“Yes, Elite Force Commander Kol Ra’ Don Tol.”
Kol leaned forward again, taking his handheld communicator out of its place on the main control panel. He unstrapped himself, then stood. “Computer, you will allow me to exit the cruiser, then appear to be inactive and fully sealed, seemingly unreachable until you either hear my voice and confirm my DNA, or unless you are breeched and my presence cannot be confirmed at which time you will follow the commanded protocol. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Elite Force Commander Kol Ra’ Don Tol.”
Kol ran his fingers across another control panel, activating the steel-like cover over the front of the cruiser that allowed him to see out. He walked over to the exit doorway. He swiped his hand over the flat, smooth control panel there and waited while the door whooshed open. He raised a single eyebrow as he took in the unexpected group of people waiting for him to disembark.
A very small — by Cruestaci standards — human male stepped forward. “Welcome to Earth, Ambassador Kol Ra’ Don Tol.”
Kol looked around at the docking area he’d landed on. “Thank you.” There wasn’t that much to see as far as he could tell. It was a docking platform not unlike Command Warship 1 had on board, except this one was not on a ship. He took his time, glancing at the other ships also contained nearby. Kol allowed his gaze to travel briefly over the dozen or so military personnel and diplomats assembled to greet him, before having his attention drawn back to the little man who’d spoken to him first.
“Ambassador? I am Special Liaison Elisher. I’ve been assigned to you while you’re on Earth and will be assisting with all things you may need.”
Kol looked down at the little man, standing on a platform a good eight feet below his Battle Cruiser. The Cruiser seemed to hang in the air, not quite touching down, though it was securely held by forcefields.
A loud metallic screech could be heard nearby and Kol winced, then looked in that direction.
“Forgive me, sir. We were not aware of the size difference of your ship. We are bringing in a mobile staircase to assist you in getting to the ground.”
Kol glanced at the three men trying to drag a tall metallic staircase on wheels toward their general direction. Then back at his liaison. “That won’t be necessary,” he said in his best overly enunciated English. He stepped off the deck of his cruiser, dropped the eight feet to the ground, and began walking toward the welcoming party with no sign of discomfort or even a slight jostle on landing. At his full exit from the cruiser, the door slid shut, and the entire small ship immediately appeared to be covered in one single sheet of steel with no entry or exit points.
Several of the welcoming party stepped back at his display of strength on landing on the ground before them as though he’d done no more than take a step or two, but covered it quite nicely by continuing to move backward, forming an aisle for him to walk down.
Special Liaison Elisher reached out his hand, waiting for Kol to shake it. “We are thrilled that you’ve been assigned to our home planet for the time being and are very thankful for the protection of your people as you patrol the quadrants surrounding our planet.”
Kol looked down at Elisher’s hand and lifted his own to place in Elisher’s. He’d read about this. He knew that Earth males shook hands as a sign of welcome and respect. He stifled a small smile when he saw Elisher’s surprise when Kol’s hand practically dwarfed his. “We are pleased to do so.”
“If there’s anything I can do for you Ambassador Ko…” Elisher started.
“You may call me Kol, or you may call me Ambassador. There is no need to repeat my full name each time you address me.”
“Of course, Ambassador. Thank you,” Elisher immediately replied. “May I present to you the governing members of Earth Base 28?”
Kol nodded. “Please do.”
“Consul Diskastes of Planet Quisles, Viceroy Pomrance, and Viceroy Buchanan, both of Earth, Patroon Zhuxi of planet Ceres, and of course their personal security forces.”
Kol allowed his gaze to rove across the faces of those being introduced to him aloofly, then clicked his heels together and straightened his spine even more. Then he fisted his hand and struck his chest diagonally, right to left, with his closed fist landing on his left shoulder. “I am Ambassador Kol Ra’ Don Tol, also Elite Commander of Special Forces of the Cruestaci people of the planet Cruestace. I bid you greetings.” He noticed several surprised reactions to his Elite Force title but gave no indication that he’d noticed.
