Variations on Humanity (WorldWalker Trilogy Book 3)

by Paul Eslinger

  Laura nodded. “Yes. We’ve been investing in human companies for over 200 years and we mined gold and several other scarce metals while we were mining uranium.”

  Charles pressed on with another question. “How long will it take to build the production facilities?”

  “We can build the facilities quite quickly. Limited production could start within a week, start to ramp up in a month, with full production in about two months. Getting approval from the authorities may take a long time.”

  “Nah,” Keene interjected. “Start the distribution in places without governing regulatory bodies. Healthy active people will speak louder than any marketing campaign. They had another outbreak of Ebola in Africa this last summer and there is currently a big scare about the Zika virus although the West Nile virus is actually a bigger threat.”

  “I can see your logic,” Laura responded.

  Charles leaned forward and looked around the table. “Judith and I have been twiddling our thumbs. Can we help with this new project?”

  Rhona watched a slight smile move over Laura’s face and wondered whether the Abantu had maneuvered the discussion to achieve this end. Rhona lifted her coffee cup and listened more intently.

  “You can help,” Laura said. “Do you want to head up the company?”

  Charles gagged and leaned back. “That’s a little more involvement than I expected.”

  The offer was also more than Rhona had expected and she began to wonder what other types of indices the Abantu had developed. Her father was a very good decision maker, especially when paired with her mother. However, he wasn’t a charismatic entrepreneur and he hated the concept of going out to raise money. However, he had supervised several dozen people in his previous job, and everyone spoke highly of his management skills.

  Laura’s smile grew broader while she studied Charles’ flushed cheeks. “You’ve got the job if you want it. You mentioned Judith and I assume she will assist you. You will also need extensive support staff.”

  “I’ll do it,” Charles said slowly.

  “Go for it,” Judith said, patting his arm.

  “I’m not sure where to start,” he said.

  “Dulcis has a draft plan you can modify. We’ll get you set up with her after breakfast.” Laura looked around the table. “Investing with us is much more cooperative than among humans. However, leaders of specific activities receive a larger percentage of profits than the others. Dulcis tracks all of the money issues for us.”

  Rhona had an entrepreneurial spirit and she had queried Dulcis extensively about how a company would be structured and funded. She had been surprised to learn she had started accruing investment assets when she accepted the job. She was already quite wealthy by human standards. She couldn’t resist adding a comment. “Even with structuring the charges so everyone can afford the medicine, this will be a profitable company.”

  “I can see that.” Charles nodded. “A totally automated production line will help.”

  “Indeed,” Laura agreed. “You will also need distribution capabilities. There are three cargo shuttles now on Mars we can bring here.”

  Keene raised his eyebrows. “Where will you park them?”

  “Just outside for now, but with time we should build a hanger,” Laura replied. “We can build more chariots, cargo shuttles and even more transport ships given enough time. Do you have a suggestion for a construction manager and a facility operator?”

  “No.” Keene sat back with a startled look on his face.

  “I have a suggestion,” Rhona said. “I can talk to Beverly Pierret. She’s in the infirmary right now but she knows everyone in Jetmore.” Beverly had worked in the grocery store for over thirty years.

  Laura waved one hand. “I like the idea of keeping leadership with local people for a while. Go talk to Beverly. Nanda said Beverly has reached the stage she can get up and move around.”

  * * *

  Twenty minutes later, Rhona entered the infirmary. Nanda was already standing beside Beverly’s bed. Beverly’s husband Ralph occupied another bed and he seemed to be sleeping. Rhona unashamedly walked close enough to overhear the conversation.

  “Your initial course of treatment is finished,” Nanda said.

  Beverly lifted her head from the pillow. She blinked several times in the diffuse lighting and then focused on Nanda. “How long have I been here?”

  “Eight days.”

  “Eight?” Beverly’s brow wrinkled. “I thought you said it would be a day.”

  “I did, based on your doctor’s report rather than my own diagnostic scan. Your heart murmur and elevated blood pressure were just side issues. You had high blood sugar, your parathyroid had mostly quit working, and you had kidney cancer.”

  Beverly blinked and shuddered. “What? Cancer? How? It wasn’t there at my last checkup.”

  Nanda said gently, “Those issues were all treatable.”

  “Were or are?” Beverly licked her lips. “I’ve watched a number of people endure chemo treatments. It’s terrible.”

  Nanda nodded. “Human doctors have a faint clue what they need to do, but they use a wrecking ball instead of a chemical tap. You’re already finished with treatments.”

  “Done?”

  “Yeah. We cured your cancer and the other issues are coming along nicely. You’ll still need to take daily injections for about three months and you’ll have to take your vitamins, but you don’t need to stay in bed any longer.”

  Rhona bit her lip as she thought about Nanda’s explanation. The longevity treatment Rhona had described to David Coffey involved a dozen injections and ongoing dietary supplements. Why did Beverly require daily injections for three months? Was her cancer not gone, or was it something else? She, Keene, Sam, and her parents were taking daily injections, but Nanda hadn’t said anything about dietary supplements, and she had implied, without actually saying anything specific, that the course of treatment took a long time.

