Sentinels of the Cosmos Trilogy (15 page)

*****
The EOJ Directives room was a busy place. All of the
Guards and directives were controlled from this one
central location. Charles was screaming at Ivan,
“What do you mean Sam, Chase and Ally are not
dead? Did they drop you on your head in Russia?
They must have sent you here to get rid of you.”
“I had problems in Russia, that true but I always kill
mark,” Ivan defends himself.
“What marks, toads and dogs? Charles continues
sarcastically, I needed you to kill these people, you
know, dead.”
“Why not use one of your precious Guards?” Ivan
asked.
“I want nothing that would leave a trail, there is
always a way to recover their memories,” Charles
replies.
“I don’t think so, you have other reason I think, but
I’m sick of your destructive attitude. I think I go work
on killing people in New York with germs,” Ivan
seems slightly hurt.
“Fine, you do that!” Charles mumbles to himself. He
realizes that he needs to send a Guard to do the job,
and he needs a Guard they would never suspect.
Kathryn comes into the Directions room and sees
Charles screaming at Ivan. “Charles leave Ivan alone,
it isn’t his fault. While you two bathe in your
testosterone Chase, Ally, and Sam are escaping up the
sun shaft. It’s a good thing I’m here looking over you
men, and I use that term loosely,” Kathryn said,
scolding them both.
Ivan’s face twitched, he had that habit, whenever
someone said something to him that he didn’t agree
with. It was twitching a lot lately.
“This is perfect for us. Let them exhaust themselves
climbing up that ladder, and if they get to the top,
wait for them there. Chances are they will all fall to
their death way before that,” Charles said to Kathryn.
“I agree with you, good idea,” she replied.

*****
The climbing was getting tougher and tougher and
Sam, who was human, was starting to tire. He said,
“I need to stop for a few minutes.”
They had taken small straps to tie themselves to the
ladder when they got tired. These straps were used by
maintenance workers and worked like a small
harness, Sam’s hands were beginning to hurt, his
fingers growing numb and his wrists could hardly
stand any pressure. He took out a cord with a hook on
both ends and connected one hook to his harness and
the other to one of the ladder rungs. Hands free he
allowed himself to just fall back and rest saying
“Whoever built this ladder had a cruel sense of
humor. What's it for anyway? No one could possibly
climb it. There are no entrances at any point on the
way up. I don’t know if I can make it all the way to
the top.”
“We’ll help you,” Chase said encouragingly.
“I wasn’t designed to last for a million years like
you,” Sam said with pride and continues, “You have
no idea what you are capable of, but you must get to
Beneizen, because only he can really finish your
education.”
“Education, for what purpose?” Ally asked.
“To learn what you’re really intended for,” replies
Sam.
“What’s that?” Chase asked.
“Something wonderful, it’s time for us to get moving
again,” Sam replied.
“I don’t understand how they could build a shaft this
deep with not one opening to carry out repairs. How
do they make repairs?” Ally asks.
“There is a crane at the top with a mobile work
station and they lower the crew down on a cable,”
Sam replies.
"Interesting, they have not sent anyone down to get
us. They must be waiting for us at the top," says
Chase
Slowly again they moved up the endless shaft ladder.
Sam’s legs began to shake. Ally and Chase were bred
for demands like this. They climbed effortlessly up
the ladder trying not to get too far ahead of Sam who
was over sixty years old and although in good
physical condition this was an effort beyond human
ability. Ally noticed it first and then Chase yelled out,
“There is a break in the ladder.”
The sun shaft never really needed any repairs and
really was only used as an exhaust vent. To the world
above the air shaft was an armory, a large square
building with a sun roof, and a few marines standing
guard outside, certainly not an unusual site in the DC
area; besides, the building looked very official. Chase
and Ally looked at the break; a section of almost ten
feet was missing from the ladder.
“There is about a ten foot piece of the ladder missing,
maybe Ally could stand on my shoulders,” Chase
said.
“I think I’m going to be just short,” Ally replied.
“I have this cord I used to rest with,” Sam offered.
“Very good Sam, hand it here.” Sam hands it up to
Chase.
“My legs are starting to give out Chase. I need to find
a way to sit for a few minutes. My legs are
trembling,” Sam said.
“Here’s what I want you to do Sam. I want you to sit
on the top rung of the ladder, secure your legs under
the next rung, then I’m going to get on your shoulders
and then Ally is going to get on my shoulders. Do you
understand?” Chase asks.
“I guess that will give my legs a little rest; you may
break my spine and collapse a vertebrae or two, but
go ahead,” Sam smiles.

Charles made sure that there was a warm welcome
prepared for the three of them. Besides he and Ivan
there were 25 Guards with various weapons all
stationed around the enormous hole. He said, “I want
none of them hurt until I have Sam’s notes, is that
clear?”

