“It’s all bogus! Nothing I’ve believed is true, everything I’ve doubted is. I’m scared and worried and…and I just feel the whole world’s dirty, even me. I’ve washed my hands dozens of times today, and I’m not even OCD! And all this stuff I’m reading from thousands of years ago? It’s in today's news!” She was shaking and fighting back tears.
Karen reached out and took the younger woman’s hands in hers and looked tenderly into her eyes.
“Honey, the world is dirty. You’re dirty. The Bible calls it sin and says we’ve all sinned and come short of the glory of God. And we can’t save ourselves from it. That’s why all the religions of the world fail. Man can’t be good enough to get to God. So, Christ died for us, the sinless for the sinful, so that anyone who will believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life. He, himself is the bridge we can cross over to get to God. We can be saved…clean before God…adopted as children into his forever family. Not by any works of righteousness we do, but by his grace He saves us. We receive it by faith.”
Tears ran down Tamika’s cheeks.
“Everything is so…so…evil! They’re willing to kill hundreds of thousands…millions…”
“Over 100 million died last century in world wars brought about by communism, socialism, and Jihadist attacks. Millions of innocent Jews and others died in the Holocaust, and millions more Russians and Chinese died in their own countries. Babies have died by the millions in their mothers’ wombs. Elderly and infirm are being euthanized.
“It’s a very evil world. Jesus told us it would be like in the days of Noah, where everyone was so wicked that he destroyed them all except Noah and his family. Or like the days of Lot, when the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah was so horrible that he rained down fire, saving only Lot and his daughters. And they weren’t all that great, either! We’re warned that while God still offers salvation, very soon his judgment will fall on this evil, unbelieving world. He’ll literally allow all hell to break loose.”
She hugged the younger woman as Tamika sobbed.
“Tamika, don’t you want peace? Don’t you want to be above all this? For your life to count for something good?”
When Justin came in that evening, he was surprised by a gourmet meal rivaling his own best efforts, and two women greeting him with smiles and giggles like schoolgirls with a secret. He looked deep into Tamika’s eyes, saw the peace that had been missing for days, and knew that she had chosen Jesus.
Much had occurred in the past few days as they tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together. One final piece was Justin and Roger’s decision to formalize the bond that had formed between the four of them. That was the purpose of the visit to DPI on Sunday morning.
In one of the top secret safes in the SKIF, Justin removed an encrypted external solid state drive. He connected it to a tablet workstation, then one at a time, he connected Karen’s and Tamika’s Multiphones, loaded in the Enigma App and their personal digital keys. He spent an hour setting up Tamika’s phone and explaining the App to her while Karen skimmed through hundreds of screens of Guardian documentation on an engineering workstation. She looked at interface diagrams, 3-D CAD drawings, flowcharts, and technical specifications as casually as if she were glancing over vacation pictures.
How things have changed, Justin thought as he gave her access to the very core of the aircraft’s ultra-classified data. In days’ past, he would have reported the security compromise on his phone and turned it in for destruction. And he never would have allowed a person without adequate security clearance and need-to-know to have access to even Confidential information. Certainly, he wouldn’t have given access to information well above Top Secret. But studying the software code the morning after the intercept had quickly convinced Justin that the entire project was already compromised, far more than just the data. All the events since then further confirmed his suspicions. He, Karen, and Tamika were the only ones he believed might be able to unravel the truth and possibly protect the program…and somehow, the country. She definitely had a need-to-know.
He finished with Tamika’s phone about the time Karen closed the last engineering document. Justin just looked at her and shook his head. Even more disconcerting, she smiled and went through all the set-up on her own phone, duplicating what Justin did for Tamika in a fraction of the time. Had she really just followed his every step while simultaneously looking over highly technical documentation that would have taken seasoned professionals weeks to absorb? Justin again shook his head in bewilderment.
After half an hour of instruction, testing, and ensuring the codec couldn’t be discovered, they were confident that The Four were ready to tackle the world.
