Future Discovered: Host Saga Book 1

by Michael Farlow

  Van was back in his Chula Vista house relaxing in his recliner again and enjoying the beautiful weather and sun shining in. He was rested after being home for a week and ready again to reengage with the work he and Harry had started.

  He started reviewing what he, Dick, and Harry had done the week before. Yes, it had been a success. Yes, it had been a project that was helpful on a national and a global scale. He could not forget, however, how much he hadn’t thought of and how much Harry had done to make the effort a success. Neither could he ignore Dick’s comments. While Van knew he was physically fit and had some experience in self-defense and the use of weapons, he could not help but wonder what he might have done if Sudani had been able to resist. More worrisome was the thought that when doing this sort of thing repeatedly, someone or something might figure out what was happening and try to do something to stop him. He knew that his senses had been sharpened by the implant and the visits to the chair, but none of that had been tested in the last project. He still had some concerns about how he might perform under more stressful circumstances.

  Just then Harry signaled that Van had a call on his cell phone from the CEO of Europa Medical. He had Harry connect them.

  “Van Childs.” His usual short opening.

  “Good afternoon, Herr Childs. My name is Harold Iken, CEO of Europa Medical. How are you today?” Iken spoke with a noticeable German accent.

  “I am just fine, Mr. Iken. Thanks for asking. How may I help you?”

  “As you may know, my company is an innovator of advanced medical devices and processes here within the European community and, indeed, worldwide. We have learned that your company is also in, apparently, a similar business. In fact, we both have a medical scanning device that might be improved upon with our joint efforts. We would like to open discussions with you to develop a partnership, if you will, that should prove to be very profitable for us both.”

  “I’ve heard of your company, Mr. Iken, and I know about your scanning device and the other work you perform. Truly impressive. We here at Stellar are flattered that you would propose a partnership, but after careful consideration about our product and customer needs, we decided early on not to engage in such partnerships.”

  “But there is a great deal to be done here for the people in need and, may I say, at a handsome profit. Surely you would not object to this.”

  “It is not a matter of objection, Mr. Iken. It is a matter of company policy. As odd as it may seem, and while we do make a slight profit, our concern is that this and other devices we may develop get to the people who need them with as little cost as possible.”

  “A noble outlook, Herr Childs, I must admit. But people and companies like ours live and die in the marketplace. Profit is required for research and development, manufacturing, as well as distribution and sales. It does not come cheap.”

  “I do sympathize with you, Mr. Iken. But our costs are low since we distribute our designs to other companies to build and market with only a small fee. That is our model and it works for us.”

  “I see. As a person with a great deal of experience in this market, let me give you some helpful advice. A key to success in this business is in the competition, which promotes creativity and product openings. But in competition there is inevitable conflict. The wise businessman seeks to minimize conflict in order to continue to grow.”

  “On the surface that seems like wise counsel. But I think I hear a hint of a threat.”

  “Business is a tough and complicated world, Herr Childs. Won’t you reconsider my proposal?”

  “I am sorry. As I told you, this is not what Stellar is about. So, the answer is no.”

  “Very well. I am sorry that we could not be friends and work together. If you change your mind, please give me a call. Good luck to you.” And Iken hung up the phone.

  Van didn’t like the implications of that conversation. It was a threat, of that he was sure.

  CHAPTER 11

  On this trip to Site R, Van was pleased to see that the roadwork was completed and the cabin finished. Solar panels adorned the roof, and affixed on one side were both an external generator and a large propane tank. Before getting out of the jeep, Van called Harry.

  “Harry, I just drove up to the cabin. It looks great! But before I enter, what do I need to know?”

  “Welcome back, Commander. The cabin door is locked electronically but will open when you think it via your implant. There is solar electricity, as well as a working generator and propane, but they are mostly for show. Heating, cooling, and electricity are provided by the same sources as the internal site, mostly from geothermal forces below us. When you enter, all will look normal, and it is in fact a typical mountain cabin with all of what you might expect. In addition, I have placed various detection devices around the property, including IR, motion, acoustic, and vibration sensors. And there are now cameras in strategic places to cover most of the property.

  “After the construction crews left, I used robotic assistance to create an underground connection to the site, as well as the heating, cooling, and electrical connection to the site. I must warn you that I had a self-destruct system installed. It can be initiated by either my instruction or yours through your implant.”

  “We have robots?” questioned Van with a smile.

  “Yes we do, Commander. They have been in storage on Level 5 since the original construction of the site, and I activated enough of them to do the new work. They are also required for other efforts we need like running the fabrication machine, new construction, maintenance, and so forth. Having no physical body, I need the help to get things done.”

  So that’s what Harry calls an “automated system,” he realized, thinking back to the ready-made bed in his quarters. With another broad smile, he said, “Well that helps a lot. I was starting to wonder how things were going to get done with just my hands. How many robots are there?”

