by Z Gottlieb
“I’m not sure I could recommend my own planet, either,” Brad added. “There are still too many unstable areas. I can’t imagine the havoc that would result if the wrong countries or people had access to your technology.” Brad was aware Connor had been working on a project separate from Nan, but didn’t have any insight into it. He wasn’t sure Connor would share the details, either, but he would be polite and ask. “What about your special project?”
Connor reached for a slice of pizza. “Unfortunately, continuing Earth’s observation status may impinge upon the success of my project. I will definitely need your help if the project is going to have a successful outcome.”
Although Brad was surprised from Connor’s invitation, he attempted to maintain a neutral expression. He said nothing but handed Nan and Connor napkins across the table, as Nan also grabbed a slice of pizza. Having gone through half of his life supporting Connor’s projects, he wasn’t sure if he was ready to take on another one so soon. “What exactly is this mysterious project you’ve been working on for the Fleet?”
Connor, finishing his bite of pizza, put his slice down. “Before I was forced into retirement, I became concerned the Fleet was becoming stale and risk adverse. I began believing it would impact the long term success of the Fleet’s operations.”
“I realize I have a unique but limited perspective. From what I saw, the Fleet didn’t seem to have many issues that could not be easily fixed.”
“Despite the youthful appearance of CIG’s Fleet personnel, there are a large number of individuals who have been in the Fleet for over a century. Many of them think creating a new directive for perfecting the count of food packages on board is innovative. They serve to exist rather than the other way around, serving CIG’s Fleet. New blood is desperately needed.”
“How does this relate to your project?” Brad asked, wanting to understand since he was being drafted to support it.
“When I was forced into semi-retirement, I had read the observation reports about Earth and thought the planet might be a source for potential recruits whose outlook had not become ‘inbred.’ I contacted a few individuals who were like-minded and moved here. My intention was to study the inhabitants and possibly recruit a select few individuals. I had planned on recruiting you, but when you married Shinny, it became her responsibility to shepherd your immigration into CIG. Your introduction to CIG was not only unorthodox but also contrary to prescribed protocols.”
“Frankly, had I not seen Griken’s shuttle, I’m not sure I would have believed anything either one of you might have told me,” Brad interjected.
Shinny reached below the table for Brad’s hand and gave it a light squeeze to gain his attention. “I suspected that would be the case, which may be why I used every excuse I could think of to avoid having the discussion.”
Connor continued, “Nevertheless, when I was recalled, I saw it as an opportunity to not only recruit you, but also observe your performance. I viewed it as a gamble that you would impress the seniors in the Fleet enough for them to consider recruiting more personnel from Earth. It never occurred to me you would end up on an Aneplé ship.” Connor paused, breathing deeply. “It was extraordinarily stressful watching both of you from the Zuonopy boarding the Kisskalu. I was facing the possibility of losing both of you at the same time. Your escape and rescue of the Neslin Colony was astonishing. I couldn’t be more proud of you.”
Embarrassed by Connor’s praise, Brad smiled weakly. “Thank you, but truthfully, I could not have done it without the help of others, especially Shinny and our fortunate association with Yeshawliq,” he reminded everyone, treasuring Shinny’s hand in his.
“That may be so, but I believe Shinny will agree with me that very few individuals would have performed as well as you, or come up with the idea of modifying a transfer vehicle to transport the colony,” Connor replied, wiping his hands on a napkin. “As a result, there has been a small clamor for more recruits from Earth. I plan to continue looking for potential recruits with help from a few others, including you.”
Brad was amused by Connor’s plan, especially since he had not committed himself to anything beyond enjoying his time with his family. But he also wondered how Connor would recruit with his other Fleet responsibilities. “What about your role as the Fleet’s Connor and defense of Earth?”
“For now Earth is very safe and well hidden from the Aneplé. The recapture of the Kisskalu has provided CIG with the momentum needed to begin changing the course of the conflict and bring it to an end, however, I will not be returning to CIG space for now. Admiral Yespeth will be promoted to Connor. As I mentioned earlier, the Fleet is in need of new blood. The position essentially disappeared when I resigned as Connor as a result of the treaty with the Aneplé. CIG finally realized it had created a leadership vacuum. The Fleet’s command structure disintegrated as a result. Reinstating the position with someone new will also do a reset with CIG. She won’t have the baggage I have and Representative Bequin promised to give Admiral Yespeth his full support. I will step back out of her way into an administrative role, providing Yespeth guidance when requested. I plan to continue to support the Fleet where I can from Earth.”
“Since you are no longer Connor, how do I address you in the future?” Brad asked.
“A name change with my established identity on Earth would create confusion, so for now I will keep Connor as my name. However, in the Fleet environment, Admiral will be acceptable.”
Brad wasn’t surprised but was in the mood to tweak him. “Okay, I think I got it, Dad.”
Connor took a breath to respond when a medical officer approached the alcove. Connor waited for the officer to step into the alcove and take a seat at the table before he gestured for a privacy screen. “Brad, I asked Medical Officer Lipmizan to come here to talk to you on the results of the blood sample they took before we left for the Zuonopy.”
