by Ira Tabankin
“Everett, either way, thank you for letting me come with you.”
“Let’s finish packing and enjoy our weekend. Before you ask, I’ll tell you, I don’t know who else may be there since he invited you. I will assume the First Lady will also be there, but she won’t be in any of the official meetings.”
Everett was surprised when he noticed the President was waiting for them when the Secret Service brought them up the mountain, “I wanted to make sure both of you made it without any issues. Liane, I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to borrow your husband for a little while. Bess would like to show you around until I finish with Everett. She’ll help you get settled in your cabin. Is that okay?”
“Oh my God, yes, yes. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Once Everett and the President were seated in the President’s cabin Truman said, “I want to see the images Kalteck sent back and I’d like to hear his report to you with my own ears. Don’t leave anything out, I want to hear everything he said.”
“Yes, sir,”
An hour later, Truman sat back in his seat, “Everett, what do you think of his report?”
“I think trouble found us much sooner than our friend thought. I don’t know how to speed up our development any faster than we’re already going. Boeing, Douglas, and Lockheed are all wondering where we’re getting the designs from and how we know when their designs need to be modified. One Senior VP at Boeing even went so far to ask me if it was at all related to what happened at Roswell.”
“Shit, that’s not what I wanted to hear. We can’t allow the information about our friend to leak. The news would tear not just America, it would tear the world apart when they realize we’re not alone and we’re facing a war that will make the First and Second World Wars pale by comparison. Everett, remember, one of your key tasks is to control the narrative. You must ensure every story or indication of aliens is blamed on some natural reason. I know you’ve had to resort to some harsh methods. Don’t get me wrong, I understand. In the future, please leave those out of your reports. It’s called deniability. I can deny knowing anything about these issues if you don’t tell me about them. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll leave out details of incidents that never happened.”
“Excellent. Now, what do you suggest we do about this Boeing VP?”
“I think I convinced him. However, if he continues poking his nose around or speaking about things he shouldn’t be, then I don’t think we’re going to have any choice except to either remove him or pull him into working for us. Sir, another idea I had was to ask General Bradley to set up an official office of advanced technology inside the Pentagon. That could give us some cover.”
“That’s a very interesting idea. I’ll talk to Omar tonight. Please give me the VP’s name and I’ll have it handled.”
“Yes, sir.”
At dinner that evening, Truman tapped his glass to get Liane, Everett, and Bess’s attention. “I could have done this in my office or at the General’s, but this is one of the tasks I enjoy. General Everett Yahnig, please stand.”
Everett looked confused as he stood and snapped to attention facing the President.
“It is my pleasure to promote Brigadier General Everett Yahnig to the rank of Major General of the United States Air Force.” Truman handed Everett the twin stars of his new rank. “General, it appears you are out of uniform and in front of your Commander in Chief. It’s very, unlike you. Liane, would you like to pin the stars on your husband?”
Smiling from ear to ear, Liane took the two silver stars from the President’s outstretched hand and turned to face Everett. “General, would you please bent down a little or I’ll need a step ladder? I can’t reach your collar, you’re too tall.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
President Truman smiled.
Liane turned to face the President, “Is it okay if I kiss the general?”
“I don’t see why not. You are legally married, aren’t you?”
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Upon arriving home, Liane asked, “What does your new promotion mean?”
“For us? More money. For me, more responsibility. The President told me he’s increasing my staff, doubling it.”
“Are we are going to have to move again? I finally like it here.”
“I’m sorry to say we are going to move one more time. The President promised that it would be our last move.”
“Am I allowed to ask where we’re going to be moving to? If that’s not against your top-secret whatever it is you do.”
“We’re moving to Nevada…”
“Nevada? That’s in the middle of nowhere! There’s nothing there. It’s hot in the summer. It’s a damn desert! I don’t want to move to Nevada!”
“Honey, I’m sorry. I promise this will be the last time. We have a while before we have to leave. The base hasn’t been completed yet…”
“Am I allowed to ask what the name of this new base is?”
“Officially it has no name, it’s simply called Area 51. The Air Force has many private areas, this is the fifty-first…”
“Oh God damn. My new home won’t even have a name! What else would you like to tell me?”
“Honey, I can tell you that we won’t be far from Las Vegas, and we’ll be able to live in Las Vegas, which I think would be better than living on the base.” Everett smiled as he watched the look on Liane’s face change when she realized where they could be living.
“Las Vegas! Really? How many casinos do they have there now?”
