Craig bolted straight for the men but had to dodge right as a dart came down the lane. He quickly dodged to his left when a second dart nailed his left shoulder. He turned sharply back the other way and was crossing over to the other side when dart number three tagged him.
He growled in anger. Lucky little bastards!
“Zhu, coming your way. I’m shooting straight down, but off his left ear.” Shun hadn’t finished when he sent his dart down the path. Shun heard Zhu’s rifle bark and then Jian’s when the wolf turned quickly to his side, opposite the dart.
“That was probably the easy two hits,” Zhu remarked.
“It’s okay, only ten to go,” Shun said and aimed for a left reverse. “Bring him.” Jian’s rifle popped, and Shun waited for the twitch, then squeezed his own trigger.
GODDAMMIT! Craig felt the fourth dart hit him as he performed his switchback. He had been too obvious with his moves and had played right into their fucking human hands. Craig kicked off from the ground, leaping into the air and snickered when he heard a dart pass underneath him, missing him completely.
“Nice sucker shot, now make the landing count,” Shun muttered, as they all figured out the trajectory of the airborne wolf. When you had life or death fights with cats in the wild, the easiest way to shoot one, they had determined, was in the air. Cats couldn’t change their direction when in the air and if your reflexes were fast enough, and your gun had enough silver loaded, you could take one out.
If you could just get them airborne.
As Craig landed three darts hit him full on. He stumbled and in annoyance realized the only reason two more darts he heard streaking right above him missed was they expected him to still be standing up.
Craig rolled over a couple of times before getting up on all four legs and deciding a straight-ahead charge would work best.
No more Mr. Nice Wolf.
His paws and nails dug into practice mats specifically made for Werewolf claws and bolted from his position.
The men split up as they countercharged him.
He knew enough not to go down the middle, so he turned and aimed at the man on his right.
“You win again, Zhu,” Shun called out. For some reason, it seemed most changelings went after Zhu. The team had never figured out if it was a right-handed mentality, they sensed something about Zhu, or perhaps, Jian commented offhandedly one time as the three discussed it…
Perhaps Zhu simply smelled delicious?
“Shut up and shoot!” Zhu yelled, then smiled in relief when he heard the cracks of his friends’ guns.
Zhu heard a female yell “Shit!” from his left. He imagined she had come over to watch the sparring match and was now the proud owner of a dart stuck in her shoulder.
Zhu grinned in satisfaction, he could see when the additional darts started taking effect. The wolf was pretty damned close when it suddenly dove nose down into the mat twelve feet in front of Zhu.
Zhu braced a leg and lifted his other foot to stop the wolf as it slid toward him. The wolf’s weight caught Zhu by surprise, and the drugged wolf rolled right under him, knocking his leg from under him and causing him to fall hard on the mat as the wolf slid past.
Shun and Jian smiled as they walked over to their friend and looked down at him.
“Oooowwww,” Zhu said. “Did anyone get the license plate of the car that just hit me?” he groaned as Shun reached down to grab his arm and help him stand.
“Son-of-a-bitch!” Peter whispered. The three Chinese men had made short work of Craig. They worked together like a very well oiled machine.
They weren’t bothered by his enhanced speed at all.
Peter nodded to them as he walked over to Craig and counted at least nine, no… ten darts on Craig’s left side. There was one in his left ear, which would have been annoying, but wouldn’t have caused Craig any problems. Peter turned to look back to where Craig had fallen and could see three more on the ground that must have fallen out.
That was fourteen. Peter turned and nodded, allowing Dwayne to step onto the mat. He pointed to Craig. “Dwayne, turn your comrade over.”
Dwayne walked to Craig and rolled him over.
Four more darts were stuck in Craig’s fur.
Dwayne whistled. “Damn! He’s going to have a splitting headache when he wakes up.”
“Serves him right,” Peter replied. “If a person brags six darts can’t take him down, what does he expect to happen?”
