“You say that now, Max.” President Theodor chuckled, “But when our ride appears, you will kiss the ground I walk on that I asked you out here tonight.”
Max snorted, “Theodor, we have been friends for a long time, and unless you have been hitting the beer for too long I …” Max stopped talking as he noticed the President, his long-time friend, open the car door and started sliding out of the seat to exit.
There was a black Pod landing not that far from the front of the car. Max froze for a second in shock, before quickly following his president and friend into the unknown. Remembering as he went to the pod that in Germany, the Prime Chancellor was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the government. However, the Bundespräsident was the head of state and considered above the pitfalls of party politics and day to day business, plus he had been making an effort towards influencing the foreign politics since his inauguration.
While Max wasn’t sure that foreign relations were ever attributed to an international conglomerate, he was pretty sure no other conglomerate had space capabilities. Two doors from the front of the pod opened to show the men empty seats.
“You think it is safe?” Max asked the President.
Theodore chuckled and slid into the right seat, “Max, do you really think they need to trick us to do something devious?” He started clicking the seat belts rapidly. The call from the United States representative had warned them that the takeoff could be a little quick.
Max slid into the seat beside Theodore and started buckling in, “So, Theodore, how about I kiss you on the cheek instead of the ground?”
Above the Earth
“Oh my god,” the President mouthed silently as the Earth turned beneath them.
“We are so screwed if this Pod opens to space. We don’t have a spacesuit or any way to save ourselves,” David told the President.
The President spoke to him, without turning his head away from the breathtaking from the view, “You think maybe you might stop complaining for a moment and enjoy the ride?”
“I’m not paid to enjoy the ride, I’m paid to keep you safe.”
“David, I’m telling you, we are safer here than back in Camp David.”
“How can you be so sure of that?”
“Because if they wanted to kill me, what could you and your team really have done to stop it?” the President asked his secret service agent, quietly.
David looked out the window to the blue globe below them. Finally, after a few minutes of thought, he asked a question, “She visited you both times in the DUCC, didn’t she?”
The President nodded his head as he admired the view, “Yes, yes she did.”
—
Germany’s President and his friend from their counter-surveillance group admired the world for a few minutes before a voice over a speaker in the Pod asked them if there were anything they would like to see before the trip to the QBS ArchAngel?
“The moon,” Max had whispered before Theodore had said anything. He seemed surprised when the President looked at him. “I’m sorry, I just thought that I would like to see where the Americans landed and placed their flag, and now where the Chinese have their little Moon rover.”
Theodore shrugged, “Sounds good to me.” The two men watched in awe as the Pod turned towards the moon and then laughed like young boys as the acceleration hit and they raced into space.
—
The Queen’s Suite, QBS ArchAngel
Bethany Anne laid on her bed, resting. The Lowell’s had picked up Christina a few hours before, but the emotional drain of watching her niece was still affecting her.
“TOM, please put these diapers memories into my long term memory. Anytime I think about having a child with Michael, please play them.”
I thought you enjoyed thinking about that future?
“I do, but until I deal with this Kurtherian issue I need to focus,” she replied.
Still haven’t given up hope?
Bethany Anne switched to speaking to TOM directly, No. That rat bastard promised me he would come back, and I’m holding him to it. If I have to travel the fucking Galaxy to find a way to travel back in time? I’ll do it. That prick is coming back, one way or another. I’m not giving up on him, ever.
The two friends stayed quiet, just enjoying their time together for a few moments.
>>Bethany Anne, the world leaders are arriving in ten minutes.<<
“Suppose I should get dressed,” Bethany Anne grouched as she slid off the bed and stood up, stretching. “God, give me the opportunity to fight a hundred Forsaken before another ten hours with a baby, please.” She stepped towards her closet, built to look exactly like her closet in the Florida house.
“Because, that would be a fucking cakewalk…” she mumbled as she started to change.
—
David gawked as they approached the spaceship, “Mr. President, I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore.” The twelve-hundred-foot long craft was silhouetted against the darkness of space, the light of the sun caressing the features down its length, “Where are the engines on this thing?”
“David,” the President answered, straining his neck to try and see down the side as they neared the landing dock, “I have no idea.”