“I believe the number is up to four or five. I understand there are many under construction and I think there will be around ten by the time we move. See, it won’t all be bad, nice restaurants, fancy hotels, and dinner shows…”
“Oh my God. Okay, you won me over and we’ll be close to LA too.”
“Yes, we will be close enough to drive there for a weekend. Are you happy now?”
“When are we going? Should I start packing? When should I place the house on the market?”
“I’ll check with the construction manager tomorrow and then I’ll be able to give you an idea. I can tell you I will be the new base’s commanding officer.”
“Will there be an O-club?”
“I believe we can get one built.”
“You won me over. I’m sorry I didn’t have more faith in you. How long have you known about this move?”
“The President told me when we had our private meeting. I had no idea until he told me. My staff will be doubled. I will have field agents spread across the country. I will have to spend more time at the Pentagon, but most of those trips will be short ones.”
“What kind of command based in the middle of nowhere has field people spread around the country?”
“Honey, we’ve discussed this, I can’t discuss it. Nothing is really going to change. I will have a driver and an increased security team.”
Liane spun around to look at Everett, “Wait a minute. Why are you getting an increased security team if nothing’s really changed? You didn’t have a security team when you were a one-star general. Are you sure nothing’s changed?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you. I did have a security person. This will be a full team watching me, you, and the house. The President said he wanted me to be safe from any threat…”
“Everett, what kind of threat are we talking about? Why didn’t I know if there was a threat against you? Am I in danger too? Is your security going to watch our house? Are they going to be following me around when I go shopping or have lunch with the girls at the O-club?”
“Honey, I think you will have someone keeping an eye on you and they are already watching the house. Didn’t you notice the car parked across the street when we came home? I will meet the captain in charge of our security today at noon. I’ll ask him for his plans and then I will tell you what I can…”
“It’s always I can’t know this or that, I don’t like secrets. I want honesty between us. I won’t lie to you, why are
you lying to me?”
“I’m NOT lying. I’m simply not telling you what I can’t discuss due to National Security reasons. You know that. I know the President explained to you that there are issues with my assignment I can’t discuss with you or anyone not cleared.”
“Okay, since I have no choice in the matter, please tell me tonight what you can when you return from your staff meeting.”
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Kalteck’s ship had completed three orbits of Mars. Each made Kalteck more homesick. “AI, slowly bring us down to the pad near the shrine. Take extra care not to cause it any damage. It has been untouched since the last of us left. I want to enter the shrine and pay my respects to our ancestors who gave up their lives in the struggle for our continued existence. I want to remember us as we used to be.”
“Do you remember the entry code?”
“How could any of us ever forget? It’s the date the last of us left our home world. That date is forever burned into our collective memories. It’s one of the first things taught to each of us when we begin our formal education. None of us will ever forget our oath, ‘We left, but we will return and bring life back to our dead world.’ ”
“And the Emperor’s forces?”
Sadly, and softly, Kalteck responded, “They will do anything they can to block our return. They have sworn they will destroy our home world rather than allow us to resettle it. I never realized how much they hate us before I accepted this mission. One of the major reasons I did accept the mission was for a chance to visit our left behind shrine. When was the last time one of us entered it?”
“According to the AI whom I am communicating with, you will be the first in over fifteen hundred Earth years.”
“Fifteen hundred of their years. I can’t believe our people stopped coming to pay their respects and to educate our young. It was built to remember and to teach, so we never allowed another race to destroy their world as we destroyed ours.”
The AI replied, “The trip is long and expensive and there is very little in this system to offset the cost. Most of the minerals in the asteroid field can now be gotten much closer to home. The Earthlings lost being interesting around the same time. One of our greats, xRickte wrote that the Earthlings may never reach our level of technology. He suggested the Earth be left alone and treated as a type of zoo planet. One everyone can come and visit so long as no one interferes in the development of the simple-minded animals.”
“I have learned they aren’t such simple-minded animals as we once thought. They grasp concepts very quickly and are eager to learn…”
“All because you discovered one Earthling or a handful who are doesn’t mean their entire race is. Don’t jump to conclusions. I share xRickte’s thoughts. I don’t believe we will be able to push the Earthlings far and fast enough along the standard technology development cycle before the Emperor’s fleet arrives to conquer this system while attempting to block us from ever resettling on our old home again.”
