by Saxon Andrew
“Let’s take this one step at a time. I know it is not made from metals. Think about how hard it would be for a water-dwelling creature to manufacture steel or any other metal under water.” Jimmy turned to Rachel, “Tell me more about this squeal technology.”
“It won’t work with the size of the document you showed me but you can deliver several minutes of speech in less than a second.”
Jimmy smiled, “I’m going to put you with one of our top engineers and let’s see what the two of you can come up with.”
Rachel nodded and looked at her drawing. She was never going back to the stream next to the mountain again.
• • •
Six weeks later, the new software was sent out to the ear-links and Jimmy sent a squeal message to Nicky. He had his unit on and felt the vibration, he put the link in his ear and heard Jimmy say, “We’ve developed a new system that allows us to communicate in short two minute bursts of conversation. Your link will automatically send each two minute conversation automatically so continue talking. I’ll respond once I hear your message.”
Nicky sat in silence for a long moment and then began speaking. “Jimmy, while Earth was on the other side of the sun, two of the larger, medium sized asteroids were moved out of their orbits and it’s been almost impossible to find where they went. I used pretty much every system available to me and nothing showed up. Then it dawned on me that if the agency that moved them would want to send them while Earth was back on the other side of the sun to limit the time a response could be made to them, they had to be located where they would hit Earth during the next winter cycle in the Northern Hemisphere. I used the computer to plot orbital paths for them to arrive in December of next year and once I had that plotted, I went back and took a good close look at the asteroid belt. I focused on small asteroids to see if any had been nudged slightly in their orbits by the passage of the two large ones. I begin seeing a trail through the belt where small asteroids were bumped slightly from their former positions by gravity of the passage of the two large asteroids.
I followed that trail all the way out to Sedna, the largest asteroid circling the sun, and it stopped. I now know where the asteroids were hidden. They’re directly behind Sedna. I’ve been able to detect smaller asteroids being affected by the increased mass around Sedna. Once the Earth moves around the sun and can’t see what’s happening, those asteroids along with one other, are going to be pushed out of orbit and start the long fall toward the sun where they’ll impact Earth about two years later. If it doesn’t happen this winter, it will happen the next.”
Nicky paused, “Jimmy, they moved them a lot faster than I thought possible. They’ll be hitting us in two or three years from this summer. We’ll see them coming about a year out and have a year to plan a mission to stop them. The stuff will hit the fan about one or two years from now, that’s when our telescopes will see them moving toward Earth’s orbit. It is not going to take the five-years I originally thought. I’m going to head out to the project once I see them moving toward Earth and make a projection of when and where they’re going to hit. You probably need to start the exodus out to the valley now. I’m sorry I doubted you. You were right all along.”
Nicky stopped talking and a moment later heard a quick beep. The Link stopped and he put it away. He refused to look at people around him from that moment on; all of them were going to die and seeing the young children and babies was more than he could bear.
• • •
Jimmy listened to Nicky’s transmission and sighed heavily. There was less than a full year where things would remain pretty much normal. Then it was going to be a madhouse in pretty much every country. But moving the high numbers of talented, powerful people to the Project would not go unnoticed. He shook his head and wondered how he was going to make it happen. Summer and Rachel listened to Nicky’s message with him and saw him shaking his head. Summer sighed, “How are we going to get them all here?”
“I don’t know.”
Rachel listened to them and said, “You don’t have to bring them here.” Jimmy and Summer looked up at her. “You just have to make sure they’re somewhere they can get here when it happens.”
“What do you mean, Rachel?”
“If you have all of them descending on this valley, Switzerland, and every other powerful country will see it.” Rachel paused and smiled, “But this valley is surrounded by Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Poland to the East along with Hungary. How many will need to be brought in?”
“About six thousand?”
“So if about nine-hundred take trips to each of those countries just prior to the asteroids being detected, they won’t be noticed. Especially if they’re taking a ten-day vacation to a European Country. When the asteroids are seen, I’m certain jet travel is going to be a massive problem when people who are in Europe want to get home and visa-versa. Our people can start making calls home saying their flights have been canceled and they’re unable to get back and are stuck here. That will throw suspicion off them that they’re up to anything suspicious.”
“So how do we get them here?”
Rachel smiled, “We have about eight-hundred soldiers here, don’t we?” Jimmy nodded.” Activate the communication system and have them all go out on motorcycles to start picking them up and bringing them here through the mountains. The vacationing Project Members can use their ear-links to direct the soldiers to their locations. Europe is smaller than the northeastern United States and in less than a couple of weeks, all of them could be moved here with no one being the wiser. Especially in the mayhem that takes place once the world learns what’s coming. And if you have members that live close to each other traveling together as a tour group…” Rachel shrugged.
Summer smiled, “It will cause less suspicion about that many scientists and engineers traveling together.”
Rachel smiled, “Exactly.”
Jimmy thought about it and said, “We’ll have the soldiers already out scattered around Europe and actually start moving some of them before everything hits the fan.”