Brad looked at the serious faces around the table and wondered if it was bad news. They’d already determined differences in his smell receptors and immune system from his reaction to the plants the Aneplé cultivated. How much more different could he be? Couldn’t be too much more, he thought, since he already fathered a son with Shinny. Brad stuck his hand out for an Earth style handshake. “Nice to meet you, call me Brad.”
Lipmizan, who had been on Earth for a few years, reached toward Brad to grasp his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I know you are eager to pick up your son, so I won’t take up much of your time.”
Glancing at everyone, Brad worried what the medical officer might tell him. He found it interesting the conversation would include his wife and in-laws. “Is there a problem?”
“There’s no problem. We completed an analysis of your family’s genetic makeup and owe you an explanation of our findings. Approximately, 95% of Earth’s inhabitants genetically match a majority of the people in CIG, even individuals in CIG with outward physical differences such as cranial ridges or pointed ears. Within both Earth and CIG, a few people fall into small, specialized groups for whom we really don’t understand the nuances in their genes. They are known as outliers.” Lipmizan stopped for moment to ensure Brad followed his explanation.
Brad nodded, preparing himself for the worst. “Go on.”
“Your genetic makeup matches many who are from the planet Dobenate. The inhabitants of Dobenate are known to possess Psi-Talents.”
Brad was flabbergasted by the medical officer’s words. It was the last thing he expected to hear. “I’m telepathic and can read people’s minds?”
“Do you think you can read anyone’s mind?” Lipmizan asked.
Brad look at everyone around the table, attempting to read their minds. “ Uh, no, not that I know of at this time.”
“Then I would say you are not telepathic. Telepathy is one of the largest Psi-Talents, however, those with that talent tend to isolate themselves and remain on the planet because when they travel to other areas of CIG there is a constant din running through their h
eads. In addition, because there is a misperception they are “reading” everyone’s thoughts and violating privacy, Dobenates face discrimination when they are identified, whether or not an individual is telepathic. If word about your genetic makeup spreads, it may be problematic.”
“If I’m not telepathic, then what am I?”
“There are many different Psi-Talents, such as telekinesis, the ability to move objects, or pyrokeneses, the ability to control fire. In fact, there are more than twenty specialties we are aware of at this time. We suspect there may even be a few others Dobenates have not shared with us.” Lipmizan, watching Brad nod in understanding, continued. “From the little we know, and what has been observed, I would guess your specialty is precognition. This particular Psi-Talent provides you with a perception of events before they occur.”
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m not doing anything special beyond putting pieces together of what might happen next,” explained Brad.
“Generally people don’t see it any differently than what you just described. It is usually referred to as intuition. It probably would not have been identified in you except another characteristic is precognitive dreaming. We believe the combination of shock upon learning of our existence and your extreme reaction to the exposure to the plant triggered the dreams.” Lipmizan turned to Nan. “Do you mind if I continue?” Seeing Nan shake her head “no,” he continued. “Your dream was so strong you inadvertently projected it to Nan. While you may not have understood they were Neslins in your dream, she did and was surprised, since she knew you had never met one.”
Embarrassed by what Nan may have seen from his dream, he asked, “What else did she tell you?”
“Merely that you were running behind a group of Neslins. Obviously, at the time, no one understood the implications of the dream, but it is the strongest evidence for us to believe you are precognitive, in addition to having the genetic marker.”
“I don’t understand why you are guessing precognition. Isn’t your medical science advanced enough for a definitive diagnosis?”
“The details of the science related to the Psi-Talents have been limited to researchers on Dobenate. They are secretive about their knowledge.”
“So, essentially I need to travel to Dobenate for more information about the Psi-Talent,” Brad stated in understanding.
“Or not, and accept it for what it is,” Connor answered for Lipmizan. “If you do go there, by treaty they may claim you as a citizen and restrict you from leaving. It’s a fairly common tactic used for people who visit. We would not be able to rescue you.”
“Okay, it is what it is and I learn to live with it, without understanding it. Genetically speaking, where did it come from?”
“Most people don’t have the genetic markers. However, both of your parents do. The genes were dominant in your mother and recessive in your father.”
“Hmm, so ‘mother’s intuition’ wasn’t just a saying in my mother’s case,” quipped Brad. “What is the case with my son?”
“Your son is carrying the dominant genes like you. He inherited from you and his grandfather,” explained Lipmizan.
Brad’s face tensed. “I thought you had mentioned my father had a recessive gene.”
“He was referring to me,” Connor stated.
Brad looked at Connor in surprise. “Did you know?”
“No. There was no reason to suspect until they saw Dane’s genetic profile. Like you, it is what it is for me, also. We may have an idea of what could happen, but that doesn’t necessarily tell us the event will happen or what to do. Have you ever made a bad decision and found yourself wishing you had done something else?”
“Of course.” Brad nodded. “You’ve been there a few times where I would have loved to have hit the replay button. However, for as many times as I had the same dream, I had no idea what it meant and apparently I couldn’t change it. I’m not even sure if knowing about it ahead of time made a difference. I just don’t want to keep second-guessing myself. I almost believe I would have been better off not knowing.”
