Uplift (23 page)

Corey. Who is behind these actions?

It appears to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and head of Cyber Command at Fort Meade.

This couldn’t have happened at a worse time…just when we were going to get everything coordinated.

Mid-Atlantic Regional Space Facility, Hanger 3

Richard,
Corey said
. Corvette is letting me know that they are signaling outside the hangar that they want to talk. Here’s the video of them holding up signs.

Let them know I’ll be happy to talk if I have a sufficiently ranked individual with whom to negotiate. Ask them if Admiral Walt Simpkins at Fort Meade would negotiate with me one-on-one. Could we get him to turn loose of Hamilton Withers, and other employees? I’ve been documenting all that they are doing, and have videos, emails arranging this incident. Also – is Leiman Kattemann okay after being kidnapped, and drugged?

          
US Cyber Command Fort Meade

Admiral Walt Simpkins was talking with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and the troops at the Wallups Island facility. “He wants to do what? He knows about the arrests, and Leiman. Where is he? He got away. I do not plan to fly 260 kilometers to talk with a terrorist…you tell him that. I’m on conference with the Chairman right now. Raymond – did you hear that? What? You’ve briefed the President! I’ll only go if he orders me Raymond. This is negotiating with terrorists…yes…they claim to have details of all our plans. Impossible. They must have guessed about Kattemann. Yes sir Admiral. I’ll see that my people on the ground keep you informed.”

Mid-Atlantic Regional Space Facility, Hanger 3

“Patterson is willing to fly here Colonel,” said the SF Captain in charge of the Wallups Island operation. “He also said he could pick up the Admiral, and bring him here faster if we wanted.”

“Where is he Captain? We never saw him,” said Colonel Masters who was in charge of this cluster.

“Sir. He said he is geosynchronous orbit above us, but could be in Fort Meade in five minutes if you wanted, and here a couple of minutes later,” the Captain said enjoying his superiors discomfiture.

“Impossible,” stated the colonel.

“Begging pardon sir, but it may be possible. Do you trust this Richard’s character enough to bring the Admiral here?”

“Since it’s impossible, tell him to do it…arrogant bastard. Sure. Tell him we’re willing to do it. Bring the Admiral here. He has ten minutes – I’m generous. Right here,” grumbled the Colonel. He hated this over educated little rising star…a SF Captain already.

“Very well Colonel. We’re transmitting that information now,” stated the SF Captain. This captain knew how well his new equipment worked, and wouldn’t put anything past Richard Patterson – him being a terrorist – now that was a stretch…what were they smoking?

        Shuttle in geo-synchronous
orbit over Wallups Island

Corey. You know where this Admiral is located? Okay. I’m giving you control. Take us there in one piece please. This ought to be fun for you.

“Folks,” Richard said to his troops. “We’re going on a little side trip to Fort Meade to pick up an Admiral Walt Simpkins. Maybe we can turn the volume down on all this crap.”

Corey. Let her rip, he thought, and the shuttle went in a beeline to Fort Meade, and within three minutes was landing outside of an office complex with soldiers, and vehicles running out to cover the unannounced vehicle.

        US Cyber Command Fort Meade

“Admiral,” said his aide, Doug. “That vehicle is outside. The troops want to know, what you want them to do?”

“What vehicle?”

“That Richard Patterson vehicle sir. It’s waiting outside for you.”

“I’ll be g..%&^($&d.” cursed the Admiral.

Doug was impressed. He never really got to see the Admiral this angry, but he had heard he cussed like an old salt.

“Sir?” Doug asked.

“Tell Admiral…f..k it. Tell them to stand down. Seems this Patterson fellow can do what he says he can do.
  I’ll tell them
myself.”

“Sir…you want me to go with you?” Doug asked, and gulped.

Simpkins chuckled thinking how useful Doug would be in a scrum. “Thank you ensign…no. I’ll be quite all right.” The admiral clenched his jaw, and walked out to the craft. It was quite large, at least twenty meters long, six meters wide, and high. A cargo ramp lowered on the side, and Richard Patterson came out wearing a set of borrowed BlackArmour. His personal field was on, and he had two of his security team covering from sides of the ramp.

“Glad to meet you Admiral. I’m hoping I can prove I’m on the side of the U.S.,” Richard Patterson said to the Admiral.

“Why didn’t you let the government do its job then? You should allow us to do our job,” the Admiral said.

“I’m sorry Admiral. I’m supportive of the government, but I am NOT subservient to the government. I do not work for the government. I provide support for the government. Seizing all my properties, and arresting my employees does not endear trust. Shall we go?” Richard said, and preceeded up the ramp with his security. He didn’t want to appear that they were forcing the admiral aboard.

Richard told Corey to fly them to Wallups Island as soon as the ramp closed, and sealed behind the Admiral. The admiral looked around for a seat so Richard directed him to the cockpit with its viewscreens showing the ground hurtling by below them.

“Who is flying this thing? Why didn’t I feel any acceleration?” he asked.

“Computer controlled admiral. No inertia, no atmospheric friction, no sonic boom,” he said as the shuttle was landing outside hangar three at Wallups Island.

Mid-Atlantic Regional Space Facility, Hanger 3

“We’re here Admiral. Would you like to get out? …maybe, call off your dogs,” Richard said.

“I’d like to know, how you knew we were coming?” Admiral Simpkins asked.

Richard offered for the Admiral to lead the way as SF soldiers rushed to grab him. Richard adjusted his shield, and set his internal vision to view terahertz frequencies. The soldiers reached to grab him, but could not get closer than half a meter. Richard pulled out a little rod from his waistband, and turned it on. The soldiers could see nothing different, but Richard carefully swept the plane of the weapon through the soldiers pulse rifles. He placed the weapon back on his belt, motioned them off, and adjusted his field again so he could talk to them.

