Tech Mage

by D. L. Harrison

  Diana had been kind of quiet until Cassie and Jayna went to their personal quarters, and I turned to her.

  “Are you alright?”

  She nodded, “I am now. Thanks for setting that up for me, I’ll make good use of it, and it’ll keep me from going crazy. Four quarters?”

  I shrugged, “I didn’t want to assume.”

  She bit her lip, “I wouldn’t mind.”

  “I’m also sorry I dragged you into this.”

  She raised an eyebrow, and then she pulled me into her room. That seemed fair, she had a much better and bigger bed than the small daybed I’d picked up at Walmart.

  “Seems you did assume anyway, if not about our sleeping arrangements. There’s no reason to be sorry. This wasn’t all about us, although I am very happy to be here with your right now, and I was very concerned what they might do with my advances in regard to you.”

  I raised an eyebrow in question.

  She said, “I already revealed my doubts to you of their intentions, before it all went down, if subtly. I’ve been looking for a way out for a long time now. They recruited me five years ago out of college, I already told you that. I was excited at first, naively so. Alien technology, what wonders and advances could we bring the world. It was the chance of a lifetime, a dream and ambition to satisfy myself and a need to give back all at the same time. Of course, once you cracked it for us and opened up a million possibilities, the military had me focused solely on destructive applications and research with the new scientific advancements and theories revealed to us.

  “My requests for teams to work on medical advancements and other areas that would improve the world, from clean power generation to safe transportation, were all turned down. The president revealed the technology, ships, and aliens to the world, but the scientific theories and knowledge behind it remained above top secret to all but a few.

  “I saw a world where planes didn’t crash, and children didn’t die of cancer, they saw a weapon and power to intimidate and influence the rest of the world. I know that’s naïve, and I might have even been satisfied if they’d pursued both, but they didn’t. The last straw was when Mortenson ordered me to come up with a way to take you out, so it was about you to a certain extent, but it wasn’t all about you.

  “I’ll be happier here, where I can research whatever I want. I’m just as much of a fugitive as you and Cassie are, perhaps more so. Building new ships won’t be the only business we personally run on our space station, I plan to explore the possibilities, and we can sell other advancements and inventions as well, if we can stay a step ahead of the government that is.

  “My point being, you have nothing to be sorry for, this is a dream for me, I can now do what I’ve always wanted to be doing. You… us, well that’s just a bonus, and only half the story.”

  Her little speech had me a bit… speechless, and the excited passionate look in her intelligent emerald eyes stole my breath. She was right of course, we’d host a lot of companies if we could get things running, but I hadn’t considered our own company would be selling more than ships.

  I’d understood life was a balance, and she’d have her science to satisfy her ambition and the business side of her life, as I had my stuff going on business wise, while the two of us pursued the more intimate and personal sides of life. In short, I knew we had a shot, and both of us could have a full life right there on the station, but I’d failed to think past that and what her work would mean for the world.

  Assuming of course, the world was still there in a few weeks.

  I was kind of blown away by her vision of the future, as she rocked my world with the possibilities. Clean power generation, nanite health care, entangled communications would replace satellites and most transmitted communications over time, planes with anti-gravity so they couldn’t fall out of the sky and crash, cars with inertial dampening would stop crash deaths, and a million other things that weren’t even on the radar, because she hadn’t invented them yet.

  I finally got out, “You are so sexy.”

  She blushed, “Show me. I’ve missed you.”

  So I kissed her, and I proceeded to show her just how much I’d missed her the last two weeks.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The next morning, once we got out of bed, I integrated her missile designs, as well as the shield updates. It wasn’t perfect, the missile would still rock the ship hard, but it wouldn’t cause a deadly catastrophic failure. I also went ahead and sent the programming updates to the ten ships, as well as to Space Command on earth so they could update their smaller warships.

  I wasn’t all that surprised when they didn’t send me a thank you note. I imagined they weren’t happy at all, I was a little surprised they hadn’t sent a ship to Jupiter. Maybe they felt they had no choice, between me and Cassie we’d backed them into a corner of sorts, and it was too much of a risk to confront me before the battle with the aliens. Still, I was surprised they’d been able to see the logic in that, I was sure the president and General Mortenson were furious, not to mention the joint chiefs and the pentagon.

  I knew that bill was coming though, eventually. Hopefully we could settle things mostly peacefully, I hoped they’d get one look at my space station and tuck tail, but I doubted it. I also wasn’t going to lose any sleep over it. The bastards had tried to assassinate me, and they kidnapped one of their citizens to use as leverage against me.

  After breakfast, Cassie, Jayna, and I stayed at the table and grabbed another cup of coffee each, instead of moving to the conference room I’d made, while Diana went to her office with a smile on her face and a desire to study and research new technologies.

  “So, how’d you wind up working for the government?”

  Cassie smirked, “I suppose you’ve earned story time. You’ll also realize why I didn’t share this while we were working on the base, even past the fact I tried to avoid getting to know you as much as possible. Despite that, you impressed me anyway in the short time we worked together.”

