Sentinels of the Cosmos Trilogy

by John Anderson

  “Nice,” Bill says.

  Juan jumps up and says, “Let me see the box.” “Sure,” Jane says.

  “We may have stumbled into some real luck, maybe not poison but a virus,” Juan says as he walks to his desk. He indicates for Ruth to open the box carefully.”

  "Why her," Bill asks.

  "She has special abilities," Juan returns.

  "Along with hearing like Superman?" Bill adds. Ruth opens the box and takes out one of the envelopes and Juan immediately responds, “Whoa! Smells like fried chicken, take these down to the lab, carefully, and have them checked for poison or possibly a virus.”

  Juan looks at Ruth, who jumps in, saying, "We don’t really have time for a lab test," and at that moment she takes one of the envelopes and runs her tongue along the glue seam.

  Bill yelps, "What are you doing, are you nuts? Ruth takes a moment to let her system analyze the glue and then says calmly, "This is very dangerous. This is a lethal virus, do you have a plastic bag?" Jane empties one of the small waste baskets and hands it to Ruth as she puts the envelopes back in the box and the box into the waste basket.

  "How did you do that?" Bill asks.

  "She is on a need to know basis," Juan says, "We don't have time for normal briefings.”

  "Got it," Bill says.

  "Juan we’ve got to get to the Electric Company immediately – hopefully before those envelopes can be delivered," Ruth says.

  "Right," Juan continues, "We need 10 good men, a car and an armored truck now. And we’ve got to get that truck driver to a safe place."

  Ruth thinks for a moment and says, "I took care of the team and the car. They’ll be downstairs in 10 minutes. Let's get moving."

  "How did she do that?" Bill asks.

  "Sorry Bill, need to know again," Juan says. Bill stands with Jane, both of them looking very confused as Juan and Ruth run down the stairs and out the front of the building to greet their vehicles and team. Bill looks at Jane and says, "How did all that just happen?"

  "She's a robot Bill, an android, and she’s synthetic! Jesus you're dense," Jane says.

  "Really! When do I get one of those? Let's go! I want to watch this," he says as he runs down the stairs after them.

  Chapter 64 Ivan was particularly happy as he backed the big Mack truck into bay 27 at the Electric Company. He had never driven a large truck into a loading dock before and it took him ten tries before he was able to line up the truck properly much to the chagrin of the shipping and receiving manager. He finally got out of the truck, walked to the desk and handed him the bill of lading saying, "I have delivery,"

  “How long have you been driving a truck champ?" the manager asks?

  "Not long," Ivan replies.

  "Figures, worst parking job I've ever seen," he rambles on.

  "I have other skill," Ivan returns.

  "I'm sure you do. Listen isn't this Big Ed's and Hank's truck?" The clerk asks.

  "Yes, Ed not well. Hank took him to hospital and ask me deliver in emergency. I am not usually doing this," Ivan says.

  "Obviously, listen were really busy this morning, you're going to have to wait your turn. So have a soda or something and we'll get to you when we get to you," he announces.

  "Is there anything I can do speed process up?" Ivan asks.

  "Not really, I'll get back to you." and he walks off. He doesn't like Ivan and he knows big Ed and Hank well enough to know they would never let anyone drive their truck. So he goes quietly back into the warehouse and calls Hank.

  In the meantime Ivan calls Charles and brings him up to date on the situation. Charles is happy so Ivan is happy. He sits on the edge of the shipping bay and allows his legs to dangle off the edge of the dock. A long chapter is about to come to an end. His virus is going to be used to make the world a better place. He has Charles’ approval and was happy as a clam. For the next half-hour he has pleasant dreams of homicidal viruses killing people all over New York. Suddenly he is rudely awakened from his reverie and who should be standing in front of him to ruin his day but tiny little Hank. Ivan looks surprised at Hank being there and says, "Good trick, you're alive?" and smiles.

  "The shipping dispatcher called me so I took a cab and here I am to complete my revenge,” says Hank. "Where is your gun?" says Ivan.

  "It's around," Hank explains.

