by Tim Blagge
Jupsiv turned on the machine and began the erasure process. When that was complete, Bill’s new memories were installed. He repeated the process for Brenda.
“Doctor,” Stella asked “even though I was briefed before, give me your understanding of what Bill and Brenda will remember after this procedure.”
“Bill will remember everything accurately up until the time he met with the Head of Cromwell. That revelation concerning Mindcon’s role there has been replaced with the original story about Mindcon, the organization which helped them during their anti-gravity transition. Bill will remember that the war was initiated only by Cromwells because they had to find a new home world. Because of Bill’s guile and cleverness, it was ended.”
“When we gave the Cromwells a new planet with nothing in exchange, Bill will believe that we are a large generous institution concerned about the well being of all people in the galaxy. Both Bill and Brenda will be disappointed that we are not going to help them on Earth but in reality, our plans have not changed there. He will believe that you and Rolf will be working independently to assist him with the anti-gravity transition.”
“Our one miscalculation however, was our belief that no one could ever challenge Velador’s might and technology. This has now been corrected thanks to you, Bill and his family. We will see that Velador continues to build its defensive and offensive capabilities so that Mindcon can never be threatened again”
“Here is the drive that contains all of the Burtons’ original memories.” Jupsiv continued as he held up a small device. “It will be stored back at Mindcon’s headquarters. We may need to use it in the event something doesn’t go as planned.”
“And don’t forget, very few of our operatives fully understand our complete mission like you and Rolf do. It has always been our Directors’ plan to keep only a few of us at the top completely knowledgeable. Remember, no one else must know what we are planning!”
Jupsiv removed the electrodes, stored his equipment out of sight and told the pilot to clear the cabin of the gas that had rendered Bill and Brenda unconscious. When the air had returned to normal, Brenda and I started to come around.
We both awoke groggy but felt OK.
“What happened, where’s Four?” I asked Stella.
“Four’s fine but while the rest of us were upstairs with the pilot, the oxygen generator in the main cabin here failed. Before we realized it, you two had fainted. The rest of us put on oxygen supply masks and came down stairs and put masks on you two. The co-pilot quickly found the cause of the oxygen generator malfunction and now everything is back to normal.”
Rolf came down the stairs with Four and handed him to Brenda.
“Are you okay little man? You look fine.”
Four smiled broadly at being in his mother’s arms again.
“I think I need to have a talk with Pops,” I said as my head cleared. “Defects in space ships cannot be tolerated.”
Good, Stella thought, Bill’s passed the first test.
“Bill, let us know when you feel well enough to land. It’s 2 AM now so we should be able to get in and out without being seen.”
“Where are you and Rolf staying Stella?” I asked.
“We’ll be leaving the ship when you do. We’ll stay in a motel until we can rent an apartment.”
“Unless Pops’ house was destroyed in the last battle, stay with us. You can look for a place tomorrow. We’ve got a lot to discuss on how to get my device back on track.”
Good, Stella thought again, Bill’s passed another test.
“Bill,” Brenda asked, “did you bring a key to the house?”
“I think I forgot,” I said as I stood up and walked over to get a glass of water for Brenda, Four and me. I happened to put my hand in my pocked and felt a key.
“I guess I do have a key to the house,” as I pulled it out. “I’d forgotten I put it there even though, in the melee, I doubt if anyone locked the door on the way out.”
“Lack of oxygen, even for short periods can cause temporary memory loss so a little forgetfulness is expected.” Stella reminded me
“Okay, as long as we’ve been reacclimatized to the oxygen and pressure on Earth, let’s get this jalopy on the ground; it’s time to get to work.” I said feeling energized at the tasks ahead.
About ten minutes later, we were on a hill behind Pops house unloading the belongings we’d brought. When we got to the house, it was dark but from what we could see from the glow of the nearest street light, it was still there and looked the same. I pulled out the key, unlocked the door, walked in and flicked on the nearest light.
“Except for a serious layer of dust, nothing has changed.” I said. “Let’s all settle down and go to bed. After our bout with oxygen deprivation, I’m exhausted.”
Brenda and I took Pops and Grandmas bedroom and Stella and Rolf took Joanna’s. We made a makeshift baby bed of blankets and pillows and put Four down for the night.
Just as we were getting ready to climb in bed, there was a knock at the front door.
As I went downstairs, Rolf met me at the bottom and he was prepared. He had a mid-sized Lugar style pistol I’d seen him use before.
“Who’s there” I asked through the door.
“FBI,” was the answer “Who am I speaking to.”
“Bill Burton,” I answered.
“Mr. Burton we have been looking for you for almost a year. Let me in so I can verify that it’s you. I am Agent Foster.”
I opened the door a crack to see a man in his late twenties dressed in a suit. He was holding up his badge.
I opened the door and Rolf holstered his weapon. Foster came in with some pictures he had and confirmed that we were who we said we were.
“We thought you were either killed or captured during the last attack here but when we found no bodies or signs of escape, we were unable to understand what happened. I must call my commander Special Agent Vaughn. He’ll be happy to hear you’re still alive.”
