Generations of Teelan Box Set

by G. E. Stills

  “Who the hell are you? What the hell do you want?”

  “Not important for you to know,” she answered.

  She followed his gaze as he looked once again at his wife. “What did you––”

  “She’s dead. We don’t have much time.” Stepping forward, Naa’dia jammed a dishcloth in Glenn’s mouth.

  Unzipping her pack, she removed a band with wires attached. She stretched it in place around Glenn’s head. The mind probe the woman on her home planet had been subjected to was gentle in comparison to this one. Naa’dia put a similar one on her own head and connected wires between the two. Reaching into her pack again, she removed a control unit. She took a seat at one of the other chairs and adjusted the controls. Glenn shuddered and his eyes rolled to the top of his head as thoughts and memories were ripped from his mind. The smell of burned flesh drifted into the air and smoke curled from his head.

  Her eyes became unfocused. The information stored in Glenn’s mind began to flood into hers. Thirty minutes passed before the process was complete. She removed her headband placing it and the controller back in her pack. Next, she removed Glenn’s. There was an inch wide strip of burned flesh surrounding Glenn’s head where the band had been. His eyes started out vacantly. She knew the mind probe was aggressive. When finished the subject was left with barely enough mental capacity to move. He would never be able walk, speak or even feed himself again. In an act of mercy, something she had never felt before, Naa’dia shot him in the heart.

  She removed his wallet from his back pocket and searched through the contents until she found the item his thoughts told her was important. She slipped in into her fannypack, retraced her steps back to her car and drove to her motel room.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Naa’dia glanced out the curtain of her seedy motel room for a moment then glanced at her wristwatch. Streetlights dimly lit the area and there was no one about at this time of the night. Crossing the room, she opened her bag removing a small cube shaped object that fit in the palm of her hand. The area inside the clear cube was filled with a powdery substance. One side of the cube had an empty hole in the center. She removed two more pieces from her bag. The clear vial filled with liquid was just the right size to fit in the hollowed out part of the cube. The other piece was a combination electrical source and transmitter. She put the three items in her pocket careful to put the cube and vial in separate pockets.

  Naa’dia parked her car and stole through the trees. After a moment’s hesitation and looking in both directions to make certain no one was watching, she raced forward. Flexing her enhanced leg muscles at the last second, she leapt into the air. Her bound easily carried her over the eight-foot chain-link fence that surrounded the facility.

  Landing in a crouch, she dashed to the side of the building and waited to see if her actions had tripped any alarms. After she remained motionless and silent for some time and allowed her breathing to calm, no activity occurred. She slipped along the wall until she came to a side door located where Glenn’s shared knowledge said it would be.

  Unzipping her jumpsuit slightly, she reached in and removed Glenn’s plastic key card from under her left bra cup. She slid the card through the reader slot beside the door. The door lock mechanism clicked. When she pulled on the handle, the metal door swung open.

  Beautiful. She grinned.

  Naa’dia darted down the long hallway ducking into dark corners to avoid any occupants she saw. Since it was the night shift, her encounters were few and none saw her. She entered a room near the center of the complex that housed huge power generators. She planted her bomb under one of them.

  She sneaked out along the same route and jumped the fence again. Standing behind a tree, she waited. Dawn brightened the horizon. She looked at the hands of her watch and waited longer. She watched cars arrive bringing employees for the seven a.m. shift change. By her count two-hundred people entered the guarded gate for the day shift. Seven-ten arrived and she knew that in just minutes the night shift would begin to filter out. She removed the controller from her pocket.

  Naa’dia took one final look at the complex nearly half a kilometer away and pressed a button on the controller. In her mind, she saw the reaction. Her transmission triggered a small electrical charge. The material composing the vial evaporated exposing the liquid to the powder. She put the binoculars to her eyes and panned the building while she counted quietly and calmly. “One…two…three…four...five.”

  On the count of five a flash of fire erupted from the center of the structure to reach high in the sky. Seconds later, she heard a loud roar followed by a deep rumble. The entire facility covering almost four acres, disappeared within a cloud of dirt and dust. Casually she stepped behind the large tree trunk next to her. The ground bucked and rippled under her feet almost making her fall. Rocks and bits of concrete pelted the other side of the tree

  When the cloud settled, the factory was gone. The only thing remaining was concrete rubble and twisted steel in a deep crater. An eerie silence descended on the area. Her lips stretched in satisfaction. Her calculations had been flawless. Triggering the bomb to explode during the shift change she was certain had inflicted the maximum number of fatalities.

  Well that should get their attention. Our research and development techs will be happy to hear their bombs are a great success. Her thought drifted briefly to the dozen more she had in her bag.

  Minutes later the distant wail of emergency vehicle sirens disturbed the quiet. A humorless smile split her lips. There may be survivors down there, but not many. Naa’dia got into her car and drove away, already planning on the annihilation of her next target.

  First priority, get a new vehicle, then it is on to the factory near Austin, Texas.