“I understand,” Ivan said.
Both Senators Lee and Bennett join Charles at the top
of the ladder.
“You’re sure there is no other way for them to
escape?” Lee asks.
“No,” said Charles, “Unless they’ve developed a way
to fly, or pass through solid matter.”
“Who knows what Sam has done to them,” Kathryn
says.
“I can’t believe that Sam has kept us out of the loop
on all this important research. It was his responsibility
not to keep secrets,” Senator Lee brought out.
“He and Beneizen were always so open about new
ideas; I just don’t understand what happened?” Lee
says.
Charles looked at both of them. “I think they wanted
to take this project into the public sector. There are
millions to be made on this technology. Why did
Beneizen leave and hide himself where no one can
find him?”
“It's an interesting question, isn't it? But Beneizen
has often taken leaves of absence and we should wait
for him to reappear before we judge him. We don't
really know what this technology is. I'm just saying
until we see the notes right now this is all
speculation,” Senator Lee proposed.
Charles responded, “I don’t think so; I think the two
of them were planning this from the beginning. He
and Sam wanted the public’s money, it's just pure
greed. Think of the possibilities with this technology.
You had ink jet printers, then 3D printers with
plastics and other materials, and now a 3D printer for
human DNA. Just create a new body for yourself. Get
a new leg or an arm or an organ. You always wanted
to be blue-eyed; get new eyes. You could even buy
your own family printer. Think about this. Your wife
or husband makes you angry. Chop off a hand in a
rage. Then print a new one, problem fixed. Can you
even fathom the financial impact of such a device?
And I'm not even sure that's the half of it. I suspect
the technology is something even more advanced.
Think of it, machines that are made of actually living
cells. Sounds like an oxymoron, but try to imagine;
you might be able to program this DNA to become
anything you want. You could have a living car
taking you to work. The childhood transformer toys
are not only a reality, but it could be the property of
anyone who could afford to buy it.”
“That’s a little paranoid don’t you think? Beneizen
had plenty of money and so does Sam. I don’t think
either of them ever bought a thing. Both Beneizen and
Sam are Buddhist’s or something. I hear Sam even
spent a year in a monastery after leaving the
military,” Lee offered.
“But I need that technology,” Charles grumbled.
Kathryn said, “I feel we are losing control of the
whole situation, it’s not going to be easy to get that
information out of Sam, and besides how much
technology do you need, We really do have to ask the
questions about what helps us as human beings and
what makes our condition worse?”.
“I agree, but did we ever have it, control that is?” said
Charles.
One of the Guards comes over to Charles and says,
“We can see them now. A sniper could take them
out.”
“What is the matter with all of you? I want them
alive, not dead! Does everyone understand NOT
DEAD?” Charles explodes.
"I thought you wanted them dead, I'm confused," Ivan
says.
"Yes, but not right now, not until we get what we
need from them," Charles snaps.
"Make up your mind," Ivan says, disgruntled.
There is silence. Ivan is amused but his face starts to
twitch again, but torturing Charles a bit brought a
slight smile.

“What are we going to do when we get to the top?"
opened Ally. “You know they’re going to be waiting
for us.”

“We do nothing. We go up and meet them, they are
not going to kill us,” replied Chase.
Sam said, “You're right they aren’t going to hurt us
right away. They want my notes, and in truth you
have them Chase. They are locked away in your
memory banks. Beneizen will give you the key to
open everything, which is one of the reasons you need
to find him.”
“This was really stupid! We escape up a huge air
shaft into the waiting arms of Charles Dean, I’m not
impressed,” Ally spits out as she looks up at the next
set of ladders.
Chase climbs up and stands on Sam’s shoulders. It
was amazing to see. Chase stood straight up and
never even wavered in his balance. Ally climbed up
over Sam and stood on Chase’s shoulders. There was
no fear, no timidity, it was handled with confidence.
Ally pulled herself up onto the next section of ladder
and hung down and Chase hung from Ally.
“Alright Sam now climb up over the two of us,”
Chase said.
Sam looks up, “You’ve got to be kidding!
“Don’t look down, just do it,” Chase says.
Sam starts to climb over Chase and Ally. He climbed
over them like a very thick rope.
“Don’t use my chin as a foot rest,” Ally complains.
“Let him, it won’t hurt you a bit,” Chase says.
“It’s not your chin,” Ally complains.
Sam grabs onto the ladder with his arms and legs still
shaking. He hugs the ladder and suddenly becomes
very dizzy and starts to fall back. Chase sits up,
catches him and says, “Easy does it old man.”
Sam recovers and once again pulls himself up the
ladder. “I’m alright,” Sam says and climbs up a few
rungs making room for Chase and Ally and then
again secures himself to the ladder with his harness.
They climb over him and continue the long climb.