“I’m really glad Agent Vaughn made it. Was anybody killed in the fight?” I asked.
“CIA Agent Alvarez was badly wounded. He was in the hospital for a long time and has been in rehab since. There were no other casualties on our side but we did find a lot of blood on the premises that didn’t belong to any of the attackers. That blood was matched to the elder Mr. Burton and a Lieutenant Smith. Are they with you?
“Not at this time,” I answered “but they did survive. Agent Foster go ahead and contact Vaughn and we’d be happy to talk to him, but we’ve all just been on a very, very long trip and need to rest. Would 9 AM tomorrow, work? And tell Vaughn to bring breakfast for four. We’ll also need some baby formula.”
I opened the door, pushed Foster out and said goodnight. As he was leaving, Foster said he would remain outside, on duty, so if we needed him, just call.
“What’s our cover story Rolf.” I asked.
“We just tell Vaughn that we decided to take a long vacation because the attacks got a little too aggressive. I think the less information we give the authorities right now, the better.”
“I agree,” I said. “In this case the truth won’t set us free as the saying goes; it’ll get us locked up in a padded room.”
The next morning Four woke us up at 5 AM. Brenda got up, and tended to him while I slept a little longer. By our 9 AM appointment time, Agent Vaughn and several of his colleagues came to the door. I opened it and he handed me four bags of breakfast fare from McDonalds and another bag with baby formula in it. I thanked him and told him to have a seat on the couch while I handed out breakfast and began eating.
Vaughn said nothing. He just watched the four of us eat and stood up and looked at our two babies.
“You folks have been busy while you were away, and it looks like you were doing more than working on anti-gravity.” Vaughn commented on the obvious. “And Brenda, your ring is quite nice too. Was it a down payment on a used anti-gravity device?”
“Bill and I are married now Age
nt Vaughn so Four here is definitely legitimate.” Brenda explained sounding a little embarrassed.
“First, your son’s birth status is none of my business and second; why did you name him Four?” Vaughn asked.
“He’s William Burton the fourth and with too many Bills in the family already, we started calling him Four and it stuck.” Brenda explained.
“What about your baby Stella? I can hardly wait to hear his name.”
“It’s Abraham,” Stella said, “simply Abe.”
“Now who wants to tell me where the hell you folks have been for the last year? Vaughn asked. “We were concerned that you were kidnapped but when no ransom demands materialized, we thought you were probably dead. Even the President calls every month or two, asking if we have heard from you.”
“As you can see,” I said, “we are not dead and we have actually been able to have a life away from the world of anti-gravity. Once the information about my invention was leaked, by my own government, our lives became a dangerous nightmare. Even though it wasn’t fully planned, getting out of town was one of the best things we’ve done.”
“I’m fully aware of the entire mess,” Vaughn replied, “but what about Jerry, your sister and Grandparents?
“Everyone is fine and thanks for asking,” I said. “We came back primarily because Brenda wanted to see her parents. After we do that, we’ll make a decision about what to do next. After discussing it for a year we’re still not sure.”
“I thought you wanted to work with JPL and our government on your invention, Bill.” Vaughn questioned. “Has that changed?”
“Possibly,” I answered, paused and suddenly got angry. “Since we discovered that the government is full of greedy bastards devoid of ethics or morals, we must be careful.”
“We’re not all bad in the Government Bill and I wanted to let you know, Waterman was convicted of treason and is in some hole in a special prison somewhere. Cushing managed to flee the country and up until now, is in the wind. We have teams of CIA agents beating the bushes looking for him all over the world. It’s only a matter of time until he’s ours.”
“Considering the information Rolf and I gave you ahead of time, I’m surprised Cushing got away at all. It doesn’t speak well for the Government’s competency, does it, Agent Vaughn?”
“Bill, a year away has hardened you some,” Vaughn said sounding a little disappointed yet sincere “We do the best we can working within the bureaucracy of our Government. Don’t forget, we were instrumental in liberating you and Stella from China.”
“And Stella and I really appreciate your efforts!” I responded. “We also heard from your Agent Foster that Felix Alvarez was injured in the last attack here. What’s his status?”
“There is a bullet lodged near his lower spine area and he is paraplegic. He does therapy and tries to get better but I’m afraid he will spend the rest of his life in a wheel chair.”
“He was my best friend in the government and my mentor.” Brenda said. “I feel terrible”
“I am so sorry Agent Vaughn, but I do have one last question,” I said. “Did you ever find out who was responsible for that last attack here?”
“No one that we arrested had an ID, but they were fairly easy to identify. In the end we caught eleven and they all had long rap sheets as mercenaries. Usually they worked overseas but were recruited by a group of Saudi Nationals who had ties to their oil industry. Our State Department is still working with the Saudi Government to see how deep the conspiracy went but the Saudi’s are denying any involvement themselves.”
“Same old BS, Agent Vaughn,” I said, “but I don’t mean you. It’s all the people in the government here and everywhere in the world who seem to be able to commit any crime that protects their self interests, without any consequences. So what was their purpose here?”
