War of the Worlds 2030 (15 page)

“Perfect soldiers. Don't worry lads, if you die we'll just rebuild you from your last back up,” said the general.

“Exactly. I don't like being lied to,” said Richard.

“Neither do I,” agreed Malcome.

“It does explain a lot though.”

“What?” asked the general.

“Remember at the presidential banquet, when the Canadian delegate told the joke about the penguin and the priest?”

Malcome and Andrew both dawned pained expressions and sighed. “Yes.”

“I watched Kalok after that. He couldn't stop laughing. It got so bad Osa took him aside and sedated him.” Richard drummed his fingers on the table.

“So?” asked Malcome.

“So, they aren't use to hormones and endorphins. They have the memories of their true forms but basically human bodies. They aren't use to dealing with adrenaline surges and endorphin rushes, all the bio-emotional elements we grew up with. It's amazing Tannal didn't try and kill me, if you're right about his aggression level.”

“What does it mean?” Andrew looked out the window watching where Tannal and Osa would exit the building.

“I cannot be sure, but it's another piece of the puzzle. Are you in trouble with the president?” Richard turned to Malcome.

Malcome shrugged. “Who do you think authorized this soiree? She'll tell Tannal I've been reprimanded, make some noise where he can hear it then have me over for a drink in the oval office to get the report.”

“Do you think they'll be allowed to build the embassy?”

“Probably. Nothing here is damning, and with that Parkinson's cure they've made a big hit in the opinion polls.”

* * * *

Upload monitoring/ Richard Green /Index 12:02/ 2/12/2032

* * * *

“Why in hell did they insist on this location,” shouted Malcome as Richard and Flanders climbed from the chopper onto the old factory's parking lot. The chopper lifted into the air sending a down draught that blew dust in all directions and scattered the men's hair.

“Geothermal power. They require a place where the magma comes close to the surface. There are several on the west coast that meet the requirement,” said Richard.

“So you believe their party line?” yelled Flanders.

“Why lie when the truth serves. I also think Tannal's involvement with Ashley, and the fact that our research may be a threat to them, played a role. There are other locations that would serve as well as Goleta.”

“So it's not just the balmy southern California clime,” quipped Malcome.

Richard scanned his surroundings. The huge abandoned factory the
Darmuks
had chosen to make their embassy sat beside a mound of Milorganite. A crevice had been blasted into the mountainside behind the factory. The rest of the committee stood among a group of local and international dignitaries by the new embassy's doors. The building was painted, and ornamental arches added along with a series of planter beds filled with flowers and shrubs.

“We better get out of sight.” Malcome led the way to a limo parked by the lot's entrance. A short drive later and the three men sat in a house overlooking the embassy grounds. The place was packed with surveillance gear.

“You know, I'm beginning to wonder if Nancy isn't right. Are we just wasting our time?” General Flanders settled in a chair behind a wall full of screens showing the factory's yard.

Richard stared into one screen.

Ashley stood dressed in a semiformal skirt and blouse combination. Her red hair caught the sunlight.

“Doc, you with us?” asked Andrew.

“What…oh…yes…I think my next report might rekindle your suspicions. The Parkinson cure. The bio-components could be reprogrammed to generate a powerful, psychotropic drug. Effectively turning whoever is implanted into a paranoid psychotic with a persecution complex and minimal emotional filters.”

“Which means?” Flanders stared at the monitor screens.

“You ever read about the Celtic and Norse berserks.”

“God! Is this certain?” Flanders turned to stare at Richard.

“The symbiont could do it with the right instructions. The computer control interface could give those instructions, or it could just be that some of the brain chemicals needed for the cure are so similar to those that would cause this effect that it's a coincidence.”

“Still, it's another oddity. Ah, here they come,” said Malcome.

All eyes focused on the screen as the
Rigal
settled onto the pile of Milorganite. The hull now had an unhealthy, yellow tint. The craft's back folded open and the alien crew disembarked. Tannal and Kolok carried a blob of green material about the size of a small dresser to where the indentation had been blasted into the mountain. They lay it in the rock and stepped back. Nothing seemed to happen.

“What is that?” demanded Malcome.

Richard brought a camera into focus on the blob. “Gods! That, my friends, is a drilling rig.”

“Impossible,” said Malcome.

“Look.” Richard pointed to the screen a small pile of fine sand had started to collect just below the blob.

* * * *

Upload monitoring/ Richard Green /Index 09:33/ 22/12/2032

* * * *

“What happened?” demanded Richard. Ashley sat at the lab's workbench assembling her prototype bio-mechanical interface. There was a bruise on the side of her face.

