by Saxon Andrew
“Now that’s a good job.”
“The wrist unit you left me actually had all the pieces made.”
Even so, all you’re lacking is a power source.”
“Can you help us with that?”
“Take one of those power packs and put it in the back.”
The door opened and Lukas went and used a forklift to pick up the three hundred pound pack. He moved it over the rear of the Corvette and dropped it in the back. The car didn’t even sag from the weight. Salud smiled, “You’re pretty strong.”
“I don’t use shock absorbers. Give me a moment.” Salud waited and heard, “You need to step out.” Salud stepped out of the car and it suddenly changed shape. Salud gasped at the teardrop shaped ship that was suddenly in place of the corvette. “Lukas, take the wires out of the control room and attach them to the leads on the converter.”
Lukas ran over to the pod and the main door on the top opened. Lukas climbed up to the control room, popped the top of a box next to the command chair, and pulled two heavy wires out. The pod moved around the converter until the wires were long enough to reach the leads and Lukas attached them. “Are you ready?”
“Turn it on.” Lukas flipped the power switch and the lights on the converter went to full brilliance.
It started humming and the Pod said over a speaker, “I’m going to continue to feed it power until it creates its own power source. Once it’s operational, it will convert material to provide the power it needs.”
“I wasn’t able to build a control console for it.”
“You can put the wrist unit inside it and it will take over the main duties.”
“I hate to give it up.”
“I’ll make you a new one. However, I’m going to need a high-speed laptop for every ship you build to make the computers for them. Starting from inert material will take forever.”
Lukas grabbed Salud and hugged her. She returned his hug and said, “Calling you Pod seems so, so…”
“Impersonal?”
“Exactly. What name would you like us to use?”
There were a few moments of silence and the pod said, “Willow.”
Lukas did a double take, “Where did you come up with that?”
“There was a fantasy movie about a baby princess that was protected from an evil queen. That baby’s name was Willow. It was also the name of the movie.”
Lukas stared at the pod, “You mean you’re female!?”
Salud elbowed him in the ribs, “Of course she’s female. Who are the most ardent protectors of their children? Of course she’s a she.” The pod actually laughed. Salud said, “What’s funny?”
“I imagine if the Sentinels are watching this they are confounded again.”
Lukas laughed with it but the pod was right; the Sentinels were shocked into silence for a long time.
“Lukas, why have you built the huge building next to this one?”
“That is where we’ll build the assembly plant.”
“Wouldn’t it be much easier to build a larger converter and just have it build the ship? That’s how it’s done in the Fellowship.”
“Is that possible?”
“If it’s big enough, you could make one of those buildings.”
“I promised the locals that there would be jobs for them. I’d hate to go back on my promise.”
“Can you build another building that attaches to this one?”
Lukas thought about it for a minute and said, “I believe so. What are you thinking?”
“We’re going to need the force field modules along with the disruptor’s inner module put together. Once you have the diamonds, you can install them in the modules and put them in the ships.”
“How heavy will those modules be?”
Salud, you’ll be able to lift the heaviest with one hand. The disruptor’s cannon barrel and housing will already be in the ship. You’ll just have to put the control module for the disruptor on each side and the ship will absorb it. You’ll just have to throw the force field units into the ships’ converter like you did with me.”
Lukas looked at Salud, “Where are we with the diamonds?”
“I’ll have to contact my father. I’ll let you know.”
Lukas looked around, “That converter you’re describing is going to have to be a giant.”
“Yes, but the one that you build will build the parts for a larger one and it in turn will build an even larger one. You feed the pieces of the old converter into the new ones along with other raw material. You should have what you need within a month or so.”
“How are we going to power the ships?”
“The final converter will convert material into the nuclear material needed to run the reactor.”
“We need to get Trevor here to design the control module for the disruptors.”
“If you intend to hire labor, you should start making the parts shortly.”
Lukas nodded and picked up his phone.
• • •
Jinks sat in the coffee shop and looked out the front glass. He had been there every day for two months and he was thankful that winter had finally given way to spring. He went outside and sat down on the bench with his coffee and looked up at the sun. This is what made enduring the winter worth it. He looked across the street and his eyes narrowed. He lifted his phone and pressed nine.
• • •
He waited and in fifteen minutes, Stoney arrived. He glanced across the street and Jinks handed him a large coffee. “Thanks. When did she arrive?”
“About forty minutes ago.”
“When do we make our move?”
Jinks saw Salud come out of the Jewelry store carrying a box and he stood up, “NOW!” They walked across the street and arrived just as Salud lifted the trunk on the BMW. Jinks said, “Do you need a hand with that?” Salud gave a start and turned around. Jinks saw her fear. “Don’t worry Miss Vazquez, we’re not here to cause problems.”
Salud stared at the Seal, shook her head, and said, “Why do I not believe you?”
