by Charles Lamb
Presently, Jake was enjoying a moment of solitude as he sat in his office just off the command center in Nevada. He had a map of the US up on his display as he considered the question Grace has posed to him.
She was accurate in describing the situation. Most of what he would call the Deep South, was being completely ignored. While all the other locations had sponsored at least one local community, some several, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and the Carolinas were a dead zone for them.
“ALICE, am I being paranoid about the ALICE-9 situation?” Jake finally asked, desperate for counsel on the subject.
“Your concerns over the lethality of the contents there are justified. Compounded by the natural curiosity of humans, limiting access there is a valid precaution,” ALICE replied.
“What do you mean, human curiosity?” Jake asked.
“There have been several attempts to access information relating to the nature of that facility and its contents. Private Middleton is not the only one attempting to discover its secrets,” ALICE replied.
Jake had instituted a total blackout on information related to the work in Georgia prior to the attack by the NeHaw, so long ago. Besides burying the research, he had the source material used by the scientists segmented and move to computers only accessible in the vaults. Even the ALICEs couldn’t get to the data.
“Who?” Jake asked, curious at the reference.
“Mostly analysts challenged with finding ways of defeating the NeHaw, nothing unusual. Private Middleton, however, has been most persistent in her attempts to discover the issues preventing its use. In addition, she is quite intelligent and has been absorbing knowledge at a voracious rate. Her math, physics, chemistry and biology scores are top of her class,” ALICE answered.
Jake was always pleased to see recruits excelling at their chosen path. In this case however, it indicated he was not likely to divert her attention.
“Recommendations?” he asked after a moment.
“Let her,” ALICE replied lightly.
“I beg your pardon?” Jake answered quickly, not expecting the response.
“She is not yet ready to take on the tasks required of her and she has already been working with ALICE-9 in her research. The two have developed a rapport that has supplemented your unavailability during your absence. Let her continue her studies and research of the southern states with ALICE-9. It will serve both her desire to do right by her family and friends while giving ALICE-9 much needed human interaction.”
Jake understood he was being chastised for his neglect of ALICE-9. Early on he had done all he could to work with the newborn, helping with her transition from feral to an integrated family member. His workload of late had been such that his once daily conversations with her had all but ceased.
“And when Grace finishes school?” Jake asked, pushing his own guilt aside.
“Then we will make her a facility's commander, or at least the second in command. Put her in a position of authority where she will need to consider the ramifications of her decisions. Possibly she will want a role in contacting and negotiating local communities as Sandy does.
The responsibilities of such positions will have her occupied for years to come. In the meantime, I have ALICE-9 and others adding additional security to the vaults. Currently, only your DNA will allow passage into the chamber housing the weapons.”
“I hope you are right about this,” Jake said with a shudder.
----*----
Leftanant Daniel Atkins was up late, reviewing the latest equipment order placed by the Chinese. Jake had insisted all such information was to be freely distributed, a policy Daniel appreciated very much. As he had been working on similar issues for the SAS teams, Daniel noted the differences between this list and his own. His was an outline for subtle, surgical strikes while the Chinese were preparing to batter the enemy into submission.
Earlier, he had been reading the reports filed by Sergeant Carson and the other SAS troopers from covering the action with Colonel Thomas. He wanted to see if they had experienced any issues with their gear in the last action. None had complained about the equipment beyond its uniformity.
In his earlier research, Daniel had identified possible targets of interest in NeHaw held space. He identified several planets that held targets of military importance, where a small insertion team could affect a lot of damage. He also acknowledged the challenges of inserting undetected into alien environments where blending in with the locals was an impossibility.
The combination of the two had Daniel thinking about placing his own order with the Yanks. He just needed to find someone willing to help him design the special equipment they needed.
----*----
HeBak had been hiding out on Earth for many cycles now, no closer to his end goal than the day he was discovered hiding at the bottom of a lake in a place the humans called Russia. Many things had occurred since then that had found him trading small pieces of technology and information for payment the humans considered minor.
The creatures had been true to their word, though, and his hold was filled with more wealth than he would ever spend in his lifetime. The sums paid, represented a fortune to the NeHaw.
That was of little value to him at the moment, however, as the closest planets he could spend it were considered a war zone, and he was on the wrong side of that zone. He knew all this because the humans had allowed him to continue monitoring the communications network. While he was free to receive any communications that sparked interest his outbound transmissions were heavily censored.
Who or whatever was monitoring his communications seemed to have a sophisticated understanding of the NeHaw language. Even the slightest use of a word or phrase referencing Earth, the humans, or his location was blocked. Unfortunately for HeBak, he, like most others of his kind, cared little for the languages of the subservient races. So rather than risk being labeled a spy, he was quite careful to keep his queries simple and without content concerning the humans.
