“Why? Does he have a short temper?”
William looked like he was trying to figure out a way to explain a truth that was hard to believe. “Some of us believe you can put a polite face on a tiger, but the tiger is still a tiger down to his tail. Especially the older they are and that man is the oldest of all. He is literally death walking.”
“He looked like he could be in late twenties or early thirties.”
“What did his eyes look like?” William asked.
Michael considered that for a while before he answered, “Ancient, actually.”
William just nodded and changed the subject again. “So, what can we call you until the renaming party?”
“You are really serious about this?” Michael’s English accent started to get more pronounced. Seeing William nod he shrugged, “I guess ‘Mr. Penn’ can work for now, at least there I have my initials in the name.”
“Ok, Master P it is and thanks. We will tell you the story of Pendergrass later. However, to make it up to you, I’ll get you involved in a Team BMW special event.”
“Ok?” Michael wasn’t sure how Mr. Penn became Master P, but he wasn’t surprised a minute later when William shortened it again.
“So, P, what are your thoughts on gambling?” William smiled like he was about to setup ‘P’ and Michael would walk right into it willingly.
Michael stood there for a moment before answering, “I’ve been known to make a wager before, I’m into speed so winning is in my blood.”
“Ok,” William continued, “So how about we bet that I can make your ass tighten up so fast from a speed run you wouldn’t be able to push a BB out?”
Ok, now William had P’s complete attention. “A little crude I’d say, but I’m down with speed. I can’t possibly see how you would prove anything.”
William started walking back towards the lair. “Come with me. And the how is we will setup a gauge to tell how hard you are gripping and how tightly you are squeezing it.” William made sure P was with him and listening, “Then, I’m going to make your orientation a little test to see if you become ‘little p’ or ‘big P’ for the next week.”
“And if I don’t want to take you up on your bet?”
William smiled, “Then the hazing name begins with ‘yellow’!”
Bugger me, Michael thought, I walked right into that!
--
By the end of the week, ‘little p’ was focused on getting the boxes to connect in the middle of a torrential rain and eighty mile-an-hour winds. “Gott Verdammt!” He had starting using the team’s curse words as his own. He and his team were watching the video monitors intently. Bethany Anne had arrived a few days back with them in Paraguay and asked why the hell were they checking the boxes for connection out in the rain? Were they going to be outside on the moon? P hung his head, then jumped on the phone with William and worked out a new design for video to help align the containers properly to make a larger base.
Bethany Anne hadn’t been around long, but she was exactly the force of nature that William had claimed she was.
His already long days went into overdrive and everyone got the feeling their schedules were going to be shortened. Penn had screwed up a connection two days ago and had then engineered a modified connector. This would allow for some slop when first connecting but then facilitate alignment as the two units got closer together.
Finally, they felt the ‘chunk’ of the seal in the master control module. When Bethany Anne left, the whole team got together and ‘TOTFM’, (threw out the fucking manual). Then decided it was all test it right or die from then on. They pulled out the connected modules and refitted them with the new connectors William sent them. Afterward, they moved every container at least a hundred feet from each other.
Then, they would move the master command module in the center and start moving all of the additional containers into place allowing the specially programmed computer hookups to finish their connections. One person in each team would be in the box to see if they could ‘feel’ any glitches that didn’t show up on any of their sensors.
At one point, they had a noise that Kris mentioned. They checked the connector and found it had suffered from some mud getting into the grooves.
Bobcat came down and focused on the safety of the crew as they pushed forward. He stopped them one time and forced everyone to take ten hours of downtime.
Penn came over to Bobcat who was watching the speed as the seven containers were being tested. “Hey,” Penn asked, “I think we need another test.”
Bobcat looked up, “Me too, all the way until Bethany Anne won’t give us the time.”
Penn shook his head, “Not what I’m talking about. I’m thinking we need to do this on the south pole.”
“Just everyone takes a container and go?” Bobcat asked.
“Pretty much. Wait until it’s dark and we go. If we can do this down there, it will test if we have contraction problems due to freezing temperatures.”
Bobcat scratched his chin, “That seems solid. What about under water?”
“We have the new suits to test outside in space, but I’d rather just try that up above rather than in atmosphere.”
Bobcat nodded, “Ok, that’s what Bethany Anne wanted the whole time. Let’s pull everyone together and see if we can think of anything to make sure we are prepared for a bad result. Also, extra Pods in case we need to Evac someone to a doctor, quickly.”
Bobcat smiled over to Penn, “Alright Big P, let’s make this happen!”
