Colossus

by John Ricks

  “We’ll see. You know I don’t like politics.”

  “Then be good for the rest of us. He may end up being our boss, and it appears that the House and Senate may become aligned with him.”

  “So we may change from a Democratic president and House with a Republican Senate to a fully Republican-run federal government?”

  “That is possible.”

  “Oh well. I really don’t care. Just as long as he leaves me and mine alone.”

  Colleen looked at me rather sternly, saying, “You’re only two and a half years away from being of legal age to vote. You need to start paying attention, young man.”

  “Yes, Colleen.” I knew when she used that tone of voice that it was useless to argue.

  We headed downstairs and into the dining room. The table was already set, and most people were already seated. I was introduced to several people, and we shook hands. I said hello to Julia and her mother, and then turned my attention to a man with a wonderful smile and a pleasant yet intimidating presence.

  Susan did the introductions. “Freddy, this is Congressman Styles.”

  He seemed a natural leader with a lot of charisma. I could see why people liked him so much. The helmet was more a skull cap that was attached to his head via several straps running around his head. I could feel the magnetic signature, and it matched the box Becky had been in. The hair raised on the back of my neck, and I went into defensive mode. Susan saw, and her stance changed. Smiling, I put my hand out, saying, “It’s nice to finally meet you in person, sir.”

  He looked at my hand, hesitating only slightly, and then shook it as quickly and politely as possible and tried to let go. No good; I had tactile contact and easily bypassed his electrical shield. What I saw had nothing to do with being on the armed services committee or top-secret information. I jerked my hand away and ducked behind Susan. The team was on him in a second.

  Susan ordered him held and then turned to me. “Freddy, please tell me why I just arrested Congressman Styles in front of the media and on national television?”

  I looked up at her and said, “Because that’s not Congressman Styles.”

  Susan looked intently at me. “How do you know, Freddy?”

  “With tactile contact, his electrical shield is useless when you’re as strong as I am. The real Congressman Styles has five children, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then why is this one thinking how much he hates kids and is glad he doesn’t have any? In addition, he thinks specials should be destroyed. That shielding he is wearing has an exact fluctuating signature as the shield on the box that Becky was in. Same electrical frequency and same technology. This is one of the kidnappers.”

  Susan’s face did not change, her body made no sign of a change, but her mind and voice were ice. I shivered. She ordered, “Remove that shield.” He tried to stop them, stating that the national secrets he held could not be revealed and that I had no right to do this. His head snapped back, and blood started dripping from his mouth and nose. Susan hit him so hard and so fast I did not see it until after the fact. In a calm voice, she said, “Hold still.”

  The shield was removed, and I immediately knew what was wrong. “Susan, our good Congressman Styles has been murdered, and this man took his place. They used one of my AutoDoctors to map Congressman Styles’s features, eyes, voice, and fingerprints and changed this man’s features to match. They did this before using a special to strip the congressman’s mind, which slowly killed him. They used that information to train this man to mimic the congressman. My question is, what AD did you use and where?”

  He did not say a word, but he did not have to. I said, “Susan, it was on the ES Protectress. Someone named Ensign Corvine let them in and showed them how to use it. Please contact the captain and have him use specials to check his crew. And take this fool out of my home.”

  The team took the kidnapper—or whatever he was—away, and Susan started giving orders. I knew the man was about to go through the worst time of his life, with military and specials that did not have the issues I have with harming anyone. I nearly felt sorry for him for a second. Then I thought of Becky and what they tried to do, and the sympathy went away. The team went outside, arrested the spy’s entire group, and confiscated the helicopter. The Protectress was given the information, but they did not need it, as they were watching when the spy was taken. Our team checked everything around home and the helicopter to ensure no bombs were aboard and then reported back. Meanwhile, I did a quick check on Senator McConner. No problem there.

  The media were frantically talking into their microphones. Julia looked up at her mother and said, “See? I told you. Anything and everything can happen around Freddy. It’s never boring. Of course, it would be nicer if Freddy did not have Becky hanging on him.” She looked directly at me with that knowing smile, just waiting for me to say something for her magazine. She added, “You know, Becky was giving me the evil eye when I showed up.” I turned red, and her smile increased. It was going to be a long two weeks in the woods with Julia.

  Dinner resumed, and I had the chance to talk to the other personnel that arrived. Most people were very quiet and sad. Some left to grieve and contact the family of the late congressman. Phone calls were made to try to mitigate the knowledge the kidnapper had gained while on the armed services committee. I tried to lighten things up a little with conversation. Senator David McConner was now the center of attention. He actually had tears over the loss of his old friend. He was running under Styles’s ticket for the position of vice president, and the media asked many questions but kept looking at me to see if the answers were true. Earth Force Senator McConner was a staunch Irish Republican, and he answered all our questions easily and candidly, if somewhat solemnly. He was a good man with children and grandchildren that he loved dearly. One of his grandchildren was a special, and he personally ensured her safety and well-being. Apparently, she worked for the government, screening candidates for high positions in the space fleet.