Ally says, “I still don’t know what good this is going
to do. They’re up there waiting for us. They can
paralyze us with an impulse gun and they can shoot
Sam. This is really dumb. There is no plan here.”
Sam reminds them, “They won’t kill us until they
have my notes, and they can’t get them out of Chase,
only Beneizen can. “So they won’t kill us, we just
climbed up for two miles for nothing. They take us
back down again and torture us. Sounds wonderful
and I have a serious headache.
What a plan?” Ally says sarcastically. She looks at
both of them. "No plan, it figures."
“Ally, have a little faith in your fellow mechanical
man,” Chase says.
“No Chase, faith is just stupid, and a good plan is
what we need. I’m a realist,” replies Ally.
“Very human, do you have a solution?” Chase asks.
Sam says, “I don’t know how much longer I can
continue.”
"Why don't you go back down? Charles won't kill
you if he thinks you know where the files are. They
want that technology and will do anything to get it,"
Chase suggests.
"I’ll continue, it's closer to the top than the bottom,"
Sam responds.
Now they could see the rim of the shaft as they came
closer and closer to the top, and as expected they
could see the reception party waiting for them.
“Ally, I do have a plan but you must listen very
carefully to exactly what I say up there,” Chase spoke
silently, directly into her mind.
They climbed out of the great vertical tube. Charles
and company were waiting for them and says, “I
wouldn’t try anything, there are 25 Guards with
weapons all pointed at your heads. That certainly was
an act of futility, unless you were looking for
exercise.”

“I don’t believe we have met, my name is Chase.”
Chase extends his hand and they shake. Then he says,
“And you are…?”
“I’m Congressman Charles Dean, Speaker of the
House of Representatives,” he replies pompously.
“Why are you holding us? Is there something that
we’ve done wrong? Chase begins very loudly.
“What are you talking about?” Charles asks.
“I mean we are human beings and we are Americans
and you are holding us without due process, and that
is against the law,” Chase explains to Charles.
“What is this crap, you’re the property of EOJ, you’re
just a machine built to carry out our instructions, but
you’re now broken, but I’ll tell you what; I want
Sam’s notes, and I’ll let you all go,” Charles bellows.
“I destroyed them, all of them,” Sam says.
“That’s most unfortunate, and did you make a copy?”
Charles asks.
“No! They are destroyed,” Sam tells Charles.
“That’s most unfortunate,” Charles is furious. He is
trying to control his anger. He looks at Sam who is
standing very close to the rim. He looks over at Ivan
and nods his head. Ivan raises his gun and fires at
Sam who falls backward over the rim and down into
the long black hole he had worked so hard to climb
up. Chase and Ally are horrified; as a matter of fact
everyone is horrified.
“What have you done?” Chase moves forward to
attack Charles but Ivan puts the stun gun to Chase’s
head. Chase communicates directly to Ally and they
begin to rapidly move in a very special way. Houdini,
the great magician, practiced a way of moving that
was imperceptible to the human eye. People just
could not follow that rhythm of their movement.
Combined with their ability to move twice as fast as
any human being and before Ivan could pull the
trigger they appeared to have vanished to everyone in
front of them including Ivan.
They moved out of the building, down the front steps
and right into the welcoming arms and ceaseless
questions of the press. Charles and his Guards came
running in close pursuit. The front of the armory had
a beautiful façade and a large staircase that led down
to the street. Charles yelled at the gathered press,
already milling around them, saying, “Don’t talk to
those two, they are criminals.” Chase and Ally were
already completely surrounded by the press, the
subject of a score of microphones, videos and
flashing cameras.
Ivan says, “Don’t worry, they won’t get far, I believe
Sam destroy the physical notes but placed them
digitally in escaping fugitives.”
“By the way, Ivan, How did killing Sam make you
feel?” Charles asks.
“Much better, I need little homicidal sport, you know,
that's what we humans do well. We kill each other.
We spend trillions of rubles developing more and
better weapons to kill each other,” Ivan says as his
face twitches. “Aren’t you worried what Ally and
Chase might say? The FBI is down there with the
news organizations and networks.”
Charles replies, “Conspiracy theories keep the public
distracted,” he smiles and continues as he looks at the
scene and says, “Everyone gets their fifteen minutes
of fame, maybe even a robot.”
Chase and Ally were inundated with questions being
fired at them from all directions. “Who are you?”
Who are they? What is this building, why are they
chasing you? shout various members of the press.
Someone asks, “Is that Congressman Dean?” The
microphones were being continually pushed right into
both of their faces. And then a friendly face appears
in the crowd.
Juan appears holding up his badge screaming, “FBI,
out of the way!" “It’s me man,” Juan says to Chase,
“Come with me, I’ll get you both out of here.”
The press, being persistent in nature, continued to put
pressure on Chase and Ally to speak to them as Juan
herded them out of the crowd, into a big black SUV
and away from all the pursuit.
Deep in the air shaft Sam hangs by one arm on one of
the rungs of the ladder. He fastens himself to the
ladder with the harness that still hung from his tired
and battered body. He says to himself, "Ivan you are a
crappy shot. The question is did you miss on
purpose?" He looks down the long shaft into the
earth’s core. He assesses his wound and again says to
himself, "You’ve got to be kidding, I'll never make it
back to the bottom and I don't have the strength to
climb back up, I think I’ll take my senior nap now.