“Not exactly, Oria's prints match prints from clay bowls that are over 500 years old. The prints were hardened in the clay meaning that the prints are over 500 years old.”
“What? Rob, did I hear you correctly?”
“Yes, that's what’s so confusing. The two agents that tailed Oria lifted his prints off the table at the Burger King where you ate. We ran the prints through the computer. You can imagine the General's surprise when we discovered Oria's prints matched prints recently loaded into a University of Maryland computer.”
“I'll bet.”
“We're running a check to make sure someone didn't forge the computer records. We dispatched an agent to College Park about 15 minutes ago.”
“Rob, text me when you get verification back on those.”
“Sure, how's the game going?”
“It’s pretty close. Oria is the one who is full of surprises. I'll talk to you more about that later. I need to get back before Oria starts missing me.”
“Sure, good luck Major.”
“Thanks see you tomorrow Rob.”
Karen headed back towards her seat with her mind racing a mile a minute. “There are so many things that do not add up about Oria. He's from the eastern shore with evidence suggesting that he was there 500 years ago, he has incredible athletic and fighting skills, and he has possession of some of the most incredible scientific knowledge on Earth yet claims not to be a scientist. What is his game? If he were an enemy, why would he be freely giving away technology and at that, the technology he possesses could easily be used to create weapons far more powerful than did anything in the U.S. Military arsenal. Also, what was that device he used to heal the security guard?” Karen watched a fan shoot the guard in the left shoulder. There was blood all over, yet after Oria worked on him, he easily got up and appeared uninjured. Karen was determined to find out more.
Karen walked back into the arena and down the stairs to her seat with Oria. He was sitting there with several sodas and a large pizza in hand.
“Pizza? Oria, I don't have room for all that, what are you doing, trying to make me fat or something?”
Oria laughed. “Karen, you’ll never get fat. When I got to the counter and smelled the pizza, it made me hungry. Therefore, I ordered one and thought I might as well order enough for two. This pizza tastes great. It's the first time I ever had pizza. It's great!”
Oria’s comment floored Karen. “This is your first pizza? Well thanks for thinking of me but I'm not that hungry. Maybe I'll have just one slice.”
“No problem, I don't think I will have any problem eating the rest of the pizza.”
The third period started and ended without any further incidents. When the final buzzer sounded Karen let out a yell, the Caps smashed the Red Wings 6 to 4.
Karen and Oria walked out of the arena back to the subway station. It was jammed with mobs of people who also had left the arena. Karen had no idea where Oria needed to end up, so she decided that she better make sure they get back together.
“Oria, what’s home for you?”
“Oh, I'm only visiting this city. I need to check into a hotel or something.”
“How long are you here for?”
“That's up in the air. I'm here on business and need to negotiate a few deals.”
“Do you need any recommendations for hotels?”
“That won't be necessary Karen. Several places downtown could work. Look, I'm not trying to be evasive. I would like to see you again.”
“I'd like to see you again as well. Are you here over the weekend?”
“Oh yes. I think I will be in town for a while.”
“Do you have to work this weekend?”
“What do you have in mind?”
Karen was feeling a bit nervous. She did not usually ask men out. She was still somewhat old fashion in that regard. “Well, two of my friends have rented a place in Ocean City for several days and are leaving tomorrow night. I'm sure they would not mind if you joined us.”
Oria thought for a moment. It was looking more as if Karen had the access to the U.S. Military that he needed. He also knew that he was starting to fall for her. The growing emotional attachment bothered Oria. In all his life, he had known many women, mostly alien women, but he had never fallen in love. Well, he was a married young man once, but that was over 500 years ago.
“Karen, that sounds like fun. Are you sure that I wouldn't be imposing?”
“Imposing? No, definitely not, my friends are from my unit in Florida. I’m sure they won’t mind.”
“When and where do we meet?”
“Why don't you meet me at my house? We can leave from there and drive straight to the beach. My friends will already be there.”
“Ok, I'll see you then.” Oria extended his arms and gave Karen a hug. She squeezed back and couldn’t resist the urge to kiss him. They embraced and gave each other a kiss. They knew that they were falling in love with each other, more than was prudent for either of their jobs.
Oria watched Karen as she disappeared down the Gallery Place escalator. He started looking forward to their weekend together at the beach. Oria thought that it would be good for him to get away. He could further his relationship with Karen, find out more about the workings of the U.S. Military, and take some time for some R&R. It would be good to wait before making his next move anyway. It would provide time for the information that he had obtained to get absorbed into his thought processes.
Once Karen was out of sight, Oria decided to head back to his ship, call Linda and thank her for Hoss and Peter's help. First, he had to find a quiet place to transport from and to lose his tail. Oria saw a Sports Bar and decided to head towards it. He noticed Peter and Hoss were still following him. He also noticed an additional two men following him. They must be General Bronson's operatives.
Oria entered the crowded sports bar where fans were already celebrating the Capital's win over the Red Wings. There was standing room only near the bar. Oria headed towards a corner where he could keep an eye on the door and on whoever came in after him. Peter and Hoss beat Bronson's operatives through the door. Oria saw them and signaled them to come on over.