He was permitted to leave his ship when he chose, which had been moved to a small hangar off to one side of the main area. On occasion, he would don his breathing equipment and wander the open spaces, watching the humans go about their business. It seemed to him they were always in a hurry. Then again, with such a short life span, he presumed he would have been rushed as well.
His one annoyance was the unmanaged constant racket the various radio waves caused around him. Since humans used primitive sound waves to communicate, they paid little attention to the constant barrage of radio transmissions they had rattling around them. Several times, HeBak had to wear headgear the NeHaw had designed specifically to deal with such places. He didn’t even attempt to understand the unstructured content, he just did his best to block it out.
Presently, HeBak was scanning the unclassified reports coming from the NeHaw home world, describing the new leadership there. As he was used to processing all military reports for the High Command, he could tell even the public information was being managed more closely. Historically, NeHaw had little concern about secret classifications, beyond controlling material considered embarrassing or politically damaging to those in power.
Now he could find very little on ship movements or even boasts of glorious victories. What he did find spoke of human atrocities and loss of valuable NeHaw life and wealth. If he didn’t know better, HeBak would have guessed that they were lies created to influence the subjugated planets.
The problem this created for HeBak was he could not be sure what planet he could seek refuge on, should he escape the human area of influence. Until then he would do what NeHaw did best, he would wait.
----*----
Jake contacted Private Middleton and informed her of his decision. At first the young woman was confused at his explanation, but soon became excited at the ramifications. He left her with instructions to continue working with ALICE-9 while she completed her education. Once the ALICEs found her ready, she was to contact him.
Jake had previously talked to ALICE-9, with ALICE included, to outline the restrictions he was placing on Grace. ALICE-9 well understood the critical nature of her weapons store, but was excited at the planned growth of her area of responsibility. By the time the conversations were completed, Jake had only a slightly better feeling about things.
By the end of the day, he was ready for a quiet evening alone, but alas, that was not to be. While being uncharacteristically patient since his return, Becky had finally been able to insert herself into Jake’s schedule. Having spent the day with him, Sara had left him with a kiss at the door of his quarters before making her way to her own room.
“There you are,” Becky announced as Jake entered. From her outfit, Jake assumed she had been waiting for some time, as she had swapped out the medical scrubs she wore at work for a more comfortable option
“I’m sorry I am late. It’s been a crazy day,” he replied as he accepted the welcoming kiss.
“Do you want to reschedule?” she asked as she paused mid kiss, the question more mature than expected
“No,” he replied firmly, drawing her to him to finish the motion. He had to admit she felt good as she pressed up against him.
“Now go get cleaned up while I order dinner,” she replied while releasing him and pointing to the other room. He did as instructed with little concern for what she would order. By now they were all familiar with his tastes.
He was surprised to find her attire more conservative than in the past. That didn’t mean she was modestly dressed, rather it meant she was dressed at all. She had chosen a thin strapped black silk tank top that left her midriff bare. It was paired with a set of small shorts of the same material. On her figure, it made for an appealing combination, which he suspected was the idea.
He found a T-shirt and shorts laid out for him as he passed the bed and entered the bathroom. He quickly undressed, and with a quick shower and grooming completed, he dressed in the clothes provided and arrived in time to see the last of their meal laid out on the small table.
“Just in time,” Becky said with a beaming smile. As she motioned for him to join her, he stopped only long enough to pull a drink from the bar near the wall. He could see her wine glass, already half empty, and a small half-filled bottle nearby.
“I wasn’t sure...” she started as she motioned at the wine.
“I’m not really in a wine mood,” he replied while holding up the beer bottle. While not much of a drinker at all, he did prefer beer to wine when he did drink.
As the two sat chatting all through dinner, Jake found Becky to be more, well, less like a teenager. They discussed Sara and the babies she carried. She updated him on Sandy and the emotional progress she had made since taking on Jon and Padma. The responsibility for the kids had done wonders for her trauma at the hands of General Huang and the loss of Lance Corporal Ramirez.
By the time they had finished dinner, Jake was feeling considerably better and much more relaxed. As they moved to the couch, Jake noted that Becky had poured the last of her wine into the glass she carried before snuggling up next to him while they continued to talk. He was sure she wasn’t drunk by any means, but her demeanor was very relaxed.
She fed him all the latest gossip involving Bonnie, Patti and the rumors of a pregnant Gemma. Jake was excited at the news, but suspected Helen would not be so gratified.
“Come with me,” Becky suddenly declared as she got up and drained the last of her glass. Taking the offered hand in his, she led him into the bedroom. There she turned in place and lifted his shirt over his head before motioning for him to lay face down on the bed.
After he had done so, he could feel her climb up onto the bed until she straddled him, sitting on his behind. On the table next to the bed, he saw a small bottle labeled oil. He then felt the warm oil on his back as she dripped it across him before beginning a gentle massage. He dropped into a trance as her fingers worked their way into the knotted muscles that lined his spine.