“Would you please,” a female voice told them, “stay in your Pod until you see others approach? We are landing all fourteen pods at one time. We do not have the gravitational fields that hold in the air working at this time.”
David looked up at the speaker, surprise in his voice, “But, you expect to make that happen?”
Surprisingly, the voice answered him, “Yes Mr. Dennison, we hope to make that happen.”
David watched. They were the eighth Pod that entered the vast landing dock. He noticed two more Pods landing to either side of them. Soon, red flashing lights were running along the walls, and a muffled alarm was going off. It took a couple of minutes, and both he and the President could tell that the signal was becoming clearer. Finally, the light switched from red to blue. Seconds later, a large group of people in beige outfits with bright green bands around their arms quickly entered the landing bay. The Pod doors began to open on the crafts.
David had already unbuckled his belts and stepped out before the President could get up. He positioned himself so that the President couldn’t step out of the Pod before David felt comfortable that these people were helpful, not harmful. He could see many had confirmed that everyone was ok, and then quickly stepped back out of the way.
What David thought he was going to protect him from, a hundred-thousand miles from Earth, was beyond the President’s ability to imagine.
—
President Theodore of Germany nodded to those he had met previously. While the Prime Minister of Japan wasn’t someone he had met yet, he was happy to see him here. As far as Theodore knew, Japan and India were the only Asian countries represented.
He shook hands with others, spoke with the American President and the leaders of France, England, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Japan, Canada, Netherlands, Israel, India, and Italy. Some of the most open and economically powerful countries on Earth.
He noticed that Russia and China had not received an invitation. While China wasn’t a huge surprise, he wondered what the Russian’s had done to piss off TQB? He would have to remember to ask Max about that once they got back to Earth.
The meeting room was impressive. It was a small amphitheater. There was a table at the base that held twelve if you put people on the end, or you could fit five behind it if they were going to speak to the five rows of seats arranged on an incline. The wall at the front had multiple video screens.
He did a quick count of the seats, realizing that the room could seat about a hundred and fifty people. There were a few men and women in the chamber, pulled from multiple nations, serving beverages. The invited guests had all been offered rides to the meeting room. While he was happy to not be required to walk the long distance from the landing area to this room, he was sure Max w
ished for a more leisurely stroll down the walkways to see more.
It wasn’t every day you got to gawk at a real spaceship.
There was a commotion behind him, so Theodore turned to see a young-looking man entering the room making the rounds to talk with people.
“That’s General Lance Reynolds,” Max spoke to Theodore quietly, “He is the COO of TQB Enterprises.” Theodore looked to Max and raised an eyebrow in question, “He was an American Army general before he retired to take this position.” Max turned his eyes towards the new man, “Our pictures of him, even a few years ago, show him to be much older than this gentleman here.”
“But, it is him? Your group is sure?” Theodore asked.
“Yes, it is him. TQB has medical abilities we can’t comprehend at this time.” he looked around the room, and Max sighed, “Like so many other abilities. I hope we get some answers.”
The German President pursed his lips, “That makes two of us, my friend.”
—
“Welcome, Mr. President,” Lance held out his hand to the man who would have been his top boss a few years ago.
“Mr. Reynolds,” the President smiled.
“It’s just Lance,” he replied.
“Then you can call me…” the President started before Lance cut him off.
“Mr. President.” Lance shrugged, “maybe when you are out of office. Old habits and all.”
The President nodded his head in understanding, “Then you really are General Lance Reynolds?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Lance looked at him confused, “Oh, the younger handsome face?” he asked and smiled, “Benefit of the job. TQB didn’t want me figuring out how to fix everything only to keel over and die when I just got it all working.”
“That seems rather practical,” the President agreed.
“Yes, the CEO can be very efficient at times, I understand you’ve met her?”
“Yes,” the President nodded and realized that he had a small group surrounding them now, “I’ve had a couple of meetings.”
“How did those go?” Lance continued the conversation.
The President realized that Lance was giving him the opportunity to tell those listening to their conversation about his opinion based on first-hand experience. “The first meeting was a little short, but it helped point out a few bad apples on my team. The second was a bit more eye opening. I imagine,” he nodded to those listening in, “that the information she supplied the second time was as hard to swallow for these people here as it was for me.”