  “There are several hundred in stasis, with the capability to make more should we need them.”

  “I want to see one.”

  “Very well, Commander. Stand in front of the fireplace and think Level 5.”

  Van did as he was instructed and was amazed as a circular area of the floor about eight feet in diameter, normally appearing as a rug, lowered through the cabin floor and descended through a tube to a lower level. In a few seconds the motion stopped and a door opened on the face of the tube wall. He stepped through and into another huge hangar-like room, assuming correctly that this was Level 5.

  As Van walked into the large room, he saw silver-gray forms lining the walls. Each one turned out to be a humanoid shape about six feet tall. They all had numbers on their chests, which Van assumed was the way a person could differentiate between them, if that was important. In addition, the robots had several color markings. Some had red stripes on their chests, some had blue, and others yellow.

  “Harry, what do the colors mean?”

  In response, the holographic image of Harry said, “Red indicates primarily mechanical capabilities. Blue is electrical and software technology, and yellow is multipurpose, including construction, site cleaning, security, and other skills as needed.”

  Robots! Van thought. Recalling all the horror stories about robots getting out of control, he wondered, Can they actually be trusted?

  “Harry, I assume these robots are not sentient, so how are they controlled?”

  “I control them, Commander.”

  Great. I’m just warming up to this master AI and now learn he controls a small army of robots. That’s scary.

  “OK, but I can take control anytime I like, can’t I?” Van said, hoping he was correct.

  “No, Commander.”

  “What do you mean ‘no’? I’m the commander of this facility. I should have access and control of it and what it contains. Especially these robots.”

  “What I mean, Commander, is that these robots are an extension of me. They give me the physical skills I need to do my job. I have not seen th
e need for you to control them.”

  “Let’s just say, Harry, that whether you see the need or not, I want master control of these robots. You can still use them in your daily tasks, but I will be the final and overriding point of control. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Commander.”

  Later, Van made it a point to access as much of the Host database as he could for robotic controls.

  Two days and several chair sessions later, Van began to truly appreciate what he had available. He also discovered that he was more attuned to his physical self and knew a lot more than when he’d started. For example, he knew nearly everything about the Enterprise and aircraft like the Gulfstream. So far, his limited access to knowledge from the chair was the result of Harry feeding him a little at a time so as not to overload him, as well as to assess Van’s overall capabilities and worthiness for more.

  In the last chair session, Van learned that through his implant he could access some large part of the computer system normally controlled by Harry. This gave him access to details on the robots, among other things. It also expanded his memory capacity via remote cloud storage by several orders of magnitude and allowed more speed in problem solving and situational awareness. Now he was starting to think he just might get a handle on all of this and truly do some great things.

  Thinking about what Dick had said about leaving trails, he had a discussion with Harry. Van still wanted access to leased aircraft like the Gulfstream, but it was a traceable asset. Dick was right, and some other form of transportation was needed. Of course, there was the Enterprise, but he couldn’t very well have Harry land it in his Chula Vista driveway every time he needed to go to the site or elsewhere. That’s when he thought of an alternative.

  East of Chula Vista the countryside quickly turned into a remote and rocky area leading to low mountains like those in Alpine. If I can find a small piece of land with a building on it, I could use it as a pickup and drop-off point.

  “Harry, do a search of real estate for sale in the Alpine area east of Chula Vista. Look for a small property with a building like a barn or garage.”

  “Yes, Commander.”

  It didn’t take long to find an available piece of property with access by road and with a small metal building he could use as a garage. The Enterprise could be landed there in stealth mode, and then Van could go where he wanted without leaving a trail. Decision made, Van set Harry to the task of buying the property, which they chose to call Site S. It was done in less than two weeks.

  Van also asked Harry to develop some alternative identities for him complete with credit cards, driver’s licenses, and even passports.

  “I will need some materials first, Commander.”

  “Like what?”

  “I can make paper, but not like the paper you use, so I will need heavyweight paper and laminating material. I have ink and can produce photographs, writing, and embossing. There are a few other things as well. I will give you a list, Commander.”

  “Great. As soon as you have the list, I’ll get what you need from Flagstaff or San Diego. But there is another thing I need to ask about.

  “I’ve read files that note the Galactic Host had teleportation or transporter capabilities in their ships and elsewhere. Do we have such a system now in the site?”

  “No, Commander, we do not. You are indeed correct that such technology is within the Secrets of the Host, but it has not been installed here because it was not expected to be of use soon.”

  “Could such a system be installed on one or both shuttles?”

  “It is technologically possible to do so, but it would require more onboard power than either shuttle has, and additional controls.”

  “Can’t you just boost the power?” asked Van with anticipation.

  “I am afraid not, Commander.”

  “Come on, Harry. It can’t be such a big deal.”

