by John Ricks
When we reached the house, she put me down in front of Mrs. Crain. I could feel that Mrs. Crain felt totally out of her league. “Congratulations, Freddy! We watched on your scanners,” Mrs. Crain said. “What you’ve done is remarkable! Actually, it’s so totally unbelievable, I don’t know what to say.”
“Congratulations will do nicely,” I said, and I gave her a great big hug. That broke the ice, and everyone started talking at once.
Johnny asked, “Did you really fly in space?”
“Farther and faster than anyone ever flew before. Fun, isn’t it?”
“Really fun,” he replied.
I reached down and said hello to Annabelle, and she returned my greeting with a big hug and a “hi.” I waved to the others and said, “Hi, Carroll! Hi, Becky! It’s nice to see you again. Welcome to my home, everyone.” Before they could say anything, I took Annabelle’s hand and started into the house. “My, but you’ve grown. How long has it been?”
I looked back at the captain, and she whispered, “Eight months.”
“Eight months,” I said. “No wonder you’re taller. Soon, I’ll be looking up to you!” She had the biggest smile. We stepped inside and went to the living room and talked for several minutes. Johnny and Carroll asked questions, and so did Mrs. Crain, and I answered as many as I could without giving away the world’s plight.
When dinner was ready, Captain Crain and the team came in. He said, “I can’t believe how easy that was. We should be ready to go as soon as dinner is over. Hello, Freddy.”
“Hi, Captain Crain. How’s fishing these days?”
I quickly learned that’s a good question to ask him, as he monopolized most of the dinner conversation, talking about the tides, water temperatures, depths where the fish are, and everything else you could imagine. Plus some things you couldn’t—like catching a great white in the nets with the salmon. He was just finishing up that story when Mrs. Crain interrupted him to point out that he hadn’t even touched his dinner. “Yes, dear,” he responded.
I was disappointed when he stopped talking and started eating.
Becky drew attention to herself by asking for the butter. It was right in front of me, so I picked it up and passed it to her. When she thanked me, I responded pleasantly, “My pleasure.” Ensuring that I kept my voice the same as I used with everyone else, I asked her, “How’s school going, Becky?”
She suddenly started to cry, got up from the table, and ran from the room. A team member left to watch her. I looked at Captain James, and she said, “It’s nothing you did, Freddy. It’s a girl thing.”
Annabelle added, “Becky’s in love with another boy, and she didn’t want to come here because she’s afraid that Freddy is mad at her.”
“I know, Annabelle.” I said, “She loves Jimmy.”
Johnny said, “No, silly. That was ages ago.”
Carroll added, “Four boyfriends ago. It’s David now.”
Colleen asked, “Freddy, what’s going through your mind right now?”
I looked up at her and said, “First, I was thinking that it wasn’t my always being gone that caused Becky to break up with me, was it?”
“No, I guess not,” Colleen agreed.
“That means that someday I’ll have a chance for love that will last.” I nearly had a tear in my eye.
Colleen hugged me and said, “Of course you will.”
“Then I was thinking, there’s something wrong if Becky is going through boyfriends that quickly. What is it?” I stood up and went outside. Marian was out there and pointed to where Becky was. I went over and sat down next to her. I put my arm around her and probed her mind. It was easy to see the problems once I knew what to look for. I hugged her and said, “Becky, you’re wrong you know. Your daddy does love you. I can feel it, and you feel it also, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“He loves you more than you’ll ever know. Not more or less than the other three kids but just as much. When he leaves, you’re last on his mind; you’re right there. However, it’s not because he loves you less; it’s because he trusts you more. He knows how intelligent and sweet you are, and he knows he can trust you to do what’s right. I felt it in him when he left before. I wish I could generate that kind of trust. Here, I am stuck with fifty babysitters, and the numbers are growing every day. He can leave you alone because he believes in you. You’re very lucky. Stop trying to hurt men just because your daddy hurts you when he leaves. You’re a heartbreaker, and take it from me: it hurts.”
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“Don’t ever try to lie to me, Becky. You’re not sorry. You wanted to hurt me to get attention. Did it work?”
“Yes. For a little while.”
“Was that little while worth it, or are you hurting yourself more?”
“It was good at the beginning, but then it just went back to the way it was before. Only now I’ve lost a good friend.”
“Really? Who?”
“You, silly.”
“You haven’t lost me as a friend. Just as a boyfriend for now. I hope we can always be good friends, Becky.”
She turned to me and gave me a hug. We sat there a while, holding each other. Before the Crain family left, I told Captain Crain and Mrs. Crain what I’d found out. It was up to them now.
As soon as they left, Susan took me inside and sat down with me. “What’s wrong with Becky?”
I told her what I’d found out and what I’d done. I let her know I was worried about Becky and what she was doing to herself. “She’s empathic, Susan, and it’s affecting her. Every boy that likes her, she likes. It’s going to be hard on her.”