Justin opened the SKIF door for the two women, just as Cliff Nesmith was reaching for the handle.
“Mr. Nesmith!” blurted Tamika.
“Cliff…” A startled Justin and Tamika stared like deer in the headlights, while Cliff looked hard at an unknown redhead just walking out of a…out of his…top secret SKIF on a Sunday afternoon.
Karen smiled sweetly and extended her hand. “Mr. Nesmith? A pleasure. I’m Sandra Taylor. Telepresence robots and the security requirements of a SKIF don’t usually play well together.”
She reached into her purse and pulled out a business card, “Sandra Taylor, Telepresence Security Consulting.” She handed the card to Cliff.
“It’s possible to not only support secure telepresence, which, of course, you already do now. But you can also maintain gigabit throughput and seamless audio-video integration without the artifacts, buffering, and dropouts that end up defeating the purpose of telepresence.”
She stepped back so she could look at Cliff, Tamika, and Justin.
“Thank you again for bringing me here on a Sunday so I wouldn’t conflict with your operation and security protocols. Please let me know if I can evaluate upgrading your current OS-12V4 system, or if you’d be interested in a quote on our VOX-37B.”
Justin was stunned. She knew exactly what she was talking about, and he vaguely remembered that it was indeed someone named Sandra who developed the popular VOX series of telepresence robots. He had been intrigued with the leading-edge technology he’d read about in one of his tech magazines a few years earlier. He played along.
“Sandra, like I said, we often use the capability, and I think the new system would significantly help our coordination with our customer. Right now, though, we need to focus on an important deadline. Maybe we’ll be able to get back to you in a couple of months.”
In a few more moments, they were on their way to their cars and Cliff had entered the SKIF. Justin wondered to what extent Cliff had accepted Karen’s…Sandra’s…stellar performance.
He’s wondering what we’re doing here, and I’ll bet he’s going into the Simulator.
Justin cast a sideways glance at Karen.
How incredibly believable! I hadn’t even noticed that the OS-12V4 was in there today. She not only saw it, but recognized it, and on-the-fly recommended a better state-of-the-art solution; one that she apparently invented herself!
He marveled that she could remain incognito yet still research, invent, and even launch new companies, and then just move on.
What else has she been responsible for?
Justin took a long, slow breath as he remote-started his hybrid car and unlocked the doors.
Karen Richardson most likely really is the smartest person on earth.
51. MONDAY: All-Hands-on-Deck
The months of twelve-hour shifts at DPI were over. Discussions during the previous Friday morning meeting confirmed that Guardian System Two should be ready for transport the following Friday. The final night shift had ended Sunday morning. That was the day Justin, Tamika, and Karen ran into Cliff at DPI. On Monday, the company began full team shifts of seven-to-seven…or later.
It would be five full days of double- and triple-checking everything. Teams reviewed engineering documents, retested systems and subsystems, and identified and addressed any an
omalies. Test review boards developed an abbreviated acceptance test plan that would take System Two through flight testing to Fully Mission Capable.
In other words, more of the same. A lot more, in a lot less time. “One test can invalidate a thousand studies,” stated a sign at DPI. A significant breakthrough in Cliff’s additive manufacturing again proved its worth. The design-and-build process automatically included built-in-testing as an integral component of each subsystem. Tests weren’t just performed on completed equipment; testing was completed literally during the build-up. No external Automated Test Equipment—ATE—required; all testing could be completed and reported by the aircraft itself.
System Two appeared ready.
The team finalized plans to covertly transport the aircraft to the nearby airfield, where it would be loaded into a C-17 for a flight to Nevada. Monday afternoon, Justin told General Alvarez that they would be ready for transport Friday morning.
General Alvarez passed that information on to Senator Matthews as part of his weekly report.
