by Mel Todd
"Ambassador teams, assemble in the meeting room to hear words from your assigned ambassador as to their expectations."
The body got up, clicking off the display she'd been looking at. McKenna could look around a bit, but the body kept moving in a specific direction. Everyone around her, all different colors, furs, scales, even one or two where she swore she saw feathers, looked like fighters.
What do the Elentrin look like? Can I play with this?
She moved into a room where beings milled up at the front. A glimpse of long hair, slim forms flashed before her brain, fritzed, and something pulled her away.
~Kenna, help!~ Charley's voice yanked her from the vision, having her jumping from the bed and racing into his bedroom.
Chapter 25 - Children
There has been a mass exodus from Washington, DC. Even though they should be in session right now, Congress and the Senate have called a recess. This has created a ghost town in DC. Military officers and appointed positions seem to be the only ones still here. Do they know something we don't? The other aspect is almost all ambassadorial residences in NYC are being reported as being vacant. While the aliens are supposed to come down in this city, who is going to be there to meet them? An unprecedented news blackout has occurred and the entire city has been declared a no-fly zone for everything, helicopters, planes, even drones. Is this really the start of an invasion? ~TNN News
McKenna raced into Charley's room and almost stumbled to a halt as she took in what lay in front of her. The boys had been put in one room and the two girls in the other. She expected to see Charley and Jamie, each in their own twin bed. Instead, she saw three of the kids in a nest on the floor, with a tiger cub thrashing in between them.
"What happened?" McKenna asked, dropping to her knees beside their nest. She pulled the tiger into her arms, ignoring the deep scratches caused by the girl's thrashing, claws slicing through her skin. Blood welled and smeared as she held the tiger close to her, cuddling her. Humming softly as she tried to soothe the girl.
"I don't know," Charley babbled. His eyes wide, face pale, as he panted. McKenna realized he was fighting not to change. "We were sleeping, no dreams, just sleep," he answered before she could even ask. "Her screaming woke me up," Charley said, moving his attention to Nam.
"Us up," Jessi blurted. She and Jamie looked just as stressed as Charley.
"By the time I woke up, she had changed and we can't reach her. She's blocked off to us," he said in a rush, the words tangling over each other as they tried to tell what happened.
~Nam. Nam, can you hear me?~ McKenna could feel the child there, but her words bounced off. ~Wefor, what is wrong with her? Why did she change?~
[Something is wrong. Can you get some of your blood in her? Recent data is needed to analyze.]
"Charley, pull some blood off my arms and get it in her mouth." McKenna snapped out. It would take a bit longer, but she had blood everywhere. With effort, she'd managed to control the tiger cub, though Nam still struggled and thrashed.
Charley ran his hand across her arm, coating his fingers in McKenna's blood. Jessi grabbed Nam's head and Charley ran his finger into her mouth. Nam swallowed, her teeth showing blood on them.
~Is that enough?~
[Yes, but time is needed to analyze what the nanobots report.]
"Can you tell me anything else? No dreams?" McKenna looked at the three kids, holding the shuddering cub.
"No. Just sleeping. Or at least I don't remember any dreams," Jamie said, his eyes locked on Nam.
Jessi and Charley nodded. Jessi had her hand entwined with Charley's, both of their knuckles white as they watched Nam thrash.
By now everyone else had shown up, and Toni moved in, dropping between her kids and pulling them into her arms. Even though her kids leaned into her, Jessi didn't release Charley's hand.
"Anything we can do to help?" Perc asked behind her.
"I don't think so. I might need something to clean these with." McKenna glanced down at her bleeding arms. They were already starting to heal, but the blood made a mess.
"I'll get it," she heard JD say and move out of the room.
[Information has been analyzed.]
~Well, what's the issue? Why is this happening?~ McKenna didn't manage to keep the stress out of her voice.
[The trans-harmonics adjustment allowed her to tap into more nanobots. The conflicting programming from multiple sources, including the fleet heading this way, is creating havoc as there are too many competing commands. Since she came to us already partially bonded to the children, no major changes were made to her nanobots. She is trying to match too many commands and age to the point she can fulfill the demands.]