  "So, how you intend kill this big Russian Ivan?" Ivan smiles again.

  "I'm going to kill you with my bare hands," Hank says with great enthusiasm.

  "Really" Ivan jumps down from the dock and stands in front of Hank. This is truly David and Goliath. But Hank just stands there as all of a sudden Juan, Ruth and a SWAT team appear out of nowhere.

  "I have friends," Hank explains.

  At that moment Ivan reacts by jumping into the cab of the truck and tries to back the truck out. But Juan has the armored squad vehicle parked right in the way and the truck runs into it with a great crash. Ivan jumps out of the cab and runs to the back of the truck, reaches in and takes two AK47's one in each hand and points them at the police.

  Juan shouts through a loud speaker, "It's over Ivan, put the weapons down." The armored truck moves away revealing a line of SWAT officers in full body armor all with guns pointed at Ivan as he paces back and forth almost hyperventilating.

  "You sneaky Americans!" he screams. Several snipers have had him in their sights since the vehicle had moved. Ivan falls to his knees and begins to sob, "It was great plan, I worked so hard for this." Then he screams again, "You weak Americans."

  At that exact moment somehow the truck comes out of gear and starts to roll backwards. Ivan sobs as the truck rolls right over him crushing him like a snail under a boot. Again the truck finally comes to a rest and sheepishly Hank gets out of the cab with his hands in the air, shouting, don't shoot!"

  Juan yells through the loud speaker, "Stand down, everyone!"

  He then goes over to Hank who says, "I don't know what happened. I was just checking to see if everything was alright and hide from Ivan when it slipped out of gear. I must have rolled on the gear shift."

  "Slipped?" Juan says not believing.

  "I don't believe it slipped," Ruth exclaims.

  "Then prove it" Hank says with a smile, "are you going to arrest me?"

  "No, it must have slipped when you tried to lie down in the cab, right?" Juan says helpfully.

  "Yeah, that’s it," Hank agrees.

  "He's lying, Juan," Ruth complains as Hank walks away with a broad grin.

  "And what are you going to do about it?" Juan says adding, "Partner?"

  Ruth thinks for a moment and then smiles at Juan, "Support my partner," Ruth says.

  "Good idea! This thing with us could work," Juan says, let me ask, “Do you like Spanish food?” and they both start to walk away and let the police clean up.

  "I have a very good learning chip?" Ruth says, "And I'm very cute."

  "You are cute, but don’t tell my wife I said that," Juan says with a smile.

  Bill Black comes over to Juan and says, "Thanks Juan, you just want to let that guy go?"

  "Yeah, let him go. Let's just call it poetic justice, and because of him a lot of people are not going to get chicken flavored envelopes with a lethal virus on them."

  Ruth interrupts peevishly, "They want us back in Washington immediately because there’s another crisis, “You're not going to believe this," as she pulls Juan aside, "Charles is not human either."

  "He's a Guard?" Juan asks.

  "No he's something else. I’ve already communicated directly with him, I accidently allowed him to read my mind and now knows about Ivan and the envelopes and what happened here," Ruth says, sounding puzzled.

  "That's the trouble with you machines, you're an open book to each other," Juan says ruefully.

  Ruth smiles, "And you think you're not?"

  Chapter 65 Juan and Ruth ran down the third floor corridor of Presbyterian Hospital towards Maria's room. Esperanza is standing in the hall outside the room
looking through the glass window at her daughter again in the 3-D printing machine. Esperanza sees Juan and runs into his arms.

  "They don't know if they can save her," Esperanza says desperately.

  "She is going to be fine," Juan assures her.

  "How can you know that?” she says and who is this?" "Oh, this is my new partner, Ruth Knowing," Juan answers.

  Esperanza looks at Juan in horror. "Are you sleeping with this woman, you bring your mistress to the bed of your dying daughter?" she slaps Juan across the face.

  "She's my FBI Special Agent partner!" Juan pleads. "She's adorable!" Esperanza says.

  "She's also a machine," Juan says.

  Esperanza looks at Ruth her grief is palpable. She looks back at the room and says sarcastically, "Nice of you to show up!"