  I told him, “David, you should run for our highest office. You’re a good man, honest, and a highly capable leader. You would ensure that all children, special or not, are taken care of, and that means no war unless absolutely necessary.”

  “Thank you, Freddy. I will miss Congressman Styles. He was a good friend. Now I know why he had become so distant lately.”

  The dinner went well, although it was a little quiet. After the initial issue, Julia asked a few questions.

  “Freddy, I’m told that you want to write a column for the magazine. Is that true?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “That’s very nice of you.” She looked skeptical and asked, “Why?”

  “I have a few ideas about math that I would like to see published. I plan on making a mathematical puzzle that builds on ideas. How often will the magazine be published?”

  “We’re hoping for once a month.”

  “Good, then in one year, I can have twelve mathematical ideas out to the public. Each one will build off the last idea. At the end of one year I will grant ten winners of the final puzzle a trip to Mars—if they pass the screening requirements. That would include you and your legal guardian, as you will need to be in charge of them. Susan will work out the details with you about the trip to Mars, but I will write the puzzle.” I looked over at Susan, and she nodded.

  Julia said, “That’s great!”

  I smiled. “The following year I may be able to grant ten lucky winners a trip to Oreo or maybe Ganza.”

  Julia nearly fainted, and her mother put her arm around her. Julia looked up into her mother’s eyes, and it was easy to see that I had just granted Julia every wish she’d ever had. Julia looked at me, and her face turned almost gleeful. “I don’t suppose Becky will be coming along. Will she?”

  “I’ll probably bring her, just to keep you in line.”

  Anger cross
ed Julia’s face for only a second, and I resolved right then and there to ensure that Becky and Julia never met. That would be explosive. I will never understand women!

  Susan stood up and said, “We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, preparing for the trip. I want to thank Senator McConner for his visit and apologize once more for the earlier issue. I can see by the amount of food that wasn’t eaten that the death of Congressman Styles has hit us all very hard, and we will need time to grieve. Aggie and Julia, if you’ll go with Colleen, she will show you to your rooms.”

  Blue said, “They killed a Blue to put their own in office. I have never heard of something so sick.”

  Green said, “It was not this group that did it. They found out and stopped it.”

  I said, “When working with humans, always remember that most of us are good people, but there are some who will do anything to get their own way. Be careful, but do not blame the entire species due to the acts of a few.”

  Black looked at Blue and Gray and said, “When working with us, most of us are great, but some are trying to be greater, and their push to reach the top makes them dangerous. Be careful, but do not judge us all on the acts of a few.”

  Big Yellows said, “We cannot believe the similarities between our two species. It is amazing.”

  Gray said, “Yes, too bad they have to die.”

  Green said, “Maybe not. We may be able to save a few and use them.”

  They all laughed except Little Yellows. She said, “He is not worried.”

  Red said, “He should not be. He will be one of the ones saved.”

  I didn’t say anymore. I had messed with the new connections to this tank, and I did not want them changing anything, especially as I had to fool with the meter each time the Green brought it in and before he left. I was getting stronger.

  Chapter 26

  Vacation

  There wasn’t really much for me to do in planning for the vacation. The equipment was packed, and I showed the boxes to Susan so she could have them stored away for the trip. First thing in the morning, we loaded up and took off. Julia and her mom, Susan and I, and twenty of the team headed out for some place only Susan knew of—or so I thought.

  I monitored the science station, and as we approached the island, I noticed that eight of my ships were stationed where they could not be seen. Three were surrounding the island under water, and five were in the space station, keeping directly above. I turned to Susan, asking, “Do you realize that with eight ships watching us, the entire world knows where we are?”

  “Yes, I do, and don’t worry about it. Two of those ships are blocking satellites that could watch us, and the rest are for protection. They have orders that no one monitors or reaches this island for the next two weeks except them. If any planes or ships even begin to head this way, they will be warned to head back immediately or face consequences they will not want. I could not find a place where we could hide, now that your scanners are used by the entire world. However, I could make this uninhabited island ours and safe for the next two weeks.”

  Colleen and the other team members were reading the operation manuals for the items I brought. She looked up and said, “I hope no one can see us. Freddy, can these actually allow us to fly?”

  “Of course. Best way I could think up to negotiate rough terrain on a new planet. Still, flying takes up a lot of energy, and you will need to rest often.”

  Susan asked, “We use our own energy to fly?”

  I held up one of the belts. “The belt is adjustable to any size waist. Because it’s army green, it looks like a standard utility belt with a small, thin, sealed box, painted camouflage, attached to the back where it is out of the way. There are several clips for attaching other items.” I had installed on each a canteen three small pouches and a good army utility knife. I said, “You use your own energy for everything that has to do with these belts. I call them vampirism survival belts. I can put energy packs in them, if needed, but I wanted to try out something different and see if people like it.”