“My companion and I are no longer in the armed forces of the United States. Both of us resigned our commissions more than three months ago.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because he and I want to help you do whatever it is you’re doing.” Salud put the box in the trunk and thought about whether or not she could make it in the car before they grabbed her. Jinks stepped to the driver’s door and opened it. Salud stared at him with a furrowed brow and Jinks said, “I thought about your ‘just suppose’ game for a long time after we played it. Before you go, will you play it one more time?” Salud walked around to the driver’s door and paused. She turned and nodded. Jinks smiled, “Just suppose that being that came here to help us built a space ship that is powerful enough to take on those ships out on the edge of the Solar System, what would happen if one government possessed those ships?”
Salud stared at Jinks. Jinks then said, “I’ve seen dictatorships of all kinds from religious to just outright evil men. Nothing leads to corrupt power faster than absolute power.”
“What do you want, Colonel?”
Stoney said, “He was a General when he resigned.”
Salud looked at Stoney and then back at Jinks, “Same question, General.”
“I did a real background check on you before I resigned. I discovered your father is world renown for his expertise in cutting diamonds. I called him and was told he was out of the country purchasing diamonds. One plus one equals two. He’s getting them for you.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Jinks sighed, “Miss Vazquez, when we first met, you told me things about myself that I was amazed you saw. Can you not see what I want?”
Salud stared into Jink’s eyes and then looked at the other man. She turned back to Jinks, “You want salvation.”
“In the biggest way.”
Salud took a breath and
shook her head, “I can’t make this kind of mistake just based on my judgment.”
“Sometimes, that’s the best way to make a mistake.”
Salud stared at them and her cell phone started vibrating. She took it out and said, “You’re watching this?”
“Hand him the phone.”
Salud handed Jinks the phone and he said, “Now that’s a good trick. You called when I met her the first time.”
“I did. What’s on your mind, General?”
“I want to make my life count for something. I’ve seen what’s coming and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it…except maybe you. I cannot just stand by and allow it to happen without putting up a fight.”
“You could have reported this to your government.”
“And then I’d be fighting against it in the future when it tried to conquer the rest of the planet. No, you are the only chance we have.”
“That’s a rather long leap, General.”
“I was there when the positrons were found where you parked that car of yours. It’s not as long as you think.”
Lukas laughed, “Give Salud the phone.” Jinks handed her the phone and Lukas said, “You want to bring him in with us, don’t you?”
Salud stared at Jinks and said, “He has a tortured soul. It’s the human thing to do.”
“What about the other one?”
“If the first goes, he won’t be far behind.”
“Bring them in.”
“ARE YOU SURE?”
“No, but you are and that’s enough.”
Salud hung up the phone, “Is there anyone you need to contact before we go?”
Jinks looked at Stoney, “My only family member is here with me.” Stoney looked at Jinks and Salud saw his eyes start to moisten.
She closed the door to the car and said, “Come with me, I have some more packages to pick up.”
An hour later, they were on a jet leaving Boston. Jinks stared down at the city and Salud said, “Are you already missing it?”
“I must say that I’m leaving her when she’s at her best.” Salud nodded and looked out the window. Spring was in the air and Boston was amazing. But wait until he saw the beach.
Chapter Fifteen
“So what exactly are you doing here?
“Our business licenses say we’re building hybrid cars.”
Jinks stared at Lukas, “Really?”
“Really.”
“They must be some remarkable vehicles.”
“Would you like to see one?”
“By all means.”
Lukas led them into the metal building and walked over to what looked like a new Corvette. Jinks’ eyes narrowed and he looked at Lukas, “You didn’t build this?”
“No, I didn’t. But the ones we do build will be very much like this one.”
Jinks shook his head “I thought you were building something to help us against what’s out at the Solar System’s edge.” Lukas lifted his wrist unit and whispered. Suddenly, the corvette rose four feet off the concrete floor and changed shape. A moment later, a twenty-two foot long teardrop shaped ship hung above the floor. Jinks and Stoney jumped back as soon as the corvette came off the floor and both of them were shocked at the sudden transformation. “Perhaps I was a little hasty in my opinion.”
Lukas laughed, “Perhaps you were.”
Stoney stared at the pod and shook his head slowly, “I have got to have me one of those.” He looked at Lukas, “When will you give me one?”
Jinks put his hand on Stoney’s shoulder, “Not so fast my friend. We have to earn his trust first.”
Lukas shook his head, “You already have it and the first two we make will belong to Joey and Salud. The next two will be yours and I’m going to need you to get up to speed on what it can do as quickly as possible.”
Jinks looked at Lukas, “Why is that?”
“The two of you are going to teach our pilots how to operate them.”
Jinks shook his head, “I really thought I was crazy to consider that you were still on the planet. Now this is rather sudden.”
