Jump Starting the Universe Book Bundle

by John David Buchanan

  “Number 1 is clear, number 2 is clear, number 3 is clear, number four is clear,” came the replies.

  “Here we go,” said Carter as he made a left turn onto Warf Street and stopped. He folded down the small cover plate of a controller box that had been temporarily mounted to the dashboard of the transport, looked at Livingston and said, “you’re going to like this,” as he pushed the small black button hidden beneath the cover and pushed the transport throttle to maximum.

  The sound of fuel being burned presaged the launch of a small rocket mounted beneath the transport. “The front cargo door GPS coordinates are programed in the rocket’s guidance module,” said Carter as he tore after the rocket. It exploded on impact blowing a massive hole in the doors just as Carter brought the transport to a stop near the property entrance, then he flew through the hole in the doors and landed. “Show time,” said Carter with a stern smile on his face.

  Ninety-Two Shumbrans were scrambling around the tables like ants on sugar. Carter and Livingston were behind the transport. “You did insure this thing didn’t

  you?” asked Livingston.

  “Yeah,” came Carter’s reply, “for a lot.”

  “Good.”

  Carter was watching the Shumbrans who were taken completely off guard by their sudden appearance. One had retrieved a weapon and discharged it at the transport, blasting a hole in the back fender. “Twenty-five more Shumbrans just entered the back parking lot,” said Carter who glanced at Livingston. “You okay boss?” he asked. Livingston’s eyes were closed.

  The back door of the transport was blown off its hinges by the discharge from another Shumbran weapon and Livingston replied, “I’m fine.”

  He stood up and was immediately enshrouded in light that began to swirl like a gyroscope, then a beam of thick white light seared through the air like a bolt of lightning, but this time it didn’t hover in the air harmlessly, this time Livingston wasn’t blasting stones. The beam found a mark and blasted a Shumbran 10 meters from the table just before he discharged his weapon. The beam retracted slightly, split into three beams that knifed through the air to where three Shumbrans stood near each other with weapons drawn. One weapon discharged and blasted the side of the transport just before he and his companions were blasted from their feet. Again and again the beam split into three, four, or five beams of searing white light that split the air on their way to their targets. A Shumbran discharged his weapon at Livingston but the blast rebounded from the gyroscoping light field and blasted the adjacent staircase into rubble and dust.

  The transport was taking a beating; the front fender was blown halfway off and all the windshields were blown out. Another hit and the passenger side rear door was ripped from its hinges and tossed across the room like a well thrown Frisbee. Livingston positioned himself between the tables and the transport in an effort to shield Carter from stray particle beam fire. Several Shumbrans behind an overturned table positioned a long cylindrical weapon and aimed it at Livingston. Carter saw them before Livingston and blasted the table with a stun beam. The concussion caused the weapon to fire, sending a rocket into the second level where it exploded against the south wall, raining metal and debris all over the area where the staircase had been. Two more Shumbrans with one of the long cylindrical weapons had hidden behind a metal panel about 20 meters south of the tables. They suddenly presented their weapon and quickly fired at Livingston; it was a direct hit. The rocket exploded with incredible force and fire completely engulfed the gyroscoping light field blocking it from view.

  “Livingston,” yelled Carter who saw what happened through a blast hole near his head and the opening on the opposite side of the car where the passenger rear door was missing.

  He returned fire immediately, sending stun beams at the Shumbrans and knocking one to the ground. Then he picked off two more that were trying to work their way forward on the left side of the room. The rocket that hit Livingston must have included a combustible component in addition to an explosive; there was fire upon fire but it didn’t last long and as it thinned a beam of searing white-hot light burst from the light field around Livingston and ravaged the Shumbrans. It split into nine beams then ten with each beam finding its mark. Carter picked off two more Shumbrans inching their way forward with another cylindrical weapon; down they went hard and didn’t move. Then Livingston advanced like he intended to exterminate every Shumbran in the building.

  Carter left the transport and positioned himself behind Livingston, to use him as a shield and to prevent an attack from Shumbrans who might enter the cargo doors behind them. While a beam of light was finding a lone target ten Shumbrans ran forward thinking they could overpower Livingston and knock him off his feet. Ten separate beams of light instantaneously burst from the field around Livingston and leveled the attackers. The downed Shumbran count was at ninety-one.

  The last Shumbran exited the back of the building and made his way hastily to the transport where 25 unsuspecting Shumbrans had been waiting for the signal to enter the building. In a rush the fleeing Shumbran explained what was happening inside the building. The driver started his transport and left the facility as fast as he could, clipping the gate on his way out of the front exit. Carter had noticed the Shumbran leaving the building and looked out the rear cargo door just in time to see them depart the property. Livingston joined him momentarily.

  “Should we track them?” asked Carter.

  “Do you think they can hide from you?” came Livingston’s reply.

  “No, they can’t hide,” said Carter, “and I think we have other things to do; I’ll notify the transport team to get ready.”

