The Gravity of Anti-Gravity II

by Tim Blagge

  “There’s only one solution,” Stella answered. “We’ve got to remove our chip.”

  “She’s right,” Rolf said. “I can adapt the laser gun to a low level and disable the device with a short blast. It will be painful but it should work. Stella can’t do the same thing because the devices are placed near our abdomens and it could kill the baby. The only way to do it is through surgery and we are not equipped to do that here.”

  Rolf’s phone activated. It was Blosh.

  “Rolf, I don’t have much time so listen closely.” he began. “The Cromwell’s are capturing all the CEOs they didn’t kill in the first attack. I have managed to escape so far but I’m not sure how long until I’m found. I had my chip removed so I can’t be tracked. Rolf, you and Stella must do the same because the Cromwells are looking for you too. I and three of my most trusted men will be making our way toward New Pasadena. So far, the Cromwells aren’t aware of that facility and it’s far enough underground that tracking the Veladorians who are working there is not possible.”

  “We have already encountered two Cromwell soldiers.” Rolf explained. “We killed one and have taken the second one hostage. We are also walking to New Pasadena and should arrive in a two or three days. The town of Grapsner is between us and New Pasadena. Is there a surgeon we can trust to remove our devices?”

  “There is a surgeon I am aware of but don’t trust him. I’ll send you his location. Even if he does the work at gunpoint, get your devices removed and be quick. As I understand it, the Cromwell’s are spread very thinly around Velador right now but will begin placing huge numbers of troops within a few weeks. Once that happens, it’s going to make the defense of our planet almost impossible. Good luck to us all and hopefully we will reconnect at New Pasadena.”

  “Based on what Blosh said,” Rolf began. “I have a new plan. First we strip this Cromwell of anything that could be used to track him. Stella and I and the Prisoner will take a route to the North. Jerry you, Bill, Brenda and Joanna take a route to the south. We will both rendezvous at the town of Grapsner.”

  “I suggest you four walk for an hour to put some distance between you and this location. Then I’d lie down for the night and get some rest. These woods can be treacherous at night and cold. So snuggle up, sleep and continue your journey to Grapsner tomorrow morning.”

  “Make your way to this surgeon and get him prepared to remove our two chips. If the surgeon resists, use force but hopefully he will understand why he needs to cooperate. As soon as everything is set up, call us and we will come in. Since we are a target, we must keep ourselves away from you and everyone else until we can’t be tracked anymore.”

  The four of us left and followed the route given to us by Rolf. With rifles aimed at the back of the Cromwell prisoner, Rolf and Stella left in a different direction.

  -Chapter 19-

  After an hour’s walk, we found a dry patch of ground, made a bed of leaves, stretched out and tried to sleep. At Rolf’s suggestion, we snuggled up together and used our body heat to stay warm. Jerry and I were on the outside and our new wives were on the inside. Being this close to Brenda made for a wonderful night despite the frigid conditions. I slept better than expected. The next morning at dawn we began our trek toward Grapsner.

  “Jerry, we’ve been walking almost three hours,” Joanna said. “Is it okay if we take a break?”

  “By my calculations, the town is over that next hill,” Jerry answered. “Let’s get a little closer and I’ll go in and find the doctor. I’ll call you three when it’s safe to come in. Here’s the address so you’ll know where to find me.”

  “Jerry, let me go with you.” Brenda offered. “I’m pretty well known on this planet so the surgeon and his staff should recognize me as one of the good guys. I think it will help.”

  “You’re not leaving Joanna and me here!” I said. “We’re all going to make it together or fail together.”

  After a short rest, Jerry took the lead and we walked toward the town. As we approached the small village, quaint farmhouses began to appear. As we entered the main part of the town the architecture looked to be right out of Earth’s medieval period. Many grey and tan color buildings made out of stone were spread neatly around a central square. Many of the homes had window boxes with beautiful flower arrangements in them. Even though I’d only seen it in books and TV, it reminded me of the old part of Rome. “This is enchanting.” Brenda commented and we all agreed.