Dwayne chuckled as a few more of the Wechselbalg walked over from the walls and laughed when seeing all of the darts the Chinese men had shot into Craig. “Sure as hell not eighteen darts!”
Bethany Anne took five extra minutes to shower, change and pin her hair back once she was back in her suite, as John switched places with Scott.
Bethany Anne smiled at her friend as she came out of her suite. “So, why do I get the honor of you for this meeting?”
“Just here to see the ex-prez again, boss,” John answered as he took up his position beside her.
“Uh huh.” She looked at him sideways before she reached out and grabbed his shoulder. They disappeared.
The ex-President looked out over the gigantic open space inside the asteroid. He could see crops, sources of light and he presumed heat, and over on the far side of the massive, almost circular cavern, some sort of fish farm. While all of this was fascinating, and it was, he was also using this time as an opportunity to be safely away from his wife and two daughters.
He was pretty sure his youngest daughter was probably looking around with the same amount of awe he had for the cavern. Looking at the crops going up each of the sides almost halfway. He wondered if there was a limitation on the technology, or if they could grow the plants on all of the surfaces? The massive light generation globe in the center sent light to all surfaces equally, so lighting wasn’t the limiting factor.
Gravity, he thought, was a strong possibility.
Unfortunately, even the amazing technological accomplishments right in front of his family failed to stop the lasers his oldest daughter was staring into his back.
Further, he figured he was receiving a second set of laser beams from his wife.
Their younger daughter would eat this up. Science was her thing, and they never had to ask her to find something to do, as she was either looking up something on the asteroid’s version of the internet, or talking with EI Meredith.
That was yet another reason his wife was upset. Their daughter was constantly learning, growing, and focused.
Almost too focused, in fact. She was so focused she had little time for her parents anymore. He tried to explain to his wife that this was a phase, and the EI wasn’t trying to brainwash their child.
That explanation wasn’t working so well. One should take very seriously any concerns from a mother, whether they seemed logical to oneself or not.
“Hello!” a contralto voice called out from behind the family.
He turned to see a smiling Bethany Anne walking up them. She was accompanied by John Grimes, who was carrying a bag. Bethany Anne was in a very fashionable outfit consisting of black pants, white shirt and red tailored bolero jacket that accentuated her figure.
And she was wearing heels.
“Oh my God!” his older daughter exclaimed, her eyes on Bethany Anne’s feet. “Are those Christian Louboutin?” she asked excitedly.
Bethany Anne smiled at the adults. “One moment, fashion calls,” she said before she started talking about the shoes with his older daughter. She lifted her foot and angled it to the side to show them off better.
His wife turned her eyes toward him, a smile on her face, nothing nice in her eyes.
“Are you telling me she’s able to ship designer shoes to the middle of outer space?” she asked him politely.
Too politely.
How was this his fault?
Women, can’t figure them out, and can’t find a suitable hiding place on an asteroid when they aren’t happy.
Betha
ny Anne wrapped up her quick discussion with his daughter. Smiling radiantly she said, “Sorry, but you have NO idea how nice it is to talk fashion with someone who appreciates it!” She turned towards John. “Okay zug-zug, time to give your Queen the gifts she brought for the family.”
“Uh huh,” John handed Bethany Anne the bag.
She turned around and winked at the President. “Sorry, this is about making sure you’re let back into your quarters and me being forgiven for canceling on you twice before. I feel really bad about that.” Bethany Anne reached into her bag and pulled out a box of Jimmy Choos in size eleven. “I hope you might forgive me, if just a little?” Bethany Anne asked as she handed the box over to his wife.
A wife, he noticed, now rendered speechless.
He took that as a good sign, he might not have to figure out where to hide just yet.
“Here on the Meredith Reynolds,” Bethany Anne was chatting with his wife, “the cushioned soles and slight heel will feel better.” “Although,” her voice went low and sounded almost conspiratorial as his wife, and both daughters, leaned closer to hear better, “there are another couple of boxes with a pair of black high heels and a metallic silver pair I think you’ll like waiting back at your home, as well.”
