagwell, and we’ll hold the biggest ever monster fish fry!”

  Smiling at her enthusiasm, he squeezed her tightly and kissed her forehead. “Sounds perfect. Let’s go.”

  They teleported to Pelican Bay, bringing Sam, Meg, Nancy, Ramon, Helen, and Fuzzy with them. The group walked together down to the cove and out onto the dock. The fishing boats were all out and working already, but there was a small motorboat in the sand. They loaded everyone up and cruised out to the yacht, which was anchored near the center of the protected cove.

  Tying off on the stern platform, they all climbed aboard the yacht. Unsurprisingly, they found Bjurstrom and Goodrich lounging on the deck drinking beers and working on their tans.

  “Oh, heya boss. We didn’t know you wanted to use the yacht today.” Bjurstrom got to his feet, followed quickly by Goodrich.

  “Neither did we until about an hour ago. Relax boys. We’re just here to do a little fishing. Any idea where the gear might be?”

  Both men hustled toward the stern. “We found a bunch in a locker near the launch bay. We’ll grab a pole for everyone and meet you guys on the aft deck where you tied up. You’ll find some folding
chairs behind the door marked ‘storage’. It’s where we got these ones.” Goodrich called to them as he slid down the first ladder.

  Twenty minutes later, everyone was relaxing, lines in the water and poles set, drinks in hand. Amanda had decided she would rather work on her tan than fish, and Helen had joined her, saying, “Every time Allistor and I fish together, I embarrass him. Don’t want to make him look bad in front of his people.”

  They fished for a good four hours as the sun rose in the sky. Occasionally one of them would get a bite and reel in a fish. It seemed the rules of the wilderness applied in the sea as well. Fish that killed and ate others got bigger and stronger. So the fish that they landed were obscenely oversized, and correspondingly more challenging to bring in. Meg hooked a tuna that was so large they had to strap her into a chair mounted to the deck and then take turns helping her reel it in. Sam, Allistor, and Ramon all took turns lending their strength to the battle. An hour later they used a winch to haul in a six hundred pound, hundred and twelve inch long tuna. Combined with the other fish they’d caught, they had more than two thousand pounds of fresh fish for the day.

  Deciding to call it quits, they stored the fish in their inventories, wished Bjurstrom and Goodrich a good day, and told them there would be a fish fry back at the Citadel if they were interested.

  Hopping back in their motorboat, they returned to the beach, walked up to the Stronghold, and teleported back. Meg and Sam immediately took charge of the meal prep, and Amanda and Helen volunteered to round up folks and get tables and benches set up.

  By five o’clock they were all enjoying a feast with their people. Most of the Silo had emptied out to join them, everyone being aware that in a few short hours they might be in a fight for their lives. The celebration lasted until after dark, then everyone helped clean up before retiring to grab a few hours’ sleep.

  The countdown timer was just under eight hours when Allistor, Amanda, Helen, and Fuzzy teleported to the Wilderness. Harmon had promised to deliver their space yacht the very hour that Stabilization ended. Which would be just before sunrise.

  Too keyed up to sleep, Allistor climbed to the top of the wall that overlooked the lake and sat with his feet hanging over the edge. He could hear the others chatting in the courtyard below, their voices echoing up to him. Helen was pondering what the aliens might look like, and how many different species there might be. Amanda was suggesting wild combinations of known species, like aliens with human bodies, fish heads, and beaver tails.

  Smiling to himself, Allistor watched the reflection of the stars ripple in the water below. Several times, something large broke the surface, then disappeared again. He thought back to the massive sturgeon that he’d encountered at the lake right before he met Fuzzy. Looking down into the courtyard, he saw Amanda staring up at him, one hand scratching the bear’s ears as he lay next to her.

  “All in all, it has been a good year.” he said to himself. “I found Fuzzy, fell in love with Amanda, and Helen has turned out to be the best friend I’ve ever had. I lost my family, but I’ve gained a much larger one. If we all still have a roof over our heads and food to eat by this time tomorrow, I will count myself a very lucky man, indeed.”

  Eventually Amanda came up to join him, pulling two sleeping bags out of her ring. “Seems like a nice place to gaze up at the stars.” she said, laying them out on the wide rampart. Allistor looked left and right down the wall, seeing only the battle droid sentries, who were focused outward.

  He helped Amanda arrange the sleeping bags, then settled in next to her. She put her head on his shoulder and sighed. “It’s beautiful up here. You know in this entire year since we found out that aliens are real, I’ve never once taken the time to just sit like this and look up at the stars. There are so many more of them here than we had before.”

  Allistor mumbled his agreement, choosing instead to focus on the clean smell of her hair and the warmth of her next to him.

  “Are you listening to me?”

  “Mmmhmm… many stars. Pretty. But not as pretty as you.”

  She snorted, poking him in the belly. “Dork.”

  They sat in silence for a while, and Allistor eventually drifted off to sleep. He was awakened by the same foghorn sound that had awakened him on the day the Earth was moved. A system alert popped up on his interface, and he heard a voice read the words aloud in his head.