  Jerry followed the directions that Rolf had given him and after a few blocks we neared the location of the doctor. Suddenly a group of eight Veladorians surrounded us anxious to meet Brenda and the rest of us. Jerry handed an English translation device to a Veladorian woman and asked where we could find the doctor’s office. She grabbed Jerry’s hand and led him about five doors down and into a waiting room. We all thanked the people, asked them to keep our presence in Grapsner secret for now and requested that they to go about their business.

  Jerry took the translation device and gave it to the female at the counter. He asked if the doctor was present and was told that he was due in at any time. We all took a seat in what appeared to be a waiting room just like we have at home except the space was devoid of year old magazines or any magazines for that matter.

  When the Doctor arrived, Jerry asked to have a private consultation with him. We were all introduced to a Doctor Flibrip and fortunately the fact that Brenda was present seemed to calm the otherwise alarmed physician. Jerry gave the translation device to the doctor and explained our request.

  “Doctor Flibrup, in the interest of the security of Velador, we need you to perform a simple surgery on two of our friends and patriots.” After Jerry explained our request, the doctor’s response surprised us.

  “No, I am sorry but it is against our Guidelines to remove the device. It also violates an oath I made when I became a doctor.”

  Then Brenda stepped in. “Dr. Flibrip, I assume you are aware of the grave threat the Cromwell’s pose to your planet. I believe you know this enemy has killed hundreds of innocent people already and plans to take over your planet and enslave the population. If the Cromwells are successful, they will have no regard for your customs, traditions or Guidelines!”

  “We and our friends may be the last and only remaining line of defense to reclaim Velador and return your beautiful world to its rightful owners and you, Dr. Flibrip are just one of them.” Brenda continued. “The other four billion people on this planet are hoping and praying that we succeed and rid Velador of this scourge. We need your help Doctor, right here and right now. Will you do that?”

  “Yes I will,” the doctor answered as he looked at the ground and shook his head slowly. He was obviously having difficulty with the decision he’d just made.

  Jerry immediately called Rolf and ten minutes later he, Stella and the prisoner stepped into the room.

  “Any problems Rolf,” Jerry asked.

  “We actually had to protect this Cromwell from the people we encountered here.” Rolf answered. “Three men wanted him dead and I had to explain that he was giving us information about the enemy and it was imperative we keep him alive. It seems our normally subdued population have recognized the threat and become quite agitated. I hope we can use that anger to our advantage in the future. Now where’s the Doctor?”

  “He’s in the next room getting ready.” Jerry answered. “Follow me.”

  While Brenda kept a rifle aimed at the prisoner, the rest of us entered the small operating room. The doctor was standing on a table against the wall trying to escape through a small high window. Jerry and Rolf ran over and dragged the doctor down.

  “You can’t make me do it. It’s wrong! It’s against everything I’ve ever been taught!” He screamed.

  The female that we had met at the counter came into the room and said, “I am the physician’s assistant and I can perform the device removal. It will cost me my job but if there is anything I can do to help our planet, I will do it. In this way Dr. Fl
ibrip will not be responsible and won’t violate his oath as a physician.”

  As we stood there watching, the woman prepared both Stella and Rolf. They were given a local anesthetic and with some sort of an electronic scalpel, a tiny incision was made. The device was removed and another odd tool was used to close the small incision. The entire procedure took less than ten minutes for each person.

  Then Brenda came in while Jerry watched the prisoner, sat on the table and the woman dressed the injury that she received in the Cromwell attack.

  All three people who just had minor surgery, appeared to have minimal pain. “How do you feel Stella?” I asked.

  “Just fine and the incision should heal within an hour or two. I’d like to thank the woman who helped us but I don’t know your name.”

  “I’m Mrs. Flibrip, the partner of the doctor. It’s obvious we don’t agree on this subject and I’ll make sure he doesn’t report any of this to anyone who might relay the information to the enemy.”

