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by Unknown

  Several of the men balked at the sudden realization that they had been formed into a firing squad. The officer, pulling out his own weapon and threatening to shoot them if they did not obey, got them back in order. The look of sheer terror was on each man’s face. When all was ready, the officer told them to raise their weapons and flip the activation switch. Slowly each weapon was raised and the power turned on. The officer then dropped his arm and ordered them to fire. Lances of pure energy erupted from the nose of each weapon and struck the hapless victim. The effect was instantaneous. The victim seemed to vanish in a puff of bright smoke. When the firing stopped, only a set of legs remained to fall on each side.

  The officer calmly walked up to one of the men quivering at the sight. He had not fired when ordered to and the officer saw it. He raised his weapon and shot the soldier in the head. He fell like a rag to the ground. The officer gathered the weapons and warned the remaining men of the consequences of disobeying orders. He then ordered the men back into formation and marched them quickly off.

  “The shuttle has left, sir,” reported an older officer to a man hidden in shadows. He was one of the few who could enter the personal quarters of his general. They had been together since both had served in a special force. The general, then a colonel, had befriended the younger man and had found him a kindred spirit. Intelligent, ruthless and cunning, they had worked well together and had produced brilliant results. But with the arrival of the Alliance and the destruction of their former leader and benefactor, both had been forced to go underground. It was only after five years of hard work that they were anywhere near their former glory.

  “That is good, Kenta,” said the general. “Our plans are finally starting to take root,” he said, easing back into his overstuffed chair. “If what I suspect is correct, this is the precise moment for us to assert ourselves. Then we shall see which is the better way, eh Kenta?” he chuckled.

  “That is correct, my general. When I heard the news last night, I was thinking the exact same thing,” the colonel said. “If the reports from the shuttle are as we expect, then we strike tomorrow night when everyone is at ease. Then, we begin to remove the heads of state over the next few weeks. By this time next month, you will control almost every nation in the southern hemisphere of this planet, if not by force, then by, shall we say, persuasion?” the colonel laughed.

  The general smiled at the words he was hearing. Kenta had been a trusted friend for a long time. They had gone over these plans time and again, but it was always good to hear them from a comrade such as Kenta. “And once again, we shall dictate the future of our home, not some puppets of an alien civilization,” the general muttered. Then, abruptly, his face lightened. “And look at what we have done, my friend. We salvaged what was left of our former leader and built upon it. We then used the information that these Alliance representatives doled out by the spoonful and made our modifications. We used our brains, Kenta, our brains to undermine their efforts,” he said. Then he let out a sigh. “Three long years it took us to establish this base of operations, then two more to place our assets at the head of many of the governments here. All this time waiting for this very day,” he said suddenly standing and then moving into the light. He put on a military hat to hide the scars, which covered much of his face and head. When he moved, his limp was very pronounced.

  “And I may even get some payment for this,” he said pointing to his leg and chuckling.

  Kenta watched as he walked painfully toward the door. He remembered that awful day when his prisoners had escaped from that wretched island and they had returned to their base only to be ambushed by government forces. The car they had been in suddenly burst into flames around them from the fire the troops had laid down. Only after skidding off the road and flipping over several times was Kenta able to drag the general out and hide in the dense undergrowth. The troops had watched the car burn with two other of his men inside. Both died screaming as the flames consumed them. Kenta remembered that the soldiers had laughed at the screams until one of them fired several rounds through the windows to bring his men’s suffering to a close. Kenta had blessed the soldier for that, and then had shot them all with his automatic weapon. It had taken two days to drag his friend to a trusted medical officer. Only then had he slept. The very next day they began their plans. Now his general was going to prove who the better men were. So much the better.

  The general seemed to sense Kenta’s thoughts. He turned and placed his hand on Kenta’s shoulder. “You have been more than my aide in all this, Kenta. You have been a trusted friend. It is not just me. We do this together,” he said smiling.

  Kenta felt the pride and friendship rise in him as he too placed an arm on the general’s shoulders. “As always, my general,” he said.

  The two men left the room and walked onto the darkened hall.

  Chapter 3

  Discoveries

  Preparations for the anniversary celebration were well underway. The large outdoor stage was complete and the seating for 20,000 people was getting the final touches. The stage was in the shape of a half dome to reflect the sound and the men working in the upper stands were amazed that they could actually hear conversations of men working on the stage. Behind the stage there was frantic activity as dressing rooms and other ancillary spaces were completed. Sound systems were also being installed as was the electrical lighting systems. This was the center of an international cultural park where people could come to study, create and exhibit their work. The amphitheater was the first part to be completed, and the Therans were sparing no expense. Surrounding the entire outdoor theater, the planners had erected over 100 high intensity focused lights whose light would shine straight up into the sky forming a wall of light surrounding the audience. Everywhere there were statues from Theran artists and fountains with lively dancing water to excite and thrill the crowd. Even with the work in progress, it was a magnificent sight.