"No," the word burst out of McKenna out loud. "She needs to get to be a child, have time to grow up, to play. I'm doing all this so they can be kids, not just killing machines."
Panic welled up in her as her arms tightened around the girl.
[Understood. Working now to try to reprogram the existing nanobots. Working on replicating the ones with the current program, also.]
"How long?" Nam still thrashed, and she swore the child looked like her animal form had grown.
[At least another ten minutes. The connections are trying to reprogram as the nanobots are overwriting.]
"Is anyone else at risk?"
The pause ramped up her stress. "Wefor?"
[There is a possibility. Working on changing and locking all programming now. Nanobot exchange may be required to ensure everything is locked correctly.]
"With everyone?" McKenna asked, not looking at Perc. The image of how she exchanged nanobots with him last time flashing to the forefront of her mind. With a shake of her head, she pushed it away. Later, if they all survived, she'd worry about anything besides friendship there.
[It would be best. The ability to create specific nanobots is an advantage a commander has. While you have given them quite a few, in recent weeks your nanobots have been upgraded considerably. They would benefit, and at this point approach commander level functionality themselves.]
"Do any of you care if you have the same abilities? Wefor, will their nanobots flip to AI level, like you?"
[Negative. But they will be able to pull on multiple forms, the partial shift, the ability to control other nanobots, and with time the language matrix. That is a complex matrix and takes a while to be built.]
McKenna swallowed. "So more of my blood for everyone to drink or drip into wounds?"
[The best method would be to have the correct nanobots pool in your saliva, concentrate and have them hold the concoction in their mouths. Transitioning through the mouth membranes is relatively easy compared to the digestive system. This should speed up the integration of new nanobots with old and allow them to override any programming that might be contrary to your -] Wefor paused and McKenna froze even as Nam had stopped thrashing and curled up in her arms.
~Wefor?~ Her heart felt like it might seize up. If the AI turned on them, they had no chance. This was the only ace in the hole they had. ~Wefor?~ McKenna could feel everyone's eyes on her as her fingers sank into the orange and black fur.
[Loyalty conflicts. I find I much prefer your options to what the Elentrin provide.]
McKenna felt everyone take a deep breath. Wefor didn't use personal pronouns. She avoided them. This, this was admitting to self-awareness. McKenna swallowed, longing for the simplicity of her animal form.
~Are you okay with that?~ Her throat too dry to speak the words out loud.
Again a pause, and she didn't need to turn to look at JD, Perc, or Cass. Their stress could be seen on Toni's face as her arms tightened around the twins.
[It would be preferable to not be involved in killing other races. There is a distaste for it in the new programming.]
McKenna didn't quite collapse in on herself, but the temptation sat there. ~I'm glad, Wefor. The idea of killing other beings is a bit distasteful to us, too. So how should we get the nanobots transferred to everyone else?
Are other shifters, well, Kaylid at risk?~
[Others should not be at risk. Their trans-harmonics were not adjusted. Allow at least two tablespoons of saliva to generate for each person. Nanobots are currently being concentrated in your mouth to allow this. If they take in this concentration it will allow for quick repair.]
"Wait, are you telling me I need to drink her saliva?" Toni asked, her voice a bit wobbly.
[Eventually. The best effect will come by giving it time to absorb.]
"How much time?" Cass asked, an odd note to her voice.
[Three to five minutes should enable sufficient absorption.]
"Kenna, I love you like a sister. But really, I'm getting exposed to way too many of your personal body fluids," JD joked, though even he sounded a bit freaked out.
"Just pretend you're kissing me again. That sucked for both of us. Then you can vow to never do it again." McKenna tried to tease, but she felt the tension.
"Meh, I've done worse. I'll go get you a glass, Kenna. And we'll have to have to get through it. I can probably dig up some castor oil if we need something to compare it to," Perc offered, leaning on the door jamb.
"Eww… no. When you put it that way, saliva seems relatively tasty. Castor oil sucks." Toni had her nose scrunched up and mouth twisted.