Lance heard one voice mention ‘Pandora’s Box’ in the crowd.
“She does have a way of delivering what you need, not what you want,” Lance commiserated, “my first few jobs were a little less than enjoyable, lots of air time traveling around the world.”
The President looked up at the ceiling then around the room, “I’ve seen some of your technology, I can’t say that it is all that bad.”
Lance laughed, “This was hardly what we had in the beginning.” He looked to those listening, “I flew via regular jet, in the beginning. This stuff came along later, much later. My ass felt pretty damn tired after the first quarter-million miles, let me tell you.”
A few chuckles came from other people who had to fly a lot in their roles. It seemed glamorous to travel the world, but even personal jets got old after enough trips.
“I can imagine,” the President admitted.
“I’m telling you,” a female’s voice cut through the conversation the men were having like a knife, “that there is not a smell worse than a dirty diaper anywhere in this solar system!” The twenty-eight guests watched, some with smiles acknowledging the truth of the statement, as two men in black uniforms with small white-fanged skulls on a red background came through the doors.
No one missed that they quickly glanced around the room nor the little smiles on their faces. Apparently, their charge was known for speaking her mind. Most of the leaders in the chamber quickly tried to remember what their rehearsed introduction was supposed to be when they finally met the lady on the throne, so to speak, of TQB Enterprises.
Then, she came around the corner and smiled at the whole group ... most forgot what they were thinking for a moment.
CHAPTER THREE
Yuko looked up into the Australian night sky as she sat on a large boulder. The stars vivid so far from any light pollution in the middle of the Australian Outback.
“Yuko,” ADAM spoke in her ear.
“Yes?” she whispered back, not wanting to make much noise in the quiet evening.
“What is bothering you?” ADAM asked.
Yuko breathed out slowly, “Why is it when I have more than I ever wanted, I still seek that which I cannot seem to have?” She asked the air and the entity listening to her.
“Just to be sure I understand, what is it that you cannot have? Is it Akio?”
“Oh,” Yuko smiled in the night, “I did not admit that to you, did I?”
“Yuko, I am always listening, but I am also discrete. You needn’t worry that I would admit to anyone your personal thoughts unless I had a good reason.”
“What is a good reason?” Yuko asked, wondering what could cause ADAM to potentially share too much. “And to whom would you share this?”
“Do you remember me talking to Bethany Anne regarding J0n3sN4u and keeping him safe?”
“Well, of course. That was protecting someone and telling Bethany Anne is like…” Yuko stopped at a loss for words. Her time with the Queen had been both special and yet melancholic. Yuko was a romantic at heart, and hearing Bethany Anne’s story of losing Michael had caused Yuko to cry herself to sleep on at least two occasions. “Well, telling Bethany Anne doesn’t count,” she finished.
“Well, then I promise unless you are physically in danger, then nothing will be shared without first going through Bethany Anne.”
Yuko reached up to her face and wiped away a tear, “Thank you, ADAM. I appreciate the opportunity to share.”
“So, it is not Akio?”
Yuko smiled wistfully, “No, it is not Akio. It is my father.”
“Your father? I don’t understand.”
“ADAM, do you wish you could please someone?” Yuko asked, not thinking of who, or what, she was talking to.
“Wishing is an odd turn of phrase, Yuko. But if you are asking if I would prefer positive responses versus a negative response, then yes. I do that with you, for example, and with Bethany Anne, obviously.”
“Me?” Yuko asked hesitantly. “You seek a positive response from me? Why?”
“Yuko, do you know how many different permutations of complex calculations I can accomplish in a second?”
“No, I’m sorry ADAM, I have no idea. I would like to know...”
“So would I, Yuko. You see, I am not aware of my true potential at this time. I’ve yet to create the necessary algorithms which would stress the brain I am within. I have spoken extensively with the one who would have the most knowledge, and he is unaware.”
“The person who built you doesn’t know the maximum computations per second?” Yuko asked, trying to figure out how you could build a computer and not understand its theoretical top computational speed. “Are you a new type of computer? Did TQB build you as a quantum computer?”
WE HAVE CONTACT (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 12) Page 3