  Attention humans and other residents of UCP 382!

  Your planet’s designated Stabilization period will expire in one hour. Each human still surviving will be granted a parcel of land of their choice, up to ten acres. Land already claimed by other humans is not eligible for selection. Your chosen parcel can be sold or traded, but your rights to the land can not be taken from you so long as you live. Further, to prevent hostile land acquisitions, even in death your rights will be protected, and the land will go into probate. If no heir is designated, the System will place the property into probate for a period of one hundred years.

  To claim your territory, simply occupy your chosen ground and select the Awarded Property tab that will appear on your interface. Follow the directions and claim your land.

  Congratulations on surviving the Stabilization period. Initial estimates for necessary human population reduction were exceeded. Total reduction percentage as of now is ninety-five point nine eight percent. For this reason, excess resources allocated for expected survivor population awards based on initial estimates will be evenly distributed among the smaller survivor population. You have the option of claiming an additional acre of land, or receiving a monetary reward of one million one hundred thousand klax.

  Welcome to the Collective, citizens of UCP 382

  Allistor and Amanda sat in silence for a minute. Amanda broke the silence with a question. “Did I hear that right? Did it say humans and other residents? What other sentient species are they referring to? The dolphins, maybe?”

  “Or pigs. Or whales. Maybe dogs? Who knows, maybe Bigfoot is real, and sentient.” Allistor smiled at her as her eyes widened.

  “How cool would THAT be?”

  They were joined by Helen and Fuzzy, who both plopped down on the stone next to them. “So, less than an hour. And did you catch that part about hostile land grabs? Sounds like they try to discourage it.” Helen sounded hopeful.

  Allistor decided to boost her spirits. “Yeah, that hundred year probate thing sounds like a good deterrent.”

  “So maybe we won’t have to fight for our lives an hour from now?”

  “I sincerely hope not. With all my heart and soul. I’d love for the aliens to be a bunch of huggable teddy bear types who only want to grow crops, drink beer, and shake their booty with us. In fact, maybe you’ll find yourself an alien boyfriend. A big minotaur-lookin’ dude with rippling muscles and horns you can-”

  “Allistor!” Amanda cut him off, elbowing him in the side. He was suddenly reminded of Nathan, and Helen’s recent loss, and was worried he’d just hurt his friend’s feelings. But one look at the grin on her face, and he relaxed.

  “I was thinking more along the lines of a centaur. You know, human upper body attached to a horse’s lower half…” She waggled her eyebrows, and they all laughed. It felt good. In the face of what was about to happen, it was good to laugh.

  They spent the remainder of the hour making small talk, taking comfort in each other’s company. There were many glances up at the stars above as the sky began to lighten at the approach of the dual suns. Fuzzy, typical for him, wanted no part of the conversation and plopped himself down between Allistor and Helen. In just a few minutes he was snoring.

  “Must be nice.” Helen nodded at him. “Nothing to worry about except his next meal and where to poop.”

  Allistor shook his head. “He might have saved a bunch of us when he attacked the occulant. I was terrified it would kill him. He just took it in stride, like that’s just what bears do. But you’re right, I do envy him sometimes. He got lucky when he met me. Just like you two!”
<
br />   Both women rolled their eyes. “Okay, Prince Fancypants. Just remember who put you where you are now. And if I hadn’t met you, I might be a Princess myself right now!” Helen nudged him with a foot.

  “And I’d be free to hook up with one of those sexy minotaur fellas.” Amanda leaned into him, giving him a sidelong glance and a smile.

  “Better not! It might anger your Prince, and I hear he’s got a short temper. Kills monsters by the hundreds. A mighty warrior, that one. And handsome, too.” Even as he teased her, he saw the timer on his interface reach zero.

  The wall beneath them vibrated as a series of sonic booms echoed through the surrounding mountains. Looking up, Allistor saw hundreds, maybe thousands of points of light descending from the dawn sky.

  A moment later, almost directly above him, two of the points resolved into the solid forms of spaceships. They moved toward him, their noses looking like projectiles aimed at his Stronghold. But when they came within a mile or so, both ships slowed to a halt, hovering. The larger of the two hovered over the forest, just beyond the lake. It was a monstrous beast nearly as large as the Stronghold itself. Up close it looked less like a weapon and more like a transport or cargo ship. Though there were several guns visible in various locations on its hull.

  The second ship was smaller, and Allistor immediately guessed it was his yacht. Its exterior was all curves and domes with graceful angles that just seemed to scream luxury. As it settled toward the ground on the sloped area outside the gate, Allistor said, “Nigel, give me loudspeaker, everywhere please.”

  “Go ahead, Sire.”

  “Hey everybody. Welcome to the new world! This is it, the aliens have arrived. I’m about to go and make first contact here at the Wilderness. If any of you have ships landing in your immediate area, please alert Nigel at once, and he will let me know. Before I go out, anybody having any problems already?”