“We are honored to have you among us,” Consul Diskastes said, his eyes very clearly saying otherwise. “Come, we shall share a meal to celebrate your arrival and addition to Earth Base 28.” The Consul turned and walked away with Viceroy Pomrance right on his heels, though without any regard for the remaining dignitaries.
“It is my understanding that I will be given free rein to move about the planet as necessary in order to complete my duties,” Kol said loudly enough for it to be clear he addressed the retreating Consul.
Consul Diskastes paused to look back at Kol. “Is it?” he asked with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
“It is. Base 28 will of course be home base for as long as necessary, but it will not be the only base I visit,” Kol said emphatically, with a stiff smile on his face that looked more like a grimace.
“I’m sure it’s in your data submission. Perhaps I overlooked it,” Diskastes responded.
“I’m sure,” Kol answered, his smile/grimace becoming more pronounced as he privately asked the powers that be to nudge Bart into going along with his slight deception. He had no idea how Earth bases or quadrants were governed. He only knew he needed access to any that may have Ada Jane within their population.
“Ambassador?” Elisher asked, stepping forward.
“Yes?” Kol said, waiting for Elisher to continue.
“As I said, this is Viceroy Buchanan of Earth, and Patroon Zhuxi of Ceres.”
“I am pleased to meet you,” Patroon Zhuxi said, extending his long, four fingered hand. “Please do not allow the arrogance of certain members of our governing body to offend you. They know not what they do.”
Kol detected nothing but sincerity in this male. “I am pleased to meet you as well,” Kol answered, performing a small bow. “I am not at all offended. It simply gives me an excuse to have to be less accommodating.”
Zhuxi chuckled in a gurgling type of way. “I believe we shall get along famously.”
Kol inclined his head, still shaking Zhuxi’s hand.
“I’m Buchanan, Viceroy is something they insist I use, but couldn’t personally care less about. Believe me, he knows well what he does. Welcome to my home planet, Kol. If I may call you Kol?” he asked.
“Of course, and thank you. I have studied your planet and been fascinated with it for many, many of your Earth years,” Kol said. Reaching out to shake Buchanan’s hand since Zhuxi had released his hand.
“It was at one time a beautiful place,” Buchanan said. “Some of it still is.”
“Perhaps one day it will all be beautiful again,” Kol said.
“We can hope,” Buchanan answered.
“Come, allow us to escort you to the formal meal we’ve put together in your honor,” Zhuxi offered.
“Thank you,” Kol said, beginning to walk toward the small building the Consul had disappeared into with his entourage.
Chapter 2
Ada Jane allowed Doctor Cavanaugh to escort her into the facility. With his hand at the small of her back, he attempted to guide her down the corridor just inside the building, and to wherever he had in mind to take her first. She, however, stopped to watch Rokai ahl’s ship rise into the air before zipping away so quickly it practically disappeared before her eyes.
It was bittersweet to watch her friends, of which she only had a small handful now, heading off on their adventures. She blinked rapidly to scatter the moisture that had begun to gather in her eyes at the thought that she was certainly now all alone.
�
�I can’t imagine how it must feel to watch the only security you’ve known of late as it leaves,” Dr. Cavanaugh said.
Ada glanced at Dr. Cavanaugh, but didn’t acknowledge his reply. Instead, she turned and began walking. “Where is it that you’re escorting me to, Doctor?”
“To our clinic. We thought we’d give you a basic physical just to be sure there is no health issue we should address.”
“I think I’d rather speak to whoever is in charge of seeing that I get my land back,” Ada said in a no-nonsense tone. She wasn’t trying to insult anyone, just standing firm on what she wanted.
“I suppose we could request a meeting, but those types of things are usually scheduled. Perhaps in the meantime we could spend a few minutes in my office, just get your basic readings, blood pressure, pulse rate…”
“Why?” she asked, coming to a stop.