  Beverly rose up on one elbow and Rhona took a couple of steps closer as the grocery clerk spoke to Nanda. “I don’t feel like I’ve been in bed for over a week.”

  “Of course not.” Nanda snorted disdainfully. “We stimulate the muscles directly so you don’t lose muscle tone. Other equipment makes sure you don’t develop secondary issues such as bedsores.”

  “Can I get up?”

  “I’m here to help you get up.”

  Beverly ignored Nanda and Rhona as she easily sat up on the edge of the bed. Unlike many food workers, she wasn’t overweight. She looked at her trim nude form. “You did something to me. My skin is smoother than a week ago. It looks younger.”

  Nanda laid underwear and a dress on the bed beside Beverly. “We treated several ailments. Your blood pressure will be fine and your heart is working as intended. You’re looking at the beneficial side effects of the corrective treatments.”

  “It’s certainly better than losing your hair from chemo treatments.” Beverly stood up and donned the clothing before pointing at her husband. “What about Ralph?”

  “We’ve already reduced the level of sedation. He should wake up soon. Unlike you, he will still have to spend eight to ten hours in the bed each night for the next three weeks while his legs finish regenerating. However, he can move around in his wheelchair during the day.”

  “Oh.” Beverly walked over and looked at her sleeping husband. She looked up at Nanda. “He looks 45 rather than 60.”

  “We aim to please.”

  Beverly whirled around and squinted at Nanda. She cocked her head sideways as if thinking deeply.

  Rhona took a step closer. “Beverly.”

  “Yes?” Beverly pivoted slowly to look at Rhona.

  “I’m glad to see you healthy and moving around. I have a few questions. Do you want to get a cup of coffee and a sandwich while we talk?”

  “I’m h
ungry.” Beverly turned and looked back at her husband. “But…”

  Rhona chuckled. “We don’t need to go back to the store. We have a cafeteria just down the hall.”

  “Okay. I thought you were just a friendly dentist. There’s so much I didn’t know… Right under our noses.” Beverly turned and looked at Nanda. “Will Ralph wake up in the next few minutes?”

  Nanda shook her head. “Probably another hour.”

  “I’m hungry,” Beverly repeated and then turned to Rhona. “Lead the way.”

  Rhona spent most of the time on the short walk briefing Beverly on the food service functions in the cafeteria. They stopped and looked around when they reached the door. There was space to seat 250 people and Beverly and Rhona were the only two people present. Beverly took a deep breath. “I didn’t know this was here.”

  “Secrecy was the name of the game.”

  “Does that mean I can’t talk about it either?”

  “Hmm…” Rhona decided she should have expected this question, but it still surprised her. “You can talk about it, largely because you’ll have to explain how Ralph got his legs back.”

  “He got them back because I helped you help the doctor.”

  “Yes, and the Abantu have far better medical skills than human doctors. They intend to start selling medical products worldwide. Nanda could repay her gratitude by treating you free of charge and also get a good advertisement at the same time.”

  They spent a few moments getting coffee and a sandwich for Beverly. Finally, they sat at a table together. Beverly raised the sandwich and held it without taking a bite. “What questions did you have?”

  “Laura and the others want to do some building, actually, a lot of building. You know people around here better than I do. Who can head up the construction activities for us?”

  Beverly took a bite and chewed methodically. Finally, she swallowed. “You used Laura and us in the same description. But, I’ll ignore that for a moment. I think Jeff Spotts could do it. He currently works on a big farm. He has a good head for project management.”

  “Go ahead and eat your sandwich.” Rhona stood and tapped the phone in her pocket. “I need to make a call.”

  She walked around the drink dispenser and pulled out the phone. She waited impatiently after dialing Keene’s number for him to answer. “Hello, Keene.”

  “Hi, Rhona, what’s up?”

  “Do we have a Karthi Index score for a local man named Jeff Spotts?”

  Moments later, Keene responded. “Yes, 8.9.”

  “Interesting,” Rhona said. “Beverly just recommended him for the construction management job. What scores do Beverly and Ralph have?”

  After a brief pause, Keene responded. “She is 9.54 and he is 9.27. Dulcis has an extensive file on everyone with a Karthi rating. Even more interesting, Beverly has an IQ rating over 160.”

  “Thanks, I’ll have more questions later.”

  Beverly finished the sandwich during the brief phone call. She looked up when Rhona returned. “I was really hungry.”

  “You’ll feel hungry for about three months and you’ll also need extra sleep. Your appetite and sleep patterns should eventually return to normal.”

  “Thanks for the sandwich.” Beverly spread out her hands and cocked her head sideways. “I think Ralph could also help with the construction activities.”

  “Why is that?” Rhona asked.

  “He was always interested in building things. He has a shop where he putters on small woodworking projects. Professionally, he develops architectural software.”

  “I’ll pass along the recommendation,” Rhona said while she studied the woman sitting across the table. For the first time, she saw more than a friendly woman serving hungry people in a deli. “What do you want to do? Stay at the store?”