Bethany Anne didn’t allow his wife time to respond before she was pulling out another box. This time it said ‘Louboutin’ on the side. “These are for you,” she handed them to his oldest, who was as speechless as his wife. The astonished girl opened the box and took a shoe out of the velvet bag that came with it.
They were black, mid-sized heel, with a red heart on the front.
“I’ve seen these!” she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up, her excitement bubbling over.
“Well, don’t you think I’d know if someone happens to like my most favorite shoe designer?” Bethany Anne asked.
“What?” his daughter looked up then over to him. “Did my dad rat me out?”
The ex-President was about to say he hadn’t been responsible when a voice came out of Bethany Anne’s bag. It was obviously female, and just a little tinny sounding.
“That would be me!” the disembodied voice called out.
“Ah!” Bethany Anne reached one more time into her bag. She pulled out a slick tablet, like those on the scientific teams used from time to time. Bethany Anne turned to his youngest.
“This is for you. Meredith is annoyed that she can’t follow up with you about your homework at the appropriate times.”
His wife broke her silence, “Homework?”
“Yeah, Mom,” their youngest daughter said as she reached up to accept the special tablet with bright eyes. “Why did you think I had to work so much with Meredith? I’m trying to understand the orbital dynamics of ships floating around the Meredith Reynolds.” She took the tablet from Bethany Anne, found the little earbud and pulled it out, sticking it in her ear.
“OH MY GOD!” she squealed, her eyes blazing with excitement. “I CAN HEAR YOU SO WELL. Okay,” she continued, her fingers manipulating the icons on the tablet, “where do I find Fundamentals of Astrodynamics by Bate, Mueller, and White?”
Then their youngest daughter turned away from them and walked towards their small cart. The four adults were bemused as she sat down inside, moved to the back seat and continued talking to Meredith.
“Do you have any idea what she…” he asked before Bethany Anne cut him off.
“Not a clue,” she said. “Astro or orbital mechanics are not my strength.”
“I should say not!” the same voice erupted from her bag once more.
“Wow, Meredith!” Bethany Anne grumped as she reached into the bag and pulled out another tablet before handing the empty bag to John. He casually folded it up and stuck it in a pocket. “Let’s not play Diss the Queen’s inability to calculate the periapsis velocity in front of the VIP guests, shall we?”
A second voice came out of the same tablet, male this time. “Why does Bethany Anne need to be good at astrodynamics? She has me for that.”
“Thank you, ADAM,” Bethany Anne said to the tablet. “I know I can count on you for the harder stuff.”
“What’s this for?” his older daughter asked. “And the second voice is ADAM?”
“Yes,” Bethany Anne said, holding onto the tablet. “It seems ADAM, as a true A.I., finds beauty in a lot of areas, and he likes to stretch his abilities. He’s been looking for someone who might wish to speak about, and design, fashion as we head into the future.”
“I’ll be that person!” She reached for the tablet, but Bethany Anne pulled it back.
“Not yet!” she told the teenager, who looked up at her, concern overriding the eagerness on her face. “You have to understand that if fashion isn’t your true love, this tablet comes back. We all have a role to play going into the future in the Etheric Empire. Fashion, although many people don’t understand, is an important part of the psyche of many individuals, including my own. For some people to believe in themselves, they have to be able to see themselves in a new way. Fashion can bring about a better result than some psychologists, when a person sees themselves in a mirror looking fantastic.”
“Okay, I get that,” his daughter said.
She might be fashion focused, but she was certainly not slow on the uptake.
Bethany Anne continued, “Now, if you and ADAM come up with designs that you want to produce, you’re going to have to help bring it about. That means you’ll have to learn about making it, creating new fabrics out of the materials we’ll have available to us, including new manufacturing and weaving tools we’re developing as we expand our knowledge of what other races have accomplished. The practical, the needed, the wanted. All of these are part of the future, and fashion can be an instrumental aspect.”
