When the door opened, and General Keung got a breath of the Virginia coastal air, it brought back memories of when he grew up on Taiwan. Those were good times, but now he was destined for better times.
Within seconds of the last of the robotic units leaving the ship, Keung could hear the gunfire. He smiled, knowing that the men were taking care of the few remaining guards around the president.
Keung left the vehicle and turned towards the president’s home. It wasn’t terribly ornate, but clean and functional. It had two stories and looked classical. The design was nothing that interested Keung; it was too western.
Two of his robotic units took either side of him as he walked. They were escorting him to his destiny.
That’s a nice touch, he thought. Chang will be rewarded for such a nice touch in his programming. With the mechanical monsters following him, it was like an honor guard, and General Keung relished it.
Keung walked to the front door just after two of his men dragged a guard’s body away, giving him easy access to the front door. The door opened easily, and Keung walked in. He wasn’t interested in the décor, or the layout. He only looked for his man to indicate where the president was.
“General, I’ve searched the bottom floor, and there was only the one man at the front door. The president should be alone in his room at the head of the stairs.
“You can wait here. This is something I want to do myself,” he directed his escort.
His honor guard stopped and watched as the general climbed the stairs.
The General finally reached the door behind which the president was probably hiding. He had already decided that the president’s end wouldn’t be short. He had to pay for the humiliation that America had forced upon China for so many years. His death would reflect that.
General Keung stood at the door and took a breath. He was entering his future, the future of China and the future of the world. The general wished that he had a guard wearing ornamental Asian garb to open the door for him and announce his arrival. But he would have to do without.
General Keung grabbed the doorknob and swung the door open. There was no one in the room except the president sitting in a high-backed chair that was turned towards the window. For some reason the fact that the man didn’t stand when the General entered, angered the general.
“President Patterson. I am in charge now, and you will stand and face me.”
The instant that the person began to move General Keung sensed that something was off. He had met President Patterson a couple of times, and this person seemed different.
Reality struck quickly as the man stood and turned around. His face confused General Keung, and it took him a second to recognize the face of General Quiang.
“What are you doing here?” Keung yelled.
“Cleaning up a mess,” he said as his arm rose and the pistol that he was holding fired one shot. He was a good shot, and the bullet did all that was necessary. General Keung’s lifeless body collapsed to the floor.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The remainder of the ‘clean up’ took only a few minutes. 200 Russian and American troops emerged from every structure, tree or bush around the President’s quarters. The mobile units around the president’s house were taken down quickly with a series of pulse weapons. The men who reported to Lieutenant Lee put up a short fight, but their end was pre-determined.
During the burst of gunfire, a dozen shoulder-launched missiles took out the cow-robots around the building where the president used to live.
The mobile units that were converging would be dealt with over time. SIMPOC’s Beta Units had produced a hundred pulse weapons, and they were well suited to hunt down and deal with their kind.
Captain Moe Epstein walked along with Captain Arseny Vasiliev. Lieutenant Lee was lying on the group with a Russian soldier standing over her.
“Lieutenant, do you speak English?” Captain Epstein asked.
Lee had a very sour look on her face and looked at each of the three men standing over her.
“Yes, I speak English. Probably as well as you do,” she said with a definite sneer in her voice.
“Are you badly wounded?” Captain Epstein asked.
Lieutenant Lee didn’t answer immediately but looked around a little. Reluctantly she finally said in a low voice, “No.”
After a few minutes of silence, Lee asked, “What are you going to do with me?”
“If your life isn’t at risk we’ve been told to hold here.”
“For what,” she demanded.
“You’ll see. Here he comes now,” Captain Epstein said as he looked over lee laying on the ground.
“Lieutenant Lee,” the voice said in Chinese.
Lee was startled and tried to turn around to see who was approaching. When she saw him, she could see only a shape because the lights were behind him and she couldn’t see his face.
The form stepped around her, so she could see him. “Lieutenant Lee, I’m General Quiang. I’m the Commander of the Chinese Army and Naval Forces. You were unfortunate and became involved with General Keung, who was conducting an operation that wasn’t sanctioned by China’s leadership. He has been dealt with.”
“Is the president dead,” she asked.
Quiang looked at her for a second then answered, “He doesn’t live here anymore. He moved back to Washington earlier today. You raided the wrong location.”
Lee was angry and realized that the plan had fallen apart. “You’re one of them?”
“Them?” Quiang answered.
“One of them, you don’t see the future of the Chinese people. You’re willing to keep the status quo, so you can stay in power.”
General Quiang knew any meaningful discussion probably wasn’t going to happen.
“My men will be here in a minute. They’ll take her,” the General said in English.
“Yes, sir,” Captain Epstein answered as he saluted the Chinese General.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The speakerphone on the president’s desk rung and he pressed the button.
“This is Patterson.”
“Sir, this is General Quiang. We have taken care of the situation in Virginia.”
