by Max Swan
Richard kneeled and reached under the bottom rail, and picking up the orange with hi fingertips, he dropping it again. It stopped beneath his hand, again looking as if it were floating in the air. He slid his body further out, and touched the area next to the orange. The surface felt hard, and when he pushed it the view wavered and became blurry. When he let go, the view of the sheer drop returned to normal. Quickly grabbing the orange, and feeling as if he’s about to freeze, he ran back inside and fell on the couch again. Shivering, he held the orange in his hand, looking at it.
After several minutes he said, “Well, I’ll be fucked.”
*****
When Paul had returned to Ship, he had left Blake with Nadir and went to his quarters to get cleaned up. It took him a while to scrub all the dirt off his body, and he marveled at how dirty he had gotten in the confines of the mining rig. Judging by the looks Nadir and Lt Huang gave him in the Hanger Bay when he arrived, he didn’t smell too good either. However, he did feel concerned for Blake as they needed him so much. Aside from that, he had to admit there’s something about Blake he liked. Not that I’d ever admit it publicly, he thought. Once he had cleaned up, he hurried to Medlab12 to check on Blake’s progress.
Blake lay on a table with his stomach area covered by a mechanism that hung from the ceiling, which operated on him. Dexter moved around checking the readouts, and adjusting the controls as needed. On a large monitor behind Blake’s head, everything from vital signs, blood analysis, DNA profile, and live scans showing bones & organs in finite detail dominated the room. Paul found it hard to look away from it. Come on Blakey, Paul thought as he watched, don’t give up on us now. We need you. As Paul watched the operation being performed, Nadir suddenly spoke from behind, making him turn sharply.
“He’s going to be OK,” Nadir said.
Paul smiled and nodded. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Nadir stood next to Paul looking at the surgery. “Thanks to you, and you’re quick thinking.”
“So long as he’s going to be OK, that’s all that matters. We still have a lot to do yet,” Paul said, never taking his eyes off the surgery.
Nadir turned his head and looked at Paul with a frown. “So I guess all this confirms your suspicions about us?”
As Paul looked at Nadir, his little finger on his left hand began to ache suddenly. He knew this came from his neural implant, a warning to stay clear of this subject.
Paul sighed. “Look, Colonel, as I keep saying it’s not up to me to decide anyone’s guilt or innocence.”
“Yes, but I still live in hope we can prove our innocence to you sooner, rather than later. If I really wanted you dead, I would’ve chosen a far more efficient means than we’ve seen so far,” Nadir said, holding his eyes on Paul’s.
“If it’s all the same, I don’t want not talk about it,” Paul said.
Nadir nodded. “We’ve been investigating the tall man at the xelion site, and have found some information for you,” Nadir said changing the subject.
“Oh?”
“He is called Julius Octavian, and is part of a secret organization on this Earth called: The Pedigree.”
Nadir explained that The Pedigree is a collective of super-rich families that had secretly controlled Earth for several millennia. Although these families all had different names, they were all related, and formed an elite society that went back into Earth’s history. Many famous rulers of Earth’s past came from these families, and current known Royalty were branches of the same organization. The Pedigree had built its control mainly by being a hidden force that used and manipulated Earth’s Governments and military for their ends. They also controlled many large corporations and banks. The Pedigree owned more than ninety percent of the world’s wealth, and they used that position of influence to its maximum. The most powerful family in the Pedigree is the Octavian’s, whom were direct descendants of the Caesar’s of Rome. The Octavian’s once ruled the known world in the antiquities, now they just controlled it.
The head of this family is Caesar Peter Augustus Octavian, while the heir to the family fortune is HRH Prince Julius Nero Octavian. Julius Octavian is supposed to one day rule Earth, albeit from the shadows. Only that day is never going to arrive. Paul wasn’t necessarily surprised to hear this, as in most societies there’s always powerful people behind governments. Even the Garan’s had a more powerful race controlling them.
“That leaves the question of the informant?” Paul said, turning to look at the surgery again.
“Yes, indeed,” Nadir mumbled. He turned and looked at Paul with a frown. “If they knew about the mining, there’s a good chance they know you’re not the Professor.”
Paul met his gaze, surprised that Nadir actually looked concerned for him. “Yes, that thought has occurred to me too,” he said.
“So what are you going to do?”
Paul went wide eyed briefly. “You’re asking me?”
Nadir looked down at his hands briefly, and back through the window at the surgery. “Well, you know these people better than me, so it’s your call.”
He didn’t look back at Paul but held his body stiffly. The opening there to make a smart remark, but Paul suddenly felt it would’ve been in bad taste. The last thing he needed now is to further isolate Nadir from him with Greeter/Keeper politics.
“I think I should proceed. Thankfully Jane is going to get nearly everything we need, except the plutonium. So even if they know about me, they don’t know we know that. We have to play it out.”
Nadir nodded, but didn’t look at Paul. “I’d hoped you’d say that. I agree. I’ll say this though, Captain Barrett has truly amazed me with her performance on this mission.”