“Peter, Hoss, I want to thank you for all of your help.”
Peter muscled his way up to the bar near Oria. As he signaled the bar tender, he grunted back to Oria “No problem. It was sort of fun.”
Hoss was forced to stand only a foot from Oria said, “You’re welcome, it’s kind of boring back home anyway. Hey, Peter, get me a cold one too.”
“Hoss, there is one more thing that you can do tonight.”
“Yes?”
“See those two guys that just walked in? The one with an Orioles cap on?”
“Yeah, the two morons tailing you and doing a crummy job of it”.
“Those are the ones.”
“Sure, we saw them following you when you had dinner with Karen at the Burger King.”
Peter returned with two beers in hand. “I think those guys are Feds.”
Oria smiled “I think you're right. Karen called her boss and got those guys to tail us.”
“Do you want us to get rid of them?” Hoss excitedly asked Oria. Hoss was in a kick butt mood.
“Just temporarily, actually I'm glad that I've attracted sufficient interest to pick up a tail. However, I need to get back to my ship without attracting any more attention.”
Peter swallowed another swig of beer and said, “So you want us to create a diversion so you can make a clean getaway, huh?
“Something like that. If you guys could keep everyone out of the men’s room and signal me when it's empty, I'll enter and depart from there. Just keep everyone out for about 2 minutes and I will be gone.”
Peter smiled and said “That will be fun. Hoss, I'll empty the room. You just stop anyone from entering.”
Peter and Hoss headed for the men's room door. Hoss stood just outside blocking anyone from getting inside. Peter went into the bathroom and entered one of the stal
ls. He closed the stall door and set off a small stink bomb with a 5-second fuse, just enough time for him to get out.
Within minutes of Peter exiting the men's room, several other men came pouring out complaining about the stench. Peter signaled Oria and Oria headed for the men’s room. The odor struck Oria hard as he entered the room. Next time he would suggest a different strategy for Peter and Hoss. Oria quickly signaled Borella to transport him out and onto the Hercules.
Peter and Hoss returned to the bar and ordered some more beer. They watched in amusement, as the other operatives got nervous, since Oria never came back out of the rest room. One of them got up, walked over to the men's room, and went inside. When he came out, he had an outraged look. Hoss had slid over to where the other agent was standing so that he could listen into their conversation when the one operative returned.
“He's not there. I don't know where he went, that room has no windows and no other doors plus it stinks real bad!”
“He has to be in there. I've been watching the door the entire time.”
“Man, the General is going to be ticked!”
“Look, you stay here and watch the door. I'm going to walk around back and see if I can find anything.”
The two operatives ranted and raved for about 45 minutes at the sports bar. Oria simply vanished. Finally, they had to phone in their failure to Bronson's exec. As expected, the General was angry over their failure. He now had to depend on Karen connecting back up with Oria on her beach trip.
When Oria arrived back aboard the Hercules, he headed straight for his quarters. He planned to make a quick call to Linda and then catch some sleep. Oria ordered the computer to ring Linda's phone. She finally answered in a sleepy voice.
“Uh, hello?
“Hi Linda, this is Oria, did I wake you up?”
“Yes. That’s okay. Guess what?”
“What?”
“Oria, George asked me to marry him.”
“You mean the trainer? I thought you weren’t dating.”
“Well, I have always liked him and we've actually been secretly dating awhile. However, I never thought that he would propose to me.”
“I guess I should say I'm happy for you. Did you say yes?”
“Of course, I just had no idea that he was thinking seriously about us, at least until tonight. Well, that's my news, what's up with you?”
“I wanted to thank you for speaking to Jack. His sons, Peter and Hoss, have been a great help.”
“I thought they would. Hoss just finished a tour with the Marines and had nothing to do. Peter just does odd jobs.”
“Well, I did appreciate their help. I might need them again this weekend. Karen, someone I just met, invited me down to the beach with her and some friends.”
“What? I thought you were working.”
“I am. Karen's a major in the Air Force and has the right types of contacts in the Pentagon to further our plans.”
“It sounds like she’s something more than that?”
“Um, it’s possible she could be more than a work interest.”
“Oria, you'd be surprised. If you can accomplish work and pleasure at the same time, the more power to you.”
“Thanks. By the way, the symposium went great. I presented some new facts and seemed to get everyone's interest.”
“I know. You made the 10:00 news. In addition, we saw you with your new friend on TV. That little fight you were in was impressive. Hey, what was that device you used to heal the guard?”
“Oh boy, I never thought that my little scene would be aired on TV.”
“You know now. Anyone watching the game saw you. I'm sure the media will repeat your little stunt many more times. That security guard, Carlos, he's claiming that you are some sort of angel.”
“Hmmm, that complicates things. Well, maybe it will work out for the good. They didn't say anything else about me?”
“Not yet. However, it's only a matter of time. At least they don't yet say that you're an alien.”
“Thanks. At least I’ve caught the attention of the Pentagon. My plan all along was to spike their interest and let them simmer on it. I’ll give them a few weeks.”