“It’s just our procedure. We don’t want to take any chances with your health,” Dr. Cavanaugh answered.
Ada Jane raised an eyebrow much as she’d seen Vivian do on Command Warship 1. And to her delight, the simple tactic worked.
“We are also supposed to be screening for any foreign bacteria or infections that could possibly be passed to us that we’ve not already been made aware of,” Dr. Cavanaugh said sheepishly.
“It’s much better when you speak with me directly about anything you may wish to have happen, don’t you think?” Ada Jane asked.
Dr. Cavanaugh nodded, with a slight smile. “I’m seeing that it is.”
“Where is your office?” she asked.
“Right this way,” he answered as they began to walk again.
Ada Jane’s stomach growled. “I’d kill for a hamburger,” Ada Jane said. “No, wait, a cheeseburger with crispy fries and a chocolate shake.”
Dr. Cavanaugh grinned as he came to a crossing corridor and lifted his arm to indicate with a sweep of his hand they needed to go to the right. “I can certainly take care of that request,” he said.
Eventually, they arrived in his clinic, which to Ada Jane looked more like a full fledged hospital. They walked through sliding double glass doors with a clinic sign mounted on the wall over them, and the words, ‘Medical Facility - Clinic’ on the doors themselves in white letters. Once Ada stepped through the doors, the area opened up into a huge, spacious reception area with a large, crescent-shaped reception desk, and more than two dozen matching upholstered chairs placed against the exterior walls of the very welcoming room. There were people milling about, while others, obviously caregivers, approached the waiting areas with small electronic tablets in their hands, calling out the name of the patient that had come up next on their itinerary.
As Ada followed, Dr. Cavanaugh passed one doubly wide corridor and eventually took a left into another. She realized the facility went much further back into the building than she’d thought it did. “How big is this place?” she asked, trying not to seem overwhelmed at the size she’d not even guessed at from the outside.
“The clinic, or the entire building?” the doctor asked.
“Both?” Ada answered uncertainly.
“The medical facility is four stories, and we can accommodate two hundred fifty beds. That includes beds for treatment, testing, and exploratory procedures as well as any standard hospital stay as a result of injury or illness. We’ve got the means to perform any type of treatment or surgery. We are in line with the foremost medical facilities in the country.”
“Why so small then?” she asked.
“We are not normally for public use. We are focused primarily on the needs of high-ranking officials, and their families. We are also responsible for the health and care of all peoples being repatriated to Earth after they’ve been away from our shores, whether willingly or not.”
“I’m assuming you also address psychological needs, then.”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“The building… how large is it?” she asked.
“I’m trying to think of a building the repatriation center could be compared to. One that you’d know from your time here on Earth,” Dr. Cavanaugh answered. “Oh! I know. How foolish of me, I should have known right away. This building is modeled after the Pentagon, so all in all, with all its departments and purposes, about thirty-four acres. We have small electric carts we use if we need to get from one side of the facility to the other quickly. Do you recall the Pentagon before it was destroyed?” he asked.
Ada slowed her steps to a stop, turning hesitantly to look at Dr. Cavanaugh. “The Pentagon was destroyed?” she asked quietly, her expression stricken.
“Ada Jane,” he said, shaking his head sadly and taking one of her hands in both of his. “I’m so, so sorry. I forgot the time span you’d been away. You were taken in 1986, if I remember the information in your files correctly. You just look so young, it’s hard to remember that you’ve been away for so long. Most people don’t live to be your age, and look as good as you do,” he said, trying to make her smile. When she didn’t smile at his attempt at a joke, he returned to the facts at hand. “Unfortunately, there is very little still standing of the Earth that you remember.”
“What year is it?” she asked, her voice husky with emotion.
“It’s 2121. Today is September 29th. Just a few more months and we’ll move into 2122,” Dr. Cavanaugh explained softly, still holding her hand.