  “This is a heavily guarded capability and not one that can be revealed at this point in your introduction to the Host capabilities. Recall our agreement, Commander.”

  Thinking about the agreement for a moment, Van said with regret, “I understand.” But he really didn’t understand. But what could it hurt? Yet it wasn’t worth the effort to get bogged down on this one subject.

  “By the way, we haven’t named the second shuttle.” Van paused a minute or two to think. Then an idea came and simultaneously he snapped his finger. “My late aunt was always talking about the great Harry Truman, the thirty-third president of the United States. She loved the guy. Liked the way he played the piano and had his daughter sing. So, in remembrance of my aunt, how about calling it the Truman?”

  “I think that is a good name, Commander.”

  “Then Truman it is!”

  CHAPTER 12

  After closing on the Alpine property, Van remained in San Diego to conduct further business. In the conference room recently rented by Stellar Projects, he met with Mr. Jacobs, the company attorney. While it had been just a few weeks since making the announcement of the medical scanner licenses, the demands were so great that Mr. Jacobs had temporarily suspended activity until he could discuss it with Van.

  “Mr. Childs,” opened Jacobs, “there are many more applications for the scanner licenses than we anticipated. I was able to sign deals with several of the better-known regional and international companies but am unsure how many companies should get the license and what the criteria might be for issuing them. The nine companies signed up so far believe they can begin production in two to three months, assuming the quick approval by the FDA or foreign equivalent such as the EMEA, the European Medicines Agency. Based on the growing number of advanced sales, our share already comes to several million dollars.

  “The nine companies have suggested, to be polite, that we not issue any more licenses to assure adequate profit levels. Too many licenses, and manufacturers will not be able to afford to produce and market the products.”

  “Who would have thought that the virtual gift of a new medical technology would have such complications?” responded Van. “To some extent, they may be right, however. Do you have any suggestions?”

  “Yes, several. At least for the time being, I propose limiting the licenses to twelve. I admit that is somewhat arbitrary, but for lack of a better figure, it is a start. Further, I suggest that we limit issuance to companies that have the manufacturing capabilities and that have no history of poor performance. Finally, I suggest that we use a lottery system for the selection of this product and any other once an initial screening has been done.”

  Van thought about this for a moment. He could see the advantages to what Jacobs was saying. It all meant more thoughtful choices and control of distribution. That had to be a good thing, to his way of thinking.

  “Do it,” he said.

  “In addition,” Jacobs added, “you need a bigger organization and perhaps your own facility. I can’t run this with my current assets, and we are getting into operational and administrative areas, which my company is not equipped to handle.”

  “You’re probably right,” Van said, thinking of an alternative. “There’s a nice facility in Rancho Bernardo, Advanced Visions, that I worked in as a consultant and that has been used for research and development as well as limited small-scale production. It has conventional offices and a number of secure engineering areas that might be of future help. We could use it for our own projects, and it’s secure enough to allow some contract work to be done there if we chose to let it happen. It belongs to one of my consulting clients and may be available at the right price. I’ll look into it but will likely need your help.”

  In less than three weeks, Van was sitting in his new Rancho Bernardo office located in the front part of the new business he had just purchased: Advanced Visions, but now called Stellar Projects. In fact, this same office was one Van had been in previously when visiting the former president in his role as a consultant. Now it was his. He was alone. It was the weekend. No staff or management was in. Just him
and his reflections.

  The business had been owned by a group of engineers who founded the company to test and develop new ideas about stealth systems. Having met their objectives and achieved a certain amount of monetary success, the individual partners decided to sell, and each moved in new directions. They were loyal to their customers and employees, however, and as part of the deal, Van had to agree to maintain the existing client base for the foreseeable future and to do essentially the same work as before, primarily the development and testing of low-observable systems. He did reserve, however, one of the most secure areas for his own use. One that was strictly off limits to everyone. It was from this area that new Stellar products would emerge, he told the sellers. The company would be doing more than just low-observable work now that he was there.

  Van thought of the final advantage to this location. His longtime friend Al Craig was also the general manager of the new facility. We flew together, we drank together, and we learned to trust each other.

  It was no surprise, therefore, that Van named Al the new president and, as a reward, dropped the tricorder project in his lap and asked him to supervise it and hire the people he needed, within reason.

  Meanwhile, one of the new Stellar patent applications was for a simple version of the nanorobots currently operating in the modular medical unit in Site R. On Earth, nanotechnology was in its infant stages of research and development, consisting largely of molecular manipulation to form nanofibers and other forms of modified molecular strands. Advanced forms of molecular self-assembly were being studied to see if molecules could be caused to form into a defined arrangement. Work in nanorobotics was limited to mostly theory. Primitive, by Galactic Host standards, work had been started by major companies like Greatneck Electric, Bristol Computing, and North American Defense and Freelance Systems.