“That is just the beginning, and we need people that are really committed to making this their life’s work,” Bethany Anne told the girl, who was starting to realize that Bethany Anne was opening her future up to opportunities she had never dreamed existed.
“Thank you,” she answered, wiping a tear she didn’t want her parents to notice. “I would be honored for the opportunity to find out if this is something that isn’t just a passion, but a calling.”
The ex-POTUS looked over at his wife and dearly wanted to reach over to push up her jaw so her mouth would close.
Bethany Anne handed the tablet to their daughter. “You can contact ADAM most anytime, but this is yours, and it looks like your sister knows how they work if you have questions about it.”
She smiled, accepted the tablet and found the earbud. She thanked Bethany Anne and then made her own way over to the cart.
Bethany Anne turned to the parents. “And you,” she looked at the Ex-President, “I give you a happy life because you now have a happy wife and daughters.”
His wife leaned into him and looked up into his face. “I’m sorry,” she said. He kissed her forehead.
“Happy wife, happy life,” he said. “That, and basketball.”
“Well,” John interrupted, “we have an all-human league running basketball games every second Thursday if you’re interested?”
“All human?” the ex-President asked, his brows furrowing before realizing. “Oh, of course. Not fair to the humans if the players are enhanced.”
John shrugged. “Not really.”
“Why did you do this?” His wife turned to Bethany Anne and asked, pointing to the girls. “This was well planned out. You had to have some insight into what was going on.” She turned back to her husband, and this time, her eyes were calculating. “Are you complaining about your home life behind my back?”
Her look promised substantial pain would be possible, no probable, if he had said something outside their four walls.
He silently praised the Gods above (or were they sideways when in space he wondered) when Bethany Anne interrupted his spouse’s weapons release countdown.
“Oh God, no!” Bethany Anne laughed, removing the dual target acquisition devices
from looking at him as his wife turned back to the Queen. “No, it’s easy enough to figure out. Remember,” Bethany Anne pointed around. “Meredith sees all, hears all. I don’t use her to pry, but I listened to a couple of stories through backchannels. The scientists were commenting in one about your younger daughter and her love of science, and there were a couple of people who passed on a story about a particular teenager’s tantrum outside of one of the cafeterias a few days ago.”
“Oh, God,” his wife’s head fell forward, her hands on her face. “That episode got out?” she mumbled behind her hands.
Bethany Anne smiled in sympathy. “Only a little, but since I was trying to see what I could gift you, Meredith pulled it up for me. ADAM is the one who came up with the idea to support her love of fashion.”
“The computer?” she asked, confusion evident on her face as she looked up.
“No, an A.I.,” Bethany Anne replied. “He’s sentient, and fashion, I’m very happy and yet kind of conflicted to say, proves it.”
This time, he interrupted. “How does fashion prove sentience?”
Bethany Anne looked up as she thought a moment, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. “One has to understand beauty, true beauty, to be considered sentient. The beauty of a sunrise, the joy it brings to you. ADAM has been talking shoes with me, and recently, he has started forming his own opinions on my shoes as I get dressed. I asked him which algorithms he was using to confirm shoe choice, and he went silent for about three hours.”
Bethany Anne turned to look where the couple’s older daughter was talking to her tablet. “When he came back, it became clear he had come to the conclusion he was thinking for himself.”
She turned back. “ADAM said that there was no algorithm in place because no matter what he tried to test, it all pointed out that his suggestions weren’t the most logical solution.”
She paused a moment, a look of contemplation on her face. “And where there is no logic, one is left with personal opinion.”
Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Set Three: Books 15-21, Never Submit, Never Surrender, Forever Defend, Might Makes Right, Ahead Full, Capture Death, Life Goes On (Kurtherian Gambit Boxed Sets Book 3) Page 5