“Do not try that again,” I warned them. I hoped I would not have to injure, or kill any of the troops. It would…complicate matters.

The admiral and I walked to the facility office. I turned and asked if the SF colonel, and the captain, would join us. Corey told me their names – no idea how he found out. Admiral Simpkins nodded, the soldiers keyed their communications, and the two appeared from a nearby command post.

“Let’s sit down here, and discuss this situation, shall we?” I said. The SF colonel, and captain stood until the admiral motioned them to have a seat.

“What’s with the attempted capture…again?” I asked.

“What do you expect? You have technology that can render government technology obsolete? You could destroy our government. You can evidently fly easily to space. You can cut through the force fields, and armor we wear,” said the admiral.

“…oh…the armor I manufactured for you, and sold at just above my cost?” I said. I was getting angrier and angrier.

“You cut our weapons in half. You had an employee that gave information to Chinese agents.”

“Umm. What designs did he give? Did he give the information voluntarily?” I asked knowing of the intercepts. “I have no idea why Kattemann told the Chinese some of what we were developing, but I know he didn’t give them any designs.”

“How do you know that?” asked the Admiral.

“My employees get training after they sign non-disclosures, and non-competes.”

“You think that would keep anyone from stealing your secrets? You’re naive.”

“Hardly Admiral. Once my employees are trained they cannot give information. Did your Raleigh rescue team have any luck questioning the Kattemann after the operatives were subdued? I understand that he was still under the influence of the truth serum…bet you a year’s pay that he couldn’t articulate a coherent sentence when asked about our work.”

The Admiral looked at the SF Colonel. “Why do you say that?”

“Admiral. I can read any electronic message in any code on this planet if I want to…I don’t have time…that is the only reason I didn’t see your half-assed capture of all my assets.”

“That makes you more a threat,” stated the Admiral.

“Excuse me. The government reading all my private communications is not a threat, but a citizen who could read government emails is a deadly threat?”

“Exactly right. Can you read foreign encrypted files?” asked the admiral.

“Yes, and I can see that you would be terrified because you would not be in control – control is an illusion. You should know that of all people. What do I have to do to get my assets, and people released? This is getting very tiresome.”

“You have no options Mister Patterson…none at all. You must submit to the proper authority,” said Admiral Simpkins with finality.

I pulled out my two-dimensional phase projector – hell – it was so new, we didn’t even have a name for it. I then proceeded to slice my desk in half – gently. Then I started chopping the steel frame of the desk into little pieces – slowly like I was shaving a stick. The soldiers all tried not to look disturbed, but they slid their chairs back a bit.

“What will happen if I stop supplying ordnance to the military? No more nanites, or generators, or weapons, or shields – what then?”

“See you’re threatening us,” the admiral said. “Why don’t you threaten us with selling more weapons to other countries?”

I laughed. “Would that work? No…no…just kidding. I only sell them the substandard stuff we could defeat. There’s no winning with this is there? Would you like to know why I am designing all this weaponry, and trying to spread it all over the Earth? Do you REALLY think that a seventy-year old ex-soldier with little formal education came up with all these ideas?”

Do not tell them Richard,
Corey said.
They won’t believe you, and it won’t help.

I must do something. I don’t want to kill them all, but we can’t stay locked in this purgatory.

“Release all my employees, but keep Kattemann, and find out why he ever gave that information to those people. Release everyone else, and I’ll tell you my secret to getting all this technology. I’ll know when your orders are transmitted, and they have been released, and I’ll level with you.”

Corey was mad, and threatened to lock my joints, and not talk with me any more. I pleaded with him. He finally acquiesced.

It took three hours for the orders to be approved, transmitted, acknowledged, and acted upon. I had one of my security operatives – with a strong field – bring us four orders of food. Hot food would be a lot better than those soldiers outside would have since they had envisioned a smash, and grab raid – not a siege. The food was well received in my office. I had my security team seal off the kitchen, and supply areas from the soldiers. They could eat MREs, or starve. I was still pissed (not in the British way – good clean ‘merican anger).

I finally got acknowledgement that all my people had been released, or were about to be released.

“Thank you for carrying out your word Admiral,” I said.

“…but you didn’t talk to anyone, or receive a message…”

“Yes Admiral. I did. I have some internal communications – think of it as a very advanced computer. Aliens developed most of the technology you are using. I was contacted, and developed the companies using alien technology. I was given what we could understand, and we are learning to decipher some of the rest. I am trying to prepare the Earth to defend itself from an upcoming invasion. We currently are in the bow and arrow stage, compared to them. They have no compassion, no mercy – no human virtues. They will strip the Earth bare, and then destroy our sun.”

The three sat there stunned. They had expected bargaining, or threats, but not this…

“What do these aliens look like?” asked SF Colonel Masters.

Admiral Simpkins looked at Colonel Masters like he had lost his mind, and then back at me.

“Actually. I have only seen one picture, and it looked like a big snake with tentacles instead of arms on its forward third. Two eyes, but much larger than Earth animals…about four-meters long.”

There was silence for a long time, and then Admiral Simpkins spoke up. “You’ll have to give me some time on this matter Mister Patterson. You’ve given the military valuable technology, and, at least, now we know where it came from originally. I’ll need to talk with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. I’ll make it back to Fort Meade on my own. Thank you for the meal, and the ride, but I’ll take it from here. Colonel. Pull your people back to the borders of this property, and at all his other properties,” he said. “Will that be sufficient Mister Patterson? At least for now – we will show good faith.”