“I…It's embarrassing.” She replied setting the equipment down.

“Ash. Did someone hit you?”

Ashley looked at the floor. “It was Tannal. We had a fight and he got angry.”

Richard felt his face go red. “He's a dead man! Ashley, no one worthy of you could ever do that to you.”

Ashley smiled at him. “I thought so too. I ended it. I was more than a little sick of his attitude anyway.
Darmuk
this is so great,
Darmuk
that is so great and a mere human couldn't possibly understand.”

“Thank the Gods!”

“You really hate him, don't you?”

“Until a minute ago, I would have said disliked and distrusted. Now hate seems a reasonable description.”

“You are so sweet. I guess it's back to dating for Ashley. I hate being single.” She smiled and moved to pick up her tools.

“Ashley…As regards…Zane and I were speaking and…” Richard felt his face go hot.

She stared at Richard.

“Ashley, I fully realize that this is inappropriate, given that I am you faculty advisor, but the simple truth is your work on cybernetic interfaces is so ground breaking and so well done, you are already assured your doctorate. I could not exercise bias, and well I am older, I feel we have a solid basses in friendship and I…”

She smiled like the sun coming out from behind a cloud and interrupted him. “How about the Chinese place that just opened up on main this Saturday, seven-ish then maybe drinks afterwards.”

“Gods yes.” Richard smiled back at her, relief and joy welling up inside him.

Ashley glanced around the lab making sure they were alone. “Richard, I want to get one thing out of the way before our date.”

“What?” he asked.

“This.” She kissed him on the lips. It was brief but sweet. “Now we won't be standing in front of my door with you wondering what to do at the end.”

“Ash, you are an amazing woman.”

“I'm glad you finally noticed.”

Ashley skipped along the woodland trail. She paused to kick a pile of leaves and spun around. Her smile was beauty itself and his heart melted to see it. Leaves clung to her jeans and blue sweater like odd pieces of jewelry.

She ran to him and threw herself into his arms, laughing. He kissed her. She responded enthusiastically.

“I love you, Ashley,” he whispered and it held every ounce of truth his soul had.

“Me to. I mean…I love you, Richard. This vacation was just what I needed. I'd always heard how pretty Maine was in the fall, but it's hard to believe until you see it.” She grabbed the straps of the day-pack he wore and ran her hands up and down them.

“We all deserved a break after reverse engineering the Alzheimer cure.”

“I just hope Zane doesn't get suspicious. Us both being gone at the same time. Both contact numbers in Maine.”

“Frankly, my love, he approves. He hasn't said anything, but I can tell he knows. I can hardly wait for you to finish your doctorate so I can tell the world you're mine. If I were you, I'd worry more about Zane not wrecking your experiments.”

“He isn't that bad a researcher.” Ashley kissed Richard then pulled away with a mischievous glint in her eye.

“You know, I bet it would be very easy to get lost in these woods. Go a little off the trail and no one would see you.” She lightly bit her lower lip.

“Ashley.” Richard grinned then lunged at her. She shrieked and ran into the woods. He chased her. She ducked under branches and he leapt over logs, both of them laughing like maniacs. He finally caught her in a small clearing shielded from prying eyes by saplings. She laughed and he pulled her close, smothering her lips with his own. She melted into him, her body pressed tight against his.

He broke the kiss. “This will be more comfortable.” Shucking his day-pack he pulled out the picnic blanket and spread it over the grass and wildflowers that covered the meadow floor.

Ashley slipped out of her running shoes and stepped onto the blanket. She winked at him flirtatiously and began to walk it flat as he struggled with the laces on his hiking boots.

He joined her, enfolding her in his embrace. Their lips met. She fumbled with the buttons on his shirt as he traced the lines of her slender, firm body. He stroked her breasts through her sweater and felt the nipples harden.

“No bra?” he commented.

“Planning makes perfect.” She kissed a trail down the center of his chest before un-clipping his pants and dropping his fly.

“Ashley, my Ashley. Richard bent and un-tucked her shirt then, with a single smooth motion, pulled it off over her head and tossed it to the corner of the blanket.

“Oww, that breeze is chilly,” said Ashley, as the cool air caressed her skin like another lover's hands.

“I'll endeavor to keep you warm.” Richard cupped her chin in his hand and helped her to her feet. He kissed her as his pants fell around his knees. He paused long enough to toss his shirt to join her sweater and pull her tight against him, skin to skin. Her nipples pressed against his chest. The cool, fresh air was an aphrodisiac, making him want her more than he ever believed possible. The leaves rustled and birds sang. Sunlight poured down upon them from a blue sky and nothing felt more natural than to love her.