+ + +
In Grand Forks, Roger suspected that he’d lost over ten pounds during the winter and spring. The good news was that he looked slimmer than he had in six years. The bad news was that the gall bladder attacks were occurring almost daily and were lasting longer. His communications with Karen had been considerable since she acquired the Enigma codec, and she asked many questions about his condition. Roger told her how many months he had suffered from the attacks, what meds he had tried, what his diet consisted of, his symptoms, and more. He discussed the electro-shock phenomenon that apparently healed his paralysis, had a temporary calming effect on him, and also seemed to increase and intensify his dreams during the few hours he slept.
The two would also discuss the “transition effect” as she called it, and how the lizard was doing. Roger would leave food and water out for the creature. It tried to go outside the “boundary” a few times but quickly returned. It seemed to realize that it had to stay within the area Roger had taped off around the aircraft. Roger also reported that the lizard moved in “Roger’s” time, not in slow motion.
They would discuss how a lizard could adapt, but rodents and bugs could not. They would speculate about the physics of the trans-dimensional shift. And Karen would chase rabbits, speculating on the time shift in terms of the space-time-matter/energy fabric of the known universe.
More than once, Roger would ask how she came to be an expert on everything from physiology to physics.
“I read a lot.”
“Well, it’s giving me a brain cramp trying to keep up!”
+ + +
“Tamika…?!”
“I need to sit down!”
Tamika sat, trembling. She leaned over and grabbed her knees and rocked as Justin knelt beside her and put his arm around her shoulder.
“Who called?” he asked.
“Jason Matthews. He called from that secret phone of his. I never know it’s him; it just shows up as ‘Unlisted.’”
She sat up, leaned back, closed her eyes, and took several long, slow breaths. Then she looked at Justin.
“Supposedly, he was just checking status since our regular weekly call. But I feel so uncomfortable talking to him now. And he’s always…well, usually…so polite, so controlled. Yet, I don’t know, it’s like, since that call where I tested him, it’s like there’s a hidden agenda and a veiled threat. One thing he did say is that he’s adamant that he’s going to be in Nevada this weekend for the first test flight. He said that not even a presidential recall would keep him away.”
“Hmm…”
“OK, I’ve seen that look. What are you thinking?” she asked, somewhat calmer.
Justin stood and walked around the room for a few moments.
“It just might be possible…”
He suddenly turned and faced her.
“His phone. He always calls you from some kind of special phone?”
“Always. Even when I call him first, he calls me right back from that other phone of his. We never discuss anything on a regular line.”
Justin knelt down in front of her, put his hands on her knees, and looked intently into her eyes.
“Tamika, have you ever seen this phone? This is very important!”
“Well…” she paused thoughtfully. “Yes. Yes, one time I did. We were talking, back when I met him and before I came to DPI. Somebody called on his regular Multiphone, and he did the same thing he does with me. He said he’d call right back. He hung up, excused himself, and pulled an odd phone out of his coat as he walked away. Why?”
“An odd phone,” Justin repeated. “What makes you say that?”
Tamika placed her hands on top of Justin’s hands, leaned forward inches from his face.
“Because, my dear, it looked like one of those old-style flip phones. But it was really strange; it was all flat black, with a red border. Really tacky.”
She leaned back as Justin startled her by jumping to his feet and pumping the air.
“Yes!!!!”
Tamika hadn’t seen him so excited in months.
“I gotta tell Roger!” he exclaimed, grabbed his phone and began dictating.
“Roger, he’s got one of our phones! One of the ones we sent to DARPA, with our codec installed! The dude let the program die so he could use the technology himself!”
Roger’s reply came back: “You can open the ‘Compromised’ protocol and set it to ‘Track.’ We’ll know exactly where he is!”
Justin responded: “Got it. I’ll also turn on ‘Report’ and we can know who he’s been contacting on that phone for the past few months!”
“Good idea. One more step. He may have both of the phones and alternate between them. Or, he could have given one to another key person. You should assume they’re both compromised and set them both to Track and Report.”
There was a pause. Then another message from Roger arrived.
Justin frowned.
“What is it, Justin?” asked Tamika.