“I don't see any problem there. When the newspapers and talk shows start cranking up on that little bomb shell you released at the symposium, I’m sure the Pentagon will go from simmer straight to a full boil.”
After thirty minutes, Oria finally got off the phone with Linda. He was pleased, yet concerned that the Creytes would be sure to recognize him from the TV reports. Oria had hoped that the Creytes would continue to believe that he was running his fleet in another quadrant. Now, the best he could hope for was that they would be confused and uncertain about his true location. Oria knew that in time, the Creytes would figure out that there, somehow, there are two Oria’s.
GeoTechnology Inc. Research Headquarters
Excitement pulsed through Dr. Peter Franklin’s veins as he left the symposium. He wanted to be the first to use the technology presented by Oria to develop a so-called “high tech” laser and whatever else appeared useful. Franklin didn’t wait to get back to his office to pull a team together, that’s what cell phones were for. When he finally arrived in his laboratory, a small team was ready there to work with him through the night. Franklin had to be first. He had to be first to build a prototype, and the first to get a lucrative DOD contract building even more lasers and further developing this new technology.
It was a long night for Franklin’s team. There was a lot to learn, figure out and to test. They took several existing lasers and began modifying them to accommodate the new parts; new parts that they still needed build. It was a mad house at GeoTechnology. The machine shop and physics lab kept busy all night. Finally, by 8AM, Dr. Franklin and his team were exhausted with a completed prototype ready for testing.
One of the scientists began setting up several target panels and instruments to measure the power output of the new particle energy laser. The Germantown test facility had a laser target range encapsulated in armor and steel reinforced concrete. The wall behind the target had 48 inches of armored steel plates sandwiched between steel reinforced and hardened concrete. It was capable of withstanding a nuclear blast.
The test team stood behind a special glass enclosure overlooking the firing range. From there, they should be able to observe the tests with minimal danger. Franklin had the technician set the laser to its lowest power setting and aimed it at a target over 100’ away.
When the technician returned to the safety of the observation room, Dr. Franklin personally pressed the laser’s fire button emitting a short burst from the laser. Within seconds, the target exploded with a tremendous force shaking the building and shattering the observation room’s glass shield. Franklin’s team was lucky. No one was hurt.
As the room was still reverberating from the explosion, a voice came on over the intercom demanding Dr. Franklin to pick up the secure phone and speak with General Bronson.
Franklin was still in shock as he picked up the phone to talk with his longtime friend.
“Good morning Stewart, your timing, as usual, is impeccable.”
“Oh really, what’s going on?”
“Just a massive explosion from a new laser device that we built.”
“I see. Peter, it sounds like you and I are on the same wavelength, we need to talk.”
“Yes we do. Why don’t you go first?”
“Peter, events with Oria are getting hot. I want to make sure you’re on track with getting me that proposal.”
“Stewart, I believe we are. My team worked through the night and completed a prototype laser based on technology presented by Oria. We just finished test firing this device at the lowest energy setting when you called. It blew up my lab!”
“What? I thought your target range could withstand a nuclear explosion.”
“It can! This new energy source is more powerful than anything we could have imagined. This technology could enable us develop
vessels capable of interstellar travel. Can you imagine what that means?”
“Incredible. I’m not sure what to make of all of this. Oria is turning out to be rather intriguing.”
“I know, Stewart. I spoke with him briefly at the symposium and was unable to determine what he wants. His story does not add up. He doesn’t work with any of our competitors, and besides, if he did, then why is he revealing this technology. Oria has an astounding knowledge of physics, yet he claims not to be a scientist.”
“Peter we need to talk further. Unfortunately, I must get to a meeting. If you find out anything about this Oria person, call me.”
“I will. My proposal will be on your desk by noon.”
6
Friday May 26
9 AM: Laser Watch Kickoff Meeting
General Bronson’s mind was spinning as he headed for a meeting with his newly formed team “Laser Watch”. He had ordered the entire team to assemble in his conference room at 9AM with Colonel James Henley conferenced in by phone.
Bronson walked into the meeting room where Lieutenant Rob Johanson, Colonel Fred Johnson, and Captain Lewis Martello sat around the conference table with Colonel Henley on the speakerphone.
Bronson glaring at Colonel Johnson said, “Where on Earth is Major Brown? She’s key to this effort!”
The moment Johnson opened his mouth to speak Karen entered the conference room looking exhausted. She had stopped by the Pentagon on her way home from the game to receive an update from Captain Martello’s intelligence team. When she finally did get home, her mind was racing and her heart was beating so fast she could not sleep. Karen repeatedly thought through each piece of information in a vain attempt to make sense of it. The more she thought, the more the facts didn’t add up, and the more she was falling in love. Karen tossed and turned the entire night with sleep almost entirely escaping her.
Karen walked over to an empty seat while all her fellow officers, including the General, eye balled her. Everyone who ever served under Bronson knew or soon found out, Bronson accepted no excuse, whatsoever, for being late to a meeting. Karen knew this and was quite sure she’d be hung out to dry when she greeted the General.
Legend of Oria 1: Initial Contact Page 14