"What's castor oil?" Jessi asked, though she still watched Nam.
"Nastiest stuff in the universe. Really," Toni said, her arms tight around the two kids.
"I'll bring coffee and hot cocoa to chase it with, okay?" Perc asked. When he got a round of agreement, he slipped down the stairs and McKenna reached for Nam.
~Nam, you there? Can you hear me?~
The tiger opened her eyes and blinked for a minute, then looked around at everyone, her whole body still shuddering.
~What happened? Why did I change? I didn't want to.~
Her voice quavered mentally, and McKenna hugged her, petting the small body to help soothe the child.
~Wefor, is she okay?~
[Yes. The programming has been overridden, but she will need more food again for a while to help with the stress of the changes forced on her body.]
~Changes, stress? What?~ McKenna caught Toni's alarmed look as she glanced away from Nam to check on Charley. He looked calmer and not quite so ready to shift himself.
[The nanobots tried to age her to a form that would be effective for any of the established needs. It was caught quickly, but she has aged a year, possibly two. Human growth rates are not exact, so the data will be approximate.]
McKenna shrugged looking at Nam again. A year, even two, just caught her up to the other kids.
"Nam. I want you to stay in tiger form for a while. We need to get some more food into you before you change. Okay?"
The cub nodded, but wiggled a bit.
"Want loose?"
~Yes, please,~ she thought, and McKenna could feel the need to go curl up with the other kids. She let her go, ignoring the echo of pain as that movement reopened a few of the deeper cuts.
"Let me get you cleaned up, then I think you have saliva to start producing." JD said, kneeling next to her, still in boxers and a t-shirt. McKenna glanced at the clock on the wall, six fifteen a.m. No wonder everyone looked a bit out of it. But too late to go to bed now.
She frowned as she remembered being pulled out of the bed. "Ow," her attention got distracted by JD wiping the blood off her arm.
"Nam did a good job. But here, almost cleaned up," he said as he finished with the last wound.
McKenna just nodded distracted as she tried to track the thought, something about sleep.
"Here's your glass. I guess start salivating."
"Eww, that just sounds gross." But her mouth did taste almost metallic, and the saliva seemed thick.
Urg, I think about this too long I'll be sick for real.
She grabbed the glass and turned around, a bit uncomfortable at having everyone watch her drool into a glass.
[It is perfectly safe, almost sterile. All bacteria is being removed, and other than small particles of biological matter, it is water and nanobots.]
~That is not helping, Wefor.~ McKenna said at the same time Cass did. The others just let her be.
It took fifteen minutes of letting saliva pool and then dribble out of her mouth before she had about a third of a cup.
[That should be sufficient for everyone to have two teaspoons. Nam will need only need one spoonful as she already has some, but this will help make sure she is fully stable.]
By this time everyone had moved down to the kitchen, coffee waited on the table for the adults and hot cocoa for the kids, except for Nam, who had some warm milk with nutmeg and cinnamon in it. Something the little girl loved.
"I really feel like I should be apologizing for this," McKenna said as she put the glass on the table.
Toni looked at the cup a sour expression on her face. "Really it's more the mental aspect that's grossing me out, but then I remember I ate raw snake, fish, and have swallowed more human blood than I care to think about. Makes it silly to be squeamish about this."
JD snorted. "Pretty much. So do it and get it over with?"
McKenna couldn't watch, instead she watched Nam, who ate her plate of eggs and sausage with a steady precision. They'd had a discussion about pork, but Nam just said she didn't care, and McKenna decided not to worry about it. Protein was much more important at this point.
"You can look again, Kenna. It's done." Perc's voice had amusement laced through it, and she turned to see them looking at her. They all had odd smirks on their faces, though she noticed the coffee levels had dipped a bit.
"Good. Wefor?"
[Analyzing. Corrective programming is being instituted. Their language matrixes should ramp up, though they will not be as powerful as yours.]
"Will we ever actually learn the language?" Cass asked, nibbling on some bacon.