  She drove away, tuning in a radio station. She had learned to enjoy rock, especially what the humans called oldies. A smile stretched across her lips and she turned up the volume. The singer’s raspy words blared out of the speakers filling the car’s interior. “But you tell me, over and over and over again my friend, ah you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.”

  The obliteration of the factory near Austin was just as through and even deadlier. It leveled many of the houses in a nearby development inflicting a greater number of causalities.

  ***

  Trevor looked up at the man that rushed in his office located at the headquarters building of the World Security.

  “Why the hurry, Scott? What’s up?”

  “Trouble I’m afraid,” Scott answered and tossed two files on the desk.

  “What kind of trouble?”

  “Bad trouble. Read the reports.”

  Trevor picked up the first and scanned through it. His eyebrows rose as he gazed at the photos. “A single bomb did all this?”

  “Yes. At both factories. Not only were both buildings completely destroyed, the death toll is in the hundreds.”

  “How do we know it was a single explosive.”

  “I put four of our best agents on it. Two at each location. It was their determination. They’re still sifting through what little remains at the sites to get more information.”

  Trevor pressed a button that buzzed his personal assistant Shirley.

  “Yes, sir,” she answered.

  “Set up a meeting in the conference room for the staff heads present. Call up the rest and arrange a simultaneous video conference. Do it now, Shirley.”

  “Right away.”

  Scott turned to leave.

  “I’ll see you in a few minutes, Scott.”

  “I’ll be there.” Scott left the office, closing the door behind him.

  Trevor picked up the reports and read through them carefully. The more he read, the more the hair on the back of his neck rose. As he read on, nausea rose in the pit of his stomach. Something that he could not put a finger on, a hunch or perhaps a latent feeling of pr
emonition gnawed at him. Blurred visions of the future flashed thorough his mind. In vain, he tried to focus the pictures that formed, but failed.

  He triggered his implanted communicator.

  “Trevor,” Tracy answered from Houston center miles away. Her bubbling cheerful voice almost dispelled the dread feelings he had. “Long time no talk. What’s up?”

  Almost, but not quite, he smiled. For a second he thought of her. She was one of a few hundred strictly humans on Earth that knew of Teelan. All of them were sworn to secrecy and he had complete confidence in her. Her main job was monitoring communications from space. She and a handful of people stationed at Houston control could also communicate directly with Teelan. Something that no one including himself could do.

  “I need to get a message to Katrina. Kyra as well. Something is happening here on Earth. I don’t know what for certain, but I can sense it is big.”

  Tracy knew he was not fully human. She knew his mother was Kyra. Her voice shifted from jovial to serious.

  “Right away. What should I tell them?”

  “Tell Katrina with her permission I need to see Mom right away. I need her to see these reports I have and take copies to Katrina. Katrina and her advisors can study them. Maybe they can come up with the answers that are seeming to evade me. Tracy, I feel this is urgent.”

  “Okay where should I tell Kyra to meet you?”

  “In my office. She has the coordinates.”

  “Will do. I’ll call you back as soon as I’ve talked to them,” Tracy said.

  A few minutes passed. Shirley called.

  “I have the meeting set up in the main conference room at eleven-thirty. It will be a combination of in person and video conference.”

  “Thank you.”

  He glanced at his watch. It was almost ten.

  Tracy called him back, “Katrina said to fill in Kyra concerning the situation. Kyra said to tell you she is on the way.”

  He was still in communication with Tracy when a smoky haze formed in one corner of his office. A woman stepped out of it. She had purple hair and large pupils with no irises. The woman wore a short skirt and tank top revealing much of her light tan skin. Her outfit left her mid section open, exposing the impressive crystal in her navel. She looked to be a woman his age, mid-twenties. Appearances were deceiving. “She’s here now, Tracy. Thanks. I need to go.” He broke the connection.

  Trevor stood and walked around his desk. The woman strode forward gracefully meeting him halfway across the room.

  “Hello, Mom. Half naked as usual I see.”

  She grinned. “Your father, who I am supposed to meet later, likes me half-naked. Or should I say fully naked.”

  He held up his hand. “Whoa, Mom, that is entirely too much information.”

  Kyra chuckled and wrapped him in her arms while kissing him on the cheek.

  When they parted, Trevor stood for a moment gazing at her, underneath the black dye, his hair was the same color as hers. Thankfully, considering his undercover occupation he had inherited his dad’s chocolate brown eyes. “You’re looking good.”

  Kyra’s lips twitched into a smile. “So are you, my handsome son.” The smile faded and Kyra became all business. “So what is going on? Kat just said go…and so, I’m here.”

  She followed him over to his desk and while she stood beside him, they read through the reports.

  “Have you read any thoughts?” she asked.

  He knew she was speaking of his mind reading ability. “No one to touch. These are preliminary reports. We don’t even have a suspect.”

  Kyra nodded. “Visions?”

  Again, he knew she referred to his ability to see events of the future. “Nothing clear just hazy images.”