“From my perspective, your intuition saved our lives a number of times and I would never want to change that,” Shinny told him.
Brad turned to her. “Thanks. Hopefully, we never find ourselves in a similar situation again.”
Connor shifted in his seat. “We may have a slight advantage because of our precognition or intuition but it doesn’t necessarily provide us more insight on the decisions we need to make. Possibly with more training on Dobenate, we might have an understanding of the science behind what our intuition is telling us, but it seems to me we’ve done fine without the training. My assumption is we would still need to go through our internal decision making process, no matter what our intuition told us.”
Brad nodded. “Agreed, as long as there isn’t an expectation that I’ll always know exactly what to do.”
“If this is kept between us, I don’t think anyone will have any unrealistic expectations of you.” Seeing Brad respond with a nod, Connor continued. “There’s one other issue you should be aware of. This is new for me also. Just as you have projected to Nan, apparently I did the same to you without realizing it. But imagine my surprise when you named the dark hole Connor’s Gambit. I had been thinking of your recruitment as a gambit that was already working out with the discovery of the dark hole. I apologize for that projection.”
“Ah, it all makes sense, now. The next time I sense something from you, don’t be surprised if I ask you to keep your thoughts to yourself,” Brad responded lightheartedly. “It seems like both of us have a few things to learn when it comes to this new ability.”
“If it would help, I could look through the available medical records to see if there are others with the genetic marker whom you could meet,” offered Lipmizan.
Although Lipmizan was trying to be helpful, Brad could no longer hold himself back and burst out laughing. “I can’t quite see a support group for the intuitive. It would be irony in the extreme.”
“Since you put it that way, I can see it may not be a productive use of your time. I won’t keep you any longer. If there’s anything more I can do for you, feel free to contact me.” Lipmizan stood up and nodded a salute to the table. Connor released the shield and the doctor left the alcove.
Brad stood up and reached for Shinny’s hand. “We’re going to pick up Dane. We’ll meet you at the shuttle.”
“We are right behind you. We want to finish lunch before we pick up Ben and Sarah,” Connor explained to them.
Shinny stood opposite Brad and looked down at Dane’s bed waiting for him to be awakened from hibernation. She turned toward the attending medical technician. “We’re ready. Please wake up our son.” Actually, she was more than ready. She wondered if her parents had went through the same anxiety she felt at that moment each time they picked her up from hibernation. Then again, she was sure they didn’t have quite the same close call during her hibernation she and Brad had experienced.
Dane’s eyes popped open and looked at the two familiar faces staring at him. He reached up with both arms. “Mommy, Daddy,” he shrieked with glee.
Brad stepped closer and picked up Dane and held him tightly as Dane hugged him. Looking at Shinny, “Rank may have its privileges, but heroes first.”
Shinny walked around the bed and hugged both Brad and Dane. “I’ll let you have this one, this time, but next time, I’ll take you to the mat,” she responded, smiling back.
“It’s a date,” confirmed Brad with a slow smile back at Shinny.
Dane pulled back and looked at both them. “No more bad dreams, no more fighting.”
“No more bad dreams or fighting,” Brad repeated. “Mommy has a present for you.”
Shinny reached down into her tote and pulled out a green toy and handed it to Dane as his hands reached for it. “The dragon’s name is Yeshawliq.” She repositioned the dragon in Dane’s hands. “You need to be careful you don’t break Yeshawliq’s wings.”
“Greetings, Dane, I am happy to finally meet you. Your parents have told me all about you,” Yeshawliq said to the little boy holding her.
Dane stared at the dragon, dropping his jaw in surprise. “You can talk!” he exclaimed in excitement.
“Yes, and I can do a few other things like fly and change my colors. If you let go, I can show you,” Yeshawliq said.
Dane released the toy and breathlessly watched as the toy dragon spread her wings and flew around Brad to perch herself on Brad’s shoulder, changing to a red brick color. “You can fly. What else can you do?”
“I can do many things and will be your teacher and a friend. But I’m also a family secret. Do you understand?” Yeshawliq asked. Seeing the little boy nod, the dragon turned to Shinny and Brad. “Thank you for bringing me home with you.”
Brad smiled, watching Dane’s interaction with Yeshawliq. “Yeshawliq, welcome to our family.”
Dane gasped as Yeshawliq changed again. “She’s Lucky.”
Brad chuckled in appreciation as Yeshawliq sported the Johnson plaid. “Yes, Yeshawliq is lucky. I believe there’s a shuttle waiting for us. Let’s go home.”
Glossary
LSU – Light Speed Units
Dear Readers,
Thank you very much for your support. If you enjoyed the book, I encourage you to leave a review at the site that you bought my book. Also, please tell your family and friends who also enjoy science fiction about my book.
Currently I am working on a follow-on book. I promise that many of your favorite characters will return with a number of other new characters and aliens.
If you would like to contact me, I can be reacted at [email protected].
Sincerely,
ZGottlieb