Paul smiled at Nadir whom gave a brief smile back. “Hasn’t she just? I’m beginning to think it was a waste for her to become an IO. She’d have made an excellent Greeter.”
Nadir laughed, which surprised Paul. “I won’t tell her you said that.”
“No, good idea,” Paul said with a slight smile.
Nadirs face went hard again. “Be careful down there, they won’t let this game continue much longer.”
Paul didn’t need to respond, as he knew they were playing a dangerous game now. The Pedigree might keep up the façade for now to see if they can play him, as he wants to play them. However, there’s no other way they can get the plutonium they need for the qdrive, aside from taking it by force. With Paul being the only combat soldier on board, that’s out of the question.
*****
Richard opened his eyes in the dark room trying to focus on the noise he could hear. The cobwebs of sleep hung in his mind as he pushed himself up to sit on the side of the bed. It’s the phone, he thought. Walking into the living area of his prison partially lit from the Moon outside, he sat next to the phone and picked it up.
“Hello?” he said.
“Hello Rishard, have you tested your jail?” the deep husky voice asked.
Richards’s heart jumped and his body shivered. “Yes, it’s a kind of projection, or TV screens. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. It looks so… realistic.”
“Yessss,” the voice hissed. “It’s trickery.”
“Where am I, and who’s behind this?”
“If you agree to help me I’ll reveal all,” the voice said.
“Help you deliver information?”
“Yessss.”
“What information exactly, and to whom?”
“Only after you agree to help me will I make known all these things. But you must decide now, because your captors have no further use for you, so time is not your friend.”
“I told them my father in-law wouldn’t give them anything. Are they going to kill me soon?”
“Stay here and they will. Help me, and save yourself,” the voice teased.
Richard shook his head. “Why won’t you give me a fucking straight answer?” he asked, almost angrily.
“You’ll have all the answers once you agree to help
me.”
Richard knew the time had come for him to decide. Can I trust this stranger, he thought? Yesss, you can trust him, his brain seemed to answer. His heart raced and his stomach churned. The serup is wearing off him now, so his emotions were getting stronger every day. He didn’t trust this voice any more than he trusted his captors, but what choice did he have.
“All right, I’ll help you if you get me outta here,” Richard said.
“Good, Rishard, good,” the voice sounded pleased.
“So when are you busting me out?” Richard asked.
“Soon. First I have business on Earth to attend to. But I’ll be back soon,” he said and the line went dead.
On Earth, Richard thought? What the hell does he mean by that?
*****
A few days after he rescued Blake, Paul found himself back in Melbourne at the corporate headquarters of Forcedes, waiting for a meeting with the CEO of the company Alan Lieb. The CEO had flown into Melbourne especially for the meeting from the United States. Marcus sat next to him fidgeting badly in his seat. Marcus has no reason to be nervous at this meeting, Paul thought, if anyone did it’s me. So why’s he acting so strange? Eventually a pretty secretary asked them to follow her, and she led them into a boardroom where four men sat at one end of a long table. A grey-haired immaculately dressed man stood, and greeted them.
“Welcome, gentlemen, please take a seat over here near us.”
Paul’s attention immediately drawn to one of the men sitting in the room, Julius Octavian himself. The man behind the attack on the xelion site. Any doubt they knew about his real identity gone. His stomach felt as if it had dropped to his toes, and he took some deep breaths to calm himself. The grey-haired man gestured him and Marcus to come closer, and shook their hands bidding them to sit.
“On behalf of Forcedes, I’d like to welcome you.” He turned to the other men and said, pointing to Marcus, “This is Dr. Marcus Smythe, the Dean of Melbourne University,” and pointing to Paul he said, “And this is Richard Starr, who’s the reason we’re all here.” The other executives smiled politely, nodding.
The grey-haired man continued in his affable tone. “I’ve met Dr. Smythe previously, but Richard allow me to introduce myself. I’m Alan Lieb, the CEO of Forcedes.”
So I’m Richard now, not Professor, Paul thought. “Good to meet you,” Paul said with a nod and slight smile.
Lieb pointed to fat grey-haired man, saying, “This man to my left is Bob Lawrence, head of our research and development at Forcedes. Next to him is Kevin Frank, marketing. The gentleman at the end is a representative from our major stockholders, Mr. Octavian.”
Paul nodded politely at each man, noting that Octavian didn’t look at him during the introductions, and that even the CEO of the company couldn’t refer to him by his first name.
Julius Octavian represented the largest stockholder in Forcedes, and despite all the titles these men carried, he’s the man with the power here. That much is certain.
Lieb addressed the Board. “Richard is here to discuss an invention springing from his amazing breakthrough in string theory. I’m told he has developed an engine that bends gravity to create propulsion. He’s interested in developing a prototype with our help.” Lieb looked at Paul and smiled. “Is that right, Richard?”
Paul felt his stomach churn again, but he composed himself and forced a smiled. “Thank you for your warm greeting Mr. Lieb. What you’ve summarized is correct. The Earth’s fossil fuel supplies are getting low, and fuel has gotten even more expensive after the alien attack. Earth needs a company that can see the potential of a new engine. An engine that can not only move our vehicles, but create clean energy to power our cities.”