“The truth is, they wanted kill you and put an end to your device and technology. They felt you were a threat to their way of life. All those men are still incarcerated either here or at Guantanamo. Bill I have a question for you or anyone else in the room.”
“Sure, what is it?” I said.
“When the reinforcements arrived the night of that last assault here, everyone including me, Felix, our other guys and the attackers too, were unconscious. Can you explain that?”
“That’s strange,” Stella jumped in and said. “Could someone have tried to gas everyone and ended up getting caught in their own trap?”
“Stella, we found no evidence of any gas being used.” Vaughn answered. “Do you have any other hypothesis?”
“Not really, but that is quite puzzling.” Stella offered.
“And to top it off, everyone including me, our guys and our new prisoners had a headache from hell when we woke up a couple hours later.” Vaughn added. Was Rolf’s wave gun responsible? I saw a glimpse of it in China and it’s a device I’d sure like to have in my arsenal.”
I knew it was important to follow Stella’s lead and act stupid about the wave gun so I changed the subject.
“Since we just returned, Agent Vaughn,” I added, “we all have lots to attend to, so let’s meet back up in a day or two and I’ll outline our plans. Please keep our arrival confidential in the mean time and keep up the surveillance here. Thank for your help Marvin. You are one of the good guys and believe me, it is appreciated.”
Vaughn and his men left and I turned to Brenda.
“Now that we’ve got our stomachs filled, let’s put Four down for his nap and take one ourselves, Brenda, if you know what I mean.”
I always know what you mean Bill and I think a nap sounds just great.” Brenda agreed.
Brenda, Four and I went upstairs to tend to our personal needs. After we rested, Brenda got up and started to unpack.
Brenda where’d you stash the diamonds? We’ll need to sell or pawn a few of them to get some walkin’ around money’ as Pops used to say.”
Brenda looked surprised. “Bill, I can’t remember! I must have brought them but I don’t remember packing them,” as she started to riffle through the satchels.
“Whew,” Brenda said. “Here they are. I almost had a heart attack. How could I have forgotten that?”
“I forgot the fact that I had a key to the house last night. Maybe it was our temporary shortage of oxygen that’s causing us to not remember things.” I surmised.
Brenda continued to unpack and came across a package directed to me and it was from Pops. On top of the box was a letter. When I opened it I could tell Pops spent a long time composing its contents as writing was not a skill at which Pops excelled. I read it out loud to Brenda.
Dear Bill,
Even though I know we will be reunited one day, I wanted to tell you how proud I am of your accomplishments in life and especially on Velador. Your amazing strategies ensured the victory and survival of the Veladorian people and your clever negotiations with Mindcon caused them to suspend all involvement with any other species on any other worlds. It also allowed the Cromwells to begin their move to a new home planet.
Because I know how dangerous life on Earth can be, in this box I have enclosed a few items that you may find helpful in your quest to launch your anti-gravity technology there.
The first is a miniaturized wave gun I had my engineers create. It is fashioned in the shape of a writing pen. It only has a maximum range of fortyy feet but it could be helpful in close combat situations. The instructions are attached to the pen.
The next item is a second phone like the one I gave you when you left. It’s a spare but you may want to give it to Brenda. If it whistles, answer it quickly because you will have an important message from me or Velador. I won’t call unless it’s critical.
In case you need money, I have some stashed. Under a loose board in the floor of the entry closet where I kept my guns hidden is a box. It’s got about twenty thousand dollars cash in it to get you set up again there if you need it. Consider it a loan.
The small black box should be familiar to you.
It is a bug finder but one from Velador. A switch on the side allows you to check for bugs within Earth’s range of frequencies. Sliding that switch will allow you to discover bugs transmitting on Veladorian frequencies. As I understand it, a device like this helped you figure out the difference between the good guys and the bad guys.
The last box contains some of those beetles the people here revere. Instructions for their care are attached to that box. If you decide not to continue with anti-gravity, remember, those disgusting things, when prepared properly are tasty and keep your body regulated so it’s almost impossible to gain weight. That was Jerry’s idea. So good luck!
Grandma and I love you was wish you well. Be safe!
“Bill, that was lovely,” Brenda said softly. “You come from hearty stock!”
“That’s either a complement or you’re talking about the soup I’m always getting us into.” I joked. “Oh well my dear, now for the hard stuff; it’s time to call your folks.”
-Chapter 40-
“Mom, it’s Brenda, I’m in the area and I’d like to come see you and Dad.”
There was no response even though Brenda’s mother had answered the phone. Then her father came on the line. “Who’s this and what did you just say to my wife?”
“Dad, it’s Brenda,” she repeated.
“Brenda, is it really you?!” her father stammered. “We were afraid you were dead. Oh, thank God. Are you okay? You sound okay. Are you near? We’ve got to meet and find out where you’ve been for the last year.”
“Where’s Mom?” Brenda asked.
“She’s balled up crying on the couch in total joy, I think. Come on over, I’ll calm her down before you get here.” Brenda’s father said.
“Dad, there’s something you need to know. Bill and I are married and we have a month old son. You and mom are grandparents!”