  Ruth looks into the room at Esperanza and then enters.

  "You can't go in there any germ could kill her!" Esperanza screams.

  "She's a machine!" Juan says again.

  Ruth goes over to the machine and watches it work. She just stands there looking at it. Suddenly Chase slowly materializes next to her.

  Juan, in a knee jerk reaction, tries to enter the room. Chase looks at Juan and Esperanza and mouths, "Trust me." and then locks the door.

  Chase and Ruth look at each other. Chase lifts his hand and the machine turns off. All the working arms stop. He goes over to Maria and places his hands above her. A hologram of her interior appears. Both he and Ruth begin manipulating the images. Their hands move faster than the eye can see. With the two of them working together within a few moments Maria's color comes rushing back. The hologram disappears.

  Esperanza and Juan try to enter the room but the door stays locked. Chase pulls up a chair and sits next to Maria and she slowly wakes up.

  "Chase," Maria says quietly.

  He takes her hand and squeezes it saying, "Are you feeling any better?"

  "I'm feeling much better," Maria says, "Who's she?" "Just a friend," Chase replies, kissing her on the head. Maria sits up and hugs Chase, "I always knew that you were my savior."

  "We always did understand each other," Chase replies.

  The door opens and Juan and Esperanza come flooding into the room and fly to Maria's side. "Is she OK?" Juan asks Chase.

  "She's OK," he returns.

  "Better?" Juan asks.

  "Better," Chase replies quietly.

  Esperanza adds with a smile, "I don't know what the two of you did, but thank you, and you Ruth are much too adorable to be my husband’s partner."

  Then Juan and Esperanza both hug Chase who puts his great arms around the both of them.

  "Beauty is only skin deep you silly humans!" Ruth returns.

  "That's the problem but Ruth you're OK with me; you helped save our daughter and for that I will always be eternally grateful. How did Chase know to come?" Esperanza asks.

  "I told him to come. I'm connected to all vibrations," Ruth says matter-of-factly.

  Chase goes over to Maria and stands in front of her. "You're not human are you? Maria asks as she takes Chase's hand.

  "No I'm a Sentinel from a planet called Kalactin, quite a distance from here," says Chase as he changes into his alien form.

  "I guess I can't marry you," Maria says.

  "I'm already married! You're not surprised by my form?" Chase asks.

  "No, I always knew you were not of this earth, but I also knew that you would be there for me. Somehow we’re connected." Maria says as Chase quickly changes back into his human form as the doctors come running into the room.

  Chase and Ruth exit stealthily as Ruth says, "Interesting creatures, human's!"

  "Very interesting," Chase says.

  "What am I?" Ruth asks.

  "I can't answer that question. Whether you’re human or machine or even a combination you have to answer that question for yourself," says Chase who then vanishes.

  "I'm very conflicted," Ruth says.

  "We're all conflicted; accept it!" Chase’s voice echoes in her head.

  Chapter 66

  Trip Wagner and his CIA counterpart, Ian Fustic, stood next to their black SUV in front of the armory in Leesburg. Ian was of medium height, slender with a delicate almost elegant face. His thinning hair had turned a bright white, unusual for a man in his forties. "We're betting our careers on this Trip," Ian opens. Trip responds, "Well, we've been collecting information on EOJ for years and reporting it up the line as per protocol. We know there is something down there. At the bottom of the armory is a hidden organization. Actually we've been carefully monitoring their computers and listening to their communications for years. One of the senators who are part of the organization has been feeding us information for years.

  There was a strong armed force all around the perimeter of the Armory. Trip and Ian stood looking up the stairs to the armory entrance.

  “Have you checked this place out?” Ian asks. “I have no idea what we’re getting into. They could have an army of robots waiting for us. It’s just too risky to run in there halfcocked. They know we’re here, which tells them that we know about EOJ. What worries me most is how are we going to handle the press?” Trip says.

  “Set up a perimeter around this place of at least a full block, keep them back, way back,” says Ian.

  “I would send in a small recon force, maybe a squad, to check out what’s waiting for us,” Trip says. “Agreed, I want those Special Forces guys up front, they’re trained for this,” Ian says.