Bob Lawrence, the executive sitting next to Lieb said, “Mr. Starr, I’ve been given to believe this engine of yours can run for years without the need for new parts, repairs, and so on. Modern capitalism is built on making products that have built in redundancy. Where’s the profit in vehicles that run forever?”
“Where’s the profit in building cars that run on a fuel that will soon be gone? This engine will change the structure of your company, no doubt. However, if you want to survive beyond the fossil fuel age, you have to begin somewhere. Unless you were planning to go back into the horse and cart business?” Paul said confidently making the board member’s laugh.
Kevin Frank said, “I’ve read the brief, and it said element115 is the fuel used, right?”
Paul nodded. “That’s correct.”
“Isn’t Element115 radioactive? How safe is this going to be for use in vehicles?” Frank asked.
“Good question. The amount of element115 used as fuel in these vehicles is so small that it could not possibly harm anyone. Let me put it this way, I could put the amount of element115 required to run the equivalent of an eighteen wheeler truck for two years right here on this table, and no one in this room would be affected by it. Unless of course you swallowed it,” Paul said, pointing to Bob Lawrence who happened to be drinking from a glass of water.
Lawrence suddenly stopped, worried something is really in his drink, and the rest of the executives laughed. Except Julius Octavian, who looked disinterested?
Lieb said, “The threat of another alien attack, of course, makes any long term planning difficult, because we don’t know if there’ll be a company in the next year. Marcus mentioned that your engine might be able to help with that. How?”
“What you may not understand is that putting my engine in a car doesn’t just make it go forward and backward. It can go up and down too. In other words, cars that fly. Imagine the military money you can make building a flying vehicle that doesn’t require any particular piloting skills, and loaded with all the fiercest weapons you can put on it. Flying tanks, in other words. You see this engine makes airplanes obsolete too.”
Julius Octavian spoke, “So why are you giving this to us? Why not go to the military with this?”
“We need to act now, because of the alien threat I agree. But if I give this to the military, everyday people won’t see this technology for another century. The military will keep it for themselves, if they can get an advantage over everyone else. This kind of thinking needs to change on the planet, because suddenly we’re not alone anymore,” Paul said.
Octavian laughed at Paul’s impassioned answer. “Really? Your sentiments don’t match your sordid reputation, Mr. Starr. Are you here to save the world, or to find wealth and power through your invention?” He laughed again making Paul blush.
Marcus spoke up defending Paul. “All he’s offering you is a head start. This technology will never be your property, as it won’t be long before other physicists figure out what he has.”
Looking straight at Octavian, Paul said, “So what if I want to make money. I made the discovery, and I designed and built the GFM, so I deserve it.”
Octavian smiled, his perfect white teeth glistening. “So long as we’re clear about your… true motives. Spare us your save the world garbage, it’s unbecoming for a man like you.”
A tense silence fell over the boardroom as Paul and Octavian stared each other down, like two men ready to fight.
Lieb suddenly interjected, leading the conversation away from its current unpleasantness. “If what you say is true about the potential of this engine, it won’t hurt Forcedes bottom line that’s for sure. Getting in before our competition is going to be important, so how soon could you have a test model built for us, Richard?”
“Since I’ve been in hiding I’ve already built the engine, all I need is a vehicle to be modified.” Paul pulled out a disk and put it on the table saying, “Here is a design for a car based on a model you build here in Melbourne. Have your engineers modify a car to these specifications, my engine will slot in, and away we go. So how quick, depends on you.”
Lieb looked at the disk, then back at Paul. “That’s impressive. I’ll get our people on it right away.” He turned to Bob Lawrence saying, “Bob, take this down t
o engineering.”
“Yes sir,” Bob said, taking the disk, rising and leaving the room.
“Well, if that’s all Gentlemen,” Lieb began, but Paul cut him off.
“Wait. Err, sorry but the GFM for a vehicle is the easy part. I’d like you to help me develop the power station,” Paul said.
Lieb looked at Octavian, so did Paul, waiting for his response. Octavian shuffled papers in front of him, reading something, then going to the next, leaving the room in a tense silence.
Eventually, he looked up at Paul and smiled like a shark. “Yes, I’ve read your proposal as presented to us by Dr. Smythe. However, I’m afraid I have some concerns about the project.”
“Oh, what concerns?” Paul asked.
“Well, in your proposal you say you need plutonium to build the power station. Yet I’ve heard you say that the power station is an upscale version of the GFM. What I find confusing is the GFM doesn’t require plutonium, but your upscale version does,” Octavian said, watching Paul with narrowed eyes.
Paul took a deep breath, making Octavian smile slightly. “The power station is a different design to the GFM. Plutonium stabilises the element115 in the quantity required,” Paul offered, feeling his stomach sink.
Octavian laughed. “Plutonium is hardly a stable element. Still, I do sense a contradiction in your position here, and it makes me hesitant to proceed. You say this power station provides clean energy, yet you want to build a nuclear power station? I’m sorry, but I’ll need more information.”