  Patricia looked over at me and asked, “If I work too hard in this belt, will I run completely out of energy and die?”

  “No.” I looked at her, smiling. “Would you do that now? Of course not. You would become tired and need to rest. The belt is like an extension of yourself. You put it on, and it taps into your body energy. If you wish to walk, the belt stores all wasted energy. The body radiates energy, and much of that radiation is wasted. The belt harnesses that energy and, if needed, can tap directly into your body energy to maintain power.”

  Patricia said, “That’s interesting, Freddy, but why tap into the body energy?”

  “A battery can run out. Even my energy packs can run out, though it takes a long time. These belts will never run out of energy as long as the person wearing it is alive.”

  Patricia continued. “Freddy, say we are on a hostile planet. It’s cold, and we have to travel a hundred miles to the pickup area. When we become tired and try to rest, won’t these belts rape us of our energy to keep us warm? Therefore, we cannot ever rest.”

  “Patricia, by the way you used the word ‘rape,’ I feel that you are exceptionally worried about these belts causing you to become too tired to continue. Let me reassure you. If you were on a water planet, and it was two hundred degrees above the boiling point, and there was no air, and the gravity was ten times Earth normal, that underwater walk would be as simple as walking in the park. If you did become tired, then the belt would maintain a constant body temperature and Earth normal gravity. It would keep you dry, let you breathe, protect you from radiation, help you see in the dark, shield you from violence, and allow you to rest peacefully using only the wasted energy of your breathing. However, if you wish to have a backup power pack inserted into your belt, I will gladly do so. I do ask that you not use it unless absolutely necessary.”

  Susan asked, “So the army can use these to go down to the surface of unknown planets and do research without harm?”

  “That’s the plan, but these belts are not what I need tested the most.”

  Maggie asked, “What needs testing the most and why?”

  “The helmets and armbands.” I held up a helmet that looked like a standard flight helmet with communications and mirror visor.

  Maggie repeated, “And why?”

  “The helmet is for communication and has a really great heads-up display. The scanners in them can allow you a clear, unobstructed view, even in the deepest jungle. You can see underground, through ground, or around ground—your choice. Nice, don’t you think?”

  Maggie asked, “And the armband?”

  “The … um … helmet can also transmit position and vital statistics to a command post so that the people in charge will know everything about you. Isn’t that exactly what will be needed on new planets?”

  Everyone that was looking at the small, stretchable, camouflaged armbands with the small black box built in, and several who were wearing them took them off and put them as far away from them as possible. Susan asked, “And the armbands?”

  “Oh, they are only to be used after all the other equipment is fully tested and functional.”

  “Freddy, what do the armbands do?”

  “They teleport you to any place you want to go within range. I hope.”

  Colleen grabbed my arm and yelled, “You hope!”

  “Well … I haven’t had anybody crazy enough to agree to test them out until now.”

  Susan took my other arm, turned me around, and held up an armband. “These are untested transponding units?”

  “Well … yes.”

  Susan looked at the others and ordered, “Chief, I want every one of these armbands accounted for and stored back in their original crate. Then I want that crate sealed and sent back to the base and guarded.”

  I looked at Susan and asked, “Don’t you think that
you’re going just a little bit too far? We teleport all the time. Besides, we don’t even know if they work.”

  “No, Freddy, I don’t think I am going too far. What would happen to the girl who used one that didn’t work?”

  “One of four things: nothing, did not move far enough, moved too far, or went in the wrong direction.”

  “‘Nothing’ and ‘did not move far enough,’ I can handle. But what does ‘moved too far’ mean?”

  “Moved too far means she moved anywhere from a fraction of a millimeter to a thousand miles past where she wanted to go.”

  Susan was getting upset, and it was showing, “And what if she moved straight down or up one thousand miles past where she wanted to go, Freddy?”

  I became annoyed and said, “Well, that’s why she is wearing the survival belt and the communication helmet. Wherever she lands, we will know where she is and can retrieve her long before she is in any danger. I have equipment here that can lock onto her coordinates and bring her back, as long as she is willing to return. She will need to set her helmet to retrieval mode so that my transponder can fully identify her.”

  “And if she panics and teleports again before we can retrieve her?”

  “Not to worry; she can only do that a couple of times before the power pack runs out. We’ll retrieve her without a problem. Besides, the maximum distance she can move is a total of one thousand miles. An armband has limits, you know. Susan, I would really like to test the armbands, but it is not absolutely necessary this trip.”

  Susan looked at me and smiled. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll ask for volunteers, and if I get any, then we’ll test them. Is that fair?”

  I looked hopeful and said, “Sure.”

  Susan stood up and said, “Now listen up. Freddy wants to know if there is anyone aboard who is dumb enough to test his armband, knowing full well they could possibly end up God knows where and in unknown condition. If so, please stand up.”

  The two who were standing fought over the one seat nearest and ended up with one sitting in the other’s lap. No one stood up. I put my hand on Susan’s arm and said, “Let me try.”