  Mike and Panor drove into the entrance gate and had to swerve to avoid a large truck, its flat trailer filled with equipment and covered with canvas. Mike eased his well-known Thunderbird through the maze of workers to a special place behind the stage, then he and Panor got out. Waiting for them was one of the Alliance technicians working with the Therans on the project. The man let out a slow whistle.

  “What a beauty,” he said grinning.

  Mike grinned back and threw him the keys. “Take good care of her, Bill,” he said taking one last glance at his car. “After tonight she will have her own special place in the museum.” After four years of driving it around the country, he was going to place his trusty Ford in the Alliance Intercultural Museum, so that students and families could compare the achievements of different cultures. Already the Therans had been amazed at the similarities between some of the Alliance cultures and their own. These ranged from agriculture to technology. Even a replica of a 1935 Packard looked surprisingly similar to one of their models. The King himself had remarked how much the cultures seemed to be alike.

  The bond forming between the Therans and the Alliance, especially the people of Earth, was getting very strong, primarily through the popularity of Mike and Jo. Through their hard work at the embassy and the cultural events they inspired, both singularly and together, they had become a welcome diversion for millions. To have one or better yet both attend an event was enough to draw almost all the population from fifty kilometers in any direction. Their popularity had gained prominence when Jo had introduced concerts of Alliance orchestral music through television. Taking a page from history, she closely imitated the style of Leonard Bernstein and his “Young People’s Concerts” of the 1960's on Earth. She selectively introduced the Therans to such things as Baroque music, something sounding very familiar to the Theran’s, and then built on it, showing other similarities, through the classical period. The Therans had even begun experimenting with Jazz by this time, and in one concert, she introduced them to a man named Gershwin. The Therans especially loved the Rhapsody in Blue
- especially when Mike had been the one to play it. Mike’s abilities on the piano had continued to grow and he took pleasure in introducing one piano piece each concert season. The audiences seemed to really enjoy seeing the two of them making music. But this one time was exceptional. Already used to hearing the Therans gasp, coo and moan during sections of music, Jo had been almost stunned when she and Mike performed the “Rhapsody in Blue” and the Therans began almost howling in approval of the dissonant chords and the tight harmonies of the piece. Suddenly Gershwin was being requested everywhere. Jo obliged by releasing one Gershwin piece at a time to keep the music fresh while quenching their musical thirst. On occasion during one of his many out of town excursions, someone would ask Mike to play something of Gershwin. He often would sit at a piano and play and sing one of his Broadway tunes.

  But the night everyone remembered was during one of the concerts in the first season. Already Jo and Mike were quite well known through newspaper, magazine and television coverage. But during this concert, Jo had decided to introduce the waltz to the Therans. For some reason, they had never put a dance to the very few pieces of music in three quarter time. At the beginning of the second half of the concert, Jo had lifted her violin, much as Strauss had centuries before, and using the bow as her baton, begun the lilting strains of “On the Beautiful Blue Danube.” As the waltz had progressed, she had noticed the audience begin to move together back and forth in their seats to the music. She had known then it would be a big hit with the Therans. But that was not the surprise.

  During one of the bridges in the music, Mike had come walking out onto the stage dressed in white tie and tails, something the Therans had never seen in formal wear. Jo had been dressed in a gown, very similar to something women on earth wore in the late 19th century, since this was very close to what Theran women wore to the concerts.

  Mike came walking up to the podium where Jo was conducting and got her attention, then motioned for her to join him on the stage. At first, Jo didn’t understand what he wanted. But then she realized he was inviting her to dance with him. To the amazement and delight of the audience, she motioned for her concertmaster to take over and took Mike’s hand to step from the podium. As the orchestra began the next part of the music, Mike took her in his arms and began to lead her in graceful circles around the stage, all in time with the music. Although the Therans were very vocal in their expressions during most things, personal affection between men and women was much more subdued. Rarely were emotions between two people as openly displayed to others. But when Mike took Jo’s hand and then placed his arm around her waist, there was an audible gasp from the crowd. Then with each successive circle on the stage the shouts of approval grew. They even applauded when Mike stopped the turn in one direction and began swirling in the other. As the music reached its peak, the applause grew. Everyone watching could see the expressions of fun and joy Mike and Jo exhibited as they danced, and they were reacting with their own excitement. Then, with the last note played, Mike and Jo stopped and gave each other a warm kiss. In the words of some critics, the house came down. Women fainted with sheer ecstasy and the applause and shouting roared through the building. Mike was still looking into Jo’s eyes when the floor began to shake from all the people stamping their feet in approval. Then they both turned, slightly red faced, and took a small bow still holding hands. The concert did not continue for another ten minutes as everyone was still on their feet in excitement. It was as if each person had seen his or her own child fall in love at that one moment. For the younger people watching, each would dream for months about what it would have been like to fall in love with either Mike or Jo, depending on the gender of the dreamer. From that moment on, Mike and Jo had been the surrogate children of millions. Always welcomed with open arms, they were no strangers.