“Another message from Roger.” He read it to her: “Justin, you and the others may have to go this alone soon. I’m really bad. I’m dying. You and the ladies get together and pray for me. See if God reveals anything to you. Otherwise, I need you and Karen to help me plan the best exit strategy. I think I need to launch while I still can, then try to set down in northern Alaska. I believe that’ll have the least potential impact on populations and the ecology.”
Tamika put her hand on Justin’s shoulder. “Justin, I’m...”
Another message appeared from Roger: “Justin. Hurry, my friend. I don’t think I can last more than another few days.”
+ + +
“Yes, Justin?”
“General Alvarez, are you alone?”
“I am. Is there a problem with our schedule?”
“No, Sir. It’s actually more critical than that. Much more. I believe you’ve met Tamika?”
Justin and Tamika were both in the SKIF speaking to the General, who was coming to them over the telepresence ’bot.
“Yes. Hello, Tamika. Thank you for helping compress this schedule for us. Wish it wasn’t such a national emergency, but we have to get a bird on alert.”
“Sir, that’s part of what we need to talk to you about,” said Justin. “First, you may be about to lose your first one, and second, we may know why America came under attack.”
“Tamika…?”
“Yes, General, she knows about Roger. And there’s a lot more we both know, and that we believe we need to share with someone in authority. You’re it, and there’s not much time. And please be very careful about where all this goes from here. I believe we’ll all be in personal danger.”
“Go on.”
+ + +
Jason didn’t often allow himself to gloat, even in private. But he’d finished his nightly game and his first drink, and now laughed out loud as the cacophony he called “music” engulfed him. He enjoyed his second drink, and even more, he enjoyed thinkin
g about how he was going to clear up the loose ends. All of them.
I hate loose ends.
First, Justin and Tamika. DPI could now run without them, and Guardian wouldn’t be all that important in the new world order anyway. He laughed again. This is one he’d order himself, and he already knew how he wanted to see it done. He hated Christians like Justin and by now, probably Tamika as well. This would be sweet.
Second, Roger. It was time to send him and Guardian System One all the way into their new dimension. He’d have the hangar bulldozed down over them. “I can do that,” he shouted out loud. No one would even ask why. At least, no one who mattered. And if it set off a…well, an unpleasant little explosion? As president, he’d just add that to the list of “attacks” justifying emergency martial law.
Third, Juan. President Juan Garcia. What in the world was he thinking? This Saturday night, virtually all conservatives in the Beltway, along with him, Vice, and the Speaker; they’ll all be together! They’ll be in one venue that Jason can easily take out. That call from his Secret Service informant had made his day.
Tamika had assured him that everything was “go” for System Two. His Russian counterpart confirmed that the first operational exercise of Russian Tupolev PAK-DA strategic bombers was on schedule. And his puppet Cliff Nesmith was ready to suit up and change the world.
Guess I’ll keep Cliff around. At least for now. Still working on that facility…
Jason had tasked Cliff to manufacture micro-RFID implantable chips and build additional DPI-01 supercomputers—the same suitcase-size ternary computers that powered the flight and targeting routines in Guardian. One in each region, networked together, and One World Peace Now—OWPN—could quickly transition the world to a cashless society.
And track every person on the planet! Yeah, Cliff stays for another year or two.
The transition plan was nowhere near as elegant as the original planned NUDET over the East Coast, but it would work.
The good general was another matter. Jason had coordinated a trip for Alvarez to brief the Senate Armed Services Committee on Friday afternoon, and he made sure the general was invited to the conservative off-site on Saturday. “Anything for a friend,” Jason chuckled. He’d be glad to add Lieutenant General Alvarez to the impending carnage. Nothing like a good clean sweep. Rey was too much of an old-school patriot; therefore, difficult to control. Worse, Jason had seen him bow his head before a meal one evening, setting off his “Christian” detector.
The Guardian Collection (End of the Sixth Age Book 2) Page 26