“I’m glad that it’s over. I’m grateful that you and your leadership saw the need to help.”
“Tell your SIMPOC friend that his program worked perfectly, Apparently, Generals Keung’s information wasn’t very accurate. No one told him that you moved the U.S. Leadership back to Washington. What is that programming trick called again?”
“Boot redirect. SIMPOC was afraid that someone would use the same trick that Julius used to gain control of the Cow-Robots, so he set up software to re-boot from only a short list of selected sites. If anyone tried to re-boot from a different site, then his software retained control. Simple concept, but effective,” the president explained.
“Most of the mobile units that Lieutenant Lee thought were reprogrammed weren’t. Her boot method assumed that it worked well, probably based on tests with some local units. They never anticipated that SIMPOC would change many of their operating systems to boot differently.”
“Mr. President. We all know that we’re part of a new world. We must work together. I know that there have been issues between the United States and the Eastern Alliance. I can’t say that there will be no more, but I can say that a new group of leaders is emerging and we’re going to do what’s right; for China and the world. I can give you my personal assurances, that I won’t let anything further happen between our counties. I can also speak for the current leadership of the Eastern Alliance when I say that.”
“Thank you for your assurances. I’d like to remain in contact,” responded Patterson.
“Yes, sir. That would be a good idea for all of us. I must leave now. I have a prisoner to return to my country. Sir, we’ll be in touch.”
“Have a good trip General.”
“Thank you, sir.”
President Patterson hung up the phone and looked
at the man sitting across from him.
“Admiral Losev. Thanks for the support. We might not have been able to pull this off without your help.
“Mr. President. I’m glad that we’ve been able to work together. I should also take this opportunity to let you know that I have leadership forming in my country also. They have contacted me and directed me to return. I’d like to share with you, that they share the same goals as you, and we are looking forward to working together. They will contact you shortly for continued discussions. Per their direction, I’ll be taking my troops and ships back to St. Petersburg.”
“Again, Admiral. Thanks, and I’m looking forward to working with you.
Thursday, November 9, 2051
SIMPOC Estimates Julius’ location
“Captain Herl, may I speak with you?” Asked SIMPOC.
“Absolutely, what do you have for me?”
“I have been investigating the navigational data that we have accumulated during our travels. I have been able to create a predictive algorithm based upon the magnetic forces that this ship uses to move faster than the speed of light. Based on my analysis I have reasonable confidence that I can predict a high percentage of jump points within a practical distance from our location.”
“Okay SIMPOC, I’ll bite. What are you trying to tell me?” Asked Joan.
“I’m sorry if my statements are somewhat obtuse, I was merely providing information to qualify my assumptions.”
“SIMPOC, please just tell me what you want to tell me,” said Joan a little frustrated. She was sensing that SIMPOC had something major to say, it always seemed that he had to lay the groundwork for his statement before he said anything of significance.
“I believe with high confidence that I can predict a path that Julius may have taken when he exited our solar system. I have projected out from the jump point that he used and calculated potential jump points for each of the exit points from that system. There are factors which would naturally limit his choices, and I believe there is a predictable path that he would be forced to follow. When the time is appropriate, I suggest we follow that path and attempt to locate him. It is always wise to know what your enemy is up to rather than letting him have the offensive.”
Joan sat and thought for a while; maybe we can find Tom she thought to herself. Up until that time she had been able to compartmentalize her thoughts regarding her husband. Part of her needed him and wanted to find him, but the practical part of her was forced to deal with the day-to-day events. Now that SIMPOC suggested that they might be able to find Julius and perhaps even rescue Tom the emotional part of her began to overwhelm her. The potential of finding her husband and getting him home was growing in her mind.
“SIMPOC, continue your analysis. I don’t know if this is the right time or not. But, when the right time arrives, I want you to have a plan,” said Joan.
Robles and team assigned to Chevesky
“Sergeant Robles, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard about the great job that you’ve done.”
“Thank you, Captain Herl. Likewise, I’ve heard a lot about you. You’ve become somewhat of an icon.”
“Whoa, Sergeant I don’t know about that. I’m just doing what needs to be done. We all need to pay a huge debt of gratitude to this fellow,” Captain Herl said as she pointed to the huge computer standing next to her.
“Sergeant Robles, this is SIMPOC.”
Sergeant Robles was aware of the huge mobile robot standing next to Captain Herl, but perhaps he was intimidated, or just afraid to speak to him as a person. But, when the captain introduced them, he had to respond with a tentative handshake.
SIMPOC had finally mastered the technique and responded in turn.
“Pleasure to meet you, Sergeant,” SIMPOC announced as his huge hand reached out.
Sergeant Robles, looked up towards the robot’s face, followed by a quick glance to the captain then back to the creature standing in front of him.
“SIMPOC, I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you, sergeant. I’ve familiarized myself with your record, and you should be proud. You have accomplished a great deal.”