Michael smiled to himself as he turned to call out to his group. He just got upgraded!
Dan’s Office - QBS Polarus, Mediterranean
>>Bethany Anne?<<
Yes, ADAM.
>>I’ve been running tests and reviewing the files of the different countries on their efforts to plan for attacking and defending their cyber-assets.<<
You found their war-gaming plans?
>>Yes. I found them to be very complete and surprisingly creative. There are some plans I had not considered. <<
Such as?
>>The explosion of nuclear weapons to cause a massive EMP effect thus shutting down all electronic capabilities. <<
Not to mention the death and destruction of the people. Fucking countries are all ready to blow each other up a million different ways.
>>I believe humans call it mutually assured destruction.<<
Yes, they do. If any one country feels that they can incapacitate the other country sufficiently with ‘acceptable’ damages for their own side it becomes a command decision. The worst choice is for the Islamist State to have this ability.
>>Because of their willingness to implement this solution?<<
Partially. Part of it is they don’t have an infrastructure to incapacitate so no harm comes to them. Can’t suffer from cyber-attacks if you have no computers in the first place. The next reason, is unlike China, Russia or the US, the Islamist State is under the aegis of a deity to do what they need to do. I’m pretty sure that the other countries do worry about their people and so they seek advantage through all means, but realize to truly destabilize the other countries is a bad solution. The Islamist State doesn’t give a rat’s ass as they believe, incorrectly, their holy book says this is what they need to do to attain heaven.
>>What would you do to change it?<<
You mean if I had time on my side? I’d probably become the ultimate assassin and start taking heads one at a time. Those asses really piss me off.
“Bethany Anne?” Dan said again.
“Sorry Dan, ADAM grabbed my attention. Rude on my side.” Bethany Anne replied.
“I hadn’t noticed much until your eyes dipped into the red for just a second.” Dan said curiously, “What was that about?”
“Fucking terrorists.” She shrugged, “I still don’t have my ‘mad’ out. But that’s for another time, or maybe not again. Tell me about this op.”
“Your group is setting up to go into a warehouse in lower Shanghai
. We have eyes on a large enough group and a positive match for Kimiko Kana. The five want to drop right on top of them and repel down the roof and into the windows from above as quickly as possible.”
“Why aren’t you just going through the roof?”
“What, with explosives?” Dan asked.
“No, I would do something like a small meteorite that ‘happened’ to drop straight in. Something big enough to punch a hole in the building but not flatten the place if possible.”
>>The last meteorite that hit in the Urals damaged over three thousand buildings.<<
Bethany Anne frowned, “Damn, ADAM says that to make it believable, the meteorite would damage potentially thousands of buildings.”
“What if we used a real meteorite flying across the sky to hide us blowing a hole in the roof?” Dan asked, an eyebrow raised.
“Oh ... I like that idea! Maybe do something like a fast one, two and then a pause before number three and on the third one the team blows the hole?” She said.
“Yes, I like that as well.” Dan considered, “Then when number three is screaming by the city they blow the roof. Everyone should be able to associate the extra explosion with the sonic booms if it is timed correctly.”
“Try your best so that the three flames in the sky don’t hurt anyone and I think we’re golden. Now, what did you need me here for and why is it you think I’ll enjoy this?” Bethany Anne asked.
“I’m concerned that this Kamiko Kana is going to bolt again. From the information that Frank has been able to locate, I feel positive Kamiko is able to Etherically walk and will just escape our clutches again. I’m thinking you can help with that.”
Bethany Anne thought for a moment, “How?”
“Can you block off her ability to do this?” Dan asked.
“Umm, wait one.” She put up a finger.
TOM, what do you think?
About being able to block her?
Yes, if I’m around in the area in the Etheric maybe, if she tries to walk can I stop her?
I would think at a minimum you would be able to grab her and throw her back. I’m not so sure that you can do anything from within the Etheric until she activates the ability. If you were on Earth at the time, I’d say we could figure something out.
Yeah, not doing that. I only get to play if the team doesn’t know I’m there. But I would love a chance to have a word with that bitch.
“Ok,” She said, “I think we are a go. I’ll need to go in a little early to be in the area. I don’t think I have the skill to try and catch her movement from way over here.”
“I’ll have the exact moment the team will be there.” Dan supplied.
“I think I’ll want to find a safe place first. Then, before the meteorites hit I’ll walk to the safe place and slip into the Etheric. I don’t know if she has the ability to sense Etheric changes around her.”
“You can’t walk there from here?” Dan asked.