  An officer approaches as they are talking and says, “Excuse me sir, but Congressman Dean has arrived in his limousine and wants to get through.”

  Ian and Trip look at each other as Ian says, “Let him though.” thinks for a moment, turns to Trip and adds, “Interesting, I wonder what he’s up to?” There are several entrances to EOJ that we know of, why would he come through here now. He’s up to something.” “Why not just arrest him?” Trip asks.

  “He’s up to something big, trust me,” Ian says, continuing, “Trip, go organize the penetration team and get them ready to go. Put Pat O’Neal in charge, he’s tough and as mean as a snake, I trust him to get the job done.”

  “Will do, watch Dean, he’s as slippery as they come, he’s lost it ever since his wife died,” Trip says and walks away.

  Charles Dean sat in the back of his limousine as it pulled up to the front steps. He knew he was making an entrance and that his life was about to change forever. Charles wanted to live forever, his wife had died in his arms, and he was terrified of death. He often thought “If my body died what would be left?” He saw nothing, just blackness, when he looked inside himself. He always kept returning to the moment when Doris died and he saw the light go out of her eyes. There seemed to be no light in him to go out. Charles couldn’t die because he felt that he had never lived. The limousine driver opened the door, Charles got out and said, “Good morning Ian, is all this in my honor? Such a grand turnout, I'm impressed, but I strongly suggest that you leave quietly before anyone gets hurt,” Charles says cheerfully.

  “I’m afraid I have to arrest you Charles,” Ian says. “That’s no way to greet an old adversary who has fallen on hard times,” Charles says.

  “OK Charles, good morning it’s a fine day and I’m going to have to arrest you,” Ian says again.

  “Is that so? I might suggest that you reconsider that action,” Charles says.

  “Why would I do that Charles?” Ian asks.

  “Because Ian, I control all the nuclear silos nationwide and all the missiles in our nuclear submarines. America the land of the free could be blown to hell. As a matter of fact I could blow up the world. Does that frighten you?” Pausing and dusting an imaginary piece of lint from his forearm he continues, "Well it should," Charles adds with a disturbing calmness and brushes off his other arm. Ian replies confidently, “No one can program those weapons, they have multi-level safeguards, and you have to have the launch codes”

  “Well it seems we are at a crossroads. Wou
ld you like a demonstration or do you just doubt enough to let me pass. I want you all to walk away and leave EOJ alone. I know you have been spying on us for years. I'm touched, very touched and know that our relationship has worked well for both of us. You have benefited by stealing our technology. Leave it alone Trip. I also might mention that if you send that SWAT unit into the armory there is a legion of Guards, enough to hold off an attack for a month, and believe me those Guards are more than very capable soldiers. OK, now what you are going to do is walk away and let me do my work,” Charles says. “And by the way I suggest you tell the press nothing more; tell them there’s a gas leak. Can you imagine what would happen if they even hear a rumor that the President of the United States is a robot and both the CIA and the FBI knew about it? Oh dear, I might even end up as president.” Charles smiled sweetly. Ian is stunned; he looks over at Trip who has been within earshot. He could see that his face was ashen also. “I can’t do that Charles, we have to take you in,” Ian says.

  Charles’s activates six missiles with his mind from the nuclear submarine ‘Bush’ one hundred and fifty miles out in the Atlantic Ocean.

  “This is on your head, not mine, God forgive you,” Charles says as he looks south and waits.

  Within two minutes there is a blinding white light in the distance followed a few seconds later by the sound of a tremendous explosion and a white mushroom cloud is seen rising in the distance. Everyone there closes and covers their eyes. Charles watches in fascination, saying, “That was a very small warhead, very small. But now, Cold Harbor Virginia is going to have a few issues for a thousand years,” Charles says." Also I launched 5 others around the world - that should help reduce the world population even more!”

  “What have you done?” Ian says.

  “You both did this; it’s your fault, not mine. They were all very small nukes, do you want to try for another or a dozen or can I safely enter my place of work now?” Charles asks.