  Mike was sorry to lose his automobile. It had been almost a trademark, even though the people had no idea what a “Thunderbird” was. Mike always told them it was a mythical beast. Tonight, he would drive up in his new car. He had been working on it using the replicator in his home for months. It had been fun putting the car together and tonight he would unveil it in the concert he had dreamed up to christen the amphitheater. Music had become more popular with younger people, playing instruments more intimate and easy to obtain. Small groups had formed to play around campuses, singing their own songs. Tonight Mike had chosen one of his favorites to open the facility in a concert just for the younger crowd. His new car, along with the Thunderbird, would be a part of it.

  “Are all the emitters online?” Mike asked. A very new piece of equipment had been developed on Denuria, a small planet in another part of the Alliance. This planet was known for its passions for entertainment. Indeed, nearly all efforts on the planet were centered on entertaining others. Taking technologies from other worlds, they often combined them to fit an entertainment venue. In this case, they had combined computer technology, graphic simulators, current streaming equipment and a replicator to form the ultimate stage experience. Combining the technology with things like stage productions, music groups or anything with live entertainment, they could present a three dimensional solid form presentation to an audience. Actors and performers would be on stage in a solid form, moving as desired and performing just like the real actors and performers might. The computer system had access to the information about any known actor or individual and could incorporate that individual’s personality into the performance, making their presentation so real, that even someone standing next to them could not tell a difference from a real person.

  Already this equipment had been retrofitted into most large ships in the Space Fleet to act as training simulators. This was one of the few stage performance units to be installed so far in the Alliance. Called a ‘Stagesim,” it had a myriad of emitters hidden throughout the dome and the front of the stage, as well as embedded into the stage itself.

  The sound system and Stagesim the Alliance engineers had installed were the only jump in technology Mike and Jo had accepted, and then only with strict conditions. But it was the most efficient way for the small Alliance staff to be able to do a great many things in their cultural exchange efforts. Bill had been a big part of the installation and the one Mike had sworn to its secrecy.

  Bill gave him a quizzical look and glanced at Panor.

  Mike grinned again and said, “It’s ok.” Bill didn’t know that Panor and his family were the only ones Mike trusted around the new technology.

  Bill let out a breath and smiled. “Yea, all tested and ready. The program was tested last night and the guys say they are ready for anything.”

  “Pretty realistic?” Mike asked.

  “Unbelievable,” Bill said with emphasis rolling his eyes upward. “No one would ever know. The thing I can’t get over is how we gave them the brief about this place and they made their adjustments to the concert in a little planning session that we just sat in on,” he said. “You sure that’s all it takes?” Bill asked.

  “According to the Denurians,” Mike said. “This is the latest and greatest and I had them do this one up special. I’m kinda looking forward to seeing it myself,” Mike said as some people passed him taking pieces of the set onto the stage. They were busy arranging what looked like palm trees around in the back.

  At the same time, Jo was walking down the corridor, trying to get back on her feet and get some movement in her joints after a rather long delivery. The embassy doctor had come in earlier and checked on the baby and mother. Both were pronounced healthy, and while little Mary slept, mother was ordered out of the bed. Already she had walked around the bottom floor of the embassy twice and she was starting to feel a little more normal. Shala was calmly walking beside her. Unknown to the Alliance doctors, she had rubbed some of her ointment on Jo’s lower torso just before going to sleep. By the next morning most of the swelling was gone and there had been rapid headway in getting rid of the extra weight of childbirth. Shala looked around as they walked and wondered at all the eq
uipment. She slowly shook her head.

  “All these things just to bring a baby,” she muttered. “Been doing it for hundreds of years without all this.”

  Jo almost laughed. “You must admit we are built a little different. Your deliveries seem so much easier than ours.”

  “Not so different. Still hurts, but with us can be helped through pushing,” Shala said placing her hands on her sides and appearing to push them inwards. Jo had been present at a few deliveries with Theran mothers and was amazed at the short delivery process. At one point, two attendants stationed themselves on either side of the mother and on signal began pushing from both sides and slightly from the back. The result was to almost squeeze the baby out. It was all over in less than an hour.

  “But all our pushing has to be done by me,” Jo said laughing. They both giggled for a few moments, sharing the moment. Then they passed by the nursery and saw Mary lying bundled up in her blanket. The nurse was watching her intently.

  “She is beautiful baby Jo,” Shala said with a sigh.

  “And she has a lot of people to help look after her,” Jo said taking Shala’s hand. They stood for a moment staring at the baby then continued their walk. “I didn’t get the chance to thank you and Rokka for helping me through these last couple of months. With all that’s been going on, I wasn’t even sure I would have the time to deliver this baby,” Jo said.