Victim of Circumstance (The Time Stone Trilogy Book 3)

by Robert F Hays

  * * *

  The government public auditorium was packed as it usually was at the bi-monthly meeting. The Casians had not lost their enthusiasm for having a say in their own government. After years of chaos on Earth and the comings and goings of autocrats the novelty of having their thoughts heard hadn’t diminished.

  Jim sat in the center of the dais at the head of the huge hall flanked by the members of his cabinet. They were a council of experts each elected for their expertise in a specific field. Dan, Minister of Finance, sat to Jim’s right. His masters degree in economics coupled with his playing a prominent role in the rebellion against the dictatorship had him elected by a landslide.

  Jim himself was pressed into a leadership position as he was one of the few the people trusted. He was also the most knowledgeable of the Earth borne humans on the quirks of modern times. His family and friends supported him in running for head of government. As he was wealthy with no need for employment they said it gave him an interest. The problem was that he was not really interested. He did perform his job extremely well but the motivation was the assistance of others, not for his own amusement.

  “Ok then,” Jim said. “We’ll look into the possibility of widening Twin Oaks way to accommodate transports so they don’t have to go through the main street of Ardentown.” He then looked up from the pad on which he was making entries. “Has anyone else registered a request to speak?”

  A lady in the middle of the room stood. “The temporary bridge over the Paxton river was washed away again. When are we going to get something better?”

  “I heard about that,” Jim said. “Dan, you were working on the funding to build a more secure permanent bridge, how’s that going?”

  Dan looked up from the pad in front of him. “It isn’t. This planet doesn’t have the iron deposits to make steel. We also don’t have the technology yet for asteroid mining. Importing enough steel from another planet would cost more than our entire planetary budget.”

  “What about one of those carbon fiber fly overs that the other planets have?” the woman said. “I’ve seen them on 3V.”

  “Again, the cost,” Dan said. “We still don’t have orbiting factories to make the carbon filament. That can only be done at zero gravity.”

  “What about asking another planet for help?” the woman said.

  “Every planet in the Commonwealth is broke,” Dan said. “They have problems looking after their own bridges. Every spare G goes to maintaining the fleet.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Jim sighed. “I’ve heard of a couple of obsolete space freighters I could buy and scrap them for the metal.”

  “Jim,” a man in the second row called. “Uh… I mean uh… Mr. Prime Minister.” The man’s correction brought chuckles from the crowd. “You buy them yourself? You’ve put too much of your own money into this planet. What’s it now, half a billion?”

  “Closer to a billion,” Jim said.

  “It’s not your responsibility,” the man said. “We have to start paying it back, not have you loan us more.”

  General applause broke out in the auditorium.

  “Back on Earth some rich guys used to retire to a hobby farm,” Jim said. “It looks like I have a hobby planet.”

  Laughter filled the auditorium.

  “It’s still not your responsibility,” the man said. “We’ve got to tighten the belt further, pay our debts. We still have to come up with the cash to help out that new planet they found.”

  Jim leaned back in his seat and smiled. “Just for my own curiosity, why are Casians so enthusiastic about helping that planet’s population?”

  “They’re like us,” the man said. “They’re about to be thrust into the modern universe with no ideas on how to cope. They’re our circumstantial brothers. We had help, they need help too.”

  Again, applause filled the auditorium.

  “One thing I am curious about,” the man said. “Where did they come from? What’s their ethnicity?”

  “Does it matter?” Jim said.

  “No it doesn’t matter. It’s just our curiosity. It’s been announced that they’re not German or Arab, but what are they, Italian, Chinese, Albanian?”

  “That’ll soon be announced. The ranger team on the planet is touring the various groups and taking two dimensional video. It’ll be on the 3V net in about a week.”

  “Does that mean there’s more than one ethnic group?”

  “I used the term group to indicate geographical division. They’re divided into villages and towns. As far as ethnic divisions, you’re just going to have to wait a week for the answer.”