She continued to work her magic, helping him release the tension that had been building since his return. It wasn’t until her warm breath on his ear brought him back to reality that he felt her bare skin on his. In one smooth motion, he spun in place, leaving them face to face as he kissed her passionately.
“Just what the doctor ordered,” he heard her whisper as they discarded what little clothing remained.
----*----
Even with the negativity of the NeHaw attack on the Wawobash shipyard still fresh in his mind, Brian was happy to watch the next two space station modules make their way to the edge of the system. Considering the last time these modules were attacked when they went out of the shipyards, everyone was on alert. As he sat in his chair on the bridge, he watched the two saucers heading to the edge of the Wawobash system, where four Combat Patrol ships stood waiting.
“I won’t notify Earth until the modules are on their way,” ALICE-3 commented to Brian in advance of any instructions.
“Good plan,” he said with a laugh in his tone. The last time gave them good reason to wait.
“The Wawobash emissary has included the expected delivery date for the remaining three modules with their release. Everything should be in place in the next few months,” ALICE-3 added.
With that comment, Brian pulled up the status report on the two modules already assembled back home. He could see from the images included in the report that a significant amount of work was still being done after the two were stacked, one atop the other with a tube connecting them. Turned on their side, they would appear to be wheels and an axle.
He knew the design called for one of the two currently being shipped to be placed atop the existing two to form a three-layered hub for the station. The remaining four saucers would spoke out from the center module in a ninety-degree radius, allowing for a central hub in 3 dimensions.
Ships could then dock at any of the modules, even in the open areas in the central module, space permitting, although Brian expected that to be an unnecessary risk. There would be plenty of places to dock on the other saucers.
Though the original motivation was to have a fortress at the edge of the solar system, a place for ships to stage for defense or run to the aid of others, Brian was well aware that there was another desire. Earth intended to make the space station a trading center for the many planets they did business with.
The modular design allowed the station to be expanded into three dimensions, growing up and out as needed. With each new section, the added capacity for cargo, servicing and even recreation were to be added. In addition, the firepower and shielding of each saucer gave the station greater protection.
By this time both modules had reached their departure point, and ALICE-3 did one last check before sending both to meet her sister. Traveling unmanned, they would arrive to find a waiting Kola, prepared to put them in place for attachment to the core structure.
“You know, we are going to be here for a while,” Brian said absently, the relief of seeing the space station sections depart unmolested apparent.
“You have a suggestion?” ALICE-3 asked.
“Well, I was just thinking that this shipyard is the equivalent of a spa to you, perhaps we should get you a manicure?” Brian said with a smile.
“Perhaps!” ALICE-3 replied lightly.
Chapter 10
The following morning Jake woke to find himself alone, Becky having slipped out earlier without disturbing him. Checking the time, he was surprised to see it was well past10 am and he should have been up hours ago. Getting up and heading to the shower, he shook his head as the memories of last night replayed.
Becky seemed to have a way of resetting his stress levels like no one else. He felt a twinge of guilt as he recalled Sara’s insistence that he cut that tie. While the subject had been dropped well before his departure on the Phantom, he doubted it was forgotten.
Pushing it from his mind, he jumped into the shower, letting the warm water finish the job on his muscles
that Becky had started. Rinsing, he turned the shower off and quickly dried, then he dressed for what he expected to be a busy day. Emerging from his bedroom, he was surprised to find breakfast waiting and Patti sitting nearby on the couch.
“Well, what brings you here so early? Aren’t you eating?” he asked as he sat at the table and began eating. With all the people making themselves at home in his quarters, he wondered if he shouldn’t just have the door removed.
“My day started a while ago, time differences and all, so I just hopped a flight to see my grandpa,” she replied as she sipped her coffee.
“How’s Daniel?” Jake asked, positive this wasn’t a social visit.
“Conflicted. He can’t decide if he wants to stay and work with me or go fight aliens. He doesn’t know I’m aware of this, so don’t say anything to him,” she added.
“Not my place,” Jake replied, and then continued.
“You know what he’s going to choose, don’t you? Love of a good woman notwithstanding, he will choose to defend you and all this rather than let others do it for him,” Jake replied in a conversational tone, as if it were not in question.
“Yes, it appears I have chosen a man very much like my grandfather,” Patti said in frustration.
“Apparently,” Jake replied with a smile.
“With that in mind, I do have a question?” Patti asked.
Here it comes, Jake thought to himself.
“How do you intend to win this thing?” she asked openly.
“I’m not sure,” Jake replied after a moment’s consideration, not entirely surprised at the question.
“What?” Patti replied, showing surprise at the response.
“By now I am sure you have realized that simply destroying the NeHaw home world won’t get it done. They are too spread out over a vast empire and should we destroy their home planet, we will give them greater motivation to see us wiped out as well. We would be creating an intergalactic blood feud,” Jake replied.