  She shook her head, “Anyway, a little background. I was born Cassiopeia Renault right outside of Paris, in the fourteen hundreds. At six centuries old, I’m one of the elders of our race. When America was formed, I took a ship over with a couple of my turns. We lived simply, we didn’t kill for blood, and we kept the secret for ourselves, along with the mages, witches, and fae.

  “In short, we minded our business, and lived our lives in obscurity much like any citizen the world over. It wasn’t until nineteen fourteen when our priorities changed. The start of world war one was alarming, and technology started to advance at a frightening rate. I was five hundred at the time, and I got in touch with other elders of our world, with the help of some of the witches. We discussed it for a long time.

  “Vampires depend on humans for life, and the last thing we wanted to see was you destroy yourselves. Try to imagine how you would feel, if your cattle and vegetable fields had started destroying each other the world over. Humans aren’t cattle of course, they’re more than that, but it amounts to the same thing practically speaking. War wasn’t anything new, but for the first time we saw the potential for humanity to wipe itself out worldwide.”

  She paused a second to gather her thoughts, and sip at her coffee.

  “Speaking of food.”

  She smirked, “There’s some blood in the frozen food supplies we brought. Where was I, right, the humans had started a world war, the first one, and I got together with the other elder vampires. It was then that we took a more… direct interest in the survival of your species and my old one. I volunteered to take America, since I was the oldest one on the continent, while others focused on the other world powers.

  “We did our best to avoid world war two, but Hitler was just too much of an asshole, and he had powerful elemental mages in his employ so we couldn’t compel him to cut the shit. Regardless, I wouldn’t say I controlled America, the government is too big and diverse, but I did whisper in ears at times, calm emotions. You could eve
n say I worked for America, because my interest was in their stability as a world power.

  “Then when fifty-seven rolled around, the conspiracy of an alien ship, a UFO, in Roswell came to light. Let’s just say it piqued my curiosity, so I ran it down. Humans can’t lie to me, and with a light compulsion they have to tell the truth, so it didn’t take me long to discover what’d happened, and where the ship was, despite all the confusing lies and coverups the government threw in my and everyone else’s path.

  “Needless to say, an alien ship and technologies that would throw off the balance of power in the world was not conducive to stability. I still kept an eye on the rest of what was going on, but I felt I needed to be central to the issue to keep an eye on it, so I got myself into the program as a civilian consultant and manager with a few compulsions in the right ears. I did that as little as possible mind you, and I regret not using compulsion when the general informed me of his ultimate plan in regard to you.”

  She shook her head, “Maybe I’m too old. I was there to protect stability in the world, what was one life to me? When I’ve seen so many come and go the last six centuries? I know. That sounds horrible, but it’s the truth. Anyway, that’s how I wound up working in area fifty-one, then two and three, and finally on Peterson.”

  I tilted my head, “So, the reason you’re really here is to influence me, so I don’t start world war three.”

  She blushed, “Damn, you’re more perceptive than I expected. I knew you’d work it out, but not that fast. I could fix things with compulsion on Earth, but too many in the government know about me and what I am, it’d be obvious I was manipulating the government, generals, and the military, and might start a vampire hunt. So, I helped Diana and your sister escape, and came here to keep an eye on you instead, while one of my elder associates will take over my place in America. My goal as always, is preservation of the human race, and to make sure they don’t destroy themselves.

  “That said, it also feels like the right thing to me. I don’t believe you’ll lose your mind and start world war three, but I can’t take the chance, so here I am. I also wasn’t lying about my interest in the station, it’s a turbulent but exciting time, and helping to run a space station, sell ships, and perhaps other things, sounds fun.”

  I nodded, “I’ll trust you then, since I know I have no intention of starting a world war. But if they move against me, I will respond in force. What will you do?”

  She smirked, “Maybe not that perceptive after all. I’d do nothing, as long as it was an appropriate response and not a major escalation.”

  I frowned, and Jayna laughed.

  Jayna said, “Don’t you get it, you’re ultimately good for stability. The U.S. with a monopoly on advanced alien technology would be a temptation to take over the world, or at least hold that possibility as a threat over the rest of them. But here you are at least a fulcrum in the balance of power, they don’t control you, and you plan to build and sell ships that can go to the stars, trade, look around, or just create a colony on one of the eight worlds. You’re doing her job for her, by keeping America in check. She’s just here to make sure you don’t go too far. It was already your influence that made America reluctantly agree to other countries crewing some of the ten ships you’re building, or so Diana told me on the way here.”

  Oh. I hadn’t gotten that far in my head yet, but I could see it now.

  Cassie nodded, “What she said. I’m also going to enjoy myself, and your company. If you can see past my mistakes, I think we can be friends as well as business associates. You really can trust me, and if you become a monster you can trust me to stop you.”

  Yeah, that was actually comforting, in a disturbing way. It was also becoming apparent to me that the way she treated me, teasing and playful, was actually who she was as a person. It’d only felt fake before, because of the emotional disconnect on her side as she didn’t want to get to know a dead man, and just end up mourning me. It was cold, but I kind of got it.