Susan hugged me, and so did almost everyone else. Afterward, I asked Susan if there were any more people I could help who would give me hugs like that. They all laughed.
I said, “Time to go to work.” I headed out to the workshop. Patricia was right behind me.
Green said, “The creature is very affectionate.”
Little Yellows said, “You have no idea.” To me, they said, “Stop trying to get free, or we will stop letting you see and hear.”
Gray asked, “What is a ‘floating crane’?”
Blue’s eyes circled as if going completely around inside his head—to the right and back from the left. The long look on his face and the eyes nearly screamed annoyance.
Green smiled while looking away from Gray, and it said, “Floating would be something that sits on the top of the water, and a crane would be something that can lift heavy objects. I would bet that a floating crane is something to lift the possibly heavy motor out of the boat and put a new one in.”
Green nearly burst out with laughter when Gray said, “Makes sense.”
I said to little Yellows, “Finally, Green got one correct.”
Little Yellows nearly dropped me in their amusement.
Big Yellows asked, “What is so funny, my friend?”
Little Yellows said, “Green is correct.”
“What is so funny about that?”
“For the first time.”
They all laughed except Green, who looked displeased and continued with the probing.
Chapter 29
First Encounter Face-to-Face
We came out two days later when the captain summoned us. She met us at the door and said, “Freddy, you need to see this.” We went inside to the living room. “Play that tape back.”
At first, it was just a scanner tape of the base, but as we watched, the tape showed a push in the side of the shield—not big but a definite bump. Something had tried to get in but could not. Something we could not see. It tried several times. I became excited and said, “Shop?”
“Yes, Freddy?”
“Bring the main scanners online at full power.”
“Working. Scanners online.”
“Good. Now
show me.”
“Working. Patching through the house monitor.” We all turned that way. Nothing showed.
“Shop, toggle through the entire spectrum. Pinpoint and show anything that cannot be seen in this mode.”
“Working. Found two objects.”
On the screen was a ship of unknown origin and a creature that looked like nothing I’d ever seen. It was under the water with its ship and testing my shield. “Very interesting. Shop, place a shield around it and a separate shield around its ship. Can we sense that creature?”
“Compliance. Yes, under eighteen different modes.”
The creature turned quickly and tried to escape but could not.
“Shop, bring it and its ship to the surface. Leave its ship at the open platform on the other side of the helipads, but keep it shielded. Bring the creature to me.”
“Compliance.”
“Shop, scan the ship. Are there any more living beings in it?”
“No, Freddy.”
“Freddy, are you sure this is a good idea?” Susan asked.
“Yes. It cannot get out of the shield, and we can easily kill it, if necessary. Just order Shop to decrease the size of the shield’s inner diameter to one foot, but don’t let it loose until I check it out.”
I turned to Katie, who immediately said, “I’m with you, Freddy.”
“Monitor my mind,” I told her, “and if I start acting weird, knock me out.”
“Will do.”
“Shop,” said Susan, “if Katie knocks Freddy out, then instantly destroy that creature.”
“Understood.”
We went outside and watched as the creature was slowly brought to us. It looked frightened.
When I reached the creature, it had folded up on itself a little. I touched its mind; the thoughts were very different from ours, but the basics were there. It was afraid—that was easy to see. “Shop?”
“Yes, Freddy?”
“Allow two-way communications, please.”
“Completed.”
I looked at the creature. It was unique and kind of pretty in a different sort of way. It had wings that radiated different colors, like a translucent butterfly. The torso was almost manlike, but I could easily tell it was a water creature by the fins and long, flat webbed feet and hands. I could see the strength in the limbs, but at the same time, it looked delicate. I said, “Hello.”
It turned toward me and said, “Hello, Freddy Anderson. My name is Bubble Maker.”
“You know me, and you speak English? You are one of our friends who lives under the sea?”
“Yes, friends. You were on television several times.”
“Why are you trying to break into my home?”
“Your shields are better than anything we have ever encountered. We are interested. My captain asked me to look into it. I am doing so.”
“You are at war with another?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“My scanners picked something up that made me believe so. How is the war going?”
“Badly for our side. We have lost many ships.”
“Why are you here on this planet?”
“We are assigned to protect your world.”
“But you are leaving. Why?”
“We cannot stop the asteroid that is headed your way, and the war is going badly so we are needed back at home. I am sorry, Freddy Anderson.”
“The asteroid is nothing, so don’t worry. I can destroy it. You want the shield technology before you pull out and it’s lost forever. Is this correct, my friend?”
“Yes. Can you really destroy the asteroid?”
“You have seen some of my new ships. Did you think we would sit around and do nothing?”
I don’t know if I would call the creature’s expression a smile, but it felt that way mentally. “My captain said that this race would never give up.”
“You speak very good English.”
“I have been stationed here for forty-three of your years.”