Poor Sergeant Robles didn’t really know how to interact with such a famous and large robot. So, he just continued shaking his hand.
“Sergeant, you can let go. SIMPOC is one of us. Treat him as you would any other member of the crew. His sense of humor is a little unusual at times, but he does an amazing job.”
SIMPOC, try to be friendly. I think you’re scaring him; Captain Herl passed to her friend through their mental link.
My jokes aren’t always funny, and I can’t smile any suggestions?
No, just don’t scare him too much.
“How is your day going?” SIMPOC blurted out to Sergeant Robles. Both Captain Herl and the sergeant looked at him oddly.
I thought that is a comment to relax people upon initial meeting? SIMPOC passed to Herl.
Not very smooth, I’ll explain later.
“Sergeant, he’s trying to help you relax. Let me walk you to your quarters. SIMPOC programmed the Cow-Robots to build a nice little area for you. You’ll find a kitchen, recreation area and personal quarters for you and each of your men.”
“Thanks, Captain. We’re looking forward to being part of the crew.”
“I’m sure that you’ll fit in well. I suspect that the president and Admiral Monson assigned you to the Chevesky, because I tend to get involved in things, and I might need you to bail me out.”
“Glad to Captain. That’s what my men and I are here to do.”
Friday, November 10, 2051
Talk with President
“Mr. President, that’s our current position regarding evacuees, housing, and skill sets. Do you have any questions?” Asked the young man who was standing in front of the president.
Joan Herl was sitting in the back fighting off the urge to take a nap, but she didn’t get many opportunities to spend time on earth and hear the details of how the recovery was going. Today was one of those days that she made an appearance. Regardless she was a technical person, sitting in briefing rooms looking at PowerPoint presentations wasn’t something she enjoyed doing. But it was the price she had to pay. She couldn’t help but remember an old joke, “Death by PowerPoint isn’t pretty.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw SIMPOC move. That wasn’t unusual, but it was how he moved. She sensed something had just happened, SIMPOC is there something happening?
Standby responded SIMPOC.
Joan didn’t like that response. Of all the responses she had become accustomed to from SIMPOC, standby was the one she liked the least.
Captain Herl, there has been an unusual event. The deep space network has sensed ships entering our solar system. They appear to be entering from the jump point associated with the Terest system. He passed to Joan through their alien CPU material.
At that instant, Joan was no longer aware of the others in the room and the man who was droning on in front of the president. Her attention was focused 100% on what SIMPOC you just said. How many ships are there? Joan asked.
Four ships have just entered our system, and there are indications that others may follow, responded SIMPOC.
“Mr. President, it looks like we are going to have visitors,” said Joan above the noise of the conference room. Those who were in discussion about the mundane issues of staffing skill set and housing continued talking, and the president didn’t hear her.
“Mr. President we have a problem,” said Joan with a louder voice.
That got the president’s attention, “Everyone shut up. Joan, what is it?” Asked President Patterson.
“Sir SIMPOC has just sensed four ships entering our solar system from the Terest entrance point; he suspects there may be more following,” she said clearly and distinctly for everyone in the room to hear.
The room fell deathly silent. They all knew the implications of what Joan said. President Patters
on looked back and forth between Vice President Hagerly and Admiral Monson.
The president looked directly at Joan and asked, “Do you think they’ve come to discuss something?”
“If they did, I don’t think they need four ships with others following,” responded Joan in a serious tone.
“Mr. President, I suggest that we all return to our ships,” suggested Admiral Monson.
“Agreed.” responded the president with a dejected tone. “Joan, SIMPOC keep me abreast of what you find out.”
Joan and SIMPOC Joan Leave for the EDF Chevesky
SIMPOC moved quickly. Joan ran, and the huge computer was able just to trot. Joan stayed on the sidewalks or paved surfaces, and she had learned in the past that SIMPOC didn’t run on grass or soft soil.
The shuttlecraft that each of the leaders used were parked in an open area near the meeting location. There was no need to land them at airports, so the natural tendency was to park them near the meetings.
Joan, another grouping of ships has exited the jump point, SIMPOC passed to Joan through their mental connection.
Great, she responded. Can you tell how many?
No, the signals are overlapping each other. I can only tell that there are more than one.
Just as they finished the last communication, they reached their shuttles. Joan noticed Admiral Monson reaching his ship about the same time, and she yelled to him.
“Sir, you go first.”
The Admiral waved back at her and climbed onboard.
“SIMPOC where are the Terest ships heading?” she asked.
“They seem to be massing, and they haven’t picked a specific target. Even though they entered the system at a very high speed, they have changed course. They can continue for some time before they have to commit to a heading change.”
“Are they headed towards Earth?” she asked, fearing the answer.
“No, they are continuing on their entry trajectory. I will tell you if they change course.”
“Are their vectors being passed to the other ships in the EDF?
Earth II - Emergence Page 24