  It was a bit disturbing, but I thought I could get past it, I already trusted her and her implied and stated purpose, and I thought we could build a friendship within those bounds. She was an incredibly beautiful and sexy woman, but that wouldn’t be an issue either. My relationship and feelings for Diana shielded me from some of that, enough that I wouldn’t fall prey to that kind of manipulation, and I was mostly used to it after several weeks of association.

  “Alright, so business?”

  She nodded, “I’d suggest we split duties. You’re responsible for the safety of the station, designing ships and technology to build, while Diana gives you more technology to add to that. You’ll also make sure it’s full of gas assuming that part pans out. I’ll administer the station, deal with legalities, and use my contacts to get in some vendors, and deal with money.”

  “That’s a start.”

  She said, “The vendors will be responsible for furnishing the spaces, all we have to provide is four walls, a floor, ceiling, lighting, security, and power. Shipping their stuff up here will be another price point, and something we can handle by you creating shuttle trucks, or whatever we’ll call them.”

  I smirked, “Cargo shuttles. I’ll also make commercial shuttles for people to come up, we’ll need a deal with a country, or several countries, to use their airports, or perhaps to build a small spaceport.”

  She nodded, “I’ll handle that part, or my contacts will. Anything else?”

  Jayna said, “Advertising. The vendors will advertise they’re on a space station, vacation destinations and all that, but you’ll need to advertise your businesses. Space yachts, freighters, and custom ship business, plus whatever other inventions Diana comes up with. By the way brother, you’re batting way out of your league there, I like her.”

  I grinned, “Damned right I am.”

  Jayna smirked, “You could also advertise tours, build a ship to cruise the solar system. You could either let a cruise line take that part, or just hire some pilots and make it part of the station’s amenities.”

  “Are you volunteering?”

  Jayna tilted her head, “I guess I can take advertising, it sounds interesting.”

  I said, “What about the government? They’ll try to block it all from happening.”

  Cassie winked, “Just worry about the military, and keeping the station secure from attack. I’ll handle the legalities and politics. There’s too much money in it, I’ll be able to leverage a solution, as long as you keep us in one piece.”

  I nodded. It looked like I was in charge of security and manufacturing, so I wouldn’t have to interface with customers or vendors renting spaces all that much. That… was more than fine with me, I wasn’t a business major, I was the tech guy.

  “Do either of you need anything from me to get started?”

  Cassie said, “I just need the specs on the finished station, or at least for the top part so I can price the spaces and know what I’m working with. Changes are possible, in case some loon wants to build a water park, or a huge hotel?”

  I nodded, “Yes. I’ve given you read access to everything.”

  Jayna said, “Not much, but maybe some mock up pictures of ships and specs to include in the advertising. Just to give a general idea of what’s possible and what can be customized. I can handle the rest of it on my own. I’ll also start a website.”

  Cassie said, “I’ll also be hiring, the two of us can’t keep up with it all. If nothing else we’ll need people in sales, and a show room of sorts for custom ships for personal and merchant use.”

  “Agreed. We’ll also need a station security force. I can handle ships, but even I can’t be awake twenty-four hours a day, and we’ll need feet on the ground to enforce station laws in the public part. It’s going to be a huge five-mile-diameter round city, with multiple levels. I can automate some security, but…”

  Cassie nodded, “I’ll look into that as well, though that will interface both our jobs as security and administration.”

/>   Jayna snorted, “So Cassie is mayor and you’re chief of police and a building contractor. Plus, manufacturing ships and whatever else Diana comes up with for our personal business.”

  That kind of put it in perspective, I’d been thinking too small. I was in way over my head, and far more confident about fighting off aliens than running a tourist city in space. Of course, it would be a constant work in progress, and the city would be slow to fill in piece by piece. I imagine despite the size it’d start off like a small resort.

  “You’re right, and you’re the head of the tourism and advertising bureau.”

  Jayna snickered, then looked as overwhelmed as I felt by the idea.

  Cassie nodded, “One step at a time, it’s not as overwhelming that way. Let’s get started.”

  The mockups were fairly easy, I designed a sampling of ships, and I didn’t have all that much to do besides that yet, I was already on the ball as far as securing the station. There were a lot of steps to go through before I’d be buried in work and need assistance.

  It was also somewhat comforting to know I had the easier job, protect the station, and build stuff. Internal security would be farmed out, and my responsibility, but one I could mostly delegate to who we hired.

  It was a start, and it’d all take time to make happen.

  The next two weeks passed quickly as the builds finished, and we loaded up on fuel before we started back. I started building missiles with the ships and the station as planned, one gravity for every four anti-matter missiles. The ten large warships were attached and secured to the station for the trip, I couldn’t fly them all by myself after all. I also absorbed all of the probe ships back into the hull as part of the preparations for our twenty-two-hour trip back to Earth.

  I set course for Lagrange point one in the Earth-moon system, and I started us on our way.

  I’d spent the days working with my sister and Cassie on getting things up and running. For the most part after two weeks we were still working on preparation steps, such as legalities and contracts, infrastructure stuff, and we hadn’t even started looking for vendors yet.