  “Why the secrecy?”

  “No real reason. They just want to have everything together when they make the announcements.”

  “What was that about them being blind?” another women asked. “Is it a disease? Do we have to worry?”

  “It’s obvious it’s a disease. There’s little likelihood of it being an evolutionary adaptation. The Surgeon General assures me that it can be contained. The Ranger team there are quite healthy so we do have the medications to keep us safe.”

  “The poor people,” the woman said. “All the more reason why we should help them.”

  “I disagree,” called another man as he jumped to his feet. “We’ve got enough monetary problems without adopting more.”

  “You’re in the minority Mr. Bell,” the woman said. “I’ve heard you raving on the radio and you’re an idiot.”

  “In this case, the majority is wrong!” Bell yelled. “We can’t afford it!”

  “Hold it, hold it,” Jim said. “There’s not much of a monetary commitment necessary. The people there appear to have a very durable economy with trade and resources. No one goes hungry and conflict between the groups is virtually non-existent. All we’d be doing is sending advisers and teachers.”

  “And the planet’s weather system has stabilized,” Dan added. “A full third of our planetary budget goes on weather control so we don’t get hit by a hurricane every couple of months. It’ll take another hundred years for ours to stabilize.”

  “In that case we should give the planet to the Bund and stop this damn war!” Bell yelled.

  A general groan of disapproval went through the auditorium.

  “What’s the old saying?” Jim said. “You keep throwing the lion meat hoping it’ll eat you last?”

  “Enough of the tired clichés Mr. Prime Minister!” Bell yelled.

  “It’s an accurate cliché!” the woman yelled. “Even if the Bund does make peace, who’ll be the next group to get what they want by force! There’s more than one lion out there waiting!”

  The auditorium broke into applause.

  “But what use are these people to us?” Bell said. “What do we get out of it?”

  “Do we have to get something out of it?” the woman yelled. “I’m just satisfied that we’re doing the right thing!”

  Further applause answered her remark.

  “The Secret Service psych team said it is time,” Peter said through Jim’s earpiece. “Reveal the ethnic nature of the people on that planet. It will give them a persona.”

  Jim laughed. “A little birdie just whispered in my ear,” he announced.

  Laughter broke out in the audience. They all knew of Jim’s earpiece and the advisers he had online.

  “Who’s it this time Jim?” a man called. “Military Intelligence or the Secret Service?”

  “That’s for me to know,” Jim chuckled. “But they did say I should reveal some information. Does anyone here like Thai food?”

  “Those people are from Thailand?” the woman asked with tears in her voice.

  “One group is from the US. The others are from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Four are from the ethnic groups we thought were lost in the destruction of Earth.”

  Applause broke out and gained volume until it became a standing ovation.

  * * *

  Jim opened the door to the Prime Min
ister’s office and entered. Michael sat at a side desk listening to the radio. He turned the sound down when he saw his father.

  “What’re you listening to Mike?” Jim said.

  “The John Bell show,” Michael said. “He’s broadcasting from his van in the parking lot. He’s raving about us helping a bunch of blind chinks, flips and slopes.”

  “It’s all an act,” Jim chuckled. “His radio show is popular because ninety percent of his listeners either hate him or think he’s a joke. They tune in to see what dumb ass things he’ll say.”

  “But what of the people who believe what he says?”

  “There’s always an idiot fringe. He actually helps us. He gets our supporters worked up and more enthusiastic to help because they hate him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was trained by the Secret Service to do just that.”

  “Yep,” Michael chuckled. “People call him ding-a-ling Bell.”

  “Even ding-a-lings have their use,” Jim said. “What did he say about…”

  Jim was interrupted by a loud crack and bright orange flash.

  * * *

  “We got it,” said Frank, Jim’s Secret Service security as he entered the office. “It was a drone with a mounted laser weapon.”