“If I had been there before, then most likely. Since I haven’t? No, I’m pretty sure I would be sticking my head out all of the time to gauge where the hell I am.”
“Ok, that’s the plan then.” Dan finished.
“Ok, let me suit up and I’ll do a quick reconnaissance. When is this going down?” Bethany Anne stood up to leave.
“In eighteen hours.” He said.
“That works.” She nodded her goodbye.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Paraguay
“Well, fuck me.” Bobcat murmured.
“What is it?” Penn asked.
“Bethany Anne wants to move ahead, says there is chatter on back channels about seeing anomalous items on international radar. We might have made one too many trips around the world with the containers.” Bobcat answered.
“You wanted safe, safe we did.” he shrugged.
“Hell yeah I wanted safe!” Bobcat said. “That’s the one thing I won’t skimp on. This is Bethany Anne’s way of telling me it’s time I put up or shut up. If she doesn’t hear from me, then it is a go.” He looked over to Penn, “Sorry, it was in the original job interview back in Miami you wouldn’t know that.”
“Not Jeffrey’s job?”
Bobcat shrugged, “Yes, it’s his as well, but if something is flying, she is depending on my approval. If either of us stop it, it gets stopped. Besides, I doubt Jeffrey would ever approve something I wasn’t happy with. Interestingly enough, he asked me about my thoughts just three hours ago. I’ll have to remember that for the next time it happens to ask him if it is ‘him’ asking, or Bethany Anne.”
Bobcat reached down and hit the ‘all talk’ button on his console. “Listen up everyone. Just got the news from the head boss lady. This shit just got real folks.” He smiled as he heard the yells of excitement coming over the comms. “I’ve been notified that I’m not allowed up due to my sins, so every damned one of you better get up there safely, you hear me? I’m officially rolling the command of moon-base-one to Mr. Penn himself.” He let go of the button and turned to Michael, “Make us proud, Mr. Penn.” and he held out his hand.
Michael grabbed his outstretched hand, “I’ll land everyone safe up there, Bobcat.”
“See that you do.” Bobcat threw him a sloppy salute as he walked by. “I give you guys eight hours, use them wisely!” He said over his shoulder as he cycled through the connector.
“Everyone, this is Mr. Penn.” Michael started on the speakers, “We have eight hours. I want everyone to nap or sleep. Be up with two hours to go. Lock everything down, this is just another run upstairs and then a short jaunt over to our new landing. As an aside, please don’t step out as the first step will be a doozy.”
He heard the laughter from the group, then continued, “Let’s go make history, folks!”
TQB Base, Colorado – USA
Agent Terry DeLeon watched the weather and the cloud cover was expected to be pretty heavy this evening. He stopped his car three miles out from the base perimeter at a normal location used by those backpacking through the area. He then hiked a mile on the trail before taking a different route into a small, rocky valley with a steep, dangerous climb up to the beginning of where the base considered the area their property.
He doubted they had much in the way of sensors in this area so he would go up as quick as he could.
It took him almost to sunset to make it up the ridge. He had worried for the last thirty minutes that he was going to run out of light before he got up the eighty-foot climb.
He hadn’t needed his climbing skills in a while and he had misjudged the difficulty of the climb.
Once he got to the top, he crawled under a bush and laid there panting for five minutes to get his breathing under control.
Then, he pulled out his GPS to see which direction he needed to go. He flicked on the red light to get his bearings before putting it away and headed north. He was expecting to hit a small stream by twenty-two hundred and be on the base by midnight.
When he arrived at the stream, he checked his location with the GPS quickly and found he was only a hundred yards south of where he wanted to cross. He went up through the foliage until he found the lazy water allowing him to easily wade across. He started going north again when he heard something that chilled him.
“Look what came to visit, Samuel.” The light voice seemed to come from his right. Terry pulled his Kimber Ultra Covert and looked to his right, crouching down.
“I’m pretty sure a pistol means he doesn’t have permission to be here Richard.”
The second voice was coming from behind him. Shit! He looked over his shoulder.
“Do you think Gabrielle will mind if we take a sip before we take him back?” The first voice added.
Terry was confused, he could hear that the voices were moving around him, but he couldn’t hear them actually move.
He was officially fucked if he got caught. His boss would have to deny knowing anything about this unauthorized effort.
“Why don’t you come out and we can ta
lk about his?” Terry said before he moved himself another ten yards to kneel near a large tree.
“Oh, we are already talking, dinner.” Samuel said.
“Oh yes,” Richard said from behind him. Terry turned and quickly put his back to the tree, looking both ways. These motherfuckers were fast and they were playing with him.
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