“How are we going to purchase that many motorcycles without it being noticed?” Summer asked.
“That’s simple,” Jimmy answered. “We just have the eight-hundred Soldiers catch a helicopter to the surrounding countries and purchase one. We’ll give them enough Euros to pay for them in cash and they can make several trips if needed. We just need to make sure that whoever goes to Germany to purchase one doesn’t go back there to purchase the second.”
Rachel tilted her head, “Why would they be buying more than one?”
“We have eight hundred soldiers but we also have about five-thousand others here and I’m pretty certain many them can ride a motorcycle; if we can double the number going out, we’ll have everyone in fast enough to avoid being seen doing it.”
Summer smiled, “I’m pretty sure that some of the families coming here can ride a motorcycle and they can say that the purpose of their vacation is to come to Europe to purchase a BMW or Ducati bikes to bring back home after a cycling tour of Europe.”
Jimmy shook his head, “The only way this can happen is to get this information out to the Project Managers and have them organize their groups to make it happen. That information is too large to send out over the communicators.” Jimmy looked at Rachel, “I really don’t want to use you as a courier but events seem to demand that I do.”
Summer shook her head, “A twelve-year old girl is not going to be allowed to travel that extensively without an adult.”
“Suzette will go with me.” Both turned to Rachel and she smiled, “We get along really well and she told me she feels like a third foot around here. The engineers are installing the magnetic and Laser Cannons and all she does is stand around and watch them. How many project managers need to be contacted?”
Jimmy stared at her and said, “About fifty.”
“We need to go now. That’s more than one a day for the next two months and plans need to
be announced and travel plans made long before they leave.”
“I’ll need to develop the written plans for them to follow and that’s going to take some time.”
“Not really. Each of them average a hundred people in their groups and I can write the plan for each of them on their computers when I arrive. I’ll suggest ten groups that are located close together geographically to vacation in the same country. That doesn’t take much thought and you can help by sending a quick squeal to the managers to find out how many families are motorcycle riders.”
“Jimmy, Rachel and Suzette have to go armed,” Summer said.
“That’s not a problem?” Rachel interrupted.”
Jimmy looked at her, “Is that so? Just how will you get a weapon through airport security?”
“The barrel and magnetic mini-batteries will go through with our carry-on luggage. The magnetic batteries will replace the normal battery in our laptops. The handle and trigger assembly will be made to look like part of a hair-dryer. The five buttons on the handle will look like heat settings and since the whole thing is made from plastic, they shouldn’t cause an issue. We can have an engineer make them actually work like a real hairdryer.”
“You’ve been thinking about this, haven’t you?”
“Yes, Daddy. I’m really bored as well and this should be fun.”
Summer looked at Jimmy and said, “You have to show her if you’re going to allow her to do this.”
Jimmy just stared at Summer and Rachel saw their expressions. She tilted her head and said, “Show me what?”
“Jimmy, it’s the only way I’ll agree to this,” Summer insisted.
“Show me what?!” Rachel asked louder.
“I just don’t know if it’s a good idea. She’s only twelve.”
“SHOW ME WHAT!! Rachel yelled.
Summer and Jimmy looked at her and Jimmy blew out a hard breath. He glanced at Summer and saw Rachel staring at him with her hands on her hips. Suddenly, he disappeared. Rachel’s head snapped back and her mouth fell wide open. Jimmy reappeared and she started shaking her head, “You have got to show me how you do that!”
“You can’t abuse it, Rachel.”
“Oh, I won’t…much.”
“Rachel!!”
“Daddy, I’ll be careful and not abuse it but you have to admit that there are just times you really wish you could hear what people are saying behind your back.”
“Even so, I want you to promise me you will respect other’s right to privacy.”
Rachel groaned and within thirty minutes, she could vanish. Summer thought about their plans on how to take the weapons through airport security and offered another plan.
Rachel and Suzette left two days later by car for England.
• • •
Two days after that, Candice came running in to his office and was clearly fearful, “Jimmy, the inspector has contacted me and orders me to report to his office in Geneva tomorrow to meet with the President of the Bundesrat!”
“Did he say why?”
“NO! I THINK THEY’RE ON TO US!!”
“Relax, Mom. I’ll go with you.”
“BUT!!!”
“Worrying about it won’t accomplish anything. Let’s go see what’s going on.”
“Do you think we can buy our way out this?”
“Bribery is our last resort. Let’s go and see what’s got him stirred up.”
• • •
Alem took them to Geneva that night and the next morning they went to the location of the office the Inspector had given them the day before. They arrived and the Inspector was waiting for them. He escorted them into his office and picked up a handset, “They’re here.”
Candice looked at the Inspector, “Is there a problem?”
The Inspector smiled, “This is the quietest I’ve ever seen you. You’ve been screaming about seeing the Bundesrat about a telescope for years.”
Candice sat back in her chair, “Is that what this is about.”
“No.” The Inspector said without smiling. I just thought I’d return the favor.”
Jimmy looked at him, “I know how you feel.”