  “Stella, my equipment indicated that you are pregnant. May I check the health of your baby?”

  “Sure, I’m not certain what kind of medical help I will be getting in the near future so thank you.” Stella responded.

  After a brief examination Mrs. Flibrip commented “Everything looks just fine Stella.” Then she turned to Brenda and asked if she was pregnant too.

  “No way, not me!” Brenda recoiled as she answered. “I’ve only been married for three days and for most of that time we’ve been walking. So it’s way too early to tell isn’t it?”

  “Not with my equipment; come closer, yes it’s true you are pregnant” Mrs. Flibrip said as she moved a small piece of equipment near Brenda’s abdomen. “I suppose congratulations are in order.”

  I ran up to Brenda and gave her a hug. She just stood there with no response and her hands and arms hanging loosely at her side. Then she started to shake and her knees buckled a little. I was holding her so tightly she didn’t fall but slowly she raised her arms and gently began to hug me back. Then she stepped back and said.

  “What in the hell is going on? If this is God’s plan, I’m not sure I appreciate his timing. And what do I tell my parents? If we get back to Earth at the time we left, I’ll be pregnant and they will figure I was screwing around with Mr. Bill here all along. If we get back later, it’ll be fun explaining to my folks how I got married and knocked up on a different planet. That sounds like a one-way ticket to the loony bin.”

  Then Brenda threw up her hands, sighed and added, “Well, there’s nothing I can do to change anything now so I guess I’ll just have to go with it. Bill, can we get a room here for a day or two and rest? It’s a beautiful little town and I’m exhausted. You know I’m pregnant and need my sleep.”

  “That may be a good idea Rolf,” Stella said. “We could rest for a day and then you men could go to New Pasadena and plan our next moves. And to be honest, when I found out I was pregnant, the thought of taking up residence in an abandoned uranium mine concerned me greatly. Now that we know about Brenda, we need to protect our unborn children and stay away”.

  Mrs. Flibrip entered the reception area where we were talking and Rolf asked her to call the local authorities and request that they send over an officer.

  “We’ll wait here until the Constable arrives and take the prisoner to jail.” Rolf said “Mrs. Flibrip can you direct my wife to an inn nearby. We’ve all been on the road a while and we need to clean up and rest.”

  Mrs. Flibrip called a nearby inn and had them hold three rooms for us. “Normally Grapsner is a tourist town and this is our peak season.” She explained. “With the Cromwell situation, tourism is way off so there are plenty of rooms available. I can’t believe I’ve met the stars of my favorite show. I only wish it were under better circumstances.”

  Mrs. Flibrip gave Stella the directions to the Inn just as the Constable walked in. We all thanked her and said good bye.

  The three girls and I started walking the six blocks to our hotel while Rolf and Jerry accompanied the Constable and the prisoner to the local jail.

  The prisoner was placed in one of the cells and Rolf told the local constable that he would be back to interrogate the enemy combatant in the morning, after we’d had some time to rest.

  “Please Constable; do not let anyone know that you are holding a Cromwell soldier.” Rolf said. “Under the authority of CEO Blosh, this must remain confidential. We will return tomorrow morning and continue our interrogation.”

  “Wasn’t CEO Blosh and the other CEO’s relieved of duty?” The constable asked. “Hasn’t the overall government responsibility been transferred to Prossfell and Chancellor ’B’?”

  “According to Chancellor ‘B’, yes it has.” Rolf answered. “But his authority is coming from the Cromwells; and that in itself violates our planetary Guidelines. Until the CEO’s vote on Chancellor ‘B’s mandate, we have determined that he has no authority to take overall control.”

  “I’ll go along with you for now Rolf, but I am concerned about how I am supposed to respond or if I should call someone.” The constable commented.

  “It’s a strange world right now Constable, but we and CEO Blosh have determined that until all the States can vote on Chancellor ‘B’s declaration, we will follow the Veladorian Guidelines. We will see you in the morning. And please give the prisoner some food, he’s probably hungry.”