“I will be right back.” I smiled and said, “Don’t go away.”
I went into the workshop, with Susan and Patricia right behind me again.
“What are you planning to do?” asked Susan.
“I’m going to give Bubble Maker a goodwill present. I’m giving him the technology to the shield around my home.”
“Freddy, I don’t like that idea.”
“Don’t worry, Susan.” I ran back out before she could stop me. “Shop, allow this to go through the shield.” I levitated the disk and moved it toward the shield. It passed right through and into his hand. He placed it in a pouch. I told him, “That is the complete technology and directions for building the shield.”
He looked at me and said, “Thank you, Freddy Anderson, our friend.”
“Call it a goodwill present. Please come back and see us some time.”
“We will. We are very interested in your race as friends. We have much to learn from one another. At the beginning of this war, we were lost, as we do not fight between ourselves. It is your bad example that has saved us. We studied your tactics.” He patted his pouch, “This will give us the advantage. Something we have never had before.”
I raised my hand and said, “Shields up, Bubble Maker.”
“Good luck, Freddy Anderson.”
“Shop, please take this one and his ship back to where we captured him, and let him go.” I waved good-bye as he drifted back into the sea, and then I ran back into the house and watched as he entered his ship and left.
Gray said, “That was unexpected. The creature seems very giving. Perhaps we could ask it the questions instead of probing. It would be much quicker.”
I said nothing and tried to shield my mind.
Little Yellows said, “That might have worked if we’d come to his planet as friends instead of attacking immediately. We are now the enemy, and he has an obligation to not tell us. Note how we find out about his life but not details on technology.”
Green said, “This is correct. So far, he has given up less than any other.”
Gray said, “I must agree with Yellows. We should have befriended them first or at least tried.” All stared at the Gray. “What? You don’t think we recognize a good tactic when we see one?”
Almost everyone in the room said, “No!”
Yellows said, “Green, continue.”
Chapter 30
New Equipment
Susan stood nearly directly over me, like an angry, muscle-bound pit bull towering over a newborn kitten. She was just about to read me the riot act for giving him the ability to get through our shields, so I looked at her and, in a shaky voice, said, “Shop?”
“Yes, Freddy?”
“Scan the entire area for any potential hazards if we were to drop our shields.”
“Scanned. There are no issues at this time. The creature has left.”
“Good. Please drop the temporary shields, and start up the main shields.”
From the watch room, I could hear a whistle, so we all went that way. Denise was on watch, and as we entered, she said, “Captain, I don’t know what happened, but I was watching the screens, and they just went out. Within a second, they came up on a new mode. Look! We still have the main screen, but now we have five others showing other styles of scanning, and the shield changed. The scanners show that it’s over a thousand times stronger and totally different.”
“Keep up the good work, and learn these screens so you can train your watch relief.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I went into the kitchen. After two days without eating, I was hungry. Patricia was already there, eating. Susan followed me, and so did the admiral. Susan asked, “Freddy, when were you going to tell me about the new shields and scanning system?”
“I don’t know,�
� I said. “I had forgotten about them. No one can sneak up on us again, Captain. Not with these shields and scanners. These are the new version that I put in the destroyer. Oh, by the way, I need to bring it out soon. You wouldn’t happen to have fifty people you can loan me for a couple of days, would you?”
Patricia’s entire face lit up with her smile. She knew I was trying to change the subject, and she knew the captain would never go for it.
Susan said, “Listen to me, Freddy. You ever do that again, and I’ll personally turn you over to the lieutenant for a good over-the-knee session. Now, why did you do that?”
“First, I’m sorry a little but not much. Second, the oxygen in the water was depleting quickly, and the creature was going to suffocate soon if I didn’t hurry. Third, he was afraid of what we’d do to him. They have been caught before, and it’s never a good thing. Fourth, the present I gave him will help him hold his own against the others in their war. Fifth, the others are the ones who shot down my probe. Sixth, I needed a distraction, and that meant working fast, before he could think about it and start checking. You see, my computer had negotiated with his onboard computer and downloaded everything in the mother ship’s computers. As soon as I found out he was in constant communication with the main vessel, I contacted Shop mentally and put in the request. For that little gift we gave so freely and kindly, we received information about them and their allies and enemies, all of their technology, and, if I’m not mistaken, images of our history for the last three thousand years. I did not have time to ask permission, and he is slightly telepathic, only open thoughts. Still, discussing it in committee would have ruined the chance. Now the question is this: are we going to give this away to the army too?”
The admiral said, “I certainly hope not!”
Susan said, “Freddy, you did a good thing this time, but you must be very careful. We can’t just give away our technology.”
“I know, but it’s the only thing I could think of, and besides, I invented that shield and scanner on the spur of the moment when I was upset with the army. They are nothing compared to the ones I developed, once I had a few hours to sit down and think the problem through. All I gave away was a toy shield, compared to what we now have.”