“Why didn’t you turn Salud into the government?”
Jinks looked at Lukas, then at Stoney, and back to Lukas, “Stoney and I led a mission in Iraq to save some female hostages being held by terrorists. We made it in to where they were being held and were preparing to go in and take out the bad guys. Our CIA liaison contacted us and told us to back off and report back to base. I argued with him that we could save them but he said HQ had reached an agreement with the leader of the terrorists and that they were going to help them with info on another terrorist leader. I was ready to go in anyway but I was given a direct order to stand down.”
Lukas stared at Jinks, “What happened?”
“We backed out and left the hostages. Two weeks later we learned that all twenty-five of them were butchered and left nailed to a wall where they were being held. Some of them were younger than twelve years old.” Jinks raised his head, “I learned that day that my government doesn’t care about doing the right thing; they care about doing what is in their best interests. If my leaders had possession of this remarkable ship you have here, no one would ever be free again. We would impose our will on the rest of the planet and who knows how many innocent people might be allowed to die.”
Stoney shook his head, “Don’t misunderstand what Jinks is saying. We love our country and believe it’s the best nation on Earth. But even the best can lose control if they are invincible. Absolute power has never had a good ending.”
“We’ll possess absolute power if we build these ships.”
Jinks nodded, “Yes, but there’s a difference.”
“What is that?”
“You could have run and escaped, leaving us to what’s coming. You chose to stay and help us. I also learned from your girlfriend that she sees the inherent danger of one nation having absolute power. I like her and, by extension, I believe I’m going to like you as well.”
Lukas smiled, “Well I’ve been told I’m a very likeable person. However, I intend to prevent your planet from being invaded, all your species enslaved, and all your natural resources stripped and taken. Once that is done, your governments are going to have to figure out where we fit in the larger scheme of things.”
“Where would you like to fit?”
“Personally, I’d like to just stay here and spend the rest of my life sitting on the beach with Salud.”
Jinks started laughing. Stoney looked at him, “What’s so funny?”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say that Lukas has seen more war than both of us.”
Lukas lowered his head, “How could you possibly know that?”
“Because everyone who has wishes to have a peaceful beach to sit on.”
Stoney looked at Lukas, “Is he right about you?”
“Mr. Stone, my planet takes children away from their parents at the age of four and trains them how to operate a Battleship’s weapons. More than sixty percent of them never reach the age of thirty five when they could retire and have a family.”
“I thought you said the government took your children?”
“Those that are smart enough to pass the tests. Those who don’t pass the tests but are still above normal intelligence are put to work building the weapons of war used by the warriors.”
“What about the others?”
Lukas looked at Jinks, “I had three older brothers that were executed because they didn’t have the necessary talent to be a productive part of my society. Oh, I’ve seen war up close and personal and I never knew there was another way until my escape pod brought me here. You may think your planet is constantly fighting wars but this is heaven compared to what’s going on out there in the galaxy.”
“What makes you think we stand a chance against them?”
Lukas nodded at Salud who was standing across the building talking to Joey, “She built a force field that is be
yond anything the Fellowship possesses. It is due in large part to this planet having a massive abundance of petroleum and carbon deposits, which the other civilizations don’t have. The weapons we build using carbon and petroleum will give us a chance to hold them off.”
Jinks looked at the pod still hovering off the floor and sighed, “I saw some shapes out there that were close to a mile long.”
Lukas nodded, “A lot of that was the force field surrounding the ships. Some of them are longer than half a mile with hundreds of disruptors and missile batteries.” Lukas saw Jinks and Stoney shake their heads. “Think of it this way, gentlemen. If you’re in a gun fight against an adversary that has twenty guns to use against the one you’re carrying, who will win?”
Jinks tilted his head, “That depends.”
“On what?”
“Who gets off the first shot.”
“Or, said another way, the first shot through a force field.”
“Do you think one shot will kill a space ship that’s half a mile in length?”
“If your shot gets through and hits it in the right place, yes.”
“Do you think you can get a shot through their force fields?”
“We’re working on it.”
“Do tell. What if they attack while you’re working on it?”
“They can’t attack until they detect a stardrive.”
“What?”
“I’m sure you’ve wondered why they haven’t just come in and blown the living hell out of your defenses and made a nuisance of themselves.”
“I have wondered about that.”
“The Species that imposes rules of war prohibits contact with any primitive planet that doesn’t have the ability to leave their solar system. Before the planet can be taken, it must have built a space ship with a stardrive.”
“That’s good news, we’re a long way from developing faster than light ships.” Lukas stepped aside and they saw the pod behind him still hovering above the floor. Stoney looked at Jinks and then back to Lukas, “The ships we’re going to build will have a stardrive?”
“If it doesn’t, it can’t win against them.”
“Should we be doing this?”