  Stella, Brenda, Joanna and I were halfway through our meal in the dining room of the Inn when we saw Jerry and Rolf walk in. We waved them over and they sat down and ordered.

  “What’s the next move?” I asked Rolf.

  “First we all get a full night’s sleep. Jerry, Stella and you Bill and I will go back to the jail in the morning and see if we can get any more information from our prisoner. Bill you contact Pops and see what he’s doing.”

  “Rolf, I just thought of something. Can the Cromwells trace our calls?” I asked.

  “Normally, no.” Rolf answered. “Our communication signals travel close to the ground and are programmed to hug the terrain. Only if they had a receiving station in the direct line of the transmission could they intercept any information. Our communications between citizens are also heavily encrypted and are protected in our Privacy Guideline. With help from our Government however, it is not impossible if the enemy were had the encryption code of your phone.”

  “I’ll call Pops from our room and tell you if he gives me anything you need to know tonight. Brenda and I have some important things to discuss in private.” I said. “See everyone in the morning.”

  “And Joanna and I need to have the same discussion,” Jerry added as he and Joanna stood up ready to follow Brenda and me upstairs.

  As the four of us moved away from the table, Stella smiled, looked at Joanna and said. “Be careful young lady, the fertility gods seem to be running rampant on Velador right now.”

  “I’ve noticed and thanks for the warning,” Joanna answered.

  After a glorious time with Brenda, I got up and let my new wife sleep. I went into the bathroom and called Pops.

  “Bill, thank God it’s you!” Pops answered sounding relieved. “There was a rumor that since you couldn’t be contacted, the Cromwells had captured or killed you. Tell me what’s going on.”

  I related our adventures during the prior day. I told Pops about our Cromwell captive and that we were not too far from New Pasadena in a medieval tourist town called Grapsner.

  “So where are you now, Pops?”

  “I’m in California supervising the final assembly of the remaining parts to maximize the number of ships we have available. I will leave Grandma here to finish that work while I go to New Pasadena and start setting up there. It appears that there aren’t as many Cromwell ships on Velador now so we’ve been able to move our equipment to the new facility without interference.”

  “The scuttlebutt is that most of the Cromwells went back home for refueling and to prepare their invasion force. Estimates are that they
will return in one to two months even though they have left enough people and ships here to occupy Prossfell and quell any problems. The enemy is saying that if any of our population gets out of line, they will send for more ships to nuke parts of Velador as punishment. I have no idea what they will do after they evaluate the dog fight that occurred over our plant here.”

  “As you might expect Bill, the people here are terrified. I’ve been able to convince them so far that an effort to reclaim the planet is preferable to ending up as a slave to the Cromwells. At least they felt a little stronger and patriotic after they witnessed us taking out six Cromwell ships.”

  “Have you been able to manufacture any nukes yet?” I asked.

  “Bill, it’s only been a couple days since I saw you last. I’m good, but not that good. We’ll start that process in New Pasadena. I already have a few engineers there working on the project but it still looks like it’ll be a while before we have that capability. So when will you and Brenda get there?”

  As soon as Rolf, Jerry and I find transportation, we should be there right away.” I explained. “Pops, I have an announcement. Brenda is pregnant. I guess it happened on our wedding night. I believe it’s wise to leave Brenda here. Living in an old uranium mine would not be good for the baby. And Stella is pregnant too. I know how your mind works so before you ask, it’s not mine. Because of that development, Stella is probably going to stay here too. So the conundrums and complications and confusion just keep on getting heaved on us don’t you think?”

  “Nice alliteration Bill, but waxing poetic won’t help us much right now. And thanks for making me a great grandfather even though I’ll need time to digest that concept. Keep your head in the game and we’ll get through this and find a solution. Our plan is solid. The challenge is to execute the plan before the Cromwells have a large enough force here to take over completely.”