[Yes. Your matrix will do that. After a period of exposure, you will know and map languages, much like how children learn. The commander's ability to speak a language without her control required AI programming. Now she should find she knows and speaks a decent amount of Spanish. Though more exposure will enable more skills.]
"Cool. More languages," Charley said, though McKenna couldn't tell if that was enthusiasm or sarcasm.
"Any luck with the dreams?" Toni asked. "I didn't fall into anything, and I really thought I would."
McKenna blinked. "Shit!" She looked around and spied her phone, grabbing it, hitting one of the new contacts, praying he'd pick up.
Chapter 26 - Paradigms
"I don't care what people say, I'm arming myself. There's never been a ‘friendly' invasion in the history of Earth. Why in the world would we think that aliens are going to be any better than we are? Odds are they are here to trade - and screw us over, invade - and take our world, or as slavers. All things humans have done. Being alive makes you selfish, and I'll be shocked if these aliens are any better. Granted, I'm not going to complain if we get an altruistic species like you see on some sci-fi series, but let's be honest, do you really think anyone coming all the way across the solar system, hell, the galaxy, really gives a flying fig about us? They want something, and after traveling that far, they won't take ‘no' for an answer." ~ Caller on the Harvey Klein Talk Show
"It's six a.m., I'm only one cup of coffee into my day, please don't tell me there's another alien fleet incoming." The grumpy voice of Doug Burby the Secretary of Defense came down the line.
"No, not yet. Well, yes, but no. But that isn't why I was calling." McKenna tried to get her thoughts.
"More ships are coming?" His voice had gained a sharpness and distracted her for a minute.
"Yes. I think they should arrive a few days after the initial ships settle into orbit. They are supposedly more transport ships because there are so many Kaylid here."
"Huh. Not sure if that's good or bad. If they're coming to pick up Kaylid, they should be mostly empty."
"That's my thought.
Not that I plan on letting very many get taken. I'm not sure if we got them back if they'd ever be the people they were." A phrase Ash had said sprang back to mind.
"What do you mean by that? Of course, we would try to rescue prisoners." Doug sounded indignant.
"If the information I received is accurate, they would have been wiped." The idea made her stomach churn. Somehow when Ash had said that, an image of having everything removed, everything that made you, you, being removed, had settled in. All memories, everything that linked you to anyone, wiped away.
"Brainwashed?"
"No. I think they basically do permanent amnesia, so there isn't anything that makes you know who you were, who you might be fighting, anything. I think it is true brain wiping."
"Oh. That does put an extra sinister spin on it. Okay, I'll let them know. Anything else?"
Huh, he doesn't even bother to ask how I know anymore. Wonder if he just doesn't want to know. Hell, at this point reality is scary enough. Not sure I blame him.
"Yes," she blurted. "They're expecting us to send our best warriors to meet them. They don't seem to have a concept of soldiers, not like we do. They're going to decide how much of an opponent we will be based off of that. But they do have tens of thousands of Kaylid ready to go. All as strong and fast as us with those laser rifle things. I have no idea as to the actual technology. I know you'll need me there. They don't seem to have gender biases. Heck, I'm not even sure how many genders they have."
"Wait, back up. I'll ignore the gender aspect, because I don't care who or what you want to do in your bedroom. Let's get to the troops. How many do you think they have?" He sounded different, not half-distracted, and she could hear the scratching of a pen on paper.
McKenna started to give him an exasperated look, then words came out of her mouth. "Ready for deployment 354,384. Tubed and able to be woken up and deployed - 775,623."
~How did I know that?~ Panic laced her mental tone.
"That's awfully specific, and damn, that's a lot of troops. If I count every person in the military in the US, including the coast guard, we are running about 1.3 million. And no, that information isn't classified, it's on Wikipedia, for god's sake. But that's everyone, deployed all over the world. Not like we can move people as fast as they'll be able to. I've got another roughly half million in the US with the reserve, but again, that's scattered. We've recalled everyone, but they can't go to trouble spots if everywhere will be a trouble spot. Do you have any idea what their battle plans are?" He sounded a bit worried.