  Carter and Livingston walked back to the middle of the building. It was in shambles. Chunks of tables and chairs were strewn about the floor with metal debris everywhere. Ninety-One Shumbrans were mixed in with the other debris. “You’re sure about the Shumbrans boss?” asked Carter.

  “I’m pretty sure; now let’s tackle this safe.” Within microseconds Livingston was surrounded by a glow of such intensity that his sharp features had become indistinct, and flickers of hot white light swarmed around him and once again formed a gyroscoping light shield spinning at incredible speed. A beam of searing white light advanced from the shield and hung in the air like a lightning bolt that had been frozen in midair. Livingston glanced at Carter who could barely see him through the shroud of light.

  Carter tapped his watch and yelled, “Get on with it boss, we’re a little behind schedule.” There was no mistaking the enormous energy in that beam of light, it sounded like the combined dissonant wail of a million angry souls. Livingston let the beam advance until it was just shy of the safe’s door, then it advanced through the Usilite steel like it was cardboard. Livingston used the beam to slice all the way around the end of the safe. When the last bit of steel was cut, it fell to floor with such massive force it cracked the concrete slab. “Any chance you could teach me how to do that?” asked Carter.

  “I don’t think it’s learned Carter, I think you have to be born with it,” replied Livingston.

  “I was afraid you might say that.”

  Carter called the crew at Pier 7, “Let’s load up,” he said, “we’re running a little behind schedule. The crew arrived in less than five minutes and by 16:30 IPT everything in the safe had been moved to the tractor trailer and they were pulling out of the parking lot. Carter gave the all clear and lookouts and other crew members except trailing security were sent home. The trailer was taken to a commercial warehouse and unloaded immediately.

  “Anything interesting in this loot,” asked Carter after the crew had departed.

  “Carter, we now have in our possession the Shumbrans business records, lists of hit victims, lists of targets, their list of business partners, the names and locations of every Shumbran agent in the Prolian System, piles of information on everything the Shumbrans have done or are thinking about doing, and, that large box,” he said, pointing to a sizable chest like box with heavy clasps, “c
ontains approximately 140,000,000 Kagers; the equivalent of their annual payroll and net profit.”

  Livingston had a wicked look on his face. “They should never have targeted my daughter.”

  “Now I know why you had me install the Class I – MG security systems,” replied Carter.

  “Did you call the police?” asked Livingston.

  “Yes, I called them as we were loading the last bit of the safe’s contents into the trailer; they should probably be there now.”

  “It’s getting late Carter, you should go home to your family,” said Livingston.

  “Same to you, boss. By the way, what you did today was the most astonishing thing I’ve ever seen, and you know I’ve seen a lot - sure could have used that on the Quadrilian Plain operation. This might explain why you have such a fascination with energy, Livingston. If you could ever learn to duplicate that or harness it, it would be worth a fortune, not that you are going to need one,” he finished while glancing at the heavily clasped box.

  “I think we’ll use that for some university scholarships and endowments, maybe a new park, and the biggest pay day you and our crew have ever imagined,” said Livingston.

  “You think the Shumbrans will come after it?” asked Carter.

  “I think not,” replied Livingston, “would you? I sent a message to be delivered tomorrow morning indicating the lists in that safe would be made available to all Prolian System law enforcement agencies and news organizations if there was any attempt at recovery, retribution, or if anyone on the hit lists was threatened or harmed in any way. I promised them in no uncertain terms that if I had to get involved again, next time I wouldn’t pull any punches. Let’s go home.”

  ******************************************

  “Yes sir, we arrived in the Siophan District, Pier 13 about 45 minutes ago,” said the officer. “We entered the warehouse without resistance. No, they are here alright, 91 of them just like the caller said. No sir, it was untraceable. No sir, they’re not dead, all but one of them are unconscious. Well, most of them are singed a bit but with Shumbrans it hard to tell the extent of the damage, and about a dozen look like then had to re-coalesce then lost consciousness. I did sir, I asked him what happened and he replied nothing happened. Then, I asked him what happened to the safe and I thought he was going to break his neck turning to see it.

  The safe, sir? It’s huge. How big? About twenty by thirty on the inside I’d say, and about 10 feet high and it’s made of 18-inch-thick Usilite steel. Well, there’s a badge on the side isn’t there sir. The safe itself is worth a small fortune, sir. Its empty sir, and I can tell the Shumbran is quite unhappy about that. No, he said it was empty sir, but that doesn’t tally with his attitude. No sir, the door wasn’t opened, it was cut. I know that sir, but I’m looking at it right now and the entire end of the safe has been cut out including the door and hinges. No sir, I’m not putting you on, and no I have not been to the pub, but I may be headed there soon. No, the edges of the cut are so clean you would have thought it was manufactured like this. I expect the Usilite representative will be on scene shortly. No sir, he didn’t believe it either. He said only a Usilite engineer has the tools to cut one of their safes. No sir, this is not a bloody joke. Yes sir, I’ll be in your office within the hour. Yes, with pictures.”