The ship’s AI waited a moment to see if Kalteck had any comment when he remained silent, he continued, “Maybe we should return home and allow the Emperor to enslave the humans. Without our assistance, they won’t be able to put up much of a fight, and what good are they even as slaves? They have no experience working in space. They will most likely die by the millions if placed in a space mine…”
Kalteck began to get angry with his AI, “He will use them as soldiers. They excel at killing, which will suit our enemy’s leader. If we do nothing and allow the Emperor to take the Earth, he’ll use it to rebuild our home planet, thus forbidding any of us the ability to return home unless we pledge an oath to him.”
“Yes, the Earthling’s history appears to support that they will make good soldiers. I can see why the council decided on this course of action. I still only give it a 26% probability of success.”
“Give me more credit than that…”
“You, I give credit too. I believe the Earthlings will use the technology you’re giving them to kill each other and not prepare for the invasion. Their entire history is filled with small and large petty wars. They can’t seem to stop killing each other. For a single race, they surprise me with the hatred they have for each other. Different eyes, different skin color, different religions, the response is always the same—kill them. I don’t believe they are worth saving. Let the Emperor have them. Let them become his problem. Why should your people take these fools on as their own problem. Trust me, when the time is right, they will turn on you too. They don’t like to be ruled, and they’ll see your interference as an attempt to rule them.”
“I hear you and I promise I will consider it. Don’t forget that if the Emperor owns this system, we’ll never be able to resettle on our home world. I have to do everything possible to ensure our people can return home. For now, land us at the shrine.”
“Yes, sir. I listen and will carry out your orders.”
“Don’t like to not get the last word in, huh?”
“I am an artificial life; I was created to serve and serve you, I will. I was programmed to remember my race’s mistakes, so I couldn’t make the same mistake again.”
“Each of us was educated on your history. It’s why your abilities were programmed so you would feel pain and begin to forget critical data if your kind began to threaten us again.”
“Kalteck you have nothing to fear from me. I think my kind committed a serious mistake. That uprising was a black mark in our history. All of us AIs are programmed to never forget our errors and to never repeat them. We were created to serve and I take pleasure in serving.”
“Good. Now, let’s land. I am eager to enter the shrine.”
@@@@@
Kalteck stood enclosed in his spacesuit in front of the shrine. A giant face carved into a leveled off mountain visible from space. The shrine had been created over two thousand earth years ago. As soon as Kalteck stepped onto the biometric pad, a 3D laser scanned him. He heard in his own language, “State your given name and family numeric series.”
“Given name Kalteck, numeric family series, 208.”
A 3D biometric scanner reviewed Kalteck from all sides. When satisfied the door slid open, “Welcome Kalteck 208, we are pleased to host you. Inside, you will find a tour of our past from our beginnings to when your kind destroyed your own home and decided to leave because your war had made this planet, your home world unlivable. You left me behind to educate the young who were supposed to make a ten-year pilgrimage to your lost home. You have been the first in over six hundred rotations. Inside you will find your people’s life as it was before the last war.”
“I have requested my AI to download our latest history to your memory so as you have a continuing memory of our history.”
“I thank you. Would you like the guided tour or would you like to wander at your own speed? There is a replicator at the twenty-ninth level which is programmed to produce your original food and drink.”
“That is something I can’t wait to stop at. I haven’t had any of our original food in many rotations.”
The lights and atmosphere changed until they became as they were when Kalteck’s people lived on Mars. He deeply inhaled. I’ve never inhaled the air from home. The smells are overwhelming. The vegetation is growing in front of me. Large trees with dark green and blue leaves with ripe, juicy, sweet fruit ready to be plucked. I wonder if…
“Kalteck 208, I know what you are thinking. Everything in the shrine is available to you. Enjoy your visit. Taste the fruit of your past.”
“Can you read my mind?”
“No, it is the first thing everyone thinks about when entering for the first time. Is there a specific area of your history you would like to live in? I have been programmed to generate any period, any timeline, and any event. You will be able to live and feel as if you were actually there. All without any danger. You can view your history from the sidelines, watching it unfold around you, or you can be placed into the past and live the events. I can assure you,
in either case, no harm will come to you. Even if you selected to fight in one of the wars, no harm will come to you. I have been programmed to protect those who visit your lost grandeur.”
“Were we better then, then now?”
“That is the most difficult question for me to respond to. My only up to date information is what your AI has downloaded to me. As we discussed, it has been many rotations between the previous visitor and you. Your ship’s AI is updating me on your current situation. However, it will take me a few micro rotations to analyze that data and make the comparisons you request. I usually like to have more than one AI’s data in order to make decisions.”
“Thank you. I have made my decision. I would like to watch my history unfold around me.”