Ada closed her eyes for a moment, then took a very slow deep breath. She opened her eyes again and looked around at all the people coming and going with medical escorts, and military personnel without escorts as they moved around the medical facility.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“I will be,” she answered after a brief pause. She looked around, and made a pointed effort to shake off the shock that had truly taken her by surprise when she realized that Kol had been telling her the truth, and started walking in the direction the doctor had indicated only a few minutes earlier. It surprised her how many times she’d thought of Kol since leaving Command Warship 1. “Are all peoples put through your examinations upon landing on Earth?”
“Our medical facility is the main repatriation hub for the country. The building itself has multiple functions, but all United States citizens, humans that is, returning to Earth — come through my clinic before being released back into the general population.”
“Humans? Are there citizens that aren’t human?” Ada asked.
“There are. Some extraterrestrial species have visited our planet and found it very much to their liking. If you are returning home, or will be here on an extended basis, you would have to go through another base.”
“Where would that be?” Ada asked, following him into an office he opened the door of and held open for her.
“There are several scattered across the United States, and they are somewhat smaller and accommodate fewer people at a time.”
“Because the last thing you want is more extraterrestrials than humans preparing to release into the country at one time,” she said, figuring out immediately what he wasn't saying.
Dr. Cavanaugh canted his head slightly, as he searched for the politically correct, non-committal answer. “I’m sure that was probably part of it once upon a time,” he finally said.
“Say one was coming from Cruestace. Which base would they have to apply for entry through?” Ada asked.
“Do you have someone in particular in mind?” Dr. Cavanaugh asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Not at all, it’s just that it’s the only species I’ve decided is trustworthy so far.”
“Ah, I see.” He pressed his lips together and thought about it. “There are of course a couple of different options, but most likely, they’d go through El Paso.”
“Texas?” Ada asked.
“Yes, Texas. The borders have changed somewhat, but basically the larger states remain intact. Texas is one of them.”
“What states are we missing?” she asked, alarmed.
“Not many. A few of the smaller Northern o
nes have been rolled into a new state known as Yorksland.”
“So… New York, Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island…?” she asked.
“Exactly. If it was considered New England before the war, it’s now Yorksland.” He walked over to the phone on his huge oak desk. “Excuse me for just a moment while I order you some lunch. Would you mind if I shared a meal with you?” he asked, looking up at her from his handheld tablet.
“Not at all,” she answered.
She watched while he swiped his fingertip back and forth, tapping lightly from time to time, then satisfied with whatever he’d done, indicated the chair across the desk from his own chair.
“Dr. Cavanaugh, is that a computer?” Ada Jane asked.
“It is. It’s a small handheld device that is plugged into the mainframe that operates this entire building and those that are satellites of it.”
“That is just too Star Trek for me,” Ada Jane mumbled, taking the device from him when he offered it to her.
“Everyone, no matter their social status has access to some form of device that gives them access to the public mainframe that is free to all of the United States’ citizens.”
“Which means they are all able to be monitored and their behaviors monitored at will,” she said, matter of factly rather than accusatorily.
“I’m sure to some degree, yes. But it’s mainly just a convenient way to give everyone access to information they’d not have otherwise.”
“Is it a legal requirement to be active on a device?” Ada asked.
“Not at all. In fact, there are some people who live away from the main hubs of commerce and prefer to live off the grid, so to speak. Some keep devices and access them only very rarely, others — true traditionalists — refuse to even own a device. It’s perfectly legal not to, but, you don’t have access to anything important that may occur.”
“Like what?”
“Well, weather for one. If a tornado system were to bear down on them, they’d never know until it was right on top of them, no warning. Or a hurricane, or wildfire. Or perhaps a terrorist attack in their general vicinity, or, not that it’s likely now, but a declaration of war. Political developments, any such thing is now made available on their handheld devices. Even communications people of your time used to refer to as phone calls, are now available through handheld devices,” he explained.
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