  “Okay.”

  “There’s nothing concrete. Look at those photos though. The few terrorist groups that are left here on Earth have nothing that powerful. The world is united under one government. After you and your sisters got finished eliminating them, terror groups here are weak at best.”

  “So what is it?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never seen that sort of destruction short of a tactical nuke and we know it wasn’t that. Radiation levels at the bomb sites are normal. I just have a hunch.”

  Kyra put her hand on his shoulder. “You’re hunches have never been wrong. So when will you have copies of these reports for Kat?”

  Trevor glanced at his watch. It was a little after eleven. “I have a meeting at eleven-thirty so let’s say around one.”

  “I’ll be back here in your office at one. I’m going to bring Ing’s son, Lance to help. He has the ability to teleport and cast fire. Can you create a position for him?”

  Trevor pictured Ing. “So he will be short like Aunt Ing?”

  Kyra chuckled. “He has her ebony color, but his build is more like his dad’s.”

  Trevor smiled. “Oh.” He pictured Kimo. “So Lance is built like a tank.”

  Kyra chuckled. “Pretty much.”

  “I feel safer already.”

  Kyra kissed him on the cheek again and crossed the room. “See you at one.” Hazy blackness formed, she stepped into it and vanished.

  Trevor gathered the two files, left his office and walked down the hall. Upon stepping into the meeting room, he found five section chiefs waiting and faces on a dozen view screens lining the walls. Striding to the head of the table he opened the first file. Smiling he saw that Shirley had the foresight to see that each person had copies.

  “I see all of you have the files.” He glanced up at the screens. “And all of you?”

  Heads nodded all around.

  “Good. Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know what is going on here, but I want answers and I want them yesterday. Do I make myself clear?”

  Nodding heads.

  “So far we have two incidents and they have both been here in the States. However, I want a worldwide alert. I have a hunch these will not be the last occurrences. Find something. Lucy,” he addressed one of the women at the table. “I don’t care how many agents you need and I don’t care if you need to sift through every bit of rubble at the bomb sites I need information. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” she answered.

  “What about budget?” the financial department head asked.

  “Don’t worry about it, Fred. You’re going to receive a huge influx of funds that will more than cover any expenses we incur.”

  “Okay,” was Fred’s meek response.

  Trevor grinned inside. His aunt Suki had the ability to transmute. Money was no object.

  “You just make certain our agents have whatever they ask for. Anything they need. Understood?”

  Fred gulped. “Yes, sir.”

  Trevor opened up the floor for discussion and after a few questions were addressed, he spoke to the group. “That concludes everything we know about this. I want to know more…and soon. Report on anything even slightly suspicious. Go to work people. This meeting is adjourned.”

  With purposeful strides, Trevor left the room. He stopped by Shirley’s desk located just outside his office. “I don’t suppose you––”

  Shirley smiled up from her desk and handed him two file folders. “I thought maybe.”

  “You’re beautiful. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “We’ve been together for a long time, Trevor. I know how you think. By the way…feel free to butter me up by calling me beautiful as often as you wish.”

  “Thanks, beautiful.” He stepped into his office, closed the door and sat down to wait for his mother.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Trevor paced the floor in front of his desk. Information from the bombsites had filtered in, but nothing of importance. He glanced at Lance sprawled in one of the chairs that looked too small to accommodate a man his size. Lance was a p
art of his team now. He’d told everyone that he had brought Lance over from another agency and that he had known him for most of his life. The first was false, the later was the honest truth. From his position as the top man in charge, pulling strings and getting Lance certified as an agent and his assistant had been no problem.

  “I don’t see how you can be so damn relaxed,” Trevor snapped.

  “The information will come in due time,” Lance answered. “Until then, there’s no sense in getting worked up and losing sleep over it.”

  “Huh,” Trevor snorted.

  The intercom buzzed the attention signal.

  Trevor leaned over his desk and punched a button on the phone. “Talk to me, Shirley.”

  “One of our agents is on line one. He’s at the site in Pennsylvania,” she said.

  “Put him through.”

  The line one button started to blink.

  “This is Trevor.”

  “I may have some information,” the man said.

  “Go ahead. I’m listening.” He pressed the speaker button so Lance could listen in.

  “We’ve located trace evidence of the explosive used.”

  “Yes?”

  “Well it’s just this. We’ve never encountered it before. I guess I’m trying to say, the material is an element that, to my knowledge, doesn’t exist. At least none of us or any of the experts I’ve contacted can identify it.”

  Trevor saw that Lance was sitting up and paying rapt attention to the conversation.

  “I want a sample. I may have other sources that can identify it.”

  “Very well, sir.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Nothing new.”

  “Send it overnight express.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  They broke connection.

  He looked at Lance. “So what are your thoughts?”

  Before Lance could answer, Shirley buzzed again.

  “There’s an agent named Jocobi on the line,” she said. “He’s in PA too. Says he needs to speak to you right away.”

  “Put him through.”