“Richard,” she whispered and licked his nipples. The moisture and coolness made him gasp. Kneeling he returned the favor as he unclipped her jeans and pulled them down. Her panties swiftly followed, joining his pants in a single toss onto the clothes pile.

Ashley stood naked before him. Lean, young, and beautiful. She smiled and gave him a look that said all she felt. That look always made him feel ten feet tall.

Slipping a finger up her thigh he stroked her sex. She gasped and the finger came away damp.

Richard kissed her and let his hands roam freely.

“Richard.” Ashley knelt facing him and pulled down his briefs. A moment later he was as naked as she was.

“Ashley, My Ashley. My woodland sprite, beauty incarnate. Gods and Godesses all, I love you.”

He kissed her and she lay him back on the blanket. Her hands played over his chest, tweaking his nipples as she straddled him.

“Richard, be mine forever?” She positioned him at her opening.

“Forever, my love,” he smiled secretly.

“What?”

“In a few minutes.”

She lowered herself onto him with an agonizing slowness. Wetting his finger he played it over her clitoris while his other hand roamed over her body. He gently stroked her nipples then rising up took one into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it.

“Oh, Goddess,” whispered Ashley. “Aww, Richard…my Richard. Agg haaa.”

She fell limp against him. Richard held her and stared at the sky above. His mind was empty of thought, but he knew it was the finest moment of his life. A minute later Ashley rose up. He was still solid within her. Her hair was mussed and she smiled at him with love in her eyes.

“Let's see about breaking some of that British control,” she remarked and her hips moved.

“Is that a challenge?”

“A promise.” She lowered her mouth to his nipple and gently nibbled it.

“Ugg,” he gasped as she straightened and slowly pumped her hips. His passion built.”

“Ashley…my Ashley. Oh, Gods; haaa.” His orgasm exploded from him. His head went light. He stared into her face, framed by the clear, blue sky, and his last lingering doubt was gone.

Ashley climbed off him and lay at his side. He just held her close for a long time.

“Ashley, Love. Let me up.”

She shifted so he could move. Rising he retrieved the day pack and unzipped a side pocket.

“You're not the only one that came prepared. You spoke of forever. I can't promise you that, but I can give you the rest of my life. Ashley Hinkly, will you become my wife? I love you more than I ever thought possible.”

She stared at the gold band with its small diamond, her face a mask of disbelief.

“Please?” asked Richard, when she made no move to take it.

“Richard, I thought you'd never ask.” Tears welled in her eyes as she took the ring and slipped it on. She threw her arms around him and he held her close, feeling like his life had just begun.

Richard consciously pulled back from the memory, becoming aware of Janis's basement around him and the air mattress he lay on. He'd triggered the recall because he'd felt the hopelessness building. The memory reminded him of what he was fighting for, while at the same time allowing him moments free of pain. He knew there was danger in any form of escape, the memories could so easily become an addiction, but he needed something.

“Soon love. Soon, for better or worse,” he whispered.

“For richer or poorer,” replied a voice on the edge of his perception.

“Ashley?” Richard opened himself to the interface. He lay once more on the blanket with her in his arms; only this time he knew the words were different.

“Richard, I have an idea for saving some of the people.” Ashley gazed into his eyes.

“How long have you been interfaced? Get back to yourself. If they catch you like this—”

“I linked in just as you were spreading the blanket. It's one of my favorites too. I wanted to relive it with you. The
Darmuks
think I'm sleeping, and I've covered my cyber tracks. Now listen. I've diverted one of the captured cargo ships. They use human crew. This is what you need to do.”

The next morning Richard paced back and forth in Janis's living room while he shared Ashley's plan.

“I knew you were on a suicide mission but this is insane?” objected Janis. She wore the tattered remains of a housecoat and sat on her couch.

“We have no choice. I wouldn't even tell you but Ashley's plan might work,” said Richard.

“I'm calling this off. There has to be another way.”

“Janis, honey. If there was another way, don't you think we would have tried it?” Zane sat beside her, his hands cupped in his lap.

“Oh, God! Richard, honestly. Are things really this desperate?”

“Six months and estimates say they'll have the continental United States. Six months after that, all of North and South America. A year after that, the world. The larger the front the faster we fall.”

“Gods! Okay, I'm in. Gods forgive me! I'm in! I'll tell those who survive the engagements to gather at the docks.”

“It's the only way,” said Zane.

“I know, I still feel dirty.”