“And who are you?”
“I’m Dr. James Caspari, her son.”
The Inspector smiled, “God have mercy on you.”
The door opened and the President of the Bundesrat walked in. He looked at the Inspector and said, “Get out!” The Inspector stood up and left the room in an instant. The President sat down in the Inspector’s chair and looked at Candice and Jimmy with narrow eyes. Jimmy prayed his mother would keep her mouth shut. Whoever spoke first was going be at a huge disadvantage. The President waited five minutes and smiled, “I see you’re aware that speaking first would not be a good thing.” Jimmy nodded and the Inspector turned his attention to him. “What are you building in the mountains?”
Jimmy smiled, “A scientific facility to detect Gravity Waves.”
The President nodded slightly and leaned back in the chair and turned to stare out of the window at Geneva. He continued to stare at it and said, “One of my engineers is working on the new electronic array in Chile. He heard his project supervisor discussing with his government that two rather large asteroids have gone missing in the asteroid belt.” The president turned back to them and said, “I suppose you don’t know anything about that, do you?”
Candice shook her head and Jimmy simply stared at the President. The President kept his eyes on Jimmy’s and said, “You madam, are lying.” He continued to stare at Jimmy and said, “I’m going to ask you one more time; what are you building in the mountains?”
“We have built a device to detect gravity waves but we’re also constructing a place to survive the coming asteroid impacts, Mr. President,” Jimmy answered.
Candice’s face turned white, “JIMMY!”
Jimmy remained silent and the President stared at him. “You started building that facility almost a decade ago. Explain to me how you knew about the asteroids that long ago.”
“This morning when you got out of bed you stepped on a small plastic car your son left beside the bed. You tripped and hit your hand on the dresser. On the way here, a black limo plowed into the rear of a garbage truck and you told your driver that, ‘There goes more needed tax dollars’. On the way, up the stairs, one of your advisors told you that your re-election looked really good.” The President’s eyes narrowed and Jimmy said, “I sent an email to your office describing these events last night.”
The President stared at Jimmy and turned to the computer terminal on the Inspector’s desk. He pulled up his email and saw in the inbox an email that was sent from a J.Caspari and opened it. He read it and his eyes narrowed even more. He looked over the computer screen at Jimmy, “How did you get my email address?”
“The same way I got the information you’re reading. Your re-election effort is going down the tubes in about three weeks when the woman you’ve been seeing for the last five years is offered a million euros by your opposition to reveal your affair. She’s turned them down so far and has denied everything. I would highly suggest you send her on a shopping spree to New York by tomorrow and prevent them from offering her two-million euros this weekend. Ask her about it and I’m pretty sure she’ll confess it to you.”
The President stared at Jimmy and he sighed, “Mr. President, I have a talent of seeing dreams of what’s going to happen in the future. I had a dream of those asteroids hitting Earth and I’ve been building a place where I could plant a seed that might survive the coming impacts.”
The President took out his cell phone and pressed a number. He stared at Jimmy and then said, “I’ve been feeling guilty that I’ve not shown you the appreciation you really deserve. I’m making a 20,000-euro deposit into your account and I’m going to have a courier deliver an airline ticket to you this afternoon. I have a reservation in your name at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City and I want you to take those funds and spend all of it on whatever your heart desires. Are you
able to leave this evening?” The President waited and they heard a woman’s voice over the cell phone’s speaker she was talking so loud. “Good.” Enjoy yourself and let me know how you trip goes.” The President waited a moment and turned on the cellphone’s speaker, “…but I told the reporter there was no truth to what he was insinuating. He offered to pay me and I told him to leave!”
“Thank you. Please enjoy yourself and I’ll see you when you return.” They heard a loud squeal over the speaker and the President ended the call. He looked at Jimmy and said, “I’ve learned over my years in politics to know when someone is being deceitful. You believe what you’re saying.”
Candice spoke up, “He can see what’s going to happen, Mr. President.”
The President looked at her, “Whatever you say has no value to me. You lied and anything you say after that is not trustworthy.” The President turned back to Jimmy, “But you… are being honest. At least about what you believe. Tell me why I shouldn’t just go in and confiscate your little project?”
“Because anyone you would send there would not survive the impacts. They wouldn’t know the science of what we’ve built and they will die with the rest of the planet. You will also make it known if you send in troops to take it that there is a facility there that is built to survive the impacts and the leaders of every major government will send in their armed forces to take possession of it from you when things start going off the rails. In the end, it will go up in a nuclear explosion.”
The President nodded, “If I can’t have it, no one will!” Jimmy nodded. “Is there a place for my family?”
Jimmy sighed, “And where does that stop, Mr. President? You’ll look around and see those that you love and care about and soon the list will grow beyond what we’re able to handle.”
The President leaned back in his chair and stared at Jimmy. “What if I just bring my family?”
“How many is that, Mr. President?”
“Four. My older son is a computer engineer with Microsoft and my daughter is completing her Doctorate in electrical micro-circuits. My son is six-years old.”