  “How’d you get it?” Jim said. “Didn’t it just fly away?”

  “It was a complete amateur job, built by amateurs, flown by amateurs. When they turned it to leave, it went unstable, flipped and crashed into a wall.”

  “Damn,” Jim said. “Does that mean we have domestic terrorists? If it was the Bund or some element in the Commonwealth they wouldn’t have been that sloppy.”

  Frank nodded. “Not only that, they used a direct microwave beam to control it. We just traced it back to its point of origin. Your police are converging on the place right now.”

  “Well it’s also a good thing they were lousy shots,” Jim said, looking at the hole burned in the far wall.

  “Maybe not,” Frank said. “The glass security put in your windows is laser deflecting. If the window had have been open, we think they would’ve hit you. That’s more evidence that it was a complete amateur. They didn’t know about modern security.”

  “Dad,” Michael said. “Get the locator implant and that roboguard robot thing that follows you around.”

  Chapter 23

  “When will Ken be back from Pinoy?” Tanni said and reached up to scratch her nose. “Ah!” she exclaimed and jumped back a pace.

  “What’s wrong?” Ida said.

  “I thought a tree just jumped up in front of me,” Tanni laughed. “It wasn’t, it was my hand.”

  “I wish I had visions of trees in front of me,” Hansel sighed. “All I get is strange smells, odd sounds and an itching in my arm.”

  “You’ll need to come with us to Pellan,” Ida said. “Due to your age you’ll have to have more intensive therapy.”

  “You said they were sending people here,” Tanni said.

  “Yes, they’re assembling a team now, but they’re still in training. We have the experience with correcting visions problems with babies, but not adults. We also cannot have anyone else land on this planet until we know they’re fully protected.”

  “You told me they do return the visions to adults as well,” Tanni said.

  “They’re people who become blind through damage later in life. They already have the neural pathways developed from before they were blind. This is a whole new field.”

  “Will I ever have the visions?” Hansel said. “I am so envious of Tanni and all the things she can now feel.”

  “There’s good and bad,” Tanni said. “I get scared and nearly panic half a dozen times a day.”

  “Oh yes,” Ida said, “your question. Colin, Ken, Malia and Farren will be here in a couple of minutes. They just left the road and are climbing the hill now.”

  “Really?” Tanni exclaimed then swung around to look down the hill. She staggered and fell to her knees, grabbed her stomach and started to vomit.

  Ida and Hansel jumped to her assistance.

  “I told you not to move so fast,” Ida said.

  “Would you explain that to me again?” Hansel said.

  “There’re two ways people keep their balance,” Ida said. “There’s an organ in back of the ear…”

  “Yes, yes,” Hansel said. “When I was young I got angry with my brother and hit him with a cooking pan. For hours he was vomiting and couldn’t stand.”

  “The other way is with visions,” Ida continued. “When one sense tells your brain one thing, and the other something different, the brain gets confused and you fall and sometimes vomit. That’s why Tanni must move slowly so the two can learn to coordinate.”

  “Please get me some water,” Tanni said. I don’t want to hug Ken with vomit on my breath.”

  “This device is amazing,” Hansel said as he picked up a set of headphones. “I just tell it what part of the Bible I’m looking for and it reads it to me.”

  “Have you found more alterations?” Yuri said.

  “Dozens,” Hansel replied. “The short people were right. Any reference to eyes seeing has been changed. ‘Ears that hear and eyes that see. The Lord has made them both.’ I remember that as ‘Ears that hear and ears, hands and nose that see’.”

  “What about the missing sections?” Yuri said.

  “I found them here,” Hansel said. “There’s nothing in them that suggest that hiding them was an intentional ploy. I think that one of my family simply put them there then forgot where they were.”

  “Why was the Bible altered?” Yuri said.

  “It’s obvious some people many sun highs ago had different thoughts on life. They didn’t realize what damage it’d do. Maybe they thought they were doing good.”