  “Sargent, I’m going to headquarters to meet with the chief. Interview every Shumbran in here and bring me a complete report. And find out what the Usilite engineer thinks and call me immediately. And take some pictures and send them to me so we can verify this ridiculous story. No, he didn’t believe a word of it, would you?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  NINETY-FIVE AND GONE

  While the museum was being repaired Joules spent most of her free time with Blackie. “We haven’t taken the Nomad out for a spin in forever,” Wayne said to the group at lunch several days after the Shumbran incident, “how about a day trip to see the country side?”

  “That’s a great idea, I’m getting tired of the city,” agreed Mark. “I’d like to see some forests and waterfalls; got any of those around here Joules?”

  “Yeah Joules, what is there to see here?” asked Nita.

  “Well we have nice hills east of town that are covered in deep blue grasses, and roads in the plains out west are lined with wild flowers this time of year; there aren’t any waterfalls near here but there’s Lake Medinfore up in the mountains north of the city.”

  “I’d like to see the lake,” said Blackie.

  “It’s really nice there,” said Joules, “we should pack some food and spend the day at Lake Medinfore Park.”

  “Yeah, we could have a picketric,” said Wayne who quickly dodged a halfhearted jab from Nita as Mark snorted a laugh.

  “Funny, Wayne, really funny,” said Amelia who couldn’t quite pull off an I’m upset look since her face was covered with a broad smile.

  Blackie told Joules about their picnic in the park near The Phoenix Hotel and how Nita had referred to it as a picketric instead of a picnic.

  “I do need to work at the library tomorrow so how about we go day after tomorrow? That will give us plenty of time to prepare,” offered Joules.

  “Great, is that okay with everyone? Good, we have a plan,” said Mark who was eager to make the trip. “Wayne, we need to take our acoustic guitars with us.”

  “Good idea - if we ever see Buster again we can tell him we played a concert at Lake Medinfore Park,” replied Wayne. “We don’t have to tell him the details.”

  “He wouldn’t listen anyway,” offered Blackie.

  “Who is Buster?” asked Joules.

  Mark, Wayne and Blackie spent the next hour telling hilarious stories about Buster.

  “You’re not making this up are you Mark?” asked Nita who had laughed so hard she was holding her side.

  “No, honestly it’s all true,” said Mark, “Buster is a rare bird. I miss him.”

  “How about a swim?” said Nita realizing Mark, Wayne and Blackie were suddenly very quiet.

  “Great idea,” replied Amelia, “let’s go.” The entire group went for a long swim during which time they planned their outing.

  “Let’s get some of those little round crackers,” suggested Mark.

  “Those are for soup, Mark, and we’re not taking soup,” responded Blackie.

  “So, I like them, “said Mark, “especially the ones with Italian seasonings, they go great with cheese.”

  “I’m sure all the stores here have those,” said Wayne sarcastically.

  “Have you forgotten the tartar sauce at the Phoenix Hotel Restaurant?” replied Mark. Wayne was speechless.

  “He has a point Wayne,” said Blackie. “For all we know Sly is importing Italian seasonings to the Prolian System; that’s where we are right? I’m going off the diving board,” and he proceeded to do a cannon ball that made such a big wave it swamped the right side of the pool deck.

  After a long swim, everyone was ravenous and decided to take a short walk to a restaurant Joules had frequented with her mother. “It’s only five blocks from the hotel and the food is excellent,” Joules said beaming, “and it’s very reasonable. They had a leisurely meal and finished in the early evening with berry cobbler for dessert - the proper kind with multiple layers of crust, not that one crust on top nonsense. When Joules noticed that Blackie had pulled out the group’s credit card she said, “You won’t need that Blackie, the bill has been paid.”

  “When did you manage that?” asked Blackie thinking he hadn’t seen Joules interacting with the waiter and she hadn’t left the table.

  “I didn’t,” she replied, “Dad arranged a prepayment and asked me to tell all of you how much he appreciates the support you showed me when the Shumbrans attacked us at the museum.” Joules looked at her watch and exclaimed, “Looks like I’m right on schedule. Dad wants to talk this evening before we turn in.”

  Blackie escorted Joules to her transport, told her to be careful going home, and returned to the rest
aurant.

  “I need some tea, anyone else want tea?” asked Blackie. Everyone declined so they sat and talked while Blackie finished his tea and then had an argument with the waiter, who insisted he could not pay for the tea, that it had already been paid for.

  “Put yourself in my shoes,” said the waiter, “Mrs. Livingston and her daughter patronize our establishment on a regular basis, they call it 'girl’s day out'. And occasionally Mr. Livingston will accompany them but it’s rare; he is a very busy man. On the other hand, tonight is the first time I’ve ever had the pleasure of serving you. Given these circumstances, if you were in my shoes, whose desire would you satisfy? A regular customer or someone you have never seen before and don’t know if they will ever return?”

  “I believe that is checkmate,” said Mark.

  “Okay, okay, I get it, I didn’t mean to cause such a fuss,” said Blackie to the waiter.

  “No fuss at all, and I hope you come back soon,” replied the waiter as Mark was explaining the game of chess and checkmate to Nita.