  Beverly shook her head as if she were coming out of a fog. “I’m not sure. I was a math major in college and I dropped out of school to take care of Ralph when he came home from Iraq a year after we were married. This was his hometown and he had family here. I was born and raised in western Tennessee. The store was a safe place and the hours gave me time to care for Ralph.”

  Rhona smiled. “There’s a big change coming. In a month or so, Ralph won’t need physical help. Give it some thought and let me know.”

  Chapter 4 – Building Codes

  Beverly headed back to the infirmary and Rhona had just left the cafeteria when she received a call from Keene. “We may have another problem,” he said.

  “What’s that?” Rhona asked as she lengthened her stride. She hadn’t been running since she had been shot and she was starting to feel the familiar twitch in her legs that only vigorous exercise could eliminate.

  “Cedric Donley just called. He wants to come over and talk.”

  “Should I know him?”

  “Probably not. He’s the county building inspector.”

  “Does he live in Jetmore?” Even though Rhona had only been in Jetmore a few weeks, she already knew the names of most of the inhabitants.

  “No. He lives over in Hanston.”

  Hanston was the only other town in Hodgeman County. At 200 residents, it was smaller than Jetmore.

  “Ah. What does he want?”

  Keene gave a grim chuckle. “He said it was an official call.”

  “Is he driving over from Hanston?”

  “He’s already here. He called from the courthouse.”

  Rhona slowed and turned into the infirmary. She hadn’t yet taken her daily injection.

  “Is there anything else?” Rhona asked as she pulled up her sleeve and rested her arm against the device that would administer the shot. It sensed her specific DNA and selected the proper treatment. Nanda had automated the shot function.

  “One big thing. Several news channels just carried a live story about President Leek signing a presidential directive declaring all of Hodgeman County official Abantu Embassy grounds.”

  “Oh.” Rhona stepped away from the medical machine. “Senator Harper isn’t going to be happy.”

  “He’s already issued a press statement. He plans to file a case in federal court alleging the president doesn’t have the authority to make that decision for land owned by the State of Kansas.”

  * * *

  Fifteen minutes later, Rhona, Charles, and Laura were waiting in the front yard of Laura’s house when Cedric arrived in a pickup with the county logo painted on the side. He slid out of the truck carrying a thin leather folder.

  Rhona studied the middle-aged man as he approached. He was just taller than she was and his bulky coat revealed a hint of a pot belly.

  He nodded in greeting. “Hello, I’m Cedric Donley.”

  “Pleased to meet you, I’m Rhona Lantier.” She gestured at the others. “This is Charles Lantier and Laura Kesterson.”

  “Hello everyone.” Cedric didn’t make any attempt to shake hands as he looked around. “I’ve met Laura at least one time in the past and I recently saw you on TV, Rhona.”

  “What brings you out here on a winter day?” Laura asked.

  The inspector grimaced and waved one hand. “There have been allegations you are building things without a permit.”

  “What kind of things?” Rhona asked in a bland tone.

  “Uh, the allegation wasn’t very precise.”

  Rhona put her hand on Laura’s arm when the Abantu started to respond but she kept her eyes on Cedric. “Were you here in Jetmore during the blizzard?”

  “Yes.” Cedric pulled off his hat and rubbed his hand over his thin grey-streaked brown hair. “My sister called and told me what was going on. My pickup has 4-wheel drive, so I drove over.”

  “Is that delivery the reason for your visit today?”

  “That’s part of it.”

  “Is there more?” Charles asked. />
  “There are allegations of an earlier delivery.”

  Rhona smiled and waved her hands in dismissal. “The earlier delivery predated the adoption of the county building codes.”

  “Really? Why?”

  Laura smiled sweetly. “There was another storm in 1905.”

  “Humph.” Cedric shook his head. “That was a long time ago.”

  “For you, but not for me.”

  Rhona cleared her throat. “You’re here in person, Cedric. How do you propose to address your imprecise allegation?”

  Cedric looked back and forth along the street as if checking for observers. “My boss says someone in the state office is putting pressure on him. He bumped the problem down to me. I was here and saw the delivery.”

  “What did you see?”

  A look of amazement crossed his face. “I saw a spaceship the size of a dozen football fields hovering in the air about a thousand feet above the ground. Something about a quarter of that size was hanging under it. Pale blue beams fanned out from both ends of the spaceship and stabbed at the ground. The ground shook a little, apparently from the effect of the beams. The storm closed in and I didn’t actually see anything touch the ground.”

  Rhona smiled, “You’ve got the basic concept. An Abantu freighter from Ceres made a delivery. What part of the county building code applies to a structure that can travel in space and hang under a spaceship? Did they use 2 by 4’s rather than 2 by 6’s in the framing?”

  A flush moved up Cedric’s neck and he swallowed hard. “My sister called again just before I came over here. She was rather caustic and she was on the other side of the issue than my boss.”

  “We need to figure out where your authority ends.”

  He sounded defensive. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I’m not trying to make your job hard, but the situation is changing. President Leek just signed a presidential directive declaring all of Hodgeman County official Abantu Embassy grounds.”

  A stubborn look settled on Cedric’s face. “What does that mean?”