  All looked up as they heard the crash and scrape of a vehicle moving over the underbrush. It suddenly appeared maneuvering between the trees. The military version of the off grid navigator had reinforced sides and underbelly designed for just such a terrain.

  The canopy slid back when it came to a halt.

  “Ho Farren,” Farren called as he climbed out. “It happened, it happened a number of times. While walking I knew things were in my way without looking. I felt there was a tree and a large rock. I didn’t know exactly what they were until I looked, but I knew they were there.”

  “Just be careful when you scratch your nose,” Tanni said as she ran up and put her arms around Ken.

  “I gave Edward the extra comlinks,” Colin said. “We also stuck a repeater unit up on that mountain near the pass.”

  Hansel looked up. “You told us those Bund people could find us if you used those ways of communication.”

  “Now they know we exist, one pass with a probe could let them know this planet is inhabited with or without our local communications.” Colin pulled a comlink from his pocket. “I have to test the connection.” He raised the device, paused, then lowered it again. “I think I’m absorbing some of Marilou’s witchcraft abilities. I have a premonition. I know exactly how Edward will answer.”

  “What’ll he say?” Yuri said.

  “Just listen,” Colin said and raised the comlink again. “Pinoy one, this is Ranger one, how do you read me?”

  The comlink crackled then a voice came on. “This is Edward. As Bugs Bunny say: ‘what’s up doc?’”

  Colin shook his head and started to laugh.

  “You’re going to have to explain that Bugs Bunny thing to us,” Yuri said. “Was he some sort of Old Earth philosopher?”

  “Only when you took a wrong turn at Albuquerque.” Colin raised the comlink again. “Any contact with the other groups?”

  “Yes,” Edward said. “I have heard from the Thai, but the Vietnamese and Kramer will take longer. The runners we sent with links will take two more days to get to them. They are further away.”

  “Remember, you’re the only one to communicate with us directly. The others will go through you. We don’t want to get bogged down with chatter. If we ha
ve an emergency, we’ll need the channel clear.”

  “Got it doc,” Edward replied.

  “As soon as we have radio communications we’ll pay the other groups a visit. Keep me informed.”

  “Will do,” Edward replied. “Oh yes, did they find out more on those people who tried to shoot your father?”

  “Got a call on the way back. They weren’t from the Bund, they were two Casian anarchists with a history of mental problems.”

  “We have crazy people here too,” Edward sighed. “Out here.”

  “Oh yes,” Ken said to Yuri. “I found out what that balut thing Colin mentioned was.”

  “Ok,” Yuri said in anticipation. “What is it?”

  “Don’t ask,” Ken replied and both he and Colin burst out laughing.

  “Yack you,” Yuri said then turned to Colin. “And screw you too.”

  “How could we have been so stupid,” Farren said. “There’s no evil in the short people. They’re good and honorable.”

  “Yes,” Malia said. “They’re so nice. I wish I would have run across the mountains and become one of them sun highs ago.”

  “I’m afraid the blame lies with me,” Hansel said. “I should have explored the Bible more as a young man. I should have realized something was wrong.”

  “What’s past is past,” Colin said. “We now have to think of the future.”

  “It’ll take many sun highs to change the thinking of a lifetime,” Hansel said. “It’s been fifteen sun highs since I retired and stared to study and question.”

  Colin grasped Hansel’s shoulder. “If the Bund finds us they’re going to get one big shock course in reality.”

  “Tell him about the bishop,” Ken said.

  “Oh yes,” Colin said. “I bring greetings from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Pinoy, his name is Carlos. He said he would speak with you on how to educate your people on what the Bible really says.”

  “He is a minister?”

  Colin laughed. “You might say that.”

  “And the religious leaders of the other groups, the Thai and Khmer, can I speak with them too?”

  “The Vietnamese, Thai and Cambodians are mostly Buddhists. I think we’d better leave that for another time.”